Muffinman1119

I don't think it would be a terrible idea to try. Best answer I got is to potentially call your surgeon's office and ask what they say specifically regarding your progress and medical status.

As the other commenters have stated, the biggest regret is only that I didn't do it sooner. Yes, the first few weeks can be difficult (the gas pains for the first few days reallllly suck, but they will subside as you get up walking), however, it gets easier as time goes on. The ecstasy you will feel as the pound melt away will make everything worth it. More importantly, you will get healthier, and with any luck, your asthma may less or totally subside.

I'm almost 8 months post-op and I still find it difficult to get my water intake where it should be. Always remember though, that most of the food you're eating is made of some amount of water as well.

It probably took about 4-5 days for them to stop hurting, but what was the worst, was that they itched for about 2-3 weeks. After 6-8 weeks, none of my incisions were tender anymore.

About two or three weeks ago, I noticed at the gym while doing the hip abductor machine that my thighs/knees can touch without the machine being engaged. I was surprised and it made me smile.

I hear ya! It is very difficult, frustrating, and down right annoying when you hit a stall. I’m 8+ months post-op and have hit 3 remarkable stalls. The longest one lasted almost a month, the other two were 2-3 weeks. Just follow your body’s cues and listen to them. The stalls will go away on their own in time.

I’m about 3 months post-op and have noticed that some old (bad) habits are starting to creep back into my life. My worst problem pre-surgery was snacking at night. I’ve been slowly doing this again. At dinner, I feel full after 6-8 bites of food, but not snacking. I feel like I’m able to take in a lot more when snaking than regular meals. I know I need to just not do it all, but obviously that’s easier said than done. Anybody else went through these cravings around this time post-op? If so, what did you do/are you doing to curb the cravings?

You pretty much hit the nail on the head with the snack items. I need to re-focus on getting all my protein in as I’ve kind of slacked on that lately. It was hard getting 100+ grams of protein a day before surgery, much less now after surgery. I just need to settle back into things and not forget why I had this surgery done in the first place.

I definitely had the same reactions at similar weight differences. All of the sudden when I got into the 230-250 range, I started having dates left and right. Sadly, this is the way society is these days. Save for the few that want you to be obese, and continually feed you to keep you that way.

I love the Fairlife and Premier Protein shakes. I also don't mind the Muscle Milk brand either. I prefer to make my own though with protein powder and water and/or milk.

About a decade ago, I started to lose weight on my own and lost 195 lbs (using phentermine, and diet and exercise). However, I gained about 115 lbs of that back. When I was lower in weight, I did notice people would treat me differently (particularly in the dating scene). Now, with the sleeve, I'm not noticing it too much in regard to being treat differently, just comments from co-workers, family, and friends. I do think people look at you differently though, I don't really know how they couldn't.

I loved fruit pre-op and I was very anxious to eat it afterwards. However, I've noticed that I can't eat a lot of it. I buy pre-cut fruit salads (pineapple, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, grapes, strawberries) from the grocery store, but I can only eat 4-5 pieces of fruit before my sleeve tells me, woah buddy, that's enough.

I too have been having this issue over the last month as well. I think it happens to all of us. As many people have commented here, it's a physical operation we went under, the behavior side is up to us. Just try to focus on filling yourself with foods you know should be, getting your protein in and hitting your water intake. You can have the so called "junk" foods in moderation. However, I think as a whole, our community is just as guilty as others at labeling food, i.e. "junk", "healthy", etc. Too much of anything is bad for us good or not. Psychologically, we have to get away from that thinking. Food is food, plain and simple. I too am trying to embody what I just said. Food is food, period. Best of luck to you.

I too have been struggling with similar issues over the last two weeks. I’ve gotten away from logging my food into the Baritastic App, I’m not drinking enough fluids, and I’m definitely not hitting my protein goals most days. I also have found myself snacking on foods that I would’ve chosen pre-surgery and I really need to nip that in the bud. I think that it’s no coincidence that they harp on fluid and protein intake when you’re in the pre-op phase. I really think those two things are key for successful and sustainable weight loss post surgery.

I think most people are all guilty of this to an extent. I know I was. I bought all this stuff to make milkshakes that I got he recipes for out of gastric sleeve cookbooks and I think I made all of 3 shakes. I even bought an immersion blender to help make them. Like Ben Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” You’re preventing being unprepared and it will be worth it in the long run.

I know this is hard to read and even harder to hear, but one of the worst things you can do is compare yourself to others (I am no different and have been having this problem for the last few weeks myself). You’re the only you and there is no one else like you that has your exact situation, weight, metabolism, etc. Just try to stay focused with your post op and doing the best you can. That’s all any of us can do.

Prior to surgery I was not addicted to any drugs or alcohol. However, I would comfortably assume I was “addicted” to food. Now that I’m not eating anywhere close to as much as I used to, I fear I am seeking to fill that void with an odd replacement…professional sports. I am an avid baseball fan and my team has a really good chance at making the playoffs this year. When they win, I’m in a great mood, nothing could be better. However, when they lose, I go into a tailspin and get very depressed, instantly having little to no interest in doing anything or finding joy in anything. I am speaking with a psychiatrist in a week, so hopefully that will help begin the coping process. Has anyone else had a personal experience with transfer addiction, and if so, how did you/are you dealing with it?

You're gonna be ok. You literally went through a life-altering surgery, it's ok to feel a little unsteady about things. Eventually, things will begin to get easier and you'll start noticing more positives than negatives. We all lose at different rates and no two of our stories are the same. Just keep your chin up and never stop moving forward

I was curious if any of my fellow sleevers had been diagnosed with depression prior to or after surgery. Since about August 2021, (was sleeved on 7/27/22) I've been experiencing on and off symptoms of depression. It comes and goes on a daily/weekly basis. One day I'm fine, then the next week I'm just down in the dumps with seemingly no way out, then I'm fine for the next week or two. I've spoke with a psychologist in the previous months and obviously spoke with a psych to do my pre-surgery evaluation. If you are taking any anti-depressants, what are they and what kind of side effects have you had?

I made the mistake of having a breakfast burrito (or 1/3 of one) from WaWa about a two weeks after surgery...bad idea! That being said, I have reincorporated small amounts of straight up carbs. I have had Mac & Cheese, spaghetti, pasta, etc., but only small servings (like we're talking 1/4 cup or less). So far I haven't really had any problems so far.

The other Dr. in the practice where my surgeon is, does the sleeve for $14,900 cash. Here's his website... https://myradbody.com/surgical-weight-loss

Thank you for your thoughtful post. I’m going to see my primary care doctor tomorrow and I have an initial consult with a psychiatrist in two weeks.

Thank you both for reading and the thoughtfulness in your replies. I will try to talk to my doctor this week about it

Overall, I was lucky to not experience much pain with my sleeve. The gas pains were the worst overall. My incision near my belly button would also tend to be painful if I bent over too far when I was sitting down.

The procedure is relatively quick and will be over before you know it. The gas pains will hopefully be the "worst" part, they are not fun, but getting up to walk will allow for those to go away within a day or two. Best of luck to you!