marfar7

When I took the nutrition class the day before my surgery (July 16th), I asked my RN why it says you can drink decaf coffee on the liquid diet, but not reg. She said "because the RD who transcribed the drs orders onto the sheet is a nazi". She said that 1 cup of coffee never hurt anyone, including bariatric patients. Now, I wouldn't go crazy with a whole pot Luv my coffee. Waited almost 2 weeks post op cuz I was scared (of what, no clue) and drank some on Monday. Boy did I miss it. I think most drs say to cut back and mine is really conservative when it comes to the diet, but says moderate coffee is ok

My activity orders r no lifting over 15 lbs and no abdominal exercises for 6 wks. I see my dr at 4 wks, so he may clear me early. Im in no hurry, however. Starting back to the gym tomorrow (walk on the treadmill) and I can't imagine doing crunches right now (Im 2 wks out). A year does seem excessive. I reread my orders the other day and had mksunderstood them in the beginning. Thought I wasn't sposed to lift over 5 lbs (a gallon of milk weighs more than 5 lbs)

Im 2 wks today also. The first 10 days, I felt no hunger at all. The pastt 4 days however, I've been really hungry. Im also still on full liquids (4 wks) and I also have hope that when I eat real food again, my tummy will feel full. Im also a little scared of eating real food. No clue how much Im gunna be able to eat and what. But I do welcome soft food in 2 weeks! Can't wait for some refried beans and cheese....

Here's where we all show our differences. I think Atkins meals r icky. Haven't had the Pasta one, but the chicken Alfredo was really dry, the Beef Merlot was salty, and the Sausage and Peppers was really tough meat. And they're pricey. At our Walmart (Southern OR) they're close to $5. My husband who's a low carber can eat 3 of them at once (he's definitely a volume eater). He'd much rather grill a chicken boob or a pork chop. He's not a fan of frozen meals period. Im all for convemience, but I just don't like em.

Wow. Scary, huh? I thought they were gunna tell me it was all in my head, like I was having a panic attack or something. I started thinking I was having a stroke on the way to the ER. Never, ever had a medication reaction like that before...

My dr has me on 2x a day Pepcid (I took RX Prilosec before surgery, but I guess the Pepcid is better for small stomachs) I think I may buy stock in the Tums company!

You're doing better than me. While in the hospital getting IV Dilaudid, I couldn't even see the letters on my phone keyboard! It was really hard just texting 1 sentence let alone writing a post the same day as surgery! Congrats!!

I had my revision done at the same time 2 weeks ago. My dr does most of his revisions this way. In fact, when I asked him what the chances are that I would wake up in recovery not sleeved, his answer was "nil". He spent 30 minutes digging my band out of my stomach (it had grown into my stomach). So the recovery was a little harder than I thought it would be (a little more sore from the cutting and tugging), but I'm so glad that it was done at once. Firstly, my insurance (Medicare) would only pay for it if it was from a band complication. If my band was no longer there (like in 2 procedures), then it wasn't causing me harm and they'd never pay for a bmi of 29. Secondly, I'd hate to have to recover from 2 surgeries if one will do the trick! I might've chickened out had I had time to wait and think about it more. And I knew I would've gained back the over 100 lbs I had lost with my band. Unless you have major damage to your stomach from your band that makes it dangerous to sleeve you at the same time, I think most drs prefer to do it at once. My band was slipped for a year and actually herniated for about 4 mths before coming out. They can't tell the amount of damage until they're actually in there (no ct scans don't show it) so I don't think there's anyway they can GUARANTEE that it'll be done in one procedure, but I know they try really hard. Good luck to you. I know what it feels like to lose your band. Glad I went with the sleeve instead of trying a 2nd band. My dr probly would've talked me out of it anyway. He's not really fond of the lapband anymore.

I'm 2 weeks post op and I just stopped the liquid Vicodin on Sat. So I think it's very normal. For the most part, the surgery is painful (some brave people here find it no more than uncomfortable. To them I say "congrats") and it takes a couple weeks to feel semi normal again. At least I don't have any nausea or fatigue. Good luck! You should start seeing less pain soon. I promise

I thought for sure I had a leak about 6 days post op. My left shoulder started hurting really badly, my bp was 180/110, and I started having really weird muscles things happening. Like my face contorted, my fingers were contracted and I couldn't relax any of my muscles. I called my RN on a Sunday nite and she assured me that about 95% of all leaks happen withint the first 2-3 days and since my temp was 98.1, I was good. Well after geting off the phone with her, my muscles started cramping even more, I couldn't even keep control of my face - it was all squinty. Hubby took me to the ER, convinced I had a leak and my dr is 3 hrs away. They diagnoses me withint the first 3 minutes with a side effect of Reglan, a med that my dr gave me for my stomach. The ER dr has seen it before and pretty much guessed that I was taking it. Within the first 1 minute after giving me Benadryl in my IV, I was immediately relieved and could relax. When I called my nurse at 11 pm to tell her what happened, she had never heard of this before. And they regularly give Reglan out to all post op patients for 1 week. Thats weird to me. That the ER knew exactly what it was and she had never heard of it. hmmm... You can read the horror stories of leaks on this board but the truth is that they're very rare. My dr has done more than 3,500 sleeves and has had 2 leaks, both found at the leak test 1 day post op. Post op healing takes time and it does hurt MOST people. I'm just starting to feel normal and it's been 2 weeks. Good luck!

I'm sposed to aim for about 80. Right now I drink a total of 16 oz of Syntrax nectar a day (23gms+9gms for the milk for each 8 oz) - so I guess thats 64 gms. I can drink about 5 oz at a time now (was sposed to drink 3oz every waking hour, but can drink more now). Still on full liquids so the Protein drinks are where I get 100% of my protein. I have the unflavored powder, but I've only tried it once (in a glass of ice tea) and it was icky. Think I might've wasted $35 on it. Wasn't tasteless Oh, and I'm 2 weeks out. So I don't think 64 is all that bad

i was banded 3 1/2 yrs ago. I frequently vomited (about 3-6x a week) causing my slip last year. It got to be so routine that I'd just bed over and up would come the food. No pain involved at all, just bend over and out comes the food. But thats because my band was blocking the way. Now that I will have a sleeve (next week, eeek!), how will it compare (if I accidently vomit, I'm hoping not to at all, but I am a true vomiter, even before my band). If I do vomit, will it be the violent vomit like before my band or just food like with the band?

I buy my Syntrax Nectar protein powder from Amazon (I have Amazon Prime, free shipping). I got my last shipment in less than 36 hrs! Awaiting a shipment right now, as a matter of fact. Whenever I need anything, I check Amazon first, cuz of the free shipping.

I'm 2 weeks out and my incision started itching a couple days ago. I think thats part of the normal healing process. Maybe use some hydrocortisone cream on it?

Never had sushi. Raw fish sounds gross tho. Whats it taste like?

I was just gunna say "You poor thing. Never had a pair of flip flops".

A 14 hr flight? Where the heck are you coming from?

I thought I was the oddball, being in more than moderate pain afterwards. I read so many people here don't have hardly any pain, and then there's me. Not really a big baby, but this surgery HURT. I'm 2 weeks out now and just now am not taking the liquid Vicodin they gave me. I can finally sleep on my side (with a pillow). Not really tired, I'm not a napper anyway. Can never fall asleep during the day. Spent 2 nites in the hospital with my IV Dilaudid and went home on liquid Vicodin. Was surprised there was no nausea (except right after my swallow test, I had to have Zofran for that). Usually I get nausea after surgery. But yes, it was painful. My lapband 4 yrs ago was a piece of cake (did I just say cake? I meant Protein shake!). I'm just starting to get hungry as well. Never noticed how many burger commercials were on tv till the other nite! Good luck. Hope you start feeling better soon. It does get better. Every morning when I woke up, felt like I was hit by a train. Liquid Vicodin is really good stuff!

I also had one that was removed the day I left the hospital. Never heard that about bmi and drains. My bmi was 29 (band to sleeve revision) and I had a drain. Some people go home with it and have it out ina week or so. Glad they took mine out before leaving cuz my dr is 3 hrs from home and I'd hate to have to go back just for that. Feels really "weird" when they pull it out. Almost like holding a strand of spaghetti and swallowing it, and then pulling it back up (yes, I've done this!). No pain, just about 10 seconds of really weird.

I brought my own toothbrush, as the cheesy one they provide is for the birds. I brought my phone charger, phone, clothing, toothbrush, hairbrush and clips, and my own pillow. hate hospital pillows... Good luck!

I have a friend who I haven't seen in over 6 yrs. She and her hubby are flying out from TX (to OR) in 2 1/2 weeks to visit with family. We're meeting 3 hrs away at an Olive Garden for lunch (they are about 6 hrs from us and to save us both from the big drive, we're meeting halfway). I had my sleeve on July 16th and am on a full liquid diet for 4 weeks. This will literally be my 1st day on soft foods (refried beans, eggs, tuna salad, etc). I luv Olive Gardens chicken gnocci soup. Do you think they would puree it for me? It's already soft, however the chicken is a little chewy. Has anyone ever asked a restaurant to puree something for them? They're a restaurant, you'd think they'd have a blender in there! No salad (no fresh veggies for 90 days) or bread, just soup. Any ideas?

The only sign I had to my slip was a nightime cough and severe reflux where I had never had it before. I sufferred for 4 mths cuz I was afraid my dr would unfill me. And unfill he did. Tried to get it back into place by just an unfill but it wasn't to be. Had a sleeve revision on July 16th. After a year of a slipped band.

Think of Yoga - on steroids! I've taken pilates a couple of times and it kicked my butt! It looks so easy. Stretching, etc. But it's really hard. And an hour of that and you've probably burned at least 500 calories.

Someone else who's got a long time on liquids! My dr plan is 4 weeks of full liquids followed by 4 weeks of soft foods. I've never noticed how many burger commericals that are out there till yesterday (day 12 and I'm starting to get hungry). Sadly, I cheated on my 4 wk liquid diet with my lapband 4 yrs ago. Started mashed potatoes at the 3rd week. Thought I might just starve. While it didn't hurt anything, it could have and I'd solely be responsible if it did. This time I promised myself that I wouldn't cheat...

Just curious. I'm on a full liquid diet (to include cream Soups, yogurt, puddings, Jello, and runny cream of what) for the first 4 weeks (I'm only 6 days post op). I'm scared of eating anything, however. Haven't even had jello cuz I'm afraid I'm gunna burst my staples or something. I know I hafta get over that eventually (or continue to drink my meals). Is chili in the blender ok? Or would that be mushy phase?