cajun

from a previous post, the goal is 50% of excess body weight by three months, 80% by six months and the rest during the following six months.

Kai, Are you making the mushies real soupy? Try adding a little more liquid to them so they are almost but not quite "drinkable". Then very gradually decrease the liquid over a period of several weeks. If that still does not work, just back up to full liquids again for about a week or two more. I had to do that several times before I could move forward. Don't be discouraged...just watch the pounds dropping off and cheer for yourself everytime you see that...THAT is success looking at you in the face! You've already lost 1/4 of your excess weight...you are doing fabulous! Next time you are at the grocery store, pick up a large 182 oz bottle of bleach and remind yourself that you have lost over THREE TIMES THAT MUCH. That should make you smile!!! Congratulations! Did you have a hiatal hernia repair as well as a VSG? If so, that gives some of us (me too) a tighter lower esophageal sphincter for a while, so the transitions may need to be slower for some of us. KEEP ON KEEPING ON, SLEEVE SISTER!!!

AWESOME job DeeDee! I am so happy for you!

Not necessarily. Many will not give results over the phone, good or bad.

After I lost about 40 lbs I just tried doing without it. At first it was strange because the bedroom was so unusually quiet without the "white noise" of the machine. But I felt like I had slept well, awoke refreshed, and have never used it again. What a blessing! Now when I travel I don't have to lug it along. Yippee.!!! Mine must have been an obstructive type of sleep apnea, and once the extra weight was gone, the obstruction was relieved. There are different types of sleep apnea so I DON'T recommend "doing this at home on your own, without medical input". If you stop using it but still really need it, you could suffer harm.

One of the great side effects for me after the sleeve is that I sleep soundly (no longer with a cpap machine) for about 7 hours then I wake up and am WIDE AWAKE. Never used to do that. I'd wake up groggy and putter around, drink some coffee and try to get my brain in gear. Now I wake up rested, alert, and with a fully functioning brain/energetic body. Don't even need the caffeind fix anymore How great!

Carolyn, I have never heard of Dr Aceves having any intestinal leaks or other leaks.

Newlife for me: How awesome! You are doing a phenomenal job with your sleeve! It's great that you had such family support. My family did not know I had gone for the surgery and even though they saw me at Christmas, at about 70lbs loss, they did not comment...I think they were trying to figure out what was different, from the looks I was getting... one person asked if I had a new haircut...but they did not mention wt loss. So I did not tell them...I was grinning to myself...just being mischevious, Since then I have told some of them and they are delighted for me. Since I went to Mexico, I did not want to tell in advance out of concerns that they would try to talk me out of it. I did not want to deal with conflict about it, as I could not afford USA rates, and did enough research to be clearly convinced of the high quality of care I would get from Dr Aceves' team. I was right. Am so glad I did this, for some of the same reasons you mentioned. I take great pleasure in periodically cleaning out my closet and taking clothes to Goodwill. Am not buying much because I am still losing fast. Once I am at target, I'll have a fun shopping day with friends! About 60 lbs to go. Am hoping to join you in the "century club" before too long. In about a week or so, I'll be in the 100's for the first time in 25 years. Can't wait! Welcome to the loser's bench!!!

fantastic job judy...keep it up!!

MARY: Mexicali is the capital of Baja. It is HUGE. Mexicali proper has a population of 653,046, according to the 2005 census, while the population of the entire metropolitan area exceeds 900,000. Mexicali - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Way to go Nick. You're a great loser!!!!:thumbup1:

Yep, normal. Congrats on joining the loser's bench. Just keep on with tiny sips, burp between each sip if you can, to relieve the pressure. Your tummy has been cut on and it will be objecting for a few days...just be kind to it and it will get better real soon. Warm liquids sometimes feel better than cold ones.

AWESOME! Way to go! Have a great time in Barbados...you deserve it!

I agree. My insurance would not cover it so I just saved up and went to Dr Aceves. It was so much simpler than jumping through insurance company requirements anyway. Dr Aceves' program is fantastic.

ABSOLUTELY. In fact, at the rate you are going, it is 99.99% CERTAIN at the rate you are losing! Keep up the great work!:thumbup1:

There are 30 cc's in one ounce. Those little plastic medicine cups that they give you medicine in are USUALLY one ounce cups.

I'm getting rid of what I "undergrow" as I go down. I did "take up" some things that could have seams sewn up to make them last longer, but not am saying bye bye to them too as I approach onderland. 204 this morning...getting excited to see 100.

I've been eating spinach salad. Chew well. Not having any problem. But it's so soft...not like carrots or broccoli. There was one poster quite a while back who ate coconut, and ended up with it stuck in her stomach in a ball. She had to have it surgically removed. So I would say, I'd try only small amounts at a time, of any tough veggie, and chew chew chew.

Continuous spinal anesthesia has been studied and found effective for about ten years. See: Continuous spinal anesthesia/analgesia for periope... [Obes Surg. 2000] - PubMed result Also: " A recent abstract (133) looked at patient-controlled thoracic epidural analgesia after gastric bypass sur- gery and found that it provided adequate postopera- tive pain control with few side effects and no serious complications. Most of the patients were able to start oral intake on the second postoperative day and were discharged home by the fourth postoperative day. Another study on thoracic epidural analgesia (134) found distinct advantages over morphine patient- controlled analgesia (PCA) in providing a superior quality of analgesia and shortening the duration of postoperative ileus. Continuous spinal analgesia has been used for postoperative analgesia after open VBG with demonstrated safety, efficacy, and a small inci- dence of morbidity (116)." source: According to the National Institutes of Health, Dr Aceves uses this, and I was so glad to have it...I had immediate pain control, no side effects.

Tiff, thanks for the great reference. Sleep well tonight!

Have you tried Jay Robb Whey protein shake? I like it, no aftertaste. You can buy a single use packet at GNC, to try it out instead of buying a huge amount. I mix it in lactaid fat free milk, and add a splash of banana extract.

Great news Tiff. I knew you would do great...you are a strong woman! And all the love and support you've received is just a return on all you have given!!! Take good care of yourself!

I had this happen about two weeks ago when I tried to take my Multivitamin horse pill for the first time since surgery. Now I take a crushed version of the multivitamin prescribed by my pcp. The tummy just did not like that pill. I've taken tylenol with no problem. Vitamins are nasty though, and I guess the sleeve knew that. The acid in your esophagus leaves it irritated for about 24 hours so it is recommended to "back up" the "diet" for a day or so, and since I was on regular food, I "backed up" to mushy foods for 24 hours after I vomited. In your case, you should only be on clear fluids anyway, and NO solid pills at all, as the others have said. Your sleeve is freshly done, and you could cause a leak by putting anything else in it. My surgeon recommends clears for 10 days, then full liquids for 10 days, then mushy foods for 10 days before going on regular foods. Be sure you are following your surgeon's recommendations, so you don't end up having a leak, re-hospitalization, and other severe consequences. I know some surgeons allow their patients to have pills and regular foods sooner after surgery, but my personal opinion is, I'd rather be careful than sorry afterwards. I'm glad my surgeon is conservative about this issue. Complications are not only VERY expensive, they can also cost you your life. So be careful!!!

Tiff, You're probably all done and in recovery room by now...just wanted you to know I've been praying for a smooth surgery and recovery today, for you. Hope you are back home and resting well soon!

Steph: Nope, I'm not a hypochondriac. I'm kinda the opposite...what, me worry? type of person. Thanks for your post.