HatheryOnHerWay

I don't see how this is considered a "lot of food"...prior to surgery I would have eaten 2 egg-salad sandwiches for lunch (w/ bread and probably 4 eggs), dinner I'd have eaten the whole burrito bowl plus some chips and salsa and maybe a cookie, and in the evening I'm sure I'd have found something less-than-healthy to eat like toast or Cereal.

Wow, it sounds more like your brother doesn't want you to do the surgery because he doesn't want to lose his punching bag!

Every surgeon has a different pre-op diet. Some have to do it for a few weeks--I just had to do liquids the day before.

Yep, exactly.

I pulled a muscle last week. I got a back brace to wear for a few days, and it helped tremendously. As did ice.

Nope, gastritis is different than heartburn. It's an inflammation of the stomach lining. Whenever I eat something, I get a really bad stabbing pain in my sides and it goes around my back. Apparently it's pretty common after VSG to develop a bit of gastritis.

Even if someone IS paid to write about their experience, I don't see why it matters as long as the story they share is true. It could still help someone know what to expect from start to finish with a certain doc.

Okay, so all this week I've been dealing with some pulled muscles in my abdomen. I overdid it over the weekend trying to adjust some wires behind my entertainment center, and managed to really tick off some of the muscles that are trying to heal. So far I've been icing my belly, taking liquid hydrocodone left over from my surgery, wearing a back brace to support my abdomen and lower back muscles, and trying to rest as much as possible (easier said than done because I work full-time!) I called my surgeon to make sure my symptoms didn't trouble him, and he agreed that it sounds like I probably re-tore some of the abdominal muscles that were healing. Lovely Any other suggestions on how to make myself comfortable or speed along recovery? I was doing SO WELL after surgery, and could just kick myself for messing around with the stupid entertainment center. Rather, I could kick my husband for not doing it himself. haha

Does taking acetaminophen after help?

I've been having awful pain in my sides after eating. Like someone is stabbing me. My surgeon thinks I have gastritis, so I'm doing 40mg Prilosec daily and Pepto 2x day. Seems to be helping.

I didn't use mine, but only because I couldn't! I couldn't keep liquids down the first few days, including the liquid hydrocodone.

I don't take as big of sips as I did Pre-op, but i'd say I take "normal" size sips. I'm just careful not to gulp excess air.

This is such a controversial topic. Some surgeons believe it makes no difference at all, while others think it washes the food through the sleeve or causes fullness too quickly. I honestly think in the realm of VSG, this particular subject requires a lot more research before we get a definitive answer.

For a lot of people, the act of smoking itself is more addictive than the nicotine. If you find yourself to be one of those people, they do sell e-cigs with no nicotine in them. A lot of folks have successfully quit that way

Yep, I have one. I chose not to tell her about my surgery. Maybe someday, but not now.

This is a fabulous post! Well done!

I was allergic to the glue, too. I'm 3 weeks out and some still have evidence of the rash around them.

My hubby wasn't on-board at first either. He came around once he realized I wasn't going to take "no" for an answer. Stay strong and keep your head up---you're doing what's best for you, and that's what matters.

Best of luck to you!!

Unfortunately I couldn't keep any pain meds down the first few days. My surgeon gave me these anti-nausea suppositories (I know, yuck, right?) that also would make me sleep. To me, sleeping through the pain was the best medicine.

Oooh, yikes! That's definitely too much. I'll stick with my semi-palatable liquid vitamin.

I have the SAME PROBLEM. My husband and I bond best over trying new foods and new restaurants. I know that one day I'll be able to do that again, but just not now. I think for me it's just that bonding that I miss more than the actual food. Gotta find a new way to bond!

Wow, really?!? That's quite nutritious, actually.

I burp/hiccup when I get full. That's when I know to stop, lest I hiccup another bite straight onto the table.

Yes, I did. My forearms and my chest both got very hot to the touch and were red. I showed it to the doctor and he explained it like this: "You had most your stomach cut out, and your body just figured that out. Now it's ramping up the metabolism to try and figure out where your stomach went and how to fix this." hehe Basically I just kept an eye on my body temp and took my temp frequently. As long as I wasn't running a fever, I was told to let it play its course.