Beadingnurse

I haven't heard of Dreamfields Pasta? What is that...is it low carb by any chance? I tried the Mission whole wheat carb balance tortillas this week (small -fajita size) and they have changed my life! I made a mini-pizza on one (Eggface recipe) and grilled cheese sandwiches! Yummy and I love finding a lower carb bread I could eat. Now if I can find a low carb pasta my life will be perfect!

Thinking about the LIKELY bad outcomes from my serious co-morbids if I didn't lose weight helped me to worry less about the surgery. It is still scary but the overwhelming majority of us get through it with few problems. Good luck!

I am apparently a slow learner but I have finally figured out the hard way (throwing up) that my signal that I am full is a SLIGHT pressure in my chest...just under where the bottom of my bra hits. It is a subtle difference. Nothing like before surgery when I could feel my stomach stretching and getting full. It isn't a bad thing...it is just different and you will have to learn your signals. I also get hiccups but that is once I have eaten too much and when I get the hiccups I know the next step is that I am going to vomit. So hiccups are NOT a good sign for me!

You got some great advice from the other posters here so the only thing I will add is to not worry about the Vitamins yet. I didn't even start mine until week 3 and you won't develop a Vitamin deficiency in a few short weeks. Fluids are the most important thing right now and moving your body. It IS major surgery and we tend to overlook that in our excitement and enthusiasm for this new tool! Take care of yourself and don't stress any more than you have too. Good luck!

I spent about $16,000 in Austin Texas. $8,000 for the hospital (one night stay), $6,000 to surgeon, $1,200 to anesthesiologist, $100 for nutritionist plus miscellaneous fees for pre-op labs, appointments etc. Worth every penny and would do it again tomorrow!

Congratulations!! How exciting for you! It is scary to be one of the first to get a surgery but this isn't a new surgeon...he is just new to this procedure. If he is a good surgeon with a good reputation for other GI type surgeries you will probably be fine. He won't be complacent or bored and will be paying close to attention to you!!

I am 5'4" (stretching) and currently weigh 168.4. Haven't done a waist measurement. I actually AM small boned...you just can't tell it as I have covered them up with so much padding! My goal is theoretically 130 and that might be a stretch. I will probably be esctastic to get to 140 and anything that I lose under that will be a bonus. I bought a pair of size 12 jeans a couple of weeks ago that I could button and zip only by sucking it in and they looked painted on because they were so tight! Today I am wearing them to work on casual Friday and they fit wonderfully! It may be that the brand runs large though because the same weekend I bought dress slacks and a straight skirt in a size 14. I don't care if it is vanity sizing or not...I'll take it!

Congratulations on your progress! I was sleeved on the 12th of April so we are almost sleeve sisters! I haven't checked any of my measurements since the surgery except for weight. I guess I am officially in a "stall" since I've weighed the 168.4 for a week now. Not 168.2 or 168.6 but 168.4! It is like the darn scale is frozen in time. I have only been to the gym once since surgery (this week) but have been walking in the neighborhood. I guess it is time to kick the exercise program into high gear as the easy weight loss is probably over!

My motto is better living through chemistry! Take the pain meds for as long as you need them!! Congratulations on getting the surgery over with...you are on your way to a new life!

Ruthie...I second what Michelle said! It DOES get better and it is normal to be a bit uncomfortable swallowing right now. You still have a lot of swelling from the surgery so try to drink very small sips. Someone mentioned on this board to let the Fluid go over the top of your lip before sipping to reduce air so I tried that during the first few weeks. It may have helped or maybe it just slowed me down enough trying to do the awkward maneuver that I swallowed my small sips more slowly! You also mentioned Protein and I wouldn't worry if you don't get all of your protein in the first week...just focus on keeping hydrated. Good luck!!

Shannon, I agree with you that I really miss the fruits and veggies and have been trying to get more in this week. I said to hell with the carb count on the weekend and cut up an apple and put in the VitaMax with 5 prunes, a few ice cubes, a 1/2 cup of Water and made myself a wonderful fruit smoothie without any Protein at all. I too was feeling really constipated but things got to moving and I don't know if it was a coincidence or the drink! Last night I had about 1/2 cup of cantaloupe an hour or so after my dinner protein. The Miralax label says it works in 3-5 days (I think) and that seems too long to wait to me. I've read that your body can't absorb more that 20-25 gms of protein at one time so you may not be benefitting from the 45 grms in one drink. I don't know if that is accurate or not...it is just what I read online and I can also read on the Internet that Elvis is alive and living in my basement so take my info for what it is worth! I also wonder what our daily total protein need is? I did some reading about this weekend and kept coming up with 45-50 grams for a 140 lb woman. I am getting much more than that most days and maybe it isn't necessary? All questions I know and not really an answer to your post! Maybe I'll start a new post and find out what folks think the appropriate amount of daily protein is. Bottom line...we evolved eating fruits, veggies and protein and it can't be good for us to just eat protein and not much else!

Lou I truly loved reading your post and I am impressed that you kept track of how you felt each day! I wish I had done that because I am already "fuzzy" about the details and you and I were sleeved within a few days of each other. Take care of your self and enjoy how you look in those skinny jeans!!

I went back to work one day short of 2 weeks after surgery. I felt really good and probably could have gone back after one week but I have a low stress office job. I went ahead and took the extra week off because I had the sick leave and I found I sort of ran out of energy in the afternoons and it was so nice to be able to take a nap! Like Rootman said...you likely CAN get back to work in a week if you have too and your job isn't too physically demanding but a bit more time off is nice!

No nausea at all! Pain wasn't bad either. I took a narcotic pain med combo with Tylenol for the first couple of days and then switched to just tylenol. I had a large hiatal hernia repair at the same time and much of the pain was related to the site of that repair I showed my doc where it hurt and he told me it was because it took a lot of work to repair my diaphragm. I did have the gas pains under my left shoulder and that was uncomfortable until it was eventually absorbed. People occasionally DO post that they have a lot of pain with the surgery but I think they are in the minority. I think if you read a lot of posts you find that most folks find it to be manageable. Congratulations on your upcoming surgery! It will be over before you know it and you will be happily losing weight!

Wow Tanya...what a journey you have been on to get here! Sounds like you have done all the right things and couldn't be more prepared for the surgery. It IS scary but I felt like it was more scary to face to the consequences of obesity to my health. This board is a great place to visit often as I learn all the time from something someone else has gone through. Congratulations and good luck! I am sure that you will do great.

Congratulations!!! Can you imagine if you feel this good now, how great you are going to feel in just a few short months? I am so happy for you!

Sounds interesting...I will have to give this recipe a try! Thanks for posting.

Good luck on your journey and I can't wait to hear how it goes for you guys! Keep us posted.

I am just over 4 weeks out from surgery so it is probably too early to say what my experience is going to be like. I haven't had any hunger at all yet and I am someone who had ravenous....I will hurt someone now if I don't get to eat soon...type of hunger. My husband used to joke about my Dr. Jekyl/Mr. Hyde personality changes when I was hungry! I still have an appetite and food appeals to me and I really enjoy what I eat but if I am busy, I can forget to eat. I never understood people who said they "forgot to eat" but I get it now. I think the change in my hunger is one of the major reasons why this surgery is working for me! That tiny little tummy helps too. Good luck with your decision!

I don't think you will have any trouble at all. I am 4 weeks out and could get on a plane and go anywhere right now. I agree with Candace who suggested to get up and walk a bit if your flight is very long. If you will be having business meals you may have to plan around them a bit and ensure there is something to eat in the restaurant. I fall back on brothy Soups when I have needed to eat out with people who don't know that I have been sleeved. Mention that you aren't too hungry...order a Soup and you can have all of the broth you want and a bit of the solids. My sleeve restriction is pretty tight at this stage so at 4 weeks I couldn't go out and order firm/solid Protein and get much in but soft foods are very doable. You should be able to eat cottage cheese, tuna, yogurt, string cheese...stuff like that. I went back to work after 2 weeks and haven't had any trouble focusing or with my stamina but I do have a desk job. Good luck with your surgery!!

Good for you Meggie! Be gentle with yourself and your new little tummy will let you know what it will tolerate and what it won't!!! Someone told me before surgery that the best plan is to sip, walk, repeat (Thanks Cheri!) and I swear that is 80% of what you need to know for the first few days.

Can't view YouTube at work but I will check out your video at home tonight. Thanks for posting it when you are clearly not feeling up to par yet! I suspect each day will get a little bit better though and the results will be worth it!

Congratulations on your recovery and return to work!! It is amazing how quickly you get back to feeling "normal" isn't it? At least for those of us who were lucky enough to get through the surgery without any complications! I am one month out and it is hard for me to believe it has only been a month!

I was sleeved a month ago yesterday and I can happily tell you that you will feel better soon!! The first few days ARE miserable and who can blame anyone for thinking...WHAT did I do? But it gets so much better so quickly. I could have gone back to work by day 7 but I had the sick leave and had already arranged to be off so I took two weeks. Don't worry about eating Protein for the first week or so...just get in whatever fluids work for you, Water, hot tea, cold tea, Vitamin waters, broth...doesn't matter...you just need to keep hydrated. None of us are likely to starve over a lack of protein for a few weeks!! Walking helped my gas pains more than anything and I paced around my house for hours when I didn't think I could tolerate outdoor clothes on my bloated tummy! I am sure it was NOT a pretty sight but I felt better when I was moving. Gas-X didn't really help me much. sleeping is hard for the first few days but having a number of pillows to prop myself up on helped me to get in a reasonably comfortable place to sleep. I didn't do well with the narcotic pains meds but the extra-strength tylenol worked fine. (I crushed them with MD's permission). I only used them for the first 3 or 4 days. Depending on the type of drain that you have, you may be able to slip it into a zip lock bag...close it as much as you can and then tape the bag to your side over the drain exit site. It is awkward but it keeps stuff out of your way and kind of protected while you shower. Position so the open section of the zip lock bag is facing down and you won't get water in the bag. You can also just forget the bag...tape the drain to your body and go! It isn't like it is sterile or anything...you just don't want to inadvertently hit and pull on it as that might hurt!! Congratulations to all of you with new sleeves and believe me...a few weeks from now this will be a dim memory! For those you who have given birth...remember how during labor you SWORE you'd never have another child and a few days later it had all faded away? This is kind of like that!

It is likely to cause you immediate distress and pain. Will it do long term damage? Probably not but why risk it? I inadvertently drank a "sparkling" fruit juice a few weeks ago (carbonated) because I asked for apple juice and this is what I received. I immediately had a tremendous sense of pressure under my breast bone and it took a good 20-30 minutes for it to go away! I will never intentionally drink a carbonated beverage again! I edited to add that I only took that one sip and realized it was carbonated. When I read this post over I realized it sound like I drank the whole thing and I didn't. I was only about 2 weeks out from surgery though so I can see that the experience might be completely different once your tummy has healed.