Hi Everyone! I was sleeved on 9/13, and I'm now 11 days out. [I had a Realize lap band on 6/30/2010, I lost some weight (about 30 lbs band surgery) and then stayed the same for years. I did the HCG diet and got down under 200, but then regained. I had a revision to gastric sleeve on 9/13/2017. ]
I have a very high pain threshold so I haven't had anything super bad after my discharge. The first night after surgery was the worst, the gas really added to the pain. They said walking would help, so I walked for about 15 minutes the first evening with the nurse, then again with my daughter later in the night and they woke me up to take my stats about 5:00 AM so I walked more and then went back to sleep and then kept walking multiple times, whenever the pain was getting too much, along with heat packs on my shoulders and sternum. Since coming home, I took liquid Tylenol 3 times. I was doing OK, then overdid it walking my 2 little dogs on Wednesday and then later on starting having a sharp pain in my lower left (not constant, just when I was in certain positions or did certain motions). I searched the web and found multiple mentions that it was likely from overdoing and to rest more, by Friday afternoon, that pain was gone. I mostly feel tired. I do have soreness at the largest incision.
I lost the first few days, but then the last 3 I went back up 1 lb (tiny amount each day). So far, I'm down 6 lbs from day of surgery. I'm eating between 500-800 calories a day, I'm using My Fitness Pal to track my food, (it's great and free). I'm OK with the protein shakes. I researched them before surgery and got samples of different brands and flavors, so I had ones I liked for after surgery. I'm adding unflavored protein powder to pureed soups and other beverages (low cal juices, liquid yogurt, V-8, buttermilk).
I researched gastric sleeve diets and found most doctors say Week 1-2 full liquids, Week 3-4 Soft Pureed foods, Weeks 5-6 Soft Food, Week 7+ regular food. Some have the 1st week as clear liquid. All seem to recommend 60 grams protein/day. The ones that do mention a water goal list a total of at least 64 ounces of liquid (which includes the liquid protein shakes.) Eating solid food can hurt us at this early a time and all my research shows the longer you stick with this diet, the more you will lose. I keep telling myself, "it's just for today, it's not forever" and I can eat 'real' food again in 2 months of surgery, this time will pass.
I'm mostly surprised about the hunger. Everything I read seemed to agree in saying we won't have hunger after surgery (or that the great majority won't have hunger), but in reading the replies, it seems I'm not the only one with hunger, it seems like most of us still have the hunger. My stomach also was growling and rumbling the other day!
Thanks for the tip on the free Kindle download of Never Binge Again, I just downloaded it.