Shae

I get that same feeling and it is usually sudden. It's just like you described, like my sleeve is screaming. It reminds me of when my kids were babies and they would go from happy to screaming in seconds only calming down when they got fed. Weird how it works sometimes, huh? I try to eat on a little bit of a schedule (not strict by any stretch of the imagination) and it seems to help. I try to eat something every three hours or so and sip between meals. Shae

I would think (and I am no expert) that the orange is mostly juice so it will go down easy and you can have a good bit. Try meat. See how much you can hold by slowly eating. I'm sure you will find that your capacity is small enough. The density of the food also makes a difference so fish will not fill you as much as chicken or pork. This is all based on only my experience thus far. I am interested to see what others say... Shae

I would like to add a different perspective. I too was a smoker/addict for years. I quit all drugs except the cigs when I took a pregnancy test that came up positive. That was September 9, 1999 and I have not touched anything since. I quit smoking in Dec of 2003. Unbeknownst to me, I transferred my addiction to food. One's too many and a thousand is never enough never goes away when you are a recovering addict. I saw an add for Weight Watchers and at 235 lbs, decided to join. I was instantly hungry, no starving! That is when it hit me that I had transferred my addiction. I yo-yo dieted for a few years then found out about the sleeve. It's not covered by my insurance but my husband is retired military so I qualified to have it done at an MTF (Military Treatment Facility). I saw the doctor for the first time at 258 lbs and was sleeved at 240 lbs. I had to do two weeks of the liquid pre-op. It was really miserable and I even went so far as to go buy things that were zero calories or pretty close to it (pickles, celery, lettuce). I kept thinking that it would get better after surgery. If I can be pregnant for 9 months then I can drink for two weeks. As an addict, it did not get better after surgery until I realized that it was my addiction, not hunger that was plauging me. I was distraught because I couldn't eat to soothe myself and get my "fix". I went through what I call a grieving process but it was more like withdrawls. I view it now as something that had to happen. I will forever be an addict of something, be it exercise, shopping, shoes, crocheting, etc. But, I will never be an addict of food. That took a lot of getting use to and I am still working on it today. It is a battle that does get easier as time goes by. Therapy helps. So do meetings and support groups and this forum. You have quit drugs, alchohol, and cigs and transferred that addiction to food. It will be tough but you can do it! You will transfer that addiction as well so be prepared to find something healthy to get addicted to, like spending time with that precious little one in your picture, or anything that occupies your mind, hands, and body. Having the sleeve is the best thing that I could have ever done for myself (and I'm less than 6 weeks out!) and I would go through all of it again! Shae

I went through the same thing. My family took the "I feel so bad that that's all you can eat" route. I told them I was not wanting for anything and that what I ate was very satisfying. I also joked that my "portion" would serve as at least 9 more meals for me so I would be able to enjoy it longer than them. That got mixed reviews as you can imagine but I don't really care. I was honestly happy to be able to drive home without feeling "food drunk" and to have thanksgiving dinner many more times over the next few days. Top it all off with losing 3 lbs! I wouldn't trade this for all the plates in the world! Just prior to surgery, during my pre-op diet, I would have gladly given up my first born to get a massive plate of food! It is amazing how much your perspective changes. Everyone says that our stomachs got sleeved, not our heads but sometimes I wonder... Shae

OMG! You described me to a T! I even went so far as to go to a Hematologist to have a complete blood panel done to see why I was always craving Protein rich foods. I could eat three baconators from wendy's and within an hour or two, look for more meat, cheese, milk, eggs, etc, etc. I would even get shaky if I didn't have something. Now I know it was a response to a broken tummy that kept saying it was hungry. Now, I only fight with head hunger and that is a real battle sometimes but I do overcome it, usually by doing something with my hands or brushing my teeth.

I have experienced this and it was due to not getting enough Water, dehydration. That is not to say that this is what you are going through but it is somewhere to start looking at least... Now that the holiday is over, if it's not a deficit in fluids, then you should probably contact your doctor to see if it is something else. Shae

I was not given any of my meds in the hospital. I was taking HCTZ for adema, Metoprolol for BP, Niaspan for high Triglycerides and Yasmine for PCOS (among others but they are not related to obesity). I got back on the Yasmine because I do not wish to have any more children but have not started taking any of the others again. I have my BP and weight checked periodically at my PCM and it has been normal (my BP) and there is no swelling anymore. I have not had any labs done yet so I don't know about the triglycerides.

I know it can be tough when the one you love does not support a decision you make. Kudos to you for being strong enough to stick with your decision! I admire you! Shae

I felt a bit guilty too because I love meat. I ate ham at least 5 times a day for three days straight and then had some dark meat turkey. Not a big sweets person so I did have a pre-surgery sized "bite" of pumpkin pie. Each time I had the ham, I also had my Mom's cornbread dressing. OMG soooooo delicious. I thought for sure I had put on 10 lbs but I weighed myself this morning and I LOST 3 more lbs!! No more guilt! Even if I had stalled or gained, I would have been ok with it because it is ok to indulge once in a while as long as we do it infrequently. Shae

Just when you think you have things under control and are following what you're supposed to be doing, WHAM, you get a wakeup call saying no, no, no you're not! :eek: In the past, whenever I would lose weight I would start self sabotaging at the slightest hint of failure. This was a subconsious thing that even I was unaware of and only realized it when my therapist pointed it out. Now, here I am down 21 lbs since surgery, 39 lbs total, 9" smaller, and down two sizes. I actually have caught myself trying to self sabotage for no apparent reason. I figured out that if I drink soon after I eat then I can have more. What have I done for the past few days?? Exactly that. DUH! I even posted replies here about not doing this. Luckily, I have only gained 0.2 lbs this week but man oh man, why do I do this to myself?? Rhetorical question of course because I know the answer. It's easier to be invisible than to shine. Am I really that lazy that I would rather be obese and unnoticed than normal weight and be noticed? Again, I know the answer. NO!! I'm done with the "Fat Girl"! I divorced her and she came back around again! I guess I have to get a dang restraining order! :boxing_smiley: Seriously though, I took a step back, saw what I was doing, admitted to it, and now I am going to fix it! Sticky notes all over the house saying the following may help: I can do this! :hurray: I am worth it! :hurray:I deserve to be happy! :hurray:I am a smart person! :hurray: I am Beautiful! :hurray: Shae

I did a google search on it and from what I have read, it sounds unhealthy. I am not a nutritionist or a biologist but I personally would not knowingly eat raw meat nor would I feed it to my family. There are just too many diseases that can kill you that live in raw meats, especially poultry. I think that this was a good diet for our ancestors as it was the only thing available at the time, before they learned how to use fire to cook and kill bacteria. Our ancestors didn't have a very long life expectancy either. If I were you, I would get with a NUT and your surgeon before trying this diet because your main goal should be to be healthy. Shae

Yep, I'm going through the same things. I was a size 7.5 to an 8 during high school but am now in a 9W to a 9.5W. I have some shoes that I can no longer keep on my feet so I get to go SHOE SHOPPING! My husband hates those words but is happy that I am saying them. Shae

Happy Thanksgiving to you too!! I'm thankful that I will be able to drive home from my Mom's without being afraid of falling into a food coma! Oh Happy Day!!

My most recent NSV is losing 9" from my body - 4" from my waist! This was the first time we measured since the night before surgery so it shocked me. Another is that I have to get rid of some of my shoes that I love :nonod: because they are too big for me. One pair is over 10 years old so I know I will not be able to find them again. However, I will be able to find better ones now since I no longer wear a WIDE :purplebananna:

I felt the same way. I was on a 3 to 4 Protein shakes a day with a lean quisine for dinner and no snacking for 10 days pre-op. I thought I was going to go insane, especially with al the pot luck lunches and food smells in the office where I work. I literally could not cook because I didn't trust myself not to taste. Once I got sleeved, it did get much better... just not right away. I have an addiction to food and I had not dealt with it. I was miserable and even went through the grieving process (all five stages). But I got through it and would DO IT ALL AGAIN WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT!! I kept thinking that if I coulde be pregnant for nine months, deal with two large herniated disks for over a year waiting for financing for back surgery, and raise two kids, then I could do anything for a short period of time. I know it seems that the time will drag on but it really does not. Before you know it, you will look back at your post and go, Wow, I made it through it!! I would recommend talking to someone like a therapist or LCSW. Deal with your food issues as soon as you can so that you can get to a healthier relationship with food. There are also many books on amazon that deal specifically with food issues, addictions, and WLS. Some of them can be downloaded to the Kindle if you have one of those. Reach out like you did here and don't be afraid to ask for help. We are here for you and usually one of us has had the same or similar experiences as you and can offer encouragement or advice. Remember, it can only go up from here as the numbers on the scale and measuring tape goes down. Shae

My experience with the drain seems to be a bit different. I had the drain coming out of my left side where it was held in with stitches. I was told that it was there to drain the Fluid that my body would naturally produce after having such a large area now empty. When they removed the drain, it was very painful. I know that there were only a few inches inside my body but it felt like feet. It seemed to "hit" things on the way out (I know it didn't). This was explained as the borrowing of pain receptors by organs that don't have any. ?? Anyway, it was over quick and I was sore for a day or two. I feel a bit worried now. Nearly every post here says that they were leak tested or xrayed before leaving the hospital. My surgeon said at my preop appt that he would put some saline solution around the sleeve line, push air into my sleeve, and look for bubbles. Has anyone else had this experience? Shae

I'm not a medical person in any way but I can give you my opinion. You have a small pouch for your food. If you drink while you eat, you will eat less than you should simply because there is no room for both. It has been my experience that if I have something to drink with my food, I am more likely to get the slimies. Or if I drink too soon after I eat, I get hungry again sooner and don't feel as good. My guess is that the food needs to stay in your sleeve for a while to absorb some of the nutrients. But this is just my experience. I have started having a few ice chips if I need something to cool off the spiciness of something. I am curious as to why as well, I mean the medical reason for it. Shae

I tracked for a little while without an actual goal for carbs and then I stopped tracking. I experienced the same thing. At about the 8 day mark, I stopped losing all together. I think it is referred to as the Week Three Stall. I went through it early and in week 4, I lost 9 lbs. It seems as though it takes the body this long to figure out that you are going to continue feeding it less than it's use to. Could you also be going through the week three stall? If so, just keep on doing what you're doing and it will be ok. You may see a big drop or it may just start going away again. I would wait and see if I were you. Shae

Go to your profile, choose Edit, then on the left choose signature. Just copy the code the website gives you and paste it into your signature. Save changes and done! Shae

I am guilty of this as well. I chewedup some Ribeye steak at about 2 weeks out and sucked all the juices out of it. Then I spit it out feeling both satisfied and ashamed of what i had done. Now, looking back, I don't feel so bad because I was not out of control. I wanted the taste of something that I could not have and I did just that; I got the taste and didn't have the steak. Thanks for posting this. I feel so much better now.

That is an awesome list! I am only a month out and cannot wait to experience some of those NSV's for myself. Congrats on your success so far. You look great by the way! Shae

Man, I have to type faster! LOL! There were no replies when I started typing. Good to know we are on the same page though.

is it hunger or digestion? I amhaving trouble distinguishing the two right now so I have put myself on a schedule. I will let you know if it helps because I just decided this tonight. Another thought would be excess acid. If you are not taking an acid reducer then maybe you should ask your doc about one because this seems to work for a lot of people (I already take 40mg of nexium so this is not the case for me). I hope this helps. Shae

If anyone has any business casual attire in size 18 that they want to get rid of, I will be more than happy to take them off your hands. I can pay shipping or if you are close enough to Biloxi, MS, I would be happy to pick them up. I am only 5'2" but I can sew hems. Shae

I previously pledged to lose 20 lbs by Christmas. So far I have lost 11 lbs and it's not even Thanksgiving. Therefore, I am re-setting my goal to 30 lbs. SW : 230 CW : 219 Goal : 200 Wish me luck!!