Stacy160

Hi and welcome!! All I can say is that it gets better before you know it. The liquid phase is so boring... are you on full liquids? And what are you eating? I'm sure that collectively we can help you jazz things up a bit!

I don't think milk's considered a clear.... the only one I can think of would probably be Isopure. Make sure you get the sugar-free kind though, you'll have to check the labels!

As soon as you're comfortable... no, really! seems to be anywhere from a few days to 2-3 weeks for most people. For me it was a week, and could easily have been sooner except for the drain stuff hanging off the front of me.

I tried it about two months out, and all it did was make me HUNGRY! It had the opposite effect before surgery. When I tried it again a couple months later, it didn't have that effect so I'm still enjoying my three cups in the morning.

Echoing that same notion, I think it's wonderful that at your age, you can see what's coming (looking at family history -- it took me until age 44 to do that seriously) and that you want to take control of your health and your life right NOW. Right now, weight is probably more of a social issue and you certainly don't want to be held back from living life fully at your age. My only concern IS with the social issue.... will you be able to handle it when your friends are always wanting to go to the bar, drink, and hit Taco Bell on the way home? Eating crap is such a huge social thing with your age group. If you decide to go ahead and pursue this, and it IS an amazing thing, then you have to be ready to handle situations like that, which will more than likely occur much more often when you're younger than they do with us old farts. If you have a plan in place and you think you can find ways to either avoid that kind of thing or deal with it effectively as it comes, then I say go for it.

I actually have greater tolerance for spicy foods post-surgery than I did beforehand. I'm still of the mind that if it hurts to eat it, then what's the point, but I can handle a little heat now and then! With your situation, it sounds like you'll really need to be careful about how much and how often you do drink. It's such a quick, easy buzz now, I think if I kept that wine I now love in the house all the time, I'd be getting into it every night. Transfer addiction really is a big deal that we don't hear enough about, and you'll REALLY want to be careful about it! But physically, there's no reason why you can't have a few now and then. Good luck with the surgery!

If you DO decide to change doctors, I think you should write a letter to your current one telling him why, after 15 years, you have to change. Put it all out there, express your sadness and regret, and maybe it'll help open his eyes for the next person who goes to him for help.

I hated wine before surgery, except for the pink ones. Now I've found that I LOVE a nice sweet Concord. BUT, whereas before surgery I could generally drink (beer) all night and hardly get a buzz, especially if I was eating, a little wine goes a lonnnnng way with me now. I can feel the buzz of one glass, I'm good and toasty after two, and after four a couple of months ago (my first real wine-drinking experience after surgery), I was DA-RUNK. I mean that goofy, leaning sideways with my eyes closed on the toilet seat, slurring my words, stumbling down the hall to do to bed drunk. On four lousy glasses. So now I'm a lightweight!! That stuff is like kool-aid now though, so I don't keep it in the house on a regular basis--I can see where that could easily develop into a problem for me, especially since that kind of thing runs on my dad's side of the family.

It was 8 weeks for me, and I handled them just fine but couldn't eat much of the lettuce... it just filled me up really really fast. Now, I can eat TOO much salad!

From what I understand, it has to be six consecutive months, and they'll look for any reason to deny you, so you have to be REALLY diligent about going in to the doctor and having them document your weight six months in a row. Personally, I'd go every four weeks on the nose, for 7 visits, just to make sure there's no loophole for them, at least as far as that goes.

Clears the day before and of surgery, then full liquids beginning Day 2.

OK really... it can't not work, at least for the first few months. At first, because of the swelling, you're SO restricted it'd be impossible not to lose weight (and please, please don't let a stall freak you out. We ALL get them, so expect it and know that one morning you'll see a huge drop--it's just your body holding Water trying to equalize itself), but there will come a time when it's not the sleeve doing all the work anymore, and it's on YOU to keep doing things the right way. Through my first 50 lbs or so, I had trouble believing that I'd just keep losing and losing 'til I got where I wanted to be, but when I passed that 200 mark, suddenly I finally let myself believe that YES, I'm gonna do this!! I've been stuck--no, that's the wrong word. Rephrasing: I haven't lost anything in several months now, but that's because I've slipped back into pre-surgery mode, mentally... I'm maintaining just fine, but still have a ways to go. But even with that--I'm down from a tight size 20 jeans to a solid TEN (which I thought I'd be thrilled to see, and am, but it'll get even better!) and even an eight on one lying brand soooo... kinda hard to argue with that! Anyway yeah--you'll have to experience it to believe it, but it'll work.

Nah... it won't work.

Immediately after: Woke up in recovery with absolutely NO sense of time passing. One minute I was chatting happily in pre-op and getting reeeeallly drowsy, the next minute I heard a nurse saying "You're done honey, time to wake up," and having to pee RIGHT NOW. Hello, bedpan LOL. In the hospital: Visited with the family for a little while once I got put in my room, then they left and I slept. Had some pain at the big incision site, but ONLY when moving in bed or standing up... nothing intolerable at all. Was able to drink Water, broth, and have a little Jello, and had to get up to pee every couple of hours or so... the IV really puts a lot of Fluid into you (so don't be surprised if you go home a few pounds heavier--it's JUST fluid). Went home the next day, with the same little jab when moving, but never had to take any of the pain meds at all. Abs felt like I'd done a thousand sit-ups, but both the pain and the soreness were gone within the first 3-4 days. Day three, hubby, son and I went to visit with my parents, and day four I drove myself to the store to do a little grocery shopping. By day 5, I was getting stir-crazy and decided to clean the bedroom--no problem. Other than having to sleep on the loveseat and recliner for the first week (I had a drain and couldn't get comfortable in bed), life was pretty normal and I went back to work on Days 10 & 11 (6-hour shifts), then full-time the next week, with no problem other than some mild afternoon fatigue--but I work 13-hour days, so that's normal. I have to say, the whole thing was not at all difficult for me.

You've done this? Can you elaborate please?

Hi Dawn, and welcome!! You're making such a wonderful decision for yourself... I know it's hard to believe or understand the ravings of the post-ops about how awesome the sleeve is, but I'm gonna say it anyway. You will LOVE it!! I also turned to WLS when I got to where I just couldn't stand myself physically anymore, and was seeing health issues starting to arise, and looked at what I had to look forward to (family history-wise), but I've gotta tell ya... as you go, and the problems go away, and you start really feeling good, the LOOKING good part certainly does start playing a more important part. It is sooooo fun when clothes that were too small to wear have to go in the give-away box because now you're floating in them. Anyway, good luck through the process and keep us all informed of your progress toward surgery (will you be submitting to insurance or self-paying?).

So, here's what you do... sounds like you're on mushies, so have your mom cook some soups that you like. The rest of the family can add some salad, garlic bread, whatever, but at least you'll be able to eat what they do (and if it's lumpy soup, blend it up!). For the chocolate fix, the sugar-free Jello Mousse is pretty darn good, and I think the chocolate Greek yogurt (I think it's Oikos) a great, although it's not sugar-free. And at the stage you're in, a little bit of sweet goes a long way. And don't worry, before you know it you'll be on solids and marveling at how little food it actually takes to satisfy you!

WOW, you're doing GREAT!!

Not a weird question! I'm typically a 3/4 belly sprawler, but I had a drain in for a week, and lying on my side in bed, it pulled and I just couldn't get comfortable. On my side on the loveseat, however, I was perfectly comfortable, and as soon as the drain came out after a week, was totally comfortable back in my normal sleeping position.

Isn't that fun?? Go hit a Goodwill or Salvation Army and have a blast--make sure you get a couple of things that are a size too small now, 'cause you won't believe how fast you're into (and back out of) them!

I voted "somewhat hungry," but honestly, the actual hunger sensation is rare... I still get it once in awhile, but at about 1/4 of the intensity that it was before (from what I remember anyway... I ate so constantly that I rarely got TRUE hunger back then either!). For me, "hunger" is more of a feeling that Hey, I'm empty... Would'ja mind giving me something run on?? The head hunger though, oh boy. That is another animal entirely.

There are some places doing it on an outpatient basis, but that's not common -- most people are in overnight. The surgery itself is about an hour from start to finish. The video of mine is 45 minutes, starting after they got in there and ending before sewing up, and that included a hiatal hernia repair.

That is a HUGE betrayal and shows such a lack of respect for you on his part. That's a shame. You need to have a very serious talk with your husband and lay down some very firm ground rules about his family, 'cause I'm telling ya...time and time again we see people who gain self-respect and confidence as they lose the weight and find the courage to end their toxic relationships. [edited] OK, time for me to shut up... but wow.

I have not personally seen any studies, but my surgeon doesn't oversew or use the adhesive stuff over the staples. He told me that there was no evidence of any less occurrence of leaks with them, so to help keep the self-pay costs down for the patient, he doesn't do it.

WOW, I've been seeing you on here for so long now, I didn't realize you were still pre-op... CONGRATULATIONS!! 'Bout time, huh? You're gonna LOVE this thing.