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Today I got up and was getting ready to see the nuro doctor and walked by my mirror and was happy to see the person in that mirror eventhough I have a funny mirror. I was proud!!! I also notice that I have lessen the hair growth on my face. I am not seeing much hair lost on my head but in my private part it falls out in clumps. Sorry for the TMI. since I have had the weight lost I was able to wipe myself and really get clean. When I sneeze I don't pee a little any more. The last little change is I was able to put on this griddle that I use to use to lift my belly so that it would not hang. It makes me look prego just a bit but it helps my back from having so much pain. Oh my feet are not swollen any more. The little changes is what I live for. Any one else see the little changes?

I really want to run, but I cannot find any clothing that prevents (TMI and ewww coming - just warning you) my apron from clapping. I am really suprised because it is large, but not overly so. The problem is, if it claps, it chafes - and I am in HumidHell--I mean Houston Any suggestions? I really want to get back to running. Very happy for your success! Yayyy!

I have to drink my coffee or I will kill my 4 wild children who begin every morning arguing & spazzing out!! I drink a large iced coffee from dunkin donuts every single morning...with cream, sweet & low & sf hazelnut. It is hands down my favorite thing I put in my mouth all day! My Dr is ok w/ it & so is my sleeve. Maybe it will never agree w/ you or maybe you just need a wee bit more time. Tmi alert - best side effect- keeps me totally regular

Warning: This may be TMI Ever since I had surgery, I have had diarrhea . However, this last week has taken a turn for the worst. It has evolved from painless to extremely painful! Often, it will sneak up on me in the form of gut-ripping pain, where I can feel my intestines churning and bubbling. And this goes in intervals throughout the entire day, making it very difficult to carry on with life. It makes me paranoid to go for a walk...because what if I start getting those warning pains while I am away from home, with no bathroom in sight? I usually only get a few minutes to find a restroom once the cramping starts. I am friends with a Registered Dietitian with a specialization in bariatrics, and after a long discussion of what I've been eating....it appears I may have an extreme intollerance to dairy products in any form - even the whey-based Proteins. I have been attempting to consume a variety of whey-based Protein since 3 days post op, and always with the same effect: I can consume 3 or 4 swallows and then my stomach starts to painfully churn. What I did consume sits in my stomach like a brick for a couple of hours and increases in discomfort if I attempt to drink Water or anything else before it clears. And then without fail...the gut-wrenching diarrhea. I did attempt to ingest soy protein on one occassion....similar results, in that I had a TON of gas that walking and Gas-X couldn't control. Probably will not attempt it again any time soon. Since I hit mushies, I have branched out into things like ricotta, cottage cheese, yogurt...with similar results. Dietitian says I should cut out everything even vaguely dairy related for a week and see if my symptoms improve....needless to say, I am bummed! But willing to try anything at this point to not be held hostage by my intestines! Any other recommendations are welcome

Ok, I was sleeved on April 16th however, I'm having a problem with bowel movement. What is going on? I'm a bit scared I have a call into my Doctor. Help Please!!!!!

Thanks so much for the replies! Mentally I feel a lot better than yesterday. I think I am doing ok on fluids since (sorry if this is tmi) my urine is always either clear or very light in color. I am just taking it very slow. I am going to try some cream of chicken soup for dinner and see if I can get a few spoonfuls of that in. Thanks again!

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Which kind of laxative did you take? Some can draw fatty material into the bowel. You might have just been expelling some of it. Could it have been mucus? That's also fairly common to see with a laxative or odd bowel movement. Like you, I've never been that regular. When they were telling me "no more than 3 days without a BM" I was like... I don't necessarily go every 3 days now pre-op... are you kidding? My first one post-op took about a week, then about 4 days, then another 4 days. Then nothing, and nothing, and it's been 2 weeks and nothing... I took Miralax and Benefiber, both with Splenda-based apple juice. On the 2nd day I had a large, hard BM. On the 3rd day I had what I would call "pudding" stool x2. After the second one I had a LOT of gas and a LOT of mucus. A LOT. I didn't look at what came out, so I don't know if it looked anything like what you had (I don't even know if it came out with, or just after). But I could imagine a mucusy stool might have a fatty look to it as well. Aren't our bodies wonderful?? (sorry if the above is TMI, but sharing info doesn't help much if it's censored or euphamized).

TMI ALERT! I didn't feel comfortable with my hubby on top because the pressure of his weight would hurt my tummy so we opted for other positions...lol. We waited for about a week post-op.

Aw shucks, ya'll are awesome. I don't want to interfere with anyone else's schedule. I see that you've done LaMadeline and Coffee Rani. I work in Mandeville right next to Bistro Byronz (probably TMI for a blog, but oh well!). I can easily get to the Northpark area in Covington if necessary. I'm not sure how your schedules are. I am still in the very early phases. So, coming up with a diet friendly place rather than a gluttonous place is hard! LOL I love Coffee Rani's Rani-watchers menu (in Mandeville). I also like that LaMadeline has fat-free dressing for their caesar salad, and I dig the ahi Tuna at N'tini. Bistro Byronz is right next to me which is always good. As long as we are in the area between Mandeville and Northpark, I can do anything. Help me decide Please? I am not sure of budgets, time, etc. I don't want to overstep! I'm a terrible decision maker.

You're very welcome glad to hear that I have a sleeve buddy, I haven't started my protein yet, plan on starting them tomorrow. My bowl moments are watery so for the TMI. But you will get there

I have been so sick these past 2 days i just want to crawl in a whole and die. I 10 days post op and i don't know what i should or shouldn't do that is helpful. I know tmi but i have had an upset stomach. I am constantly feeling like i am going to throw up... maybe it's a bug..maybe i ate something i shouldn't of... idk. Help!

So after a disappointing 2 pound week I decided to call my nutritionist yesterday and find out what I can do to ensure a bigger loss this week and she asked me to hold off a day and get back on the scale this morning. I didn't know why but she said to wait until I had a (tmi moment) bowel movement. I only go about 1X a week so I I waited and voila I lost 6 pounds!! I know it wasn't all waste but she was sooooo right and I am so grateful she said get on again. I know te scale shouldn't be everything but this time it really means a lot!

That's what I'm calling it, anyways. I use the term 'mulligan' to mean a do-over. And that's exactly what I feel like I have. I've been incredibly overweight since like the third grade. I'm going to be 29 in July. In the past, dieting hasn't worked for me. I needed a jumping off point to make the changes that I wanted to make and see the results that I want to see. I recently had lap-band surgery with gastric plication (April 30th). I want to keep track of my post-op/recovery/progress and I figure blogging it will give me more accountability. This is copied & pasted from my personal blog, with some editing for language. I swear a lot. I use the word 'f**k' like it's a comma, so I'm trying to not do that. I didn't edit out the TMI. Day 0 - Day of the surgery - 4/30/12 - arrived at the hospital at 5:45 in the morning, everything went quickly with the check in and I was in surgery by 7:30. I don't remember too much about surgery day. Day 1 - Day after - 5/1/12 - I was supposed to be discharged on the 1st, because the procedure itself is an "outpatient overnight" procedure. I had the plication in addition to the band, so I had some additional nausea & couldn't keep any liquids down. I had an x-ray where I had to drink contrast material and it was the most agonizing ten minutes of the day. I should've been able to drink an 8oz medicine cup of water every half hour - instead, I was nauseous (the antiemetics didn't help at all), dry heaving & vomiting all day. One of the nurses was really nasty, like "You're not vomiting, hun, you don't have anything in your stomach". a - don't call me 'hun' in a condescending tone. I'll smack you with my giant hand (the IV line in my hand wasn't in the vein and the IV fluid went into my damn hand. It was comically oversized until the 3rd) and b - look in this basin. Tell me what that is if it's not vomit. It's stomach acid and blood. Which tasted just DELIGHTFUL coming up. The painkillers didn't do much except make me MORE nauseous. I couldn't watch TV, I brought a book - couldn't read it, I couldn't play around on my phone, I couldn't talk to anybody - not because those weren't options but because I was too weak and gross feeling to do any of them - all I wanted to do was puke and sleep. Day 2 - 5/2/12 - I woke up around 9/930 after sleeping on and off - I was waking up every hour, pretty much. I'd try and drink water and just kind of swish it around in my mouth and spit it out if I couldn't swallow. By the time I "woke up", I was able to keep water down and the nausea had mostly subsided. The pain was minimal. Something to take the edge off is nice, but it's not like a 10 on the 1-10 pain scale. The doctor came in to see me around 11 and asked how I was feeling. I said that I was ready to go and he said that I could be discharged around 4. I asked if it could be around 2 instead, because I didn't want to spend one more minute in the hospital. Around 3, my dad showed up to pick me up (even though I told him I'd be discharged at 2 -- but my irritation with my father's inability to be on time, ever, for ANYTHING is another entry for another time) - my best friend (who I refer to as my heterosexual life mate - kind of like Jay & Silent Bob) was already there and we were ready to get out of there. We left the hospital and the drive home kind of sucked. I was still a little nauseated and I was still dry heaving. FYI - when you're a passenger in the back seat of a car and you feel nauseated; ask the front seat passenger to roll up their window. Otherwise the air blasting into your face will make you sick. I dry heaved up some water and stomach acid on the drive home and again in the grocery store parking lot. We stopped to drop off my prescriptions and my dad dropped us off at my house. I tried to smoke a cigarette and smoked about three hits before I didn't want anymore. I tried to drink some tea, but I really just wanted to go to sleep. My heterosexual life mate put the window AC in while I took a shower and after, we tried to sit and watch a movie but I just wanted to lay down. I slept most of the day and woke up around 10ish. After that, I'd nod on and off, still waking up every hour or so. But at some point, the nausea dissipated and I wasn't throwing up or dry heaving anymore. Day 3 - 5/3/12 - Felt OK most of the day. I drank the required 64oz of clear liquids, showered, put makeup on and actually left the house. I had little to no nausea and a little pain. Zero problems getting up and walking around. I drank some chicken broth that night and my stomach started making the gurgling noises and it kind of felt like an assplosion was in my future. Day 4 - 5/4/12 - Shitty day. Literally. Explosive diarrhea doesn't even begin to describe the poo river that's been flowing today. I called the doctor and they said diarrhea is normal and, oh, by the way, I might crap myself. Their exact words were "don't be alarmed if you go to pass gas, and you pass more than gas". SUPER! JUST WHAT I'VE ALWAYS ASPIRED TO DO IN LIFE! (false) So everytime I feel gassy, I haul ass to the bathroom. I think I could be a little dehydrated because I don't think that I have had enough fluid today to replace the mississhitty river that I've crapped out. I'm trying to get down a glass of tea now, so I'm hoping I feel LESS crappy. If not, at least Get-Go is open 24 hours and I can go get some gatorade. It's also humid & I'm sweating, so I'm not too sure that's helping me feel less gross. I want to take a cold shower but I feel shitty and weak and I don't feel like standing up in the shower. And I don't think a bath is a good idea just because when you take a bath, you're basically sitting in your dirty bathwater and I don't know if that's a good idea for incisions. I have a cramp in my right side and I just don't want to even move. Day 5 - 5/5/12 - I woke up and still felt gross. I took a shower and that didn't help me feel any better, but one of the steri-strips fell off. I went and got some gatorade a few hours ago and my stomach doesn't sound like it's in a constant state of unrest. I still have the cramp in my right side, though. It's below where the port site is and I think it's just from the excessive bathroom activity of yesterday. Aside from the cramp and the pain at the port site, everything else is good. No nausea, no vomiting, no diarrhea - just a little sore and extremely bored. The pain medication says to take every 4 hours, but I really don't need that much of it, which is cool. So far as the boredom goes, weekends are usually my clean house/run errands/do laundry time, and I cleaned the hell out of my apartment (and the common area hallway) the day before the surgery. I ran all my errands that I could possibly have to run for the next month the day before the surgery. I did all of my laundry the day before the surgery. So it's not like I have a ton of laundry to do or a ton of things to do, even, but I just want to be doing something... I don't know what I'm going to do with myself for another entire week off of work...

Phew, a week isn't too bad. @mamiof3kids I say do it everyday, great exercise. Thanks for answering my questions everyone! And good luck to all. I have another question...but it's a dirty one and I don't know if I'll get booted for asking so I'll try to make it sound....umm...general lol. So u can only sip a few ounces at a time. If I were with my fiancée and was in a swallowing situation....how would that work? Sorry for the tmi

I had it for 5 years and then had it replaced. My periods at first went away...which I loved. But then they would be a little weird (long, short and sometimes 2x month). My gyn said that it can be unpredictable sometimes on how you will react to it. Sometimes you respond well and then you body changes. They say you can't feel it during intercourse....but I could always feel it. Maybe TMI but it was a really strange feeling when it was hit. I never had any issues the first round...but the second....I started to have really bad infections...one after the other. I decided to have it removed and put in the Implanon that lasts 3 years...but takes away your period too. I've had it for 2 years so far...not any issues yet. Good Luck...

I am almost 9 months out and I still have this happen to me if I eat to fast. .... if I dont pay attention to how fast I eat I can get sick super fast. I also have the ability to vomit without sticking my finger down my throat....this sounds bad, but I find it very helpful when I feel like I have overfilled by accident. I just squeeze my stomach muscles together and out comes the food that is causing the trouble. there isnt any stomach acid mixed in thankfully so it tastes the same as when it is going down, and doesnt burn my throat. sorry if this is tmi for anybody, but I tend to tell it like it is. truth is my tummy is still a baby and I am just still learning what I can and cant do. I also continue to suffer from the desire to eat just to eat, and not because I am hungry. this surgery isnt a magic trick, I totally understand what they mean by it is a tool to help...not a cure. I'm not sure that I got that before surgery and I am still kinda figuring that out now. Still have the overeaters mind but I am in no means saying anything bad about the sleeve.....it definatly has been doing its job well. good luck on feeling better soon. definatly talk to the doc

This actually made me laugh. Too funny. I am looking forward to see how if things in the bedroom are different once I loose a big amount. I am sure it will be and to be honest, I am really looking forward to it. Sorry if that was TMI. hehehehe

I'm 2 1/2 yrs post op and have recently begun having acid reflux also. About 5 mths ago, I started nite coughing really bad. I found that if I sleep comfortably on my side (like I normally sleep) I wake up with my pillow all full of **** (sorry if tmi) and tasting acid in my mouth. I lie on my back while propped up with 3 pillows. I also take OTC Zantac and prescription Nexium. IT helps some but it doesn't totally alleviate it. I have a dr's appt this Monday for a barium swallow to see if my band is too tight (I don't think it is) and have Fluid taken out if neccessary. So yes, there's others with this problem. It's called GERD (Gastro esophageal reflux disorder) and my dr told me that eventually it can erode the esophagus so much that it may cause cancer. I need to good nites sleep without all the pain, spitting up, and acid taste in my mouth so I'm willing to take some fluid out if neccessary. Hope you get some reflief soon. It totally sucks! Marci

Hehe, I should have added that my program WANTS me to be doing a lot of things that I'm just not doing. I can't. So soon post-op (as you), I just lumped everything as a recommendation. I've only once been able to hit their Protein counts, yesterday, because I ate sashimi for every meal/snack. I can finally meet Fluid intake goals, after more than 5 weeks. I still haven't found a way to truly work in a real exercise program, other than walking at lunch, and still get family time (working on that one tho). I've pooped 4x since surgery on 3/27. TMI - but "they want" me pooping at least every 3 days -- some things we just can't control, you know? Whatever you're struggling with now, will get better and easier. Do the best you can, and see "what they want" as goals.

Good luck with your surgery! Depending on your insurance, the pre-op visits/post-op visits should be covered. They need to bill with the pre-op visit code - if it's just billed as a regular office visit,you'll get assessed the copays and stuff. If you don't mind my asking, who is your coverage through? My surgery was the 30th. I had to stay overnight an additional night and I feel like crap. The additional day I was there was because I couldn't stop throwing up to save my life (TMI, I know). I've been home a little over 12 hours now and I've slept most of the day. My friend came over and put my AC in my window and moved my TV into my bedroom, so that's nice. The times that I have been up, I've been extremely uncomfortable. I can lay on either side and on my stomach (which really is the only time I'm NOT uncomfortable) and I just managed to keep down my first dosage of the pain medication - I had a really hard time with that in the hospital. They had to give me anti-nausea medication everytime I would attempt to use the pain medication and that didn't even help. I took one of the anti-nausea pills when I got home today and I'm pretty sure it stayed with me for about 4 minutes until I started dry heaving again. My surgeon did a scan & said everything looked normal, but since I had the gastric plication in addition to the banding; the extra nausea was normal. Because they essentially folded my stomach (I like to think it's like a paper football, even thought I know it's not), the throwing up what I thought was blood was apparently normal. I haven't had any dry heaves or anything for like 6 hours now -- I'm trying to drink 3 medicine cups full of Water every hour. We'll see how it goes. Good luck with your surgery! Let me know how the healing process goes for you!

For my first 6 months I weighed every single morning like clockwork, after (sorry TMI) my morning BM. C'mon, we ALL know that is the best time ... anyway, I steadily lost a pound every other day, I should have recognized this fact and weighed accordingly but I didn't, I weighed every day. So, every other day, I'd be in an awesome mood! And every other day, get out of my @%$^&* way >=[. Now I haven't been on my scale in over a month, because the number hadn't changed in 3 months and it was getting so dispiriting. Maybe the morning after the last day of my next cycle I will get on and face the music =/

Yeah they asked me a million and one questions I just had a bowel movement yesterday and I've been passing gas lol tmi I know! So idk what this pain could be from!

I've started to feel like an animal shedding comic! It started about a week ago, maybe a little more so perhaps 3.5 months out. I have fine hair and not tons of it to begin with so I sucked it up and bought one of the Nioxin (sp?) systems. I'll see how it goes with that but I think all it will help with is making what I have look a little thicker and hopefully improving the regrowth. The final step has sunscreen in it of all things but I have burned my scalp a couple times in recent years. As fast as the hair grows on my legs after I wax it off I can't imagine why it takes my head so long!! =) (sorry guys - TMI on the waxing, I know)

Ok so this may also be TMI and I am sorry for being graphic but I am at my wit's end here. I am 6 months post op, and Thursday night I woke up to by far the worse pain I have ever felt, it was under my breasts, rib area and spreading to my chest and back, on top of it I even blacked out. Taken to closest emergency room which by the way was the worst experience ever besides the hot male nurse who saw me at my worst... let me just say this real quick ...huge peach pajamas..no bra and black socks......no make up..zit cream on my face ...oh yeah embarrassing but what is more embarrassing for the hospital..they never heard of the SLEEVE...yes I said it...no clue. They looked at me like I was nuts! I told them "call my surgeon" at least 100 times..did they call NO!!! They gave me morphine, Fluid, did a cat scan, said I abdominal pain and sent me home...yes sent me home..could have a tear...how would they know right.. they wouldnt even call my surgeon! Can you believe it? My bill will be probably thousands...for what??? Needless to say I called my surgeon in the morning and went right in to be advised I had a bowel blockage, partial but 14 about 12 pounds worth and what do you know right up under my ribs... top of bowel...could they have told me that at the hospital ..NO. Sorry for ranting, I am just so bothered by it! Ok so here is where I need help, my surgeon said no NG tubes so they cannot flush the block and he wants me to clear it on my own by taking citrate magnesium and miralax combo. I did it but my bowel never ran clear like he said. I have since tried a second time and nothing. I have gone jogging, ran up and down the steps...ate applesauce, drank apple juice, ate prunes, drank prune juice, drank a ton of Water, warm water, metamucil (alot), ate hot food, ate everything whole grain I could find and I cannnot clear this block. It will not work...i clears my bottom bowel but never runs clear like he said. I need to clear it, or it could turn to a total obstruction and I will be hospitalized. I want to avoid that at all costs. Has anyone had a similar issue and please tell me any home remedies you have, I am desperate and will try anything. I bought an enema but am thinking will also just clear lower bowel. I can't go through that pain again ever. This is affecting my job. Last day off today! HELP!! PS.. I have suffered with constipation the entire time and I drink 3 glasses a day of a Fiber drink and take stool softners daily. Thanks for any ideas On a brighter note I have lost 96 lbs since being sleeved, Ijust want to be healthy

Glad the liquid diet is going well for you guys so far! Michele, I am really excited for you!! One day away from a fresh start. People on the liquid diet - is anyone else having constipation? I'm sorry if that's TMI.