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So, here is the deal and I have read a lot of posts about strictures and I don't think this is the issue, but would love to hear from others. My surgeon used a 54 French bogie. So, that being the case, you would think I would have no issues getting food or Water down. I was sleeved on April 16. I am still struggling with eating and drinking. So far since 7:00 a.m. I have had one 12oz. Syntrax Protein drink made with water and ice. I did not blend the ice, just added ice to keep it cold as it takes me so long to drink it. At 10:00 I was hungry, so I got my tuna with mayo mashed to death out and started to eat it. I have had 3 very small forkfuls, chewed to dust before swallowing and I feel like it is stuck between my throat and my stomach. If I wait 15 to 20 mins, the feeling starts to subside until I decide to take another small forkful and then it starts all over again. I am not vomiting, but I feel like things don't want to pass, or they don't want to pass easily. Has anyone had a stricture or narrowing without vomiting? Do any of my fellow April sleevers feel this way still and maybe my stomach is just not healed yet and is still really swollen? Thanks much. I appreciate it. Karen

WOW! You poor thing. Technically three surgeries in a matter of 2 weeks?! I can imagine the gas has you all bloated up and it wouldn't be unheard of for it to settle in your back. Mine was mostly in my shoulders and chest. I agree with the others' advice, walk when you can. It will help the body re-absorb the gas. I've also heard chewable gas-x helps although I never tried it. Maybe you need more time for your body to heal. This was an unforeseen complication as well as a second surgery that was only 10 days ago. Depending on your job and circumstances, I would think you should be allowed more time to recouperate. Here's wishing you good luck and Hope that the gas dissipates.

Well after I posted this morning I spoke with Dr's office and I"M SCHEDULED!!! 10-25-07 is surgery day. Yippee! I am sooo excited.:whoo:

Hi there, I am still taking multivitamins after 10 months. Calcium is important for everybody - it's not just women who get osteoporosis. Not sure about the vitamin K, best to speak to your Dr.

Thank you for your feedback! I've been reading up on some things, and there's this thing called the "Mirena Crash" meaning it mimics the symptoms of pregnancy.. and well I seem to be going through them.. I got AF on July 5th through the 10th and as I said, I got my Mirena out on July 26th and I got what seemed like a very heavy AF from the 28th to the morning of the 31st. I had unprotected sex that night, again on the 2nd and 4th. Now, if that wasn't my period I should be getting it any day now, so if I miss should I take a pregnancy test? Since yesterday morning I've been experiencing pregnancy symptoms.. Headache, bloating, stuffy and plugged nose, cough and a sore throat, no smell, no taste, backache, very tired but can't sleep, not hungry, having to pee a lot, weird cravings, and I "just FEEL" pregnant, I know most will say, can't feel it that early.. I've always been very fertile, (I have two boys 10 and 11) and I heard with the Gastric Bypass Surgery you become even more fertile, and I told my OBGYN this and she said with that and getting the Mirena removed that I could get pregnant within the first week.. But that is contradicting everything that I'm reading from other people. So naturally I am very confused, and we really want to have a baby.

I'm on a low carb diet as well currently eating below 20 net carbs per day (subtract fiber). Interestingly I did Atkins (not the induction plan but the on-going weight loss plan) for 2 years at one point and all of my chemistry and vitals improved (though they were in the normal range to begin with). Of course it was difficult to maintain and once off the wagon I regained all I had lost. With friends. The nice thing about the band, when I go off plan, I don't gain and so it's easier to get back on track because I don't have that discouragement of gaining 10 lbs in a weekend. LOL When I compared what I ate "normally" (choke choke) my fat intake actually went down low carbing. No fried cheese sticks, no bread to put butter on... you get the picture. And my Protein was about the same (pre-band Atkins). The only thing I try to avoid is sugar and simple/starchy carbs (white flour, potatoes, rice, pasta). I eat far more healthy veggies and I also eat regular dairy products (not low fat), eggs, berries, pumpkin, flax seed meal, and other lower carb items. Of course my portions are much smaller with the band, so that makes getting my protein in (recommended above 60 by my dietitian) a little tougher with my band. But the veggies seem to go down very well. I also take a daily Vitamin and Calcium supliment which I probably needed more when I was... ah hem, eating "normally." I don't like shakes or bars (flavor/texture thing). I will rarely drink a low carb slim fast for "emergency" situations, but I don't drink them on a daily or even weekly basis. I've drank maybe 4 in a year. Is my fat-to-carb ratio high? Yes, but if I were eating the same number of servings of starchy/sugary foods as I used to, the ratio would be very low, even with the reduced portion size. I have great labs, blood pressure is normal, sugar normal. And have all my life even at my heaviest. Let's not forget genetics. Moderation, moderation, moderation, it really is the key... If I could only follow that advice all the time.

I know this has been talked about a thousand times already but my question is this: I am 10 months post-op and I have very severe left shoulder pain. It's not all the time and it's usually in the afternoon, although I've had it in the morning too. It doesn't always happen after a fill and it can be very random but when it's there it's PAINFUL! I have done about as much research as I can and I've come to the conclusion that it's the phrenic nerve (possibly referred pain). My doctor doesn't know what to do with me and thinks it's odd that I still have shoulder pain as he has concluded it's free air. I have a hard time believing that. So, does anyone out there have any suggestions as to what kind of doctor I should see or start with to try to fix this? The only relief I get is from narcotics and laying on my left side. :thumbs_up:

Good Morning, What is PCOS????? don't be upset I had the lap band put in 2-18-2008 erosioned 11-4-2009 taken out then I saw the scale climbing so I went back to the surgeon Dr.J.Myer at Rush or One Day I asked for a new Band he said no so I got the sleeve so in 2008 I weighed 278 I am 4 11 I looked like I was going to explode as I look on the pictures of myself at that time at the time the band was taken out 199 so nothing for 18 months shot up to 240 had the sleeve done 12-12-11 today I weigh 197. I am 62 years old and can't work out because of my heart and I have a heel problem that I am having ablations to kill nerves the pain stops me from walking as much I want to, but I must be doing something right the weight is coming off slowly but I think my age has a lot to do with that but weighing in at 197 I weighed that when I was 28 Yikkkes!! that was a long time ago. The sleeve is a tool it will help you but it will be up to you what you put in your mouth...... I cheat sometimes not just every day Sat: is my grdson's birthday I will take a piece of cake I remove most of the frosting to treat on special days is ok....I like my scale now at one time I dreaded getting on the dam thing and today I say a quick prayer to God to help me accept the number I see and if it is good ok if its bad ask myself ok what junk have I had....YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! are in charge how you are going to use this tool..... Be good to your self set small goal don't look at the bigger picture cause that will overwhelm you when I reached 75lb weight loss I bought myself a journey neckless pendent yes this a journey for the rest of your life. My husband and I have been married almost 43 years I have been wanting a new bridal set of rings so when I lose 100!!!!!!!!!!!!! what a miracle that God and the Blessed Mother have given me we are going to buy some serious BLING!! lol I told the Dr that at my last visit he laughed and said take it off during weigh in its going to be heavy.... take 10 lbs at a time it worked for me at every 10 lbs I treated myself to a tube of lipstick whatever but NOT some thing to eat. Gee I better get off my soap box.....as they say in 12 step meetings read this take what you want and leave the rest, we as humans don't always agree. Keep the faith, miracles happen I am one of them....... BIG OAK FOREST HUGS, Ann Raggedyann1949

That must be another guy thing - I was pushing 900-1000 calories within a couple of weeks, though I was able to move some semi-real foods at that time and not just liquids (doc was adding veg to the diet at the 10 day mark because protein consumption was more than adequate at 90g.)

I am 10 says post-op. I am SICK of liquids. I am so burned out on soup, pudding, shakes that I feel like puking every time I have to drink one down. My daughter is eating a sloppy Joe in front of me, and I swear I could tackle her down and steal it. I can start mushy foods in 4 days. I never thought I would be so excited for tuna fish or egg salad. I crave it now, and cant wait!Please tell me I am not alone! After pre-op diet and now this liquid diet, I really want food, that I can chew 40 times, not slurp. I know I need to wait, but honestly, it is just 4 more days? What could be the harm...I don't think I will make it the weekend. Head hunger, acid, whatever it is, I really am hungry and want food!

My surgery was 10/22/14. So now I'm at almost 12 weeks. I ate 3 oz of T bone today, with no problem what so ever! I ate some tostitoe type chips yesterday with rotel, no problem...

I got the same thing.. Was told that it is because is the surgery and cutting muscle... Put a heating pad on it.. 20 mins at a time.. It lasted a couple of weeks .. I am much Better.. Sleeved on 10/6.. No more pain!

Today is day 10 and I feel great! How are you Feeling?

Be heard many times we are thin people on the inside. Heck,'when I dream, I'm not the size I am. I'm really the size I was 19 years ago. So my question is this... After WLS, do we become a fat person in a thin body? We will always carry the scars and experiences. I even heard a friend say of another who had just had WLS, that she still thought like a fat person. So... What do you think?

I understand! I have hoshimotos thyroidism and I'm having a terrible time losing weight to be qualified for surgery. I just started on phentermine even though it makes me aggressive. I've gained 10 pounds since my first visit in October. Down 5 since then. But it's been a bear! All I can say is stay focused and lose all you can the healthy way. Don't starve yourself or do liquid diets just to lose it, you will gain it back again. And use weights during exercise. Muscle helps burn fat. Keep it up! You can do this. Sent from my SM-G920T using BariatricPal mobile app

I guess I have not technically started the 3 month diet. I haven’t really gotten any clear guidance I say my PCP the surgeon got my refferal 2 weeks later I can't see them till 10/28 but they won't answer anything till my appointment. My insurance requires a 6 month diet OR 3 month program seeing counselor, dietician....etc Scary I'm changing insurance on 1/1/09 and can't find their requirements......

Whoo hoo, fill day today! I have not had a good fill record. My first fill, Nov 5, was cancelled because of nausea and moved to Nov. 19. Went to Disneyland in Dec. 2nd fill Dec 19 for a total of 6 ccs. No real restriction. 3rd fill Jan but I was too embarrassed to go since I hadn't been losing. So today is the day! I also changed my life around to better facilitate my weight loss goals. I work 12 hour night shifts and my schedule used to be 3 nights on 2 off, 3 on, 6 off That was exhausting! I switch back to day shift on my days off because I have an 11 year old son. I changed my schedule to 3 on 4 off so I can get regular exercise. I started swimming again. I love to swim! I joined WW for the core diet plan, we'll see how that goes. I bought the book Success Habits of Weight Loss Surgery Patients. I also bought the workbook because I'm a bit OCD. I hope my fill goes well today! :thumbup:

I was walking immediately and went back to the gym doing cardio at 2 weeks, but no lifting more than 10 pounds until 4-6 weeks.

My MDs diet for 2 weeks prior to surgery include: 10 oz lean protein/day 2 servings of fruit 2+ servings vegetables at least 64 oz water/day no grains at all and no Protein suplements before.

Hi Paperplane..I can imagine how disappointed you must have felt to have your surgery postpone especially after all of you have gone through (the lonnnnnng process) to get to the point of getting a date, but you will be fine. You will get your surgery because you have already shown you have what it takes to lose weight without surgery which in itself something I truly admire about all pre-op patients. Thank goodness your husband is fine and now you can turn your focus back on yourself. When I started this journey I prayed long and hard figuring if this is in God's plan for my life, it will happen regardless of delays, disappointments and even my own self doubts. I do not have a date as of yet, but I am at the end of the pre-op process and will hopefully get a date soon. Although I was not told to lose any initial weight, I have gained about 10 lbs since my first consult, and I am finding it difficult to get it off. So I am willing to accept that if my surgery is postponed as a result, its because I need time to get more focused, or maybe even, as in your case, God knows I might be needed elsewhere for a moment. So stay encouraged and please keep us posted.

Hello all! I just had my rny surgery on Tuesday...I am still having a lot of gas pain. I was just wondering if anyone used gas - x dissolvable strips? SW 413 CW 320 Surgery date 10/29

Had my surgery on 4/27 and had my period during preop diet. I am not on BC but my bf is fixed. Well...no period for 3 months! But, just started again yesterday on my flight back from Bahamas. My periods before we're always very heavy and lasted 7-10 days. This one seems lighter....hoping shorter too!!

I have just scheduled my surgery for March 10th. I am very excited but also VERY nervous. I had a lapband for 5 years and lost to goal, but always had issues with things getting stuck, throwing up, and then finally a stomach infection that led to removal. This has been about 6 months ago, and I have gained back almost all of my weight. Until my appointment last week, when I went with the intention of getting another band, I had never even heard of the sleeve, but my Dr. said he thought in the long run I would like it much better, and would have less complications. Just a couple of questions... With the staples, how long are you at risk of leaks? Will the stomach tissue reconnect, or will the staples always be what is holding it together? Has anyone else been from band to sleeve??? How many days on average hospital stay?? I am 1 1/2 hours from my Dr..thought about staying in a nearby hotel the day after release...JUST in case any problems. Any advice would be wonderful.

Oh, about three months I think. I started with 3kms on the treadmill and gradually built it up over time as I trained for various fun runs - I got to about 10kms within 9 months and now I like to keep it between 7 and 10 depending on the route, with maybe one short 5km one in there per week. However, I was banded at a BMI of 35 and was quite fit for a heavier person, obviously if you're more overweight and have been less active, take it at your own pace!

Hello everyone my name is Tina otherwise known as breakingtheshell. I really want to share my story with you I am so glad that I found this website. I am sure that there are many others out there with my situation maybe somebody can help me understand this because I asked my doctor my dietitian and they just seem to give me short answers and then there in a rush to get away I started out at 347 during my six-month counseling sessions and the day of my surgery I was 327 my surgery was on October 26, 2012. I wore a size 5x tops and bottoms or a 32/34 and my bra size funny funny was a 54 Double D. I never wore jeans after my disability which was a big contributor to becoming morbidly obese. Oh this is funny, I used to wear a size 13 wide shoe now I'm in a 12. How did that happen?? The surgery was extremely painful for me and it took a great five hours for them to poke and probe me and rearrange things rather then the simple 2.5 hours. My liver was extremely enlarged because I suffer from nonalcoholic liver disease so they needed to go in other places it was hard for them to lift my liver to work around it. I have been on the highest strengths of morphine for so long that when I got into the recovery room I felt all the pain and there was nothing else they could do for me so I stayed at the hospital for three days straight crying and begging for help to get rid of the pain.........I felt like I was butchered. By the way I was on pain medication for so long because I have severe back injuries I need to have a Nother three surgeries on my back I have fibromyalgia rheumatoid and osteoarthritis degenerative disc and joint disease spinal stenosis sciatica And everything else that causes pain. This is how I got started on my venturers for a gastric bypass surgery my back surgeon had to do another surgery on me but because I was so morbidly obese he refused to open me up on the operating table for fear that I would die. He told me I needed to lose over 100 pounds and in order to do that I had to go have the gastric bypass done so I quickly did my research checked my insurance and was approved quickly after six months of counseling. I lost a lot of weight I'm talking about 85 pounds by the end of my third month. I felt horrible I felt lethargic and spent most of my time in bed because I was so tired. My skin dried-up like you would not believe my face looked horrible like I had aged 10 to 15 years and I still with having pain in three months in my stomach area. Oh and the hair loss ......it's still coming out!! My six-month mark was on April 26, 2013. I had lost 122 pounds and my clothing sizes got to an extra large top a size 16 trying to wiggle into a 14 jeans and my shoe size went down and my bra size is now at 38b. When I look in the Mira I see a totally different person I look like a skinny person but I know that I need to lose at least 60 more pounds!! my husband says I should be grateful for what I have lost but darn it I didn't go this far to stop here but the problem is it STOPPED!!!! I understand that there are times that you will Platau but mine has lasted two months now losing only 9 stinkin pounds. I started solids a little late because of having Strictures and having to be dilated three times but I noticed that when I started eating solid foods my hunger started and I always feel hungry again an hour after a meal. I can only eat 1/4 to 1/2 cup of solids. I mentioned this to my doctor and that was hysterically crying and he says to me well that means your metabolism is working again that's a good thing and then got up and walked out!!! Wtf???? This is my life. This is my dream. I am doing everything by the book I am drinking my Protein I am actually drinking the whey protein bullet (with approval) which is nice because it's only 3 1/2 ounces to suck down to get your protein and I don't know what else to do. I cannot exercise because of my back injury. I'm going to be having surgery again rods and screws put in my back and I just don't know what else to do. I've kept logs, drink my liquids,snack on a little fruit or fat free sugar free yogurt. UGH CAN SOMEONE GIVE ME ADVICE ON HOW TO KICKSTART MY WEIGHTLOSS AGAIN????? I don't want to be skinny because I love curves. I'm not being selfish! Thanks in advance for your input. Tina