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I am two weeks post op today! I feel like October 3rd was a second birthday for me. On that day a new way of life was launched! Physically, I have been really fortunate I think, regarding healing. Surgery was uncomplicated, and recovery has gone fine. Not much pain. The only pain I have had regularly is in my deepest incision site. But that is finally almost gone! I didn't have much gas, and not a lot of nausea post-op. I am still on full liquids and trying to be creative so I don't go crazy. I have my protien shakes (which are begining to make me nauseaus), non fat sugar free yogurt, and strained soups- tomato basil is fantastic! I really needed something non-sweet tasting with protien so I took a carton of non-fat cottage cheese and I put it in the blender till it was thinned out to the consistancy of yogurt. Sounds disgusting right? It works for me, I eat 1/4 cup or less at a time and it helps the cravings for savory. I have had a couple days of extreme weakness. As in having to lay down for hours. I realized that it was not drinking enough of the Protein. Emotionally, it's been harder. I realize now I was a food addict. So, so many aspects of my life revolved around food (bad ones), pre-surgery. Now post surgery, I find that I have hours of time that I have to fill with new, healthy activites and hobbies. The biggest eye-opener for me 2 weeks out is how much time and mental attention that I used to give bad food. It was my life! So....reinventing now. So, this is my experience two weeks out! I see the surgeon and NUT Wednesday. I am hopeful to graduate to pureed or soft foods! Stats: HW: 239 9/23/16 SW: 219 10/3/16 CW: 211 10/17/16

I feel your pain! I just broke a five weeks stall myself! I stayed stuck at 202.2 for all that time. Finally I dropped to 199.2 lbs, but today I went up to 199.8 lbs which is making nervous and frustrated !! I guess this all part of the process. All we can do, is keep doing the right thing( eat clean, water, exercise, rest) and wait for the darn scale to budge. Good luck

I didn't lose any weight for weeks after surgery and I was soooo upset because I was basically eating nothing and everyone always talked about how fast the weight comes off at first. For me, the weight didn't start to come off until I started eating more calories! My body was just saving them all instead. I know it sounds silly, but maybe that's what is happening to you? Are you getting in at least 1,000 calories a day? When I eat about 1,200 calories a day, I lose weight the best. You can also try upping your workouts just a tad. Like if you usually exercise for 30 minutes, try for 45. Or if you exercise a certain number of days per week, try adding one more day of light exercise or weights, just for a boost. My doctor told me lifting weights is an important part of a workout regimen because your muscles work to take the place of fat even after you've finished the workout. Try not to get discouraged!! This is a long journey and it will take time, but it will be worth it in the end. Keep your eyes on the prize

I had the exact same thing happen to me! I was sleeved May 15th. I went to my PCP she was not concerned... she said it is not uncommon to develop fluid pockets in abdominal area after surgery. She put me on Bactrim DS for 10 days ( i think to just to pacify me). The drainage from my incision never had an odor, I never ran a fever. My incision drained for about two weeks.

yes I've been watching youTube videos for weeks and have made several videos... none of which I've had the courage to upload yet. There's an incredibly vibrant WLS lapband and GB community on youTube. I will upload a video very soon. haha I've just subscribed to your channel. :-)

questions: 1. I will be 6 months out on Jan 31st, will my hair start growing out (it got long but isn't quite thick) and getting thicker again? 2. Is there another way to get enough Protein a day without drinking Protein shakes (they make my stomach really upset now)? 3. For those who are 6+ months out, what is your daily life like, like mainly your daily meal/diet like? (just so i can have a better idea) 4. Did any of you have stretch marks (all your life...before surgery) where? [i have them on my stomach, hips, upper arms, and boob area.] And how much did you lose? Are they still horrible looking? Are you at goal weight? 5. Did you get pregnant (not that i want to, just curious)? How are your stretch marks now? Did they get worse? How many kids did you have (for future refference, I want to have two kids but i'm worried that my stretch marks will get worse, redder, uglier, and just horrendous. 6. Why do you need to get unfilled when being pregnant? 7. Is there anything to cover up stretch marks? Makeup? Tattoos (heard it wasn't a good idea because it'll just look worse?)? is there anything else that works 8. How long do you workout everyday? 9. What was your best expiernce with the band so far? 10. People who didn't get plastic surgery, would you still wear a two piece bathing suit like a bikini? 11. Do you plan on getting PS? Why? 12. Do you feel more confident? 13. Do guys/girls flirt with you more? 14. Do guys/girls ask you out more? 15. Did you find the man/woman of you dreams? 16. How many fills did it take for you to get to your goal weight? 17. When you first got your first fill, what was your expierence like? Was it painful? (people who don't get it numbed, please) 18. Can you give me an idea of what your shopping list would look like? ( i know it has to be healthy and stuff and i want lots of fruit) 19. Is there any fruits or veggies you cant eat because of the band? it would be cool if you all can answer these (: mainly if you are 6+ months out or at goal weight. about the daily meal plan, just want to know so i can buy healthier stuff AGAIN, kind of got out of track and out of hand ): but yeah im starting to get tired of having the same thing over and over i'm in DESPERATE need of a fill or two. i haven't got a fill yet because as some of you may already know, i was sick for 2 and a half months out of surgery and i didnt start feeling 95% better till the end of December, the weekend of my birthday. and since the week of christmas, i started getting hungry an hour after i just ate and its annoying! so yeah and i dont have insurance right now (i had Bluecross blue shield and i guess after you turn 19 they dont cover you anymore) so i MIGH be getting Medicade i'm not really sure, if so i hope they cover the fills because i am NOT paying that out of pocket, i dont have the money

i have been thinking about this as well. i've been working more vegan meals into our week. i have the feeling that after sleeving, it would be so much easier because there will be so much less eating, you know? do you think that's a fair assumption?

I was sleeved 2 weeks ago to the day. I'm back at the office for the first time today, and I feel great! My first time back in work shoes... I walked 3 blocks downtown, and I've been thinking all over the office since 6am...my feet don't hurt AT ALL! AAAAAAAAAHH! Even if I never lose another ounce (which I know I will), my surgery was worth it if JUST for this. It feels so good to get my life back. Just thinking of all the things that used to being me joy, and how I'll be able to get to do them more has me bursting with joy. I suffered with Lupus and RA (steroids...) and to get even a portion of the weight off made a hell of a difference. Yay! Sleeves! LOL!

No ursodiol because I don't have a gall bladder anymore, but I still can get liver sludge, like the starlings toward a stone if I wasn't bladder-free and it will remain there until 3 weeks after they finally discontinue this,, so it is not impossible I might be given a half-dose to clear my liver. Very good question though. And something very weird, you know I said little actually in my GI tract but they are more regular now than before. There is enough cellular byproducts and stuff that I have at least 1 soft 💩daily. Would have thought Nothing In Nothing Out but I was wrong.

I lost 4 pounds in 3 weeks, after losing 40 from Early September to late November. I was blamed my slowdown from now being on TPN, but maybe we are entering an atypical phase? If we are doing all the right things, checking off appropriate boxes, kick back mentally and stop worrying!😝😕😝

Ah Darlin', this is not a normal and logical situation sweet Frustr8 is in. I am the rarer , watch out for your surgeon might have skimmed over talking about. I have a stomal stricture in Precious Pouch, and she has 2 ulcers also, on the back wall of my jejunem- the portion of small intestine the pouch attaches to, I have 3 more angry ulcers and the potential to ulcerate on down toward the ileum. I have had 4 endoscopy scopings, on every EGJ is still was not healing up, solider foods can't pass through, so I was on a liquid diet and still am, in theory. After my last scope I was hospitalized, that was November 28th, on the 29th a PICC LINE was established in my upper left arm, snakes through the venous tree, 48 cm, roughly 19 inches long, the tip is located in my superior Vena Cava, and rests only a couple inches from the right atrium , the upper chamber of my ❤. The line rested for a day then on the 30th TPN, which stands for Total Parenterel Nutrition, I get a feeding solution pumped in, I was on 14 hours on, 10 off daily, I just graduated? to a 12-12 cycle on January 1sr, I can try 1 meal of liquid something daily if I desire but the solution supplies my nutritional needs as it is. 1430 calories of goodness, Wowser that's about twice what I was taking when I was feeding by mouth. I simply count not ingest the 90-120 grams of protein Dr Noria says I needed to heal the verdompt ulcers, so this is an easier way for me. Oh I wasn't TOO THRILLED to have this happen to me, my son and I learned the steps so we do it all ourself, no stupid home health nurses having to do it. Twice a week I have blood draws, luckily they can remove blood from the PICC line, better than having someone go up and down my arms looking for an non- rolling surface vein. I used to look like someone threw rocks at me. I have lost over 100 pounds from my highest weight, lost 15 pounds on my liver shrinking diet in August , and close to 50 since my surgery September 5th, for a while I was protein poor and nearly malnourished , I was losing weight like a sea-sick anorexic sailor, nice losing but it was pushing me me into a depletion corner. Weighed myself last week at my Primary Care while my son was doing his appointment, looked like I was stalled by came home , did a giant #2, had to flush 3 times so I have to weigh less, tomorrow is blood draw and then appointment at Primary care for me, why they couldn't have booked us same day, is beyond my comprehension. But anyhoo, I shall weigh and see.And PICC stands for Peripherally Inserted Central Cathetern see you're getting a mini-tutorial today. How much longer will I have it? I have a surgeon appointment the 15th, another endoscopy the 25th with his Partner Dr Noria who love love loves doing them, she is also is a super competent Bariatric, Gastrointestinal and does do General Surgery but Endoscopy is her " Bang Zone" I really like her and Dr,Needleman, and have to believe they have a Plan of Care and have my best interests at ❤ but this sure is not the scenario I had planned for myself.👈😡👉💉💊

My doc said I could have coffee (not decaff), started at about 6 weeks and usually have at least a cup or two a week.

Leaks usually occur in the first two weeks but can be missed and may present with unusual symptoms over the following months. These symptoms may be persistent abdominal pain, shoulder pain, fevers, prolonged nausea. If any of these symptoms exist beyond a month or so, it is reasonable to have an Upper GI xray, endoscopy or even a CT scan.

My surgery was Thursday. They put me on the scale when I took my first walk and I was up 13 lbs. Thank goodness some of you have talked about that here so I was not surprised. I'm going to stay off the scale for a week.

Andrea Are you full after you eat a WW meal?? When you say breadstick are you talking about the ones that are like pretzels or the kind from olive garden (real bread) how much salad did you eat and what kind of dressing. How may calories are you consuming in a day?? For me personally - I want to eat more than 1/4 or 1/2 cup per meal - IMHO eating only 1/2 cup 3 x day is not healthy. This is a lifetime lifestyle change in our eating - its the combination of eating healthy (low fat - low sugar) and the restriction the band provides by making you feel fuller on a smaller quantity of food and adding exercise into your life. Weight loss is all about calories in vs calories burned - if you are consuming more than you are burning then the weight isn't going to come off. You say cuz you have done so well in the last 9 days that you ate 2 breadstick & salad - was this a reward for doing so good. There are theories out that that your body goes into starvation mode if you don't get enough calories - I am not a nutritionist or scientist - so I can't debate that - but for me if I vary my calories - say 950 today and 1100 tomorrow and 1000 the next day - I do ok. I keep a food diary and track my calories and Protein grams and log my exercise - again which has been a very big part in my success too. I have been truly bless cuz I have had a lost every week since I started this journey (well except for 1 and I didn't gain stay even) Suggest - write down what you are eating - the amounts and calories and then total them every night - do that for a week and go back to exercising and see if it helps get the ball rolling again. Good Luck..

my third fill was last tuesday and my doctor said my band was tight. for the first week i barely ate. i didnt lose any weight though. in the past 3 days i can eat more but i am trying to keep the intake low. i havent been as hungry lately so im assuming its working better than before. this is the point right. i can still eat a whole weight watchers meal though. should i be able to eat this much? because ive done so well for the past 9 days i had 2 breadsticks and a salad tonight. i couldnt believe that my stomach could handle 2 breadsticks. i was worried at first because the first week of being adjusted this time my stomach ached on and off for days straight but now its back to feeling pretty normal. i need to really focus on my calorie intake and keep up on the exercising. i havent exercised in 9 days. i just wish i could hit the 40lb mark im so close. when is it going to start coming off again? should i go back on the strict diet that we were on in the beginning stages? andrea

I don't know anything about reading xrays, but I do know about having an ulcer with no symptoms. I had my pre-op EGD and my doc found a medium-sized ulcer. He wanted to know why I didn't tell him about it before. I had no idea. I guess I had an upset stomach every now and then, but nothing out of the ordinary. I was as shocked as he was. If it does turn out to be an ulcer, it isn't awful. The treatment was pills (nexium) for a month and then a repeat EGD. It was completely healed. I suspect that the ulcer was from a 4 week course of Naproxen that i took for plantar fascitis, but I'll never really know. Cindy

Thanks for answering everyone! I was told that it would take anywhere from 3-6 fills to get to my "sweet" spot. They said that before I get there I would start to notice that I was a little more hungry toward the end of the 4 weeks inbetween fills. Right now I'm able to eat three meals a day with a protien shake thrown somewhere in between and it seems to satisfy me for the day. The hard part is this - I'm having to learn the difference between "head" hunger and "body" hunger. Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference. I'll be walking past the fridge thinking about how I'm hungry, then I have to ask myself if I really do "feel" hungry...it's just frustrating, and it's hard breaking old habits.

Just letting everyone know there is a new forum for stall talk and support! It is called, "Don't sweat the Stall stuff." You can find it here: http://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/1102-dont-sweat-the-stall-stuff-new/

@ nailed it. I had a long post-op liquids phase by most standards (6 weeks), after a five day clear liquids pre-op. Talk about cleansing your system. It was hard, but doable. I'm glad it's over, but grateful for the benefits it gave me.

I had my sleeve 12/16/13. I started taking a food based organic multi vitamin with iron about 6 weeks ago. The brand is Supernutrition SimplyOne. I can't remember where I heard that food based vitamins were better. I paid $14.00 for a month supply. I take calcium chews (2 per day not the recommended 3 because they are expensive). The vitamin is a large-ish tablet but I have no problems getting it down, sort of has a alfalfa type smell so the smell is not offensive. I like the fact that I get my entire dose in one pill.

I had the opposite effect. The swelling was so bad after my surgery I could hardly eat. When I went to the Dr for my 6 week checkup I could not imagine how I could be more restricted. He sure showed me. He put a very little and then made me drink the water would not go down. He had to remove the fluid. However, about two weeks later I felt some hunger. The swelling had gone down and I was on the Fill train. I have had 8 fill since May 2007.

I have a question about pills and malabsorption after gastric bypass. I'm almost 4 weeks post op and had to have emergency back surgery last week (2 surgeries in 3 weeks) and I'm in a lot of pain. They got me taking pain pills for the back pain to recover from the surgery but the pills don't seem to work. Is there something I can do? I'm afraid it's from the malabsorption that the pain pills aren't working.

I still can't eat very much food. A kid's meals can make two meals for me. Sometimes I have a chicken leg and a small serving of mashed potatoes and I can't finish it. It has been 14 months since my Band and I have lost 116 pounds. Have about 50 more to go. Sometimes I think my Band is too full, since I do PB at least 2-3 times a week. I try to eat soft foods for lunch since it is very difficult for me to eat anything in 30 min. At dinner it sometimes takes me 2-3 hours to complete my very small portion of food. However, I am usually never hungry. I do not know how much Fluid is in my Band since my Dr. does not disclose that information. He says everyone is different, so he does not want his patients comparing that info in the waiting room. With that being said I would not change a thing. I would have the surgery again in a heartbeat. I read 5 books on the subject before my surgery and followed every rule there was. I did not want to take a chance of being one of the statistics that do not succeed. I am so glad I did. As some else said, it is a very short time. I can not believe it is over 14 months for me. Life just keeps happening and one day turns into a week then a month then a year. Before you know it, you will wonder what the fuss was all about. For me I need a Knee Replacement, however my Dr. thinks I can wait 10 years. My pain was at a Level 10 before my Lap-Band and now it is a 2 on most days with the worse being a 5. I am so thankful for the surgery, I have gotten my life back.

Hello! Not everyone loses 5-8 pounds a week, and your body is adjusting to a lot of changes. Don't worry too much! Just do what you're doing. It'll come. We're in this for the long haul. I have lost 29 pounds since I began my liquid diet on January 5th. You'll get there!