SEPTEMBER 2014 POST-OP SLEEVERS CHECKING IN!

[Cococat 119]

So question, I am on the board of a non-profit and our big event is this weekend, 12 hours long and I am in charge of main ticketing. No brainer I do it every year. Here is the challenge I don't have access to a fridge or microwave, I am onsite 12 hours, I am still in puree and mushy food stage. I don't like things like cold eggs that should be warm.

What do I take with me to eat? I am onsite can't leave the site because of my job, and it will be insane for most of the time. We will sell thousands of pours of beer (all the free beer I can drink, if I drank beer or if I could drink period )

Any suggestions on things to take my go to would be a Protein Bar but since it isn't allowed it is out. We have some restaurants around us again pureed and mushy not so hot at a restaurant and I can't leave my area and won't because the crowds are really really tight we have 20-30K in people over 5 city blocks.

Need stuff that tastes great and last at outdoor temps in Philly in Oct.

As far as what you might like, I can only tell you what I like and what I might choose. Applesauce. They make several types which come in sealed cups. I usually get two or three nibbles out of one cup. My nutritionist says to get the non-sugar kind, but of course, I like the kind that has a bit of sugar. Applesauce is light, filling, and does not leave an aftertaste. I suggest that you buy both the sugared kind and the non-sugar kind and do a taste test. Second choice: Yogurt. Of course you might like either one or both to be a bit chilled. That's the reason God made cold packs. Put a cold pack in the bottom of your carry-all and load it with applesauce and yogurt. Just a suggestion.

[auntjanny 289]

Avocado and cheddar cheese perhaps?

[poginut 112]

Hi! Tomorrow will be two weeks post op! I had an appt today with doc and I'm down 23pounds! As far as recovery... Very smooth! Hope the same for everyone!

[AllofMe 49]

I carry core power light. It's good at room temp. Also those little packs of hummas, ditch the crackers. Best wishes. AllofMe.

Edited October 10, 2014 by AllofMe

[Sharon Walls 24]

As far as what you might like, I can only tell you what I like and what I might choose. Applesauce. They make several types which come in sealed cups. I usually get two or three nibbles out of one cup. My nutritionist says to get the non-sugar kind, but of course, I like the kind that has a bit of sugar. Applesauce is light, filling, and does not leave an aftertaste. I suggest that you buy both the sugared kind and the non-sugar kind and do a taste test. Second choice: Yogurt. Of course you might like either one or both to be a bit chilled. That's the reason God made cold packs. Put a cold pack in the bottom of your carry-all and load it with applesauce and yogurt. Just a suggestion.

Another option would be to make chicken salad or tuna salad at the consistency you can eat it, pack it into 3 ounce portions, and bring that, some yogurt, applesauce, hummus, cottage cheese, and drinks in a small cooler with blue ice packs. I am headed to a dog show next week where I am facing the same dilemma - at an outdoors event all day for 2 days plus 2 travel days. I plan on eating out of my ice chest for the most part. So long as I have a choice of 4 or 5 things to eat with a couple of drink choices, I should be fine for food and be able to enjoy the event.

[Sharon Walls 24]

@@Sharon Walls

Thanks for that, that's reassuring. Sometimes it feels like something inside is 'tethered' and pulling when I move - I guess that's the internal sutures. Getting impatient for everything to heal up now.

At 3 weeks and 3 days out, the pain has gone from the deep ache to occasional pulling and feeling like I have done 500 crunches across my midsection. Taking liquid Tylenol for pain management a couple of times a day. I have 2 friends who had VSG 3 years ago; both said by 4 weeks out they were feeling pretty normal and their pain was gone by then.

Moving into smooth foods this week - made some tuna salad from a can of albacore mixed with homemade zucchini relish and low fat mayo worked into a smooth dip consistency in the Ninja. Very satisfying and the tastiest thing I've eaten in a month!

[ochiatl 24]

I am so discouraged yesterday was two weeks post op for me and I haven't lost anything in a week! I have no idea why. I can't stop crying and I just feel like I made a huge mistake.

Please don't worry. I stalled for 3 weeks. I did lose inches during the stall though. Everyone will hit a stall....for some it starts earlier....its just your body reacting to the surgery. You didn't make a mistake!!! You WILL lose weight! You WILL become healthier. You WILL be ok!

[steffie4you 13]

Hi everyone, I had surgery on 9/23. I too only chose to tell my immediate family (secrets not kept in our family too any women) & three people at work. I didn’t want to hear all the negative comments from my family and I work at a company of Archaeologist who are all very fit, active, healthy, thin & tall.

To my surprise my family have been very supportive and call or text me several times a week to check on me and encourage me. This is a first for me, to have them be so supportive. The first 3 days I was like what have I done! I felt like I just cut off all my hair and I can't put it back. But by day 5, I started to feel good and was able to drink without pain and my day 6, I was able to get my 60g of Protein from my two Premier shakes. I returned to work after a week and have not had any problems, I have a desk job. I now have insomnia & bad dreams but no fatigue or headaches or joint pain. Blood pressure down from 130/89 to 101/69. I think for me little pain & no fatigue from surgery is because of my high tolerance of pain and from always feeling tired for years from the Fibromyalgia.

I drove to San Jose (1.25hr drive) after work Friday 10/3 to see my Mother for her Birthday and everyone was glad to see me. I think they thought I would look sick or have lost tons of weight in two weeks (lost 10lbs). They are very surprised to how healthy I look and no pain from surgery and little pain from my Fibromyalgia. Before surgery and one of my reasons for surgery was the amount of pain I was in daily. I was unable to exercise or walk long distances because of my constant joint, nerve and muscle pain and sleep was unbearable too.

I look forward to keeping up with my 7yr & 4yr old niece & nephew and less pain this winter from the cold & rain.

[steffie4you 13]

I am so discouraged yesterday was two weeks post op for me and I haven't lost anything in a week! I have no idea why. I can't stop crying and I just feel like I made a huge mistake.

I hear you. I felt the same way last week (my surgery 9/23) but I spent the weekend with my family & my niece kept me busy & walked my dog around the park at my Mom's house. I think I just needed a change of scenery. I came home Sunday & noticed I had lost 2lbs. Moving to puree foods and going for (2) 10min walks at work have helped with the stall I had the first two weeks. Have faith in yourself you can do it.

[JennyT 11]

Okay here is a quick update. I had my 10 day follow up with my surgeon. I am down 12 lbs. From my surgery weight and can now have soft foods. YAY! Any good recipes out there.

[mapyak31 3]

Hi , All,

I was sleeved Sept 9. I am down 34lbs but feels like it should be more since I lost a lot on the preop diet. I am having terrible acid reflux the past few weeks. Waiting to see the doctor on Friday for my month checkup. Does anyone else still have reflux? I am taking a lot of Tums, but they only help a little.

I am still on a pureed diet until my appointment this week. I would love to hear what everyone is eating? I have Soup, Protein Shakes, yogurt, applesauce, cottage cheese, etc. I try to eat 6 times each day. One of these choices,about 1/2 cup. Other than that everything else I have tried leaves me feeling really nauseous. Can't imagine what else I can eat when my doctor changes me to "soft foods" this week. What are you all eating and how often?

I was sleeved Sept. 11 and lately I've been feeling nauseous when I eat. It passes after a while but don't no why it's happening. Is anyone else going through this?

[MB511 7]

So I'm almost 5 weeks post surgery (sleeved on 9/8). I have experienced 2 things this week that have made me question if this was the right decision for me.

1. I moved to solid foods at the beginning of the week and I have struggled with recognizing when I am full. It doesn't feel the same as it used too. Today I had some tuna salad for lunch but as I was working at the same time I wasn't paying attention to the pace in which I was eating. Out of nowhere I was so full that I had to rush to the bathroom as everything came up. This is the first time since surgery I have gotten sick.

2. I'm not sure what affect getting sleeved is having on my husband or am I just acting like a psycho over what little food I am able to eat. Yesterday he sent me over the edge over seriously the slightest thing. I had made an omelette for dinner and was slowly working my way to the best part - the center! He downed his dinner so fast and knowing I wasn't going to eat my whole dinner asked if he could have some. Of course I say yes but guess what part he took. The center. I just stared at him. When he asked why and I told him he didn't get it. I know it doesn't seem like a big deal but I'm only able to eat so much, and you go and the whole reason I made the omelette away from me? I really need someone to tell me if I'm being irrational or if he is just being insensitive to what I am going through.

Anyone else out there experience either of these things?

[Cococat 119]

So I'm almost 5 weeks post surgery (sleeved on 9/8). I have experienced 2 things this week that have made me question if this was the right decision for me.

1. I moved to solid foods at the beginning of the week and I have struggled with recognizing when I am full. It doesn't feel the same as it used too. Today I had some tuna salad for lunch but as I was working at the same time I wasn't paying attention to the pace in which I was eating. Out of nowhere I was so full that I had to rush to the bathroom as everything came up. This is the first time since surgery I have gotten sick.

2. I'm not sure what affect getting sleeved is having on my husband or am I just acting like a psycho over what little food I am able to eat. Yesterday he sent me over the edge over seriously the slightest thing. I had made an omelette for dinner and was slowly working my way to the best part - the center! He downed his dinner so fast and knowing I wasn't going to eat my whole dinner asked if he could have some. Of course I say yes but guess what part he took. The center. I just stared at him. When he asked why and I told him he didn't get it. I know it doesn't seem like a big deal but I'm only able to eat so much, and you go and the whole reason I made the omelette away from me? I really need someone to tell me if I'm being irrational or if he is just being insensitive to what I am going through.

Anyone else out there experience either of these things?

Last things first:

Your husband. You have unreasonable expectations of his ability to think beyond his own needs. Think of him as a wonderful pet - like a nice, big fuzzyfaced German Shepherd. You would never surrender your dinner to your pet, no matter how wonderful he was or how much he begged, right? Do not do it to a man. If you want to share, give him the part you want him to have. Better yet, say sweetly, "No, I don't want to share this with you." No explainations. You have the right. Then if you do not finish it, throw the remainder into the garbage can. You might run it around your plate until it looks like an awful mess and then spit into it before you throw it away, too. Blowing your nose on your plate also works to deter him ... almost always, but with men you never know.

As for the first part of your posting:

Eat really slowly. The same thing happened to me today (sleeved Sept. 10th). I knew I ate my dinner too fast. Our digestive systems have to get used to their new states. Do not surprise your new stomach.

[Cococat 119]

I was sleeved Sept. 11 and lately I've been feeling nauseous when I eat. It passes after a while but don't no why it's happening. Is anyone else going through this?

I never hear anyone, doctor, nurse or nutritionist talk about peristaltic action.

Peristalsis is:

A sequence of muscle contractions that progressively squeeze one small section of the digestive tract and then the next, to push food along the tract, something like pushing toothpaste out of its tube.

This is the normal way our digestive systems work. When we have a gastric sleeve, we still have peristaltic action but because we have reduced our smaller stomach to the size of a "tube", we feel it more intensely. I am no doctor but I think it might be necessary to reteach our newly sensitized digestive systems to accept food, albeit a limited amount, and reteach our minds to be cognizant of our new limitations.

[*Lexie* 1,486]

2. I'm not sure what affect getting sleeved is having on my husband or am I just acting like a psycho over what little food I am able to eat. Yesterday he sent me over the edge over seriously the slightest thing. I had made an omelette for dinner and was slowly working my way to the best part - the center! He downed his dinner so fast and knowing I wasn't going to eat my whole dinner asked if he could have some. Of course I say yes but guess what part he took. The center. I just stared at him. When he asked why and I told him he didn't get it. I know it doesn't seem like a big deal but I'm only able to eat so much, and you go and the whole reason I made the omelette away from me? I really need someone to tell me if I'm being irrational or if he is just being insensitive to what I am going through.

I would threaten to cut my husband if he took the best part of any of my food. I don't see any reason not to share if you know that you have more than you need but just tell him to hang on and you'll give him what you aren't able to eat once you are finished. That gives him a few minutes to let his food settle. Probably not good for him to wolf down his food and eat more before he knows if he's still hungry.

I don't think you're being too sensitive, btw.