What would you think is important to tell prospective sleevers?

Absolutely Janette

You can just tell them you have been exercising your butt off (literally) during the holidays.

What great timing!!!

I am on the other side of 50, so will be giving myself plenty of time to recover.

I will have 6 weeks off (due to Xmas school holidays) before I have to go back to work.

Which will be great, as I should be back to eating ordinary food by then (only less of), as they won't know I have had the surgery.

I was the same age as you when I had the surgery - I took 2 weeks off. I wasn't too bad after the first week, but was rather tired when I went back to work. This is major surgery remember - and your body is getting used to less food.

Did you do Opti before surgery - I did, so was used to eating less before the operation.

Just hang in there - I'm over 9 months down the track now and feel fantastic!

Seven days out is not much......Sometimes I think doctors have no idea what little we can really hold. I am 46 years old. I was soooooo tired after this surgery. I think it is the combination of surgery and lack of food. You will live. hahaha.... I found in the beginning I could not concentrate on anything... I think we daydream on the way our lives will change. You cannot hold much but keep the fluids coming....as much as you can handle. I would pour 4 oz at a time and sometimes one sip and it was over. Somedays it might take 30 to 40 minutes (if I was lucky) to finish off 4 oz. I am now, seven months out. I still find some days I need more food and some days I am not interested in any food. I do not eat hardly anything on the weekends. When I eat I fill up VERY quickly. After talking to my doctor, she was not surprised. She said something about a hormone that tightens our stomach when we are anxious. I seem to eat better when I am home and everything is calm. Regarding the protein drinks.....you are right. I did find that I do like the muscle milk. Not the powder form. I like the ready made. You keep it in the frig and it is ready to go. At first it took a while to finish one but that is ok....now, I do drink the whole thing with no problem. It comes in regular and lite. Now that I am at goal.....I will drink the lite as long as I stay at this weight. My doctor wants me to drink the regular if I drop much more weight. Hang in there......What a great adventure you are on.....enjoy everyday, even the bad ones. You will look back and realize it is worth it......By the way....as soon as you can...start walking. This will help you stay strong. Not sure about the younger girls but for us I do believe it helps.

I am seven days post op and still feel "fragile" maybe because I am that bit older but in the past I have bounced back from my ops and this one is taking longer but my surgeon did say even though it is key hole its still major surgery.I am struggling to get the fluids down and really dont like the protien drinks but apart from that i dont regret it one bit!!.
Love Tinax

the gurgle is funny as anything. Try drinking diet coke though a straw you will get froathy burps *LOL* THAT is cute ;) Even now I still get those if I drink diet coke from a can or out of a straw :) Dont worry nothing comes out of your mouth you just feel it coming back up your throat like what comes out of a bottle you have shaken the heck out hehehe

applesauce

When you eat and drink, and even when you don't, for the first couple of months you make a gurgle sound in your throat. Others couldn't hear mine, but some people have it loud. Its just like air trying to get up your windpipe!

Lib:
What is the gurgle?

Thanks,
Shifty

tarnz wrote:

Ive booked in with Dr Mark Daoud I think and please tell me if Im wrong he would be quite a firm Dr which really is what I need
I have my one on one consult next Friday with him .. hubbys coming along I must tell him to behave lol

He's quite blunt.
When I was in hospital with cmplications (more mental than physical) he asked me what I had eaten that day, I said nothing, then ummm a couple of teaspoons of weetbix. He was quite short with me, but I didn't understand that was all I needed at that stage!

That info session was great for me to see him as a person, not just Dr Daoud, it was nice to see him giggiling along with your DH. He's been really supportive, the whole time, I just misinterpreted his bluntness for rudeness, but I just didn't 'know' him. If you ever have any concerns, Marlene his assistant is very lovely and helpful.

Ive booked in with Dr Mark Daoud I think and please tell me if Im wrong he would be quite a firm Dr which really is what I need
I have my one on one consult next Friday with him .. hubbys coming along I must tell him to behave lol

Which surgeon did you book with?

thanks for that Lib I will definately try to come along ... Ive got a tentative surgery date of the 8th December ekkkkkk :)

Oh he was funny!! I've never noticed how Mark does that funny little giggle at the end of a sentence, your husband had me noticing it!! Makes me smile just thinking about it :P There is a support group meeting at Sunnybank on the 5th of Dec if you wanted to come. Its at 10 out the back of the hospital, its for sleevers, banders and Bypassers, done and looking at being done. Its great to talk to others in the same situation.

lol we were in the second row from the back ...right on the left side of the row and yes my hubby was giggling I had to keep elbowing him ... Dr Daouds sense of humour appealed to him

Ok so spill, where were you sitting? Your husband wasn't the guy giggling at Dr Daoud was he? If he was he had me giggiling too!

without wanting to appear to stalker like :) I can honestly say Lib you done a great job very natural and informative
My husband was really impressed with what you said especially the part about how you eat small amounts but you can easily survive

Thank you for been so brave

Tarnz

Sorry I had a school orientation this morning (My baby starts prep next year :( )
They did the general overview, and then someone asked about the sleeve, and Dr Daoud siad well fancy you mention that, we have a sleever here to answer all your questions. So I got up and they asked questions, I tend to ramble when I am nervous, and I did. On the way home I was kicking myself about all the stuff I didn't say. I had a good chat to a couple of people afterwards, and one said when she walked in she wondered why I was there :P They handed around some before and after photos too.

It would be much easier to chat sitting around having a coffee!!

lindabinda wrote:

Just wondering how you went Lib???

Me too

Just wondering how you went Lib???

Gutless Wonder wrote:

Hi Lib. I am nearly 3 years with a sleeve.
One of the things I think a lot of people worry about before sleeving, and even just after, is..."what will they be able to eat after sleeving?"
Well in my experience, before sleeving, food is such an important feature in day to day life. It is after surgery too, but now I don't panic about being left hungry or about not getting enough, or when my next meal will be. I just don't get that hungry anymore. My brain does not not have as much ghrelin swarming around reminding me to 'feed me' all the time.
And I can eat anything I want.
Bread and pasta and rice are a waste of space, I can eat them, but I will fill up really fast on them , so I usually go with the protein on my plate first.
I can eat anything I want, and I do. Just not very much.

Yep that all sounds good! My life doesn't revolve around food anymore like it used to. And I don't waste space on bread either. It just makes me feel sluggish.

Hi Lib. I am nearly 3 years with a sleeve.
One of the things I think a lot of people worry about before sleeving, and even just after, is..."what will they be able to eat after sleeving?"
Well in my experience, before sleeving, food is such an important feature in day to day life. It is after surgery too, but now I don't panic about being left hungry or about not getting enough, or when my next meal will be. I just don't get that hungry anymore. My brain does not not have as much ghrelin swarming around reminding me to 'feed me' all the time.
And I can eat anything I want.
Bread and pasta and rice are a waste of space, I can eat them, but I will fill up really fast on them , so I usually go with the protein on my plate first.
I can eat anything I want, and I do. Just not very much.

lindabinda wrote:

Hi Lib,

Add to that that post op you are not supposed to lift......I for one hadn't heard that and was surprised that I wasn't ssupposed to lift anything for the first 2 weeks though I suppose each surgeon is different. My handbag weighs more than a small shopping bag and I think it's something prospective sleevers need to know so they can plan how they are going to do everyday tasks in the first few weeks!
Hope you have a grat time, and remember they are probably more scared than you!
And the new pic is really nice, you are becomig more beautiful each pic!!
Linda :)

Thanks Linda, my 5 year old took that one!

Hi Lib,

Add to that that post op you are not supposed to lift......I for one hadn't heard that and was surprised that I wasn't ssupposed to lift anything for the first 2 weeks though I suppose each surgeon is different. My handbag weighs more than a small shopping bag and I think it's something prospective sleevers need to know so they can plan how they are going to do everyday tasks in the first few weeks!
Hope you have a grat time, and remember they are probably more scared than you!
And the new pic is really nice, you are becomig more beautiful each pic!!
Linda :)

Kylie wrote:

Tell them about this forum.
If thats ok with admin and the doctor.

I thought I would sneak that in there :P

Tell them about this forum.
If thats ok with admin and the doctor.