I'm new!

Hi cupcaKE

Thanks for taking the time to introduce yourself...as Shelley said there are lots of places on the site where you'll get great info -- and people are very generous with their time and experiences.

Look forward to hearing more of your journey

S

Hi, Cupcakemusician!

The thing with water is twofold.

1. I found I needed to make sure there was no air in my mouth before I swallowed, as the extra air was uncomfortable in the tummy. And yes, you have to go slow.

2. Crystal Lite really helped. Plain water is rough at first.

Your diet right after the operation will be all liquid, and it is hard to get in the recommended protein, just do what you can. Are you on a liquid pre-op diet? What you like before the operation should work afterwards.

I moved onto to semi-solid food such as cottage cheese, refried beans (fat free) and ricotta with tomato sauce. Sticking to the protein-rich foods is important.

Take it slow after the operation - there is no rush, you will figure out how to feed the tiny tummy, and you have the rest of your slimmer life with it.

Best wishes as your operation date approaches,

Zoe

Hi Cupcake,

All I can say is that you have come to the best place.

I am five weeks out of surgery - basically life back to normal - eating normally and finally drinking lots of water

do be careful not to gulped water down quickly it can give u a head spin.....

the support on this site and information available is amazing - big thank you to sleevers and co ordinators of the site.

I was blessed with great dietician who had provided a folder with everything printed out step by step for each week.....

In researching you are placing yourself in best position - being well informed is best thing you can do for yourself.

today my daughter said "oh my mum you look five years younger_ " she was referring to five years younger than last week when she saw me last mmmmmmmmmmmm

she asked me "how are you feeling, are u glad u did it, would u have still done it knowing what u know now? " my answer was a biggggggggggggggggg yessssssssssssssssssssss

i have my life back - i will treasure it now - give thanks for each day - I am alive again - i am pain free - i am glowing Even my surgeons first words to me at recent consult post surgery " oh my you are absolutely glowing "

So Cupcake there is so much to look forward to - yes first month little daunting - but 2011 will be great for you :))

Hi Cupcake,

My best advise to you as an oldie is to read read read read read.
There is so much fantastic information on this site.

Don't forget the diaries they are absolutely invaluable.

Hugs Gail

hi and welcome
there is a lot of great information here to help you along the way. Here are some links to get you started: The Diaries are a fantastic resource, and the Pre-op & Post-op sections will be helpful too.

Have a read of the Welcome to Newbies section too, it will give you an idea of how the site works, and if you want to put a ticker in your signature the instructions are there.

If you can't find answers to your questions, ask away :-) there is sure to be someone about to do their best to help and support you

shelly

Freezing soups (so long as they are approved/advised by your dietician) in small batches (either in mini-ziplock bags or ice-cube trays) proved very handy for me ... when I was feeling tired/sore/in need of some tlc I could just re-heat a small portion and was happy. Plus, after what felt like an eternity doing protein shakes it was nice to have a bit of a different flavour happening!

Some people have issues with different temperatures of foods/beverages. While I found this to be minimal, I did initially prefer room-temperature water to fridge-cold water. Something to do with the molecules being effected by temperature changes (waaaay to scientific for me, just know what I prefered!!). This passed quite quickly for me, and I am now able to eat anything and everything as before, albeit in much much smaller portions. Be prepared to experiment, and see what works for you.

The general rule of thumb post-surgery is to slowly sip water/liquids rather than 'guzzling' (if there is such a word?!). I'm very lucky, from about 4 weeks after surgery I have been able to drink as per normal. My surgeon has explained this to be a valve thing, rather than anything to do with my sleeve size. Every person is different, and it's impossible to predict what kind of experience you will have.

All the best - let me know if you have any other questions (sometimes it's just easier to ask than to trawl through in the hope that you find the answer).

Cheers, Carah

Hi cupcake and welcome.

I have no problems eating and drinking anything and haven't since my sleeve surgery.
No nausea, vomiting and very little pain after my surgery.

Best advice is to follow your dieticians guidelines as all surgeons have different requirements.

Good luck with your surgery and journey.

Thanks everyone for your advice. When you say to make frozen mini soups, Do you mean put the soups in ice trays and freeze them for later use? I've been hearing a lot that it is hard to get used to drinking water and sometimes it upsets the stomach..... is that true? What about hot / cold foods? I'm just full of questions....

Hi Cupcakemusician (great name, by the way) and welcome to the site! You are bound to find all the inspiration, information and motivation you can get you are looking for.
Good on you for having a surgery date - an exciting 2011 awaits you!! Keep in mind that, as with all surgeries, it does time time to heal from the sleeve. Be as prepared as you can be (frozen mini-portions of soup, for example), but be prepared to take things slowly at the start. Getting in enough protein/water can be tricky initially, but things soon improve. I found it very helpful to speak with a dietician who loaded me up with ideas all the way along.
Best of luck with the journey that lay ahead. I look forward to hearing more.
Carah

hey cupcake

hello and welcome i too am being sleeved in january you should come into the sleevers monthly section and add your name to the january sleevers list if you havnt already .Goodluck with your journey

this is the link to the january sleevers

http://www.gastricsleevesupport.com/t4334-january-2011-sleevers#121769

mel

Hello Cupcakemusician,
Congratulations on joining this lovely, helpful site.
I am currently on the liquid diet after being sleeved on the 13th of December, and I did find getting enough protein and liquids a bit of a full time challenge to start with, but it has become easier as I go. I tried a protein powder, and the Optifast shakes as well as pre-packaged protein drinks like Sustagen (although the brandnames may not mean much to you, as probably different over here).
I ended up trying out a few as my digestive system did not tolerate some too well... My dietician was a great help, and advised me about the possibility of having become a bit intolerant of either lactose or some milk proteins as a result of the surgery. I'm still trying to work it all out.

As for feeling nervous about what to expect emotionally, well, this site is absolute gold! You can see how others have gone before you, and get a real sense of what it may be like for you. And the other thing I recently realised is that after the surgery you just have to take it one stage at a time - and there will be plenty of us going through the same stages with you here!
Best wishes and best of luck!
- Kati

Hello everyone. I've been reading this support site alot lately. I want to join! I am from Texas in the USA and I am so excited / nervous to have the sleeve done in January. I have been watching you tube videos, and googling everything I can think of. I'm just nervous to be able to intake the amount of water and protein everyday post op. Is it hard to drink the protein shakes or is it easier to get the powder? I'm nervous of what to expect emotionally and how to learn to eat again. I just want to make the right choices health-wise and nutritionally. Any tips or tricks or advice? I would love to hear it! Thank you!