Gastric Sleeve

*For those reading this page, this will be a summary of my journey before and after having the Gastric Sleeve weight loss surgery.  I'll try to document as much detail as possible for those who may be struggling with their weight and/or considering this procedure.*

A little info...I just turned 40 in December 2013 and had one of the worst winters ever health wise.  I was seriously sick for 4 weeks over Christmas and then had continual issues with my stomach each month over the next three months.  This harsh winter of health prompted me to do a bunch of testing and doctor visits.  During those visits one thing that came to light is my current weight...452 lbs.  This was at a doctors office in Boise when I was having my allergies tested.  You see I hadn't been able to weigh on my scale at home for quite a while because it maxed out at 400 so I knew I was over 400 lbs...I just didn't know the exact number.  Well when you are talking weight of this magnitude you might think "So what? You are morbidly obese at 400 or 452.  What does it matter?"  Well the answer is I don't know...but it did.  It mattered a lot and it caught me WAY off guard.  I'm not sure what it was that made 452 THE magic number, but it was.  It was the number that would change my life forever.  At that point I knew something had to be done and something that was beyond me being the only thing in control of my body.  I was now willing to look at "other" options.  I had seen some information about a year ago about the Gastric Sleeve.  It had caught my eye and I did some research to understand the process more.  Up until this point I had never even considered any kind of weight loss surgery because I was NOT at all interested in the Gastric Bypass or the LapBand.  I had family and friends who had tried both with some serious side effects and struggles.  So when I saw the YouTube videos describing the Gastric Sleeve I actually was very interested in learning more.  At this point I contacted my doctor, my insurance company and 2 different weight loss centers within a 300 miles radius trying to learn more about how I too could get the process moving on this new weight loss surgery.  Needless to say after a few MONTHS of getting NO WHERE with my insurance and finding out they would not approve me for this surgery (simply because I didn't have 5 consecutive years of documented weight loss attempts.  Seriously?!?  I weigh 452 lbs!!!!!) I started looking at other options.  I also pouted and got seriously depressed for a few weeks.  Then I got online and did some more research.  I wanted this surgery and I knew I NEEDED this surgery.  After only a few days I had a plan.  I talked to my husband, got him on board, figured out how to pay for it and then booked my surgery date for June 24, 2014 down in Tijuana, Mexico with Dr Mario Almanza!!!!  I booked my surgery and set up my patient portal via www.weightlossagents.com. They had me fill out my medical history information, tell them whether or not I had a passport, how and when I was going to arrive in San Diego (where they picked me up) and any other pertinent info.  They then sent me a ton of information relating to the 10 pre-op diet to shrink my liver, post-op diet and healing instructions and life-style info for after this type of procedure.  They also connected me to an online forum/blog where I can gather information and connect with people all over the world who have had this specific procedure done by different bariatric surgeons.  It is www.GastricSleeve.com . Before I knew it, it was time to start my pre-op diet.  The information that follows will be basic stat updates and a paragraph about my experiences.

I started the 10 day pre-op diet on June 14, 2014

______________________________________________________________

**10 Day Pre-Op Diet**
(Purpose is to help shrink your liver and get it out of the way for surgery as well as prepare you for the drinking/eating requirements for the first several weeks after surgery.)

*I had to stop taking any blood thinners, aspirin, ibuprofen, aleve, naprosyn, Vitamin E, and any multi-vitamins 2 weeks prior to surgery.  I was able to take Tylenol if needed.

*Breakfast and Lunch were low calorie protein shakes. I could also have sugar free jello, sugar free popsicles, soup broth, popsicles, crystal light, apple juice, cranberry juice, grape juice, sugar free snapple, non-fat milk, water, coffee or tea.  The point being that it was mostly liquid, sugar free, and non-carbonated.

*Dinner should also be liquid like broth or a protein shake but could consist of a small portion of lean protein like chicken, turkey or tuna without any spices or seasonings except lemon juice. (The protein aids in shrinking of your liver.)

**Three Days Prior to Surgery**

I had to take 1 adult dose of a laxative.  It helps to not only clean things out but helps with the surgical gas you may experience after surgery.

**One Day Prior to Surgery**

Nothing but liquids for the 24-36 hours prior to surgery and nothing to eat or drink (not even gum) after 10pm the night before surgery.
_______________________________________________________________

Weight loss from pre-op diet prior to surgery
June 23rd, 2014 = 22 lbs

_______________________________________________________________

Because I had my surgery done down in Mexico, I will give you details about the entire process including travel in this information section:

We arrived in San Diego on Monday, June 23rd and went to the airport to catch the shuttle from Terminal 1 to then cross the border into Tijuana, Mexico.  Once in Tijuana, my driver dropped us off at a clinic where we had blood drawn as part of the pre-op testing as well as an EKG from the cardiologist.  (As a side note, don't panic if you are going through this same procedure and the process goes differently than what you are used to in the United States.)  After the EKG, I met with the surgeon's brother who explained everything that was going to happen over the next three-four days.  He also went over my medical history including any allergies and then asked if I had any other questions.  At this time if I still had a balance to be paid on my procedure I would have paid it then.  I had already pre-paid for the entire procedure but one gal in my group brought cash to make her final payment.  After the consultation another driver came and picked us up and took us to the hotel we would be staying at for the week.  My husband came with me on this trip so we were required to pay for our own private hotel room for the week.  The cost was $232 for 4 nights.  Others who came alone had their hotel stay included as part of their fees for the surgery and shared a room with another patient of the same gender.  (The girls from my group all absolutely loved their roommates and had zero issues with the arrangements.)  We got checked into our hotel room at the Hotel Ticuan and were EXTREMELY impressed with the entire hotel.  It was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!  I believe it's equivalent to a 4 star hotel.  Our room had a lush King size bed with a HUGE walk-in shower and bathroom area.  It also had a large closet, a safe and about a 45" flat screen tv.  The room itself smelled wonderful.  (I have a sensitive nose and prefer nice smelling things so this was a big deal for me.)  It smelled kind of like rose water.  Even the linens smelled this way.  At check-in we were also introduced to the nurse who was currently on duty at the hotel and told that if I needed juice, popsicles, or jello, I could pick them up from the front desk at any time.  They were complimentary.  Since I was still on my pre-op diet, that was good to know.  They also gave me three coupons for free soup broth from the restaurant.  After settling in, my husband and I went to the restaurant so he could have dinner and I ordered the soup broth.  It was delicious.  The next morning we had to be down in the lobby by 5:30 am to catch the shuttle over to the hospital.  (About 6-7 people went on this same shuttle.  The time of your surgery depended on what time you got in the day before.  People were staggered at 2-3 different time intervals based on when their surgery was scheduled that day.)  Once at the hospital we had a consultation with the surgeon himself in which he described exactly what he was going to do, asked how much weight we had lost on the pre-op diet and then got a "before" photo with us. :)  (This was kind of funny to me.  He's a celebrity of sorts in Mexico and he's a young, built, doctor so some of the girls in my group were all about hugging him for the picture...lol)  Then one by one the nurses took you to the room you'd be staying in for the night, had you remove all your clothes and get into the gown.  Then they came back in started an I.V. and wrapped your feet and legs to help prevent blood clots.  Then we just waited for our turn.  Each surgery took between 45-60 minutes on average.  Once it was my turn, I grabbed my I.V. bag and followed the nurse into an elevator going up to the surgical floor.  Once upstairs, they had me get on a gurney and wheeled me into the surgical room.  In that room they had me move over to the actual surgical table which is specific table designed to have your breast plate poking up towards the sky, opening up your abdomen cavity and your arms stretched out to the sides of you like you are on a cross.  The anaesthesiologist introduced himself (Mr Lopez) and said "now you see me, and now you don't...goodnight." with a big smile on his face and then I was out.  :)  The next thing I actually recall is waking up in my hospital room with my husband in the chair next to my bed.  He said it had been 3 hours since I came down from recovery (supposedly in a wheelchair and then I myself got into the bed...seriously ZERO recollection of those events...lol.  My husband stayed for a bit and then caught the last shuttle heading back to the hotel for the night.  Through the night I feel like I did really good and didn't have near the issues that some others did.  I was able to sleep for 2-3 hours at a time and then would get up to use the bathroom and walk around a little bit.  Some people were dry heaving from the moment they came out of anesthesia or had serious pain from the gas bubbles trapped in their abdomen.  (During the surgery they fill up your abdomen with surgical gas so they have more room to work and can see everything better.  It usually takes several days for all of that gas to work it's way out of your body.)  My only issue related to the timing of my IV pain meds and heading back to the hotel the next morning.  For whatever reason, I ended up getting my last IV pain med at 12:30am in the hospital.  And then by 5am they are prepping everyone who was in the that first group of surgeries the previous day to go back to the hotel.  They remove the wraps on your legs and feet (if you haven't already), change your bandages on your belly, remove your IV and have you get dressed so you can catch the shuttle back to the hotel between 6-7am.  So needless to say by the time I got back to the hotel and in my room it had been almost 8 hours since my last pain med and I was in some pain.  But the nurses were in our rooms within 30 minutes, rehooking us up to an IV (that included the pain meds, antibiotics, anti-nausea medication and something else that I can't think of right now).  That was Wednesday morning.  Over the next 30 hours I basically slept, sucked on popsicles, ice water, and apple juice (tried room temperature water but that hurt a little the first several days) and walked around checking on other people as I ran across them doing the same things.  On Thursday morning I was instructed to be down in the lobby by 9am I believe and to drink this little purple cup of liquid before I got to the lobby.  At this point they took a group of us over to the radiologist office and we each did a leak test ex-ray.  Once at the office they called us in one by one, had us stand in front of this ex-ray machine and had us drink another little cup full of NASTY liquid while they ex-rayed my stomach checking for leaks.  (I hadn't thrown up or had dry heaves at all by this point, but seriously just about did when we had to drink this second liquid.  Just a heads up.)  They had us wait in the waiting room for a few minutes while they gathered our ex-ray results and then gave us a copy on our way back to the hotel.  At this point, we had no one in our group who had any leak issues with their stomach but if you would have they would have taken you back to the hospital.  So for the rest of Thursday my husband and I did a little shopping close by, walked around a little, and just relaxed and continued to let my body heal.  Again, popsicles, apple juice and soup broth were my best friends at this point and were my only source of nourishment outside the IV.  Thursday night they came and took out the drain tube that had been in since my surgery, changed my bandages and hooked me up to my last IV for the night.  When the IV liquids ran out around 2am, they came in and took out my IV.  The next morning they changed my bandages and checked my incisions one last time, made sure I had the meds from the hospital that they were sending me home with (which included Cipro -antibiotic-, a pain med, milk of magnesia for constipation and a small bottle of wound wash to use when cleaning my incisions) and answered any questions I had about after care of my incisions or my stomach.  (FYI - Prior to my surgery the surgeons office had already emailed me several pages of detailed information about everything relating to my post-op care.)  At this point, we packed up our room and headed down to the lobby to catch the 9am shuttle heading back to San Diego.  Prepare to sit and wait to cross the border for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  Yes, I said HOURS.  You literally sit in a line about 1/2 mile from the border and creep along for 2-3 hours until it is finally your turn to get checked at the border.  (IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE:  In my dealings with the surgeons office I was told if I didn't have a passport I could use my drivers license and birth certificate to get back across the border.  I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you do not do this and that you have a valid passport.  The department of homeland security was not impressed that we did not have passports.  We haven't needed them in the past when we've been on cruises down to Mexico but I guarantee I will have one before we ever go back. ;)

The trip home from San Diego wasn't too bad other than I think all the movement stirred up the remaining gas I had sitting in my abdomen because for the next 4-5 days I had a serious gas bubble sitting at the base of my rib cage, about by my breast plate on top of my stomach that did NOT feel good at all.  It did however finally work it self out and ended up being no big deal.  I arrived back home on June 28th and the next several days just consisted of drinking what I could (my stomach was picky about temperature on different days...some days warm felt good, other days really cold was the best), walking around, getting good sleep (including naps) and letting my body heal.  The first two weeks home my diet consisted of mainly soup broth, protein shakes, water, popsicles, jello, juice boxes, gatorade, non-fat milk, almond milk, crystal light, and other water flavoring that was sugar-free.

I had my regular doctor remove my stitches on the 13th day after surgery.

________________________________________________________

Weight loss total 13 days post-op 
July 7th = 41 lbs!

________________________________________________________

The week of July 8-15th I've been starting to try some soft foods.  You know right away (like within 1-2 bites) whether or not your stomach is ready for a specific food.  So far I've been able to eat some baby foods, applesauce and a little mashed potato.  Even though I can easily drink 6-8 oz of liquid, when it comes to food I am only able to get in about 2-3 oz before I am full.  There are two things I've noticed this week as I've started adding some foods:  First, I'm not getting all my water in-take in...for some reason I've slacked off on making sure I'm getting 64 oz of fluid (which should be mostly water and protein shakes still).  Second, because I am adding food and apparently not getting enough water I actually had to take some milk of magnesia to help with constipation.  FYI...keep a close eye on this situation.  Make sure you know your own body and how often you are having movements.  I know that may seem like TMI, but you really don't want to let that go undetected.  I took the milk of magnesia the afternoon of the first day of a missed movement.  To help avoid this issue when you start adding soft foods, make sure you are getting enough water and adding really soft/cooked vegetables that your stomach will tolerate.  You can also add a little bit of fiber to your protein shakes.  Just make sure you are conscientious about your body and doing something to keep it regular. :)

_________________________________________________________

Weight loss total 20 days post-op 
July 14th = 44 lbs!

________________________________________________________

This last week (July 8-14) has been interesting and a definite learning experience.  So in an effort to be completely honest during this journey and provide you guys with a completely transparent view of everything relating to my weight loss struggles, I'm going to go ahead and share the good, the bad and the ugly throughout this post...lol. ;)

Some of you may be able to relate to things I'm about to talk about.  So this week we went out of town as a family.  My husband had training and so my teenage son and I decided to tag along, get out of the house and get a little R&R.  While we were packing for the trip I tried to pre-plan my food situation for the week.  I took protein shake mix and mixer bottles with me as well as some different varieties of baby food that I could try while we were gone now that I'm starting into the soft food stage.  Let's just say that all looked good on paper!  What I actually found and experienced was that when my husband and my son were going out to eat at a restaurant for every meal, the LAST thing I wanted to do was sit back in the hotel room and have a protein shake!  So, not knowing whether this is part of my food addiction issues or just what, I attempted to rationalize in my mind that if I went with them I could just order something off the menu that would surely work.  That was all fine and dandy the first night when I ordered soup and drank the broth.  I wish I could say that was where it stopped.  But alas, no, I also ordered an actual meal - meatloaf and mashed potatoes.  Again, rationalizing in my mind that both of those are fairly soft and it should be no big deal for me to eat part of that and take the rest home.  (Keep in mind that I'm not suppose to try to eat any form of red meat for a few more MONTHS)  Ugh...so this is how this worked out.  Evidently the nice, hot soup numbed my stomach because I was able to eat about 4 bites of meatloaf and 3 bites of mashed potatoes.  So here I was feeling proud of my accomplishment and thinking "See, this isn't so bad.  I can do this."  I then proceeded to take the leftovers back to our hotel room and put in the fridge with every intention of eating it for another meal another day.  The next day came around and the hotel we are staying at offers a continental breakfast so being that I now had a new found knowledge of exactly what my body could handle supposedly (yeah, right!) and the confidence to back it I went with my son down to the breakfast.  My first attempt was at a premade omelet with cheese in the middle.  I thought to myself that I'd surely be able to eat part of that, right??  It's scrambled eggs with cheese.  Within the first two bites it was apparent that the answer to that question was a BIG FAT NO!  Keep in mind the bites I'm taking at eating anything are little bitty...like the size of about 1/2 tsp probably.  So imagine my surprise when eggs were getting stuck at the beginning of my stomach and feeling like someone had just punched my in the gut.  :(  So I pushed the egg aside after the two small bites and went back to the counters looking for my next attempt.  I finally decided on oatmeal because I had remembered reading that would be one of my best choices to turn to during the soft food stage.  But keep in mind that I'm wandering around with a brick equalling the size of a teaspoon sitting on my gut trying to twist and turn and sip water to help it go down.  So thinking that this oatmeal will just add to my pain unless I help it out, I decide to add a slice of butter...ya know, to oil everything up and help it slip down into my stomach!  (Seriously, this should have been a red flag for me that I need to check my food addiction issues and get back to my doctor's plan, but in the moment it was just a bright idea.)  Needless to say, that oatmeal tasted SO good and went down just fine pushing those dried egg bites right along with it.  Now again, you'd think this would be enough of a learning experience for me to stay in my hotel room, drink my protein shakes and try my baby food for the rest of the trip.  But alas, no...no, I had to have more experiences with a french fry, cottage cheese, a pringle potato chip, a tator tot, and the meatloaf!  The meatloaf attempt on the second time around did not go nearly as smooth as the first meal.  I seriously don't even know what I was thinking (other than I thought I was starving to death evidently!) but I heated it up and took two small bites before it registered that this too was going to be a big fat NO!  So feeling battled, beaten and hungry I made myself a protein shake and it helped those two bites of meatloaf work their way through my stomach with minimal (yet still present) discomfort.

Ugh...so we finally headed back home and I have a new found knowledge and resolve when it comes to what is going into my mouth.  Because I was so focused on trying to eat real food for those 5 days I didn't end up getting in NEAR the protein or water that my body was begging for.   Needless to say I only lost 3 lbs this week and am entering the famous "3 week stall".  Knowing that and still remembering my vivid experiences from the week, I now have a new found resolve.  I'm pre-planning my family's meals as well as my own.  I actually printed out my doctor's 6 month recommendations on when to switch food stages and what those should include so that hopefully I won't make too many of those same mistakes again.  Lord, please help me and this crazy relationship I have with food and this obvious FOOD ADDICTION...ugh.

________________________________________________________


Weight loss total 24 days post-op 
July 18th = 51 lbs!

________________________________________________________
Week 3 Update:  Ok so I posted my weightloss just above and yes that is accurate...51 LBS!!!  I was so excited when I saw that number for three reasons.  First, because I hit the 50 lbs lost mark.  Second, because that puts me approximately 1/5 of the way to my all time healthy self.  And third, that also puts me within a pound or two of being in the 300s!!!  I know, when I write those numbers I actually feel kind of embarrassed that I'm sharing all of this with you guys, but then I just throw those thoughts to the way side and keep my excitement in the moment.  I haven't been in the 300s for probably 6-8 yrs.  I will be SUPER STOKED when I hit the 200s simply because I haven't been in that area for almost 20 yrs.  That's literally how long I've been carrying this extra burden in the form of weight on my body.  I have to say that my body is grateful for the weight being shed.  I feel really good for the most part.  I haven't had any pain or issues of that sort.  The only issues I am struggling with right now seem to plaque other sleevers at about this same time in their healing process.  I am now (July 22nd) 4 weeks out and have started adding soft foods into my diet.  I'm still getting in my fluids and protein shakes in between real food so that I make sure to still hit my protein and water levels.  With adding those soft foods, my stomach is experiencing some "different" feelings.  Example:  When I eat/drink ANYTHING at all, I feel a little pressure when it first hits my stomach.  It doesn't matter if it's a small drink or a small bite, liquid or soft solid.  I don't know the actual medical reason for this change but I'm assuming it has something to do with adding the real food back into my diet.  I'm assuming that maybe this food is helping to stretch the stomach lining a little when the food passes through and that because I've been on a liquid diet basically for almost 5 weeks, it's just now adjusting to the "stretching" it experiences with food.  Not only that but I have to remember that before I was putting food down into a small sack that would just pile up.  Now, EVERY SINGLE piece of food I put into my mouth "stretches" my stomach when it hits it.  So that's my guess.  I've read on the forum (www.gastricsleeve.com) that this is normal during this phase and that everyone experiences these similar types of pressure/pain.  So I'm not too worried about it and know that this too shall pass. ;)

With that said here is a list of the drinks and foods that have been a part of my diet over this last week:

-protein shakes (2 - 8 oz cups per day usually)
-Gatorade/PowerAde Zero (make sure you are using the zero sugar forms of these sports drinks and I highly recommend that you stay away from the high fructose corn syrup if you use the reg versions)
-water (I'm trying to make at least 32-40 oz of my fluid intake be just water alone and am working to increase that each day/week as I increase the food intake)
-milk, lactaid, almond milk
-cottage cheese
-canned chicken
-cooked spinach
-cooked carrots
-cooked zucchini (this was steamed and it was SO good and went down without ANY issues...my belly was smiling ;)  )
-baby food rice cereal
-baby food squash, carrots and sweet potatoes
-applesauce
-grapes
-crockpot pulled pork (juicy, not dried out)
-popsicles (sugar free and/or low calorie)
-pudding (sugar free, homemade has been the best sweet treat at the end of the day when I'm tired of having popsicles.  A serving will be like 2-4oz)

Now, keep in mind these items were eaten in the following approx. portion sizes:

-liquids approximately 6-8 oz at a time that takes every bit of 15-20 minutes to consume
-vegetables/fruit between 3-5 oz again taking about 15 minutes depending on the item
-cooked chicken and pork was literally broken up into little bitty pieces...like not much bigger than a pea and only about 2 oz at a time.  This meat literally has to be tender and juicy...not dried out or you will be a very sad panda within about 2-3 bites.

At this point the only thing that I've tried a bite or two of that simply does not work is yogurt.  I don't know if it's because its Greek yogurt and therefore thicker but I'll try to buy some Yoplait lite and see how that does this week.

As far as energy and all around health, I feel REALLY good.  My incisions are healing great without any issues, my energy levels are great and getting better as I add real food back into my daily routine and I'm loving the feel of my ever changing body.  I'm noticing changes in the strangest places like in my feet and legs, my fingers and elbows and my face.  I also can feel it in areas like my stomach and hind end but it's harder to see a huge difference in those places just yet.  My husband says he sees it though and my clothes are starting to fit differently.  Seriously, this will sound crazy but one of the biggest things I love so far is literally being able to do little things...like touching my toes, being able to wash the bottoms of my feet really easily and put my own shoes on, or roll over in bed without a TON of effort.  Ya, those little things are making me feel REALLY good about this process and the decision I've made.  They make it all worth while. ;)

I have a few lists of items I'd like to put together for anyone who is considering surgery down in Mexico that will be helpful when you are packing and planning your trip.  I'll try to put that together through the week and get it up and on here as well.

Have a wonderful week and look for the next post on Friday!  :)

________________________________________________________
Weight loss total August 1 - 38 days post op
61 lbs!

________________________________________________________
Week 5 update:

This last week has been kind of rough, I'm not going to lie.  I'm down 61 lbs which is absolutely awesome...it just didn't come without some pain and frustration.  So the pain (or aching really) I've experienced is this:  It feels as though my stomach is churning all the time.  I've yet to figure out if I'm not eating often enough, enough food, too much food, too fast or whether it's a combination of all the above.  This is why I say that.  When I wake up first thing in the morning, my stomach just aches.  It's like it's been churning against itself for hours and it really does just ache and make me feel almost sick to my stomach.  So I've found that baby cereal (about 3 oz) fills my belly and calms the churning...for awhile.  Then I try to go throughout the day eating or drinking every few hours.  So far every combination I've tried (nothing but liquid, nothing but baby food, a mixture of liquid and baby food, some solid soft foods, etc, etc etc.), and I have yet to have a day out of the last 8 that was free of this aching in my belly at some point or another throughout the day.  I've completely cut out reg milk and ice cream and am limiting all other dairy because my stomach is definitely still lactose intolerant.  That is one thing I've been able to figure out.  Otherwise, I'm still just learning and taking it day by day, meal by meal.  I had a friend who also had this procedure done tell me that she went through a phase where she absolutely dreaded eating....I totally get that right now.  It feels like I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't. Add to the struggles with my belly a sort of mourning about food.  We were out of town this entire week (which makes this process of healing REALLY hard FYI) and for some reason it has just hit me that I'm kind of sad that I will never eat the same again.  It made no sense what so ever for me to pay for a buffet.  I couldn't go with my family to a steak house, I couldn't go with them to a Johnny Rockets or a In N Out Burger, etc, etc.  I know that I will one day be able to eat small portions of some of those types of foods but I really was experiencing a sense of mourning to losing those foods and/or eating and social situations.  That may sound crazy...I hope not...lol.  I've also been craving salad like no other and that is another two months away...so that is difficult.  Another issue is that I know I'm not getting enough water in but that makes my belly ache too so I hesitate to drink as much as I know I need to...ugh. I've tried water alone, adding crystal light, really cold, warm, etc.  It doesn't matter. Sigh... But alas, I know this all too shall pass, and I apologize for the negative post.  I just thought it was important for everyone to know it's not all sunshine and rainbows.  BUT even with this week being the most difficult I've experienced so far, I still have ZERO regrets.  I'm still losing weight, my body is still shedding the weight that was trying to kill me and I'm still extending my time on this earth with my family.  With that said, I'm going to go research stuff on GastricSleeve.com to see if I can find others who've experienced the same issues and can provide some comfort.  <3  

Hope you all have an awesome week!

**Week 5 Update**  So last night I was doing a bunch of research online and talking to others who have been sleeved about the stomach issues I've had this week.  Everyone had the same answer saying that there is too much acid in my stomach and to increase my acid reducer.  So I'm going to go to the pharmacist this morning and get their recommendations on what to take through the weekend until I can get into the Dr on Monday or Tuesday for something that is prescription strength.  I've been taking prilosec and then last night I also took another acid reducer and it seemed to help.  (It was a no name brand and not very strong but helped.)  So I'm hopeful that I can get some relief from this sour stomach and be able to eat/drink like I need to.  I haven't been able to get in enough protein or water the last few days and I've been worried about that.  Now I feel like I'm back on track and have a plan.  ;) 


________________________________________________________
Weight loss total August 12 - 49 days post op
69 lbs!
________________________________________________________

Week 7 - I changed my "weigh-in" days to Tuesdays so that I could be on exact count as far as days since my surgery since my surgery was also on a Tuesday.  So today when I went and weighed, I weighed in at 383 for a total weight loss of 69 lbs so far.

It's hard to explain just exactly how much better I feel.  To put it in perspective, I haven't weighed what I do right now for about 10 yrs.  And in about 1-2 months I will be at the weight I was when I gave birth to my son almost 17 yrs ago.  The changes my body is going through and the amount of energy I'm feeling are really awesome.  Everyday tasks such as walking, bending, squatting down, getting in the car or getting in/out of bed are SO easy for me right now.  My knees don't hurt and are creaking a whole lot less. ;)  I also noticed the other day when I had to attend a funeral and went about 4.5 hours between eating that I didn't get shaky.  That was the first time I've been in a situation since my surgery where I didn't eat/drink something every 2-3 hours.  Before my surgery, I would have been shaky and light headed going almost 5 hours with nothing to eat or drink.  Almost like I was hypoglycemic or something.  But evidently since the surgery my blood sugars are leveled out and I'm not experiencing that issue.  I'm going to go in for blood work here in a few weeks and I think I'll have them check my A1C/Sugar levels as well.  I'm curious to know if I'm still considered Insulin Resistant.  Good question.  ;)

I've been taking the prescription strength Prilosec after the call in to my doctor last week and can I just tell you....I should have called him two weeks ago!  The difference in how my belly and guts feel is night and day.  After the surgery I've had to relearn what I'm feeling in my stomach.  For example, hunger pains and indigestion feel differently than they did before.  Not sure why/how that works, I just know that it is the case.  So basically I went for two weeks with indigestion that kept getting worse and worse until I figured out what the issue was and called the doctor's office.  So for those who are considering or have done this procedure recently, pay attention to what is going on in your belly.  If you feel like you've got a sour stomach don't wait two weeks to get something that will work. ;)  Since beginning the Prilosec prescription I have been able to move onto just about all foods except red meat and raw vegetables.  I've found that once you move on to solid soft foods it becomes more difficult to get in your daily protein and water.  You really have to focus and plan accordingly to hit it.  I'm still supplementing one protein shake a day and one small can of V8 juice into my daily diet to ensure that I'm hitting my protein and vegetable levels.  I bought the low sodium, 5.5oz cans of V8 and I've noticed that I feel really good on the days that I'm doing both the protein shake (usually in the morning) and then the V8 (usually sometime in the afternoon as a snack).  Then for my other meals and snacks I'm still eating things like chicken, cooked spinach, chicken salad on a few crackers, fish (usually Salmon and Tuna), cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, string cheese, watermelon, cantaloupe, blueberries, greek yogurt, pulled pork, cooked squash, fresh cucumber, fresh tomato, lactose free milk, apple juice, cranberry juice, grapefruit juice, sausage, bacon, small bits of potato or pancake and some eggs (eggs have been tricky for me...some days scrambled works and other days it doesn't).  When it comes to eating solid foods, I'm able to get about 4-5 oz in per meal or snack.  My daily calorie intake isn't something I really care about simply because I'm focused on hitting my protein, water and veggies more than anything but I've been averaging about 800-1200 calories a day depending on what I've eaten.  My weight loss has kind of stabilized at 5-7 lbs per week for the last 3 weeks.  This week I also started adding in more exercise.  I'm excited about that.  It feels good to be active and not hurt. ;)

Have a great week!

***Someone just showed me this website with over a hundred weeks of healthy menu plans with printable grocery lists!  Love this!  Check it out!***

http://shrinkingkitchen.com/menu-plan-your-butt-off-more-menus/ 



________________________________________________________
Weight loss total September 15 - 83 days post op
85 lbs GONE!
________________________________________________________

Ok so I just typed this big long update and then my laptop decided to shut down and install some Windows updates...argh....hopefully I can remember it all...lol. ;)

I just went and weighed this morning and am now down to 367 for an 85 lb weight loss.  I apologize for a lapse in posting for a few weeks but I will try to remember what I've gone through and give you any pertinent updates.

Over the last month, here are some of my experiences.  I went through a two week stall in which I only lost 2 pounds but I wasn't too worried about it.  I know my body will go through times where it needs to reset and then get back to shedding weight so I just tried to keep up my end of the bargain with my protein and water intake.  And now I'm back to losing weight again.  Incidently, about a week before my stall I had 10 days where I wasn't hitting my protein levels consistently.  Now I seem to be paying the price for that because my hair is thinning...especially on top, or at least that's where I notice it most.  So since that time I've been trying really hard to keep track of my protein intake and supplementing a protein shake on days when I haven't eaten enough.

As far as food, I can eat just about anything as long as I remember to take small bites and eat slowly.  I have had some grains/pastas/starches but seriously these are not my favorite for several reasons.  First because they stick together on their way down.  No matter how small my bites are, they cause me the most frustration when trying to eat for sure.  I avoid bread for the most part.  Sometimes I can do a little bit of mashed potato with my protein (like a tablespoon) but again, it almost always causes stuff to get stuck and then I can't get all my protein and veggies in so it isn't worth it most of the time.  I do have a favorite grain that I'm using more often in place of rice now.  It's Quinoa (pronounced Keenwa if you've never used it) and I absolutely love it.  It has a higher protein content and I use it in like a stir fry type dish.  I use a bunch of really finely chopped garlic, onions, carrots, green/red pepper, and chicken sauteed in a frying pan and then add the prepared Quinoa at the end.  It is SO good and has a higher nutritional content.  However, I have only thrown up one time since my surgery and it did happen to be with this meal.  So make sure that you remember to take small bites and eat slowly.  I'll post the recipe at the bottom of this post. My second reason for not being a big fan of grains/pastas/starches at this point is because of the size of my stomach.  I really want to feed my body healthy and hearty protein, vegetables and grains...in that order.  So what happens is by the time I get through my protein and veggies I am almost always full before I even get to any kind of carb.  I try to avoid foods that are high in carbs when I'm cooking or eating out and order simple proteins with veggies.  It satisfies my protein needs and my body feels better when I eat that way.  And with my new stomach, I do feel full and satisfied at a specific point with no need to keep eating.  I love it because my body feels like it's getting what it wants and I don't have any kind of carb/sugar crashes afterwards.

My body is constantly changing shape and I've noticed that my legs (which are the biggest hurdle on my body) are just weird to watch.  Hopefully this doesn't sound too gross, but the skin and fat are just floppy and all over the place.  I'm going to start some exercises this week that focus on my lower body and I hope that will help to shed the weight from those areas.  As for sizes, I'm down at least two full sizes in shirts and pants.  I can actually wear a pair of real pants now and not just stretchy pants so that's exciting.  I did have an "ah ha" moment over the weekend where I had to kind of bring myself back to reality.  I've had so much energy in my normal daily activities that I seriously just feel like superwoman.  Well this weekend we were hiking through the hills hunting elk/deer with my bow and I actually got winded and had to be careful with my knees.  Because I've felt so good, it kind of slips my mind at times that I still weigh over 350 lbs and I need to be careful with my knees.  It was a humbling experience  and I need to just remember that this is a work in progress and I still have a long way to go.  Don't get me wrong, I'm way stoked about my progress so far! ;)

Ok, I think that's about it for now.  Here's that Quinoa recipe:

This will feed 3 to 4 people easily.

1-1.5 cups cooked chicken diced up really small
2 cups prepared Quinoa (which is 2 cups water, 1 cup Quinoa)
2-2.5 cups total of your favorite stir-fry vegetables, also diced up really small (garlic, onion, green onion, green pepper, carrot, snow peas, squash, zucchini, etc)

I put a tablespoon of butter in the bottom of my warming frying pan, add all the vegetables and a little salt and pepper.  Then I just saute' the mixture until all the veggies are tender and add the chicken and quinoa to the pan.  Then continue to cook until everything is heated through and mixed up.  Serve warm.

Have a great week and don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions.

________________________________________________________
Weight loss total January 10, 2015 - 6 and 1/2 months post op
115 lbs GONE!
________________________________________________________

Phew!!  I finally took the time to get back on here and give some updates.  I'm sorry I haven't been on in so long.  I didn't realize it had been that long.  In any event, here is my update.

As of this morning I am still sitting at 115 lbs lost at just over 6 months post-op! :)  I say still only because I've been at this same weight for about 3 weeks.  I'm not concerned at all.  I know that it's just something my body has to go through.  If anything these stalls are a good thing because they help you stop and re-evaluate what you are doing on a daily basis and what calories/protein/nutrients you are putting into your body.  This stall also happened to be over the holidays (more sugar added to my diet) and while we were on vacation (additional stress and change in habits) so again, I'm not worried.  ;-)

At this point in the journey I can eat just about everything I would've/could've before  BUT it's a WHOLE lot smaller portion and/or at a LOT slower pace.  For example if I want a piece of pizza that my son and husband are having I get one and it takes me every bit of a full hour probably of little bites to get that down without being in pain.  If I forget and take a normal or large bite or two back to back I literally have to stand up and stretch and walk around for a minute or two because its a discomfort in the top of my stomach that feels like I'm trying to shove two whole tomatoes through a straw....lol. ;-)  So as long as I remember that my stomach width is A LOT SMALLER than I do just fine.  People ask if I feel like I am deprived or if I regret this surgery and my answer is always the same...ABSOLUTELY NOT!  At this point I HIGHLY recommend this surgery for anyone who has battled their weight or is morbidly obese.  If you are 20 lbs over weight, this is probably not the solution for you.  Not that it wouldn't work because it would but you could get the same results by simply going on a juice diet for 2-3 weeks and shrinking your stomach in my opinion.  Those of us who are 50, 100, 200, or more lbs over weight the Gastric Sleeve Procedure really is what we need.  It's hard to explain exactly why I feel this way but let me just say this.  There are so many different emotions, hormones, habits, and addictions that come into play for those of us that are morbidly obese and having a permanent, no going back, force you to change or puke-your-guts-up solution really is the only way you are going to achieve permanent weight loss in my opinion.  For me, this is how this has gone.  I decided on the surgery on a day when I felt I had exhausted all my other options.  I was sick of my current weight and I was ready for a change...no matter what.  So I booked the surgery for like 2 months out.  Then it came down to the time to start the 10 day pre-op diet and I got going with excitement and nervousness.  By the 3rd day I was seriously thinking about cheating but the thought of getting all the way down to Mexico and then being denied because my liver hadn't shrunk enough to get out of the Dr's way was enough to make me be good...for the most part. ;-)  Then you are also committed to travel plans and have told family and friends what you are doing...so you go.  You are committed and you just go through the motions.  Then you get to Mexico and are excited about the new adventure...yet still apprehensive but again...you are here...there is no backing out now.  So you go through the surgery and begin your recovery.  You are just focused on recovery for the first several weeks.  Seriously, as you saw from above you are busy documenting every little detail...what you ate, what you've lost, whether you are pooping on schedule or loosing your hair, etc!  :-)  Hahahah....and that goes on.  You just plug along day by day going through the motions.  You have an experience where you are stressed or emotionally drained and you reach for one of your old go-to snacks that seemed to make you feel good before, you eat it just like you used to...and then it hits...within SECONDS....the discomfort and pressure and then depending on just how much you ate and/or how fast...you may throw it all back up.  Now for me, it wasn't on an emotional binge that I had my first "throw up" session but rather on some Quinoa that just didn't go down right.  ( I think I described that with the recipe above.)  The second time however was on a mindless, emotional reach into the fridge.  I didn't throw up my toenails...I just threw up the 2-3 bites that were sitting at the top of my stomach.  I don't know if I described this in the beginning but after the surgery I had a MAJOR fear of throwing up because I was worried about what it might do to my newly sutured/stapled/glued stomach.  So in a way that fear helped me a ton!  It made me THINK before I put things in my mouth.  And then when I would go past the thinking and caring and reach for a piece of food, my smaller stomach would step in and give me the extra reminder with the REALLY STRONG discomfort (not really pain...just uncomfortable).  So that's why in a nutshell I think this specific surgery is THE ONLY OPTION for people who are seriously overweight and don't get accepted onto The Biggest Loser or to train one-on-one with Chris and Heidi Powell. ;-)  This surgery has helped me to overcome habits and simply be more aware of my body as a whole.  Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not cured, fixed or done by any means.  I still struggle with addiction issues and emotional eating.  But I'm not beating myself up about how imperfect I am.  Rather I know this is a life-long journey...and I really am enjoying the ride.  

We recently went to Hawaii over Christmas and for me the proof was in the pudding.  I had so much fun with my family and friends and was able to do things I never would've been able to consider last year including fitting in the seats on the airplane, walking through the terminals, etc.  Like I said, I've only lost 115 lbs and I still have over 140 to go but the amount of energy, flexibility and stamina I have now is simply wonderful.  I feel good and I am just focusing on creating a healthy body that my spirit can reside in.

Happy New Year to everyone!!  I hope your year is filled with love, laughter and good memories.  MAKE your life what you want it to be.  <3

____________________________________________________________________
Weight loss total June 23, 2015 - 364 days post op
129 lbs GONE! Current weight... 323 lbs

____________________________________________________________________

Good Morning!  It is June 23rd and I realized that tomorrow is the one year anniversary since having my gastric sleeve surgery!  I proudly stepped on the scale this morning not caring what it read (because I feel great), but still excited to see what the actual "numbers" say.  So as of this morning, I weigh 323 lbs.  I've lost 129 lbs since my surgery and am averaging about 5-7 lbs per month now.  I was stuck in a rut for a few months (stress related I am sure) but now my body seems to be moving in the right direction again.  I've lost about 1/2 the weight I am shooting for and have zero regrets about having this surgery done.  I don't have a lot of time to write this morning before work so I'll just simply say this...I feel better than I have in almost 20 yrs and I am enjoying my new found body.  It's not perfect and I'm not at the finish line but I'm loving every day.  I feel good, I'm healthy and I eat foods that are good for my body...98% of the time.  ;)  I'm more active and can do most of the things I'd like to do.

I will see if I can post some before and after pics later today.  Have a great week!