Carmelita’s Posts
My adverse reaction to liquid pain meds kept me nauseated and vomiting post op too..even warranted me a 2nd night stay in hospital too :-( A few days home I chucked em and the nausea/vomiting STOPPED.
The viscosity of PLAIN WATER is VERY VERY PAINFUL for virtually ALL of us! ..must use somethin to give it density...dilute GATORADE G2 , APPLE JUICE , CRYSTAL LIGHT PURE or Walmarts GREAT VALUE (BOTH made with STEVIA) , GINGER/HERBAL TEA with water
Go to Walgreens get those ELECTROLYTE POPS (generic) or PEDILYTE popsicle...those sf pops are ok but these others provide electrolytes to stave off dehydration. The ICEY helps to reduce throat and incision line swelling. Can semi-freeze G2s for like a slushie even!!
THIN out broths, mix/thin your protein shakes with WATER
THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL you are going to be able to get in the amount of water your dietary guidelines or anyone here suggests you get in the first week even two...IMPOSSIBLE
DO THE BEST YOU CAN!!
DEHYDRATION is thee #1 reason for a post op ER visit...yet totally preventable. Make it your priority
"need guidance as to where to start"
1. YOUR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN's OFFICE
2. YOUR SURGEON's OFFICE (same day appt preferably)
3. A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL (same day appt preferably)
The LAST PLACE ya'd want to go with a 'story like this' is a WLS forum.
Maybe ya had your surgery in Mejico...sleeve and leave ...cuz here in the U.S. we have to pass a psych eval. PRIOR to VSG , one of the major questions assessed is our ABILITY to utilize resources available to us in the event we get tripped up.
Also majority of U.S. bariatric surgeons require 3-4 post op follow up visits with labs within our first year. Annually thereafter. You obviously missed those assessments too. Having had your sleeve done in Mejico makes perfect sense now.
Time's a waisting....
" I will take whatever you all give me for responses. "
Im tearin up...when I grow up I wanna type like you...I know FAT CHANCE err..THINNER CHANCE lmao
Truly one of thee best OH ADVICE posts Ive ever read in all my time here ,-)
I validate your awesomeness HT
pssst...prompts to you 
lmao ...got my mammo appt wednesday 
Nope NEVER EVER
Does EVERYONE's dilate/stretch naturally after surgery ..YES. Its a muscular organ with lots of action goin on even while we sleep!
By 1 year out tho we are DONE cooking!
Here's a VSG upper gi pic SAME PATIENT... post operative Day 1 compared to 4 years post op (just like sis)
Tell sis....she needs to look ELSEWHERE at the culprit...at 4 years out...I suspect MAJOR DIET/EXERCISE BURN OUT!!. if not tho apologies!
I'd tell her to do the CCT (cottage cheese test ) to TEST her capacity. Hopefully she likes cottage cheese...It would be her breakfast before any fluid or food. Will tell her just HOW BIG her stomach REALLY REALLY is!! How much food her stomach actually holds!
no more guesswork, silly notions/convincin, and maybe no need to go under the knife again ....
Here's a link on doin it...
CCT (Cottage Cheese Test) gotta scroll down some
As mentioned the 5 DPT is another great tool available to us VSGrs...to check her restriction. She'll see as plain as the nose on her face that her restriction is there and NEVER left her. Hey on Day 3 is the soft protein day she can do the CCT on that day...two birds
Here's the link and some caveats on doin it...gotta scroll down some...(5 Day Pouch Test) 5DPT
HT such a braveheart..sendin super duper healin vibes your way
Now if you can send some of that courage my way...cuz maybe that next update letter from my ins. that Im now 10 years over due on my mammo WONT go in the trash. Yeah Im the Queen of De Nile...lol
Caveman (the freak!!) does all my breast exams....he says I dont have it..lmao!
HT I hate them mammos tho ..they hurt so frikken bad..absolutely barbaric!! if I had breast cancer since that last one..its the mammo that caused it to spread for sure!
Prayin for the day a man has to get his dick put in a vise routinely. Caveman would say...E-Z tell me when and where, Im used to it.....lmao!!
Way to TKO that **** HT.and Best wishes for a speedy recovery....thinkin aboutcha!
Def worth a re-visit to your peeps. If abnormal pap (dysplasia/ectropion) Im sure you woulda been notified pronto if sumthin amiss
are you post meno? sex can be painful and ^^vaginal dryness = fissures/tears from friction = spotting ...may need a periodic lo dose estrogen cream to help in that dept.
Not peri-or post meno? .. pain & vaginal bleeding durin/ following procedures/ sex can be from lotsa things i.e. drynes, vaginitis, STDs like chlamydia. HPV and believe it or not UTIs ....testing is separate..usually not included with pap unless you ask for it.
Get this checked out tho carrie for your own peace of mind. It is NOT NORMAL.
on the RIGHT side ,-) lol usually back or side...always hand washed silk pillowcase tho in case I wind up sleeping on my side.
Im old so sleeping on my side don't matter no more cuz..the girls are GONE!
Here's a post about sleep positions I posted here years ago
Which Sleep Style Is Healthiest? from link BEST and WORST SLEEP POSITIONS
Your preferred p.m. pose could be giving you back and neck pain, tummy troubles, even premature wrinkles. Discover the best positions for your body--plus the one you may want to avoid.
The Best: Back Position
Good for: Preventing neck and back pain, reducing acid reflux, minimizing wrinkles, maintaining perky breasts
Bad for: Snoring
The scoop: Sleeping on your back makes it easy for your head, neck and spine to maintain a neutral position. You're not forcing any extra curves into your back, says Steven Diamant, a chiropractor in New York City. It's also ideal for fighting acid reflux, Dr. Olson says: "If the head is elevated, your stomach will be below your esophagus so acid or food can't come back up."
Back-sleeping also helps prevent wrinkles, because nothing is pushing against your face, notes Dee Anna Glaser, M.D., a professor of dermatology at Saint Louis University. And the weight of your breasts is fully supported, reducing sagginess.
Consider this: "Snoring is usually most frequent and severe when sleeping on the back," Dr. Olson says.
Perfect pillow: One puffy one. The goal is to keep your head and neck supported without propping your head up too much.
Next Best: Side Position
Good for: Preventing neck and back pain, reducing acid reflux, snoring less, sleeping during pregnancy
Bad for: Your skin and your breasts
The scoop: Side-sleeping is great for overall health--it reduces snoring and keeps your spine elongated. If you suffer from acid reflux, this is the next best thing to sleeping on your back.
The downside: "Sleeping on your side can cause you to get wrinkles," Dr. Glaser says. Blame all that smushing of one side of your face into the pillow.
This pose also contributes to breast sag, since your girls are dangling downward, stretching the ligaments, says Health's Medical Editor Roshini Rajapaksa, M.D.
Consider this: If you're pregnant, sleep on your left side. It's ideal for blood flow.
Perfect pillow: A thick one. "You need to fill the space above your shoulder so your head and neck are supported in a neutral position," says Ken Shannon, a physical therapist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
Not Ideal: Fetal Position
Good for: Snoring less, sleeping during pregnancy
Bad for: Preventing neck and back pain, minimizing wrinkles, maintaining perky breasts
The scoop: When you snooze with your knees pulled up high and chin tucked into your chest, you may feel it in the morning, especially if you have an arthritic back or joints, Dr. Olson says.
"This curved position also restricts diaphragmatic breathing," adds Dody Chang, a licensed acupuncturist with the Center for Integrative Medicine at Greenwich Hospital in Connecticut. And if you make this your nightly pose, you may bring on premature facial wrinkles and breast sag.
Consider this: Just straighten out a bit -- try not to tuck your body into an extreme curl.
Perfect pillow: One plump pillow -- the same as side position, to give your head and neck support.
The Worst: Stomach Position
Good for: Easing snoring
Bad for: Avoiding neck and back pain, minimizing wrinkles, maintaining perky breasts
The scoop: "Stomach-sleeping makes it difficult to maintain a neutral position with your spine," Shannon explains. It puts pressure on joints and muscles, which can irritate nerves and lead to pain, numbness and tingling. "Think about the soreness you'd feel if you kept your neck turned to one side for 15 minutes during the day," Dr. Diamant explains.
In this position you have your head to one side for hours at a time. You won't necessarily feel it the next day, but you may soon start to ache.
Consider this: Do you snore? "Stomach-sleeping may even be good for you," Dr. Olson says. Facedown keeps your upper airways more open. So if you snore and aren't suffering from neck or back pain, it's fine to try sleeping on your belly.
Perfect pillow: Just one (and make it a thin one) or none at all.
other related articles /link may be of interest to you linz : SLEEP
well I MAKED THESE!! 
REAL gallstones from post VSG gallbladder flush # 6 or was it #9 ..no maybe #22 or maybe it was #31 I lost track 
anyway they're the real deal. eta..the emerald green ones are NEW stones small the real dark brownish/black can barely see em are OLD stones the yellow cholesterol gunk is sludge Ive flushed and passed stones the size of a quarter!! dont hurt even when those bigger ones pass..only when they're stuck! then OW OW OW OW OWWWIEEE!!! lol
What does your surgeon's plan call for...thats the one that matters!
I didn't get the go ahead on RAW plant/produce until 3 months post op. Don't ask me why...irritant roughage bulk who knows. ANYTHING plant had to be cooked/processed before that. When I got the clear...I wound up BURNING OUT on salads my first year...I had a huge salad pretty much everyday!....lol
Your ok with cooked greens tho right.
Have ya got some kinda diagnosis on that? Maybe sumthin you need to really really check out with a gastroenterologist. Dont want this progressin into sumthin else...hard to stop a runaway train.
Go over your surgeon's plan...I think you need to share your experience with the NUT too! Could be a red flag....maybe he/she could advise you from there.
Hoping is a good thing...but knowledge is power! Please check into it.
Oh crap that sucks so bad. She'll get past it. Lots of patience weathering the storm. Not her fault ..leak from surgery /cutting/ not getting a tight sealed staple line...Leaks do NOT randomly happen..even the bestest most experienced bariatric surgeon causes leaks! Some are expert liars about #1 how leaks are caused, and #2 how many patients of theirs sustain leaks...right to a patients face..lie. Must think we're all idiots huh!
...nothin she did, or didn't do could of prevented it... so don't let her blame herself ok...end of story!!...oops unless she was into swallowing razor blades, or a sword swallower by profession then yup she DID IT ,-)
A leak discovered at 9 months post op tho is negligence, malpractice. A gal posted here a year or so ago her leak was diagnosed at 6 months post op and warning everybody about getting a leak that far out...I was like WTF? WEIRD right.. cuz in 2009 I wrote a blog on LEAKS and STRICTURES...impossible 6 months out!! I contacted her and we engaged in numerous PMs ...come to find out which she never told anyone here ...she had symptoms of a LEAK since 2 weeks post op!! .. never told her surgeon , went to the emergency room, symptoms were dismissed as transitory and "normal" after reading complaints of other VSG surgery complaints.
I don't know if your sister is a member here on OH...but if she woulda complained here about symptoms...you can be dang sure ONE OF US or one of the numerous leak survivors here would have told her a helluva lot sooner than 9 months to GET HELP!! Majority of leaks are diagnosed within 4.5 weeks post op ...spilt milk
She's on the mend, in good hands now. How long this lasts depends on surgeon strategies they try/ use to seal that hole up. Do ya know if they are gonna use a stent on her? Fibrin glue? not much luck with them in general. Stents migrate (most leaks up at the eso-gastric area gravity I figure cause em to move) lotsa pain when they do migrate, fibrin glue wont adhere after the fact..the hole is open and is scar tissue now why suturing leaks post op is out of the question too. can't suture scar tissue.
Most leak survivors Ive read and Ive read a bunch... do better with JP drains. Takes time, like around a month or two depending on how big the leak is...Im guessing quite small since it took her 9 months to get a diagnosis. maybe with TPN givin her stomach a rest from digestion so the drain can be free of food the leak eventually adheres/seals/closes on its own. Only problems with JPs Ive read about...PITA takes TIME!! cant eat for a while. The JP drain/s can get pushed into/placed right up on that leak and sucks off it...never allowing it to close. So gotta have it repositioned...meanin wasted time needing more time.
Yes indeed a nightmare good word!...depressing, and stressful times for her..no doubt angry VSG! ...keep in close touch with her..she will need you! ...and she will HEAL...this leak bein a distant memory of her post VSG life...she don't know that NOW of course but... she will get past this, survive and rock the hell outta her sleeve like all leak survivors do!
2 wks from surg? ..ask your surgeon...tell em...CHALE!! I aint gettin no stinkin catheter! next to touching NASTY privacy curtains in a hospital way up there as a leading cause of hospital acquired infection. If they insist (I aint no janitor lazy types) ...maybe demand a condom catheter instead
if I was a dude..I'd def go this route!, way less mess for nursing if ya whizz while in OR /recovery (they can leak a lil at top!) but more importantly way less chance of infection!! ...may need it immediately after ya get into your room too cuz of IV fluids makin ya need to pee right away. Ask for a urinal tcuz yer gonna feel like ya got hit by a mack truck right after....As soon as ya shower you'll feel 75% better! You'll also wanna be up and at em walikng as much and as soon as possible as much as tolerated. Make sure ya got a firm small pillow w/ ya to support yer belly while gettin outta bed and up n to the bathroom. 
soldier...see ya on the losers bench real soon!
YES you will be able to drink booze occasionally after surgery. YES it will affect you differently.
Copy n paste old post.
you'll get clearance from your surgeon when you can drink ETOH. Not advisable the first 2 months post op (raw healing staple line) ....really not advisable during the rapid fat loss phase (first 6-7 months post op) either cuz our liver is workin overtime already..processin /breakin down adipose fat, producing 2-3xs the NORMAL cholesterol and bile DAILY!! .. ETOH a liver toxin
our first year the buzz comes on fast n furious. Ends just as fast. After a year able to maintain the buzz as before VSG. We become cheap drunks...takes a lot less booze to maintain the buzz. A drink or 3 as opposed to say 10 a night lol Spend less $ ka-ching! Heads up to transfer addictions...common in us post WLS peeps k!!
Robert C. Atkins –– the Granddaddy of our post op diets:
"Here's the problem with all alcoholic beverages, and the reason I recommend refraining from alcohol consumption on the diet. Alcohol, whenever taken in, is the first fuel to burn. While that's going on, your body will not burn fat. This does not stop the weight loss, it simply postpones it, since the alcohol does not store as glycogen, you immediately go back into ketosis/lipolysis after the alcohol is used up. If you must drink alcohol, wine is an acceptable addition to levels beyond the Induction diet. If wine does not suit your taste, straight liquor such as scotch, rye, vodka, and gin would be appropriate, as long as the mixer is sugarless; this means no juice, tonic water; or non-diet soda. Seltzer and diet soda are appropriate."
On WHY the buzz hits us soooo damn harder post VSG
Women have less ADH an enzyme produced by the stomach THAN men, ALL native americans, inc. mixed native americans lack this enzyme by DNA/evolution also. 1/3 to 1/2 of Asians lack the enyzme as well known as "Asian flushing" their face gets all red!
ADH ...begins the FIRST alcohol breakdown...as ~10-20% (Ive read confictin %) alcohol is absorbed by the stomach and heads straight to the brain via the vagus nerve (?)...the rest metabolized by the liver...and into the bloodstream.
w/ VSG...less stomach surface even less ADH produced ...bypasses this essential biochemical breakdown....MORE alcohol into the bloodstream and faster than ****!...liquids run right thru us right!
From a post I wrote to another gal explainin ADH in VSG..Suzukis Alcohol Use Disorders After Bariatric Surgery... For some reason can't pull up the full PDF version tho..says we gotta pay for it! 
Dang it...I wish I had copied the full version down...it was super interestin...anyhoos here's that snippet I did copy..from pg 5.
Ethanol is metabolized partially in the stomach by the gastric ADH enzyme, which reduces ethanol bioavailability [22]. Gastrectomy has been shown to limit this first-pass metabolism, and higher than expected serum ethanol levels are achieved [23]. By limiting the amount of ethanol being metabolized by gastric ADH, RYGB similarly leads to a reduction in the first-pass metabolism so that higher serum ethanol levels are obtained. Similar alterations in the ethanol pharmacokinetics are demonstrated with vertical sleeve gastrectomy [24]. To date, no studies have been conducted to demonstrate changes in ethanol pharmacokinetics following LAGB (lapband)
On booze with VSG ....a few noteworthy rules.
1. Ya booze ya no lose...as booze metabolizes FIRST ...at 7 cals per gram.....BURNS FIRST!! ..not carbs, not protein, n def not fat! inhibitions way down...may eat **** ya never would straight another MAJOR side effect I suffer when drinkin ,-)
2. NEVER drink on an empty stomach
3. NEVER EVER drink n drive
***ALWAYS*** have a DD or stay put until YOU are completely sober, not when ya "think" you are
A few websites might be of interest on ETOH in weight loss surgery:
My oldest sis in Cali is goin thru some major crap with her husband of 26 years n her in-laws since the passing of her MIL at 99 a few months ago. Its gettin pretty bad with the vultures coming outta the wood work since MIL passing...so me n sissie have been yackin so much since...she really needs me lately to vent n share strategies of coping with all the family in-fighting over the will.
We recently discussed the Serenity Prayer (I picked up since way back when at OA meets in Cali)
Im an atheist, but a spiritual person ..the dichotomy of me ,-) n altho I rarely get the wisdom part right...lmao... the Serenity Prayer is a mantra Ive used many times over post op to help me cope.
Anyhoos...sissie wanted to know how the Serenity Prayer came to be and if it originated from the Bible...
LMGTFY!! afterall I am also a googlin expert! ...lmao. I can see why the ONE DAY AT A TIME and SERENITY PRAYER is a MAJOR part of OA, AA, NA, life in general especially after reading for the first time...the ORIGINAL (below)...it IS such a powerful message religious or not.....maybe you can identify with on your own weight loss journey...when we sometimes get too close to the forest to see the trees ,-).
a snippet from Wikipedia on theologian, author of it
Reinhold Niebuhr
Though clearly circulating in oral form earlier, the earliest established date for a written form of the prayer is Niebuhr's inclusion of it in a sermon in 1943, followed closely by its inclusion in a Federal Council of Churches (FCC) book for army chaplains and servicemen in 1944. Niebuhr himself did not publish the Serenity Prayer until 1951, in one of his magazine columns, although it had previously appeared under his name.[2] The prayer is cited both by Niebuhr[3] and by Niebuhr's daughter The original, attributed to Niebuhr, is:-
- God, give me grace to accept with serenity
- the things that cannot be changed,
- Courage to change the things
- which should be changed,
- and the Wisdom to distinguish
- the one from the other.
-
- Living one day at a time,
- Enjoying one moment at a time,
- Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
- Taking, as Jesus did,
- This sinful world as it is,
- Not as I would have it,
- Trusting that You will make all things right,
- If I surrender to Your will,
- So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
- And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
-
- Amen.
