The Gals' Room

Hi Ladies, my doctor advised me to have on hand a few things that I will be needing after surgery, once at home, but I figured I should ask the experts, the ones that have gone before me. Can you ladies help me come up with a post-op shopping list. Thank's everyone

So my 5-yr university reunion is coming up this summer. I was coming to town regardless to visit some friends, so I registered for it, although I haven't really heard from anyone from my class so far, so I was checking out people's Facebook pages yesterday to see if any of my old college buddies will show up. Then I saw this guy from my class on someone's friends list, and it brought back this really traumatizing memory from freshman year. That guy was just really slimy and unpleasant and he took a particular disliking to me right off the bat, for no reason. One day, I was sitting in the cafeteria and talking to a male friend. This guy comes up to him and says in a foreig…

Hi Ladies! I'm looking for some feedback on the comparison between having a hysterectomy and doing the VST. Once I read that VST was a breeze compared to the hysterectomy but then I read another's post that freaked me out. I had a hysterectomy a few years ago and when I woke up from that the pain was so bad I couldn't speak and what saved me was my husband sitting next to me telling me to push that morphine button every 10 min! I'm having surgery out of country with Dr. Kelly next month and for child care reasons I will likely be alone and now wondering if I can handle it! But.. I so want this so I'm doing it. Just hoping for some frank and real info on the comparis…

Hi, I am getting banded next week. I was wondering what you do about wearing a bra in the days and weeks while you are recovering. Does a bra rub against your port, if not is it uncomfortable putting one on anyway?

I have had my band for 7 years, and I have been in constant pain and problems. Just recently Acid Reflux has become an issue. I have barely lost the weight that I have wanted. I am not very filled that much right now, but I still have restriction. For my whole experience its like when I eat, food just gets stuck, I throw up and try to eat again, never feeling full and constantly hungry. It has been embarassing at many times. I am careful with what I eat, how I chew, all of it... Anyone out there have any suggestions (Besides the the obvious of going back to my doctor) before I completely throw in the towel?

okay so before surgery I was a 38 DD and that was getting a bit small for me but now that I have lost weight ( most of which I think came from my boobs) all I have are empty bags hanging from my ribs!! I cant seem to find any stores or brands that fit right and make them look presentable and I cant afford implants. does any one have a good sugestions on where I can find something good?

I am in the process of getting a lapband. My husband is a FA (fat admirer). I am worried that once I lose all the weight he won't be attracted to me anymore. He swears that it isn't just the physical attraction, but even more the mental attraction for him. Has anyone else dealt with this? Thanks for any advice.

had my labs done today...wow they took about 9 vials of blood lol....plus urine, hoping the tests will come back ok....

have had problems with incontinence years ago and had the bladder sewn up...that was 5 years ago....its starting to "leak " again lol....does losing the weight after surgery help with incontinence? or do i need bladder surgery again when it gets too be too much? Thanks

not sure where to post this......i want my pic as avatar.......just signed up for photo bucket and uploaded pics......still cant make heads or tails as to how to resize my pic to 90x90 so i can use it here as my avatar??? then wich one do i copy and paste in here? there are like 5 different ways and i tried them all...always says: couldnt determine which image u wanted....or something like that.....i clicked the box next to my pic.......frustrating....wish they would just let u choose file from computer ......grrrrrr

So, I have to go to DH's cousins wedding at the end of the month. I thought that I had a dress that was too small last year that I could wear. I tried to put it on, but apparently I no longer have the boobs to hold the thing up, and it can't be taken in without compromising the dress . Makes me sad, because it's a $200 dress I never got to wear. ANYWAYS....I went shopping, but there is literally NOTHING on the racks that is appealing to me within a 40 mile radius of my house. I'm still a plus size (18 right now I believe, probably a 16 by the end of the month), but everything is just so....matronly I guess. I'm only 22, and I have to find something that looks good o…

Dr. Terracina wrote me an order for an EKG... No problem I think... I show up at the hospital and check in and wait my turn. Pretty soon some old man comes out pulling along an EKG machine. He takes me to a room and tells me to have a seat. Weird I think but ok. I sit down and he tells me to pull up my shirt. I had on one of those really tight (sort of like a compression garment) shirts that I usually wear under a regular shirt. I told him I didn't think I could pull it up, but I could pull it down. I sat there waitng for him to offer me a hospital gown... nothing happened... ok I think I will stand up and he will pull one out and hand it to me and leave the room. …

Hi all, Do you have hair extensions or did you use them while you hair was thinning or thin? I searched the forums but could only find one user who said she had them. I'm wondering how well they would work if you hair is falling out. I mean, they attach to your hair, so if it falls out, wouldn't they come out too? And I'm not sure how often they have to be touched up or the general expense. My hair is a normal thickness now, but I am only one month out. I like to plan ahead, so I'm researching hair solutions now. I know another option is a short, layered cut but my hubby hates short hair. And bless his heart, he is not picky about many things so I hate to disappoint …

Hi all.... i am hoping to be Banded with in the next month or so. I am going though all the meetings as of right now and they are telling me I am a perfect candidate for the LapBand I am really excited to start this journey and am very aware that I will be changing my eating habits however I have one question for those of you that have been living the banded life....Can you still drink Beer and if so how much? Like a half and can and that is all, a can or 2? I guess I am just worried with Summer comin gup cuz I enjoy having a beer every now and again i the Summer with my friends.... Thanks so much!!!

Ok, so my thoughts are turning to holiday season. We are saving every penny to try and get a family holiday in the sun - looking at Crete (where we met and love) or Rhodes... hot and sunny!! Erm, so I was wondering... Am I small enough to wear a two peice/bikini/tankini?? When did you feel confident enough to shed the one piece?

ok, i have not had the surgery yet, im still waiting for my psych evail and then a date....but in the mean time im having these weird things going on...for the past 3 months or so .......if i take a sip of any liquid or taste any food, I all of a sudden get this weird sensation, taste in my mouth( not metallic) and then dizzyness comes over me in my head to the point where i think im going to pass out and then just as fast as it hit, the feeling is gone.........one time i was laying down in bed and when i turned over it happen'd also......doesnt matter if im sitting , standing , lying down or what ever....it just comes and goes in a matter of seconds...........I did …

i guess i shouldn't be surprised, but my period had never come early before. i just had surgery five days ago and my period started today! 2 weeks ahead of schedule. now i have to deal with discomfort from surgery along with those from my monthly friend, fun.

delete

I've always had a huge 'neck and chin' area, tons of fat around there, well, I know i am only two weeks post op, but a lot of that fat is coming off, but the skin is still there, so it almost looks worse than when it was filled with fat. Can I expect any kind of tightening on this as I go along? I'm 42, btw. I don't expect it to be super taut, or anything, and I realize that ultimately I will probably want some sort of neck lift, but does it get better somewhat over time?

I am only 4 weeks banded. I am having a hysterectomy in three weeks. Should I see about having a tummy tuck at the same time? Or how does that work? If you had a tummy tuck, how long after banding did you wait?

A few weeks before surgery I had to remove my nuva ring and I ended up getting my period twice in a month. I havent gotten my period yet and I'm 6 days late - so naturally I'm freaking out!! Hubby and I have been extremely safe- actually using condoms - something we haven't done in God knows how long !! Lol - I'm just freaking and needed to vent !

Hi All, DH and I have been invited to the wedding of a fishing buddy of his. He isn't close to the guy and neither one of us have met his future bride. It is his second marriage and he is our age 50 something. I know nothing about his bride. My question is the invitation has nothing in it about a registry so if we decide to go what do we do about a wedding gift?

I'm freaking out. I missed my period during my Pre-Op diet and I missed it now Post-Op. It's actually been about two months and I only spotted once or twice and then nothing. I'm not on birth control and I'm a virgin. Is this normal or do I have a reason to be really worried?

Apparently the only sane person in my family is my mother who understands my need to get the help of the sleeve. She IS worried about the surgery obviously and would rather have me doing it here in our city, but she has read and talked about WLS with people. She is not happy but at least she isn't annoying me. My sister... Well, I even opened a topic about her. Not supportive and getting angrier day by day as get I closer to the surgery date. She has already asked a friend to work for me for 4 weeks after the sleeve and she told my mother I won't be able to have my nephews over on Wednesday evening and night, which I normally do, and my mum'll have to look after …

Let me preface by saying I am not a doctor or a nurse or associated with the medical field in any way. Everyone’s body is different and reacts in different ways. What works for one person might not work at all for someone else. There are far too many variables for anyone (I think even doctors sometimes) to be 100% certain of what causes one person’s body to react to something a certain way, while someone else has no problems. Now that I’ve cleared that up, a little background. I was sleeved 15 July. I had a Mirena IUD inserted 2 November. It fell out mid-January and I had it put back in about two weeks later. I just had it removed (for good) 15 April. I am a …

I don't know if it's just my imagination, but it seems like my PMS has gotten a lot worse since I was banded two months ago. I have been taking birth control for years so that has controlled my symptoms, but after the surgery even with BC I'm having cramps, terrible chocolate cravings, and I'm even breaking out! This has not happened to me in forever...I feel like a teenager again! I also notice my flow is a lot longer and heavier than it used to be, and I had breakthrough bleeding for the first time ever (my gyno chalked it up to the antibiotics and stress of surgery, but it was still weird). Any other ladies notice this? Why would the band have this effect?

Which direction do you wipe after peeing? I know that you're "supposed to " wipe from front to back, but when I was at my highest weight, honestly, it was a hard enough reach just to wipe my booty--no way could I reach behind and under to wipe from front to back after peeing. After losing a lot of weight, everything shrinks (including the distance between the two places?). Out of habit, I still wipe from back to front. I'm asking this totally weird question because lately I've been having a string of yeast infections--which I almost never have--and I'm beginning to wonder if my wiping habits are to blame. I know there are a lot of possible causes for yeast infection…

Ok this is the first time since surgery that I am having a period that I would call "real". However it is beyond heavy! It started out of the blue yesterday with NO PMS warnings what so ever! It started out heavy and has gotten worse. Like someone turned on a faucet! Here comes the TMI part, I am soaking through a tampon into a pad about every hour, had a gusher at work that required a clothing change. When is too much too much and should I go to urgent care for this? I have no cramps, just the faucet flow. I am thinking my hormones are whacked. Any suggestions on slowing it down? PS,,, I am 47.

I wasn't sure where to post this topic, so I am throwing it in here. Here is a website where they have photos of people your height at all different weights. I wanted to get some idea of what my goal weight really should be. http://www.cockeyed.com/photos/bodies/heightweight.html

Here's the pertinent data - I am 54 years young - and had a hysterectomy in 1990. I was left one ovary and went on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) within a few months of surgery. My hormone level has been relatively calm all these years - except when I rapidly lose weight. Fast forward in time to now - I am three months post VSG surgery - have lost 54 pounds - and am in the throws of a wicked PUBERTY. I alternate (sometimes rapidly) from wanting to RIP OFF SOMEONE'S HEAD THAT ANNOYS ME and WEEPING over the most trivial items. My people skills seem to have left me (not a good thing for my career). I have an appointment with my doc to have blood drawn on Monday, and th…

I've almost been banded a week. Prior to surgery, my bm's were pellets. Not soon much anymore. I'm afraid to pass gas, in fear that I will shart (shit/fart). When does this go away?

Okay, I haven't had surgery yet but have a silly question. I'm a pair shaped person with big legs. In the past when I'd lose, I'd lose up top first...boobs always seem to go away the fastest. My bottom half, mainly my legs never seemed to thin down as much. In fact, I always could have stood to lose a little more in the legs only. Is there anyone else out there that has had the same problem and did this surgery/diet with high protiens change the way you lost on your legs?

For me it’s a tight little black dress...where my wait is smaller than the curves of my hips LOL. Oh and maybe some naughty Victoria Secret.

Hi All, So I have had two NSV that I never imaged that getting the sleeve would bring. First off I can sleep through the night. I can not remember when I was able to do it. The second when headed to the ladies room I no longer have that sudden panicky need to go before I am ready to. Amazing.

Ok - I asked my dr and his response was if it's hurts don't do it. Not the answer I was looking for. Come on, give me a time period where it would be safe to try without the rish of hurting myself. So...my husband has been hinting around about wanting some bedroom time. How long did you wait after your surgery?? I am only two weeks out and don't think I am quite ready.

Ok, I'm 11 weeks out from surgery tomorrow and 8 days ago "aunt flo" showed up for the first time......will she ever go home? 8 days of cramping is aboutall I can take!

I'm fairly sure most of y'all can relate so I thought I'd share this weird NSV. Today, we were running around the house, getting ready for my husband's orthodontic consult, we're also buying a house, and our home that we rent is on the market so the listing agent showed up unexpectedly without notice, just pissing me, and making my crazy, pregnant hormonal self all in a rage. Anyway, so in the craziness, I threw on some clothes, and forgot deodorant. You're thinking big deal, right? Well, the issue is we live in hot/muggy Florida. The thermometer in my truck said 90 degrees. I got in, started backing out of the driveway, and realized "Crap, no deodorant". My husb…

I'm pre-op and have lost about 11 lbs. on the pre-op diet. I feel lighter already and sex is better. Maybe it's psychological because I believe this will be the last time I lose that particular 11 lbs. But really, how much better is it after losing 100 lbs. or so? I so can't wait!

I am trying my best to think good thoughts while dealing with my new sleeve but it is getting to be a handful with an already busy schedule. I know I can't turn back now but I really wish now I would have researched more with actual ppl how eating is after surgery. I know i'm only 6 weeks out but it is so irritating at times how my sleeve controls my life right now. I thank heaven that I do not have hunger or cravings but wish I was able to tolerate food or even shakes better. I eat an egg and can hardly get 2 spoonfuls down, or try tuna, chicken, etc. and it's the same thing. I am not babying my sleeve but hate the need to bring it up so much that I get my Protein from t…

I've wore sports bras forever, but especially now after I kept having to buy bras over and over again. My issue is .... The skin in-between the girls are super itchy!!! It was so itchy last night ( even after putting on anti itch cream) i didn't notice that I had scratched till I bled!!! So now I have a couple little scratch marks and a whole lotta redness. Anyone else have this problem? Any help for a fix???

Sunday I leave for a little trip. I am going to stay a few days with a friend and then tuesday I fly out to Mexicali again. I am going to have a face lift. It will be done by Dr. Juan Luque. I can't stand my turkey neck and the big lines . I heard the plastic surgeon at my irl support group. He calls them marionette lines. I hate them! So my friend moved to Mexicali. I will be in the hospital for 4 days, then I am going to go and recover at her house . I'll be gone 2 weeks. I haven't told many people and I hope I don't look much different. It's pretty scary to have someone cut on your face! I am really excited that I am going to see Dr. Aceves and Dr. Campos again.…

I just had my surgery and I want to get back on BC since I am becoming more fertile and I am just sick and tired of condoms. My boyfriend doesn't want me to get on any high hormonal BC because he is afraid that I will clot, especially after a major surgery ( its been about a month now ) So, what do you use or rather what would you use?

Hi all, Have any birth control users gone back on it like after six weeks or so? My gyno said if I can't take the usual one she knows of a chewable one...what have you been told? Thanks, Tracy

Hey ladies , This is gross but I have to ask. I had surgery on Monday May 9th. I have been going to the bathroom to pee with no problem, but have yet to have a bowel movement. I just started my Protein shakes today so I'm assuming this is normal? Is it? Thanks

that this feeling will soon pass? I have NEVER had much issues with my time of the month. It was never really regular, but it never caused pain or discomfort. But, since surgery that's changed. Especially in the last two months or so. It's super painful and uncomfortable. Not to mention super heavy. (Sorry!) I had to come home early from work today because I felt so bad. I know I've lost a LOT of weight in a LITTLE bit of time. But, this does stop at some point right??!!? I feel so bad complaining because I know some people get it REALLY bad all the time. But, to go from one extreme to another is a bit much. =/

Today I saw a old friend who on first sight said.... Ewwwww you look sick. I have had this happen from 2 men I dated prior to my surgery and the current man in my life said if I lose another pound I will be too little for him. Mind you I'm 177lbs... and wear a 10/12. I did come from a size 22 but damned maaannnnnnn. I'm beginning to have issues related to this. I can't see myself like others see me, nor did I see myself as others saw me when I was a size 22. I was in denial then, maybe I'm in denial now??? Any advice on this topic would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

my whole life if I haven't been on a birth control that limits my periods my menstrual cramps are so severe that I vomit, have an upset stomach, and radiating pain throughout my torso for a few days before, the whole time during, and a day or so after my period. I got Implanon (impant in your arm) in October and i haven't had a period since then (which is a good thing!). I was banded on 3/3 and now I DO have a period with all the old familiar symptoms. Did anyone else's menstrual cycle get worse after you were banded? I'm trying to figure out if there could be an underlying issue :-/

DELETED

I'm trying out the Instead cup today. Supposed to last up to 12 hours with no leaking. The reviews are pretty good. These are disposable ones. I just ordered a Lunette reusable one which seemed to have better ratings. Has anyone else ever tried these? I'm going on a vacation next week and my period is really heavy, so I'm hoping this helps!!!

Hello everyone, So has anyone done it? I have an appointment tonight for a consult. I have PCOS and since I have lost the weight the hair on my upper lip has turned dark. I am not going to be walking around with a mustache! I have heard such mixed things on whether it works or not. I really dont want to waste my money and time if it doesnt. What about electrolysis? Thanks so much in advance for your advice! Denise