The Lounge

4,946 topics in this forum

just wanted some feedback from anyone that has had both VSG and cholecystectomy surgeries. What was your recovery time for both? Was one easier than the other? The reason I'm asking is that I'm having my gall bladder removed on Nov 25. My surgeon's office just informed me he wants me to take 3 weeks off work and no lifting more than 5 pounds during that time. I'm a little freaked out because I just gotta say that is NOT gonna work for me. I had heard laproscopic cholecystectomies were pretty easy recoveries and I only planned to take 5 days off over Thanksgiving. There's flat out NO WAY I can take off 3 weeks. If I don't go to work, business is closed. It's simp…

Some people here seem to take offense when people reply with silly or humorous comments in posts. I enjoy reading them (in fact it is rumored that I have posted a few myself ). Everything in life doesn't have to be a joke, but when you read about a "3 week stall" or someone having pissy-pants because they are the only one who ever had to follow a post WLS diet, etc. for the umpteenth-hundred time, some humor is well appreciated. People should encourage creativity, otherwise people become like this little boy: (It's a poem I like and why I encourage creativity) He always wanted to say things but no one understood. He always wanted to explain things but to no one …

A friend, not the poet, sent me a poem today. I must be feeling warm and toasty toward the BP people, as I want to share it. At first reading it delighted me and called me back a few minutes later to check if it was real. With each subsequent reading, the poem became larger and more familiar and embracing. The natural world is breathtaking. We are, too, in our form that varies from the rest and is part of the whole. http://www.towncreekpoetry.com/SPR13/ROYSTON_WHY.html

Who'd thunk it? A negative NSV! I was shopping for a new shirt and found a purple one I wanted bad! It was the only purple shirt they had. AND I WAS TOO THIN TO WEAR IT!!!!!! (Happy Dance.....kinda)

I have always LOVED Halloween. Always. For starters it is my birthday, yes I was born at 1:13 am on October 31st and for whatever reason my family has always had a hard time celebrating both. They have always somehow been combined. Whatever. As an adult I have grown more attached to a Halloween theme and always have a big party. I don't call it a birthday party, I call it a costume party and people come in costume bearing gifts. It is a win-win. This is the first year I didn't "make" my costume. I always had a hard time finding even a plus size costume that fit. It was either too long, too short, too tight, too loose, too revealing or too expensive. Anyhow.. I …

Before I spend fortunes on dry-cleaning, I thought I'd ask if anyone has done it -- pulled out beloved clothes only to find that they are stinko? You know that musty, rank odor? It's obvious that I used the wrong types of containers and should have tossed in dryer sheets and/or those little doodads that absorb moisture in Vitamin bottles and other places. Or something else. Is it possible that the odor can be conquered? Dry-cleaning? Hanging them outdoors for a month in the country (I'm a city-dweller, so this not the likeliest option)? Some other technique? Sigh. Laurie

@@Babbs mentioned she is enjoys staging homes/redecorating. I am sure there are others of you that have some skills/experience in this area. I have a "vision" but now that the basic remodel is mostly done, I am thinking about furniture, area rugs, furniture layout, ways to keep things clean and organized, color schemes etc. I am curious what resources might be useful to give ideas and validate my thoughts! i have perused some stuff on HGTV etc but wondering if there is something that is a practical guide that doesn't take hours and hours of loooking. I actually thought about going to "open houses" looking at homes staged for sale to get ideas. It has taken years, bu…

I am having popcorn ceiling removed and a whole new modern ceiling made... in addition to some other fun stuff. Anyway, my kitchen is hermetically sealed, i can't get to my brand new fridge or micro or anything. As a result I have been living off Protein drinks, sandwich meat and going to a local establishment for appetizers for "dinner". It is unpleasant and I feel like i am not getting enough veggies, but it is helping me get back to goal! I have been floating around a few pounds over goal all summer long and I am almost back to it... just a few more pounds! In truth, I have been working to getting back under goal for awhile, but this is giving me a boost! I have …

I went to the movies today, and they had packages of edamame! I was quite surprised. It's an 8 ounce bag, and it says that's one serving. I'd call it two servings. A full bag is 150 calories, 16 grams carbs with 4 grams of Fiber = 12 grams carbs, 12 grams Protein. It was really good, tasted fresh, and they nuke it to make it hot. The bag comes with a small tub to discard the pods. Here is their webpage: http://www.edamovie.com/

In late Sept 2011 I finally had my failed band removed. It had been implanted for 10.5 years (March 2001) and i really grieved that failure. I was going through my "bariatric notebook" that had all my sleeve instructions and found some things i had written - sort of journaling. I dared to dream of maybe getting under 200#, I dared to dream of being able to exercise, ride better, normal clothing sizes, all that stuff. That time between the band removal and sleeve (Dec 2011) was a sad and scary time for me. I was sad about my "failure", I was so incredibly hungry, I was at a level of obesity that was a tipping point for me meaning I felt like crap! I wrote down the th…

I know for many of us, Halloween is a challenge because of the abundance of candy available at home and in the office. With the increase in food allergies as well as obesity among kids, it is time to start thinking about offering alternatives to candy for trick or treaters. Here is an interesting article about the Teal pumpkin project. http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20141026/DM01/141029308 Is anyone planning to hand out something other than candy this year?

I don't know if this is even something I want to pursue.. My last 2 relationships were with people who lived out of town. One was about 4 hours away from me me here in Texas and the other was about an hour away. There were always reasons why either of us couldn't make the commute, and more recently my last boyfriend ( fiance actually ) was just always so unavailable to visit or for me to visit for only God knows reasons. To make a very long story short.. I went to a wedding about 1.5 hours from my home town. I met someone, and its scary how many things we have in common although personality wise we are distinct. Any how he is a great guy from what I am getting to kno…

It's pretty disruptive your life and no matter what you try to do - it impacts the whole family too! As ,much as you plan, there are many surprises! No matter how many people warn you what it is like to live in a house under remodel; you really have no idea until it is too late and you ask yourself "what have I done???" Things look worse before they look better. You've checked references, asked questions, tried to do your homework.... but it is still a leap of faith

I suspected immediately when I had my first episode of morning sickness. Not long after my sense of smell went into overdrive and even walking into the produce section of Safeway was impossible from the nauseating smell of raw fish at the fish counter on the other end of the store. The next day I found myself sobbing uncontrollably at the littlest things, even when I wasn't actually sad. Just yesterday a student of mine looked at me funny while I was teaching and I found myself with tears streaming down my face. At first I was so excited, but then I started to worry. My belly wasn't growing with a little bundle of joy inside, it was shrinking rapidly. Am I having a rev…

For those who have been following my husband's epic "adventure" with colon cancer, our "moment" has arrived.... Tomorrow is Dave's surgery, starting at 8am Pacific Time. I have successfully put 12lbs on that guy, and not gained any myself...now how did I do that???!!!! But the surgeon was very impressed! This surgery should last anywhere from 5 to 12 hours, including the liquid radiation/swish phase. It will be a very long and challenging day for both of us, so I am asking for prayers - all are heard, all are answered, by our Almighty Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!!!! We pray for a successful surgery, with no complications or infections, complete eradication of all cance…

I'm getting my 15 minutes of fame or should I say, my 1 hour of fame. :-) I'm getting naked on The Naked Truth - Sunday Oct. 4th 7pm CST. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF2gfgx3NcfBCB-_2SkCarQ The Naked Truth is a live WLS support show on Youtube. Hosted by Jennifer Bleecher and Elizabeth We discuss life before and after WLS. The The Naked Truth is a candid look at real life experience and how we traveled this WLS adventure. And how you can apply our hard won knowledge to make your WLS adventure a success. Join the fun and get your WLS questions answered. :-) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF2gfgx3NcfBCB-_2SkCarQ If you would like to receive the latest newsle…

Many years ago my sister made the mistake of telling a couple of people that she liked owls. It wasn't long before she was overwhelmed with them. Every item in her house had an owl motif. She then admitted to me that she had never really liked them all that much, but people assumed that she collected them and kept contributing to the collection. After a few years she quietly got rid of all of them, save a couple of her favourites. I had an interesting blow-up cow for years. It was kind of cute and sat up on a top shelf. A couple of years ago someone gave me a cow ornament. Well then it began for me, people assumed that I was a collector. I guess that happens if yo…

I have been thinking of this for awhile and finally tried it! Salsa is hard but bachata is fun! It is too bad so few men like to dance but I hear that the"salsa scene" is less like that. I have also found a place to practice my very limited swing dancing skills so planning on those social dances too. I am really looking forward to getting a bit more confident and brushing up the few dance skills i do have! I am not in a relationship right now, trying to avoid diving into one..just taking it slow. It is a great time to work on stuff I want to do/get better at.

There are some cute and creative user names on this site. What is your favorite? (NOTE: This is NOT asking who is your favorite person! Just a name you like, admire, find amusing, think is creative, etc.) I vote for Sleevy Wonder. Wish I had thought of that one myself!

Hi Everyone My Names Gabby i'm 46yr old mum and grandma from York UK. I have 3 grown up kids ages 26,25,25 yes i'm crazy having them so close together but no one plans on having twins...lol I have three beautiful grand daughters Faith (6yrs) Paige (5yrs) and Bryony (3yrs) who i adore. I'm waiting for my surgery date after a long wait, all pre-op testings been done and consent forms signed. I have all the main issues qualifying me for surgery a long term issue with extra weight. Severe sleep Apnea. Type 2 Diabetes (pills and insulin) whole body diabetic neuropathy Spine surgery 9yrs ago leaving me with no feeling from waist down affecting bladder/bowel and mobil…

So for those who have been following Dave's cancer situation, here is the latest.... Today is FINALLY the PET scan...after 5, yes 5, denials from insurance, he is having it today. It should reveal where the cancer is, in it's entirety, we hope. He finished his 6th chemo treatment almost 2 weeks ago, and most of the side effects have diminished. He meets with the surgeon on the 1st of September, where he will schedule the surgery. He had a challenging week at work, due to the fact it was refresher training, requiring lots of physical activity, but he sailed through it quite well. I was able to be with him for the physical part, just in case. No injuries were sustained, w…

Okay, I am starting to brainstorm on halloween costume ideas and I am thinking about some sort of rockabilly/pinup girl look. I will likely be at a dance and it just sort of interested me as something to explore. I don't actually know much about it, what is out there, how to choose something that is fun and flattering. I am learning to dance and notice that some of the ladies wear things with this sort of "look". For a costume of course I would go "all out" with accessories, hair etc.but it would be nice if the outfit could be recycled for other purposes too. This is very summery... but I think along the lines of what I am thinking. Would love to hear ideas from y…

I just got an automated email from my doctor reminding me of my appointment Wednesday. I'm so excited. My blood sugars are seemingly out of control. I took my Lantus last night, but my sugar was still 251 this morning. It seems that no matter how much insulin I take my sugars stay high. That's not entirely true, but today I was feeling very discouraged, and my sugars are the primary reason I want this surgery. My husband is still not enthused about the idea, he thinks that I can just make the same lifestyle changes and see results. Even though I know (and told him) that lifestyle changes just don't statistically work for laying weight loss and diabetes remission. …

Hi folks! I am guessing 99% of folk here are Americans! I am delighted to have found the site as I have tried and failed in the past to find a support group. My lap band has been in situ for about 5 years and since I moved to another country and a small town as well, the lap band has been problematic. I hate the idea of wasting a huge wad of dollars, so motivation needs a good kick up the derrière.

I am hoping to schedule my surgery in late October or early November so maybe I am jumping the gun a bit here. I've read the posts by married WLS veterans who have amazing spouses who have been with them through it all, but can't quite relate. I am single, never married. I have dated off and on since high school, but only had one long relationship. I am not in a relationship now and don't necessarily anticipate starting one before my surgery. So one of the many questions that keep coming to mind has to do with sagging skin and new "friends". When you are fat, that is obvious. You can see that a person is fat with or without clothes. If one isn't turned on by fat p…

I am blaming all of my typos and incoherent posts on autocorrect and sticking to it.

Okay, so i am not totally comfortable asking my drs, but i was curious. After the sleeve surgery, what (if any) are the complications for oral sex?

I have been with a man for a while and we were engaged to be married. Everything was going well but he has major insecurities and constantly thought I was being deceitful and always accused me of cheating. As of Thursday last week I we have been done. It is finished. he was so wonderful in so many ways but there was that one thing that ruined all the good stuff. I have never cheated on anyone and i am not deceitful in the least. I give everyone the respect that I would want to have given to me. i am loyal and true and I have never done anything to deserve this. I am sorry i am here talking about my bull but i thought it would be nice to hear from others that have been thr…

So my ex and I have a Lot of love. What we realize is it takes two whole individuals for a healthy relationship not tWo halves. He and I are in no contact for a year while he works on himself through counseling etc...I'm of course am working on weight. When we meet up down the road we will be in a Healthier place. Sorry for jumping the gun On my other posts. Lisa

I am continuing to improve my life... it is really an important part of life at goal to me. I now LOOK like the person I want to be, and I continue to improve my life on many dimensions. anyway, I decided life is too short for me to spend it constantly cleaning. I have a little farm, animals, love my flower garden, love to go dancing, out with pals etc etc and I want help on the homefront! So, I hired a lady and paid her $45 for her first visit. She cleaned two small bathrooms - granted DEEP clean - and she did a good job, but I actually thought in 2 1/4 hours she would have time to do something else besides the bathrooms. (one bath has a deep tub, the other has just…

As my topic title says, I'm new here. So I'll share a bit about me here and in my profile. I'm 5'7, weigh 282, and have diabetes, high triglycerides, sleep apena, and joint pain. I just spent three days in the hospital with metabolic acidosis, possibly caused by the metformin or trulucity I was on. The hospital doctor took me off those diabetes drugs, and put me on insulin until I can see my PCP. I have been having trouble with my blood sugar for the last couple days, it's been above 250 and even the insulin didn't bring it down very fast (I'm on a fast-acting one, but it still took several hours - and my sugar was 150 this morning). A friend said she'd had a gastric…

I recently took a meyers brigg test and found out I m ENFP. Last week i was going through old boxes of my (deceased) sister's stuff and found that she had a book on this and i had taken the test about 25 years ago! At that time I was an ENTP E=extrovert N= Intuitive F= Feeling; T= Thinking P=perceptive I decided to google the difference between the two - and it was interesting because in my youth I was much more of a "fighter" which totally fits this summary. http://www.preludecharacteranalysis.com/types/ENFP/vs/ENTP I also recognized how well suited I was to my career decades ago, and why these days I have a very difficult time staying focused on it. I am no…

What if I looked at the scale this morning and it said I was at my goal weight? What if it was real, and all my excess weight was gone? How would I spend my day? Would I eat well? Would I exercise happily? Would I congratulate my fabulous self and walk around with a big grin? Would I put myself "out there" more and participate in new things? Today I am acting as if I am at my goal weight. Where the mind goes, the body will follow. Who's with me?

I'm unsure of the nuances of all this, yet it seems like a genuine effort to promote a healthy respect for one's self-image http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/17/woman-removes-clothes-piccadilly-circus-body-image_n_7997302.html?icid=maing-grid7|uk|dl7|sec3_lnk5%26pLid%3D373605

The scale that I use is a talking scale that announces my weight. I don't care for that feature but this was the only scale I could find at the time that supported my ample proportions. Over all, it works fine. But I dread the point where my weight locks in and it begins to mockingly announce my weight to the world. My house is a cookie cutter house with hollow core doors that amplify all sound. So if I am unable to step off the scale before it starts talking, there is no way to stop it once it starts talking. At that point, I just want to crawl into a hole and die. I don't know why all scales for me are talking. Do they think fat people can't read? WTF? So a f…

So, many of you know about my husband's cancer situation, so I won't bore you with the details of that. I am having a party for him, prior to his surgery, so folks who know and love him can come and visit, party, just have a good time. I have asked a couple of folks to hold a healing prayer for him during the party. THIS is my dilemma: The two I asked, independently, both e-mailed back, saying they were honored to do this for him. This was a couple of weeks ago. Wednesday they called him to meet with them, and then told him they wouldn't do the prayer, because it would be "a spectacle". Yes, a "SPECTACLE". Dave was in the middle of his 3-day chemo treatment at the time,…

Hello, I started a relationship with a guy back in 2004. We were young and in love! Well the past three years took a nose dive we had a blissful seven years that I will eternally cherish. The last three years were a hazy mess. We both have Bipolar. His anxiety got so bad and so did his obsessing over the relationship and his different phobias took place. I haven't really seen him in the past three years, I tried to stick it out hoping he would get better. Then tonight it came down like a Hurricane! He told me if I left his life he could get better. As harsh as it was hearing it I realized I needed to walk away for good. So we split amicably! I really feel alone I …

<---- What do you want to be? Kate

You are physically healthy." I heard this statement (my paraphrase ) on a amazon prime show called Enlightened and it gave me much much food for thought. Those of you who know me might guess I have much to say on this as I am truly transformed by massive weight loss...but I am very interested in your thoughts! . .. did you need to regain a degree of physical health before the emotional?

Hello all, So the hospital where i had my surgery is having a transformations Night coming up in October. Now this is evidently a banquet slash event thing where past WLS patients are invited and if you accept you go up on stage, they show your before pics and you are the after pic. You get up talk about your journey etc, and there is giveaways and healthy Snacks or something to that effect. Has anyone else had their practice or hospital do this kind of thing? and did you go, did you enjoy it etc. I have accepted as I really want to spread the word where I can, kind of thing. I guess they have invited several potential WLS patients to come and hear us as well. …

Does anyone use the chat room? I see it yet when I go in I am the only one there. Is it only available during certain hours? I didn't see it last night.

Love me some Pinterest! There are so many good ideas on up-cycling/repurposing old clothing. I'm definately a beginner sewer but think I can manage to make a few throw pillows, skirts, dresses, and hand bags out of some of my clothes that no longer fit me or never wear. It would be so fun to make a dress out of an old shirt;) I have 2 large trash bags full of clothes and my surgery isn't til Aug 24. I would love to hear for anyone who's done this with old clothing and see pics too. Pinterest is also great for recipes and wl motivation as well as many other things!

I thought it might be fun to start a thread off topic a bit. After all we do thing of other think than our WLS. We did this in a different forum and it gets pretty humorous at times! So feel free to post a question or random thought, or just add to or answer someone else's question or random thought.

Well folks, it's not good news. My husband, Dave, has stage 4 colon cancer. It has been a very rough day. They will not remove the tumor until chemo has settled the rest of the cancer down, then they will consider removing the tumor. We are in total shock, obviously. Now the real work begins. The praying never stops. The true love of friends is revealed, and peace WILL fall over us all. We thank ALL of you for your prayers and kindly thoughts, for being there. Now I MUST dig inside and find enough strength to help him through this, to carry him as he has carried me through all the hard times that have come before. Right now it seems things are about to get crazy, so I…

And would you give the same answer about your own child? (In Linda Richman's voice:) "Discuss amongst yourselves."

...about your loose skin and/or your partner's. Does it inhibit your sexy time? Do you care?

I had a laminectomy in Nov. for sciatica and it made things about 100% worse. I had left leg pain but nothing like I have now. I had another MRI done and everything is worse and I'm now seeing a neurosurgeon instead of an orthopedic surgeon. He has me scheduled for a fusion, and said something about putting a cage in there, and cadaver bone. I just called again ( my surgeon is 2 hrs away) and said I was confused about what is going to be done. His PA said she would send me a booklet about the surgery, Did you have this done or do you know anyone who has had this done? How successful is it and how long of a recovery is it?

If anyone has a fitness or weightloss IG can we follow each other? I'm @blueeyedfitgirl or www.instagram.com/blueeyedfitgirl

Hi everyone, my very talented husband has written and illustrated a children's picture book which addresses the very serious topic of bullying in a colourful, humorous way. The main character, Square Peg, doesn't fit in her round world at all, and is excluded by her peers. Rather than play the victim, she uses her most powerful tool available to her - her resilience - to great success. We are trying to get this book published through Kickstarter - so are seeking preorders of the book to fund the printing. Please check out the link and support our project if you can - we believe this is a very worthwhile issue to be writing about and would love to get it out there in…

I'm trying to lose weight up to 85 kg, now my weight is 123 kg I bought a treadmill on bestshop-usa.com, follow a diet, reduce a portion of food, refused to sweet, fatty, fried, try to do morning and evening exercises. Hope all this will help me And how do you lose weight?