SKCUNNINGHAM

I have kind of a skewed perspective on the sleeve for my long term health. My family has an abismal record of heart problems - and my doctor told me that if I didn't do some about the excess (125) extra pounds I was carrying around, it was not a matter of IF I would have a heart attack, but WHEN. So, if the sleeve gives me 5 to 10 years of thin healthier living - great! If I end up with bad reflux - I can deal with it. I will have lived to retire and spend some quality relaxation time with my husband. I will have lived to watch my grandchildren grow up from the baby / toddler stage to people that might remember me. I think every day I live thinner and healthier with the sleeve is a day I might otherwise not lived to enjoy.

I did the best on Isopure PLUS - the 8 oz bottles that have 15 grams of Protein. It is like Water in consistency - not thick at all. And, it is not strongly fruity tasting like some of the others. You might try this and just use it as your Fluid instead of water. Or, mix it half and half with water and try it that way. The chicken Soup protein made me gag - although I drank regular chicken broth OK.

When I was having similar feelings I did some research, and posted on this site. From what I found out, as you are losing weight, the fat cells that are going release their stores - including their stored estrogen. So you are I had a bunch of estrogen dumped into our bloodstreams all at once. Lose a bunch of weight - get a sudden dump of estrogen. It is like being a hormonal teen or a pregnant women with raging hormones. I was varying back and forth from being weepy to being really angry. As my weight loss has slowed its rate (~3 pounds per week) the problem has lessened for me. I hope this helps. Sharon

This weekend is full of NSV's for me. Yesterday morning I was rushing around getting ready for my 8 am Zumba class - I totally FORGOT to drink my usual Breakfast Protein Drink before I went! Never in my life have I forgotten to eat. I occasionally chose to skip a meal when I was sick - but never just FORGOT. My body reminded me sharply half-way through Zumba when I got a little dizzy / faint feeling. I realized I must be HUNGRY! I sat down for a couple of songs, drank some Water then fininshed class - went home and ate breakfast. What a wierd thing to happen - FORGOT TO EAT! This morning the scale moved and I finally have a BMI of 29.9. I am NO LONGER OBESE - just OVERWEIGHT! Been a long time for this. Now to keep losing until I get to the NORMAL stage!

I keep a recyclable grocery bag behind my drivers seat and gather my empty water bottles from the car in it. Then, when I pass by my grocery store that recycles plastic bottles, I deposit them their.

Your mother is probably worried about you having complications and dying. The text below is from an answer I gave to another person on this site about chances of dying: If you go to www.surgery.com, it will tell you the following (I got this from typing "deaths from sleeve gastrectomy" into my search engine) The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery lists the complication rate in vertical sleeve gastrectomy to be relatively low, even among patients considered to be at high risk. Cumulatively the overall mortality (death) from vertical sleeve gastrectomy is 0.39 percent—lower than with traditional bariatric surgeries. (last updated 11/24/2009) From an article on www.gastricbypassfacts.com, here is a extract from "How Does the Sleeve Gastrectomy Work?" The risks and complications of the sleeve gastrectomy:As with all forms of weight loss surgery, the vertical gastrectomy does carry risk and these will clearly vary from one patient to the next and must be discussed with your physician. Complications might include: Gastric leakage and fistula 1.0% Deep vein thrombosis 0.5% Non-fatal pulmonary embolus 0.5% Post-operative bleeding 0.5% Splenectomy 0.5% Acute respiratory distress 0.25% Pneumonia 0.2% Death 0.25% http://healthengine.com.au/article/sleeve-gastrectomy.html This article quotes " The mortality rate in gastric sleeve is 1:500 and it lies between the gastric band, which is the safest, and the laparoscopic gastric bypass, which carries the highest risk." So the first source says 3.9 patients out of 1000, the second source says 2.5 patients out of 1000 and the third says 2 out of 1000. So I would feel comfortable (based on these 3 sources) saying the death rate is somewhere between 2 and 4 per 1000. If you are considering a surgeon, ask how many procedures he/she has performed in a year, and how many he/she has performed in total. Then ask the same two questions about patients that died. This will give you an idea where your surgeon is versus the norms. If you are just in the considering Sleeve / Doing Research phase of your journey - your Mom has quite a bit of time to get on board with the idea. It could take you 6-9 months to get approved and scheduled - depending on your insurance. If you are self pay - you can get it done really soon. Until I had a scheduled date of surgery and had to tell my employers I needed time off, I would not tell anyone at my office or my husband's. A good thing your husband could say to his employers when asking for time off is that his wife is having surgery to fix "plumbing problems and correct a hernia". That is enough to stop most men from asking anything else.

OK, I'm an idiot - what is the 30 30 30 rule?

I have lost 74 pounds so far and now fit into most 14's (down from a 24W). I have no butt, smaller hips and still have a larger waist and dough-boy belly. ( I am pretty much straight up and down from waist to hips with a small spare tire between.) So getting jeans that fit my waist and don't swamp my butt and hips is a challenge. I have found two different jeans brand that I really like - one is NOT YOUR DAUGHTERS JEANS. These have strong support to hold in the belly and to lift your butt. It actually puts mine back to where it used to be (miracle of miracles). I by mine from ebay - I don't know what stores carry them. Also - Levis make a line of jeans that come in three shapes - depending on how big your butt is compared to your waist. Slight Curve (really slight in my case) fits me. There are also two more for you more curvy ladies. If you have a bodacious booty compared to your smaller waist, they can fit you. The jeans come in different colors and washes, and in assorted styles from skinny (not me) to regular to boot cut. I ordered mine from the Levis website (I hate to run around and shop). Has anyone else found a type of jeans that really fits you? I am not satisfied with the mom jeans look any more. I am not trying to look like a teenager, but I want my clothes to fit. And, I don't want to spend a lot of money, because I am still 45 pounds from goal.

I loved the Isopure PLUS and hated the regular ISOPURE. ISOPURE PLUS comes in two lightly flavored choices, grape frost and punch. Sort of like if you mixed half a tube of crystal light into a bottle of Water. I ordered a case of each from Amazon (I live in the middle of nowhere) Each 8 oz bottle has 15 grams of Protein. I also got the concentrated broth in a jar - sort of a paste consistency - tastes much better than boullion cubes. I got beef, veggie and chicken. And, I seasoned the chicken with soy sauce. I used a lot of SF popsicles, and Propel water. It is also lightly flavored. I have an assortment of crystal light tubes. Also, have a heating pad and an abdomen support belt. I wore my abdomen support 7 X 24 for 2 weeks after surgery once I got home. Made things much easier. I also have things that look like long (24") tube socks sewn closed on each end. They are filled with rice grains or buckwheat grains. You can heat them in the micro and they stay warm forever. I would tuck them next to my side where the incision was where they pulled the stomach out of (it was the sorest). I took a pair of comfortable long pajamas to the hospital, extra underwear, fuzzy socks for my (always cold) feet, slippers, body moisturizer, cuticle cream (might as well cream your cuticles if you are just laying there), antiseptic wipes, my own pillow, carmax lip balm and a favorite perfume (to improve my mood). Also, my IPOD, a couple of magazines and a pad of paper and a pen. Leave your jewelry at home. And, I wish I had had a front close soft bra (to wear under my pj top while walking the halls). Good luck.

Are you journaling your food? If not, I would start there - to make sure you are ingesting more on a daily basis than you think you are. Is your salt intake higher than normal?

My doc and nutritionist were way more concerned that I get in sufficient fluids to keep hydrated rather than worry about if I was getting in 60 grams of Protein. I tried to get in that much protein by drinking Protein drinks - but I don't think I got much higher than 40 something grams in on any given day. I had the best luck with Isopure PLUS - 8 oz bottles of lightly flavored drinks (think crystal lite with protein). Each 8 oz bottle has 15 grams of protein. I ordered mine from Amazon.com. I recommend you journal what you are eating and drinking - so you ensure you know how many ounces of Fluid you are successfully getting in your system. Good Luck!

I love to try on clothes that WERE too small and now fit me or are TOO BIG. I kept a belt that used to fit - I love putting it on now. I keep an excel log and chart of my weight, and I keep a log in excel of my measurements. I measure myself on the first of each month and take a picture. I get lots of satisfaction and can chase away the "I'm not doing good enough!" blues by studying this information and the pictures. I also envision things that weigh as much as I have lost. I have lost 73 pounds so far. That is almost 2 40 pound sacks of dog food. Pick up a 40 pound sack of dog foog (or put it in a backpack) and walk around with it for a while - see how much worse you feel walking around with it than you do walking around without it. I have a cleaning lady that weighs 93 pounds. We have a deal - when I reach a 93 pound loss, I am giving her a piggy back ride! I have a freezer that has quite a bit of meat in it. Each package has the weight written on it. I piled enough packages of meet on my bar to equal the amount of weight I have lost. (before you wonder why I have this much meat on hand, we bought a side of beef). If you don't have this much on hand at home, go to the grocery store and stack up that much meat in your cart. Look at it, think about how much that it is - the space it takes up in the cart - how much better it is to walk around without the burden of it. Then, just put it back in the shelf (wouldn't it be great if it was that easy to get rid of the extra pounds on our bodies?) I also try to realize I can physically do things now that I couldn't easily do before. Shaving my legs is SO MUCH easier. Tying my shoes! Bending over and touching the floor! I am taking Zumba! I DIDN"T NEED THE SEAT BELT EXTENDER THE LAST TIME I FLEW! I'm sure all of us have a list like this. These are great ways to recognize how far we have come.

Suzanna - you are an outstanding writer. I don't know what you do for a career, I hope it includes something that allows you to write. The world needs more people who can re-create an experience so viviidly, their readers wipe tears of laughter from their eyes. Your attitude is wonderful - I think that will really serve you well on this life change you have signed up for. Best wishes as you progress with your sleeve and your weight loss journey. If there is anything I can do to help you - I would be happy to. PS. If you happen to be a published writer - I want to know! You have a new fan.

I have a Nectar container of very high quality protein in a lemon tea flavor that I never used. I thought I would be drinking protein much longer than I have and never needed it. I will mail it to you if you would like it. Look on the UJURY site an see what I'm talking about. Let me know - send me a message. I only use protein drinks for breakfast and prefer chocolate, vanilla or fuzzy navel flavors (I use the nectar powder or the EAS pre-mixed.) I also like the ISOPURE PLUS pre-mixed and keep them on hand - both the punch and the grape frost flavor.

Right now, I count everything - total calories, and grams of protein, carbs (all of them) and fat. I have lost 73 pounds since I started the pre-surgery diet so I am going to stick with what I'm doing until my body puts me into a major stall. I have had a couple of small stalls, but it was related to being plugged up like a stopped-up drain. I am anemic and have been on a double dose of an iron supplement, and eating red meat often. I will be glad when my iron level gets into the normal range.

I used Dr. Nick Nicholson in Plano. He is the head of the bariatric center at Baylor Plano, and is also associated with the Forest Park Medical Center in Dallas. He does surgeries at both places. I was employed by four different businesses in 2010 while I was on my quest to get certified by WLS (sold twice, layed off once). Dr. Nick was considered a "CENTER OF EXCELLENCE" provider by all of the insurance plans I was working with. My surgery was as Forest Park. I can't say enough positive things about Dr Nick, his staff, or the people and facilities at Forest Park. Dr. Nick does regular information sessions about WLS, you may want to go give him a listen. He doesn't do a strong sales pitch - just lays out information and lets you make your decision.

You look awsome! Congratulations on your fantastic results!

I guess it depends on how many sizes you have on hand in your closet. I have been "shrinking through my closet" since my sleeve on 2/22. But I found I had some gaps - items I needed that I didn't have in a size (guess I gave the items away in the past). When I had a gap - I bought clothes. I also live in the middle of nowhere - and it is WAY TO EASY to shop online. When I do buy an item, I look at the style to see if it is going to be easy to take in a size when I shrink out of its original size - that way I get more good out of the item I purchased. I also have bought some of the Chico brand Travelers garments - because of their fabric and the way they are made - I can wear them a long time (a stretchy knit fabric). If you have trouble judging what size you are now - go by your measurements - waist, hips and bust. Check the store you are going to shop at, go to their website first, and look at their size guidelines. Find out the size you think you should be, then when you go to their store, try on that size first. Also try on the next smaller size, because unless you need to wear it right now, you will fit the next smaller size SOON. When underwear or bras get too big, I throw them out. I can't stand baggy undies. I have gone to wearing the bra from the informercials (genie bra) because it shrinks with me. I am not an overly endowed woman and they work great for me.

Tex - if your wife would like to talk to someone who has been recently sleeved, I would be happy to visit with her. I was sleeved on 2/22 by Dr. Nicholson at the Forest Park Medical Center. This is the best decision I ever made for my health. In 41/2 months I have lost 70 pounds, have gotten rid of my sleep apnea and my high cholesterol, and am off of 3/4 of my blood pressure meds. I work in Lewisville, TX. If you or she wants to contact me, send me a message and I will give you my contact information.

Hello. My surgeon was Dr. Nicholson from Plano Texas. Dr. Nick is head of the Bariatric Center at Baylor Medical in Plano. I had surgery at Forest Park Medical Center at Dallas, Texas. Dr. Nick does his surgeries either at the Baylor Plano facility or at Forest Park. Dr. Nick is a patient, caring surgeon that took as much time as I needed to talk to me about my surgery. Dr. Nicholson was a Center of Excellence provider for all three insurance plans I was on prior to getting the surgery approved (long story). The Forest Park facility is state of the art. They specialize in bariatric patients and surgeries.

I wore my loosest drawstring PJ pants and the button up PJ shirt (short sleeved) that matched. This is what I went home in. I only spent one night at the hospital. When I got home, I went to bed, and was already dressed appropriately.

You look gorgeous! I really appreciate you putting the pictures up so we could see you shrink with the passage of time. Would you mind me asking you a couple of questions? What is your most favorite thing about being the size you are now, versus the size you started with? What has been your biggest surprise along your weightloss journey? Thanks Sharon

My dietician says there is no point to try to get more than 20-25 grams of protein in at once - your body won't absorb it. If I get any kind of prepared protein drink than has more than 25 grams of protein, I split it and save the rest in the fridge for later (or pour it out).

If you go to www.surgery.com, it will tell you the following (I got this from typing "deaths from sleeve gastrectomy" into my search engine) The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery lists the complication rate in vertical sleeve gastrectomy to be relatively low, even among patients considered to be at high risk. Cumulatively the overall mortality (death) from vertical sleeve gastrectomy is 0.39 percent—lower than with traditional bariatric surgeries. (last updated 11/24/2009) From an article on www.gastricbypassfacts.com, here is a extract from "How Does the Sleeve Gastrectomy Work?" The risks and complications of the sleeve gastrectomy:As with all forms of weight loss surgery, the vertical gastrectomy does carry risk and these will clearly vary from one patient to the next and must be discussed with your physician. Complications might include: Gastric leakage and fistula 1.0% Deep vein thrombosis 0.5% Non-fatal pulmonary embolus 0.5% Post-operative bleeding 0.5% Splenectomy 0.5% Acute respiratory distress 0.25% Pneumonia 0.2% Death 0.25% http://healthengine.com.au/article/sleeve-gastrectomy.html This article quotes " The mortality rate in gastric sleeve is 1:500 and it lies between the gastric band, which is the safest, and the laparoscopic gastric bypass, which carries the highest risk." So the first source says 3.9 patients out of 1000, the second source says 2.5 patients out of 1000 and the third says 2 out of 1000. So I would feel comfortable (based on these 3 sources) saying the death rate is somewhere between 2 and 4 per 1000. If you are considering a surgeon, ask how many procedures he/she has performed in a year, and how many he/she has performed in total. Then ask the same two questions about patients that died. This will give you an idea where your surgeon is versus the norms.

I noticed that, too. How do you eat the greek yogurt? I put it into smoothies (the plain or the honey flavored) and I used it in baking a cake for family (instead of sour cream). I don't like to eat it straight - like I do the activia brand vanilla - I just haven't gotten used to the stronger flavor.