TwoStepsBack

Oh my goodness! What a transformation. Amazing! xxx

Haha, thanks all. Funny how we see ourselves isn't it? I still feel about three stone heavier and photos are always a bit of a surprise at how small I actually am now. Nice surprise though! Body dysmorphia or something isn't it? I think my brain hasn't yet caught up to my body. You guys all look amazing! *big claps to everyone and their fantastic losses* xxx

Awwww thanks Swizzly!

My face has changed loads too, I was noticing it the other day when looking through some old photos. I think I look older now :/ I added an extra one for comedy value! Oh and the fascinator was at my newphew's wedding a couple of weeks ago, I don't usually wear Gaga hats! LOL.

I had one of those hideous attacks last night where a stone tries to travel and I had to wait for it to dislodge itself. Took about 15 mins of deep breathing and rocking in a ball on the floor before it eased up and I'm still a bit sore this morning. My poor boyfriend was terrified! I was the one giving the reassurance! Haha. I'll definitely be glad to get rid of my gall bladder. I think it was some pistachio nuts which set it off this time, so I'll be avoiding nuts til after surgery for sure. I'm kinda jealous your surgery in Tuesday, I'm waiting til November for mine Best of luck!!! x

Hi Kelli. I am also due for gall bladder removal, in November. I've heard that it is a breeze, and nowhere near as difficult as the sleeve surgery. Most people leave hospital the next day and recovery is very quick. Good luck for your surgery, I'm sure it'll be fine and you'll feel so much better afterwards! x

Thanks so much for all the encouragement guys. I have been trying to focus on the positive, it is so easy to lose sight of the bigger picture and freak about those few lb. I really think that I had reached breaking point for stress at work and I was just feeling so tired I didn't have the strength to pick myself up and carry on. So I got through four days of the pouch test, but day 5 was a total write off due to my neice's hen party (champagne, strawberries, cake etc etc.) I always knew that was coming up on day 5, but the four days I did do have worked wonders fo me. I feel refocussed, less bloated, less snack driven. I weighed myself this morning and I have lost 5lb So I'm back down to 3lb to goal. If I hadn't indulged yesterday I'm sure that would have been more, but I'm happy. And better yet I've re-evaluated my eating habits, and feel more in charge of what goes in my mouth. It has also helped me prioritise "Protein first" like back at the start of this journey. I kind of feel like the 5 day pouch test has been a bit of a "crutch" for me. Something to help me walk until I am healed enough to start walking on my own again.

Thanks Diva and Coops Made two scrambled eggs to start off day 3 this morning which I could have easily finished before starting the pouch test, and I can't even manage half of it. Definitely more restriction already! xx

Thanks for the responses. My Mum asked me today if I've lost the last 2 lb to goal yet and I started crying! Oh dear! Let's hope this works! End of day 2 and I'm feeling ok I guess. A little light headed and struggling to get in enough Water but otherwise doing alright. Not hungry at all, but I've started getting acid again which I haven't had since about a month out. Also having the whole "liquids in, liquids out" thing! Looking forward to some scrambled egg at Breakfast tomorrow and to see if my tummy has tightened. Made sure I've got some tuna at work ready for lunch tomorrow so I can't be tempted to stray. I think I've kicked the carb cravings now, just looking forward to some solids! 2lb down so far and I feel a lot less bloated. Will keep you updated with my progress.

Thanks guys. Just read back my post and I feel so ashamed of myself right now I'm crying. I think reading my feelings back has made them more real. It's the first time since surgery I've actually felt like I could fail. Please don't get complacent as you near your target weight if you have a tendency to comfort eat, it's absolutely not worth it.

Hey Peeps, I have just started the 5 day pouch test Protein, but I feel like I need more than that to kick my butt back into line. I have always comfort eaten, and I've been really stressed at work lately and I know I've not been eating well. So, I've just finished my day one of liquids and although not snacking was hard it was because I have gotten into bad habits and not because I was actually hungry. I have already realised today that I have no real sensation of hunger anymore whatsoever, which is a relief. It is head hunger which is my demon. I have realised that just because I can only eat in small quantities now does not mean that I can eat whatever I want, whenever I want! That sounds obvious but somewhere pretty deep in my mind I really believed I could get away with it. Wake-up call! xxx

At 6 months my levels were fine too. Not so anymore though. Have found some yeast extract for putting on toast or making into a hot drink, with added B12 and no added salt which I'm going to have regularly and see if that helps. It's like Marmite/Bovril/Vegemite.

Hey All, I had my one year check in with the Surgeon today and there is both good news and bad news.. Bad news is the gallstones (which we already knew about), he wants to get me in to have my gall bladder out asap as the stones are "just the right size to get stuck and cause pancreatitis"... so I should have a surgery date soon. Other bad news is that my Vit B12 is down, so I need to call my GP and arrange to have an injection every 3 months to boost it, and then they'll have to continue to monitor. He said that B12 supplements aren't very efficient and are very expensive, but it might be worth googling some B12 rich foods and trying to get more of those into my diet. I had a look and it seems that liver, shellfish, oily fish, eggs, turkey are the best options. Liver is the ultimate but it has high cholesterol so I've emailed my dietician to ask how often I should be having it. Good news is that I'm now 2lb to goal, and as I'm no longer overweight my gall bladder op is very low risk. Hoorah! Anyone else had success with Vit B12 rich foods, and if so what? Thanks! xx

*Waaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh* *crying like a baby* Thank you. Thank you. :cry_smile:

Morning everyone, I thought you might like to hear my little NSV from Saturday night My Gran's cousin Dawn was over here to visit (we only see her once every couple of years), and since we've only met briefly a couple of times before she didn't know me or my story. We all went out for a big family dinner to Celebrate her trip, and I was sat next to my Dad and opposite Dawn and my Mum with the rest of the family down the table. I can't remember how we got onto the subject but my Dad was egging me on to tell Dawn about my surgery. So I explained about my op, how much I have lost etc and she seemed very interested. I didn't touch on how I feel about it, or the difference it has made to my self esteem etc as I don't know her and felt a bit vulnerable. So my Dad pipes up with "It's brilliant... she is HALF the girl, and TWICE the girl all at once! She wasn't at all happy before, but now she is like a new person." I knew exactly what he meant by "half the girl and twice the girl", and I couldn't have put it better. His words really touched me and I had to go to the bathroom for a little cry (happy tears though!) My Dad is 72 now and has just had knee replacement surgery, so he is a bit frail at the moment. I've been feeling quite keen to get married and start a family etc recently as I know he won't be around forever and I would love him to see that part of my life. I am just so lucky that he got to see me come this far, and I am so so happy that he understands how much this surgery has helped me become who I am today. *sniff sniff* xxxxx

Thanks for the info TIffy I was doing some research yesterday and noted that there may be a link between having your gall bladder removed and developing ulcerative colitis... I suffered from UC for about 5 years when I was a kid, and had to go on steroids for it which is what I believe made me put on so much weight as a child.... this is what I think caused all of my issues with my weight. Somewhere deep down I hold U.C. responsible for all of my teasing at school, obsession with weight loss and following anorexia, then bulimia, then compulsive overeating. My sleeve surgery was the lid on all that, and I wanted to wave goodbye to it forever. The thought that my sleeve surgery may (in a round-about way) result in U.C. seems ironic and brings this whole thing full circle. (in the most awful way) I am definitely concerned! I will be asking my surgeon about it for certain. Rant over, off to work now! xx

Heeeheeee! Now you can buy an even more figure hugging one and look amazing in it xx

Ahhhhhh!!! Now I get it!!! Thanks Sue! x

Thanks for sharing Myrori I too have had some people say I am getting too thin, but I think it is just compared to how I was before! I guess people who don't know we've had the op may think that we may have lost weight due to illness since it is so dramatic. Perhaps I am being dense, but I always see people talking about "NSV"'s on here, and I can't work out what it stands for! Maybe you can clear the mystery for me

Hey all, I'll try and respond to all the questions, but if I forget anyone I'm sorry! Weho: I was not prescribed any mediction to prevent gall bladder issues. Only an antacid and vitamins/calcium. Tiffykins and Jay9mal: Why do we need to avoid fats after surgery, is it because they just go straight through (so to speak!) GreginMI: That is what the radiologist said when he was doing my scan, but I will find out from the surgeon when I have my follow up in a couple of weeks for sure MommyofLDS: Gosh, fingers crossed I don't get that... I eat a lot of dairy post op! Thanks for the warning. And thanks everyone for the good lucks! xx

You poor thing! That must have been so scary for both you and your family. I am so glad that they finally found the problem. I'm also sending positive vibes your way for a super speedy recovery. Look after yourself! xx

Hey Everyone, I posted a couple of weeks ago about my very bad though occasional stomach pains. I had many many people respond saying that it sounded a lot like gallstones or some other issue with my gall bladder and I should get it checked out right away. I went to my GP who referred me to have an ultrasound scan today, which confirmed that I have a number of small gallstones and surgery is going to be necessary. I was also told that my surgeon has started removing the gall bladder at the same time as doing the weight loss surgeries, as it is so common for people to develop this problem after dramatic weight loss. So I want to say a huge thank you to everyone to took the time to respond. I probably would have just written it off as acid or something and not bothered having a scan if it weren't for all of you. I know it isn't a huge deal, but it has hilighted for me just how amazing it is to have the support network of these forums. Don't know what I'd do without you guys! *big love* Lyndsey xxx

Yay, I love it! Wish I could join in but I am not married. LOL. Can't wait to see more pics! xx

Amazing touching story, you're doing so well! Keep it up!!! xxx