Zavtra

If you get delayed and sent for additional screening, just consider it a form of flattery.

Good luck! You're going to love the journey and results!

Thanks everybody! I hope this helps motivate someone out there!

I am less than 3 months post-op and I can't even begin to explain how this surgery has already transformed my life! Thank you to everyone who's posts have motivated me and kept me on track. I've been sticking to an under 1000 calorie diet per my surgeon's recommendation and it has really paid off. MyFitnessPal.com has been the best tool ever and the Endomondo App has motivated me to keep exercising! I feel GREAT!!!!! Good luck everyone!!! We took photos at work today and this was the first photograph of me since the surgery. It was the first time seeing myself in a photo and I about fell on the floor. I don't recognize myself!

Absolutely GORGEOUS!!! Congratulations!!!

I just started walking and bike riding last week (4 weeks out) and it feels great to finally be active again. A friend turned me on to the smart phone app "ENDOMONDO" and it's been a lot of fun tracking my exercise and seeing a map of my routes. It's free and the GPS works great. Using this app in conjunction with "MyFitnessPal" has really motivated me and I'm seeing changes in my body every day! I was at about 700 calories per day, but I've increased it to 1000 since exercising. So far, so good!

I like this quote from MyFitnessPal.com: "Taking your measurements can be an even better gauge of your progress because when you burn fat and build heavier muscle, your weight may not change or even increase even though your body is tighter and smaller. We suggest taking your measurements every 2-4 weeks." That's what frustrates me about the weight-only focus of the show Biggest Loser. These people are busting their butts, but sometimes only showing a small loss, or even a gain. Then they get treated like total failures, even though so many other positive things may be going on with their bodies. That under 200 mark will be exciting! I can't wait til I get there!

It's amazing how different everbody's experience is. For me: Did have to do a 14 day pre-surgery liquid diet. (Lost 12 lbs) No NG tube. No drain tube. No leak test. At least not after the surgery. No blood thinner injections. Did have a catheter, which I didn't expect. Took it out immediately, though. Pain contolled by Morphine drip, which I pressed about 7 times in 2 days. Walking about 2 hours after waking from surgery. Difficult and painful to get in and out of hospital bed, but did it unassisted after the first time. HUGE bottle of liquid Acetominophin/Hydrocodone taken when needed at home controlled any discomfort. Rolling off the couch was the only time I really experienced any "pain". Sneezing hurt quite a bit. Went back to work wearing a 20 lb gun belt at 11 days with zero pain. (Would not recommend this to anyone and would not do it again! I was exhausted!) Anyway, it is obvious that everyone is going to have a different experience based on their body type and surgical procedures used. This blog topic is great and I wish I had been reading this forum prior to surgery in order to ask my surgeon a billion-and-one questions. I went in knowing next to nothing and was apparently lucky not to have experienced what so many say they have. I would NOT have been happy if I woke up with tubes coming out of every part of my body and not have been told beforehand! Good luck to everyone!

I am a law enforcement officer and went back to work with full 20 lb gun belt 11 days out. Fortunately, I'm a supervisor in an low intensity environment and the risk of altercations is very low. The doctor did approve me for light duty and except for a lot of walking, I complied. I don't know if I would recommend this to anyone out there! I'm exhausted! Take as much time off as you can afford to take and learn all you can about your new diet! However, I must say that I would have been bored to death if I had stayed home for much longer than 2 weeks. I had lost nearly 30 lbs since my pre-op diet and the look on my co-workers' faces was priceless when they saw me for the first time. In just 3 weeks I had gone from an XXL shirt to XL and size 42 waist to 40! I also went down 3 notches on my gun belt and that felt amazing! I have to order a new one, and soon! Good luck everybody!

Thumbs up for the recliner! Got mine on Thursday and wish I had it two weeks ago, right after my surgery. Rolling off the couch is no fun. BTW, why are hospital beds 10 feet off the ground?

Congratulations! I never thought I would so excited about starting a "Full" liquid protein diet! Goodbye broth and hello strained cream soup! YUM! :biggrin2: