LindaS

I drink a lot when working out, but I am several months post-op. Early on, I really struggled drinking water -- especially plain water. I found that flavored water was easier. You might want to try something like Sobe water or Propel. Both have flavors that are zero-calorie options.

Check with your surgeon. The cost of my surgery included all of my regular follow-up appointments as well as additional appointments with a nutritionist and physical trainer. I was amazed at everything included in the price. I don't even have to pay my co-pays when I go because I have a credit on my account that covers those as well.

I turned 40 just 10 days after my surgery. I have four kids and birthdays are a big deal to them. I didn't want my surgery to change what they were used to, so I went out and bought two small birthday cakes (one was an assortment of cheesecakes). The cakes were for my family although I did put candles on the cakes and posed with them. For me, my daughter made me Jello. That is what I ate on my birthday. It was wonderful. The big thing for me was at that time, my family was really feeling guilty eating in front of me. I was on a liquid diet, and they felt weird eating when I couldn't. I didn't want them to worry about me, and I knew no one was going to buy a cake unless I did. I felt it was really important that my family still have the traditions we've always had despite my surgery. I wasn't even tempted to eat cake. The Jello was perfect. I have told people about my surgery, so it might be different if you haven't. I had a low-key birthday at home, and I enjoyed it. A month later, hubby and I celebrated our anniversary. It was right around the time I was able to finally start eating real food. We did go out to dinner, and I ate a tiny bit of my meal and took the rest home. I focused on being with him instead of the food, and we had a great time. My advice: focus on the people and enjoy your time with them.

What an awesome NSV! I know how big of a deal this is. When I was a kid, I always wanted to eat at Big Boy because they had comics and crayons for kids. I loved that, but our local Big Boy only had booths, so my dad couldn't eat there. He was over 400 pounds. I never realized he couldn't sit in a booth until one day I was really begging to eat at Big Boy, and he had to explain why we couldn't. Booths are evil. Does anyone else watch MIke and Molly? The other day's episode had Mike, Molly and one other heavy person sitting at a booth in the diner. I missed the dialogue because I just couldn't get over the fact that they were sitting in a booth. The show gets so many things right about being overweight, and it threw me off to realize they were sitting in a booth.

This isn't a small NSV. Very cool that you were able to go out and enjoy a meal and work your sleeve. I clearly remember when I was finally able to eat REAL food again.

I love that you took a picture of your yogurt! That's awesome that you are recording these moments because these victories are so worth celebrating! Good job, and I am excited that the sleeve is working for you, and I look forward to a lot more Wow moments from you!

Congrats!

What awesome work! Congratulations on your success and what an inspiration for me to get to my workouts more frequently. I totally agree -- your results aren't just due to the surgery. You have put forth the hard work, and your effort is clearly evident.

Going into a bathroom stall and having room to move around is probably one of my favorite NSVs. It used to be hard to even close the door on some of the smaller stalls. Congrats on all of your NSVs, Dooter!

Popcorn. I love it.

I read blogs by many of them. I love the information and encouragement and motivation that I get from them. Are you talking about this Holly: http://www.300poundsdown.com/ I love her blog. If it's another Holly, could you share the URL for that one too?

Congratulations on making it to normal! It is great hearing that even with slow loss, we can get there.

I can eat regularly, but it is hard to find something to eat on the run. For that, I prefer Protein drinks. It is my "fast food" of choice. If I haven't eaten, I can stop at a gas station and buy a cold one. On days when my protein intake is down, protein drinks are also a quick low calorie way to get back on track.

I've told everyone, and I haven't tried to hide it. I am happy with my decision. When I first told people, I was told frequently that I wasn't heavy enough. I was, and I was worried I would become heavier. My husband was worried about the surgery, and he said I didn't have to do it. He also says he has noticed that I'm happier and more active since the surgery. The first time someone who didn't know about my WLS commented on my weight loss, I immediately mentioned I had WLS. But I realize it wasn't just the WLS that has caused the weight loss. I work out too, so now I mention my exercising routines and my wls.

I had to meet with a nutritionist before my surgery in a small class. There were three patients. In that same day, I also talked to a physical therapist and a nurse from the surgery floor who told us what to expect there. The nurse was really good about making sure we knew to be proactive with pain management. In the hospital before I was released, the nutritionist came in to talk to me briefly. She just went over my diet again and made sure I had what I needed available. This is when she told me what I'd need to eat for my daily Protein intake. For me, I have to eat 70 grams of protein a day. About a month later, I had another class with the nutritionist. This time, it was a large class of about 20 people. She went over all the potion sizes and food labels and what we should and shouldn't eat. My surgery costs included two more visits with the nutritionist, and those would be one-on-one and can happen when I feel I need them. There is no expiration date. So if I'm struggling with an issue, she could help me.

I was in for two nights which is standard for my doctor. The second day was pretty boring. The leak test was the third day, and I could go home after that. I felt good the second day. I had some gas, but I walked and it helped. I quit taking pain meds before the first night. The biggest complaint for me during the hospital stay? That I didn't sleep well because the nurses kept coming in. :-) By the time I went home, I was tired.

In meetings and classes with the nutritionist, I learned about food labels and how to read them, the dangers of sugar alcohols, what a serving is and about my new diet. The first meeting covered the pre-op and immediately following surgery. Later meetings covered how my diet changed. It was good info. I had a sleep study. I had to arrive around 9 p.m. I was taken to a room that looked like a bedroom rather than a hospital room. It also had its own bathroom. I changed into pajamas, and the tech came in and started getting all of the wires ready. There was a camera and an intercom system in the room. That stuff isn't turned on until you go to sleep, but I still changed in the bathroom. I sat in a chair and watched TV while all of the wires and things were hooked up. It took more than a half hour, and there were a LOT of wires. I had some kind of belt thing strapped just under my breasts, and there was a way that they routed the wires that kept them out of the way as possible, which is a feat. Did I mention there were a LOT of wires? There were even wires in my hair. I remember the tedch told me that the night's sleep would generate over 1,000 pages of data that needed to be analyzed. I had to get X amount hours of sleep for the study to work. I don't recall the exact time, but I think it was like 6 hours. When I was all wired up, I was free to spend the evening in the room watching TV or reading. The camera was off. When I was ready to go to sleep, I let the tech know. At that point, the tech came in and did some last minute stuff including putting a heart monitor on my finger that has a little red light on it. The tech left the room, I shut off the lights and in a few minutes the tech was talking to me over the intercom, and the camera started filming. I was able to sleep somehow, but I woke up A LOT. Every time I moved and that little red light flashed in front of my eyes, I'd wake up a bit. I was woken up at 6 a.m. I had the option of getting dressed and just going home or showering first. I live more than an hour away, so I opted to shower first. The tech warned me that the stuff used to keep the leads in your hair would be difficult to wash out. The tech wasn't exaggerating. I tried very hard that morning to wash it all out, and I didn't get it all. I took another shower when I arrived home, and if I remember right there was still some in my hair the next day when I took my third shower. I had very thick long hair and the stuff they use has sticking power. I did snap a picture of me with most of the wires on. It isn't a photo I'd share with anyone. Before going to bed, the tech did tell me that if a problem was detected that I'd be fitted with a cpap that night to try out. I didn't have any sleep problems, so I didn't experience that part of the study. Again, it is a lot of wires, but they do a really good job routing them in a way to keep them secure and out of your way as much as they possibly can. I move around a lot when I sleep and no wires came undone. The most annoying thing to me was that little red light on my finger. Apparently my hand goes in front of my face quite a lot when I sleep, and it wasn't fun having a shining red light on my finger when that happened. All in all, the experience was painless and even pleasant. It was also pretty interesting to see how many wires it took.

I stopped buying when I decided to have the surgery. I was in a size 20, and I only had 20s and 18s in pants. It wasn't long before I needed to shop at second-hand stores to supplement. I've gone through two complete wardrobes since then. I didn't start buying retail until my shirts reached size large. I figured even if I get smaller, I can wear large. When I do buy retail, I buy on sale. Sometimes the prices are even cheaper than you can find at places like Goodwill. Target, Meijers and TJ Maxx are some of my favorite places to shop for deals. I liked JC Penney too, but they just changed how they price stuff. I've only been there once since then, and the prices seemed good.

I got braces three months after I was sleeved. My front six braces on the top are clear ceramic, but the rest are metal. I cannot believe how painful it can be. I am very thankful that my sleeve helps me stay satisfied with a liquid diet right after my appointments. Congrats on the Invisalign! And here's to skinny bods and straight teeth!

kkimm, it is never too late to get those measurements. Measure now, and you will see progress. I measured myself in the following locations: calves, thighs, hips, waist, bustline, upper arms and neck. I also measured my "butt/hips," which is my widest area. I wrote it down on a small notebook that I keep in my underwear drawer. I update it about every month or so. I then keep track of the inches I've lost overall.

I bought the XBox game of Zumba, and I do that at home. I also go to a group Zumba that is twice a week in the evenings. It is a bit of a drive for me, so I know what you mean about not wanting to give up time with hubby to go workout. I haven't bought the DVDs yet, but I am looking into it.

I would rate my surgery a 10. I have lost almost 70 pounds in six months time. I feel so much better about myself, and I have so much more energy. I am happier because I feel better. I haven't had any problems, and I love that I don't get hungry and am able to be satisified with small portions of food. Best of all, I am so happy that the symptoms for my ankle have disappeared. I have severe arthritis, and before surgery my ankle throbbed and ached and swelled. It limited my physical activity. Losing weight has allowed me to quit taking meds for my ankle. I no longer have to limit my physical activity. I was limping quite a bit, especially in the morning. I limp less now. I have always limped for the first step or two since I injured my ankle. When I was heavier, I limped for a much longer time. Now I am back to just the first step or two when I first wake up.

I hope you heard from your doctor's office by now. This isn't normal. And it can lead to dehydration quickly. I am hoping you start feeling better soon. Please make sure to contact your doctor. Keep calling. I wouldn't wait.

My doctor mentioned I needed to increase my Fluid intake. He said that I can't burn calories if I'm dehydrated. I was getting less than 40 ounces on some days and rarely even close to the recommended 64 ounces, and some of that was probably coffee which doesn't really count. For the last two days, I've drank over 60 ounces of fluid, and I've lost a pound each day. Linda

I like bald guys! :-) Full disclosure: my husband shaves his head, and I think Sean Connery is sexy. LOL