Lissa

I think two miles of walking is pretty good at only one month out! Average isn't a fair number for anyone. I've lost nearly 50 pounds in two months, but I weighed WAY more than either of you to start. You can only compare yourself to you. It will make you frustrated and angry with yourself to compare yourself to others. If you feel able to do more exercise, go for it. If you're not able to do more exercise, that's fine, too. The goal is to end up healthy when you're done losing weight. I have pretty severe restrictions on exercise because of health complications and walking is about all I'm allowed to do right now. However, walking has helped me drop weight, regulate my bathroom habits, and made me more comfortable with other types of activity. Walking IS working to tone my legs and butt.

GetInMyBelly, I drink with my chewable vitamins to wash down the last bits of the pills. My Nut said to wait 5 minutes between pills/chewables before taking another one, but I take my meds all in just a few minutes with about 4 oz of water. Then, I brush my teeth and get ready for the day. That usually gives me about half an hour between the pills and breakfast so that I'm not pushing the vitamins through before they get a chance to work.

Free2B, Before surgery, I had a blood clot in my leg that shot two smaller clots into my lungs. Those smaller clots are considered pulmonary embolisms. I took Lovenox injections before and after the first two surgeries I had (filter installed before, then VSG, then filter removed afterwards). The first shot or two is intimidating to take, but it gets easier after that. Did your doc warn you that Lovenox will cause bruising at the injection sites? I had horrible looking bruises, although they did not hurt. Also, usually Coumadin is normally given for three months, then you should be taken off the Coumadin for a few days in order for the doc to do a "D Dimer" blood test. If not clot signs are found in that blood test, then you'll be off the Coumadin, or should be off it. If you smoke, NOW is the time to quit. It aggravates the clotting condition. I'm back on Coumadin, after being off for a few weeks, because I had clot signs in my blood during my last blood test. The doctor tells me I should be off the Coumadin in January (3 months) and I'm hopeful that I will be able to forget taking that medicine very soon. I carry an index card in my wallet that lists my meds (Coumadin and asthma meds) and it resides just behind my WLS card. That way, EMS and an ER doctor would know immediately that they need to give me Vitamin K to increase my clotting factor in case of an accident. Good luck! Oh, and make sure your doc adjusts the amount of Lovenox you are taking to account for your weight loss. Dropping 50 pounds has changed the amount of Lovenox I need to take if I have another procedure done.

I don't order appetizers much because they are often fried or overly spicy for Rex (my tummy). Even mildly spicy seems to upset him, so I avoid peppers and chili-based items. I will order a kids meal or a full meal and take the leftovers home. Many places have a choice of hot dogs, fried chicken fingers or mac n cheese as their kids meal, which aren't too hot for me. I HAVE a card, but no one has ever asked for it. Dennys has been great about allowing me to order senior portions of meals. I love their grilled fish. As for drinks, I usually order an unsweet tea or Water and ask for a to go cup. That way my drink stays cold while I'm waiting to be able to drink after I eat. In "nicer" restaurants, I just order water and drink a few sips before the meal comes to the table. Usually, I order something grilled or broiled, rather than fried, but I admit there are times when a fried chicken leg is just the thing. I know better than to have one every week, but if I'm craving something, I will eat what I'm craving. It often turns out to not be as good as my head told me it would be, especially when I can only eat two or three bites of it. I am avoiding breads, Pasta and other simple carbs like rice and mashed taters, but that's my personal choice. IMO, they take up too much room in my sleeve that I could devote to a good Protein source.

It's true that you will by physically incapable of having a huge pig out on anything after surgery. BUT, your "name" says it all. You are sick and tired of being fat, heavy, obese, whatever term you want to use. You are having or developing health problems and difficulty with walking, exercise, and you're scared that you won't live to see your kids (or grandkids) grow up. You have to decide which you want more: the ability to pig out and get fatter, or the ability to enjoy a smaller amount of your favorite foods while enjoying a longer life. If you choose to go through with the surgery, you'll have a much longer time to enjoy the good life, while still feeling like LIVING it, instead of watching it pass you by. I had health problems that made my final decision easy. I hope you don't have health problems, but you will eventually develop them if you continue to gain weight. You've probably tried every diet out there like most of us, and haven't succeeded with the diet plans. THIS is a wonderful tool to help extend your life expectancy. Good luck, whatever path you choose!

Good luck with everything. Just keep slugging and hopefully, it will all work out so you can have the surgery this year!!!

Try adding more walking to your routine. I found that the more I walked, the easier everything else became. Take 1 sip at a time, let it dribble down your throat, then wait a few minutes before trying again. If you're really worried, call your doctor's office, but I'm betting they'll give you that same advice...drink slower, walk more. I had horrible pain every time I drank for a couple of days, but walking and drinking slower worked for me.

Congrats!!! She is gorgeous!!!! The picture of her sitting up is amazing!!! I'm glad everything went okay and that your family has increased!

I did Phen-Fen way back then, too. I haven't been told about any heart problems, so I guess I lucked out. Of course, I was only on it for 2 months...then my boss, my mother, my brother and the boss' dad sat me down and told me I HAD to quit taking Phen-Fen because I was acting like a lunatic. I didn't even notice at the time, but apparently I was pretty whacked out in my behavior. I've had none of those symptoms with the sleeve!

Your co-worker's mother is probably a lot older than you are...and probably has a whole lot more co-morbidities than you have. As the other ladies have said, there is a horror story for every surgery. I had a friend's dad die from gall bladder surgery, 25 years ago. Methods and knowledge change over the years and the medical professionals get better all the time. If you are comfortable with your surgeon and his/her practice, talk over your fears with them. I didn't like the first surgeon/practice I visited and went looking for another doc immediately. My surgeon is awesome and I met his staff on the first visit...wonderful people! Once you are comfy with the surgeon and practice, it's a lot easier to move forward with surgery if you trust the doc and practice. Have you had the psyche and nutrition appointments yet? Those will help you make your final decision with all the information in place. There is DEFINITELY a head aspect to this surgery and you need to make sure you're mentally and emotionally ready before you do this. Good luck on your journey!!

I think 135 and 5'7" is going to be too skinny. If you look at pics of some of the other sleevers, especially LilMissDiva, they are very thin at much higher weights than you might think. I believe she's 150 to 160 now. (Sorry if I'm overestimating your weight!) Since you're 18, you do have a much better chance of not having lots of loose skin. It also helps that you don't have things like c-section scars to deal with for the long run. I think it's great that you are dealing with the weight issue now! Good luck on your journey!

Peacequeen, I understand your frustration. I was self-pay, so thought the process should have been smooth sailing. That was before the surgeon said he wanted a filter installed, which meant visits to vein doctors, then blood doctors, a neurologist. I finally asked the surgeon if all these doctors were related or had some mob connection that required them to refer every one of their patients to each other so their kids could have paid for college! Good luck on your journey, and don't give up on the phone and in person visits/harrassment of the docs until you get the approval you need. It WILL be worth it. And, tell them that your insurance is getting ready to change (or that you will have to meet a whole new deductible next year) if that is the case.

Congrats and welcome to the loser's bench!!!

babigirl, What you're doing is called a food funeral, but it's totally unnecessary. You WILL be able to eat all the foods you love after surgery. I have always adored biscuits and gravy with eggs mixed into them. I can't eat the quantity I could before surgery, but I ate some at my cousin's house a few weeks ago and they were delicious! One egg and half a biscuit with a little gravy were so good! One side effect for me of the liquid diet is that I'm no longer interested in sweets just for sweets sake. I am also lactose intolerant to milk right now, so I'm not eating ice cream or drinking regular milk. However, there are lots of substitutes to work around that. I'm waiting on red meat, mostly because I've seen that many surgeons advise waiting six months, but I've eaten pork, chicken, shrimp and even a couple of crab legs since being back on solid foods. True, I can't consume what I did before surgery, but who would want to? As for veggies, I can't do many raw veggies right now, but steamed veggies go down well. You will be able to eat anything you want after surgery, once your doctor gives the go-ahead. So, there's no need to eat "blank" one last time. This is a total lifestyle change, but it's one that leaves you able to eat like a normal person instead of having to always label foods "bad" or "good". I'm not afraid to have anything that makes my mouth Water, especially since I know that I WILL be able to say that's enough when I'm full. Despite the fact that I was 352 before surgery, I have always been a picky eater. If I don't like something, it's not going in my mouth. I find that I'm even more picky now since I know that I'll only be able to eat a few bites of anything. I figure that I should be able to eat what I truly want rather than to avoid a food because someone says it's bad. The sleeve also makes it tough for me to eat things that are really bad: most fried foods don't go down well for me...and I'm not into sweets these days. Before VSG, I loved oreos and milk, but what's the point of that if I can't drink the milk? I also can't imagine putting the junk that's between the Cookies in Rex (my sleeve) because just the thought of that stuff makes Rex go "Oh, no way!!!" Good luck to you on your journey!!!

SAGirl, I am two months out. My process was as follows. Feb 2011 - visited Strax Rejuvenation in Ft Lauderhill, FL, but I felt like a person in line at the deli counter. They shuffled me through SO fast that I was scared of them. Mar 2011 - started researching Lap Band online and decided to go for it Mar 15, 2011 - talked to an ER nurse about weight loss surgery and got recommendation for Dr Domkowski April 2011 - went to Dr D's seminar in Sebastian, FL May 30, 2011 - hospitalized for pneumonia, which made me miss my initial consultation on June 4, 2011 June 24, 2011 - hospitalized for blood clots and pulmonary embolism. Told that my life expectancy was less than one year if I don't get weight off in a hurry. July 5, 2011 - consultation with Dr D (decided on VSG instead of lap band) July 8, 2011 - consult with neurologist re: safety of VSG surgery July-August, 2011 - myriad doctor appts for co-morbidities August 27, 2011 - installation of IVC filter Aug 30, 2011 - VSG surgery! YES! (self-pay for surgery, so no insurance approval) Sept 1, 2011 - home from hospital Sept 10, 2011 - removal of IVC filter November 2, 2011 - Net weight loss: 54 pounds. I am able to walk easier, breathe better, and feel like a whole new person already!!! Oh, and I now have a "normal" life expectancy. I'd do the whole process again.

I would take a shower without too many worries. I was allowed to shower when I came home and my incisions were closed with internal stitches, then covered with steri-strips. I also still had a drain bag for 8 days. No issues with showers, did not get infected, didn't split any of the incisions. The hole where the drain bag was is pretty much healed, and it itches some, but that's the worst problem I've had with the incisions. Good luck!!

Sassy, Since you posted about the bath towel, I've been trying to see if mine will fit, too. My "big" towels will, but the little ones aren't there yet. I'm hoping!

I'm 8 weeks out and have had one incident with nausea unrelated to food, but I was going in for outpatient surgery that morning, so I attributed it to nerves. I know, though, that taking a Vitamin with Iron on an empty stomach is a no-no. Could that be the source of your problem? Also, drinking too fast or eating too much both make me feel icky. I havent' slimed or tossed to date, and I'm hoping that I never do so. The sleeve definitely runs our lives!

Steve, Did your doctor mention GAS to you as a huge issue? I was having "hunger pains" that turned out to be gas pains. Once I started taking chewable tums, they went away. You ARE dealing with head hunger, undoubtedly. I still do that every day. I definitely put more on my plate than I'll ever be able to eat, but I am learning, slowly. Please try to find something that you can drink and sip slowly. If you can get the Water in, I think you'll have less issue with being hungry. That being said, if your doc is okay with what you've been eating, and I'm very skeptical on that, then follow what he's telling you. The reason I'm skeptical is that almost every doctor has you wait until 4/5 weeks out for real solid food. My real restriction kicked in with solid foods at 5 weeks out. I literally cannot eat one bite more than Rex (my sleeve) will let me eat. If I do, I am VERY uncomfortable for hours after the meal. With mushies, I had a bit more leeway, but the solids definitely fill me up quickly.

I had quite a few of the tests you're being asked to go through, except the Upper GI. I also ended up having THREE surgeries just to get the VSG done. I had a stent installed before and removed after. I'd do it all again. It IS worth it.

My card is similar to those above. I keep it right behind my driver's license so it's available to EMS. I have used it a couple of times, but most restaurants will allow me to order off the kids menu without a hassle. The notable exception is Red Lobster. They charged me $6 to order mashed potatoes when I was in the mushy stage. When I asked why I was charged double what the menu said the side item cost, they responded that they "had" to add in a charge because I hadn't ordered it with a meal. Needless to say, Red Lobster won't get any more of MY dining out budget. Sonny's BBQ, otoh, is fantastic about it. I guess WLS is pretty common in my area of South Florida, because they didn't bat an eye when I asked if I could order ribs from the kid's menu. And, that meal is still too big for me!

congrats and good luck!!

You should be "eating" whatever your doctor told you to eat. Mine had me on liquids for the first week after surgery. Sip, Sip, Sip. I can't say it enough that you should be concentrating on getting Water into your body and walking. Moving eliminates gas pain, helps your body recover without getting clots, and helps the weight loss by making your body work. If you haven't had a BM yet, walking will help that process LOTS. Protein shakes, K2O Vitamin water (with protein) and whatever other stuff your doctor said you can have. Worry more about the water than the protein and try to get in the amount of water the doc prescribed. Mine says 64 oz of water a day and 70 grams of protein.