Lissa

Congrats to you!! That's awesome weight loss!!

Yay! How's your weight loss coming along and are you back on solid foods yet?

Soups and protein shakes count as liquids until you're back on solid food, then they count as food, at least in my surgeon's booklet.

I think the snack wrap was a perfect choice, myself. I'll sometimes order a grilled chicken sandwich plain and ask for dipping sauce. I've even eaten mcnuggets on occasion. I do NOT eat fries anywhere but at Dale's BBQ (local joint). They have steak fries that are delicious, but I can only eat 1 or 2 of them. JetPilot, You can eat a whole big mac plus a small fries? You must have an extremely long stomach, so I'm assuming you are tall and male. LOL I don't think I could handle even half a big mac now, at 8.5 months out, even with removing part of the bun. That's a huge amount of carbs and calories, two things I don't count, but it's almost my entire day's worth of food in one meal. Can you eat anything else the same day you do something like that?

Just breathe! There is a reason for this to be happening right now and we're not in a position to know why. My surgery was scheduled and re-scheduled 3 times due to issues with blood clots. Then I had to have 3 surgeries instead of 1. I had a filter installed in my Vena Cava, 5 days later I had my VSG, and 14 days later I had the filter removed from my Vena Cava. The filter caught 2 clots and saved my life! It was worth it and yours will be worth it, even if there is a delay. I know it's frustrating, but even if it does delay your surgery by two weeks, you will at least know that everything possible has been done to protect your health and welfare. (((Hugs))) I know it's frustrating!

I keep reading things about "No one can make you happy except you". That's VERY true. I like your term, Normal, "We have to finally learn to hold our own sky up". Or, in the infamous words of Billy Joel: Sooner or later you get to your own place. That's what I'm working toward, my own place in my head, in my heart and in my life.

Good luck!!! Prayers sent!

eggs are really strange for many of us. I could eat soft scrambled eggs, but not hard scrambled when I first started. Sometimes it's a matter of the spices used in a food. Other times it's either that you're not ready for something of that consistency or that it's too rich for sleevie to handle right now. My doctor's guidelines said that I should go back a step for a day if I had trouble with something. So, maybe do full liquids for the rest of the day and wait a day or two before trying the foods that gave you a problem again. Even though you're "ready" according to your doctor's schedule, your sleeve may not be ready. There's a lot of swelling in there that needs to go down and everyone recovers at a different pace. Good luck!!

Artsy, Drains are actually fairly UNcommon, at least once we're released from the hospital. My surgeon is one of only a handful I've read about who use a post-hospital drain. I had mine for 8 days.

I think that most obese people have some kind of issue that they are using food to medicate. I know I still have the issue(s) even though I'm losing weight, so I see a therapist as well. I'm a huge advocate of therapy and, if you need them, medication. I've noticed a big change in the way I deal with stress in my life since surgery and since seeing the therapist regularly. Others may not like the fact that I stand up for myself now instead of eating to cope with things, but I like the positive side of me. I'm glad I'm not the only person here who is willing to admit that I need a little help to deal with all of these changes.

If you're allowed, take a tylenol for the headache. It is SO worth it to have the caffeine withdrawal done before you hit the post-op period. It's just one less thing to have to deal with after surgery. Good luck! I know it's tough right now, but it's SO worth it in the long run!

Globetrotter, How are your clothes fitting? It IS possible that you've gained some muscle weight. If you're female, you could also be retaining water due to TOM. Are you taking measurements? That will tell you if you're really gaining or if you are simply building muscle. Yes, a pound of fat and a pound of muscle do weigh the same, but the muscle is much more compact and looks sleeker on our bodies.

21 pounds down is fantastic!! Here's hoping that everything goes smoothly for you today!

mesaucedo, Thank you for the warning! I'll definitely keep that in mind! Fluffy, I've done the tanning thing a couple of times, hoping to even out my skin tone. I need to put SPF 100 on my arms so they don't get any darker, though.

Reet, I'm jealous that your sleep apnea is gone! Mine is still refusing to leave the building! But, it's improved some, so there is hope!

It can mean full. My full signal for a good while was slight pain in my left shoulder, then it switched to a burp. Now, I can guage it better, and I try to under eat my sleeve, so I don't burp as often at meal time. It's somewhat embarassing if you're out with people and you let out even a small burp.

LOL at you Cat Lady!! I confess, I've been known to use a straw as well. I bought some 24 oz insulated cups for water that come with hard straws in them. I try to drink at least 3 of those cups full a day and I've been doing well using them.

Good luck and congrats to your Dad!! Prayers that all goes well for him!!

Welcome to VST! Here's hoping that your pre-op testing goes easily and well!

I'm just now getting into "normal" sizes, but I've bought very little in the way of clothes, IMO. When my pants get too big, I'll buy a pair of black pants and a pair of jeans because I'm loving jeans these days. As for shirts, I've had pretty good luck. I can sew, and I've taken in the sides on quite a few shirts. However, I've also bought quite a few cheap t-shirts to round out my workout wardrobe. My local Goodwill only seems to go up to size 18 for most of their clothes, although I've been lucky and found a couple of blouses there. It's weird for me to be able to buy non-plus size clothes. I almost feel like I'm sneaking into the normal sizes section and I have no idea from looking what will fit me now. I literally have to grab two or three sizes of a shirt or pants and try them all on to find which ones fit me. What's worse is that I'm shape shifting, so the brands that used to be comfortable don't necessarily fit right these days. Before, I had a small waist compared to my hips. Now that equation is starting to reverse because my tummy isn't shaping up as quickly as my tush. I see major spanx in my future! LOL

Welcome! It's always good to see someone new here! As for your fears, let me address each one. I'm 8.5 months post-op and I've been "sick" exactly once. I drank too quickly after eating bread and Pasta during an evening out with friends. It wasn't like I'd experienced pre-op, more like a quick push up out of my stomach and it was over. My energy level after surgery was incredibly high and shows no signs of slacking. I've been up and moving and feeling pretty much incredible since day one, okay, since day three! I started walking immediately and adding in treadmill, bike, and weights as soon as I was cleared for any and all of the above by my surgeon. As for food, once past the liquid diet, I've been able to eat anything I wanted to eat. I don't do much bread or pasta post-op, but those are my only real limitations. I loved bread pre-op and used to bake bread several times a week. Now, bread doesn't hold much appeal to me. It's not a Protein source, so I just don't bother most of the time. Good luck with your journey! Unfortunately, I don't know of anyone who was sleeved in the Phillipines, but I'm sure there are some here.

Jenn, Mine looked a little suspicious the whole time the drain was in there, but I didn't have an infection. I was allowed to use dry gauze to clean it while the drain was still installed, then the doc put a large bandaid over it for three days after he took the drain out. Once the bandage came off, it formed a big scab that I was not allowed to mess with at all. The drain scar is the only one that is still very visible at 8.5 months out from surgery, but it's not bad.

You can lose as much as you want to lose. It's up to you. You'll have to exercise and stay on track with protein and water, but there is no reason you can't get to your goal. You can also choose to change that goal if you feel unhealthy or don't like the way you look at "goal".

It's literally as simple as "Just Do It". Get on the bike for 5 minutes at a time. Do it when you first get up in the morning, or for a few minutes when you first get home. It is a great stress reliever and, honestly, you may not be able to do more than 5 minutes on the bike OR treadmill when you first start. Every little bit helps, though, and you'll soon find that you are able and willing to do more. Yes, they want you to work out 4 hours per week, but you can start with baby steps. Do 5 minutes today, then add 30 seconds each day. The cardiovascular fitness is super helpful with surgery recovery and you'll be miles ahead of the game for post-op. Working out will also boost your serotonin levels in your brain, which will improve your mood. I had an EKG last year before surgery and recently had another. I have been concentrating on my outer appearance and the scale, but my pulmonologist told me that my current EKG shows good results from all of the cardio I've been doing. THAT is incredibly sexy to me, and it lets me know that I am going in the right direction health-wise. Any exercise you do now will improve your health and exercise increases your energy levels, which means you'll be better able to handle those 12 hour work days and chasing your 3 year old. Even once you're up to 1/2 an hour a day, it's not a big time investment, but it will pay big dividends in your energy levels. Just do it. Start slow, add time in small increments and enjoy the benefits!

I don't know how the runners do it, but I just keep a water bottle in the handy holder on teh bike or elliptical.