DazyKrazie

Congrats to you!! That is awesome!! I am thrilled to death for you and can't even imagine what that must feel like! I hope to meet you soon! Tracy

Thank you for the comments. I wrote this post for anyone who felt like I did. I secretly hated my sleeve in the very beginning. I thought that the beginning was going to be my new normal and I could not handle that. I just want the newbies to know that it does get better. Since this is an elective surgery and you have to convince your family and friends this is the right thing for you, you really don't want to tell them you hate it once it is done. You basically have to keep those feelings to yourself, which is what I did. I want to thank you all for the kind comments! It meant a lot! Tracy

This has been the best week EVER!! We put our house on the market Friday and sold it Saturday, but that isn't even my best news! This Monday was my 7 week surgiversary. It was on Monday that I saw the scale hit 199! I couldn't be more happy and excited. Everything with the sleeve is finally starting to fall into place. I have to admit, that I had buyer's remorse for about the first 4 weeks. It wasn't till I hit week 5 that my attitude started changing. I was seeing results, I was able to eat and drink more, I could eat and drink without having those bubbles going up and down my chest and throat. I was starting to feel normal. My doctor took off all food restrictions and maybe that is what changed me mentally and emotionally. If I had written on here earlier than 5 weeks out, I would have advised the newbies to think twice and hard about this. I would tell them to try one last time before going this route. Now, I am a total advocate for the Sleeve. It is literally changing my life and I no longer feel like I am missing out on food or anything else. I feel like I am gaining so much more. I started this journey at a 22/24 and only shopped at about 3 stores. They were always Lane Bryant, Macy's and the Avenue. That was about it for me. Now I am in 18's, maybe even 16's by now, and starting to shop in stores that are not plus size. That is beyond amazing for me. I went to Disneyland yesterday, and after spending the entire day walking around, I jogged back to my vehicle with my daughter. She wanted to race me. Before, I would wait in the parking structure for my husband to come pick me up, instead of walking to the car. That is a minor little thing, but I see a thousand minor little things happening with me lately. I just want the newbies on here to know that I questioned myself everyday before the sleeve and everyday after. I had regrets, I didn't want to live the rest of my life without enjoying food and social occasions where food is such a huge part of it. I felt like I was missing out when I went out with my family and friends and co-workers. I don't have any of those feelings anymore. It is a complete turn around. I love my sleeve. I love my restriction! I love eating whatever I want and losing weight still. I do eat what I want. I get my Protein in and I am good a lot of the time, but I also treat myself and don't beat myself up over it either. I want to eat what normal people eat, but just less of it. I can do that now. I found out from my family doc that my highest weight with them was 241 lbs. That means, I have lost a total of 42 lbs. in this journey. I have 58 lbs. to go. That doesn't even seem possible. If anyone is having doubts either before or right after the sleeve, hang in there. I needed time to heal and I wasn't patient during that early stage. I love my new normal. I don't feel deprived anymore. A weird thing for me now is to watch other people I know and love eat. I keep my mouth shut, but I can't even believe how they shovel it in and how MUCH they eat!! I would feel like a hypocrite saying anything to anyone. I did the same thing just 7 weeks ago. It is crazy to watch people eat after this procedure. Today after 42 lbs. lost, I FINALLY had someone come up to me and ask if I was losing weight. It was my principal. She has no idea about my surgery and is the first (non-knower) that noticed. I was so HAPPY! Everyone that knows I had surgery tell me they totally see it. What is funny is the people who don't know, don't say a word. Even though I don't like my boss much, I loved her today! lol I thought I would add a before and after. Bummer, I just looked at them and I can't tell if you can tell how much I have lost. Sometimes I see it, sometimes I don't at all. I ALWAYS feel it in my clothes. There is no denying it there. I hope the newbies hang in there and realize it does get better if you have doubts. I am a testament to that! Good luck to all!! Tracy P.S. to my So Cal Friends.....since I coudn't be there Saturday, the before and after are for you guys! Hopefully next time!

This is my first challenge! My problem is I am only 6 weeks out and I don't understand how I lose yet. So many stalls and ups and downs, that I just haven't figured this all out yet. I have no idea how to make a goal, but I will guess! Plus, July 4th weekend I am going to a wedding on the beach in Laguna. I would love to wear a cute sundress to it! SN..............Starting Wt........Current.......Goal.......Lbs to Goal DazyKrazie.....239.................205............180............25

Way to go and CONGRATS!! That is awesome!! I am 5 lbs. away from that same success. It feels like I will never get there! So many darn stalls!!!!! Yay for you!!!!!!

Hi, Today I met with my surgeon for a 5 week post-op check up. I am happy that I have lost 31 lbs. total and also broke my stall. I am only 8 lbs away from Onderland! Looking forward to that!!! I asked my doc a few questions and I was wondering what others experiences were with these questions. 1. I have no idea how many calories I should be eating. I asked and they told me that I don't need to count calories or carbs! I should only look at fat grams and sugar grams and make sure they are under 5 grams. And of course, I should look at Protein and it should be as high as possible. Hmmmm I thought that was interesting. 2. Advil! They told me I could not take Advil....... Tylenol only. I finally had my cycle this week. Most all of my cycles are quite debilitating. They always have been and Tylenol doesn't even scratch the surface for pain. Do your doctors advise against Advil? If I knew I could never ever take Advil again, I would have thought twice about this surgery. They told me never to take it again. I thought it was just while my stomach was healing. 3. I have a horrible sore throat and cold coming on. I love my Nyquil for just that. They told me no Nyquil. Anyone have experience with Nyquil after the sleeve? 4. They released me to eat all foods. I am so excited I can eat salad! Did anyone have trouble when they started eating Fiber again? They told me that in the beginning to eat it only at home, it can go right through you. Anyone have problems with salads at first? That is basically it. I did find out my bougie he used is a 32. I have no idea what that even really means. I knew I wanted to ask though, because I hear you all talk about it on here. I need to research that a bit more. Time to educate myself on that! I hope someone can offer some experience and advice! Thanks! Tracy

Congrats!! Great pic! You look so happy!

I am almost 5 weeks post op. The scale hasn't moved for me since my 2nd week out. Luckily with pre-diet and a week post op I lost 30 lbs. This week I wore a pair of jeans and all day I was tugging and pulling them up! I came home and wiggled my hips and they fell to the floor. I couldn't believe it. Today I wore a pair of khaki capri pants. Once again I was pulling them up ALL DAY! I came home again and wiggled my hips and to the floor they fell!! I showed my husband my new trick both times. It is pretty funny. Not ready to buy new clothes yet, so I guess it is time to invest in a belt! My family likes to tease me with the song, "Pants on the ground, pants on the ground. Looking like a fool with your pants on the ground!" Tracy

Wow! You look amazing and your story is very inspiring to me. I am just starting this journey and that is exactly what I needed to hear! Congrats to you!

I have PCOS, but I am not sure how it will affect me yet. I am only 4 weeks out. I do know that I feel a little PMSy right now. ALso, I could go a year with no period or usually once or twice a year, but low and behold the morning of my surgery I started! I was in SHOCK!! Now 4 weeks later, I am wondering if I am actually going to start again! So weird!

HI Dana, I watched your blog. I wanted to respond, but last time I did, it went to my FB page and I freaked out. I didn't know how it did that. My FB peeps don't know I had the surgery, but I think I caught it in time that probably nobody saw it. It was weird, your video just popped right on to my profile page! Strange! Anyways, I just wanted to say, that I have been in a stall for weeks now. Since my 2nd week out of surgery. Monday was 4 weeks for me since surgery. I keep bouncing around between 210 and 213. It is so beyond frustrating!! I have been anticipating the 3 weeks stall and have been trying to just go with it, but now I am starting to lose my mind, because it is lasting sooooo LONG!! Week 2, 3 and 4 is just way too long! Also, I also have PCOS and I am wondering how that all works. Weight loss has always been hard for me with PCOS. So, I just don't know what to do anymore. I know my one weakness is getting my 64 ounces of water in. Protein, no problem! Oh well, I have to look at the big picture. 30 lbs. in 4 weeks is pretty good. I couldn't do that without this surgery. I just thought this whole process would be even faster! Like at least a pound a week. I hope we break our stalls SOON!! Tomorrow is my birthday! All I want is to wake up and see 5 lbs gone! lol best gift ever!

Congrats!! That is awesome! I tried to get in with Dr. Suh. He didn't take my ins. I was so bummed!!

Right before they wheeled me into surgery, I asked my surgeon how many sleeves he had done. He told me 7 or 8! I kinda knew that would be his answer. When I met him, he said he hadn't done many, but he had done thousands of WLS and tons of them were bands. He told me the sleeve was easier and if he had done a thousands bands, he had done a thousand sleeves. So, that is the answer he gave me. Wasn't sure what to think of it really. Also, for my surgery, he had to have another surgeon in there to proctor him. He was new to the hospital I was at and that was why. You have to have a proctor for your first several surgeries.

You and I are in the same boat! We were sleeved on the same day. I haven't broken 210 yet. My normal days are 212, 213. I have read everything I can on these stalls. I keep telling myself that this too will change, but it doesn't!!! When I first hit 210, I was SO EXCITED!! I was thinking I would be in Onderland by the next week! Then reality hit hard and I never got under 210! Some days I will even be 214. I don't see how it is possible since I haven't had more than a few bites of anything for weeks. Oh well, let me know when your stall breaks. Wishing you lots of luck! It is beyond frustrating. I knew about stalls, I just didn't think they would last this long!

Thanks everyone! Good ideas. The only idea I would never do is the spa. Not sure I will ever go to one again. On our honeymoon we went on an Alaskan cruise. We played the Marriage game and won. Our prize was a couples massage. This was my first ever. We get to the spa and they send my husband to the mens locker room to change into a robe and me into the ladies. I get in there, put their robe on and it wouldn't go all the way around me. I couldn't even go out there in it. I totally panicked. I was beyond humiliated. I got dressed back into my clothes and found my husband. In tears I told him what happened. I ended up just going to our massage room, changing there and getting under the covers. That was my first and most likely last visit to a spa. One of a million reasons why I ended up with the sleeve! Happy Belated Kim! Thanks for sharing your experience!