SassySenior

Hi Cindy, Sorry for this late reply but I just got my PC back. Glad to hear you have a sleeve date. So how the heck are you? Are you doing anything special diet wise in preparation? What are you shopping for? How did you pick your doctor? I have more questions for later. Remember (my favorite quote), "If you know all the answers, you haven't asked all the questions!" Like you, I'm a pre-op having it done by a highly respected surgeon, Dr. David Provost of Denton. I can't wait. I'm so tired of being in pain from my arthritis. I know how you feel about Dallas - there's no comparison to Houston. How'd you wind up in Houston? Wish you were still in Dallas. Then we could go to support meetings together. Oh, well. I hope to see your rsvp to our special Spring Fling on Saturday. Looking forward to learning more about you! Sassy

My PC is back from the hospital, which is amazing considering that I forgot to include the page with my ID info. I guess I'm just so famous now because of our group, that even HP is reading my posts?? LOL It's time for a "Spring Fling." How are y'all? I miss chatting with you. Come to the party. We'll have lots to talk about and lots of tasty foods that you used to eat. My contribution will include strawberry shortcake and more. But first I've gotta get an RSVP so I know who's coming. Invites going out today to caspinelli712, Chris R, Cindy Martin, coco.c, NtvTxn, ScorpioMoon, searching, shaybear, snotch, southernsoul and suzee279. The party begins this weekend April 6 when you'll have plenty of time to do important things ... like partying with a group of special friends. So rsvp and tell us what dish you're bringing. If you happen to fly in early on Friday, go ahead and join in the early kickoff functions. I have a lot of info to share at the party about my visit to a cardiologist. We'll try & pick a time when we can be online. That way we can chat back and forth.Will you join our party? Rsvp with the best times for you and what dishes you'd like to bring.

Sorry to be late in greeting our newest members, but my PC was just discharged from the hospital after fighting the PC Flu! Welcome to Southern Soul, ScorpioMoon and snotch. I think snotch is the only guy so far, so you better speak up, snotch, before all the gals take over. This group is still very new, and it will be awhile before it gets into full swing. Southern Soul has already done her part by posting the first message in the Boomer Chat Room. Now, we'd like to hear from the rest of you. Since I just got my PC back, it'll be a few days before I can catch up with my online life and get back to bringing more oxygen into our aging group. If we're only as old as we feel, that's great, 'cause I feel like I'm 50 ... and that's now before surgery. Once I get the mounds of extra weight off, I'm sure my attitude will drop back down into the 40s. Now that we're all here, let's get this group going! Post, post, and post some more!

Hi Southern Soul, You're definitely first in my book. I'm thrilled that you posted in our new fledging group, and surprised that you had the first post in our newest thread. "Boomer Chat Room" You are, indeed, the youngest. You practically had to do the Limbo to squeeze in under the wire. Doncha just love being the youngest somewhere? That used to happen a lot to me in the past, but now that I'm racking up the years, it doesn't happen as often. And you're a Pre-Op like me. I have one last hurdle to clear before my surgery can be scheduled, and I have a Dr. appt. Apr. 3 to take care of that. So I hope things will move a little more quickly after that. Unfortunately I have to deal with Medical Records at one hospital, to get the records sent to my Dr. So far, they've moved like a snail with a broken back. Have you posted your story? I'd love to hear more about you, your family, what made you decide to have surgery. I already see that you're a good cook. Maybe you can help me with yummy recipes for my pre-op liquids diet. I never heard of a no carb diet ... kinda strange ... but whatever works. Hope to hear back from you soon!

I'm excited for you, and I can't wait to hear how it went. I'm still pre-op, surgery will be soon but don't have date yet. Good luck and come through with high fives!

Hello All You Boomers! This Chat Room is now open for members to get acquainted. C'mon in ... the water's fine. Chat about whatever's on your mind. Let's get to know each other. Who will be the first in? Here's a few questions to get you started. Who's the youngest member of our group? (I'm the oldest.) Who's newly married? Who's newly sleeved? Who's still searching?

I couldn't send my pc away without responding to your last post. You sound very caring and supportive ... just what we like to have in this group. God knows, I'm gonna need a lot of support when I finally get sleeved. After reading your post, I became more conscious of my Water intake, which right now is bad. I've had maybe 10 oz. today. I started carrying around a water bottle, but didn't remember to take a sip. Hopefully, by surgery, I'll be doing better. I'm glad you joined our group. So far, there's just a couple of people who've posted. Maybe you and Chris can start chatting. She just got married last week and she was sleeved in Febuary. I think I'll start a new "chat" post where we can chat back and forth. Till later ... Kate

Thanks Cheryl & the Newlywed! Would you believe I haven't sent it yet? I've been dragging my feet, unable to let go. But FedEx is picking up today. The coughing and sneezing has gotten out of control. lol

This is my last post before sending pc away. Can't wait to heare how your visit went. Hope you got a good report.

Hey Boomers, I'm going to be offline for a week or so. I have to send my PC to the hospital because it has a bad case of PC Flu! We are still a very young and slow-growing group. It would be great if you would post replies to recent posts ... like Cheryl who just got sleeved.In my absence, we will see who cares about nuturing our fledging group by the new posts. If you're like me and others here and like the idea of talking to your peers, then perk up girls and man-up guys and help put legs on our slow-moving train, probably weighed down by massive tons we've either lost or plan to lose. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As Teddy Roosevelt, used to say. "It is not the critic who counts or the one who points out how a strong man stumbles. The credit belongs to the people who are in the arena, who strive valiantly, and bring enthusiasm and devotion toward a worthy cause." (The bus is leaving) Losing weight is a great arena to be in. It's fun. It's exciting. And something is always happening. Right now, the question is not whether we’re on the road to change, but who will have a seat on the bus. The bus is parked outside, and it's leaving right now. ALL ABOARD!

Grrr. This is the first time I tried to post a News topic. Above is the second. I can't even delete this. And I'm the moderator. Talk about feeling helpless.

Hi Cheryl, Congratulations, Cheryl! You're on the winning, losing side! I've been thinking about you and wondering how it went. I'm glad you let us know. I have a post on this site about Water because I wondered why it's so important to drink after the surgery. I haven't had any replies yet, so I still don't know. But I'm working on it now and carrying a water bottle around with me. What are you doing re: the water? And how are you getting in 60oz? Everyone seems to struggle so much with that, especially in the early stages. Are you on liquids? What's your post-op diet? We're still a small group, but we're growing slowly. I hope others will be like you and get involved. I'd love for us to have a supportive group of Boomers. While you want to hear from others who've been down the path, I feel like it's a special privilege for me to follow in your footsteps. I will be sleeved soon. I don't know the exact date but think it will be in April. For the past 2 years, I've been jumping through hoops to meet all the Medicare requirements. My last hurdle is cardiac clearance, and my appt. with a Dr. is April 3 ... just around the corner. So I hope you don't mind if I follow your healing train. Did the doctor give you pain meds? If so, what kind? I had major surgery several years ago, and I was on a heavy dose of Vicodin. I remember it wore off every 3 hours, and I'd wake up and take some more. What is/was causing your pain? Gosh, the fact you compare it to childbirth is scary. I've never been there but hear how painful it is. Welcome back to the group. As you can see in the "News" posted here, I'm going to be offline for a week or so. I have to send my PC to the hospital because it has a bad case of PC Flu! I'll be online today, and then off tomorrow. Take care and know each day will get better! Healing Wishes, Kate

I guess what I really wonder is what's the rationale a doctor uses, who for example, thinks you need 2 weeks of liquids, 2 weeks of soft, liked mashed potatoes, before you can do anything else. There are other doctors who say no, just 2-3 days of liquids, 1 week of soft and then slowly introduce real food. I used to think it was based on your BMI, because that is the criteria used for the pre-op diet. If you have a low enough BMI, you may not have to be on a restrictive diet. But if you have a high BMI, like me 68, then you have to be on liquids to try and shrink the liver. That makes sense to me. But once surgery is over, what, if anything, do you think is the criteria doctors use to determine the type of diet you should be on? Just because a doctor likes the conservative approach, unless there's a good reason for it, I'm gonna eat soft food as soon as I can. I also started a thread on Water, which I'd like answers to. It's called "Water ... Water ... Why?" BTW Hooray and congrats for you newly sleeved folks. I'm really happy for you. I can't wait! Thanks all you guys for answering our newbie questions!

Very good to know. I'm a pre-op and take a lot of Vicodin for arthritis pain. How far in advance do we have to stop the meds?

Mexico is the closest option. But there is very low cost plastic surgery in India and other foreign countries.

Good question. I've wondered the same thing myself.

Everyone is always posting about how hard it is to get in their daily Water quotient. And some wind up in the hospital with dehydration. I wonder why this happens? Before this kind of surgery, most people don't make any effort to drink a certain amount of water. What is it about this surgery that makes water so important. I gotta tell you I am a concerned pre-op. Currently, I am bedridden because with arthritic pain and to prevent myself from falling. I am one of the big ones - nearly 400 lbs. and balance is a real issue with me. So what's this obsession with water? Why do we have to drink so much? What do you do to help get yours in? Does anyone eat their water? What fruits and vegetables with a high water content contribute to your daily need? Has anyone had a bad experience because they didn't drink enough water? Water ... water ... everywhere ... and not (just) a drop to drink. More like a gallon!

Feeling sick with nausea and pain is a double whammy of nastiness. My heart goes out to you. Either is enough to fell you. I had just a week of nausea myself from God knows what, and it was a bummer. Once, I irritated a nerve in my spine and it was awful, just lying around in pain. Later, I told my Dr. about it and she said I should have gone to the hospital and they could have put me on a morphine drip. When it comes to these kind of illnesses, I think most people just grin and bear it instead of getting help. With you, having to go through this pretty constantly since your surgery, is horrifying. I hope your illness turns around any day now. You're in my thoughts and healing wishes.

Hi "Searching" Welcome to our group. I'm happy you found us. This is a very new group. I started it a little over a week ago, specifically so I could communicate with other Boomers. The way we view the world, our concerns and interests, and our lives are soooo different than the young'ens. That's why I started it. There seems to be a lot of people here on this site under 40. That's not me. Speaking of being a Baby Boomer, I've just spent the last couple of hours listening to music on my PBS TV station. They're having a fund drive. First, they had on Blues artist Joe Bonamassa, a triply talented singer, songwriter and guitarist. Next The Who in a '75 concert, now Stevie Ray Vaughn. I love music, but with my mobility limitations it just seems so much trouble to use a stereo system. Now to your questions. Read my story and see if that doesn't answer most/all of your questions. I understand feeling unsure. Boy if there were another way to get rid of this weight, I'd do it. I'm in pain all the time, and I don't have the furniture I need to be comfortable in the living room, so I spend most of my time in bed, falling asleep due to the pain meds I take. Keep asking your question of others because just about everybody here had a lot of doubt about getting the surgery. Best way is to put your question in a headline. That way you'll get more answers. Are you still working? It's really hard w/o insurance and no Medicare. I have Medicare because I retired 3 years ago. Keep in touch with us, and we'll do the same. I'm gonna be busy the next couple of weeks, so I don't know if I'll have a lot of time to rev up this group. Thanks for telling your story. I think you and I and one other lady, Chris has told our stories. I hope the other members will share theirs. Good luck!

Thank you. Thank you. I love guesidillas, and these seem super simple to make. Yum!

Paige, I must say that your saga is one of the most page-turning, cliff-hanging stories on this site. In addition to wanting to hear good news about you, I can hardly wait for the next spine tingling detail. Not to promote my doctor in any way & cause him to receive any more patients than he already has ... I believe he would have known instantly what was wrong. My doctor is nice, but does not have the bedside manner of your drs. However, he told me early on that he would know if a problem was developing long before it actually occurred. He also is serious about contacting him asap if anything happens, no matter how trivial. Seems he believes this kind of vigilance is necessary to the successful outcome of WLS surgery. For all those posters who wonder, "Should I call my doctor," I say YES. I know my doctor insists that his patients call at the first sign of a bothersome symptom, even something as simple as a headache!

Paige ... As if you haven't been through enough ... a lot of pain after surgery? Why? Didn't they give you enough pain meds? As to us, you never need to apologize for anything! Hoping this works.

Shaybear, I'm glad you found this site as well ... and our group in particular. Our group is still very new, but we do have several members who have gone through the journey at an older age. I hope that the post-ops here will step up and respond to some of your concerns. As for me, I'm 66 ... about to rack up another year ... This is an extreme solution, but it is the only one for me. I'm in constant pain, housebound, in a wheelchair, with huge limitations on my lifestyle. Only I can change this, and I must. Of all the procedures, the Sleeve is the safest, with the lowest rate of complications, the safest surgery and a successful way to drop a lot of weight. I don't know how many more years I have, but I'm sure not going to waste them living like a wounded bird. I had an incredible life, traveling all over the world, having a ton of fun. I want my life back. This sleeve surgery offers that to me.

SB - I'm sorry your writing career was stalled at such an early age. I began writing poetry when I was about 15. My mother, who taught me to read at age 3, was very supportive. Like mothers everywhere, she thought most of what I did was extraordinary ... not the part where I constantly broke curfew as a teen. I inherited my writing talent from her. Even though she didn't think that way, she won a contest once for writing a winning slogan for Jewel Tea (grocery store). She said: "Jewel is a gem of a store." Between your group and mine, I think I have it all covered - weight and age. Now all I need is "Love after the Sleeve" for that perfect man I've been searching for. Admittedly, my criteria has been a bit high. At my advanced age, I am willing to compromise. It;s true that writing is a tough business that's hard to make a living at. But when I was in junior college, I was "discovered" as a writer. My teacher and classmates loved hearing my stories, and I was often asked to read them before the class. Soon thereafter I was invited to write for the school paper, following year became it's editor-in-chief. When I decided to transfer to a big college, my advisor recommended me to her husband, and I became a writer for the University News Service. After graduation, I became a journalist with the Tampa Times. Later on down the line, I started a freelance writing career. It's a long story ... maybe I'll tell you about it someday. SB - you are a great moderator. I think your group will catch on. I have a few members .. 6, I think. Doin' my best to try to entice them to post. You would think that my incredibly fascinating posts would inspire them to greatness! NO. Ha Ha

Hi Brandy & Wendy, I love the name Sophia Bubbles ... you're so clever. I'm a writer, so I should be able to pick out a good name, right? But SassySenior was all I could come up with. WAITING -- Talk about a way to kill a good high! I have learned over the last 2 years not to get too excited about my surgery because whatever hurdle I'm trying to jump always turns out to be a lot more complicated than I thought. What kills me is my friends who have no clue what these hurdles are like. They say each time I finish one more task, "Oh, great, have you got a surgery date yet." I swear if any one more person asks me that I'll throttle them. Actually, I've been asked that a lot here, now that I think about that. Hey ... if you really wanna know about me, read my friggin' story. I wrote it just for you. ha ha Wendy -- I'm on My Fitness Pal, too, but I'm not using it at the moment. When I had to go through the "medically supervised weight loss diet" I used it and it helped. I never knew how many calories were in what I ate. Well, it is getting really late for me ... I'm an all-night owl, and it's bedtime. Later y'all. Keep on keepin' on. We're gonna get there!