Chimera

It doesnt have to do with one's weight. The pre-op diet which is always high protein/low carbs is specifically to shrink as well as firm up the liver. When the liver is large with fatty liver syndrome - it is also spongy and weak, my surgeon told us prior to surgery that it is so soft and spongy that a retractor can rip it apart if it is lifted - which would be a complication so severe one would not even want to contemplate the consequenses.
The high Protein very low carb pre-op diet works quickly - in 7-10 days remarkable changes occur.
My surgeon said that if he went in laprascopically and saw a fat liver he will either convert to an open surgery (yikes) or sew us back up until we make it smaller. Scared me enough to follow that pre-op diet religiously.
I am so sorry that you could not have your vsg as scheduled, but things could have gone very wrong if your liver was compromised in any way. Drop those carbs to below 20 a day - up the Protein, drink oceans of hydrating non-caloric beverages and your liver will shrink to a tiny little thing very quickly - and that 20 lbs will be history. Best of luck!

Chimera, glad the surgery went well. Please be kind to yourself so that you heal well.

And folks that are on or approaching the pre-op diet - the goal is to shrink your liver, this vital organ is lifted with a small retractor to get at your stomach .
Yes the benefit of losing weight prior to the surgery is great, but reducing the size of the liver is what is crucial as most of us who are over a healthy BMI have some level of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. What that means is that your liver is large, puffy, and soft - My surgeon compares it to the texture of foie gras and it can be very easily damaged if you do not comply with your diet protocol.
You want to talk about the mother of all complications - inadvertently slicing your liver is not good.
Low carb diets rapidly shrink the liver and change its texture and size for a safer surgical procedure. Every Doc has a different protocol - my surgeon does not have his patients do liquids but rather Atkins induction in the weeks prior to surgery. Every gram of glycogen has about 3 times that in Water attached to it - thus why we drop weight so rapidly on a very low carb diet initially - the Water is going as we burn off our glycogen (stored carbohydrate) stores.
Here is a good read about how our bodies metabolize glycogen stores.
http://www.justinowings.com/understanding-bodyweight-and-glycogen-de/
None of this is easy - it is very much about discipline, turning yourself around to learn how to really take care of ourselves, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. No, not easy, but hands down probably the nest thing you will ever do for yourself and your health in the long run.

"I am 18 days post op. I lost 16 pounds in the first week. Sine then I have not lost anything. The scale has not moved in 2 weeks. I am at a loss. The only thing I can think is my metabolism has shut down bc I'm not ingesting enough calories. I am getting my Protein requirements and Fluid requirements. Has anyone else experienced this? "
Give it some time - you just had one heck of a procedure done - I gained 20+ lbs after my own surgery (I had complications and was in for a week with multiple blood transfusions). It is a myth that one's metabolism shuts down if you don't eat - the only time something like that phenomenon would occur is if you have no adipose tissue to burn, and the body truly goes into protective mode. Just follow your doctor's post op protocol and you will lose - small changes over time add up to huge numbers. I think my average loss was around 4-5 lbs a month in the first year. The nice thing is that the weight stays off if you follow protocol. 10 lbs a month is phenomenal.
It takes at least 8 weeks to heal. In my experience - slow losses are due to lack of hydration, letting calories in the form of sugars creep back in to your diet (they are insidious and go down very easy after the first year), and drinking calories.
One the the biggest reasons for the success of WL surgery is the metabolic changes that are set in motion - which also start with nutrition - i.e. removing processed carbs and sugar that generates insulin resistance.

I think I have pinpointed 3 reasons why I am 10# over goal and holding... not losing.
1. my boys live with me so the house always has bread, potatos, noodles etc. In general, I avoid them, but a few times a week i have a slice a bread or half a sandwich or something like that that I never used to eat
2. I have lost alot of muscle. I am exercising an hour a day now, but it will be months before I get back even a portion of the fairly incredible muscle mass I had before. As we all know, fat just sits there inviting more fat to join it... muscle burns calories just to maintain itself.
3. I have been drinking more calories. I have alot of fun - whether it is the dance lessons with girlpals, the day at the horse races, going on dates... just alot more alcohol than I had before. I don't mean getting drunk, just having that margarita, wine or beer or whatever when others do - adds up fast.
You know what the honest truth is? I don't want to drink less because I am currently loving this social life. I do want to regain muscle mass and not sure how to do it with all my physical problems... but I am working toward it.An
Oh the carb temptation... the boys are great about not buying ice cream and keeping stuff like chips and candy in their bedrooms but I can hardly ask them to not have bread and pasta! I just need to stop, but it is hard. And it is not that a piece of bread will kill me, it is just that eating that way makes me hungrier!
I really think those are the 3 key things - so it is a balancing act of enjoying a social life, having a somewhat normal homelife... and trying to be thinner againer!

Long term acid issues were one of the risks I grappled with when deciding on sleeve. I got so lucky, only time I get it is when I eat too much volume or too spicy.

Kelly, your picture is so dam*n cute!

Our power was out for a bit as well - that was some crazy wind wasnt it. Glad we are getting a bit of rain for once.
Do you guys have issues with acid? I had terrible gerd prior to surgery - as did my husband, he had a hiatal hernia that they repaired at the same time as surgery and has never had to take a ppi or other form of acid reducer. My gerd has always been bad, but it is so bad now that if I miss one omeprazole within a couple of hours I am in agony - and often times I can still feel the acid even with the medicine - it seems like it is getting worse.
I did a bit of reading and it looks like sleeves can make the acid issue much worse - how did I not know this?
The funny thing is when posed the silly hypothetical question of what would you do in the event of a zombie apocalypse - my first thought is Oh damn I need to go rob the pharmacy for every proton pump inhibitor and every antacid they stock! And make sure I have all my eyeglasses haha!

Nice to hear from so many. We had a storm my power was out and just back on in the middle of the night.
My date was epic good. I am so glad I pulled myself out of the slump to go. We went dancing and had alot of fun!

We've been back from our family holiday for over a week now... we had a fantastic time! I honestly can't believe how fast it went... the quickest holiday ever!
I was proud of myself... I wore my bikini and I didn't feel wrong or bad - even though I am far from perfect, what I learnt from my observations is that my body is suitable average - and I am ok with that. I suppose it is part of self acceptance.
I would still like to lose more weight... but if I don't then it is ok.
My hot flushes have returned though,,, and since I've returned home they have been crippling hourly some days and nights- I am sure that stress has a lot to do with the severity of them. I just hate the feeling of the intense surge of heat that leaves me bathed in sweat. It is so embarrasing. I can actually feel a change in my hormones as I feel emotional and irratic for no real reason.
I don't know if any of you have heard about the 'lady magnet'? I have been using it to combat the hot flushes since Nov time and it really did work - then about two months ago they crept back but not too bad... just a few a day none at night... I took it off for my holiday as I didn't want to go through the airport and set off the scanner things with it - way too embarrasing for us Brits to explain the menopause to a stranger...lol - and I since my return I have put it back on but it hasn't had the same effect second time around. I am hoping it will soon kick in, especially as I return to work Tuesday and there is nothing worse than stood in front of 30 teenagers and going bright red with sweat running down the side of your head! Fingers crossed.

My counselor just got back from vacation.
She called in my scrip... she actually thinks wellbuterin is an outstanding choice except there is a risk of suffering through anxiety while ramping up to thereuputic dose. She is prescribing something else to help with that in the short term. Reason she likes wellbuterin is that it doesn't have the weight gain, sexual killing side effects and is just generally well tolerated by people. I have an appointment with her monday, but I appreciated that she was supportive of me getting started on this ASAP.
I have alot to talk to her about. The last week i have been driving my tractor, doing some earth moving, preparing planting beds for spring... and it is a time of contemplation. We shall see if she sees much into my recent epiphanies.
I am going on a date tonight to listen to music. I am so unexcited about it... I better get my shit together soon... less than 2 hours and Prince Charming will be arriving to pick me up. I am sure I will have fun once i get there, but i somehow feel very tired today. My son told me that I have been grumpy for 2 days, although I don't think he means grumpy as we have had no altercations/arguments. I think he means that I am not smiling, not full of my usual pep and zest.... that is for sure.

I am doing pretty well actually. I got home from the hospital today. Jon will be over every evening, and I am sure my daughter will check in on me when she gets off work. She's off on Mon. and Fri. anyway. My bff is coming tomorrow. Last time I had surgery, I got really tired of people over here all the time.
I really think there's a good chance Jon and I will be together a long time. He's so low maintenance, fun , and easy going. He's like a breath of fresh air. Who would have thought I'd be with someone 12 years younger. I've always said for years, I would never date someone younger than me. Now I take that back!

The woman who took her life - well, she had shared with me some problems in her personal life that were getting her down big time. I don't think it is fair to call that the "reason" though - people who have so much to live for don't end it all just because relationships are rocky etc unless there is some sort of underlying chemical imbalance.
I am doing oh so much better anxiety wise. Using a natural remedy, making myself do the things that make me feel better daily walks,, every other day ride on my trusty older horse, limiting caffeine, eating more consistently (I get anxious when my blood sugar gets low when i am in a bad time like now), taking remedies to ensure decent sleep - all the hygene things I know that help me.. Although i feel better, Viv's death has made me rethink my approach and I am going to try meds again. I guess I feel like I have "tried hard enough" on my own and I just don't want to have to put so much energy into managing/preventing anxiety. It reminds me alot of my weight loss journey - just reaching the point where you realize that wishing/will power just doesn't always work.
I have put a great deal of thought into how I want to move forward in life and I realize that fighting anxiety isn't really what I want in the forefront of my life. It really hit me as I contemplated things - I am HAPPY. I have so many things going right (work, kids, house and home, friends etc etc) and I like myself. You know what i mean - none of us are perfect but that hole in my heart (metaphorically) seems to be healing quite nicely and is no longer a cavern. I don't mind being alone so much - in fact I have been loving horseback riding alone the last few weeks. I feel comfortable in my skin and even though I am 10# over goal, I still love my body and my progress. I have plenty of room for further growth - no denying that - but I am happy with my life.
So, I think that my anxiety is the inherited disorder that my mother (had very severely) my full sister had (diagnosed with general anxiety order in her 20s), my niece suffers from etc. and it is not something I can "will" away. I used food and obesity to manage/mask it much of my life. The last few years I haven't been using food that way and all the replacements are temporary (hard exercise, etc etc) and stop working over time.
So, I called the counselor/ARNP I saw last year and she is on vacation for 2 more weeks. i am trying to decide if I should wait that long or go to my primary care because i just want relief and to move forward.
I have made some decisions about my horse life to that are "freeing".
I got funding for my mega project at work (woo hoo!)
I just got invited to join a wonderful group of ladies for a week in Maui next Feb
My home updating will start this fall
Many good things

Congrats girl! Selling art is righteous livelihood!
Bikinis! That is great! I haven't worn a bikini in 45 years! Have so much fun.... and do take pics!

Coops I'm off on holiday too tomorrow. Kevin and I are taking a river cruise down the Rhine. He has had a stressful few months so a relaxing holiday is on the cards. I don't have any bikinis to wear, the thought just makes me shudder. But you coops you have the figure for it, so go get em girl. Come back lovely relaxed and brown.

Hi ladies...
I've been reading but not posting - not much to report here, except that manic time before you go away on holiday!
Glad the MRI results are good... hopefully the worst is behind you now you know that the impants are leaking. Keep us posted Sheryl.
Kim, you always have wise words... I too should print them off...
Florinda, I wish there was something I could do or say, I have tried to find words of wisdom, but they either sound too cheesy or fail me. Anyway, I think you know that I am thinking of you.
So, we are going away tomorrow for a long awaited holiday... been a tough year so far in one respect or another, and we are looking forward to doing very little for 2 weeks. There are 19 of us altogether... 13 of them are already there, we are the last troop to go. Never been away in a big group before. The other familes are staying in a different apartment to us, so if it does get to much at least we can 'go home'. I have bought two new bikinis... gonna be brave a strut my stuff - someone once said to be 'fake it whilst you make it' and that is what I am going to do...lol.
I have been working on self acceptance. Part of me thinks that at 44 I should just let loose and go for it!
Anyway, if I can't get onto the boards whilst I am away... I am thinking of you all xx

I think wanting to be loved is a catch 22... When you already love life, accept yourself and act from wisdom based trust and have found happiness, then you are a magnate for loves attention. Healthy lovers. When you are filled with doubt, mistrust, self hate, and fear of failing... then you attract unhealthy lovers and friends that will end in your worst fears. What can we do to become more healthy ourselves, so we might enjoy our lives with or without "the man"?
My list?
-Do for others (I try to use my skills to improve the life of others...not to make them owe me, or like me better...)
-exercise ( in a way that is enjoyable to me... not just for physical results, but for self expression results in my case... Dance, walking in nature, kayaking....)- things I can do alone, but often end up doing with someone else. People always ask if they can go with me... I am often a loner, but I end up getting out with others more now...
-make art and make some effort to share it (teaching, showing....)
-learn something new that I can immerse myself in... birdwatching, genealogy were my latest go tos..
-meditation. Can soften the mind without losing the ability to focus. There are great "attachment" meditations out there... it is after all considered a sign of ignorance in Buddhism... Attachment has caused me most of my suffering. It still does, but softening its grip, pealing away its hindrance to happiness is a help.
-Even if you are not thinking about doing yourself harm, you are depressed. No Fun. Get help. At some points, we may not be able to think our selves out of this pit.... no mater how smart we are.
These are things I have done, and continue to do when I remember too... that have helped me...your list may be completely different...

How is chicago? I need to visit that city!
I obviously have no good advice on how to feel better... but I am a "fake it till you make it" believer. I had dinner last night with a pal who has a different kind of "blues" then i am subject to- she just shuts down. Doesn't think, doesn't feel, doesn't want to do anything but go to work and go home. She has been in this funk for a good long time... works maybe 70 plus hours a week because that is all she really has in her life right now.
I had shared (inadvertenly) how I feel so much better when I am active, connect with people, and infuse FUN into my everyday life. It doesn't necessarily fix things in my life, and maybe somethings aren't "fixable" but it makes the journey alot more enjoyable! I was feeling blue about my hip problem, my breast swelling, my love life, my farm and horse life etc etc. I wasn't intending to give advice, as a talkative, wear my heart on my sleeve kinda person i often share my own insights as part of my process - not about giving advice - but she acted on it.
Saturday night she rousted me into going out - it is hard to say no when a pal like her finally actually WANTs to go do something. Then she drug me back to 2 step Tuesday even though I wasn't going to go this week. Then, she spontanously asked me to dinner last night. I cannot maintain this schedule...haha... but she told me should could not believe how much better she feels. It is like she had to force herself to step out the door and start living a little... and then wants to keep doing it! she is a lifelong introvert so I know this is WAY too much for her but it is kind of priming the pump a little into enjoying each day.
Truth of the matter is I find lots of reasons to hate myself. I was raised by a father who constantly told me how worthless, fat, ugly stupid and essentially a waste of space I was. That voice still speaks to me at times and after years of counseling etc etc I am somewhat resigned to the fact that I will probably always struggle a bit emotionally. I am pissed that I am still dealing with obesity problems (my joint issues, my boob issue etc) when I want it to be in the PAST but it is my reality.
It is okay to be pissed, but I am NOT going to let it steal the breaths I have left. My biggest "regret" in life - and i don't believe in regrets since it is a complete waste - but my biggest regret is that i let some of my emotional baggage interfere with living a full life at times. I can blame it on the obesity, but my weight was not actually the central issue - it was the self hatred, anxiety, and a whole slew of other things. I argue that thin does not equal happy or contentment. When we get so focused on one thing, we miss out on living a full life. Well, that is my experience anyway.

Glad you are enjoying Chicago - that is the land of my peoples - well the boonies 40 miles outside of Chicago to be more exact, in the land of corn Beautiful but far too humid for me.
Florinda, I am sad you are angry - I get that way too - but it quickly goes to "poor old me" - have been working on snapping out of that madness more quickly and it seems to help.
I love my husband dearly, more than anything, but if anything happened to him I do not know if I would be interested in marrying again - we have been together over 15 years, met when I was 35 and we get along swimmingly, we got into an altercation yesterday (which happens every few years) and it was about the frequency of sex - we can hump like rabbits and he still thinks it isn't enough at times, then he gets his feelings hurt if he gets turned down (like wanting sex at 3:30 in the morning when he gets up for work when I am in deep rem sleep - I'm lucky when I can even get to sleep these days) - this happened yesterday and he fumed all day and when he got home basically let me know that he feels that he is a chore to me...wont go into it, but I am very lovely dovey but he can be a spoiled brat sometimes lol. Get over I say. If he spent half the time worried about my pleasure that he does with his own - things might be different! Okay, Rant over - I really hope folks cant read this board other than our own group members.
Good news - the scale is down - I need to go confirm the exact number but its 5-7 lbs. My Aria scale is finally far enough away from hubbies weight that it doesn't confuse us and ask me which one of us is on the scale - that means I am at least 8 lbs away from him - i'll take it
I've been doing my best to try and reign in the carbs, haven't been eating any bread - and have switched from vanilla latte's to cappuccinos - been eating Protein Shakes, lots of hard-boiled eggs, and ground turkey and feeling good. As always working on the hydration, which can be better. And so can the Vitamins, and waiting to drink after meals lol - working on those post rules that are so easy to break when one is far out.

Glad you are enjoying Chicago - that is the land of my peoples - well the boonies 40 miles outside of Chicago to be more exact, in the land of corn Beautiful but far too humid for me.
Florinda, I am sad you are angry - I get that way too - but it quickly goes to "poor old me" - have been working on snapping out of that madness more quickly and it seems to help.
I love my husband dearly, more than anything, but if anything happened to him I do not know if I would be interested in marrying again - we have been together over 15 years, met when I was 35 and we get along swimmingly, we got into an altercation yesterday (which happens every few years) and it was about the frequency of sex - we can hump like rabbits and he still thinks it isn't enough at times, then he gets his feelings hurt if he gets turned down (like wanting sex at 3:30 in the morning when he gets up for work when I am in deep rem sleep - I'm lucky when I can even get to sleep these days) - this happened yesterday and he fumed all day and when he got home basically let me know that he feels that he is a chore to me...wont go into it, but I am very lovely dovey but he can be a spoiled brat sometimes lol. Get over I say. If he spent half the time worried about my pleasure that he does with his own - things might be different! Okay, Rant over - I really hope folks cant read this board other than our own group members.
Good news - the scale is down - I need to go confirm the exact number but its 5-7 lbs. My Aria scale is finally far enough away from hubbies weight that it doesn't confuse us and ask me which one of us is on the scale - that means I am at least 8 lbs away from him - i'll take it
I've been doing my best to try and reign in the carbs, haven't been eating any bread - and have switched from vanilla latte's to cappuccinos - been eating Protein Shakes, lots of hard-boiled eggs, and ground turkey and feeling good. As always working on the hydration, which can be better. And so can the Vitamins, and waiting to drink after meals lol - working on those post rules that are so easy to break when one is far out.

I don't know how to block people either. I know it can be done but not sure how. PM Alex, if the person you want to block can see posts in the host forum.
Next week we are going to Second City. It's like Saturday Night Live. In fact, a lot of people on Sat. Night live started at Second City. I love going there. I am doing my best at thinking of activities that don't require a lot of walking. We went on a scenic boat ride today.
i talked to my husband's cousin who also had a fusion in his back at L4 and L5. He said he was glad he did it and is out of pain now. That made me feel a lot better.
Bill has been doing a really great job of taking care of my house which makes me feel a lot better. There have been robberies in my neighborhood, and people keep telling me that I was stupid to announce my vacation on Facebook and now people know my house is empty. Bill has been staying there part of the time.

Sounds like a fun time with Dan. I have dated a number of musicians, and the club scene can be fun, lots of dancing and back stage access. Sorry about the stress! Waiting for health results are so stressful.... My stress is really so much better after starting the Citalopram... really like it. I just had to change my medical plan, and will have to change all my doctors and such... do not like that, but will make the best of it.... the monthly charge is lower than before, I like that... Best of luck with the diagnosis on the breast swelling... sending positive vibes....

Florinda, I should have gone to the surgeon I am going to now, instead of the one I went to in the first place. The new one is a nuerosurgeon. I just didn't want to go to Eugene since it's 2 hours away for me. I should have bit the bullet and had him look at my original MRI and gone from there. He might have done then what he is going to do now, which is a much more extensive surgery. I trusted my original surgeon because I had been under his care for 10 years. He obviously knew nothing about post op infections because he completely screwed that up.
I love being in Chicago. Since I can barely walk, we went to the casino and for the first time ever, I got a royal flush and won $200. It would have paid a lot more but I was playing nickel machines cause I am too cheap to put money in those machines. My brother won $2600 cause he was playing quarter machines betting the max. Even betting the max, it's only 200 on a nickel machine. I'm happy though cause I didn't lose any money. It was entertaining for an afternoon. I don't know how people do that as a regular activity though.
Lake Michigan is so beautiful with all the yachts and skyscrapers as a background of sparkling Water that goes for miles. Maybe tomorrow, I'll go to the beach and people watch.

Sheryl, I make a lot of activities last minute too... I decide I want to cook, and good luck finding someone to join me, but sometimes they do, and its fun. I don't mind going out by myself, When hubby is away, or is not in the mood, I go by myself to eat, or take a walk in nature or something. It a good time to think and relax. No one to please but myself. I occasionally feel sorry for myself if I really want company, but not that often.

That's what i really want too Sheryl. The ability to play it by ear. I just don't feel well and I don't know when I will be feeling any better.
You keep mentioning heath issues but you aren't saying what they are. I know you were having shoulder problems.
Florinda, I hope things keep moving right for you. If you follow the atikins way, it's low carb, 20 or less and Proteins and fats. No limit on fats or calories.