Dooter

LMD, I'm confuzzled- I know it's been at least......let's see.....20 years since I've weighed 170, but I know for a fact that I was not anywhere NEAR a size 6 or a small. I was probably more like a 12 or 14. Have sizes changed that much??? I went into a Chico's to get someone a gift, and all the sizes were 1, 2, and 3! And I know the person I was buying for wears an 8. Has there been a major shift in sizing? What's up with that?

Very good. This is encouraging.

I need to know this information too. I'm about to go for cardiac clearance and I fear that will happen as well. I am generally a calm and patient, soft spoken person until someone starts nattering at me about my decisions for my own health. I may lose it! I think I would ask for either a new technician or new appointment. (if time permitted) Or just say, "thank you, you've made your point, now STOP!"

If you have a good, organic "happy" chicken, you should try the dark meat more often if you can stomach dark meat. It has good Omega 3 fatty acids that your body and brain needs. And it's not dry like the breast. Dark meat is not the criminal it's made out to be.

Hold out your left hand. Go on. Do it. Hold it out. Ok, now SMACK it with your right hand!! Bad girl!! BAD!! No crackers!! Go eat some carrots! JUST SAY NO!!! This is not an option! You've had irreversible surgery! This has been your "tough love interlude." You may return to your regularly scheduled activities... Oh..no no no...DON'T CRY!!!! I was just being funny. (Tough, but funny!) ....and tell that man to stop putting big ol' stumbling blocks next to your snacking hand! I'll say a prayer for you

No, but I'd sure like to feel that sensation just once..."oh noooooo.....I'm toooo skinny!" From what I've read on this forum, there are plenty of ways to make your loss come to a grinding halt. Have no fear, my dear...

Good to know! Not harsh at all. Facts are good.

That's exactly what I want. I want food to NOT be an issue anymore and just something that keeps me alive.

I can't personally answer this question yet, as I have not had surgery, but one thing i found when doing various diets: When you are off of sugar for a while, things with natural sugars taste more delicious than ever. Certain fruits start to taste like candy. You gain an appreciation for food in its purest form. Even carrots become delicious. When our bodies are still screaming for refined sugar, it's hard to imagine, but it's true. A banana can become a heavenly thing! BTW, Tuttle, have you perked up any? You were pretty low the other day...

This is great. Thanks guys. Love the MIL moment!!! Classic! I can't wait to experience ALL of these 'horrors'!! LOL

I've been wondering about that too! I used to make "green smoothies" which were primarily nutrient rich veggies and a fruit to sweeten it up. Dark leafies are high in calcium too. Raw almonds have a lot of calcium too. Can we have those?? They can be thrown in the blender with the veg. Is this ok to do?

Every doc is different, but my patient education packet says I will be able to have ONE cup of coffee or tea per day after I get home from surgery. And I have a VERY conservative doctor when it comes to diet. I'll be on clear liquids and full liquids longer than most I see on this forum. So, if he's comfortable with coffee- I'm drinkin' it!!

Ok. This is good. This is good. The whole thought of the stretching stomach was concerning me a bit. Oddly enough..... In my normal state with my stomach in tact as God made it- I can only hold 2 pieces of pizza and a little salad or 1 piece of pizza and a bigger salad. If I have a coke, I can't finish the salad. I got up to 340 with a fairly small stomach capacity to begin with. This serves as a grave warning about these "slider calories" I keep hearing about. Apparently I've mastered the art of the slider. My stomach growls from hunger all the time, so I can't wait to get rid of some of that nasty Grehlin!! lol Thank you all for all the information you've given- keep it coming! I want to hear it all. I want to go into this with eyes wide open!

Blackanese...I think you may have typed that backwards. The stomach IS on the left side, so pain there would make sense. You should report the e.r. findings (nothing found, yet still severe pain) to your doc right away. The good news is that there's no leak. (correct?) The gall bladder is high up just right of center and the pain is usually high center and feels like someone is running you through with a sword. I suppose the pain could refer to another spot. Gall bladder pain kicks in after you've eaten any food containing fat and does not let up until you either throw up or it just gets processed, which takes quite a while. Just a few things to think about. I'd be buggin' the surgeon until you get some assurance that you're ok.

Ok, I want to hear from our experienced sleeve people: If you've been sleeved long enough to have returned to a "normal" capacity- let's say...a year or more? How much can you hold at once? I've heard different things from everywhere on this forum. Some say you can hold as much as you ever did (SCARY!!!!) and some say "normal" is like, 4 ounces (sounds better!). Input please. Lots of it. Thank you for your anticipated cooperation. -danielle

Oh, it never fails for me. The first 10 pounds I lose will be STRAIGHT out of my boobs. Cup size, band size...all of it. Coupla empty wallets bangin' on my knees is what they'll be. LOL Oh well. Smaller butt will be so worth it!

God speed, Pook and K. Can't wait to see you posting later on.... Praying for you..

As far as a Bougie, it turns out my doc (Dr. Kim) will use the endoscope to visualize the inside of the incision, and at the same time use it as a sizing device, which will be roughly a 34. Very interesting! I'm hoping for great loss with the smaller size! And praying for NO complications.

I'm self pay, and I found the best surgeon I could find here in the U.S. and it's going to cost $13,800 and there is no way in the blue blazes of Hades that I expect to gain any weight back, and I will not regret a single penny of it. (I'm not rich, either) I want my life back, and there is NO price I can put on that. We as women are already in great danger of osteoporosis because we eat junk. Even before surgery, we are malnourished because we don't eat lean meats and nutrient rich foods. I am speaking from a 42 year battle with all of this, so yes. Self pay is worth it. IF.....you go into this with the attitude of change. Everything will be different now. All the diet and exercise advice you've always been given will be a MUST, not a suggestion. That's my take on it.

Good advice!!!

Ok, so I've been lurking around this forum since December 9th, so I though I'd better just get it all out there. Let me introduce myself. My name is Danielle- my friends call me Dooter. (That started when I was young, and someone at my church picked it up again because she liked it, now that's just how it is.) I don't like to be noticed or get attention, so this whole blog thing is weird for me talking about myself, but if it helps someone coming behind me in the process, then it'll be worth it. So be it. I have a surgery date set for February 13, and Lord willing, it will go off without a hitch, healing will be quick and the life I've been longing to return to in a manageable body will resume and I will spend many happy days with my husband and my three boys doing things that I've not been able to do being weighed down by this body of death. Grim, I know, but that's how it feels. My only solace in this body is that if it failed today, I'd live forever in the presence of the Lord. However....I'm just not ready for that. I've got lots of work to do here first. Like all of you (I'm guessing) I've been there, done that on the diet circuit. Up and down in weight...ad nauseum. I'm 42, and I figured that if I live to be even 84, I'd have ANOTHER 42 years to live in this body that is fighting me for EVERY pound. I'm done. Done, done, done. Did I mention that I'm done?? Now...I realize this life after surgery is going to be no picnic, but for once my efforts will be rewarded with loss!!!! Now that's gain!! Wait...am I gaining or losing? I'm confused.... Well, what I DO know is that I could lose 200 pounds and not be in any danger of being too thin. I'd be thrilled with 160, but hoping for more. I can't WAIT to start losing! But know this: I am NOT cool, so I will NOT use terms like "onederland" and "surgiversary." Sorry. These crazy lingos irritate me. So that's it in a nutshell. I'll be traveling to the next state for the surgery and self-paying, so once I decided to do this, I was able to just make an appointment. All the testing and meetings and whatnot will be done a couple days prior to the surgery. All in one shot. Nice. Then we hang around for a week and come home. Love it. I've been praying about this for weeks and will keep doing so until all is well. I'll also say some prayers for all of you. God Bless. --danielle

Ohhh....interesting. I guess things get a little more intense, acid-wise. That'll be fun. :s Worth it though...

I'm curious why you're on a PPI AND a RX antacid?? That seems excessive... I've been on those kinds of meds for about 25 years, and I've never needed both on my worst days. The PPI should be more than enough. If the acid pumps are shut down, it doesn't seem there'd be a need for the antacid. I may be wrong.....maybe this surgery changes things, I don't know..... Anyone?

Well, it's good to know the cravings are bearable! Ha! Food funerals. Ya, I guess that's what I'm doing. Said so long to Krispy Kreme the other day. Donuts are my downfall. I'm PRAYING that they will be repulsive to me after the surgery. Sounds like that's a possibility. I'm ready.

Seriously though peeps.....I'm still waiting for surgery, and right now I can still eat what I'm craving, and I have to say I am miserable. If I'm going to be miserable over food, I can't wait for it to be in the getting skinny direction. I sat in 2 different restaurants today where I didn't fit in the chair or booth. Where is the joy in that life?? To top it off, my hiatal hernia ....herniated....or whatever it does....this morning, so when I do eat, it's extra unpleasant. When you're having a tough time with the craving, try your hardest to remember what indulging your cravings made you feel like. That instant regret (at least for me). Not to be a downer or anything, but really. I've got the food world at my feet and I can't buckle my seatbelt. Nothing tastes that good. You're doing great!! Focus on how good that tastes!!