JenniJune

We waited exactly two weeks and had no problem.

I used to have my brows waxes, but that got too expensive. I have thick, dark strays that show up on my cheeks, chin, and nose. I'm Norse descended so my body hair is naturally pretty light, thank God! I did have one woman wax my lip without asking (I was there for brows only) and I've had trouble there ever since.

Thanks everyone for the replies, there certainly is much to think about isn't there?

This is something a local restaurant makes. Their's isn't awesome, honestly, so I re-invented it. This is a great meal that the entire family can eat. Fajita Stir Fry 4 1 cup servings 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips 1 yellow squash, sliced into half moons 1 zucchini, sliced into half moons 1 onion, sliced 1 red bell pepper, sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 C cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half 2 T salt-free fajita lime seasoning salt and pepper to taste 2 T red wine vinegar 1 T Water Spray a nonstick pan with cooking spray and heat on medium. Cook chicken until no longer pink, remove and set aside. Cook veggies until tender, return chicken to pan and mix. Add seasoning, water and vinegar and cook until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. I like to serve this with a little FF sour cream and FF cheese on the side along with some guacamole. Right now I am on full liquids, but once I'm eating real food again, this is going to be one that I run back to immediately!!

Absolutely, I'm not saying to eat like that EVERY DAY of course, that would be just silly. This is just an every once in a while scenario (thus MODERATION). Of course, the majority of the time you SHOULD eat right - eating junk all the time is what got us all here in the first place.

When do you think this philosophy starts? I've heard some people say "never" and others that have said "as soon as you're on real food". What's your opinion? I think that once you're fully healed and on solid foods, this is great philosophy. For me, this was a way to live a normal life and have a normal relationship with food, NOT to have to think about Protein and carbs all day, every day. That just feeds my obsession (and why I failed at programs like Weight Watchers). I just don't want to have to think about it. I want to be able to eat a sandwich, if I want a sandwich. A salad, if I want a salad. Or even a piece of pizza or a bit of hamburger, if I want that. The point, for me, is to be able to say "I'm full" and stop eating after one piece of pizza or 1/4 of a burger. What are your opinions?

Sounds like you just might have caught a tummy bug.

I chose the sleeve because, for me, it made the most sense. I didn't want to have to return to the doctor over and over again for "fills". I didn't want to be limited on what I can and can't eat. I didn't want major invasive surgery to re route my entire gastric system. Also, my mother and several friends have the band and have had MANY issues with it from slippage to not eating enough to eating too much. I have also heard of the pouch on both the band and the bypass becoming stretched out. With the sleeve the possibility of your stomach ever stretching out THAT much is slim. I also have friends that have had the bypass and have stated that they now wish they could go back and do the sleeve instead because of all the problems they're having. Bottom line is, whichever surgery you chose it's a personal decision. Of course here on the sleeve forum, we're all a bit biased so we'll tell you all the praises about the sleeve and all the downfalls of the other surgeries. My advice to you is this: DO YOUR RESEARCH. Visit web sites, talk to people, learn the good, the bad, and the ugly on every possibility out there. I do have one question, though: you said you're already scheduled for the sleeve in August, but want to know which surgery to go with? Are you having doubts and second thoughts? You should not be forced into any procedure, so be sure you are going with what is right for you! Good luck!

I'm about a week out and so far haven't found anything that I can't have - I'm on full liquids and puree just about everything and thin it, LOL, so I've had everything from chicken noodle soup to vegetable beef soup to spicy tortilla soup. The beef and chicken didn't bother me nor did the spice from the tortilla soup. I have yet to try bread or rice as I am not to this stage yet, but I don't anticipate any issues there either, because I can tolerate grits and cream of wheat very well also. Good luck!

Here's my 2 cents on diet soda and the sleeve. The reason we aren't supposed to have it during the first few months is because of the staples on your stomach. If there is any metal exposed on the inner wall of your stomach, the soda can actually erode it and cause rust. This can cause infection and a slew of other issues (as per my surgeon). It's all about allowing our newly formed tummies to heal. AFTER our stomachs are fully healed (around the 6 month mark) there is no surgical reason why one cannot indulge in one once in a while - the carbonation, however can cause discomfort for many, so be careful. My personal feelings on diet soda: ONE, over ice, once in a while is okay as a treat, but daily it should be avoided. There are so many reasons for this: the carbonation and acidity can cause ulcers in the stomach lining, the aspartame in it is a carcinogen (I try to avoid all aspartame as a result of learning this), the artificial flavors and coloring are also carcinogens, and there is absolutely zero nutritional value in them. I was addicted to diet coke for 20 years - I drank up to a (12 can) CASE a day. I suffered from severe indigestion, gas, ulcers, and a whole host of issues. I quit drinking them shortly before I started my pre-op diet and haven't turned back. I feel much better, stronger, and haven't had any digestive problems since. I truly sympathize with those of you struggling with this addiction - contrary to believe it IS an addiction just as strong as any drug - but I urge you to be strong. You'll be so glad you did it and so proud of yourself. And your gastrointestinal system with thank you for it.

I had to do it cold turkey (I was pregnant at the time) and it was the HARDEST thing I've EVER had to do. I visited LOTS of web sites (quitassist.com was one I frequented). Of course, this was also when I gained a lot of my weight, so I'd invest in a lot of gum and sugar free lollipops. Also, take up a hobby that will keep your hands busy. I started crocheting and cross stitching during this time as well. Most of all, you have to BELIEVE that you CAN do it. It has to be "not an option" and there can't be a way out. The problems with losenges and gums is that you can actually become addicted to THEM (I've seen it happen more than once). Good luck to you!

So far, so good! My first goal was to be at 275 by 1 wk post op, which will be tomorrow and I hit that as of today! Pre-surg: 285 CW: 275 GW: 240

I'm tomorrow as well and have also been singing that song! Lol!!

Yes I am! I can't wait!!!

Obesity is absolutely an epidemic on our planet. Yet society's image of the perfect form is getting smaller. I've even noticed the BMI charts have changed over the years. We get so focused on size that we lose sight of what really matters: heart. That's true for gays, straights, black, white, Asian, Hispanic, and everything in between. It is sad. I was single my entire life except for two three month stretches until I met my husband. I was crazy about a guy for years that wouldn't give me the time of day because of my weight. Moral of the story is, when the "right" one shows up, weight won't matter.

What are your thoughts on bringing older kids to the hospital? My daughter (8) wants to be there tomorrow along with my husband and my parents.

Awesome! Thank you!

April I just sent you a request: it's Jennifer Munson DeMoss :-)

There are a lot of nay-sayers on the message boards, but there is one specifically for WLS people. . As for never eating breads again, I'd like to know where your information came from on that? According to my surgeon, nut, and the research I've done, the Protein is most important the first 6 months due to the healing of your stomach, but after that you can resume eating (healthy) carbs again. In fact, they actually suggest things like crackers, dry toast, cream of wheat and oatmeal in the soft foods stage. That being said, weight watchers doesn't require that you eat bread or carbs of any kind - in fact, the points plus plan is fairly low-carb. There are many people doing WW low carb that have done very weill. That's the beauty of that plan - it's very customizable to fit your needs and lifestyle. The only thing I can see being an issue is the amount of points. The lowest amount they give is around 25 which comes out to around 1200 calories a day, which, once your sleeve is healed, is about the amount doctors try to get you to consume anyway (give or take a few hundred), so as long as you get between 18-25 points a day and skip out on the weeklies you should be fine. Yes, I love WW - a LOT, LOL. No, it's not for everyone, but then, neither is WLS :-)

I am 48 DD right now, and they're already pretty saggy. I'm hopeful that they may perk up, LOL. I am thankful for this thread, though: this is something I've been wondering about myself!

I have been giving my kids white meat nuggets, all natural fish sticks, things like that with cut up fruits and veggies on the side: no junk food, no chips. I give them whole grain goldfish once in a while. My hubby decided to start a juice fast for the two weeks that I'm on my liquid diet and then he's going to break it while I'm in the hospital with a salad. I am so blessed. As for cooking for my kids, it bothered me the first few days that I was on pre-op but these last days have been fine. I'm looking forward to when I can eat what they eat and cook them some REAL (healthy) food!

Weight Watchers is an amazing plan, and I've known several people that have done it after WLS and been quite successful! I've considered going back to it myself after healing. You will probably have to go with the lowest point count available, but eventually should be able to stay close in range, anyway. Depending on the type of leaders in your area, you might benefit from doing it online and weighing in on your doctors scales.

Hoping that everyone that has been sleeved this week is doing well!

What day are you on? I'm on 7. It's hard, but after about the third or fourth day it DOES get better, I promise!! I was at the point a couple of days ago where I wanted to just LICK a piece of HAM!!