kimbernada

I'll take being cold to sweating all the time! Mind, with these hot flushes I am freezing one minute. boiling the next... repeat unti; I'm 60...lol

Okay... I LOVE MY SLEEVE!!! That outta the way I just want to complain a little bit. Some things about being sleeved really chap me. Why am I putting this in the pre-sleeve section? So everyone knows what to look forward to.

I'M FREEZING COLD ALL OF THE TIME!!! Even in Summer...
...Um...
...Let's see...
...Well...
...Yeah...

Oh Geez... that's all I can think of.

Started preop diet on July 26, 2011. Had sleeve surgery Aug 23, 2011. Started at 370lbs on preop diet. Today I weigh 161lbs. I have lost 209lbs. I am living proof that it can be done.

Can't believe I have lost 60 pounds ! I am 4 1/2 months postop..., starting weight of 254, today at 194! I am now in the smallest clothes I had held onto from about 8 years ago, and really need to do some shopping as the styles are definitely dated, but I don't want to buy any until it's a smaller size! I had the lap band initially in 2007, and it never seemed to work right- think I lost 30 pounds total and was always getting "stuck" before it finally "slipped" in 2011 and was removed. The sleeve is far superior in every way, and I could not be happier!! Another big difference this time is this message board- it is so full of encouragement, so full of good information, and has kept me motivated and on the right path!! Thanks so much!! Also, I am devoted and faithful to myfitness pal - and I believe it has also been pivotal in my success and encourage anyone to try it!! You can also friend me DocAngTx12 !!

dont know how but i lost 4lbs since this post. the liquid diet lasted 1 day so i switched to lo carb. its working. i also dedicated myself to 20 min on the treadmill after work. last night was the first night i willdo it again tonight. yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

The chili would have been a good choice (if you eat meat). High in Protein... although I guess it depends on where you are in the food stage.

I want to thank everyone soooo much for being here. I appreciate all the help I can get through this tough time. I know that I knew all of the stuff that I was going to have to endure after the surgery, but, as with most things, its very different when you actually get there! It's kinda like having a baby...you think, oh yeah, I got this, diapers and bottles and sleepless nights, but nothing really prepares you for when it actually happens, and then you start to realize that it is more than just that...you are actually raising a little adult and it becomes challanging on a million new levels! That is kinda how this is for me. To be honest, I didn't think that I had a problem with food prior to surgery...but in hind sight, I suppose I did, cause I couldn't stop myself on many occassions. I would always clean my plate. I am definitely grieving food, I can admit that, but I am also having a big problem with this heartburn and vomitting. I go to my doctor this Thursday, so I will see what he says. I suspect he might want to do a leak test because of the vomitting. I will post after my appointment! I have also read that your hormones are all outta wack after this surgery and some girls have said that the PMS like triple what they did before, and my time is coming soon, so perhaps this is part of my problem. I am thankful for you guys, and the fact that my hubby will hug me and let me cry for as long as needed!
Thanks for the recommendation on the EAS shakes. I have seen those at my Kroger, so I will pick them up next time I go!
-Caren

my mom basically had this procedure 20+ years ago due to having stomach cancer. She had about 75% of her stomach removed. She was 180lbs before her cancer, and she has been 110 since. She is normal and cancer free! That is proof to me this is the way to go !!

I also have this question. I asked my doctor what would happen 30 years from now having the sleeve? What are the long term reprocusions to not having 85% of your stomach? He answered "if you don't take control of your weight, you will not be alive in 30 years!" That hit home! I still am curious to long term effects, but through all of my research people are more ill before surgery than after. Excited to start my new life!

Ready for this? 120lbs!!!! Holy moly
It all has happened so quick and life is amazing and getting better each and every day!
Have also helped 4 people in getting the surgery as well with one bypass thrown in there.
Best decision and now I can say that I can start living life now!
: )

I noticed a change in myself when I gained weight, and I avoided intimacy because I was not comfortable with my body any longer. I am 26 days post op, and 27 pounds down, and I already feel better about myself and things have been picking up in our bedroom. I honestly feel my husband feeds off my energy.

This might sound dumb, but my only "can't live without" thing is my incredibly small bowls. I found these little bowls (by ziplock) at HEB/grocery store when i first had surgery. They hold bearly 1 cup of food (7oz at the most) and also 4 oz ones (3oz at the most) I have used these bowls religiously for my lunches and breakfasts my entire 3 years and still use them. . . they make you eye ball conscience on how much food you can really eat. . . when i go out to eat, i order a regular serving of whatever, but along with the order i also request a togo box, then when the food comes, I immediately put the food, minus my eyeballed 1 cup of food into the togo box and enjoy my meal with my family Friends who don't know I have the surgery just think I weird, but thats ok, cause everyone needs a weird friend, makes them look more normal right? hahaha. . . . good luck

My doctor used a 32fr, but I'm not sure if it matters. There was a study done comparing a 40fr to a 60fr and they didn't find a difference in the short term.
Someone posted this picture a while back that shows the differences between bougie sizes and it really is negligible.

And bougie sizes in inches:
32F = .40"
34F = .425"
36F = .45"
38F = .476"
40F = .5"
46F = .576"
60F = .75"
I would say if you're comfortable with the surgeon that is the most important part, but if you're concerned I'd discuss it and see if he'll use a different size or at least stay close to the bougie when making the cut.

As you can see the difference between a 32 & 36 is minimal.

At work, I have a little fridge under my desk. My plans are to have light soy milk, Jello, etc. in that. I ordered a little milk powder container from Amazon. I have a blender ball shaker with two more arriving tomorrow. I'll keep one of those at work.
At home, I have a Cuisinart compact blender (and the blender ball shakers). To help me to eat smaller portions, I ordered a set of smaller stainless steel utensils. I'm thinking of getting these 1/2 cup containers, but they are cheaper at my grocery store by about $1.
For the pureed stage, I plan to puree meats/veggies and will freeze them in these trays. Each cube is 1 oz. I came across this site http://wholesomebaby...MeatRecipes.htm that has basic information on pureeing your own food.
Edited to add: Lock & Lock has a really small container that would work great for storing post-surgery pureed/soft/etc food. I just remembered that I already have a couple of these.

At work, I have a little fridge under my desk. My plans are to have light soy milk, Jello, etc. in that. I ordered a little milk powder container from Amazon. I have a blender ball shaker with two more arriving tomorrow. I'll keep one of those at work.
At home, I have a Cuisinart compact blender (and the blender ball shakers). To help me to eat smaller portions, I ordered a set of smaller stainless steel utensils. I'm thinking of getting these 1/2 cup containers, but they are cheaper at my grocery store by about $1.
For the pureed stage, I plan to puree meats/veggies and will freeze them in these trays. Each cube is 1 oz. I came across this site http://wholesomebaby...MeatRecipes.htm that has basic information on pureeing your own food.
Edited to add: Lock & Lock has a really small container that would work great for storing post-surgery pureed/soft/etc food. I just remembered that I already have a couple of these.

At work, I have a little fridge under my desk. My plans are to have light soy milk, Jello, etc. in that. I ordered a little milk powder container from Amazon. I have a blender ball shaker with two more arriving tomorrow. I'll keep one of those at work.
At home, I have a Cuisinart compact blender (and the blender ball shakers). To help me to eat smaller portions, I ordered a set of smaller stainless steel utensils. I'm thinking of getting these 1/2 cup containers, but they are cheaper at my grocery store by about $1.
For the pureed stage, I plan to puree meats/veggies and will freeze them in these trays. Each cube is 1 oz. I came across this site http://wholesomebaby...MeatRecipes.htm that has basic information on pureeing your own food.
Edited to add: Lock & Lock has a really small container that would work great for storing post-surgery pureed/soft/etc food. I just remembered that I already have a couple of these.

I was only out for less than a week. Had surgery on a Wednesday and returned to work on Tuesday. I only had pain and nausea for 2 days though! Good luck!!!

The gold balls are the way to go. They come in all sizes and only take a couple min to do. They stick to plat also and cannot be seen with ring on.They can be changed to diff sizes easily , my guy Jimmy DaJewler did mine for nuttin'

It's a good thing you are waiting too... who knows where it would have ended up after you've hit your goal!! You know, a tattoo on your thigh now may be on your ankle once you hit goal. (JUST KIDDING!!) I plan to get another tattoo when I hit goal - less chance of it moving around on me.

Yep, I've been there too. I really like the "bangle" from the other site. I found that I could put my name, the "no" stuff, and the ICE on the third line - which would be my hubby's cell phone. BUT... I haven't ordered anything yet.

I know this has been discussed some in the past because I've been in on some other threads for it, but I just wanted to start a new one because of a great site I just found out about.
I know there is debate over whether a medical ID Bracelet is necessary or not. I decided to get one just for my own peace of mind. I just put "Gastric Sleeve VSG - No Blind NG Tubes - No NSAIDs" on mine & thought that would be fine because the place I got it from really didn't have space for contact information or anything else on it. I just figured it would be okay that I had my surgeon's card and other information in my purse.
A couple weeks after surgery, I was talking to a friend who said she had one made also & she said how she put contact info on hers. She said she had never really thought about it before, but had recently witnessed an accident and she and her husband were the first people on the scene of the accident. The woman in the accident was in the car, but her purse had gotten thrown out of the car and it took them a while to find it. My friend said this got her thinking about the bracelet. She said she put most of the same info I did, but also that she's diabetic & also her husband's name and information (and I think our surgeon's number too).
Today someone was talking about it on my surgeon's support group and someone mentioned that they got one with a ton of info on it. She said it has her name, birth year (not full DOB), contact info for her son, her procedure & date of surgery, No Blind NG, No NSAIDs, and our surgeon's name & phone. When we asked her where she got it from, she said it was from Road ID (http://www.roadid.com/). I looked at the site and think it's awesome how much information they can fit on them and they're reasonably priced. They even have options for a wrist or shoe one and some other options. They also have an option for an interactive coverage (which is a subscription) where you could put a more complete profile that EMS could access online or on the phone.
Anyway, I just thought I'd share because although I pray that none of us ever needs emergency assistance, it eases my mind knowing the people who would help me would have the necessary information. I had never thought about how important the contact information is in a situation where my wallet might not be right there! I haven't found other sites that offer the same amount of information on a bracelet as the site above for a reasonable price in the past.

Ooooh.. I love the bangle Bracelet with the non-color id tag at www.n-styleid.com. I like 'understated' jewelry (well, except for my wedding ring). I added this to my wishlist.
Thanks for sharing!

When I first heard that the doctor's office was pushing Bariatric Advantage, I was thinking "what a racket"... but if you look online, BA is the same price. I don't have to buy it from them. In fact, in my program materials, they direct me to buy the supplements from the BA website. I ended up getting them from DietDirect.com when they had a 10% off sale. AND.. the more you buy, the more you save. (If you spend x amount of stuff, you save %.) I ended up saving close to $50. I figure I'll just buy the Protein powder from the doctor's office because it's more convenient. I didn't buy the shakes online because I want to taste them first. I guess next week I have a two-hour group meeting to talk about the shakes and the pre-op diet - and we'll be tasting the stuff.
I know that I like the Syntrax nectar Cappuccino, strawberry mousse, and Cookies & cream flavors, but I can't remember how the nutrition pairs up. Protein-wise, they are the same.

It's a good thing you are waiting too... who knows where it would have ended up after you've hit your goal!! You know, a tattoo on your thigh now may be on your ankle once you hit goal. (JUST KIDDING!!) I plan to get another tattoo when I hit goal - less chance of it moving around on me.