DLCoggin

On the way!

I'd be glad to help in any way I can! There are tons of great folks on this site that would say exactly the same thing! You're in the right place!

Thirty-two pounds in eight weeks is an average of four pounds a week. By my calculation, you have about 70 lbs more to lose. So, if you continue with an average of four pounds a week, you'll be at goal in roughly four and a half months. Surgery to goal and a whole new you in six and a half months - if you ask me you're doing absolutely fabulous!! Congratulations!!

When I was in graduate school they taught us a deceptively simple principle for making financial decisions - weigh the cost vs. the benefit. Always. Without exception. Even relatively modest increases in cost may not be justified by marginal benefits. Very large increases in cost may be justifiable by extraordinary benefits. In our personal lives, we wear many different hats. Every time we take one hat off and put another one on, our perspective is often different. A justifiable cost from one perspective may be less conclusive from another. When I apply this reasoning to my weight loss surgery, the result is always the same. Whether I look at the cost from the perspective of - husband, father, grandfather, friend, mentor, business owner or just plain human being - regardless of how I look at it, the benefits of this surgery justify the cost many, many, many times over. Beyond any shadow of a doubt, from every possible perspective, the best investment I ever made. Or ever will make.

My surgeon told me in a regular follow-up appointment that a problem can sometimes develop with the small intestine. Apparently it can "kink" or develop a loop. She told me straight out that the pain can be, in some cases, very intense. She also said that it absolutely can be corrected but it does require surgery. I don't know if they can diagnose it with an endoscopy or not. You mentioned that you've been having the pain for about a year - have you discussed it with your surgeon? Severe pain of any kind, much less to the point of losing consciousness, should be regarded as serious. You may want to consider working closely and assertively with your medical team until you have a diagnosis and a plan for treatment.

I have often suggested to post-op folks the importance of measuring any goals they are considering against two things – every goal must be realistic and sustainable. Any goal being considered that does not meet those two criteria should be eliminated in favor of a realistic, sustainable alternative. Your exceptionally well-written post inspired me to consider goals in the pre-op, decision making stage of the process. How do I get to my goal of 100%? I don’t have an answer to that question. But, in my case, what is more important is that I don’t believe the goal is realistic. Or sustainable. 100% implies absolute certainty – that’s not realistic. There are risks with any surgery and bariatric surgery is no exception. There are no guarantees. Even knowing that, I went through times when I was “absolutely certain” that the surgery was the right choice. But in the weeks and months leading up to the surgery there were other times when my conviction waned – that’s code for there were times when the whole idea scared the bejesus out of me. What if? Absolute certainty was simply not sustainable. So my goal became to learn everything I could about the benefits, and the risks, of bariatric surgery. That goal met the criteria. It was realistic. And it was sustainable. I discovered that once I had met my goal, the decision was relatively easy, even in the absence of absolute certainty. The odds of having a successful, life-changing experience were overwhelmingly in my favor. Bariatric surgery is the most effective option known to medical science for the treatment of obesity and more than 30 comorbidities associated with obesity. Find your realistic and sustainable goal and you’re gonna love the new you!!

Just emailed!

On the way Lisa!

I recently grudgingly laid out more than I wanted to for a pair of New Balance "walking" shoes along with sole inserts. Their machine indicated that my left arch is slightly lower than the right arch. Today was the second time I've worn them. Now I'm no marathoner but this afternoon I walked five miles in 68 minutes with an average one mile pace of 13:48 per mile. That's pretty dang good for me. I'm amazed at the difference the shoes made in my gait. And not the slightest hint of a blister. My $15 costco tennies resulted in two blisters to the point of bleeding over the same distance last week. Money well spent!!

Good day to everyone! In two and a half years of being on this amazing site (thank you @@Alex Brecher), this is my first post in Rants and Raves. And it really isn't a rant or a rave. It's more of a request. I recently read a post that essentially said "Tell me your WLS story from pre-op to goal weight." Really? There are so many knowledgeable and caring folks on this site. We are so anxious to help others who are facing many of the same challenges we have faced. We want to share our experiences and offer suggestions and support and encouragement. We really do! And we really have a lot to offer. But we can't do that unless you do your part. So here are a few ideas to help us help you. Avoid impossibly broad questions (like the example above). Most of us don't have to the time to type it. And you probably don't have the time to read it. Ask any question you want - but be as specific as possible. What have you tried to solve the problem or concern? What was the result? Have you discussed it with your doctor/nutritionist/physician's assistant? If yes, what was their response or suggestion? You gain nothing from well-meaning suggestions that you've already tried and that failed to address the concern. Please, at the very least, complete the surgery type in your profile. Members of the forum can see that information whenever you post. The answers to some questions are surgery specific. Knowing the surgery you had or are planning to have allows other members to judge if they have the experience needed to answer your question in the context of the surgery you've had or are planning. If you're post-op, completing surgery date, starting weight and current weight in your profile is invaluable. I recently read a thread where the member was very frustrated with his/her results. Another member noted in their response that his/her weight loss to date was truly excellent. There simply was no cause for concern! Post your questions or ideas to the correct forum. One of the great strengths of Bariatric Pal is the availability of forums for virtually every aspect of the WLS journey. It only takes a minute or two to select the best option. You'll be rewarded with more responses and responses that are more focused on your specific question. Always acknowledge responses to your question. In many cases a simple "Thanks so much!" is fine. Failure to acknowledge other's attempts to help you succeed is inexcusable. Familiarize yourself with the Search function on the forum and use it. We get it - every single one of us was new to WLS at some point. But many questions have been answered dozens, if not hundreds of times. A quick search for one or two keywords will return a virtual library of responses on many, many topics. You'll get tons of answers from many different perspectives. You'll be amazed at how much and how quickly you can learn from the experience of other members. If you don't find the answer to your question, type away! You guys have a great day and always remember - you're gonna love the new you!!

I think that's a great idea. Sort of a spin-off on "Frequently Asked Questions".

Great, great article Irene. Follow your plan, monitor your progress, react quickly to changes. Just superb!!

On the way!

On the way Ms. Gloria!

I had every single one of those things...and every single one of those things are gone! You're gonna love the new you!!

The problem with goal weights is that your idea of where you want to be and your body's idea of where it wants to be can be different. I very intentionally never set a goal weight and my surgical team never suggested one. I decided that I would follow my plan for however long it took until my body told me it was where it wanted to be. And that's exactly what happened. I lost 130 lbs in just under 14 months and then it just stopped. My body was where it wanted to be. Today, a year and a half later, I'm within three pounds of that point. I never experienced any regain, often referred to as "bounce back". Sounds to me like your body is where it wants to be. Listen to it, love it and live it!

Just emailed!

On the way!

Just emailed!

Bear in mind that it's always a mistake to count on dumping following surgery (RnY or sleeve). Estimates run as high as 50% of surgery patients that never experience dumping. But of all of the long list of benefits from surgery, not one of them is attributed to dumping. If you experience it, fine. If you don't, fine. It's all good!! If you do experience dumping, it really isn't anything to be terrified of. Although decidedly unpleasant, dumping is seldom serious, rarely requires medical attention and is usually easily controlled or avoided with diet.

Might also be a corn. Never had one (or any foot problem) until about two years prior to surgery. I could see the corn but had no idea what it was until my PCP took one look at it. He said they can do surgery but didn't recommend it since they tend to come back. It's still there to this day. But after losing 130 lbs, I never even notice it and I'm walking four miles a day, three to four days a week. No pain at all. Just one more benefit of bariatric surgery! Regardless of what it is, I agree with Dr. Tom - go to a shoe store and see what suggestions they have for a shoe that will give you more support. I just bought a new pair of walking shoes yesterday (from a New Balance store) and it's quite amazing what they can tell from a relatively simple machine. They were considerably more expensive than my $15 pair of costco tennies but the money I'll save on bandaids will help offset the cost!

I agree 100% with Carol about My Fitness Pal. An extremely powerful tool. Use it to get a starting calorie goal based on age, gender, height, weight and what your weight goal is. That will give you a daily calorie goal. It's not carved in stone, just a starting point. Try that goal for a week and if you don't get the results you're looking for, adjust the calorie goal up or down by 100-200 calories and try it for another week. In no time you'll determine the goal that is right for you and your goal. Should you weigh or measure everything? Absolutely. Ultimately, weight management comes down to the old cliché - calories in vs calories out. One of the advantages of using calories is that it forces you to weigh or measure in order to get a reasonably accurate calorie count. I weighed or measured practically everything for almost two years. At this point I'm pretty good at estimating foods that I eat frequently. But I still weigh or measure anything new, anything I'm not sure about or anything that I have found to be quite deceptive. For example, try to estimate one ounce of turkey Jerky. I love jerky, it's healthy, filling, and loaded with Protein. But the pieces come in all different sizes and shapes and it's obviously quite dense. One long skinny piece can easily exceed an ounce. And one flat broad piece can be two ounces or more. No getting around it, I gotta weigh it! Ditto for things like chicken or tuna salad. You can very easily exceed a four ounce portion by 50% or more if you don't weigh it. It sounds like a lot or work but once you get used to it, it really becomes second nature and you don't give it a second thought. Most things can be weighed or measured and input into MFP very quickly. Commit to it for 90 days and you'll be amazed at how much you learn and how effectively you can control you weight!

There are approximately 160,000 bariatric surgeries performed in the U.S. every year. If you personally knew 1,600 friends that had the same experience, that would be 1% of the U.S. surgery population for a single year. Consider re-visiting your logic. Do you really want to make a decision as important as this one based on one person's experience? The majority of doctors do not recommend the sleeve for patients who have a history of GERD, even in the absence of Barrett's. You don't have to look any further than this forum to read stories from folks who have had the sleeve and are now having revisions to the bypass because of severe reflux issues. The sleeve is a highly successful, safe and effective option with a slightly lower complication rate than the bypass. But in your case, your doctor is making a medically based recommendation that the bypass would be a better choice. If you're not comfortable with that recommendation, then by all means seek a second opinion. To walk away from this life-changing opportunity to live a happier, healthier and longer life, free of obesity, is a terribly high price to pay based on one friend's experience. Go for it! You're gonna love the new you!!

I was told that the pouch can be stretched by either liquids or solids. And there's no timeline - in other words it is possible to stretch the pouch relatively soon after surgery or years later. The key to avoiding the problem - follow your plan. At every stage of your journey. And for the rest of your life. Doctors are all over the place when it comes to the plan they want you to follow, but here are some of the key points that seem to be quite common. Measure and/or weigh everything you eat or drink. Especially important during the weeks following surgery when the nerves in your pouch that serve as "stretch sensors" are healing and temporarily ineffective. Never eat less than two or more than four hours apart. Less than two is almost certainly head hunger. More than four and you risk getting overly hungry increasing the temptation to overeat. Fluids are a terrific "bridge" between meals when you're feeling hungry and it's too soon to eat. Eat slowly and chew to the consistency of applesauce. Failing to do so can stretch the pouch or even more serious, stretch the stoma. Stop eating at the first sign of fullness. Remember that it takes 20 minutes or more for "full" signals to get to the brain. Stretching the pouch is not something that happens over night. One stumble is highly unlikely to cause any long term problem. Repeatedly eating or drinking portions larger than prescribed by your doctor and failing to chew well is a formula for disaster. Trust the process. Listen to your body and trust what it's telling you. Follow your plan. You're gonna love the new you!!

I have read that burned calorie estimates are often based on relatively large, muscular individuals which means that they tend to be overstated. Many have suggested that burned calories based on a heart rate monitor (configured for age, height, weight, gender, etc.) is a much more accurate way to determine calories burned. It works independent of the exercise since it is measuring your heart rate over a given period of time regardless of whether you're gardening or running a marathon. The only down side is that good heart rate monitors tend to be a little on the pricey side.