dpflorida

Hello, I was sleeved 7/12/12. Type 2 was on a pump and on 120+ units daily give or take a few . Now on 18 units Levemir and humalog boluses as needed if too high before meals or sick days. I had hoped to be off insulin but apparently my pancreas is kaput so I have very little endogenous insulin. Yes, we have to be diligent and proactive when dealing with diabetes . It pays off when you think about avoiding the dire and deadly consequences of this insidious disease. All the best to you my fellow diabetic sleevers! I see my endocrinologist on Thursday . We shall see if A1C is acceptable ...

I had surgery 7/12. I get the sharp pain if I drink too much too fast. using the 30 ml cups keeps me from overdoing. Happy healing everybody!

I've had those questions too. I'm a little over 5 weeks out and my standard reply is "I can pretty much have whatever I want, and I just don't feel like having (insert food here) right now. It's easier than going into a whole explanation of the sleeve, especially if I'm around people who I don't wish to know I've had WLS.
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I cooked grits in "Skim plus" milk.Added sharp cheddar cheese. Had enough to store
for Breakfast for tkhe next five days. Measured out 2 oz servings on my food scale. I was shocked how full i was! 2 oz ??? It boggles the mind. Ithoroughly enjoyed my first day of purees!

I was sleeved 3 wks ago. Ive lost 16 pounds,since surgery. However, I lost 38 pounds on preop diet, so 58 total since Jan 1/2012.
Getting the sleeve is my insurance for not gaining back and learning how to eat all over again!
All the bestbto you!

Love this thread! Also reinforces my decision to keep quiet about my surgery except to family and closest friends( and not all of those) It is nobodys f*^%#g business!!!!!
I always felt self conscious when I was at my highest weight eating in front of ANYBODY! I felt judged even if someone wasnt commenting. I judged myself too.
Now I will eat what I must to live and thrive and to hell with anyone else and whatever inane comments they want to make!
As far as the comments about appearance, I just say thanks and change the subject. I did not do this solely for my appearance. I was staring into the abyss, the only future I could invision was more disease,suffering and death. I had an epiphany on Dec.3 and decided to grab hold of the life preserver and never let go. If I die now, it will not be at my own hand(literally, hand to mouth) So the people who have this surgery still crave crap they need to see their therapist, go to every support group available to them and join every wls forum there is. I will never kick someone when they are down, I have been there. I will answer questions on these forums as honestly as I can. But the real decison these people make in regards to food and drink choices are theirs and theirs alone and they will either suffer or learn from those choices.
All the best to my fellow sojourners!

Sleeved May 10. Down 86 pounds.

I told my husband, who accompanied me and is totally supportive and my sister in law...so someone had our travel itenarary to Mexico, and no one else. Like you I don't want to be anyone's poster child. Nor do I want to have to spend time and energy explaining, defending or discussing the merits or risks with anyone else. I've done my research and I've made my own decision. I decided this time and this journey was for me and I'm keeping it personal...only sharing it with a few thousand people going through the same thing here on these boards...lol. When people ask what I'm doing (re: my eating habits or right now lack thereof) I just say I'm eating less and moving more which is all true.
Once I'm further in my journey if someone I know is looking for support or advice and asks my opinion I will gladly share my support and experience but until then for me....mums the word.

"you're too skinny...." Does not compute. Is that english? I don't understand those words put together!! HAHAHA

I know many go to Mexico to get sleeved or they get into a program that fast-tracks them and everyone wants to rush the process.
I have seen people go through the six month process and gain weight only to have to hurry up and do some major dieting to to be allowed the surgery.
I balked the first time I went to WLS and they wanted me to get psychological counseling. I hate the lady, seriously, and my husband lost his job so I backed out. The 2nd time I went to another place, and I balked about the six months, I ended up getting pneumonia and I backed out first month.
The third time I grabbed all the information and made a binder from both places and I started the diet on my own. 800-900 calories, 80 grams of Protein, 45-75 carbs and I started charting my food (the thing I dreaded the most was writing my food down and looking up calories etc.). I charted my Water, and I contacted Healthy4life. I realized I could get denied because of the Lupus and I decided to put 100% effort into it. I lost 70 pounds pre-op.
I worked on behavior modification in advance. I think that is what is really truly needed. I think a lot of people think that this is going to do the work for them. Even with everything I did in advance, giving up coffee, exercising etc. the surgery still was a bit hard on me, I still kind of wig out that I can barely get in 2 ounces of food at a sitting. I still look at steak with longing in my heart, I would love some Rice-A-Roni Beef flavored but I love my life so much more.
At the beginning of last summer I knew I was dying. I sat there with a heart monitor in my chest, lupus and I could barely breathe. My normal size A cup was now going on DD, I couldn't get up the stairs without help and I found out my great grandmother died at the age of 49 of Morbid Obesity related illnesses, the ones I had. She didn't have a brain tumor like me, or Lupus, or neurological issues, but she had the rest of the stuff I had. I figured my son would come in from school and find me dead and I said no more.
If the people getting sleeved don't say no more, if they don't put 100% effort into this, and don't start thinking about their lives as worthy of putting effort into, they will lose weight at the beginning, but will find ways to justify the french fries, the piece of cake, the ice cream, the spaghetti and the burrito.
It's up to you to work out the issues you have with food, with or without psychological help. The sleeve is only a tool. Many people I know that had gastric bypass have gained their weight back, people that were lap banded gained weight back, stalled or ended up with more complications. I can't afford to, I need to live. If I die it's going to be because I got hit by a bus, or because of the lupus, or the brain tumor, I'm not dying because of my weight. No more.
Good luck to you.

Yep, it is a revelation of the food/psyche relationship. When I was on the liquid/shake preop diet and even now 10 days post op, the mourning for the social aspects of eating,the pleasure of putting anything in my mouth, drinking with meals... even cooking my usual specialties, was / is an evolution and ongoing education. I am so much more attuned to my body, the metamorphasis of my flesh. When I lost 30 lbs preop, and realized my knees no longer hurt when I climb stairs, a warm fuzzy feeling came over me and I sensed the blossoming of hope that I had not experienced in a long time. When I experienced hunger preop, I let myself feel the discomfort and thought about the process, what I could do instead of eat. When I was stressed, I drank Water and thought about my future as a normal weight person. I used food as a drug for soo long. But I paid dearly for that high....Diabetes(maybe not reversable in myncase),sleep apnea, high bp,lymphedema,depression, predjudice,social ostracism,inability to participate in activities that I wanted too....The physical,and emotional pain that I felt and currently feel is changing slowly. I made this decision to be a healthy person to the best of my ability. It is the hardest thing Imhave ever done. I may never totally acheive all my goals, but at least I have goals now. A year ago ,,I thought I was hopeless. I am hanging on to hope. I pray the serenity prayer a lot. I know I will stumble and fall, maybe even fail at times,,but I will endevour to be kind to myself, forgive myself and try again.I do believe that change is possible now. But it still will remain a daily battle of my choices. There are so many temptations and distractions to overcome. These forums help to keep a positive perspective. Knowing you are not alone in the journey helps tremendously. Others have gone on before me and reached their goals. I strive to continue to lesrn from others who are in the struggle with me. I will share my story very selectively,and that is still part of my healing. I still fear rejection or being hurt by others who would never undestand my choice to alter my body forever to gain control of my body to become the best person I can be. Both of my sisters are normal,weight, but they are very discplined with their eating and spend many hours a week working out. I needed this tool to get to a normal,weight and hopefully will learn to maintain once I reach goal. I had a revelation about head hunger.... it is for me the desire for a certain taste, texture,
or ambient factor of food. It is the difference between eating for pleasure, or eating to survive. One day, maybe I will be satisfied that I am choosing to eat to stay alive as opposed to craving to satisfy a certain taste sensation. Not that there is anything inherently "wrong" with enjoying food. It is just for me, learning my limits, identifying triggers and learning new ways to deal with stress other than turning to food.Love and peace to all....
Denise

Yep, it is a revelation of the food/psyche relationship. When I was on the liquid/shake preop diet and even now 10 days post op, the mourning for the social aspects of eating,the pleasure of putting anything in my mouth, drinking with meals... even cooking my usual specialties, was / is an evolution and ongoing education. I am so much more attuned to my body, the metamorphasis of my flesh. When I lost 30 lbs preop, and realized my knees no longer hurt when I climb stairs, a warm fuzzy feeling came over me and I sensed the blossoming of hope that I had not experienced in a long time. When I experienced hunger preop, I let myself feel the discomfort and thought about the process, what I could do instead of eat. When I was stressed, I drank Water and thought about my future as a normal weight person. I used food as a drug for soo long. But I paid dearly for that high....Diabetes(maybe not reversable in myncase),sleep apnea, high bp,lymphedema,depression, predjudice,social ostracism,inability to participate in activities that I wanted too....The physical,and emotional pain that I felt and currently feel is changing slowly. I made this decision to be a healthy person to the best of my ability. It is the hardest thing Imhave ever done. I may never totally acheive all my goals, but at least I have goals now. A year ago ,,I thought I was hopeless. I am hanging on to hope. I pray the serenity prayer a lot. I know I will stumble and fall, maybe even fail at times,,but I will endevour to be kind to myself, forgive myself and try again.I do believe that change is possible now. But it still will remain a daily battle of my choices. There are so many temptations and distractions to overcome. These forums help to keep a positive perspective. Knowing you are not alone in the journey helps tremendously. Others have gone on before me and reached their goals. I strive to continue to lesrn from others who are in the struggle with me. I will share my story very selectively,and that is still part of my healing. I still fear rejection or being hurt by others who would never undestand my choice to alter my body forever to gain control of my body to become the best person I can be. Both of my sisters are normal,weight, but they are very discplined with their eating and spend many hours a week working out. I needed this tool to get to a normal,weight and hopefully will learn to maintain once I reach goal. I had a revelation about head hunger.... it is for me the desire for a certain taste, texture,
or ambient factor of food. It is the difference between eating for pleasure, or eating to survive. One day, maybe I will be satisfied that I am choosing to eat to stay alive as opposed to craving to satisfy a certain taste sensation. Not that there is anything inherently "wrong" with enjoying food. It is just for me, learning my limits, identifying triggers and learning new ways to deal with stress other than turning to food.Love and peace to all....
Denise