CA712

Hello to all,
I am having WLS in about one month and right now I am jumping thru all the hoops to get paperwork, forms and tests completed before I see my surgeon on Feb. 26th. I just wanted to take a survey to see how many folks who have had the Sleeve surgery had/have at least 100 to 140 pounds to lose. I have taken the time over the past 3 years to research all types of WLS and based on my own research have decided that the Gastric Band had too many problems, and the gastric bypass was a little too scary for me. The sleeve seems the better route to go since you are disconnected and then reconnected . I am in my early 60's and need to lose around 140 pounds. I am just trying to see if anyone else out there has to lose this much weight and is doing it with the sleeve.
Thank you so much for your input regarding this and good luck to everyone.

It has been almost 3 years since having my bypass surgery and I still cannot eat anything pork I do not like the smell of pork either.
I was told in the beginning that this will pass but so far it has not.

Hello WeeWers how are you? I hope you are doing well these days. I have been trying to find this group but for some reason it dropped off and I still cannot figure it out. After a 2 week stall I lost another 2 pounds so I am now officially down 50 pounds since surgery. This is really hard I would have thought the weight would come off fast but it is not. I think some of my problems come from the fact I am still so heavy and walking is just an effort for me at this point. My knees still hurt when I walk around for more than 15 minutes so there is no 30 minute walks for me. I am hoping this will be resolved in time. I did'nt get fat overnight so getting thinner will also take time. The hot Florida weather is now upon us and it will be hot and humid until end of October.
When is your surgery date? I had mine done in Tampa, FL by Dr. Alfredo Fernandez on March 11th. Keep in touch and let me know how you are doing.
Always,
Cheryl

Hello to all,
I am 63 years old and I have having the gastric bypass done March 11th. that is 11 days from now. I am so nervous and excited all at the same time. At a recent local support group meeting there was a man 69 years young who had this surgery 3 weeks ago and is doing great. So, yes there are those of us 60 and over having surgery. I just wished I had this done 5 years ago but I was too afriad and had too many people in my life who would talk me out of it. I have tried so many diets, liquids, high Fiber, Weight Watchers, Nutrrasystem, I would lose the weight but nothing worked permanently for me. I need this surgery to stop and reboot my eating habits. Like they say "there is no going back". I had been going back and forth between the sleeve surgery and bypass for more than a year. My surgeon told me that the gastric bypass is the standard surgery for weight loss and has been for over 25 years. The success of weight loss with the bypass is much better than the lapband and results are better than sleeve especially if you have eating issues with sugar. So, here I am and I am so so happy to find a group of people 55 and over who are going to have this surgery. It makes me feel good to know I have some online buddies to go thru this with. I would love to hear back from you and for all of us who are having this surgery this month I wish you well and keep happy thoughts. Just think of all the good times ahead. I know it will be hard but we can get thru this todether. Take care to all, cheryl

I would drop him like a wet blanket, continue loosing weight and keep on target with my career goals buy yourself a pair of leather pants and find a real man who is worthy of your love. This guy is just going to keep you down and when you have lost all your weight he will find something else to be critical of you but he has NO PROBLEM living off of you with free rent and food. Good luck and for once in your life love yourself more it is not be selfish to take care of yourself sounds like you are in a bad situation that will only get worse.

Hello everyone,
I had my surgery in Nov 2012. I was active on the forum until after surgery. 6 months after surgery my husband received orders to a new duty station and I no longer had the support of my surgeon and his staff. I tried to do it alone..... up until now. I am struggling with food choices, exercise and motivation. I can't do this alone and need support from a community that knows what I am going through. I am weighing in at 170 and have been stalled forever. I decided to become active again with the forum. I feel like a failure because I know what I am doing wrong.

You've taken the first and most important step in reaching out. I haven't had my surgery yet, but I've read others say you need to go back to the beginning and start over again. Also I've seen others recommend this link as a re-start point after a long stall: http://www.5daypouchtest.com/index.html
Hang in there, you'll get going again.

Good to hear that everyone is doing better these days. I have decided to go back on full liquids tomorrow to help with weight loss. Since the holidays it has been going slowly and that is my fault. It sure does feel good to be down over 100 pounds and I need to get rid of the last 65 pounds ASAP. Now is the time of year to just get back on track. I am going to support group at the end of this month. This is a new support group for me and I sure hope it is a good one. I will let you know.
Ismereno and Linda you are my hero's.
Cheryl

Hello Ladies,
I have the best excuse for why I haven't posted lately. My computer had a temper tantrum and messed up my computer. On Internet Explorer, for example, it shifted around all of my favorite icons and substituted in its place, things I favored 6 or more months ago.
So my icon for this group disappeared. And my memory is as long as a 9 mo old pregnant woman's ability to hold her pee. Practically non-existent. When I didn't see the icon, I didn't remember to post.
My gosh, Linda, you poor puppy. I feel so bad for you having to go through gout. So far <pounding on wood> I haven't had to deal with that. But I did have Shingles, which is so painful I was crying, which I never do. Later, my doc said I should have gone to the hospital and be on an IV drip. There is an expression, "pain is mandatory, but suffering is optional." In other words, if we work at it ... and in this case find the right doctor ... our pain may disappear quickly.
I think it's a good lesson for anybody. If you hurt, go to your PCP, not the ER. Keep in mind that the ER is staffed by interns, residents, and yes, even medical students.
I finally met with my Nut on Jan. 2 and weighed 342, which was a loss of 29 pounds over about 6 weeks. I'm not getting exercise, but have a PT coming in 2/week. My time runs out this week, so I hope I will force myself to walk without her.
My tummy is becoming more tolerant and I find I can eat some real food now. I'm about ready to order my favorite guesidillas. What to eat is still a struggle for me because of the difficulty of using my kitchen. I had my meals pretty much figured out before. I ate pizza and chicken salad from Whole Foods and frozen foods from Lean Cuisine and Marie Calendar. I'm pretty close to being able to do that again. Keep in mind, I don't cook. Perhaps if my kitchen were normal size and I could get around, I might. But it isn't.
Dear Cheryl - So good to hear from you again. Those idiots who give you a hard time are just insanely jealous. That's it in a nutshell.
And a big, warm hello to our newest Boomer, Bupie! Can't wait to hear more from you and why you have that special nickname. Write to us ... we're a pretty nice, loving, friendly, positive group. Good luck to you.
Happy 2014 to All!!

Linda, OMG so sorry that you are still in lots of pain. Let me know what your primary care doctor tells you. Who was the doctor that did your surgery? I had my done by Dr Fernandez at Brandon Hospital. Hang tough and let me know.
Good Luck Linda,
Cheryl

Linda I am so so sorry to hear this, I do know that some folks can have a few problems as much as 1 or 2 months post op. If you are still having trouble walking in the next few days I would call your surgeon's office and report this and see what they tell you. Please keep me posted, can you try to walk around the inside of your house a few times a day and see if that helps decrease the pain. Take care and let me know.

Lynda,
Thank you for your response. I am not sure what is going on with me, I am 9 months post op and you could be right, I am feeling stressed for some reason or maybe I am picking up vibs that I don't like. I have lost 110 pounds and some of my family and a close friend have not said one word about any of my weight loss. I keep telling myself it does not matter I am doing this for myself. My friend is now trying to drop weight and wants me to be overjoyed because she lost 20 pounds. Not sure what to think. Thanks again Lynda.
Cheryl

I just have one question to ask to see if anyone else is experiencing the same thing. I had my surgery 9 months ago and for the past 2 months I have been told that I am short tempered. I also have been told that I get mean went talking to a few family members. This is not the person I used to be and I am not sure where all this is short temper and meanness is coming from.
Has this happened to anyone else?? Not sure how to handle this.
thanks again for your help.

I am 9 months post op but at 2 weeks post op I was all liquids. I drank Protein drinks that were recommended to me by my nutritionist, I tried to drink Water, even hot Water (it was very soothing to my stomach. I drank diet cranberry juice, hot chicken broth or beef broth. Week 3 I added yogurt to the mix. Dannon fit and light yogurt. Hope this helps.

Since I can barely walk for the past week, I am glued to this laptop and anything else that can occupy my mind for the past week.
I looked at and joined a couple FB private groups, just to keep busy since i cannot walk right now. I cannot believe the number of young women who discuss things like
When can I drink alcohol
When can I have bread, pizza and Pasta
I am drinking my Coke no matter what
I have not lost any weight, I am gaining
I have been thinking how blessed I am to be 67 years old and be where I am right now, and not worrying about what I am missing. Only thing good about old age I guess.

CA I can tell you I am short tempered right now from pain. I have throbbing horrible gout pain in my big toe and I could chew a tree trunk I am so agitated. Maybe you are just stressed out, or not feeling right?

Well are you starting menopause or already through it? As we lose fat, a lot of hormones get releases (at least that's what I've read here over the years). And we ha e to. Feel our feelings now instead of eating a bag of chips and eating a pint of ice cram. Could be one of those things.
Or it could be they see you differently now. Look into your own heart for the answer.
Lynda

Hello Boomers,
I want to wish everybody a Happy New Year. It has been awhile since I have been here but I am now back on track after the past holiday. Too many dinners and Cookies and I see that I have gained 3 pounds over the holidays. This holiday weight gain is the lowest of my life so I am thankful. I gave myself a few treats and did not work out like I usually do but I am back and focused so I can complete my weightloss journey.
I started to get my Water intake up today. I made a pitcher of Water and added the slices of 2 fresh lemons. I let the water set for almost an hour before I started and I must say it tasted great. I have also bought a bag of red grapefruit and will use that in my water tomorrow. And, starting tomorrow I will start my Protein liquids again.
Take care and it is good to be back,
Cheryl

​Sunshyn, my name is Mary, & I can totally understand where you're conning from,a little background on me, I had my surgery on January 29 &it was a textbook surgery,my problems began when I got home, I have Chronic Rheumatoid Arthritis in every joint in my body (not an exaggeration) Fibromyalgia, & Thyroid disease, I was taking 15 pills 3 times a day,which I wouldn't be able to take because it would overkill my stomach. Anyway my Dr's & I figured it out but after surgery I went through withdrawals from some of the pain killers. Then I couldn't keep any food down, for the first 6weeks, the Dr wanted me to have an endoscopy , which thankfully I didn't have to get. I swore that I made the biggest mistake of my life but, I was 398lbs the day of surgery & now almost 1yr later I'm 254lbs! I still need to have my knees replaced, I still can't tolerate some foods, but I can go out, I can drive, I haven't missed a birthday party, I cooked Thanksgiving dinner (even if I couldn't eat much),most of all I have been able to be a grandmother to 2 granddaughters, what I'm basically saying in a long drawn out way I'd it is worth it, you'll look back a few months from now & say yo your self... you know I made the right decision, you did you have know idea how great life I'd going to become. I do sympathise with you right now is day 8 with the flu &bronchitis, I feel horrible & the flu is wrecking havoc with my RA, anyway anytime you want to talk or vent or need a shoulder to cry on I'm here for you, hang in there & I'll check in with you in a few days. Be well, Peace Mary

Hello Sassy and Jeanielan,
Thank you for your resonses regarding my nutriontinist. She is a real stinker for sure and spends the first 30 minuites of each support group telling us how wonderful and qualified she is and she has all the answers. We never get to individually get to say anything and I think it is because she does not want to address any real issues some of us might be having. Last group meeting there were 2 ladies wanting information on the lab band and she told them not to waste their money instead of telling them the difference between lapband, sleeve and gastric bypass so that they could walk away informed and better equipped to make the right descision for themselves. Jeanielan you are so right about most NUTS. Most of them are pre-occupied with being too skinny and being bery critical when they don't think you have lost enough in a short period of time. I have a thyroid issue and I am taking meds for it so even with the WLS I am still not going to lose like alot of other folks. I always have to remind her of that but it does not seem to matter to her. I am staying with her until the end of this year and I am going to look for a new NUT and make an appointment for January.
My husband is not going to change so I am the one who has to change and I have; I will not go out for Breakfast with him everyday and when I do I just get a cup of coffee and when he goes out for dinner most times he is eating alone. I will see how this all works out over the next several weeks. Maybe he will get tired of eating alone and stay home for a change. I cook for him but he would rather eat out. I am not sure where all this eating out stems from and be sure that I am going to be asking him WHY???? Why the need to eating out all the time???? Thanks for your support Sassy. I am so happy this site is up an running.

I am so happy to see a few of the old crowd back on this site. I have to tell you folks that I am 6 months post op down 90 pounds and my nutriontist is not happy. She told me I should be down 100 pounds by now. I felt like crap when I left her office. Here I am thinking I am doing a great job and she goes and tells me this. Well, I had to call my surgeon's office today and asked my PA if she thought I should be down more. She told me I am on target and doing a great job getting this weight off of me. She said 90 pounds in 6 months if awesome and to keep on track and she bets that I should hit the 100 pound mark in 4 to 5 weeks from now. I am a little relieved to hear this and not sure why my nutrionist said what she said. The surgery is not easy but it has helped me get the weight off that I could not do on my own. I am glad I had the surgery even on days that I do not feel my best. Thanks for listening.

Well I over did it today. I went out to dinner and there really was not anything on the menu for me to eat so I checked out the Soup and ordered a crock of French Onion. I was so proud of myself but I logged into myfitnesspal and searched for French Onion soup and it was loaded with over 1,000mg of sodium. Well, I will NOT be getting on the scale tomorrow or even the next day. I have been drinking Water all night. I will never do that again and especially since I am at a stall. I have really screwed things up for myself. I am just going to bed and try all over again tomorrow. Talk to you all soon.

I am really sorry to hear that you are having these problems. I had my surgery 7 months ago and every once in awhile I experience the same issue. I have learned to take a deep breath and try to relax as much as possible during this time. You will have stomach pain, maybe even sweating and rapid heart beats. Try to rethink what you ate that has set your system off. I sometimes ate nothing wrong and for some reason I dumped and I have heard others say the same thing. It could be that your system is just not ready for some the foods that you are eating and drinking. Once you are finished with the dumping it is very important to NOT eat anything for several hours so your pouch has time to relax. I would then make sure that you drink something warm like hot Water with lemon or hot Decaf tea nothing cold. Hot drinks will calm your stomach down even more. If it gets too bad and you dump all the time call your surgeon's office and get some help. Our new systems are so delicate and I am sure things will improve over time. Good luck.

Can you tell me what you are eating and drinking? Are you waiting 30 minutes after you drink to eat and 30 minutes after you eat. What liquids are you drinking? If it keeps up I would call your doctor.

I am really sorry to hear that you are having these problems. I had my surgery 7 months ago and every once in awhile I experience the same issue. I have learned to take a deep breath and try to relax as much as possible during this time. You will have stomach pain, maybe even sweating and rapid heart beats. Try to rethink what you ate that has set your system off. I sometimes ate nothing wrong and for some reason I dumped and I have heard others say the same thing. It could be that your system is just not ready for some the foods that you are eating and drinking. Once you are finished with the dumping it is very important to NOT eat anything for several hours so your pouch has time to relax. I would then make sure that you drink something warm like hot Water with lemon or hot Decaf tea nothing cold. Hot drinks will calm your stomach down even more. If it gets too bad and you dump all the time call your surgeon's office and get some help. Our new systems are so delicate and I am sure things will improve over time. Good luck.