Globetrotter

Bougie is french for "candle" and my surgeon just calls it a French. I'm really glad I asked how many VSG's my surgeon has done, I was shy to ask it like I was questioning his abilities, but I'm glad I did it. Turns out he's done 900, sounds good to me!

I have a question regarding the courage to get naked after massive weight loss. It's difficult now but, everything is at least .... full? I assume it is different for marrieds out there, you are already in a relationship but for singles, how do you find the courage to get naked with someone when your breasts are flattened tube socks, when your stomach flap just hangs there, and your thighs are shrivelled? Of everything out there, this is what causes me most anxiety. I'm afraid that a man I meet, who thinks I look good in my clothes will think it is false advertising once we get undressed. I know I know, if a man wants to sleep with you it won't matter but, still. =(

ARGH! I'll tell you what ticks me off, internalizing the message that thin is a synonym for pretty and vice versa. Shiftling, you are pretty, I can see your picture. This thin girl at your work is not pretty per se, she is priviledged. Those who are used to priviledge demand what they please and their attitude of ownership bends those around them to believe in their superiority. Stop thinking of her as pretty, she sounds hideous to me.

That is a good idea, submitting the other costs to my insurance, hadn't thought of that ... Asking for an itemized invoice, also excellent, see this is why VST is awesome, more brains to puzzle stuff out! =) Yeah, I'm set firm on my surgeon. He's one of the best in the world and happens to be based in my hometown but yeah, the price just staggered me and I was kind of affronted by my having to run around making these payments, if their charging so much, shouldn't they be doing some of these things?

I'm not angry, I was frustrated and venting. It is just a complication that I will have to find a way around, I am organizing my surgery from half-way around the world which adds all manner of complications.

I found a site that breaks down the cals, carbs, and Proteins of sushi sashime and assorted sushi-related foods - The Sushi FAQ - Sushi Calories and Nutritional Information I love sushi and it seems like the perfect Protein delivery system post-VSG: small, soft, and flavorful. I'll probably have to switch to sashime rather than sushi 'cuz I've heard the rice is not our friend post-op. If you feel daring, octopus sashime came in at 8 grams of protein for a 1oz. serving! Miso Soup was pretty low at only 3 grams but I think if I doctor it up with some unflavored Protein powder it might be good for full liquid stage. =)

Well I'm just a bit frustrated and ticked off right now; just got an email from the money people of my surgeon's office, as a self-pay I apparently have to pay the ENTIRE fee up front before they will even schedule my surgery!! As if that weren't bad enough, all of the other fee's - hospital, anesthesia, psyche, are all seperate and I have to pay each of them myself. What is the office doing for me then, if I am running around paying various organizations individually and seperately?!?! This makes me anxious and I can just see one set of people claiming they were never paid, etc. etc. Grrr.

Cool - thanks!

I'm as big a chocosaurus as the next gal, but I'm noticing that all of these protein drinks for our full liquid phase are sweet, either chocolate or fruit sweet. Are there any savory options out there? A high-gram protein drink that tastes more like beef broth or something savory might make a welcome change after days of sticky sweet. Does that exist?

Wow, KathyM you really hit the nail on the head, I got a lump in my throat! Passing a glass reflection and not feeling sad .... so so true! On a lighter note, when I hit my goal weight I'm going to go to the fanciest department store in town (San Francisco), go to the couture department and try on fancy label clothes that I could not have begun to fit into before! Chanel, Donna Karan, Diane Von Furstenburg. I don't need/want to buy them, it will just be so cool to know I too can participate. =)

I can't even see the pics embedded in thread responses, oh well. =(

Hey, maybe this hunger is a good sign, maybe it means that you are a fast healer and were ready for the soft food and then hard food stages before the average sleever!

This body temp shift is apparently common in people who have lost large amounts of weight, regardless of method. I read a memoir of a woman who lost a massive amount of weight through diet and she commented that all of the women in her support group including herself were always freezing. I guess the body gets used to having 100+ lbs of insulation and it takes time to readjust. I'm looking forward to it, I'll get to wear layers for the first time and won't break into a sweat if the room temp is more than sub-zero! =)

Thanks everybody! you've helped put things in perspective and calmed my fears. It's one thing to talk about getting WLS, but now that I've set a date and begun the ForReal journey, I'm probably getting a little manic.=)

You can usually get ginger root in the vegetable section of a good grocery store but it's not important that it be the root, I just like it. I've suffered from a delicate stomach all my life; curvy roads, airplanes, cartwheels!! In my job now I have to fly a LOT and do so in really rough conditions so I had to look into all the ways to cure nausea. Typical pills and patches do zip for me so I looked in the other direction and discovered that ginger has been a cure for nausea for thousands of years. You can get Reed's Ginger Chews, which are an all natural chewy candy, or crystalized ginger pieces, or pure ginger tea bags or the root itself. soak it, make a "concentrate" keep it icy cold and you have a sharp, spicy, refreshing drink that also keeps your tummy happy and nausea a thing o the past! =)

There was about 5 hot minutes in my mid-late teens before I got fat when I had the confidence and authority that comes with knowing you look good. I would like to have that back, along with: people looking me in the eye instead of staring at my gut, buying cheap clothes and never darkening the doorstep of LaneBryant again! Never giving it a second thought when I am ushered to a booth or delicate chair or airplane economy seat. Not asking for a seatbelt extender on airplanes. wearing a regular non fancy basic racing swimsuit at a public pool and diving in without anybody giving me any particular kind of look. Not being the sidekick buddy when the girls go out - being visible to men. wearing bright colors and patterns without looking like a couch or overgrown toddler. And so much more!!!!!

Will we ever be able to glug glug water again? Sometimes there's nothing so satisfying on a hot summer day as chugging an icy water. Never again? When I have my surgery I will put ginger root in my water, to give it a refreshing sharpness and to take care of nausea.

This is so exciting, only 11 days out and 20 lbs!! It took me four months of intense struggle to lose that much the "old-fashioned" way. What were you eating in those 11 days that helped you so much?

Hi All, I just had my phone consult with my surgeon and he said that he uses a 32 bougie, he just called it a french which makes sense. I'm a little alarmed at such a small size, he admits that he does what is called, "a tight sleeve", meaning that even a year out you can fit in a single boiled egg. This concerns me, yes of course I want a smaller stomach that's the point of the surgery, but I have lurked on these boards long enough that I know that more problems arise the smaller the stomach is. Also, were I to get pregnant, I would want to be able to consume enough nutrition without it being a constant scary concern. Finally, we have no data on WLS patients when they become elderly. If my stomach is that small and oversewn so it won't stretch, what will I do when I am 80 and have difficulty getting enough nutrition anyway? I'd really love to hear what everone has to say before I go and freak out on my surgeon.

Hi, where I live and work hydration is a major issue. In the hottest months of July, August and September I drink about 6 large nalgene-style water bottles a day. Another concern here is electrolytes, drink too much water and don't eat enough or eat enough salt and you can damage your body even worse, and send yourself into renal failure. So, with that in mind, are sport electrolyte powder packets okay after surgery? They are disgusting but I try to make one of my six daily water bottles an electrolyte bottle. And just so nobody thinks I'm exaggerating the heat, I work in Iraq with the Army and in August/September it gets between 120-130 F. I work indoors thank goodness but it doesn't take a lot of actual exposure to still feel the effects.

It's a given that salt and hot spicey chilies are a no-go in the immediate aftermath of surgery, but what about other herbs and spices? Herbs de Provence, Tarragon, Safron, Sweet Basil. If I'm going to have to live off baby food for a few weeks it would help if I could make it interesting. Also, there is a tea out there called Kombucha which is supposedly really good for your digestion, bowels, etc. I don't know if I believe that but does anyone know if it's okay to drink?

I'm interested in the exact measuring of food for protein's sake; I'll be keeping a food diary so I can make sure I am taking in the right amounts of protein etc. and my brain understands stuff better when I have hard numbers and portion sizes to attribute to so many grams of protein.

I haven't had the surgery yet (soon I hope!) but I am trying to cover as many bases as I can before the event. Does anyone know where I could buy - or if one even exists! - an ounces measuring cup/tube/pipette? Short of carrying around a shot glass with me in the first few weeks as I get aclimated to my new ounces-eating, I don't know how I will measure out 2, 4, 6 ounces. I travel a lot and eat in unusual circumstances so having a food scale is not practical. Thoughts?

I'm about to begin my surgery journey and read this site daily. I see how little are portion sizes and issues people have with eating at restaurants or on dates and it hit me - the silver lining to our portion sizes is that now artfully arranged sushi and fancy french cuisine are full meals!:tongue_smilie: A date at a sushi restaurant where two pieces of sashimi are slowly consumed wouldn't raise anyone's curiosity and that overpriced french dish with one sprig of something balanced on one morsel of something is suddenly just right! =) I guess I'm a dork but the image of this just struck me as funny.:001_rolleyes:

Yep, potassium.