Lyra

Sheesh, do they expect the doctor to hit you over the head with a big stick? Or do it the cowboy way and just get you drunk on cheap whiskey? Weird.

When I get my sleeve I'm calling it The Sheriff since he'll be monitoring my food intake! Once we get to know each other better he'll get a first name! Until then I can't wait 'til there's a new sheriff in town!

I'm sorry that you're having a hard time right now! I do know that if you go to the forum home on this website that there is a recipe sharing section. Also, I googled some possible recipe/low-carb smoothie websites for you and came up with the links below. I can't guarantee their quality for you but it'll give you a jumping off point for research. Also, you can try going to barnes and noble or Amazon for vsg recipe books.

Another thing is look for support groups in your area. I know that there is one where I live where you do not have to actually be affiliated with a specific doctor in order to go. You can try looking for something like that through your local hospital. Plus you can try googling to see if there are any nutritionists in your area that are experienced in VSG surgery diets.

Good luck and I hope this helped!

http://www.fatsecret.com/Default.aspx?pa=rs&dietid=113755

http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html

http://www.smoothieweb.com/category/low-carb-smoothies/

recipes.html" rel="external nofollow">http://www.antioxidants-for-health-and-longevity.com/low-carb-smoothie-recipes.html

I hope that happens to me, too!

Mine goes to insurance on Tuesday. Hopefully. However, my dad also has BCBS and his was approved in 45 minutes. So you never know. Good luck!

Congratulations!

Hmm. My answer to this is in two parts:

A year ago I ran across an old friend of mine from high school/college. We had been really close and had lived together for awhile as roommates. After college, life moved us in different directions and we lost contact. Flash forward a few years and we meet up again rather unexpectedly. After the hugs, and the talk about the 'good old days' and where everybody was it got kinda quiet. I kept looking at her and thinking, "Isn't there more? We used to be best friends and now...what?" It was almost like a stranger wearing the face of a friend. After our meeting was over I felt an emotion that I had never felt before- bittersweet. We had been so much a part of each others lives, that it was strange now to realize that things had changed and that you cannot turn back the clock. That there is no magic button that you can hit and everything POOFS and is fixed. Thus, bittersweet; the yearning for things to be other than what they are, the 'what ifs', to have unfulfilled expectations, even though you are happy in your life.

I also think that during this journey our focus turns very inward. The striving to lose weight can become the gold at the end of the rainbow, we obsess over every pound and feel euphoria over every NSV. We experience such strong emotions all around the idea of our weight. Yet even when we reach our goals we still have to get up every morning and live the life that we are living. Becoming a size 6 doesn't mean that our lives are automatically exciting, or dashing, or filled with romance. We do not suddenly have amazing jobs that fill our souls with joy and bring a song to our hearts. The weight loss gives us the physical ability to be able to go find that exciting, romantic life but in the end that final step is up to us. I kind of equate it to the metaphor that we have all been prisoners for a very long time and are suddenly granted freedom. The cage doors are open, the wilderness beckons, yet we stand at the doorway looking out at the sun. We are not used to taking that step into a new life. To throw our self into the unknown with only faith to catch us. Changing the outside can be easier than changing the inside. The prison is gone, but the prisoner mentality is still there. Yet we can learn that all we need to do is take that first step.

I don't know if I got any of this right or if I totally misunderstood your post. I'm sorry that you are feeling down and I hope that maybe this helped a little bit. Even if it didn't, know that you do have people thinking of you and wishing you well.

I've told my friends, family, and some coworkers. Like many of the above, I'm a private person who prefers to show a cheerful face to the world rather than what I really think and feel. Of course, this came back to bite my on the butt when many of my friends didn't realize I was so unhappy. Thus, they didn't understand the surgery. It's hard for me to be open about my emotions without joking around, but the conversations I've had with them has caused us to be closer in some ways than we were before. Before I told anyone I had a prioritized list of those who I was willing to really talk about this with. Example: I'm willing to open up to my concerned best friends, but could care less if a coworker doesn't agree with me. This has happened and I just walked away in the middle of their conversation when they wouldn't take my polite subject changes. You do not have to justify yourselves to others, and by simply walking away you are not going to be starting on argument.

Good luck!

Beautiful!

So I've read on this site that some of you take Biotin and lysine to help with your skin/nails and hair regrowth after it falls out post-surgery. I'm trying to get myself into good shape with lots of Vitamins and whatnot going into surgery to hopefully have a better recovery time. I'm also really worried about looking like I have mange after surgery. My hair used to be really thick but because of an extremely serious health problem 10 years ago a lot of my hair fell out and never grew back. The doctors blamed it on my medication but even though I had bigger problems at the time I was still traumatized at having my hair come out by the handful. I cannot begin to express how much I would like to keep my hair! I've already cut it shorter so that it'll need less care and maintenance (it was past my shoulder blades and now it barely touches my shoulders) and am starting to take Biotin and L-lysine.

So my question is; How many mg do ya'll take? The biotin I have said 1-1000 mcg of biotin per day a 2-500 mg l-lysine per day. Does that sound about right to ya'll? I thought I had remembered people saying that they took a lot more than that...

Thanks for the help, guys!

I know from my own experience, and from reading some of the topics here, that a lot of us only look at ourselves to criticize. I know that I often pick on myself worse than anybody else, and the self-deprecating humor has to stop. It starts as a self-defense mechanism but before you know it you're really thinking those things about yourself. I thought it would be interesting for us pre- and post-sleevers to list a few things about ourselves (both physical and personality) that we actually like without the added "but.." that is often attached. My best friend asked me today why I always make jokes about myself and it made me realize that it's easy to lose sight ourselves and only think about our weight.

I'll go first! I love the shape and color of my eyes and think they're perhaps my best feature. I like my fair skin and my curly hair. I like the fact that I resemble my great-grandmother so much that my grandfather says that it's like looking at a younger version of her. It makes me feel connected to my family in a very intrinsic way. As for my personality I like my dry and sarcastic sense of humor and the fact that I live outside of the box and march to the beat of my own trombone. I am loyal to my family and friends. I like who I am now, and that who I am is worthy of being respected and known by others regardless of what my outer package looks like. I like the fact that my daydreams take me to crazy places that inspire my creative and artistic side.

So what are your favorite physical and personality traits?

I'm not sleeved yet but I am trying to eat healthier. Except when I see doughnuts filled with Peanut Butter flavored pastry cream. Then I say, "Screw it" and get one. Or two.

Have you tried taking along a good friend/family member with you? When I get to that stage the only person I'm willing to go with is my BFF, who is also practically my sister. She's the most nonjudgemental person I know and is one of my main cheerleaders. We're gonna hit the thrift stores for awhile until I get to goal. It might make your shopping more fun, and less stressful!

Oooh, I didn't even think about bringing chapstick and a robe. Excellent suggestions!

I went to Curves about five years ago and, honestly, I prefer a standard gym. I enjoy spending as much time on a machine as I think I need, and to go to any machine without being on a specific circuit. Granted my experience was 5 years ago, but my current gym (YMCA) has way more machines than Curves did. Also, (and this has to do with the particular Curves I was at) the women were not particularily pleasant at the one I went to. I think some women like going to Curves because it's an all women gym, but working out around guys never bothered me.

I've told almost everyone I know. It's kinda funny, because the people who I thought might have problems with it were 100% behind me yet those who I thought would be fine were the ones with reservations. I told people one at a time and was very open about my reasons why. I've always been somewhat emotionally distant about how I really feel about things and have often used humor to deflect uncomfortable situations. It was exhausting to meet my friends/family without any jokes but in the end it has created a closer relationship. That being said, I have no problem telling people but I also haven't taken out a billboard ad. I figure people will draw their own conclusions when the weight starts to fall off.

I'm so sorry that you're having these problems. I'm sure that all our thoughts are with you for a speedy recovery!

So this was a hard one for me, as I'm addicted to both my ipod AND my kindle fire. The ipod has all my music, but the kindle has books AND games. Then I realized I could put my music ON my kindle fire and have the best of both worlds! So my answer is I will definitely be bringing my kindle. What about ya'll?

(as a side note, I also want to bring my fuzzy frog socks. They always make me laugh and feel better!)

Yeah, I was a dork about my name. Lyra is both the plucky character in "The Amber Spyglass" novels, but is also a derivative of the musical instrument the Lyre. I absolutely adore music. I'm always singing and dancing around. Canto is a clearly deliniated part of a long poem, typically poems that told stories that were often sung or chanted back in the day. This is a part of my life heralding a major change, so it seemed apropo. Basically it just means, "Lyra's Song".

Welcome! I just started on this site in the beginning of January when I started my own journey. It's definitely a great resource and there is a lot of support here as well. It is hard for people who have never been overweight or have never gone through this surgery to really relate. When I told my friends/family there were deifnitely some who were not on the bandwagon, but over the last few weeks I've had some great conversations. Sometimes it just takes awhile for people to come around. Those whose opinions I really care about are the ones where I've been bluntly honest on what my life has/is like. After hearing the "good, bad, and ugly" I'm glad to say that they're supportive now. Basically, what I'm saying is that your family may yet come around. Just give them time.

As for how long it takes to get cleared through everything, it seems to change from person to person. My first consultation was in the third week of January, and I only have an EKG (monday!) and a support group meeting (3/8!) left to go to before I'm all cleared. Time has flown by, though, and you'll be surprised on how quickly it does pass.

Good luck and keep us all posted on your journey!

~Lyra

When I went to the doctor for my consultation I honestly thought that I did have a big frame. I was shocked when he said that I will probably be more on the small/petite size once I've lost all the weight. My BMI chart said that at 5'5" I should be about 120, but Dr W. says that I'll look great at 135/140. Those charts are so confusing, and he said that doctors shouldn't use them anymore.

I love your post, it was so uplifting! Personally, I'm not afraid of surgery or even the changes that will come after it. I am, however, terrified that I will fail and that I will have put myself into an economic hole for several years for nothing. I make decent money and I have a good, if not extravagent, life. Luckily insurance does cover part of my surgery, but what I will owe will take several years for me to pay off. This surgery is getting my savings that would have gone to buying a house.

Yet...it's worth it. I'm worth it. Since I'm so scared of 'wasteing' all this money, I'm using those feelings instead of allowing them to use me. I'm trying to be proactive now in pre-op, to better prepare myself for life after surgery. The number of books, blogs, and websites I've read are a bit shocking. I'm really glad that I came across this blog, as it reiterates that we can rock our sleeves and keep the weight off! Thank you!

Wow. Just...wow. The idiocy of that woman astounds me. I just adore *sarcasm* the "get off your ass and close your mouth and the weight will drop off, as you frolic through a meadow filled with scampering puppies and tweeting birdies" approach that she was rocking during her meeting with you. Where was the professionalism? Yes, she had some points about how the surgery can't fix any head/food issues, and that this surgery is permanent. Yet there are ways that those concerns and questions could be asked without making you feel so ackward and/or uncertain/depressed/scared about your surgery. Also, what doctor starts off a meeting with a statement that is guaranteed to stress someone out? Furthermore, it pretty much scews any answer to her questions as you're more apt to give her the answers you think she wants to hear, versus what you are actually thinking/feeling. What an idiot. Two thumbs up for keeping your cool during the appointment! At least now it's over and you can move on to the next step in your journey!

I'm sorry about your mom. I have a hard time battling head hunger too, and it can help to get up and go take a walk, or a nice drive, or do anything that is away from hearth and home where the pantry is. It helps distract my brain from what it thinks it wants. Maybe you can call some friends to schedule a game/movie/spa night? Go on a mad cleaning frenzy? Put on some music and dance? Knit? Just remember that you are not alone in this!

I have a good story. I had just moved to a new city and didn't have a PCP yet, so I went to a Patient First. I get bronchitis every winter like clockwork and I know the signs. So off I toddle to the doctor and the jerkoff told me that they wanted to run a bunch of tests on me because (and get this) my coughing and pain when I breathed could be a sign of a heart attack because I'm overweight. So I refused an EKG because, well, I had bronchitis. So the jerkoff was standing right outside of my curtain talking to the other doctors about me and how I was refusing care and gererally mocking me. So I whipped the curtain open, told him the next time he wanted to mock a patient that maybe he shouldn't be on the other side of a curtain, and asked him if he cheated his way through med school as I had serious doubts about his competency and IQ. As I walked away I pulled out my phone and dialed the Patient First hub number and spoke to a customer service supervisor and filed a formal complaint. I don't know if it did any good, but the look on his face when I glanced back was priceless. Trust me, if I have to I can do the stereotypical "big girl with attitude". Oh, and I went to a different doctor that same day and it turned out I had (surprise!) bronchitis.

I think a lot of doctors look at overweight people as lazy and that all our ailments are because of our weight. Granted, many of them are, but somtimes it pays to dig a little deeper into a problem.