Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

shrinkydinkme

Gastric Sleeve Patients
  • Content Count

    365
  • Joined

  • Last visited


Reputation Activity

  1. Like
    shrinkydinkme got a reaction from coloradogrl in I Want To See Before & After Pics!   
    Some more photos of the journey, about 2/3rds of the way to goal




  2. Like
    shrinkydinkme got a reaction from Camochick in What Was Your Final "straw That Broke The Camels Back"   
    everything especially loosing 60 pounds only to put back on 80 over the next year and a half.... then when I heard about the Sleeve, I knew it was for me. A couple years of looking into bypass and not being able to do that to myself. Talked to Sleevers and researched it and was ready to go.... while waiting the 6 months for surgery a 4yr old asked, "Why are your legs so big?" that sealed the deal for me.
  3. Like
    shrinkydinkme got a reaction from Pixie Dust in I Want To See Before & After Pics!   
    It's my 4 month sleevaversary and I am 73 pounds down. A tall 5'10, 50 years old and about half way to my weight loss goal.
    I love this thread and return to it often for motivation and inspiration. Seeing everyones photo's gives me hope.
    I stalled at 3 weeks and only lost 3 pound in weeks 3-6 but usually lose about 2 pounds a week. I weight lift 3 times a week for an hour and should do more cardio, but what I am doing is a huge improvement over the nothing I use to do, so I am proud of myself. I track my food on MFP, because it would be easy for me to eat too much of the wrong things if I did not record it.
    I love my sleeve and have no regrets, it has been so much easier, yes the loss so much slower, then I thought it would be.


  4. Like
    shrinkydinkme got a reaction from Camochick in What Was Your Final "straw That Broke The Camels Back"   
    everything especially loosing 60 pounds only to put back on 80 over the next year and a half.... then when I heard about the Sleeve, I knew it was for me. A couple years of looking into bypass and not being able to do that to myself. Talked to Sleevers and researched it and was ready to go.... while waiting the 6 months for surgery a 4yr old asked, "Why are your legs so big?" that sealed the deal for me.
  5. Like
    shrinkydinkme got a reaction from Camochick in What Was Your Final "straw That Broke The Camels Back"   
    everything especially loosing 60 pounds only to put back on 80 over the next year and a half.... then when I heard about the Sleeve, I knew it was for me. A couple years of looking into bypass and not being able to do that to myself. Talked to Sleevers and researched it and was ready to go.... while waiting the 6 months for surgery a 4yr old asked, "Why are your legs so big?" that sealed the deal for me.
  6. Like
    shrinkydinkme got a reaction from Camochick in What Was Your Final "straw That Broke The Camels Back"   
    everything especially loosing 60 pounds only to put back on 80 over the next year and a half.... then when I heard about the Sleeve, I knew it was for me. A couple years of looking into bypass and not being able to do that to myself. Talked to Sleevers and researched it and was ready to go.... while waiting the 6 months for surgery a 4yr old asked, "Why are your legs so big?" that sealed the deal for me.
  7. Like
    shrinkydinkme got a reaction from Camochick in What Was Your Final "straw That Broke The Camels Back"   
    everything especially loosing 60 pounds only to put back on 80 over the next year and a half.... then when I heard about the Sleeve, I knew it was for me. A couple years of looking into bypass and not being able to do that to myself. Talked to Sleevers and researched it and was ready to go.... while waiting the 6 months for surgery a 4yr old asked, "Why are your legs so big?" that sealed the deal for me.
  8. Like
    shrinkydinkme got a reaction from coloradogrl in I Want To See Before & After Pics!   
    Some more photos of the journey, about 2/3rds of the way to goal




  9. Like
    shrinkydinkme got a reaction from coloradogrl in I Want To See Before & After Pics!   
    Some more photos of the journey, about 2/3rds of the way to goal




  10. Like
    shrinkydinkme got a reaction from Pixie Dust in I Want To See Before & After Pics!   
    only six weeks out from surgery and 1/3rd of the way down but here is todays photos..... if I did this right
  11. Like
    shrinkydinkme got a reaction from Camochick in What Was Your Final "straw That Broke The Camels Back"   
    everything especially loosing 60 pounds only to put back on 80 over the next year and a half.... then when I heard about the Sleeve, I knew it was for me. A couple years of looking into bypass and not being able to do that to myself. Talked to Sleevers and researched it and was ready to go.... while waiting the 6 months for surgery a 4yr old asked, "Why are your legs so big?" that sealed the deal for me.
  12. Like
    shrinkydinkme got a reaction from Pixie Dust in I Want To See Before & After Pics!   
    only six weeks out from surgery and 1/3rd of the way down but here is todays photos..... if I did this right
  13. Like
    shrinkydinkme got a reaction from Pixie Dust in I Want To See Before & After Pics!   
    It's my 4 month sleevaversary and I am 73 pounds down. A tall 5'10, 50 years old and about half way to my weight loss goal.
    I love this thread and return to it often for motivation and inspiration. Seeing everyones photo's gives me hope.
    I stalled at 3 weeks and only lost 3 pound in weeks 3-6 but usually lose about 2 pounds a week. I weight lift 3 times a week for an hour and should do more cardio, but what I am doing is a huge improvement over the nothing I use to do, so I am proud of myself. I track my food on MFP, because it would be easy for me to eat too much of the wrong things if I did not record it.
    I love my sleeve and have no regrets, it has been so much easier, yes the loss so much slower, then I thought it would be.


  14. Like
    shrinkydinkme got a reaction from Pixie Dust in I Want To See Before & After Pics!   
    only six weeks out from surgery and 1/3rd of the way down but here is todays photos..... if I did this right
  15. Like
    shrinkydinkme reacted to vickyt in Almost 8 months out.........   
    I do feel so much better. I have become more active, health is better and feel like my old self from my younger years. I do believe that one day I will see it all as everyone else does. I debated saying anything on here but I am glad that I did. My friends and coworkers don't understand my thoughts on this but they were never in the position I was in.
    Thank you all so much. The support from this group is really what I needed
  16. Like
    shrinkydinkme got a reaction from annabelle in Horror Story   
    I am so sorry for your sisters struggles and complications. I appreciate knowing that the flu like symptoms she had are cause for alarm and insistence on medical treatment to rule out a leak. I understand how upset you must be and how anyone in your situation would feel the strong feelings you do about weight loss surgery. Watching you sister suffer they way she is would make you and most others in your situation scared to see anyone else make the choice to take that risk. I knew going in about the risk and to me it seemed worth it, stories like this just helped me to make sure I was sure and pray a bit more!
  17. Like
    shrinkydinkme reacted to BigFrank in New guy here, you've GOT to read this!   
    I have really been going back and forth as whether to post here or not. I guess I am sort of a "forum person" in my hobbies and areas of interest, but I have to be honest, I have avoided posting on this site or even looking at it for a couple of reasons. I found this site only a few days before my surgery but when I found it I found more negativity and frightened people then I found inspiration. Actually, I have gone here and gotten the (bleep) scared out of me by a few posters, every time I see their posts I get knots in my stomach. The main poster that does that to me has a screen name that starts with the letter "i". Everybody is terrified of leaks and all the negatives of this surgery and I just haven't been able to relate to many of the topics. Below I will share some of the basics of my journey so far.
    First off, I am a 35 year old male who is 6 feet 3 inches tall. I wasn't fat my whole life, I actually weighed 218 when I was 19 years old. That was pretty close to a "perfect" weight for me. I got into a business where the guys I worked with partied, ate, and drank to excess. Over the years I ballooned to 445 lbs which is where I have been for the past 2-3 years. In 2010 I was considering the lap band but chickened out. I was back on in 2011 but chickened out again. In 2012 I HAD to make a decision because I was put on Metformin for borderline diabetes and Lisinopril for borderline blood pressure as well. That was it. I started again with the nutritionist appointments and made an appt. to see my surgeon who is located downtown Chicago a few miles from my house. My first appt. with him was in early October 2012 and he suggested a VSG instead of the lap band because of the large amount of weight I wanted to lose. I left thinking about it and did the rest of my pre op requirements such as upper GI, psyche, EKG, etc. I saw my surgeon again on November 14th, 2012 and we decided on the VSG (which I really didn't know a lot about). We set surgery for December 21st, 2012.
    Because I am a big fella, my surgeon put me on a 28 day pre op liquid only diet (to shrink my liver and loosen my skin) which I started on November 23rd, 2012 (the day after Thanksgiving). The first few days were tough but I have very strong will power and stuck to it, following the requirements to the letter. I didn't cheat even once. Again, not even once. After about 12 days it was smooth sailing and I just plugged away and kept up the exercise plan that I had been doing for over a year which was just walking 1.5 miles, three times per week at my local YMCA. I didn't weigh myself even once the entire plan and weighed myself the morning of surgery. To my astonishment I lost a staggering 49 lbs!!!!I I couldn't even believe it, to be honest with you I began to sob like a little girl! I went from 445 to 396. I was just so shocked. My surgeon told me that I broke his practice record which was previously 45 lbs for a pre op diet. Again, I LOST 49 LBS IN 28 DAYS!!!
    On the morning of December 21st, 2012 I was ready for surgery at a major hospital downtown Chicago. I arrived, valet parked, checked in, and was laying on the table prepped for surgery within 1 hour just waiting for the anesthesiologist. I was in surgery about an hour and a half later and the surgery took 2 1/2 hours. I am going to cut the details of my hospital stay down so readers aren't sitting here all day reading. Any questions just ask me. I wanted to leave the hospital the next evening but my surgeon said that he wouldn't allow me to break two records and that I should stay another night. Quick recap, I was checked into my room after surgery at 6pm Friday night and was discharged from the hospital at 11am Sunday morning, less then 48 hours after entering my room.
    Upon arriving home I checked my weight, expecting to have lost a few lbs, and actually gained back 2 lbs due to all the fluids that were pumped into me. I was back up to 398. My recovery went ok I think, I was in a lot of pain along my largest incision which is about 3+ inches wide. I was on Tramadol which sucks. It took me 9 days to finish the 25 pills that I was prescribed since I was skipping doses. I was home on Sunday morning and by Wednesday morning I was off to the YMCA where I walked only one lap around the track. I limped around and talked to my friends there before going home. I was back at the YMCA on Friday and actually walked 5 laps (a half mile). I finally weighed myself on Friday, one week after surgery, and I was down from 398 to 391. I weighed myself again on Sunday afternoon and I lost another 4 lbs from Friday to Sunday, 9 lbs in 9 days, ending up at 387 lbs, 58 lbs down in 38 days.
    So that's basically that. It's been over 10 days now since surgery and I am feeling like a million bucks. Here are the "scary" parts. I am using the term scary because after reading this site I would have thought I was going to die from this surgery. I HAVE NOT been nauseous even for one second since surgery. I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOT thrown up, or even gagged for that matter, not even once. I AM ABLE to drink 60ozs of Fluid per day. I just started puree on Saturday, 8 days out, and it's been perfect. I had 4 ozs of low fat cottage cheese (which I LOVE) today as well as only one Protein Shake, a bowl of Tomato Soup, and plenty of Water. I AM NOT hungry, EVER. I just eat to live, that's it. Today I feel the best that I have felt since surgery. Every day gets better. My goal is to lose 220 lbs, 100 in three months from the start of my pre op diet on November 23rd. I WILL do it.
    I know I left out a bunch so fire away (or ask any questions that you want).
  18. Like
    shrinkydinkme reacted to himalaya62 in please help! I afraid I will chicken out   
    I'm feeling much better today. My anxiety had gone away. I think I was having a moment but alls good and I am back on track!! Who needs beer anyhow! Not this old broad!!!
  19. Like
    shrinkydinkme got a reaction from annabelle in Horror Story   
    I am so sorry for your sisters struggles and complications. I appreciate knowing that the flu like symptoms she had are cause for alarm and insistence on medical treatment to rule out a leak. I understand how upset you must be and how anyone in your situation would feel the strong feelings you do about weight loss surgery. Watching you sister suffer they way she is would make you and most others in your situation scared to see anyone else make the choice to take that risk. I knew going in about the risk and to me it seemed worth it, stories like this just helped me to make sure I was sure and pray a bit more!
  20. Like
    shrinkydinkme got a reaction from annabelle in Horror Story   
    I am so sorry for your sisters struggles and complications. I appreciate knowing that the flu like symptoms she had are cause for alarm and insistence on medical treatment to rule out a leak. I understand how upset you must be and how anyone in your situation would feel the strong feelings you do about weight loss surgery. Watching you sister suffer they way she is would make you and most others in your situation scared to see anyone else make the choice to take that risk. I knew going in about the risk and to me it seemed worth it, stories like this just helped me to make sure I was sure and pray a bit more!
  21. Like
    shrinkydinkme got a reaction from Camochick in What Was Your Final "straw That Broke The Camels Back"   
    everything especially loosing 60 pounds only to put back on 80 over the next year and a half.... then when I heard about the Sleeve, I knew it was for me. A couple years of looking into bypass and not being able to do that to myself. Talked to Sleevers and researched it and was ready to go.... while waiting the 6 months for surgery a 4yr old asked, "Why are your legs so big?" that sealed the deal for me.
  22. Like
    shrinkydinkme reacted to stevedallas in 5 months after surgery......   
    I have lost about 75 pounds. I feel great. Went on a cruise over Christmas and even won the hairy chest contest! I would never have even entered 5 months ago....
    this is me 4 months before surgery. I was about 5-10 pounds heavier at surgery......(265-270)
    this is me on the cruise just 2 weeks ago.....
    I am very pleased.....


  23. Like
    shrinkydinkme reacted to suzthebrit in NSV   
    Yay! Down 32lbs since surgery Nov 7th and I just went to my hairdresser and wasn't disgusted having to look at myself in her mirror for an hour.
  24. Like
    shrinkydinkme reacted to jorsea in August Sleevers?! Where Ya's At?   
    145 days from surgery to making goal. 270 hwt -182 day of surgery. 134.6 yesterday. So i am now half of the person I was when I started this journey. Absolutely the most amazing feeling.
  25. Like
    shrinkydinkme reacted to soglav in I am a nurse practitioner and just had the sleeve.   
    My sleeve was 12/28, I had a surgeon who does a single incision approach and my BMI and body type allowed it.
    A weird complication I did not expect was Migraine triggers . Which for me is lying around too much, post stress headache, low sugar, low fluids. Soooo perfect storm, I got imitrex injection in hospital, but it returned and I suffered through one night until I could get melt in your mouth med called in. Just something I had not planned on.
    The other thing is severe aversion to sweetness, so here the clear Liquid Protein supplement has been impossible. Isopure, and a couple others all resulted in terrible nausea, and after vomiting day 2 I said forget it.
    My weight was 265 when I decided to proceed with surgical option . BMI 42, morbid obesity, which surprised people I know, guess being tall helped to hide some of it. The funny thing is that on a day when I felt good , thought I looked good, I would see a photo and say " wow, awful" . Course that's when I allowed a picture to be taken.
    After a liver diet for 2-3 weeks, minus Christmas dinner ( mostly meat), I lost 17lb.
    I weighed to day and I am 242 on Clear liquids.
    Today is the first day I don't feel like a sick person. No pain meds, drinking more liquids, learning about my stomach. I am looking forward to full liquids, and today I actually felt some hunger. I will enjoy scrambled eggs and cottage cheese in 2 weeks, that's what I thought today.
    I have read some blogs where people have had no nausea, are getting in all,the fluids , and Proteins in that first week. I am happy for them for sure, but oddly these minor issues I am having is teaching me more about me new stomach, and i appreciate that it's not all roses.
    As an NP I counsel pt on lifestyle changes all the time, I eat whole foods, am active, and have some advanced knowledge of nutrition. What I can't control well is the metabolic dysfunction associated with my obesity, and the losing battle over my 45 yrs. I am excited now to put into practice my knowledge and have this tool as leverage to beat obesity metabolic dysfunction .

PatchAid Vitamin Patches

×