NORCALRN

msreaina 98 lbs down
I'm holding the door wide open as you enter the century club
don't have to hold door too wide - cuz you now can just "slide" in LOL
you just entered onederland too
more good news!!!!
sorry you aren't getting the encouragement/support you should have
my hubby was heavy when i met him - he never chose to lose weight :ph34r: but he's always been so supportive, and enjoys the new me, and some of the benefits that go along with smaller people

is "DH??" overweight??
eating, going out to eat - large part of your lives that DH? enjoyed??
i've heard that there are men out there that specifically look for chubbier women???
(sounds terrible, hope i saidi that ok??)
you are continuing your weight loss - doing so well!!!!
don't let him interfere - sabatoge you
OMG - don't listen to his unkind hurtful comments
i never give advise about problems in relationships during and after WLS
but ...... it sounds like his comments aren't gonna change/go away
"maybe" you should think about whats important for YOU - and you must make a change in your life
you deserve only the best - don't accept anything less!!!!
great weight loss
good luck with any/all choices/decisions
kathy
congrats

Huny first let me say CONGRATULATIONS ON YR WAIT LOSE..DAMN THAT IS FANTASTIC. .now bk to yr husband. .point blank he is trying to sabotage yr success. ..he is scared because u hv made this big change to you...yr probably not depending on him for much..you hv displayed discipline. .yr getting more looks, feeling good..not hurting...looking btr and btr and u hv changed. .ur no longer his food buddy..and he ain't liking that..DONT LET HIM BRING YOU DOWN SWEETHEART...THIS iS ABOUT YOU AND YOU ALONE...HE CAN ROLL WITH YOU OR HE CAN BOUNCE...THATS JUST HOW I WOOD FILL...BECAUSE THATS SELFISH ON HIS PART...

No need to apologize. It says more about them than it does you. People have no manners. Your hard work is something you do for you. You just keep doing! Don't let anybody take this incredible opportunity away from you!

i had my sleeve in mexico7-24-12 home and 10 days later or so severe complications (7 weeks in the hospital and still wit a j tube (feeding tube). i have kaiser - live 30 minutes north of the golden gate bridge...KAISER WAS EXCELLENT! MULTIPLE ambulance transports, surgeries, home health care - i paid zero! i am sure laws differ state to state, but if you are an emergent patient, it is illegal to deny care. good luck with your decision. even with problem, i am standing here smiling happy with my choices!!!

I went through this but my stricture was at the end of my stomach. My surgeon did the dilation, but 2 days later it twisted closed again. So after that he put a metal stent in and that stayed in for almost 7 weeks which was awful. Even with the stent I couldn't get anything down and survived on plain Water until I finally had a PICC line inserted in order to get IV nutrition at night. I finally had the stent removed on 7-1 and after 10 long weeks of no food I can eat again and have started to feel human again. I didn't believe it when people told me I'd get better and move past the regret I was filled with during my long ordeal, but I did. I love the sleeve now. I hope you're better soon. I wouldn't wish what you're going through on anyone! Take care!

Evening all, My name is Felicia and I am a LPN currently in the process of enrolling in RN school. I have worked in med-surg, rehab and currently the Medical Manager at a correction Facility. My new life begins on Feb 19th,@ 6:30 am in Lexington, KY St. Joseph East Women's Hospital with Dr. Steiner... It has been five long years trying to decide on WLS, but I finally made up my mind. The band wasn't an option for me nor the RNY. So when the sleeve came on the scene I started to give it some serious thought, and that is what brings me here today. Hello to my sister nurses.

ElyQuint LOL
kick him to the door???
you'll be gaining your strength back soon........kick him hard for me to
good luck at work
don't push yourself tooooo hard
rest as soon as you get home!!!!
take care
kathy

ElyQuint feeling tired, low energy after a few days is perfectly normal
sorry your boyfriend is being "alitte" insensitive instead of supporting you
it must be torture having a boyfriend who is a great cook
i "think" i've seen a couple of chef's on here - don't know how they work with the sleeve?
eating properly, it must be so hard being around all that food on a permanent basis
per your bf - "if your making bad choices, you are going to die????"
are you kidding me???
what an awful thing for anyone to say!!!!
do you have support from others/family, friends et al???
hope you do
you know your bf is torturing you, you already told him!!!! tell him again!!!!
my favorite dr - Dr. Phil says something like "if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem!!!!"
your energy et al will get better, hoping your boyfriend does too!!!
good luck
kathy

Please stop and do the math.
People get completely freaked out by what I feel are unreasonable expectations. They fly into a panic. They assume that the first time they don't lose on the scale that their loss is done. They think that two weeks at one weight is a massive stall. They look at other people's large losses and forget that we don't all lose at the same rate.
First - if you did a pre-op diet you are not going to have the same loss your first month as someone who didn't do one. Your pre-op loss should get counted into your loss calculation if you did a pre-op diet.
Second - a stall is three weeks or more at the same weight with no fluctuation. Are you panicked after that? Well, my friend coops once spent twenty one MONTHS at the same weight. She finally broke through and never regained during that time, and even lost two sizes while not budging on the scale. Is it the miracle cure you may have been hoping for on the scale? No. But stalls are not the end of the world. They are certainly more normal that flying to goal in six weeks, I promise you.
Third - losing anything more than a pound a week is good. Are you eating less than ever before? Yes. Does that guarantee you'll lose faster than ever before? No. I had two nine week stalls - no movement except upwards for my monthly cycle. I had months where I lost but only in the tenths of a pound. It's not normal to expect a big loss every time you step on the scale. It's setting yourself up for disappointment.
Fourth - your pattern is your pattern. You can compare yourself to other people sleeved the same day or with the same stats but it doesn't matter. So much of this is individual. So if you're constantly seeking out other people and comparing your losses to theirs, you are eventually going to discourage and frustrate yourself.
Fifth - are you closing in on goal? We all lose even more slowly the less weight we have to lose. So if you only have sixty pounds to lose but shed thirty in your first three months, please don't be hysterical because you're "only" losing a pound a week now that you're past the halfway point. It's normal.
Stop. Breathe. Do the math. Adjust your expectations. This is not a race. You do not get a special award for reaching goal more quickly. Your surgery was not pointless or worthless if you manage to get to goal in two years instead of six months. The real goal is not losing the weight. It's keeping the weight off. That's real success - that's what we're here to do. It does not matter if you hit goal in nine months or two years - the real challenge and the real journey begins with maintenance. How quickly or slowly you lost does nothing to change the challenges you'll encounter there.
I am not ranting at anyone in particular. I just feel that this is an issue that comes up constantly and it's actually pretty silly for people to fly into such a panic without really thinking. I've seen folks upset when they're logging losses of upwards of four pounds a week. Point to the diet that helped you accomplish that and was easy to maintain prior to surgery.
~Cheri

When I first had my surgery 2.5 years ago, Water never sat right and always tasted funny. Before surgery, I drank water like it was going out of style. And even still, I find water tastes off to me and many times it doesn't taste good either. Some days it is ok, most days not. So I find myself drinking a lot of sugar free drinks. I have tried finding ones that are sweetened with natural sweeteners, but there are not very many, and the ones that I have found I have to order online and are expensive (I also live in Canada). And I have tried making my own like kool-aid sweetened with Stevia, real iced-tea. The koolaid was ok, but I do not like tea and could not get over the taste (although I LOVE Arizona Sugar Free Lemon Iced Tea but can't make something similar). I have tried cutting them out, but then I don't get in enough water in a day.
So what have the rest of the vets found? Any hints or tricks? Does anyone know of any other naturally sweetened drink mixes or a good recipe?? Or do I just accept drinking artificially sweetened drinks for life!

Hi everybody!
My name is Kim and I am 36 yrs old. I am an ACNP (Acute Care Nurse Practitioner) and will be starting a RNFA (Registered Nurse First Assistant) program the day after I get sleeved. Yikes! I was a CST (Certified Surgical Tech) for 4 years before becoming a CNOR (Certified Nurse of the Operating Room) for the last 8 years. I'm a single parent of a special needs daughter, who will be tuning 16 on August 4th. I've been busy planning her surprise Sweet 16 party, so between shopping for pre-op Protein shakes and what not, I've been shopping for the party. I'm excited at the possibility of not being in so much pain everyday, plus no more HTN or DM.

Hi ladies!!! I'm a nursing student also!! I'm 2 hrs from the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Only 2 more semesters of nursing school left then I'm up in there!! I had my surg ery May 11th in Mx, down 35 lbs and loving it!! Glad to be a part of this group!!

Yes....That counts!!.....being a nursing student and going thru this....YES!!! you need a good support group!!!

wow....honest, articulate, funny. i agree with you on your post....happy journey!

I do not regret my sleeve...7-24-12. and i had major complications. still on tube feeding pump. i can eat a tiny bit fluids a tiny bit but 95% of nutrition is formula. I do not have a food addiction and no health issues except being about 65# over weight. I think people get scared b/c lifestyle changes are necessary. i cannot wait until i can hit the eliptical and get some cardio in. The formula is high in calories and it bothers me. I am stuck at 150 with 10-15# left BUT i need to rid of the malnutrition and get stronger. If the posts are alerting you i think that is good. that means you are smart and are taking in all the info out there. I hope that if you choose wls, it is with good intentions b/c yep, it can be difficult, but we need to remind ourselves how amazing each of us are.....we want to be healthy! as a nurse, i can be a good role model if the topic arises. good luck on your journey!!!!!!!!!!!!

wow....honest, articulate, funny. i agree with you on your post....happy journey!

Ok. Rules are SOMETIMES meant to be broken. So, Here's the deal. I am 2 weeks post op today. I am one of those who had zero issues and had a smooth ride from recovery room to date!! This post is not intended to mean I am sure I will have a long term good go at this! It also doesn't address the future, but really ONLY the many threads that I have read regarding the preo op and post op liquid diets and the Pre and post few weeks Do's and Dont's!
I have read almost every post on here before and after surgery, lol. Here is the point that I will explain. Your/Our obsession over following diet rules is what got us here in the first place.. isn't it?? I mean, it's great to have black and white rules.. Do's and Don's. can and cant's.. That's why we were ALL great on Atkins (remember the carb counting obsession), and South Beach (remember how carefully we chose the meals), weight watchers, low cal, grapefruit, slimfast , yada yada yada......RIGHT?
Sure, it worked. THEN WE WENT OFF THE WAGON and got sick of the rules and restrictions and put weight back on (and then some).... That's because it was a DIET.. Why do so many of you do that on here? I'm not judging, but trying to help! Yes, it's easier for me, since I have had no issues. I come from a strong medical family (i had bio as a minor,4 docs and 2 nurses in immed family) and I always love to understand WHY the rules are in place. If something doesn't make sense, I want to know why and not just follow a rule because it was put out there.
My surgeon told me that "rules" are on here for the lower end of reaction spectrum. meaning, many need not follow them, but since 30%, for ex, will have issues with some things, they want to make a general rule......
As EVERYONE says on here, as well as EVERY doc, ALL OF US ARE DIFFERENT! We heal differently, We tolerate pain differently, foods differently, weight loss differently, etc..... EVERY SINGLE ONE So, the rules need not be applied to the T!
Now, as a caveat and from feedback so far on this post, this is not an excuse to eat junk NOR stay on bad habits. I don't mean to enable anyone. here is what BUTTERTHEBEAN wrote:
"The only reason I say "enabling" is because I think there are some people waiting in the wings to hear someone tell them it's okay to eat whatever they want. They haven't tackled their food addictions and they are hoping for "permission" to go back to their old ways. I know there are some that can learn to eat "all things in moderation." I have no problem with that. For me, I chose to embrace my inner health nut. It's not fear or weakness or lack of self control...it's the desire to live a long, healthy and active life. I'm not depriving myself, or sacrifing. The things I'm doing and the life I'm leading now feel way better than eating pizza and cupcakes ever did (even in moderation). By that I mean that food did not give me pleasure (never did, I just thought it did), so I no longer look to food to satisfy my needs, except nutritionally."
Ok... Back to the post. Specifically, here is what I have had debunked by my brother (Anesthesiologist for bariatric), My mom (nurse and nutritionist), my bro's good friend and bariatric surgeon, and my surgeon..........
* Yes, the liquid PRE OP diet is not to be messed with. It sucked, but we need the liver to be soft and looking like liver in a supermarket. That will happen in most cases with one week.. Many docs do one week only and many do 2 weeks..... So, if you have a 2 week doc, don't worry if you cheat a little and wants some low calorie food.. It's OK!! have the Soup... etc. I didn't cheat as mine was only a week and I did not want to have a lifetime of liver issues if it was frail and broke a bit/injured while being moved for my surgery....
* Most docs on here POST OP put you on liquids for 2 weeks.. Why?? NOTHING medical. Really? Many docs, including mine, put me on Clear Liquids only day 1 in the hospital and then put me instantly on pureed foods (tuna salad, chicken salad, egg salad, greek yogurts, ricotta cheese, etc).. Yes. DAY 2! He does this for EVERY patient.. He has had NO MORE COMPLICATIONS than anyone else ever.... It is NOT true that eating this will cause a leak.. It can't get caught in you stitches, lol, as they are on the outside and you can't see them even in your stomach.. The ONLY risk is a)that you eat way too much and thus can cause leaks, so don't do that. and that is WAY too much. Meaning you go out of your way to test the limits. As any surgeon will tell you, stretching the stomach to break the staples is no easy task.... easy enough to follow that rule .. and the risk is that you get nauseated.. Ok.. we are all different. Some take 90 minutes the first time they eat to get down 4 oz of chicken salad.. I didn't . I got it down in 15 min and could have done it in 5..... But the point is, listen to your body. start slowly and if you tolerate it, then screw the rules.....
What does this mean? It means so what if you doc put you on 2 week post liquid. That is soo hard.. so, do it mostly, but don't obsess about cheating. have a friggin plate of tuna salad.. It will taste yummy.. Add some great yogurt. If you can handle it, you are good to go! I did.. They also want you on this liquid to max your weight loss for motivation up front? do you really need that?? I don't care if it takes me 1 more week than you to hit the same goal? Frankly, I decided to keep my calories around 800ish anyway for my first 2 weeks. It was a little hard, but nothing like your liquid nightmare and i lost as much weight... I'm now on 1200 cal full diet plan (less hard carbs and hard veggies) as of last night.
I've heard people say they are craving one Dorito chip.. Then the advice replies were "lick the cheese off" or "take a bit and spit it out...." LOL. Really? This is your diet/lifestyle for the rest of your life. HAVE A CHIP.. See if you get a lot of gas.. Chew it well.. If not problem, then enjoy the one chip. You got here because you at a half bag . One or three chips won't kill you! You need to find a way to eat what you will do.. The docs want you to build your healthy habits now.
*The first year is where you get your max weight loss- Ok. For sure,, so, as noted, build your healthy habits now.. but make it last. So, if I want a Dorito chip. I have one or two.. On my pureed phase, my kids had pretzels at a game. I took 2 small ones....I had a qtr of his hotdog meat.. The point is, if we can seriously lower the number of calories we eat (which, for me, they figured i was eating between 3500-4000 per day and needed to be at 2400 or so.. Now, with 1200, which believe me, with the sleeve is a mini feast, I will be eating half the amount and will lose a lot of weight. So, yes, build good eating habits and i'm working on good food choices that I can live with! Can I eat white bread. Damn right?should I// nO?? it's a waste of calories and spikes your sugar and appetite. But, I sure will if i want a hamburger or great sandwich. A month ago i would have had 2 cheeseburgers and 2 hotdogs at a bbq. .So, guess what, i'll lose weight. Can't make it a daily thing.. But, again, stop obsessing..
*Eating and drinking slowly eating- well, you don't HAVE to eat slowly, but as we have been told our whole lives, eat slowly so that when you are really full, you know it! Also, you need to see what your bod can tolerate and if you eat too quickly, you may not have realized you were about to puke. If you can tolerate it, you can eat and drink quicker than others, but not a good idea for reasons mentioned. so work on it, but don't obsess.. At the hospital, they told me I had to drink in in little tiny medical cups a few cc evry 20 min. I laughed, as Water went down easily in recovery even. ALL NURSES TOLD ME NO. When I saw my doc, i asked why I can't just drink as I can tolerate it at home and get my 64 oz is. HE said dont' chug, but do whatever you can do without discomfort. So, 8 oz bottle of Water went down in 5 minutes... etc....
*Chewing your food- ALL true... We have that banana sized stomach.. So, the doughy breads, and stringy veggies and large pieces of non chewed enough food INDEED often get stuck! Not stuck like a lap band, but rather, they move toward the pyloric valve and are too big to pass through it, since there isn't as much acid, etc in your stomach and, well, the route to the valve is now MUCH shorter.. So, it sits in front of it and as soon as the next item goes there, it waits in line. your body puts out gas and then knows there is a problem, so will signal you to vomit it up. not fun... So, chew! All true! Also makes us take longer to eat and thus enjoy the tastes more than ever and have the full signal sent to our brain while we are still eating or pretty close to that!
*Caffein is bad... Ok. Google whether it's an appetite suppressant or stimulant.. It's hysterical.. You'll get equal replies from GREAT sources that say the opposite. I WANT my one cup a day. I'm not an addict. I asked. I am now sipping on my first REAL one. It is indeed a diuretic for some. So, drink a half cup more water than a day! If you feel it makes you hungry after you have it and you don't want to hold back, then stop the coffee.. It doesn't for me. It does for some... But what will you be doing in a year from now??/ There is NO medical reason why you can't have caffein after a few weeks
*ALCOHOL is a no no for 2 months. NONSENSE.. Again, just there so we don't put empty calories. BUT what if I WANT one drink or two on a date tonight?? I am told, go for it, but just know you will have ingested 400 wasted calories. Ok. I get it, but I WILL drink in my life, although never drank a ton and that was not the cause of most of my weight.. Watch the calories and don't do it twice most weeks.. Or if you will, then cut back a bit on your Snacks, etc. Anyway, looking forward to a martini with my date tomorrow at dinner.. Oh, most people on here for a while, will tell you since there is less food to bind with alcohol, it goes into your intestines/blood stream much quicker and you get a nice buzz faster with less! way cool!
* Most other rules and comments on here are just not universal and again, if you feel the NEED to cheat, then well, cheat! How can it be cheating if this will be your new life! WOrk hard at right food choices and don't make this soooo hard. The harder you make it, the more YOU WILL revolt and end up going off the wagon like the good old days... Since I have had no pain, etc and pretty much eat what I wanted (and cheated on my puree period even), I feel this is just toooo easy. I hear so many of you struggling (not because you have pain, but because you want to break a rul) and so many of you "supporting them" to stay strong, that I just wanted to add this post! Also, again, much of the medical advice that our well meaning friends on here provide, just isn't true. Sorry, but it isnt.
I hope this helps some of you enjoy your Pre and Post diets much more than you may be now!
Best, my friends!

as a nurse and first responder volunteer where i live, this is breaking my heart just like the rest of the world. emotions all over the place. i will think of you all. i cry for this terrible thing that happened. sure puts things in persepctive for me. so what....my complictions are nothing..shame on me for feeling sorry for myself at times. i am 44 and i cannot fathom why people are so fuc+#ng mean.

I probably spend more time on here than I should, but as I read some of these posts, there are certain words that just simply shouldn't be used...Try working some of these into a normal conversation and see if you don't get a giggle.
broth - ever use that word in a conversation? I laugh every time I read "I had some warm broth." I cook for a living, and not once have I ever made broth. Soup, yep, stock yep, broth...uh..no..
Bougie - Didn't even know what this meant, and still don't. (Don't wanna know either) Word shouldn't be used in mixed company. When people start comparing their bougies, I think those posts should be restricted to the men's room forum.
Surgerversary - Again, WTF? Can't we use normal english? You had surgery on X date or a year ago I had surgery. I can't go down to the Hallmark store and get you a surgerversary card.
Onederland - Where is this place? Is this in Canada? Again, try using that in a normal conversation. I'm sure you'll get some confused looks.
Feel free to add your own favorite banned words....
(btw, for all you out there that had your sense of humor removed with your stomachs..this is a little Saturday night levity.)

i have had the same issues for 8 months. i thought my vision was changing due to age and the fact that i spent 5 weeks in the hospital. NOPE..it was the scopalomine patch for nausea~other meds can do that, too. IE zofran. i am silent barfer..fluids just came right up. double what i took in. please be pushy with his doctor if fluids are not staying down. maybe an upper GI study or endoscopy? if he i following post op then either this is how his body is reacting to surgery.....hopefully he is just that. but follow instinct. some people just have that regurgitation thing - nothing wrong, but monitor. my situation is very different. i won't get into it - i just want you both to know everyone reacts differently.............keep us posted please......

Please don't give up! I'm sorry you are having such a hard time with insurance, but keep fighting! This is your life and your health, isn't it worth it? I understand that you are completely fed up fight now, so take a few days to calm down and tackle that obstacle again until they give in! You deserve it, you are worth it! Think of it this way, if you keep fighting to get it, or give up the time will still pass either way, but if you keep fighting and win, you have something to show for it in the end. Please don't give up.

I just wanted to take a moment to offer up my prayers and thoughts to those in Boston today.