RJ'S/beginning

Nooooooooooooo tell them to move it. If it is not comfortable there is a reason for that..They can blow a vein leaving it there. For Pete's sake what kind of professionals work in the medical field. Never let them put it in your wrist.....ouch! Forearm that's it!

thanks... @@2013sleevegirl I have been left no choice in the matter hun......It is be beaten or beat it!...

No gulping! LOL You can mix it 50 % with Water if you find it too much..At 19 months I still drink a 1/2 bottle every day!

Woops messed up the editing....My words are gone.....oh well

No it is fair to say there is little risk involved. I think an intelligent person will do the work of learning everything they can about WLS. Including the good the bad and the ugly. We can in no way guess what experience we may have but in all good intentions we want the best experience for everyone on this forum and for those who are not. It does not always end up that way and to take a blind eye to the possibilities is not doing your research. @@ChavaBling I think we must be prepared for as much of the possibilities as we can and then deal with what does or does not happen in our journey!

In the 19 months that I have been on this journey I have never had a stall or gain...Never been disappointed...Want to know why? Because I only weigh myself at my Dr,s office. Through out 19 months I have probably been weighed 10 times. Each time a happy moment.... Please do not get bogged down in numbers. At this point they mean nothing except anxiety and fear of failure.... Trust me..It is self defeating to do it constantly. It is a way to sabotage yourself!

Keep hydrated through this part of your journey. It is the most important thing..G2 or Coconut water..Both are great for hydration while you are getting on your feet....okay!

No it's not gods way of saying enjoy your summer. It gives you more time to prepare yourself for what lie's ahead. More time to learn what you need to do to prepare yourself for your future journey. More time to get used to the fact that you are going to start to build a new life for yourself. A healthier, happier life! What is one more month anyway on the grand scheme of life. One more month. A lot more accomplished. And then enjoy your summer!

Interesting @@LilMissDiva Irene I have never been stalked before...lol Funny but I am not afraid of plastics...Looking forward to that.....Just not interested in being a stick figure before it is removed...bla!!!!!!!!!!!

I am home with a drain @@awold0 right now and it will be there for several weeks and then another CT scan and then another week and it should be removed. I am in a lot of pain but not as much as I was.....Taking one step at a time..Always been my motto! Thanks for asking...I also hit my goal weight when I was in the hospital...I am kinda unsettled about that for some reason..Will have to figure that one out!

When I was in the hospital this week everyone was calling me little Janie...Made me mad for some reason...A year ago they would have been cheering me on to lose and now it is hey little girl....So confusing sometimes... I want to be slim but not too thin.. I never had a waist and no chest to speak of...And I see myself heading in the same direction..... When surgery happens I will lose another 20-25 lbs of skin....I will be an 8...I'm 5'8" I am so scared!!!!!!!!!

Stay on track and it will all happen okay! Don't look at numbers right now...Concern yourself with healing and feeling better......

I'm curious. Do you drink coffee and/or tea? I hope you make a speedy recovery and have no m I do drink tea. It is a help to chew food well as it does not get pushed down too hard as it leaves the esophagus. That is a concern that stretching the tissues that way can cause leaks...Over time we can be ones that get ulcers....Not necessarily because of the sleeve. But because of acids in our stomach that is not attended too. Also it has been proven that if you get one your in line for others if you do not take meds to help bring down acids in your stomach...... Most don't get any of these problems but me..I am trying to set a world record for the person with the most complications from weight loss surgery...lol

Look, we all have big fat heads. And probably always will look at ourselves not as others see us but how we see ourselves. 20 lbs. Great..You are on your way to being a loser like the rest of us. There is a lot of retraining your brain in this journey and only you can control how you see this or how your adventure will go. We all see ourselves as large even if we are small and we will always take the first pot shot at ourselves because we want to do it before anyone else has the chance..Years of abuse has done that to us. It is not fair but it is what it is. Be proud of every lb gone. That brings you closer to goal. But it is going to be a bumpy ride. Full of tears, moods, laughing, and brain training. If you don't change how we feel about food then we cannot succeed. One step at a time...And handle it as it comes along. Worry about today's worries and tomorrow there will be other things to test your resolve.

Yes I know I have heard the same thing over and over again myself...The reality though is different. I felt like I had dislocated a rib. This went on for 6 weeks. I would go to the Chiropractor and he would crack every bone in my body until the last time I went and he told me there was no bones out of place. He told me to please go and check it out. So I did. they did a Cat Scan and found I had an abscess in my chest cavity by my sleeve. It was full and needed to be drained. So I went to my surgeon and he did more tests and found a leak in my sleeve and it formed the abscess. So he put in a drain and did a scope as well. Although my sleeve was in excellent shape. There was an ulcer. And because of the ulcer I got a leak. Now the kicker is that if you get an ulcer there is a huge chance that you can get more so you have to take preventative action to stop it. So now I am on stomach meds for the rest of my life for that. BUT all said and done it was a leak that caused it...nevertheless ......They can still happen as far out as 19 months folks. Another woman was there with a leak as well. She is 8 months out.....So keep care of your sleeve..That is all I am saying!

So just thought I would let you know that if you think that you can't get a leak after 3 or 4 or 9 months after your sleeve. You are mistaken....I have one and they are working hard to heal it...... Do me a favor and look after your sleeve. Treat it with gentleness and kindness. And don't swallow food that is not chewed well. I ever did any of those things but now more then ever I will be careful.... When my surgeon did a scope he found that my sleeve was in great shape. Had not relaxed or stretched and was a beautiful soft pink...lol So 19 months later my sleeve has not been abused but I got a leak anyway.....I would do that unlike most of you. Some fun eh Bambi!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wouldn't say I feel better. But good enough to be home......

I am 19 months out..I have had every complication known to WLS of anyone here or anywhere for that matter. I just got home from a 16 day stay at the hospital again due to another complication. I was surprised when I got home that I reached my goal. Would I want to go back to the old me..Never...Has all the work I have put into this wasted time because I miss the old me..No Would I trade my life for my former one..no Do I miss the large amounts of food...Nope I thank god everyday that I can't over indulge anymore. Has my life changed. Yes in good ways and in bad... I am so active now and have energy to spare even when another complication rears its ugly head....I am a new and improved person who never wants to see the old life again at any cost. I eat out sometimes and enjoy every bite I can fit into my sleeve. I eat everything in moderation and balance. That is how my nut taught me to eat. And unlike a lot on here I have learned a new way of eating but eating in the real world. I am fussier now then before and have the pride to only eat the very best of whatever I eat. I find I am so much happier then I ever was before...I am a new girl. In a new world and I take no prisoners...I am free now from the bondage of obesity...I intend to stay this way...No matter what!!!!! No matter what I go through while I travel this road...I am here to win it......And you will be too... Fear is normal. I had none when I started this journey but that was a mistake. I was not prepared for what was about to happen. You face those fears and make sure your ready for a rocky road that is full of tears, smiles, laughs and huge changes in the way life looks at you and the way you look at it.....

If I could tell myself one thing it would be to expect the unexpected. That this is a life changer for sure. The ups and downs and changes emotionally, mentally and physically are what you never thought would and will happen...Seeking out those that have been there is a real help. And trust your sleeve to do its job and get rid of that damn scale!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Numbers mean nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well guys 14 days in the hospital and home now with a drain in my side. They put a larger drain in with the hopes that that will flatten the abscess. i am on ulcer meds for the rest of my life because once a sleever or any WLS patient gets one it is likely that they will get another. Yippy..I hit the jack pot again.... One positive thing that happened is that I reached my goal while in the hospital..... I never thought in a million years I would ever weigh the same amount I did when I got married..... Thank you to the ones that sent well wishes my way.....And those who told me they missed me......

Leaving the hospital after a 2 week stay with an ulcer and abscess. My surgeon is sure he's got this one licked...I feel bad for him sometimes because we are on first name basis...... But with everything in life there is a price. And I am almost at goal and happy about that. Thanks for caring..

Andrew hello, I have been told those very things myself at times. First you have to remember that you are not 25 anymore and that for sure you will not go back to that slim, tight skinned look. As we age gravity works and things tend to go downward. Your still walking as if you have to avoid people and worried that you still might bump into things. Your still working on your head. While everyone is worried about you and comment on what they think you should do. What do you think you should do? Pick your head up and walk with the right to be there, not hiding like we used to. Our so called turkey necks will improve as time goes on. But it is nothing for a surgeon to tuck that area. I have been told about mine abd it hurts. But right now I am trying to get used to the new me. And you are as well! Don't get caught up in the comments...Think for yourself and your teams answers for your weight.... It is a celebration that you have gotten this far......own it okay!

Well here is the latest........Had a 5th Cat Scan and they found the abscess was empty..But because it still hurt they decided to keep me in the hospital and run more tests..... I am clogged up and they qare trying to open the dam....lol And now the surgeon has found that the sleeve has an ulcer and that there is a hole in it. So the fluid runs into my mouth and down my sleeve and into the intestine..Also the intestine that vis part of my sleeve. So They gave me another Cat scan yeaterday and when they did the dye. I was on my side and it puddled in my mouth....yuck! So the surgeon also did a scope and that is where he found the ulcer. So even though the abscess does n0ot have anything in it. If I drink or eat it goes into it and fills up....So he decided to put a bigger drain in and put me on some heavy meds to heal the ulcer and clean this mess up...The reason it hurts so much is because I have the drain under my Diaphram, And the drain touches the lung and spleen. Nerve endings scream when they are touched so everytime I move they scream and so do I. Now I have to keep the drain in for 10 or more weeks. So they have to give me good meds so that I can handle the pain. So this is where I am now....... One cool thing though is that he said that when he did the scope my sleeve was in great shape. It had not stretched or moved or has been damaged in any way...Yes me!!!!!! 19 months out and doing great in the sleeve department as far as it changing over time. Now I have an ulcer that is on my sleeve. A tiny one and it is open and so what I eat or drinks leaves it and goes out of the ulcer and goes into the abscess. Then from there it goes in the drain. They havegiven me powerful antibiotics for this and soon great pain pills... Here is to hoping I go home soon..And contrinue my life... Thank you all for the well wishes

Well seems I have a date with my surgeon again. the pocket, ulcer or abscess is empty but did not collapse. So I have to go in today and spend some quality time with Mr. cutie and hopefully he will have an answer for me and a cure...Can't live with a cavity in my chest that hurts like the dickens.... 4 CT in 3 weeks Soon I will light up like a Christmas tree in summer time..With all the dye they keep putting in me...the bruises from the last 3 iv's have not even healed yet. The time before last it took them 3 times to get it in..The blew 2 veins...The last time 5 tries to put the iv in....Fun, fun, fun..... Who knows I might lose a few more lbs and be under goal if they keep me..You know hospital food....yuck!!!!! Sending everyone best wishes on your race today...Don't know what's in store but will, check in when I check out of the hospital...Now I have spent a total of 6.5 months in hospital since I had my surgery...Wonder how long this little adventure will be....