RJ'S/beginning

No! The coat is not too big. I am able to wear a sweater under it but it is winter and we need heavy coats here in Canada. So it just made me look huge......It was scary to see it. Seems to me that I will never get over having an outlook of seeing myself large.......Grrrrrrrrr

My hubby and I were at a market yesterday. He has been building up a sharpening business for the last 3 years. He wants to do it after he retires. You know to stay busy. Not my thing but if he wants it's okay with me. The man can't stay still. Worker to the bones you know.... Anyway we have a booth at a market and yesterday was its first day. So all the news team were out and filming. At 6:00 we turned on the news to see if the interview my hubby did with them would show up or be on the cutting room floor. It was not shown. But! In the background of another interview both of us were there. Gees I looked huge in my winter coat. Oh when will this ever end! Please, plastics....save me! tomorrow is my appointment with the Dr. I am so hoping it all goes well..... fingers crossed! Yikes.......

I think I ate anything that was not nailed down. My daughter made a mix that was to die for and I ate that every night.....I made a large cheese cake but that was not my desire. It was little things like chocolate and chips. I did have the best breakfasts the entire time I was there, and enjoyed every single bite....I am now back to work and preparing my standard food and feeling okay about it all.... I lost the battle of the week but am rallying the troupes to take it on again.... I still have my tool and will do what I need to do to get myself where I need to be and I'm okay with that.....Plus we all came down with the flu....oh joy! But you know what I have no regrets because I am human and this is a constant battle that I have waged with myself for 56 years..And it will continue to wage war with me.....the hope is to never let it win..To pick myself back up and get going again......

He seems to me to be the real deal......Someone who knows it is a day to day struggle to keep the food addiction in check......Thank you for bringing his story to our attention Alex...I think I like this guy..He certainly is keeping it honest!

It is good to share the beginnings of a new girl who had reasons to do this for her health and well being. you are a strong lady and I wish you all the best in this journey....

If it is too much pain for you then you really need more then over the counter can offer you. Maybe you need to see your surgeon for some extra help. I know I had that help when I was going through this too. But I want you to remember that this is soon going to be over and hopefully all it is going to take to get you back on track.....

@@ArthurTower you don't get it do you..There is no ' I don't know how I'm going to make it. ' You just are! You are going to understand that this is for the good of your sleeve and that it might possibly be the fix you need to repair your complication. You have to pick yourself up and go forward! You keep looking for more experiences, but all of them are almost the same when it comes to stents. They are exactly how you described them. If you can't handle one stent I hope to h**l nothing else happens to you.....More times then not the stents do the job....Stop worrying about what might happen or worry about any other things except the moment to moment experience. And have a good attitude. It will help you heal....okay! You got this......

I said I would have gone with the by pass because in the end I have one plus the sleeve...I think with everything I have been through in hind sight I would have just taken the route that would have maybe shortened my complications for me..It was kinda a tongue in cheek thing to say because I wanted the sleeve so much only because of nutritional reasons...But any of the surgeries will work..All are successful if all goes well. And you follow the surgeons advice.. The thing is and will always be is that I was in a place where I like you felt that WLS was my only option left. That if I did not do it I would die anyway. Or worse be a person with no quality of life. So I was willing to face anything..And I have...I will continue to fight for this tool and be grateful for the good it has done for me.....Sure I have bad days but who doesn't. If you take wLS on without knowing the possible complications..Then you are not ready for whatever comes..... I was willing to die for it.....I did not want to continue in the way I was....The walking ( barely ) dead! Sending love and comfort your way hun...anytime I am here for you.. @ I mean that kiddo! Jane

My reason for posting the complications I have gone through is a teaching tool. Not to complain. I researched this surgery for 2 years before I had it and never read anything other then you could die. I did not know this forum existed..And at the time here there were others who were struggling to get through the tough times of complications.... Posts have helped others because I have had people phone me, skype me and mail me to ask for support as they need help emotionally, and mentally to get through them..Just as I did! and do..So if you don't need that kind of support that is wonderful for you. But there are others who are thankful to know they are not alone......I know I am.... Surgery veteran or not...what can happen with WLS needs to be said so that people are informed.....And can make an informed decision....

If you don't mind the taste..coconut Water, minus the pulp is a natural hydrator.

I understand your thinking totally. But I can't go back in time..So I try to be positive at all times over what has happened to me and what is in my future......I know that someday I will be strong and healthy once more...If I look at it as a mistake and let it get to me..I am domed. Because 50 % of our happiness and well being depends on attitude. I can't afford to let it rule my world...I will take it one day at a time.......I have experienced all you have except the 100,000 dollars..yikes! Sorry for all you have suffered..You are not a lone in this..There are some of us out here that have been close to death because of our choice. And painfully so there are family members of some that even lost their lives because of this choice.. What bothers me is that no one really tells us of what the real consequences of this surgery might, may, possibly, could happen...I have learned more then I ever wanted to know. And I bet you did too.......

A resounding YES! All I have been through has been worth it for me personally. All the things I can do now have made me live again. It has given me the opportunity to walk again for unlimited amounts, I can hold my grand daughter close to my heart. I can go anywhere without people staring at me or laughing at me....My health was okay other then a very sore back and high blood pressure. But not being able to walk really limited my life and it would not have been for me to live in a wheel chair and have my family care for me at my age if there was an option. We live in a world where the minority has control of the majority. The fat shaming has really had a toll on my self image and I could not take much more. The experiences I have had are heart breaking and the fact that others are out there floundering around without a hope breaks my heart. I still have some issues but I am thin and I can now move around without stares or moo sounds and I am practically invisible. I think that if people are in a place where there is not a lot of choices the surgery is their final problem solver if they remember to see it as a tool. Sometimes I get a reminder of what I have gone through and still have to face but in the whole and it makes me cry. But on the now and what has changed in my life for the good...I am grateful for the miracle of WLS.... In the complication department I am a minority. Most folks have little to no trouble..For me the dice roll was bad.....Hey life happens........ If I had to do it all over again I would have picked the by pass......The sleeve was not the right choice for me in the long run..But hind sight is 20/20 right..... Thank you for asking..

You really did show great restraint.....What a shallow B***H!

With the sleeve it is not recommended to use anything for pain relief except Tylenol. You can us Migraine but have to take something to coat your sleeve first.....We don't want ulcers or a leak.......

Your body is still pushing out all the stuff they gave you during surgery. You are going to get headaches from the lack of food too. Your body is used to eating a lot more right. It takes time for the change to happen. Try to consume some coconut Water if you can. no pulp. It is a natural hydrater. Also some G2 just to help as a thirst quencher at this point. If you are feeling weak and dizzy and want to throw up it is possible it is dehydration. The above will assist.

WELL......hun. I guess you haven't read any of my story....It has been on here for all to read..... All the things people deal with on here are things that were not explained to them before the surgeries. what you read are their heart felt concerns over whether deep down in side they can handle anything that they face. To the smallest question to the smallest fear to the exact thing they are going through right now. I would rather they put it here so we can help then for them to have to deal on their own and flounder around as so many professionals have no clue what we deal with..... I say bring on the whole deal. Lets be there for one another and make it that much easier to deal with the unknowns. I am happy for you that you are finding little related to yourself and your needs. The fact that you are testing the waters with sweets at this stage, says to me that you had an emotional attachment to them. That means others here can relate to you. Trust me when I tell you that it is going to be a real test for you to continue with the changes you are making...It is a lot of emotional, mental and physical changes to deal with..And it is all in your head the changes that need to be made. And you may find that it will take a struggle of a life time to do it.... I hope that you continue to find the pros in your favor.......

I have tried steak and or beef several times throughout my 2 years. and it hates me. It just does.....Only once was I able to eat a couple of bites and then the next time I tried it it was back to being stuck in my throat feeling.... Did I mention it just hates me!

I said that kinda tongue in cheek to him. He had already made me upset and I was implying that that is all that matters to them as health professionals. Anyone I have had dealings with anyway!

You recognized your problem right away. Instead of looking at all the changes at one. Take them one day at a time and handle them one day at a time. That is the true way to handle stress. One step, one moment, one thing at a time. Recognizing that we all have the possibility to regain is normal. It is the bane of our new lives. but you already have an idea of what can happen if you let your situations get the better of you. Believe it or not..you are succeeding in retraining your thinking. Before you would have not given it another thought and went for the supposed comfort.....You are already farther a head then you think..... You got this..we are your sounding board...we are here for each other....

Thank you everyone for your support and compassion. I learned that yes I am a survivor but that I am also a success. I appreciate so much your words of encouragement to me. This forum has been so dear to me...And so have all of you. Thank you again! Jane

Interesting way of thinking. But the flux will happen whether you want it to or not. It is the body's way of dealing with excess calories. Metabolism dictates how the calories are burned so if we are unlucky to have a metabolism that does not work like a freight train spiraling out of control. We will fluctuate in weight. Up and down. but it is up to us to keep it under control. that 10 lb goal to settle the fear of gaining it all back in the future. But our minds will continue to play tricks on us for the rest of our lives. There will always be a voice in our heads that tell us we will fail. And that even 10 lbs will be too much. I am trying so hard to come to terms with my 6 lbs I have gained back. I know it is because my muscles are starting to form again and that is adding weight. I think I look better with muscle definition again...lol. My sister called me yesterday. She feels that she will not lose the weight. She is just over a week out. This is and will always be our monkey on our backs. We will always worry about weight gain. And in a sense we should. But not to the point where it dominates our lives. That is the panic that envelopes many who travel this path. Skinny is a state of mind. Healthy is the the goal. Active in our lives and a new outlook on life. They are so important..... And looking amazing in a little black dress.....

As long as food companies are making billions of dollars from additives and their slogans of how food is the ultimate pleasure in life. As long as diet companies are making billions of dollars off of dieters. As long as the government allows these additives like MSG ( taste enhancers ). As long as the cat walk has bulimic models. As long as we have parents teaching their children that it is okay to bully and make fun of those who are different. As long as the medical field blames every illness on weight. ( like no one skinny ever gets sick or dies ) As long as we do not except ourselves for being who we are inside and out ( with the option of self improvement ) Nothing is ever going to really change. My great grandmother ran a lodging house for ranch hands. she would get up at 4 a.m and start cooking. She was almost 400 lbs. And no body noticed her size all they saw was this amazing woman who could cook and put a meal on the table like no other in their lives. She was loved by all and when she died she was 90 lbs. soak and wet. There were not the influences like there are today. Rarely did those people have to find themselves or make a statement to prove anything. They were who they were and probably better for it in most ways. We are in a different world now and it shows. Thin is relative to our personal health and well being. not a number on a scale. For me....I will never be what others think I should be and try very hard not to let them dictate who they think I am or who I should be. My goal is to get better and health is my goal. There is only a few people in my life that has stepped up to help me with anything to aid me anywhere so why should I let them now. Nope! Not happening! It is up to me to get a grip on what will make me healthy and improve my life.

Only a month out you are still healing young lady. And anything even eating can cause fatigue. Just follow your bodies requirements at this point. It knows best! I get hot when I eat...It is called food sweats. I hate that.....Don't know how many others get that!?

If you chose to have fish for breakfast so what. in some countries fish is a breakfast food..lol Protein is the building block of WLS. It is important to eat between 800-1200 calories as your metabolism will shut down and you have just got it working for you gain. Please keep trying to get the Water in. It will help in so many ways. You are in the learning process it will take time to find your way. But you will. Your asking questions so I know you want this badly! There are some foods at over 2 years out that I still cannot eat. Dang though sugar isn't one of them. That is my nemesis. If a food does bother you stop eating it and try again in a month or so... Trust me it will sooner or later get much easier and you will be watching the amounts you eat as well as what you eat even more closely as your new sleeve heals and relaxes some. Getting a hold of your thinking now can really be an aid in this... Seems to me you are doing well...... Except the diarrhea part. That too should pass but if it does not..Your team will help you get a fix for that.... More dense protein and veggies.

I understand only to well the medical field and how they view medical issues. They are a just doing their jobs. but at times it is not how they do their jobs that affect some of us. It is their tone. I saw and felt the tone. It threw me back for a few days. I always have seen WLS as a success or failure. Like everyone else this is what I chose to finally succeed at weight loss. To hear his view of it was unsettling for me at the time. Now! no I put it where it belongs..On a shelf so it can gather dust like all the other opinions that are not truly who we are or me either. I believe that being a success at something means a constant vigilance and that is what we need to survive this choice of change for ourselves. He meant what he said. i am not an idiot. I think it put him on a different plain because he recommends these surgeries every day to his patients and has never heard of these types of complications. He was not prepared for me. And he said what he was thinking. Which is now okay because he is someone who is there to assist me with my health issue. We are not friends. lol But I do think that I walked away with him feeling that maybe he should do a little more research himself before so willy nilly using this as a simple answer to diabetes. It is not simple. For me it is not only a struggle with weight reduction but handling the changes, complications and the severe depression. All wraps up together to make me who I am and one that works every day to make better choices for myself. As the song says ' a long and winding road.'