SpaceDust

Thanks, all - I'm excited but I'm also hitting that wall of second thoughts. You know the ones - should I just give it one more try without surgery? What if it doesn't work? I just need to get my head back in it and remind myself constantly that I've DONE the "one more try" thing, and it *will* work at some level, even if I don't lose all that I want to.

Trust me, I have, and it's just fine that way, too I still have a month or so before I have to TOTALLY get on the pre op wagon - my date won't be until mid July at the earliest. Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 2 using VST

I have some of that here, and yeah, it tastes like Orange Crush to me, too. I put a little dose of it in the sparkling Water from my Sodastream and it's tasty! And yup, it's fake sugar, but I'm okay with that now and again!

If it's the taste you crave, you could pour a little out and let it get flat. Ultimately, though, it's just empty calories, so I wouldn't bother. I'm pre-op, but mostly gave up my Coke Zero last November. I say mostly, because I still have a little maybe once a month. My usual beverages are water, coffee, unsweetened iced tea and club or sparkling water with a twist these days. Thankfully, my dietician does not expect me to give up caffeine, just keep it under control

It will grow back within a few months. It's just your body's way of dealing with the shock of the surgery - same thing can happen with any major surgery. In a few weeks, if you look, you'll quite likely find that you have new hairs starting to grow in. No need for propecia or rogaine. Some people suggest using a Biotin based shampoo and/or taking oral biotin. Make sure you're getting your Protein in and you are getting your Vitamins. If you currently wash your hair daily, you might want to consider switching to every other day, as the process of shampooing can encourage the hair to let go. Other than that, relax and remember that your hair may be thinner for a little bit, but your body is getting thinner for the long haul! Good luck!

The general consensus is that carbonated beverages are a no-no for at least the first several months, and many doctors and NUTs don't recommend coming back to them at all. This also includes beer. My surgeon and dietician are fine with me coming back to my club soda with a twist of lime after the first several months, with caution, as there's not a lot of room in that tiny little sleeve to deal with the bubbles, and it could cause some real discomfort, but recommend not going back to soda in general.

You've done the right thing, calling your doctor's office first. Please let us know what they say, and what your next steps are! Good luck!

Nice idea! Thanks for sharing!

The insurance coordinator called and left a message that my insurance has approved me for surgery, first submittal, no issues. So, next steps are getting the last of the surgeon's pre op requirements done and choosing a date, as well as ensuring I can cover my copay. I'm feeling very nervous all at once. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

Thanks, all - as always your recommendations and encouragement are invaluable. My gym offers yoga (I get group classes with my membership) and if the timing is good maybe I can start there, since I'm already paying for it. Meanwhile, I will have a look at the YouTube videos if only so I know a bit about the terminology before I give it a go. I used to be very flexible once upon a time, so maybe I'll be able to find my inner Gumby

I did think about YouTube, but my concern is picking up bad habits/bad form then having to relearn or setting myself up for injury. Are the basics easy to pick up? Alternatively, are the classes that say they are for all levels actually good for total beginners who aren't as fit or flexible? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

I'd really like to improve my flexibility and I think yoga would be a great help, but I have to be honest - I'm afraid of the classes. I hate to look foolish, but I'm a complete newbie when it comes to yoga. Add to that being so darned over weight and I wonder if I'm a good fit for that kind of thing yet. If I were to start, which style would you recommend? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

Hmm. Not sure that I want to go with that argument. First, dairy has been a part of adult human diets for much longer than a couple hundred years - perhaps as early as the Neolithic period, but in any case as early as 4 millennia BC in some regions of the world. With that being the case, I would say that the simple factor of dairy being in our diet at the same time as your perceived start of the decline in health is not the direct correlation you are implying. There could be correlation with the type of dairy, or the amount of certain types of dairy, but the simple fact of its presence in the adult human diet doesn't appear to align. Second, if you make that case then you would basically need to go to a raw diet to be consistent. After all, do you know of another species that regularly mixes ingredients, then cooks the resulting mixture? How about one that cooks at all? Note that I'm not trying to argue whether dairy is beneficial. There are logical arguments in both camps. I am just pointing out a couple of issues with the particular argument you're making. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

Congratulations on moving forward! Don't knock the weight you've lost - that's a pretty significant loss for 2 weeks!

The way I see the surgery for me is that I will get the initial weight off so I can be active. Once I'm active, my metabolism will get in gear as well. The reality is that if you don't change your lifestyle after the surgery gives you the support you need to get the weight off, it could be easy to gain it back. My plan is to be able to resume eating what I like in TRUE moderation, but I need to get myself out and burn those calories - whether it's a hard-core hike, several miles on a bike or an hour or two in the gym several times a week, I will need to keep everything revved up and humming if I want to be successful. There are others who say they never exercised and still don't, and they're keeping the weight off. I doubt I would be able to be one of those successfully, and I think that would be difficult long term for most.

I don't see a failure here, Susie, just a setback. The bootcamp is basically a step back into a more strict high protein/low carb diet for five days. You can find it pinned to the top of the Pre-op & Post-op Diets subforum. The link to the thread is here: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/28139-the-basics-boot-camp/ There's also the five day pouch test that others do, found at http://www.5daypouchtest.com/plan/theplan.html - this one is basically a quick tour through a typical post-surgery diet, starting with two days on liquids and Protein Shakes, then through soft, firm and solid Proteins. It's another way to get yourself back on track. Luckysmomma made some other suggestions that I think were really good. Get back to tracking your food. Get your exercise, even if it's a walk around a park or a brisk stroll while shopping. Drink your Water. You've got this! Best of luck!

The amount of stretching should be pretty minimal - the stretchy part of the stomach, the fundus, is what is removed. The rest could stretch a little, but not a serious amount. However, over a period of several weeks the swelling in your stomach goes down after surgery, so it's not really any surprise if you find you can eat more. Just continue to measure what you eat and don't think you have to eat until you feel full - at that point you're probably actually over-full

I want to get back into serious hiking (oh, yeah, and I'm in the Seattle area, too - up north in Monroe! Howdy, neighbors!). I also want to ride my bike on something other than relatively level ground.

Yeah, that's a bit unexpected. Although I guess it's not really a complication of the surgery. It's an issue that is common with all forms of rapid weight loss.

Interesting. I asked because there are a number of shakes out there which are much higher carb, but you're taking shakes that I've taken too. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST