Bornagain

I haven't been out much cause I was just sleeved in October but I have not nor intend to lie. It is what it is... Whatever way you choose to lose weight takes determination and strength I say no matter how you lose you still win.

I am so grateful for my life, my health, and the ability just to say THANK YOU to the Lord for this year is finally turning around. I've lost 59lbs so far and I don't feel tired anymore, my energy is coming back! I am going to my mom's house for Thanksgiving my mom asked what I could eat and she is making the menu based on my stage of food she has been so supportive in this. I don't know if she is making stuffing this time if so, I'm having a tiny spoon of it, but I'll make sure to eat my turkey first

I am thankful for all of my family. I love them so much. I am thankful that I had this surgery done on Oct. 2, I also am so very thankful that my daughter was approved to get sleeved due to medical reasons. Now we can be happy and healthy together.

I just need to vent. I'm having surgery Wednesday. My mother has been very supportive through this whole thing. I live with her so we're very close. I've been very private with my decision to have surgery. I feel it's my business and Ill choose who knows. I've told a few of my best friends and a few family members. Most of my family doesn't know. So my mom takes it upon herself to tell her friends and acquaintances what is goin on they are not even her close friends, just friends she sees once in a while. A few are very judgmental and I just don't want them knowing. She can't understand why I'm angry at this, but its like its MY business! I don't want everyone knowing! She can't see she's wrong in this. I'm a very private person and I've only chosen to tell a select few, why would you think it's okay to blab to all these people I don't even hardly know? One of her friends is a vegan who works for a health food store and specifically I didn't want her telling him because he's one of those people who are extremely opinionated. He lectured me for half an hour one day when I told him I was taking Vitamin D supplements. I just didn't want to deal with more judgement. God knows I get that ENOUGH as a morbidly obese person!
I just needed to vent. Overall I am excited for surgery! Just a little stressed and annoyed today.

What better place than to reveal my success thus far? When asked my weight in the past, I would answer "no one will ever know but me and Jesus!" Well.... Now me, Jesus and VST! So here goes: Starting wt- 304.8 Day of Surg - 296 Today - 278.2 and today makes 3 weeks post op!

Glad to hear that you are having NO complications. Pray for your continued blessings.

Wow P77tmey thanks for your post! That is an excellent reminder for us to drink those sips of Water. Thank God you got through that.

I have Type 2, very insulin resistant. Was on 850 mg metformin 2x a day; Novolog insulin as needed and Lantus insulin at bedtime 55 units; and lisinopril.
I have lost 50 lbs in 3 months. Glucose levels have been in low 100s, hi 90s. I no longer take the Novolog and lisinopril. Metformin is the same, Lantus is down to 11 units each night and going down all the time. I see my endocrinologist in 2 months and he said by then I will most likely be off the insulin completely.
I think I've been losing at a pretty average rate. I've had some stalls, but don't think I'm anywhere near having a "problem" losing weight.
And as a side note, my carb cravings are practically gone completely; haven't had a candy or dessert since before surgery...for me that is nearly a miracle!!

Try eggbeaters taste good easier on tummy.

Hi,

I had weight loss surgery when I was 63 and I am now 65 . I have been sleeved of 2 1/2 years. I lost 105 pounds on my journey. So I do know a little about what I am going to say. I have done what you want to do or have already done.

So I have been thinking about this. WHY do so many of our friends not say Yay! or I am happy for you?

1. They know NOTHING about weight loss surgery let alone when we say we are have the "sleeve" done?

2. They have not heard of any positive things about WLS.

3. They are scared for us because we are having some kind of surgery they no nothing about.

4. They think we are having gastric bypass (we know it isn't but they don't) and they have heard nothing but bad thing when it comes to this surgery. Dumping, malnutrition, people gaining weight back again, because they have stretched out their pouch.

5. The are sure we are going to die during the surgery.:thumbs_down:

6. They have never had a weight problem in their life.:censored:

7. They view this as the easy way out--it take more courage to have this surgery than to do nothing at all, but they beleive it is the easy way out.

8. How will you stop losing weight.

9. Is this healthy--they are sure it isn't.:hurt:

10. It cost too much money and you will never keep the weight off and WHY if you are over 60 would you want to do this to yourself?

So those are the top ten reason I can think of that the people are thinking all these things. I think if we are willing to talk more about it to them "AFTER" we have had the surgery and explain things to them--I say educate the uneducated friends that we have, they may be more willing to listen. There are so many people that just can't image that we would have surgery to lose weight, so they really have to see with their own eyes that you are OK and healthy and this is working for you. I know you want their support, but honestly sometimes it is just not going to happen.

This isn't something that we just woke up one morning and said hey I think I will have someone remove 80% of my stomach and then I will solve all my weight issues. We thought about this for a long time, we did some research, we checked with other people and joined web sites to educated ourselves.

So, don't let the uneducated people in your life stop you from doing what you know is right for you.

If you had a tooth ache you would go see a dentist to get it fixed--and they would think that is the right thing to do. We have an addiction to food and an emotional connection to food. What is wrong with going and getting the help we need to stop our addiction. This is our tool that we are going to use to accomplish the weight loss with.

It isn't a magical cure by any means. It takes time, work and effort on our part to become successful. A little support along the way also helps a heap!

Finding the right doctor to trust our life with and one who is highly skilled in the field of WLS is the next step. For me that was Dr. Aceves, and I can't say enough kind words about him and his skills and he GREAT staff and wonderful hospital.

I knew at 63 if I was going to take this giant step, it had to be with someone that I trusted and that had done a lot of these with no complications and was a skilled surgeon.

So when the next person you talk to rolls their eyes around because you are over 60 and going to have weight loss surgery, please just have some patients with them. The are very UNEDUCATED. We will work at educating them and letting them know that this really isn't about them at all. It is ALL about you and you have earned and deserved the right to have this surgery.

You will be making a lifestyle change and not be on a diet any more. You are going to put yourself first, for the first time in a long time. I want you to feel good about what you are doing because it is going to be a life changing event that is going to be so fabulous. Someone is going to call your "skinny" for the first time and you are going to smile and say "yes" I did it.

I am here every step of the way to assist, you and help you. I will answer your million questions you may have and help you deal with the emotions that you are feeling. I want you to know that you are doing the right thing by wanting to become healthy and add years to your life.

Hugs to you and you go for what you want in life. If not now then WHEN????

Suzanne

Escape Pod pretty much said everything I was going to say. The restriction will be way more noticeable by the time you start solid foods. Don't try to find it now. Your stomach needs time to heal, this is not the time to test it. The feelings of hunger can be attributed to head hunger, thirst or acid....as has been said. Many people go through this. Take comfort in the fact that you are not nauseous or hurting. Things will get much better very soon.

I was sleeved on the 3rd and am allowed a 1/4 cup three times a day (after its been through the blender). I'm struggling to finish that if its anything but Greek yogurt. Was really excited to try eggs today only to discover I couldn't eat more than two bites. Kind of depressing when food was such a big part of my life before. I know it'll be worth it but its not easy!

Thanks for the info ... Glad that everything is going well for you

Hey Jasmine I am from the Central Valley and I was sleeved on October 2, 2012 at Fresno Kaiser Permanente. My journey began on August 10 and so far I have not had any major problems. I will say that the staff at Kaiser was the kindest and most professional I have ever encountered. Good Surgeon also. He has taken good care of me and answers any questions I might have. He is quick to respond to e-mails also. Praying for you that you have an easy time of it.

Congratulations Liz, I will pray for an easy recovery. Give it to God and follow all directions from the Dr. and may your journey be smooth.

2 days post op I did it doing great I'm walking I just can't swallow Water people at Nyu are so nice to me feeling great

Fantastic! I remember that it felt difficult to swallow, or at least very different, in the first day or two. Just take it slow and be patient with yourself. It is really easy to swallow air. Some people say don't use a straw, others say use one. For me, I found that using a straw helped me to not swallow air and made it easier to drink. Don't let yourself get dehydrated! It will feel like just about all you do all day long is drink, but you are really just taking little sips constantly.

Wow BornAgain,
This is good news you are sharing....your loss and no longer needed the diabetes meds. God is awesome!
OAN...here me clear...I would not presume to know you, but I would dare not call you weak. Again, timing is everything, especially with God' plan for our life. That may have been the prompting you needed to delay until things were lined up to become ready. We ask God to go before us, right? He already knew the day you would have surgery, in so much that 17 days post op you would have a good report of an overall total loss of 30lbs. Who is to say that 2 years ago, there would not have been something beyond your control that would have not made the experience a great one!
Just my $.02
Keep us posted on your progress and Be Blessed!

No ANYONE can dump, even those without WLS. Everyone probably has already too, remember that food you ate and you immediately got stomach cramps and diarrhea? If you felt OK afterwards then it was probably NOT bad food but dumping. It literally happens to most everyone once in a while, the stomach just dumps the unprocessed food into the intestinal tract, the small intestine doesn't like it and puts it on the fast tract to the exit and BAM! You've become a victim of dumping.
Bypass patients are VERY prone to it but we VSG'ers can be too. Certain foods can trigger it, too rich, too oily, too greasy.

neil
the drinking rules are hard to follow, but important
i never drink 1/2 hour before i eat
don't drink with food
don't drink 45 minutes after i eat
can't tell you what to do - this is my world, and welcome to it, for life
that being said, if i have a little Water right after a meal or during, on a rare rare occasion, i am only human - i doubt i'll die hmmmm, i don't think i will anyways

Thanks to all for the well wishes. My hubby took me to the ER around 3p yesterday when he got off and aftwr running several tests they admitted me to the hospital for observation, pain management, and antibiotics. First of all I have a UTI, I'm mildly dehydrated, and the severe pain is coming from my kidney. The area around my kidney is swollen and the pain is now radiating from the right flank (around my kidney) to my upper right quadrant in my abdomen. They did blood work and there were some small abnormalities, but nothing too drastic and they also did a CT scan which showed no failure or swelling to my kidney at this time which is good news. The bad news is that they are unaware of what is cashing the swelling and severe pain around my kidney. They are stumped and of course I'm frustrated bc I want to know what is going on and how to fix it. They are wanting to do a couple days of antibiotics to see if that inadvertently helps with the pain bc there is a slight chance that the UTI is causing the swelling. Not likely bc the UTI isn't that severe, but weirder things have happened.
So, all that said, I'm getting 4mg Morphine every 2 hours and Phenergan and IV antibiotics every 6. I'm typically very sensitive to pain meds, but the morphine is not touching my pain. It is very severe and very bizarre. The doctor, whom I've actually not seen today, refused to change my pain meds until he can speak to me tomorrow so while I'm getting some managemwnt of my pain I am disappointed that they aren't trying a little harder to control it. If it weren't for the phenergan, which knocks me out cold for about 3 hours at a time, I'd probably be much more miserable. I am hoping to get more answers soon, but I am at least at a facility where I'm being somewhat taken care of.
Thanks again for all of your prayers and for checking in.
Rachael

I JUST found the 'like' button option!! Been on here for 2 months!!! Ya know those dumb blonde jokes? Well, real blonde here!! Lol.
(For Gals only: and now that I can see the carpet, they still match the drapes!!????)

I am happy to say that I have hit my 40lbs. lost milestone. I am so happy. I have been getting so many compliments on the new me, at work, church, and especially at home. My hubby is blown away at my transformation. I am loving this!!
SW: 282
CW:242
Sleeved: August 30, 2012