BethinPA

And I was also wondering how long the recovery might be on average. Thank you to whoever can shed some light on these questions!

I would try astroglide first, and there is the new medication called ophena to look into…

Last month I went to my surgeon's support group, and started talking with this woman who asked me if I had had surgery yet? I was taken aback since I have lost 107 lbs, but I am still overweight, and I have to accept that some people will not consider me to be a success unless I am stick thin. It just reminded me that I can't look to others to celebrate my success, I have to look within. I'm still proud of myself, regardless of what that woman might have thought!

I have been hypothyroid for many years, had the surgery 10/31/12 and lost 107 lbs. Last March I became hyperthyroid for some reason for a few months, then dropped and became very hypo again. The endocrinologist says she has no idea why it happened. I think it really contributed to hair loss, but not too much to weight loss. She put me on tirosint, a thyroid replacement medication that is more expensive but believed to be better absorbed in our small stomachs. My levels have been steady since. The thought is that once one has thyroid problems they are more likely to have more thyroid problems down the road. We just have to stay vigilant.

Thank you for the support, and thank God for Naked Hotties!!

Thanks so much for the support, CGJ!

Cant wait to hear..Haha So I made a huge deal out of my excess skin before the nekkid phase. Then he was like....I dunno, women your age,have had kids etc., just look that way. Obviously I had more excess skin than a typical woman but it was clearly a bigger deal in my head than it was in reality. Well, we got to the nekkid phase this weekend, and the extra skin didn't appear to bother him a bit! It was so hard for me to bite my tongue and not ask him if it bothered him, because I didn't want to plant that seed of thought in his mind. So I'm faking it until I make it in the confidence department!

I think that you make good points regarding whether or not to disclose, and I think it would be reasonable for you not to, given that you are so far out, and your plastics are done. For me, I feel that I do need to disclose at this point. I am seeing someone, and I felt that I needed to give him a heads up regarding my extra skin, rather than just let him discover it when we take our clothes off. I didn't really tell him in a confessionary sort of way, just in more of a matter of fact point of information sort of way. I didn't go into great detail, and I for sure did not offer any before pictures for him to see! He simply accepted it, and has been supportive. From the first date he teased me (in a nice way) about how little I eat, and I just rolled with that for several dates without disclosing. He asks questions, like why do I have a food scale in my kitchen, which gave me an opportunity to explain my eating habits. Its been quite good so far. We haven't gotten naked yet, so that is sort of still looming in front of me. But I'm hopeful!

I have had sleep apnea for years, and I remember how hard it was to adjust to wearing a mask at first. I too would wear it for several hours and then rip it off in the middle of the night in order to be able to get some sleep. Part of my problem was the simple issue of adjusting, and part was that I wasn't wearing the right mask for me at first. Please be sure and speak up, and try different types of masks in order to find the one that works best for you. I persevered and kept using the machine because I was so afraid of the health issues related to untreated sleep apnea. Eventually it became a habit, and now I would say that I am habituated to the thing! I have lost over 100 pounds, and it took that big loss for me to finally lose the sleep apnea as well. I recently had a home study (apparently insurance companies don't want to pay for studies in the sleep lab anymore) that showed I no longer have it. The scary thing is, I'm still using my CPAP, because I'm so used to wearing it to sleep! When I don't use it, the room feels so quiet, and I can't relax. I have to get over that. So for those who are hesitating to get a sleep study done because it is a night from hell, look into getting a home study done instead - its a much nicer experience!

Google somogyi effect and dawn phenomenon - it could very well explain your elevated AM blood sugars.

I recently got one at Anne Taylor, and the staff helped me put a whole look together. They often have sales also, so it didn't dent my wallet too much.

My gyn surprised me by asking if she can refer other patients who may have questions about WLS to me because she sees me as a success story related to that. I was very flattered!

That's great news! Enjoy the fun newness of it all! I too met someone who seems to be a keeper on seniorpeoplemeet, and am really enjoying our dates so far. Fingers crossed for both of us!

I thought I was the only one who was being so weird about underwear! I feel a purge coming on…

Hi all, Just a reminder to not take your Iron supplement with your calciuim supplement (space them out) or with your morning caffeine. Vitamin C enhances iron absorption. It is good for me to know that it is not unusal for vets to have this issue - I will keep my eyes open!

Laughing at the visual twister reference! It will get better!

Ladies, any suggestions for lingerie that de-emphasizes our flaws during and post weight loss? Something that somehow accentuates my drooping breasts and hides my bumpy belly? Suggestions for stores for purchase of said lingerie? Thanks!

Good point and good idea! Thank you!

Whoa! That's like a whole nother level! Gonna take baby steps here, but I appreciate the suggestion!

Thank you - I feel like I've become the shape wear queen, but I was thinking more along the lines of when one wants to inject a little romance into the situation....

Thank you. I just ordered one - fingers crossed!

I am15 months out, and now the best compliments to me are the people who have approached me to tell me how impressed they are with my progress and to ask me questions about the sleeve, because they are considering getting it done themselves. I'm so glad that I was always open about having had it done, that people see me as a success story and that they can be successful too.

I think it is interesting how many people's profile pics were clearly snapped while they were behind the wheel of their cars - why is that? I ask because it has never occurred to me to take a selfie in the car. I'm curious…

Yeah, that has been my experience as well, and I'm 47! My favorite was the guy in his 70s or 80s who lives in an RV with his dogs in Utah - I mean, what 47 year old woman wouldn't be all over that! One guy I was talking to said he was 56, but in his picture he looked older than that. Turns out he is really 66, and when I asked him why he lied, he said he didn't want to play bingo with the women his age. I was so offended by that! I don't understand why your guy would lie to that extreme, knowing you would eventually meet face-to-face. I'm sorry that happened. I only signed up for a month at a time, and if it doesn't work out with this guy, I will be trying eharmony. I bet you could cancel your subscription early if you wanted to, but I think there are some possibilities on there, with patience. I also tell myself that I'm only looking for one person, not a slew of people, so it can't be too too hard!

I will say that as I have lost weight my period is a lot more contained, if that makes sene - less mess on my underwear or sheets. Such a relief!