MichiganChic

Had my 4 month check up today. Down 69 pounds....for some reason I was really hoping to hit 70, but that's close enough! All my labs are good, they are pleased with my loss, so all is good. I feel so fortunate....to have been able to have the surgery, to have suffered no major complications, and to have lost this weight. Oh, and found out they used a size 36 Bougie....all this talk of bougies made me wonder!

Wow, is that ever the truth!! In some ways, the surgery does make it easier to succeed - I'm not quite as hungry, feel better eating less, etc. However, it is harder in some ways because you can't just change your mind anymore. We are forced to stick with it, we can't take a break, for the most part. We have invested a lot of blood, sweat and tears into having a major surgery and the subsequent recovery, and made a committment to ourselves, so it has a sense of "last chance" associated with it for many of us. Considering all that, there is pressure to not fail. For someone like me who has a lot to lose and does not lose it super fast, I have to be motivated because it's a long journey. And because I don't want to fail, I am practicing self restraint - the surgery did not give me that or motivation. It's a great tool, but success comes from within.

That's just funny. Can't you just see a bunch of kids sitting around a table thinking that crap up, thinking no one's ever going to notice? Oh, I'm sure that was intentional by someone....some brat, lol.

I would wait and go with the VA. Why spend money you don't have to?

I take the two 250s, and I've not had problems with them at all. Wish you you didn't have to deal with this!

All great suggestions, I'm downloading a little of everything. It keeps me on the Nordic track longer....should have thought of that sooner, duh! I really didn't think it would make a difference but it does!

I had a pretty rough recovery in the immediate post op period. They kept me in recovery room for 5 hours trying to manage pain. I don't think my stomach ever hurt at all, but the gas pain was the worst pain I've ever had. I had 3 C-sections and breezed through them, and figured this would be comparable. As far as incisional pain, it was easier, but the gas gave my terrible chest pain. My blood pressure was high and my blood sugar was high, even though I don't (and didn't) have those problems. Once I was stabilized and taken to my room, I rapidly improved. By that night, I was walking the halls without difficulty. So, it was about 6 or 7 hours of misery, but pretty tolerable after that for me.

What a harrowing experience this must have been for you, and yet I hear the strength in your words, I'm so impressed. I'm sorry you had to go through this. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Protecting your PERSONAL information is not a lie. I'm always confused why we think just because someone asks us a question, they are entitled to an answer. People invading our privacy and being nosy need to have their attitudes adjusted, because while it is human nature to be nosy, getting the information isn't a constitutional right. I have run into this, and you are right. If you tell one person, you have told everyone. Sadly, I told lots of people by telling only a few. I know many people probably know, and only a few ask me directly, and I just give the line diet and exercise, and change the subject to them. Most people understand you don't want to discuss it an politely move on. I'm sure they discuss behind my back, but again, human nature.

My surgeon allows NSAIDS. I started taking them about 6 or 7 weeks post op. He does not allow it for RNY. It's one of the main reasons I chose this surgery. I take ibuprophen just about daily, though I try to limit it as much as possible for other reasons (hard on kidneys). I usually take about 400 mg daily.

umm, no, lol! I was hungry and didn't like it at all. I didn't stress about it, and I have to say I like the post op diet better. I think I mourned the loss of food in the couple months prior to the pre op diet, so it wasn't a food issue for me, it was weakness/hunger. That's why the post op diet was better, at least I wasn't hungry. I think it's manageable pre or post op for everyone, as long as your head is in the right place. Good luck to all of you!

tboosrn Please add me, too!

Beautiful! What a wonderful transformation and success story! It must feel GREAT!

My biggest fear early on was a leak. After I got past that, I did, and still do, fear that this won't work, that I'll slip back into bad habits, that I'll never get to goal.....or worse, that I will and won't be able to maintain it. The hardest thing for me is teaching myself discipline. I do get hungry, but I don't have the continuous drive to eat, eat, eat. I used to graze all the time, and I knew going into the surgery that was habit I needed to break. So far, so good, because I'm not hungry all the time and food is not longer in the forefront of my mind. I know myself well enough that I'll go to my grave fighting that battle, but I just want to win it

Thanks for the suggestions! Having fun checking them out on iTunes

I always weigh and measure everything. I was instructed to start with 1/4 cup, eat/drink slow, and that should take about 10-15 minutes. If still hungry, can add another 1/4 cup. 1/2 cup is the max. They also told us to use baby silverware, practice mindful eating, etc. Portion control was always my issue, too. At 4 months post op, I continue to develop my new habit of always weigh and measure my food, and log it into my fitness pal. Early on, fullness felt like a tightness in my chest, now it feels a little more like it used to before surgery. I've never vomited, but I do get hiccoughs or sneeze when I'm full. I have no explanation for that, lol

Forgot to say I don't know what size bougie they used on me, but that pen visualization is pretty revealing....I think I could be successful even with the highlighter (54 fr.) size, lol! Because I'm pretty sure I had football size before

I also started over 300 pounds. I do understand what you mean about being irritated that we have so far to go! I've lost nearly 70 pounds and still weigh more than lots of people at their starting weight. I've decided to let that go, thinking about it is not helpful to me. It's just the way it is, and I prefer to focus on the fact that I'm that much lighter, and that much closer to goal! I feel better, look better, move better. I can't change anything, and for me, it's a GOOD thing! One major thing I have realized is that probably the major contributor to my super obesity was the fact that I was unsatisfied with the speed of my weight loss and could not sustain major diet changes over time. I'm now forced to sustain them, and guess what? Eventually, the weight comes off! Each pound adds up as it comes off, just as it did going on. I'm learning to put food in the background of my life, instead of the main attraction. I exercise and stay busy, which keeps me from looking for something to eat all the time, like I used to. Some days are easier than others, for sure! I hated the whole concept of eating at first, too, because I none of it sounded very appealing, and it was more work than it was worth. I can tell you from experience that it does get better. My advice - Try to take one day at a time, busy yourself with other things, and make decisions that are about YOU! You deserve to have some focus and attention that centers around your best interests.

The intent of the poll was to determine if people would do this again, and why/why not? The overwhelming majority would. That is in keeping with the statistics we believe to be true. I think it is particularly important for the people who wouldn't do this again to speak out. It's so easy to get swept away with success stories and a pretty high "success" rate, but really understanding and accepting risks takes a bit more consideration. I've said it before, and will continue to say it, it's about your risk tolerance. You COULD BE one of the unlucky ones - and there is no way to predict who will be - so it's important to consider what this surgery could potentially bring, and then decide if that is something you can tolerate. I personally think it's a bad idea for low BMI/low comorbidities. I had a complication (infection) which was minor, but for me, it was unpleasant. It took 7 weeks to heal, and the entire time I worried that I would end up with a permanent complication, such as tunneling into other organs, or a permanent non healing wound, or even sepsis/death in a worst case scenario. All are very real possibilities. I was a lucky one, none of those things happened. As a nurse, I understand risk better than most, but I still didn't think I would get a complication. I think this is one avenue to educate potential WLS patients. I appreciate the perspective of both sides, and I think it's important for the 2% and the 98% to share experiences. In this case, I hope people reading this thread and are considering this surgery really think about what the 2% is saying.

Sorry if the pics of the pens was confusing. Google Bougie images, and it comes up. The pens are roughly the circumference of the various bougie sizes. I am a registered nurse with surgery experience, and I can tell you we used bougies to stretch the esophagus. While a real bougie is made of dense rubber (or at least they used to be made of rubber), is longer in size, and tapered at one end, the circumference of those pens is a pretty good approximation.

See below:

I've recently added music to my exercise routine, and obviously, the tempo make a huge difference in how fast I move. Some of my favorites are a few of the old Motown tunes, Fleetwood Mac, (giving my age away ) Stronger (Kelly Clarkston), Forget you (Cee Lo Green), and Eye of the Tiger (survivor), and a few others to round out an eclectic mix. I'd love to hear your favorite workout tunes!

Mmmmm.......call me crazy, but I get a sick sense of satisfaction graphing my weight loss! I have to get on the scale every day and log it into excel. Love watching the trend line Actually, I know some will call me crazy, so just think it and don't say it. I also am enjoying shopping a lot, but trying to restrain since I have a long way to go. Oh, and of course, VST.

It really does get better, and this range of symptoms and feelings are pretty typical. One thing I've found to be true - no two people have the same experience. We are all unique in the way we respond to surgery, both physically and emotionally. I remember reading all these threads about people going back to work in a week or two, and I wondered if there was something wrong with me. Turns out it was just my unique experience.Just focus on following your plan and staying hydrated, and before you know it, the time has passed and things start looking up. Good luck!

Nope, you are not the only one who didn't breeze through. You aren't a whiny baby, you just had major surgery and at 4 days out, it's pretty normal to feel bad. I felt drained for the first six weeks. I can remember needing to rest after a shower, and thinking I might not make it through! Take it easy, get lots of rest, and work on getting those fluids in! Hope you feel better. Oh, and take your pain meds if you need them.