southernsoul

My doc took measurements preop & I did it once postop, around 3 months out. I decided to measure about every 3 months & now I'm coming up on 6 months out. I guess it's time to measure again!

Haha, I never thought of that happening, but it makes sense when you think about it. Well, it sounds like it's given you a different perspective on the idea of a tummy tuck. I hope you enjoyed your bath anyway!

Awwww....congrats to you!! Isn't it a wonderful feeling?

I was really lucky in my preop diet requirements & didn't have to do a liquid diet. But I hear folks say all the time that the preop diet is the worst part, especially if it's an all liquid or all shake diet. Try your best to stick to the guidelines you were given, and know that it's only temporary. You've done great so far & will continue to do great after. Hang in there, it's almost over!

Wow...congrats on getting to goal!! Whichever way you decide to go with losing a bit more or not, what's really important is how much life you've already added to your life. Great job!!

I'm also a side sleeper, so I tucked a flat pillow under the side of my belly & it helped a lot. I also couldn't take a deep breath for a few days. Definitely focus on getting your Water at first, because dehydration is the really big risk immediately postop. Do as much Protein as you can, but make the water the priority. Take care of yourself & just know that it gets better. Good luck!

The unjury chicken is great, especially mixed with chicken broth. I drank that a lot immediately postop. Also, consider making your own shakes from powder, instead of buying the premade ones. You can mix them with non-sweet things to cut the sweetness a little. Try mixing with plain nonfat greek yogurt, skim or almond milk, PB2 Peanut Butter, coffee, etc. Also, you can mix unflavored powder into puddings, broth, and other Soups to boost the Protein. Your preop diet may not leave much room for flexibility, so don't go off of it, but just keep these ideas in mind for later.

Honestly, I don't believe there is a "better". Not just one anyway. My better choice might be different than yours, and somebody else will have yet another better. There's only what's right for each of us, not an absolute better.

Congrats to both of you for supporting each other & for doing what you need to do so you can have many more years together. Just like the other parts of your lives, you'll be traveling this road together, too. Good luck!

My BMI was about 52 when I started at 320 lbs. I chose the sleeve because of the malabsorption issues that can happen with bypass & because I wanted to keep as much of my body's natural digestive process intact as possible. If you haven't come across her yet, check out LessofSarah on YT. I don't know her starting BMI, but she was well over 400 when she began about 14 months ago & she's lost over 200 lbs. I love her videos!

I think those feelings are very common. Your body has sustained trauma, your hormones are out of whack, & the anesthesia can mess with you for several days. Hang in there, be gentle with yourself, and know that it gets better.

Keep in mind that the restriction is less with liquids. As you move to denser Proteins you will feel the restriction more. Stick with the amounts your surgeon recommends & don't push it this early out. Good luck!

What a great article! I totally stole it to post on FB...thanks for sharing!

I have Aetna & my plan requires an Aetna nurse to follow/track any patient having any surgery. For most surgeries, they call only once before & maybe once or twice after to see if you have any questions or are having any problems. The nurse that was assigned to me told me that they follow bariatric patients for a year. She called me once a week for the first 2 weeks, then at a month, and then 3 months. She'll call again any day now for 6 months, and once or twice more til 12 months. In the preop call, she wanted me to explain to her what I knew about the surgery & why I chose it over other options. I think they just want to be sure that we've gotten good information from our docs & that we know about the risks & challenges that might come up postop. Good luck!

Ummm...wow!!!

Sounds like somebody took the expression "Put a cork in it" way too literally! Glad y'all found it before somebody got hurt.

You're exactly right...there are many overweight people who aren't good candidates for weight loss surgery because they're not mentally in the right place. You look wonderful, and very healthy. Congrats on your success...it's very inspirational!

It seems to me that I've read about folks discovering they were allergic to the whey (I think?) that is in many of the common Protein shakes and powders. I don't remember the exact details, but I'm pretty sure it involved lots of mysterious vomiting until somebody thought to check for a whey allergy. There are protein powders from egg & pea & other non-whey sources, so I think just making that switch took care of the problem. Maybe the allergy angle is something for you to look at?

Hooray!! Way to go, girl! The psych will likely make some recommendations that may include things like attending support group meetings or even some therapy...but all of it will be aimed at helping you be as successful as you can be. Congrats on another hurdle jumped!

Wow, you look wonderful!!! It's absolutely NOT bragging...it's celebrating!! Congrats to you!

You look gorgeous!!! Congrats!

Don't be nervous, it's generally pretty simple. They're mostly looking to see that you have realistic expectations of what postop life will be like (in terms of behavioral changes like diet adjustments & exercise) & that you have prepared yourself with some support around you & preparation for the changes & challenges. Also that you don't think surgery is a magic bullet, like that losing weight will solve all the problems in your life. Good luck!

Wow, you look great!!!

I chose the sleeve over bypass because I wanted the least amount of stuff inside me altered and because I was concerned about the malabsorption issues that can happen with bypass. I like that the food I consume doesn't skip the beginning of the natural digestive process since it is not funneled directly into my intestinal tract. I have had no cons to speak of. The first week or so postop was a little rough, but not really any worse than I was expecting. So far I haven't come across any foods that I can't tolerate. The pounds are dropping, my physical condition is improving by leaps and bounds, and I feel better than I have in years. For me, these things are all very motivating and keep me on track. Like with anything else, it's necessary to change behaviors and use self-discipline....but it seems easier to me to do that now with this wonderful tool to help me.

I don't really have any advice, but my husband's cousin just had a baby last month after RNY & she was less than a year postop when she got pregnant. This was her 2nd child & she had been told that the only way she had a hope of getting pregnant again was to lose weight, so that's why she had the bypass to begin with. She has mentioned that she only gained 17 lbs during the pregnancy & I know they kept a pretty close eye on her because of the bypass. By the time her daughter was about 2 weeks old, she posted that she had lost 30 lbs from the delivery date & actually weighed less than when she got pregnant. Her pregnancy was pretty easy & her new daughter is healthy as can be. Good luck to you!