rebecca_dsu

I feel the same when I look at my wedding pictures on the walls... And this is why I've told my husband when I get to goal, we are doing a vow renewal on the beach, dress, tux and all...ha!! You can't be as proud of where you are, if you don't acknowledge where you came from. Chin up grammy...your best years are still ahead

Oh, I do like wine...and mixed drinks...as long as they aren't in a martini glass..ha! White Russians, Margaritas & Blush Wines are what I drink, when I drink (which presleeve is about what you have now...once a month)

Quite lovely. I just can't do martini's... it's the dang glass. I'm a clutz and need something without such a big ole rim...ha!

Are you taking a PPI like Nexium? Also, a growling tummy doesn't always equal hunger. Sometimes it's processing what you last ate, or could be some gas going on in there... just my thoughts. It's all a learning process for us newbies..ha!

Hey Guys... So sorry to report that Alex told me you can only edit a post for 1 month...then it's Locked... So sorry...it's sucks. I might start a new post, and copy the original list over and add on to it. I'm thinkin' about it.

Can't travel? Heck I was on a plane 3 days after surgery heading home and did just fine! (most of us Mexico surgery folks did). I don't understand why you can't travel... Do know you may not have all the energy you want in Miami, and you won't be able to swim... So it's up to you. I postponed my surgery until after a vacation. So you do what works for you.

Hey guys! For some reason I no longer have the option to Edit my first post! Frustrating! I'll try to contact an administrator to see what's up. Sorry for the frustration!

My Day 2 sucked the worst... but here at Day 6, I feel pretty much "back to normal". As for drinking... try taking a sip, and then taking a deep breath afterwards... I learned this trick during the barium test (the doc showed me), and it makes the Fluid go on down in to your stomach. (Can't hurt to try). Sorry you are feeling bad, it will get better... so as WilsonPhillips would say "Hold on for one more day, day, day...."

Great job Gman!! Them yungins can learn a thing or two from you...ha! What a great NSV!

are you also keeping your electrolytes in check? Mix some gatorade in with your water or some propel or something of the sort.

Maryville over here!

I wrote a pretty long post about my surgery and experience on my blogger blog, which you can find HERE . But for the reader's digest version: Surgery went great with Dr. Aceves and his staff down at Hospital Almater down in Mexicali. The hospital beautiful and clean, the staff super friendly and the language difference wasn't an issue. My "final meal" the night before was a fantastic italian dish of chicken and tortellini with tiramisu for dessert. The day after surgery was the worst and painful with the gas pains and drain site discomfort, but by day 3, I was much better. Day 4 we flew home, and today I have done 3 loads of laundry and put them up, walked 30 minutes on my treadmill, and put up everything from traveling, and feel almost back to "normal"...ha! I didn't reach my 64 oz liquid, 70 grams of protein, but I'm getting closer every day. I did make some "protein infused sugar free jello" and with a dollup of coolwhip, it rocked. I've also had the unjury chicken broth, and diluted gatorade today...both good. I have found my Tiny Tum doesn't really care for the artificial sweetners added to water (like vitamin water zero and the syntrix necture stuff), but hopefully that will change. I even made a big spaghetti dinner for my husband with roasted yellow squash and garlic bread, and didn't even crave it...it was very odd. Like perhaps I wanted a taste, but didn't want it in my stomach if that makes sense. It was the weirdest thing... but I'm thankful! Still happy I made this decision, and I plan to wait until Friday morning to do my first post surgery weigh in. And so...Life begins with Tiny Tum

well you don't have to eat broth...how about some jello? wonder why it grosses you out though. Do you never drink the broth from a bowl of chicken noodle soup? Would it be less weird if you opened a can of progresso soup and just drained the broth out and ate it that way instead of broth from a carton or can that was just broth?

someone on the biggest loser had a lap band before getting on the show?? Wow...I didn't know that was allowed. That's eye opening. Good luck to you in your own journey!! I'm like you, in that I need the sleeve as a tool...because I can eat wayyy too much

Good luck girl! Heal fast! Come back and update us in the next few days

My surgery date is this friday, and boy is the mental warfare raging. I've never been of normal size...(okay, I was from birth until age 5). So I have a very deep rooted attachment to those foods which give me positive affirmation, feel good hormones bring me pleasure via my tongue, etc. Counseling didn't help, because it's truely an addiction, and I just wonder is this really going to work for me. I keep trying to imagine what it will be like when I wake up after surgery and the deed is done, and I have my first "mental hunger" for the "feel good" response needed from something sweet. I know there is going to be a lot of tears, a lot of shouting at my husband that I did this for him (which is only half true...I am doing it for me too), a lot of regrets and remorse. But in the end, as the weight drops, I hope to be excited about where my life/body is going. Sadly I have not fully embraced what is about to happen to me because I'm fearful. Fearful that life without food (large quanities of unhealthy food) won't be as "sweet" as life has been with food. But let me say that right there is a lie that my subconscious believes, because the more I eat, the worse I feel. The more my body hurts, the lazier I feel, the less I want to do the things that do bring me "feel good" hormones, that last and leave me in a better place than when I started...like the 11 mile bike ride I took this weekend. Hiking to the top of mountains (real ones..ha!) in the Smoky Mtns. Kayaking. So, for now, I'm clinging to the hope that losing this weight will replace what is currently bringing me pleasure (but leaving me heavier and unhealthier), with something that is lasting and that will help me to live a long, healthy, and most important to me, active life. And I'm so tired of the yo-yo dieting, of the struggle to lose 10 lbs and have one weekend of "fun" and gain it all back...the endless dieting cycles. I do know I am down to 2 options...the surgery, or "let myself go" and ballooning back up to my highest (320) or higher which means giving up the activities I do enjoy. I don't have one single more "just try this diet" in me. Only radical change such as this is going to help me. Ready or not... here comes the sleeve. I will embrace it...but first it will embrace me

If you have too...go drink more! How about some sugar free jello? Don't fail...you've come to far to fail this close to surgery! You can do this!!

They are neither Protein nor vegetable really... if you look at the nutrition label on them, they have only 3 carbs and only 1 gram of protein per serving, and not a lot of vitamins/minerals. If I HAD to classify them, I'd lean towards a veggie (though they really aren't). Sooo... really they are just a low carb vehicle for sauces with no real nutritional value...ha. Remember that your first priority is protein, then complex carbs... I don't know that these really fit either of those priorities.

You can use the search box (on the line with Forums, Community, Photos...etc) and change the gray box to say "Members". Then put in their name, search, and when you get to their profile page, send them a message. Good luck to you!

Some people take a heating pad to help with the gas pains. Also, have you thought about some individual packets of crystal light, or Protein powder like the nectar brand that can be mixed with Water for your return flight home? And last thing is some folks take a small pillow to press against their stomachs while traveling home. Good luck to you! I hope to find you and say hello when I get there on Thursday! If you find you've forgotten something and need me to bring you something, shoot me a message (I don't leave until Thursday morning). I don't mind at all!

These are folks having surgery on the 12th (that we know of so far): Vermillymomma82, monkee94, Bellanana5, Karmen081020, angiemorda, Michelle Bell, BKLYNgal87, Hazel Eyes, Lavender, akarigger, mariadt, olemissgrl82, Tpool, ilopez73, BloomingFaith, epeeler I've been keeping up with a list here: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/79098-june-2013-sleevers-the-list/

My husband uses it in his smoothies (he's not a sleever though). It is pretty darn flavorless, but it just doesn't desolve as well as whey protein powder does. The texture is too gritty, and it's very obvious when you've put it in something. I don't care for it... but he does... It's just a texture thing for me. I don't want to feel my protein powder on my tongue when I take a sip of my smoothie.

My question is... what are the other choices? I assume you've tried and failed many diets in the past, and this is a last resort? So are the choices to do something radical or live what's left of your life completely unhealthy and morbidly obese? I think you've made a good choice I think you are making a good choice to get healthy and making a radical change to improve your health. Good luck to you!

Ha! Thanks for the hilarious story Congrats on your 2+ miles...and for not letting that butterfly defeat you!

If you do plan to have kids, some folks are leery of the IUD because it can perforate the uterine wall (though the chances are slight). I'm with you and BCP's make me go crazy....b*tch arse crazy...(and I've tried 6 different ones to no avail). So my husband and I are sticking with the condoms and will be extremely careful.