Daydra

I'm 66 and have baby fine hair. Have lost some, taking Biotin twice a day, and my hair dresser showed me what is growing back. Actually wearing my hair longer now....for me. 11 months out and 88 pounds down. Now I can cover the hearing aides I got about 6 weeks ago.

I suppose that is possible, but I don't know that my personality would really fit that scenario. My aversion to doing my makeup, fixing my hair, and wearing fussy clothes seems to be driven by practicality. There have been several times over the years that I've decided I was going to start wearing makeup. New job, getting older, whatever the reason. I'll spend a bunch of money on new stuff (because the stuff I had on hand got old enough that it probably wasn't really safe to use), and then use it for a week, maybe two or three, and that was it. The makeup goes back in the drawer and I go back to staying in bed until the last possible minute! As I'm nearing my adult low weight again (It's only been since 2010), I am finding that I'm actually getting the urge to by women's clothes (not frilly, crap-ified (you'll see that word in Webster soon!) stuff, just items that aren't decidedly masculine or gender neutral). Men's clothes have typically fit me better, and I'm a total tomboy anyway so it works for me. Plus, since I have to dress to work outdoors everyday, being willing to wear men's clothes makes it a little easier to find good, outdoor wear. (Since everybody knows, fat women don't go outside! And if they do, they don't actually do anything, so outdoor wear for plus size women doesn't' actually need to be functional.) We'll see as my body changes, whether or not my body shape and frame will fit women's cuts or men's cuts better. I think I'll refrain from holding my breath, though.
Yikes! I think I'd better go to bed!
Have a good night!

Although... if I can work out the right "dose" they're far more exciting than the 1/2 dose of Miralax I've been having to take every day to keep the Constipation at bay.

Be really careful about keeping anything with xylitol away from your dog. Some people have had a pet get into sugar free gum & it can drop their blood sugar to deadly levels quickly, & also cause liver damage.

It's maltitol! Always always always check sugar free food for this ingredient. It even have my dog the runs so I check all dog treats for it. Many sf products use maltitol. Acts like a laxative. Not good LOL

HAHAHAHAHA! The Amazon reviews are killing me!

37 grams of carbs = nearly 4 units of insulin for me, so if I am going to indulge, I will indulge in something that doesn't send me to the can! Thanks fo your cautionary tale. It was a good one!

My incisions are killing me & i'm in tears ... Of laughter. Thats some funny stuff!
allons-y

Thanks all, for sharing in my (my mental thesaurus is failing me, the best I've got at the moment is...)chagrin...
Better (perhaps "more effective" would be more accurate than "better") than any laxative I've tried to date! Including the old standby Fleet enema!
Splenda is a component of the "sugar substitute mix" of these. If I had a package at hand (Oh yes of course I have more, I bought a case online... because pooping one's drawers should never be limited to "just once"!), I would list more info, but you can probably look it up online pretty quickly if you are interested. Okay, grabbed a package because it really wasn't that quick to find the info online... Maltitol (a sugar alcohol) and Maltitol Syrup are the first 2 ingredients on the ingredient list (ChihuahuaMom, stay far, far, away from these!!!), so that's where the beloved "laxative effect" comes from.
Most definitely, there is the carb issue. They're about 37g carbs/serving w/8g Fiber, so that's what, like 2 carb servings I think?
Pre-sleeve, I'd always bounced back and forth with my personal "sugar philosophy". Is it better to just have a little sugar or is it better to go with a substitute. Fortunately, I've never had an A1c or fasting glucose test that was high (though my docs kept poking me because my "fat" square peg didn't fit in their "must be diabetic" round hole...), so I've had the flexibility to have the choice.
MIJourney: I would guess one bad sugar free candy experience would make you suspicious of them all. To which I would say "Good call!"
Thanks all for having a laugh with me! What good is a "I Just Pooped Myself" story if you can't share it, right?!?! And it sounds like I'm in good company!!!

Happened to me once with a sugar free red bull. I was pretty mortified, my fiance witnessed the whole thing. He still married me, must be true love!

Alternate title: How I Shat Myself
Sooo, you know that little statement on sugar free candy that says something to the effect of "excessive consumption may have a laxative effect"? I implore you to take it seriously, people.
I never really ate much sugar free candy pre surgery, but I'm absolutely certain that I've had more than a single serving at any one time in the past, just by the nature of some of my historic eating habits. I've recently developed a penchant for the Jelly Belly Sours. They come in a little bag that is labeled as 2 servings (80 cal per). Yesterday, I was a bit low on my calorie count for the day and was just craving the dang things, so I didn't see any significant reason not to indulge. I ate both servings over the course of an hour or two. Big, big mistake.
After the undeniable realization that the rumbling in my tumbly was most definitely NOT just gas (no saving those underoos!), I spent the better part of 3 hours making panicked runs back and forth to the bathroom. Not even a little bit fun. However, it does appear that I've found a solution for the next time Constipation raises it's ugly head... I can't tell you how thankful I am that I was at home, close to bedtime, and didn't have anything (else) pressing that I had to attend to.
Good luck! And watch the sugar free candy! 2 servings was all it took!

There are some of the funniest, awful, hysterical, gut wrenching reviews on Amazon for Haribo sugar free Gummy bears. I laughed so hard I cried.
http://www.amazon.com/Haribo-Gummy-Candy-Sugarless-5-Pound/product-reviews/B000EVQWKC

And remember, sugar free doesn't mean carb free. An important distinction for diabetics.

Thanks for the heads up. And I spit Water all over my key board.. LOL

I don't generally care for candy but with my Constipation problems perhaps I could try it.

Used to love those pre-sleeve but never had the sugar-free version.
Haven't had any candy yet but thanks for the heads up!
Pre-sleeve sugar-free life savers caused extreme stomach pain for me so never had those again.

Same thing happens to me after too many sugar-free Ice Breaker Sours. It starts with the rumbling intestines and then....oye!

Oh no! LOL on the solution to Constipation though. I know I can only eat some types of artificial sweetener. I have an actual allergy to maltitol, it gives me a bad rash. The others - yeah I have noticed they loosen up the GI tract. Have not noticed any problems with splenda.

Throw the 163.9 out. It doesn't count. It looks like the 162 was this morning. Go with that one. Everyone's weight fluctuates throughout the day and we typically weigh a couple pounds more at night than in the morning. That being said, absolutely 4 pounds can be hormonal Fluid retention. That is my typical number, though I am much heavier than you. Within a couple days of my period starting, it usually comes off. No reason to panic.
Good luck!

I am 27 years old with no previous health problems except being diagnosed with hypothyroidism 2 weeks prior to surgery which I had on September 10. I was doing great post-op. I was ready to go back to work after two weeks. I was very excited for September 25th. That was the day I got to start pureed foods. I had been so sick of Protein Shakes. Life was great. Then came September 25th. I woke up with back, abdominal, and chest pain. I thought it would go away so I ignored it and started pureed foods. The next morning I woke up around 2am in horrible pain. My back hurt so much that I could not lie flat. I spent the entire rest of the morning sitting in a chair rocking back and forth. And it happened again the following morning. I was so tired. I went to a walk-in clinic. The doctor worrie about sepsis although I did not have a fever. He ordered bloodwork an abdominal and chest x-rays. I went home after the testing and threw up the Protein Shake I had been trying to get down all morning. Everything came back normal. I continued the sleep deprivation routine until the 28th. Then I decided to go to the ER. Spent several hours in the hospital for tests and morphine but ended up being misdiagnosed with Constipation despite my D-Dimer and Lipase being high. They did a CT of my chest to rule out pulmonary embolism (which was negative) but did not do a CT of my abdomen which they really should have because of the combination of D-Dimer and Lipase. I was sent home with Tylenol 3s (which cause constipation) and a nightly oral laxative and told I would be called for an abdominal ultrasound in a day or two. The Tylenol 3s did not work very well. My pain was horrible. I dutifully took the nightly laxative. Two days later I went in for the ultrasound. They found nothing. The ER doctor followed up with me to give me the results and then gave me an enema kit to take home. The constipation diagnosis stood. I went home and used it. It did not do anything. That week I began to have horrible 10 out of 10 painful abdominal attacks followed by diarrhea. I was in so much pain that death was preferable. I wanted to go back to the ER but I felt I would not get anywhere. They would just give me morphine. I decided to go to my family doctor instead and try to get referred to a GI specialist but she brushed off my concerns and said there was nothing wrong with me (I live in Canada where the health system is such that you cannot just go see a specialist. You must be referred. And your family doctor, walk-in clinic doctor, or ER doctor are the gatekeepers). She took me off the Tylenol 3s (which were not working anyway) and off the oral laxative which she said was causing my abdominal cramping. I followed her instructions. The abdominal attacks subsided in the following days but the constant abdominal pain remained. During the whole ordeal of 2 weeks I had not been eating and had been barely drinking. I would get at most 4-5 cups of Water a day. It was difficult. I was worried I would just cause more constipation. But I decided I needed to push through and start eating. I began with a Protein shake. After having half of it I had to stop. An hour later I dryheaved several times. Later that day I tried a tablespoon of hummus. I had pain almost immediately after eating slowly. I was fed up. I was in pain, I could not eat, I could barely drink. Despite all these doctors telling me I was fine, I was most assuredly NOT fine. I decided it was time to get a second opinion. I ended up driving 1.5 hours to a newer hospital in a large city where I used to live. That was 5 days ago. They took me seriously in the ER and did the test (CT abdomen) that the previous hospital failed spectacularly to do (I am very upset about this still because of what could have happened if I hadn't sought a second opinion). Turns out I have many clots in my portal vein, splenic vein, and mesenteric vein. Finally, FINALLY, I got a surgical consult. So now I am in hospital attached to a heparin drip. Today is my 5th day in hospital. If they had not found out my real diagnosis, my bowel could have infarcted meaning parts of my bowel could have died. I would have had to have surgery to remove the dead bowel. I may have ended up with a colostomy bag to collect feces on the outside of my body. I could have stroked. I could have had a brain aneurysm. I could have thrown a pulmonary embolism. I could have had a heart attack. I COULD HAVE DIED. All these possibilities had I not listened to my gut feeling and fought for myself. These clots are a very rare complication of any laparoscopic surgery. I was just lucky enough to get it. I did some research about my condition. I may be only the 3rd person to get these type of clots following uneventful laparoscopic sleeve surgery. I will be in the hospital for another couple of days. Never been hospitalized before (excluding the sleeve surgery). Q6H bloodwork is cruel and unusual punishment and should be outlawed. My poor elbow is a mess from all the pokes.

Thank you!
My goodness, I am so sorry that your health deteriorated so much under military care. While I've so far been fortunate in that I haven't had the same severe issues, I feel completely traumatized by my experiences in MTFs, mostly at Navy facilities, but also at Madigan Army Hospital. I, unfortunately, can relate to being passed around and dismissed. I, too, started the process of getting approved for bypass, I think it was around 2005 or 2006. I met the surgeon that I would have been assigned to, and I basically got a "what are you doing here, you should be dieting" attitude from him, and I totally bailed. Didn't feel like I could trust that he would have my best interests at heart.
I have been so frustrated over the years. At first, I didn't have periods (PCOS). I hadn't been diagnosed and we were trying to get pregnant. Despite not having any menstruation, my PCP refused to refer me out and forced me to wait a year before she finally consented to put in a referral to ob/gyn, where I finally was diagnosed. Even this doc that diagnosed my PCOS, who I actually really liked (Dr. Muffley... I just can't make this crap up!), performed a hysterosalpingogram (totally unsure if I spelled that right, an HSG at any rate) to determine if I had occlusions in my fallopian tubes, argued with me after the procedure was completed. I told him he "left a tube or something in me". He said that no, it's common to just feel like that after this procedure. Well, when I stood up and a significant amount of blood ran down my leg, it was clearly apparent that he had left the guide tube in my cervix. I had to send my husband for a maxi pad and someone to clean up after me. Every problem I've ever had seems to be because of my weight. I have spoon fed a doctor symptoms of anemia, knowing that was exactly what I had. She gave me hydrocortisone cream to put on extremely delicate skin that absorbed it very quickly. The physical sensations that caused made me think that My brain was going to blow out the top of my skull, like a blender without a lid, combined with a racing heart. That could have killed me, and I stupidly did what I was told. I have been asked why I came to the ER in the middle of the night when I was in my early 20's (really just a kid) and had this growth thing on the inside of my lip that was growing by the hour, like being scared was somehow irresponsible. I asked to have my Mirena IUD removed so that I could seek treatment from a naturopath to attempt to address my hormone issues, and the male doctor started asking me about what birth control method I planned to use, like I was some 17 year old kid, despite the fact that, at the time, I was over 30, had been married over 10 years, my husband was well established within the military, and I had a college degree and a professional career. He ultimately told me I was welcome to waste my money. I once saw a female OB and asked to have a tubal ligation. She started with telling me in an indirect way, that I was not old enough (30) to make that decision since I had not yet had kids and I might change my mind. When I explained to her that we had already been through infertility treatments and had realized through that process that we were only pursuing it because that was what society expects from a young married couple and we never really had any desire to have children and that we were very certain of and comfortable with that decision, she switched tactics and told me that I weighed too much to do it safely and she wouldn't do it unless I lost 30 pounds. I immediately began to cry and told her that I had tried so many times and didn't think I could do it. She talked me into the Mirena IUD, and then wrote in her notes that I "was not interested in weight loss". When I would finally be assigned to someone that actually had a caring demeanor that I felt comfortable with, I was lucky to see them more than once. I got to the point where if I was scheduled to see a male in uniform at a military treatment facility, the moment he walked it the door, I would start to cry, even if it was a twisted ankle or just a med refill. I had finally had enough, and got my own insurance so I didn't have to go through that anymore. I'm actually pretty comfortable with spending the money to prevent me from having to experience the anguish that I know I would have had to endure at an MTF, regardless of the talent or bedside manner of the surgeon. At this point, I simply am no longer capable of giving them my trust.
I'm in Public Health now, and actually provide some general training to the Navy docs in our area as part of their residency training (all our EH inspectors take turns). I'll spend a day out in the field with one to expose them to what the Environmental Health division is all about. It's actually kind of fun showing them what we do, and they are frequently amazed at some of the things we encounter in the community. I've had a chance to talk to some of them about the frequent transfers and how terrible that is for consistency in patient care. I've started to rebuild respect for them, because the docs that I've discussed this with hate the situation as much as the patients do. They would much rather develop relationships with their patients, and they find it personally difficult to maintain a kind and empathetic demeanor when an endless stream of patients they have never met before are forced through in 15 minute appointment blocks. The way the system is structured almost forces them to shut down any part of them that might respond to their patients with any kind of human connection. That admission gives me a lot of perspective for the position they are in, and I can understand how it could be difficult to maintain true caring for each patient when the system forces you to deal with them like cattle. I truly don't (and never really did) harbor any hard feelings for military medical personnel as a whole, just those with which I have had painful experiences. I definitely want to make it clear that I separate the deficiencies in the system and some specific negative experiences from the vast majority of good people that are just doing their best to work within an imperfect system.
I'm more annoyed with the timing of my primary insurance company deciding to cover vsg. Oh well. You can't know what you don't know. I will probably feel a lot better about the money when United Healthcare finally returns their denial and I can submit my reimbursement from my HRA so I can pay off my loan and cut $400/mo back out of my monthly responsibilities...
You know, I know it was really, really long, but typing out that litany of grievances with my experience with treatment actually felt kind of calming. A little like a bit of weight has been lifted off my chest. I never really felt like I had the interest or time for journaling, but puzzle pieces seem like they move around and fit together in my head differently and much more constructively when I'm writing than when I'm talking... I'm thankful this kind of forum exists, and that the vast majority of participants are kind and supportive. Thanks all.
Your eyes might be bleeding, but I feel better! (just kidding!)
Thank you all for your responses (and being part of my therapy session! ) and I hope you all have a good night!