Ms.Yvette

I'm a 5 time cancer survivor and have been cancer free for 4yrs. I was sleeved on Wednesday

Tonight i was feeling emotional about a few things and my stress was greatly exacerbated by the fact that the restuarant where my son works has lobster as the the special tonight, but i had already eaten by the time i found out (and was feeling sick from a mere 2.5 oz of chicken- still learning my limits)-- i was talking to my husband and just started laughing.... I have always loved surf and turf which always meant prime rib (perhaps the king cut) and lobster.... Now it has become part of a petite filet and one shrimp if im lucky....... Lol!!!!! Delirious from not having access to my typical drug of choice-food;)

Elevated CRPs are associated with increased of heart attacks. So they're not good obviously. But I also have read a lot of stuff that suggests that if your body is inflamed, it is almost impossible to lose weight. First you have to calm the inflammation, and only then can you start to lose weight.
Your sleeve will do wonders for your body I suspect.

Has your insurance coordinator dealt with your insurance company with other patients? If so, then you should go by what she says wroth continued follow up with your insurance company. Sometimes the reps at my insurance company give out wrong information because they don't fully understand our because they are new. Good luck.

For those of us who can't handle oatmeal for various reasons but still want the Fiber, I have recently discovered flaxseed. I've been adding it to my Protein Shakes for awhile now but recently discovered putting a small amount of Water in a serving, letting it soak until the seed plumps up, then adding a touch of scalding hot water to make it warm and a tiny splash of brown sugar cinnamon Syrup (sf). It's got the warmth and smell of oatmeal, is filling and so nutritious!

First off, don't be disappointed in yourself and congratulate yourself for recognizing some bad habits. I think a lot of us look at the whole journey instead of a few foot paths to make it to the end. Life is like the saying, "how do you eat an elephant.... one bite at a time." My wife and I where sleeved one week apart, and the other day I walked into the kitchen she was starting to take a bite of left over lunch. She stopped immediately and gave a sheepish grin and replied , "I didn't even realize what I was doing until you walked into the kitchen." As much as we want our bad habits to stop tomorrow, they won't. How any people do you know stopped smoking only to start again? This what we face. You recognized when you are bored you eat so you walked the building. Congratulate yourself, you should be proud you recognized it. Rome wasn't built or fall in a day and neither do our habits. So instead of hanging your head in shame; raise your head held high and tell yourself I found a problem and I corrected it.

First off, I am very blessed and I am almost at 60 lost, which I would never have done without the sleeve. Secondly, no need to bash me after this, as I know, that I'm not doing all that I can do to lose weight. I am not asking to be told what to do or not to do.......Just reaching out for some ideas when others have been in this spot as I am sure I am not the only one.
With that being said, how do you combat old habits? I can eat anything, I have no issues, and I'm starting to slowly work my way into my cracker habit, my not drinking Water etc. For those who really seem to have a handle on this. Do you have anything that you do that seems to help you through those old habit times?
Right now, instead of munching I'm walking around the building at work. I'm hoping that helps distract my mind. I can't seem to quite get the system down.
This was a life changing surgery, and an expensive one. I can't imagine how I'll feel if I cannot grasp a hold on this and make it work.
My heart is in the race, my mind isn't. It's like I'm on a road, and I know how to get to where I need to go. I know which path to take, and yet I choose the wrong one...
Do any of you see a counselor on a regular basis to help with getting your head in the game?

People say the gas x strips help. But walking us really what's going to help you along. Heating pad, cell phone charger, Chapsick.

Hurting his feelings? The guy who told you after the first date that there was no spark? Why are you being so much nicer than he is. Just a simple no thanks will do nicely.

The behind the ear patch comes in a pack of three. I put one on the night before surgery and changed it every 3 day til they were gone. Absolutely no nausea at all. Highly recommend. Good luck

I am almost three months out from being sleeved. I have to admit, I had last minute reservations....but I do not regret anything. I had a relatively easy time, with no complications and was back to work the day after being released from the hospital.
I have lost about 80 pounds from my high weight in June and about 65 since surgery. All was worth it! I would do it again in a heartbeat.

I like to think that many of us who have had no complications, no pain, no nausea, no vomiting, don't post as often because we're too busy out there living our new lives!
While I really feel for VSG'ers who had some rather dramatic complications, statistically the rate of complications is very, very small. I always tell people that I sailed through my procedure and recovery. If I didn't have 5 funny little scars on my tummy and the inability to eat very much, I might think the whole thing never happened.
But it did happen. I am 5 months post op, co morbidities gone, 58 lbs gone, and I have my life back!
Good luck on your journey. It's going to be amazing!

I am also very nervous and scared. I agree, the more I read the more nervous that I get.
I am miserable at the weight I am at, have serious health issues, and am embarrassed to be around others, yet scared to take this step.
I wish we could all have a crystal ball for this decision....
Scragly cat

I share many of you feelings. Had my first surgeon appointment in June and just had my case submitted to the insurance company. Now, after this long haul and many appointment, I'm afraid of being approved by the insurance company because I'm freaked out about having this surgery.
I know its the right thing to do, as I have many of the obvious co-morbidities and diets have short-lived effects for me. I know that my health issues, although controlled now, will eventually cause big problems for me and likely shorten my life.
Still, I'm afraid about the complications possible with VSG ...

The nervous laugh....The what ifs and might and could happen is not really there now...you know everything is a risk....Having your teeth cleaned can cause you to bleed to death..Sounds strange but I heard of a guy.....
Anyway...good that you have questions and it is also good that you are nervous..
For me it got to the point where I was no longer active..I was the living dead...What was the point of that I thought and I went head long into surgery with a smile on my face the size of a football field...I had the risks and I paid a huge price for this surgery...
But it has been worth all the struggles for me...I am living now! I really am!!!
If you are at that point that there is no other option for you...Then you have a choice to make for your health and your future.....It's all up to you..K
Oh as a side note..almost everyone has buyers remorse at some point in this journey...Mine came when I went septic...
Now no more buyers remorse for me no matter what happens now..I am in a win, win situation with my life....

Caramel cafe seems so sinful. I will buy it. Thanks for all of your tips.

1) I have lost 19 invisible lbs. They are invisible to the rest of of the world- but I know they are gone.
2) Telling people I had WLS gets easier. I am very happy I did it
3) Protein Powder drinks wear thin ( no pun intended). I bought too much in preparation. Anyone want a nectar Syntax Fuzzy Navel? I have plenty!
4) Drugstore.com sells discounted ready-to-drink Protein Shakes and has free shipping for any order over $35. My current favorite is EAS Advantage carmel cafe, pretty yummy. These will be my commuter Breakfast drinks.
5) Water consumption should be easy , right? Still don't / can't get in as much fluids as my Nut wants. I am not dehydrated though. I'm just not up to 64 ozs.
6) My Fitness pal is an excellent food / nutrient tracking tool. I highly recommend it. Protein counting is soooo helpful.
7) Daytime TV really, really sucks.
8) I am so concerned about Hair loss that I am tempted to buy some infomercial Shampoo. WEN anyone?
9) My new tummy makes some interesting growly Halloween noises. Boo!
10) I need to stop weighing myself daily! I can not keep up losing 1-1 1/2 lbs a day. At this rate I will hit my birth weight in about 6 months.

I am a recovering addict, and my drug of choice is opiates. I have over 3 years clean and in recovery, and this was a concern of mine as well. I am more concerned with taking pain medication, since I haven't taken anything for over 3 years, and will have to while in the hospital (im assuming). I am not planning on taking any narcotics home on prescription. Once i'm discharged from the hospital, that is it for the pain meds. I have a support system of people also in recovery and I still go to meetings regularly. I also attend weekly bariatric support groups.
I'm not sure what makes you think it's your business to tell your friend he is or is not ready to have wls. I would be pretty annoyed if one of my friends, who is not an addict or expert in addiction, tried to tell me I am not ready for the surgery. As long as your friend is running his decisions by someone he trusts, just try to be supportive. He may actually be in a better position to deal with the long term consequences of wls, since he knows he has addictive behaviors and can take steps to deal with them. I think a lot of people get blind sided by the aftermath of wls, and realizing their relationship with food was addictive. Many of these people turn to alcohol or other substances to cope with their feelings.
I am not sure exactly what I'm trying to say here, but this post really annoyed me.

It's been a long time since I posted but I wanted to make sure I come back and update you all on my progress. I reached my main goal this morining, I'm finally below 200 pounds!! I'm 199 but I'll take it!
I had my surgery on 8/1/12 and have since lost a total of 143 pounds. Feel free to ask me anything... I was so happy I found this site when I considered having my surgery and pictures were a main factor in my decision as words can only mean so much but a picture can show a lot more.

woohoo. Good luck and well wishes. Keeping the energy positive for you.

And NO, you're not a failure. You decided to do something for a healthier lifestyle.

Here's my before and after (so far). 40 more pounds til goal :-).