Miss Mac

Here....I just posted this on another thread for someone else who is struggling. The pre-op liquid diet is a right of passage to a better quality of life. Pretend like you are on Naked and Afraid, and all you have out in the jungle are Protein shake trees and bottled Water on a vine. The good news is that you don't have to be naked with monkeys peeing on your head from the jungle canopy. Its only 14 days instead of 21, and there is no three mile hike uphill through thorn bushes to get out of there.

Pretend like you are on Naked and Afraid, and all you have out in the jungle are Protein shake trees and bottled Water on a vine. The good news is that you don't have to be naked with monkeys peeing on your head from the jungle canopy. Its only 14 days instead of 21, and there is no three mile hike uphill through thorn bushes to get out of there.

Like comment #2, I would rather have a lesser amount of the real stuff.

Yeah, don't take it personally, especially if the rest of you marriage companionship is running well. I doubt that very many unions even have perfectly matched desire to begin with. You can find that balance without everyone getting bent out of shape. The sexiest thing a man can do to get a woman's engine running is to help her with the housework and kiss her on the nape of her neck.

Bariatric surgery is definitely a roller coaster ride with ups, downs, scary turn and flips, and tunnels of unforeseen drama....it's all there. If a tangible bariatric community is what you need for encouragement - go for it.

This is my response to someone who posted a similar question this past January. Apparently, I was the only one approach the question. http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/359042-choosing-a-hospital-and-dr-in-indiana/?hl=%2Bvincent+%2Bhospital#entry4051631 If I were living in Indianapolis at the Fountainhead Apartments again, St. Vincent is definitely where I would go for any kind of treatment.

And......if you don't, what in the world does he think he can do about it besides fat-shame you? - which is pretty unprofessional for a bariatric surgeon. 27 pounds in less than a month is awesome.

At 2 1/2 years out, I still get the hiccup signal when Miss Tummy has had enough. The other dependable signal I get is six sneezes. Exactly six.

Here are 1, 321 reasons to put in your Pro column. http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/219831-what-was-your-final-straw-that-broke-the-camels-back/?hl=%20final%20%20straw For any of us, the pre-op process was the hard part. The surgery itself is like a nap, and then you wake up with a chance to re-invent yourself. Most of us are in the hospital a couple of days and have a few lousy days when we get home. Then it gets better from there.

Once you have a complication, It may take many months to recover from it because one complication begets another. It is not worth the risk to indulge in something ahead of your plan. I started soft foods at two weeks. I know it's no fun, but the food phases are a right of passage into a new life. Watch this video to remind yourself of what just happened to your stomach. It needs time to heal, or you are setting yourself up for complications. I wish you a healthy recovery. http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=bariatric+sleeve+surgery+being+performed&&view=detail&mid=4309D3101079D2F74FE94309D3101079D2F74FE9&FORM=VRDGAR

The surgeon will likely not schedule without approval. Mine only business days. Some take weeks. But as soon as I got my approval, the surgeon scheduled me for the next available opening. Hang in there, Kiddo.

My third week stall lasted two whole weeks. Stalls are like lovers. Your first will probably not be be your last.

Took one of these http://teddy-tech.com/product/bari-buddy/ Some people take their favorite pillow. Other than that, I took way too much stuff. I mostly slept and watched tv for the two days I was there. My toiletries would have been enough. Believe us about the Chapstick. Your lips will be sooooooo dry.

At 14 days, I started soft foods. I could only eat 1/3 cup, but that was ok. Eat that little dab if you can, but focus on fluids like the others are recommending.

I had a 10 day liquid pre-op. If you are seriously ready to commit to surgery, start NOW. Aside from shrinking your liver to get it out of the way, the liquid diet empties your stomach and bowels to reduce the risk of infection in your abdominal cavity. The liquid diet is not just to test and torment you. Forgive yourself and carry on, soldier.

Here is some info from a dentist: http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/features/low-carb-diets-can-cause-bad-breath?page=2 In other words: The solution to pollution is dilution.

I did not have hair loss either. My nails got dry and flakey, but that resolved around the fifth month out.

I had to kick two ex-husbands to the curb. The first was my high school sweetheart, and we were married for 23 years, which was about 20 years too long. I was in a church environment at the time when he began to cheat on me prolifically with no conscience. I prayed and stayed until it just became ridiculous to endure him bring other people's germs home to our marital bed and putting my health at risk. Our daughters were 15 and 17 at the time, but they understood how toxic and one-sided the marriage was. My second marriage lasted ten years, but he had psychological issues that had been hidden from me and eventually manifested themselves by him mistaking me for a punching bag. I had to flee the state to get to safety. I stayed man-free for a couple of years so that I could get to know myself. I needed to know what I would eat, do, watch on TV...without someone else shaping my decision. Once I was comfortable with who I was in my natural mental state, I reached out for companionship. I knew then exactly what the deal-breakers would be and where I was flexible to compromise. That is when I met a kind and thoughtful gentleman from Malta and we have been together now for ten years with no issues in sight. A one-sided relationship is no fun and not emotionally fulfilling. Sorry to say that your wife has already "checked out". If patience and counseling have not given you results, it is time to decide which way to go. I agree that you are not doing the children any favors by staying together, especially if you and your wife expose them to drama and conflict. That then becomes their example of what a normal marriage looks like, and sets them up for failure at relationships. Originally, I did not want to admit defeat by getting divorced, but I finally realized that the mess was not about me. It was about selfish spouses who had no regard for sanctity of marriage. It sound like to me that your weight loss has absolutely nothing to do with your dilemma. Hold your head up high and face the raw truth about your relationship with your wife.......you tried. It sounds like you both are totally exhausted from trying to keep things patched together. I wish you the best with some future happiness and peace of mind.

Sorry to hear about your un-birthday. To hold back because they want to respect your new lifestyle is one thing, but are you saying they totally ignored you? Someone could have said, "We know your birthday is coming up......what kind of celebration would you like to have? The you would have had plenty of time to pick our brains for meal suggestions. If you still want to get your birthday officially out of the way, make a microwave Protein cupcake in a mug and put some lite whip topping on it. All you have to do is take a scoop of Protein powder and mix it with one egg, a pinch of salt, and a tablespoon or two of Water or milk - just enough to make it like cake batter. Pour that into a coffee mug and zap it until it's done. My microwave took two minutes, but others might not take as long. Happy birthday. Don't get in the dumps over getting older. It's better than the alternative. Hugs from Mis Mac in Chicago.

One night, shortly after I had dropped that first thirty pounds, I rolled over in bed and realized that the bed felt bigger. Wait......the bed's not bigger - I'm smaller!

Just like Babbs, the older I get, the less I care about other people's drama, and the less I put up with creeps. Find the person who will tell you the brutal truth. At least you will know what you are dealing with instead of tormenting yourself with guessing. Throw your own party and don't invite the creep.

For those of us who avoid the inner aisles of factory made crap, it would be manageable enough, but most stores (like Aldi's for example) line the entrance aisle with crap and you have to run the gauntlet to get to the real food. I just have to tell myself "Walk away from the chocolate....walk away from the chocolate....walk away from the chocolate. My main weakness, however, was drive through's. It got to where I had to think of them as McPoison's, Poison King, Poison Bell, Poison Castle, etc. I can't change the cravings, so I just had to change my perception of the product.

My doctor's suggestion for a goal weight is 20 pounds above what I thought it should be. I wanted to go for 135, which was my healthiest adult weight, but that was in 1980. She thinks that where I am is perfect, and she can get rid of another ten pounds or so with plastics. I am just balking because the skin removal seems so drastic at my age (64). She is quite happy with where I am, and thinks that 150-ish is healthy enough even without plastics. One of my sisters lost about 200 pounds with a gastric bypass and did not get plastics. She looks like a sharpei. Another sister had a lap band and lost about 170 pounds. She got plastics and looks and feels awesome, and said that the extra pounds gone with the skin removal makes a difference in clothing size. There is no clear cut formula for this. Just go with what feels healthy.

If you go to a website with a fitness and nutrition tracker, like www.myfitnesspal.com You can set up what values you want it to report. All you do is enter what you have eaten, and it can tell you how many calories, carbs, Protein grams, sodium, sugar......whatever.....that it has in it. My father was a farm-boy who became a scientist/experimental botanist, and one thing he mentioned frequently was that "you cannot control that which you do not measure." At 2 1/2 years out from my sleeve, I still weigh and measure. It only takes me a couple of days of guessing to lose control.

It is no secret that bariatric surgery exposes the raw dynamics of our relationships. That is not necessarily a bad thing. People just can't keep their mouths shut and you will very quickly find out what people really think about you. Then you have to deal with it and distance yourself from toxic interaction. People that you thought were your friends can be mean and unsupportive. Family can be mean and unsupportive. Workmates can be mean and unsupportive. Often when a marriage breaks down after you begin to lose weight, it was already broken before your surgery. Insecurities and jealousies can only hide for so long. As you lose weight you gain confidence. Spousse find out that you can speak up for yourself, and they don't like it. They may throw roadblocks in your way, like deliberately bring home junk and eating it right in your face. The balance of control in a marriage can change. So, just be prepared for what may come. If your mate can't be supportive of you being healthy and happy, then they don't deserve to be with you. You will either have to fix or flee.