Miss Mac

I had the surgery at the weight of 235. One of the reasons I did it was because my blood pressure was not getting any better, and I had already had a stroke at the weight of 185.

Hibiclens this time, but for previous surgeries I have been told to use Phisoderm.

A rite of passage is a ceremony and marks the transition from one phase of life to another. It can be a celebration as much as it is an ordeal.

It will help you transition to a new life role from which you come out of the experience with a new and empowering story that helps you take responsibility for the decisions that set the course of your future.

It puts you in a place to explore what kind of enhanced quality of living you can obtain when your day is not consumed with food and the cooking and eating of it.

Many have gone before you and are looking forward to having you join us on the other side.

At 2 1/2 years, I can eat any kind of fruit, but if I get bold and try a piece of birthday cake or dessert at some festivity, I had better be close to a toilet within an hour, because I will have a blow-out.

She still has a full-sized stomach to feed, and by default will need to eat more than you. Disregarding portions, does she recognize that you eat your lean Protein first, then your non-starchy veggies, with limited dessert, mostly fruit if anything. Does she see you drinking Water instead of soda pop?

The best thing you can do is to just have the healthy foods available. You've heard of "Bible Thumpers"? Well, as much as you care, you can't be a "Menu Thumper"! Just set a good example and let her know you love her as is, but will be supportive if / when she may be ready for a different approach to health and a better quality of life. I wish you both the best.

I had my gallbladder out in 1973, when I was just 21 years old. My main symptom was sharp pain under my right shoulder blade. It felt like someone was stabbing me in the back with a Bowie knife and grinding it around. Pain is our body's signal that something needs attention. Please call your doctor and at least let them know you are concerned.

Same for me. My personal opinion is that it's because of anesthesia and post-op meds. With bariatric surgery, loss of taste is to your advantage. It helped me to discover new healthier foods, especially since I was learning to eat without the filter of grease, salt and sugar. I learned what real food tastes like. Real food - those are foods that you can dig, pick, and chase. All that other stuff in packages at the grocery store is what I call "factory edibles".

Yeah, be careful to avoid dehydration. I got the flu at six months out, so between nausea, the whisltlin' sh **s, and puking, I got wiped out fast. i passed out in the bathroom twice, hitting my head on the tub twice - spent a night in the hospital with a CT scan of my head and overnight IVs.

There was a guy on the forum a couple of years ago who got sick and passed out. He hit his face on the coffee table and broke his jaw. Take care.

There is no disgrace in getting out of a mess. One-way relationships are a waste of time. I am glad you liberating yourself to go get some peace of mind.

There may be problems that arise with leaving, but sometimes these situations solve more problems than they cause.

This is exactly why I recommend that you ask your insurance company for a case manager. That way, you are talking to the same person every time, and they can intervene on your behalf.

I took way too much. The first day, I just slept it off. The second day, I watched TV and did not even feel like reading the book I brought. I did work some with my crossword puzzle book.

If I had a cell phone I probably would have taken that.

Wear loose clothes because you may be a bit bloated and swollen after surgery and IV liquids.

What was helpful was basic toiletries like my toothbrush, clippers, tweezers, Chapstick, breath strips, slippers, robe.

Squats and lunges for my butt.

Lifting weights and push ups for my arms.

Alternating low impact and high intensity exercises to burn belly fat.

I do 55 squats and push ups every day - while watching TV.

1 squat and 10 push ups

2 squats and 9 push ups

3 squats and 8 push ups......

By the time you get to 10 squats and 1 push up, you have done 55 of each.

I can't get on the floor, so I do my push ups off the third stair, a window sill, the picnic table or even the edge of the bed.

Home made. Beef bones, carrot, celery, onion, simmered for a couple of hours or put in the crock pot overnight

I had a barrium swallow test done at one year. It was easy to see just how small my new sleeve was and where it is located inside my body. I agree that you should get that test. It will be just as good as having a picture of your stomach.

Diplomacy will get you farther with that surgeon than coming in with a threat to sue for malpractice. Give him a chance to follow-up on how / why you can eat more than you should be at this time.

One thing I do if someone serves me lumberjack's portion is to set off the amount I should be eating and leave the rest alone. As the daughter of a scientist, I know good and well that "You cannot control that which you do not measure."

To be successful, you do need to find that delicate balance between what you want to eat and what limitations your sleeve should be providing. To eat that much dense Protein without realizing it, is what nutritionists call "mindless eating". I could do it easily with potato chips, A burger and fries, or a pint ice cream.

While you are waiting for that appointment with your bariatric team, start practicing control. Think of your taste buds as a petulant child who holds your success hostage. I used to tell my girls when they were little "Me Mommy - You Kid."

Bariatric surgery is more than an operation. Most of our programs come with a team that includes a bariatrician, nutritionist, psychologist, and some even have a physical trainer in addition to the surgeon.

A good program helps you get inside your head to discover the triggers that mess up your efforts to succeed.

A good program will help you examine the relationships in your life to determine who is enabling you to fail by bringing inappropriate foods around, and who are the toxic people who torment and bully you about your intention to get healthy

A good program will educate you about proper nutrition for the human body. The nutritionist will help you discern between real food (that you can plant, pick, and chase) and industrial food products made in a factory and sent to your store in a package or served a ta drive-up window laden with sugar, salt, and grease.

A good program will give you the tools pre-op to help you engage in the eating and exercise habits you will need post-op, so that by the time you have your surgery, you will be comfortable with the changes you have to make.

A good program will help you understand that you did not succeed before because life isn't fair.

To get a head start on developing the frame of mind you need for success, you can start TODAY with the following adjustments incorporated by most of our teams:

Eat lean Protein first, and plenty of it. Then eat non-starchy veggies that are not covered in butter and salt. Dessert is an apple, not apple pie.

Drink Water until your eyeballs float, and drink no calories.

Don't become part of the sofa.

I wish you the best. Instead of worrying, look forward to good health and a better quality of life. Hang in there, Kiddo.

Well, you are not the first to fall down that cliff. For motivation, just consider why so many of us have to do that liver shrink. It is because overweight folks have a tendency to have a fatty liver which is enlarged to some degree. Your surgeon is going to go scooting around inside your abdomen with sharp tools and does not want to slice your liver in the process.

Shrinking the liver make it easier to manipulate out of the way so that you doctor can get under it and work on your stomach. Some doctors won't do the surgery or even proceed once they're in there if the liver is too large. The liver shrink liquid diet is a right of passage, and as uncomfortable and inconvenient as it is, you need to be mentally strong enough to push through it. By forcing us to be strong and resist temptation pre-op, our doctors put us in a good place for success post-op. Hang in there. Don't let your taste buds take over.

I did not experience any hair loss, but during months 2-4 my nails were as dry and flakey as potato chips. Also my skin got really dry.

I guess I would avoid salami and bologna, but I eat deli ham and turkey all the time.

You are in the right place. Just keep in mind as you ask questions that opinions and tact will vary, but we mean well.

I feel ya. Somewhere in the second week post-op I thought I would eat some potato chips. Thinking that I could just enjoy them in my mouth long enough to soften up, I could justify them as a soft food. Miss Tummy made sure that I was miserable for hours. She is a very good teacher. I have been a good girl.

Don't wait until tomorrow. Get back on track with your next meal. When is the last time you lost nine pounds in one week????

Foundation garments are expensive. Why not try a one piece tank swimsuit with tummy control to wear under your gym clothes?

Here is an example: http://www.womanwithin.com/clothing/Colorblock-maillot-by-Swim-365.aspx?PfId=493180&DeptId=22354&ProductTypeId=1&ppos=82&Splt=1&StyleNo=0111

After two failed marriages (23 years and ten years), I was starting to think that all men were alike. My first hubby told me I was too ugly to live because I had gained weight. My second hubby not only mistook me for a punching bag, he said he was sick and tired of looking at my ugly face. Granted, I am no beauty queen, but my face won't scare children either.

I took a two year break after divorce #2 to give myself some time to emotionally regroup. As far as I was concerned all the men in the world could just tie it in a knot. Then, I met a gentleman from the Mediterranean island of Malta. I am 5'3" and weighed 185 at the time. He is 6'2" tall and thin as a stick. Together we looked like a pencil and an apple. Because of surgeries and orthopedic problems, I gained another 50 pounds and he was allright with that and even made comments that indicated he was probably a chubby chaser.

As my overall health deteriorated and I had a stroke due to high blood pressure, I just had to deal with the necessity of having bariatric surgery. We talked about it a lot, and about how thin is too thin. We both agreed that I did not need to be a size 2 with my bones sticking out, but at least 70-80 pounds had to go.

It is interesting that now that I am close to goal, he is ok with the saggy parts and has let it be known that it makes no difference to him about floppy bits. Both of us are concerned about the brutality of skin removal and whether it is even worth the trouble at the age of 64. If I were 20, I would be more willing, but the older I get, the less I care about impressing anyone at all.

If your man says he is more concerned about your health than your jiggle, take his word for it. The man loves you and sounds like he is a gift from God like my man is. They are not all alike any more than women are all alike. Buy a good girdle for when you are on a trampoline and don't worry about it.

Exactly. I am 2 1/2 years out and sneezing is still my primary "full" signal. The funny thing is.....I sneeze precisely six times - every time.

Posted Yesterday, 11:38 PM
Comment #72

I vote for a Sanju and Kindle wrassling match!