Miss Mac

Well, you are in the right place if you want to talk with people who have down that road, as well as those who are with you and right behind you. Guaranteed, about a week before surgery, you will be telling us how nervous you are because surgery is ONLY a week away!!!!!! I can't believe that in two days I will be six months out, and it seems like my surgery was yesterday. The time will fly.

Every day I am on here snooping around, looking to hear how others are doing. I agree with the others that since discovering this site pre-op I have had to filter what I read, but I have gained so much support from coming here. Even though my recovery as gone fairly well, my heart goes out for those who haven't. Still, I want to hear from them too from time to time to see if they are all right. Newbies do need to be aware that opinions and mileage may vary, but it is the different opinions that make this site interesting.

I have a Pilates DVD "Pilates For Wimps" that really kicks my a**.

The Protein shakes four times a day caused it for me. Now that I am down to 3-4 a week, it is not a problem....plus I take two magnesium tablets a day, and stool softeners as needed.....and I drink two ounces of prune juice at bedtime. Also, I try to get in a few bites of veggies with every meal. Yeah, I thought I was passing a watermelon.

I agree with Sleeveless in Seattle. You don't have to lie, but you don't have to tell everything you know. My experience with working in hospitals is that even though the culture respects the patients' right to privacy, co-workers do not get the same respect. Everybody wants to know everything about your business, and if you land in a hopsital bed, the whole place knows in about an hour - even in spite of that fact that you have become a patient. Go figure! Just be careful that if you tell HR that it is for a certain condition, you should stick to your story so that it does not come back to bite you in the butt later and cost you benefits or your job. Even if you have to provide a doctor's note, it only has to say that you are under that doctor's care and may return to work on a specific date. You can simply explain your weight loss by saying that you switched to a high Protein diet.

For three years prior to my sleeve in December 2013, I was taking Zoloft for post-stoke anxiety and depression. With the surgery, I had an unexpected increase in symptoms and was switched to Wellbutrin. When my Wellbutrin was doubled about three months ago, my improvement increased. I am O K with that.

Mine are Centrum Flavor Burst Adult Chews. They look like small gumballs, but the dosage is 4 per day. I would rather take these than some horse pill. I get them at Walgreens. They have Vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, Folic Acid, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid, Iodine and Zinc.

In three days I will be six months out. I still drink one a day on most days. I only eat a Protein bar or protein chips if I am on the road for a distant appointment during a meal time.

Haddocks Eyes.......when I went to the bariatric clinic for the first time, last August, I had a list of fourteen questions, just like the ones you have listed here. The staff was very patient to answer them all and put my mind at ease about weight loss surgery. You are right on about informed consent, and I am proud of you for speaking up. You are your own best advocate.

I have not yet had this issue post op, but I was an anorexic / anemic teeneager. The cause was that I simply did not eat enough food to sustain proper nutrition. I was terrified of getting obese like the 95% of the rest of my extended family. Needless to say, I am concerned about this rearing its ugly head again since my food volume, though quite healthy, is not much. In my teen years, the cure was to have B12 shots once a month, and I had to eat liver twice a week. My mom only knew how to fry shoe leather liver, so a Mexican neighbor had mercy on me and put minced liver in tostadas or tacos for me twice a week. That made the liver unnoticeable and quite palatable. Well, if it happens again, I will know what to do. Also, I am making sure this time around that I am getting Vitamin C by putting lemon in my Water, eating tomatoes (and an occasional grapefruit), and I take a Vitamin C supplement to help with absorption. Also, I am eating my fair share of steak and eggs.....just hoping for the best with it all. I hope that you are able to find an answer to you problem without too much difficulty or aggavation.

I chose the sleeve because I did not want a port.

Which only goes to show you how each of us have such a different experience even though we are going through the same journey. Tuna and eggs are two things I do digest well, and I even put boiled egg in my tuna salad for extra Protein. But fish filets.....I can't......unless they are really really moist.

Ellen Degenerous would love to hear about the panty mishap! She uses stuff like that on her show. As for the bari-boxes, I got one and haven't used it once in six months......or the measured smaller plate, or the place mat. I have used the shaker bottle almost evert day, and I used the small baby spoons for a long time, just to eat smaller bites. One thing I did use at the hospital was my Bari-Buddy Teddy Bear. Some hospitals provide them. Mine did not, so I ordered one. It was not cheap, but well worth the money. It is a good size and has a hard and flat back. It makes a good splint for when you cough or laugh. I also used it for an arm rest and a phone rest. I suppose any good size teddy bear or stuffed animal would do in a pinch. I ordered most of my bariatric kitchen and pantry stuff from BariatricChoice.com and bariatricpantry.com. I ordered way too much stuff. I will be eating and drinking it for a couple of years.

For me it was cauliflower.....never again. But I can keep broccoli and cabbage down. Go figure!

I had mine out back in 1973 when they still split you half in two. I was in the hospital eleven days. Now they do the laparascpoic surgery and you are practically in and out like the drive-through at McDonalds. The before pain can be far worse than the recovery. I hope the doctor can find some relief for you.

Uh - oh. If you still have a gallbladder, Google gallstone symptoms. Just sayin'. But to avoid a serious case of Google-itis and needless worry about everything else we could suggest from our vast wealth of personal experience, you should call your doctor.

I don't live in your area, but I have not heard anything good about Lifestyle Lift, either.

My surgery was textbook, too. Having a smaller stomach has caused me to make some adjustments, but I am much healthier for it. During these six months post-op, I have learned to listen to Miss Tummy, because she is smarter than I am. Because I am healthier, I am happier and more able to endure my therapy exercises. I wish you good luck and good health.

I keep coming back for all of the things that we DO have in common. Just because someone disagrees or can't identify with something I said, doesn't make them a hateful green meanie. If I can't handle someone's comment, then I do not respond, because I am averse to conflict. There is much support, knowledge and comfort to be gained here, and I enjoy these conversations with my fellow weight loss surgery companions. Jessiegirl30 (if you are peeking in on our responses), even if you have to close the door for a while, I hope that you will reconsider and rejoin us soon. I wish you good luck and good health.

While you are still pre-op and walking around with your original birth stomach, here are some practical things you can do to give yourself a head start. These actions show up on nearly every bariatric program here: Cut back (as in WAYYYYYYYY back) on sugary and starchy carbs. The limits our nutritionists have given us range from mimimal to maybe 150 grams of carbs per day. My personal experience through my first six months post-op, is that the lower I go with carbs, the better I do with my weight loss. Right now, I have gone commando with it. By limiting myself to -20 carbs, I broke a miserable seven week plateau. That few carbs means I am eating mostly "one ingredient" foods, not made in a factory, i.e. meat, eggs, cheese, nuts, non-starchy veggies, and 1/2 serving of fruit per day, ususally berries. But that's me. Your mileage may vary. By eating more lean Protein, you will fill up faster and stay filled up much longer. Post-op my requirement was 60 grams, which is hard to do right away, and the Protein drinks really help if you can find one you like. At six months, my requirement is 80 grams......do-able, but I sometimes start or end my day with a Protein Drink. Drink Water until your eyeballs float. The most recent adjustment I have made is to wean myself off of artificial sweeteners. They have been my go-to sweetener since I eliminated sugar, honey, and agave. Stevie has too much of a licorice taste for me. I counted a while back and I was consuming around thirty (30) per day. Now I make my morning cup of de-caf tea, take two sips, and dump the rest out. The rest of the day I drink water with a splash of lemon, and lots of it. Most plans will recommend at least 64 ounces. Soda is not your friend, even if it is diet soda. Move your body every day. This could be a walk, resistance training, swimming - really anything thing you are able to do. I have a lot of exercise DVDs, but hate the stupid music that goes with them. So.......I put the TV on a music channel and put the DVD in my laptop, and exercise that way. Sometimes, like today, I crank up the music and dance like nobody's watching, and I have orthopedic issues. On flare-up days, I do my exercise from a chair or on the bed. Anyway, I am sure others have practical suggestions for helping you get a head start. And remember that packaged and processed foods and treats are not made to be healthy; they are made to make rich people richer. I wish you good luck and good health.

If you cannot afford to buy fitness DVDs, you might see what you can find on Youtube. Because of orthopedic issues, I frequently have to get out my videos with Chair Boxing, Chair Salsa, Chair Aerobics, and Chair Tai Chi. There are others, but it's a start.

Hey there, Miss Sexy Thang......who did you go with and how did you get there??????

Good for you. I am so proud of my fellow sleever who could get her sleeve and never look back. Congratulations.

The Fit and Active Vanilla Greek Yogurt that I get from Aldi's has 140 calories per cup.

I agree with Queenie 47. Use some kind of oil. I used sweet almond oil that I use after a shower to help keep my skin soft while it shrinks back into place.