Miss Mac

On Friday, when I was at my daughter's house, I was able to slide off the sofa to the floor and play with my grandchildren. I was so happy, I nearly cried. Usually I would just sit on the sofa and hold them on my lap from there. But since I have lost some significant weight due to my sleeve, I was able to crawl on my hands a knees, get into the little living room tent and play with blocks and legos and dollys. The kids are 5, 3, and 1. That was the first time the five year old has seen me off the sofa. I had to have help getting up because of othopedic issues, but boy oh boy I had fun. This sleeve has been so worth the incovenience of some lifestyle changes. I'll get over it.

Just saying.....I am not a doctor.......just sharing my experience with pain under the ribs on the right side. There are two possibilities I can think of: One: I had my gallbladder out at the age of 21, in 1973 - back when they cut you half in two. I remember the pain like it was yesterday.........a sharp pain on my right side, under the ribs. Sometimes it would hit me in my back, like someone was stabbing me with a butcher knife and grinding it around, just under my shoulder blade. The only thing that helped was lying on the cold tile floor on my bare back. One night while I was laying on the floor, the pain was sooooooo bad I thought I was going to die. After ending up in th E.R., they misdiagnosed my pain as an ulcer and gave me something creamy to drink. Almost immediately, my gallbladder cramped up and burst. During emergency surgery, the surgeon had to "go fishing" all around my abdominal cavity to clean up the mess. I was in the hospital eleven days with a bad recovery experience. Like Jess9395 suggested, pay attention to what you ate most recently before the pain attacks. A sore gallbladder reacts painfully to foods that are creamy, rich, or spicy. That being the case....do not let it ride. Get that thing out if a doctor or E R says so. You can get along quite well without one. Two: In 2009, I began having sharp burning pains under my ribs on the right side. It would hit suddenly like lightening, without warning. It took me down to the ground several times. After some testing, it was determined to be thoracic radiculopathy caused by a herniated disc. Neuropathies are nerve pains that feel sometimes like you are being tazed in the area that hurts. It's kind of rare, but one of my sisters has it, too. This also was a very real clue that my weight was causing my spine to collapse. 14 of my discs are herniated, now. Anywho, that condition is being medicated with Lyrica and epidural steroids to postpone inevitable surgical reconstruction of my spine as long as possible. Getting my sleeve has helped tremendously with getting the weight (and the pressure and gravity it creates) off my spine. Since you asked for opinions, here is mine: Get a second professional opinion. Do not minimize the importance of pain. Your body is trying to tell you that something is wrong. "Google-itis" (the instict to look things up on the internet) will get you nowhere and just confuse and worry you. Call a doctor ASAP. If the pain takes you down.....please go to the E R.

Marfar7, my 6th grade teacher (1963), Geneva Corder, was a retired army nurse. Go figure.

No alarm clock, no schedule...that's the best thing about being retired. Thanks for you service.

Used to be I was a soda guzzler, too, but looking back, I am sure that was the major cause of my gastric reflux and swollen belly. So, do I miss it? Not so much. I missed bread, bun, cake, Pasta, etc...until I read Wheat Belly. Everything else has just been a matter of adjustments. Really, food doesn't taste the same anymore, and everthing doesn't have to be sweet or salty.

When I reach goal, I am going to buy some nice jewelry. I have only ever had Walmart costume pieces, and ready for something that fits my soon to be small hands - something with a jewel of sort in it. Right now, I give myself a non-food reward every five pounds down.

Same for me...one week.

I have always loved the circus!

LittleMissDivaIrene..........so close. I am a retired Environmental Services Area Manager.

Them: Looks like you have lost some weight. You: Yes, I have. Would you like a piece of my tapeworm??????

I like this thread. Guess me, guess me!!!!! Here's a hint: I am from Chicago, but that is Lake Tahoe from the Nevada side, in my background.

You'll live to tell about it. I like the idea of a couple of days quasi head start, and taking a couple of protein drinks with you, since they will be a little more filling.

I don't know why you have that particular insurance carrier, but could you change to one that does provide the coverage you need? Even if the process takes a year, a year is going to pass whether you are pro-active or not. Yes, international travel for healthcare is quite common. Also, while you are waiting and regrouping your efforts, you could get a headstart by adopting the principles that are common among our bariatric teams around the world: Eat Protein and plenty of it. Most of us are between 60g to 80 g per day. That's roughly 20g per meal with two Snacks. This also means not breaded or swimming in gravy. Besides, it's summer now and grilled steak, chicken, and veggies are awesome. Fuit in it's fresh natural state (not pie) is good - veggies (not breaded and deep fried) are better, even with some cheese on them (extra protein for you). Drink Water until your eyeballs float. Ditch the soda and any beverages with sugar, high fructose corn syrup....you know the drill. Seems like there is a canyon between sides on the subject of artificial sweeteners. I use them, but many people don't. I guess sweeteners are my cigarettes. I've cut back, from over a dozen a day to 3 or 4. That's my demon and I am working on it. Exercise some way some how. If all you can do is sit in bed and wave your arms, then do that. Walking is absolutely the best exercise you can do. I go out in the back yard early in the morning and just do laps for 20 minutes. The grass is less tiring for me than the sidewalk. The general concept is to at least get up and move around every hour or so. If you need to shut the door, crank up any music you like and dance like nobody's watching, then do that. Pretend like carbs cost you $10 cash up front...each. The fewer carbs the better. Yeah, I know, that means bye bye to bread, Pasta, rice, cream gravy, donuts.......or at best just wean yourself off slowly but reducing the amount as you can. Weigh and measure your food. I found out with my first nutrition visit, that a serving was not nearly what I thought it was. Take smaller bites and chew until your jaws hurt. This takes you longer to get through your meal and helps your tummy to feel fuller sooner. The kitchen is CLOSED after dinner. Another one of my own personal demons was night eating. I could go downstairs to the kitchen and have a whole 'nother meal at 2:00 in the morning. Now, if I feel like I have to have something or I will surely die, I make a cup of sugar free cocoa with sugar free whip cream. Go to My Fitness Pal (myfitnesspal.com) and set up a free account. On there you can customize what nutritional values you want to follow and add data every day. You can record what you eat and it will tell you how you are doing based on calories, carbs, protein, sodium, etc. It is a great tool of accountability so that you can be aware of what you are actually eating in a days time. Also, I would recommend a website called Mark's Daily Apple. It is a web community for people who want knowledge about the Paleo/Primal lifestyle. One of the best things about Paleo/Primal is that the food choices are very similar to what gastric patients are already doing such as low carb - high protein eating, and get up and move around some. So, see??? If you can do all of this, then by the time you get your surgery done, you will be a pro at this and able to encourage someone else down the line. Plus it's sure to knock off a few pounds to give you a head start. Does your insurance cover anything like nutrition counselling or exercise physiology????? I hope that you can stay strong and come back to visit us often on Bariatric Pal. This is an awesome community for support and encouragement. I wish you good luck and good health.

Me too! I lost the first 55 pounds real fast. Now that I have hit 177, my weight keeps bouncing back and forth to 180. If I gain anything overnight, it takes two weeks to lose it again. I am doing all the right stuff: logging, measuring, exercising, very low carb, Water til my eyeballs float, Protein at 70-80. Oh well.......I will hang in there. One of my sisters had a lap band this time last year, and she has done so well that she is unrecognizable now. I would love to get to that point where if I run into one of my former haters and they would not know me. Just for that one evil experience I will stay with the plan. I can't wait!

Not for my sleeve, because I was on fluids for two weeks, but I did have to take it for a colonoscopy. Be very near a bathroom that you can have to yourself for several hours. You can apply the same principal post op to prevent or relieve constipation. Milk of magnesia is an effective laxative for most people. For myself, I take a magnesium supplement twice a day in addition to a stool softener twice a day. I have M O M on hand, prune juice in the fridge, and Haribo sugar free Gummy Bears if things get desperate. You can read the Amazon review for the gummy bears if you need a smile break. It is hilarious. Out of curiosity, I bought a five pound bag from an on-line candy wholesaler. Not officially recommending them as a laxative........just sayin'.

My bariatric team prepared me to expect that, but it's still aggravating when it happens. This is as normal as normal gets, and you are doing great. Oh, BTW, it won't be your last stall, so just know that if you drink Water until your eyeballs float, eat your Proteins first (and plenty of them), and pretend that carbs cost ten dollars cash up front (each!), you will do just fine. I wish you good luck and good health.

Well, yeah it is drastic. But I have been on a diet since 1976 and wasn't getting anywhere except bigger. I am short, so at 235 this time last year, my spine was found to be collapsing under the weight. I had the sleeve in December 2013, and in spite of a couple of long stalls, have kept the first 55 pounds off. Even my internal systems feel so much better already and it is much less painful to walk. Even my posture is better. You have to do this for yourself. You are worth it whether he agrees or not. Don't wait until AFTER you have a stroke, like I did. I wish you good luck and good health.

He's a keeper.

At forty pounds down, I went to a foundation shop. I live in a Chicago suburb and had to travel about 15 miles to Berwyn, but it was worth the trip. I had no idea what size I was anymore, and my boobies are deflated now. I guess it was the fat that was keeping them up there. But because of the price ($40) and the fact that I still have a ways to go with my weight loss, I only bought one. I am used to buying my clothing at Walmart, and have never paid more tha $10 for a bra - ever. When I get closer to goal, my daughters want me to venture into a Kohl's, Macy's, or Nordstrom. Talk about fear of the unknown!

I am past five months, going into six. I do not want to jinx a good thing.....and I am mentally prepared for hair loss, but so farrrrrr I have only noticed a few extra strays laying about. At my last visit a couple of weeks ago, my bariatric physician recommended that I continue with my Vitamins, D3, B12, Calcium and Biotin (10,000 mg). My calories are still at 800 +- and my Protein was increased to 8 grams. My Fluid intake is 64-80 ounces. I am keeping my fingers crossed. For a while my nails were shredding and my hair and skin were very dry. That has improved now - a lot. I do not want to drop the biotin right now because it is a hair, skin, and nails product.

I came across this from Dave at Paleohacks.com It is good encouragement for when you are faced with negative and unsupportive people in your life. The story has some great analigies. Hey there! Today I want to share with you a fantastic story and some amazing life advice from a mentor of mine that's helped me in my journey to not only become a healthier person, but a happier & more successful one as well. And it comes in the form of a story of a trip to Alaska... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "How To Remove CRABS From Your Life" By Bedros Keuilian Several years ago while on an adventure trip to Alaska I experienced what I can only call one of life's greatest lessons. Like all great lessons in life, it came unexpected and it came to me exactly at the time when I needed it the most. While taking a walk along the shoreline in Ketchikan, Alaska I noticed several crab fisherman casting their nets, waiting a few moments, and the pulling in couple crabs at a time. One fisherman had a bucketful of five or six crabs in it. It was probably one of those five gallon paint buckets that you'd find at the local Home Depot. There was several inches of Water at the bottom of the bucket and these crabs - some the size of my palm, and others the size of Shaquille O'neal's. As I stood there watching how this crab fisherman went about his trade I noticed that one of his crabs from the bucket was climbing on top of the rest. I couldn't really make out exactly what the crab was up to just yet, but I could tell this one was the more ambitious crabs of the bunch. But I soon figured out exactly what he was up to. This little ambitious crab was attempting to make a getaway! He was climbing on top of the others to gain height, then he slowly extend him front legs upward toward the lip of the bucket to pull himself up. HOLY COW!... this little guy was trying to make a break for it. FREEDOM! More out of curiosity than anything else I asked the crab fisherman if he was aware that this crab was about to hoist himself up and over the edge of the bucket. He calmly said; "watch what happens." As this ambitious crab started pulling himself up to get over the edge of the bucket, all of the other crabs reached up, grabbed his hind legs and pulled him down to the bottom of the bucket. LIFE LESSON! I instantly realized that I had made one of the dumbest mistakes of my life. Earlier that year I had figured out that a few of the people in my life were negative minded individuals who always found a way to squash my dreams each time I'd share it with them. Yet I continued to hang out with them, I kept them in my circle of influence, and shared my most lofty goals with them - only to have my ambitions squashed by their negativity, doubt, and scarcity mindedness. I wanted so badly to soar with the eagles, yet I was hanging out with turkeys. I suppose it was just comfortable to be around the people I knew, even if they did stunt my personal and professional growth, rather than to find a new circle of influence who would support me, challenge me, and encourage me to achieve and surpass my goals. Fear of the unknown stopped me from achieving my dreams sooner. But things changed for me after that day in Ketchikan, Alaska. When I got back home I committed to creating my "bubble" and cutting out all of the crabs and turkeys in my life. I become the gatekeeper of my bubble. I chose who got in and who got kicked out. It wasn't easy to do, but I cut ties with the crabs in my life. No more crabs, no more turkeys... ONLY eagles are allowed into my bubble these days. We've all heard the saying... you are the average of the five people who you surround yourself with the most. But you can also say it this way; your head space, your personal development, your attitude, your contribution to society, your personal and spiritual growth in life are all an average of the five people that you surround yourself the most. If the people in your circle of influence are crabs, energy vampires, and low tone then that's the effect that they're going to have on your life. If the people in your circle are positive, encourage you, support you, inspire you, then there is absolutely no limits on what you can achieve - really. That's what I want for you. You're an eagle, but you'll never soar as high as you can if you hang around with turkeys and crabs. Put yourself around the people who will support, encourage and challenge you to get to your goals. ------------------------------------------------------------------ I NEVER had more opposition in my life than when I became an entrepreneur, switched to Paleo, and started taking care of my health. It quickly became very clear to me who were REALLY my friends and supporters, and who just wanted me to stay the same -- so that THEY could be comfortable with their own failings and insecurities. You better believe those people are no longer a part of my life. And I am a MUCH better, happier, less-stressed person for it. And if you have people like that in your life, that are draining you, holding you back, then one of the most important things you can do is remove them - immediately. This life is not a test run - there are no redos. Every second you spend wasted with negative people is one that you will NEVER get back. Remember that! And think about replacing those negative people with ones who actually inspire and support you -- starting TODAY. Talk soon, Dave

Congratulations! Your story is so encouraging, because I was thinking (when I ought to be sleeping), that my latest stall has just made me an utter failure, even though my team says I am right on track. That negative self-talk can really do a number on us. But your experience is a beautiful reminder that our success happens way before reaching our goal weight. You are a success for taking responsibility for your health. You are a success for following the instructions in your plan. You are a success because you are paying it forward by encouraging the rest of us and those at the University of Missouri who will come after you.

I am five months out and eating nuts of all kinds. Almonds are a chore to chew, though. I am finding that even unsalted nuts are a slider food, though. They are like potato chips to me. An ounce of nuts can quickly turn in to a cup of nuts, so I freeze them now to make them a little less accessable.

At five weeks I got the ok for regular food and got some Wendy's chili on the way home. I can stand a little mild sauce in taco meat, and I can handle onions and garlic. I have not ventured any further than that.

Please don't wait until you are old and gray and can barely walk, breath, and sleep due to your weight. No doubt your mom is worried about you, but who wants a stroke before they are 30? Bad things can happen to people even if they don't have some kind of surgery. You sound like an independant full-grown woman who won't let other people minimize and ridicule her health concerns. Unless you are in a coma, you should be the one in charge of your health care. Love Mom from across town if you have to, but it sounds like you are going to take the next right step for your own future.