Miss Mac

I have been building my nest of supplies in anticipation of my surgery. The Unjury soups arrives a couple of days ago, but I haven't tried one yet. I have heard they are excellent, so I will try one tomorrow for lunch.

If you can't find one you like, you could buy a sugar free pudding from the grocery store and add Unjury's unflavored packet to it.

Congratulations......I can't wait for that day.

Try going to www.fepblue.org. In the toolbar across the top of the homepage, their is a category called Service Providers. I guess you could start there. Keep in mind that I am in Chicago. You need to find what is available in your own local....but this is a federal site, so you should just be able to type it in.

Like many others here, I am more afraid of what the future holds if I do NOT get the sleeve. My health and mobility are failing fast, and my belly is one big old inflammation machine. I really don't have a choice if I want to have health and longevity. My date will be sometime around Thanksgiving and even though I am fully aware that there will be some inconvenience and discomfort involved, it beats a future of immobility or early demise. Good luck with whatever decision you make, but I encourage you to go bold!

I'll have what she's having!

The Dolly Parton Diet (in the early 80's) which was basically a cabbage/tomato broth diet. 3x a day until you reach your goal weight. I lasted 3 days.

Congratulations on deciding to take this journey with us. I started my journey in early August with a three month requirement for the diet. For some people it is six months. I cannot believe I am in my seventh week already. My program does not require a certain amount of pre-op weight loss, but as a natural result of the diet I have lost 17 pounds already. It will seem like a lot of work because it is. Where we used to indulge, we now have to be more observant and aware of our eating habits. Our doctors have done this a thousand times before us and know the formula that works.....so my suggestion is to dig in and follow instructions. Your tummy is not going to like not being in charge. Your brain and your taste buds will rebel, too. So go deep to muster whatever resolve you have and take over the process. Good luck and let us know how you are doing. We are here to support and encourage each other.

Congratulations.........I will see you there shortly.

I am 61 here, and expecting mid-November sleeve. I am going into this surgery fighting loose skin every inch of the way. Everyday I am exfoliating in the shower to regenerate new skin cells. I bought some exfoliating gloves at the corner drugstore (which are great)and I use an exfoliating scrub. I suppose any moisturizer with collagen would help, but I after I dry off I am rubbing in sweet almond oil. My belly may be fat, but it is as soft as a new baby. Plus, I am doing that dreaded strength training to videos here at home. I work with the hand weights and stretch bands, but I also have a favorite video with a boxing routine I can do in a chair. Plus they sent me some one pound boxing mitts that are not bulky like what the professionals use. These just go on with wrap around ease, and the fingertips are exposed. I am counting on that to minimize the bat wings. There are several senior level workout videos for those of us who don't want the gym culture. From what I understand, strong muscles will help fill out some of the loose skin. So, I am hoping this effort will at least minimize the problem. If nothing else, the exercise is good for me in many other ways.

Oops.....missed he Ready to Drink part of your inquiry. No, I do not see an RTD for Unjury or Chike, but my comment on Oh Yeah! stands. It was Oh Yuck. I have two more in my fridge, a Chocolate Mint Cookie Flavor, and a Strawberry......I am putting off drinking them. I since have ordered Extreme Supreme RTD in cans in chocolate and vanilla cream from mybariatricpantry.com.....we'll see.

Yep. With the I.V. there is going to be a little prick. My ex-husbands were little pricks!

I have been gathering samples in preparation for my mid-November sleeve, and here is my experience so far: Unjury - pretty good and I bought some more.....Chike - just tried the vanilla today and really liked it......Oh Yeah! - oh meh:(won't buy again. there is a bunch of brands out there.

I got the Centrum chewables from the corner drugstore. They taste like fruit-flavored gum. But if you have kids put them up high. The vitamins look like small gumballs.

You look so much healthier!

That explains it then, why women who look like they should wear a 16/18 claim to be a size 6/8. For example talk show host Wendy Williams claims to wear a size six skirt. Really? Really????? I did not wear a six in high school when I weighed 108. (That's 123 pounds ago.)

Letmethinkaboutityes! Good Luck with your surgery.

Congratulations Indigo, that your on the other side of hair loss now. It is my biggest post-op fear. I had a heart-to-heart about it with my gentleman friend last night, and he was supportive as usual. He is such a gift! My surgery is closing in on me, and I had to let him know what was coming before he found hair all over the house. I am going to ask my surgeon Tuesday morning about the biotin and all that stuff, but I know with my knower that he is going to say it is inevitable to one degree on another. I give you all the scoop tomorrow when I get home.

I shopped around online at the suggested stores an ended up at Target's website. I finally decided on maternity pants. The last time I wore maternity pants was 33 years ago. But at least they should come up over my entire belly. it is difficult for me to walk a big box store, but I will see if I can get some yoga or jogging pants that I can try on at the Walmart.

Thanks to this subject coming up, I am going to add it to my list of questions for my first surgeons visit tomorrow morning. I am going to ask him where he will place the incisions.

Where can you buy yoga pants for a 53" belly? The largest size I see on the internet is 44. Should I just get maternity pants for after surgery?

I guess this is where the term "Devil's Advocate" comes in. My second ex husband (not that I am hard on men) told me that every time I lose weight I get jowls. Geeze Luize. I didn't try again until after I left him to wait hand and foot on his own self, in the middle of the night. I am one of those people who loses weight from the top down, too. With the surgery coming up, I know my belly will catch up this time. It is a shame that those snipers can't mind their own business.

When I had my spinal reconstruction in February, I packed a heavy gym bag with puzzle books, a reading book, a CD Player, all kinds of crap to entertain my self with, and all I did was sleep! I did not even watch TV much. I think all I will take for my November Sleeve is my Beri Buddy that I bought on-line, my housecoat to use as a light robe, and the usual toiletries. I learned on this site to take lip balm for dry lips, and gas-x strips for built-up gas from the surgery. Not much else. This time I will wear on the way in, some lounging pajamas and slip on shoes with tread, and a notebook and pen........not much else as my packet says that most of my doctor's patients are out in 2-3 days max.

I have a niece with similar features and body composition as you and she is 27......so I'll venture a guess at 27.

Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy!