Miss Mac

Whoah, Dude....Good Job!

There are a lot of us in this forum who are around your age. I am 61. We all want the same thing....better health and a bigger bucket for our bucket list. It's all I can do now to walk through the drug store with a cane. I want to go to my ancient homeland of the Scotland, but won't be able to do it without losing weight. I am sure we all have goals that can't be realized in our present condition. If you feel you need the surgery, then go for it. We're all rooting for you.

I had one done a couple of years ago and all I remember is that they put the IV in, and asked me to count back from 100. So, 100, 99, 98....... Next thing I know, they were waking me up. My throat was scratchy for a couple of days, but no big whoop.

My mother passed away at the age of 67. She was 5'2" and weighed 320 pounds. You wouldn't recognize her wedding photo when she was a petite raven-haired beauty and could have been a pin-up girl of her day. She died of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Anyway, I am 61 and already had one stroke in 2010 and have gained another 45 pounds since then. My waist is now 53" and I weighed 235 when I first asked my primary doctor if I could have weight loss surgery because I am concerned that I am turning into my mother physically, and I showed him her pictures. He recommended the Bariatric Clinic at Loyola and the rest is becoming history. My date is coming up in November. I just don't want another stroke, so it was time to give up and ask for help.

Wow, I know the feeling. I have 14 ruptured discs in my spine (just had a three level repair in my neck this past Valentine's Day. I have thoracic radiculopathy which causes shooting pains around my mid back and into my lower rib cage. Four times a year I get spinal epidurals in my lower back to sooth sciatica. Some of it is genetic, but most of it was caused by my weight. I have also had both knees replaced...........my body does not want to hold me up anymore. I am short and almost as much around as I am tall. So, here's what a doctor told me about seven years ago, when I told him I was following along with a kickboxing video to get some exercise......he said to knock it off because the impact was not good for my spine or my joints at my age and weight. So even now, I have to focus on strength training and exercises I can follow from a chair to avoid more damage. I do have a walking video that I do in the house, but it is more endurance than bounce. I wish you good luck in finding a pace that works for you.

My taste buds are barking at me all the time, even an hour after a healthy meal. So, I am pre-op right now, with a mid-November date expected for my sleeve. We all talk about head hunger. My biggest problem is taste bud hunger. So, to fight back, I am brushing my teeth three times a day instead of once at bedtime and using mouthwash three times a day - yuck - is there one that is actually tolerable? If my taste buds still won't shut up, then I'll let a tiny mint dissolve on my tongue. Man, this all such WORK. There is nothing easy about giving up the tasty comfort foods and yummy crunchy things we grew up on, but like so many here on the forum have said, we have to choose between health and indulgence, and indulgence was not working for me.

Oh, Dear Lady......congratulations!

Those are just the guidelines my NUT gave me while we were discussing my eating habits and triggers. I did not hear her give it a name. Obviously it is working for me. I am trying so hard to follow her instructions. I am so glad I am retired. This is a full time job just getting through the program. let alone what's coming post-op.

This paragraph is from a Livestrong article on the internet. It never hurts to call your doctor with questions, but nevertheless, here's some info for those of us taking supplements. Medications Several medications and Vitamin supplements can also lead to green stools. Individuals who routinely take laxatives, Iron supplements, medicines and Vitamins containing cholorophyll, and any medication or vitamin that contain fructose can experience green bowel movements. Stool color should return to normal once use of these products is discontinued. Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/99059-causes-dark-green-feces/#ixzz2fRYAqSyg

I am looking forward to the same experience. My current size is 22/24 and I just got to the point where I refused to buy anything larger. I have been on a pre-op diet for 7 weeks now and have lost 17 pounds, but still can't squeeze into my 20's.........However, in anticipation of that event, I got everything out of storage yesterday, and am flushing out my closet today. It is liberating to know that this time when I size down, I can dispatch my big things to the charity truck that comes by, instead of saving them...just in case I gain the weight back. So I sorted out my sizes and I am ready to start moving down in size. And when I get to where I need 14's I can go shopping. Congratulations on your victory. I know this one feels good!

Just so you know, the Mayo Clinic Diet was not developed by the Mayo Clinic, and they do not recommend it........that said, it is a high protein - low carb diet that works on the same principles as the others. Good luck. I am interested in how this works for you.

My 12 week pre-op diet started on August 14th. 60 grams lean protein. Eat the protein first. No more than 2 small servings of fruit (I was a major fruitaholic). 1100 calories. Track nutritional values on myfitnesspal.com so that the Nutritionist could monitor my progress. No bread, limited starchy veggies. Eat more beans. Last week on my follow-up visit I was told to start substituting one meal a day with a protein shake. So far I have lost 17 pounds. I also have to exercise 4 times a week for at least 30 minutes. My surgery should be mid-November.

Interesting thing about PPI's. About 1 1/2 years ago, I was put on Omeprazole for the damage that years of ibuprofen had done to my stomach. My appetite nearly doubled and I have gained another 25 pounds. I am pre-op with a tentative date in mid-November, and I am concerned about being put on that med again if I get reflux after my sleeve. I was just taken off last month. Maybe it has to do with having a lot less stomach acid to help digest food. Does anyone have a clinical response for this.

I am counting on exfoliating and sweet almond oil. My favorite of my exercise videos is chair boxing ( done sitting down), which I am hoping will help with jiggle arms. Also, strength training twice a week for overall muscle strength. I also read that healthy muscles help fill up the loose skin somewhat.

Alsip, Illinois, southwest suburb of Chicago.

Shirley here, retired from Veterans Affairs. I had a stroke 2011 for which the total bill was over $27,000. My cost was only a few hundred, mostly for specialists fees. I do not remember any specific charge for drugs used during surgery. In November 2012, I had a partial knee replacement. The bill was over $40,000 for which again I only paid a few hundred. In February this year, I had some spinal reconstruction, for over %80,000 and once AGAIN, I only paid a few hundred. BCBS Federal is the most awesome insurance coverage I have ever had. So even if your bill itself is some crazy number, your out of pocket shouldn't be so bad.

Shirley here in Alsip Il on Chicago's southwest side. My surgeon will be Dr. Chand at Loyola's Gotttlieb Hospital sometime between November 14th and Thanksgiving.

No one has to know everything about your medical history. That's why we have HIPPA laws for patient confidentiality and privacy. You could just tell them that you want to be proactive about your health and are making better choices every day (which is true) or.........you could just ask them, "Why do you want to know?" Then, when they give some feeble reason, just tell them it's personal and you are not comfortable talking about it. You don't have to lie, but you don't have to tell everything you know.

A stroke.

I had to look this one up. OMG! I have my first surgeon's appointment on 9/24, and this is going on my questions list since I have already had a stroke. I am so glad you brought this up.

Please vets chime in on this one. It is my biggest fear going into this.

if your doctor has approved you for the process, then HE does not think you are too young. I have been on a diet since 1978 and joined a gym twice, and am still 100 pounds overweight. Like the others here are saying, overweight issues tend to perpetuate themselves, and all of a sudden you are in your forties or fifties or sixties, and still overweight with arthritis and multiple joint replacements. I wish this process would have been available when I was younger. If someone is being unsupportive of your decision to manage your own health your own way, then put your hands over your ears and hum Yankey Doodle. You do you.

I'll have what she's having.

I will not miss my bum looking like two cats in a sack.

Agreement here with VST addict. My last two surgeries required surgical clearance. In November 2012, My PCP recommended a cardiologist who works with the same hospital as the surgeon, but they are all here within 10 miles of home and coordinate with each other. For the February surgery, I just had to have the surgical clearance from my PCP.