unbesleevable1

Look, here's the thing (and I know you know this). People are amazingly oblivious to the things we do with our hair. I have gotten real extensions, I have used clip ins and added a foot of length. People BARELY notice. Seriously, people will comment, 'wow your hair grew' or, 'your hair looks good, it's getting long'. Nobody really notices as much as we think they do.

yes, adding splenda or something to cream of wheat is totally fine!

Another option I haven't heard yet is ordering them online. I ordered my effexor from india for the year I was off work on disability. Not the cheapest option, but may be cheaper than local pharmacy. I know for me, going off my meds means disaster. weaning or not. I would shut off my cable and internet before i went without. I think the county or city clinics are a fabulous resource. Some ppl won't use them bc they're ashamed. Don't be one of those people. Your mental health is as important as your physical health. If you had cancer, you wouldnt wean off your cancer meds...you would find a way! I hope you find a way.

As long as you are off the narcotics, it's not a problem. honestly, i drove myself home from the hospital (2 miles) bc my mom's driving scares me.

I quit one month before. My doctor didn't make any no nicotine demands, but preferred I quit. Most people are asked to quit 2 months to 6 weeks before surgery. I quit and I'm still quit. It feels good! You can do this!

What was ur stats?? Start weight and now?? Highest weight: 275 Pre Op weight: 255 Surgery Day weight 243 Today's weight: 227 Time since surgery: 3 weeks 5 days Height: 5' 7"

You're gonna be ok. I cheated. I lived. I am losing weight post op. Just do your best until surgery and you will be fine. The chances that you won't be ok are small. No use worrying about what has already happened. Focus on what you CAN control. You can do this!!!!

And now the defensiveness starts. You're gonna need a lot of head work. Good luck though, been there!

Do or do not, there is no try. Suck it up and get it done. What helped me was finding a shake that I really liked. Be sure the calories/ protein/ carbs meet with your doctors approval. It's hard, the hardest thing I've ever done. You can do it.

I am hungry about every 1-3 hours depending on what I've eaten. Full liquids or yogurt type foods last the shortest time. Dense Proteins last the longest. Also fullness lasts longer if I don't drink for an hour or more after eating.

The first egg is a religious experience.

Honest answer: yes, I cheated. 3 times (about once a week) during a 3 week pre op. My surgeon made it my choice when to start, and of course I was excited to get started. Yeah, I knew the risks, I read the research, I took the chance. A lot of ppl said, 'well if you can't stick to a pre op diet, how are you going to stick to the post surgery diet??' well, luckily after the surgery, it would be physically impossible to cheat for a long time. I am not saying you should do as I did. Am I proud that I cheated? No. Do I think the pre op diet is essential? NO, simply because there are so many variations, no research supporting them and the doctors cannot even agree if it should be required. Im sure this will stir up the food nazis and cause all sorts of uproar. Can't wait.

Im like a hr and a half from u. I am in Costa Mesa

I started at 255 and am down to 229. I lost some of it during the pre op and the rest in the 3 1/2 weeks after surg. YAY

you might as well just give up.

7 knife wounds!

No use worrying about something you have no control over. Stay in acceptance, it makes things a lot easier in this bumpy journey.

you can always say you're having some kind of woman surgery, like a myomectomy (removal of uterine fibroids), or an ovarian cyst removed. I have to give my 2 cents, coming out with my surgery was the best thing I ever did. The pre op diet was so obviously torture, that there's no way I could have played it off that it was my choice. Plus I have been able to give others hope that they too can do something to get hope back again.

It used to be pretty fun in there. I don't know, this new chat engine is just so different. I think people were used to having chat open and being able to navigate the site. Although you can still do this, the button is not that obvious and I bet a lot of ppl don't know it's even there. Also I wonder if the influx of other WLS people had anything to do with it. I don't know, I'm just wondering aloud. I'm still not a huge fan of the new site format. It's getting easier to navigate and find current topics, but change is always difficult.

I get like a little hiccup feeling. it took about a week to tune into it. if i eat too much i get the 'food in the throat' feeling.

hiatal hernia can be repaired with either surgery. what is a schetze ring? As for chronic gastritis, it probably depends on the underlying issue. with wls, gastritis is likely to get worse. Not sure how that is different with the sleeve vs. rny. I would perhaps get a second surgeon's opinion, and if they agree, accept their expertise.

No soda ever. no carbonation. one of the 'rules'

not normal. i hope you got it checked out by now.

i'm not sure what you mean about your bm being 'bile'. Bile is what gives the bm its color, all the time. Chills and nausea makes me think of infection. Take your temp. is it over 100? Are you able to keep any liquids down? Try gatorade or pedialyte. Dont worry about the sugar at this moment, your body needs the sugar (if you're dehydrated). If you have a fever, can't keep liquids down, vomit blood, pass blood in the stool, or any thing else weird, get yourself checked out at an e.r. it is not likely you ruined your life. new sleeves can come with some attitude. I myself, shat myself just the other day while driving to work. just keepin it real.

I am forever talking up my favorite product, herbalife Protein drink mix. its like crystal lite consistency (the peach mango is the best) and has 15 gm protein per serving. I drink it all day long. I dont sell or otherwise endorse herbalife, I just happen to really dig this one product. Also, at my bariatric support group last nite some vets were talking about a flavorless Protein powder they sampled that was really flavorless. I think it was called bipro.