SeaLegs

My guidebook has some info that just doesn't add up, too. Eggs actually count as full liquids on some menus. The idea is to get the protein in, so the whole thing would be 18 grams, 6 for each egg and 6 for the cheese. East as much as comfortably fills you. The ultimate goal is retraining in handling "real" food, right?

Your original posting is so heartfelt and eloquent...would you be willing to send her a copy?

How about chopped salad? It was easier to get my veggies in that way when I had my band!

I am 4 days post op, my bruising is going away and I just have that superglue stuff, so it looks better and better. Being in the hospital was unbelievably rough...and I am a nurse! The day I went home, I felt pretty good, but today I am tired and a little blue...

Wow! Sorry to hear this. Please be careful now that you are on more supplements AND off the diuretic. Watch out for side effects of too much K. I just had my band to sleeve Monday and my K dropped to 3.0 from normal, so I can see why there is concern...

You are so lucky to be alive! "Just a little constipation, honey", my foot! Congratulations for pushing despite being weak and in pain. Please make copies of your post and send to everyone who was involved in your care, very important! So if you are only the third person to have this complication, I wonder who is going to include you in their statistics? You had your sleeve in Mexico, right? I hope one of your providers publishes your case study. Get well soon!

What does your cardiologist have to say about the sleeve? How about starting the supervised diet now and getting a jump on that requirement? Sounds like that would be a win/win.

Just like pregnancy, huh? People can't hold back from telling you horrendous, usually inaccurate, stories! The trouble is that you don't know what really happened, if the stroke even related to the bypass, so the story is useless except to undermine your confidence. Maybe time to review with him the positive reasons you are having the sleeve and get on the same page. Best wishes to you!

I am a Labor and Birth nurse in Connecticut. Right on, Future Texas Nurse, weight and nursing are both hard on the body, and I have the knees to prove it! I'm glad you are thinking ahead.

It's a very common fear. You completely give up control. But, yes, there are other things that can happen to all of us as we go about our lives "in control". The control we have is to take all the steps we need to make this a success: preop testing, being honest with our selves and our providers, following the food plans, taking our supplements... (Tormorrow is my surgery and today I am struggling with the stupid controlling fantasy that everything in my house needs to be perfect before I leave!)

It's a very common fear. You completely give up control. But, yes, there are other things that can happen to all of us as we go about our lives "in control". The control we have is to take all the steps we need to make this a success: preop testing, being honest with our selves and our providers, following the food plans, taking our supplements... (Tormorrow is my surgery and today I am struggling with the stupid controlling fantasy that everything in my house needs to be perfect before I leave!)

I would love to know, too! My surgery is tomorrow, and is part of my plan to deal with the arthritis pain that has gotten way worse over this past year. Last night was another rough night at work and today I'm wondering if I will have to stop working altogether.

I would love to know, too! My surgery is tomorrow, and is part of my plan to deal with the arthritis pain that has gotten way worse over this past year. Last night was another rough night at work and today I'm wondering if I will have to stop working altogether.

Thanks for the good news! My dream of living in Hawaii just got a lot nicer!

I would be thrilled to be under 200, no joke!

Kayla, I met with the shrink who screens people for WLS, lovely man. But as a result of talking with him, the fact that I am a binge eater has hit me like a cold, wet towel. He advised me to postpone my sleeve ( which I am not doing-my knee pain is out of control) and to meet with him for awhile to work on this (which I am embracing). I want to have plently of tools in my tool belt (one of them being this forum, thanks everyone) for the long haul. I think if you are able to eat around a band and avoid meeting with your surgeon, you might want to consider some counseling, too. BTW, is 142 realistic...it sounds way too lean... I was going through journal abstracts last night at work, and found the sleeve vs RNY very positive. Now that I have found out that people actually do get older (never thought it would happen to me), my concern with the RNY is malabsorption and how it would affect older people, who absorb differently already due to aging. I don't want to spend my golden years getting shots and IVs, since weight loss would hopefully help me live longer.

Call your doctor's office ASAP, go through the emergency number if you need to. This may or may not be a sleeve thing and should be addressed right away. Tomorrow is Friday and then we have the weekend, which is not the optimal time to get care. Do it now! -Advice from a nurse

The task is to enjoy and appreciate! Do not drink: alcohol will affect you much more potently with the sleeve. You might have to fake it, or find a potted plant like in the movies. Other ideas: eat before you go, clear broth soup, cut up your food and push it around your plate, or how about just going around the table like a bride and chat/reminisce with each person, then have them box up your dinner? Congratulations! Let us know how you did!

As you note, they are giving you the magnificent gift of their consideration, however misguided. But really, it's not good for ANY of you to be eating at your desks, or grazing on goodies. How did it get decided that you all didn't deserve real breaks? By all means, tell them you want to go with them! Otherwise the new culture will be you getting stuck answering phones while everyone else has a break. Maybe you could initiate morning break or teatime, when people can take turns showcasing little Snacks. Anyway this is really really important, because you are going back to this and it may impede your long term success if you don't resolve it. Make an appt with the nutritionist or counselor person...this is what they're there for!

I was having a serious doubts last week, but today my surgery (October 7) feels like a golden door to many opportunities and welcome changes. I wonder if it is part of the process, grieving the loss of the known and fearing the unknown?

Waiting for surgery is really weird...then all of a sudden you are in, then it's over. Ta-da! Congratulations on your big day!

You will get through this. You will feel better. Use your pain medication. There will come a point where you will not need it anymore. Keep in mind that pain tolerance is a very individual thing and is affected by many things. The sense of control and the healing environment of your home could be very helpful.

Happy Birthday, Wes! Having doubts and fears is part of the process. I can't help thinking that your wife probably went through some of that when she was anticipating the birth of your son. Kudos to you for thinking ahead! I'm having my band to sleeve Monday. After running the halls as a nurse for 30 years with my weight, my body is in such pain. I love gardening, but am spending less time doing it because I have to recover from work and to go to work. I want to climb a ladder to the garage roof to pick some pears off the tree, but I don't dare! How sad is that? I know there may be risks of the sleeve (as there were with the band), and have researched it as far as I can go. Overall I am grateful for the option and look forward to the possibility of a better life. I have found out the hard way that the effects of obesity are cumulative/get worse over time! So, however you choose to address it, good for you for doing it while you are younger! Best wishes to you, and welcome!

Good for you for seeking a second opinion when you have doubts. I wish you the best!

I think the way it works is that the clinic is worried that they won't get reimbursement by the insurance company and they want everything in a tidy little package (or maybe they want to get paid for the supervised diet vists, too). I've run into this with other aspects of my preop stuff. You've done some really good and valid work. You might need to go higher up in the food chain of the clinic and have someone call the insurer. Otherwise, is there another game in town? Can your PCP help you by sending a letter or electronic record (and maybe threatening to refer elsewhere)? I am a nurse and hate it when the individual needs of a patient are thwarted by corporate and insurance stuff...grrrr....