chris1142

I thought I'd write about my journey for the older folks out there considering this surgery. Last Nov I turned 71 and after regaining 50 pounds I had lost two years ago (the story of my life) I could see that if I didn't do something drastic I would spend my remaining years in a wheel chair. So off to a bariatric seminar I went. I was encouraged by all that I saw there and decided to take the plunge.
I survived the two week starvation diet with out murdering my husband or eating the furniture and had my surgery on Feb. 4th. I started my journey at 298.5.
The surgery was interesting I guess. As they put in the gas to blow me up, the gas hit my vagus nerve and my body slowed way down. 40 heartbeats a minute. They backed off the gas and did chest compressions to get me stabilized. Then contacted the cardiologist who told them to go for it so they compleated the surgery and then sent me to the cath lab for a heart cath. That came back normal. Surgeon said I gave them quite a scare. I wouldn't know as I woke up in the ICU and don't remember a thing about even going to the OR.
Let me tell you, I used Tennova at Turkey Creek as my hospital and the care was outstanding both in the ICU and the bariatric wing. I couldn't have asked for better.
Woke up only to walk far enough to get them to take the catheter out. My surgeon checks for leaks during surgery so I would drink as soon as I woke up. Yayyyyy. I could drink easily and like the very cold the best. I had no nausea or pain when still. When I tried to get up that was another story. Seems like when they blew me up they also disturbed the scar tissue from my mastectomies of 9 years ago and that gave me fits for about a week. The actual surgery part was a breeze.
I have had no problem meeting my carb, Protein and fluid goals daily. I can drink normally but not as much as fast. I'm on liquids for 4 weeks on then on to purees. I am so looking forward to some refried beans!!!
So for you older folks considering this--go for it. I'm a two time cancer surviver and figured I had nothing but fat to lose and everything to gain.
I'd do this again in a heartbeat. Oh, and I'm down 23 lbs. from the start of my pre op so that part is going well, too.
Chris

I thought I'd write about my journey for the older folks out there considering this surgery. Last Nov I turned 71 and after regaining 50 pounds I had lost two years ago (the story of my life) I could see that if I didn't do something drastic I would spend my remaining years in a wheel chair. So off to a bariatric seminar I went. I was encouraged by all that I saw there and decided to take the plunge.
I survived the two week starvation diet with out murdering my husband or eating the furniture and had my surgery on Feb. 4th. I started my journey at 298.5.
The surgery was interesting I guess. As they put in the gas to blow me up, the gas hit my vagus nerve and my body slowed way down. 40 heartbeats a minute. They backed off the gas and did chest compressions to get me stabilized. Then contacted the cardiologist who told them to go for it so they compleated the surgery and then sent me to the cath lab for a heart cath. That came back normal. Surgeon said I gave them quite a scare. I wouldn't know as I woke up in the ICU and don't remember a thing about even going to the OR.
Let me tell you, I used Tennova at Turkey Creek as my hospital and the care was outstanding both in the ICU and the bariatric wing. I couldn't have asked for better.
Woke up only to walk far enough to get them to take the catheter out. My surgeon checks for leaks during surgery so I would drink as soon as I woke up. Yayyyyy. I could drink easily and like the very cold the best. I had no nausea or pain when still. When I tried to get up that was another story. Seems like when they blew me up they also disturbed the scar tissue from my mastectomies of 9 years ago and that gave me fits for about a week. The actual surgery part was a breeze.
I have had no problem meeting my carb, Protein and fluid goals daily. I can drink normally but not as much as fast. I'm on liquids for 4 weeks on then on to purees. I am so looking forward to some refried beans!!!
So for you older folks considering this--go for it. I'm a two time cancer surviver and figured I had nothing but fat to lose and everything to gain.
I'd do this again in a heartbeat. Oh, and I'm down 23 lbs. from the start of my pre op so that part is going well, too.
Chris

I'm 71 and a little over 4 months out I am down 66 pounds. I've followed doctors orders the whole time and I think that is the key. My excercise program has been pool aerobics 5 days a week.
So because we are older doesn't necessarily mean we can't lose quite a lot of weight.

I thought I'd write about my journey for the older folks out there considering this surgery. Last Nov I turned 71 and after regaining 50 pounds I had lost two years ago (the story of my life) I could see that if I didn't do something drastic I would spend my remaining years in a wheel chair. So off to a bariatric seminar I went. I was encouraged by all that I saw there and decided to take the plunge.
I survived the two week starvation diet with out murdering my husband or eating the furniture and had my surgery on Feb. 4th. I started my journey at 298.5.
The surgery was interesting I guess. As they put in the gas to blow me up, the gas hit my vagus nerve and my body slowed way down. 40 heartbeats a minute. They backed off the gas and did chest compressions to get me stabilized. Then contacted the cardiologist who told them to go for it so they compleated the surgery and then sent me to the cath lab for a heart cath. That came back normal. Surgeon said I gave them quite a scare. I wouldn't know as I woke up in the ICU and don't remember a thing about even going to the OR.
Let me tell you, I used Tennova at Turkey Creek as my hospital and the care was outstanding both in the ICU and the bariatric wing. I couldn't have asked for better.
Woke up only to walk far enough to get them to take the catheter out. My surgeon checks for leaks during surgery so I would drink as soon as I woke up. Yayyyyy. I could drink easily and like the very cold the best. I had no nausea or pain when still. When I tried to get up that was another story. Seems like when they blew me up they also disturbed the scar tissue from my mastectomies of 9 years ago and that gave me fits for about a week. The actual surgery part was a breeze.
I have had no problem meeting my carb, Protein and fluid goals daily. I can drink normally but not as much as fast. I'm on liquids for 4 weeks on then on to purees. I am so looking forward to some refried beans!!!
So for you older folks considering this--go for it. I'm a two time cancer surviver and figured I had nothing but fat to lose and everything to gain.
I'd do this again in a heartbeat. Oh, and I'm down 23 lbs. from the start of my pre op so that part is going well, too.
Chris

I'm 71 and a little over 4 months out I am down 66 pounds. I've followed doctors orders the whole time and I think that is the key. My excercise program has been pool aerobics 5 days a week.
So because we are older doesn't necessarily mean we can't lose quite a lot of weight.

I'm 71 and a little over 4 months out I am down 66 pounds. I've followed doctors orders the whole time and I think that is the key. My excercise program has been pool aerobics 5 days a week.
So because we are older doesn't necessarily mean we can't lose quite a lot of weight.

I'm 71 and a little over 4 months out I am down 66 pounds. I've followed doctors orders the whole time and I think that is the key. My excercise program has been pool aerobics 5 days a week.
So because we are older doesn't necessarily mean we can't lose quite a lot of weight.

I'm 71 and a little over 4 months out I am down 66 pounds. I've followed doctors orders the whole time and I think that is the key. My excercise program has been pool aerobics 5 days a week.
So because we are older doesn't necessarily mean we can't lose quite a lot of weight.

Okay--I'll try again. Still haven't quite figured out how to work this thing. I want to thank you for your words of support and encouragement.
I've been following all three of you for quite a while and you've give me many a smile and many an encouragement.
Also one thing I forgot. When I woke up after surgery it was the first time in my life I remember not being hungry. And I still haven't felt any hunger and am disinterested in food for the most part. And this from the woman who gained 18 pounds during chemo when all about her were talking about forcing themselves to eat, etc. Although I was glad I wasn't in that position either.

I thought I'd write about my journey for the older folks out there considering this surgery. Last Nov I turned 71 and after regaining 50 pounds I had lost two years ago (the story of my life) I could see that if I didn't do something drastic I would spend my remaining years in a wheel chair. So off to a bariatric seminar I went. I was encouraged by all that I saw there and decided to take the plunge.
I survived the two week starvation diet with out murdering my husband or eating the furniture and had my surgery on Feb. 4th. I started my journey at 298.5.
The surgery was interesting I guess. As they put in the gas to blow me up, the gas hit my vagus nerve and my body slowed way down. 40 heartbeats a minute. They backed off the gas and did chest compressions to get me stabilized. Then contacted the cardiologist who told them to go for it so they compleated the surgery and then sent me to the cath lab for a heart cath. That came back normal. Surgeon said I gave them quite a scare. I wouldn't know as I woke up in the ICU and don't remember a thing about even going to the OR.
Let me tell you, I used Tennova at Turkey Creek as my hospital and the care was outstanding both in the ICU and the bariatric wing. I couldn't have asked for better.
Woke up only to walk far enough to get them to take the catheter out. My surgeon checks for leaks during surgery so I would drink as soon as I woke up. Yayyyyy. I could drink easily and like the very cold the best. I had no nausea or pain when still. When I tried to get up that was another story. Seems like when they blew me up they also disturbed the scar tissue from my mastectomies of 9 years ago and that gave me fits for about a week. The actual surgery part was a breeze.
I have had no problem meeting my carb, Protein and fluid goals daily. I can drink normally but not as much as fast. I'm on liquids for 4 weeks on then on to purees. I am so looking forward to some refried beans!!!
So for you older folks considering this--go for it. I'm a two time cancer surviver and figured I had nothing but fat to lose and everything to gain.
I'd do this again in a heartbeat. Oh, and I'm down 23 lbs. from the start of my pre op so that part is going well, too.
Chris

LL I've followed you from shortly after your surgery and waaaayyyy before my own. You are one of the people on here that I see as a role model for being successful with this surgery.
Thanks for telling your story. It inspires me and keeps my resolve to follow my doctor's directions to a tee strong
Great pics too!

I'm 71 and a little over 4 months out I am down 66 pounds. I've followed doctors orders the whole time and I think that is the key. My excercise program has been pool aerobics 5 days a week.
So because we are older doesn't necessarily mean we can't lose quite a lot of weight.

I'm 71 and a little over 4 months out I am down 66 pounds. I've followed doctors orders the whole time and I think that is the key. My excercise program has been pool aerobics 5 days a week.
So because we are older doesn't necessarily mean we can't lose quite a lot of weight.

I used to have on my mirror the phrase "Learn from your mistakes" but just recently, after a really rough spot in the 3 month prediet, I scratched out Mistakes and replaced it with SUCCESS. Look back at successful calorie days and replicate those for a few days...you'll readjust just fine!

I'm sorry, but no one needs a PCP whom they have to educate about modern medical science.
If they don't know their stuff already, what do you need them for?

Exactly one year ago today I had my sleeve surgery and it has been a truly wonderful year! In the past I have dieted down to 120 and then ate my way back up to 200 at least 10 times, however I started 2013 weighing 197 and then I found myself at 237 by August. I simply couldn’t control my eating and I had gotten to a point where I wasn’t able to exercise a whole lot because my feet would swell up when I ran and I was a slug in the classes I took at the gym. Worst of all, my siblings had come to visit me in the summer of 2013 and the last time they had seen me I was around 130, so much as they assured me I looked great, I could see that they were shocked at my size. It was humiliating.
The third week of August I decided to go to the bariatric surgery seminar that the hospital in my city held once a month. The next day I had scheduled a consultation with the surgeon, and a week later we had my surgery date set for 9/9/13. Since I am a super impatient person, I had no interest in waiting around for my insurance company to possibly deny me six months down the road, so I was blessed in that I was able to go with the self-pay option.
I was SO worried a year ago that I was possibly destroying my life. I read all of the horror stories about people who had the surgery and experienced leaks or other complications and I had generally worked myself into a hot mess. Fortunately, when you shell out 20 grand, you minimize your chance of chickening out and a year ago today, around this time I was just waking up enough to be somewhat cognizant of the fact that I was in a hospital. I chose to tell no one about the surgery at the time, although since that point I have told my three best friends and they have been a great support system. I spent the first three days so ungodly sick I was positive that everything I had worried would come true. Fortunately, once I was off the IV narcotics and finally at home I started to feel a bit better. The effects of the anesthesia and drugs didn’t really start fully wearing off until week two, however I worked from home starting four days after surgery and I returned to full-time office work a week after surgery.
I think the worst part about the first few weeks was not being able to comfort myself with food. I felt rotten, I was terrified I was going to spring a leak and die, and I could not eat Cookies to feel better! Fortunately, I had an excellent surgeon who, while not a really nice person, was exceptional at his job, and I have never had any complications. Also, apparently when you’re self-pay, no one ever follows up with you to make sure you didn’t die, so I would totally advise if you go this route to find a doctor that has a great surgical skill set, but also one who is invested in your success outside of simply whether or not you live to leave his operating room.
By last Christmas I was in the 190’s, where I stayed for awhile because I enjoyed some Christmas chocolate, but by January after all of the junk was cut out again I started to drop. The 190’s and 180’s flew by, but getting out of the 170’s and under 160 took forever. I was stuck at the same weight for months, so for those of you who plateau, all I can say is, look at what you’re eating and how you’re working out, adapt, and keep going! I finally kicked the plateau and as of this morning I am 145.
Three weeks ago I had my first set of plastic surgeries, which included a breast lift and augmentation, an abdominoplasty, and Lipo to my inner and outer thighs and lower back. I don’t notice a huge difference with the lipo, but I can see a huge difference with the rest of the procedures. There is a reason people love plastic surgery! I will admit I tend to prance around in front of my bathroom mirror, naked, checking out my new figure and maybe at some point I will be able to do that in front of a man again instead of locked alone in my bathroom, lol. I have a groin incision thigh lift scheduled for the last week of November, but after that, I’m done with the worst part, and I don’t imagine I will have any major procedures done again anytime soon. I also lucked out and got a massively talented plastic surgeon who also has fantastic bedside manner. If you’re in Florida and you’re looking for an awesome practice- message me! My PS is awesome!
I’d still like to lose about 20 pounds, but I don’t feel worthless anymore. I’ve wanted juvederm and botox in my face for years, but I was always of the opinion that spending money to make my face better when the rest of me was fatzilla was just an expensive waste of time and cash. I have an appointment next week for both and I am excited, instead of sick with guilt and shame. Now, I don’t feel guilty about spending money on clothes or cosmetic things because I feel like I worked hard to get to this point, I look decent, and I deserve it. I can enjoy getting dressed up to go out and even though I catch myself occasionally still feeling like the fat girl, no one ever treats me like one anymore. There is such a night and day difference between the way people treat you when you are large and when you are regular sized, and it is nice to not feel instantly judged anymore (especially since I’m sure half the time no one was even looking at me me and it was all in my head!).
Overall, I can certainly say that the only thing I regret about the surgery is not having done it sooner. Sure, I have to be careful when I’m out to dinner because I tend to get instantly sick if I eat a few too many bites of the wrong thing and yes, there are times I wish I could bury my bad day in a bag of oreos, but I can still enjoy all of the food I love, I just do so in very small portions. I love my sleeve, I love the life that it has allowed me to have, and I look forward to continuing to log onto here and read everyone else’s stories!

This is one of several common but wrong "facts" floating around out there about WLS.
This is not a fact, but it's just "on average" what ALL WLS patients lose.
In other words, some people lose 20%, some 40%, some 60%, some 80% and some 100% of their EXCESS WEIGHT (the amount that they're overweight).
Likewise, some patients maintain 100% of their weight loss, some maintain 80%, some maintain 60%, some maintain 40%, some maintain 20% -- and some gain back every bit of the weight they lost.
How much you lose and how much of your weight loss you maintain in future years is purely a function of:
* how much and what kind of food you eat
* how much Water you drink
* how much you exercise
* how well you deal long-term with your food / obesity / eating / addiction issues
(At least, that's how I understand it. Competing views are welcomed.)

if you continue to eat healthy, exercise and are feeling awesome and THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, losing inches (clothes getting big and baggy) then YOU are no in a so called stall (i dont believe in those btw and 100% agree with go walking)....stay the course and watch what happens.......success

It's unlikely that love will come knocking on your front door. Here is how (at the age of 55) I found love after being thrown out (divorced) a second time. I took a year off from the relationship scene to get my head together and to find out who I was when no one else is telling me what to do, think. eat, or like. I had to find the true me to be able to present myself correctly in the search for love. I got on Craig's list, back before it was a pimp site, and put an ad in the personals. I told it plainly who I was and what I am and what my baggage was. I even mentioned that I was heavy.
I got 93 responses that I had to filter through. I eliminated those that sounded obviously perverted, those that sent below the belt photos, and those that were just out of high school, and those that seemed uncompatable. I reduced the list to ten and started meeting guys in public places before giving out my address and phone. Sure, I dated a couple of frogs, but gentleman number three came across as dignified and gentle and had many similar interests as I had, and he had been thrown away twice, too.
We have been together over eight years and plan on going into our old age together. He is now 64 and I am just around the corner from 63. He never asked me to change anything (not even my weight) and I have never asked him to change anything (not even his smokig). He is very tall and thin. We look like a pencil and and apple when we are together. He has been supportive of my weight loss surgery, and our love has grown stronger.
So, I have said all of that to say this.......to find someone who will love you for who you are, you have to be bold enough to put yourself out there - as you are. If you join a dating site, definitely mention that you are on a doctor supervised weight loss journey. You will likely get someone who is on that journey also or is at least open-minded about folks in our predicament. I don't think you have to be at your goal weight before you start dating. Just go for it.

I've had hard liquor and wine a couple times/month since 4 months post op. I have no clue if I gained temporarily when I did because I don't weigh myself that frequently. But since I'm 7 pounds under goal weight at 8 months postop I'm not about to second guess any of my choices.
Just one more reason to throw your scale away....guilt free enjoyment of libations!

Just to keep it in perspective, alcohol dehydrates you. After drinking your body retains Water. There is no way you drank 17,500 calories to gain 5 pounds in one or two days. The change on the scale is very temporary as long as you eat on plan and drink your Water.< /p>

Welcome! Keep doing what you are doing and you will be very happy with the results. Wishing you the very best with your surgery.

Welcome to an exciting new chapter in your life!

I, too, cringe at responses from time to time. Usually only when the name calling or judgement starts, though. I never assume someone is weak or vulnerable and I'd be hot if someone ever thought that of me. The only time I get "offended" is when someone speaks for me (saying things like "all of us" or "everyone here", etc.) or when I get scolded for taking the time to answer a question and it's not to the satisfaction of whomever is pretending to be my keeper. Even then, I'm not offended, per say, I just get pissy.