JeanZ_RN

Thank you so much for posting this! I'm 60 years old, and it's really helpful knowing that someone my age (or thereabouts) has done so well. I'm in a stall that has so far lasted a month, so the inspiration comes at a terrific time.

Congratulations on passing your boards! And I'm sorry for the loss of your beloved grandmother. You HAVE had a stressful time! Congratulations on not gaining any weight through all that! And be kind to yourself as you get back to the Losers' bench. Best wishes from another nurse (I passed my boards in 1973 ).

I think it was absolutely ok for you to ask her to limit the types of candy, to help you out. It's a shame others have taken the liberty of commenting negatively on what should have stayed between the two of you. Perhaps the candy could be moved to another location, so it's not such a constant trial for you? If that doesn't work, you might find that in your efforts to hurry past it you're becoming clumsy and <gasp> bumping into it and knocking it to the floor! Horrors! If that happens often enough she might decide a different location would be better... If I had an abundance of self control I wouldn't have needed the sleeve!

Dallas here.

RJ's / beginning - that is an excellent article you recommended. You are a font of wisdom and inspiration!

Those symptoms could be from eating carbs. If you cut way back on them for a while you will most likely get rid of the cravings. Also try assessing what you are really feeling when you think you're hungry... is it real physical my-stomach-is-empty hunger, or is it "head hunger"? Another thing it could be is excess stomach acid. If you are not taking a med like Prilosec, you might benefit from adding it; or if you are on one you might consider [asking your doc about] increasing the dose. One thing I've found helps me is only eating every 4 hours - 8am, noon, 4pm and 8pm. That way I know when I'll have something next, and I can keep better control of my intake. And it helps me NOT get in the habit of grazing. I do sometimes get hungry between those times, but I try to deal with that by drinking Water, chewing gum, having a sugar-free candy, etc.

I agree that 10 lbs a month is a good average wt loss. As for getting back on track - You gotta do what feels right to you, and if that includes going back to liquids then do that. But if I were in your shoes I think I would stay with solids and do these things: (1) Re-read the instructions / commandments about dense Protein first at every meal, chew-chew-chew, eat slowly, etc. (2) Re-commit to your plan for what you're going to eat: Calorie limitation but allowing carbs, or no calorie limitation but almost zero carbs (Atkins) -- whatever your plan is, re-commit to it. (3) Track everything that goes into your mouth. Use whatever method works best for you - a handwritten food journal, an app on a smartphone, MyFitnessPal ... whatever you choose, but DO IT. Do it every. single. day., every. single. bite. And track Water too! You can't manage what you don't measure. You might want to repeat #1 & 2 once a week or so until your habits have changed back and they're second nature once again. Best wishes.

I agree with the above. I'm betting the stairs won't be a problem. But just in case, before you go to the hospital bring downstairs everything you will need to sleep on the couch the first night you're home. Best wishes!

Absolutely I still enjoy food! I just eat less of it at a time. I'm finally at a point where I actually CAN and WILL stop after just a few bites, even if it's a food I really enjoy. That's the best part of being sleeved, to me - the safety net factor. I no longer can eat a whole package of Cookies in an evening, even if I want to. I'm still a carb addict, but now I have this wonderful tool to help me control the amount I eat.

I want to know about the non-surgical face lift!

Lortab is strong stuff. If it isn't controlling your pain you should definitely call your surgeon.

Even though you're not feeling true heartburn, the hunger sensation might be from gastric acid. If you're already on a medication for that (like Prilosec) you might benefit from having the dose increased; or if you're not on one you might benefit from starting one. Talk to your surgeon about it. And you are NOT a failure! You haven't had TIME to decide that yet! Take a deep breath and relax. Follow the rules and you WILL lose, I promise!

Try chewing gum, or even bubble gum. There are even flavored chewing gums out there. I remember being SO glad when I could EAT something again, even a Protein bar. But I stuck to the rules, and I'm glad I did. You can do this!

Madame Rev, we need a pic! OregonDaisy... wow, 61 years old and NO grey?? Lucky you! I started going grey in my 30s, and now the only part of my hair that isn't colored is the white streak. When I get in the neighborhood of my goal weight I plan to stop coloring my hair and get a cute, short style with bangs.

I'm 5'3" and you can see my weights below. My goal is to lose 70 lbs, and my goal weight is 130. Most of the above replies did not mention age, but it's definitely a factor in my case when speaking of sagging because I'm 60 years old and I have never been a fan of exercize. On the positive side: I have always avoided being out in the sun, I've never been hugely overweight, and I have not had any children. I've lost 38 lbs so far, and I'm sagging several places but it's not horrifying (yet ). Places I notice the sagging most are my neck, upper arms, boobs and belly. I may well have plastic surgery after I've been at goal for a while - depends how bad the saggies are at that point. Best wishes on your journey!

I'm 3 months post op, and I haven't tried anything carbonated yet. One of these days I'll give in and try some Barq's Diet Root Beer... but not yet.

I just Googled "treadmill band slips" and there are lots of articles / videos. I have no personal knowledge, so you're on your own regarding which ones will be helpful.

Or it could be excess stomach acid. If you're already on an acid reducing medication such as Prilosec, you might need an increase in the dosage. Or if you're not on one, you might benefit from adding one. Ask your doc!

I was on oral meds and insulin. On doctor's orders I stopped the oral meds the day of surgery, and decreased my insulin dose markedly at that point also. I kept checking my blood sugars several times a day, and the last time I took any insulin was 6 weeks after surgery. Now I check my fasting blood sugar a few times a week, and it has been 110-135. That's not perfect, but at that level I don't need meds so I'll take it! Best wishes!

My employer's insurance also has an exclusion for WLS, so I was self pay. Any complications will also be self pay. I had my surgery done in Dallas, TX, so I have follow-up care available from my surgeon and his staff. That's comforting, no matter who is paying.

I'm also a nurse, in a desk job. Also I'm single, so I have no responsibilities other than myself and my 2 small dogs when I'm home. That's a big factor you'll need to consider in figuring out what you will be able to do when, post-op. My surgery was on a Wednesday, and I was fortunate in that I did not experience fatigue to any significant degree after the first few days post op. I went back to work the following Wednesday. I did ok, but in hindsight it would have been better to take 2 more workdays off and return Monday. Not because of fatigue, but because I was a lot more interested in the changes happening with my body and dealing with my new diet than in doing my job. I agree with others that given how active your job is, three weeks sounds good. Or if you have the luxury, 4 weeks. Another factor to consider is how bored or stressed you might be if you stay at home longer. I can stay home for weeks and not be bored, but not everyone can.

Thanks for the post! I've been on this forum since last October, and this is the first I've heard of Protein Ice. It sounds too good to be true, but so far I don't see any down side. The types of protein in the drink, as listed on the company's web site (http://www.a1supplements.com/Protein-Ice-20-Oz.-12-Bottles-p-21370.html), are whey protein isolate and enzymatic hydrolyzed protein isolate. Whey protein is a by-product of cheese production. It is easily digested and very useful for WLS patients. From the little research I've done so far, enzymatic hydrolyzed protein isolate is a vague term that could mean protein from whey, casein, soy or some other source -- so it could be usable by the body or or not. (Not-usable sources include protein from shark cartilage, which apparently is not harmful but it isn't useful either.) Unfortunately, what I've read so far on their site doesn't say what percent of the protein in the drink comes from whey. The reason this is important to me is that I avoid all forms of soy, because it plays havoc with my body's thermostat. When I consume soy I get way too hot - not hot flashes, just generally too hot most of the time until the soy is out of my body. It's unfortunate for me, because soy is an excellent source of high-quality protein. There are other types of protein, and I am not an expert about any of them. I just know what has worked for me so far on this journey. If anyone has or can find details about the enzymatic hydrolyzed protein isolate in Protein Ice, I would like to know.

My viewpoint is different from most of the others on this thread. I have never been ashamed that I'm fat. I've been disgusted with my lack of willpower, and dissatisfied with my size, but not ashamed. I'm a nurse, working in an administrative job in a small hospital. Another nurse was hired for a similar position in our hospital, and in the course of conversation he soon volunteered the information that he had the sleeve surgery. I was aware of the band and RNY, but had not heard of the sleeve, so I asked some questions, did my research and decided to start the journey. When I scheduled the time off for the surgery it just seemed natural to tell my peers on the management team the purpose of that leave. They have ALL been supportive, which has helped me tremendously. My only family - 2 sisters and 1 brother - all live hours away, and while we are emotionally close and do keep in touch by phone and email, it's great to have supportive people whom I see every work day. Now I get to hear several times a week congratulations on how great I look and other congratulatory stuff. I'll TAKE it!

My viewpoint is different from most of the others on this thread. I'm a nurse, working in an administrative job in a small hospital. Another nurse was hired for a similar position in our hospital, and in the course of conversation he soon volunteered the information that he had the sleeve surgery. I had not heard of it, so I asked some questions, did my research and decided to start the journey. When I scheduled the time off for the surgery it just seemed natural to tell my peers on the management team the purpose of that leave. They have ALL been supportive, which has helped me tremendously. My only family - 2 sisters and 1 brother - all live hours away, and while we do keep in touch by phone and email, it's great to have supportive people whom I see every work day. Now I get to hear several times a week congratulations on how great I look and other congratulatory stuff. I'll TAKE it! I have no idea what if anything they say behind my back, but I'm not going to worry about it. I'm not getting any vibes to indicate they are anything other than supportive, so I have no reason to think there's any nastiness going on.

5'3" here, sleeved 11/13/13 High weight 214, stable wt when I started all this 204 SW 192 CW 167 - half way to my goal of 130