WhoKnows

I've heard that heat messes with protein powder. Do you know anything about this?

Thanks both of you for the advice! Luckily I have the day before I TA free, so even though I need to prepare (both in terms of teaching and in terms of getting my own work done for the classes I take), I won't have to physically go to the university, which means I'll be able to prep at home and take it easy. Hopefully that will be enough! Fingers crossed!

Are you sure it's not a canker sore? I've never heard of a cold sore on your tongue. Canker sores are really common, and you can get them due to stress or because you're low on certain nutrients.

Has anyone else here been 'awake' for their EGD? I live in Germany (here they think the Americans are overmedicated wimps) and the impression I got over the phone today when I made my appointment for my EGD is that, while I'll have some sort of mild sedative, I won't just wake up when the whole thing is over like most people on here describe. I don't have much of a gag reflex and I tend to be good about mind over matter stuff that might make others squeemish, but I don't know what to actually expect. Is it painful? Or just strange/uncomfortable?

I live in a super small apartment, so all I have is my bed or desk chair... oy vey.

Oh, interesting. Well maybe that is what I'll be given then. The woman I spoke with on the phone just said I could have a shot of something to relax me if I want one, but didn't give me any more info. I'm meeting with my surgeon to get my date and everything fixed this Friday, so I'll ask her as well.

How is it that everyone has a recliner?! Am I totally screwed that I don't have one? Now I'm really worried I won't be able to sleep after surgery since I'm definitely not a back sleeper. Maybe I can find one of those pillows with arms on amazon?

I hope no one minds me reviving this topic. I haven't been diagnosed with gastroparesis, but I'm 99% sure I have it. I'm hesitant to see a specialist and get diagnosed because I don't want anything to interfere with surgery... But reading that several of you above said surgery improves it, that gives me hope. I don't get bouts of gastroparesis very often; maybe just once or twice a year with varying levels of severity. Anyway, is there anyone else who had/has gastroparesis, who has either had surgery or is approved for surgery despite it?

I heard from other patients that here in Germany it's more like 5. I guess I'll be happy for that if there are problems, but my guess is I'm gonna really wanna go home after day 3 or so...

This is why I haven't told many people. The few people I've told usually start out by saying, "But you aren't *that* fat!" Well, I may not be immobile, but I'm still fat enough to be essentially invisible in public and have very little social capital in our culture! And don't get me started on all the health problems. But even the first surgeon I met with said, "You saw the other people waiting. You're not like them. Are you sure you want this?" To which I replied, "I want this now to make sure I don't end up 'like them.'" Same deal with the shrink when I did the psych eval. Ugh.

One of the things I'm looking forward to most after losing weight will be flying. Maybe "looking forward to" isn't the best way to put it, but I think you know what I mean. The topic of air travel comes up a lot since many of my friends here (I live in Germany) are other expats. Everyone loves to complain about flying and how they're packed in like sardines, but I always just want to yell at them "You have no idea how easy you have it!"And if I do mention that maybe they need to check their thin privilege in this case, they're always, "Well, flying is hard for everyone." Which I know is true, but c'mon, clearly there's a difference here! Also, they never understand why I pay extra to make sure I get one of the emergency exit rows at the front (the one with no seats in front of you at all), and imply it's a waste of money. Ok *rant over*

I know you said the only thing you like is running, but you might wanna consider adding some strength training, which I understand can be better for maintaining (and is obviously important for overall health). Put some cool podcasts on an MP3 player or some music to get you through it without being bored, and pump some iron!

I use a Diva Cup, which I only need to empty twice or two times a day, despite a heavy flow. If I'm allowed to keep it in during surgery, it seems like the least messy option. My only concern will be emptying and reinserting it post-surgery if my mobility is limited. So, here's just hoping I won't be on my period at the time..

Honestly, I wish people had offered me legit help back in the day. It's a bit different because my weight gain started when I was a little kid (though my parents did nothing out of the belief that I didn't need my diet policed and that I'd find my own way to healthy eating), and obviously your husband is an adult, but I don't think offering help and support and policing his diet are the same thing. Maybe just say to him, "I've observed these behaviors, and I don't know what they're about for you, but I know for a lot of people they may mean x,y, or z. If you're happy, I'm happy, but if you're not happy, there are thing we can try (therapy and nutritionist for starters), and I'll support you and help you all the way. I won't bring it up again, but if you decide you want to bring it up or try something new tomorrow, next month, next year, or in ten years, let me know." I really wish someone had said something like this to me, not just when I was a kid, but also as an adult.

. I have a friend here in the states who had this done in Germany. They did not put her to sleep, sprayed a throat spray to help with the gag reflex and that was all. Yup, sounds about right. Luckily, of all the things the Germans do medically that make me scratch my head, this isn't one I'm too worried about. I don't have much of a gag reflex (no minds in the gutter please!), and I tend to be good at mind over matter for this sort of thing. I'm honestly much more worried about not receiving enough pain meds after surgery...

This is good to know. I feel like right now (pre-op) I don't realize how fat I am until I see pictures. And the last time I lost weight on my own (got to a size 12/14) I thought I looked ok, until I saw pictures and then still thought I looked bigger in them then I'd realized. Of course, now looking back at these pictures I can say that I looked totally normal! Like they say, "If only I could be as fat now as I was then!"

Wait, what? The surgery itself increases libido? Is there a reason for this?

I find I can usually use yogurt to sub for mayo in salads that call for it. Otherwise if it's for spreading on something, I use avocado. Yes, it's high in fat, but it's damn healthy fat, and just a schmear isn't so much.

Holy cow! You look amazing! These are results I'm hoping for. We look like we might be around the same age (I'm 27) and I'd love to come out on the other end looking as young as you do. I feel like the weight really makes me look older.

Hm, well, I'll be curious to see how they do it here in Germany. It doesn't seem like something for which anesthesia is really necessary; it's probably just nicer that way, and the Germans tend to take the rout of least intervention in such cases (ie. wisdom tooth removal with just novocain, pretty much never prescribing pain killers stronger than ibuprofen, etc.).

Why do they put you to sleep for this? Are you really asleep, or do you just get amnesia?

Just how liquid is liquid for the pre-op diet? I tend to eat pretty clean anyway (portion control is my problem), so would a thin, puréed lentil and vegetable Soup (sans potatoes) be acceptable? I don't have a date yet, so I don't know whether or not the doctor will require to me do liquids, but it seems like regardless, people tend to do better when they have done, so I may want to do a week of liquids just to be safe as well.

@@tfarr Oh my god, I thought I was the only one! But you know, I think ultimately the surgery is a good thing, especially if done soon. One of the best things you can do is get in shape, which I know I can't do on my own.

food insecurity doesn't come from a lack of resources (though as the world population continues to grow this will be an increasingly large problem), but rather people's inability to pay for food (which in some countries rots in storage while poor people starve), as they're forced into buying it, rather than farming their own, thanks to the rise of global monocrop agriculture. (Stuffed and Starved by Raj Patel is a great introduction to global food politics: http://www.amazon.com/Stuffed-Starved-Hidden-Battle-System/dp/1612191274) I applaud you for being concerned about people suffering from food insecurity, and please trust me when I say that you're having the sleeve has no negative impact on those people. If anything, once you've been sleeved, you're eating less (not to mention better food choices that will hopefully involve local, organic and unprocessed produce) will lower your carbon footprint and ad a drop to the bucket in terms of doing something positive for those who are less fortunate. The thought that you should eat more because some people can't is very twisted logic, and in no way productive to creating a sustainable, secure 'food economy.'

Once I get approval from my insurance, my plan is to be sleeved. My reasons for choosing sleeve over RNY are pretty much all the ones everyone else has already said, but there's also one more. I realize that this sounds alarmist and kind of nuts, but in the event of some sort of major disaster, I don't want to be in a position where I can't absorb nutrients from food. I'm only in my 20s (which hopefully means under the best of circumstances I have another five or six decades ahead of me), and within that time, who knows what could happen? I know people say you can't worry about that sort of thing, but if you listen to what a lot of top scientists are saying (here's a report on a recent NASA study: http://www.policymic.com/articles/85541/a-nasa-study-comes-to-heavy-conclusion-our-civilization-will-come-to-an-end-in-only-a-few-decades?utm_source=policymicTBLR&utm_medium=main&utm_campaign=social) it only makes sense to at least consider the possibility. I'd feel differently if I were older, but at 27, I have no idea how the world will look in 30 or 40 years (or what sort of income level I'll be at, whether I'll have insurance, and how expensive Vitamins will be), and it just doesn't seem wise to plan on being reliant on supplements for the rest of my life. (I know the sleeve requires upkeep too, but comparatively less in the long run it seem like.)