Mary Cade

Sorry about that and soon I will be shedding along with everyone else

I am not going to give any advice here. I did no do it. I tried it, my body said CUT THAT OUT, IM DROWNING OVER HERE!! I'm probably the only one person who told my WLS instructors that, that part just aint gonna happen. I'll drink when I'm thirsty, and ended that discussion. Never been dehydrated. but I drink a lot of other things, coffee, tea's, crystal lite, all day long, just not by the gallons like they recommend. just saying. Lots of people panic on this subject. I truly believe that's to much Water for one body to handle. 4 years later I'm still drinking when my body tells me to, I seem to be just fine. but that's me, do what you think is right for you.

I stick to a schedule. At first, it was 1 oz every 15 minutes I was awake. Now that I'm further out, it's one cup before Breakfast, two more cups by lunch, three cups before dinner, and I.5 cups after dinner. The other 1/2 cup comes during the night. I always wake up and have a sip or two of wTer. I count all fluids towards my eight cups, but doctors Cary on what they count as fluids. During the winter, I drink my Water warm to hot because I'm always cold.
Lynda

Most people begin to lose hair at, or around, 3 months post op....I'm a few days shy of 2 months & am a hair shedding machine....seriously, if I were to shake my head near my 3 year old I'm afraid I'd bury her in a sea of (my former) golden locks....of all the things to be "advanced" in...

I am def going through some buyers remorse. They did my sleeve and fixed a hernia while I was in. I don't know if that means the insurance will cover some of the surgery now (I was self pay) so any thoughts or advice on that is appreciated!!
Once they rolled me out of surfer I pretty much don't remember anything from the first 6-7 hours post op. Hubby says I was talking but would fall asleep mid sentence. They then take your bed away and make you lay in this surprisingly comfortable recliner. I was up pretty much every hour to walk because it was the only thing that relieved the gas pain and nausea. Everytime I thought I was going to vomit, I really just needed to burp. My advice to those about to do this surgery- when in doubt, walk it out!!
Each time I would walk the pain got better, I got stronger the nausea went away. Granted, it always came back an hour or two later but then I would walk again. The morning after they take you down to radiology where you do a barium swallow- which again made me try to vomit but I only needed to really burp. They also have you do breathing games after each walk. For some reason or another these really tire you out but they do help you cough up flem so they are important. They send you home with the breathing game as well.
Before I left I chose to take a shower which was heavenly! The nurses helped me quite a bit which I thought would be awkward but it wasn't. After the shower my doc came in and went over post op meds to be filled and his expectations at home. All of my pills have to be crushed and my pain meds are all liquid so that's nice. The only meds he has me on is ondancetron (pill I am crushing for nausea), hydrocodone/Tylenol (for pain but comes liquid) and sucralfate( comes as a liquid but haven't taken it yet).
My first attempt at pain meds at home made me vomit. My sleeve really let me know it got too full by making me immediately hyper salivate and retch a wee bit. Not so fun!! So anyways here is a summary of my tips for those about to go in:
1) walk walk walk walk. If you hurt in any way try walking first and then ask for meds after. It really does help
2) bring your own pillow!
3) don't be shy- the nurses will gladly help if you ask. Literally for anything. Also- when I got there I told my anesthesiologist I was really nervous (I cried) so he was super nice and gave me some good meds before surgery to calm my nerves.
4) ice chips are your friend, they help with the dry mouth.
5) tell your doc if you need meds for nausea! Originally he wasn't going to send me home with any but when I ask he happily gave them to me.
5) drink slow, really really slow.
6) bring slip on shoes
Well that's all I can think of for now. I'm on some pretty great pain meds so sorry if some of it doesn't make sense or I repeated myself! Feel free to private message me if you have anymore questions!!!

I can't deal with carbs. I ate mashed potatoes today and now all I want to do is eat. I haven't but I want to. I don't think I ever safely eat carbs again. Specifically potatoes or white rice or especially Pasta unless it's whole grain. Sigh...oh well.

You are so lucky. I have to do two full weeks consisting of two shakes, one lean Protein and veggie.

Thanks everyone for your support , we are truly a family here

I wish I had support of my family right now I am having surgery on June 24 and am thinking of not doing it . Wish I just had one person supporting me

At the end of the day, you are still the SAME PERSON. I am the same person that got morbidly obese, and so is everybody else here. We've all had inappropriate/unhealthy relationships with food. If we only ate when truly hungry, nobody would need theses extreme interventions! And after surgery and recovery, that same person is still inside you. You still have to face your overeating triggers like stress, depression, etc. and cravings, too. Just because my tummy got tiny, chocolate did not become less delicious. Just because I got the sleeve, exercise didn't become something I don't rolls eyes about. It's a tool, and you still have to put in work. Otherwise youre not ready for this so don't waste your time.
I'm sorry if I sound bitchy, but this is the cold truth.

According to my Dr. 2/3 of Grehlin is in the stomach ( which is removed with surgery) and the other 1/3 is is the bowel with this surgery there is less chance of failure as complied to the band ( which at some point they won't even offer that as an option) and RNY has a higher risk of stretching out the stomach and as far as I know the RNY does not remove the hormone.

The real question is "How bad do you want your new life?" Some people want it bad enough to do whatever it takes to succeed. The surgery is a tool but we have to work the tool. They operate on your stomach but not your brain. One of my pre-surgery requirements was to see a psychiatrist for them to determine whether I'd be compliant, among other things. At my monthly weigh-ins I saw a nutritionist who gave me a list of things I'd do differently after surgery (e.g. eating and drinking at least 30 minutes apart, not drinking with straws.) My surgery was November 2013. I've lost 80 lbs. since them and have 30 lbs. to goal. I exercise 4-5 times a week, follow doctor's directions, take Vitamins, eat or drink until I'm satisfied. I don't count calories. You're right Ghrelin producing cells are removed. These people may be "head hungry"; eating when not physically hungry or continuing old habits. Consuming the correct amount of Protein, vitamins and Water became easy after the first week. I can say this is the best thing I've ever done for myself. I never want to endanger my health again, go back to feeling and looking the way I did or have wasted my time or the insurance company's money.

Honestly it depends on each individual person, and this surgery may not be for you. I'm still a "newbie" to this procedure only 3 weeks out but I can tell you this. For me, this is the only way I've been able to lose more then 10 lbs due to a very sluggish, practically dead metabolism. It's not some quick weight loss scheme, It is very much a lifestyle change and really only a tool to help you make the change to a healthier lifestyle. Do I still want bad food? Yes, however it's changed. My body no longer tolerates sweet stuff and I get full very fast but for me, this was one of the best decisions of my life.

Per my Nut it takes 3-4 months to develop a habit. So for me the point of the surgery is to take the next 6 months of restrictions to learn new habits. Granted I am only one week out but I have learned that I have more control of what I eat then I ever thought before. Just because I crave it doesn't mean I have to eat it. My hope and plan is to emerge from this as someone who can sample a decadence and not eat every drop until it is a distance memory. I love your question because it made me really think. Success for me is not to diet the rest of my life but to develop a healthy, normal relationship with food.< /p>

you will find that most of the people here 'watched what i ate and exercised' so many times in our lives we lost count.
when i had joined weight watchers for the 29th time i finally got a clue that it wasn't working for me...
there is no secret to surgery, it is simply a TOOL to aid us. this tool DOES eliminate a majority of the grelin producing section of the stomach (it is also still produced in the brain) AND limits capacity.
My surgeon told me that right now my stomach at capacity is probably around 76-90 oz. full, it's the size of a football. post-op, my new filled tummy will be around 6 oz., the size of a smallish banana. obviously if it can only hold that small amount, i have less calories to both burn and utilize.
i am simply trying to put myself on a level playing field so that i have a chance to be in control.

I didn't like McD's before my surgery, let alone afterwards. It's funny ur mentioning this right now. Last month, McD's came out with the buy 1 get 1 free of Big Macs. haven't wanted a Big Mac in about 10 yrs. Till I saw the commercial. About a week ago, my poor hubby had to get dressed (we're usually in bed by 9) at 9 pm (cuz it's only after 9) and go get me a Big Mac. It's been 11 mths since my revision and that 1/3 of a Big Mac was yummy, not at all like I remembered it from 10 yrs ago.
Hope this isn't the start of something...
But, since u asked, I DO eat most of my fav foods (incuding pizza, tacos, burgers, fries) occasionally and a very small amt (like I can eat about 1/2 pc of thin crust pizza, 1/3 of an In and Out cheeseburger, 2/3 of a Del Taco soft taco, about 8 fries-and this isn't all in 1 meal, btw! LOL). I luv my tiny tummy and I don't want to ruin it and it's affects by eating too much/too often.
When u start sliding into a single digit pair of jeans, u really don't want to go back to a size 22 again...
Good luck!

Thank you Cindy , you made me smile I glad they are good people here. That can support and lift us when we are down god bless you if you don't mind I would love to keep in touch with you ,god bless you Cindy you made my day

Thank you Cindy , you made me smile I glad they are good people here. That can support and lift us when we are down god bless you if you don't mind I would love to keep in touch with you ,god bless you Cindy you made my day

I support you!!!

I wish I had support of my family right now I am having surgery on June 24 and am thinking of not doing it . Wish I just had one person supporting me

I've posted a little but wanted to introduce myself to everyone. My husband (almost 43) and I (41) are both going through this process together. We started with our first consult in April. I had my EGD this morning and now all that's left for me to do is one more NUT visit. My husband has his EGD to complete and the last NUT visit as well. We started thinking about this surgery a year ago. Could kick myself now for not doing it then. Didn't want to give up my diet coke. Seems so silly now! We have 3 kids, ages 9, 12 & 13. Can't wait to be able to do more with them (and so much more)! Ready to finally live life!!
Michelle

About 50% of people lose their hunger for a long period of time (6-12 mths) and the other unlucky 50% get theirs back almost right away. Mine came back on day 10. I'm 46 and know the difference between acid and hunger - and it was truly hunger. Besides, I take 40mg of Prilosec 2x a day. Now, however, my hunger is taken away with literally a few bites. I usually "top it off" with a couple bites over my satiated feeling (about 10 bites) just so I can actually go 90 minutes before I'm hungry again. Seems like I'm always eating something. I feel like a pig when I announce to my husband that I'm hungry - AGAIN. Truth is, even tho I eat often, I don't eat much so that allows me to continue losing.
Water: The above poster was right about the sip. Pretend ur sipping coffee. The first few weeks, I was only able to take tiny, room temp sips of Water (and I'm a big ice cold fan). Felt like a fire in my stomach when I drank something iced cold. Now that I'm 11 mths out, I can guzzle liquids as I did pre op. I started this at about 3 mths. Alot of us still guzzle. My dr doesn't prohibit this. The only things he really says no to is drinking carbonation and drinking before/during meals. Drinking with a straw, eating carbs, etc are a personal preference for us. If it wasn't for a straw, not sure I could get in enuf Water a day. And I add Dasani drops (my current favs are strawberry kiwi and cherry pomegranite) just to flavor it a little, not too strong.
Good luck!

I am a nightgown girl. I think nightgowns are easier, because I didn't want anything with a waistband (had an incision right at that place where a waistband would be) plus I just love my nightgowns!! I brought 3 with me, just in case! They were comfy, and I looked stylish doing my laps around the hall! lol...
My bariatric coordinator gives everyone a small firm pillow with a picture of the procedure on it. I used it to press against my stomach when I needed to get in and out of bed, also when I needed to give a nice strong cough to clear my lungs after surgery, and I continued using it to help me at home. If you aren't given one of these (ask ahead) make sure you bring a small firm pillow with you for this purpose.
Great idea Diva!

WLS Do’s and Don’ts

DO remove the word ONLY from your vocabulary. Ex: I’ve ONLY lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks… Now let’s look at this again without the word ONLY: I’ve lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks!! See what I mean? Perception is reality folks!!

DON’T assume you’ll never eat all of your favorite foods again. This is just an excuse your brain has designed to allow you to indulge. You WILL eat all your favorites again someday, just much less but find it to me more enjoyable. Which leads directly into the next:

DON’T do the “last meal” syndrome. You will only sabotage your weight loss you might have pre-surgery or set you back further from your ultimate goal post-op. This surgery is very serious and is for the serious minded. Use this time wisely to get the feeling of how life might be like post op.

DO learn all of the rules pre-op that you will endure post-op. Such as, no drinking with meals, using smaller utensils and plates, engaging in some type of workout routine, limiting your sugar and sodium intake, joining as many WLS support groups as you can.

DO Celebrate every single pound lost! Imagine one pound of butter. Yeah… that’s gone from your body forever. It is noteworthy and worth every bit of a pat on the back as any others that may go along with it.

DON’T compare your successes and losses to others. Chances are very high that you will only come out on the short end and only find yourself disappointed. Everyone’s journeys are their own…

DO keep track of your losses in many different ways than just the scale! Examples:

DO keep one set of your largest clothes you’ve ever worn. Make it a point to try them on, especially when you’re having a down moment. You will find this will really pick up your spirits! This is a real rollercoaster of a ride, and anything that will keep you positive is what you should do!

DON'T keep any other fat clothes around. Get rid of them ASAP. You're never going to fit them again, right? So... off to donations they go.

DO take photos of yourself just before your surgery. Keep them close. Again, having a bad day? Look at them and compare them. As a matter of fact, take photos of yourself often. You will also find that the more you lose, the more you will want to take pictures. Nothing wrong with that!!! That goes with celebrating your losses.

DO take measurements of yourself often. Keeping track of all your inches lost will really keep you on the right track when your scale is being stubborn!!

DO reward yourself every time you hit a mini goal. Make some more worthy than others. I like to go shopping when I hit a goal, it is my favorite thing to do now.

DON’T let the scale define you. Great majority of us will endure many fluctuations and stalls in this journey. It is what it is… patience is the key here. Meditate and envision yourself months down the road at your goal. Smile, then move on!!

DO find out about measuring body fat! It’s more than just weight loss, FAT LOSS is the real goal here. Keep in mind that the BMI scale is greatly inaccurate and most Health Studies do prove this. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE) our body fat % ranges should be average: 25-31% for Women and 18-24% for men. Any higher is considered obese. However it does go more in depth, according to ages and more. Everyone has different genetic make ups, frame sizes and fitness levels... even a different ethnicity can post differences.

DO have many goals in sight. Having only one, especially a simple weight goal you will find can be difficult. Have many MINI goals along your journey, and more than just ones that involve the scale. Such as, clothing size goals, body fat% goals, fitness or workout goals, dietary goals, etc…

DO challenge yourself always!! Whether it’s a global challenge with others, or personal challenges... It will keep you motivated and always willing to go further than you ever thought you could!

DO have a mentor! Find someone that you can trust and confide in, and that you know has “been there”. Preferably someone you know in person. You will find many folks in your life who have been there, for obesity is worldwide now and there are so many who have been able to defeat this demon. It’s not easy! It quite literally is the toughest feat I’ve ever had to endure. I can say this too, my job will never be done. This is for life!
DON'T believe the myth that your tool has an expiration date. Yes, it's true you will lose the most weight in the first year and it's also true that the further out you are and the closer you are to goal, the harder it is to lose. However, as long as you keep up with your healthy eating and fitness routines you will continue to lose weight and / or keep it off in the many years post op. It all boils down to calories in vs. calories out.
DON'T believe the myth that having WLS will keep the weight off forever. That is our individual responsibility.

And finally…

DON’T ever beat yourself up! We all make mistakes, and dare I say not one person on this Earth is perfect. I try hard to be, no doubt! I always admit that I’m a perfectionist – but I’m far from perfect. I just try to be… The only thing you can do is pick yourself up, give yourself a pep talk, perhaps contact your mentor for reassurance and move on!!! Again, this is for life. Every day you wake up is a second chance.

DO look for solutions to your problems. Otherwise they will just become excuses.


DON’T EVER GIVE UP! I don’t think any explanation is necessary here.

DON'T expect the scale to post a loss every single day. As a matter of fact, don't expect it to move that much even weekly! Just keep doing all the right things and the scale will move in the right direction when it needs to.

DO expect to see fluctuations on the scale, both down AND up. DON'T lose your head over it either. This isn't a miracle cure and the weight isn't going to magically disappear in a few weeks. You have to keep pushing with healthy eating, some type of workout and getting plenty of Fluid.

DON'T let the scale define your journey when there are so many pieces to that puzzle!!!



Good luck to all of you. This journey is a tough one, but if you are here, then you believed in yourself enough to give yourself the life you’ve always dreamed of. YOU WILL BE successful. Always keep that in mind.

Add-ons by other experienced sleevers:

DO keep a list of NSV (Non scale victories) to reflect on when times are getting hard. Can you walk up 2 extra flights of stairs before getting winded? Cross your legs?" and

"DO NOT be afraid to change things if they aren't working. Stalls happen even gains happen. If you are on a long stall look at your eating and decided if changes need to be made. Utilize your tool!" -- Southern Sleever

DO: Keep a food diary of what you eat and drink. This is a great learning tool as to which foods have what amounts of fat, Protein and carbs that add up to your daily intake goals. There are many ways to diary your food - from old fashioned pen and notebook to many options via smartphone apps. Keeping one is the important thing - however is right for you. I use mine now to look back for meal ideas when I hit a blank as to what to prepare for a day or a week.

DO: Realize this is not a diet to be followed for a while then set aside. This is a permanent lifestyle change. Yes, the amount of food you eat will increase as time passes, but your relationship with food will be forever altered. How you Celebrate your joys, successes and holidays will be different. How you mourn your sorrows will be different. Some people need outside help to get through the sometimes overwhelming mental changes this process brings. If you need help with this part of the deal- reach out and get it. -- SKCUNNINGHAM

DO roll with the punches!! -- fern