ProjectMe

@@mariatanner In my case, I had no trouble with swallowing the pill immediately after surgery. It's really tiny . And not everyone has trouble swallowing after surgery.

I used to start my day with at least 2 cups of coffee, until my nutritionist meeting and he explained what caffeine does to the body and how it could effect my sleeve. That explanation resulted in my going cold turkey since 6 months prior to surgery. Now I can't even stand the smell of it.

@@Tauruslady5 I applaud you and anyone else who wonders about an issue and takes it upon him or herself to go out and independently search for an answer. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, and many of the greatest inventions and findings in this world began because someone had a question & wanted an answer. This type of independent research is applauded in academic circles as long as it's done ethically. And as far as I read no humans or animals were hurt during your research, so it's all good. So again, bravo! Regarding the cancer and artificial sweetener link...initially researchers found saccharin caused bladder cancer in rats. Which is why there was & maybe still is a warning label on those pink packets...the brand name was SweetNLow. As it stands currently medical research has found no CLEAR link between artificial sweeteners and cancer. "No clear link"...that verbiage is concerning on a number of levels. The research is still ongoing. There is no definite answer to what artificial sweeteners will do to the human body 20-40 years down the road. While the FDA regulates the sweetener industry and deems them safe for human consumption, while initially sounding reassuring....questions remain. How much artificial sweetener is okay? How often can it be consumed? What about 20+ years of consumption! what then? Does the FDA make mistakes? There are still too many variables...hence the reason this subject is still being researched. Regarding artificial sweeteners and diabetes. My son is Type1 and was diagnosed at the age of 10. He is now 14, so we've had 4 years of diabetic education from the medical community including well known researchers as one of the major diabetic companies resides in our city. The human body does not distinguish between real sugar, honey, and artificial sweeteners, It all produces the same insulin/pancreatic reaction. Insulin rises. If a person chooses to have artifial sweeteners daily for 90 days..,that persons A1C will reflect that vs, an A1C of a person who didn't. This is common knowledge...not sure where the confusion was about this. Regarding the comments regarding irresponsibility, and the general outrage because someone took the time to express their own research, the research the medical community is still engaged in, and for expressing their own beliefs...I challenge each of you to conduct your own basic research on the topic. This librarian shakes at the idea of suggesting "Google" as the search engine...but in this case, I think it will do.

My surgeon said no to carbonation also.

I think one of the primary reasons WLS is seen as as the "wrong" or "easy" way is a perspective many have because unfortunately some WLS surgery patients believe it is the "easy" way out. You see posts on this and other WLS boards of patients saying they feel like they "cheated" or are afraid of judgement because they took the "easy way out". You also see a good number of posts about husbands/parents/significant others who are against WLS...mainly out of fear of long term consequences for the patient. IMO, it would help tremendously if patients took responsibility by educating themselves on the disease Obesity and how WLS is a tool like any other surgical intervention. Until we patients change our mindset, how can we expect anyone else will change theirs?

It's not a stall if you are losing inches. My suggestion is for you to take measurements today, then compare them to next week. You are probably going to find that you are getting smaller even though the scale isn't moving. I get a lot of comments at work that I'm shrinking even though the scale hasn't changed. My body is definitely changing.

I took pain pills on the 2nd day in the hospital and they were sent home, Drs didn't prescribe liquid. So if liquid is causing you discomfort, ask your surgeon for pills.

Im 3 months out and I can eat just 1/4 of a restaraunt entree. I always order a protein and the sides are just veggies. I don't eat bread or starches. Once I reach full I stop and ask for a Togo box even though my family is still eating. The leftovers are another three meals for me.

Seems like there's more to this. I just can't imagine that just a few scars & a drain caused him to do a complete 360 in regards to his love. My husband has been there through 14 surgeries & 3 births. I had the drain twice coming out of my neck, once when they removed 1/2 of my thyroid. And again, when they removed the other half due to cancer. I looked & felt like a Borg . My daughter who was 14 asked to remove it & clean it for me, then reattached it. Your husband needs to man up. And if he can't, he is simply unworthy of you.,,but something tells me you know this already.

I often receive comments at work like,"You are a completely different person!" and "I didn't know that was you!" And yes, it makes me feel good. But a part of me thinks that they shouldn't get it twisted, I'm still me & they'd better recognize

Way to go! Can't wait to be where you are Your story was truly inspiring, thank you for sharing!

Don't give up ladies. My husband and I met on a Christian dating site 16 years ago

@@MoosieGirl I love those Cookies too and like you only allow myself a portion. @@Debbieduck4 I either enjoy a decaf cinnamon tea for a sweet treat or a 1/4cup of trail mix.

Decaf tea only. I love cinnamon spice and chai. I pour a little chocolate Mootopia or the white Mootopia for extra protein, then a couple of Splendas. Absolutely love it! Btw, Mootoia is a type of protein infused lactose free milk they sell here in Texas. Not sure if it's sold elsewhere...but I use it to make my protein shakes too. It gives an extra 12g of protein per 8 ounces.

6 months before surgery, I just stopped drinking It cold turkey and took pain meds for the headache for a few days. Then I got over it. But I'm the type to just rip the bandaid off & get it over with...instead of the slow torture of peeling the bandaid away slowly.

I always took pride in looking professional at work. So I got really annoyed when my clothes were too baggy or didn't lay properly, I ended buying 3 pairs of pants and 1 pair of jeans from Old Navy. I got sale items but they fit me properly. I was able to wear those items for about 2 months, then I bought more items from old navy, again on sale. I make a large donation to the Salvation Army every year of old/outdated clothes, electronics, etc. so I'll just throw too big clothes into the donation pile. I write the donation off on my taxes every year.

I am 2 months PostOp and still take my daily Zyrtec and Flonase. They even gave it to me in the hospital. But, of course, check with your surgeon if you aren't sure.

Would your husband be against your having surgery for any other ailment? Would he be against medical intervention for diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, etc.? Probably not. Because he sees these issues as medical diseases. The biggest question is: What is his perception of obesity? Obesity is a multifaceted disease. And while you may be asymptomatic right now...internally your body is suffering and medical problems are sure to arise. The better we understand that obesity is a disease ourselves, the better we are able to explain it to our spouses and significant others. If we haven't done the research or asked our Drs/nutritionist about this disease, we are doing ourselves and our loved ones a disservice. Now after you've explained the disease to him, and he still chooses to be unsupportive...that's on him and his insecurities and selfishness.

You've had major abdominal surgery. It's expected that there will be some pain. A major concern would be a sudden increase in pain or any of the other concerning symptoms your surgeon advised you of. And as always contact your surgeon for guidance. My recommendation and what really helped me was sleeping in a recliner or recliner type position until your body has had more time to heal. I pretty much slept in the recliner for the first week and a half to two weeks, then off/on as needed.

Nope...haven't had carbonation since 6 months prior to surgery.

It is what it is. I grew up in a culturally diverse area. My friends were Samoan, Tongan, Hawaiian, Philipino, German, African American, Italian, Mexican, Guatemalan, Indian, and El Salvadorean. My 5'10, 170 pound frame was considered not cute/too big to my Asian friends, not cute/too skinny for my Polynesian friends, Thick or Just right for Arican American & Hispanic friends....and waay too big for my European friends. And after living in Europe I had a better understanding of European culture. Was I offended? Sometimes. And that was just body image. Don't get me started on my hair texture or skin color. But I accept and embrace diversity. Let me say that again, because I live by that personal statement. I accept and embrace diversity, Whether that be diversity of culture, thought, beliefs or opinion. I don't believe my life's calling is to cry "foul" each time someone expresses a belief different from my own. Especially on an Internet board. but obviously you not only posted in a thread that didn't apply to you, you also chose to cry "foul". So whatever, it is what it is.

I really can care less about other folks' ribs but just to play Devils advocate...so what if I really did feel like ribs showing on others isn't sexy? What if my definition of sexy just didn't include that particular physical characteristic? Doesn't everyone have their own definition of beauty? What about the saying "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"? What if my upbringing, experiences, exposures, or culture defined bones showing as not sexy? I just don't understand why you chose to refer to my observations about myself as being "judgemental"...isn't it all judgement in some way when we determine what is sexy or what is beautiful? I don't think hair I can braid on a man's back is sexy...there I said it... I guess I'm judgemental.

My PCM was unsupportive also, but I really didn't care. The worst part was how she didn't bother to tell me that the bariatric clinic was self referral. So I mentioned WLS surgery to my endocrinologist who was totally supportive and referred me to the clinic....uncecessary in the long run but I appreciated his help.

Definitely not too early. The same thing happened to me. What I did notice was that even though the scale wasn't budging, my body was shrinking. Clothes were getting really loose. So try not to worry, you're still losing