sunflowerchild

Voltaren (sp?) is a topical NSAID. I personally didn't have any relief from it but my situation is different from yours so you may have better luck.

For a few months after my surgery I was waiting for my progress to show. My friend had her surgery years before me and said it was going to come but I didn't believe her. She said give it three months for people to really notice your loss. I was like yeah right! She said I was going to skip sizes. I thought she was lying. She said give it time. I couldn't wait.
Well 6 months have come and gone and everything she said has happened!!! My only downfall is I still don't believe it. I still have the "Look" of fat where I had fat. It's just really small now. People don't recognize me. I think they are patronizing me but true/close friends tell me that they aren't. I really am so much smaller now!!! I'm so not done but really starting to enjoy this journey I'm on.
I went from a size 20 to a 12. 85lbs so far. 25 left!!  

Cauliflower Mashed "Potatoes"
1 lg head cauliflower
5 lg cloves garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 tablespoons grassfed butter (or butter substitute)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Fill up a large pot of Water with a couple of inches of Water. Set burner to high and place steamer insert into pot and put on the lid.
While waiting for the water wash and trim the cauliflower and cut up the florets and the stem. Peel the garlic and slice the cloves (the pieces don't need to be perfectly even).
When the water boils, toss in the stems, half the florets, all of the garlic, and a liberal amount of salt.
Next, add the rest of the cauliflower, more salt if you like, and put the lid back on. Steam until soft, about 10 minutes. It's best to make sure this is more overcooked rather than undercooked or it won't turn out smooth.
Drain in a colander. Put it in a food processor and add the pepper, nutmeg, and butter. (Note: if you don't have a food processor you may be able to use a blender, I cannot vouch for this method though). Process until smooth.
PS this reheats well in the microwave if you decide to make ahead.

Cauliflower Mashed "Potatoes"
1 lg head cauliflower
5 lg cloves garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 tablespoons grassfed butter (or butter substitute)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Fill up a large pot of Water with a couple of inches of Water. Set burner to high and place steamer insert into pot and put on the lid.
While waiting for the water wash and trim the cauliflower and cut up the florets and the stem. Peel the garlic and slice the cloves (the pieces don't need to be perfectly even).
When the water boils, toss in the stems, half the florets, all of the garlic, and a liberal amount of salt.
Next, add the rest of the cauliflower, more salt if you like, and put the lid back on. Steam until soft, about 10 minutes. It's best to make sure this is more overcooked rather than undercooked or it won't turn out smooth.
Drain in a colander. Put it in a food processor and add the pepper, nutmeg, and butter. (Note: if you don't have a food processor you may be able to use a blender, I cannot vouch for this method though). Process until smooth.
PS this reheats well in the microwave if you decide to make ahead.

A special shout out to my fellow veterans.
Can you get back into your old uniform yet? If so, show it off. It's our day.
And thank you to every taxpayer and citizen for giving me the privilege of serving in the best armed service on earth.
Cpt. Kirk

My 1 year anniversary is coming up in 4 days! I've posted plenty of pictures in the last year but this one is one of my favorites! It has nothing to do with my face or body but has everything to do with my health. I'm still have those "pinch me" moments quite often. It doesn't seem real, my brain still has issues comprehending the numbers that I see on the scale. I feel incredibly blessed to have been given the chance to have a "rebirth" and I want to thank each and everyone of you who has been with me on the journey you guys are a big reason for my success. I would name you all off but It would take forever and I don't want to miss anyone. I am thankful for each and everyone of you and wish you all a successful and blessed journey to health! Let's keep it going! This is a NSV but the numbers are just as important to me. ❤️ WINNING!!! ❤️

I went to the movies today, and they had packages of edamame! I was quite surprised. It's an 8 ounce bag, and it says that's one serving. I'd call it two servings.
A full bag is 150 calories, 16 grams carbs with 4 grams of Fiber = 12 grams carbs, 12 grams Protein.< /p>
It was really good, tasted fresh, and they nuke it to make it hot. The bag comes with a small tub to discard the pods. Here is their webpage: http://www.edamovie.com/

The Fall, Gilmore Girls, Friends, House, Being Human, The Killing, Revenge, Parenthood, New Girl, Psych, Helix, Broadchurch, United States of Tara, Dont trust the B in apartment 23, The Following

So I am going to approach this from a different angle...My weight was never an issue for my husband. He was concerned about my health, but never ever said anything about my weight. He truly loved me when I was at my lowest (the day we met) and loved me at my heaviest (the day I decided to have surgery).
While he supports me, he's not he rah-rah type of a guy who makes a big deal out of things - I had surgery, I worked hard to lose weight and come to terms with my food addiction. Every once in a while, like every other leap year, he gives me an "I'm proud of you comment" or "I'm glad you had surgery", but it's not like he celebrates every 1/4 pound weight loss with me.
My husband wrote this for my blog at my 7 week post op mark. Is still brings tears to my eyes now...This helps me sometimes when I think he needs to "be more supportive" - he is supportive, just in his own way.

From Mr. McButterpants:
The wife recently asked me to write a little something for her blog. Not much on writing more than witty quips in response to my friends Facebook posts, my first response was a “oh sure” and then to politely ignore the request. It’s a tactic that works I’d say 75% of the time. I was hoping that she would be so excited (or distraught) about weight loss/lack of weight loss/not pooping/pooping/someone else pooping or not pooping, she’d forget that she asked. So a week passed and then I get a, “So I’d really like you to write a post for my blog. You know, from the spouses point of view.” I thought I was home free with her focus on the stall. Guess not.
My wife’s weight has never really been an issue for me. We met over the phone and had a 3000-mile long distance relationship before the Internet and unlimited phone service. We worked in the same industry and developed a relationship over months of hours-long, bank-account-crushing phone calls. We have always said that if we had come across each other in a bar or other typical meeting place, we wouldn’t have been each other’s type, physically. Since we fell in love before we ever met, we got what we got. Which by the way, I was pretty happy with upon our first meeting. So when she informed me of her thoughts on surgery I tried hard to keep the slack jawed WTF look off my face as much as I could. I initially thought, “Your going to cut out most of your stomach just to lose a few pounds. What?” What I didn’t realize is that it wasn’t a few pounds. Much like your surprise when someone comments on how much your child has grown because they only see him once a year, I hadn’t noticed she had gained a hundred pounds since we first met. She had always just been my wife, my best friend, the person I would spend a long wonderful life with. My attachment to her has always been so much more than physical, and when I look at her I still see that 25-year-old girl I fell in love with. So when she told me how much she weighed I thought, “Holy shit, when did that happen?”
My blessing of the surgery wasn’t without hesitation. I know what obesity does to a body over time and have witnessed it first hand in my father and mother-in-law. The breaking down of joints, the insulin injections, heart issues and on and on…I know, preaching to the choir. But what if something happens during surgery and I lose the love of my life? What if our boy loses his mother? The mere thoughts made my heart hurt. How would I ever cope if something tragic actually happened? But you can’t live life on the basis that something bad MIGHT happen. Its what kept my mother from fully experiencing life and I always hated that. I wanted to have the healthiest wife possible as we get older. I wanted her to be comfortable in her skin. I wanted her to wear clothes she likes, not just the ones that hide the most. I wanted her to not feel awkward around others. I’ve never really struggled with weight. Sure I could lose more than a few pounds, but it falls off with little effort. I don’t fully understand the angst that the weight causes my wife but I know she isn’t as happy as she could be because of it. Life isn’t a dress rehearsal. You gotta make the most of it. So I agreed, reluctantly.
After coming to grips with the minimal risk involved and nervously waiting for good news from the operating room, it’s been a pretty easy journey for me. I’ve had to do very little except listen. Listen about the surgery, shakes, stalls, pooping, not pooping and then pooping again. My wife is hard-core about obtaining information off the internet. So much so, she once gave her GP a tutorial on thyroid testing and the latest acceptable ranges for each test, which came as news to her doctor. Still not sure why we had to pay for that office visit. So nothing came as a surprise. It made my life easier knowing that if anything came up post op that might freak me out, she had the stats on how many patients experienced the same thing, why it happened, how long it will likely last, and what the next day, week, month has in store. Easy for me, but I know it hasn’t been easy for her and that each day brings a new challenge. I am so grateful for what she is willing to put herself through for a healthier future with our son and me. Recently she’s been in the dreaded stall, but it’s subsided, and she has a little pep in her step. I love the gleam in her eye when the scale tells her what she wants to hear. I love how she gleefully shows off how crappy her clothes fit. Mostly I love that each day she seems to feel more comfortable in her skin and happier with herself. What more can you really ask for?

Something I posted on another similar topic... "For my 2 week pre and post op I made my own Popsicles using Vitamin Water zero. I also made my own Jello using Kool Aid packets and Stevia. Google Kool aid jello and then just substitute stevia for however much sugar the recipe calls for. I also made my own pudding using Greek yogurt (check what sweeteners in ingredients) and unsweetened cocoa powder. It's more work than just buying everything pre made but it was worth it for me."

Well friends...I am back from London. I walked for miles and miles. I did the bike ride. I had leg pain and it was very discouraging but I didn't let it stop me. I saw everything I wanted to see. I found London to be better than I could have imagined. I figured out the underground fairly easily and was off. My sister got me acclimated and I was out and about with and without her. I ate too much but with all the exercise, only gained about two lbs. I told the guide who took us on the bike tour about how I was nearly wheelchair bound less than three years ago and he was truly impressed...and not because he wanted a tip either. You can tell when someone is genuine or not. He took the picture of me on the bike at the statue of Nelson. He said that I should send that picture to my surgeon and I think I will. I've attached a few pictures for your viewing pleasure.

It’s hard to believe it, but July 18 marks my 12-year Surgiversary! 12 years ago, I weighed 255 lbs (at a height of 5’7”). That was at age 25, after years of being overweight and yo-yo dieting. I got the lap-band on July 18, 2003, under the skillful hand of Dr. Christine Ren-Fielding in New York, and the rest, as they say, is history. I have my life back and it’s better than ever.
I feel like the luckiest man in the world. I have a wonderful family with the best children ever, and I have the health and energy to be able to keep up with them and be a real part of their lives. I am also thrilled every day to be able to advocate for weight loss surgery patients through BariatricPal, working with major obesity, WLS, and medical organizations, and I am so grateful for the lap-band and getting my life back.
I also want to thank BariatricPal members and supporters. When I founded the boards right after my surgery in 2003, there wasn’t much other online support out there. The discussion forums helped me through some tough times, and I am so glad it is able to help others as they approach surgery, recover from it, lose weight, and maintain their loss.

Tonight I went to "Two Step Tuesday" at a local country western bar and took a $2 dance lesson - yes, 2 step which I have never attempted before. Here was the coolest part - I had the courage to go alone and so my partner was the hottest guy in the place... about 6'2", tall, dark, handsome and did I mention...hot! and... he could dance!
Too bad he is closer to my son's age than mine, but It was a fun hour of being in dance frames called stuff like "the cuddle position". I could get used to this.
Know where I will be next Tuesday evening?!?

Does it have dairy in it? Could you be having an adverse reaction to the lactose? Maybe it's possible you could be confusing dumping with a lactose sensitivity.

Not sure if you're saying you are or are not okay with stevia but that was the only "not sugar" sugar that I have done since surgery. For my 2 week pre and post op I made my own Popsicles using Vitamin Water zero. I also made my own jello using Kool Aid packets and Stevia. Google Kool aid jello and then just substitute stevia for however much sugar the recipe calls for. I also made my own pudding using Greek yogurt (check what sweeteners in ingredients) and unsweetened cocoa powder. It's more work than just buying everything pre made but it was worth it for me. Plus it's only a few weeks and then you should never have to do it again

Not sure if this has already been said but.... When you feel like you're reading about a lot of bad keep in mind that the people who are having a difficult time are the ones who need the most support so they feel the need to post more often. People who are successful and happy don't necessarily need support from a forum.

I sit here in tears thinking about how far I have come... how my life has changed for the better... how I have struggled emotionally to adjust... how I have had to learn to love me (good, bad and ugly)... how hard I have worked and continue to work in the gym 5 days a week... how good I feel... how good I look... I saved my life and I am so glad for the second chance. I looked at myself in the mirror this morning and I smiled and cried.

Thanks, @@sunflowerchild unfortunately we're in Texas. Need I say more? I wouldn't be opposed to that at all but Texas sure is. We need to move to Colorado. She also has fibromyalgia and hypothyroid and she could be helped by medical marijuana, studies show. Zofran and Phenergan are both good drugs for nausea and neither is doing much to help. I really wish they could find the cause of it.
We're still in the hospital. This marks 4 weeks without any food and barely any liquids. Day 3 in the hospital. They are keeping her here until she passes the stone. I'm afraid that they'll dismiss her without finding the reason for the nausea and we'll be sent home without any help. I'm EXTREMELY dissatisfied with her surgeon who was supposed to be the best in Austin.
4 weeks of constant nausea and vomiting and no relief. Hospital for 3 days without him even stopping by to check on her.
I was planning on getting sleeved myself but after this I have serious concerns about doing it and I will most likely seek a different surgeon if I do decide to do it.

@sunflowerchild Thanks for recommending this. I bought it last week at Giant right with all the other milk. Tasted great!

Hi,fellow sleevers
Today was a real red letter day for me, as I hit the 100# down mark. I am beyond grateful for this chance at a new life and I feel so much better and more active. I'd always dreamed about the day that I could post before and after pictures on this site, and now it's my turn. Woo hoo!  

Hello all!
So I had my real first OMG moment.
I went dress shopping for a wedding I'm in, left picture is 2 weeks after surgery, jan 19th and right picture was today! April 12th.
Same dress but 5 sizes smaller.
84 pounds down from
December 27th 2015.
I was blown away by the side by sides. I can't stop looking and smiling at this picture!! This is, by far, the best thing I have ever done for myself. Today...I'm very proud! ????????

She needs to contact the doc as soon as possible and if she can't reach him go to the hospital. Extreme nausea and extreme pain is not normal.

Honestly think about it big picture. It's 2 weeks out of the rest of your life that you have to do a liquid diet. Two weeks is such a short amount of time in the grand scheme of things. The end result is WORTH IT, seriously! This might sound harsh but if I'm being honest you gotta just to do it and not give yourself room for excuses. That's what I did for myself to get through it.

I hear ya! Like you, I've been chided on here for being too perfect when it comes to following my surgeon's instructions. I think those people make themselves feel better and try to rationalize their choices by saying "no one can do it". Like you, I say f***k em. But I've been dealing with those types my whole life...I graduated from high school and college with straight A's, and some people were sure it's because I must have cheated...teachers pet, suck up, brown noser, goody two shoes...heard em all and proud of it!
@@CowgirlJane I know which kind of posts you are talking about. It's not the ones that choose to be selective about how they eat postop in order to be healthier. Its not the ones that do get physically ill from certain foods. It's the ones that try to use the "I don't like it" excuse for making bad choices postop. The ones that are too lazy to look up and try new recipes. The ones that want it to be easy. In essence, the ones that will fail because they won't change....But will continue to whine about it.

Throughout the process I have been very much encouraged by the before and after photos of other members of BP. However I was reluctant to post any of mine until I was what I considered successful and reached my goal weight. Then I seemed to never remember to take a pic. Well, I just got back from a fantastic ski vacation made possible due to my sleeve, alot of fellow Bariatric Pal support and a year of rigorous effort. So here are some of my before and after pics.