5comorbids

Hang in there betterme008! I totally get it with people talking about "taking the easy way out..." Well, if they were caught in a tiny crevice between a rock mountain and an iceberg [fallen 300 ft. down in there], and their choices to get out alive were to 1] make it to the opening at the top, OR 2] allow themselves to fall another 20 feet [some cuts and bruises along the way] and get out through an opening in the rock that leads out the side of the mountain. There is no way any sane person would choose #1 when there is an "easy way" outta there. This surgery is a matter of life or death for most of us. When facing certain death who wouldn't choose the "easy way out". I'm totally proud of you and myself for choosing bariatric surgery. We are not lazy or stupid...we are courageous and strong!

Hang in there betterme008! I totally get it with people talking about "taking the easy way out..." Well, if they were caught in a tiny crevice between a rock mountain and an iceberg [fallen 300 ft. down in there], and their choices to get out alive were to 1] make it to the opening at the top, OR 2] allow themselves to fall another 20 feet [some cuts and bruises along the way] and get out through an opening in the rock that leads out the side of the mountain. There is no way any sane person would choose #1 when there is an "easy way" outta there. This surgery is a matter of life or death for most of us. When facing certain death who wouldn't choose the "easy way out". I'm totally proud of you and myself for choosing bariatric surgery. We are not lazy or stupid...we are courageous and strong!

Thank you all for the support. I'm not letting this get me down. It's the Protein that smells. Not this girl!!! I'm so happy with my decision and don't regret it. This just felt like a kick to the gut! Mean girls suck!

I gotta say reading your post just hurt my heart for you. I'm a nurse and has never been so in compassionate to anyone! I remember the bad breath etc and it was bad at 1st but got better. I kept breath mints all the time. Was a constant with sugar free mints. I am appalled how you were treated. I have to say if anything as humiliating had happened to me there would be hell to pay! I would file a formal complaint with HR if it
Doesn't get better. Hopefully you will find the right combo of things that will make you feel comfortable. I can only imagine how this weights on your mind now constantly. Good luck and just remember as terrible as it seems..this too will pass! You will be so delighted about your decision and in a few months when u look back you can certainly feel happy seeing where you came from.

personally, if you are settled and progressing with what you are taking, then DO NOT change it....
I HATE the smell of coffee and have to deal with it in the office ALL DAMN DAY LONG.
Also, I am 9 months out and no matter how many times I brush/floss/rinse, I have bad breath. I refuse to eat mints all day.
Just be a little more discreet - such as change your cup washing habits maybe. Perhaps get a really nice smelling air freshener to keep near your desk.
Your post kind of made me angry at the intolerance of people to simple things. If the diabetic employee has a certain diet that causes them to have stinky gas all day (yes a co-worker), and someone said to them that they smell, I would FLIP. They have made great compromises without having to jeopardize their diet.

I'm starting to get scared about my surgery on Tuesday Aug 19th! I'm starting to wonder if I should go through with it or not. I'm wondering if I shouldn't just try to lose weight again on my own. I was at my surgery refresher consultation today and the nurse said that if I ever eat more than a half cup of food that I'll stretch my sleeve. Even at the year post surgery mark! I thought about the holidays and if we served a traditional thanksgiving dinner then a half cup wouldn't even 1 bite of each dish. I actually scooped my lean cuisine meal into a half cup measuring cup tonight and it wasn't even half of a lean cuisine!
My question to all of you who have been successful is: How much can you eat at a time without feeling stuffed? And how far out are you from surgery?

Hi Tracy!
I think only superficial and silly people are completely sure they are making the right decision.
Enthusiasm and motivation are elements that lead to success, together with self reliance and self esteem.
But having doubts is human, healthy and wise.
You are weighing the pros and cons. Your well balanced approach to WLS will help you to achieve those results which you haven't achieved so far.
Hugs!!!
( my English/American might sound odd..I'm Italian. )

Hi! This is my first post.
I am new to my health plan (Kaiser) and met my GP for the first time today. It was initially for a physical, but it became a discussion of weight loss surgery instead. To my surprise, she is all for it. I thought that I would have to go through a million and one hoops, but I guess just being newly diagnosed with diabetes, having PCOS, and being in the "extreme obesity" range sold it for me. All I have to do is get blood work done to see where my over-all health is, take some online class and that's it - I get a referral. Cool. Just sad that my husband is having a harder time of it with the VA. He needs this, too.
So, while I am excited, I am still nervous, and even waffling about it. I have lost weight on low carb many times, and I don't even mind the diet, but for some reason I always fall off the wagon. Or I stay on long enough to lose 50+ lbs and then have to focus my entire life on keeping those pounds off like it's my damn full time job. (A job that I inevitably fail at, time after time.) And even with the Herculean weight loss effort, it only ever takes me from "extreme obesity" to "obesity". There's gotta be more to life than that!
So maybe this is the answer. It would be really nice to be able to tie my shoes and not feel like I'm gonna die. But I am still nervous.
So, "Hi!". Glad I found this forum. I'll be doing some research and learning what I can to make sure this is the right choice for me.
Tracy

Wow, very motivating! My surgery is this Tuesday, and I have said good-bye to food. My love affair has ended. It doesn't mean that I won't pine for certain things later, but I start Clear liquids at midnight, and then I'm wheeled in Tuesday morning. what I'm ready for is to start my life again. I'm ready to shop in stores in other areas than the "plus size." I'm ready to go to aerobics classes and not be the biggest person. I'm ready to be GOOD to my body. The lap band is going to be the tool I need to truly end the love affair with food. No, it's not a magic pill. Yes, it will take hard work and sacrifice. But I have never been so excited and so ready for what my future holds.
You know what it's called? HOPE.
I have hope.

I live on the 3rd floor of my apartment complex. I had bags in my hand. When I finally made it in the house I was winded and tired. I had to sit a few moments to catch my breath. I sat there and looks at myself and became sad. At one time I was an aerobics teacher and now I can barely get thru and class. Yes,surgery scares me, being able to not eat certain things is disheartening. Today only made me realize my decision is the best one I could have ever made. At 40, single (me and my boyfriend broke up yesterday) and no kids in the home I want my life back. I want to dance,hike,run and start teaching again. I have never jade this many health problems as I do now. I look forward to Thursday. I went shopping today and for a fee things to have after surgery. I will go again Wednesday night to make sure I can make it till Monday.

Cairobat, I've felt the same way many times over the years I've considered this surgery. I went to orientation meetings twice, even talked to doctors and then backed off. This time I'm further down the road than ever before. I've been recording my food and having monthly weigh-ins since Nov. to qualify for the insurance requirements. My tentative surgery date is May 20. On bad days I think about how scared I will be to not be able to soothe myself with food like I've done all my life.
But the others are right. Food has been a false friend. It's destroyed my health and my appearance and robbed me of so much that I could have had. I think of all the sports and activities I could never do with my friends and kids. All the guys who never gave me a second look because I was so sloppy fat. All the times I was too tired to do what I wanted to do, working, shopping, having fun. How many times was I embarrassed in a public place where only flimsy little chairs were available and I worried they wouldn't hold me? I remember going to a concert and realizing the seats were just 17" and when I squashed myself in, It was obvious I overflowed badly. It was humiliating.
Does a true friend cause any of those problems for you?
I'm not in a position to talk about my success yet, but I'm trying to change my outlook. I hope you will consider what you hear from the people here and choose to have a better life.

I was going to say something but everyone said exactly what I was going to say jk
The fear of not being able to eat the foods that gave me comfort held me back for about 2 years. I never cried over it but those fears kept me from pulling the trigger sooner.
But like inchik said, you don't have to give up those foods(unless it's sugary pop and ice cream). Still, you can have those foods but in much much smaller quantities.
I always like this quote from Pinkdahlia: "I'm so stinkin' thrilled with my weight loss i dont even care about what i cant eat!"
And she's so right. Once I got the fill that started my journey, I could care less what foods I shouldn't eat. And, moreover, those foods no longer gave me comfort, my own personal confidence is what gives me comfort. And confidence sticks with you much longer than food ever will.
tmf

Your old food friend has made your life miserable. So why would you not want it to be in jail? Your whole life revolves around food instead of living. Don't you think its time to get your life back and think how bad your food friend has treated you all these years.

I hear people talking about this "Foreign Body" fear and the lap band, and it just doesn't make sense. I have had two complete knee replacements, never heard anybody freaked out about those foreign bodies. People have pins put in when they break a bone, no one complains about those. Got a friend with a pacemaker he is just happy to be alive. I am 65 pounds lighter than a year ago, I have dropped 12 inches off of my waist, I buy slim cut clothing, I don't get out of breath climbing the stairs and it is going to get better as I enter the second year.
I thank God for the foreign body wrapped around my stomach, it has improved my quality of life. Want to be afraid? Be afraid of doing nothing. By this time next year, I will have lost even more weight, where will you be if you do nothing?

You don't have to give up food, you will just have much less of it.

I'd heard of the idea that food can be a best fried...there in good times and bad....but I didn't fully grasp the concept until I was diagnosed with diabetes (years before my band).
When I realized I was going to have to give up certain foods, I cried. Stood in my kitchen and cried, cried, cried. Over food.
It sounds a little bit crazy (and maybe it was), but my point is that it's ok to mourn the loss of your good buddy. To admit you're going to miss some things, to cry a few tears....and then clean yourself up and make a decision about what you're going to do about getting healthy.
xox

You should get the surgery and don't worry about old friend food. If you don't get the surgery think of the alternative?
I know I am a food junkie I was over 300 pd. I like seeing the scale go down. It is all attitude you know. Tell old man food he is not going to kill you this year.

Good luck, but this doesn't have to be goodbye! This is a WL community and although we have different procedures, encouragement and praise are universal.

I started attending my support group immediately after orientation back in February and have been to every meeting except when I was in Alaska. I figured that since I was going to be part of this community and I would need their support, it would benefit me to carve myself a space right away. I'm glad I did. I now have friends in the WLS community cheering me on and inspiring me, and fellow pre-ops who look to me and my husband as inspiration (we have both done really well on the pre-op diet).
Even if you don't initially get anything out of the meetings because they are geared towards post-ops, I would encourage everyone to go and meet your new friends early and often - you'll need them!

I attended a few different classes. I wanted/want to obtain as much info as possible. I even recorded the class on Protein and Vitamins. The support is great not everyone thinks alike so there are questions others have that you didn't think of, in return that's more knowledge your gaining. Hang in there and go to as many as you can. This is a life changing event that will take place be aware & stay informed! Good luck to you.

Are y'all diabetic, how are your sugar levels? Just a thought.