Mrs. Reid

Glad to hear from you? I was wondering how you were doing. I have 9 days to go before I have my surgery. I hope I do as well as you!

Where is the three week stall post? I can't seem to find it.

I'm on my pre-op diet which means drinking Protein shakes at work. I am already getting questions about what I am doing. I say I am doing the prep work for a major change in my life. They ask me what the change is and I tell them I am about to start a medically supervised weight loss program. Already I am hearing how drinking Protein Shakes won't do me any good in the long run...too much protein is bad for my kidneys..do I really trust this doctor who is running this program....the key to losing weight is easy: move more/eat less....maybe these people are just out to make money off me.... Remember that I work in a food coop and most of the people I work with have never been overweight in their lives and belive that juicing a bunch of dandelion leaves 5 times a day is an appropriate treatment for hypertension. It's this bad now, I wonder what is going to happen once I come bact to work after my surgery!

Good luck!

I craved so bad the first couple of days. I was doing a shake every two hours to fight the hunger. Now I do my 3 shakes without a problem. The craving has not gone away but they have definitely lessened in strength.

Congrats! I will be on the surgeon's table the next day!

I don't know that it's a good idea to openly discuss insurance fraud on the internet.

Glad to hear you're doing well. Some people seem to slide right through surgery and some people have a lot of problems for weeks and months. I hope that I get through it like you did. February 24th I will find out! Good luck with your continued recovery.

I had that reaction at first. I was eating so much I put on 10 pounds. Now I am ok, That desire to eat is the old me. That's the false identity I created to cope with the pains of life. She is dying. She is fighting for her life. She knows she is dying and she is throwing everything at me to save her life. It's hard. It is painful, but I'm letting her die. There is a thread I started called 'Celebrating a death tonight'. In it someone posted to links to a podcast you might want to listen to about how to succeed as a wls patient....how to make sure you don't regain the weight. Good luck.

I'm doing the Vega One nutritional shakes. They are more expensive but the taste is great. I justify the expense because I am not spending money on food and this is only going to happen once in my lifetime. AND I deserve to have a shake I like.

I was originally going for the bypass mainly because I am a sugar addict. But I found out from others who had the bypass that the dumping syndrome does not last forever and it is very possible to go back to eating sweets with the bypass. It is much more surgery and though there is a lot more data available on the bypass, the sleeve appears to be the wave of the future. In the Twin Cities where I live the sleeve has become the dominant wls performed. I asked my surgeon and he said that the only way he would recommend the bypass over the sleeve is if I were diabetic and I'm not. I have to overcome my eating addiction. The surgery is not going to do that for me.

@@moyebrady I got Isopure unflavored whey protein isolate. Sure I can share the recipe: 1 handful of spinach 4-5 frozen strawberries 1/2 of a banana 1/8 cup of frozen blueberries 1 scoop of unflavored protein powder 1 bariatric vitamin (only 1 time per day) 1-2 ounces of water You put it all in a blender and blend till smooth and drink it up. As I am only supposed to drink 1/2 cup per meal, this lasts a couple of meals. At 6 meals a day for the first two weeks, I should be able to get all my protein needs met as well as getting my vitamin down. This shake contains a lot of phyto-nutrients that help the body heal. It was developed by a bariatric surgeon for his patients to drink for the first two weeks after surgery. I am going to vary the taste by using different berries. I have my freezer full of blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries and of course bananas. I plan to live off this for two weeks while I heal up from surgery. We are having surgery on the same day!!!!!

I have had all of my appointments....just waiting for surgery. I have my freezer stocked with bananas and berries. I got two large containers of protein powder. All I need now is fresh spinach which I will pick up on my last day of work before surgery. I have a bariatric smoothie recipe that I am going to use for two weeks after my surgery. It's supposed to be really good for healing after surgery. Do you have a date for surgery.

Thank you all for your kind words. It was great to get that out. So often I have ate through my feelings. I deserve to be heard.

Start applying for new jobs before you leave and start interviewing as soon as you get back. You don't have to settle for that job. Take the time off anyway. You don't need a doctor's note. This may just be the price you have to pay to get what you need. There have got to be other jobs out there that you can get. Once you have the surgery you are going to need positive people around you. She is not going to be positive. Start you exit strategy now.

You don't sound like you are doubting your decision to have the surgery. I think that is most of the battle. As long as you know you are doing the best thing you can do for yourself, then one or two days of pain is worth what you get in return.

Congrats!!!! Be ready for a BIG change!!!!

I have been listening to Dr. Duc Vuong's podcast about successful wls patients. He has one of the highest success rates with wls patients in the country. What he says about the one thing that a patient can do to insure success at weight loss and keeping the weight off is to let the overweight food addicted person you once were die. Just let her die. So tonight I lit the candles all over my house....I brought the last alcohol I will drink in a while. I toasted all the coping mechanisms that kept me safe from harm...the fat that kept me unattractive to the men who would abuse me.....the food that made me feel better on cold lonely nights. The thick layer of distance I put between me and the cruelty of the world. And I said goodbye. It is sad, it is hard, I'm not sure how I am going to cope without that protective false self to keep me safe. But she's dead and I am going to let her die. I hope you will all join me in saying "Thank you fat self for all the years of keeping me safe and invisible from the world. But now I'm old enough, strong enough and experienced enough to take care of myself without you." Ashes to ashes Dust to dust Goodbye.

If they are not giving you any sick days or benefits then they have got to know that things happen in people's lives that mean they need time off. Just tell them you need some unpaid vacation time. If that is not ok with them, then perhaps you should think about finding a new job that lets you be a human being.

I am February 24! I am so ready! I have a mp3 of positive health affirmations on my Android that I am listening to.

Great info I have two big containers of unflavored protein waiting for me after surgery. I have stocked up on frozen berries and bananas to make my bariatric smoothies with. Nothing else in the house.

Remember that some surgeons cut the age off at 65. You may not get a chance later

She wasn't part of the bariatric team. At the hospital I go to, pre-op is done in the surgery support clinic. My surgery date is February 24th!

Congrats and hang in there! The pain is going to end soon!

Someone recommended America's Test Kitchen's Cooking for Two. I got a copy and cause it makes smaller portions. I also got a couple of vegan soul food cookbooks to really learn how to cook veggies and make them taste great. I am thinking of going vegetarian after the surgery. One of my cousins did because after surgery she had a hard time eating meat.