built2livenotexist

I'm about 12 days post-op and have a wonderful active special needs 3 year old boy who still sleeps in a crib. Here are some tips I can give. Before the surgery, I got my guy a doctor kit and began to explain to him about hurts and boo-boos and laying down to rest when we feel yucky. We took turns being sick and needing rest.

Also, I brought the car seat in the house and let him sit in it, get in and out of it so he'd actually know he could do it himself; he'd never really tried as I always picked him up.

He's been able to get in and out of the crib by himself forever but sometimes wants mommy to pick him up so I got a chair for him to climb up and I assist him in climbing in and then take the chair with me or I pile up all the pillows from our sofa and let him jump out, making it a game.

If you can, do diaper changes on the bed; it's been easy for me with my bed because it's easy to sink into and get up from. Set yourself up with a caddy of diapers and wipes before hand so that you don't have to go back and forth every time.

The hardest part is bending over the tub. My solution has been showers with mommy. I bring along some of his toys and tell him he's going to 'play in the inside rain' and so far so good.

It's a real good idea to stock up on his non-perishable items before hand so that when your husband goes back to work you can leave the house at your leisure instead of absolutely having to go out.

Most importantly, your little one will most definitely benefit from having a healthier happier mommy so try not to feel guilty about upsetting his routine or having a period where you can't do the things you would normally do. Good luck.

Yikes. If you actually think about what an a-hole is...A small foul smelling orifice that poop and hemorrhoids fall out of..yuck.

I am an honest person but someone once told me that before I tell someone something I should ask myself if it's kind, necessary and true. This same person also asked me, " Does everyone really need to know what you think and how you feel all the time? "

The kind, necessary and true rule helps a lot when I'm offended or angry because when I'm offended or angry my first instincts are neither kind nor necessary. As far, as letting everyone know what I think and how I feel all the time; I want to be a benefit in the lives of others. This starts with not treating others as my emotional dumping ground and understand that my perception and the truth aren't necessarily the same thing.

I am cautious because I don't want to be the villain on even one page of some else's story. I don't want to be the horrible lady in someone else's bad day; especially people who I love. I don't always pull it off, but when I do I'm being true to who I am.

I'm not advocating being a doormat or letting people speak to you or treat you with disrespect. But, there is a difference between reacting and responding...and retaliating. It costs me nothing to be considerate of the feelings of others before I open my mouth, and I don't require a contingency. I only have to deal with my own reflection.

I'm not a huge yogurt fan either and the kind that I bought pre surgery was organic but had way too much carbs even thought it was Greek, so that's out. I get it.

I told only 2 people; my mother who has always been on my side(and is the guardian of my child in the event of my death) and one girlfriend who I knew I could trust not to tell a soul. Of course, my therapist knows but I've been working on the psychological and emotional issues around food/overeating with her for months. The odd part, is that I didn't tell my 2 best friends because they are both big mouths and I'm sure our entire social circle, which is huge, would know within hours.

So, just 2 people in personal life know I was sleeved. I am not a super private person, except when it comes down to my health.

I think we all have the right to decide what we share and with whom; whatever the subject matter.

I weighed in at 255 on surgery day which was on the 22nd. As of this morning, I am down 11 pounds which is amazing to me. I began full liquids today and only made it halfway through a cup of Greek yogurt before I felt the restriction. My total loss from Oct 8th to today is 18lbs. I have no idea about how real clothes will fit because I'm still doing yoga pants to try and be easy on my incision sites. My friends remarked that I must've had a wonderful time in Mexico because I look great!

Being fat in our society is up there with being a smoker. People who aren't think it's horrible, disgusting, unattractive, unhealthy,etc. In each case, the non-smoker or nonfat person usually has zero compassion for the difficulty that controlling/quitting entails. The thought process is usually that the fat person/smoker is to blame for being in the position to have to combat such a difficulty and often considered weak or lazy or even stupid for knowingly risking their health and in the case of smokers others as well.

I don't think that being fat is my worst quality either, but i can't deny that I hate it.

Congratulations and enjoy the ride!

Good luck this morning!

You're going to need support after the surgery; everything will (should) be different especially your capacity to absorb alcohol. There are the post-op phases too, one of which is. ..liquids.

I had to have a heart felt talk with the person I live with who wants the benefits of the surgery for me, but doesn't really want to do anything in a contributory manner. I really had to spill my guts about all the reasons I had decided to have the surgery. The feedback was " Good for you, but I'm not doing it!" was annoyed at first but stayed focused and determined and made small changes as far as how the rest of the house will be eating. As the primary grocery shopper, I slowly stopped bringing in crap into the house, and stopped cooking anything that would go against my new tummy and lifestyle.

Even with the support of spouses and loved ones,the bulk of the effort and work has to come from us. I have to be okay with this multi-phasic diet, the incisions, the risks, etc; no one else really has to be on board but me.

I'm always game for a round of TMI:) I was sleeved on 10/22 and started off having liquid bm right off the bat but had my first semi-solid today and I gotta say it didn't feel great, but it wasn't intolerable. I had no narcotics except for the 1st 24 hrs of recovery which may be a factor for me. Also, I'm on Clear Liquids only; which does not include the Protein Shakes which is another factor.

I don't feel pitiful still but I'm sorry you do. Days 1-2 were pretty sucky with alot of nausea, vomiting and coughing which hurt the hell out of my incision sites which are tight. Sending good thoughts to you right........now!

I am currently sitting on my luxurious king size bed at a 4.5 star beach front resort after having my surgery in gorgeous Puerta Vallarta, MX with Dr. Juan Francisco Hidalgo on the 22nd. My insurance company would not approve me in the states either.

Some of the Eurocentric crap I've heard from Americans is disappointing to say the least. You'd think that Mexico was the newer civilization and not the US! The people of this country have been kind and forgiving of my ignorance of their customs and inability to speak the language; unlike many Americans I know (and am ashamed to be related to)

I went through a standard medical history that was several pages long and spent my initial hours with staff going through pre-op testing. I even had a video conference with the doctor and his staff to answer my billion questions and receive 2 years additional post-op Skype follow-up. I can barely get into my regular doc when I'm actually sick let alone if I have random questions.

I was given my complete chart, post-op notes, test results and x-rays to take home. The doctor will be visiting me in my room to check my incision sites both mornings before I leave.

The care and professionalism I've received here belies some of the ignorant elitist crap I've heard from people and I'm glad that I have an educated mind of my own to make informed decisions about my care. The insurance company who I pay premiums to, back in the good old US wasn't willing to help me; I'm sure glad I had options.

Here is how I bid farewell to my ridiculous caffeine habit while saying hello to a new sleeve friendly high Protein bev; I used Vanilla Protein Powder but substitute Vanilla Chai tea(already brewed, un-sweetened and chilled) for the Water or skim milk and 2 tbsp of vanilla soy Creamer. This my Sleevebucks! I've also done the same but with Mandarin orange tea and a touch of almond extract. Yum-yum!

Try giving it a chance and getting creative. The holidays will come around next year and just think you'll be prouder to pose in family photos! GL

I am still in hospital supposedly getting released shortly but I'll admit that I'm a bit cranky. I knew going into this that I am horrible on the drugs they use to knock you out and I wake up a level 5 beeotch; snapping at everyone and very impatient. I'm gassy but its not bothering me as much as the liquid poo my new tummy brought with it. Also, mother nature brought her ugly face to visit a few days early and I'm just all around tired and sore and annoyed. I didn't feel this way yesterday but that's when they were still giving me morphine. I'm not hungry which is a good thing, and I'm not alone which is even better. Hang in there, I will too.

I'm on day 2 still in hospital, but they just gave me lime sherbet. Tasted awesome but felt horrific after 3 small 'bites' I'm sure that it will take getting used to.

@@HappygoSusan thanks for the great tip with the timer!

Congratulations! Glad you're off to a good start!

I probably would give my long time friend the benefit of the doubt and not jump straight to the j word. I have had friends and family members lose weight through various methods and that's all they talked about; what they could and couldn't eat and on and on. I never felt left out or as if I should be on their journey ' doing what I'm supposed to be' but I did think to myself sometimes "Are we ever going to be done talking about you?"

You said this lady was your best friend and that she'd had a pretty significant regain. She could be embarrassed or angry with herself which has nothing to do with you. Or she could be having a hard time around something completely separate, unrelated to WLS and you're just projecting. Or maybe she is just jealous that you get to have the surgery and she wasted her chance.

That last one sounded a little witchy, right? Right. You never know what someone else is going through on the inside but jumping to the conclusion that it's about you isn't very friendly; it's kinda selfish actually.

It doesn't sound like she's able to be supportive about your surgery right now and in friendships that does happen sometimes. My BFF lost her father this year after a long illness and is not the same person she was before. She's grief stricken and she's busy being there for her mother, her siblings and her children; not a whole lot leftover. Under different circumstances, she'd be right by my side. But this time around, we're both going through a major life change at the same time. And it's okay with me for my bf to be consumed by something else while I'm focused on something else entirely different. It's like that sometimes; we're not always on the same page. I hope you find someone close to you that can be the support you need and that you're able to talk to your friend about your concerns.

Walking has helped me get rid of the gas pain over the last 30 hours. My doctor said that gas will become trapped inside the body during the surgery and that there is always a little left over. The same thing you are describing happened to me when I got my tubes tied. So, walking is working and so has not being dormant in the hospital bed; switching positions with the use or the grip rail and turning from side to side. HTH

I will be released from hospital Friday which is 2 full days in hospital and return to resort for 2 days before heading back to states. My trip including pre op testing, surgery, and recovery is 5 nights, 6 days

You could try the pre-op liquid diet; I wound up losing 9 pounds with that and moderate cardio.

I'm not sure why but my phone will not let me see the script I type when starting a new thread! Anyways, had my surgery around 11 am yesterday and got back to room by 4pm after a couple of hours in recovery. Listerine strips and a cold, wet washcloth have been great for moistening my mouth. So far, the pain is pretty sucky in terms of trying to adjust myself in bed or use the bathroom. Suffered some nausea when first waking but other than that I am doing just fine

Okay I am officially sleeved!

Hey I'm starting to be fully with the program myself. I had surgery around 11am and came to my room from recovery at about 4pm here. I am in Puerta Vallarta. So congrats to you and me!

@VSGAnn; Thank you for your comments.

For me, I have some definite emotional issues around food that I've been working on in therapy for over a year. I have had some moments over the last few months that brought me to tears or caused a great realization of patterns I've been blind to.

I do not love food; I use it and abuse it; have for a long time. It can provide a sense of comfort or indulgence and has temporarily alleviated boredom and loneliness. It allows me to feel in or out of control. food is not going to leave me or criticize me or cheat or lie, so there's a certain sense of safety. My relationship with food is unhealthy at best.

I'm sure some of you can relate to watching a talk show where a female guest sits on stage and lists all the horrible abuses she's gone through at the hands of her mate. She says that she has tried to leave a handful of times but goes back due to the promise of better behavior in the future which never lasts long. When asked why she doesn't leave for good she says, "Because I love him." The audience shake their heads.

Now, if we switched the players around and I was in the seat and I made a list of all of the negative things that have arisen as a result of my relationship with food; I am uncomfortable in my own skin, I am sorely out of shape and have difficulty being active, my intimate life is not what I would want, health concerns, guilt, shame, regret, etc. I mention that I have a long history of attempting to amend my behavior over and over through diet and exercise but admit that I've gone back to old ways each time. When asked why I continue to go back to this negative behavior I say " Because I love food" The audience shakes their heads.

Why do they shake their heads? Because the idea that someone would gamble with their life and continually return to such risk taking behavior based simply out of love is unbelievable. It's perverse.

For me, there is a clear difference between an excuse and a cause. Doing work with an objective professional has allowed me to get down to the reality of this unhealthy destructive pattern I've been following for a couple of decades, and look at things differently, so that I can finally bring this cyclic behavior to and end. HTH