bobbyswife

QUESTIONS. Pen and paper.

What a wonderful post! Bravo!

Woohoo! I'm right behind ya on Thursday!

and then after you're done walking, go for a walk!

Just google smooth move tea. You can get it at amazon, or if you have a GNC near you, and some grocery stores have it.

Have you tried Smooth Move tea? It works great!!!

It always gets you when you least expect it. You’re cruising right along, doing your thing, and then something happens and that fight or flight reaction stops you in your tracks. Humans have fear to keep themselves safe. The fear of the unknown has kept us safe for thousands of years; we do what is most comfortable, hardly venturing out into the great unknown without a reasonable reason for doing so. In cases of elective surgery, it’s a tricky thing because as in the case of bariatric surgery, no one is saying to you something like, “Your appendix has ruptured and we have to remove it”, or “Your heart has a blockage and we must do a bypass or you’ll die”. It’s tricky because without bariatric surgery, oftentimes it’s only a matter of time until it kills us. Although in many cases it’s probably not in the immediate future, but definitely not a long way away, either. Or, maybe your health is pretty good like in my case. I don’t have heart problems, diabetes or high blood pressure, but rather my weight has robbed me of my quality of life. With degenerative arthritis in my back, the pain from the weight has taken away a lot of my joy. So, when I say that it’s only a matter of time until it kills us, it could be in the physical or emotional sense of the word. I’m amazed at the change in emotion as I go through this process and it gets closer and closer to my surgery date. I’m still vacillating between excitement and fear, and I presume that’s going to be the case until I’m on the operating table on December 18th. However, I no longer fear the procedure itself. I have the utmost confidence in my surgeon. Now, I am more apt to be fearful of the recovery itself, and occasionally the years ahead of me as I age. Since there is no long-term data specifically on my surgery type, the future is uncertain even though people have had portions of their stomachs removed due to various reasons including cancer. There are thousands upon thousands though, that have had successful surgeries and recovery times, and the number of those with life altering complications are slim. But, it does happen and I have to be educated and aware that the possibility exists. Nonetheless, the fear is an ever-constant subtlety that will likely remain. That’s the trouble with fear; it’s not something that is easily controlled.

I don’t want to look like a flying squirrel after my weight loss, so I’ve spent a great deal of time researching ways to combat loose skin, and while there’s no promise of perfect skin after losing a lot of weight, I’ve come up with the most common things that have supposedly been helpful when talking to and reading about people who have lost up to 100 pounds and more. No, I’m not a skin specialist, but these are the top 10 things that I think I will do in these two months prepping for surgery Dec. 18th. None of these items would be negative, so any benefit that does come from them will be… well... a benefit! These are in no particular order 1) Coconut Oil – I’m slathering myself in this every day. Coconut oil keeps the skin’s connective tissues strong and supple, and can even help with skin blemishes. I’ve already noticed a major improvement in my skin health since starting this regimen. I’ve always been prone to itchy skin and it has all completely stopped in a matter of days. Also, cooking with coconut oil is the healthiest in my opinion. Cooking with oils such as olive oil is counter-productive because once it reaches a certain temperature it starts to oxidize and release free radicals. That’s never good. 2) Body Brushing aka Dry Brushing - Releases toxins, stimulates the lymphatic system and improves circulation. Always dry brush in a circular motion, brushing toward your middle. 3) Water, Water, Water – Drink, Drink, Drink. If you’re an adult, you know this. Enough said. 4) Weight Training - Work those muscles. This one is tricky for me because I am so arthritic and have fibromyalgia and I have to literally micro-manage my every move in order to prevent adrenal fatigue, but I am so hoping, praying and wishing that once some of this weight comes off and I am in less pain, weight training will be possible again because I love it! 5) Say NO to sun bathing and chlorine – both of these dehydrate your skin. If you’re like me and love to be in the sun, use sunscreen or good clothing coverage. But, for me, I’m personally going to avoid too much direct exposure, at least between now and goal weight. It’s a healthy practice to get into anyway. Unfortunately it can be a catch 22 though, since so many sunscreens are full of skin harming chemicals. Your best bet = cover up! And for Heavens sake – stay out of the tanning bed! If you must go swimming, even in an indoor pool, wash that chlorine off ASAP. Can you say dry skin? 6) Regular Massage – I’m a big believer in massage for too many things to list, but treating your skin to regular massage stimulates your blood cells and lymphatic system. Your skin is your largest organ – treat it nicely 7) Protein – Lots of lean protein will give your skin the collagen and elastin that it needs to stay healthy. If you eat a bunch of crap – expect your skin to be crap, too. I know this from first hand experience. Any time I get off track and start feeding my body junk food, my skin is the first thing to suffer. 8) Use Decent Soap – it doesn’t have to be the most expensive thing on the market, but cleanse your skin with a decent moisturizing cleanser and avoid over-cleansing. 9) Essential Oils – my sister has recently delved into the essential oil world and I’ve really been impressed with some of the studies that have recently been put out. Lavender oil and almond oil just to name a few are amazing things. I add a few drops to my bath when I feel like soaking. It’s good for the skin and the lavender is oh-so-relaxing, too! 10) Compression Wear – The support group meeting that I attend is lead by a bariatric surgery nurse who himself has lost almost 300 lbs. in about 18 months post sleeve. He swears by compression clothing and says it doesn’t have to be the expensive stuff either. Just a good quality compression undershirt and leggings makes a big difference, he says. Some other ideas I’ve heard about on bariatricpal.com and in my other searches include things like taking beef gelatin, using or making body wraps, using lotion with caffeine, and eating lots of high antioxidant fruits and vegetables. Getting in “lots” of fruits and veggies is particularly challenging for VSG’ers because protein must come first and there’s often not a lot of room for extra. For this reason, taking a bariatric grade supplement for life is critical. A couple of funny comments that I got when I posted a question on a forum about ways to prevent loose skin was “youth” and “good genetics”. I got a good chuckle out of the youth one because now that I’m in my 40’s it’s certainly apparent that I’m not a teenager anymore. But, alas, healthy skin is something we should try to keep at any age. The bottom line is that none of this may work at all, but if I don't try, and I end up with loose skin, I'll wonder if it would have been better if I tried. If I try them all habitually and I still have loose skin, at least I'll only wonder if it would have been worse if I hadn't.

When I started this process I was just so excited to find out that my insurance covered bariatric surgery after researching the process for over a year, that I left out an important piece to the process. It was all kind-of a whirlwind though, when I got my consultation appointment literally for the next morning after trying to get in to see the surgeon that I was set on using. Once that appointment opened up at the last minute, there were so many emotions going on and so much excitement that the ball was FINALLY rolling, I neglected to make a list of questions to take with me to my consult. Now, to be clear, I had been researching this procedure and my surgeon and his center of excellence for a very long time, so I was already very much aware of the process and most of the national statistics, but I didn't make a list and that was a bad idea. Fortunately, the nurses and staff have been great about replying to my questions as I have them, but I wish I had been armed with them so that I could have spent more time with my surgeon in the beginning. If I had it to do over again, this is the one thing I would have changed. So, I have made a list of questions for you, the reader, to use for your consult. You may already have a list, and if so, just take a look at these and see if there is anything you missed. The more information you have in your arsenal the better prepared you will be and the more likely you will be to succeed post op! How many years have you been performing bariatric surgery? What type of training have you had in bariatric surgery? Are you board certified? Are you FACS? (Fellow, American College of Surgeons) Do you use staples, sutures, or both? After the stapling of my sleeve, will you over-sew the staples? What is your complication rate? What is your mortality rate? More specifically, what is your sleeve leak rate? How many trocars will be used for my surgery? I have read that most leaks happen at the top, or at the bottom; are there any extra measures taken to protect against this happening? Will you leave in a drain that will need to be removed a few days later? Will you put me on Lovenox or other blood thinners after surgery? What type of compression devices will you use on my legs to prevent blood clots? If I have a hernia will you repair it at the same time? Do you remove the gallbladder during surgery? What size bougie will you use? Is your center or your hospital a center of excellence? Are you a member of ASBS? (American Society of Bariatric Surgery) How many sleeve surgeries have you performed? How many do you typically do each year? How many nights will I be in the hospital? Does your facility offer support after surgery? When will be my first post op appointment and how often will I check in at the office after that? Does your bariatric center offer a clothing exchange among other patients? These are the most important questions that I think need to be asked. Feel free to add your own! Make sure you take a good pen and leave room to write in all your answers.

@@tammygRN This is so good to hear. Please keep us updated. I think of you often! Have a Merry Christmas, and hopefully the New Year will be a new chapter to a healthier you!

I can't wait to be able to wear boots that go to my knee!!! What do you wear now or what do you want to be able to wear one day that you couldn't wear as an overweight person?

Did you get materials to reference from your NUT? Every program is different it seems, but my guess would be yes, but you'd be better off to freeze some of your protein shakes. Would be much better for you.

I'm glad you're going to see the psych. You probably just need a little counseling to get you over the hump. Stay positive and keep in touch

I weaned off caffeine about 2 months before my pre-op diet because I knew I would go postal if I tried to do that at the same time as my pre op diet, so kudos to you for doing it now. I started by replacing all my coffee with half caff (Folgers brand) and then slowly replace half of that with decaf. After 2 weeks I went to decaf coffee and decaf tea. I had a headache for about 4 days and then it started to dissipate. Drink LOTS of water to help with the DT's.

Today I wanted EVERYTHING. I'm on day 10 of pre-op liquids. I texted my best friend and told him I wanted a pizza, 4 Big Macs, a side of onion rings, a turtle cheesecake, and a bottle of wine to wash it all down with. UGH.

I'm still pre-op but I've seen lots and lots of people say your tastes change, but often it changes back.

Met my surgeon for the first time 10-15-14 (set surgery date of 12-18). Saw NUT, psych, and had FIT test all on 11-18. Submitted everything to insurance on 11-26. Insurance final approval 12-8. Pre-op 12-10. Surgery next Thurs 12-18.

Why are you converting?

I'm just 10 days on liquid pre-op and I already notice!

You're still in that "golden year". Don't lose the faith! Stay the course! You've got this. Get back to basics, we are all rooting for you!

Do some meditation on positive thoughts and your life one year from now. Use all that energy and put it to good use. Not sleeping will only make things worse. Take a nice, long hot bath and pamper yourself. Give yourself all the good things you deserve. You will be just fine

I'm sure you did fine. Continue the counseling through the surgery and post op, it will help immensely. I'm sure lots of people were bullied and soon you will put all of that behind you. Good luck!

So cool!!!!

I'm glad for those that do! Sometimes I see a post and they've been post op for months but their stats show no weight loss! C'mon people! Get with the program! lol