Glyndalin

@@Tamika Walk. A lot. As soon as you can and as much as you can. The most pain I had was from the gas from the surgery. Once that was gone, the rest was a piece of celery.

@@Padraigm613 I'm so sorry you're having difficulty. I pray it will get better for you. I was really sick right after surgery. They had a problem with my drain, so I woke up in recovery covered in blood. My blood pressure was through the roof. I remember thinking (even in that drugged state), "Well, I can't be bleeding to death because my blood pressure is too high." I had a lot of discomfort and pain on my left side, too. But the dizziness and nausea stopped immediately after I switched to Tylenol instead of the heavy-duty painkillers, which is something I demanded in the middle of the first night, had the nurse wake up the doctor and get a prescription for (because it had to come through the IV). Stay in contact with your post-op nurse and your surgeon. It should get better soon.

@@ishy1985 Said a prayer for you right now.

@@smiley922 That's wonderful! Dance away, girl. You deserve it.

@@Luna222 I had the same problem right before and after that 200 mark. Psychologically, it's a strange place to be, especially if you've never sustained under 200 pounds asan adult. I'd been here twice and both time self-sabotaged at that point and gained 70-100 pounds back! I'm not saying your issues is exactly the same, but it's something to consider. I've been working through a couple of books to help me with the issues. I even tried some online therapy, but that was a bust. The therapist focused in on "weight loss" and not the underlying issue of "why do I feel driven to eat when I'm not hungry", which is what I wanted help with. Here are the books I've been going through, if anyone is interested: Reclaiming Yourself from Binge Eating - Leoria Fulvio (Have to adapt some of these suggestions, such as "not tracking", but the information and activities are otherwise helpful.) Letting Go of Self-Destructive Behaviors - Lisa Ferentz (A lot of really good therapeutic activities for dealing with the "why" problem.) Hope, Help and Healing for Eating Disorders - Dr. Gregory Jantz (From a clearly Christian perspective) and Self-Matters - Dr. Phil McGraw (I had read this before, but it's good material to review) (Dr. Phil is a lot less "in your face" in writing than he is on his talk show; I find him more relevant on paper.) I'm finding as I get within 2 pounds of being out of the "obesity" category for the first time EVER as an adult that I am having to deal with the psychological issues more deliberately. My surgeon didn't require any psychological supports. I'm blessed to have a colleague in the office who went through RNY 6 years ago and a lot of other highly supportive people in my life. But I don't have the time, money, or inclination to go to an office to talk to a therapist. This has been my "creative" alternative. I hope it helps someone else. (Note, my sister, with whom I live, has a master's in counseling, I've been using and abusing her skills, knowledge and abilities as well. If you don't have that kind of support around, I still think professional help is the best route.) Peace, Glenda

I think the goal of getting drunk with friends is probably problematic, but just in case you're wondering, you probably will not be able to drink as much if you have a RNY. One, alcohol irritates the heck out of your stomach. Two, you may end up throwing up - also not great for your stomach, throat and teeth. Three, alcohol makes you more likely to make bad food choices. All that said, you will also likely get a buzz or drunk off much less alcohol. Even a "girly" drink like a margarita may prove too much. - Ask me how I know Try to focus on what you have to GAIN. The things you have to lose may seem big right now, but write a list and do a comparison. What do you have to GAIN if you are successful? What do you have to lose if you DON'T have the surgery? And like others have said, this is a great conversation to have with a counselor or therapist.

@@Jerr_Bear - I like your professionalism. Sometimes the best response is no response.

You are also VERY tall. You look AMAZING at 196. If I were you, I'd play it by ear, so to speak. Keep making healthy choices and being active and see where your body settles. I'm betting you'll be closer to 160 than 150 for a health, maintainable weight. At your height, anything below 180 would put you in the "normal weight" BMI range (not that I'm a fan of the BMI scale). All that to see, you look FABULOUS now. Congratulations!

. As far as not having trouble eating or thinking the dr made your pouch bigger - I think you're just one of the lucky ones that have an easier time I'd celebrate that! Thanks for the reminder! Peace, Glenda Yay! Keep up the great work and welcome to Onderland.

I have actually averages about 1200 calories per day for the past month. I have, from the beginning, tried to avoid comparing myself with others because I seem to require more. It may be because I'm very active. But even at this many calories, and getting all my Protein and fiber in, I've had to worry about losing hair and etc. Plus, I really think my surgeon made my pouch a little bigger, maybe because I was already at 235 pounds (down from 303) on the day of the surgery. I don't now. It just seemed like from the beginning I had control, but not the "2 Tbsp and I'm full" full people described. I also haven't had an adverse reactions to anything I've eaten except heavily fried foods. As long as I feel healthy and losing 1-2 pounds a week, I'm trying not to stress about my "overeating" at 1200 calories, but when folks post things like "800 calories," I really wonder if I'm doing something wrong. Peace, Glenda

MaryD625, I don't know what on earth that is about, but I'm with you - see a gastroenteritis if your WLS surgeon is not helping. Something sounds very off.

Auri, you look fantastic! How do you Feel? I know how frustrating it is to be right at a "magic" number. Hang in there. You'll see it in your rear view mirror soon. Beni, I am going to be kind to myself by finishing unpacking my room. (We just moved on Friday.) Even if the rest of the house is still in chaos.

Did you eat out? I had that happen one day last week and it was just because of Water retention due to eating out too much. (We're in the process of moving. Just got into the house on Thursday, so there have been a lot of "eating out" meals lately.) Even when you eat health when you eat out, the salt is higher and can throw your weight off. It could also be something simple like being a little too "full" in the intestines, or having added some muscle from that great workout (including additional Fluid that builds up after a great workout to help the muscles repair). And, last but not least, did you weigh at the same time on the same scale (and are you sure the batteries, if it has them, are still good)? I hope it's just a fluke, but even if it's not, and you know you're eating right and exercising, just stay the course. It will resolve itself. Get a "dammit doll" to get the frustration out and keep going. (I wonder how many calories you can burn beating up a "dammit doll"?) Peace, Glenda

Howdy folks. I haven't been as active on this board as I would have liked to have been, but here's my 4 month check in. High weight: 303 Weight at Surgery (10/27): 235 Current Weight: 195 Weight loss has slowed and I have lost quite a bit of hair, but not too much as of yet. I'm at a critical point because between 195 and 200 is where I have gotten "stuck" on my own in the past and ended up regaining. Diet and exercise are going well, and I'm happy with the decision to have the surgery. I have at least a chance of getting past this sticky spot this time! Thanks for sharing your successes and challenges. Even though I don't post often, they come to my email and it helps me to know that some of you are going through the same thing. Peace, Glenda Before (July 2013) and After (February 2015)

Just found this. Hope to join you all next month!

food was never my addiction. Work is my addiction. How do I know? I was answering emails right out of surgery. I just saw one of them. Hilarious what you think sounds right when you are hopped up on narcotics. Today I worked from home. (Surgery was last Monday.) My boss insists I don't need to come in this week as we have a big conference to facilitate next week. So, I sat down at my computer at 8 after my morning walk and... forgot to get up until about 2. Then I was hungry. Really hungry. (At least when I'm in the office, someone drags me for a walk around the building every 60-90 minutes.) So, I'm a week out and I've figured out a couple of things. The awful "nausea" I had on Thursday and Friday was my new version of hungry. Empty pouch = nausea. The dietitian and nurse bumped up my food schedule so I can have pureed Soups and even saltines. That helped. It may have something to do with my usual activity level. I get between 7000 - 12000 steps a day (as long as I don't sit down at the computer before my walk. ) If I'm not paying attention, I'll still down 8 ounces of Fluid too fast... so I can get back to work. Little spoons (I bought a 50-pack of tasting spoons) are wonderful devices for slowing me down. I can get my Protein in very easily with just a little planning. Bariwise Fruit drinks are the bomb. Crystal Light does not make good ice pops. The mix freezes in the center and the rest is just ice. I hate sleeping on my back and can't wait until it doesn't hurt to sleep on my side again. Mostly, I have arthritis in my lower back and after a few hours the pain wakes me up...even if I take pain medication. I'm still really disappointed that he wasn't able to fix the hernias. I realized today no matter how much weight I lose, with "Oscar, Ernie and Bert" (I thought it was just "Oscar the Grouch" going in), I'm going to look like I'm expecting a baby until those get repaired. I'm trying to focus on the healthy living part so I can get to the point where those can be fixed. That's my update for now. I'm praying for those having complications and struggles. Hang in there. We will all get there eventually.

Thanks, LadyPoohBear. I was starting to think I was the only one. I'm just 6 days post-op and I have to remember to stop to eat / drink. I do think about food...but it's mostly, how am I going to make the best use of my calories to make sure I get my Protein and Fluid requirements in.

The most important thing is YOU are comfortable with the decision. I went with gastric bypass because of the long term success and the number of folks that had sleeve revisions. Does your doctor do bypass? Not all do and that may influence recommendations. Get a second opinion if you are not sure which is right for you.

Well, months of planning and hard work are about to pay off. I am scheduled for my gastric bypass on 10/27 at 7 am. I'm proud to say God helped me get from 303 to 238 as of this morning. I'm 5'6" so that puts my BMI at 38 .4, still obese, but a lot better than 48.9, where I started. I'd almost be tempted to continue losing without the surgery except I have lost more than 100 pounds twice before, even became a certified personal trainer at one point, and my body always creeps up to its set point if I'm not super diligent, or have a health issue, or have a life crisis. The surgery will help me be more diligent for long enough for the eating habits and lifestyle changes to become habitual. At least, that's what I'm hoping. The first week of the pre-op diet (fewer than 30 g. carbs; more than 70 g protein) went well. I have six more days of this and one day of the clear liquid diet. I'm feeling a little OCD at the moment because I reading and listening to everything I can get my hands, from medical journal information to people's personal experiences (probably more helpful than the medical journals, to be honest). I'm a little nervous, but mostly in the "can we please get this over with" mindset. I feel I'm as prepared as I can be at this point. My pre-op appointment with the hospital is this afternoon. (I've already met with the surgeon.) The surgery as a milestone, a place to mark a significant point in my life change journey. I know it won't fix underlying issues, so I've been working on those as hard as I can. The only one I feel I have not mastered is eating when I'm tired. Thank you to all those who were brave enough to share their stories, pre- and post-op. They have been tremendously helpful.

I know! Who knew a Popsicle could keep you full for hours?

I made it home yesterday and got my 10k steps. I had a little trouble remembering to drink because of trying to catch up on emails for work and a professional conference for which I am the treasurer. I get to work and I forget to do everything but work and breathing. My goal today is to do better on drinking. On a grosser note, what is up with the stuff they give you for the swallow test?! I was worried about becoming constipated because I have bad internal henohrroids, but no worries after THAT stuff cleared my system. EWWW!