Dyros

I am a 21 year old girl who had the surgery 10/22/14. It is the best decision. I have ever made in my life and I would never ever take it back. So far I am 130 pounds down and I feel amazing. Some things I wish I knew? Well, I knew what would happen physically, there would be pain, less eating, weight loss, loose skin. On my clear liquid diet I was very week I could barely make it up the stairs and I passed out from trying, so we started my full liquids a couple of days earlier. That was the only thing physically that I wasn't expecting g was how week I would be from the liquid diet. What I wasn't prepared for was the mental issues. I wear a size 16 now and when I look in the mirror I still feel like I wear a size 30. It breaks my heart. Your self esteem grows but not as fast as you lose the weight and I wasn't expecting to feel like this. It's hard to see yourself as beautiful. I also struggle with losing my food addiction. And not putting it toward something else like shopping, alcohol, sex. It's been so rough mentally. Just know when you lose the weight it is good to have a good support group and you won't yourself immediatly but you will with time

This is my journey. You may judge me by it, but maybe you can relate to some of it, or maybe it's going to shock you. Either way hopefully something in my story will help you; hopefully you will see that it's not just being overweight that is the hard part; that WLS is not the “easy” way to go and that this decision affects every part of your life.


This is my journey. You may judge me by it, but maybe you can relate to some of it, or maybe it's going to shock you. Either way hopefully something in my story will help you; hopefully you will see that it's not just being overweight that is the hard part; that WLS is not the “easy” way to go and that this decision affects every part of your life.
Life is never perfect; if I could go back, I would tell myself that with losing the weight and transforming into the person I wanted to be comes a whole new set of problems.
I am 34 years old, fairly healthy; I started my wweight loss journey in 2013. I had tried working out, boot camps, over-the-counter medication, weight loss plans and books. Nothing seemed to work for me. I had been married at that point for 13 years, have four beautiful healthy children, and had been pregnant nine times. My body had taken a beating and at only 5'2" tall, the excess weight made me feel like a blimp. I was always hungry. I would eat my meal, and then finish my children's meal as well. It's not that I ate badly, I just ate a LOT.
I decided that I wanted more information on the lap band, but knew that my health insurance had certain steps I had to take before they'd even consider that a possibility. I met with the nutritionist, and we sat down and made a plan. I went on two different prescriptions. One was an appetite suppressant, and the other was an antidepressant with a side effect of decreased appetite. When after a few months of taking medication, going to Boot Camp and logging all of my efforts- did not seem to have much effect on my weight; my nutritionist ran some blood work and decided that I met the criteria for weight-loss surgery.
I was shocked; I did not think for one second that I was heavy enough to qualify for weight-loss surgery. At my heaviest, I weighed 204 pounds. That may not seem like a lot to you, but remember I'm only 5'2"(I'll include some photos so you can see for yourself). My health insurance required that I attend mandatory classes once a week for three months before covering the surgery. These classes taught me how to eat, what to expect, Vitamin intake etc. after and before surgery.
I was very excited about the surgery. Right away after starting the classes I decided that the lap band was not for me and that I would go for the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. I thought that it would not only help my eating, but be a permanent change vs. something that has a shorter lifespan (lap-band for example).
I was an active person, but I could've out eaten a lot of people. I was not the first in my family to have the surgery either, six people in my family and close friends had the same procedure done and I knew what to expect going in to it. To my surprise though, I did not get the support what I expected from the family. Suddenly they were anti-surgery, and telling me that I did not need it and that I would regret it. It confused me because I had seen them successful with it and yet they did not want the same for me. Secretly I felt that it was jealousy, or fear that I would suddenly be skinny and then they would feel competitive with me for some odd reason. Everyone was so used to me being a chubby housewife; they didn't need to feel insecure around me. I understood it to the point, I wouldn't feel comfortable going out or being in a bathing suit around super skinny person either, but this was my family. They had no reason to feel insecure around me; we weren't in any sort of competition.
Surgery day came, and I was ready and excited. It was relatively smooth for me, no complications, no excessive pain. The one thing I can say is that everything was too sweet for me for the few months following surgery. My car air freshener was too sweet I felt sick smelling it; all the Protein Drinks and bars were too sweet. I ended up buying unflavored Protein and adding it to my Soups and broths, etc. Also, immediately following surgery I was very thirsty. My mouth was always dry and I craved the ability to drink gulps of Water, but couldn't. I'd have pain from even drinking one ounce of water too fast, and if I drank cold fluids, I would have that same pain so I stuck to room temperature. I did however find relief in munching on the crunchy ice that I found at my local gas station. It kept my mouth moist and gave me relief.
When the weight started coming off, I couldn't help but smile. I got so used to watching it coming off daily that when it started to slow down a bit I got scared. I realized that my working out had to increase. No longer would the regular walks around the block be enough. That's when I got into a gym that I actually liked. I did not feel insecure there, it was not full of people that I thought were judging me, and it was something that I have actually stuck with now for over a year. I fell in love with Zumba, I fell in love with the staff and felt that I was supported by the people at the gym. I started working out daily and working out hard. I started seeing a difference in my body structure; my stomach muscles were getting defined and my arm muscles were showing. It was very important to me not to have excess skin if I could help it, so I worked really hard and pushed myself at the gym even to the point of throwing up. I had not thrown up from working out before, this was new to me; but it felt great. It felt great to post pictures of my progress and have people comment about my “six-pack”. Was this really me?
Part of my motivation came from social media. Letting friends know I was at the gym, kept me going to the gym. They motivated me. It held me accountable. I also started getting messages from friends that wanted to know more about WLS. I wasn't hiding it, and was sharing my journey. I would post pictures of my progress. I felt proud of my hard work and people wanted to see how I was progressing. That was where some problems started to arise in my marriage. My husband didn't want pictures posted that showed my stomach. He was thinking of them in a way I wasn't.
A problem I did not expect, was having to buy new clothes pretty much weekly. Every week my jeans would be looser and not fit me right, and after losing the weight the last thing you want to do is look heavier than you actually are. I was going shopping buying new clothes smaller and smaller each week, and I was excited that I could actually shop at stores that I never could walk into in the past. When I could fit into a size “0” I almost fainted. It was a proud moment for me. I was thin, but healthy. My doctor checked me regularly and I had muscle tone.
Strangely though, I noticed people starting to treat me a little bit different. Certain family members were very cold towards me suddenly, and pulling away from me and becoming more distant. It felt as though I was getting judged, people thinking that I was losing too much weight, or dressing differently and becoming more “sexy” in my attire. I didn't feel this way though, I felt like I was finally able to dress in style versus dress in overweight sweaters that came down below my waist and loose cut jeans. That was always my thing wearing shirts or sweaters that came down and hung below my waist, made me feel like he was hiding my stomach for some reason. LOL, as if it actually hid the fact that I was fat.
As the people around me started to change, I started to see my marriage for what it was. Not that it was bad, but there were things that I was trying to turn a blind eye to that I no longer feel I needed to. I suddenly felt like I was worth something, and that I didn't need to be turning a blind eye to anything. I felt that I deserved to be happy, and with that in mind so did he. I gained confidence; not that I changed, but I was able to be me for once and not feel worthless. I had felt like I could not live without him, that I couldn't survive. I was codependent and with the weight dropping off I suddenly felt like I could do anything I set my mind to. I felt like if I wasn't happy, I needed to make myself happy and not depend on anyone else to do so. I started to express my needs for more in our marriage and he was so used to our “routine” that he didn't hear me or take me seriously.
People started telling me that I was changing; people started thinking that losing the weight was turning me into a different person. They blamed my decisions on the weight loss, versus just finally standing up for myself. I felt confident enough to go out and dance, confident enough to go have a drink with a friend and not feel like a fat blimp.
My husband had gone through the surgery, and I had seen him lose weight. Our reactions to each other's weight loss were quite different though. When he lost the weight, I wanted to lose weight as well and started working out more and more. But for him, when I lost the weight he got more and more jealous and insecure about himself. Suddenly in his mind I was having affairs, or wanting to be with other people because I was losing weight. Arguments became more and more frequent, and it ended with him becoming cold and pulling away from me more and more. I wanted more in my marriage. I wanted affection, love and an emotional connection.
Everyone around me (besides select few) started talking about me negatively. I was either too skinny, or making bad decisions. It was shocking to me, because they were so used to me doing nothing for myself and staying home while they all went out, that the minute I decided that I wanted one night a week for myself, they could not handle it. Looking back at it all, I realize now that I was expecting my husband to be happy in our marriage, when I was not happy with myself. I feel that in order for you to be happy in your life, you must be happy with yourself. How can I expect him to be happy with me, if I wasn’t?
One night my husband and I got into an argument. I was pouring my emotions out to him and as expected, he just sat and watch TV and when I was done telling him that I needed him to be there emotionally, he told me he did not give a f$&@ and to just go hire an attorney. That was it for me. Something clicked and I just thought to myself, I can do this on my own. I don't want to cry myself to sleep. I want to feel loved. I'm beautiful and smart and I should be with someone who loves me, not with someone because it's routine. So I hired an attorney and so began my “new life”.
Now this is not going to go as you'd think. My husband and I are still together, and happier than ever. But the journey isn't something that I expected.
We separated. He was shocked. I had actually gone through with it. Drawn up and signed papers. Served him and discussed custody. It got ugly and he couldn't see where this came from besides the weight loss. So that's what he told people. Suddenly I had people talking to me about the surgery and divorce statistics. I received emails of the news reports on the surgery and divorce, and people kept telling me that I was making a bad decision. What did they know? They did not realize the lies that were told or things that happened behind closed doors at my house. On the outside we seemed like the perfect marriage, but they didn't know the pain inside. Of course it was easy for them to blame the weight loss, but I don't. I still don't to this day. I do think however that it did give me confidence in myself, and helped me to believe in myself and feel that I had some sort of worth.
While we were separated, I went to out with my friends. Once a week I would have a night out. I would let loose and have fun. Sure, I got hit on, but that wasn't where my mind was. It felt strange to me to have a man approach me, and many times I looked at my friends to rescue me from these moments.
Suddenly I noticed friends and family looking and treating me differently. Friends were now choosing sides. I even had a family member spying on me and relaying all to my husband. People that I thought loved me, didn't bother to a check in with me, but judged me instead.
During this time I kept working out, kept eating right and kept up on my blood work ordered by my doctor to check my progress. My body was transforming into the body I'd always dreamed of. The more weight I lost, the more of my breast size I lost. I went from a DD to a small B cup. The excess skin that I had was on my Breast and my stomach. Sure when I stood up you could see my stomach muscles, but when I sat or bent over, the skin would hang and wrinkle up. I needed plastic surgery. I expected it though, so that wasn't a shock. The price tag was though. I am going to need $14,000 to get my breasts and stomach done. I'm hoping to get the procedure in the next few months. My inner thighs are another area that I have excess skin. There is a surgery for that, but I have decided against it (for now).
I throw up more than usual. I think though that it's because I use my limits. I have a food addiction; it's hard to just take a small bite, even when you know you feel full. My solution when eating out is to box most of my meals right when I get them.
Another side effect I was now going through was Hair loss. I noticed it falling out more and more. It was thin and straw like. I started taking hair Vitamins, but it kept getting worse. I decided that wearing a wig was a solution that I could afford and one that would not harm what little hair I had left. I loved them too. I'd never had long hair and it looked amazing. Of course the minute I started wearing the wig, people started talking more and more. Those that cared enough to hear my reason, understood it; but family just thought it was me changing from the surgery yet again.
I just couldn't win. Every step I took was judged and every step I took to make me feel good about myself was interpreted as me wanting to be single or making bad decisions.
My husband and I were going to counseling, we were having date nights and trying to talk about things that had been hidden for years (yes, secrets came out). We were trying to talk with the kids and let them know we were working on making our marriage work.
The minute we knew something changed and that we were falling back in love with each other, was the minute all of my thoughts on the family were confirmed. When we announced that we were staying together, certain people in the family showed their true colors. They were in fact jealous. I was even told that I looked like a “crack whore”. Really? So losing weight, standing up for yourself and what you believe in and being happy was suddenly a behavior I was to be apologizing for and me being a healthier version of me made me a drug addict?
So when I was fat, I was fat and put down. Now that I'm skinny, I'm too skinny for their liking? Again, I can't win.
My husband realized I needed him and his support. He began to see things for what it was with the family. He finally saw how I was treated and took a stand himself. We realized that outside influences were interfering with our happiness and we decided to pull away and focus on OUR family and not others.
I've learned that people project their anger, insecurities and unhappiness on those around them that are happy.
I've learned that I should have known I was worth something before the weight loss and if I had maybe it wouldn't have been such an easy target for the people around me.
I've learned that if I'm happy with myself, it doesn't matter what anyone else says.
I've learned how to eat right, enjoy working out and take pride in my health.
I've learned that with confidence comes insecurities in those around me and that I need to reassure those closest to me that I was still me.
I took boudoir pictures for my husband’s 40th birthday. I never thought I could do it, but I did and it was an amazing experience. It was empowering for me. I felt proud of my hard work. I felt sexy. When I saw the pictures, I cried. It didn't feel real. Didn't feel like I could ever look that beautiful. Then again, maybe I always was?
My journey is mine. Maybe some of it you'll relate to, or maybe not. But I felt it should be told.

Hi everyone I had my surgery January 12th and have been losing an average of 2 pounds a week which I'm extremely happy about. I drink a Protein Shake daily and eat a Protein Bar daily ( pure Protein or quest). I look forward to my protein bar as I get my sweet tooth satisfied that way too! It amazes me how I can eat a cookie or a thin slice of cake with no full sensation but a only a couple of bites of chicken and I'm exploding at the seams! Overall super happy I'm sleeved & enjoy keeping updated in everyone else

Hello January buddies!
I had my 3 month follow up at my surgeon's office today. Met with the Physician's Assistant and my Nut who both said I was doing great! I have lost 35 pounds which is 40% of the total I want to lose. My blood work was good, except Calcium is too high which is weird... I eat very little dairy and always forget my calcium supplements. So I don't have to take them anymore. Check up and blood work again in 3 months. I'm still struggling a bit with my Water and am working to get more exercise in. Overall I am really happy.
I don't post much, but I read tons of posts, and this site has helped me so much!

Love it, hate it or ignore it completely, the “Biggest Loser” on NBC is one of America’s favorite shows. Millions of viewers tune in each week to watch contestants weigh in as they shed pounds during this inspirational weight loss competition. If you are a bariatric surgery patient or candidate, however, this inspirational show can be bittersweet.


You root for each contestant because you understand their fight against obesity. But if you have been a long-time viewer, you may also cringe regularly. That’s because of the show’s history of devaluing weight loss surgery as a legitimate weight loss aid. More than once, Biggest Loser trainers and the head doctor, Dr. Robert Huizenga, have stated Biggest Loser methods is a better way to lose weight than surgery, which they imply is dangerous and an inappropriate solution in all cases.
New Study: Biggest Loser versus Bariatric Surgery
Are these obesity experts right to discourage weight loss surgery in the national spotlight? Or should they acknowledge bariatric surgery as a possibly beneficial weight loss approach? A lot of us would love to know more about the weight loss program on the Biggest Loser competition and how its results are compared to weight loss surgery.
Now, we can. Dr. Huizenga has published a study comparing Biggest Loser to weight loss surgery – in particular, gastric bypass. It answers a lot of questions…and raises a lot, too! Here are the basics of the study.
The Study Groups
The study compared 13 contestants on the Biggest Loser to 13 roux-en-Y gastric bypass patients. The weight loss surgery patients followed their surgeon’s standard program, including the weight loss surgery diet and any required post-surgery follow-up care and support.
Biggest Loser contestants were on the Biggest Loser Ranch until week 13 or until they got voted off and were at home until the finale. While on the ranch, they exercised for 90 minutes 6 days a week under supervision and were encouraged to exercise up to three additional hours each day on their own. Their diet included lean Protein, fruits, and vegetables, and limited sugars, fats, and processed grains.
The Results
By seven months, or the time between the start of the Biggest Loser season and the show’s finale, Biggest Loser contestants were ahead of bariatric surgery patients. The average Biggest Loser weight loss was 108 pounds while weight loss surgery patients averaged a loss of 78 pounds. By the end of the year, weight loss surgery patients got to an average loss of 89 pounds.
In addition, Biggest Loser contestants lost less muscle and more body fat. However, they also had a lower resting metabolism – that is, they burned fewer calories per day than the weight loss surgery patients. That means they are more likely to put the weight back on.
These are the key findings.
Biggest Loser contestants lost more weight at 7 months, but the gap narrowed by 12 months.
Biggest Loser contestants lost more body fat.
Weight loss surgery patients had a higher metabolism.
Weight loss surgery patients had lower levels of leptin, a hormone related to hunger.

Dr. Huizenga’s Conclusions…Leading to More Unanswered Questions?
Dr. Huizenga believes this study is a compelling argument against bariatric surgery. He refers to the risk of death (1 in 1,000) from bariatric surgery, as well as the high cost of surgery. He acknowledges the high injury rates of contestants but believes these can be treated with orthopedic techniques and surgery. Hopefully, you know a good orthopedic surgeon and have good medical insurance!
Do You Watch TV for Four to Six Hours a Day?
The Biggest Loser includes 90 minutes per day of exercise under the watch of Biggest Loser trainers, plus contestants are encouraged to exercise up to another three hours a day on their own. Do you have a spare four and a half hours each day?
Dr. Huizenga has a solution. He says most people spend 4 to 6 hours per day watching television. He suggests you could spend that time exercising instead. Indeed, a Nielsen survey backs him up. However, while the numbers may sound reasonable, can that be true in real life?
Do you really watch TV for that many hours each day?
When you “watch” TV, are you just watching TV (and are, therefore, available to do exercise instead), or are you already doing something else, like folding laundry or cooking dinner?
Are you willing to exercise that long each day?
Are you physically able to exercise that long each day?

To sum it up, this is an interesting study. Certainly nobody actually wants bariatric surgery – but is there an alternative? Can you follow a Biggest Loser lifestyle and get the results you want? Dr. Huizenga thinks so, but we have our doubts. Coming up, we’ll have an easy-to-read comparison of Biggest Loser and bariatric surgery. Then, we have a few final questions to raise about the study. Stay tuned!
If you’re interested in reading the original research article by Dr. Huizenga and his colleagues at the National Institutes of Health, Vanderbilt University, and Pennington Biomedical Research Center, you can go here.

@@shannpann
You have to find a good Reflexologist and make an appointment and tell them about the Constipation, they will work on your feet/hands and it somehow "releases" everything and the intestines start moving everything along like it is supposed to work!!
Best to Google to find one in your area.

Definitely sounds like stress and possibly the anaesthetic still in your body , I'm sure it's going to start coming down soon and you will be changing your bonus and taking less Insulin ????

Yes, it is easier to read a post with good grammar. However some people have not had the opportunity to learn good grammar. They should feel comfortable here anyway. This isn't Harvard Law Review.
Perhaps you could consider blocking posts from members whose grammar continually offends you.
I think most folks here have already experienced enough criticism and are here looking for a safe place to become more informed.

I had major Constipation after my surgery and My surgeon suggested Reflexology, I don't believe in alternative medicine but was in such a bad way I tried it, and it WORKED! Within 20 minutes ???? , you have to try it to believe it works wonders for constipation!!

Almost 5 months out, and I finally hit that 75 lb mark. Took some pics to celebrate!

Don't freak out ????, it's normal! I had bypass 12 Jan and have lost 33 pounds, so far, I'm also having a stall (nearly 2 weeks) keep doing what your doing!!

I was also told by my medical team there is no such thing as stretching your pouch. What you eat and how you eat is what causes the food to pass through allowing us to eat more then we should. Slider foods, drinking with meals, eating too fast are the real issues not the pouch stretching. We have to eat slowly to promote a filling of the egg sized stomach and emptying while triggering the nerve that detects fullness in the proper way. When the next bite comes the stomach keeps emptying. If we go too fast you can consume way more without feeling satisfied. Not chewing well enough causes food to get stuck and then you get the foamies. The reason you can't stretch your stomach it's because it's like a tiny ziplock bag with a hole at the bottom about the size of dime to a nickel. It's impossible because food goes right out. I am describing gastric bypass. With the sleeve, if you overfill, what you get is horrible reflux. The only thing that happens is while your pouch is healing is is very sensitive. Once it heals it's more elastic and more efficient at emptying. This is why some patients say they feel no restriction. I would recommend talking to your doctor and nurse. They can explain the way this works in a way that is most helpful. I am very grateful for that because I feel like I understand what is going on. Knowledge is power, right?

I don't know if my comment will add anything new to this discussion, but I wanted to share a conversation I had with my husband yesterday. I had one of the worst days since surgery and even before surgery yesterday. I joined a boot camp at a gym a few weeks ago and am working with a private trainer to help me n my way of getting fit. I go twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Well last Thursday I wasn't able to go because of getting a fill and another doctor's appointment that day. So I knew yesterday was going to be hellish, but still. I literally cried during the workout. I felt so ashamed at how hard it was, and angry that I let myself get to a point where I was so unhealthy and unfit. I literally high-tailed it out of the gym when it was over and sobbed in my car. When I was calmer, hubby and I talked and here is what he said:
We all carry two demons inside of us, the one who tells us we are nothing and the one that tells us we are perfect. The demon who tells us we are failures stands around trying to sell tickets to his fun house. Normally we are able to ignore it and go on about our days, but when we feel our most vulnerable, we succumb. We enter the fun house full of mirrors that reflect our failures, our regrets, our fears, our imperfections. And we are no better for having paid this visit to the fun house when we leave.
His words stuck with me all day and even into today, though I feel much better. I am still so early in the process. I have only lost 30 pounds so all I see is a fat person when I look in the mirror. I do try to find things about myself that I love. I have thin wrists and ankles, beautiful hands. I can appreciate my stretch marks from having carried two amazing children. My breasts have been saggy and flat-ish since puberty, lol (meaning I have never liked them and don't expect that to change. But they look good in a good bra!). I am in the camp that wants to get healthy, as of now. I am terrified of becoming dissatisfied once I lose weight. I don't want to wear a bikini necessarily, but I want to wear a one piece without a skirt. I have a tattoo on my wrist that says "I want, I want, I want." it is a quote from a book, but it has pertained so accurately to so many points in my life. The wanting but not knowing what I want; the wanting of things that seem impossible; the wanting of someone who has hope.
Like I said, I don't know if this adds anything, but as everyone above has stated, we have all felt this one, in one way or another. There are those of us that are 'jealous' of where you are - having lost your weight, feeling happy, proud, excited for you, and wanting the same for ourselves. We all battle this differently. I guess I just want to send virtual hugs and just say, "I *get* it. You aren't alone."

@@Dyros It's probably best to ask your rabbi that question. It could vary depending on your circumstances.

I'm newly banded. We should start this thread back up again though!

I'm down 62 pounds as of last week. Surgery day 1/5/15
I haven't weighed this week yet
Best thing I've ever done for myself!
Before pic -December 27th
After- Feb 27
????????????????????????

I gave up coffee before my surgery and haven't had one since !! ( 6 weeks post op) I just don't want to fall back into the same habits I had, And I don't want to eat/drink anything unhealthy (used to have 2 sweeteners in every coffee)

Wow I'm impressed to hear you drink so much water! I struggle to drink any throughout the day! But perhaps that's just me...I've always barely drunk through the day.

Ask your local Rabbi. You might be able to get a "heter" Most of my Jewish friends who've had WLS have no problem fasting whatsoever. As a matter of fact, most find it a lot easier after WLS.

I'm drinking so much Water now I don't understand how I'm going to fast 25 hours without getting dehydrated?

1 month post op and since surgery I have lost 10 lbs! Yep, 10 lbs! I am happy with that! I had a lower BMI to start so I expected a lower weightloss than others. My weightloss is slow and that's ok. It is what it is! Hopefully the slow weightloss will decrease loose skin! Eating soft foods now. I am having difficulty knowing when I am full still. It hits me all of the sudden I am fine the next bite I am "uncomfortably" full! I will keep working on it. I do measure out my food. I can only eat about 1/4 cup of food always eat my Protein first. I am dealing with terrible Constipation however started Miralax and that has helped things. I definitely need to increase my fluids! I feel like I am constantly eating (because you have to chew,chew,chew and that time) that there is no time to drink! I will have to just start sipping all day! I still have a shake for lunch or Breakfast whichever. I am very happy with my desicion to do this! I don't stress over the scale anymore. I know my sleeve is working, I am eating a 1/4 cup of food or less at a meal, I am not hungry, and my body is losing just slowly! I am taking measurements Saturday to see where I am at! I keep tightening up my belt every few days and my clothes are definently getting baggy! I will continue to do what I do. Starting turbo jam today! That should kick the weightloss up! ????

Today I am 27 days post op. I've already lost 25lbs, (6 pre-op and 19 post-op). Since my 2 week visit and starting mushy foods, i've only been losing a couple of ounces a day if at all. I know I need to watch my carbs and get in a little more Protein, and I really need to get on the treadmill.
Once I switched to regular foods-I started to feel fantastic! I won't lie-it was a rough couple of weeks. I didn't need anything in the hospital other than the gas strips, a hair elastic and lose clothing to go home in. I was too tired and drowsy to do anything during my stay. I definitely felt the effects of the anesthesia-and slept about 20 hours a day for the first 5 days home. All I did was wake up to do a couple of laps around the house, drink a Protein shake and sip some Water and feel depressed and weepy.
I for sure had the post sleeve blue's, and even woke myself up with a couple of scary panic attacks- thinking what have I done to myself?, this is forever!, i'll never be able to have a cadbury egg again, etc... I also spent way too much time looking up post op problems! A little gas and I had convinced myself I had a leak. A pulled ab muscle and I was sure it was my gallbladder. I'm telling you-my hormones were making me CRAZY! I felt so scattered and thought I'd never be able to remember anything again. And the food dreams! I woke up from a nap last week and the hubby was laughing at me. Apparently I was in mid-bite as I woke myself up. BUT, good news-those have slowly disappeared a little more each day and now-almost a month post op I'm better than ever.
I'm pissed I'll never be able to take ibuprofen again. And I'm sad for myself that I had to do something so dramatic and traumatic because I wasn't emotionally strong enough to do it on my own. And this whole part about really having to feel my own feelings is hard as hell! But now-just 3.5 weeks post op, I can already say this was the best decision of my life.
It's nice having the control taken away from me and given to my sleeve. I love the compliments from my hubby, and noticing how lose my clothes are getting. I love how my skin is clearing up, and my terrible 2 o'clock headaches have gone away. And I love looking through my closet at some of my old skinny clothes-the fabulous ones that I just couldn't part with... and I can't wait to wear them again soon.
My advice to any newbies is make sure you have some hobbies. The only hobbies I had were working, eating, cooking, drinking, reading while snacking or going out to eat. I'm having to reinvent myself now and it's not as easy as I'd hoped.
Onwards and upwards sleevers. I'm sure the lack of sun up here in New England isn't helping my pity party, but the days are already getting longer and spring is just around the corner.

Today is the day I've been waiting for, for a very, very long time. And it's finally here. Officially, this morning I've lost 100 POUNDS!!! Please friends, there is no need in sending out a search party. There is absolutely no reward in their return. In fact, I've got 34 more to lose to hit my goal. DON'T look for them, don't find them. They are no good, bad news!! Today is a blessed day. <3

I also had my surgery 12 Jan and have been sleeping on my side for the last couple of days (with extra cushions) but am suffering with Insomnia too!

Dyros -
I have not had many lows. I worked with my entire care team and specifically my endocrinologist. We had a plan in place and I'm blessed it worked! I went to 50% basal and 1:10 bolus on my pump. Of the two low's I've had, I have been using "glucose shots" by Dex.....liquid and easy to get down.
I hope you are doing well...take it easy and try not to get frustrated. I had my surgery 12/1/14 and I still have days where I have an ache/pain or feel nauseous....one day at a time