julsofthenile

so eloquent.

I know as many do, that keeping stuff out of the house is a great tactic. I get sick of some of my go-to snacks; i find that i wasn't eating so much deli meat or cheese as Snacks right now as in the past, but rather pretzel crisps with some kind of dip....but now i am sick of pretzel crisps... the deli meat will suffice better in terms of protein/lower carbs...so i will be back to buying/eating those. I keep plain dark chocolate in the house, as i never overeat that...but i cannot say the same for other treats/candies, etc. We all know what we have issues with, and you just need to keep it out of the house. I store lots of popsicles in my freezer instead of ice cream. When I buy ice cream which is a rarity, i only buy enough and instead of those great sales that would allow me to buy 3 half gallons, i no longer look at that as a good thing. I am saving my life by not eating it or buying it, so i can justify not getting something on sale anymore.

I track everything in my 3.5 x 5.5 moleskine book...its a great little book and fits in my purse, I track because too many times i forget what i have eaten 5 hrs later, and its way too easy to overeat that way. I track my Vitamins and bowel movements (lol) and exercise and food i eat all on one page a day. its convenient and i just ordered another little book as mine is almost used up....but i like it, as i can always look back and see where i went wrong, or if i have been eating enough veggies or consuming enough Water. I am not a good historian and i think many people aren't. Sometimes our own reality is not really accurate... i have noticed this and have made the commitment to track my stuff in an easy manner, because i benefit from doing it and actually like it. I think re-assessing each month is a good thing. I eat what i want if i truly want it, but what i want is different now. I do not like feeling out of control like i used to...so i really do what i need to do in order for that not to happen. I track, I resist, i don't buy, i buy other healthier options, i exercise, etc....i do what it takes...and i am successful 98% of the time. I am still in the losing mode, but it has slowed considerably and maybe a few too many imbibes over the holidays have contributed to my slower loss, but if i stick to my exercise schedule and all the other changes i've made, I feel confident that i will continue to be successful, perhaps right to my goal weight. In my house, we all love sweets so i make one thing a month to indulge in and i only make just enough. that way, i'm not mindlessly eating a box of Cookies. I did buy my hubby a box of girl scout Cookies, but my daughter got into them. glad it wasn't me! But you see, I was able to buy them, and not eat them. and that is a great feat my fellow bariatric surgery pals. Its a journey...I look at it in terms of there is no end here...i'm just taking everything day by day. I do not see a goal weight as a time when i can alter what i am doing now. I am completely satisfied with what i eat now and how i eat it, and i no longer look forward to a day where i will be "over" doing any of this.. as i did in the past when i was dieting.Life right now is how i like it, and there is no end goal anymore. I just do what i can to make the process successful for me on a daily basis- that will inevitably change from time to time but i am really satisfied with the here and now.

good for you! Keep up the good work!

I waited 2 weeks and was careful. But I tell you sex has been so frickin good I'm in heaven.

Springfield area here. Sleeved one week.

I'm a week out and I can only drink 2oz at a time. Dr said no more than 8oz in an hr and after drinking 7 or 8 oz in an hour I can't drink anything as I'm too full for several hrs. Hard to get all my Fluid in. I do 1 oz every 10min around the clock, throwing in a 2oz serving every now and then which I sip, until I feel full. I hope it gets better. I can't make it my life sipping 1oz every 10 min. Lol

15 lbs.

I had a lot of pain and cramping in upper abdomen 1st 2 days. I couldn't walk much due to exhaustion and dizziness and it was a very hard time for me. I had to pee all the time every 2 hrs.just doing that took every ounce I had. I couldn't keep my eyes open.pain was an issue in hospital but once I went home I haven't used any pain meds. My emotions are all over the place. I avoid stuff except comedy. Its been an emotional rollercoaster like never in my life. Like I have no control over it. I can't seem to make my liquid quota and tomorrow will be 1 wk since I've been sleeved. If I don't get enough Protein in I'm exhausted. I need help and I'm still dizzy. People react differently. I guess surgery was quite a shock to my body. I'm only 47 and was in pretty good shape at 240 and 5ft 6". I feel better every day but I had bloated feeling a few days ago and couldn't drink for 12 hrs...so I started with clear liquid the next morning as I thought it was choc protein shake....by early afternoon it was like I regressed and found out I need my protein throughout the day. I couldn't stand on my own. So, everything is different And we all hope things will go smoothly. But sometimes you don't know what's going to happen.surgery and no food for a week has shocked my body in ways I never knew. I've had other surgeries and have had 2 children. This has been the toughest thing for me. Ever. I will be so happy when I feel normal and healthy again.

I had my sleeve surgery on 7/23. I was nervous of course, but after they put that mask on my face in the OR, I don't remember anything until I woke up. I was in pain , in my abdomen and was in recovery for 6.5 hrs. I couldn't keep my eyes open. They took me to my room and it was a struggle to keep my eyes open even though I wasn't sleeping. They switched me from morphine to diloudid (sp?) and then my pain went down. However your stomach cramps like you haven't eaten in a week and I felt that regardless of pain med. The pain med made me nauseous and I threw up once with no effort. They gave me meds for nausea. It was tough the day of and the day after surgery. Even with nausea meds I still almost threw up each time they gave me pain meds. It was much worse than I expected and the only thing that would change my mind of having abdominal surgery of any kind ever again would be amnesia. I do Not regret it but I had a rough couple of days and wouldn't want to go through that again ever. I haven't taken any pain meds since I got home. I haven't needed to. I did take a stool,softener until today when I had a bowel movement. I was in the hosp for 2 days. I couldn't fully empty my bladder and that sent me over the edge. I walked a few times but could barely get out of bed to go pee as it was beyond exhausting. I was getting out of bed anyway every 2 hrs like clockwork to pee since I was on fluids but they catheterized me once cuz no matter how much I went, I just had more left and I couldn't sleep. Slowly the Peeing got better as I bargained with them to cut my iv down some and I'd drink more on my own. And they switched me to liquid oxycodone and I improved 1%. Lol I came home.the ride was tough and I was so dizzy and disoriented, and in pain with every bump. My biggest compaint was sheer exhaustion...it took all my energy to talk. Id have like 2 hrs where'd felt better but that would be it. I am fine without taking any pain meds since I've arrived home. It has been a struggle being in a 15 min to 1 hr schedule of taking in 1-2 is of liquids but it's all I did. I walk around my back yard perimeter several times a day with help. I don't walk without supervision because I am unsteady and tire easily and immediately. Today I feel more normal but the exhaustion is overbearing. Today is the best day so far. I woke up with heartburn and that wasn't pleasant so I had to call the Dr.today I am,actually physically hungry and I don't like it. So I'm aiming to drink my full range of Protein and see if that helps otherwise I will be starving for 4 more days.my focus is just feeling better. I currently could care less about anything else. I'm following my guidelines, folks. Every day is a new one but if you asked me yesterday if I would do it again I would tell you I'd avoid any type of abdominal surgery...and that I'd rather die. I actually said that and I meant it. Today, since I feel better, my outlook is better. I would not want to go through this again, though, unless my life depended on it...It is a serious surgery. I was not diluted in my thinking it would be easy.

I feel like I can't sleep cause I have to read anything and everything about the pending pre-op diet to the long term post-op experiences. I'm a lower BMI but have lost just as much of my "life" as I would at a higher one. I'm ready to get back to the life I was supposed to have, and start over. I'm nervous to be home with my kids all summer, cooking for them all day and not being able to eat any of it. I don't usually have a problem not eating it, but the "can't" makes the thought tougher.

My date is July 23rd. I'm a Canadian going to the WLF clinic in Tijuana. I'd love to hear or share any thoughts and experiences from all of you.

My date is also july 23rd! I am having it done at my local hospital in Massachusetts. I am also nervous and excited. it will be scary but usually everything worth anything is!

It is your life. YOUR LIFE. to do as you choose. Don't let people push you around and make you feel bad. Remember: you are worthy of a great life! Some people mean well, and some don't...but stand up for yourself. simply say, "for me, its the right choice, perhaps for you it wouldn't be"....in the meantime just stay away from her. You have enough on your plate. She will eventually come around ( if just to be nosy), and if she can't be supportive then, just tell her you'd like her to be supportive, but if she can't, then you can't be friends.

if you do not stick up for yourself, then who will? besides me....and everyone else here....lol seriously...you can say it tactfully, but you don't need that kind of negativity on a regular basis. It then becomes HER problem.

July 23rd here.....i sure would like a pal. I am scared! Scared of surgery in general and how the pain will be when i wake up, I also worry about nausea.

Oh gosh....i think most people are scared...and excited at the same time. But its a surgery like any other in the realm of surgeries....so that is good...and you WILL survive the surgery. That is probably the easiest part....but I haven't had mine yet...so I'm just guessing lol. But from what i have been reading, the work comes afterwards and for most people, there are a series of ups and downs and adjustments that are simply inevitable.

I can see myself being nervous and scared ( i already am) but like you, feel I HAVE to do it, WANT to do it and WILL do it in the end. I imagine that i will ask why i got myself into this....i imagine I will have some breakdowns with bouts of excitement and happiness in between. I imagine I will regret it from time to time many times in a day in the beginning ,as I adjust to something i cant turn back. ...then a slow adjustment, and as i see i'm losing, i will be more accepting that i made the right decision. I imagine snapping at people cuz i don't have my precious food to turn to anymore and i probably wont like it. It will be like a funeral for my old friend...i'll be mourning my old relationship with food. Change doesn't come easy and takes time.

I was worried when i had a breast reduction about 12 years ago...worried about the surgery for the most part....but after i came out of it, I was psyched even though i lost a few lbs on each breast...so it was a physical adjustment. I was operated on for about 3 hrs.

I'm a big baby...A really big baby, but i am not going to let it stop me. Fear is not a good enough excuse to not go through with it....as my fear wont stop....ill just be fearing how long i will live, or afraid that if i wait til i am older and revisit the surgery then, it will be more of a risk then, than it is now. Now is a good a time as any.

You are right to be afraid. You are entitled to it. But don't let it dictate your future. While likely much different, an incredible future awaits you!!!!!