BBtravel

(We aren't allowed in there.)
I'll be right back.

@@BigDaddyJG Now that was a stellar example of a gracious acceptance of an apology! And you get extra credit for accepting it on someone else's behalf. Thanks for posting.

Wrapping a towel around me with no gap.

I actually have a little time today, as my husband is at another officer's funeral this morning. This officer was shot and killed by a "bad guy", and has left behind a wife and 2 young children. What a week.
So between laundry loads, I will fill you in on the latest. The doctor has called yesterday with news that the cancer cells have NOT grouped together, which is (I think) good news. We cannot tell yet, even from the CT scan, if it has spread to any other system. He will have an MRI on Thursday, and another colonoscopy on Tuesday (for additional biopsies). They did see what appears to be a cyst on his pancreas, with what appears to be singular cancerous cells, but again, that should be good - that they have not grouped up. Hopefully these other tests will show all. Then he will have surgery to rescind the colon where the tumor is located. This is all in our Good Lord's hands, where we trust all will be attended to as He sees fit. Your prayers are greatly (GREATLY) appreciated, and the more, the better!
My news is my stress test came out normal, (HA- THAT was stress?!), so this ordeal with hubs should really show me some stress!
@@AvaFern, I thank you for your insight. I am hoping that what you have experienced, and what you have revealed, is what happened with this situation (my stress test). It must, indeed, be difficult to see such atrocities, especially without seeing positive results from treatment given. Or knowing what happens to these folks in the future. You have wakened me, and my eyes are now opened. Thank you. It is the reason I have tried to give all that see my scars a head's-up about what they are about to see, so the shock of it doesn't stun them. So they are prepared. What I didn't think of was how they must take all of this in, and try to process it without becoming emotionally overwhelmed. It IS overwhelming. It does me virtually everytime I look at myself. I try not to look so much anymore.
People, you are amazing. In your own world of drastic change (for the good, I might add!) with WLS, you have taken time to comfort me, and give much needed (and heeded!) advice. I can never thank you enough. It gives hope in a world full of self-centeredness, and casual indifference. From my husband and myself, THANK YOU.

Hi everyone!
Thought I should log in an update. I am now 11 months post-op. I've gotten through all the challenging transitioning and healing which takes place for a good nine months or so after surgery.
Before/After Stats: (Surgery was performed on June 9th, 2014)
Height: 5'6
Before Weight: 210 lbs (highest weight was 240)
Current Weight: 127
Before BMI: 34
Current BMI: 20
Surgery Day Pant Size: 16
Current Pant Size: 2 or 0
Things went like this:
I had my surgery. I followed my doctors orders. I didn't pay attention to stalls. I focused on Protein and hydration. I weighted myself daily but honestly didn't pay too much attention to the number, just checked to see that the pounds were still dropping. I never obsessed over anything, just enjoyed my journey into this new lifestyle, even the tough days.
My biggest challenges:
Definitely drinking enough fluids. I still struggle with getting 64 oz in!! Also I should do better about tracking my food consumption every day. (If I don't track, I don't eat enough)
The hardest time for me:
Even months after I added solid food it seemed like eating would never "feel" normal again. Always too full, always slightly queasy after eating, always getting things stuck in my esophagus, always dealing with heartburn. There were nights when I would just be so tired of feeling sick from eating food....but I always kept in mind that this was a temporary stage and that it would pass. It did. Now I can eat anything including Pasta, bread, red meat, chicken, and lettuce. Just very little amounts.
What I wished I had done differently:
Added strength training as soon as I was cleared for exercise. After loosing all of this fat I also lost a lot of muscle mass which led to that gaunt post-wls sickly look for a few weeks. Now I do yoga nearly 7 days per week. It would have been waaaaay better to have started earlier when I still had muscles to work with.
Here is the most important thing I did:
I worked very hard in the beginning to reset my entire relationship with food. I had to find new ways of coping with stress and new ways of rewarding myself. I did a lot of personal detective work to understand the why's and how's of my food addiction. Food to me now is just a tasty fuel for my body. Do I add good or bad fuel to my machine? Without having so many emotions interwoven with the act of chewing, swallowing, and stuffing food inside my stomach, it is now easy to choose the healthy fuel.
The coolest thing so far:
Honestly, it's the knowledge that I have just increased my life expectancy and long-term quality of life. That's a huge deal. I can see myself as an active, engaged, healthy, and youthful senior citizen. I'm only 37 but I feel like I've given myself the most loving gift possible...a healthy future.
Other totally awesome things:
I take up sooo much less space in the bathtub. I spend much less money when eating out. I am oftentimes the thinnest person in the room, which is so so weird. I no longer want to hide myself inside baggy sweaters. I am wearing tank tops without an added cover-up. I look 10 years younger!! I have beautiful cheekbones which were formerly hidden underneath a plump and chubby face. There is such a thing as a clavicle bone and I LOVE running my fingers along the ridge! Getting up off the floor is so much easier. Walking though a parking lot or up the steps is much easier. I CAN LEAVE FOOD ON MY PLATE which is something I could never do before and is now one of the most empowering choices I make on a daily basis.
The downside:
This cost a lot of money, $14,000 out-of-pocket. I went from a C breast cup to an A. I lost all my butt. Seriously, it's a sad situation about my ass...there is none. I lost all the excess fat, but also my womanly curves. I have a very loose wrinkly stomach and a saggy place where my butt used to be. I've spent a fortune in clothes and Protein drinks. It's been tough having to explain myself to family members. The downside in no way compares to the positive things that happened as a result of my wls.
My current goal:
Is to consume between 1500-1800 calories per day. My nut said to change gears and fatten up my diet. I am supposed to add carbs, calories, and fat. If I don't track I am only hitting about 900-1200 calories per day. I can only eat about 1 cup of food at the most. Now when I'm stressed I find it difficult to eat as opposed to binge eating my stress away like I used to. So believe it or not, my biggest goal at the moment is to stop the weight loss and maintain my current weight.
I hope this can be helpful to those out there who are considering getting a wls, are struggling thorough those early days when all you can focus on is sipping broth and forcing down Protein shakes, and those who are scared to take the plunge. I feel this is the best decision I could have made for my current happiness, future health and quality of life, and to model healthy eating habits/behaviors/relationship with food for my two daughters.
Good Luck to all of you beautiful and brave people!

On Day Two, I was still in the hospital and walked a lot. I took a shower. They gave me some good drugs, so I wasn't in any pain. That afternoon I went home. No biggie.
My advice -- don't focus so much on the perceived awfulness of this surgery. The truth is that for most patients it's not that awful.
Focus on what it will help you achieve.
A positive attitude on this journey will be one of the best tools you can bring along.

Connie, go to YouTube and watch one of those 20 minute videos on your surgical procedure actually being performed by a surgeon. It will give you a sober, visual reminder of what just happened to your stomach. Your tummy is rebelling because you are disrespecting that it has just been brutalized in the operating room.
Second week post op, IF your surgeon is agressive with your eating schedule, you should be transitioning from purees to soft foods. We keep harping that your surgery is a tool. You can have a rake, but the rake is not going to gather up the leaves by itself. You still have to do the work.
A big part of that work is putting old habits in their place - which is the trash. Many people n e v e r have a carbonated beverage again after bariatric surgery. What if a Twinkie calls you, or a big ol' chocolate cake? That new tummy needs Protein to heal correctly.
Just as you would not (or should not) let a toddler determine the menu for the family, neither should you let those tortured tastebuds determine what you next meal will be. You are way too soon in the process to be venturing away from your bariatric plan. Our surgeons do hundreds of thousands of these surgeries every year, and know what works and what hinders proper healing.
Some people suffer miserable post-op complications through no fault of their own, but I am concerned that you are begging for complications by disregarding the plan your team has given you. Dear bariatric sister, please, please, please, I beg you, to get in charge of your head hunger. It will trip you up so badly, and wreck your surgery.
One thing you will find out about veterans on this forum is that we have been where you are at. It's tough to deny those tastebuds the junk they enjoyed in the past, but where did all that Diet Coke and junk food get us?????? Overweight and miserable. Right now that head hunger is talking real loud, but you need to be tough and overcome. One of the best ways to do that is to have the correct nutritious stuff available so that you can resist the beast more easily.
Your new tummy has to find a new balance. I had loose bowels until I got on regular cooked foods.The worst time was at about two weeks when I tried to eat potato chips. Miss Tummy made me miserable for about four hours. My worst experience was eating cooked cauliflower with cheese, in the soft food stage. Miss Tummy got very hateful about that and punished me so horribly that I may never eat cauliflower again.
When I got into the soft foods, I was eating mashed potatoes and bananas too much. I got Constipation so bad that when it finaly moved along, it was like trying to pass a watermelon through a straw. Your bowels are not going to be perfect for a while. Just hang in there and be diligent about following your plan. I understand the tempatations you are facing. I wish you good luck and good health. Let us know how you do. Come ask any questions you want. We have been there.

...when I do the "old man" waddle when I first stand up and walk....
...when my joints sound like a bowl of Rice Krispies and firecrackers...
...when I have to pee by Braille because my stomach removes all hope of visual reference...
...when my 4-year-old asks if I'm pregnant "like Mommy was"...
...when I get lightheaded if I take too long to bend over to pick up my 1-year-old daughter...
...when I can't sit on the floor and play with my girls without it feeling like my hips are being dislocated..
...when my snoring and sleep apnea forced me to sleep in the guest room so I don't wake up my wife...
#1 - when sex becomes more work than pleasure.

A selection of quotes I've actually said that are indeed strange:
"No, they did not remove my entire stomach. Just most of it."
"No, I didn't have the bypass. I had the less complicated weight loss surgery." As if I could perform it myself or something.
"No, I'm not starving. I feel great!"
"I disagree. I eat more than a squirrel."
"Yes, I used to be quite large." Takes out driver's license to prove it. Why would someone lie about being fat?
food arrives at the table. "Can I get a to-go box, please?"
"Yes, I really am full. I know I'm taking most of it to go."
"No, I didn't just eat before coming to the restaurant."
"Yes, bowel movements still work the same way."
"Yes, I miss my manboobs."
OK, the last one I never said.

I order a salad with shrimp, dressing on the side so I can take the leftovers home. If they don't have a light dressing that you like, bring your own. I use an empty MIO container. It's the perfect size. Just tell people you like this dressing better that what restaurants usually have. Or I get fish, chicken or shrimp. You can ask them to grill it instead of frying it. If they come pre-breaded (UGH), you know it's not fresh anyway, so I probably would find more healthy place to eat.
Good luck to you!!!

pureed mashed potatoes most definitely, on the wetter side with some gravy yum, but real solids, we stopped off on the way home from the nutritionist who gave me the ok to go ahead, at an indian restaurant and i had some chicken tika masala, moist small chunks of tasty chicken in a sauce. was like being in heaven..i assume.

This is my favorite guilt free snack that is loaded with Protein.< /p>
Mix 1 package of Sugar Free Chocolate pudding (or any flavor) with 2 cups Fairlife milk (it has double the protein of regular milk) until smooth.
Then add 5 scoops of Unjury plain Protein Powder and mix again.
Pour into Popsicle molds and freeze.
Each pop has about 13 grams of protein And they taste better than a fudgsicle in my opinion.
I use these Popsicle molds that I bought on Amazon and the recipe is perfect for 6 servings.
Sunsella Mighty Pops - Silicone Popsicle Molds - 6 Pack

Can't wait to hear about number four!!

I had never even heard of VSG surgery until, after calling the local bariatric center of excellence to ask about lapband surgery, it was explained to me. A month later I attended the intro lecture given by the surgeon and realized THIS was something that made sense to me.
I didn't know anyone who'd had VSG surgery. And now that I think about it, I don't personally know of anyone who's had lapband or gastric bypass surgery either. (Or if I do, they're on the down low about it.)
Anyway, it just all made great sense to me: The restriction, the ghrelin, the year or two to learn and practice brand new ways of eating, etc.
So far, my sleeve loves me, and I love it. Apparently, I had a great surgeon. I've never thrown up even once post-op. I'm 4 pounds from goal (and only 7-1/2 months post-op). I haven't had any real stalls. I feel great. At this point I'm eating 1,200 calories/day (and nearly 100 grams of Protein daily) and still losing weight, albeit slowly.
I saw my NUT and exercise consultant yesterday. They both think I can eat 1600 - 1700 calories a day to maintain my weight after I reach goal. Hey! I can live with that!
Honest to God ... VSG surgery was the smartest, luckiest, most rewarding thing I've done in my whole life to reach a healthy weight. And it has the greatest odds of anything else I've ever done to maintain my weight.
I'm looking forward so much to the rest of my life. Heck, I'm looking forward to dinner tonight!
And best news of all ... hubby finished his chemo treatment today. And he is currently cancer-free.
Life offers no guarantees. But you makes your choices and you takes your chances. And tonight, in this house, life is wonderful.
To quote Auntie Mame: Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!

My PCP was mildly negative-to-neutral prior to surgery. I went ahead anyway. Almost two years later and 100% of my excess weight gone and he's thrilled every time I go in as to how great I'm doing. I accomplished so much for myself by doing this. I think I presented him with a compelling reason to be more supportive to the next WLS candidate that comes to him. **Winning**

I am 6m out. 10pnds from goal. I have allowed myself to but when I do I get nauseous so its never really worth it to me. #Nutellaisthedevil