bugsy72

Hey Everyone,
I'm 61 and had vSG on May 15th 2015. I've lost 68 lbs and am approaching my goal. I never post on the 60s forum because it seemed that there wasn't much happening here. I'm glad to find its not true! I'll be 62 in March and hoping to reach my goal by then. There's a lot of strength and wisdom in this group- let's keep posting and encouraging each other!

This will be a huge learning curve for a very long time. For me, it was basically every time I tried something new. I can remember one time, I ate 1/4C of chili for dinner and was fine. The next night, the 1/4C was dirty, so I was lazy and used the 1/3C and it made me throw up. When you think about the difference between 1/4C and 1/3C, it's probably like a tablespoon and that made all of the difference. The first time I ate eggs, it was just a half of a scrambled egg, you will learn to error on the small side, if you don't like throwing up :-) Good luck, it will come with time.

Yes! I live in Florida yet still cold all the time lol. Very typical of having lost lots of weight. I just always have a sweater in the car because you never know when you'll need it ☺

#69I have to say I never in my wildest dreams thought I would fit into a size 6 Petite pair of jeans, but yup, went shopping and 8's were too big. Amazing though.. My BMI still says I am Obese at 31.5! Makes no sense to me! Who sets these numbers! I have to go from obese to overweight before I am normal range! Really, is normal a size zero for heaven's sake! I am a grandma (age60) wearing size 6. Couldn't be happier and I will just ignore the BMI stats! Yeah really!
I like my curves.

Iam 16 weeks out and this can happens to me most days I portion my food out but when I have a larger plate I don't listen that well to the enough signal. For me it's a sigh and if o eat on I can't drink or eat for hours the worst one was about 10 hours I don't think I chewed enough to and it had to work through my pouch and new system it's a learning curve X

The normal "signaling" of being full typically doesn't return for months. This is my constant struggle as I don't feel the usual full feeling.
Every food will be a discovery post surgery (per my doc and nutritionist). It may have been the coffee, but it could also be that something didn't agree with you. Perhaps the ingredients used to make the chicken salad.

At 6 weeks an egg was a whole meal for me. I wouldn't eat bread out. You probably could have had move chicken salad without eating the other things. Chicken salad is moist so you can eat a decent amount

I think I would find toast and hard boiled egg also very dry and sticky. I usually need something to help get those down if I eat them separately. Together would be very challenging, even a few months out. I sometimes use a small bit of dressing or salsa to help

Hello! I had my band to bypass revision 12/22. The first week and a half were hell and I seriously thought I made a mistake and cried a lot. I'm four weeks out and feeling a million times better. Still slightly tender on my left side incision and think I have finally shaken my stall. I'm down 23 lbs!!!

I had surgery Dec 28.I am still on full liquids.I am not rushing the stages because my body needs to heal.

I had RNY bypass 12/29. My highest weight was 368, surgery day weight was 266, current weight is 252 at 17 days post-op. Surgery went well, was able to move around pretty well which helped with the gas pains. Had a drain which got infected and I have an abscess under where it was removed now but it's starting to feel better. I was on Clear Liquids for one day- full liquids for one week- puréed for 2, then can move to soft for 2. I'm sooo over the liquids and puréed already! I want food! Lol I feel hungry all the time! I'm doing everything I was told but just need food I think! I haven't had any sicknesses for any foods although I developed a cough after surgery which hurt really bad and was told to take cough Syrup which made me have a little dumping in pretty sure because I started sweating, felt like I was gonna puke, etc. They didn't tell me sugar free syrup and I totally had a brain fart!! I also got VERY sick after the barium swallow but no foods have made me sick! Can drink the Protein Shakes just fine, etc. I just want regular food or at least scrambled eggs! Haha I've had difficulties planning meals while out! Just gotta remember to bring a shake with me.

I am a 3 year veteran and have been lurking in shadows for most of that time. Jane I am familiar with your medical difficulties, and other vets who have had a much easier journey. After a couple of days with boughts of nausea my personal experiences have been uneventful. I feel we are very relavent. I wish there had been more veterans I could relate to....to know there is an "afterlife" of normalcy after surgery.

Believe me, OKCPirate, old shrinks know how to fool themselves, having learned from the best of the patients over the years! I am an expert in this! But overall, those things are slipping away, replaced by health and a much much smaller me. I am about to slip under 300 pounds for the first time since 1972.... wahoo!

@@VDB Old shrinks make the worst patients? I try to spend some of my therapy time helping my therapist and give him time to vent. We have similar life experiences that I know my discussion is going to trigger some memories/experiences in him. I want him to last for the long haul so I gladly give up some of my time to let him get clear.
Thanks all of you. I had avoided posting on this topic for some months, but I finally asked for some tips, and your input has been very helpful
The bottom line is that I can't accept any excuse I can create to avoid finishing this weight loss. Stress eating is stupid, I have come a long ways, and it is time to go the last leg. I think that overall I need to dump any guilt about my life vs. hers -- As Dub says, I have to take care of myself if I am going to help her. Yes, as Cowgirl says, it causes alot of anxiety, although not at the clinical level for me, but this level of care giving is stressful, period.
Great ideas, very very useful to this old shrink.

@@VDB
Thank you so much for your vulnerability in sharing this need. Have you heard of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)? Check out their website at www.nami.com
It is for the families of mentally ill loved ones, providing education and support. Hubby and I are monthly support group leaders and also teach the free NAMI "Family to Family" course once a year (take it if you ever get the opportunity!).
We have a 27 year old daughter with bipolar and aspergers syndrome. It's been a challenging life in raising her. However, we finally found a medication that is working miraculously well for her, and in addition, she met a young man (with disabilities as well) and they got married in Feb. 2015! In addition, in April they were able to move to my mom's tiny house as she had to go live in a nursing home at that time. So...within a few months, we found a great med for her, she got married, and moved away from our home. We had given up home that any of that would happen.
Thus, I am taking this time...every second of it!..for ME, ME, ME! I had RNY on December 1, and am so thankful for it! It feels so good to be able to focus on my needs for awhile, even though I realize, with her mental illness, that things may not always be this good. She could return home at some point. So....I live for today. One Day at a Time!
My faith is also extremely helpful to me, and the support I receive from my church family.
AND yes, my doggies help my attitude quite a bit as well!
I think you're on the right track. I'm glad that you can know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE....there are many who can empathize with some of the challenges you are going through. Good luck!

I will toss my hat in this ring. The concern I have with the sleeve, it is a fairly new option. Remember everyone jumping up and down and touting the band as the greatest thing ever. In 2014 there were more band > bypass revisions than band installations. Why? Long term data. The Bypass has been around since the 1960's! It has gone through so many revisions it is hard to keep track of them all. This is why the complication rate is so low. It is one of the most well understood procedures you can have. The sleeve, while very easy surgically (comparatively) lacks 10 year studies. It also lacks head to head studies at 5 and 10 years against the bypass. If I were going to wait 10 years, I would look at the studies and make up my mind then. However, after the debacle that was the band, I went with "The Golden Standard" the Bypass. And I do not regret it for even a moment. Surgery October 5th, weight in before surgery 295.9, weight this morning 234.4, 61.4 pounds in 9 weeks? I'll take it. And I feel great. But, to each his own. Best of luck with whatever you decide to do!

@
I was 302 pounds the first day I met with my program director. I am 5'2 and that is 160 pounds of extra (unnecessary) weight I was carrying around, all day, everyday.
Two weeks into the program I was moved into "group" meetings and there I met women from different points in the same journey. Until that first meeting, I was going towards Sleeve surgery as it seemed less invasive (it isn't), less restrictive (it is but that isn't necessarily a "good" thing) and didn't seem as drastic (umm, you completely lose part of your stomach, that's pretty drastic).
During that meeting I met six ladies who had all had sleeve done and were getting revisions to Bypass. When I asked "why?", they all had a similar story. They never reached goal weight, they were still battling comorbidities and they had horrible acid reflux (worse than prior to surgery). Two of them had actually been LapBand patients prior to getting Sleeved and were now faced with a third WLS. In total, there were out of the thirty people on the program (at the same time I was) 12 of them were Sleeve to Bypass revisions.
Those revision stories and the fact that I already had horrible GERD, my surgeon and I decided Bypass was best for me. He also felt that due to my obesity, my obesity related issues and my age, (30's) Bypass was a better fit. I have lost seventy pounds since having surgery on September 9th 2015 and have absolutely no regrets. None. Not a single one and everyday I feel better and better. I am off all my diabetes medicine, my blood pressure medicine and my labs are spot on with taking my Vitamins daily. Which is something I (and many others) should be doing regardless of surgery. Many obese individuals were not getting the right nutrition from the foods they were eating, anyway.
I am in no way trying to persuade you in one direction or the other. I am not a medical professional and all I am offering is my story. And the reason I decided to have Bypass over Sleeve.
Good luck on your journey!

I don't dump. And taking my Vitamins keeps my labs perfect.
Plus, dumping is a great tool for those that have weakness when dealing with high sugar/high fat foods. It keeps them in check and allows them to use their WLS tool successfully.

You are a rock star!
Wow!
You've worked so hard at all angles and very single issue! Anyrhing that has come at you - you fought back and conquered! You are a true true inspiration and let us all learn a little something extra from you!
You should take a very proud bow my friend, for you are what we all try to be or achieve or become!
Just wow!
Also, good read and information you provided. All good points.
I am 3.5 months post op and have never dumped. I haven't put anything in my body to even have that chance of that happening. I'm no saying that I never will because I am human and I'm sure I will sometime down the road.

"You said it best"!!!

Just don't get BMI below 40 .....before submission to insuranc.
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Don't let your head drive you crazy....just keep going and finish the hoop games.....time is moving fast.

@@samcl1
If I only ate when i was hungry, i wouldn't be eating much of anything! I'm not hungry--most of the time.
I was told to eat six small meals a day, period. I have a hard time gettng them all in because I don't start my day until about 9am. But I try my best. i drink Protein shakes for two of those meals, and small little amounts of yogurt, pureed food, cottage cheese etc for the other meals. Applesauce. Baby food, stages 1 and 2.
Good luck!

I can relate @@VDB
It isn't easy, but sometimes we just have to ensure they are safe and then be selfish and look after our own self interests....getting healthy and remaining focused on behaviors that support this.

As a mental health professional, this might be obvious to you, but it was a real learning for me.
I was in a long term live in relationship with a wonderful man for over a decade. We didn't fight, but neither of us was living the life we wanted, neighter in finding the intimacy, professional sucess or personal happiness. After losing weight I finally had the courage to force change which in the end... ended the relationship. This was a few years ago and we remain friends.
What I didn't realize until being free of my obesity, and being more distant from him that we both suffered from quite severe anxiety. We had a codependant relationship in the sense that he often comforted my anxiety while he hid his. It was not good.
So, your situation is different, but where I am going with this is sometimes having a chance to understand yourself better helps alot with coping with another. Due to our shared interests in my grown sons, family pets etc I still see my EX alot. I have managed to figure out how to do that without triggering our co-dependant anxiety dance.
As a result, I am finally "unstuck" from alot of things in my life that I was going in circles on before. He seems alot better too, but true to pattern will never talk about it.
I guess any of us with major food/bad lifestyle habits has SOME KIND of underlying issue that we are self medicating for. for me, getting to the root of "why" has helped me alot with successful maintanance.Years of counseling never got me to this because my anxiety was dulled/managed by my obesity, overeating and a partner who somehow kept me spinning in those same circles and thinking it was normal and rational when it wasn't. Highly functioning persons such as ourselves become masters at that and no counselor or doctor EVER mentioned anxiety as my underlying problem, because I don't have alot of the more obvious signs I guess.
Anyway, with the theme of self care being very important I wonder if there is value in seeing yourself, your own issues with food and obesity for what it is... figuring out what YOU NEED to survive and thrive and then answering the question how do you continue living with a person you clearly love and value, but has significant mental health issues.