mngreeneyes

@@lisacaron Very true. I am actually 3rd in seniority behind my officemate and one of the fundraisers! Everyone else is new in the last 3.5 years! I am good enough to come to to teach all the new people how to do things, but I am the low person on the org chart. Like I said, crap rolls down hill and my office mate and I are at the bottom. We frequently had to remind ourselves of that during the aforementioned 5 months along with the notion that this too shall pass! I flat out told my new boss that to me it felt like a slap in the face after what we had done this last year and he tried to tell me I wasn't being called average and I said no I am being told that all the work I put in last year was now the expectation since I hadn't been exceeding expectations! I have been job hunting, but I am trying to hold out until I am vested in the pension (or I lose more than $30K in retirement earnings), but today that one year and 4 months seems kind of interminable. I am VERY under employed, but I am still figuring out what I want to be when I grow up. That is my job for the next month. Take my foot off the gas and spend more energy trying to figure out my new career. (I am a "retired" teacher who is really good at teaching, but can't figure out how to use that without being a teacher. I also have a Masters in Non Profit management, but I am an administrative assistant - that requires a high school diploma to do the job!) Losing weight is helping me be more confident about what I can and should be doing and not selling myself short. Thanks again, pam

I wear spanx type garments under anything that needs smoothing. I also wear compression shorts and a tank top whenever I work out. I run and it keeps the rolls of skin from jiggling too much. Unfortunately, I am getting smaller so fast that things go from skin tight to loose really fast! That kind of puts an end to its compression ability and that stuff is spendy. pam

The Southdale group meets on the 3rd Wednesday of the month. I also go to the one at Fairview Riverside for the U of M. They have accepted me freely eventhough I am from Southdale! They meet the first WEdnesday of the month. I'd love to see you at either or both. pam

Thanks @@Inner Surfer Girl. I needed that today! pam

I am an administrative assistant. Lots of sitting at a computer, but some walking. I took off 2 weeks and then worked about 1/2 time for the next week. Then it was full steam ahead. I had laproscopic surgery and a nearly perfect recovery or I don't know if I could have come back that fast. pam

Way to go. You have started your journey away from the past. Don't be surprised if it isn't a straight path. Those crazy memories will get you from time to time. As one of my support group friends likes to point out - This isn't brain surgery! You can do it. Congratulations on taking this momentous step! pam

Whooohooo! Way to Go!

Parents are so hard. I love mine, but they have their moments. I try to remember with mine that they don't realize that they are being unhelpful. They know what they learned and unless I am willing to reteach them, they will never realize how hurtful the things they say can be. I almost didn't tell them about the surgery beforehand because I was afraid of their reaction. My friends convinced me that it might damage our relationship if I didn't. Now I'm glad I did. I spent the first two weeks after surgery with my parents and beforehand talked to my mom about reining in Dad while I was there. I believe he means well, but just doesn't know how to "help". I read on here about the mood swings and warned Mom that they were a possibility and that Dad's comments were likely going to be taken worse than normal. Mom knew exactly what I meant and promised to help. As it was, Dad was on good behavior and I didn't have the mood swings, but I'm glad I made the attempt. I just try to remember that my dad is coming from a place of love, even if it is a misguided place. pam

@@JamieLogical WOW!! Amazing. You are such an inspiration. WTG!! So excited for you. Thanks for all your running tips and hints. They have been an amazing help! pam

This is a topic that can get people pretty riled up. All in all it is your choice and your decision what and who you tell. As someone who thought she didn't know anyone who had had the surgery, it was interesting to hear from the people who have come out of the woodwork once they knew I was thinking about it! I kept it pretty close to my vest, especially at work. I am now 5 months postop and I still haven't put it on facebook. I have lost more than 70 lbs so its pretty obvious something is going on and if someone asks, I will tell them, but I am not going out of my way to share, or haven't. This is changing this weekend because I am training for the Twin Cities Marathon in October to raise $$ for clean Water for people in Africa. One of my reasons for doing it, besides to do the marathon, is my gratitude for having clean water available to me everyday through this journey. As part of my fundraising appeal, I plan to mention my surgery and water drinking. That will inform a few people who haven't been told. I anticipate a few will be upset that they didn't hear earlier, but they are ones I might never have told! My family and closest friends knew before surgery and that was all that I felt necessary. I even asked my brother not to tell his wife because I didn't want to deal with her condescension. She's a size 2 after 4 kids! (and just like that). I was very selective about who I told before surgery and even up until now because I didn't want to deal with the attitudes of the naysayers. Regardless of what you chose, it is entirely your decision and one you shouldn't regret either way. You are doing this for you. Tell or don't tell, it doesn't take away from the fact that you are taking control of your life!! Way to GO! pam

Eat slower Chew well baritastic all have/are timers. pam

I just read a novel where the main male character was an older (read grey haired) Scot on a Kentucky horse farm whose name was Elliot. For some reason, in my mind through the whole book and since, he had Sam Elliott's face and voice with a slight Scottish accent! Oh the dreams I have had since reading that book! I am afraid to see what would happen if I watched the show! PS. Men the same age as my dad should not be able to get me this excited!

I was off my BP meds within a month of surgery. At 3 months I was off my diabetes meds. I am just waiting to do another sleep test to see about my apnea.

I am jealous. I missed riding all last summer because my dad needed his knees replaced and he is my driver. His knees are now fixed and I am down 70 lbs, but he won't give me a ride until I am down more than 100! He thinks that is motivating. I am hopeful that I will reach that 100+ lbs before the end of summer. Have fun! pam

Mostly exercise. I have signed up to cross two bucket list things off this year: a triathlon and a marathon. The triathlon is a super sprint so it is pretty short, but the marathon is a full marathon. I am doing it with a group so I am making new friends and I have set a goal to finish before the bus picks me up off the course. (Less than 6 hours!) I am putting no other limits on my marathon. The training for both keeps me busy and out of the house a lot. I don't have a lot of time for eating in front of the TV. pam

I've been doing the same my whole 5 months so far. I actually get excited when I have been at the same weight for a while especially if the clothes aren't fitting the same because I know a WHOOOSH is coming! pam

I was cleared for the pool at 4 weeks. But you need to walk before that. Start small. Do what you can. As you lose it should get a little easier on your knee. I was an abberation. I walked a 5k 3 weeks after surgery. I was walking a mile almost as soon as I got out of the hospital. You can only do what you can do. You will feel better if you walk in short spurts, but frequently. Take it slow. You can do it! pam

I had a similar issue after surgery. I was lactose intolerant. I switched to Fairlife milk. LOTS more Protein and no lactose. I am now 5 months out and I don't have any problems with lactose anymore, but I am still drinking Fairlife milk. I love milk so this was a big deal for me. Fairlife to me tasted like regular milk and combined with unjury Protein shake mix it was just like chocolate milk. Good luck. It gets better. pam

I have a CPAP. I am on my second machine so its been about 6 or 7 years. I don't have severe sleep apnea, but I have been a world class snorer. Since surgery 5 months ago, I am off diabetes meds, high blood pressure meds, and am down 70 lbs. I haven't been evaluated yet, but I am guardedly hopeful that I will need to do a sleep study soon and can get off my machine. Fingers crossed! My surgeon and PA mentioned 12-18 months is the goal they have for me. pam

I met my surgeon (and chose him) at my info session. I didn't see him again until I had my surgical consult one month before surgery. We talked about my surgery and which kind I wanted. He came in to talk to me before surgery and then he talked to my parents in the waiting room and left to go turkey hunting! I was also a poster child for easy surgery recovery so I haven't seen him since before I went to sleep for surgery, except to run into him in the hallway when I was in the clinic for my 3 month appt. We chatted for a couple minutes and that was it. In the meantime, I have had visits from his PA, in recovery, in my hospital room, at my one week appt. and at my 3 month appt. I have another appt. in May for my 6 month where I will see his PA again. Most of my appointments are on Wednesdays so it doesn't surprise me that I don't see my surgeon in the appt. Wednesday is the day he does WLS. I believe Tuesdays are the days he does office time since that was the day I had my consult. It doesn't surprise me that I don't see him much since surgeries take a lot of time and there are only so many hours in the day. In fact, when he did our info session, he came straight from surgery to talk to us. I give him a lot of credit. He has picked a great staff that do the pre and post op stuff. I have never been unhappy with any of them. pam

I have been using Nioxin. I have used it before as I have PCOS and am already pretty thin. I also have pretty short hair (on purpose for this reason among others). I have noticed some hair loss, but not handfuls. I am a little thinner on top than I was before, but not so anyone else probably notices, especially if they've known me for a while. Is it the Nioxin? no idea. Is it just how my body reacts? could be. Is it possible I will still lose handfuls? I hope not, but you never know. My only advice is embrace it and know that it will come back. In other words, "this too shall pass." I was planning to get a bright pink wig if I lost too much! pam

WHOOOHOOO!! Way to go! pam

I am now 5 months out. Initially I took naps all the time. I have always been a world class napper. For me the fact that I am lighter and have less of me to move around conserves so much energy that I do feel like I have more energy. Do I get tired? yes. Do I still like my naps? Oh yes. But when I want to go do something, I have energy to do it and I am not worried that I will get tired before I am done. As I have become more active, I have had to increase my calories so that I still have energy for all I do or I stop losing, but that didn't happen until month 4 and I was doing a lot of running and I only added 200 calories. You will learn as we all do about how to feed our pouch or sleeve so that we get the most energy possible. Listen to your NUT, talk to your NUT, ask you NUT questions. pam

@dhutch I had my surgery at Southdale in November. I have had an amazing experience. Not that you shouldn't check other places, but... We have support group tonight if you would like to come ask questions. We have a great group who tell it like it is. no sugar coating, no crap, but they are super supportive. The meeting starts at 6:30. I'll be there and would love to meet you. I'll be the loud one with short dark hair dressed in all black-ish. That'll make sense if you come to the meeting tonight. pam

Okay, what is the trainer having you do because I want at least some butt when this is all over! One of my coworkers says I have a pancake butt!