2goldengirl

Happy surgiversary! What will you do to celebrate?

I'd grant her some grace. She's seen you twice now since your surgery. I'm betting that the difference in you is huge, and she's just trying to wrap her mind around it. I'm betting your size wasn't really an issue for her preop, and it isn't your size that is the issue for her now, so much as she's trying to process the huge positive change in you. It's hard enough for us to wrap our heads around our new selves, and that's a process that takes a lot longer than the weight loss phase. Imagine what it's like for those around us to process. What if she didn't really notice how "large" you were preop and is only now beginning to understand it?

At three months it's mighty unlikely that you have a leak. If you had a leak, you would be leaking stomach contents into your abdomen, with a resulting infection. You're healed by a month afterwards that leaks are a miniscule risk, and you're at three months. I hope that eases your mind, not that you shouldn't keep following up on your pain!

You look fantastic, and obviously feel even better than that. As a member in good standing of the vertically challenged set, I drool with envy over those lovely long legs you have.

There are two places your body stores sugar as fuel: your liver, and your muscles. Stored sugar is called glycogen. Glycogen molecules are attached to Water molecules at a ratio of 1:4, so for every ounce of glycogen you've got in your liver, you've got another 4 ounces of water. Much of the weight loss on a preop diet or other low-carb diet initially is the glycogen and the water. Once you deplete glycogen (by limiting carbs), eating carbs again causes you to restore glycogen and water - so the "weight gain" from going off a low carb regimen is actually lean mass and water, not fat. Hope this helps!

At nine days out, this isn't called a "stall", it's called "normal postop course". Your body has been through a major trauma. Let it heal. Put away the scale! Have someone hide it or give it to your neighbor. You will only mess with your own head if you start fretting about expecting to see a loss every day. For the first month or so postop, your body has one goal: healing from surgery. Any weight loss is gravy. That said, most people do experience significant loss postop, but no matter what happens in the first month, it is in no way an indicator of your success after your body has healed.

You aren't the only one to whom this has happened - there was a thread just a couple weeks ago about this same thing. I can't imagine how abandoned you feel. I have to wonder just how supportive he would have been if he could do something like this. Do you have other family and friends around you?

I think a lot of us do something in the way of "food funerals". But there is a way to do this while honoring your commitment to yourself and a way of doing it as something not quite so positive. That six pounds is a warning shot across your bow, and you've heard it, or you wouldn't have posted this. Bravo! Back in October, before I met with RD and my surgeon, I decided I was going to track all my food. I wasn't going to judge or put "should" in anything, I was simply going to be acocuntable for actually tracking everything I ate and drank. And I did, and I learned some things. I use Sparkpeople, which includes a place for a daily journal. I started taking note of how I was feeling (physically, emotionally) in conjunction with that I was eating and drinking. And I gradually shifted things over to choosing more of the things that made me feel good, and fewer of the things that made me feel crummy afterwards. And I adopted a pre-pre-op routine. I started practicing for postop life. I had to lose 5 lbs. Between my first and second surgeon's appintments (four weeks apart, which included Christmas and NY). And I have gone out to restaurants and enjoyed favorite things that I know I won't be enjoying for a while, chiefly things like steaks and lamb chops and big salads. But I made it a practice not to eat til I was overfull. I had a lot of restaurant meals that did me for three meals total. I'd get my baked potato loaded and enjoy every bite - but fewer bites. I've had baked potatoes I've made four meals out of. So I've focused on how I feel, especially after I eat, and on pleasure. I don't eat hurredly or mindlessly. This has worked very well for me. I've enjoyed being in favorite restaurants in the company of people I love. If you find yourself eating something "because I won't be able to later", ask yourself how that choice makes you feel, inside, and outside. If you eat when you're bored, that's something you really need to get a handle on, pronto. You'll need to find other means to handle boredom. Go for a quick walk, post here, chat with a pal, make yourself a cup of tea, do some stretches. Write in a journal. You, and your body, are worthy of love and respect. Remind yourself of this as often as you need to. I hope this helps!

One thing you can do from the full liquid stage on is soupe aux legumes - French housewife's vegetable Soup. This makes a delicious first course or snack for you, add unflavored Protein powder for him. Nothing could be simpler, just heat up some chicken or vegetable broth and add roughly chopped veggies as you like. Some aromatics, some zucchini & green Beans, a can of tomatoes, spinach/kale/chard, even that lettuce from the vegetable drawer that looks tired. Bits and bobs from the freezer. Simmer til the veggies are very soft, then puree with a stick blender. Season with salt & pepper. I add a tablespoon or two of pesto per batch as an easy seasoning. I had some of this yesteday cause I was hungry when I came home from work yesterday but still had to prep dinner. I added a teaspoon (honest, I measured) of cream drizzled over it. It was delicious! Add more or less broth to thin it if you need to. I think a teensy dash of sherry would be nice, too. Or Sriracha. Or a bit of grated cheese. We have a big container of this is the fridge right now, I'm playing with things preop.

This sounds wierd, but I'm enjoying the heck out of chewing. I know I'll be not chewing for 3-4 weeks, so I'm enjoying it all I can. I went to my fave place for my favorite meal-sized salad yesterday and enjoyed every bite. I just won't be able to eat that volume any more. And it was a half-size! Tonight I made grilled lamb chops and braised fennel for dinner. I don't know how grilled lamb and beef will work postop, but I do know it will be a while before I even try.

Have you spoken with your doctor? I mean your primary doctor, not your surgeon. There can be many, many reasons for the kind of fatigue you describe, most of which have absolutely nothing to do with your sleeve.

Oh my dear, that explains at least part of it. You're in the final sprint to graduation which is stressful to the max. No wonder your body and brain are going all wonky on you. Hang in there. Do what you can to manage the stress and anxiety without the chips and Snickers. Go for a walk. Get a massage. Meditate. Take a hot bath. Take care of yourself. Drink your Protein if you have to. You can do this!

As has been posted, every surgeon has different requirements. Two thoughts on "Protein only". First, it IS important that you need your protein requirements, as your body can't make it's own protein. And protein stays with you in terms of satiety - with a tiny tummy, if you don't eat protein with every meal/snack, then you're likely to feel hungrier sonner afterwards. Second, staying off carbs entirely is a helpful way to avoid cravings that really plague some people postop. That said, one reason I chose my surgeon is that she emphasizes a more balanced approach right from the start. There is a reason humans are omnivorious. There are nutritional advantages to eating Proteins, fats and, yes, carbs, provided they're complex carbs. I love my veggies and am already working on ways to get my veggie fix postop.

Make sure she knows in no uncertain terms that you expect her to keep this confidential. I'm wondering whether you don't work for a smaller company that doesn't have an HR dept. if you do have one, they're seriously remiss in teaching managers and supervisors questions they can and cannot ask. This question was absolutely unlawful. You weren't obligated to either lie or tell the truth, because the question was not allowed, period. And the person who "recognized your shakes" needs a piece of your mind. There are a bunch of people here who keep Premier Protein in the office fridge, and most of them aren't candidates for WLS. WTH in your office decided to be the food Police, anyhow?

Is there a University-level medical center anywhere near you? Honestly, what I'd do is take myself there to their ER and get seen via ER. GI issues can sometimes be devilishly hard to diagnose. The trouble with two specialists can be that neither one of them can figure it out, so they defer to the other. I wish you well.

You have been giving some irresponsible and alarming information from professionals who should know better. First, your pain doctor. yes, an anesthesiologist BUT one who spends their time doing injections for pain. A delicate business, but I'm betting this is someone who hasn't anesthetized someone for surgery in quite a while. An anesthesiologist who works in surgery is MUCH more likely to be at the top of their game in terms of putting you under and waking you up. Second, your sleep study staff. This was just stupid and irresponsible. Of course they're going to encourage you to get and use a CPAP, that's their job. BUT that's where it ends. None of them has ever put someone under anesthesia, or woken them up. Third. there are lots, and lots, and LOTS of people out there who have undiagnosed sleep apnea. Care to guess how many of them get surgery when neither they, nor their anesthesiologist, knows they have sleep apnea? You don't "die and never wake up", for pity's sake, you're monitored within an inch of your life and if your breathing rate slows down they deal with it then and there. I never heard of such nonsense. Now, about your sleep apnea. You say it's mild, and that you can't tolerate your CPAP. Have you spoken to the doctor who ordered it and told them that you just can't handle it? There are other means to deal with sleep apnea than a CPAP. My husband uses an oral appliance - the way our insurance is written, someone with mild sleep apnea uses an oral appliance it takes more severe apnea to require a CPAP. It is important for your doctor to know that the prescribed treatment isn't working for you. This is true whether you are being treated for sleep apnea or anything else. So find yourself something else to worry about. My sleeve will be my ninth time under anesthesia since 1973, and I can say for good and for certain that anesthesia now is a total breeze compared to what it used to be. You're much less groggy and less apt to be nauseous, for one thing. The drugs they use are much shorter-acting than before, which means you clear them faster. I personally think the few seconds between the time you feel kinda drifty and you are totally out are delicious, and post-anesthesia sleep is wonderfully deep and sound. Enjoy it!

Not sure whether it's available at your local grocery, but we get Turkey Store Italian -seasoned ground turkey and have used it in place of Italian sausage for years.

Another thing to be aware of is that some people have big differences in taste in the first weeks postop. Sometimes something that really sang preop tastes different - and icky - postop. If you love to cook, one thing you can definitely do is make some homemade broths. I did myself a big batch of chicken broth over the weekend, and I'm roasting beef bones this weekend for beef broth. You'll always use those. make flavorful broths, and you puree's will make the angels sing Unflavored Protein powder can be added to broths at serving time - just keep the temperature under about 140 or so, so they don't get all clumpy and nasty.

The sooner you remove yourself from abuse, the sooner you begin to heal. It IS that simple. Abused parties commonly imagine barriers to escaping abuse that can seem practically trivial when viewed from the perspective of life after some healing happens. Self esteem issues don't get better by staying with an abuser. Making positive changes in your life that empower you, rather than belittle you, does. Every small step you take to care for yourself, to respect yourself, to treat yourself with kindness, helps you in the long run. Good luck to you!

I agree, 800 calories seems too low for your activity level. I'd try adding a couple hundred calories and make sure you get a rest day in there at least once a week. Doing too much can hinder you just as much as doing too little.

You've gotten a lot of good input here, especially about how others see you. It takes us time to learn to see ourselves smaller - but there is a byproduct for those around us, too. They see a very dramatic change, and their eyes are used to seeing us supersized. What weight is what is right for you, not anybody else. It isn't about BMI or weight charts or anything else - it's the weight you feel strong and healthy and confident with. Let that be your yardstick, not other people's opinions.

It's normal to be scared. It's normal for your brain to be all over the place. Don't let that stop you from doing the most positive thing you feel you can do for your long term health. You don't want your son to grow up with a parent disabled by obesity. No matter how "well you carry it", You are carrying the weight of another adult human being on a body designed to carry ONE human being. the wear and tear on your bones, joints, and internal organs is real, whether you feel it at 27 or not. Family and friends who object to the surgery generally do so because they're scared. How scared are they of you getting disabled due to your overweight? You have the chance to reclaim your health and run and play with your son as he grows and model for him how to live a healthy, active life. You have the opportunity to reclaim your health so that you and your wife can live long and healthily enough to run and play with your grandchildren. Could you lose 150# without surgery? Possibly. Statistically, it isn't likely. Realistically, keeping your focus long enough to lose that amount without the assistance of the sleeve is an extreme challenge. Hoping to both lose that amount and keep it off is something all of us here likely wish we could have done. History has proven that we can't, that's why we're here. Don't let your fears hold you back. Isn't that what you want to teach your son?

It isn't the Health Plan that's your problem, it's the Medical Group or IPA that you're in. I'm confused when you talk about "my clinic" and "the doctor". which is which? Your medical group/IPA handles your day to day authorizations, Health Net just pays some of the claims and writes the policies. I changed surgeons because the first one had an office staff that was chronically disorganized. You can do the same. I don't know which surgeons are in-network for you unless I know which medical group you're with. HN B & G has contracts with the Mercy hospitals in Sacramento. Here is a link to their bariatric surgery info: http://www.dignityhealth.org/sacramento/services/surgical-services/bariatric-surgery/bariatric-surgeons Dr's Eslami, Shadle, Gatschet, and Machado all have privileges at both hospitals and are part of their program. I think they all have their own offices and staff. There are two different ways for you to see a surgeon: ask your PCP for a referral, or your PCP requesting an authorization. An authorization shouldn't be required for referral to an in-network surgeon, but in the case of bariatric surgeons, it often is. You need to go through your PCP to get the ball rolling, that's just the way it works. I know Dr. Eslami wants all his patients to have completed all health plan requirements before he sees patients for an initial consult. Your health plan isn't making the decision about your surgery, but your medical group/IPA have to use the health plan criteria in making their decision. Dr. Eslami expects PCP's to order necessary preop testing ahead of time so all that is done before he sees patients initially. His office communicates directly with the PCP's to get this done. I used to work with clients out in the Central Valley, many of who surgeries done by Dr. Eslami, so I'm most familiar with his practice. I hope this helps!

Unless you have other addiction issues, I would really encourage you not to worry about addiction. You are on narcotic pain medication for such a short time postop that there is no danger of addiction, unless you have other addiction issues and it's a trigger for you. The physical side of addiction takes much longer than the handful of days you are likely to want something stronger than plain tylenol. Many postops don't take any narcotics once they get home at all.

Once you really cut back on the carbs, you are MUCH less hungry than before. I'm easing in to my final two weeks but cutting down on both carbs and calories gradually. I have a few social events between now and my surgery, and I've already formulated a plan for those (focus on protein and veggies). I'm also counting on those days to boost my total calories, so my body isn't used to the same thing every day.