2goldengirl

Nope not normal, and likely doesn't have a thing to do with the bowel issues. Call your doc, please.

Oh thank goodness!

So was your discomfort (hard to come up with a better term, though there ought to be one) that she was transgender, or that you were getting hit on at Home Depot? Or getting hit on first thing at Home Depot when your head was full of "quarter-round and horse food and wait, what is anybody doing at Home Depot first thing in the morning in perfect makeup, isn't this usually a makeup-free zone and did I just get hit on?" Cause yeah, that would have been disorienting just because it's so seemingly out of context. Getting hit on is usually for later in the day, y'know? Like at the feed store. Preferably by a guy wearing chaps. As far as transgender people and their orientation in terms of attractions go, my transgender friend (I remember when she had her surgery back in the early 1970's) told me simply that a person's gender orientation is completely different than their sexual orientation. When she was male, she was attracted to females, and once she changed her gender, she was still attracted to females. It was so logical I wondered why I hadn't figured that out by myself, but truthfully I'd never even thought about it.

Have someone hide the scale, or, better yet, take it out of the house. Start focusing on your program: Protein, Fluid, exercise, instead of the scale. And in answer to your question, what you're doing "wrong" is focusing on the scale, instead of your program.

Longer than you think. And I have to disagree with you. I've been working with bariatric patients for more than five years, and only a few of them were banded. The vast majority were GBP, until about three years ago when we started seeing more sleeves. Maybe it's a geographic thing? I think the sleeve has been done for about ten years. let me check and I'll re-post.

The first, earliest one? Being able to button my two favorite flannel shirts. Then, fitting into some clothes that I love that are relatively new and can't wear. Next, pitching some clothes I've had to practically live in because they fit and I'm not buying larger ones, dammit. Next, having an easier time lacing up my boots. I think that will do me for the first couple months

Yippee! You must feel like a million right now!

So you've been married for 25 years to a man who has eroded your self-confidence, cheated on you, belittles you for your accomplishments (yes, your weight loss IS an accomplishment), won't invest either the time or the money to go to counseling, and acted like a butthead on a cruise with you. 25 years means you have a lot invested in your life together. However, there are signs of abuse here. Emotional abuse is still abuse, and in many ways more damaging than physical abuse, if for no other reason than physical abuse we recognize instantly as wrong. Emotional abuse is often so subtle and insidious that it often doesn't get called out for the abuse it is. Move your paycheck to a personal account and transfer what you need to to your joint account. Get counseling for yourself. You need to know your own mind and protect your own mental health. The sex (or lack of it) is a symptom of a much larger set of issues.

I suspect it's the Kashi, not the soda. I'm not going to tell you what you should or shouldn't eat - but the stool issue is very unlikely to be soda. Some people are sensitive to some kinds of fiber. Try reducing the amount of the Kashi and see if that helps with your issues - or cut them out intirely and see if they resolve. If they do, then start adding them slowly back in (say, a tablespoon at a time). Good luck!

Before you order, check out a few key fit areas. How deep are the armholes cut? Are you broader, or narrower, across the shoulders? I'm talking about your bone structure here, not so much your weight. If you buy a size that's WAY too large, the armhole may be too deep, which can't be fixed. If the shoulders are too broad, it's sometimes hard to take that in. Similarly, if the neckline becomes too big for you, will that change the look of the dress? I'd have a chat with your seamstress beforehand. Show her a picture of the dress. She will likely have good advice for you on the key elements of your dress, and how to get the best option for her to work with.

about a dozen years ago, I finished grad school and worked with an RD on weight loss plan and also trained for distance cycling - mostly for 100km rides. I did manage weight loss during that time, but I had to work very carefully to do it. On days when I had either long rides or intervals, I really had to monitor and make sure I was getting enough food in. This was made more difficult by the inconvenience of my body loathing solid food on long ride days. I met with my RD weekly and we looked at the previous week's results, not just in terms of whether I was losing, but my endurance and how I was feeling. And then we'd plan the next week's intake in line with my workout plan for that week. I ended up overtraining and having to skip that last century due to a whopping case of bronchitis. Once Iwent back to a more reasonable training schedule, the whole process got much easier. Do you have your lean mass tested? One other thing is that your body tends to store more glycogen when you're endurance training - it needs to.

You had major surgey a week ago. Your body has one primary task right now: healing. You MUST allow your body time to heal! How active you were before surgery definitely helps in your recovery, but nothing takes the place of healing time. Most people don't feel "normal" in terms of energy for four to six weeks afterwards.

Believe me when I tell you, a hospital stay is nothing like a vacation. Noisy!

Calm down. "erythematous" means "red". So you have some irritation in several parts of your stomach. The antrum is the part they remove with a sleeve. The prepylorus is down at the pyloris, the valve between the stomach and the small intestine. The incisura is down near the pylorus. No, this doesn't mean anything permanent, serious, or otherwise ominous. Your surgeon will want to calm down the irritation before surgery. Feel better now?

Is there a label that lists the ingredients?

I would really recommend working with your RD or NUT on this. Start with what you DO like that fits in with your plan - which Proteins, any veggie/fruits? Identify which textures you like best. Those are your building blocks. Then have her/him work with you on trying things you haven't thought about that fit your taste/texture profile. Don't try to change everything all at once. My RD told me for the transition to solid foods: "Treat your stomach like a baby's". That really made sense to me - add only one new food at a time. You might find some new favorites along the way. It's hard when your palate is set in the opposite direction that you know you need to go.

I want the sleeve because I don't want malabsorption issues. I don't have diabetes, for which (to date, anyway) GBP is the preferred procedure.

I would suggest you get in touch with whomever your contact is for the process.

Of COURSE you're scared! Who wouldn't be? But you are not "a failure". The good news is, your nephrologist told you that surgery was still an option. That's GREAT news. I don't know what your other medical issues are, but I'm betting that over the long term, having your surgery and losing the weight will help your overall health immensely. It's entirely possible for your surgeon and your nephrologist to speak with you at the same time - use your phone and conference one of them in if they're willing. Your RD or NUT can become your new best friend here. They know how to teach you how to balance your protein needs with protecting your kidneys - even if neither your surgeon or your nephrologist do. Don't give up on yourself. if you aren't already in therapy, get yourself a good therapist. Have a look at how you can swap out the negative self-talk for self-talk that encourages and empowers you. It's possible. I promise.

Some folks are absolutely freaked by the idea of vomiting. I get it (my SIL is this way). But the advice is good. As my RD put it: treat your sleeve like a baby. Add one new food at a time, in small amounts. Feel good after? Super! Feel not-so-good after? Put that food aside, and try it again in a few weeks. Listen to your body. If your list of allowed foods includes (for example) poached egg, and the very idea of a poached egg sounds awful, don't feel you need to try it right now. Wait awhile. This isn't a race to see how soon you can go back to "normal" foods.

Funny, my PCP changed my surgeon referral to Dr. Kwan for the same reason, ie, BASS office staff weren't user-friendly for the PCP's office to work with. My experience with Dr. Kwan's office so far has been terrific. My initial consult with her is 12/22.

I'm preop, but I have for years managed to lose weight (even if it's just a couple pounds) over the Holidays. I let myself become a very picky eater. There are soooooo many choices during the holidays. I let myself discard out of hand all but the best of those choices, and by "best" I don't mean necessarily the "right" choices. If I'm going to enjoy something only once a year, it had better be worth it, you know? I go to a party, anything that came out of a package or a box or a supermarket bakery is rejected out of hand, not worth my notice. I've pretty much lost my taste for sweets over the past year. I made two big dinners over two days this weekend. I didn't have pie for dessert either day - I saved mine for Breakfast the next day. Having pie for breakfast is something I look forward to all year. Will I do this next year when I'm 10-11 months out? Likely not. I'll find something delightful to look forward to - like the mushrooms, stuffed with sausage and cheese. They weren't huge, just two bites. They were fantastic. And they're so good that our co-host pretty much has to make them next year or face a revolt. Score!

I'm preop. There have been a couple delays in the process but I can deal. I've done the orientation session and started attenging a support group and have been hanging out with all you lovely folks here. So, back in October, I decided to start tracking what I'm eating in preparation for both my RD appointment and my postop life. My goal wasn't to even pay attentiion to whether I was gaining or losing, but simply to track as honestly as I could, every choice I made about food, good, bad, or indifferent. And my other goal was to pay attention to when I was comfortably full, and stop there, instead of continuing to eat simply because something tasted good. This morning was my RD appt. I stepped on the scale - and I've lost 8 lbs in 6 weeks. Three of those were over Thanksgiving weekend. Go figure! So I went to my RD appt. and handed her a printed copy of my journal notes. She was very happy to see what I've been writing, noticing, aware of, etc. Cool! And then I called my surgeon's office. I had to change surgeons before I actually saw the first one. The first one wouldn't see me until after both the RD and psych appts. (my health plan doesn't require this, but the Program does). The second surgeon is happy to see me first. I have my appt. 12/22. Cool!

I'd go with what your NUT is OK with - honestly, you're going to get opinions all over the map about Splenda. Personally, there isn't enough evidence out there about possible this or maybe that. I use it. It doesn't affect my blood sugar at all. Remember that a study that finds X is true for some of the people some of the time isn't necessarily true for you.

Welcome aboard! Lots of friendly folks here and tons of great info and support. I think there are fewer really active preop folks here, for a variety of reasons. Having both lean mass and a fit cardiovascular system never hurt anyone having surgery, and you won't be the first. It may make your recovery easier so long as you remember that you HAVE to follow instructions postop. Thinking "I'm fit, I don't need to worry about "X", it doesn't apply to me will get you in trouble every time. That means that if your surgeon says "no lifting until X weeks postop", that means NO lifting. By all means tell your surgeon, your RD, everyone involved in the process about your commitment to fitness. Second, be prepared to learn things during this process that may be at odds with what you've learned from your life in the gym. You will not be able to keep all your strength during your postop period, because you will of necessity have a layoff. But your fitness should return. Be prepared to learn new ways of thinking about food as fuel and about portion sizes. Keep an open mind. The easiest way to sabotage yourself is by thinking you know more than the person working with you - surgeon, RD, whomever. If you aren't already tracking your intake, I'd suggest you start doing so now. And I do mean track - measure with measring cups, use a scale, don't just eyeball. Nearly everyone suffers from portion distortion. The surgey works via two mechanisms: reducing hunger by reducing production of the hunger hormone, and by limiting your intake via physical restriction. It works - if you do. Good luck!