songsmith

Thank you, everyone. I feel better about my say nothing, do nothing, be an example strategy. I do have anxiety that she might repeat my mistakes. Then again, she hasn't gained a horrible amount over the years. Maybe this is where she's comfortable.

I had a mother who told the Size 10 me that I was as big as my 350 lb aunt, who used to buy my aunt's used clothes and force me to wear them (the tops at least). It worked because I was so large breasted. She's why I have never discussed my daughter's weight with her. She is beautiful at any size. Never, ever, ever, ever, EVER will I be my mom.

And I'm gonna borrow her clothes once we're the same size. If she's nice, I might let her borrow mine.

CW is 237

GW is 222

(Cross your fingers that the 3-week stall doesn't hit until after I make the goal!)

My daughter is firmly in the overweight category. She's never had the weight problems I have. I have never ever ever ever spoken to her about size or her weight or anything else. (I blame my borderline mother and her competitive body analyses for many of the underlying emotional problems I developed with food, so I have always been determined not to do the same thing to my girl.). She's a picky eater, but she also eats plenty of fruit and veggies that she likes. She's the only person I know who hates potatoes and corn (well, she likes French fries). But she loves green Beans and broccoli.

I think we have a terrific relationship. We share common interests. She's smart and funny and I'm so damned amazed I produced someone like her. I'd say she was switched at the hospital but her brow line is definitely her dad's, so I guess she belongs to us.

She was a petite child, but hit puberty early and is blessed (?) with huge breasts just like her mom. She wore a size 8 throughout school. Then she started college and went to a 10. Now she's a 12 and (I suspect) soon will be a 14. I remember how I started out "okay" and slowly gained.

I do encourage her to find an activity (she's away at college) she thinks is fun because I never found one when I was her age and regret it now. It'd be fun to call a friend for a game of tennis, or wall climbing or biking or dancing or even walking. I did apologize to her for having a fat mom who never felt well enough to do some of those fun kid things with her.

Mainly, I think she needs exercise and to not eat as much junk. She's developed a muffin top. I say nothing, but I fret. I don't want her to be in my shoes 20 years from now.

Right now I plan to continue to say nothing and hope that as my weight comes off (and maybe as I even get down to her size) she'll do the comparison herself. I think it makes things worse when you talk to someone about their weight. It feels like criticism and puts the other person on the defensive. Besides, she's stubborn as I am and would probably dig in her feet and do just the opposite of anything I suggested!

Then you have that weird mom/daughter dynamic. You know how sometimes it doesn't matter what you say to your daughter, they will misread it?

Guess I just want to hear thoughts. It's not like she's home any longer to bear the benefits of the meals I'll be fixing. She's already flown the nest. And I worry. What can I say? I'm a mom!

I was told fruit juice was prohibited as it was useless calories and too high in sugar and could make you sick (dumping syndrome). I had that happen once, and I still can't touch juice.< /p>

And as far as the amount of Soup you're trying to eat; just keep sipping at it. If you can get down at least 4-6 ounces every hour, that's good.

I'm Day 6. Four to six ounces per hour? I thought I was doing good eating a few tablespoons of broth.

<SNIP> I didn't know until today I will have to give myself an injection each day for 30 days after the surgery. I have never had surgery before nor given myself shots, I am ok now but I hate to see how nervous I will be feeling o surgery day. I came home with a shopping bag full of paperwork I had to sign and others I need to read including a detailed followup schedule for the next 18 months.

Its been 7 months in the making but it will finally be happening and I am so glad and happy and hope and pray with the additional weight loss I will be walking soon. I did start a blog in 2008 when I was denied and continued it when I started again this year. If anyone is interested in following my progress the url is in my signature.

I didn't know about the shots until I had my pre-op appointment either. I was all, "You're kidding, right?" But they aren't that bad. I had to watch a short DVD explaining how to do things. Remember to put it in swiftly (it will hurt if you go slow). I don't feel the needle at all, but I can feel the medicine once I depress the plunger. It's not bad. Just feels counter-survival to stab yourself with sharp things. Mine are only for a week post-op, but yours might be different because of the multiple procedures. My surgeon is very concerned about blood clots and pneumonia in his patients. Some surgeons don't make you take the shots at all.

So happy the day is finally arriving. It's okay to shake walking into the hospital. You'll be out cold when your surgery happens, so the shaking will stop when it's important to stay still!

I had gastric bypass August 2015 and usually go with a goal of about 10-15 lbs per challenge. The first couple of months I lost 25 lbs then it slowed down a lot for me. I'd say start with a low goal and if you lose more great versus starting with a high number and feeling disappointed. Just remember everybody loses at different rates and not all bodies are the same. Some like me have less weight to lose while others have more so be patient with yourself. In my case, although my weigh loss has slowed down significantly I'm still losing... I'm at 80 lbs after 6 month. I think that's within the percentage my doctor said I would lose. Whatever you do, do not compare your weight loss with others. You will hit stalls or plateaus but they will pass. Good luck in your journey.

TY! My instinct was to stick to the 10-15# range. I want to be realistic. I'm older and expect I'll lose more slowly than someone younger than I am. I'm also perfectionist enough that I want to put down a believable number (be it high or low). I'm probably the only person who worries about these things. I also expect to hit that third-week stall everyone talks about during the challenge. Let's hope it doesn't last too long!

At first I wanted the lap band. It seemed the least invasive and I had it in my head I could always remove it at some point. Then I spoke to my PCP (who is awesome, btw). She sat there and shook her head and told me, "They are experiencing a lot of complications with the band. They might even stop performing the procedure soon. You want the sleeve. I've been reading some great things about it." She went into a little more detail. Mainly, I respect the hell out of her (if not for her I would still be walking around with a cancerous thyroid).

It helped that I knew I could never do the bypass. It makes me nervous to think of my insides rerouted that way. It also bothered me that the stomach remains. What happens if you get stomach cancer? Or ulcers? They can't scope you to look at it. I also didn't like the idea of switching my meds for an even larger round of Vitamins. I hate taking pills. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that my eating in the long run would feel more "normal" (or so it seemed to me) if I had the sleeve.

After a lot of reading up on the subject, that's what I went with.

In the end I say do the reading, decide what you think will work best for you. No one but you can make this decision. Average weight loss is less with the sleeve (though I continue to see amazing numbers here). That might matter. Or you might like the deterrent dumping provides. Just because I didn't choose it doesn't mean it couldn't be right for you. I would also talk to your surgeon and your primary (if you consider them a good doctor) and get their opinions.

They might have suggestions on how to modify your walking so it's less painful. I'd tell them. Heck, my surgeon operated when I had a head cold and couldn't breathe through my nose at all. I'm sure yours will push you through, too. (I broke my leg a few years back when my jeans caught on the doggy gate and my foot slid along the wooden floor. No one would believe I did it battling space pirate ninja assassins. )

I felt really good day of surgery and all that night. I was pretty happy with myself. Then the next morning I had a bout of dry heaves that really did for me. My drain flooded and overflowed a couple of times (gross) and I managed to do something to my shoulder. I felt like crap the second day. Came home third day after surgery and have felt great since then (other than typical soreness and a slowly mending shoulder).

The CNA sat me in a chair in the AM and I think maybe I wasn't ready for it yet, or maybe the gas just attacked at that time. Dry heaves. Ugh.

I've been happy with my Water intake. Around 30 the first day home, 55 yesterday and probably that today. Plus today I had my first Protein Shake (mixed with 8 oz water). I'm not sure if I should be happy I can swallow this stuff or concerned. Mainly I'm happy because I was so nauseated and sick right after surgery.

I like to cook, but I'm also on the go a lot. Try to figure out some go to foods/meals that don't take much effort so you always have something on hand. That's what I plan to do, anyway. I know I'll still struggle with the old, "I'm tired and/or need to be X in 5 sec and what am I going to eat" syndrome.

I gained about 4 pounds with my surgery (this Monday). From what I've read, we get so filled with fluids and gas and other stuff that it's normal to gain or stall just a little at the beginning. Give it time.

I just had my sleeve 2/15 and have no idea what would be an appropriate weight loss goal? Any suggestions?

Yeah, I peed (peeed? How many es?) like clockwork after they removed the catheter. It was to the point that if someone came in to jab me or vital me, I told them I needed to use the bathroom.

I'm still sore. My surgery was Monday. I try to force myself to straighten up when I move. Not sure if it's the incisions or sore abdominals. Walking does help. I'm sure I'm not walking enough. Been putting on the microwave timer and circling the downstairs.

nicky2221, walking does help. I have it on good authority. I didn't walk nearly as much as I should because I really took a turn for that one day. Are you feeling better today?

It's one question we all learn not to ask. Good call about the gender of the baby remarks! I use the "beautiful baby" approach, too!

For all I know the CNA misheard her. Maybe she reminded her of this woman's pregnant daughter/niece and all the CNA heard was "you look pregnant." Or maybe the woman had no off switch. The lesson is not to say that to the person who might be jabbing you with things throughout the night!

Yes, they made me watch an instructional DVD. @@jess9395, I expected the wipes because the DVD made me believe they were part of the package. I'm mad at myself for not looking at them sooner. Getting some wipes today so everything will be fine in the end.

It's not the sort of thing I thought of since I've never had to give myself any sort of injection in the past. I wish the pharmacist had asked if I needed any.

Now, I'm pretty sure nearly every WLS female has heard this one at some stage in her life. So I bet none of you think to say it to someone else because there's always that "oops" factor.

Just had my surgery. That first night my CNA wandered in first thing in the morning, obviously close to tears, and told me one of her patients told her she looked "seven months pregnant." Let me tell you, she was probably a size 10 or lower and definitely flat in the abdomen area. She'd been super sweet to me during my stay, so I offered to go punch the offending patient (joking!) which cheered her up and got her to laugh a bit.

Seriously, who says these things? I guess the CNA could have said something snarky, but she was so sweet to me that I find that difficult to believe. In the end, I'll chalk it up to a mishearing.

Still, a WLS patient telling someone else she looks pregnant.

Surgery went great. Felt wonderful that first night. I even thought to myself, "Maybe you'll be one of the lucky ones who have no problems at all!" Then morning hit. And the nausea.

I dry-heaved so much that I wound up pinching a nerve in my shoulder. Don't ask me how that's possible, but that's what happened. Then they had a problem with my drain--blood, blood everywhere--and the doctor decided I should stay an extra day. Tuesday was not pleasant, let me tell you.

Then woke up today and felt fine again. The night nurse figured out that I probably had a clot blocking the drain and when that passed, all the blood came. She sensibly reset the dressing (day staff just kept taping over it). She also suggested a hot pad for the shoulder, which worked a treat. So I'm home and fine and just sip-sip-sipping away.

How is everyone else doing this fine Wednesday?

I'm so mad I could spit, and part of the problem is me!

I filled the doctor's prescription for the blood thinner injections before my surgery. I was handed a brown paper bag. It felt like a box; I didn't even look at it. (I know, I know. This is where it's also my fault!)

Got home from the hospital today, looked in the paper bag and all I saw was several individually packaged syringes inside a plastic baggie. That was bad enough. There was no alcohol swipes or anything to cleanse the injection site before giving the shot. WTF Do they expect me to just jab myself?

So I phoned the pharmacy and was told, "Oh, we don't provide any of the wipes. We just offer the syringes." (In a tone of voice that distinctly sounded like "sucks to be you!".) Obviously, they won't take them back so I can fill the prescription elsewhere.

Guess this is more of a rant than anything else. Did everyone else receive their syringes this way?

I had to see the NUT for 6 months. She's nice enough, but pretty much useless IMO. Doctor must think the same thing because they sent the case manager rather than the NUT to go over my post-surgery diet plan before hospital release. Like others have said, it's just hoops.

I don't know about potato flakes, but you can use an egg yolk to thicken Soup. Whisk it in a separate cup, then slowly add in a spoonful of the hot liquid while stirring it all the while. Keep adding hot liquid and stirring until the yolk is the same temp as the soup, then add the whole thing back into the soup and keep stirring. You need to stir to avoid scrambling instead of coddling.

My NUT said don't worry about getting in an entire Protein shake (I'm not even to that stage yet) but that 6 to 8 oz. is fine at first.

I was sleeved on the 15th and just came home today because of severe nausea. (Dry heaves on a bruised up tummy are not fun.) I find it easier to drink room temp Water than ice Water. Maybe that will help?

I felt so great the night of the surgery. I thought, "Hey, maybe I'll be one of those people who never has a problem!" Then next morning, blam! Everything went to hell. I had nausea. I pinched a nerve in my shoulder by trying to clutch my stomach while retching. Then something weird happened to my drain and blood, blood everywhere. Yesterday was pure hell.

Then this morning, all was right with the world. For some reason I am finding it easier to drink the water at home. Don't know why.

Hubby said surgery took about 45 minutes. I was in recover for an hour and a half. He had a nice, long wait. I don't remember a thing!

Home again, home again, jiggity jig jig! Phew! I had a lot of a nausea, so they kept me an extra day. Felt great the night of my surgery. Then got sick the next morning and felt like crap all day Tuesday, then pretty darn good again today. Concentrating on getting that Water down!

Hope everyone else is doing great!