heidikat72

I don't have many things on my list because my husband and I are saving for Ireland. However, I have my eye on a pair of high top shoes that are colorful...something very whimsical and I would have NEVER wanted before. But having lost weight I new don't feel self conscious wearing things that will bring attention. I always wanted a pair of Vans as well, but never thought of myself worthy of them being so heavy. This year, I'm getting the Vans.

I was told this once I got to purees and solids. But not with the shakes since that's really just drinking and that first week or two it is a full time job getting fluids in - i basically never stopped sipping during those two weeks.

i didn't have any issues with milk and actually liked the powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury vanilla and classic chocolate. the chicken Soup flavor one mixed with just plain Water was a savory godsend!
I think with most of the unflavored ones - you might still have a bit of a protein-y taste.
another option is the fruity Syntrax nectar ones - i mixed those with crystal lite lemonade and drank out of a lidded Blender Bottle - that way any smell doesn't really bother you and using an opaque bottle, the cloudy consistency isn't off-putting either. I really liked the ice tea flavor and the cherry flavor mixed with lemonade.

that is an awesome NSV!!!!!

it depends - some of the testing they want done within a certain time frame of your surgery - so you might have to get some tests repeated. and i know for my insurance, i couldn't stop and restart the 6 month medically supervised nutritional part. if i did then i reset the clock back to the beginning. So it is best to talk with your bariatric center they will know your insurance requirements along with their own requirements.

I'm only 6 months out from sleeve surgery so not a complete success yet! But I'm very pleased with my choice to do sleeve. When I first met with my surgeon exactly one year ago, my BMI was 76! I didn't have to lose weight before surgery but since my insurance required a 6 month medically supervised period, i used that time to gradually make some changes and start very slowly increasing activity. So on surgery day my BMI was ~66. Now 6 months later it is 48 and dropping.
When I started, i couldn't even walk a city block without being completely out of breath, heart racing and in excruciating lower back and knee pain. So yes, my exercise routine started VERY slowly - but you know what? any little bit helps and just very slowly gradually increase activity so you don't injure yourself. even the slightest bit of improvement in that area will make recovery from surgery so much easier. and now? well, in October I hiked over 5 miles in the Great Smoky National Park - broken into 2 smaller hikes on the same day - without ANY problems! Something I couldn't have even dreamed of doing a year ago.
So is sleeve an option for someone with a BMI of 70 or higher - yep absolutely! Ultimately which surgery to have is a decision between you and your doctor. Weigh all the benefits and negatives of each procedure in regard to your particular case and make an informed decision.
Regardless of which route you go - good luck on your journey!

I am just days away from 2 months out, but wanted to share my favorite NSV so far. I am a Type 2 diabetic who has been on Metformin for 10 years and a Bydureon non-insulin injectable for 2 years. Even while on medication my average fasting blood sugar was 140. I was taken off all medications during my pre-surgery liquid phase with the docs intention to add them back in slowly once we had a better idea of where I would be post-op. 2 months later and not only am I not on meds, but my fasting blood sugar was 85 this morning.
Thank God I went forward with this surgery. If I never lose another pound this alone would be worth it.

Today we decorated the house for Christmas. By "we", I mean Mrs. LittleBill decorated, while I hid out up in my shop. We are minimalists for this event. It has a very deep meaning for us, but we choose to avoid the popular culture when it comes to observation. Our tree is a small plastic tabletop version, complete with lights. There are a few decorations on it. One important one is a Santa given to me for my first Christmas back in 1958 by my grandparents. But anyway...
We had a sort of interesting event during today's decorating. I was happily working away in the shop. It is a wood shop. It is stuffed with wood of all sizes, from 4' x 8' sheets of plywood, to boards of every sort, scraps, and of course, piles of sawdust. All of a sudden, the door burst open, and Mrs. LittleBill appeared, clutching a wooden, painted Father Christmas.
"Can you find a small piece of wood to glue to the bottom of this? It is missing a part and it won't stand up on the mantel the way it is."
As soon as I saw it, things clicked. About six or eight months ago, I was cleaning out the bed of my truck, and I came across a small block of wood stained with a red stain. It had the notation "From Mom and Dad, Xmas 1988". I could not toss it out, although I had no idea what it belonged to. It sat in the shop for months. Apparently it had broken off when a plastic tote in the truck overturned, spilling its contents. That happened because I put the stuff in there to move to our barn, and then forgot about it.
I took one look at the figure and realized the block it needed had been up here the whole time. I walked over, picked it up, and sure 'nuff, it matched. All it took was a few quick air nails, and it was fixed. It should last until one of our descendants inherits it now.

talk to your surgeon. are you taking more than prescribed (in other words more than the 1tsp/ 4 times a day)? if you need more medication than that, your surgeon needs to know. People have different pain tolerances and/or there could be something else that needs to be attended to if you are having intense pain. Either way, your surgeon needs to know so it can be managed.

Thank you! I just spoke with them. I was completely honest and told them it was not strong enough for me. They told me to double the dose, I let them know I have already been doing so. Dr. Is in surgery all day today so the nurse is hoping she will get a response to help keep get through my weekend!
Thank you!
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That's me on Jet Blue without a seatbelt extender!
And 90% recovered from Bells Palsy in just 3 weeks:

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This last weekend two guy friends of mine asked me about my surgery and what they could expect because they are ready to take the plunge. I'm taking this as a great NSV.
I don't post on Facebook "I HAD WLS" but when a big buddy comes up to me and asks "how did you do it," well I'll tell them. I think they have been watching me for the last couple of years and they see the changes in my life. Now that they have tried WW and other things and it's just not working for them they are coming to the same conclusion I did over two 1/2 years ago.
Thanks to this site I can share with them a wealth of experiences, share knowledge and insights. But ultimately I think it is the "life style" evangelism of renewed health and energy which pushed them over the top..
Am I the only one, or has anyone else had this type of experience?

Here I was thinking that this post was going to be about hormone dumping and you were going to be "up all night". Boy was I mistaken!

I was told before my surgery that those may not agree with me right after surgery...and they were right! While they were my goto pre op the milk for my new stomach was a little too much. I was told to start off with whey Protein ISOLATE to start just because it didn't contain the stuff that makes you gassy. I bought that in powder form and would mix it with almond milk and it was perfect. But it has to be ISOLATE, not whey Protein blend or concentrate. I am now 3 weeks out and they no longer bother me so it does get better! Hope this helps!
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I went through a phase about a month post op where i did literally crave salt - to the point i would catch myself with just a salt shaker in my hand and then think - what the hell are you about to do with that? fortunately it passed. but i have noticed in general i like stronger flavors now and tend to prefer salty/spicy a lot and not sweet. whereas pre-op i was all about the sweet fix

I went through a phase about a month post op where i did literally crave salt - to the point i would catch myself with just a salt shaker in my hand and then think - what the hell are you about to do with that? fortunately it passed. but i have noticed in general i like stronger flavors now and tend to prefer salty/spicy a lot and not sweet. whereas pre-op i was all about the sweet fix

With all due respect, your father doesn't understand how to interpret statistics associated with potential complications - you don't just simply add them up to arrive at a "total".
If he truly read the article you reference with an OPEN mind, he would have seen that for nausea and dehydration - the article itself even says this is when patients aren't getting in enough fluids. This is why the bariatric programs and the vets on this forum always always always stress how important it is to meet your Fluid intake goals. Seriously, getting in your fluids those first few weeks is YOUR JOB - even if it takes you 18hrs a day of constant sipping, DO IT. Drinking will get easier as the swelling goes down and you can drink more normally (rather than teeny tiny sips). But it is always important to track your Fluid intake and make sure you are getting enough.
As for GERD - it does happen but often is temporary - and most bariatric programs will have you on a PPI for a couple months. You may need to have your dosage adjusted, you may need to stay on it longer - but as long as you work with your bariatric team on this and don't ignore the symptoms, it is manageable.
Gallstones - yep this is a common one. And yes, a gallstone attack can be excruciatingly painful. But you know what? I'd still rather have a couple gallstone attacks and get my gallbladder removed if needed than deal with all the other LIFELONG and LIFE THREATENING side effects of obesity. Oh and guess what, there's a good chance you could end up with gallstones at some point even if you don't have WLS.
Strictures - there are people on this forum who have had a stricture. Perhaps one of them can weigh in here. I believe at least some of them have been able to have it corrected/managed and still don't regret the surgery one bit.
Deep vein thrombosis - a risk with any surgery honestly especially when your mobility may not be great immediately following. This is especially true with obese patients who already have mobility issues and/or aren't active. Many programs assess your risk for this based on your current condition and family history of blood clots. Based on this, it may be recommended to have an IVC filter put in your leg temporarily - the filter will catch any clots that form and migrate before they reach your lungs and lead to a pulmonary embolism. The more common approach is to administer blood thinner injections for a couple weeks after surgery. And to walk walk walk walk walk as much as you can post op - the more active you are, the less the change of a blot developing in the first place!
Nutritional deficiency - this is why you take Vitamins, calcium/vitamin D supplements and B12 supplements. Why you focus on Protein first, followed by veggies then fruit and lastly starches. And why you get your blood work checked regularly post op so that any deficiencies can be treated before they become a problem. For instance on my program, that means blood work at 3, 6, 9, 12 18 and 24 months post op and annually thereafter. Also, with the sleeve you don't have the malabsorption associated with the bypass. Your Vitamin supplementation is due to the reduced volume intake. And I know personally many sleeve patients who once they are a couple years out have been able to cut back to supplementing with just one Multivitamin a day.
I am guessing he thinks the forums are a joke because they don't support his pre-conceived negativity regarding this surgery? What exactly does he think your other options are and what are the "stats" associated with those options? His scare tactics are disgusting. Would he rather your life be shortened and your quality of life be miserable with the obesity? Have you really told him truthfully and completely the impact the obesity has on your life?
At the end of the day - you are a 46 year old woman. You don't need daddy to sign off on your surgery. I understand wanting family emotional support - but if you don't get it, you can still go ahead with surgery. This is a decision to be made between you and your medical team. Is dad willing to go to an appointment with your medical team and hear directly from them? Ask about the complications, how they can be mitigated and what their practice's actual complication rate is? Or is he so stuck in his negativity that he wouldn't listen to the medical professionals either?

I was sleeved on Nov 22nd . HW 380 SW340 CW 323 so had my first post op appt and I'm down 14lbs since surgery. Having bad reflux but getting meds for that. But Was advanced to soft food/stage 4 diet as of today. Also was cleared to go back to the gym to do kickboxing again. I'm so happy.
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eh, as far as being in season - we won't tell and squirrel is Protein.< /p>

We're all "mean" for pointing out errors in her father's logic but her dad is just "nervous" for her? Someone who is just concerned for her wouldn't cherry pick pieces of an article out of context of the rest of the article, then inappropriately add them up in order to scare her into thinking that 86% of the people who have WLS have a serious complication. Someone who is just concerned for her, would do some research with an open mind and not call everything that goes against their negative opinion a "joke". Someone who is just concerned would attempt to meet with the medical team and ask questions about their concerns. Plus if you read her other posts/threads - there is a history there of negative and manipulative behavior on his part.
For the OP - I know based on your other threads that you were hoping/expecting your dad to pay for part of the surgery based on him initially offering too. My thought is he didn't actually think you were going to go through with it and probably never had any intention of paying for any of it and is using these scare tactics in order to not have to come right out and tell you that he is rescinding his offer. I think it would be in your best interest to try to find some other way to come up with the needed money and even check with your bariatric team to see if you can set up an installment payment plan with them.

@SleevedByChristmas You know, I think he's more afraid of how it's going to impact him. Maybe I'm wrong...but is he obese too? Maybe he's afraid of change...change he can't control. This is nothing new unfortunately...

I agree with this statement. Friends and family with great intentions often don't understand the mental, psychological element that we suffer. It's why we became morbidly obese. WLS gives us a tool that insists that we face these addictions and behaviors.
It might be hard for the average person of "average" weight to really understand the metal aspect, and that WLS isn't just a whim, it's often our only option.

With all due respect, your father doesn't understand how to interpret statistics associated with potential complications - you don't just simply add them up to arrive at a "total".
If he truly read the article you reference with an OPEN mind, he would have seen that for nausea and dehydration - the article itself even says this is when patients aren't getting in enough fluids. This is why the bariatric programs and the vets on this forum always always always stress how important it is to meet your Fluid intake goals. Seriously, getting in your fluids those first few weeks is YOUR JOB - even if it takes you 18hrs a day of constant sipping, DO IT. Drinking will get easier as the swelling goes down and you can drink more normally (rather than teeny tiny sips). But it is always important to track your Fluid intake and make sure you are getting enough.
As for GERD - it does happen but often is temporary - and most bariatric programs will have you on a PPI for a couple months. You may need to have your dosage adjusted, you may need to stay on it longer - but as long as you work with your bariatric team on this and don't ignore the symptoms, it is manageable.
Gallstones - yep this is a common one. And yes, a gallstone attack can be excruciatingly painful. But you know what? I'd still rather have a couple gallstone attacks and get my gallbladder removed if needed than deal with all the other LIFELONG and LIFE THREATENING side effects of obesity. Oh and guess what, there's a good chance you could end up with gallstones at some point even if you don't have WLS.
Strictures - there are people on this forum who have had a stricture. Perhaps one of them can weigh in here. I believe at least some of them have been able to have it corrected/managed and still don't regret the surgery one bit.
Deep vein thrombosis - a risk with any surgery honestly especially when your mobility may not be great immediately following. This is especially true with obese patients who already have mobility issues and/or aren't active. Many programs assess your risk for this based on your current condition and family history of blood clots. Based on this, it may be recommended to have an IVC filter put in your leg temporarily - the filter will catch any clots that form and migrate before they reach your lungs and lead to a pulmonary embolism. The more common approach is to administer blood thinner injections for a couple weeks after surgery. And to walk walk walk walk walk as much as you can post op - the more active you are, the less the change of a blot developing in the first place!
Nutritional deficiency - this is why you take Vitamins, calcium/vitamin D supplements and B12 supplements. Why you focus on Protein first, followed by veggies then fruit and lastly starches. And why you get your blood work checked regularly post op so that any deficiencies can be treated before they become a problem. For instance on my program, that means blood work at 3, 6, 9, 12 18 and 24 months post op and annually thereafter. Also, with the sleeve you don't have the malabsorption associated with the bypass. Your Vitamin supplementation is due to the reduced volume intake. And I know personally many sleeve patients who once they are a couple years out have been able to cut back to supplementing with just one Multivitamin a day.
I am guessing he thinks the forums are a joke because they don't support his pre-conceived negativity regarding this surgery? What exactly does he think your other options are and what are the "stats" associated with those options? His scare tactics are disgusting. Would he rather your life be shortened and your quality of life be miserable with the obesity? Have you really told him truthfully and completely the impact the obesity has on your life?
At the end of the day - you are a 46 year old woman. You don't need daddy to sign off on your surgery. I understand wanting family emotional support - but if you don't get it, you can still go ahead with surgery. This is a decision to be made between you and your medical team. Is dad willing to go to an appointment with your medical team and hear directly from them? Ask about the complications, how they can be mitigated and what their practice's actual complication rate is? Or is he so stuck in his negativity that he wouldn't listen to the medical professionals either?

I just have one to add. After reading this forum for months pre-surgery I was totally prepared for a stall around week 3. I wasn't prepared for what actually happened to me - instead of losing for two weeks and hitting a stall, I didn't lose anything the first two weeks. Fortunately I wasn't weighing at home but boy that was a let down at my two week postop checkup appointment when I weighed exactly the same down to the tenth of a pound as I did the day before surgery. So the main point is - that first month, don't even THINK about the scale! Just focus on healing, Fluid and Protein goals.

Too early. Let yourself heal first.
And if the appetizer is a soft Protein like shrimp, little sausages or meatballs, I don't see why you couldn't have some?