Hiraeth

I wasn't a snacker before this surgery. I'd eat a small Breakfast, a small lunch, and then a larger meal. After my meals, that was it. I did not snack at all between meals. With that, I was probably getting in about 1500 calories a day, which is ideal for someone who is dieting. After I had the surgery, I'm now taking in more Protein and eating maybe 400-800 calories a day. So basically, I'm "starving" myself, but in a healthy way, if that makes sense.

You'd be surprised to know that some people can no longer drink plain water after the WLS, because it makes them nauseated. My WLS nurse advisor told my group that if we feel sick while drinking water, then we need to find something else to drink (as long as it isn't carbonated). Your taste will change during this journey. I no longer like the taste of soda. I just wanted to try it to see what happened, and the taste is awful.

Really? Fascinating! Thanks for sharing your story. I definitely plan to talk to my doctor until I'm blue in the face! jess9395 - Thanks for the link! I'll check it out when I get home later! Babbs - That post was amazing. Why do I feel so inspired suddenly? Thank you so much for the reply. Also for the laugh at the koala comment. My metabolism went out for a pack of smokes when I hit puberty and I haven't seen it since. Hiraeth - Lol. Technically I'm 5'1 and three quarters. Those 3/4ths make me taller than my mother. Also, my husband is 6'4, so it makes me sound less ridiculous next to him! If that is what is essentially going on, that's a brilliant way to think about it. The idea of cutting out part of my stomach actually was making me feel uneasy. The idea of cutting out the inflamed bits definitely helps see things in a different perspective. I'm not as worried about the surgery. I've had back surgery and a few other minor things done. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain. I'm not looking forward to that bit, but that's the price to pay. Thank you everyone for your feedback! I'm excited to be here, you're all so helpful and welcoming! If you've had back surgery, I'm pretty sure this WLS will be a breeze! I've had nose surgery, breast reduction, gallbladder removal, and wisdom teeth removal. The breast reduction was probably the most annoying. WLS was extremely easy!

Also, as for the incision pain, I felt barely any at all. I even had a few staples in my incisions. I also had a drain tube coming out of one of the incisions. I kept forgetting it was there until I went to use the bathroom, because it kept getting in my way, lol!

Yes, I also noticed that we have very similar stats. We are both 5'1'' (I put 5'2'' because I'm rounding off, lol), we both have PCOS, and we both have a similar starting weight. I'll be honest, I jumped into this surgery with little to no fear. When I was younger, after all the trauma I experienced, I became so afraid of so many things and I felt trapped. After I was put on Lexapro, and most of the fear went away, I vowed to never limit myself on what I can do. So now, I'm one of the most brave people I know. I'm the type of person who will jump off of a bridge into Water (I actually did that when I was 18), I will eventually skydive, and I do pretty spontaneous things even today. My mom worries sometimes because I'm such a free spirit. I'm trying so hard to live my life to the fullest. So, I had this surgery with a ton of confidence. After the surgery, I was in a good amount of pain. I felt like I couldn't breathe completely because there was gas trapped in my chest. I was in no danger at all; what I was feeling was normal. After I fell back asleep (which was almost instantly) I woke up no longer feeling the pain in my chest. The worst part about the surgery is the trapped gas that you will probably feel in your upper back/neck/shoulder. I felt it in my shoulder, and it felt as if someone had hit me with a hammer as hard as they could. But, walking takes the pain away almost instantly. It's like, you can be laying down and in extreme pain in your shoulder... But once you stand up and walk, the pain disappears within seconds. It's crazy! To get some sleep, I requested Dilaudid; since the liquid Lortab was doing nothing for the gas pains. It really helped me sleep. So, if you feel too much pain while you're trying to rest, tell the nurse you want Dilaudid (I had to demand it because the nurse was iffy about giving it to me). She tried telling me that Dilaudid would do nothing for my pain. Little did she know, I've had 3 kidney stones, and Dilaudid was the only thing that took the edge off. She finally gave me the Dilaudid, and the pain almost instantly went from an 8 to a 5 on the pain scale. The gas pains were gone by the next day. But, on the second day, I felt like I had the flu because I ached all over. So I took a B12 and a pain killer and went straight to bed. When I woke up the next day, I felt no pain. It was amazing how quickly the aches went away. Ever since, I felt as if I was transitioning for the better, while feeling normal. It was such a nice experience. If I had to do this surgery again, I definitely would. Like theantichick said, your stomach is inflamed right now. When you overeat, your stomach stretches naturally. But, once you keep overeating, your stomach will stretch out more and more, until it stays that way for good. Once the stomach stretches out permanently, it does not go back to normal. This is why overweight people feel hunger pangs. Their stomachs are so stretched out, that the inflammation starts to react when the stomach is empty. That hunger pang you feel is actually irritation from your stomach walls. So really, instead of thinking that they're cutting out pieces of your organ, try to remember that they're actually cutting out the inflamed part of your stomach.

Hello and welcome to the forums! Let me start off by saying that you sound a lot like me. The only difference is, I haven't always been overweight (I became overweight in 11th grade after I started taking oral steroids for my allergies). I also have PCOS and losing weight is hard. I would diet all the time (only eating 1400 calories a day). I lost about 20 pounds, but then I stopped losing the weight. Ever since I got the sleeve, I have lost almost 50 pounds in just 3 months. I dropped 21 pounds in the first 2 weeks (I'm almost certain that was mostly Water weight). You were discussing your family members and their WLS experiences: The Lap Band, in my opinion, is not a good idea for most people. I've heard of it having so many complications. My surgeon is actually trying to get out of the Lap Band in his office because people always complain of having issues with it. The Bypass can be very dangerous for some people. My sister's 4th grade teach almost died because of the same issue with your mother. The Sleeve is actually known as one of the most popular weight loss surgery options; so I think you're making a great decision. Do you mind if I ask what you eat on a daily basis? Be 100% honest. There's no judgment here! I see that you are seeing an Endo. Has she checked your thyroid? I think giving this surgery a try is worth it. I already feel so much better now that I'm losing weight. I'm already able to fit into a size XL (sometimes a L) t-shirt with ease. I also have suffered a lot of trauma in my childhood. I was diagnosed with OCD (Pure O), PTSD, anxiety disorder, and panic disorder. I was prescribed Lexapro at age 15, and now I feel 80% better. I did gain weight with the Lexapro, but since I got the surgery, it's very easy to manage the cravings. I have not noticed a change in my emotional state. I still feel very good.

To me, this is very normal. I had a really hard time eating even after 3 weeks post-op. Drinking things too fast was a challenge. Now at almost 3 months post-op, I am now able to gulp (even though I probably shouldn't be gulping). The reason you're having a hard time is because your new stomach is swollen. I think your body is trying to tell you it's not ready for pureed things. I know you're probably sick of broth and pure liquids, but it's probably all your body wants to handle right now. Calling your doctor will never hurt. But I truly believe your body is still just very swollen from the surgery. I was so swollen after my surgery and I thought I'd never be able to eat normally again. But here I am, eating normally. There are still times when my body tells me that I've eaten too much. I start feeling like there's food in the bottom of my esophagus. It's bothersome, but I'm glad it's there because it's letting me know that I need to eat less food at a time.

This is exactly the response I wanted to hear! I'm so hopeful now! After I got so big (255 lbs) I felt like I had the most horrible balance and I felt as if I would really hurt myself if I fall. Falling used to not be an issue for me; I would just get right back up. But now, falling really hurts. I'm able to get back up easily, but it's scary to think about because it hurts so much more than it used to. I'm so sorry you're having a hard time. I'm proud of you for being under 200! Have you seen a therapist for your depression? This is exactly the response I wanted to hear! I'm so hopeful now! After I got so big (255 lbs) I felt like I had the most horrible balance and I felt as if I would really hurt myself if I fall. Falling used to not be an issue for me; I would just get right back up. But now, falling really hurts. I'm able to get back up easily, but it's scary to think about because it hurts so much more than it used to. I'm so sorry you're having a hard time. I'm proud of you for being under 200! Have you seen a therapist for your depression?

I see you have lost almost 100 pounds. How are you feeling? I miss playing softball. I played 2 summers ago and I was actually the best player because I was hitting the most and the furthest. But running the bases was very difficult and painful, lol!

Wow! Thank you all so much for all the positive feedback! That really gives me hope. I mean, I used to be able to ride a bike with no limits. But now, I'm so scared I'll fall. I even used to skateboard and ride down hills with no fear. Now, getting on a skateboard seems so scary because I'm scared of losing my balance. I guess I do need to learn my body again. I remember being able to run a whole mile without stopping. I've even started having dreams of being able to run for a long time. I really took a lot of things for granted when I was a teenager. Right now, I'm walking at least 2 miles a day. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I'm doing about 150 reps of 5 pounds on each arm. I never really had huge arms even at my max weight of 255, but my gosh, I actually have wings from loose skin. I guess my arms are meant to be sticks, lol! When I was at the park, I was able to swing my whole body over a pole (using only one arm) with ease. I couldn't believe how much easier doing that was after losing only 45 pounds!

I went to the park on Saturday night, and I saw monkey bars and a rock climbing wall that I really wanted to climb. I'm 25 years old, but I couldn't help but feel my inner child want to play on the playground. The last time I was truly athletic was when I was 15. I weighed about 125 and was able to do just about anything a typical athlete could do. I climbed a big rock and felt somewhat limited because I was scared I would fall. I remember not feeling this worried about falling (I don't know if it's my balance that's off because I'm overweight or not). I also remember feeling like I could climb anything. But now, I feel like an old woman; like I'm going to lack the strength to hold myself up on monkey bars. I've already lost 45 pounds. I was able to be a bit more active than usual while at the park. As I lose weight, will I get my active nature back? Has anyone gotten a good amount of strength back?

Congrats! It is definitely worth it! My surgery was on August 4th and I've already lost 45 pounds. I doubt you will even care about food that soon after your surgery.

I guess it truly depends on the relationship you have with your boss. Is she usually nice to you? Or has she ever been snarky? In my opinion, it doesn't seem like she meant to hurt your feelings. Maybe she just wasn't thinking. Maybe she wanted to send you a treat for this great step. I could be totally wrong.

I'm coming back to this to say that it's only been 2 months and I've already lost 40 pounds. Starting weight was 255. My doctor thinks I'll be 180 by the beginning of December. I'll be happy to be around or under 200 by then. My goal is to be 120 by June. I'll just have to add more exercise to my routine.

What? I didn't break up a relationship. She's still with her fiance, lol. EDIT: Wait, I think I know what you mean. You mean she's trying to use me as a way out? I'm not so sure about that. I think she really wants it to work with him. I think she's trying to force herself to love him.

A part of me feels like she is trying to get me to talk her into leaving him. Do you get that vibe in what I've written?

Yes, she is. She actually knows this about herself. She always says, "I think I'm too screwed up to be in a relationship." I think she is also very insecure and afraid to be alone.

You're right. I am making excuses for her. She blames her ex-boyfriend raping her for her PTSD. But, in my opinion, I think she's just gay and sleeping with men gives her anxiety.

Let me say again how much I appreciate you taking the time to respond so thoroughly to me. You don't even know me and yet, you care enough to give me such great, gentle advice. I truly do appreciate it. I also want to apologize by how wishy washy I seem with this whole thing. It's not easy, because I do still have feelings for her. I trusted her more than anyone in my whole life. I've even dated many people before her, and in person. But for some reason, I clicked with her on such a strong level. We had future plans together. And then, the guilt became too much, I guess, because her sister is LDS and highly against homosexuality. The other night she defended the girl she slept with after we broke up. It hurt my feelings a lot because that girl pressured her into sleeping with her. She came on to her and even went as far as touching her without consent. She ended up giving in and sleeping with her anyway. The night she defended her, she said that she was "kinda her friend" and that she is easily misled. I felt so disrespected, and I went 2-3 days without saying much to her at all. Then, I got weak and tried to see her point of view. My ex is the type of person who tries to see the best in everyone, and tries to give people the benefit of the doubt. I'm like this too, but I feel that the girl she slept with is toxic. So I took it personally, which was probably wrong. Last night I ended up texting her and apologizing. She was persistent with texts after I stopped texting; and I either ignored them completely, or answered very shortly and quite blunt. When I apologized, I said I was sorry and told her that it hurt my feelings. She replied saying, "It's ok. I understand." So, I said ok. I then asked her if she would prefer if we stopped talking. She said, "I like talking to you, but you don't seem interested." Ha, if only she knew... She admitted that my silence hurt her feelings. I know she seems like a shitty person, but she really isn't. I think her confusion and doubt makes her seem toxic. I do agree that the ways things are between us, is toxic. What you told me to say to her is almost identical to what I was going to say to her. It had been almost 2 years since we had spoken, and I thought that maybe we could be friends. She reached out to me, so I responded. But as the days went by, she started flirting with me (even if she thinks she wasn't, she truly was) and my feelings resurfaced. I guess my feelings never truly left. I mean, she started talking about old pictures that I had sent her in the past and how she liked them. Am I wrong to see that as flirting? A friend of mine, who is also a friend of hers, told me that he thinks she still has feelings for me, but that she is trying to block them out because she's afraid to acknowledge them. That sounds like her. A part of me is afraid that, if I do end things, it will destroy any chance I have with her. I am aware that a chance with her looks slim right now. I am going write a rough draft of what I will say to her to cut contact. I will send it when I think it's the right time. Thanks for listening to me ramble.

Wow, your words are truly speaking to me. You seem very wise. You have me figured out. I do want to fix her. I want to so badly. I truly appreciate your response. I agree. I think she is confused. It's almost like she wants me to beg her to choose me. I'm not 100% sure that she knows how I feel. I'm not the type of person to just cut contact out of nowhere. Should I tell her how I feel, and then cut contact?

Really?! That's only 10 minutes from where I live. Did you have your surgery yet?I haven't. I'm having it with Dr Miles on 11/22. Got my date yesterday! That's great! I used Dr. Miles, too! He's great. Keep me updated on how you do.

I think you're all correct. She's about to get another job soon, so I think I will cut contact after she gets it because I don't want to ruin her good mood. Thanks so much for the advice.

Really?! That's only 10 minutes from where I live. Did you have your surgery yet?

Update: For those who are wondering, lol. We talked last night and she made it clear that she is feeling pressured to marry her fiance because she's worried about going to Hell, disappointing her family, and hurting her fiance. She admitted that there is a sexual connection lacking in their relationship. I told her my best advice. I don't know what will happen next, but I am keeping my heart at a safe distance. She is making obvious hints that she has unresolved feelings for me. She is flirting with me the way she used to. She even offered to send me money when I told her I was low and needing to pay a bill. I declined, but it was still a nice offer. I am still keeping everyone's advice in my view. Even if it doesn't work out between us, I still want her to be happy.

My mom agrees now that gay people cannot help who they are, but that they should not act on that desire. But, humans were created for companionship. It's unfair to tell us not to pursue something so pure. Thank you for your words of wisdom. <3