allsmilez

So we can't have Swedish fish 5-days post op? DARN. LOL. J/k

word. I got halfway through detangling and I was breathing hard. Lol Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@Chrysalis77
I have long natural hair, I always feel like I need a nap after washing my hair.

In all fairness, the perpetrator of PorkChopgate took the advice and reactions extremely well. She screwed up, owned it and didn't get pissy about the somewhat horrified responses.
She deserves a round of applause for that.

@@TanishaP
people take different time away from work/recuperation
a few days, 2 weeks, you are thinking about taking one month??
a month seems like a long time, but.... if you have the time, go for it
better to "sign" up for lots of time off and go back sooner than later
as for me, i took NOOOO time off from work
i immediately went back to my retired status
speedy recovery
good luck
kathy

I have now been inspired to go get fiber to mix with my shakes. I am on day 4 and I can already tell things have slowed down. Sent from my SM-G930V using the BariatricPal App

So tomorrow 19:00hrs 9/13 is sleeve day.
Pre-op diet went well...lost around 20lbs in the two weeks. I'm motivated, I have had a word with myself and we agreed we are ready and excited about the future. No second thoughts.
However crapping myself with the magnitude of the next 24 hrs.
So this time tomorrow I will be post op and on my way to a better, healthier wardrobe... I mean life .
Thanks for the support from contributors here on the forum. Long may it continue. I look forward to sharing my before and afters at some stage ...!
See you on the other side.

@@bayougirlmrsc - "This single life could be fun...."
Yes it can. That is one heck of an ego stroke.

So.... went to the cost this weekend (Biloxi, Ms) to the IP casino (no i don't gamble). Went with my Aunt and her Mardi Gras group (just girls). So Friday night, i get dressed, cute mint green sun dress with the even cuter wedges... i must have looked "approachable"..... Ages of the guys that hit on me... 22,25,30,33,.. and one 50 year old. The night went like this...

Them: hey, can i buy you a drink?..... Me: hum, i don't know, you look a little young..........How old are you? .............. Them: 22.. etc.......... Me: Oh, im to old for you........... Them: No your not, what are you 35 (apparently i look 35, thats what i kept hearing).......... Me: No, im 48,........... them: No way..... Me: Yes way... But on a more positive note.... i drank for free allllllll night till 4am

This single life could be fun....

Also, found out... i really need a smaller bikini bottom, my old one is tooooo big. Down to 133lbs... Whoop Whoop
Darker pic is friday night and the other is saturday dinner..... that's my aunt with me

#DropsTheMic

#DropsTheMic

#DropsTheMic

#DropsTheMic

I started the process exactly 1 year ago. I thought "well, I'll go through the process & learn as much about weight loss as I can- I can always back out at the last minute..."
I learned bout obesity, the tool I now have ... And I also learned through testing that I had h pylori that caused a peptic ulcer in my past (how did I not feel an ulcer?!?) and that I had gall bladder problems too (again, how did I not know this??) AND ineffective esophageal motility...
I credit the experience with saving my life. Had I not treated the h pylori, I would have had more ulcers in the future - and likely stomach cancer.
Oh, and at 6weeks out, I'm at my high school weight already...
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Cosmic Fist Pump to this post !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So damn glad I listened several months ago and had my sleeve.
Life is now able......and meant.......to be lived !!!!

Isn't medical science amazing?
When we have a blocked artery, we can have the artery opened up with a stent or balloon with heart surgery.
When a woman laboring is having problems delivering, putting her and her baby's life in danger, she can have a c-cection.
When we get cancer, we can have helpful but toxic drugs pumped through our bodies to fight it and hopefully put it in remission.
When we've tried every diet under the sun and completely screwed our metabolisms up, or we have physical issues that make it almost impossible to lose or keep weight off, we can have bariatric surgery.
No, medical intervention isn't always the way it's "meant" to be, but sometimes it's necessary.

I'm being honest..I couldn't follow the pre-op diet thoroughly. But since surgery, those cravings are gone. It's amazing!! Don't beat you self up too much.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using the BariatricPal App

I am sorta shocked that it's outpatient.

Ahhh. Learned something new. Thanks

I am surprised that you are eating noodles, this early post op. The post op emphasis is on good quality Proteins, and not carbs that can bloat you up and make you feel sick.
Your body is clearly showing that it can't handle noodles. Got to listen to your body, as it will react to foods it can't tolerate or digest.
How about soft, poached salmon with cheese sauce, Chobani yoghurt with Protein powder, a soft boiled egg, chicken mince with cheese sauce, cream cheese, soft veggies like zucchinis in small amounts.
I used to stew apples to add into my yoghurt.
There are many good Proteins to have, instead of carbs that not only will stall your weight-loss, but make you ill as well.
Good luck, I hope you can start eating soft/moist proteins and feel much better!

So, here are a few things I wish I had known before I had my surgery (I was sleeved 5/23/16):
The gas...oh my goodness, the gas. It hurts, it stinks, and sometimes you can't trust a fart. Lovely.
Surgery doesn't make it easier to lose weight. It actually makes it more complicated! Protein, carbs, sugar, fat...It's all scientific now. If I don't get my protein, I hold Fluid and don't lose weight. If I eat sugar, I don't lose weight. If I don't get all my Water for the day, I feel hungry, tired, and--you guessed it--I don't lose weight. I even landed in the ER getting 4 bags of fluid and a CT scan to check for complications. And my insurance got a bill for $7,000. After the one they got for $29,000 just a month previous...more on that later...
Mood swings from hell will descend upon you, and you will be powerless over it at first. Now, I am learning that I tend to cry right before a stall breaks. Fat stores hormones that have to go somewhere when the fat goes...extra PMS? Yes, please! NOT. Yes ladies, your period may go completely haywire for a while. FUN...
Speaking of stalls...the weight won't always come off in a predictable pattern. It may not come off as fast as you want it to. If you stick to your plan, you will lose weight, but along the way you will stall. You may not lose anything for a while, even though you're doing everything right. You will get concerned, you may think the surgery isn't working, but if you stick to your plan the weight will come off. On it's own schedule, though, not yours. The human body is incredibly complex and very good at learning how to NOT starve. Some people believe in starvation mode, some don't, but don't test it. You don't want to get sick and malnourished. You may need to exercise more and log your food to make sure you haven't slipped up, but the stall will break. Eventually...
You will become acutely aware that people who know you had the surgery are watching you. Watching what you eat, when you eat it, and how much of it you eat. Watching to see if you lose weight, and if you don't lose weight FAST, everybody has an opinion about whether or not you should have had the surgery and if it will work, and you may hear horror stories about somebody's friend/sister/brother/cousin/coworker who had the surgery and gained all the weight back. Or never lost it at all. Stick to your plan, and remember why you made the decision to have surgery. Be ready to avoid toxic people as necessary. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. So be careful who you tell. If you are married, consider your spouse's feelings. Talk about it. You will need them on your side if at all possible. If they aren't, it could be problematic. Be ready to have hard conversations and make decisions based on those conversations. You may learn things about your relationship that you never knew, which can be good or bad.
You will have regrets. Mostly in the beginning, but be ready to wonder what in the hell you were thinking when you had this surgery. It's hard! There is an overwhelming temptation to believe that this was supposed to be easier. It's not. It's effective, but it's a lot of work and it takes a lot of self-discipline.
People may judge you and say that you took "the easy way out". See the previous paragraph. And then see the second paragraph. You may have to educate a few people. Or tell them to get lost, your choice.
If you didn't already know it, you may find out that you have a serious problem with food. Get that fixed, and do it before you waste a lot of time and heartache. Go to therapy. The surgery will NOT fix your brain. I cannot stress this enough! You will find out that food is the glue that holds our lives together. We Celebrate with it, we mourn with it, we reward ourselves with it, and sometimes our social lives revolve around it. All of that has to change. Food is fuel. Period. You will not enjoy eating out for a while, if ever. The portions are RIDICULOUS, and most of it is nothing you should be eating anyway. "I'll just have a small salad..." No, you won't, not for a while. You won't be able to eat raw vegetables for a long time, and never before your doctor clears it. It's the last step. And it may be never for certain foods. BECAUSE...
Your taste will change. What your stomach can tolerate will (obviously) change for a long time, and maybe forever in some aspects. You may hate what you once loved and love what you once hated. Go with it. And get over your addiction to caffeine, because that has to go, too. Not forever, but your surgeon will have an opinion about when it's okay again.
If you smoke, a reputable surgeon will not do weight loss surgery on you. They will most likely test you for nicotine, so don't cheat, just quit. You won't heal as well and it's just plain bad for you.
You will have no vices for a long time. Because...you can't drink alcohol either! Not for a LONG time. Just look that one up, because I quit drinking a long time ago and I don't even care about this part. Except: you may trade old addictions for new ones. You may need therapy to fix this. If food was a coping mechanism for you, you had better have a plan for new coping skills. BECAUSE...
This is stressful as hell, if you hadn't figured that out. You hair may come out. Be ready. Biotin is rumored to help, but it isn't a sure thing.
You will need to take Vitamins for the rest of your life. Don't be cheap and skimp on this one. You need bariatric vitamins. Deficiencies can set you back in significant ways. It's not worth it. Take your vitamins.
Now. If you're still reading this, you may think I am one hell of a "Negative Nelly". Nope! I am a realist. You should be scared. You should think long and hard before you have weight loss surgery. If you even qualify for surgery, you've cleared a significant obstacle. If your insurance covers it, that's another significant obstacle out of the way. Soooo...If you have a surgeon willing to do it, and you can get insurance to pay for it (or if you can make it happen as self-pay) DO IT. If you still want to have weight loss surgery despite knowing how much it can suck, then you will probably do well. BECAUSE...
IT'S WORTH IT. All of it.

Hi Everyone,
I can honestly say I did not get to my current weight by eating large quantities of food. I got this way because I eat the WRONG foods! Even though I love vegetables and I do eat them, I eat WEIGH (ok, way, just a play on words), too many sweets! I truly believe I have an addiction. Just the thought of sweets make my mouth Water, and my mind stays focused on them until they are consumed. I can eat sweets until I physically feel ill. So, my question..... What have you all done to break your addiction to sweets? I meet with the dietitian next week, for my first consult. I want that to be my starting point of bidding adieu to candy, Cookies, ice cream, etc. I really need some help here!
Bonnie

Wow, I can relate to this on ssooooo many levels. Story of my life.

I had breast reduction 13 years before my sleeve a year ago. I was 40 years old when reduced (weighed 189) and 53 when sleeved. I'm now at goal (200 SW and 135 CW). My breasts are smaller than they've ever been and still quite perky. I'm so glad I had them reduced beforehand.

Sleeved Fri 7/1. Doc approved me for 6 weeks. No complications. Could have Easily gone back to my desk job Mon 7/11 but i took extra 2 weeks because when does one ever get this time back. I rested, spent time with my family, cleaned the house, organized cabinets and drawers, went on early morning bike rides with the hubby. Pure vacation. I go back Mon 7/25.