Finding_Stacy

Gosh, I'm afraid this could be me. I do have a problem with pain medicine. It always made me throw up after my c-sections. Good thing I have a high pain tolerance, so I'm going to keep (try to) a positive attitude towards the surgery, because I'm really looking forward to the restriction of the stomach and surgery is just something we have to go through to get those amazing results, right?

Oh my gosh, how scary. Was the spleen nicked during surgery? I'm guessing it had to be, if not, how else did that happen? I'm so glad you are ok.

I actually did think of them but never looked further. Did you have to do a liquid diet before and after? My program doesn't require one. They want us patients to eat like we would eat for the sleeve, protein and low carb, no sugar. Even though after the surgery, the doctor said I can eat soft foods, I'm sure I'll be sticking to protein shakes until I get the hang of it. I'm so scared of taking that first drink or bite, and it hurting my stomach. Did it ever hurt to drink or eat initially after surgery?

I don't know why, but I never looked around for other clinics, especially those closer to me. Chicago's 45 minutes away but expensive since I pay for tolls and parking. I think it's because I read a Graham Elliot article on how he had his surgery at the UoC and that was it for me. Where did you have yours done?

What a story, thank you for updating us! I hope you're feeling a little better this morning. Just think, by April 24th this pain will be behind you (knock on wood) while I just be going through it

I'm from Laporte, Indiana, being sleeved at the University of Chicago on April 24th, 2017

Has anyone lost friends before or after they had wls? I read somewhere that said, 'prepare to lose some friends'. Anyone have experience with this?

So how did it go? How do you feel?

I can only imagine. I've been doing my low carb for two weeks. My surgery isn't for another 41 days but my doctor doesn't require any type of liquid diet, before or after. But from what I read, it's still hard to go through once we're sleeved. We only need a few bites to nourish our bodies, but five times that to nourish our souls. I guess that's why it's called soul food . Time to find something else that doesn't revolve around food, becoming a raging alcoholic, or turning to street drugs to fill that void .

Hang in there. How long are you doing it for?

It might be lack of calories, but I bet it might have more to do with your body healing itself after losing 80% of a major organ. Your body went through some serious trauma and sleeping is one way it's healing. When my husband had his stroke last year, I swear he slept for three months straight. He was barely awake...ever. Also, are you taking a B Complex-50? That does wonders for your energy.

Water rides! Yes! How could I forget? Hopefully I'll have enough weight off by summer to go on water rides, even if it's not till August. I actually was humiliated when I was kicked out of the Minion ride at Universal a few years back. I lost seventy pounds and I still couldn't get that damn bar to shut on me. The light lit up on the front wall, and 59 people all looked my way when they realized why the light was lighting up. A man escorted me to the front to sit on the stationary bench. I was so embarrassed. That same day, but earlier, I was kicked off the Harry Potter ride. What made it worse is that ride is constantly moving. The woman grabbed me and I fell on the floor spinner thingy. I am so done with this. But I have big plans to go to Fright Fest at Great America this fall. Knowing those seatbelts, I'll probably be 220 and it still won't fit

Well said, orionburn. Hey, I just noticed you're from South Bend. I'm from Laporte. Small world!

Oh good for you! My husband can't be with me for my surgery. He has work commitments he just can't get out of and that's ok. I hate inconveniencing people, but I don't think the University of Chicago will let me have the surgery alone. I'm so glad it's working out for you...big hugs!!!

Most definitely I'm looking forward to wearing shorts in the summer, sliding into a booth in a restaurant and eating without the fear of someone watching me, rollercoasters, not worrying if a seatbelt will fit in someone else's car, painless walking, painless standing, washing my backside without feeling like I'm going to pull a muscle, and most importantly, I look forward to wanting to look into the mirror again. Your approval will be here before you know it!

CONGRATULATIONS

I just want to give you a hug right now You are speaking for all of us with those true words. We've all been inside a jail that we put ourselves in for one reason or another for way too long. I'm 41. I've given shame and embarrassment control over my life long enough, it's time to take that step forward. When I think about it, it scares the hell out of me. It really does, but it's time to join the living and leave 'only existing' behind.

I just ordered two passports last month and they came in three weeks and that wasn't even with their rushed service. If you order this week, and pay an additional $60 for having it rushed, you should have it within 2 weeks.

Thank you so much Look, there are people out there who don't think I'm completely weird

Oh Lizard, I was mad as hell too. I really was. It took two weeks from me before I talked myself back up. When I initially left the office, I was like you. As soon as he said that, I thought "I'm going to show you!" Now, when that day comes and I'm finally135, I'm sure he'll forget he ever said that and tell me 'Of course you could lose all your weight with the sleeve'. You know that's true, but either way, I'm losing all this weight and more. Pertaining to the vitamins, I am such a bad pill taker. I really am. But as soon as I was approved by insurance, they emailed me a slew of information, one of them being my needed daily vitamins. It said as soon as I read this, start the vitamins right away to build up a supply. So I have, which is good because it's a little tricky. There's a time frame around all these vitamins in what not to take with what. For instance, I'm on a synthroid pill where I can't take pretty much anything with, just to be safe. I take that at 5. My multivitamin and calcium can't be taken together. Those, too, need four hours apart, and both need four hours apart from my synthroid. It's been a little over two weeks and I feel like I'm now getting the hang of it. So, yes, I'm glad I started early because this is the last thing I'll want to deal with when I'm recovering. So, I take my synthroid at five am, I take my B Complex-50 with my multivitamin at ten o'clock, calcium #1 at two o'clock, and calcium #2 at dinner. And guess what? I'm actually taking them and not hating it. In fact, that B complex-50 is pretty amazing in helping me with boosting my energy and supporting my metabolism while I'm low carbing right now in preparation for my surgery. You'll love that vitamin!

Congratulations!! I could've been sleeved in March, but we're going on vacation March 29th for a couple of weeks and the doctor wants to wait for me to get back since it entails a cruise and flying. So I'm 4/24/17. Yay for us

Good luck! These are your last moments of your old self. All the hurt and pain will now be in the past as you get your second chance at life, finding the real you. How great and momentous is that?!? Girl, you'll do more than fine <3

Wow, wow, wow!!! Simply amazing. You look phenomenal! You have zero evidence of wls on your stomach. All your scars are gone. I can only dream of results like this in two years. Thanks for the hope and motivation!!!

I read there are numerous nerves running from your brain to your stomach, and when they sever those nerves in surgery, it takes your brain a couple weeks to realize 3/4's of your stomach is missing. I believe you're in the head hunger phase. Phantom hunger pains sent from your brain to fill up that missing part. It should go away pretty soon.

Hi there, lizard. I'm sorry this happened to you. I had a similar experience back in December. I went into my surgeons office so excited to get the sleeve. I watched countless videos on YouTube and read so many testimonies that I was finally sold on weight loss surgery. But when I met him and his nurse practitioner, I couldn't have been more deflated if you stuck a pin in me and I popped. They said the sleeve would still leave me obese with a high bmi. They urged me to have the DS procedure, which is like the bypass, but they sleeve your stomach then move onto the rearrangement of the intestines for the malabsorption aspect. It would leave me with a 90% total weight loss for life. And hey, that sounds great, but whenever I have to make a hard life decision, I base it on one thing. Don't laugh. I always ask myself, if I had to live in apocalyptic times, what would be my quality of life afterwards if I had no means for support with this procedure? For instance, I have a chipped front tooth that happened in high school. I have a cap on it that has served me well for over twenty-five years. Every now and then, there comes along a dentist who wants me to put a crown on it, in place of the cap, because it lasts longer. To do a crown they would have to shave my tooth down to a little pointed peg just to fit a crown. The crown isn't permanent. What if something happened tomorrow where dentistry was just a memory and I needed a crown? I would walk around looking like a cannibal, scaring the masses, opposed to just having a chipped front tooth. What does that nonsensical little story have to do with wls you ask? Well, with a DS surgery, I would have to take vitamins to survive. Sure, with the sleeve I take vitamins too, but if something happened tomorrow, I'd still be ok without vitamins on the sleeve. The ds and bypass are malabsorption surgeries. That means even though you are absorbing less calories, you are also absorbing significantly less vitamins, and with the ds I could die without my vitamins. So, that's a no go, no go. Like I told the doctor, if I could get to 200 or 170 on the sleeve, I could get to 135 as well. I've seen it done. You know why? Because no matter the surgery, the hard work will always be up to you mentally to overcome, even on those darkest days when you forget why you did this at all. You're the one who has control. If you eat right and follow the plan, there's absolutely no reason you can't lose 100% of your total weight with the sleeve. So do what inherently feels right for you. What helped me snap out of my mini depression after my appointment was watching more YouTube videos of people losing 130,150, and even 250 pounds on the sleeve. It works if you do, so again, do what's right for you <3