Rivka7NV

I have been told that after so long I will be picking up something to wear underneath my clothes like Spanx or other support under garment. However, when I look at the prices, I am thinking it might be easier to just wear loose fitting clothes. I know I have to stabilize for 18 months before I can have any skin or tissue reduction. What do I do in the meantime? Can anyone give me a clue as to what the normal course of events will be?

Not worried in the least. Those that are your friends will accept what you eat and don't eat. Those that don't and try to tempt you into eating and drinking, are not your friends. Kick them to the curb. Drink plenty of water and if it gets to be too much, go for a walk or leave early. For the sake of your health, you need to change your life. Sometimes that means walking away.

I was not making a judgment call about you. I was responding to someone whose post seems to have been removed.

Hoping052017, Thank you! I am the original presenter of the line of thought that with changes in the body come changes in our personality because of changes in our mental attitude. I was perplexed that someone would associate my statement with personality disorders. I chalked it up to cognitive dissonance. Thank you for responding. You understood and reiterated my sentiments.

Of course, you will have sagging skin. That is a good thing because it means you are in compliance with all the tools you were given and taught to use. By that I mean not only your bariatric surgery but also you are exercising, drinking water, eating the right foods. Start documenting your saggy skin problems - excoriated skin, yeast infections, trouble moving. Do so in your own diary but discuss it each time you talk with your doctor. I would even go so far as to request that they put that in your chart. By doing this, the insurance company can see that it is hindering a healthy lifestyle and creates discomfort for you. They might just decide to pay for it in part or in whole. Start saving your pennies, nickels and dimes for the surgery. My research showed that most doctors will not do the skin/fat reduction surgeries until 18 months after the surgery. I am looking forward to mine because I am going to have them tuck, suck, clip, nip and do whatever else can be done to my body so that I can have the body I have always wanted.

The purpose of the pre-op diet is to get rid of some of the fat around your liver so it is easier to move aside and get to the stomach. One cannot make up for lost time but you can move forward and pay strict attention to the 3 major factors - water, exercise and food intake.

I too am looking for a buddy and am open to looking forward to anyone who is about to go through WLS of any kind. I will figure out a way that we can talk mono-a-mone.

I too am pre-op and looking for a buddy. I will try to figure out how to get my email and phone to you if you respond and say yes.

Find a WLS group or pal. I am looking for a pal. I have friends but none of them have gone through WLS surgery but, for the most part, they are supportive. Those that don't are without my presence any longer.

Vinegars - Raspberry, Pear, Fig, Pomegranate, Cider, Red wine, Rice. Try them in your broths. Water enhancers can be combined with decaf teas or plain water. Syrups can be used with protein shakes as long as they are sugar-free. They can also be used in your decaf coffee. Gelatins (sugar-free) can also be used in your protein shakes. Use about a 1/4 of a teaspoon. You can also use these for a snack. Any spice or spice mix without salt or sugar.

Talk to your doctor (PCP) but just on a preliminary level with no medical training, I think the stress of losing a kidney and most of your stomach is a bit too much to ask your body to go through. Donors have to be in tip top shape. VSG or GP eliminates that possibility for you. I don't know about visa versa but look at it this way: Do you really think it is ok to give up your life and health so that someone else can be happy and healthy? Health needs to be about you first then others.

Family be damned! 99.9% of the time they speak from ignorance about weight loss in general, and weight loss surgery to any degree. Go find some books on WLS. Weight Loss for Dummies and anything by Kent Sasse are valid sources. Remember, it is your life not theirs.

Do you have a juicer? I have a food processor, an old blender and a bullet type blender but no juicer. Do you need a specific machine? Can you make it up ahead of time and freeze it? What do you do with the pulp?

When I first responded to this discussion, I believed this was about relationships but viewing some of the responses, it obviously is not. If your heart, mind and soul are not part of the equation, then, by all means, get up off the table and go find the nearest d**k poke you can. However, if this is about revealing yourself and who you ultimately will become in all your glory to the love of your life then I would wait for the final you to be presented to the world.

Watching it now.