caligirltt

My best friend saved my life. Because of him I lost over 100 lbs, I was in an awful relationship and eating myself to death. He was also married, once I started "dating" he got weird. He was in my life for a season and a reason. I still miss him at times, but after I moved on I was happier. He is still on my instagram, and I follow him. We don't comment or "like" each others post. I think we both realized we loved each other because we helped each other through some incredibly hard times, but there is a point you have to love them from afar. My current SO, I would have never met or had the courage to even speak to if it wasn't for him. And he is a man he truly loves me and adores me. My ex BFF, I enameled him and thanked him for all the good things he brought into my life and I wished him well. He is still slightly upset, and I think feels like he was "dumped" but it was never a physically intimate relationship. Saying Goodbye will do you a world of good, but you will have a little heart break and he will always have a little piece of your heart.

I ended up having to go to San Diego due to my congenital heart defect. Zelda is an awesome Dr and he worked with my pediatric and adult cardiologist to find me a Dr with facilities who could perform my RNY. I'm 14 weeks out and doing well. I have PCOS. My periods returned with in weeks and have been normal. They are on time and only last for 4 days. That in it self is pretty unbelievable.

There are no Kaiser patients?!

I've done all the researcher. I didn't mean for this to turn into an argument. What I want is actual stories of WHY YOU choose your particular surgery. Or choosing the one you're having. It's a completely personal decision. One is not better. It's a matter of what is best for you. And I am merely wanting to know what led you to choose your surgery. I've researched for years, I know the statistics but what I don't know is personal stories as to why. Did you talk to somebody? Did something stand out? Did you read something that made the choice easier? I appreciate all your input but I think it's gonna a little off topic. And I would like to get back to personal testimony and not so much at pointing fingers because someone has interpreted something. You all are amazing. And have been so helpful. If anyone wants to add why they choose the surgery they did I would love to hear it. Thanks!!

After years of trying to get this surgery done and losing weight "naturally" and then making my heart worse from all the cardio...I FINALLY HAVE A DATE!!! May 4th!!!!
YAAAAAA!!!!!!

Orange County, Ca
Surgery will be in LA in April.

I won't judge you......hoping you don't judge me.
Granted, everyone's sleeve experience is limited to an army of one......themselves......I will tell you how I've proceeded as far as alcohol is concerned.
I began last June with a bariatric surgeon affiliated with the area's largest hospital...a place that I'd had success with on prior orthopedic type surges to repair stuff I'd torn up being stupid.
He was firmly against three things for his patients: never again smoking, never again having caffeine and never again drinking alcohol.
I was with that program 3 months and then my insurance company played the ultimate trump card....they'd only fund wls if I went with a "center of excellence". So.....I swapped over to such a program. They are affiliated with a much smaller local hospital in town.
A couple things happened upon switching over.....I discovered that my cost would actually be lower if I simply did 100% self pay (crazy scenario....long story) and I discovered that my new surgeon was uber experienced and had a high level of confidence and approached things.....life choices of his patients.....in a very realistic way.
I told him during my two month check in that I wanted coffee. He said, "Sure...I drink two cups a day, why can't you?".
I told him during my 4 month check in that I wanted occasional mixed drinks (with skinny mixers) and that I wasn't losing the weight just to live like a monk. He paused at that and gave me a sly grin. He acknowledged that life is best when lived fully. He was very direct about his concerns with drinking. He said that my sleeve would handle it....but could I ? Would I chose to drink responsibly ? Would a couple of drinks lose me up and pave to way towards a poor food choice ? Would I begin drinking beer again (highly caloric beers were my favorites before...go figure)? He then said, "I have a couple glasses of wine when I'm unwinding sometimes....why can't you?"
I was glad to hear this and I weighed his advisements heavily. Wanting something....and then being told you can have it brought on some odd feels. It was like I really wanted to bust loose...but then once given the reins....I sorta dug in and shied away for a while.
I do enjoy drinks on the weekends. Skinny mixed drinks. An ounce or two of premium vodka on the rocks topped off with a splash of diet 5 calorie Ocean Spray is the normal adult beverage. I'll order similar when I'm going out somewhere.
I've found that the drinks do impact me harder than prior to surgery. I think a big part of that is simply due to not eating much of anything along with or after drinking. I keep a calorie tally in my head and I carve out calorie space for the alcohol calories. I don't want to let the occasional weekend enjoyment derail my weight loss. I'll only eat packs of tuna, hardboiled eggs or Protein powder shakes to get my Protein on such days.
I have learned to limit the frequency and that consecutive days of enjoyment are not well tolerated by my body. A couple of drinks on a Friday night....and then on Saturday night are it. I shut it down for the week then.
I learned the limits of what I can tolerate on two recent vacations. One was a bar hopping me-only trip to a place known for fun nightlife. I was sorta proud of how I navigated the potential perils that week. I did okay. I was faced with many temptations, yet I picked and chose wisely.
The most recent was a 7-day cruise taken with my wife a month ago. It didn't begin well for her....she was stressed out bigtime by a few delays the ship encountered at departure and a skipped port that resulted. I chose to have enough fun for the two of us that week. By mid week I was getting down with the flow of things onboard and having a bit too much fun. I shut it down for a couple days and killed it in the gym and hot tubs. I did have a big night towards the end.....and didn't fool with the stuff for quite some time after getting home.
Again....your surgeon may have different instructions than mine did. I've seen firsthand how they lay down different ground rules. I had sleeve surgery to improve my life. Being able to enjoy some drinks.....in moderation....in social situations....isn't counter to me improving my life.
My decisions and approach are not posted here as advice to anyone....simply to reply how I'm currently operating.
I may change tactics one day....who knows? For now, though.....it's working. I'm down a good chunk of the weight I wanted to lose and can see reaching and even exceeding my goal. I've picked up some good habits along the way and feel I have a good plan for living lean.
I wish you the best and encourage you to seek the advice from your surgeon. Know that they may give you a firm no as my first surgeon did. I get that. They are, after all, accustomed to dealing with people who don't demonstrate self control and discipline. Why the hell would they say, "Sure, have a drink". I get that.
I'm grateful that my surgeon possessed extremely high levels of confidence in both his skills, his experience and in me. I'd sort of proven myself to him by the time we had the alcohol discussion. I'm quite sure this was a factor in his response. Had the discussion been had in the pre-op days.....he'd probably have been way more firm.
It's all about your overall goals and what you are going to do to meet them.
I wish you the best. Having a partner that is willing to slow down is a good thing. Perhaps you'll get him to join you in some other hobbies.....active hobbies.

I think everyone has said every piece of advice you could ever need! This site is great. I have a HUGE amount of support but sometimes that still is not enough. This is a journey that only those who have gone through it truly understand and sometimes this forum has been better then having support. Our "support people" don't always know how to support us or know what to say. This group will get you through this. If you're having trouble just post. Even if it's just help now! It will get your mind off food and people to talk to that truly understand your struggle. You got this!! [emoji8][emoji178]

I think everyone has said every piece of advice you could ever need! This site is great. I have a HUGE amount of support but sometimes that still is not enough. This is a journey that only those who have gone through it truly understand and sometimes this forum has been better then having support. Our "support people" don't always know how to support us or know what to say. This group will get you through this. If you're having trouble just post. Even if it's just help now! It will get your mind off food and people to talk to that truly understand your struggle. You got this!! [emoji8][emoji178]

I think everyone has said every piece of advice you could ever need! This site is great. I have a HUGE amount of support but sometimes that still is not enough. This is a journey that only those who have gone through it truly understand and sometimes this forum has been better then having support. Our "support people" don't always know how to support us or know what to say. This group will get you through this. If you're having trouble just post. Even if it's just help now! It will get your mind off food and people to talk to that truly understand your struggle. You got this!! [emoji8][emoji178]

I think sometimes we are, our best support people even though we don't know each other personally, we truly know what it's like.

Yes, this site and you guys have been HUGE for me both pre and post op, more than even i realize
i had rny feb 10th so im 9 weeks post op, feel incredible, i mean incredible!!!I lost a ton of weight pre-op, really met the doc half way, had a very good exercise and meditation routine going though I was using Atkins which is certainly not something one would want to live on, but it worked to lose around 40 pre-op, now in only the 9 weeks I've lost quite a bit and will be at goal weight in another week or two. It's odd to hear people s[peak of losing phases lasting over a year but perhaps they had a lot more to lose. I'm 6' 2" and my high was 305, but decided to do this at 285, had the surgery at 248 and now I'm 197 as of this week. Good Lord...!!! I'm getting a lot of "stop right there" comments but I only listen to my team thanks again for the great support

I'm scheduled May 4th. I have me pre-op appointment on April 26th and my education classes on April 27th. Time is flying!

Mine just said no bread, Pasta or rice.

May 4th

I think sometimes we are, our best support people even though we don't know each other personally, we truly know what it's like.

(first post ever)
I was at an orientation meeting yesterday, and if all things go as I hope they will, my date will be somewhere around May 24th. I'm hoping I can get into the pre-op diagnostics meeting that's on Tuesday next week. If they can't get me into that one I might have to wait until August for my surgery, and now that the ball is rolling I really don't want to wait that long...
I've bought some Meal Replacements today to try, in preparation for three weeks of liver-slimming fasting, but I'm really dreading going off sugar cold turkey. ????
BUT I'm excited to make a change that will make me feel better in the long run.
~~ nell.

We're here for you Pedro. Never hesitate to write to one of us! We're here! I'm sorry you don't have anyone close to you to help you and be there for you. That would make things harder but in a way your not listening to everyone else telling you what "they think" you should do! It's al you which can also be nice.
I wish you luck with your journey! When is or was your surgery? What are you having? And where are you located?

This just made me cry...Prayers for a successful surgery and recovery! Prayers to your SO as well!

It's very hard on the people around us who love us. They're not fighting the battle we are but they are sitting helplessly watching us fight and struggle and that hurts.
Your SO is scared and this is how he's showing it. He loves you and doesn't want to lose you. He just wants to relax and enjoy life with you. Soon enough he will get that wish. Good luck to you!!!

Well my SO has been an amazing support until surgery was scheduled. Now he's freaking out. I do have other health risk I was born with that is a huge concern and I know he's just worried. He is still a great support until he starts to think about recovery and surgery. He's been through heart surgeries with me and knows how hard it can be. He's excited for me but it is really hard on our "support people". He told me the other day he just wishes he could fix me. He would give anything to not have to watch me go through all my health issues and multiple surgeries. He's super easy going and I never really thought any of it bothered him until surgery was scheduled (May 4th) and he had a few beers and he told me how hard all of it is on him. Then felt bad for telling me. So yes thank your support people. It is hard on them...really hard.

Well my SO has been an amazing support until surgery was scheduled. Now he's freaking out. I do have other health risk I was born with that is a huge concern and I know he's just worried. He is still a great support until he starts to think about recovery and surgery. He's been through heart surgeries with me and knows how hard it can be. He's excited for me but it is really hard on our "support people". He told me the other day he just wishes he could fix me. He would give anything to not have to watch me go through all my health issues and multiple surgeries. He's super easy going and I never really thought any of it bothered him until surgery was scheduled (May 4th) and he had a few beers and he told me how hard all of it is on him. Then felt bad for telling me. So yes thank your support people. It is hard on them...really hard.

Well my SO has been an amazing support until surgery was scheduled. Now he's freaking out. I do have other health risk I was born with that is a huge concern and I know he's just worried. He is still a great support until he starts to think about recovery and surgery. He's been through heart surgeries with me and knows how hard it can be. He's excited for me but it is really hard on our "support people". He told me the other day he just wishes he could fix me. He would give anything to not have to watch me go through all my health issues and multiple surgeries. He's super easy going and I never really thought any of it bothered him until surgery was scheduled (May 4th) and he had a few beers and he told me how hard all of it is on him. Then felt bad for telling me. So yes thank your support people. It is hard on them...really hard.

I'm one month post-op today. I've taken some time to reflect on the experience to date, and thought I would share my thoughts for those of you that are interested (it's going to be fairly long):


First, the stats:

HW: 333 (February 9th, 2016)
SW: 287 (March 21st, 2016)
CW: 262 (April 21st, 2016)

Experience:
1) This is a full time job. I'm surprised at how much of my day is consumed with planning and counting calories, making sure to be constantly drinking to meet liquids goals, and eating even small amounts takes a LONG time. If you are not completely focused on the task it can be hard to get your required Protein and fluids.

2) I do not enjoy eating at all. Adjusting to eating has been a roller coaster. When I first started on actual food (for me it was soft dairy, then eggs & Beans, then fish and nuts and finally chicken (not there yet)) I felt no restriction. I was very confused on how much I should eat (my surgeon does not provide quantity guidelines as he feels everyone is different, and you should listen to your body). All well and good, but my body wasn't telling me anything! Based on what I learned from you guys at BP, I tried to limit myself to more than 4oz, or 1 cup at any meal. I had no problem with these portions. Then after about two weeks, everything changed. I have MASSIVE restriction. I ate less than an ounce of fish, was in massive pain and vomited. I had about 3-4 TBSP of bean Soup and had the same reaction. I have had to re-learn how to eat. I take extremely small bites, chew very well, and wait between each bite of food. It took my almost 40 minutes to eat a single scallop (a little under an oz) the other night.

3) I'm never hungry. In the last month I have had not one sensation of hunger. It's weird.

4) The first stall sucked. My stall started just about two weeks after surgery and lasted for 14 days. It was really frustrating to be following every instruction to the letter, and not see the scale move. I know many people say to stay off the scale, but to me, getting on the scale after a week and seeing no movement would be devastating. The small disappointment everyday was easier to handle than a massive disappointment every week. I suppose if you had the self control to only get on the scale once a month or once a quarter, you would never know you had a stall. I'm a data guy and I just don't have that kind of self control!

5) The first stall was rewarding. Yes, it was hard mentally; however, it's true what people say, your body is adjusting, I dropped a pant size and a shirt size while I was "not losing weight". I'm not sure exactly what my body was doing, but it was doing something. More importantly, probably most important of all, I got through it. I would never have gotten through that on a normal diet. I would have been overcome with frustration, decided it wasn't worth starving myself, and gone back to old habits. I would now be well back to gaining all the weight I lost (and more probably). That wasn't an option this time. So instead of gaining weight, I'm through the stall and down another 7 lbs. I can not stress enough how life changing this is. This is why I had this surgery.

6) I truly believe my pre-op diet and weight loss has helped me tremendously. I had been eating very healthy and had lost 45 lbs in 6 weeks prior to surgery. Many of the addictions to carbs, sugar, etc had been broken prior to surgery. I really don't have many cravings, and I believe it's made the adjustment easier. Plus, how cool is it that I'm not "wasting time" losing those 45 lbs, but am so far ahead of the game. And I'm not sure that the pre-op loss has slowed my post-op loss much. I've lost 25 lbs in a month, and that was with a 14 day stall.


Big Victories:

I was taking 100-25 of Losartan HCL and 10mg of Amlodopine to control my blood pressure. I am now down to 5mg of Amlodopine, and my BP is around 120/70. I am confident with a little more weight loss and exercise I will be completely off meds (except my PPI which is prescribed post surgery for some duration, and Vitamins of course)

I can shop in normal stores. For the first time in many, many, many years, I can walk into a regular store and buy clothes. Granted, it's still 2XL shirts and XL shorts/pant (wearing 44s, but they are a bit lose, probably about ready for 42s), but they are there and available. This is huge. I am also shocked at how cheap things are. I can get name brand (Polo, Calvin Klein, Izod) casual button downs for around $20. As compared to DXL brand for $60.

I am no longer morbidly obese. As of this morning, I have a BMI of 39.9. I am "only" severely obese for the first time in probably close to 20 years.

In summary, life is better now that I've lost 71lbs. I still have a long way to go to goal (77lbs), but I am highly confident I'm going to make it. Of course I have longer term concerns about maintenance, but I will cross that bridge when I get to it. I plan on making the most of this opportunity, and am adamant about making healthy food choices. It's easy now, but my hope is that by the time I get to maintenance it's a habit (I started making extremely healthy choices over 2.5 months ago, so I am well on my way).

This site has been an incredible wealth of information, and for the most part people are extremely supportive and encouraging. I appreciate all the information and feedback along the way, it has been invaluable to my success thus far.

Congrats! My surgery date is May 2nd! See you on the losers bench!