thinoneday

I know, I know, vanity is one of the 7 deadly sins, but you know what I don't care I look more younger now then I did when I was fat. . . actually I have a brother whose 10 years younger than me and a sister whose 2 years younger and I was asked if i'm the youngest! I loved it. . . then my daughter whose 21 and I were taking pictures which she posted on her facebook and one of her friends who doesn't know me from adam, asked her if I was her sister???? SOOOOOOO I guess it's all in how you take it. . . but girl I'm glad mine turned out this way. . .my hair now on the other side well thats another story, but i'd rather be thin and beautiful and have extremely thin hair then obese, and thick hair. . . good luck! No your not weird. . . very good question! PS. . . oh by the way I'm 50

Good girl! You'll be doing yourself the biggest favor by not weighing all the time. . .your going to do so well. . .trust me, just stay off the scale for about 2 weeks no matter how hard it is (get someone to hide the scale) then weigh and rejoice with the victory! Good luck and let us know ok!

Ugh I'm so boring! But here it goes B - instant oatmeal - blueberries and cream L - chicken breast with gravy and mashed tators Hormel compleats D - lean cuisine Asian potstickers S - small red delicious apple 5 oz canned ham 97% fat free diet soda vitamins!! Don't forget them! I will have about 2 rum and diet coke this evening as well! TGIF!!!!!!!!! Have a blessed weekend everyone!

I was self pay cause my insurance didn't pay for this surgery I got a really good rate from my bank 3% so I borrowed the money. . .sure it's like buying a car but at least I'm not fat anymore! Good luck

Isn't it wonderful! My mom came to visit me this past Thanksgiving I went to pick her up at the airport (I had lost about 145Lbs by then) and my own mom didn't recognize me. . she just wandered away as i galloped behind her, coffee in hand yelling ma!!!! When she turned around and saw me there she just stared and asked "is that really you" Then of course in the next breath . . "what happened to your beautiful hair" ugh gotta love em! Congratulations to you! You're doing wonderfully, keep up the good work! Only don't shave your head! leave that to Brittney Spears! :lol:

Excellent! My stepdad had part of his stomach removed back in the 1960's due to ulcers, but to me he always was thinner, he lived well into his 80's, smoked like a chimney, and had no real problems. . . he ate like a trooper too, no holding him back from food! I remember him eating all his fish and chips dinner plus desert and coffee, go home and still have a sandwich and coffee with cake for later. . . no problems there! Rest his soul

I know but it would be interesting to hear and i'm finding so many "different" things occuring at amazing rates now. . .I realize that the sleeve was experimental and that there are not too many long term outcomes recorded because of this, but i would like to know what happens when you are elderly and as we know the elderly don't eat much WITH stomaches, what happens to those with the surgery? If we are having malabsorption problems now what will happen when we're elderly? I've heard of those folks losing way under their goals even while trying to maintain, the "cold" factors? It's all just reality and it would be good to know fear or no fear. . . I think alot about these things now and am kinda worried about my golden years? This isn't like a tattoo that just sags south when we're older? Just a thought to throw out there. . .

Well it's takes a while after that hospital visit to actually see any thing happening. . . but here is a suggestion that may be hard to take. . . GET RID OF YOUR SCALE! The scale is what will depress you because you're jumping onto it all the time. . . i didn't weigh myself at all at home. . only at my doctor visits and at 2 weeks when i went for my checkup and had lost XX amount of weight and then XXX amount of weight at 7 weeks I was so happy that i just didn't weigh anymore until my next visit. . . now at 1 year out I have a scale but only weigh myself once a month. . . this is just my suggestion, take it however you wish but know that it will happen, just be patient and good luck. . . .

I was just wondering if there have been any people who have failed miserably with the sleeve? I mean the whole thing . . . very little weight loss, regaining weight, anything? No leaks or other complications, just that the surgery didn't work at all for them? I realize those people may not be on this forum but I was wondering nevertheless. . . thanks!

Here come some of my lame suggestions, but they are here none the less. . . I went through that for a bit, but I started taking SAM-e complete (found at Walmart or wherever) and increased my Vitamin B12 . . . after about 1 - 2 weeks I felt so much better. . . the world "looks" different and I don't sweat the small stuff anymore. . . You'll find somewhere to live. . . don't you have family or a friend who can help out for about 1 - 2 weeks til you find something? girl, don't worry about the "your still fat" that will come off you have a great tool working with you! It'll happen! Well only you can do something about your job. . . if it's a really pain in the glutteous maximus, only you can do something about that. . . there are other jobs . . . You'll do fine, like the others say, sounds like a bit of depression and anxiety (probably mostly anxiety then depression) but everything will work out. . . good luck!

Well you may be one of the lucky gals where the hair isn't affected at all. . . you never know how your body will react to this surgery. . . as far as color? I don't know, I have never did anything with my hair ever and now am thinking about coloring it myself because guess what color the hair is that is growing back? You got it GRAY!!!! ugh!!!!! Are you serious about forgoing the surgery and losing the ability to finally get out of obesity versus hair that will eventually grow back?? The Protein Shakes aren't that bad. . . I think most folks make a mountain out of a mole hill when it comes to these. . .sort of like hospital food. . . you'll hear people gripe about hospital food all the time, but in reality it's NOT that bad. . . good luck with your choices , whatever you choose you will do fine! Good luck with your future endeavors!

I was self pay, $15,500

Hi, well I had my surgery Dec 29, 2009 and my hair started falling out in March 2010. . . and it hasn't stopped! Ugh, my beautiful thick braid is now the thickness of my pinkie! and my hair is so thin on top you can see my scalp. . . BUT!!!!! there are little sprouts of hair coming up here and there. . . looks like a rat chewed my hair though, it looks funny! But it's still dropping out. . . oh well, I gave up one thing for another I guess. . . can't have it all. . . but why not??????

Hey Tiff, where have you been? I've missed you! Are you ok? Is everyone ok? Glad your back.

What an excellant post Mini Me! Wow can you believe it's been a year! I had my surgery Dec 29, 2009 so it's been 1 year and 1 month for me. . . I am simular to your experiences too. . . I can do 6-8 oz of food but give me sliders and man you'd never know i had surgery . . . i have eaten 1 whole 7oz bag of black licorice before over an afternoon, but realized really fast that i don't want to do that very often or at all. . . (1 bag = 550 calories) Would I have the surgery again? perhaps. . . would i advocate this surgery? YOU BETCHA!!!! I see my daughter struggling with her weight right now and i have suggested this surgery. . . she states "No mom, not now, I want to do this on my own first" . . . bless her heart . . . but she goes to the gym and works out about 2 hours 3 - 4 times a week and has started eating healthier. . . I myself right now am 12 lbs away from the goal the doctor has for me and about 25 lbs from where I want to be at. . . I look good and feel good. . I can do things i had not been able to do as a morbidly obese person . . . I can fit into a plane seat, tighten the seat belt with about 8 inches left over, i can go up the stairs without thinking i need a respirator or a crash cart . . . I still hate shopping and exercising but that will come with time. . . To the newbies, you will get there just like Mini and Me! Its a lot of work, but it's a work in progress. . . together we will all get through this and get to where we thought we'd never ever get too. . . the journey is long, rough, and wild, but it's so worth it in the end. . . To the seasoned group CONGRATULATIONS! your all getting there . . . in no time it'll be your year! Keep up the excellant work! Keep encouraging those who are here to learn from you, you have no idea how important your experiences are to those who need the words! And finally Good luck to all and everyone. . .your all beautiful inside and out !

Yes you are! See you did your research and you did good! loved the article very interesting, thanks!

When I went to my WL doc on Monday, he asked me the same old questions and these were my answers. . . Doc: are you getting 62oz Water in Me. much more then that Doc: are you getting 60 g protein in Me much more then that Doc: are you snacking Me yes Doc: are you drinking alcohol Me yes Doc: are you exercising Me 1 - 3 x per week Doc: how are you feeling overall Me I'm living life, I'm finally living a normal life and loving it . . . He just smiled and said you're only 12 lbs from goal! What are you going to do when you get there? I told him that "I'll see when I get there" He said I was afraid you'd say that, just promise you won't get too thin . . . I don't want to put you on a feeding tube. . . we just smiled at each other, he left and the NP and I did the victory dance!

good for you! what a fabulous NSV! keep up the great work!

I wasn't all happy with the surgery, actually i hated it for about 3 - 4 months! I had real buyers remorse. . .I've been out now 1 year and 1 month and have gotten so used to it. . . I'm still losing but really slowly, but just cause my weight loss has slowed down doesn't mean that my life sucks now. . .nope, I am 12 lbs from goal and look good. . . I can do so many things now that I couldn't do before when I was morbidly obese, but if you mean after you get to your maximum weight loss goal and don't need to lose more will I regret it? I don't know. . .my fear is when I'm older. .. you know how the elderly already don't eat and are frail and many suffer from malabsorption of Vitamins and minerals, what will happen to those folks who have this surgery? Including me and I already have severe malabsorption problems with Vitamin D? If the elderly don't eat much with stomaches, what are we going to endure towards the end? That is my fear, the unknown . . . but that is yet to be seen I suppose. . .

Ahhhh, the good ole Protein shake. . . well what i remember doing was adding extracts which I liked. . . my all time favorite protein shakes were the following, if it's chocolate Protein Powder, adding a bit (tbspn) of Peanut Butter (I used real peanut butter cause PB2 is too chalky) and using skim milk instead of Water. . .tastes just like reeses pieces or adding cherry extract, tastes like chocolate cherries . . . if it's vanilla protein powder add pumpkin spice or different extracts, peanut butter is good too. . . but I would use skim milk instead of water to mix cause water is just nasty with protein powders. . . and you can also google protein powder receipes . . . good luck and remember this is only a temporary thing and this too shall pass. . . .

Congratulations Lisabug! that is a great NSV!!! Just getting off the meds is a success right there!! Yes, the weight WILL come off, remember rome wasn't built in one day! Good luck and keep doing what your doing!

So then, your theory on this would be what???

No, no!! you are definately entitled to your opinions. . . plus I love to hear from all sides, Left Right ,Center! Keeps me very very very entertained! Thanks! Keep it coming!

Also an RN here! Since I'm highly allergic to the majority of narcotics I was given tylenol. But after all these surgeries (18 major) I have learned how to divert and don't really anything much other then tylenol for pain. Thanks!

We are all allowed our opinions on what we think, however, i do tend to lean towards the losing of fat causing us to be chiller then normal. . . sorta like if you take R50 insulation and insulate the attic, your house will be very well insulated preventing heat from escaping and keeping it warm. . . strip away the R50 and put R10, you'll feel the difference for sure. . . i'm sure the body is simular. . . all these years of R50 we were hot and muggy and uncomfortable, now we strip it away to R10 and we definately feel the difference. . . just my anology. . . CHEERS! (where are my mitts )