Lee

Sarah, this is soooo exciting! I'm the day before you. We can do this together!! :thumbup:

Hey GonnaLoose, let's jump up and down to celebrate!! This is so awesome how your sleeve is responding to your hard work! :thumbup:

Docs are all so different. I'll be on chewable vitamins and liquid pain reliever for a month. I don't know about the PPI as I'm still pre-op.

I'm so happy to read this Tiffy!

John, The Sleeve gal had other medical things that may have contributed to her difficult time. I'm not at liberty to talk about her as I wouldn't want anyone telling "my" story. I spend a lot of time at Verticalsleevetalk and there is a lot of discussion about the initial period being rough. That said, some do better than others, as with any surgery. The difficulty seems to come from the intense nausea and difficulty hydrating. There are a lot of band to sleeve revision folks over there. Lot's of men there too! Are you getting excited? I wish it was tomorrow.

Tina, There was a roomfull of people there last night. There was nothing said about this group here on LBT. No groups in particular were mentioned. I belong here, Verticalsleevetalk, Three different groups on ObesityHelp. I think that lots of other people in that room belong to various groups. The spirit of the meeting was to always take care of ourselves and not get derailed by what others are doing, or how they are working their program. I was just reporting back what happened at the meeting. There was nothing aimed at anyone in this group. Let's take the constructive suggestions as what they are and not look for hiden agendas. I was hoping that it would generate good conversation on how we can help each other be accountable in our food and exercise choices. I'm sorry that this hit a sore nerve. Definitely was not my intention.

MO!! You made it to Onederland. I'm so proud of you! I know how happy you must be. I got there in 1989 and stayed there for 10 years, then again in 2006 for a minute. A quick minute of a few months. I'm looking forward to staying there this time. I'm so ready to feel good about how I look and feel. The Richmond support group was very good last night. The topic was staying positive and staying on track. It was about not allowing that first bite that's off program, or thinking that one meal won't matter. For us pre-ops, about establishing good habits. There was a lot of talk about staying positive and working our program as written, and finding the support that we need. A big focus was on being in a support group where people might not follow all the rules and enable each other. Some talked about friends who said, you can have this just once. Someone spoke about being out with friends who have had the surgery but don't follow the rules of the plan and how she has to stick to her own plan for success. That can create real waves between people. I think that really good things came from the discussion. It definitely gave me a lot to think about with the way the Kaiser plan is written. I think that sometimes people think that it's about the Kaiser staff wanting to control things, but I think it's more about everyone in the Bariatric department wanting each of us to succeed. They have everything to gain from us being a success. Not in terms of success rates, but in terms of them being on our side and wanting this to work for a healthier, happier life. I have friends who stuck to their program and some who didn't. I can honestly say that the ones that are happiest today stuck to whatever their program is. Some Kaiser, some not. So there's the recap of the meeting since I was the only one there. I hope if you ever see me eating off plan, that you'll call me on it and remind me that it's not the path to success. Surgery is a dramatic step to take and I want to really work my Sleeve for a healthy BMI. My own path got me to 249 pounds, dieting for almost 50 years. I'm ready to wave the white flag and accept that someone knows more about this than I do, and I can be one stubborn woman! I got to talk to a woman last night who was Sleeved by Dr. Baggs three weeks ago. That was very cool. She had a tough couple of weeks but it's getting easier for her now. UGH.. I have a lot going on at work. I woke up at 3:30 to go potty and I've been up since. It's gonna be a very very long day! Let's make this a day of great choices!

Bambi, I don't know why, but my program said to stay away from the Metamucil and to use Benefiber instead, but not to start it until 2 weeks out. I found some Benefiber crystal light type packets to add to Water as well as a big bottle of it from costco. They said not to worry about not pooping in the beginning because of the liquids stage.

Tiffy, thinking of you this morning! Swinging a few Lizards around!

Thanks for sharing that! I get my Fage plain non-fat at Costco by the quart for $6.99. In a pinch I get it a Trader Joe's but it's more expensive there. It lasts forever. I'll look for the new Yoplait brand.

Congratulations on getting "under 200"!! Regardless of where you started, that has to feel terrific. I'm sorry your energy is lagging. I hope it picks up soon!

I had one gallbladder attack last October while on an airplane. It centered right over my heart and I thought I was having a heart attack, except didn't panic because I'd been having other chest/back pains so it wasn't new. It lasted a few minutes, then subsided. It sounds like we've all had some different GB symptoms. I often got them in my back/side on the right which felt like a muscle spasm.

PAT!! 5.8 pounds is rockin! You must be so excited. I'm going to take that advice as well. Liz said to wait a week, then weigh daily. John, I got the Trader Joe's B12. 1000 MCG per tablet. It was dissolved before my tongue even hit it. Gone in a millisecond. I think only $5.99 for 100 of them and I'm sure one if these puppies is enough. Give them a try. I'd send back those you got on Amazon.

Hey, and when Tamra is done with the 18's, I'd like to get in line please. I got some unflavored protein powder to mix into broth. I think it's like 25 gr of protein per scoop. It can also be put into tea or decaf coffee. The women at Obesityhelp on the Lightweights board where I hang out, swear by the protein added to beverages to get in their daily protein. I got some BodyTech Dutch Chocolate Protein Pudding for the yogurt stage. At least it packs 25 gms of protein per 5 oz of pudding at only 145 calories. (vitamin shoppe)

Congratulations YouKnowIt!!!

Thanks Tiffy. You're such a great cheerleader. Good Luck tomorrow with your GB surgery tomorrow!

John, I'm definitely old enough to be yo' mama. My son turned 36 last week and I was well into my 20's before I had him. Got your PM. Dr. Park said that they need to be sure we can hydrate before we go home. You may be stuck there for a night.

Hey Free, way to go being creative! :blushing:

Sending good thoughts your way as well. Good Luck to your husband!

Great great news! I'm so glad you'll be rid of that darn thing! Please keep us updated when you can. Definitely swingin Lizards for you!

John, do you go to either of these Sleeve sites? Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery (VSG) Forum Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum (VSG)

Ash, I'm so happy to read that your son may not need the tubes. That really rocks. I hope your hubby gives you that money for your co-pay. Step it up and get inline for the surgery so that you'll be ready when all your financial ducks are in a row. Maria, you'll be in Onederland before you know it. Drag Mo along with you, or vice versa. Tamra, I'm so proud of you, planning your future career and taking the steps to get there. Ash, what's the three day diet? I could lose a few before surgery. John, Dr. Park said they try to get us into private rooms but it's winter and everyone is sick so they may be doubling up people. Let's try to get rooms next to each other so we can walk the halls together. How much do you weigh and how much do you want to lose? Men lose so darn much faster. I'll be hating you every pound of the way but I'll race you anyhow. Riley, you're a crack up, only one good stomach flu from Onederland for Mo. So anyone going to the meeting tomorrow night? I'm going. It's my last pre-op meeting. Heck, the next meeting me and John will be locked up at Kaiser. I bet they won't let us drag our IV poles and bare butts to the meeting and I bet we wouldn't want to!

Angel, hang in there. I'm so sorry you're feeling so poorly. Hopefully all of the suggestions you've gotten will help!

Don't Give UP!!! I am so pissed off for you. It should be illegal for your employer to have any say in this process. I haven't even told my boss what surgery I'm having. I simply said I was having a procedure and would be out sick for a week, then working from home for a week. In California, he can't even ask me what the procedure is. I love my State. You hang in there and vent away. We'll all listen. Just let us know what you need support wise to keep up the good fight. Can you call in sick a lot because you're too exhausted from being fat to get out of bed?

Tamra, BIG congrats on your test! You go girl! Sleeve is one or two nights. Dr. Park told me it depends how we're doing but she thinks two nights. LOL, I don't think John's wife will want us to be roomies, well until she sees that I'm old enough to be his mama, then she might think it was cool. John, I'm TERRIFIED about the heave ho to the stomach too. It's in the dumpster and no matter how much we cry, we aren't getting it back. Of course, it's that darn stomach and how much I can fill it that got me to 249 in the first place. #$Y@#%Y#@*(%Y@#