pnw218

You have embarked on a difficult journey mentally and emotionally. I am still adjusting and get frustrated. It sounds like you know what you need/want to do about the bf. You just need to do it. I love living by myself - or now, at least having my own space that I can hide out in when needed or wanted. this could be your new theme song! [nomedia=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUBnxqEVKlk]YouTube- Helen Reddy - 'I Am Woman' (Live) 1975[/nomedia] I Am Woman -Artist: Helen Reddy from "Helen Reddy's Greatest Hits": EMI ST 11467 -peak Billboard position # 1 for 1 week in 1972 -Words and Music by Helen Reddy and Ray Burton I am woman, hear me roar In numbers too big to ignore And I know too much to go back an' pretend 'cause I've heard it all before And I've been down there on the floor No one's ever gonna keep me down again CHORUS Oh yes I am wise But it's wisdom born of pain Yes, I've paid the price But look how much I gained If I have to, I can do anything I am strong (strong) I am invincible (invincible) I am woman You can bend but never break me 'cause it only serves to make me More determined to achieve my final goal And I come back even stronger Not a novice any longer 'cause you've deepened the conviction in my soul CHORUS I am woman watch me grow See me standing toe to toe As I spread my lovin' arms across the land But I'm still an embryo With a long long way to go Until I make my brother understand Oh yes I am wise But it's wisdom born of pain Yes, I've paid the price But look how much I gained If I have to I can face anything I am strong (strong) I am invincible (invincible) I am woman Oh, I am woman I am invincible I am strong FADE I am woman I am invincible I am strong I am woman

thanks Maddie! by this time next week, you will be starting! I wasn't sore the next day and have kept going! Hopefully my back cooperates : ) I am having an MRI on my neck today; trying to figure out the arm/hand numbness that occurrs a couple of times each week (always both arms at the same time).

pretty much the same as everyone else! :biggrin0: I started with the nose pillows, tried the nose only mask after two weeks - now switch back and forth between the two. I have slid kleenex into the places that rub on my face. There were some fabrics that also came with the masks, the kleenex is thinner. It did take a few weeks to get used to it. There are times now that I can sleep 8 hours or more with one of the masks - and other nights I barely make it two hours. Not always a reason that I can figure. Overall, I do think I am feeling less tired during the day. Hoping to get rid of it later but probably won't even try to wean off it until the fall.

Good for you Connie! We do need to put ourselves first at some point! Most of us have obviously waited way too long! The sleeve is a wonderful tool. I am so happy that I did it! If you do have sleep apnea, see what the providers rules are for masks. I started with the nose pillows, they weren't working 100% so I was allowed to go back within 30 days and get a 2nd type of mask - and I didn't have to return the first one! I got the one that only covers the nose and I use that one when I don't think I will be sleeping as well (alot on my mind, etc). Dunno if my skin is extra sensitive but the mask has given me black eyes and a swollen nose on the bridge, and almost like hickies on my cheeks just past the sides of my nose. Doesn't do it all the time tho. My point - if you can get more than one type of mask, do it : ) Good Luck with your tests and planning!

please feel free to add your own! this one is about Water, and since we drink so much, I felt it was appropriate. :001_smile: To paraphrase W.C. Fields, "I don't drink water, because fish screw in it." To my friends who enjoy a glass of wine... and those who don't.. As Ben Franklin said: In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria. In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 liter of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of Escherichia coli, (E. coli) - bacteria found in feces. In other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of poop.. However, we do NOT run that risk when drinking wine & beer (or tequila, rum, whiskey or other liquor) because alcohol has to go through a purification process of boiling, filtering and/or fermenting. Remember: Water = Poop, Wine = Health Therefore, it's better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of shit. There is no need to thank me for this valuable information: I'm doing it as a public service!

True Medical Stories (??) A man come into the ER yelling, "My wife's going to have her baby in the cab!" The ER physician grabs his stuff, rushes out to the cab, lifts the lady's dress, and just finishes jerking off her underwear when he suddenly discovers that there are several cabs lined up, and it's obvious that he's in the wrong one. A nurse at the beginning of the shift places her stethoscope on an elderly and slightly deaf female patient's chest wall. "Big breaths," instructed the nurse. "Yes, they used to be," remorsed the patient. One day I had to be the bearer of bad news and I told a wife that her husband had died of a massive myocardial infarct. Not more than five minutes later, I heard her reporting to the rest of the family that he died from a "massive internal fart." I was performing a complete physical, including the visual acuity test. I placed the patient twenty feet from the chart and began, "Cover your right eye with your hand." He read the 20/20 line perfectly. "Now your left." Again, a flawless read. "Now both," I requested. There was silence. He couldn't even read the large E on the top line. I turned and discovered that he had done exactly what I had asked; he was standing there with both his eyes covered. I was laughing too hard to finish the exam. A nurses' aide was helping a patient into the bathroom when the patient exclaimed, "You're not coming in here with me. This is only a one-seater!" During a patient's two week follow-up appointment with his cardiologist, he informed his doctor that he was having trouble with one of his medications. "Which one?", asked the doctor "The patch," he replied, "the nurse told me to put on a new one every six hours and I've run out of places to put it!" The doctor had him quickly undress and discovered what he hoped he wouldn't see . . . Yes, the man had over fifty Patches on his body! Now the instructions include removal of the old patch before applying a new one. While acquainting myself with a new elderly patient, I asked, "How long since you have been bedridden?" After a look of complete confusion she answered, "Why, not for about twenty years . . . when my husband was still alive." A nurse caring for a woman from Kentucky asked, "So how's your Breakfast this morning?" "It's very good, except for the Kentucky Jelly. I can't get used to the taste," the patient replied. The nurse asked to see the jelly and the woman produced a foil packet plainly labeled "KY Jelly."

So long as I eat when I take my meds or Vitamins, or at least have a glass of milk, I have been fine. I did get sick the first week post-op but had taken two back meds and hadn't eaten much. I am taking walgreen's store brand prenatals, was well as others, not have any issues/ good luck! I can't imagine vomiting with a new sleeve!

Seriously, vacation calories do not count. Repeat it 5 times and it will be true. :wink1: I have gone on cruises and gained 10-12 pounds in two weeks!! Some of it is from long flights, most of it is because I insist on dessert with every meal! I paid for it dammit, I am going to eat it! LOL It has always come off quickly and easily when I get back to a normal schedule. On our last cruise in January, before surgery, I did practice eating less and didn't gain any weight at all. It was just a 7 day cruise but I also couldn't take the stairs instead of the elevator because my back was bad. Our next cruise is the end of July. Granted I won't be able to eat as much as pre-op, but I still intend to have dessert with every meal - even if it is just a bite! : ) Vacations are for R & R; rest and relaxation. Enjoy yourself. And leave the stinking scale at home! :biggrin2:

Not totally to the point, but I remember someone else's post and I thought it was very creative and could be the answer for many .... seems there are insurance companies who will approve the sleeve as part one of a two part bypass surgery. and then the patient declines or simply forgets : ), to go back for part two of the surgery. I think the surgeon agreed with the tactic as a way to get the insurance to cover it. I am always about being creative to get thru red tape to get things done!

Your situation makes me think of personal experiences and someone always saying .... God won't give you more than you can handle. ugh. I dislike that phrase! : ) I have often prayed: uh, God - I am about there! You might try waving a white flag and surrendering, it might help! Just keeping things a little light. Maybe it will help you both if you smile just a little. They do say that laughter is the best medicine : ) Hoping for continued good news!

beside the obvious "what does your doctor recommend"?? : ) were you jogging before surgery or would it be something very new for your body? after most of my sugeries, I was allowed to resume prior activities as soon as I felt physically able to do so. I played volleyball 5 days before and 9 days after I delivered my second 9lb+ baby. have you been walking? if not, I would start there and progress slowly : ) I just started back to regular exercising today - but I had back issues that restricted my activity above and beyond surgery.

May 25, 2010 The back doctor released me for exercise yesterday! yea! I promptly went back to Curves this morning - and remembered that they had measured and weighed me a few months before my surgery! So - I had her update it today. In Inches: Then Now Lost Bust 45.0 39.75 5.25 Waist 39.0 32.5 6.5 Abdomen 47.25 40.40 6.75 Hips 46.75 41.0 5.75 Thighs 27.5 24.0 7.0 Calves 15.5 14.25 2.5 Arms 14.5 11.5 6.0 Total Inches Lost 39.75 Weight 198 155.75 42.25 Body Fat % 43.1 35.8 7.30 Total Body Fat lbs lost 29.58 The measurements shown for thighs, calves and arms represent the length around each. The total amount lost had been doubled. So far - I feel ok! Went around the circuit twice - but definitely took it easy and didn't overdo it. I guess the real test will be tomorrow morning when I try to get out of bed! LOL I will post a new photo in my album with my old shorts on : )

My sisters and I have weight problems and are always sharing diet tips. One day my oldest sister was showing us a low-fat cookbook and pointed out a chicken dish she had tried the night before. Reading the ingredients, I commented, "It looks like it would taste really bland." "It did," she replied, "until I added cheese and sour cream." ********** My friend Kimberly announced that she had started a diet to lose some pounds she had put on recently. "Good!" I exclaimed. "I'm ready to start a diet too. We can be dieting buddies and help each other out. When I feel the urge to drive out and get a burger and fries, I'll call you first." "Great!" she replied. "I'll ride with you." ********** Although I knew I had put on a few pounds, I didn't consider myself overweight until the day I decided to clean my refrigerator. I sat on a chair in front of the appliance and reached in to wipe the back wall. While I was in this position, my teenage son came into the kitchen. "Hi, Mom," he said. "Whatcha doin', having lunch?" I started my diet that day. ********** Although I was only a few pounds overweight, my wife was harping on me to diet. One evening we took a brisk walk downtown, and I surprised her by jumping over a parking meter, leapfrog style. Pleased with myself, I said, "How many fat men do you know who can do that?" "One," she retorted.

LOL I should forward that to one of our radio talk show guys! That is big news these days!!

I have been using Premier since very early post-op. I didn't have any issues but everyone is different. You might try a few sips, see how it settles and then try a little more. I used Atkins and Nutrilite pre-op and the taste is pretty similar; they only have 15 Protein tho. Good Luck!

Good luck with your loan approval and scheduling! It is an exciting time! I only had to wait about 3-4 weeks from when I scheduled until the actual surgery, and that was hard! Feel free to ask any questions you may have, either here or via private message : ) Happy planning!

I took a potassium supplement before surgery - helped to prevent cramps in my legs and feet. I have continued to take that after as well. I also take prenatals and a B complex. I had my Iron checked about a week ago - and it was just fine. I am having full labs done in about 3 weeks. If it was just soreness and not cramps, you could be sleeping (or if you are sitting in a recliner) with your feet flat and knees up? Not sure if that is described properly. I found myself doing that subconscientiously after some point and then couldn't figure out why my calves hurt! lol

Congrats on moving forward! It is an amazing tool! You will do just fine. I love the clinic and the people, everyone was always very kind and attentive when I was there, both for my surgery and with TiffanyisMajor : ) I printed and took common/medical phrases with me - sounds pretty similar to what Dr. Aceves hands out to his patients since his nurses aren't bilingual. I never had to use them but had them just in case. There is also a list of contact numbers by the phones in the rooms in the clinic and the recovery houses. Includes the Hospital Vida which is just a few minutes away in case you have an urgent situation. The receptionist I spoke to at Vida did speak some English also. Ideas of things to pack.... reusable fillable ice pack: nice to use after surgery and on the flight home. You can get ice from the flight attendants gasx strips: I had some gas, but more nausea the first 24 hours. The strips were great for a treat tho before you could have or wanted anything else : ) I used the cinnamon kind. heating pad: my body temp was all over the place, and I liked to leave the window open and/or ceiling fan on in the recovery house. The heating pad felt good on the tummy and on the neck or back to warm up. At the recovery house - the tv in your room will have some English stations. What we found was the best were the music channels. Keep looking, you will find them : ) We kept soft classical rock on low, even when we slept and it was nice. I think I may have a list also at my "Mexico or Bust" thread. I did bring my regular laptop, but could have survived without it. There is one at the recovery house that you can use. I also have internet/email on my droid - so could have survived with that only or just brought my mini. Next time .... lol The phones are all vontage (or something similar?). You can call home for free and give your family/friends the numbers and they can call you. Cheaper if you don't have international dialing on your cell phone. I am excited for you!!

Amen to that Lori! I had surgery on my 49th birthday! : ) Sarah - so glad to hear from you! You are doing amazing! Seems like it was just yesterday that we were all groaning together - why did we do this?? LOL I have a really funny story about that whiny chick ... will pm you with it. I had the pleasure of spending my last day at the recovery house with her! Was really wishing you hadn't left early : ) Did your friend decide to have surgery?? Congrats on your progress!! You are doing amazing!!

Initially, I wasn't going to tell very many people. Didn't want to deal with the questions, negative comments, etc. After surgery, I decided that I would tell pretty much everyone. My main reason was I knew what a struggle it had been trying to lose weight. The sleeve was a godsend. I could not with a clear conscience tell people who I knew had also struggled that I did it thru smaller portions and exercise. That would have been mostly true, but not honest. I didn't want them to think I was any better than they were. In my mind, it just wasn't fair. For the most part, I have received more positive comments than negative - there have been a couple who said they weren't interested in giving up yet and taking the "easy way" out. I knew nothing about this surgery until about a month or so before I had the surgery. I wish someone would buy a front page ad! I really think alot of people could benefit from it. And I am so tired of hearing about the band in tv commercials. :redface1:

Sorry it took me so long to respond. I do appreciate the positive comments - Immore, still re-reading yours, not sure if I am reading too much into it or not! lol?? The past couple of days have been a little crazy, as expected I guess. Was hoping to have had the referral by today; will call the dr's office on Monday if we don't hear something in that morning. The center does offer family programs so we will participate in those as well. I spent last fall dealing with my uncle who is a severe alcoholic with a colostomy bag and other fun things. My cousins were so burned out and frustrated that they couldn't get him in anywhere. My brother and I stepped in for awhile. It took months - you can't force them to get help and he kept talking his way past doctors and counselors. He even passed an interview with another cousin, who is a nursing placement supervisor. She said that he answered all of her questions. Uh, yes he did but did you bother to check if the answers were actually correct?? They weren't. But it was too late, he had already been released. Finally, after being found by a policeman in a parking lot in below freezing weather at 3am (his truck had been stolen and he had been assaulted) he was close enough to death that a judge finally ordered treatment. He did 90 days, got out, is drinking again, in and out of the hospital. Fortunately, my husband's situation isn't that bad ... yet. I did take part of the day off today. Had lunch with a friend, went to the mall for nails, hair and shopping. Had bbq for dinner : ) It was all great therapy. Now just trying to keep the daughter and dad away from each other at home. Tired of the bickering over stupid stuff. Thank you for the private messages as well. Several shared their own personal stories and I really appreciate it. Nice to know I'm not alone.

Hey MP : ) I live about 5 minutes away from you. Would be glad to even meet you somewhere in person - your hubby can even peek at my incisions to show I had surgery! LOL There is another gal near me who had surgery a year ago. She is also very willing to share her experience. She also had her surgery in Mexico but at a different clinic than I did. I was so happy to have been able to talk to her in person and hear her story. She went from 280 to 145 in one year! From a size 22 to a 6/8. I only told my husband, sister and my youngest daughter who still lives at home, before the surgery. My 24 year old daughter still thinks I am crazy and hasn't commented on my weight loss a single time or asked me how I am doing. Most people I told after the surgery AND after I had started losing weight. Wanted to make sure it was working first! LOL Good luck with your research! There are a few places doing the surgery locally between Tacoma and Seattle.

It has been a long disheartening experience for you and your wife for sure. I hope she will continue to feel better all weekend and Monday will bring great news! Thoughts and prayers for you both.

Sounds frustrating! I don't feel too hungry unless I have waited a long time to eat. However, I do graze much of the day. I am the same as you - I can only eat a very small amount and then need to do it again. I also wonder why I even bother to heat up my food ... by the time I finish a couple of ounces it is cold again! lol I am averaging about 2 pounds a week and am totally fine with that. Better than it was before surgery! :redface1: