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Maybe someone can help me with this. Becasue of my profession, I am pretty well know where I live. I am not trying to sound concieted or cockey or anything like that, but a whole lot of people know who I am and have for several years. It is obvious that I am bigger that the obvious person. :frown1: When I start losing weight, I will be doing so in the public eye where tens of thousands of people will see me every week. I was thinking of having my journey documented and then shown a few weeks after surgery before the questions start coming about what I am doing. Now what if I go that route and the weight loss does not happen as it should? In your opinion would that be worse than answering the question "How are you losing weight" countless times. Sorry about being so vague, but I do not know who is reading these boards and I do not want to reveal my idenity right now, but I eventually will. Don't worry, in the end you will be like "Oh it's only you,big deal!" :biggrin2: Has anyone had an experience similar to mine? Thanks!

Did you go thru a lot more corsets because of it? And I finally got my heart rate somewhat under control so I started working out and plan on getting my gym membership reactivated also ❤️

people always look at me and when I say how much I weigh etc they are "shocked" I am same ht wt bmi as you almost. yet when I see photos or video of myself I am sick..... I am very happy at 130 so I want to be there. I feel good , look good and can wear the clothes i want. better body image. I am trying to advoid any further health issues, now I am hypo thyroid, and have joint problems.

food Allergies Are Making You Fat 4/7/09 Study Confirms: Your Hidden Food Allergies Are Making You Fat Medical researchers from Dubai reported in the April '09 edition of the Middle East Journal of Family Medicine (The Effect of The ALCAT Test Diet Therapy for Food Sensitivity in Patient's With Obesity) that patients unable to achieve goal weight loss by calorie restriction alone were significantly aided in their attempts when they avoided foods that had been shown by a unique lab test to excite their immune response. The authors, led by Dr. M. Akmal of the Dubai Specialized Medical Centre, pointed out that hidden food allergies, or food sensitivities, are unique to each individual and can cause inflammatory diseases, and an inability to lose weight. Food sensitivities often provoke delayed and chronic symptoms, like IBS, migraine and arthritis, that are not as obvious as the dramatic and immediate onset of "true" food allergies, such as peanut anaphylaxis, but, over the long term, can be just as devastating and are more difficult to detect. In the course of the 12 week study, the 27 refractory weight loss patients underwent a single treatment: avoidance of foods that were shown to be immune reactive according to blood testing through a system known as the ALCAT test. The study participants showed an average weight loss of approximately 37 pounds plus an average drop of six points of BMI (body mass index) and an average decrease of 30% of body fat. Dr. Fred Pescatore, former Medical Director of the famed Atkins Center and a pioneer in the study of the hormonal and immune system effects of foods, reviewed the findings and said, "I'm not surprised by these results, dramatic as they may appear. I've used the ALCAT test with my difficult patients time and time again, and it always works." Other studies based on the elimination of food sensitivities had previously been reported. In a Baylor Medical College study 98% of subjects also displayed significant improved body composition and/or scale weight following an ALCAT test-based food elimination diet within four weeks. A matched control group that followed calorie restriction alone actually became fatter. "When I first began to lecture to health professionals about how avoidance of food sensitivities helped the weight loss process, people looked at me like I had two heads," says Roger Deutsch, co-author of the book, Your Hidden Food Allergies are Making You Fat. "Now we know that chronic inflammation, caused primarily by exposure to incompatible foods, is at the root of metabolic problems like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity. The immune system chemicals block insulin receptors; so, guess what happens to the sugars we eat? - they get stored as fat. Cut the inflammation, cut the fat storage." Along with avoidance of food sensitivities, Deutsch and other experts also recommend paying attention to the quality of food eaten, getting adequate rest, exercise, and a healthy lifestyle. About Cell Science Systems Cell Science Systems (CSS) is a life sciences company and the worldwide market leader in food sensitivity testing as the maker of The ALCAT Test. ALCAT identifies cellular reactions to over 300 foods and chemicals. These inflammatory reactions are linked to chronic health problems like obesity and diabetes, as well as skin, heart, joint, and digestive disorders. Located in Deerfield Beach, Florida, CSS is a FDA-inspected and registered, cGMP medical device manufacturer and operates a CLIA-certified laboratory. Source: Cell Science Systems

Please share! Today I took a bike ride. How long I've neglected my body and pretended it didn't exist. I hid it and was ashamed of it. I put it behind closed doors and fed it garbage and didn't move it. I pumped it full of pharmaceuticals and acted like it wasn't part of me. My spirit was dying and I didn't care. I didn't understand that my body and my spirit are connected. Until I began to care for my body and heal it, I had no interest in healing my spirit. I only cared about how I felt at any given moment. If I felt nervous, I had to fix my nervousness. If I felt happy, I had to pump up my happiness so it wouldn't end. I didn't understand that these reactive impulses were not benefiting me. They were survival techniques but I didn't know I was merely surviving from one feeling to another. Today I look at and care for and watch and pamper and plan for and decorate and embrace my body. I find myself wanting to do the same for my spirit. I'm understanding that they go together. It's not a task on a check off list. It's a change in perception and awareness. How many times have I said that nothing will change unless everything changes? I know it in my head. Now I feel it in my body, and I sense it in my spirit. How do you feed your soul?

Best of luck with your revision surgery! I did the same thing for the same reasons a year ago. My biggest issue was a hiatal hernia that had caused great pain and difficulty eating. I also had pretty bad reflux. It seemed like recovery was about the same the second time around, although I was seven years older. I did not lose as much weight after the bypass, but probably because I didn't have nearly as much to lose. As has been said, be careful to chew thoroughly and you still might find some foods that cause you challenges for a while. Just go slowly and if something causes issues wait a while before trying it again. The pouch does react differently than the sleeve and it takes a while to learn how to deal with it. Two things that you may or may not experience after the bypass are dumping syndrome (your body reacting to sugars) or reactive hypoglycemia or late dumping (your body overproducing insulin in response to a meal). I was lucky not to experience dumping but do have issues with the reactive hypoglycemia. I noticed that I lost weight for about 3 months after the revision, then stopped. One difference for me this time is that if I gain weight it seems to stay around, where often times with the sleeve I would gain a couple pounds then lose them easily. Not sure whether this means that my metabolism wants to be at a higher set point weight. I didn't really do the revision to lose weight, and I'm still 15-20 pounds lower than when I had the revision, but it is something I've noticed. Also, my experience is that although the surgery helped tremendously with reflux, for me it's still not gone completely. I'm still taking omeprazole daily, and if I eat certain things in the evening I might still have a reflux issue late at night. I can completely control this by not snacking at night.

I am hypo since I do not have any thyroids at all due to cancer. Once your medicine is regulated which can take over a year. You will be fine in the loosing weight aspect. You have to be patient with this process and should have your blood checked every 6 weeks or so. If you are really concerned make sure you are seeing an endocrinologist(cannot spell). As for levels being different everytime you had blood work, that is what tipped off the doctors that I had a growth in thyroids. Most growths are beign(90%) of them. Good luck everyone!!! I am also in the waiting period.

Had my surgery 11/20/12 and was 315 the day of surgery. Most people don't believe me because I am 6' tall. I carried my weight well, but at the end of the day I was morbidly obese. I did get down to my lowest of 175 but that was short lived. Insert a bad relationship, holidays and a breakup and you have an increase up to 185-190. I am over it. And it is waaaay too close to 200 for my taste. That allll being said. I need help from my fellow veterans. What are you all doing to get to target and maintain? I need some guidance and I'm not afraid to try new things. I had to stop Crossfit due to an injury that is finally appearing to have healed. I would dearly love to hear as much as I can from you guys. I may not post as much but I do read what you guys share. Oh by the way, I also am experiencing reactive hypoglycemia and I'm trying to address that as well. Thanks in advance!!!!!

Dr C Just like my Mom, I have found out that I am allergic to adhesives. I am a week out and most of my wounds have scabs. I have two that are kind of open, just the top layer of skin is pulled apart. Do you know of any type of bandage that will not cause a reaction? My poor stomach has blisters where the steri-strips were. Would it help to put benedryl around the wounds, let it dry then put a bandage on it? Anyone else have this issue?

Have your Thyroid checked.....ask for a TSH test! Could be underlying health issues! I was banded 12-7-10 and am only down 50 pounds! I have Hypo thyroid,stage 3 Adrenal Fatigue among other issues and it is harder to lose the weight compared to someone with out thyroid issues!

Were you hypo or hyper?

I am seventeen months out and I do not count calories. Never have. I eat Protein first and then veggies followed by my carb whatever that is. Breakfast I eat Raisin Bran with 2% milk. I find it keeps me regular. After 1/2 hour I drink a tea with 2% milk in it and take my morning pills and Vitamins. Noon I always eat a 1/2 sandwich with real meat and cheese on it. Sometimes I eat a salad with wheat hearts or legumes. Or crackers with hummus..I make sure they are complex carbs..As they are much better for you. I then take some more vitamins and at three o'clock I have a second tea and take more of my vitamins with that. Meanwhile I drink 1/2 bottle of G2 Gatorade mixed 1/2 and 1/2 with Water. That is 32 oz of water right there. I get that down before early afternoon and I fill up my 32 oz container with water again. This time with lemon water or just plain water. I then eat dinner and have protein of some sort. I love fish and chicken but will make lamb too..I eat a lot of Beans and seeds and wild rice...I always try to make my meals pretty and interesting so that even though I am not eating a lot I feel like it is special. Dinner has always been my favorite meal. After dinner I wait and at nine or 10 I have a few nuts and seeds or fruit depending on my mood. Sometimes I have a hot chocolate and ( diet one ) make sure I finish all the water for the day. Before bed I take the rest of my pills with orange juice like clock work because the Iron works better with orange juice. There are things I love to eat and others not so much. I will eat a Smart for Life bar instead of lunch if I am on the road going somewhere. The days I work out I eat added to the list above a 1/2 larabar before workout and 1/2 after. My daughter makes them for me and they are so good. I am very, very picky now when it comes to quality. I deserve quality. So I make sure I have it. I hardly ever weigh myself. I think it is harmful to our minds because we become obsessed with the numbers instead of what we need to concentrate on. And that is our need to change how we feel about food. Fix the brain, we fix the body. Working out has caused a problem for me as I now have reactive Hypoglycemia. It came on hard and fast. So now I have to change my program to accommodate that lovely problem. So added to what I said above I started today after talking to my dietitian, a snack at 11:00 and a snack at 3:30....one cheese the other yogurt or nuts protein of some sort. I believe that we can tell how we are doing by the clothes we wear. I think once I hit maintenance then I will weigh myself more and be concerned if I gain and lose 5-10 lbs. One thing you need to know is that if you are not eating enough your body will shut you down. It will protect itself so you have to be careful how you treat it. This is not a race this is a change of life a learning experience and one that did not happen over night and will not be repaired in a few months. Hope this answered some things.

Check this out. I'm ready to look 21 while knowing what I do at 47 now. How about you? Paring pounds through weight-loss surgery doesn’t just make people feel younger — it may actually rewind genetic signs of aging, according to a small study of obese bariatric patients. Stanford University researchers found that the chromosome caps known as telomeres, which typically get shorter as people age, actually grew longer in certain people who had gastric bypass surgery. “If your telomeres get longer, you’re likely to reverse the effects of aging,” said Dr. John Morton, Stanford’s chief of bariatric surgery and president-elect of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, or ASMBS. The improvement wasn’t large, only about 2 percent to 3 percent in telomere length, said Morton, who is presenting the study Friday during ObesityWeek 2013, an event hosted by the ASMBS and the Obesity Society. But the benefit was greatest in those who were sickest — patients who were not only heavy, but also had problems like chronic inflammation and heart disease. And it was a surprising finding that invites more research about the genetic effects of bariatric surgery, Morton said. “This is the first study to look at surgical weight loss and telomeres,” Morton said. “We know that surgery has a big effect when it comes to weight, but this is literally at the genetic level. It was nice to see confirmation at least that it would improve.” The study didn't show that weight-loss surgery smoothes wrinkles or prevents gray hair, of course. But Morton said patients often wind up looking younger. "You do have some actual visual changes beyond weight loss," he said. The patients were mostly women with an average age of 49 and an average body mass index of 44.3, which is considered morbidly obese. Body mass index is a ratio of height and weight, with a BMI of 18 to under 25 considered normal. A person with a BMI of 44.3 might be 5-feet, 9 inches tall and weigh 300 pounds. On average, the patients in the study lost 71 percent of their excess weight through gastric bypass surgery, which makes the stomach smaller and allows food to bypass part of the small intestine. Their levels of C-reactive Protein, or CRP, a measure of inflammation, dropped more than 60 percent and their fasting insulin levels, an indicator of dangerous metabolic syndrome, declined four-fold, the study found. But, notably, in patients with high levels of LDL or “bad” cholesterol and inflammation before the operation, their telomeres lengthened, compared to patients with lower levels, Morton said. That makes sense, said Jerry Shay, a cell biologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, who was not involved in the study. People who are overweight often have dramatically shortened telomeres, Shay said. Those are lengths of DNA tied to Proteins at the end of chromosomes, often described like the plastic caps on the ends of shoelaces. Every time a cell divides, the telomeres get shorter, eventually reducing so much that the cell stops dividing, and dies. That doesn’t mean that the person dies, Shay is quick to add. “The length of your telomeres doesn’t mean you’re going to drop dead, it just means that something’s going on. It’s a biological sensor of the stress and damage that is going on in your body.” That said, Shay says the new study’s findings shouldn’t be interpreted as if weight-loss surgery is the fountain of youth. A 2 percent or 3 percent increase in the length of telomeres is well within the typical margin of error for the tools used to measure them. It will take more robust studies and careful documentation to convince him of the effect, Shay said. “I don’t think the answer is bariatric surgery. People need to take responsibility for their own health." The Stanford researchers say further studies are needed to confirm the effects of weight-loss surgery on telomere lengths — and the direct effects of telomere length on actual health results. http://www.nbcnews.com/health/weight-loss-surgery-may-reverse-signs-aging-docs-say-2D11600482

Yes I’m learning to be very discerning of condiments it would seem I’m also experiencing the reactive hypoglycemia reaction to even minimal sugars. Though I think this might be separately more in line with what the other poster had mentioned “the protein sweats” though possibly related to needing to slow down as it occurred most noticeably with grilled chicken :) Regarding heart rate what’s interesting is my resting heart beat has dropped from mid 60s to upper 40s//low 50s (doctor said not to worry), but I haven’t checked my pulse during sweats specifically I will do that.

I looked up dumping syndrome two weeks ago and reactive hypoglycemia came up there are I believe two tests I’m going to ask for them thank you Catwoman 🙂

I'm the same as you (eat way less and better and think about food all the time) but I like it (? ) I enjoy finding the most nutritious food instead now. I can't do fly by seat of pants like him either, I find I put on when I eat reactively.

I figured out that my night sweats were being caused by reactive hypoglycemia. I have to be really careful with what I eat close to bed time.

I should probably clarify what i mean by long term, 12 months is relatively safe, beyond that being at extremely low calories can cause the following: Fatigue Anemia Cardiovascular issues Gallbladder issues Increased cortisol Ferility issues Psychological Vitamin deficiency Loss of muscle mass Malnutrition Reactive hypoglycemia I know some of these are resolved with weight loss, but they can also be brought on by having extremely low calories for years.

Unfortunately I think even Obama is being influenced by them because so far he has not seriously considered single payer. I think if we look objectively we can find enough good things in the countries that have single payer to make it work here. Heck, we have our own single payer systems here that work (Medicare, Medicaide, Tricare, VA, etc.) Now I know these programs aren’t perfect, but can we seriously say that private insurance companies do it better? They don’t and they have the power to deny people that really need coverage. Obviously the Insurance industry would take a big hit and that sucks for them, (dramatic pause while I shed a tear) but they have made a ton of money in a bad way if you ask me. I don’t get the whole socialized medicine BS. It is called “Single Payer” not “Single Hospital” or “Single Doctor”. I think everybody wants to be able to pick their own doctor, I see no reason why that ability couldn’t be written into the program. If you are one of those people that feels sorry for the insurance industry, don’t – they will adapt. Here’s an idea… Who’s to say we couldn’t still have supplemental insurance on top of single payer? Then, if you can afford the additional coverage you can get an upgraded plan. We all get the basic package; those that pay more get more. The good insurance companies can find a way to leverage that market and strive in the new environment. The other thing that drives me nuts is that we Americans seem to feel like we have the absolute best medical care in the world and going to single payer would endanger lives. Well I hate to break it to you folks – we don’t. If we did, we wouldn’t be ranked down in the 30s for infant mortality (Canada, the UK, and most of Europe are ahead of us) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_infant_mortality_rate_(2005) . We are also 45th in life expectancy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy . This one is interesting because it is not just about health care but it plays a major factor. If we had a system that rewards preventative medicine rather than reactive medicine I think this number would improve. Single payer could dramatically influence preventative medicine by forcing a change in this area.

Carol, you're hungry because the band around your stomach does not yet restrict the flow of food from the little pouch at the top to the stomach below yet. As you work toward restriction with adjustments, you will have incremental improvement until you reach your sweet spot. Until then--yes, it is like dieting. But it will be the LAST time you are hungry in the name of weight loss! Wildabeast, can you post a typical day's worth of eating for us? Even if you've tested negative for hypoglycemia, you can be experiencing reactive episodes, and tweaking your intake can make a huge difference. (Oh--and 29 pounds since April, before having restriction? That's a great loss!) Peachpuffabilly--"fills" are adjustments of the band. The band is placed around the stomach to create a pouch. There is tubing to a port that is placed under the surface of the skin. For a period of months after the surgery (and periodically after that), your surgeon will access the port with a needle to inject saline into the tubing, which adjusts the pressure placed on the stomach by the band. This reduces the size of the stoma (hole) between the upper pouch and bottom portion of the stomach, slowing down the rate at which food leaves the pouch (and making you feel satisfied longer). (I hope that made sense!0

Wildabeast, I can't see anything there, other than the saltines, that would cause reactive hypoglycemia. Does your doctor offer any possible explanation? Has s/he suggested you journal your intake on a site such as fitday.com so that you can better assess how you're meeting your nutrient needs? Sometimes, it's helpful to see how many grams of Protein, etc., you're getting, because it can help you tweak things a bit. My doctor recommends 65 grams of protein/day. I have to tell you, I'd be a shaky mess if I stuck to that level--I aim for 100, and then I'm fine (even though I eat very low carb).

My doctor was really stingy with narcotics, which I found irritating as a practitioner who was trained that God gave us drugs for a reason, and nobody should suffer when we have the medication to help them. That said, that was only immediately post-op and the day or so after. After that, I was able to control my pain with Tylenol and ketoralac (Aleve would be a similar, over-the-counter option), and was quite happy to do so to avoid the side-effects and the risks around narcotics. Make sure drugs like aleve, ketoralac and ibuprofen (NSAIDs) are okay with your doctor before you take them, though. If you don't have any liver problems, taking 650 mg of Tylenol every 4 hours whether you need it or not is recommended by some doctors, to keep an even amount of pain control. And "splinting", i.e. pushing a small pillow or a folded towel against your abdomen when you sit up or stand up is also very helpful in preventing that pain. Like I said, I am very pro-drug, but you've worked very hard to get clean and stay clean, and you're going to have enough challenges in the months coming up, you don't need to reactivate your addiction. In fact, if you haven't told your doctor about it, think about telling them now, so that there's no risk of them prescribing to you. If it only hurts when you sit up, splinting WILL help, and the pain will get better remarkably fast as your body heals itself. Congratulations on your recovery, and for looking for alternative ways to treat your pain. 4 years is no small feat. I'm impressed! If you can do that, you'll do great with the sleeve.

Hi everyone---once again, thank you more than I know how to say for the continued prayers for my family and my little Kinsey in particular. It seems that is was just an everyday gastro intestinal virus that was especially vicious, and contagious, as it has now taken 4 generations of us (my Mom is now sick) down in less than a week. No one else who was at the anniversary has been ill, so thankfully I did not poison everyone. Most of us have been hit hard, and recovered about as quickly, not so with Kinsey. Her case has left her with issues in the colon. Her colon is inflamed, and non reactive. It is not allowing food to enter, so there is no absorption taking place. She is failing, bit by bit, and they have continued to tell us to wait it out. Today, they finally decided maybe that isn't working---and we had a surgical consult. He sent off yet more specimans for culture....and if it warrants it, we will be flying her to either Albuquerque to the University Hospital, or to Denver to the Children's hospital, depending on what type of issue they think we are dealing with. They have downgraded her condition to critical. She bounces from sleeping, which we found out was caused by her blood sugar being below 40! To being so irritable as to not be recognizable--a screaming raging child....to one sobbing for food. It absolutely has broken my heart into a million, million pieces. She tells us point blank she is hungry, and asks for any and all kind of food she can think of...with giant tears in her big blue eyes....then she just goes limp, with the look of total dejection. She is 2, she does not understand why we keep letting them poke her, why we will not feed her....why we don't help her when she tells us her tummy hurts. She begs, Please Granny. And repeats "no pokes, no needles, please" everytime someone new enters the room. Add to this heartache (and it is TRUE heart ACHE), my DD's ex, Kinsey's father, is there trying as usual to be the funny man---and his mother an OR nurse at the hospital we are in, going behind everyones backs and putting down Dr.s and nurses, and questioning them and ultimately pissing them off--- and causing problems....I do not know which way to turn. The ex, and his Mom were arguing with my DD about whether the Dr. might want to run a blood test that might tell them about a disease that my DD's grandma on her Dads side had called Celiac Disease. The nurse dislikes the former MIL anyway, so ordered everyone except the 2 who have been staying the night with Kinsey out of the ward. Now this being said....the arguement was not loud, it was out of the room, and Kinsey is the ONLY patient in Peds. She saw it as a chance to get rid of Renee (former MIL) and did it. So we all were banished. My DD was there with her bf/fiance....they had not had a chance to eat...well we are fighting to get DD to eat, she refuses until her baby can eat....it is more than I know how to handle. Rick waited until shift change, and took some dinner to the hospital, and they were going to take turns going to the waiting room---I just don't think my DD is eating at all either---I keep telling her Kinsey needs her strong. It is very hard to put anything in your mouth knowing she is begging for the same. There were 3 nurses on the floor today, with Kinsey the only patient. At one point, she had a blow out---we had her in a diaper, due to this happening...but she went through the diaper, all over the bed, all over her Mama, her gown, the whole 9 yards. I sent my DD to change, and I proceeded to clean Kinsey up after telling the nurse. They were each on a computer comparing prices of the new Harry Potter book. I got Kinsey cleaned up, walked her out to the hall, found her a new gown in the shelf, took her in and dressed her. By then her Mama was back, and she sat down and held her, while I stripped the bed. I went walking out into the hall with this wad of smelly sheets and ask what they wanted me to do with them, she POINTED to a soiled linens hamper thing. Then she got up, walked to a closet, and handed me linens for the bed! They did not come in and disinfect the mattress----nor did she make the bed! I did. Our baby needed to lay down. They come in 2 times today and did vitals----nothing else. She is still casted, it was due to come off today, the nurse never mentioned to the Dr, we needed a ortho consult until after office hours---now she is stuck until Monday. They did not offer to help bathe her----NOTHING!!! Changed one bag of IV fluids....took 2 sets of vitals.....and surfed the net all day. Now this is the first day for this set of nurses....all of the other shifts, and sets of nurses we have had, have went out of their way to make us comfy, and help our little one in any way---today they were absolutely worthless. Tomorrow I intend on finding out who the nursing supervisor is, and filing a complaint. I have no way to make our baby better.....and I have emotions pent up that those worthless women know nothing about----but are fixing to find out about! While I am there seeing the supervisor or charge nurse or whoever....I will also mention, that we had Kinsey in a wagon pulling her around and around and around the 3rd floor......anythnig but her room, she was so tired of her room....and on one of our turns we passed the ICU entrance. There was a male nurse there Julian, who teased her every time she passed, he would hand her a new crayon.....then a piece of paper....and finally a stuffed doll (out of one of the claw grabber kind of machines it seems). She was so listless, but she would spark a little knowing we were coming up to where he was....he helped our day immensley....I will commend him, as I do my best to take the others down. Amanda said he even come by to tell her to get well, he was going on his 4 days off, and he hoped she was home and well before he come back to work. Her nurse.....never even walked into the room before she left. Thank you all for listening once again---all these things are boiling inside me. I am scared to death for Kinsey. Latching onto the anger I can control. The plan as it stands now is to begin introducing good bacteria into the system tomorrow...similar to what is found in yogurt. IF the tests do not show a total shut down. If they show a total failure, we are off to a bigger hospital for surgery. She has lost weight, she is under 17 pounds now. She doesn't show it much because she is really swollen from all of the IV fluids. They are also watching her blood sugars every 3 hours (which is just another poke----and was NOT done on schedule today), and adjusting the glucose in her IV. They finally gave her some Pepcid type of stuff in her IV for the acid in her stomach, since nothing is passing normally. She has complained less of her tummy hurting with that. And that is all----we wait now....and wait....and wait....and wait. I have my lap top, and I have connection. I just cannot sit in her room with these tears streaming down my face. You guys are my release in so many ways....thank you so much. I will let you know something as soon as I can. Please continue the prayers. Rick has avoided the vomiting....we got him some Kaitrel or something like that....so he is hanging tough. Being right there holding her like her Papa always does. Hugs to you all! Kat

hypoglycemia means LOW blood sugar. it means you arent eating enough carbs to keep your blood sugar up. some people make too much insulin and have surges when they eat. its called reactive hypoglycemia. i had it when i was pregnant. you need to eat more carbs. eat carbs from whole unprocessed foods. 20-30 grams isnt enough to even feed your brain. increase to 50-70 grams and see if it changes how you feel. make sure you do it first thing in the AM, since you are probably waking up with low blood sugar. as the PP said, always eat a carb and a protein together.

Today I am embarking on a mission to lose hopefully 14lbs in 3.5 weeks... in reality if I just lose 8lbs I will be very happy - but probably won't accomplish what I am hoping for... as I will be back where I started at 4 months ago (pre-christmas) - I have my appointment with my surgeon on 6th May and he told me that if I lost X lbs then he would put me forward for skin surgery - at the time I thought it would be well manageable... in reality though these lbs are even harder to shift than pre-surgery...That said he is happy with the weight I am at now - its just the powers that be stipulate that I need to be a certain bmi before getting the skin removed. So today its protein only - I've done this before - I can do it again.. and hopefully now that I'm off all diabetes meds it won't be so hard to control - ie, I won't keep going into hypo mode due to lack of carbs.