Hi - Just checking in. I know some of you were pre surgery when we started this group - just wondering who has been sleeved and how it's going? Everything is great here in CT. Absolutely no problems (except for the non weight ones like my crazy job ).

My friends in New York recently told me that Tina is a slang word for Heroin, and that I should change my screen name. I didn't know that, I just thought it would be fun to name my little sleeve and years ago I met a performer named Tiny Tina who cracked me up. Should I change my screen name? I don't want to scare anyone off.

Ellen (a.k.a. Tiny Tina)

I love your screen name. Here in California "Tina" is just a normal name. Lots of girls and women I know have that name.

This group hasn't been very active. But maybe that's not unusual for this website. It would be great if there was more activity so that we could get to know each other. Possibly we're all well enough that we have nothing to report. I hope that's it.

Hi there. I'm scheduled for my bypass on December 23, 2015 and wanted to chat with other people in the 55+ age group. I noticed there wasn't alot of activity on this group but wanted to reach out and get it started a gain.

Thanks,

Rachel

Hi @@Rachel Pittsburgh. Your surgery will be here before you know it! You are at the lower end of the BMI spectrum for weight loss surgery. May I ask why you are choosing bypass? But no matter what surgery, I wish you the very best. WLS was the best thing I ever did for myself. Wish I had done it years ago!

As for this group -- I don't remember who started it -- but I would like to see it back.

Ellen

Hi Ellen,

I decided on the bypass with the help and guidance of my bariatric team. I have barrett's esophageus and didn't want to take the chance of continuing the side effects which include heartburn. Yes i am at the lower end of the scale but I have multiple weight related issues and have always battled with my weight. I've researched the bypass and the sleeve for over a year and have participated in group settings for 8+ months. I am ready for this life changing tool!!! I'm so new to website and am hoping that I'm replying correctly.

Take care,

Rachel

Greetings Ellen and Rachael.I would love to see this group become more active. I was sleeved on Nov. 4, 2015. Would like to be part of a smaller group to share tips, ideas, etc. I read the main forum daily but a lot of the topics don't pertain to me - it's so huge, I feel like my comments get lost in the maze.

Hopefully, you will read this soon and we can get to know each other.

Greetings Ellen and Rachael.I would love to see this group become more active. I was sleeved on Nov. 4, 2015. Would like to be part of a smaller group to share tips, ideas, etc. I read the main forum daily but a lot of the topics don't pertain to me - it's so huge, I feel like my comments get lost in the maze.

Hopefully, you will read this soon and we can get to know each other.

hi. im 6 days post op. how are you feeling? what kind of cravings do u have?

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Tapatalk

Hi Everyone. Rachel @@Rachel Pittsburgh -- sorry I didn't respond to your post sooner. On Nov 25 I had a partial mastectomy on one breast and reconstructive surgery on both. The good news is that they got all the cancer and it looks like I'll only need 3 weeks of radiation starting in a few weeks. This has really been a stressful time -- after the suspicious mammogram I had to wait 3 weeks for the biopsy date and then another 3 weeks for the actual surgery -- the waiting was the hardest! But the good news is that I have been pretty good with my eating. Believe me, I wanted to dive into a bag of bagels most days, but I went shopping -- fitting into size 6 pants and cute dresses was a much better coping mechanism for me.

Rachel -- your surgery is almost here! Since I had the sleeve and not bypass, I don't know exactly what you can expect for the days immediately following surgery, but I'm thinking it is a similar experience. For me it was very smooth sailing. I've been on this site enough to know that many of the issues we all experience are in the "head" catagory -- not really physical issues (but everyone's experience is different).

@@sebastian2015 @@Newme16 -- hope you two are also doing well. Sebastian -- try to focus on other things besides cravings. This life-changing surgery is a marathon, not a sprint. What seems hard now is so short-term. I see so many people on this site who are questioning everything their doctors told them. Most of us got pretty good instructions for the first few weeks and months -- stick to the rules, don't try to eat around them, and you should be fine. For me, after the first full week, I was able to go back to work and we're always so busy that I didn't think too much about what I was missing. Evenings were, and continue to be, the hardest time for me -- I can succumb to too much snacking! BUT, I have a strategy for that -- I go to the gym in the evenings. By the time I get home, walk the dogs, look at my mail, etc., it's almost time for bed. I started working with a trainer 11 days after surgery. It has been the most important lifestyle change for me and is the reason I can fit into size sixes and still weigh 140 lbs at only 5'1". Most people loose a lot of muscle as they loose weight fast -- I never did. My trainer is a degreed exercise physiologist who never lets me hurt myself even when I was post op from the WLS. I spend a lot of money with him and I know that's not for everyone. I am not wealthy and this is a big expense for me, but I do spend less on groceries and eating out (no joke) and I figure that there is no better investment than my health. I just started back at the gym now, 2 weeks after major cancer surgery. I have to be very careful because I have about 150 stitches, but I can still walk on the treadmill and ride the stationary bike.

Please don't think that I am minimizing how challenging all of this can be. I have received a lot of inspiration on this web site and now, 14 months out, I'm hoping I can do the same for others.

Ellen

Sebastian and others - I guess my biggest craving would be ice cream. Prior to surgery, ice cream was an every night treat for me. I get around it by drinking some Water after my dinner has settled. Other than that, I am doing well. Some days are hard to get in Protein and water requirements but I do my best. Exercise is my biggest challenge. I suffer from chronic pain (4 back surgeries) which makes exercise difficult. Walking is about all I can do and even with that I have to wait for a "good" day to get in some exercise time. I'm still losing but I know regular exercise is an important part of the program. I think if I could drop about another 20 lbs. it would help diminish my pain. Onward and upward.

Ellen - You are an inspiration to us! Just over a year out from WLS and now major cancer surgery. Glad to hear they got all the cancer. Kudos on the size 6. I can't wait to fit in to single digit clothes Take care of yourself.

Rachel - Your upcoming surgery is such a nice Christmas gift to yourself. Stay close to this site for inspiration and support.

You folks are terrific and I thank you for replying and sharing your stories. I enjoy reading them and it makes me chuckle or even think 'oh yeah" I knew that or wow "will this happen to me". I decorated the house today, well let me say, that I wasn't going to have Christmas...per si... but the decorations will cheer me as I come home on Christmas day. I'm not computer savvy so I'm learning as I go on here. I did buy myself a tablet to join facebook . geez am I the only one who is not on facebook.lol. telling my age again!. Thanks again for the positive posts and I'm looking forward to learn how to post a picture of myself. god lord, pray for me...

Can anyone tell me how to tag you to be a friend?