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They don't like your answer that's why. They are looking for your secret lose weight quick scheme. They don't want to hear do this, don't do that, but I do. Thanks for all your advice. You always give me hope and I appreciate all your efforts to help us. Their loss!

I started biotin a little bit before surgery. A week before surgery I had to go off all vitamins & minerals. I started the biotin as soon as I thought I could swallow the pill at home. If you drink any pop (diet or regular) or coffee quit now! Quit before you have to go on the pre-op diet. I can only tell you things that made things easier on me. I brought one of those soft cuddly comfy throw blankets from Target (mine was brown, one side was soft and comfy and the other side was fluffy). I had it freshly washed and it smelled like home (Downy). It was my comfort in the hospital, I cuddled with it in the chair and it made me happy. I went into the surgery smiling and humming. Made my nurses hum, even hummed my favorite little theme song to my doctor and anesthesiologists and nurses. It made everyone smile and lighten up and I was told I was one of the most positive people going into surgery and I woke up positive. I found a decaff tea that was refreshing to bring to the hospital plus I bought my own artificial sweetener (truvia). I tried several decaff teas (after quitting coffee). Bigelow Peppermint Tea fit the bill with truvia. It literally calmed my tummy and felt better than water at first and even though it went from warm to cold, it tasted good cold. Hospitals normally serve hot tea with generic artificial sweetener in a coffee cup. It's not appetizing it smells like coffee though it's hot water. I probably have mentioned this 100 times since surgery in posts. This was my saving grace. Bring Cottonelle or Charmaigne Box of wet wipes. After surgery your privates feel nasty (after getting the catheter out). It's a little harder to urinate on your own. Wiping yourself is a little hard because your tummy is swollen, but getting some of the orange stuff off you makes you feel cleaner. I also kept a brush on my table, because it was such a comfort to brush my hair because it became a birds nest. When you go for your walk around the ward, bring along one of those mouth stick wipes because if you talk while you walk, your mouth will dry up on you so fast, especially if you are given the anti-nausea patch and anti-nausea shots. You will be most likely be receiving shots in your belly every so often for blood clots. I wasn't prepared for this, nor was I prepared for a drain. Ask the doctor if you are getting one. The ted hose they use and compression thing I was afraid of but it actually didn't hurt and was comforting, I was nervous about those. If the ted hose starts rolling down and hurting, makes sure you get someone to fix it. I made sure I kept my mouth sticks, water and peppermint tea and spirometer and I brought my own Kleenex (Vicks) type to the hospital. Those I made sure were close to me. When I would wake up during the night I would make sure I used the spirometer. I am prone to pneumonia and I used it OFTEN. I would take my big brown blanket and ball it up with a pillow and then cough. I still use it and it's 19 days out. My hardest part of surgery (I was in the hospital 5 days) was the leak test. I had an allergic reaction to the Gastrique used and it was really hard on me. My face, neck and chest turned a bright red and I got dizzy and sick. Most people just feel sick from their first drink being something like that. Things I did not use. I didn't use my kindle, didn't change clothes once (all the iv's getting any real pj's on there is no way.) I did have a pair crocs that I used to walk in, which was more stable to me than wearing their socks. When I came home getting in and out of bed was not easy for me, and I spent a lot of time sleeping in the lazy boy. I walked as much as I could and I started spacing it out 20 minutes walking through the kitchen, living room and dining room 3 times a day. I had the drain for 9 days and the last few days it started bugging me. Getting it out, was not comfortable but there was HUGE relief getting it out. I could finally actually breathe again. Realize that no two people heal alike. There are people that sound as though they have surgery and go home and are out walking miles in the first week. You may have had previous abdominal surgeries and have more scar tissue, you may have never had one and aren't used to it and take it harder. Everyone recovers differently and don't compare your experience to others because it's unneeded frustration. Try to remain positive, even when the going gets tough. I had only questioned my decision when I had the reaction to the gastrique, and then when my drain got infected (I have lupus), they were fleeting. I have tried to stay positive otherwise and it's done me well. I have a brain tumor, and I suffer from Lupus, I had diabetes and sleep apnea, and I suffer from raynauds and severe migraines and I have a lot of things that could contribute to me not staying positive. I had complications during my surgery which were pretty severe and still I would do it all over again. I will be 49 in August, which is how old my Great Grandmother Died due to obesity, and I am built just like her. Good Luck to you and stay positive, keep a fun song in your head that day, be it a theme song - like Brick House, or whatever current music you like. Mine was the Theme from Sanford & Son and old TV show that I loved as a little girl. The music is happy & funky and to remember the look on my surgeons face or remember the nurses trying to hum it or my husband and son humming it as I was being wheeled out still makes me giggle

It is a constant battle that you will face from time to time throughout your journey, I'm 22 months post-op and still can catch myself eating too fast. What I try to do is go back to what I learned which is take a bite of food and then put the utensil down and chew, chew, chew it works if you are consciously eating and not eating looking at tv. LOL just a thought! I'm not perfect at it either so you're not alone - I also eat and do at 1 or 2 crossword so I don't just continue to put food in my mouth I concentrate on something else while I chew. Foods that still make me gurgle are salsa (anything tomato based) beef and chicken - pork not so much which is odd and crabmeat I can eat like no ones business.

I went through similar journey of starting out planning on lap band a couple of years ago, changing my mind, trying diet and exercise again for a year (unsuccessfully) not wanting to do bypass (for same reasons you stated) then deciding on sleeve. I do not have all of your health concerns other than a very lumpy bumpy thyroid with very little function, but so far it does not have to be removed. I did have several scares with chest pain (one that scared me enough to go to the emergency room) that turned out to be nothing, but it was enough to remind me that I want to live to see my children graduate college, get married, have grandchildren, travel etc....but if I kept on my current course, I was surely decreasing my chances of making it that far. Then my friend, who had the RNY operation four years ago, ran the NY Marathon. She looked great, she felt great and now she had accomplished something as incredible as that! Where was I, I was at my highest weight ever, 272 lbs feeling fat, tired, uncomfortable, embarrassed and miserable. I decided enough was enough and I got started on the journey to have the sleeve. It took 8 months of meetings with NUT, getting all the required work done etc, required by my insurance company. I had many moments of second thoughts, especially when I had to go for tests and things I would have otherwise never done in a million years. When my surgery was finally set, I almost cancelled about 100 times, I was so scared. BUT I went through with it on June 4th and I can honestly say it was the best thing I ever did! There were a few times in the hospital and during my first week home that I questioned what in the heck did I do to myself, but now I am getting used to the plan and I am down over 40 pounds since surgery and have never felt better! My point in telling you all of this is that it is human nature to cling to our old way of life because we are scared and it is what we know. It is really scary and hard to face the unknown of how things will be after surgery (and for me I had NEVER had surgery of any kind, so I was also really scared of the unknown of what that would be like). The tests and all the visits are a pain, but need to be soldiered through with your eye on the end goal...YOUR HEALTH! In the end, this surgery has helped so many people improve their health and their lives in unbelievable ways. I just read a post of someone who after 9 months is down 90 lbs and off of her 12 meds! With all of your health issues, imagine what life would be like for you if losing weight nullified or at least alleviated most of them! It is normal to be scared and uncertain, but in the end, don't let that get in the way of taking control of your life and your health. YOU ARE WORTH IT! Good luck to you. My prayers are with you that you can find peace and calm going through this process and that you have a safe and successful surgery.

Sorry to hear about your friend's fire. As for your co-workers, they are co-workers, not friends. People are with their co-workers more than anyone else in their life yet they don't understand the bonding sometimes. Very sad for them. Meanwhile, raising money for the fire victim was great and must have made you feel wonderful. NSV!

You look great.. having those times with your kids is so important and they grow up so fast.. My "baby" is 40 and thankfully my grandkids and I do alot together so keep on doing what you do it's worth it...

Kimme - it's always a struggle, and we're not perfect people. That is what makes us, human. As you know from your own experience, sometimes this process flows pretty easily; we're highly motivated, feeling good, looking forward in a positive way.... Then, life happens & knocks us off of our foundation. This by NO means makes you a failure. It makes you, human. I've gotten a lot from your posts, and I feel confident that you will get back on track. Life is all about ebbs & flows, and I believe that a momentary setback will not stop you from moving forward on the path you charted for yourself. And please please PLEASE stop beating yourself up and driving yourself crazy with the "I should'a done this, that or the other thing". That will only keep you in a negative state. Accept where you are.....and move forward. NOT easy, I know! You've come so far, and you can continue on. A doctor once told me that success isn't being a perfect dieter. It's being someone who gets right back on track after blowing it. We all have to accept, that is the way it will always be. Life is not black & white. It's many shades of gray.

You're doing exercise so soon? Does your doctor know? I was told no exercise for about 4-6 weeks, don't recall but it could have been the 6 weeks except for walking. Take it easy, you need to heal, you just had surgery and all surgeries shock the body. About being hungry, I have no answers except I like the protein shakes as the choice. Good and relax and don't over do it, please.

Thanks Missy, I am more comfortable with the spoke word, than the written. I have been fat all my life, and the LB is a concept that I refused to even consider, so now that I have one, I need to find a way to use it to look at my life in a new way, Mistress Band is the person who is helping me do that. The humor for me is a reminder to not take myself too seriously, and a hint to others, that they may want to follow suite. BTW, just want you know how inspiring your journey is to me. You and several others on this board give me hope that one day I can succeed as well.

9 months tomorrow.Lost 121.5 pounds.10 to go!