Plumpy

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for quick and easy recoveries for all of the March Sleevers. This is the start of a new life for all of us - yay!!!

Tracy - that bloody bus has a lot to answer for!!! Can't believe you're feeling up to having root canals done - it takes me all my energy to walk across the hallway to go to the bathroom! Well done you! Am managing fluids much better now, although have to remember to take it soooooo slowly or I'm uncomfortably full for hours afterwards. I think the sleeve part of my op is doing well - just the gall-bladder bleed that is going to take some coming back from. My biggest problem is overwhelming exhaustion and aching back muscles cos they're doing all the work of my useless tummy muscles at the moment. Enough moaning from me - things can only improve, I reckon Plumptious

Kiwi March 1st sleever reporting in, and as we're first in the international dateline it's the evening of March 3rd here......... I feel like I've been hit by a bus and then it's backed up and reversed over me as well. I bled a bit afterwards (they took my gallbladder and 3 huge stones out too) so am feeling very shaky and weak. The first time they tried to sit me on the edge of the bed I fainted, and the 2nd time as well. My haemoglobin dropped from 142 to 90, so I guess that makes you feel like shite. The first night I had the most awful shoulder tip pain, but they didn't want to give me too much morphine because of my low blood-pressure. Worst night of my life, I reckon , Anyway, the surgeon reckons that most recoveries are much easier than mine, and we did know about the possibility of a bleed before surgery (a family thing that we do). At the moment I'm struggling to get down a teaspoon of Water at a time, so I just have to keep working at it. I was planning on being back at work on Monday - well NO WAY is that going to be happening. Anyway, that's my moan and groan for the day - hoping for a better day tomorrow Plumptious (feeling sorry for myself in New Zealand)

It's after 1am on March 1st here (New Zealand) and I'm up late because I can't sleep. In just under 12 hours I'll be turn up at the hospital and a couple of hours after that will have my operation. I don't have to have the bowel prep (good thing too, cos those protein shakes react on me like a bowel prep!!!!), so I just have to have brekky (protein shake) before 7am and then water until midday. I am excited and a little apprehensive..... but looking forward to the day when I can enjoy and feel satisfied with small portions of everyday meals. I always say that I'm a 5 foot woman with a 6 foot appetite. I'm trying to imagine a can of baked beans lasting me for 2 or 3 meals instead of being able to down it in one meal with an egg and a couple of pieces of toast on the plate as well. Anyway - good luck for your surgery...... see you on the other side of operation day.

Usually related to biliousness - have you been eating higher fat levels than usual? That's what does it to me - horrible, isn't it

great minds think alike, Tracy

I find that if I've had a high salt meal or high carbs for dinner I retain fluid and don't weigh lighter in the morning.

Here's the March group - down the bottom of the page with the 2011 sleevers... come and join us while we impatiently count down (and drink our blardy Protein drinks!!!) http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/13434-march-role-call/

Updating SN..................Starting Wt.......Current......Goal......Lbs to Goal Plumptious 84kgs ............. 82 kgs........75kgs......7kgs (15.4lbs) 3 days until sleeve - woohoo! 1/3 of the way to my goal before the op *pats self on back*

That really sucks, Holly - I know I would be feeling pretty gutted by something like that too. If people are going to be watching then you will just have to show them just how great this decision is for you and your health. If they start questioning and you don't want to answer, just tell them that it's something you prefer not to discuss and change the subject on them. You WILL succeed You WILL be healthier, fitter and even more fabulous You WILL do yourself proud. Now go knock the silly man's head off and then hold your head high!!

It also can depend on how overweight you are in the first place. My surgeon has told me to expect 1-2lbs per week, and you're averaging over 4lbs a week. Sounds like pretty good results to me. Keep positive and just keep following the guidelines.

Thought I'd resurrect my journey..... It's now 2 months later and just over a week until surgery day. My appointment with the surgeon went well - as I'm smaller than a lot of his patients he said I'd be "a piece of cake to sleeve" and I only need to do one week of pre-op shakes. When I said I wanted to lose another 5kgs before surgery he told me not to stress too much about that because it would certainly come off afterwards anyway. Despite that I'm down another 7+kgs down (16lbs) so am feeling pretty pleased about that. Aiming for a few more pounds in the coming week. Roll on March 2nd (the day AFTER the op!)

Well, where do I start? I hadn't even heard of VSG before meeting up with an old acquaintance back in June who had lost about 60kgs after the procedure. I'd read a bit about bypass and banding, but didn't much like the sound of either of those so was really interested to find out there was an alternative. The more I read, the more confident I felt that this could be the one for me. I've bitten the bullet and made an appointment to see a surgeon in 6 days' time, and have made tentative enquiries about increasing my mortgage to pay for the operation (I don't have insurance). The op costs about $20,000 here in New Zealand, but I figure that it's my life and health that I'm talling about here so am willing to pay the price. After all, many people spend that on upgrading to a fancier car....... I know what is more important to me than that! So anyway, I've just returned from a month's holiday where I've lost 5kgs and I have a cupboard full of Optifast shakes to help get me into good pre-op condition. Starting weight was 95kgs, now 90kgs and aiming for 55kgs. I used to be about 12kgs lighter than my goal, but that was 25 years ago, so am not going to aim for scrawny, just for a healthy weight. Let's hope I can work this ticker thingy....

In a few months there will be a new photo of you on your profile with pecs and abs - you can do it!!! Looking forward to watching your progress.

well I've never been tempted to shave my naynay - but for me.... -Being able to walk barefoot in temples (while on holiday) without the bones on my feet being painful -Not suffering in the heat because I'm too fat -Being confident enough to go swimming -Not being too embarrassed to visit people because I'm so much bigger than when they last saw me -Taking a trip to the Great Wall of China or Macchu Pichu because I'll finally be fit enough -Not feeling like a hypocrite when I talk to my diabetic patients about the benefits of losing weight

I feel your pain....... my dog is threatening to leave home rather than suffer through the noxious after-effects of these pre-op shakes! I say "payback time, Mister!!"

I'm having surgery on Tuesday afternoon, driving myself home (4 hours drive) on the Saturday, resting up on Sunday and then back at work on Monday. I am out of sick leave so I'm taking the days as unpaid leave, but will take extra half days off if I need to throughout that first week. I imagine I will be taking a couple of rest/nap stops on the drive home, but if it takes me 6 hours to get home, that's ok.

Are you doing pre-op shakes? I have a week of shakes to do before my op on March 1st, but have started a couple of days early. It's hard but do-able. Let's get those livers of ours shrunk down to size! Good luck over the next couple of weeks Plumptious

Dropped another .3 of a kg this morning - small, but I'll take it...... This pre-op shake week is working (Day 2 and I'd kill for a plate of eggs, tomatoes and chips right now) SN..................Starting Wt.......Current......Goal......Lbs to Goal Plumptious.....84kgs .............82.7kgs..........75kgs.........7.7kgs (16.9lbs)

Looking forward to hearing more progress updates. You go girl!!

woot woot - onward and downward!! :dance:

You'll be exactly a week ahead of me - my op is on March 1st (wanna swap dates with me? - pleeeeease) If you don't manage to lose those 2 pesky lbs before the op, you'll sure as anything lose them afterwards- so stay positive and good luck on your journey to a healthier life Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Weight Loss Tools

Have dropped a kg in the last two days, so updating SN..................Starting Wt.......Current......Goal......Lbs to Goal Plumptious.....84kgs .............83kgs..........75kgs.........8kgs (17.6lbs) Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Weight Loss Tools Day 1 of pre-op diet, 10 days until surgery on March 1st - woohoo!!!

I'm aiming for the normal weight range, ie a BMI under 25. Started at 40.5, now 35 and due to be sleeved in 10 days. I'm a 1/3 of the way there - so the next 2/3 will be courtesy of a nice wee sleeve . I'll be happy with anything in the healthy weight range (still sitting in "obese", sob)

Started my pre-op Protein shake diet today 2 days ahead of schedule (I thought it might be easier to get over the first 2 days on a weekend than on a working day). I've made up a shake that's quite pleasant: make up a double sized glass of low-cal lemon and barley cordial, add lemon or lime juice to cut the sweetness and then add plain Protein powder. Makes a nice change from chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. Off to make up some SF pineapple jelly/protein powder flummery dessert..... Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Weight Loss Tools