jencomenz

I went from a 36G to a 32D - and I use the term "D" very loosely, I literally roll a mound of empty skin into my cups every morning...

This would be nice! I currently attend the support group through my doctor but am one of only a couple of sleeve patients in a room full of bypass patients. This is close to Westside Church...am I thinking of the correct area?

I don't count calories, carbs, Proteins either. I eat what I want, when I want it and it's what works for me. I knew very early on that if I treated this like another diet with counting and restrictions that I would end up on a binge and so I don't deny myself anything and as a result don't desire the bad stuff nearly as often as I used to. At about six months out I confessed to the nurse that I had been "cheating" the whole time and that's when she told me that I'd discovered the secret to success...to stop being obsessed with food. Good food, bad food, it doesn't matter; if it's all you think about it's still controlling your life. Kudos to everyone else that's doing what works for them, listening to what their body tells them it needs, and finally Living Life to it's Fullest!!!

Yes I used my FSA account as well, it was a lifesaver!

So I was pretty much in denial about how obease I'd become. Losing 10, 20, 30, even 40 pounds didn't have much of an impact; I know, every little bit helps, but I was still above 200 and people still weren't noticing any changes. At 50 and 60 pounds gone people were starting to say "have you lost a little weight?" and in my mind I was thinking - a little are you kidding me? But my response was always "yes and I have a long ways to go" after all, I was only half way there. Not until 70 and 80 pounds did it finally hit me that holy moly I've lost a LOT of weight! Now I'm at 90 pounds, and on the inside I'm so proud of myself and my accomplishment, but on the outside I'm almost embarrased to tell people that huge number. Because that means admitting out loud that I had that much to lose in the first place, which has been hard for me to accept from the very beginning.

I had to take my nose ring out for surgery. I even changed it to a clear retainer to try and be able to leave it in but they still made me remove it. I guess it would depend on the hospital though. I was allowed to put it right back in after I woke up. Good luck on your surgery! Jen

Hello ladies! There are several KC-ers on here we are in the Kansas City social group...feel free to join! Welcome and good luck Jen

There is a lot of discussion on the board if you search for Effexor. I take 150mg of XR twice daily and only missed 1 dose the night of surgery. Other than that I have been swallowing them whole since I got home. The only thing I've noticed is that I start to feel like I need my evening dose earlier than I used to (you know, that "feeling". blah) I've been trying to not eat or drink anything after I take my pill for a while to try and keep it in my stomach a little longer and see if that helps.

The best thing is to be honest with your doctor...and yourself. I lost 0 pounds during my supervised diet. If it was that easy we wouldn't need the surgery. This is the time to dig deep and figure out why you aren't able to stick to the plan. The more we figure out about ourselves before the surgery, the better.