educationrulz

I have been as diligent as I can with keeping my clothing size consistent with the changes in my body. The droopy butt pants look is NOT cute or sexy. :omg_smile: It's costing me a bit more than I want to spend to keep up with my sizes, but all the money I'm saving on food is pretty much making things even. I have been buying my clothes from the outlet store and sometimes at WalMart. I found a new pair of jeans from Goodwill for $5 the other day. I just can't afford regular prices when my size keeps changing. I make sure I have at least 5 pair of pants in the right size and wear them until they get too baggy in the butt. The shirts are a little easier to work with. It's an interesting problem to have.

What more proof do you need?!!!

There are MANY sleeve patients on this forum who use straws with absolutely no problem. I stressed about using them and was told by my docs office that's it's personal preference. I have found that they allow me to drink with less air inhaled than when I drink without them. This isn't the case for everyone. But I drink much faster and easier with a straw. I wish I had tried them sooner because maybe I wouldn't have gotten dehydrated my first week post op. I slurp my protein drinks down in no time flat with a straw. It takes me forever to drink them the regular way. Give it a try and see how you feel. You're not going to keel over in stomach spasms from trying a few sips from a straw. If you don't like it, go back to just drinking your fluids. No big deal.

I'm confused as to how someone at a restaurant can force you to order a regular entree as opposed to a kid's meal. Do some restaurants have a food minimum? I've heard of a drink minimum, but not a food minimum. I guess I haven't dealt with this because I've been ordering from the appetizer menu unless my daughter's with me and I get her a kid's plate. I order kid's meals for myself all the time as takeout. I guess I need to try the kid meal thing the next time I'm at a sit down restaurant. I don't like the idea of telling total strangers why I"m ordering a small meal, but if pressed I will call for the manager and insist that I be allowed to order what I choose to order. If the manager gives me problems I'll tell him/her that I have a stomach disorder and if I eat too much I'll end up in ICU and have to call my attorney. That'll probably shut them the hell up! :sneaky2:

We do have to get to where we can enjoy food to some degree, whatever the food choice may be. If you turn into a total health nut as a result of this surgery, then great - enjoy those healthy foods. If you choose to mix it up a little more, then enjoy those not so healthy foods in tiny amounts. As Fleur said, you have to at some point enjoy food enough to put some nourishment into your body. Even people who view food as fuel have SOME foods that they enjoy. So, there's nothing wrong with wanting to enjoy food and the experiences that come with it - family, friends, fellowship, etc. This surgery allows you to do it to the degree that you don't gorge yourself. I am back to enjoying food to some degree, but still find it frustrating to eat because I get full so fast. But, I'm working on it and dealing with it better as time passes. I'm learning to order smaller portions, maximize the use of my leftovers, and take my time eating. I have to eat and I see nothing wrong with enjoying what I eat - even if it is just two bites. And Fleur, you WILL eat Taco Bell again. I had a mexican pizza the other day. I could only eat a fourth of it, but man was it good! You'll get there...

I finally figured out what my odor problem was. :lightbulb: This is going to sound really strange but it was my generic Prevacid. After trying the clinical strength deodorant to no avail, I started thinking it was a medication issue. The prevacid was the only thing that had changed. I had gone from the 15 mg OTC brand name to the 30 mg generic RX. I started experimenting by alternating them a few days at a time. I did this four times. Every time I went to the brand name OTC, the armpit odor went away within two days. Everytime I went back to the generic, the armpit odor came back within two days. AMAZING! I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't experienced it myself. I've been back on the OTC brand name version for over a week, using my regular secret deodorant, and not even thinking about my armpits anymore. I really don't think I needed the 30 mg strength so I'm just going to have to fork over the money for the OTC in the interests of smelling good and maintaining my sanity. My surgeon gave me a new script for 15 mg brand name but we're pretty sure the RX version doesn't come in 15 mg. Being able to get it cheaper as an RX just isn't worth me walking around smelling like I"ve run a marathon. I'm happy to be back to an odor-free lifestyle! :clap2:

Today, I had my first "drink" with a friend after work. (I got the all clear from the surgeon this week.) It was soooo good and went down fine with no problems since I ate a little before the drink. When we were on the way out, I noticed a man who was coming in staring in our direction. My first thought was that he was looking at my friend. Then, after I turned around from picking up my purse and to-go box, he was still looking - AT ME! He smiled and said hello and I did the same. I could clearly tell he was interested in me. I haven't had that feeling in a LONG time. It made me a little nervous, but it also felt good. I drove home with a big grin on my face. Next time I"m out for a drink, I hope to run into someone of interest before I"m leaving the place.

Considering the fact that no one has looked at my insides since surgery (there hasn't been a need to), I"m not sure this expense will be necessary. Unless you have complications (God Forbid!), your PCP should be able to handle your follow up care. S/he may need to do a little research if not familiar with the sleeve. You'll need someone to possibly prescribe a PPI, run labs, monitor your vitals, etc... As long as you have a detailed post op diet from your surgeon, and access to the surgeon and/or nurses post op to answer questions you might have, you probably won't need to see a surgeon. That's one of the great things about the sleeve. Once it's done and heals successfully, there's not much to the followup. If I were getting surgery as a self-pay, I'd be more likely to spend that extra money on a post-op complications insurance plan through the surgeon's office. Just my 2cents...

As far as the watermelon goes, I'd steer clear of it. My post-op diet was pretty liberal but I wasn't allowed watermelon until well over two months post op. I too didn't have a taste for Protein shakes post op, but I kept trying until I found a Protein Drink I could tolerate. Isopure did and does the trick for me when I don't want something milky or creamy. There are other fruity type drinks and protein bullets that you can dilute if you need to. Also, try drinking plain milk when you're craving some food but don't want to go off diet. It's much more satisfying than Water and has protein. It's not too late to get back on track and establish some good habits. To be successful you're going to have to be able to pull back from times like these. We all have days where we snack all day or eat cake or Cookies. But, you can't do that stuff for days at a time. You have to get back on track quickly and nourish your body properly. Now's a good time to start practicing that. Good luck and let us know how you're doing.

1. To feel comfortable in my own skin 2. To be as healthy as I can be 3. To be more active and energetic for my daughter - I wanna ride the rollercoasters with her when she's old enough :bolt: 4. To decrease my chances of developing high BP and diabetes 5. To be looked at and not looked through - especially by men :eyebrows: 6. To feel in control of my eating 7. To just grab something out of the closet and go, without worrying about hiding all the "trouble spots" 8. To wear "normal" sized, super cute clothes :clap2: 9. To feel sexy every now and then 10. To stand out for everything else I am and not because of my weight

I think you need to have a serious talk with your surgeon about this - not the NUT or the nurse or the insurance contact. The surgeon will ultimately give the go ahead on this. You need to know sooner rather than later how much chance there is that your surgery will be cancelled. If it looks like he'll cancel on you if you don't lose the rest of the weight, maybe you'll have time to find another surgeon with more realistic pre-op expectations.

Oh, ok. That sounds doable as long as you stop a few times along the way during the drive and stretch your legs.

GOT MY TICKET AND STRAPPED IN!!! :flame: I haven't seen the hundreds since high school...a long freaking time ago! I was 209 at the doctor's office yesterday so my 1st goal is in my sights. Congrats to everyone who's made it so far - to this goal or whatever 1st goal you set for yourself. :cheer2:

Even though this is a little frustrating moneywise, it is still SO COOL! I've been going through clothes like Grant through Richmond lately and it's crazy. All of my jeans that I couldn't squeeze into for the past 3+ years are in the too big pile now - and I didn't even get to wear most of them. The best pair still has tags on them. I've been to Goodwill a couple of times and have mostly been doing JCPenney outlet. I can now fit into the 18 Misses at WalMart, so that's about to become a new best friend too. I just can't spend too much on anything right now. It seems like as soon as I get a decent amount of clothes together that fit, I start moving down to the next size. My dress pants that I bought from the outlet a few weeks ago are sagging in the butt now. It's a good thing I'm spending so much less on food or I'd be running around in a potato sack right now. Life is good...and so is the sleeve! :dance:

What do you mean Vicki?

Before surgery, I had started having significant pain in one of my hips. There was no explanation other than my weight and joint stress. By the time I lost 15 pounds on my preop diet, the pain was gone. I went from taking a strong RX NSAID once or twice a day to manage the pain to not needing it at all. My knees have been an issue off and on too. I'm noticing a big improvement with them every passing week. They still creak when I'm taking some stairs, but it's getting less and less noticeable. I think increasing my exercise and strength training will improve it even more. Best wishes to you and your wife.

Kim, Why are you working yourself so hard this soon after surgery?!!! Your body needs to rest and heal at some point. Walking is great, but you don't need to work yourself into the ground at a time when you can barely take in enough nutrients to support a body at rest. At some point, you may crash and burn. Not trying to be judgemental, just concerned. Take it easy...

I ate some ice cream today, but my doctor didn't tell me to. Hope you're feeling better Pam.

Hey Ken, Since we have the same doc, I guess it's possible that you're not on an acid reducer because he didn't give me one for after I left the hospital. I had to start myself on it after suffering from some bad reflux for a while. I got the OTC Prevacid cuz that's what they gave me in the hospital. After me complaining at a couple of post op visits, he gave me a script for it. But, it's seems kind of late for you to JUST be getting reflux. Have you tried any different foods recently or been sick? Definitely let us know what the doc says.

After much deliberation (to the point of making my head hurt), I recently tried diet soda after hitting my 3 month mark. I really wasn't so much craving it as I just wanted something different to drink that was calorie free. I started off by stirring the bubbles out as much as possible and sipping slowly. No problems, no discomfort. Then, a few days later, I tried a few sips straight from the bottle. Again no problems. I've pretty much figured out that as long as I take it slow, it seems to have no ill effect on my sleeve. On the other hand, I feel it quickly when a big ole chunk of chicken or beef goes down too fast. The funny thing is, this former regular (not diet) soda addict really lost interest in each drink I opened way before halfway through. I currently have about 4 or 5 bottles of different types of diet soda in my fridge that I opened and sipped on but didn't even get halfway through. I think part of it is that my taste buds have changed and it doesn't taste as great and satisfying as it used to. I also am very slow and deliberate when I drink it, so I guess that takes some of the enjoyment out of it. Also, it just doesn't seem worth the effort. I'd rather spend my time sipping on a Protein drink that will benefit me or a glass or tea or lemonade that I can drink as fast as I want. For me, I am glad that I went through the trials to see if I could tolerate it because now the mystery and potential "craving" sensation is taken out of the equation. I know I can tolerate sodas if I chose to have them. This is good to know for social situations when you may have a choice between soda and some other drink that doesn't agree with you. Since I don't drink when I eat anyway, the whole drinking soda with meals is not an issue for me, but I could see it being more problematic than other liquids mixed with food. I plan to take an occasional sip here and there if the mood strikes me, but at this point, I just don't see myself chugging back 20 ounces the way I used to. I really just don't want to.

I agree with you about life after the sleeve. At a little over 3 months out, it gets easier day by day. It was rough at first, make no mistake about that. But those who are coming after us can rest assured that it will get better. It's so much easier to make good food choices MOST of the time when you can only fit a small amount in. You just can't waste that space on junk on a regular basis or your body will let you know by running out of steam. I too treat myself to a cookie or a tiny piece of cake every now and then. It's so cool to be satisfied with just that. The best part is not waiting for the shoe to drop and the weight to come back on. This time I know I can keep it off.

Things have picked back up nicely in terms of my weight loss. I think that adding in protein supplements on a regular basis made the difference. I've been losing 10+ pounds per month since I broke my stall.

Well, I just made it through the dreaded three week stall. I knew it was happening when I was going through it (even before I weighed) because I could tell that my body hadn't changed and that my clothes were fitting the same. Against my better judgement, I weighed myself at Walmart, since I don't plan to buy a scale until close to goal, and sure enough it hadn't budged since my last weigh in a week earlier. Man was I pissed off! :tongue_smilie: Despite the fact that I had read countless stories about the 3 week stall, I was still mad for a couple of days. But, I got over it and didn't weigh again until I felt some changes in my body and saw changes with my clothes. By the end of my 4th week, I had lost an additional 2 pounds. Geesh! Couldn't it have been more than 2 lousy pounds?:closedeyes: Oh well, at least we're back on track now. Another member on VST suggested weighing once a month. I've always advocated no more than once a week, so even for me that's a little radical. But, I think I'm going to give it a try. I'm much more interested in feeling better and seeing changes in my clothing and sizes than I am with how much I weigh. So, why stress myself out with scale numbers that don't move as fast as I want them to? I'm going to shoot for the beginning of the month for my weigh-ins and hopefully whatever loss I see then will be motivating enough. We'll see how it goes...:thumbup1:

The first few weeks can be rough after surgery. But it does get easier as time passes and your body heals. Your taste buds will probably bounce back too. Mine definitely did. Congrats on your surgery!