mi75

i plan on cutting mine very short as soon as the loss starts.i have curly hair that is fine but lots of it. i have talked with my stylist who says 'call as soon as you need me'. i HOPE that i'll be looking so smokin' hot that nobody will notice my hair! and yes, from all those i know who had surgery in the past two years (about 6 close friends) it DOES grow back.

these 'shots' were also recommended to me by my dietician for the first 3 days immediately post op, simply to get some Protein in when it will be a hard struggle to get ANYTHING in! i went to wal-mart and got two Acai berry flavor and one Watermelon flavor. i am going to fun to the wal-mart in my parent's town and they have the green apple flavor and fruit punch flavor there. i was told 1.5 of these each day for 3 days...

i would go and take something with you that is allowed during your pre-op. personally i love the Nectar mixes. they mix with water and look like a crystal light. you can actually add some crystal light also to make them taste even better than they are. on ice in a nice glass it is like having a light cocktail! this could also be your chance to share with your friends about your upcoming surgery if you are inclined to. i would go, take something with, and use this platform to have some last minute fun before your big day!

may i please ask- how did the hospital address you having your cycle at surgery? did they provide you supplies, etc? i have been on bcp for a decade and stopped it last month per my OB/Gyn instructions for surgery, but of course i will be 'due' right around the day before surgery and i'm not sure if the hospital will allow me to use my own products??

there are several june sleevers up in the Pre-Op board, possibly one here too, you can search for it. best of luck to you, I go June 23 and after over a whole YEAR of deciding to do this, i too am nervous. not panicked or changing my mind, just a healthy level of nerves. it is a huge change we are taking on, and getting very real for all of us!

my hubs is also right there for me. i am still pre-op, i go june 23. he has promised to walk with me post op, and my doc wants me waking 5-10 minutes every hour, so the hubs says we'll stroll our block every hour together. also he has promised to do all the food prep for himself and our kids for the first couple weeks which is a God-send! also, since he could lose some lbs himself he has vowed to enjoy the food funerals with me, and then after surgery make his best efforts with me to lose also so we can begin a new phase of our lives together as thinner, healthy people.

i'm June 23 and also prepping now for post-op. i LOVE the unjury strawberry mixed with some crystal light lemonade. it tastes like an awesome summer mixed lemonade from Applebees!!! in late june it will be awesome on ice while i'm starting my recovery!

i am only three weeks from my surgery and getting really nervous. I was supposed to be RNY but doc and I decided that sleeve was a great option for me. the more i read about these two topics though, the more nervous i seem to be getting... First off, are cravings a really big issue, and if so when do I need to start worrying? i'm concerned about cravings for my all-time faves like pizza, pop, Pasta, huge plates of enchiladas, etc.... Second, I was under the impression that because the stomach fundus was removed, most of the hunger hormone production was eliminated (except for the levels produced by the brain)... worrying BIG time about these two things...any advice or shared experiences would be great!

all great info- thanks to the OP! I have surgery on 6/23 and am taking 4 wks off of my nursing job. i am hopeful that i can at least log some good walking to help in healing and blood clot risks, plus start to get some stamina back before I get back to my full time job. helpful!

thanks to everyone. all great answers. truly, i really plan to walk away from MOST of the terrible foods that got me where i am. In my pre-op head I really believe that i will never again look forward to pizza, pop, etc. BUT, i also have kids and a hubs who are all incredibly healthy and eat whatever they want for the most part. So I anticipate having to occasionally cook these things at their requests. And...well, honestly since everyone is so different i am quite hopeful that all of my hunger and cravings will be taken away and never return. thanks again for the answers!

i order mine from the website 'my bariatric pantry'. the cost is a tiny bit higher but i also order other products from there at the same time. hope you like it!

it is good that she is concerned about you. as others have said, we nurses (and CNAs) tend to be very careful about our own health decisions. be proud that you raised a daughter who is only looking out for your best interest. maybe take her to lunch and discuss it with her or take her to an appt with your surgeon and allow her to ask questions! knowledge is always the best power and will likely ease her concerns. good luck!

As a nurse, I don't believe that the medical community accepts youtube videos as a trustworthy source...if this research were a published medical journal article, it would be worth reading.

i have done a light pre-clean and will continue to up until surgery. my surgery is June 23 so i have focused on getting rid of my really big winter stuff. by the time it's winter again and i need them i figure i should be at LEAST 40-50 lbs lighter. also i have been digging out all of my old scrubs (nurse) and washing them and getting them ready to wear again when i can. sadly i have all sizes from 10-16. once i hit 18 and up i only bought three pairs of scrub pants and some long sleeved t-shirts i have been alternating with them for the past 3-4 years! gonna burn those, they're not even worthy of donating!

i like unjury strawberry mixed with crystal light lemonade also... my real faves though are the nectar flavors, also mixed with crystal light flavors- grape with grape, Cherry mixed with crystal light fruit punch (MY FAVE), and Fuzzy Navel with crystal light tea w/peach. these will be great for summer! i even took the grape one and added some ice and put it through my Nutribullet and it was like a slurpee!!! WHOO HOO

it's amazing how different each doc is! i was told to plan for 4 wks off, and he said that even if i felt good, he really recommended i take the full 4 if nothing else but to totally adjust to the new eating changes and challenges. the good part for me is that at least my co-workers won't be watching me like hawks during the very early and awkward time when i re-introduce foods around 10 days post op!

no internet at our house the past couple weeks and it was awful! had to have some sort of new line placed by the phone company... during that time, i got my final appts done, paperwork submitted, approved in ONE DAY and i'm scheduled for 3 wks from now! whew, what a whirlwind. hope everyone is well and all who have had their procedures are doing well. just wanted to check back in!!!

i love nectar too. i mix them with a little bit of crystal light in similar flavors to mask that 'whey' flavor that ALL Protein drinks have. Roadside Lemonade- Crystal light lemonade Cherry- crystal light fruit punch crystal sky- crystal light fruit punch or grape etc. all very good. easier way for ME to get my protein than the thick shakes. not a huge fan of those!

Center of Excellence status is similar to Magnet Status. It has a lot to do with the statistics, results, morbidity/mortality ratings, numbers, etc. Most insurances require a Center of Excellence NOT because it is where they choose to pay, but more because these facilities have proven themselves successful, safe, and with the best outcomes. (best outcomes is HUGE in nursing and healthcare). Keep reading in these forums, post lots of questions, do lots of research. Talk to multiple doctors, nurses, patients. maybe attend a few support group meetings. ALL of us are here because we failed, in one way or another, other 'diets'. hang in there, the answers will come!

i have already put in for 4 weeks off. my doc told me to plan for at least 3. i am a nurse in a VERY hectic busy environment and once i punch back on the clock, there is no 'taking it easy' or 'modifying' the job for me. so i'm making sure i can handle the work when i get back. plus, i don't really want to go back while on just fluids. i have heard from others that they were weak from surgery and a little fuzzy in the head from not eating, and i need to be able to make critical decisions and constantly multi-task.

no biggie, the needles on lovenox are super tiny. just see it as another necessary evil to result in looking and feeling AWESOME. plus the risk of a pulmonary embolism is VERY real post op and frankly, a PE can be fatal without any warning. i will get them for 21 days post op..

my journey was very long, it took me over a year to decide. what convinced me: -i am no longer able to do most things i want to do. -i take 5 meds, multiple times a day JUST due to my weight alone -i am 38 yrs old and teetering on diabetes. i don't want the major complications of that disease for myself - i can't breathe -i can't play with my kids or walk through a themepark/park/school field trip - i have GERD, fatty liver, PCOS, hypertension, high cholesterol. insulin resistance, sleep apnea, etc. - I look at my kids and realize if i stay the way i am, i won't be here to see them marry someday or have their own kids... There are so many more things, but these stick out as the obvious. Studies have proven time and time again that for folks with a BMI of 45 and over, diet and exercise will pretty much NEVER work at getting them to a healthy weight. this is a very very hard decision. Not being sure is very normal. do your research, watch Fat Doctor on youtube, read studies, talk with doctors, etc. That will help you to decide one way or the other. good luck!

i too am experimenting ,pre-op shakes and so far not too crazy about a bunch of them, but getting by. i start pre-op officially in about 3 wks so this is helpful. thanks!

hang in there, the surgery fixes the size of our stomachs, not our brains. they take a little more time, and a lot more work. recognizing that you DID overeat is a great first step, learning how to not do it again is the next. just take it easy on yourself, we are ALL bound to have setbacks, we are human after all. good luck!

i agree with walking as much as possible! helps with the shoulder referred pain but MORE IMPORTANT, decreases risk for blood clots in legs and lungs. so happy for you!