meggiep

I can't tell you how much your answers touched and comforted me. Today I have a better feeling- the one that led me down this path- the feeling of HOPE.

In the B Vitamins, aside from what you get in the multi- it is best to just do a B12- that Vitamin is not absorbed from food in the sleeve. My list is Muti vitamin- look at what is in a bariatric one from Bariatric Advantage or Celebrate and find the equivalent to two of them if you dont want theirs. Calcium - carbonate requires more stomach acids than we have after surgery, so that is why the recommend citrate- you need 1500 mgs a day B12- sublingual is advised- they have this at Trader Joes. Those are the main ones- and you dont want to become low in anything as it really hard to rectify. The thing is, though this is not a malabsorption surgery your intake of food will be dramatically less, thus the need for vitamins. I have heard that skipping this can really lead to low energy, exhaustion, etc. I have also heard it is pointless to pic your Protein shake etc. before surgery as your taste buds change. I have a bunch of samples I will be trying in the next two weeks as I start my liquid diet tomorrow prior to my 5/9 surgery. I have set of a box also- i have my vitamins, my magic bullet for pureeing food, my shakes, my shaker/blender, my crystal light if I want to spruce of the flavor of my Water, etc. This place is a great resource and you will find threads everywhere to add more info. Good luck!

Hey Red Velvet gang Tomorrow is my liquid diet....it is an odd feeling- excitement/melancholy/a little trepidation. Anyone else starting theirs?

Do you have a reason to believe you might have apnea? I did get dxed with it- and also am over 40 BMI, but that said my doctor said BC/BS is one of the best insurance companies in terms of approval. I have BS CA and their requirement was that I meet my doctors requirements- no diet, etc. I also was recommended for surgery due to chronic pain in my knees and back- do you have any other weight related condition?

Welcome! You will find a great group of supportive friends here.

This so resonates with me! The Water is everything to me. In the water, there is no pain, unlike everywhere else in my life. As I walk in to the water everything in my life that is hard slips away as I float forward. I am sure I give out an audible "ahhhhh" almost every time. Finding water aerobics saved my life. Interestingly once I realized what it could do for me and mean to me I stopped being afraid of the whole being seen in a bathing suit thing....and when I met all the ladies of the Y those fears would have seemed ridiculous anyway as they are all big gals with various maladies too. In fact my doctor is thrilled that I already have an exercise regimen in place that I will be doing after the surgery- I myself a bit less than thrilled that I have to stop for a few weeks and resort to the more painful land locked stuff like walking. Think about joining a class now and again- the work out is KICK BUTT! ON Friday we did 300 crunches. My leg muscles are awesome from the water walking . We work o our arms, our core, our balance- everything. Thanks for chiming in even on a holiday. I am a bit melancholy tonight as I start 2 weeks of liquids tomorrow and life as I know it is changing forever....anatomically at least. It always helps to read your latest entry.

I think you really need to figure out a way to get your nourishment. To h-e-double hockysticks with weight loss right now! You need to get energy, Protein, whatever you can. Heck- ice cream, pudding- whatever you can get in that your sleeve will take that will give you some energy! You wont feel better until you do that- you are starving and obviously on a downward cycle- it needs to be turned around. I hope the doctor can see you soon. edited to add- some Protein drinks have more carbs and taste better- look for that- you can't worry about carbs and such until you get yourself back on track and into health.

Wondering do you get all the protein in? .The water? I know you need to nourish yourself to start feeling better. My first thought hearing how awful you feel is that perhaps you are not taking care of yourself because of feeling so bad- a vicious cycle.

My husbznd is looking for the digital version of it, and if he can't find it, will photograph the candy wrapper so I can share it with you. What wrapper? For our wedding favors we gave a one pound bar of chocolate from Trader Joe's (only 40 guests, or we could not have possibly afforded it!)- we made our own wrappers- on the front a collage of photos of us,my son, our cats etc. - and on the back we had my ad and our first few emails starting when he answered my ad and some others as we went back and forth before we finally met the next afternoon.

Ok Missy you are allowed exactly one "the internet ate my homework" OK? And,,,,you still managed to make me laugh out loud. The internet ate your post and meanwhile I ate everything else. Today. Even the dog is afraid when I come towards him having exhausted the popcorn, the Cadbury mini eggs, and the cake and ice cream. The liquids on Monday are starting to look good! Cat room? chat room? Uh oh- I sense a huge vortex with all my free time disappearing down it....

Yep- I am scared too. But I am also so excited! Though I am enjoying some treats this weekend and starting my liquids Monday I am actually looking forward to the clean simplicity of those liquids and I am so freaking excited to have this surgery! Even considering the idea WLS just happened for me in January- and here I am poised on the brink of a new life! My primary care doctor said on Wed she had never had a patient be so excited to have this surgery. I am, and also full of resolve to work my sleeve! In facing my fears I know that even if the worst happened and I die during surgery at least I was going for life, for joy, for health.

The camelback sports bottle is especially awesome- it has this rubber cover for the sip straw that keeps air out and forces small sips. I have two- one holds 32 ounces for my water and a stanless steel insulated one to keep protein shakes really cold that is 20 ounces..

I now this will be short lived, but having spent yesterday and today eating things I love to excess I am almost looking forward to the simplicity of the liquids. I expect I will get over THAT by Monday afternoon! My husband is joking that I am trying to weight load like the folks om Biggest Loser who Water load- with my weight extra high on Monday I can use that as my starting weight. ;-P

Are you completely liquid or do you get some food? I am dreading Monday- straight liquid, no food whatsoever. It so annoys me that we are judged if we don't lose enough weight pre op- obviously many of us CAN'T lose weight! Why would it be different before the surgery? The whole reason I am even having this surgery is because as an invalid I can;t lose weight on 1000 calories- I need something extreme.

From what I have read (not from experience- I am not sleeved yet) the liquids and full liquids and even soft foods can just go through you quickly and do indeed sometimes lead to hunger. It seems that once you start eating solid food- that is when you will really know you have a sleeve. In addition you have hunger hormone still for a while. One thing I know is the work on our part doesn't stop- ever. Sigh. The sleeve just gives us a better chance of succeeding.

OMG that is so funny! That happened to me one night at water aerobics I was thinking I had a stomach ache all class and it was my water belt being too tight!

My darling is so wonderful- he has been through it with me- all my surgeries and my slowly becoming a recluse living in pain. He treats me like a goddess. He came home from costco with a magic bullet for me...and on the other extreme is out today picking up treats for me in these last days of eating before my liquids. Now mind you he is my third husband! I had the young early four year marriage, the middle 16 year marriage that gave me my darling son, and now the threes a charm soul mate found at age 48. I find nothing more reprehensible than a man who emotionally abuses a woman by trying to demean and belittle her. Because you start believing him! I have a feeling this surgery is going to allow you to see the Goddess you are. And you will find someone worthy of you. I know it can happen, it happened to me. And btw I wrote one mean personals ad- he was hooked. I will have to dredge it up and post it ;-P It was the ad AND my not that small thigh in the jeans I was wearing in my profile pic. I was size 16 and very fit when I met him and would be happy just to have that back....

My darling is so wonderful- he has been through it with me- all my surgeries and my slowly becoming a recluse living in pain. He treats me like a goddess. He came home from costco with a magic bullet for me...and on the other extreme is out today picking up treats for me in these last days of eating before my liquids. Now mind you he is my third husband! I had the young early four year marriage, the middle 16 year marriage that gave me my darling son, and now the threes a charm soul mate found at age 48. I find nothing more reprehensible than a man who emotionally abuses a woman by trying to demean and belittle her. Because you start believing him! I have a feeling this surgery is going to allow you to see the Goddess you are. And you will find someone worthy of you. I know it can happen, it happened to me. And btw I wrote one mean personals ad- he was hooked. I will have to dredge it up and post it ;-P It was the ad AND my not that small thigh in the jeans I was wering in my profile pic. I was size 16 and very fit when I met him and would be happy just to have that back....

That's the thing- if just one celebrity would come out and say it is NOT an easy way out- it is a hard road that takes a tremendous amount of courage- it could make a huge difference. In stead we have Star Jones deny deny denying until forced to admit....that was the opposite of courage. OK now Mama Meggie wants to take a gang of VST peeps and go to pay a little visit to the creep that hurt Crosswind so we can hurt him - the ones of us who are pre-surgery can all do a full court press on him... and then keep on going to the creeps that hurt any of you.

I think you should report any pain that is new to you or constant. Better safe than sorry.

Congratuations to you! I know ou will get good recipes- I don;t have them yet as I am not yet sleeved. However I want to urge you to really push that water- more than a few have ended up in the hospital with dehydration- and you really need that water to help burn fat and metabolize all that Protein. Take heed from Mama Meggie!

OMG- moving right along past Camryn (I couldn't even find info about her to help me decided....) what about John Goodman? WOW! There is no way you can tell me he did that with "diet and exercise" no way. Good for him!

The stigma has got to go. There are even whispers that Jennifer Hudson had WLS but Weight Watchers is paying her to be their spokesperson anyway. I don't know about that but you are so right on as usual CW my dear- it is really bizarre the way WLS is held, generally, to be a hush hush whisper down low thing to be hidden. I think celebrities are happier and more willing to say they are addicted to painkillers and alcohol! I actually am surprised about Camryn- I've always loved her and hate to think she would not be forthcoming. But the Hollywood fame factory is a powerful thing ... Meggie rushes off to google newly skinny celebrities.....

I just bought a scale form this site and saw they have lots of the Camelback products- and free shipping on everything. They are having a sale right now in addition, code "tulip" though I am not sure which items it is for. http://www.heartratemonitorsusa.com/hydration.html