LindaS

I was in for two nights which is standard for my doctor. The second day was pretty boring. The leak test was the third day, and I could go home after that. I felt good the second day. I had some gas, but I walked and it helped. I quit taking pain meds before the first night. The biggest complaint for me during the hospital stay? That I didn't sleep well because the nurses kept coming in. :-) By the time I went home, I was tired.

In meetings and classes with the nutritionist, I learned about food labels and how to read them, the dangers of sugar alcohols, what a serving is and about my new diet. The first meeting covered the pre-op and immediately following surgery. Later meetings covered how my diet changed. It was good info. I had a sleep study. I had to arrive around 9 p.m. I was taken to a room that looked like a bedroom rather than a hospital room. It also had its own bathroom. I changed into pajamas, and the tech came in and started getting all of the wires ready. There was a camera and an intercom system in the room. That stuff isn't turned on until you go to sleep, but I still changed in the bathroom. I sat in a chair and watched TV while all of the wires and things were hooked up. It took more than a half hour, and there were a LOT of wires. I had some kind of belt thing strapped just under my breasts, and there was a way that they routed the wires that kept them out of the way as possible, which is a feat. Did I mention there were a LOT of wires? There were even wires in my hair. I remember the tedch told me that the night's sleep would generate over 1,000 pages of data that needed to be analyzed. I had to get X amount hours of sleep for the study to work. I don't recall the exact time, but I think it was like 6 hours. When I was all wired up, I was free to spend the evening in the room watching TV or reading. The camera was off. When I was ready to go to sleep, I let the tech know. At that point, the tech came in and did some last minute stuff including putting a heart monitor on my finger that has a little red light on it. The tech left the room, I shut off the lights and in a few minutes the tech was talking to me over the intercom, and the camera started filming. I was able to sleep somehow, but I woke up A LOT. Every time I moved and that little red light flashed in front of my eyes, I'd wake up a bit. I was woken up at 6 a.m. I had the option of getting dressed and just going home or showering first. I live more than an hour away, so I opted to shower first. The tech warned me that the stuff used to keep the leads in your hair would be difficult to wash out. The tech wasn't exaggerating. I tried very hard that morning to wash it all out, and I didn't get it all. I took another shower when I arrived home, and if I remember right there was still some in my hair the next day when I took my third shower. I had very thick long hair and the stuff they use has sticking power. I did snap a picture of me with most of the wires on. It isn't a photo I'd share with anyone. Before going to bed, the tech did tell me that if a problem was detected that I'd be fitted with a cpap that night to try out. I didn't have any sleep problems, so I didn't experience that part of the study. Again, it is a lot of wires, but they do a really good job routing them in a way to keep them secure and out of your way as much as they possibly can. I move around a lot when I sleep and no wires came undone. The most annoying thing to me was that little red light on my finger. Apparently my hand goes in front of my face quite a lot when I sleep, and it wasn't fun having a shining red light on my finger when that happened. All in all, the experience was painless and even pleasant. It was also pretty interesting to see how many wires it took.

I want to say yes to this, but it hasn't happened yet. I just wanted to comment on this post, so I can stay updated on it.

I stopped buying when I decided to have the surgery. I was in a size 20, and I only had 20s and 18s in pants. It wasn't long before I needed to shop at second-hand stores to supplement. I've gone through two complete wardrobes since then. I didn't start buying retail until my shirts reached size large. I figured even if I get smaller, I can wear large. When I do buy retail, I buy on sale. Sometimes the prices are even cheaper than you can find at places like Goodwill. Target, Meijers and TJ Maxx are some of my favorite places to shop for deals. I liked JC Penney too, but they just changed how they price stuff. I've only been there once since then, and the prices seemed good.

I got braces three months after I was sleeved. My front six braces on the top are clear ceramic, but the rest are metal. I cannot believe how painful it can be. I am very thankful that my sleeve helps me stay satisfied with a liquid diet right after my appointments. Congrats on the Invisalign! And here's to skinny bods and straight teeth!

kkimm, it is never too late to get those measurements. Measure now, and you will see progress. I measured myself in the following locations: calves, thighs, hips, waist, bustline, upper arms and neck. I also measured my "butt/hips," which is my widest area. I wrote it down on a small notebook that I keep in my underwear drawer. I update it about every month or so. I then keep track of the inches I've lost overall.

I bought the XBox game of Zumba, and I do that at home. I also go to a group Zumba that is twice a week in the evenings. It is a bit of a drive for me, so I know what you mean about not wanting to give up time with hubby to go workout. I haven't bought the DVDs yet, but I am looking into it.

Tomorrow is the six month anniversary of my surgery. I've lost 65 pounds, and I'd like to lose 30 to 50 more pounds. Yesterday, I met with my surgeon. All of my labs came back good. He warned me that my weight loss might slow down without exercise. One problem for me is that I am not ingesting enough fluids. I have been keeping track of my food, and I think that it has a direct relation to my stalls. When I drink less, I tend to stall. When I up my Fluid intake, I lose weight. I discussed this with my surgeon, and he said that it takes fluid to burn calories. If I'm dehydrated, I won't burn calories and the 40 ounces I normally drink probably isn't enough. I increased my fluid intake yesterday, and I am down a pound this morning to 190. I am very happy with my sleeve. Before my surgery, I weighed 255 and was gaining weight despite efforts to exercise and eat right. It would take me months to lose 10 pounds, but I could gain them all back in a weekend if I wasn't careful. My right ankle has severe osteoarthritis (spelling?), and it was painful. I'd take medicine for the pain and to help prevent swelling. It swelled frequently despite the medicine. My girls' bedroom is upstairs, and I would rarely go upstairs because I was fearful of my ankle and because the stairs wore me out. I hated buying clothes or trying anything on because I was so disgusted with myself. More and more I found myself opting to not do things because I weighed too much. I have gone from a size 20/22 to a 12. I now weigh 190 pounds, and I hope to break into the 180s this week. I am active. I haven't had to take pain pills for my ankle since my surgery. It no longer swells up. I climb the stairs to my daughters' bedroom at least once a day if not more without any problems. Happily, I am eager to do things and love being active with my family. The sleeve helped me change my life for the better. When I first planned the surgery, I thought there was a possibility that I would lose all 115 pounds of my excess weight by this time. That hasn't happened, but I am not concerned with my progress either. There are so many other factors that go into losing weight, and I feel like I am right on track. More importantly, I am making exercise a regular part of my life.

I would rate my surgery a 10. I have lost almost 70 pounds in six months time. I feel so much better about myself, and I have so much more energy. I am happier because I feel better. I haven't had any problems, and I love that I don't get hungry and am able to be satisified with small portions of food. Best of all, I am so happy that the symptoms for my ankle have disappeared. I have severe arthritis, and before surgery my ankle throbbed and ached and swelled. It limited my physical activity. Losing weight has allowed me to quit taking meds for my ankle. I no longer have to limit my physical activity. I was limping quite a bit, especially in the morning. I limp less now. I have always limped for the first step or two since I injured my ankle. When I was heavier, I limped for a much longer time. Now I am back to just the first step or two when I first wake up.

I hope you heard from your doctor's office by now. This isn't normal. And it can lead to dehydration quickly. I am hoping you start feeling better soon. Please make sure to contact your doctor. Keep calling. I wouldn't wait.

My doctor mentioned I needed to increase my Fluid intake. He said that I can't burn calories if I'm dehydrated. I was getting less than 40 ounces on some days and rarely even close to the recommended 64 ounces, and some of that was probably coffee which doesn't really count. For the last two days, I've drank over 60 ounces of fluid, and I've lost a pound each day. Linda

I like bald guys! :-) Full disclosure: my husband shaves his head, and I think Sean Connery is sexy. LOL

I drank over 64 ounces yesterday as well, and I had another loss this morning. It seems dehydration doesn't work well for weight loss. :-) Forensikchic, I am impressed that you got 2.5 miles in during your lunch hour! How awesome! Thanks, SleeveofSteel! HelenTheCat, I totally agree about the cold weather. I can't wait until it warms up, so I can resume long walks outside. Right now, the only walking I do is when I'm walking across campus where I work. I arrive with a red face from the wind burn on my cheeks. I have a treadmill in my bedroom that I rarely use. I hate the treadmill. In the winter, I prefer Zumba.

kkimm, what is your Water intake? When I tend to not lose weight for weeks on in, I found that I wasn't drinking at least 64 ounces of water a day. When I increased my Fluid intake, I started losing weight again. Linda

My nutritionist suggested we avoid special K because they are designed for a different person that weight-loss/meal replacement. It was also because of tehir high sugar content. I was told to look for foods that have less than 7 grams of sugar per serving and to even avoid sugar alcohols, which are what is used ot replace sugar in a lot of the "no sugar" or "sugar free" stuff.

For me, it depends how much protein is in the food. If it is just 15 grams of protein, I can eat more than 5 ounces. If it is 25-30 grams, I can eat 5 ounces but it will take an hour or so.

I love my sleeve.

I'm there. Feel free to add me! http://www.myfitnesspal.com/slsherwood51

I am struggling with this same question right now. I chose my "goal weight" pretty randomly. I did it knowing it was 5 pounds LESS than what I had weighed in high school, which was a time when I was very active and healthy and not overweight. As I get closer to my goal weight, I am starting to wonder if I truly want to weigh less than I did in high school. It was also when I started crunching the numbers. I realized that I will be within a normal BMI range at 162. It makes me think that 150 or 155 would be a better goal for me. Even then, I am thinking 155 because that is the "100" pounds lost goal. I want wiggle room in case I gain later. For me at 5'7.5," I would weigh 185 to be equivalent to your 5'4" and 165. Personally, I want to lose beyond that. I really want to get in the normal range. My loss has slowed down. I do exercise regularly, but I know I could step it up. I think it is important to constantly evaluate where you are and what you want to be. I completely understand what you mean about rather be chubby than loose skin. I want to be healthy and look healthy. Whatever decision you make, I know it will be one that you thought hard about and that means it will be the right decision for you.

OK, this made me hate my current photo and really motivate me!

My sister lives in Arizona, and I live in Michigan. She has been asking for pictures of me to see my weight loss, so I posted one to Facebook. In less than a minute, I had a ton of likes and about 17 comments. In less than 5 minutes, my sister-in-law was instant messaging asking me if I was done losing weight. I said no, and I planned to lose between 30 to 50 more pounds. She told me I'd be skin and bones and that I shouldn't lose any more. My sister, however, was thrilled to see my loss, and she is excited for me. She is overweight and has never dieted. She is starting to talk to her doctor about weight-loss. She isn't ready for a surgery since she'd never even tried to lose before, but she is hoping to start dieting with some success.

To date, I've lost 64 pounds, and I am a couple of weeks shy of my 6 month anniversary. I feel great, and I love all of my energy. It is hard to believe that photos taken just 6 months ago are really of me. I never felt like that was me. I feel like I am myself again. My diet has recently had to change back to mostly liquids and soft cheeses. I have braces now, and the lower brackets were installed just over a week ago and boy did it hurt. It still doesn't feel great, which is why I'm on a mostly liquid diet. And I am thrilled with the results I am seeing. I can't wait to continue to see improvements.

I don't think your before pics are that horrendous, but I am so impressed by how well you are doing. Plus, I love your hair. If I am looking right, you are wearing the same shirt in both pictures. It is so cool to see how it fits differently now. You can see some of your purple tank top in your chest area in the second picture. it never would have been visible in the before picture. Plus, in the second picture, the shirt comes down so much further on your butt and arms even though it isn't pulled down all the way. It really shows the changes in inches. Great job!

At 9 weeks out, I was down about 42 pounds. You are right on track. If you figure it out by the week, you are averging a loss of more than 4 pounds a week. That's awesome. I had a 10 pound loss before surgery, but I gained it back for a few days due to surgery fluids. So my 42 pound loss includes that relost 10 pounds.

You look awesome! You've really rocked your sleeve in the last two months.