Lissa

Okay, so are there any tips on shaving? I tried it last night with my razor for my legs and it seems pretty smooth this morning. Should I keep a separate razor for my face? Shaving cream? I use conditioner on my legs because it helps keep the skin from drying out. Should I use that on my face as well? And, I don't care if I do have to have a separate razor. I just want to not have to be constantly tweezing my chin hair! LOL

YAY!! Those NSVs are SO important for us!! Congrats!!

Awesome!! I weighed in this morning at 281.2, which is just over 70 pounds lost since the start of my pre-op diet (13 pre surgery), so 57 pounds since surgery. I think that's incredible!

(((Susan))) I can't wait until it's my turn to shop in the normal size section. It's getting closer, I can feel it! And, all you latinas need to tell me what a pastelle is because it sounds yummy! Please??? Maybe a recipe?

BTW, I agree on the shakes being gross! I'm still not ready to try another one, despite Egg Face's delicious looking recipes.

My post was not meant to cause fear, but to encourage caution. Follow your doctor's instructions and, if you really feel the need to accelerate, then call your Nut and ask for advice. The few fatality stories I've heard were related to people who ate WAY too much WAY too fast. My nurse friend has read in the medical journals about people who did truly stupid things, like eating a whole pizza a few days post op or attempting steak within a week of a WLS surgery. There really is a MAJOR head component to this surgery. Some people are truly addicted to food and cannot regulate their eating even with surgical intervention. That's scary, and probably why psyche consults are required. But, if scared is what it takes to keep someone from harming themselves, then so be it. I doubt applesauce would hurt you if you're starting mushies in a day or so. I wouldn't push it, though, unless your doc or nut say it's okay. I'm rooting for everyone to make it through the healing stage without complications.

I noticed that the weight loss slowed down for now, but my clothes are getting looser faster. I have muscle in places I never had it before, or at least I never felt it. My butt and legs are firming up quickly (treadmill and bike) and I'm seeing some arm definition (weights). However, I drop sheer pounds faster when I'm not working out every day for now. I'm sure that will change as I get closer to goal and the exercise becomes more vigorous.

I haven't noticed my facial hair slowing down. As a matter of fact, I should own stock in a tweezer company! I have a pair everywhere, plus two in my purse and one in the car. My "Sherlock Holmes" chin grab is a sight to see! LOL

Those NSVs will keep you going when nothing else can! Congrats!!

Lisa, as Nike says "Just do it!" You are off to a great start! I try to do the exercise bike or treadmill 3x a week and do some small weights at high repetitions the other days. I'm still almost a total beginner, but I'm getting there.

Love it on the foot massage!! You are doing great and sorry that your friend is MIA right now. Hopefully it's just holiday related stress and not something serious on her part. You sound great, which is wonderful! I'm so happy to hear that from you! Too many exclamation points in this post, as always. :)

I'm sorry if this seems harsh but, without doctor approval, it is NEVER a good idea to push to the next stage. If your surgeon says yes, then that's fine. Pushing yourself too fast can lead to major complications. Yes, the stages are based on "old" info from Gastric Bypass and RNY surgeries, but most doctors use that info because there is not enough research yet to prove that sleevers can move forward faster. You do NOT want to do something that would cause a leak in your stomach or a rip somewhere. The diet, liquid, full liquid, then mushies, is there to protect your stomach from a leak and to make sure you have the best recovery possible. It's temporary, although it is tough to mentally get through this stage! Once you are back on solids, this will become a distant memory, mine already feels like a dream state. Please, please, protect your new sleeve and give it the time it needs to heal. If you need motivation to stay on track, go read the threads from those who have had leaks and abcesses. Their experiences should be enough to convince you to stay the right course. If you MUST chew something, try SF popsicles or Ice if your teeth will handle it. Sorry, not wanting to be mean, but I don't want to see anyone have problems if they can prevent them. Good luck!!

It might be time to add some B12, which helps with memory issues. I take a sublingual B12 every day, but you will want to check with your doctor for how much to take. Most sleevers take it 3 times a week or only once a week. I'm on daily because my other meds affect my B12 levels.

I have to agree with your friend, Pookey! I have seen folks post things that made me want to reach through the computer and dial 911 for them. I think it's best to err on the side of caution, but I get why people are hesitant to go to the ER immediately. My experience was going to the ER in early May for pneumonia and basically being told, by the doctor, that I was a drug seeker and to go home! This was after my PCP wanted to send me in by ambulance! When I did end up in the hospital the second time and was admitted, I wanted to go down to the ER and smack that woman. However, this is where we have to be our own best advocate and stand up for ourselves, or have a friend we trust to stand up for us. I ended up standing on the hospital bed, demanding that someone, anyone, come into the cubicle and check on me because I had been there for 5 hours with no food, drink, or medication. I was also freezing cold and watching my fingernails turn blue. I understand why people hesitate to go to the ER unless they are bleeding or obviously near death!

My link is in my signature as well. Mine is strictly about weight loss and the sleeve, so far.

My first surgical consult involved the doc and I discussing WHY I wanted to have WLS, WHAT I thought I'd get out of WLS, HOW WELL I thought I could comply with the post-surgery dietary requirements, WHEN I wanted to have surgery and the details of my 22 page pre-consult forms. The forms asked all of the above, plus asked me to tell which procedure I wanted and why. The forms took me hours of thinking to fill out, which, IMO, was fantastic. It made me look at myself from a different perspective and helped me talk out my issues to myself so that I could articulate my dreams and goals to the surgeon. IMO, my psyche consult was less invasive and thorough than the doctor's pre-consult forms. When I go now, I write down all of my questions in my iPhone Notes app as I think of them. Then I go over those questions with the doc at my consult. Other docs may vary, but mine spends the time to make sure all of my questions are answered and that I'm still doing well with my sleeve. I really appreciate that!

Awesome!! It sounds like you had a good workout! Those endorphins that we release while working out are addicting!!

I didn't have much actual pain. My thighs hurt way worse than my tummy because I was trying to compensate for my tummy. It wasn't anywhere near as bad as my c-section pain from having my kids! I took pain meds the first day and wanted a dose the 2nd night, but I didn't know my conversion from mL to teaspoons, so I didn't take any pain meds that night. I haven't needed any since. I have an unopened bottle of loritab liquid that I keep trying to give to someone, but the pharmacy won't take it back (even without giving me a refund) and the police dept here stopped accepting old meds. Anyway, back to pain... gas pain can be pretty uncomfortable, and so can the pain from over-filling your sleeve with liquid as an early post-op. So, sip slowly to get the liquids in and walk a lot to get the gas out. Even if you're only capable of walking around the coffee table, it's going to help. Good luck on your journey!!

Welcome to VST!! It is nerve-wracking for family to watch us go through this, no matter which surgeon we choose. Adding in a doc in Mexico and the alarm bells start ringing, as well they should. There are good and bad doctors everywhere. You just have to research thoroughly and well so that you know you're in good hands. Lots of people on this board have gone to Mexico for their surgeries and have had amazing results. You'll find many reviews and surgery stories from those folks, and you probably have been reading them. Perhaps it would ease your wife's mind to read those same stories? Good luck on your journey!!

I like UX girl's answers! I'd add that having more/better blankets and pillows would have made me more comfortable. Also, something to help with lifting up and sitting down to go potty (cane, walker) might have been nice the first day. A pillow is nice to hold on your tummy for turning, coughing, and getting up. If your hospital doesn't have one automatically, ask for a good chair that reclines. I didn't get in the hospital bed for more than a few seconds because mine was way too soft. My entire stay was spent in the chair. Having an extension cord or outlet handy to plug in your phone or computer is always nice. My personal favorite would have been a shower! I was allowed to shower as soon as I got home, but I'd have liked to take a shower at the hospital before I was discharged. It made such a difference in how I felt! Good luck!!

I had no real pain, so didn't use the pain meds after my 1 night in the hospital. I was able to handle self-care with no issues, including showering and pottying, even at 337, which was my surgery weight. That said, it's NICE to have someone to help because it's tough to get up and down if you have a nice comfy couch like I do. I had a drain for 8 days, but went back to work the same afternoon the drain was taken out. I typically drive 100 miles a day, but most of my work is pretty easy. I do some walking and lots of paperwork with people. My restriction was heavy lifting, so I asked people to refill the copier for me until I was about 3 weeks out since I'd have to lift the box of paper of the shelf to get a ream of paper. The two offices I work from do not belong to me, so I have to deal with their systems rather than changing it to be more comfy for me. The one major piece of advice I give is KNOW WHAT YOUR liquid PAIN MEDICINE DOSAGE IS IN YOUR OWN MEASURING SYSTEM. I didn't know what the conversion from mL to teaspoons was, so I didn't get the one dose of pain meds I wanted to have on the 1st night home. I was too scared to wing it and couldn't find it on the 'net because I was too out of it. Good luck! You'll do fine!!

OOOOhhhhh, I can't wait to see weights from both of you!! Ray, Welcome to the loser's bench!! Tina, I can't wait until you update your face pic with that big smile of yours! Ray, thanks for telling your story and I'm glad you found VST!

Okay, so I didn't make my Christmas Challenge goal, which was 280 pounds. But, I'm at 281.2 as of this morning, so I'm pretty happy. I lost 18.8 pounds rather than the original 20. I'll take it and happy dance some more. I did, however, lose 1 and a half pants sizes during the last month(ish) and I'm down 2 shirt sizes! Those are awesome NSV's even if I missed by a tad on the scale!