Lissa

Oh, actingnurse, I have a soft spot for NICU nurses. My son was in NICU for 8 days and it was the absolute scariest few days of my life! He's a strapping 6'3" 22 year old now, but I remember how sweet and helpful the nurses were back then. You have an amazing, terrible, oh so important job!!!

Low weights, high reps. I do biceps curls, triceps kick backs, skull crushers, overhead arm extensions, etc. daily. There are several really good arm videos on You Tube. I started with 2 pound weights, 10 reps each, adding reps as they got easier. I've raised weights regularly as the weight got too easy to do at 100 reps. I carry a small weight in the car with me because I do tons of driving daily and I do one arm at a time as I drive. My personal trainer just moved me to cable weights and small barbells for the same exercises and added a couple of exercises that work the muscles around the rotator cuff to prevent injury for me. We anticipate that I'll start lifting more serious weight within a month or two. My arms look fantastic. I have serious bicep muscle and definition in my upper arms, chest and shoulders, although not like a body builder would have. I do still have some loose skin, but I have good muscle definition under there.

I agree with the others above that a lot of things can affect your heart rate. My resting heart rate has gone down since surgery, possibly because I'm MUCH more active than I was pre-op. I do at least 30 minutes of cardio per day, and I'm in the process of adding time to that number. I see a pulmonologist regularly because I had blood clots and a couple of pulmonary embolisms before surgery. He did an EKG at my last appointment and said that the new readout is "the sexiest thing" because it's so much better than it was a year and 100 pounds ago. I'm worried because you said you're almost at a point that you don't care about yourself anymore. That's sad to me. I hope you'll find something in your life (either alone or with a therapist's help) that can inspire you to do something for yourself. Every life is worth living and you've got something to offer to others, whether it's a compassionate heart or an inspiring story about how you've survived all your troubles and tribulations. YOU are worth the chance to have a better life! I know where you're at right now. I was there just over a year ago and I was wondering when I could just die and be done with all the troubles in this life. Now, I'm up and going every day, working, spending time with my friends and family and anticipating what's next for me! I was told that I'd die in a year if I didn't lose some serious weight very quickly. Here I am a year later and my future is literally so bright that I have to wear shades!!! Please give yourself this gift! You'll never regret it!

Buy or take a comfy robe to cover your backside. For me, the worst part of the hospital is always those thin little blankets, so I took a robe and a wool shawl. Between the two, I was warm and comfy. I probably was a bad patient because I refused to get in the bed, even right after surgery. I stayed in the chair when I wasn't walking. I won't say I was anxious to walk, but I kept getting up and pacing in my room because I just couldn't sit that long. I anticipated hating those stupid socks, but I loved them while I was in the hospital. I think that the other ladies are right. A lot of your experience post-op is determined by your attitude. If you "know" you'll have a lot of pain and a tough recovery, that's what you'll get. A positive attitude goes a long, long way to helping our body recover. I bet you know that already, since you're a nurse. Your patients with a good attitude probably recover more quickly than those whose entire attitude is negative, don't they?

I ended up taking antibiotic pills while I was still on clear liquids. I just cut the pills into pieces and took them with a tiny bit of water. My surgeon's guideline is nothing bigger than a regular M&M. At a year out, I'm back on regular multivitamins, which are fairly large, and I swallow them with no problems. I've been able to dump quite a few of my Rx meds over the last year. Hopefully, you'll be able to come off some of those meds very quickly after surgery. That would be a terrific bonus!

At almost a year out, I eat almost no bread. It makes me uncomfortably full and bread has been involved in all three of my sliming episodes. Considering that I used to make all of my family's bread, I was something of a bread lover, but now it's just not worth my trouble. I may have a bite here and there, but not often and never more than a bite. I thought I'd miss it more than I do, but it's a non-issue for me.

Congrats!! You'll be sleeved the day after my 1st Surgiversary! I can't wait to watch you transform yourself into a new, healthier, you!!

You look like you, only better! Congrats on the pay off for all your hard work!!

Your doc is right up on the current research! I've read that a larger bougie does reduce the risks of leaks/strictures, which risks are already pretty low, unless you have one! Here's a picture of bougies, just so you can see the difference in sizes. It's very small, millimeters in fact.

Amazing transformation! Great job!! I was jealous that you were standing next to Vin Diesel until I caught the "Madame Toussad" sign!

If I'm in doubt, I always buy the next smaller size, especially if it's close to fitting. At the rate I'm shrinking, that tight size down will be too big in a few weeks anyway, so I may as well get some wear out of it. I might not wear it today, but the "tight" size always fits in a couple of weeks. Enjoy the journey! That's half the fun!

I can't give you advice on breathing and running, but I know that on the elliptical, I do the following. I try to take deep breaths in and out. In through my nose, out through my mouth. If I have a hard time breathing, I slow down until I get my breathing under control, then speed up. I have asthma and this seems to work for me. HTH

That gives new meaning to "Go, O, Go!". . Yee Haw!!! Lissa

Okay, folks. I had a weird visit with my WLS surgeon today. Weird because he actually told me that I look really good and don't "need" to lose any more weight. I'm 245 still and probably have 20 pounds of skin that should be removed in my stomach area. He gave me a referral to the plastic surgeon and documented my tummy issues (rashes, a boil, need for powder constantly under the roll) and he thinks my insurance will cover the tummy tuck, if I choose to do it. My plastics consult is August 31, so one year and one day after surgery. I'm stunned, but I somewhat agree about the weight loss. I don't really have much more I can do except shape and tone, which I'm working on now. My original goal was 170, raised to 190, but aside from loose skin and the tummy area, I'm pretty much toned up. I'm looking for comments, advice, delusions. Help me decide if this is really something I want to do at this point.

WindyCityMom, I know I still have some distance to go before I'm truly at goal, but my WLS surgeon wanted me to see the plastic surgeon now so we could start the process. We both knew that I'd still have some weight left to lose before plastics. What neither of us anticipated was that the PS would demand that I lose another SEVENTY pounds. I'm thinking 30-40 is about perfect for me, especially with the amount of exercise I do. I don't see 70 pounds coming off me anywhere without my looking like I died. No, I definitely don't want to have to revise the abdominal surgery. According to the plastic surgeon, revision of a tummy tuck is one of the riskiest surgeries to have in terms of good/bad results. I'm truthfully not 100% sure I want to have the TT at all, but I'll know more in another 20 pounds or so.

Bean, I try to keep up with the research to a point and I don't recall the article. Of course, I've had a couple of months of being in my own little world due to some family drama, so I may have missed it, too. I'll look for it.

Bougie size is pretty much irrelevant. There is very little difference between the smallest and largest bougies. Some folks have more volume because they are taller and therefore often have longer sleeves than shorter people, but the bougie doesn't really give you extra room. Here's a picture that shows the difference in sizes.

Mezz, I barely cook at all anymore. I spend one night a week prepping bacon and sausage for the week, buy a bag of fajita meat, and keep it all in the fridge for later use. Simple and easy. Since you probably won't see this until surgery is over... Welcome to the Loser's Bench!!!

That last night is really scary for many of us. I didn't sleep at all the night before my surgery. You have made a huge decision for yourself and now you're looking it in the eye and wondering the same things many of us wonder. Should I do this? Will I be able to live with this decision for the rest of my life? If you're truly in an introspective mood, go back over your list of pros and cons. But, remember this, once you're sleeved, you will lose that 150 pounds and be happier, healthier and more energetic. You'll get to live a lot longer than you will if you remain obese. Even if you manage to lose that 150 pounds on your own, how hard will it be to take it off and keep it off. Yes, you've lost weight pre-op, but you've done it by literally eliminating food from your diet. I had the same thoughts you're having right now. Less than a year later and 112 pounds lighter, I'm STILL thrilled I got on that table. Think of this: What would YOU give right this minute to be 112 pounds lighter? A piece of your stomach is easy compared to whatever the answer to that question is. Good luck! I'll be here waiting to welcome you to the loser's bench after your surgery!!! Your future is so bright that you're gonna need shades!

Yay!!! I hope you get your date today!!

You have earned it! Enjoy it to the hilt!! I plan to do the same!!

Hee Hee, Pip! We were fondling the implants yesterday and DH made a comment about how natural they felt! LOL I agreed that they did feel pretty natural. I've always imagined they'd feel more plastic and harder than they did. If I'm going through the pain of surgery, though, I want EVERYONE to know I had my boobs done!

I've always been a pear, larger hips and bottom with somewhat smaller boobs. I was really worried that I'd end up even more pear shaped, but I'm now more hourglass shaped. Once I have my tummy tuck, that will be very pronounced I think.

I read some research about this that said a man WANTS a woman that other men find attractive. It boosts his own self-esteem and gives him standing in the "pack" so to speak. I also noticed this yesterday during my plastics consult. The doc was showing my DH pictures of what is possible with plastics once I reach goal. The doc suggested THREE surgeries and my DH is on board not only with my having those surgeries, but was ready to open his checkbook and pay for them right then and there. At first I was kind of offended, then I realized that he thinks it's worth it to have a woman who is THAT hot on his arm. And, believe me, with all that work, I'd have no choice but to be THAT hot!

I had a consult with a plastic surgeon yesterday. We didn't even discuss whether insurance would cover anything because what I need is so much more than the insurance would cover. My doc recommends three procedures and, even if one were partially covered, none of the rest would be covered. I'm seriously debating what I want done and if it's all or nothing for me. The three are a lower body lift, then breast lift/augmentation and arms together, and finally my thighs. I'm assuming they'd be done over the course of a couple of years and I'm just not sure I can go the distance on that much pain and body reshaping. Of course, one may inspire me to do the next. I do know one thing, though, if I'm going for breast augmentation, I want BOOBS, not just boobs.