Lissa

Good luck and congrats to your Dad!! Prayers that all goes well for him!!

Welcome to VST! Here's hoping that your pre-op testing goes easily and well!

I'm just now getting into "normal" sizes, but I've bought very little in the way of clothes, IMO. When my pants get too big, I'll buy a pair of black pants and a pair of jeans because I'm loving jeans these days. As for shirts, I've had pretty good luck. I can sew, and I've taken in the sides on quite a few shirts. However, I've also bought quite a few cheap t-shirts to round out my workout wardrobe. My local Goodwill only seems to go up to size 18 for most of their clothes, although I've been lucky and found a couple of blouses there. It's weird for me to be able to buy non-plus size clothes. I almost feel like I'm sneaking into the normal sizes section and I have no idea from looking what will fit me now. I literally have to grab two or three sizes of a shirt or pants and try them all on to find which ones fit me. What's worse is that I'm shape shifting, so the brands that used to be comfortable don't necessarily fit right these days. Before, I had a small waist compared to my hips. Now that equation is starting to reverse because my tummy isn't shaping up as quickly as my tush. I see major spanx in my future! LOL

Welcome! It's always good to see someone new here! As for your fears, let me address each one. I'm 8.5 months post-op and I've been "sick" exactly once. I drank too quickly after eating bread and Pasta during an evening out with friends. It wasn't like I'd experienced pre-op, more like a quick push up out of my stomach and it was over. My energy level after surgery was incredibly high and shows no signs of slacking. I've been up and moving and feeling pretty much incredible since day one, okay, since day three! I started walking immediately and adding in treadmill, bike, and weights as soon as I was cleared for any and all of the above by my surgeon. As for food, once past the liquid diet, I've been able to eat anything I wanted to eat. I don't do much bread or pasta post-op, but those are my only real limitations. I loved bread pre-op and used to bake bread several times a week. Now, bread doesn't hold much appeal to me. It's not a Protein source, so I just don't bother most of the time. Good luck with your journey! Unfortunately, I don't know of anyone who was sleeved in the Phillipines, but I'm sure there are some here.

Jenn, Mine looked a little suspicious the whole time the drain was in there, but I didn't have an infection. I was allowed to use dry gauze to clean it while the drain was still installed, then the doc put a large bandaid over it for three days after he took the drain out. Once the bandage came off, it formed a big scab that I was not allowed to mess with at all. The drain scar is the only one that is still very visible at 8.5 months out from surgery, but it's not bad.

I eat 5, sometimes 6, times a day. Often a meal will be a couple of pieces of sliced deli meat and a slice of cheese, so I'm not eating huge amounts at any one time, though. The 3 meals a day thing does NOT work for me. I cannot eat enough at one time to last more than a few hours. I also have a bottle of Water or glass of decaf tea at my side constantly.

You can lose as much as you want to lose. It's up to you. You'll have to exercise and stay on track with protein and water, but there is no reason you can't get to your goal. You can also choose to change that goal if you feel unhealthy or don't like the way you look at "goal".

It's literally as simple as "Just Do It". Get on the bike for 5 minutes at a time. Do it when you first get up in the morning, or for a few minutes when you first get home. It is a great stress reliever and, honestly, you may not be able to do more than 5 minutes on the bike OR treadmill when you first start. Every little bit helps, though, and you'll soon find that you are able and willing to do more. Yes, they want you to work out 4 hours per week, but you can start with baby steps. Do 5 minutes today, then add 30 seconds each day. The cardiovascular fitness is super helpful with surgery recovery and you'll be miles ahead of the game for post-op. Working out will also boost your serotonin levels in your brain, which will improve your mood. I had an EKG last year before surgery and recently had another. I have been concentrating on my outer appearance and the scale, but my pulmonologist told me that my current EKG shows good results from all of the cardio I've been doing. THAT is incredibly sexy to me, and it lets me know that I am going in the right direction health-wise. Any exercise you do now will improve your health and exercise increases your energy levels, which means you'll be better able to handle those 12 hour work days and chasing your 3 year old. Even once you're up to 1/2 an hour a day, it's not a big time investment, but it will pay big dividends in your energy levels. Just do it. Start slow, add time in small increments and enjoy the benefits!

I don't know how the runners do it, but I just keep a water bottle in the handy holder on teh bike or elliptical.

Coops, You do look fantastic!!! I agree that the scale lies like a dog! I've dropped three sizes in the last three months, but less than 10 pounds in the same time period.

It might be your "full" signal for now.

Shilo, You're gonna do great!! It's almost here! YAY!!!

Don't buy protein shots! The protein in them is NOT readily available to our bodies. It is often made from hydrolized collagen, which is not good for us. Wheetsin made a great post about it a few days ago, citing the science behind why whey protein is so much better and more available for humans.

You do look beautiful! And, it does look like hubby has lost some weight! BTW, I have those same shoes!! You have really rocked that sleeve!!

If your kid is used to being fed regularly, s/he will let you know when it's time to feed them! LOL It's definitely an adventure!

Butterbean, You WILL have the stamina! Believe me, I was a poster child for not doing anything, or being able to do anything, pre-op. I've said it before, but I couldn't walk from my front door to my car pre-op. I started really slow and I've been adding in a little here and there to get to this point. I'm not a super-exerciser, just working hard to get to goal.

The exercise bike has done WONDERS for my legs! I'm actually willing to show mine off fairly regularly now.

Thanks for that article. Interesting conclusion, but drawn from a very small sample of women. I think they'd get a better sample group HERE.

fluffy libra, Just start adding some self-tanner to your routine now. At least then the stretch marks will be darker and perhaps blend in better. That's my plan, anyway!

Freddie is my favorite!!! I've always loved that song and I doubt I'll ever NOT be a fat-bottomed girl, but I'll take a booty curve instead of a Ghetto Onion, as one of the inmates at my former job called my posterior!!!

Great job! You're rocking that sleeve!!

You're a brat! Here I thought someone had stolen your picture! I like the new name!! But, I may still refer to you as Little Miss Diva forever, or until I can wrap my head around the name change!

Good luck, Michelle!! I'll keep you in my thoughts today for an easy surgery and uneventful recovery! Looking forward to seeing you on the loser's bench!!

It will get easier as you progress through the stages and as the swelling in your sleeve goes down. I was going to suggest that you start slow with some walking, but you probably walk more as a nurse than I do on a daily basis NOW. Don't push yourself super hard. Gradually add in the workouts as your stabilize. Once you're back on solid food and have clearance from your surgeon (about 6-8 weeks), then you can increase your workouts.