SassySenior

Congratulations to all of you. What a great testament you are to what is possible when you decide to take advantage of a great tool and make a commitment to yourself to use it to its full advantage. My highest weight was 431, and I distinctly remember my doctor at the time saying something like, "well, we really need to do something about this." That may have been when I woke up and said, "hell, yes!" I had my surgery Nov. 1, just 3 weeks ago. Prior to surgery, I lost 67 lbs, and another 5 since, for a total loss to date of 72 lbs. If anyone told me I was gonna lost 72 lbs. I would have been almost as shocked as if someone had told me I was gonna gain over 400 lbs. Both pretty un-f**king believable. But it seems that once you make a commitment to go down this road, you follow a predestined path (med. supv'd diet, etc.) and next thing you know, you're dropping lbs. Beginning with the pre-op liquid starvation diet and up till now ... the "mushies" soft food diet, it's all kinda hard, but somehow I manage to do it one day at a time. The days mount up and before I know it, I'm past the last difficult stage. It's a little harder when you don't cook and have little creativity when it comes to putting a pureed meal together. In fact, I'm lucky if I can get in 300 calories a day now. A friend took pity on me and bought me a blender. She's coming over tomorrow to see what tasty?? treats she can whip up for me. Any suggestions appreciated.

Hi to the Lindas ... specifically Linda and Lynda ... and good to hear from you Art. Great to have Cindy and Coach joining in, too! I love the stories and am inspired by what you have shared. It's fabulous that Linda already had the surgery with no problems. I'm sure your hubby will do fine. Sounds like you have a good surgeon. Great to hear from you "oldtimers" about the great success you've had with the Sleeve. I gotta tell you, I still find it hard to believe that I'm gonna get anywhere near slim. It wasn't until recently that I even began to see how truly big I was. Heck, I've dropped 72 lbs., mostly pre-surgery, and you can't really see a difference. When you're as morbidly obese as I am, the first 100 lbs. just drop away some of the excess. I'm still a ways away from nearing 300. Guess what? As some of you know, I am a writer and get creative with words. Well, people are always talking about reaching "One-derland" and those of us trying to drop below 300 haven't had a catchy phrase ... till now! My new catch phrase for this is "Two-ferland." Perfect, no? I've always loved the idea of two-fers! We have so many smart, creative and talented Boomers here. Faye is a foodie who comes up with the most exotic and delicious recipes. Coco and Cheryl, long-time members are very good at being supportive and caring. And lots of other things, I'm sure. Thanks, Lynda for telling us your story. Warm (((hugs))) and supportive wishes go out to Linda's hubby for his upcoming surgery. I had an exceptionally rough go ... did I tell you about the blood transfusion? Anyway, most don't have anything other than a couple of rough days ... and then it's downhill skiing on a slope of shakes and lots of Water. Right now I'm drinking Premier Protein chocolate, eating Cream of Wheat, and smashed up Soup. I just had a physical therapist visit me today. She seems nice and knowledgeable about helping me get some mobility. We had nasty weather today ... 39 and raining ... for the special commemoration here in Dallas of the 50th anniversary of JFK's assasination. People from all over the globe visited, along with the conspiracy theorists. One guy in particular was shouting that Lyndon Johnson killed JFK. I have to say, never heard that one before. Well, I'm signing off now so I can snuggle with my sweet Shiki. He is my constant companion. We are very close, and as you can see, he is impossible to resist. Have a warmer day, Boomers!

Hi Nakela & Jersey Girl, Nakela, the link works. Try it again. If not try copying this info in your browser and hit enter. http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/237899-over-400lbs-success-storied/ I started out at 425. I just had my surgery and am down 72 pounds from my highest weight. It's the only way to drop the weight I need to lose. Good luck! Jersey Girl -- thanks for always being available to help all. You get a gold star from me!!

Congratulations, Linda on your surgery. How did it go? How are you today? Can't wait to hear the details.

HI EVERYONE!!! It's great to see you posting and chatting with each other. I've been absent for several reasons. #1 is I had decided to get uninvolved with the group because no one was posting, and it was dying. However, several of you have recently echoed the sentiments I had when I started this group: How nice it would be to talk to my peers. We are possibly the bravest because we've decided to have this radical, major surgery at our age. Congrats to all who have been sleeved and to those waiting. The #2 reason is because I was tied up getting sleeved on Nov. 1. Because I live alone, I elected to go to a rehab hospital after surgery instead of going home alone. It turned out to be a nightmarish experience, and I wound up being held like a prisoner. It was difficult to get out of the rehab place, but I finally managed to "escape" last Saturday. It's now been 3 weeks since surgery, and I'm on the pureed portion of the diet. As my Nut said, picture baby food and you'll be on the right track. I haven't had a chance to get too creative because I do not yet own a blender. I should have one by early next week.' I have written enough posts here so that my life is now practically an open book. Have you written your story here? I know we'd all like to learn more about you. I'm happy you found us and hope you will stay long enough to enjoy the benefits of Boomers talking back and forth to each other. Welcome to all.

Hi group - After a 2 1/2 year wait with several stalls, changing surgeons and then changing back, rescheduing at least 3 surgery dates until I finally got one I can count on. Yes, even I went through a pile of hoops -- sometimes having to jump through the same hoop over and over again, I finally got the green light to be sleeved on Nov. 1. Words cannot express how I feel right now. Actually, I have no clue how I feel. At times, relieved, other times scared, overwhelmed and feeling I haven't done this is an orderly manner. Heck, I don't have vitamins or a lot of other things. But I'm in with you guys and I hope we will hold on tight to each other and help with this life-changng transformation,. Personally, I am starting at 378 lbs., from an all-time high of 431. I can still remember when I weighed my heaviest, my doctor said," we really need to do something about that." Her name was Joan, and I called her St. Joan, she was so chill. Lost medical records, waiting for Medicare to approve the sleeve, redoing so many of the requirements, including cardiac tests and clearance, now a 2nd pre-op diet, and I think I'm in the clear now. I'm ready to run the Derby. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it here in the sunny Southwest of Dallas, TX,. My moniker is Sassy, so tell me about you!

I feel for you. I was where you're at. What worked for me is to figure out what I could do vs. following a traditional diet. If you have more than 2 weeks, do what I did. Start recording everything you eat on the My Fitness Pal site. Nothing like seeing the cold, hard facts. This helped me realize what I was consuming. Once I knew that, I was able to make slightly better choices. I'm not a snacker. If you are, start chewing gum, drinking coffee with half and half. I ate cheese and crackers when I was super hungry in between meals. Just figure out what you can eat and can stick to, keeping in mind to reduce your calorie count from what you're eating now. You'd be amazed how much easier it is to reduce your caloric intake once you know what it is. If you're having trouble with the pre-op, reduce the carbs you eat, but don't eliminate them. One doctor I saw told me to have one sensible meal: 4-8 oz. meat, 1/2 cup mashed potatoes or rice, veggies and 1 piece of fruit. Said I could have fruit 3 times a day. For the other two meals, he recommended a Meal Replacement bar. He doesn't like Protein drinks, but that's what I drank for the other two meals. When I got so hungry I couldn't stand it, I ate some raw, unsalted nuts and drank another Protein Drink. I just struggled through it as best I could. I wound up losing 13 pounds in two weeks, with one week to go on the pre-op diet. I find out tomorrow what more I've lost. Best of luck to you. You can do it. I did, to my shock and amazement.

jottbaby, How are you? How did your surgery go? Write when you can. I'll be where you're at in 2 days. OMG. I really can't imagine it. The only other time I had surgery, I was being operated on for ovarian cancer. It was terrifying - they didn't know how bad the cancer was and/or if I'd survive the surgery. Luckily, I made it through like a champ and they got it all. That was 14 years ago. Hope you're doing good!

Cheryl, alas you and me does not a summer make, or something like that. Arts137, LindafromFlorida and others, sorry we didn't get a chance to know you. To my other friends here, sorry if my pre-op diet mood made me so grumpy. Or whatever your reasons for not replying today. I am unofficially shutting this site down. I won't close it completely on the off chance a newbie posts. But the only thing I'm gonna be pumping up from now on is my weight lifting. Thanks for sharing your insight and advice. You can still post here, if you want. I'll be checking back every now and then, but not regularly as I have been. Thanks for helping me get ready for surgery. Just 2 days and counting.

Hi Cheryl, Always good to hear from you. You have been doing incredible! Who would have thought not too long ago that you would weigh 100 lbs. less in just a few months? That is both fantastic and unbelievable. But it's your hard work that made that happen. I hope you are as proud of yourself as I am of you. It sounds like you have pretty well figured out how to meet your nutritional needs, between your regular food, the fruit, your Protein Drink and the V8 juice. I have a question for you on the V8. Does that fulfill our requirement for veggies? If so, I'm gonna do that, too. I like veggies, just don't like cooking whole meals. Right now I have some asparagus going bad in my refrigerator. I don't think you can freeze raw asparagus or can you? Have you tried heating the Quest bars in the microwave for 15 seconds? I've heard that's what it take to make them yummy. The ones I liked the best are the Mixed berry Bliss, strawberry Shortcake and the Almond one. They are pricey, so I just bought a large box of Premier Protein bars instead. They are ok, and cost a lot less. I just started drinking Vitamin Water from Kroger. It doesn't have a lot of flavor, but it does go down pretty easy. I can see me drinking that next week to help get my water in. Any suggestions for the 1st stage? liquids. I am planning on drinking decaf coffee with half & half, if I can. I know that milk is not recommended, but I am not a saint, and I'll be doing whatever I can to get those liquids in. I have been having a really hard time on the pre-op, being hungry. But I hear I won't be hungry after surgery. I sure hope so. I'm already super grouchy from not eating. Normally, I have an abundance of patience ... but not now. I'm just as likely to bite your head off as say hello. Were you like that? Ah, the power of the mighty pen. Right? Well, I think I annoyed a couple of people because there is no leash on my tongue. I'm too hungry. Usually, I make an effort not to be too argumentative, but right now everything annoys me. Were you like this? When did it change? If you want to keep in touch, feel free to post here or PM me. xoxo Kate xoxo

I have come to a conclusion. Unless, I hear from 4 members tomorrow, I am going to shut this site down. My surgery is Friday, and I'd love for you all to be there with me to go along for the ride. But I don't see enough interest here to continue unless you prove me wrong.

Ringo, I'm in Dallas, but my surgery is in Denton, TX. No one has ever accused me of being a saint ... and certainly not since I've been on the pre-op diet. Are you drinking Protein drinks? The only one so far that I like is Premier Protein chocolate. It's pre-mixed, which I prefer. It's not that I'm lazy, it's just the RTD are perfectly mixed and do not have to be refrigerated. Plus, I can keep a carton near my bed and grab one when I'm hungry, which is most of the time. I take full advantage of the 1 decent meal a day. I think it's supposed to be "lean" but I do eat cheese and the occasional cracker. Just enof to be able to continue on this starvation diet. Sorry to hear you're having life issues. This is not the time for stress in your life. Heck,it's hard enof to do this pre-op preparation with no stress. Doubt I could do it with stress. Hope today has been a better day. Where are you having your surgery?

Ringo, Buddy! Glad we're gonna be buddies. How are you feeling? Are you all ready? I'm not. Haven't bought my vitamins yet. Still working on the liquids. A friend said she'd make broth for me. Gotta remind her. How's your pre-op going? Hope you'll forgive me, but I loved Paul. LOL

That is terrific. Hey ... we have the same stats. My HW was 431, my CW is 368, and I'm being sleeved Friday. Hope mine goes smoothly like yours!

Why do you have to wait 2 weeks. Why not try eating fruit now in very small bites. As to Protein, there's so many kinds. Of course, there's Protein drinks ready made, Protein powder, eggs and eggbeaters that you can add to drinks. Lots of Meal Replacement bars, nuts, meat, shrimp, cheese ... the list goes on.

Did she say meat specifically, or did she say get your Protein from food?

How is everyone doing? We have a new member Arts137. I think he's been lurking. Clearly, hiding his talent in the shadows. C'mon Arts, join us and post. We are holding our breath to hear from you. I talked to our friend Connie (Coco) last night and she seemed a little bummed that there wasn't anyone she could relate to. Said she was tired of reading about 20-something and other youngen's getting the surgery and how they dropped down to size 2 or 0 afterwards. I urged her to come here and post among us "mature" Sleevers, but she didn't sound too enthusiastic about it. I'm sure she'd enjoy our repartee, and I'm pretty sure she lurks here. So, Coco, c'mon down! Encouraging words for Coco and welcomes for Arts are appreciated.

5 Days & Counting After nearly 3 years, it's totally unreal to me that I'm actually going to get Sleeved. One thing I read recently that has offered me great comfort is a post a nurse wrote that said in her 20 years she never saw anyone die on the table. I think that's what everyone worries the most about. I don't think I'd be as worried if it weren't for my prior heart attack and the fact that my heart races frequently. Wonder if this could be related to hunger, because it seems that this happens when I haven't eaten. Thoughts? Remember, I am diabetic. I still have a bunch of things to do before Friday. I'm seeing my surgeon Wednesday and meeting my new PCP Thursday. Glad I have a chance to meet him before my surgery. It's a long and interesting story of how he became my doctor, but it's late and I don't have the energy to tell it now.

Has anyone heard that Kroger is now carrying a line of health food? I forgot the name. But I was doing research online, and I ran across it. I haven't been there, though, because going anywhere is such a hassle. My new wheelchair doesn't fit me, so I feel very unsafe in it. (It's way too big - at least 5 inches from me to the back of the chair.) I can only go on Handirides Transit (for disabled) with it, and I might have to sit on it for 2 hours while they make their other stops. Hopefully, I will lose enough weight that I'll be able to fit in a friends car.

I just love it when we all agree. Peace all around. Or is it? Only thing I worry about is what ramifications there might be down the road. But I am officially getting off my soapbox. Live and let live. Go your own way. I know I will. As long as we're not hypocritical about it. For instance, I don't like it when people say to me "listen to what your doctor says" and then go off and do their own thing. That's ok, as long as someone is not preaching that gospel to me. None of us need permission to do our own thing. I wouldn't recommend my pre-op diet to anyone, but it's working for me. I've lost over 13 lbs. this month, probably more, but I won't know till I get weighed on Wednesday 'cause I don't own a scale.

Aha! I get it now. Missouri ... of course. Cooking may sound easy, but put yourself in my shoes, my huge body, my tiny kitchen, my disabling arthritis and a fridge that's a 90 degree angle to my stove at the entrance to the kitchen. I can't reach the cabinets, because I'm sitting on a chair. I actually have to hang on the refrigerator door and reach inside. Now do you see why cooking is so difficult for me? Of course the crockpot is easy to use, but I have nowhere, no way to put ingredients together. My "table" is tiny, unstable, in the living room and I can't get close to it. My floor plan is not like a house. I don't have a dining room. I don't have a counter I can reach. All I can use is the one drawer that holds my silverware. I will get off your case, with one last question. Did you talk to any health people about using Protein drinks as a main food source? I will let it go. Only brought it up because I care about you. It's your life to live, of course.

Thanks, Faye. As soon as I can, I will implement this. You're a gem. We have the best people in this group.

Perspective is everything, Laura. So glad to hear you're not rude, altho a strong intimation does count for something, no? Wish I had your insight, grace and savoir faire.

Gamergirl - I knew it was a he. I probably would have been easier on a she. I'm glad you liked what he wrote. I didn't. It was deceptive to me to pretend to need a lot of info and not admit that you already had done a ton of research. I kind of felt like, he was saying well ... I already know that and a lot more. Especially, since I personally spent a lot of time locating the info on research I had done. Just be honest and not pretensive is my point. Don't play me. Don't pretend to be a "newbie" when you're not.

Faye, forget about counseling, you and Tony should open a cooking school for dummies. Your advice is great. Thanks! I have new hope! For sure, I microwave ... how else to heat up my frozen Marie Callendar dinners. Yum. I've always wanted to fix fish but never knew how. I actually like seafood, especially salmon. I'd love to find a recipe like the salmon I had in Las Vegas once. OMG it was what turned me on to salmon. It had some kind of sweet glaze (maybe cherry). I have been jonesing for it for years. As to the crock pot. Are you ready for this? I have one sitting on top of my kitchen cabinets, out of reach. I had it on my dining room table for a while because I really wanted to use it. Another case of having no clue and being intimidated by the idea of browning the meat first. Part of my problem is that I cannot get into my kitchen. It's too small and I'm too big. That plus, the attendant I have cannot cook a lick. I have taught her how to make things like grilled cheese sandwiches, eggs, etc. But if anyone can ruin food in a flash it's my Ana. Based on that, I'm afraid to try and direct her to using a crockpot, especially since I know nothing about it. In my life, there are two roads. One that I travel on most of the time, doing things I'm really good at. The second road is things I'm really bad at ... like cooking. I actually used to be a decent cook, but never got that into it. Never had a family to cook for. My father was a gourmet cook, like you. His brother was a chef. I grew up eating pretty tasty food. But my mother was nervous about having someone in the kitchen, so she never taught me to cook. I don't have any of her recipes. There's other stuff I'm bad at on the other road. Like sewing, in fact anything domestic. A goddess I'm not. I'm a great driver, I played and won tournament Backgammon, can do math in my head, a good writer, excellent at research. Champion swimmer, Water ballet, great dancer, super creative, inventive ... things like that. Competition and creativity ... outside the home. I'm just as bad at things as I am good at other things. With your help, I bet I can start eating some home-cooked meals. Yes, I use the oven a little to heat up food. It's hard to cook in it because imagine my kitchen. On the right is my fridge, right next to it is the oven. No room to do anything. If you're willing to answer a bunch of questions, I'm sure I'll be able to cook more.