SassySenior

Counseling can be a real boon to a relationship, when both parties commit to examination and change. I'm sad to hear your wife has changed her attitude and reaction to you. I'm sure the reasons are complicated and doubt either one of you can figure it out. This is where counseling comes in. The fact that she's eating ice cream and consuming things that may be bad for her, is a definite sign that something is wrong with ... her. She probably wants you to join in so she'll feel less guilty. After all, if you were eating ice cream, maybe you'd be heavier and she'd be happier. I once dated a guy 10 years younger than me. It wasn't a big deal for me, so I didn't come up right away. When it did, though, he told me the same thing. We broke up a short time later ... not because of that, but it was telling.

Hey all, I just read about stalls and how to fool your body out of one. It's called Carb Cycling and it's the technique used by Chris Powell on the Biggest Loser. Makes sense to me. Basically, you do low carbs one day and high carbs the next day. It's all explained in his book "Choose to Lose: The 7-Day Carb Cycle Solution," which you can read about on his website. http://chrispowell.com/carb-cycling-the-classic-cycle/

I'm sneaking in here on a hope and a prayer. I don't have my date yet, but I am hoping it will be end of October. Hope that's OK.

Like Cerenatee above, I also read horror stories, albeit reluctantly. I am still pre-op but I have a mountain of information behind me about the procedure. I researched any doctor I was considering as well. There are good surgeons and there are idiots. Bariatric surgery attracts some M.D.'s with minimal qualifications. But the overwhelming majority are good surgeons and good doctors. I am a high risk patient, and for this reason, I took a deep look into the surgery and those who perform it. I was 425 lbs. when I started and 65 years old with a previous heart attack. Even though I'm 381 now, M.D.s still say I'm high risk. I figure my best bet is with the best surgeon I could find. I searched for 2 years and found 2 imminently qualified surgeons. While it is nice to have a friendly staff, my only real concern is the guy with the scalpel. What's his track record? How many surgeries has he performed? Do daily? You don't want someone who treats surgeries with an assembly line mentality, rushing them through as fast as he can. It does take time and effort, but you can find the best surgeon if you do your homework. My life is worth doing due diligence. I have an enormous pile of information I've copied from posts people have made, online info, doctor's articles and comments ... you name it. I now know all of the important questions to ask ... and there are quite a few. This, to me, is the least I need to do ... and think others need to do also ... to go through the surgery successfully. I am disliked by some people because I have a low tolerance for stupidity. When someone, usually who's already sleeved, starts asking questions they should know the answer to, it bothers me. If they don't know the answers to the simplest things about bariatric surgery, I doubt they did any kind of due diligence or know nada about their surgeon. It's hard for me to keep my opinions to myself, especially when I read about someone who weighs 200 lbs. and is having this surgery. Boy, that's a big call about a smallish problem. I need to lose over 200 lbs. I considered all the different types of surgeries and their implications, and decided the sleeve was the safest for me with the best potential outcome. Sista's Sistah had a horrific experience, and my heart goes out to both sisters and their family. I only hope that medical science will pull a miracle out of this disaster and give her back her life. If you want to be scared off this surgery, there are a number of groups you can join. We're obviously a pro-surgery site full of intelligent people who have done their homework, intend to follow the guidelines and live a life without many of the goodies we used to eat. I am not a saint ... actually far from it ... but I figure this surgery will reduce my hunger quite a bit, and that alone will result in my losing weight. I’m worried about my surgery … who wouldn’t be … but I know that I can no longer continue the way I am now. Wish me luck, and I’ll do the same for you.

Oh, I can relate. I just cancelled myself 2 days before surgery. In my case, few doctors take my insurance. I did find another one who is very good and does take it, but like you he insists I go to his seminar on Oct. 4th. I'm not sure what I'll do. Some of my hoops I jumped thru will be a year old in Oct. If I wait much longer, I may have to redo them. I don't want to do that so I'm seriously thinking of going with my original surgeon. In my case, my surgeon is the best around, but he and his P.A. are troublesome. In your case is everyone in his office nasty or is it just one person? What's the surgeon like? Can you talk to him about this? If it's just one person, then you won't have to deal with her much, if at all, after surgery. If possible, I would talk to the surgeon even if it means scheduling another visit. See how he reacts to the news.

I'm sorry if my comments were misunderstood. Asking questions about hair loss is perfectly natural and expected. My comments were directed toward those who get bent out of shape and complain about something that is totally expected ... or should be ... and in the greater scheme of things ... no big deal. I, too, make no apologies for my position of one who faced a near death tragedy, which included hair loss, versus those who wig out over the side effects of an elective surgical procedure. In the greater scheme of things this is nothing more than a speed bump on the highway to permanent weight loss.

Yes, a lot of people get upset by the hair loss. It always surprises me because I've read post after post about it -- around what month it usually begins ... and when it stops. Isn't this common knowledge? I'm a cancer survivor, and when I did chemo, I went completely bald. I knew it would happen, and I didn't get upset about it. I was too busy saving my live. Same for this hair loss ... I am still pre-op, but I know losing my hair will not bother me. It's just one more step on the way to my new thin life. Since it's common knowledge to expect hair loss: when it will start and when it will stop, why get bent out of shape about it? It's part of the scenario, and it will reverse itself. I had to buy a wig during chemo (where you go bald during treatment) because I was not ready to be bald to the rest of the world. But I am now cancer free ... just like I'll be fat free by this procedure. Hair loss is just a speed bump to our svelte self!

I'm pre-op and already had a problem from drinking protein shakes. I wasn't drinking enough water. Now, I do 2 tbsp. Milk of Magnesia with 8 oz. water and 2 Ducolat (prescription) a day. I am getting about 50 oz. water in and aiming for more. I think drinking plenty of clear liquids is the key.

Are you drinking properly? No Water 30 min before and 60 min. after? I have heard that the main reason we need to avoid water when eating is because drinking while eating enables us to eat more. And the "felling of fullness" is not achieved when eating and drinking. I completely understand being human and making missteps. My attitude is to do the best I possibly can. There are times when I do something bad ... like have a little ice cream. But I do my best to be fully conscious about what I'm doing. In other words, I do not hide my head in the sand when I choose to stray from the prescribed way of eating. What keeps me on the straight and narrow is to keep track of what I consume (I use Fitness Pal). As long as I don't lie to myself or refuse to take an honest look at how many calories I'm consuming ... I avoid getting into serious trouble. Before going on this new diet for life, I used to eat a full brownie, sometimes 2. Then after deciding to change my eating habits, I would eat only half a brownie. Now, in those moments when I feel I just have to have something sweet, I eat 1/4 of a brownie -- under 100 calories. Being honest with yourself is the key to success, I believe.

Hi, My surgery is sked for this Fri., Aug. 23. I just spent a miserable weekend with severe constipation that wound up with me at the ER last night. Drank a lot of protein shakes, but no water and that was a no no. I will tell my dr. and hope it doesn't make a difference. I'm not even sure that my episode is over, even tho I did a lot of things to work it out! LOL Last thing I took that worked was mixing 1 tbls. Epsom Salt with a glass of water and then downing a 2nd glass. I still have the urge to go. But I'm "sitting on it" for the time being. How are you doing Coco? What a sweetheart you are, Alyshac. Thanks for all the wishes. It helps knowing I'm not alone.

This is what I tell my resume/job search clients: Tell the truth, but not the whole truth. Tell only that part of the truth that will help you get the job. This is not true confessions. This is not an optional therapist you decided to seek treatment from. This is a step in the process of getting approved for the surgery. If you feel depressed, seek therapy for that before you get the surgery. Otherwise, tell them what they need to hear to approve you. Remember, they are not looking for reasons to approve you. They are looking for reasons to deny you. That's what job interviews and psych evals are all about.

It sounds like a trip to your doctor is in order. There are a lot of people here with experience who might be able to shed some light on your situation. But you definitely need to check with your doctor's office. You just had major surgery. You need to check in and find out why you feel the way you do. Sending ((hugs)) and wishes for better days.

Normally, I can and do go all day without eating. But tell me I can't eat, and my hunger comes raging back. I am doing the best I can with the pre-op diet. One thing's for sure ... I will be doing Clear Liquids for 2 days prior to surgery. My doctor said if he opens me up and sees food, he will not operate. I'm gonna make sure that doesn't happen. Changing, no matter how hard, is still better than staying the way you are. I'm convinced that weight loss is the only thing I can do to get my life back. I can no longer go on like I am. What I love about the sleeve is that my hunger will be gone. I'll be lucky to get in 1/2 cup. The weight will fall off. Surely that's worth hanging in there. You deserve a better life. You can do this!

This stuff is hard to do. As I sit here starving on the pre-op and wondering how I will survive till surgery ... I am reminded just how hard this stuff is. But we all have something in common. We wouldn't be doing this if there was any other way. I weigh a ton ... well, not exactly, but it seems that way. I have no choice. Somehow I'm gonna get through it. Who knows what my experience will be like. I have a great surgeon so I will have the best hands on me. But I'm high risk and several doctors did not want me as a patient. It will be worth it in the end, I'm sure. So hang in there, honey, you're gonna come out the other end light as a rainbow, floating in your new beauty

I am so glad your story ended well, and that you are now on the road to recovery. I agree with you that choosing the right surgeon is extremely important. So many don't do any in depth checking. They go to a surgeon they saw in an ad or some other way ... but really don't know much about him/her. I am very glad that your surgeon took quick action and got to you as quickly as he did. However, it looks like he caught onto a problem that he caused. He was the guy who operated, right? He was the one whose surgery had a messy outcome. Thank God he was responsible enough to do what he had to. Certainly anyone can make a mistake, but this sounds like a botched surgery. "but while organs were being moved around some blood vessels that go from between the stomach and the spleen had gotten pinched/torn." The organs didn't move around by themselves, I doubt the nurses did that. You were his first out of how many? I'm glad you feel good, but this was a serious error, not just a complication. Hoping that your recovery continues unremarkably.

Do not eat anything. My surgeon said "if I open you up and see food in your stomach, I will close you back up and not operate." I think it's because of the difficulty of operating on the stomach with food in it. He wants 2 days of Clear Liquids. I don't know how I'll do it, but I will do it. I've worked too hard and waited too long to mess it up at this point. It's good that you asked for our opinions before doing anything. Your doctor's office is the first place to pose any question, but if you don't want to do that, a lot of people here have experience ... many have just opinions. I'm sure you don't want to take the chance of being refused surgery. It's tough, but it's only 1 night. You can do it.

Good for you. I bet you can't wait to get home. That left incision seems to bother most everyone. I think it goes away in a week or so. But my surgery isn't till Aug. 23, so I'm no expert. Glad to hear you're not in bad pain after 2 days. I don't even know what sipping is like. I figure I'll start out small and increase slowly so I know what I can tolerate. Is cold liquids ok, or does warmer liquids go down easier?

Oops, I misspoke. I don't know what I was thinking. Club soda is a no no.

Yeah, alcohol is ok, just beware that a little will go a long way! A drink that I like is club soda with a splash of cranberry juice and a twist of lime. You can add a little vodka to spice it up. It's pretty tasty and very low cal.

Linkin - Thanks for your post. It's good to know I understood it correctly. And it also helps to know what will happen if I drink a soda. Chances are I will, but your post gives me pause ... especially since you're 10 weeks out. That's a long time to wait for such a poor result. Darn! I love my Diet Rite!

OMG - How did that happen? Was it related to the sleeve? Did you ever have pneumonia before? What did Dr. say?

Thanks for posting. I get sleeved Aug. 23.

The low-cost Bullet was on eBay.

Thanks, ShanRN. I have been doing a lot of research into protein drinks, and I'm going to order the Dymatize Elite whey Protein Isolate - Gourmet vanilla. It is probably pricier than most, but highly rated in every area. All that, plus it tastes great. I figure if I'm going to give up food, I might as well have something I enjoy. As to the Bullet. I did find an incredible buy on a Bullet like blender at half the normal price, but I don't remember where it was. if I find it I'll repost.