SassySenior

This is a repost of one made by Webchickadee. It's so good, I just had to share! Hi guys. I see a lot of you are struggling and worried pre-op about the pre-op diet. It is a HUGE challenge, but for me, it was an important one. Exactly 1 year ago, I was in the middle of a 2 week liquid pre-op diet because my BMI was 55+ and I was self-pay in Mexico. Traveling from Canada meant that a reschedule would be A LOT of extra expense if my surgeon had to stop due to an enlarged liver mid-surgery. I had NO CHOICE but to follow the diet. It also meant that cheating would increase the chance of complications and a longer recovery (or worse), all because I could not follow a 2 WEEK diet. Really? Here I was, about to take a seriously radical, life-changing step and get 85% of my stomach cut out permanently. But I can't follow a 2 week diet? That's crazy. Post-op was going to be difficult for MONTHS, not days. So if I couldn't get my head in the game for the pre-op diet, then maybe I wasn't ready for what was going to follow post-op. I was terrified! So I started the liquid diet. And I was STARVING. I was dreaming of all the foods I thought were leaving my life forever. Suddenly I didn't care that I had spent my life morbidly obese, I wanted my comfort back. I wanted to fill myself to bursting at every meal, like it was my last meal forever. But I didn't break my diet. Because for once, I wasn't going to cheat myself. It was time to grow up (I'm 43....) and take responsibility for my health, my future and my choices. A lifetime of justification, gluttony and excuses brought me to that operating room. Now it was time to face the music and get on with owing my future. The first 3 days were HELL. That is when your body is detoxing from the carbs. You are using up the glycogen in your liver (to help "shrink" it) and it's screaming for replacement carbs to fill it back up. You can get through it. After 3 days it gets MUCH better. After a week you start to feel normal and more healthy than you have felt in years. You may be hungry, but you don't have the carb cravings anymore. Most importantly, you feel IN CONTROL; and mentally and emotionally strong for battling your demons and winning. This is the first tangible proof in an unsure future that you CAN get through the post-op recovery and that you CAN succeed in losing the weight this time, FOR LIFE. Whatever weight you lose during your pre-op diet is really inconsequential. What is important is what you gain: - Confidence - Emotional and physical self-control - The desire to succeed and overcome "impossible" obstacles - The knowledge that you are a WINNER as long as you do your best Please don't look at the pre-op diet as a "condition" that your surgeon imposes on you (and some surgeons don't require it!). It is an OPPORTUNITY for you to test yourself, to help build your will, character and emotional toughness BEFORE you have the surgery. It's like training for a marathon.....you put the blood sweat and tears in before the race to help you finish the race on game day. Without training and preparation, you will likely fail and you can get hurt really badly along the way! Use your pre-op diet to work through your demons, build up your confidence and prove to yourself you can do it. If you "fall off the wagon" one day, the next day is a fresh start. Aim for excellence. You owe it to yourself."

Always glad to meet other aficionados of my guy, Ryan Tedder, and his band, OneRepublic. Love Runs Out is what drew my attention to the band. What do you think about their new songs?

Love Runs Out by OneRepublic

This is a serious issue with deep implications. I don't think it's the kind of thing you can figure out yourself, or even with the help of a few online friends. I believe the best way to unravel this whole thing and get solid advice is to see a counselor. Some will even do a voice chat with you before an appointment. Best of luck

I only wish this question came up earlier. I'm not sure I ever noticed my rings were getting loose. But the worst thing happened: my grandmother's wedding ring (24k, wide band) fell off, and I never saw it again. A heart breaking loss. My advice is get whatever you need to make them fit NOW. Some things you cannot replace and will break your heart if you lose.

Oh, this is right up my alley. At one point in my life, when I was in my 30s and 40s, I had a lot of "friends," I didn't really know the difference. However, my definition of a friend now is someone who really cares about me and will help me out if possible. I also have no family members either, and when I was younger I had a large circle of acquaintances. Wrongly, I called many of them friends. People often say you can tell who your real friends are when you really need them. In my 50s I became more needy because of a heart attack and cancer. Later I became immobile due to arthritis. Over time, only 2 people remained as my "friends." Sadly, I learned that neither of them really had my back when I needed a place to stay after being evicted. Someone, once said to me, be careful you don't blow everyone off because you may find yourself with an empty platter. Consequently, what I did was accept in my heart that I never could trust that they had my back. Instead of eliminating them from my life, I decided to accept what they had to offer and expect nothing more. We get along really well, and both of them do nice things for me and help me out if it's convenient for them. In my 20s or 30s, I would have blown them off because I am a giver and they're not. Neither are really takers, but both are selfish and self-centered. If my needs conflict with their life, then I am quickly put on a back burner. i come from the Midwest where people become close friends easily. Midwesterners bond with each other because of mutual dependency during the cold and cruel winter. I live in Texas now, and while my friends will do just about anything for a relative, no matter how distant, non-relatives simply don't count. One thing I don't do anymore, is accept people into my life if they're takers, haters, needy, angry or troubled. Life is say too short to be around unpleasant souls. Your friend wouldn't last more than one time with me. When you push people like her out of your life, you leave room and the motivation to meet and make new friends.

I reiterate what was just said: Have you tried swallowing the pill? Especially since it's in capsule form, I can't imagine why you would have trouble taking it. Capsules go down easy. If Effexor doesn't, I'd try putting it on a teaspoon with a drop or two of oil and dumping the mixture into your mouth. That should make getting the capsule down the hatch.. Extended Release pills are always to be taken whole. You can talk to a pharmacist about it. They are a great source of information. As with any pill, take it after eating unless directed otherwise.

It's even more important, but I understand how you feel. Tell you what ... I'll do it if you will!

I have long been a fan of the MGB, but had no insurance that would cover it. My dr. told me that after the Sleeve, nothing else could be done. How is it that you can revise to the MGB?

I think he's afraid you will become a hot chick, lusted after by a host of men, one of whom may capture your heart and steal you away, Men are very jealous creatures, after all.

Have you heard the expression that the only way to solve a problem is to first admit you have one? Well, I have. It was a concept I learned in my early 40s, when I had a drinking problem. Until I knew deep down in my heart that drinking was controlling my life not vice versa, I couldn't fix it. Once I accepted that I had a problem, I could move forward and find solutions, which I did. The same ... although perhaps a stretch ... is this group. On the one hand we happily post our stories about what's going on in our newly sleeved lives. We say kind and friendly things and support each other. It's a nice warm fuzzy we get whenever we visit this group. But there is a dark side. Often it comes out as an afterthought, almost a whisper, when we admit something is lacking. We hate to say it, but it just isn't impossible to ignore it for long. We are low on enthusiasm and activity, which larger groups generate because of the sheer number of members. We admit we have a problem. Now how do we solve it? First step, I think, is to accept that we are in the minority. Most Sleevers are decades younger than us. We've been around a while and life has made us complacent. We wait, unconsciously, for someone else to fix it. That leads us to the second step. We all have a lot to offer others. From our perch of maturity, we have been through a lot in life, and several of us have been through a lot with the sleeve. The second step is to stop waiting and get involved. In the early days of this group I would look for posts in other groups or online made by someone who appeared to quality as a boomer. Then I'd send a PM and invite them to check out us. The PM can be as simple as: "Hi, I noticed your post and thought you might like another group I belong to. It's called "Baby Boomers" and you an find us on BariatricPal.com. It's fun and fulfilling to talk to a real contemporary and peer who went through the 60s and/or 70s, the same way you did. And now you're sleeved," Our group will be one year old next month. Wouldn't it be great to Celebrate with a new gaggle of groupies? If you'd rather have me contact the prospective member, send me the contact info and I'll be on it in a flash. Comments or suggestions, of course, are welcomed as always.

Hello to all you youngsters. I am 68, got my sleeve when I was 67. I had a number of medical issues, any of which could have caused a problem with surgery. But no, nothing happened. With all the advances they've done in medicine, operating on a senior is nothing. So, don't let age stop you. Heck ... don't let anything stop you. Hop onboard the Grannie Express! Picking the right surgeon is key. Do your homework. Check the surgeons out. I knew my surgeon was one of the top surgeons in my area. A number of people tried to convince me to change to another surgeon. The one they were recommending was a frequent visitor to my surgeon's office, who has been called in frequently to fix what the other doctor messes up. I'm sure none of his patients know the truth. He's a nice, friendly guy. That's all they cared about.

Hey Guys, Shiki and I are sitting here watching American Idol. Shiki controls the keyboard by lying on it. So what I can do is limited to what space is left open. I can never figure out why he likes to lay on the keyboard so much. Except, there's a warmth coming off it. Anyway, between performances, I've been trying to update my online profile, What I can't figure out is how to copy my ticker from MyFitnessPal over to here. Help?

Hello All You Boomers! This Chat Room is now open for members to get acquainted. C'mon in ... the water's fine. Chat about whatever's on your mind. Let's get to know each other. Who will be the first in? Here's a few questions to get you started. Who's the youngest member of our group? (I'm the oldest.) Who's newly married? Who's newly sleeved? Who's still searching?

Yeah, it is a steep learning curve. The thing about the Sleeve is it is patient and persistent. If I don't learn the lesson the first, second or third time, the Sleeve simply resets and readies itself to repeat. I like your idea of drinking coffee before breakfast. I've been missing my coffee because I don't really feel like drinking after I've finished eating. And I, too, have discovered I do pretty well if I drink before eating. I don't guzzle a lot down, but I will take a good solid drink. Then wait 5-10 min. before eating. I cannot eat very much at one time. At 3 mo., I get in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of food. 1/2 a sandwich, no crust.Sometimes I have yogurt after eating. But I've gotten sick more often than not, so I'm gonna do away with that idea. The Sleeve works the way it is supposed to. It does not allow me to overeat (which was never a problem for me). It teaches me to start slow and focus on the important parts like Protein and liquids. I don't get a ton of liquid in, probably 40-50 oz. so sometimes I worry that I'll get dehydrated. But my nut says that's fine. We are all different, Lynda, and it's not a one size fits all surgery. I never had an ironclad stomach, could never eat spicy foods. Nothing has changed, except my weight. I'm seeing my dr. Wednesday, so I'll find out what I weigh. I haven't lost a lot since surgery, which is rather discouraging. Granted I did lose 70 lbs. before surgery. But only 30 or so since 11/1/13. I still haven't come up with a good diet plan. I didn't cook before surgery, and I'm not going to cook now. So I am still searching for the right food to consume. I'm even thinking of seeing if I can have food delivered to me from a store like Whole Foods. Of course, if I was rolling in dough, I could order from restaurants. I try not to do that because just once can ruin my month, money wise. So, hey, who else in our group has an opinion or something to say. Thank God, you did Lynda. I was getting so discouraged that no one posted, I was thinking of closing the group for good. I don't really want to do that, because every now and then a newbie finds us and is thrilled that we exist. I'm gonna keep on posting at least once a week, or more if others post and I want to reply to all. Oh .... one last thing ... in another group a guy posted that he had just bought a Bento Box with an integrated cooling pack. That is exactly what I need so I am on my way to Walmart to purchase one. They are located all the other lunch boxes are). Ciao!

Turns out that last Slime was what I needed. I keep remembering that -- it's hard to forget -- and I have not had a drink while eating. So no slimes since then. I did. however, still have some learning to do on when to stop and what choice to make. I didn't stop when I should have. So the dumping syndrome and slime threatened to visit. I said, "No way ... I am not going to let that happen." I spent the next several hours feeling very uncomfortable, wondering how long it would take for this feeling to pass. About 4-5 hours later, I thought, "Hmm" guess I showed them! The next day I could not make it to the bathroom before Gwenneth arrived most surprisingly. I'm trudging to the bathroom, thinking, "well, at least it's contained in what I'm wearing" vs. having my explosive diarrhea happen while I was still in bed. Yeah, right. I get to the bathroom and start to remove my clothes. Sure enough, a huge deposit - akin to if Mount Rushmore erupted - drops out of my pants and onto the bathroom rug. Great. I spent the next hour cleaning up this mess. OK. So I'm humbled once again. My choice was "vomit now and be done with it" when the attack first happened. Or wait and get rid of it in a more ladylike manner. HA HA HA Good one. Oh, yeah, it sure was ladylike. ROFL At 3 months, I'm still in kindergarten at the Sleeve School of Hard Knocks.

I'm 3 months out and feel like the biggest jerk on the planet for what I just did. I was hungry so I decided I would heat up a pot pie from the freezer. I figured I'd eat what I could and toss the rest. Ok ... so I'm happily eating away and then I decide I need to take a drink. (Earlier, my stomach was a little upset, so I had gotten a diet coke thinking a sip might help.) So I reach over, pick up my diet coke, take a good long drink ... never considering this was a bad ide...a for any reason. The result: First I started sliming, then it all came up. What was I thinking? Clearly nothing! I can't believe in one fell swoop, I forgot everything I knew about drinking and eating, much less taking a big gulp of a diet soda. I am here to warn you, if you haven't done this yet, don't do it. To say I feel stupid is an understatement. I've had a hard time breaking the habit of drinking when I eat. I think I need a neon sign!

Just had a weird experience. I drink Premier Protein chocolate shake. I had just picked some up at Kroger, and shook it a little, like I always do. Took a sip and ugh, it was lumpy. Initially I thought maybe I needed to shake it harder. But then I remembered that I've never had a lumpy one no matter how light I shake it. So I got one out of another 4-pack I bought, and same thing happened. It was clear to me that something was horribly wrong with this batch. I'm thinking about contacting Premier and tell them they should pull this batch. Have you had any similar experiences? p.s. Luckily I have some vanilla Protein Powder that I can make in the meantime.

ARE YOU HAVING TROUBLE FINDING THIS THREAD? I hate the redesign of this site. I can't find anything. I had a heck of a time finding this thread. Finally, I had to go to "My Profile" and look at my groups. Then when I got to the Boomer's Home page, I had to scroll down towards the bottom of the page to see what the latest posts were listed on the left-side column. Have you had this happen? I figure that must be why no one's written lately. And Cheryl, how are you doing with your liquid diet? Is it working? Linda from Florida, Lynda, Arts and everyone else - what gives? Don't you like being a Boomer anymore. Sure, it is a fairly inactive thread ... kinda like the way we are. Ha ha But I promise to visit here at least once a week and read your posts. Will you do the same for me?

Definitely my turn to post. I think it's important for each one of us to post with some regularity. It's what keeps the group going, especially as we get further and further away from surgery. I read a lot of posts before my surgery on Nov. 1, 2013. I knew in advance what awaited. I loved reading about others' progress and issues. And like many people do, I thought ... well, that won't happen to me. The Sleeve is a humbler. Take yesterday, for example. I ordered 2 meals from my favorite restaurant, both reasonably priced and good home cooking. But when I saw the meals, my first thought was, "darn, I'm going to eat it all right away and not be able to make 2 meals out of it." You know, we talk about head hunger ... but this is different. It's head games ... and we are the unwilling and unwitting participant. On the first meal, I went ahead and left half the meal in the Styrofoam container. It was tilapia, mashed potatoes and carrots. Initially, I thought I'd practically swallow the tilapia and down the taters and carrots. What a shock? When I started feeling full before I was anywhere near finished. Huh? I thought for sure I'd eat the whole thing and still want more. My head was playing a game with me, and I didn't know it. I couldn't ... and didn't even want to finish the mashed potatoes, and that full feeling told me if I had another bite I might regret it big time. Same thing tonight, except this time I ate half the leftover quesadillas. In the past, they never tasted good the second day, but I chose to ignore that. I wound up putting the mushy tortillas aside and feeding my dog much of the chicken. Then I scooped up a couple of Protein Shakes out of the fridge and planned to guzzle them down while watching TV. I wasn't really hungry, though, and I fell asleep before I had a chance to drink the Protein Shake. I'm awake now, so I hope to get at least 30 grams in now. You all probably could have told me what would happen and predicted it with 99% accuracy. But, like you, I had to experience it for myself so as not to repeat the same mistake in the future. I'm coming up on 3 months on Feb. 1. Still a beginner!

Linda, Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to merely supply me with the name of person, and I will issue a formal invite. The invite explains who the Baby Boomers is all about.

Okay ... I'm trying to work the kinks out so we can get our post-Baby Boomer Chat Room back up and running for the few of us that will be using it. So here's the deal, I wrote a post for the thread we're all going to use (like FB). It's the Boomer Chat Room. Look down the left column and you will see a section called "Latest Posts." That's where you'll find out who posted last. I hope you all check in and find it.To make sure you get email notifications on this thread, click "Follow this topic" at the top of Boomer Chat Room column. Be sure you've set up your settings to receive notifications by email.

One Year Surgiversary - 10/2/12 - 10/2/13... it's been 1 year, and it's been incredible. Not only am I off all meds, and down 123 lbs, I'm healthier, more confident and I have more energy. I feel absolutely amazing. To anyone out there on the fence, you have to decide for yourself if this is the route you want to take. I was one of the lucky ones. I had no issues from day one. I hit the ground running ... well walking ... the afternoon of surgery, and I kept going, doing everything I could to maximize the 1st year of weight loss. I still have days when I’m hungry -- I deal with it. I’m not perfect at all, not even close. But I know what works for me. It may not work for everyone, but one thing I’ve learned here and other sites is EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. DO NOT COMPARE YOURSELF WITH OTHERS. It’s a mantra I have stuck with this past year and will continue to. Everyone has to find their own way and what works for them. But taking that first step toward that way is the best thing you can do for yourself. You are worth it. We all are, so do whatever you have to do find your way. I did ... and I’m never going back. Happy Surgiversary to me, 1 year out. I love my sleeve, and I love myself!

It's really hard to remember where everyone is at ala pre-op hoops jumped over, surgery date, weight loss pre-op, weight loss at 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, yearly, etc. Plus other milestones that happen ... like Chris got married since this group began. I'd like to share those important milestones in one place where we can keep of track of who's doing what and offering our praise and support. Its helpful and comforting to know what we're all going through. Usually, no matter how bad it may be, it usually gets better even if all you say is you're in a stall and when it started. I want us to be as informed as possible. We learn from each other.I don't yet have anything to discuss right now. But I'll start by posting where I'm at today. I hope you do the same Kate - Pre-op. Waiting for surgery date. Lost 35 lbs. 5/19. Coco - 8 wks post op. Lost 35 lbs. 5/24

Well, there you have it, Linda, you're not perfect, YET. ha ha Posting, typing at night with no backlights on the computer ... writing a long passage only to lose it a minute later. These are the indignities we put up with to connect on the Internet. In this group, however, it's totally worth it. It's so great to deal with mature adults who been around the block and don't do drama. I belong to a couple of FB groups. One is a small group, which I love, and the other is much larger. In the small group, the moderator is a very nice lady, but she's a born again Christian who is constantly "testifying," "witnessing" and "proselytizing" in her posts. Drives me nuts. I hate being preached to. I made the enormous mistake of saying something, which I thought was non-offensive. Her drama defenses went up and even tho I tried to take it off the main page and use PM, she wouldn't have any of it. So I am even more motivated to keep this group alive. YOU FOLKS ARE WHAT KEEPS ME SANE!!! As to attracting new members, just give me their info and I can send them a formal invite. In fact, I'm gonna race you to see whether you or I will get the first, new member. Saint Linda ... I'm sure you've deserved that title between all the right and good things you do ... and keeping your hubby alive. BTW, my sugar was normal yesterday ... and I hadn't taken any meds!! Same with my BP, dropped 30+ points, WOW!!