BenisaMartim4

OK, I am still holding at 239. So I did not make it to my second goal, but I did lose 18#. That is 8# higher than my original set goal. I guess I will join the Labor Day challenge :0)

My breaking point came the first of last summer. I was in terrible pain, anxious and panicky and depressed all the time. I was on a total of 21 meds. I was out of my mind. I couldn't think two solid thoughts in a row. I had taken the kids (4 of them) to town with me, got them something to eat and came back home. We had been in the house 15 or so min. and I noticed the youngest (3 at the time) missing. Then it hit me..he had not came in. I almost passed out on the spot. I ran outside and he was still strapped into his car seat (he had fell asleep). He was soaking wet, screaming and had thrown up everywhere. When he looked up at me he snubbed "mama, why did you leave me." I grabbed him and ran screaming into the house. It got my husband's attention and he helped me undress him and wash him to get him cool. All I could keep saying was "I could have killed my baby." I can honestly say, I believe I would have killed myself if anything had of happened to him. After I made completely sure he was fine and got myself calmed down somewhat; I went back out and ripped the car-seats out of the van and threw them across the yard. I immediately replaced them with booster seats. I made sure that they could all get out of the vehicle alone from that point on. I called and made an appointment with my PCP that afternoon. At that point I was not sure what I was going to do, but I knew I could not continue as I was. I am happy to say that now I do not take any meds at all. It really is a miracle. But no matter how much better I get, nothing could ever erase that day. I had a crushing pain and guilt in my chest while I sat here typing this. I could have very easily caused the death of one of my children. How could a mother ever get over that...

If I had to make the choice over again, I would still do it. That being said I will give this warning; if you or your mom are food addicts you will really need to sort things out before doing this. Ask this question; Can I truly say that I hate being fat MORE than I love food. If the answer is no, then you are not ready to have this surgery. You simply cannot satisfy an addiction on two bites of food. Also if you ended up like many of us and food was not good any more, would you be completely miserable? Are you willing to sacrifice taste to be thin? This is a drastic measure done by desperate people to save their lives. We do not know before the surgery exactly how it will affect each of us. If you or she is not to the point that there is not anything (eating or drinking wise) you would not give up forever to have a sleeve, then don't do it. Can you live without cokes? drinking? sweets? fried foods? It is very likely you won't have to give these up completely, but if you did, could you say "so what!" and still be happy. You have got to want this more than anything and if you don't, wait until you do. Best wishes on your decision. I feel like mine saved my life.

That's great and funny and embarrassing. Mine fell off too, but I didn't catch it. I was carrying a dish of food in each hand and standing in the carport of the church parsonage. Thank goodness the pastor was not the one that answered the door!

I am 4 1/2 months out and I do not get hungry. I just eat because I have to. I do not enjoy it at all. I have 900 cals set as my goal, but 700 is the most I have ever gotten. I average 400-600 a day. My sleeve is tight. Two bites is pretty much my limit. I never drank protein shakes after surgery. They always made me puke. I do use a variety of the nectar protein now, but no more than once a day and usually only at bed time. Although I do not get hungry, I do have to eat every 2-3 hours or I get sick. Even though I don't like food anymore, my body does still have to have it..lol.

So far, I have tried them all but the grapefruit. I have mixed them with Water, milk, almond milk, juice and tea. You can also mix with coffee, but I don't drink coffee. There were none of them that I couldn't drink. I just prefer some over others. My favorites were the lemonade one in water and the tea one in tea. Sent from my iPhone using VST

The movie theaters pop their corn in coconut oil. It is one of their dirty little addictive secrets

Glad you got a date. Congrats on that. Just a little hint on the "no pre-op diet" thing though. I would take it easy with the eating 2-3 prior. You don't want to be too full and bloated when you go to the hospital. It will make you feel so much worse. And going to the bathroom (bm)...ugh. It's good to have that cleaned out before you go so you don't have to strain any more than necessary for a day or two. I have had 3 abdominal surgeries, trust me ,I know. Best wishes and keep in touch :0)

You are going to get every answer in the book here..lol. Anywhere from 8 wks to never. Just giving your nurse a call would be the best thing to do. Best wishes :0)

Welcome to the loser's bench! Congrats on getting your surgery. You will be feeling better really soon. Laparoscopic surgery has a fast recovery. I have had 4 of them. Best wishes on your progress and visit often :0)

I can eat popcorn just fine...and It is not a slider for me. I can eat about a cup or so. ENJOY!!

I have one too (I can't remember what mine's name brand is) and I love that little booger. It is so easy and the cup fits in the dishwasher top rack. You can even drink directly out of my cup too. WONDERFUL!

You're not doing anything wrong. The shock of surgery can cause you to retain and even gain weight. I gained 10# in the hospital. It took me awhile to get that back off. Then I went through the 3 week stall. It was a little while before I got the ball to rolling, but after I did it for sure gathered no moss. Just have patience. Every-one's journey is different. YOU WILL LOSE!! Best wishes :0)

I'm 4 1/2 out and it is not as bad as it use to be, but I still do it. I used to say mine sounded like a mad animal...lol.

I didn't buy anything. You can usually wear stuff for awhile after you start losing. When I did buy stuff, it was not new. I swapped with friends, went to the Goodwill, Salvation Army and yard sales. If you have a lot to lose, buying new is a total waste of your money. Since Feb. I have gone from a 28 to an 18. I don't wear anything more than a couple of weeks, so I refuse to pay full price. Save your money until the weight loss slows down...and that probably won't be for a year. The only exception to this was underwear. I broke down and bought new ones, but they were $8 a pack Fruit of the Looms; not $20 a pair department store frillies. I only wear them a couple of weeks too.

I chose the sleeve because it was permanent, it required less dissecting of my insides and because it removes the part of the stomach that produces the hunger hormone. It has comparable weight loss to the by-pass and I knew that I had a lot to lose (150#). I am pleased with my results. I had my surgery on Valentine's Day and I expect to join the Century Club (100# lost) within the next few days. Best wishes on your journey. You can do it!

At this point, drink anything you can get down and as often as you can get it down. If it has to be broth all day...do it. If it has to be a box of Popsicles a day...do it. Don't freak out right now. You are REALLY raw on the inside; burning can be expected. Just try to relax. Tension makes it harder to swallow. Trust me, I KNOW. Just hold on, it should ease up considerably in a few days. Best wishes and congrats (((hugs)))

Well, I made it to my first goal, but I'm not sure that I will make it to my second. But I will be close. I am almost to the Century Club. HW 335 SW 257 (5/28/12) CW 239 GW 245 adjusted to 235 on 6/17/12 Wk 1 -6# (6/4/12) Wk 2 -3# (6/11/12) Wk 3 -5# (6/17/12: a day earily) Wk 4 -1# (6/25/12) Wk 5 -3# (7/1/12)