CowgirlJane

CBT - I think I had more swelling AFTER 12 weeks because my activity increased. It is pretty good now though at 5 months out. I realized that I have alot of numbness between the belly button and the incision line and that tended to make me feel more swollen than I really was/am. anyway, I was also told it can take a year before the swelling is completely resolved. I am grateful that mine is minor and only in the one spot - no problems on my legs etc. I have maintained my weight even though i spent weeks being ravenously hungry. It was hard to manage that really - boredom combined with hunger is not good! I know some people lose weight during that period, but beware because a couple ladies i know actually gained 10-15 # due to being so hungry. Very individual... but i am generally pretty good at gaining weight!

I think you stand a high chance of regain once your band is removed based on people I know. (I had the lapband for 10 years and used to be part of a bandster community). I personally think you should find a surgeon well experienced with revisions and have a detailed consult. One question I would ask is what the results are for a low BMI person. With the sleeve or bypass, what do you think chances are of getting to a goal weight? What are the risks of losing too much (foreign concept to me, but I have heard it can happen with low BMI people especially) Surgeons really are practicing medicine and don't have all the answers but it is still good to get their views - first one I went to wouldn't even talk to me about revising to sleeve because my BMI was over 50 and I had already "failed' with the lapband. I found another who had very good success with patients with my profile and I went for the sleeve revision. It was the BEST DECISION EVER. I am maintaining a 160 pound loss - truly changed my life.

My 22 year old son is an advanced snowboarder; I am just learning to ski. Yesterday i managed to ski an entire day without dying of exhaustion; albeit on beginner runs not double diamonds! I can't imagine doing that back when I was obese! (although I am pretty tired today!) It is wonderful to be able to do stuff like that with your kids and I am saddened I couldn't do more of it when they were little.

I felt very educated - my surgical practice was excellent about that and I spent alot of time reading on here too so I guess I don't have any surgery related "wish I had known" My wish I had known was how much I was missing out on life being morbidly obese. I was pretty active for a 300# person, had friends and what I thought was a pretty good social life. I had NO IDEA there is a whole world out there of people who don't have to worry about if their butt will fit in a chair, if a store will carry a clothing size that fits, or if they can do a particular activity "even at that size" - it is like a parrallel universe where fit and normal size people get to live..haha. I feel like a kid again - wish I had known all of this and maybe I would have found a way to change my life years earlier.... not sure, but that is really the only thing i could think of that I wish I had really known years before.

I am sorry for all of you that are not physically 100%. I do seriously struggle with getting cold but I feel wonderful since losing the weight - super high energy and I think it is a sign of something not being quite right if you don't feel better than you felt as an obese person. Now, post plastics, I was exhausted again. That was a kick ass surgery and I recommend to any vets considering to be sure you go into it as fit and strong as possible as it will knock you back a few steps! I am 5 months out now and though i am 90% returned to normal... it has been a slow road - worth it though!

I posted via my phone, wearing my contacts (hard to see close up with them in) and that post is GONE. Let me know if I accidently put it somewhere else..haha.. in my blind state. Denise, I read the changed wording and I think it looks fine. I was wondering though about members when I went to that title page, i saw a new member from Sept 2013 that I don't ever remember reading posts. I really am uncomfortable with the idea of lurkers here that don't (or haven't ever) participated - I am not talking about LV who is taking a break - i am talking about the people we don't even know. Sorry, but in my book that would include Susan too even though I know she is an admin. This is a very private space and it bothers me that there are people that can read here that I have never heard of. That is my 2 cents. also sorry also to hear about the tiff with Bill - hope it leads to better things. I know how important using a CPAP is medically, but I feel like he is very inconsiderate to your concerns on this particular topic anyway. I suspect that how this is resolved may reveal a great deal about him. Anyway, I am the last person to give relationship advice as my "give a damn is busted" - I have zero tolerance at the moment for meeting someone part way. Even Steven - he bought yet another car (one of his many expensive hobbies) - and I am so close to saying I never ever wanna hear about his money woes again...LOL... there is a limit to being an ear to listen to woes that you cause yourself buddy! More on the skiing... wow, what a difference. first, I admit I had 3 left over Xanax from before and I took one about an hour before the lesson. Even with that I was feeling terrified and I was really worried I would just hit freak out again once we went up the ski lift. I knew that the classes would be less crowded in the spring and I went down and chatted up the instructors before the 10 am start time. I know this sounds manipulative, but I was intentionally very charming while explaining my fears and what had happened to me back in December. The instructor I got was a man about my age who was lobbying to have just me in his class but at the last minute two ladies showed up that were deemed at my level so it was 3 of us. It worked out great. One of the girls actually already knew how to ski pretty well and so half way through she was taken into another group. This instructor was very patient and he recognized that my skills were better than the other lady remaining but that I just needed to do things over and over to feel safe. Another thing he explained to me was how different the snow conditions are now versus December. Due to deeper snow the beginner run is much easier/less steep AND the snow is slower. And, he actually taught me how to get on and off the lift without getting killed - that was a stress reliever too. Anyway, we did two runs together down the beginner run (which is steeper at this particular resort versus the one closer to Seattle but they have more snow and longer season is why I wound up at Stevens Pass). I did great - maybe fell twice or something - not bad at all. The other lady did a little skiing backwards (not intentionally) and overall had alot more problems then I did which gave me time to stop, pause, think which really helped with the anxiety. then, after the two hour lesson I had lunch with my son and went back out for another 3 hours and just did that same run over and over again. By the end, I could do the whole thing without stopping, without falling. I felt like I was really actually skiing even though clearly still a beginner, it was actually fun! One of the things this instructor had us do is ski down this road where we practiced going "all out" - which wasn't that fast as it wasn't super steep - and then slowing down. At the bottom there was a big section where there was nothing to hit and he told us to just go as fast as we felt safe doing. That helped so much because later, as I was practicing on my own, I could identify sections of the ski hill where I could do that and just knowing I could slow or stop myself - using various techniques - gave me the courage to let myself pick up speed. My son mentioned back in December that skiing was going to be a great way to meet guys my age...haha... because there are so many of them out there skiing or snowboarding by themselves. (course who knows, right?) One such guy tried to strike things up with me as he was maybe a tiny bit more experienced then me but was also a begginner. Anyway, that was kind of entertaining I guess but my main focus was learning to ski. There is maybe another month of snow left at Stevens Pass so I hope to go 1-2 more times so that starting next season I can actually take a class and get to the intermediate level and then I will be content with just knowing how to ski.

Denise I think what you wrote is fine. I did see a list of new members....who is LisasHope? I have said it before I am uncomfortable with members we have never really heard from. LV does not fall in that bucket because she was very active before taking a break. Sorry about the tiff with Bill over the CPAP. They are so important to use but his attitude about how it impacts the quality of your sleep is not good.

Skiing was finally FUN. skied more than fell! I just went down the slope over and over!!! No anxiety attacks either!

Interesting. I have a larger sleeve theoretically as they used 38 (or was in 36?) Bougie and I have had great success. Lost 150 in 14 months....lost another 10 later and have been maintaining.

Trying skiing again today. Really anxious over it. Breathe.

I see signatures from my kindle. Also if you click on profiles you often see before and after photos. Real shame that so many are missing out on stats and photos...can be inspirational.

I am not sweetpee but Cbt my insatiable hunger happened in the early weeks post op. Others lose weight during the "high burn" but I maintained being so hungry. I stayed focused on Protein but ate often! So most of us are cleared for activity at 6-8 weeks but I will share a warning of some ladies in my FB support group who caused themselves complications after 6 weeks by way over doing it. I sometimes think I was way wimpy as I waited more like 12 weeks plus to resume horses, farm work, and hard workouts but I did manage to avoid complications. I had mega procedures done at once including the LBL. Anyway main message is that recovery is slower than it seems..

Must be spring a bunch of us are doing well! I popped up to 153 by kiddo is here and we are going out to dinner every night. Last night took both boys out for sushi, it was delicious!

I read Book of Ruth - the fiction book, right? EXCELLENT in my opinion but it was years ago. I have been on a netflix documentary bender lately!

For Denise since she asked.. might be TMI for most of you.... I went through meno when I was obese. The fat apparently kept most symptoms at bay - i didn't get vaginal dryness until after I lost weight, in fact I had the opposite problem of too much moisture. I only had maybe 1-2 hotflashes EVER but of course i have sleep issues etc so who knows what is meno related and what isn't. I wasn't having sex (my EX gave up on sex sometime around 2006-2008 timeframe) so didn't notice it until last year - first when horseback riding and my exposed parts got tender in a way they never had before and then later when I resumed having sex. At first it was okay, then got a bit sore afterwards (no bleeding or anything) even using a gel. I started on premarin but didn't like it. Then I intermittantly used a bio-identical (a small amount a few times a week) but I am unclear how or if it is helping. I recently switched formulations to a different bioidentical that I insert 3 times a week now and apply a progesterin cream to my body somewhere to help with the sleep issues. My doctor says my vaginal tissue is very healthy, but I find it gets annoyingly dry still. Not to be too graphic, but the lubricant needs to be re-applied during and since I was never like that before I find it disconcerting. One advantage of an older lover is that he familiar with it - no big deal to him but it bothers me that my body simply does not respond the way it should! What really bothers me is that once moist/wet it drys out immediately... I cannot make sense of that... almost like it absorbs the lubricant or something. Anyway, I sometimes long for my 30s which was by far the peak of my physical sexual enjoyment. I think NOW is the peak of my "mental" sexual enjoyment as I seriously feel great for days after... the whole afterglow of endorphins I guess. Sadly, I missed out on most of my 40s due to my EX giving up on sex. So that is probably TMI...LOL

So, it sounds like they are recommending this for medical reasons - you have lost alot of weight and the extra belly skin is causing health problems and perhaps interfering with exercise etc? That is the main reason I have heard of doing this before losing all the weight... referred to as "staging" or doing it in phases. Most of us are told to be at a stable goal weight for at least a little while but it is very individual. Have you had a consult with a plastic surgeon? They are normally free and really the best place to get your questions answered. I had plastics, but it was much more extensive than a panni so i can't really give advice on what to expect with the panni. I will say that skin removed from the belly area has a bigger impact than one might think as it is tied into your lymphatic system etc and healing takes awhile. Your plastic surgeon should be able to lay out the plan for recovery too. good luck!

Thanks for the links Swizz... will check em out. I have been reflecting on this thread and realized something. Due to plastics, I stopped exercise back in october. Then, when I was cleared to resume exercise I decided to join and gym and work with a personal trainer who quickly injured me (not that I hold a grudge or anything). Now, I am re-habbing with a different PT who is having me do very focused, low intensity strength training of small muscles. What I am missing is my old high intensity aerobics. I am still active, riding horses, working around my farm, going on walks all that stuff, but I am not doing the high intensity spinning or group classes. I am going to resume that as I do think that "working up a sweat" nearly daily really helped me feel good. I also don't like that I seem to need an "endorphin fix" but it's where I am at right now so I guess I will just accept that and see what happens. An observation about my favorite hobby - horse back riding - is that I KNOW it triggers endorphins but i don't have time/ability to do that everyday. I suspect that there is no single thing - sleep issues, hormone issues, the need for endorphins... they all play together somehow and it is a matter of managing that balance and then just tolerating those times when I get the unexplained mood drops. I really don't think I am depressed since I have alot of energy and MOST of the time feel from fine to pretty dang good. I have alot of optimism about life and my future and to me that is not a depressed experience.

Hey Georgia we may no longer be HOT all the time but we are HAWT...HAHA

Neck Wattle cure - please do share! I don't actually think I need a facelift YET, and i am afraid of the scars and more importantly the numbness, but I would love to do a wattle reduction! Cathy, good luck - hope the house stuff sails along smoothly. I admit I am not fasting of late. I am down in my bounce range again barely - low 150s - but have kiddo home from college. I do want to take a run at getting more solidly into the 140s but thinking that will be more successful once he is gone. The other day I was looking at my chubby thighs, knowing that the chub is mostly skin (I had the small thigh lift which was very much a partial solution) wondering if i should revise to the long thigh lift. My surgeon finally sent me the mark up photos... oh good heavens, wowza, even I forgot how much I have improved. It helped me reset my brain a little. Like wow, how far have I come???? I never really shared photos of how awful my thighs were pre-plastics - some of the photos I had were taken at beneficial angles. These photos are shocking even to me. April 14 will be my 6 month plastics and I hope to have actually put together some sort of photo collage really showing side by side. I don't have any pre weight loss photos that show any skin at all... but seeing what I looked like pre weight loss, then post weight loss (without spanx), then post plastics is amazing. when I was preop, I had no idea this was even possible...

I don't think being scale obsessed is good AT ALL. I am a daily weigher, same time every morning, and I don't let little fluctuations concern me. It is useful though because like others have said...i can tell when I am trending UP. I regained 5# after hitting goal.. it took months to do it. It wasn't a single weigh in, it was a trend up. Regular monitoring kept that from turning into 15 or 50 pounds regain. I maintain a bounce range. Right now I am maintaining around 150... my bounce range is 146-151 and I watch trends rather than a single day weigh in.

I am prone to getting cold now. I keep my house warmer and my kiddo came home for spring break and complained heartily so I am wearing sweaters this week! I also learn from my skinny friends - don't be afraid of long underwear, layers etc. I think this is pretty normal. Tired all the time... I would check two things, no 3 things first. #1 hydration - are you getting plenty of Water everyday? #2 adequate sleep and #3 nutrition and supplements - Vitamin B family deficiencies can happen with the sleeve for example and make you feel really tired. I do the drops under the tongue a couple of times a week. If all that checks out - you should be evaluated. I have so much energy these days it should be bottled and sold so I don't think it is due to losing weight...

Maybe your user name "Sleeveless in Seattle" is confusing you?? haha! It is a strange set of sensations, I always feel weirdo after general anethesia too. I like to say I didn't feel fully human until about 2-3 months post op. I can't actually describe what I mean by those words, but it is how I felt.

I lost alot of weight by 6-7 months out... over 100#. I reached a crossroads since by 8 months I wasn't losing much at all. I sort of had to ask myself the question of "is this good enough?" i don't think there is a right or wrong answer to that question, but I personally really wanted to be normal weight and not still overweight. I also realized that weighing under 200# was a heck of a lot better than weighing over 300# so i didn't want to get trapped by thinking I was a failure at losing "only" 100 pounds.... So, I saw the NUT and we had a real discussion about it. I decided to go for it... so I refocused, i gave up Protein bars which had turned into my snack food of choice. I was in a way abusing them.. using them like a candy/snack substitute. I had to just quit them for awhile because 1-2 per day was adding carbs especially that I didn't need. I also increased the intensity of my exercise - I started doing high intensity interval training, took up spinning and gave up the exercises that were time consuming and low intensity. Those had their place earlier on in the process, but I needed to change to get to my ultimate goal. Those two things got me back to losing that 8-10 per month instead of 2-3 per month. THAT is how I made the final push to goal and a "normal" BMI. So, the answer to your question is that whether you make it to goal or not in the first 6-8-12 months - at some point you will start feeling more hunger, you may start wandering back to old habits... you might need to face a certain crossroads like i did.

Wow surgeon finally sent me my markup photos.unreal, even to me how much I have changed. For my 6 month Mark from plastics I. Am going to do a before and after collage. Denise I went through menopause several years ago whicb is why I ruled out hormonal issues but my doc says that can still happen. And I do still have a sex drive but it's different than in m 30s. Thanks to my EX I missed out on sex for most of my 40s. Back to sleep....

Sounds like stress to me... don't worry about it... I think you are perhaps unusual that you were always so regular. The body and mind are very intertwined and sometimes collude to confuse us!