CowgirlJane

Tell them J. The gave me IV med dose and it cured me instantly. Don't suffer needlessly... Plastics are freaking hard enough!!!!

You know I am a big fan of PSSC - they have been awesome and I got outstanding results from my sleeve surgery. I did not choose Harris for plastics for two reasons. 1, he was new there when I did the consult and did not have alot of before and afters to look at. 2, he is a cosmetic and not plastic surgeon. Not sure point 2 makes any difference, but it was a factor in my decision - there is a different level of training. However, for body reconstruction after massive weight loss I suspect he is every bit as good or BETTER than many plastic surgeons because he specializes in it. I also have alot of trust in the level fo care from PSSC. In the end, I went to Mexico to dr Sauceda - partly for cost, but my main reasons for choosing him was superior aftercare and he has a long track record of good results with massive weight loss reconstruction. However, Mexico is NOT for everyone. If you want the very best of the best in the Seattle area for post massive weight loss - check out Dr Egrari. He is a nationally known specialist. I also thought the Dr Mary Peters has amazing results (book in her office even more than on realself or her webpage - she has like 15-25 years worth of amazing photos). However, both those surgeons cost a small fortune if you need multiple procedures. They also send you home same day, which was something I could never really get my mind around so for me Dr Sauceda was the best choice.

Sometimes, a memory of my past just resurfaces - like an embarrassing event, or something i wish i had done differently. It is almost not in my control - my little voice will speak to that memory - like "you were so stupid". I have learned to yell back at the liar.. and say things "no, I was just young and naive". Or when it says things about how ugly I am "I say no, I am pretty enough and am lucky enough to be even a little exotic looking" (okay, maybe that was just a line but i have heard it a few times). It's hard but i think over time, if you repeat the good words, the self affirmations, they start to edge out the bad talk. FWIW, my dad was terribly verbally abusive. You couldn't walk across the room without being told you did something wrong - or were fat or ugly. I can remember him commenting on clothes I was wearing - that it made me look like a barrel. My nickname was "house" due to my hugeness. What's funny is that by today's standards, I wasn't even THAT fat - but by 1970s standards I guess I was huge beyond belief, that is at least the way my dad and many kids at school made me feel. I am fairly sure that the "voice" is much of what I heard as a child and don't even remember anymore, but it is so ingrained it just keeps talking to me like an unwelcome guest. well, f*ck that crap. I am not living the rest of my life being insulted and abused. Nobody real does it to me anymore - no reason at all for me to do it to myself either. Laura, not sure what is at the root of your little demon voice, but it is a liar, I promise you.

Good rule of thumb - you should be AT LEAST as nice to yourself as you would be to a dear friend.... Hang in there.

Every once in a while the liar demon rears it's ugly head and says these things. Overall though, I think a person will never find peace if that demon isn't mostly quiet. I don't care what you weigh or how beautiful you are - if you let the liar convince you that you are ugly and not good enough, that is what you will see. Everyone else will see the attractive and worthy person, but you (we) will still see the "not good enough".

I have only read some of these posts, but do have two observations. I found myself feeling... jealous is the closest word I can come up with... of people who didn't have a lifelong obesity problem. Honestly, sometimes I read the whole comment "I was thin until I had kids" as a slam against people like me who was overweight or obese or morbidly obese basically my whole life (except for short lived periods). Like somehow people think that they don't deserve this obsesity thing .. it is just something that showed up later in life... unlike a "real" fat person. I don't blame anyone, simply observing my own feelings. My second observation is that there is an inherited tendency toward hunger/bottomless pit stomach. This is NOT all emotional issues. My son who is a little heavy, but has never been obese shared with me that he never really feels too full. He can eat ALOT and have seconds and then eat another meal 2 hours later. I was like that pre surgery - my drive for food was nearly constant. I realize that I certainly do have emotional eating issues too, but that is my 20% issue; 80% was physical hunger. My son is young and male and much more self aware so he controls his weight by following the sleever rule "eat to absence of hunger, full is NOT the goal". I didn't have that understanding and also was raised to eat very high carb and low fat which also triggers huge appetite. My ex sig other and my other son (not genetically related to me but raised by me) do NOT have the bottomless pit stomachs - get full / satiated in a very reasonable way. Don't discount the physical differences between people. I struggled more to maintain in the 275-300# range presleeve then I struggle to maintain at 150 post sleeve and the primary difference is that I am no longer hungry 24/7.

Ross Dress for Less, TJ Maxx,Burlington Coat Factory,etc have cheapo prices and everything from high end brands to low quality. Jeans are harder to find but all other clothes-great bargains. At ross I pay under10 for a top and under 12 for a dress.

I revised after 10 years with the band. During the soft food phases you really don't feel much restriction. In fact, the first 6 weeks, eat by the measuring cup and scale because this surgery causes some temporary nerve damage and you may not be able "feel" a full tummy in those early weeks.

So surgeon wrote back that the little zings, numbness and just plain weird are normal and I am clear to do more than walking. His thing was just to take it easy first 2 weeks of working out, to build up. I was pretty sure he would say that. Now I just need to man up! It will make me feel better.

Another perspective...I have lost 160#, does it matter that much how long it took? Have a realistic but optimistic view....

Chimera that was helpful. I do everything on the list except track. The scale and fitted no stretch clothes are my accountability. I wanted to address the"believing". I think that is a process....over time I built up the belief. Now I have the mindset there is no going back. I may have regains but I believe in my ability to manage my weight like a normal person now. Not easy but possible..something you just DO. In the past a gain would make me give up.all or nothing thinking was my enemy. Gain 10, might as well be 100as it felt equally hopeless. I see that unhealthy thought process as being immature and part of the disordered eating cycle.

Globe you don't pay them directly they get a cut. Some get benefit without an attorney. I don't know if it makes sense I do think it is worth checking out.

So, I was cleared to "start" exercising a week ago. I have been doing alot of mall walking and shopping..haha... but really haven't started working out. I guess I have been a slow healer so I got alot of the nerve tingling a little later in the process and it bothers me. It doesn't hurt, it bothers me because I think I am doing harm. So today I realized that I was sorta blocked on this subject so emailed the surgeon and i am sure will hear back Monday. I basically want to know the very simple "I am used to listening to my body but it is speaking a new language... tell me what to worry about and what to just push through". I am getting better and better - physically and emotionally - but am not 100%. I want to be 100% and even better... so I want to start working out and not worry. Coops - I get that you don't fight, but do you box against other women or do the punching bag only? Georgia's amazing ongoing weight loss and Daisy getting back to goal made me ponder something about 5:2. It seems like the losses are inconsistent compared to say my sleeve journey. What i mean to say is it seems like lots of time spent plateau'd and then DROP. When I first started it, i lost 5 pounds in a month which was amazing. Then I stayed level for a bit and then lost 8# in a month. Now i am back to that weight again... but still feel like I am about 5# over what I want. Granted - I was exercising alot and following pretty strictly... which I am not now.

I like this. Thanks for posting it. i was thinking of starting a thread on the vets forum or FYE - maybe you want to?? What I was wondering is how we can generate discussion on each of the 8 habits - like post about one habit at a time and ask for input/discussion?? I think they are debate worthy and I know I do most of them. I can also tell you that I DIDN'T do enough of them when I had the lapband, one of my reasons for failure (besides that the band SUCKS)

I had the premiere Protein tonight as hot chocoloate. It was very good and seemed like a bigger serving when I poured it in a huge mug, but i am not sure i like it as well as the ProtiDiet. Nonetheless, great solution to my hot cocoa crisis - thank you!!!

Because everyone's post count was messed up in the switch over. It's been corrected. Mine was saying over 10000 posts which certainly wasn't correct. The actual number of posts that show how much time I have spent on this site is bad enough... much less doubling it...haha

pammy - i had a lower body lift, breast aug and lift, arm lift and small thigh lift. I have a thread called something like "two weeks from plastics" that has photos and alot of details. I updated photos at one month out too.

I don't know anything about him either, but good luck in your search!

Hi Kris, i have heard that breast reductions are tougher then augmentations. I am almost 7 weeks out from a Lower body lift, breast aug/lift, arm lift and small thigh lift. I didn't have any lipo. Recovery has been tough but not particularly painful. I think just being mentally prepared ... that recovery is a slow process... two steps forward and a half a step back kind of thing. My swelling hasn't been too bad, but that does happen with the lower body lifts sometimes. Wishing you good luck and a speedy recovery!

I will be 7 weeks post op tomorrow. I won't lie, recovery has been tough... to be honest more mentally than physically. My results are awesome though. To be able to dress in the close fitting clothes without spanx... it is amazing. The ONLY results i am not happy with is where I didn't have work done..haha. Damn, I still have skin under the arms which isn't noticable until I wear a bra that actually fits. I need to go shopping for a bra to contain the side boobage, otherwise, I am feeling really amazing wearing stylish clothes etc. (The only surgical solution to that particular problem is an upper body lift which is just a bridge too far for me....)

My parents did the best they could - but were poor and were depression era people themselves. My dad was the food pusher - big time. We also ate alot of carbs and specifically dairy (as it was the family business). I was literally fattened up like a baby cow - unwittingly. We also ate alot of fresh veggies and meat from our farm but I was raised on carbs.... in that time nobody knew that some of us get huge on that kind of diet. I did pretty good with my kiddos. No diets allowed. One of my sons is on the heavier side, but is NOT obese and does not have food issues beyond inheriting my unnaturally large appetite. He has done good staying in the range of normal even while off at college and eating all that junky food and drinking beer. I try to not lecture but share my info about how to eat in hopes that over the long haul he avoids my fate of morbid obesity. Most of my nieces and nephews are huge. It is like a whole generation of 20 and 30 somethings is as fat or fatter then I was rather than just one or two of them. It is sad. There is definately a genetic and lifestyle component to all of this.

Congrats Daisy - even sweeter the second time!!!!

Brown, I think the key is to keep trying like you are doing. 5:2 is worth sticking with and I hope you dont drop out. Georgia mentioned how switching it up really makes a difference (congrats on the losses Georgia!!!!!!). I find the same,changing something can help. I believe in the power of thought... the mind. When I have a goal, I do things like imbed the goal in passwords so I type it everyday. Like if I was working toward a goal I would write it down on my bathroom mirror with a dry erase pen so I see it several times a day. I also weigh daily. I feel this makes me keep my goals in both the front and back of mymind. I think it helps me stay focusedand make a few healthier food/activity choices since that GOAL is everywhere. I have done this both with my goal weight and with mini goals along the way.

My friend Mary said that i ws limiting myself to tall guys with these heels and I told her "thats the plan". I do need to google how to walk in stilletto heels though. Just to show that photos ARE everything in the online dating world....I cropped the boys out of the thanksgiving picture and added it to my POF account. Activity increased times 4-5and actually some are from men I find interesting. What do you think of the tamed hair in the bootie picture? The way I wore it for Thanksgiving is more my daily hairstyle - down and naturally curly. Globe - our family just won an epic battle getting our brother D on disability. He has been type 1 diabetic since 19, but now at 60 it has become "brittle" and his sugar was out of control even though he managed it properly. He had huge highs and lows... 911 visited 2-3x a week to revive him with an IV of glucose, nightmare situation but it is under better control due to improved medical care now AND he is on disability. It was some effort, but people with a real issue CAN qualify. The attorney INTENTIONALLY tried to delay getting the coverage to start so he could make more money (they get paid a portion of the amount in arrears) but my sister A kicked their asses and he was approved fast and the attorney only took around 2,000. They get paid out of your disability money... its a scam in my view but an important part of the process. I helped my sis L get on disability ... but stage 4 breast cancer and you don't even need an attorney. So, I think you should find a good onine MS support board and start asking around about disability. And perhaps a name of a CA attorney. They usually do a free consult and I wonder if you could do one over the phone? I do not know, but think that MS is common enough that there is somewhat a standard expectation of at what point it is a disability. So, other than the sucky war situation, have you found Afganistan to be an interesting place? Did you ever get to sample local cuisine or visit markets and stuff?

The man I have been seeing for around 6 months is 16 years older then me. The age difference is an issue - I am a "young" 49 and he is contemplating retirement. For casual dating or FWB I am okay with the big age difference, but for anything with a long term potential I want to stay within around 7 years plus or minus... for practical reasons. The man I have been seeing is very athletic - he mountain bikes, skies - everything. He played college football - the kind of guy that would have never dated me when I was fat to be honest. Anyway, because of that lifetime of fitness he looks and acts young - would be younger if he didn't abuse his body with cigarettes and stress. My new booties. I usually wear stacked heels, or low heels if skinny. so, I need to practice wearing them. If I still look like a newborn calf I WON'T be wearing them to the speed dating..haha.