crossedpaws

I'm asking on this forum because we are of that age where old habits die hard. I sleep on my stomach. Always have. Does anyone else here have that habit and if so, how long after surgery did it take to be able to do it again?

Yes- I actually have been in and out of talk therapy for decades. Quit about 9 months ago but have appointment on Tuesday to start going again. Thanks for responding!

I am 55 and I have posted before, but have just had a disappointing meeting with my ( non bariatric) NUT. She said she didnt think I was ready for WLS because it was already our 4th appointment and I hadn't really seemed serious about losing weight. I have not been filling out my charts very well and have done little to change my awful habit of eating a big meal at night and cutting down on sugar and fat. I AM having trouble and I have an appt with the bariatric NUT and the surgeon April 12. I am kind of bummed about the "non recommendation" of the NUT and the fact that she is recommending GBP instead of sleeve because of my age! I think it also has to do with the fact that I am in a rural area and they don't seem to have much experience with the sleeve. <sigh> just bemoaning the fact that I can't seem to get it together. This forum helps give me hope, though.

Anyone from northern Wisconsin out there? Talking Minocqua here... Haven't been sleeved yet, but am in the process and am going through Dr Selwyn in Stevens Point. I know this is a long shot since no Cheeseheads have posted for almost two years, but worth a try!

I guess I am impatient, because I am perusing the pre-op part of the forum and finding amazing answers there! Love this forum!

Hello all The NUT I have been going to thus far is not a bariatric specialist, so what she has been telling me, quite frankly, is what I have been hearing from every reducing program I've been on since I was 12 ( I actually spent 8 weeks at an official Weight Watchers camp in 1968<scary spaghetti squash and chicken boiled in tomato juice with no spices or salt, etc>). ANYWAY, I digress, as usual,. The point is, that I haven't been given any direction, except eat less, as to how I can get used to eating tiny meals every hour or so. Please understand that I truly want to learn to do this and I know that in order to be successful for the rest of my life I am going to have to train myself to do this. Are there threads here or books ( I am waiting for "The emotional first aid kit" to arrive and that might help) or are there suggestions you all have for ways to start to train myself (I have seen posts on baby spoons, baby dishes, 1 oz containers, etc) for this? Or does it just come naturally. I am going to the NUT again on Thursday, and have an appt with the bariatric NUT in April, but I am getting "performance anxiety" about being able to do this. TIA for advice given.

Just got back from Wallyworld where I bought some baby spoons and bowls. I was thinkkng of going on ebay to see if I could find some special small dishes/cutlery for a reward later on ( like Beatrix Potter Peter Rabbit china or something). Thanks for the advice!

Good luck- you deserve this. Keep looking for options!

CQ: You're right. Anything to get the job done. For the record, I was a big city girl (read that as you like!) up 'til 13 years ago, so anything over 10 miles is " long distance" to me! Also, let the record show how insanely jealous I am that you ( or anyone for that matter) gets to live and breathe anywhere in Europe. I've studied in Austria and been over several times since, but to live there.....<sigh>.... Thanks for the wishes of luck. PS this luddite can't figure out how to submit my email to your blog for updates nor how to send PMs to members of this forum. Any help?

Hi Sandy I am new to this, too - I'm about a month behind you in process. I, too, have to travel 100 miles for my first surgeon appt and for surgery. It's nice living In the quietness of rurality, and we do have some nice medical centers very near, but the closest bariatric program is so far... Luckily my surgeon comes reasonably close every month, too. Good luck on your journey and I'll look for you on here again. We have droves of supportive knowledgable people on here!

Hi, I'm Barb and I've been lurking for awhile and even posted a couple of times. I'm in the very beginning stages of the process. I had my psych eval and "passed". I have my last pre- surgical consult NUT meeting next week- been 3 times and have actually gained 7 lbs since I have been eating everything in sight (well, not my dog or anything...) and am a little disappointed in myself. I also have been avoiding even the smallest amount of exercise- and the ironic thing is that I really love to exercise but now I am so heavy and it hurts so I don't do it. I am sure a lot of you know the cycle I'm in... I have a lot more to say about myself, but I know that this should be a short intro. I see the surgeon and the bariatric NUT on April 12. I am assuming that I will be given a strict regimen to follow. I'm okay with that- I mean I am doing this so I can learn to eat less. I was wondering, though, did any of you have overeating phases between when you were deciding whether to have surgery anfmd when you axmctually had a consult ir sm inthe onky one with this behavior. BTW, I am 55 and about 320- been 260-355 on and off for the past 15 years. Hey, thanks, all of you, for being here. What a great place to get info on this life-affirming decision!

So many welcoming people here and so many stories. Thanks for being so welcoming and I look forward to reading and writing as we all go through our journeys. A special "shout out" to Pookeyism for appreciation of Latin and to all newbies and veterans who took the time to respond.

<sigh> I just got a phone that's smarter than I am and deleted my entire last post. Let's try again: Re the shrinking of the liver, and the reasoning the dr gave , that makes a lot of sense as well as losing weight and getting one's body as ships-shape as possible before the surgery. I suppose the dr will let me know, but I wonder how long it takes to shrink the liver. Would it be possible for people to let me know how long they were on their pre-op diets? Weeks? Months? Thanks Barb

Whew. Looks like I'm not such a freak after all ( shhh, don't tell any of my friends!) Thanks for welcoming me- this place looks like its filled with supportive people- though I'm sure, like any board, itchas it's days! I've been on every diet known to modern man, and have lost on every one of them. Then, the "click" in my head either thinks, "well, 50 lbs isn't bad- I can stay at this weight for a bit" or " it's just not fair that everyone else can eat what they want and I can't" and BOOM, I'm back where I was. I've been dealing with the issues of why I am obese for so long! Now I'm ready to deal with, " what does it matter, get rid of that "Testudo" ( that's my word for my fat- it's a formation Roman soldiers used where they huddled together and used their shields to deflect oncoming arrows) and LIVE LIFE!" Thanks again for answering. I'll try not to be so wordy in the future- it's just nice to have like-minded people to listen.

Wow- this is a very active topic- whew- sometimes it seems that we "50s" are the ones that give up....I guess not, and I'm glad. I have my surgery consult in April- am about 320 now and don't know how much I'll have to lose before surgery, but the things you ladies have been saying on this board are very inspiring as well as helpful with regard to the nervousness I feel. I'm glad, though, that someone mentioned getting my affairs in order- they are so out of order now- because you never know. I'll keep on checking this forum out and let you all know the dates once I get them. Thanks, all, for being here for people like me.

Wow, lots of great stories and ideas here - and hope. ! I have a consult with the surgeon in April, and two nutritionist appts until then ( I've had 3- know what to do, but am not doing it). I feel so physically awful (and I am a reasonably healthy 55 year old), so I am ready for this- I want to be able to do the things I used to do - hike, train with my dog, not feel ashamed because I might break a chair, and work on myself! Queen of Crop,I'm looking forward to reading your blog.

I am a newbie at 55, 56 in June (hey, Veggiesleever - we have the same birthday), and I am about 1/4 of the way through the process - two more nut sessions, endo (and wonderful colo at the same time- 2nd one). I know this sounds silly, but at this time the one thing I am frightened of is that they'll find something inside my body that means that I can't have the surgery - I have been abusing my body with food for so many years... There is nothing but my imagination that tells me this... Soooo, I am looking forward to changing my life even more, even if the sx doesn't get approved, but it is nice to see that we in our 50s are still charging forward with our pursuit of the life we deserve!

Is the "take home test" open book? (hardy har). I am a newbie, too, and just wanted to mention that I also had a follow up but was approved as far as the psych eval went, so I wouldn't worry. IMHO it is a great idea, especially for those of us who suffer with depression to see someone during this huge event, when our lives are going to change so radically. Good luck!

LOL re entire beet. Love beets, but, um, no! I have only been to 2 of the 4 required before-sx nutritional counseling sessions and the nut ( that abbreviation sounds so negative, but i really like her) doesn't get that juicing doesn't mean drinking a giant container of processed juice. I originally started juicing because I do not get nearly enough fruits and veggies in my diet, so this was a great compromise and it turns out that kale and other greens I would never touch normally are very palatable when juiced together with lemon and orange. Wow this is getting long. It was nice hearing different thoughts on juicing and I look forward to exploring this forum and seeing what this group has to say. Barb

Wow. I just started my WLS sx journey in December and have yet to decide between the lap band and VSG. I started juicing once a day back in October ( a mix of fruits and veggies) and have been bummed b/ c I thought I'd have to give it up for good. It's great to hear some of you are juicing!