AliveAgain

I asked my surgeon and he said that while like (90% or some high number like that) an enlarged liver is just fatty liver disease, they take biopsies for further evaluation. Essentially, since FLD can cause fibrosis, cirrhosis, etc. they want to be absolutely sure of what stage they are dealing with for your post-operative care.

Funky monkey! That is amazing! I'm so jealous

I'm not a true expert, but from what I understand we want to limit the acid production for the first 4-6 weeks after surgery to help the stomach while it is in healing mode. Some people produce more acid than others and have to be on the acid reducer for longer. Too much acid can cause problems like ulcers, heartburn, esophageal spasms, over the long run. Too much can also be confused for hunger right after surgery. However, most Vitamins are Water or fat soluble meaning that either have to be taken with water or juice or some form of fat (you can Google which ones are which). Otherwise the vitamins can literally go right through your system without being absorbed into the bloodstream. The other part of the equation is if you have enough stomach acid to break down the pill for absorption, or again just pass right through. So during the time that you're on an acid reducer, chances are the pill-form vitamins won't even "work" and you'll just pass them down the toilet. That's why they prefer chewable, sub-lingual, liquid, etc. in the beginning. It's also why we have to take "double the dose" since our smaller stomachs most likely do not absorb the majority of the vitamins we put down at any one time. Granted, this is just what's been explained by my surgeon, NUT and two doctors in the family. Even they tell me there is conflicting studies here and there that say any Vitamin is a waste of money and 80% passes through your system. Most advocate getting as many nutrients as possible through a balanced diet, although food needs acid to break down as well. I just try to chew my food as well as possible since the enzymes in your saliva can aid in your digestion when perhaps your stomach isn't making enough acid. My dad's doctor told him that not chewing food enough before swallowing puts too much of the "breakdown process" on your stomach, sometimes causing acid overproduction -- which is why he's had a hard time with heartburn and indigestion.

I can't tell you how many times I've teared up in dressing rooms @stores, or when I pull out some smaller sizes I packed away eight years ago in my twenties. Now I make sure to bring Kleenex with me so I don't blubber all over the merchandise and look like a clown walking out!

I use Blender Bottles for my Protein shake drinks and they have ounce-measurements on the side like a measuring cup. I make most of mine with 10-12oz and have two a day now (month 6). Then I measured all the glasses in my kitchen to know how much they hold, so I can fill what I need and count it in MyFitnessPal journal. I make sure to have 2-3 glasses of Water or iced tea every day. For workouts, walks and bike rides I used my 23oz water bottle and drink the whole thing before, during and after the activity. I drink mostly water, otherwise I make iced teas (green, chamomile, dandelion) for summer or hot tea on the cooler evenings. Don't do a lot of milk, and rarely have more than 2-3oz of fruit juice over the span of an entire month, watered down.

I have lots of clothes I'm selling at garage sale prices. I would say only about 10% is size 14-18 stuff, but you can check it out to see if there is anything you could use. I'm taking pictures of more stuff in the next day or so and posting them, that's mostly size 16, 18, XL stuff I've recently "undergrown" (I'm in a 14 now, almost 12). I have a few pairs of size 16 jeans, a pair of jean-capris in size 18 (fits like a 16). Nice items that were just bought in March/April and not worn that much since I spend most of my days now in workout clothes (unemployed). I'm 36, non-smoker, everything kept very neat, washed and packed away folded, etc. Most of it is Lane Bryant, some from Kohl's and other department stores. Most of my style is for office/work, with plenty of casual for movies, going out with friends, and things like that. You can check it now and maybe again in a day or so as I post more stuff! http://flickr.com/gp/51124392@N03/C69F6h

First of all, please notice that you lost 70 pounds and have been able to KEEP IT OFF as well (not bounce back, regain, etc.) That in itself is a SUCCESS in my book What is your goal weight? What are you eating now in calories/protein/carbs/fats and fluids? Do you keep a food journal? What type of exercise or activity do you do daily/weekly? Are you still in touch with your surgeon's office? Support group? Nutritionist available to you? Are you still taking vitamins as needed? If you are tall in height and you're within 20+/- pounds of your goal weight it's most likely at that point that everyone hits of just slowing down. It may take going back to the basics (protein shakes, limiting carbs, etc) or shaking up your routine with some new workout activity to get things going!

Glad he's got such a wonderful wife by his side, taking care of him. He will do great!

Will be sending best wishes your way! It's a bumpy ride, but SO MUCH FUN when the weight starts coming off!

I've been considering buying a RoadID recently. I ride bikes a lot, road and mountain. I was hit by a car driving 40mph while riding my bike alone in 2002. While I did get hurt, I never lost consciousness. I think it's worth the money, for sure!

Omeprazole (acid reducer) was the only capsule-pill my doctor "allowed" me to take normally with sips of water for the first three weeks. He and his NUT instructed me to use chewable vitamins for the first month simply because you don't have the stomach acid to break them down for proper absorption into the body. The chewables allow it to be broken down my your saliva, and then passed into the system through capillaries in your mouth. The membrane under your tongue is really great for this. After the first month, I started taking pill-form vitamins and calcium with food. The chewables can be sickly sweet, and can add to your carb count (i.e. gummies).

I was much like you, wanting to be prepared for coming home from the surgery. Unfortunately, I stocked up with a full stomach and still have SF Jello, broths, and other things in my cabinet from 4-5 months ago. It's good to have a few things on hand (Angie's list is good), but you'll be able to get up and out in the first week. So if you need anything, you can go to the store. Or have a friend or family member go for you. It's common that taste buds can change a little after surgery, especially in the first week. So whatever you buy, buy in small quantities. chicken, beef, and/or veggie broth. I like the Trader Joes stuff in the "box" so you can pour what you need and refrigerate the rest. Don't worry too much about low-sodium since you won't be getting much from the liquid diet, the regular version can actually help with low electrolytes. Ready-made Protein shakes and/or powders. Now is a good time to see what you like, but again - go in small qty's as some people find they like one shake pre-op and then don't like it post-op. Some brands like unjury and Syntrax nectar make sample packs to try different flavors. I highly recommend the Unjury chicken Soup, you can make with broth. I have some now from Healthwise that are tomato and beef, got them from my doctor's office e-store. SF popsicles Chewable or liquid Vitamins and Calcium, perhaps a sublingual B12 - careful of gummies and the "sweeter" chewables for hidden carbohydrates! Measuring cup for liquids

I am 36 and was not born into an obese family, but I have been yo-yo'ing with my weight for 20 years. I was sick of it. My husband and I want to try to have kids, if it's not too late. But I needed to lose about 100-130 pounds to be healthy enough to get pregnant, and have a healthy baby. The first time I had to lose weight was only about 20 pounds (college). Then later in life after a bad break up, another 40 pounds. I could always get it off and keep it off for a while, but then as soon as life got hectic and hard -- it would come right back on. This last time, I gained 100 pounds in a single year. Then another 40 over the next year. This weight just wasn't coming off so easily. I'd lose 20-30 pounds here and there, then gain it all back as soon as I lost focus. And I'll say having a full-size stomach was not helping me. The heavier I was, the more I dealt with emotions with food. It's not like before when I could deal with emotions with getting outside, planning trips, going to the gym. I was in a vicious cycle and needed to get out to save my life. Getting the sleeve was the right direction for me. I needed the tool of a smaller capacity stomach so that I could break the cycle of dealing with negative emotions with food. I wasn't a fast food person per se, we don't keep sweets and chips in the house. It wasn't about my food choices so much as about the quantity and my habits (going all day without eating, then having two portions of Pasta at dinner). Now, I'm so much the normal person it's scary. I can eat anything that is good for me, in the right size portions, and I'm exercising like crazy which is keeping my stress in check. I applaud anyone who can get the weight off on their own -- but the bigger battle is keeping it off, for the rest of your life. I just knew with my history that even if I lost 130 pounds on my own, that I was very likely going to put it back on sometime in the next five years. The surgery gives me the peace of mind that I will always have this tool to my disposal, keeping me vigilant.

Yes, you're staples were most likely titanium. You can go through scanners at the airport, MRI machines, xrays, etc. I have had a TENS unit on my back since surgery.

Seriously? I've been looking for a way to sell my stuff, some of it still has tags on it. When I look on eBay, the stuff is just sitting there at "0 bids" so I figured it never moved.

Can you elaborate on what you're experiencing, feeling? It seems like you've been dedicated for a long time, almost 9 months. Have you had doubts all along? If you're not ready, you're not ready. Honor that. But I'd really spend some time with those feelings, write them out, talk to someone, before making any decisions. Make sure if you're dealing with nervousness or actual doubts. Did they confirm that you are off the schedule? I had major swings back and forth in the week before, and of course the few days before. Just manic thoughts in my brain non-stop. But that happens to everyone, and it's that commitment to knowing this is the next best step for me that kept me on track. Maybe you're feeling otherwise?

My doc prescribed liquid Tylenel 3 / codeine. I can't do a lot of the heavier pain meds without vomiting. I used it for about two days then switched to just Children's liquid Tylenol, it did fine.

I'm finally to the point I keep my ring and band in their original box during the day. I like to wear them at night (comforting), but I've awoken to find them strewn in the bed. They fall off very easily with about a 2-3mm gap to my finger. But I still have 50+ pounds to lose before I'm where I want to be for long-term. When did you have your rings resized? I'm afraid of waiting until I'm near goal, going too small, then regaining. Let's face it, we're still planning to have a kid or two and I'm betting with age I'll crawl back up the scale here and there (you know, when I'm 80). I'm not interested in the little band things you can put on the back, I tried my grandmother's and they're very annoying.

I agree with Debbie about only getting on the scale once per week. But I know I couldn't stay away from the temptation and still to this day get on (almost) every day. It is different for everyone, but I think it took me about 4-6 days to lose the 8lbs of IV Fluid weight. I really started to notice .5-1lb drops daily around day 10. Have faith, it will happen for you!!

Day 151: Too Normal This morning I weighed in at 185.2lbs and then I walked into my closet and stared at the emptiness. My closet is EMPTY. I literally cannot wear anything I was wearing five months ago. Well, at least not unless I'm going for the baggy look. I'm so surprised that I've stuck with it. I'm still doing all my protein, getting in all my fluids, taking my vitamins, and exercise is just a part of my life now. But my name is Miss Fickle, I'm known to grow tired of doing the same thing within a matter of weeks or months. I'm just amazed. I've been able to change my habits. Seriously change them. I still worry about the day I let my guard down, but I can't imagine it right now. I do not crave popcorn when I go to theaters, I feel *sick* after just a few tastes of my friend's ice cream (a splurge for me) -- and I'm not sad about it. Real food has never tasted so good to me. And the *fake* foods just do nothing for me now. I have a few bites of pasta, and I'm not jazzed about it like I used to be. Funny thing, I love the smell of the pasta cooking. Some days, I just don't know how I got here. It seems like just yesterday I was waking up from my surgery. It was just last Christmas I was huffing and puffing on my brother's stairs. I have gotten out of the habit of journaling. Not happy about that, but it's been nice to have a break. I got to the point I had almost every meal memorized, so I just stopped. I'd like to get back into it, I know I will. But so long as I'm still losing, I'm not too worried about it. I keep to what I know, only deviating for a bite here and there of special things on rare occasions. It's nice to feel normal again. To not worry when a friend wants to go out, to not panic when I'm going to be gone all day and need to pack snacks. I look at my scars and wonder if it was just a dream? Now, I just need to sell some of these clothes that are taking up all the space in my guest closet before my mom comes to visit!!

These types of posts make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. YAY! To both of you, welcome!

YES! You are a success right now, today, in this moment! I absolutely could not agree with you more. Sure, I have that ticker to show my progress with my "goal" weight at the right end. But I'm with you, when it's just me and my skin and being comfortable within it -- I'm a success, too. I get more jollies out of daily NSV's than I do with numbers on a scale. BMI charts are overrated and something for doctor's to cling to when they want to encourage more healthy behaviors in their patients. To this day, I remember sitting in my doctor's office when I was about 26 years old and he told me I was "overweight" and needed to lose about 10lbs. This was at a time in my life when I was riding my bike 20-30 miles per day, 4-5 days per week. Running, kaying, hiking every weekend and wearing a size 4/6. I was 138lbs and he told me I was "overweight." I felt the best I'd ever felt in my life and this man was telling me I could "do better." Love the new profile pic!

(Grateful05: Onederland is when you drop into the 100's on the scale i.e. 199 from 200. It's a great place to be!) I use nectar for Protein drinks about 80% of the time. My favorites are Roadside Lemonade, Lemon Tea, Natural Peach (not the same as Fuzzy Navel), and Cappuccino. Pink Grapefruit, Apple Ecstasy, and strawberry Kiwi are also good. But I would agree in trying the sample pack before buying the big canisters, everyone's taste buds' are different! I like them because I really do not care for the "milky" based vanilla or chocolate very often, so I prefer the fruitier flavors. I make mine with (filtered) Water, sometimes ice, in my Blender Bottles and they always mix just fine. I get the foam sometimes, too, but it goes away pretty quickly.

Does anyone know how to delete a post?