It's all new

I am so sorry you are experiencing this. I, too, have a mother who is terminally Ill (pancreatic and peritoneal cancers). We at first expected only a very short time with her, but I made the decision to get the surgery during that time. Probably similar to you, I needed to know that after I lost my mom who is SO important in my life, that I really felt good about my own future. So, she has survived longer than anyone expected, and a year later we have been through an amazing journey together. She feels more secure knowing that after she is gone I'm going to be able to continue my life with a more secure future. I specifically replaced eating with exercise. Not in an unhealthy way, but in that it makes me feel better and I find soothing. Right now I can't exercise, but it's ok - I've had time to adjust and say goodbye to food as my closest friend. I wish I had more ideas, but that has been my best source of support. I hope that you are able to cherish whatever time you have while continuing to put your own care at the top of the list, too. I know that this is a hard time and a huge shock to the system. We are not far behind you in this same journey. Sending hugs your way.

Yes. I believe so. Prevacid can be a huge help.

I tried posting in the post-op area and haven't had a response so I thought I would try here. It may be that no one else has this issue. I am having VERY severe reflux, worsening in the last month. I take Prevacid three times daily. When I go to bed at night I prop myself up but still wake up choking and gagging on acid. I have a sore throat all the time. I have had very significant issues with hunger since my surgery in May, feeling satisfied after eating for about an hour and ravenous otherwise. Honestly, if I think about how hungry I have been it brings tears to my eyes. I have felt that I am in a constant state of starvation, but that I was just some weird exception to the rule and my hunger didn't disappear as it did for others. Now I am wondering if I have had acid this whole time despite my use of Prevacid. Does anyone have experience with this? I have tried almost all the PPI's and over the counter remedies to no effect. I am going to see my surgeon today but am pretty miserable and worried he won't have the answer.

Yikes. I am sorry, I want to respond but I don't have an answer. I hope you are able to get help for this soon!

I used Dr. Christine Nygaard in Bellevue. I think she is AMAZING. I have loved her work. I don't have a traditional job, so I can't exactly say for time off, but I'm guessing you would want 4 weeks for a desk job and would be required 6 weeks for a physical job. You might be able to go back earlier for a desk job but I wouldn't have wanted to. I will PM you info on cost. She also did my facelift, I will attach a photo. The two photos on the left are before - one with makeup and a professional camera that hid lots of flaws, and another more bare bones photo that shows what was really going on. The photo on the right is just a few days ago. My face surgery was about three months ago. She will also be doing my lift/aug in June.

I will PM you with words of TT wisdom. Or at least the best I have!

I have to disagree that a vet should be defined as a year out. And maybe my reasons aren't valid to others, but maybe they are. I was sleeved in May of 2012. Thus, I am not a year out. I have spent a lot of time on this forum. I am here daily, but don't respond as often as I might because I find that the repetitive nature of the questions just isn't for me. But there are occasionally helpful topics so I come for that. When the vet forum came up I was thrilled - a place for me, where I fit in. Where the questions and answers are relevant, and I can get advice from others going through similar experiences. I have gone from 255 to 126. I have started my plastics journey. My biggest concern has to do with maintenance and the emotional aspects of leaving the weight loss mentality and moving forward with something else. Where better to discuss these things than the vets forum? When I examine the topics, they seem quite relevant to where I am in my journey. I'm unclear as to why it makes sense to exclude people such as myself who have progressed to this point in under a year. I'm not going to go off and pout, I'm not spending my time being horribly offended - I just want folks to consider people like me. (Selfish, maybe... it's hard for me to judge). Thanks for the consideration of another viewpoint, in any case! Mary

Seattle's meetup.com is super active from my understanding, as CowgirlJane mentioned. A friend of mine uses it all the time and has met many friends that way.

Coops, you don't know me, but I "know" you. I have seen our posts and always appreciate your point of view. I have never discounted what you have to say because you didn't reach some arbitrary goal. I think you are a major success, and the one thing keeping you from defining yourself that way might be you. Your body has made an executive decision. You are still fighting the good fight to override it, and that is incredibly admirable. I want you to be proud if yourself to your very core and if you would define yourself a success I believe everyone around you would as well. Incidentally, as far as your tummy tuck goes, I have some before and after photos of my tummy tuck/thigh lift in the cosmetic section that might give you an idea of where you are headed. I am thrilled with my results. If you have any questions as you go through the process please PM me! Mary

Well, this is really a timely topic for me to read about. I hit my goal, or well below my goal just recently. And in some ways I am more outgoing, feel hotter, and have a more optimistic outlook for my future. However. I am having some problems. I am easily tearful - mostly about my weight struggles. Up two lbs, lord forbid three lbs, and I am convinced I am a failure. Not just a little failure - more like, in whatever way I may have been a role model I am now an example of what not to do and how weight loss surgery doesn't work for everyone. But it is the difference between 126 and 129 at 5'6". I shouldn't be labeling myself that way logically, but my mind plays tricks on me. I feel like if I could just lose 10-12 more lbs I could be happy with myself - but my plastic surgeon has told me if I do that she will refuse to operate. And it is harder and harder to stay away from carbs. And then the vicious cycle of feeling like even a greater failure. There are two things that are getting me through. First, the support on MFP, and there are a particular few people who have been AMAZING. And then my therapist. I am not ashamed to admit, I work on my food issues with a therapist. I need to do that. I have begun to really look at it as a food addiction which I wasn't willing to do initially. I think I am rambling. I just want to say, you are not alone.

I don't trust your doc's opinion based on a phone eval. Was it the weight loss surgeon? Seems like it isn't their area of expertise. Call me a cynic, but I am sticking with what I said earlier and agreeing with the previous poster - biliary system. I say, go see your PCP in person, none of this phone stuff. Then again, I'm often wrong about... almost everything if you ask my husband!

Any chance you will make it to WA?

My understanding is that clay colored stool is an indication of a biliary blockage - there are other reasons, but that is a big one. For example, a gallstone that is stuck and blocking the biliary system somewhere might be responsible for many of your symptoms. I am not a doctor, I'm a guesser. GO to the doctor. And if your eyes have any yellow tinge to them, run, don't walk.

GMan, you are looking great. Truly. (And I didn't say "you look great... for your age - because you look great for any age!). The look of healthy and fit is recognizable whether or not there is some little bit of extra skin here or there. I am working on getting rid of my extra skin, but even if I kept it all I'd be thrilled with the transformation. And you and your wife have a lot to be thrilled about, too!

Thank you. And as far as posting the photos, I figure I would have liked to see something similar. The before photo shows what losing 116 lbs can leave you with. (Nice belly button, right?) It wasn't horrific, but it wasn't what I wanted moving forward in my life. And the after photos, well I just think it's good to see what 1 month post-op looks like and what expectations are realistic.

Having both procedures at once was the right decision for me - I wasn't prepared to go through an extra surgery if I could just power through. The incisions for the thigh lift are tricky to describe. One incision goes from the crotch area down the inside of my thigh 7". The other incisions are along the line your underwear goes - from the top outside of your "triangle", down to the inside of the thighs (still where the underwear goes, and then when it gets to the back it follows the line of the bottom of your buttocks. I had my surgery in Bellevue, WA just outside Seattle.

You look great!!

I was allowed my 6-8 pills that I take each night the night of surgery. Took some time to get in, but otherwise fine. Of course, your doc will have his own opinion more relevant than my experience. Celexa is better weaned from than stopped abruptly, I thought, but maybe I am wrong. It's the side effects of stopping abruptly that can be unpleasant. Again, I am not a medical professional so don't trust me too much! LOL.

I'm in Wenatchee but get over to Seattle pretty often. Would love to know of other sleeves in my area!

Looking great! So much progress in two months!

I felt tired to the point of exhaustion. Still dealing with the shock to the system of so few calories at that point. Extra rest was a must. It took all my effort to reach my fluid and nutritional goals. Pain was completely tolerable and pretty much gone. It was an emotional time as my hormones were all over the place. And just seeing food or food commercials would almost make me cry. I never doubted my decision, but I would have found it hard to travel!

For working out I remember reading that underarmor (sp?) has good options.