traceyinflorida

Awesome! What a great feeling that must be!!

I have a husband who is completely disabled with muscular dystrophy and two teenaged children. I was so fearful that something would happen to me and there would be no one to care for my husband. We have managed to keep our children's lives completely normal despite my husband's disablilty, and I worried about how my no longer being there would change their world. I was a bundle of nerves all the way up to surgery. But, I knew I was doing this for the right reasons. I kept reminding myself that it is everyone's job in the hospital to keep me safe, healthy and alive. Yes, things can go wrong, but I had to have faith that GOD has a plan for me and dying on the table was probably not it. I also had to think of the alternatives. If I did not have the surgery, then I would continue on my very unhealthy course and increase my likelyhood of developing diabetes, having a heart attack, getting cancer, etc. None of those things would be very helpful to my family! It is totally normal to be nervous. Try to focus on all your WHY's for doing this and as Nate said, remember that you will be in the hands of highly trained professionals who do these surgeries daily without a hitch. Once you are there, it is over and done with before you know it. You will come out on the other side wondering why you spent all that time worrying!

Your husband sounds wonderful and extremely supportive! He will likely benefit from all of this too by losing some weight during your pre-op too! I am very lucky to have some very supportive people in my life. One of my friends did the pre-op diet with me. She didn't need to lose any weight, but she just wanted to make me feel like I wasn't alone. She texted me everyday the picture of her morning protein shake. She was a great cheerleader. My mom and dad helped me spring clean the house before surgery because I didn't want to be laid up at home noticing dust bunnies etc. They stayed at the hospital with me during surgery and after. They helped with the kids, helped take care of my disabled husband, made meals, and kept things tidy around the house. When I wasn't allowed to lift more than 10 lbs. my son did any heavy lifting for me, including packing and unpacking the car daily on a trip (without too much complaint) My husband and kids have been great and are enjoying the healthier meals we are preparing. Also, I have a friend that had bypass four years ago. She stopped by the hospital to see me and gave me a Magic Bullet blender for making my smoothies and purreed foods. She called me several times pre-op and post op to check in on me and answer questions. One of my friends made my family a meal (nice not to have to cook when I could not eat it!) when I got home from the hospital. I am sure I have forgotten to mention others, but I was overwhelmed by the support and I do appreciate every one of them. I am truely blessed to have such wonderful family and friends.

Amy, with two little kids, four months will flash by! I don't fit into this category for your post because I was sleeved in June. I wanted to wish you luck anyway! Looking forward to hearing of your successful surgery! Glad you found a more caring doctor.

Is that all you've had for your fluids or all you've had today period? The reason I ask is because if you drink fluids too soon after eating (even if it's just eating full liquids in the stage you are in) it can feel like everything is backed up and make you feel really miserable. The rule of thumb is no drinking for at least 30 minutes after eating, but I have found that sometimes even that is not enough time. If all you have had is gatorade all day and it feels like that, it may just be that your stomach is still really swollen and is just letting fluids through in a very slow trickle. If it is still really hurting on Monday, it may be worth a call to your doctor, just for peace of mind. I am sorry you are going through this and hope you start feeling better very soon.

LOL, gotta love auto correct! I was thinking that was what happened too!

1. Wrote down my list of whys. Things I hated about being fat, reasons I needed to lose weight and things I looked forward to when I lost the extra weight. This list helped me get through pre-op diet and came in handy post-op when I was not feeling great and questioning why I did this to myself. 2. Follow the pre-op diet closely. This shrinks your liver which makes your surgery easier and safer. Also, I was glad I got my sugar/carb withdrawal symptoms out of the way before surgey instead of after. 3. Shop ahead for the things I would need post surgery. broth, Protein powder, chewable Vitamins etc. Your NUT or surgeon will give you a list. You don't want to have to go shopping after you get home. 4. Arranged for help at home for the first week. My mom and dad drove the kids to their activities. My mom cooked a few meals. A friend cooked a meal for my family one night. It was nice not to have to worry about that stuff. If someone offers help, take them up on it! (this is a tough one for me, but I am glad I did not turn down offers for help) 5. Join this forum. I wish I had known about the forum pre-op. It would have helped me with my nerves before surgery. I discovered it when I googled a problem I was having post-op. I found this forum and also found out that what I was experiencing was completely normal. The people on here have been a wonderful source of information, inspiration and support!

A couple of things. First, don't compare yourself to your friend. That will drive you crazy. Everyone loses weight at a different pace. BUT everyone that does this loses weight! You have done great so far. You have lost an average of five pounds per week! If you had done that on a diet like weight watchers, you would be celebrating! Second, I have read on this forum that stalls are completely normal. I had my surgery the day before you and experienced a stall for a couple of weeks and then a very small creeping down of the scale for a few weeks and then boom, suddenly losing again. Based on what I have read, I expect that this will happen again. It's frustrating, but it happens. If you are following the plan, drinking your fluids, eating your proteins and keeping carbs low, and exercising you will continue to lose weight and get to your goal. As for shake, look at how much protein you are getting with food alone. If you are making it to 60-80 grams per day, then you are doing fine. If not, consider adding a protein shake to get you there. I have to drink at least one shake per day because I can't get all my protein in with food alone. Keep up the good work!

Oops, I didn't realize that Autum Lily had already answered. Sorry to be redundant!

Non scale victory...like being able to tie your shoes, fitting into a size you haven't seen in years, discovering that you just walked a flight of stairs without huffing and puffing, etc.

I love ice water, but found it very difficult to drink during the first week. I hate flavored water, but I found the only way I could drink water was by adding crystal lite. Also, remember that your broth, your protein shake, sugar free popsicles and all other full liquids during this stage count toward your fluid goals. The good news is I am back to loving my water. If I recall correctly, it had become much more palatable by week two.

WOW! You look awesome!! Great inspiration!

Day 5, don't worry about how much protein you are getting. Focus on liquids. The good news is that if you are getting 40 grams, you are doing pretty good for your first week. I was lucky to get in 20 grams a day my first week. It gets better, just take it one day at a time. As your stomach heels, the pain from drinking will go away. It takes some time. Hang in there. I know it is hard to believe, but in a few months, you will be rocking your sleeve and posting how this was the best thing you ever did! I will keep you in my prayers that tomorrow is a better day for you and that things become easier quickly. You can do this!

My doc said no more than 10 pounds for 6 weeks. I have to say, whenever I would push that limit, I would feel it at my incisions. I learned to ask people in the grocery store to put the case of water in my cart for me, or get my kids to carry the dog food in.

I am two months out and while I cannot chug anything, I do not drink as slow as I had to when I first started. I cannot drink a protein shake quickly because they are filling, but I can drink 8 oz of water in a fairly short amount of time.

He probably just needs a little time to wrap his head around it. My husband tends to react negatively to anything major, especially if it involves money. That is both a major medical and finanial. I have not even gone there with my husband yet. Start doing your research, pros, cons, risks, etc. Figure out how you are going to pay as well. Give it a little time and ask him when it would be a good time to sit down and talk rationally. Some of the pros should include benefits to him as well. On another note, I have been extremely moody and hot headed too since surgery. I had not given it a lot of thought, just my husband has pointed out that I am so crabby lately. The weird thing is I feel great and happy. I just have a short fuse lately. Maybe it's lack of carbs...Hopefully, whatever it is, it gets better soon.

Mine does that too. I just keep getting on until it gives me the answer I want, lol!

Congratulations! You look great! Keep up the good work. I just realized I am a little more than halfway to goal too. I guess it's time to stop hiding from the camera!

I am sorry you are feeling so bad today. I don't know if this will help, but I am now two months out and I will share my experience with you. After the first few days I felt wonderful. However, I found it to be a bit of a rollercoaster. Sometimes feeling great, other times feeling bad. By week two and three I found myself more tired, head aches, and nausea. There were three things that would trigger feeling bad: pushing too hard (we were on a driving and walking tour visiting colleges for my son), eating some new things, and getting somewhat dehydrated. I can tell you that with each week that passes, I feel better. Most of the time now, I feel pretty normal, other than I can't eat like I used to. Aside from taking time for your body to heal, it also takes some time to find a rhythm and the right foods for eating and drinking water. I learned that one bite too much can mean the difference between feeling satisfied and feeling sick for hours. Most of the time, I have learned when to stop eating so I don't feel sick, but I still make mistakes. (last night being one of them). I also have learned that I feel run down and nauseos if I do not get enough fluids during the day. Finally, there are just some days for me (thankfully very few of them) that nothing agrees with my stomach. It may be that some combination of the the other things I mentioned may have come into play, or it may just be my stomach still healing. Overall though, I feel like I have been through the worst of it and am at the point where the benefits have far outweighed any of the bumps in the road along the way. I hope you feel better soon! Try to take it easy, get some rest and drink lots of fluids today.

If they are high protein, low sugar (under 5 grams), low carb and your doctor has approved full liquids, then yes.

Yes, I have had this experience, thankfully only a couple of times. Sometimes the something new might not agree with you. It sounds like you had two new things. The fat or the milk in either may have done it. It doesn't mean you can never have them again, but your body might not have been ready yet. Wait a week or so to try again.

I may have to join Costco just so I can do that! LOL

I had surgery two months ago. I felt exactly as you did. Eating and drinking were a CHORE. (well at that point, drinking and trying to find some way of putting Protein into a palatable liquid form) I kept thinking, what have I done to myself? I found that once I was busy again (and felt well enough to be busy) it helped a lot. Now that I am able to eat real food again, it has gotten much easier. I still struggle a bit to find things that I can eat that I like and make sure I am getting all my protein (which I honestly do not count and measure as I should) but it is not a constant focus any more. I feel life is almost completely normal now. The only difference now is that I am down 51 pounds since pre-op diet and surgery and food is not a constant monkey on my back any more. Hang in there. It gets way better. I found looking at peope's before and after photos, reading topics like six month and one year sleevaversary really helped. There is a light at the end of the tunnel!!

Welcome, Wally! Congratulations on your approval! It is a lot to get your mind around, but I can safely say that while I had many second thoughts before surgery, I have none now! It was the best thing I have ever done for myself. You will likely be saying the same after you have yours done and start to see improvements in the sleep ap, diabetes and hypertension! Good luck to you. We are all here to support you!

Yay for you! Before you know it, all will be clear and you will be ready to go. Good for your fiance for cutting you off Dr Pepper! LOL.