iggychic

You just touched on a subject I was going to bring up about "normal" or "skinny" or whatever we aren't and may get a chance to become. My son has been very ill since birth. He has a rare blood disorder which has caused developmental delays due to his frequent and prolonged illnesses. He has a feeding disorder and prior to the last year I had to isolate him from other children (because they're all germ factories LOL) so he did so much better with adults than children. But now, as he gets healthier (he will grow out of his illness but the delays are still a challenge) I find I'm fine with being the skinny loud one It is who I am...was when I was fat too LOL but what I have trouble in life with is how to have a "normal" child. We have our "normals" which aren't normal...my little guy and yours, as well as weight issues. We learn to adapt to our normal and then we get thrown back into the bigger (and different) normal and ummmm well it feels not so normal! I haven't changed since I've lost weight, but then I've been thin in the last ten years so fat was not normal for me. This makes my transition easier, but honestly, I'm the same person I was fat or thin...I just wear smaller clothing. I have changed since my son was born. He is my only surviving child and I haven't done "normal". So I'm probably over protective, overly fearful, and have to talk myself out of being a helicopter mom on a regular basis. I'm also overly sensitive to his issues that remain because I'm his mom and I know he's got a soft heart that gets hurt easier than most....yet I know he has to experience that as it's part of growing up. I struggle with this stuff daily and much more so now that he's "normal" (he appears to be anyhoo and goes to a school without a special needs designation attached). It's hard to have your "normal" screwed with, even when the changes are good ones! I think you're going to do just fine and yes you may fumble a bit, but remember WE ALL DO! Just keep smiling and you'll get through it. Tell me you haven't done that with your little guy's situation more than once???? You just kinda have to have it in you darling.

Jersey mentioned supliments. They're very important early out because we aren't getting enough from our small and limited food intake. Are you taking any? And if so, it might be worth your time to get a blood test check of your nutrients to see if you're low in B or D which can sap your energy. Balancing your diet is also important (and easier said than done!). Some nuts think that keeping carbs down to nothing is great, others say don't count carbs as long as they're good carbs. Also, the liquids and Protein are important. I found I was having trouble when I wasn't getting in all of my fluids and protein so I made a real effort to up them and it made a huge diff for me. Apparently a woman can't live on wine alone (but if you soak a chicken breast in it it's fair game)

You and your wife are a wonderful inspiration! Keep up the good work!

Oh good...my husband was going around hiding knifes after reading that Just in case I was gonna cut him up a little bit heh heh

Keep your chin up hun and find a way to figure this out! Don't let people get to you. It's not good for you when you're already stressed out about the process.

Cat when I was in hospital this lovely nurse (ok actually she was a biot...umm I didn't like her LOL) but she said one lovely thing to me and that was that BMI is a terrible way to rate your health as you get down lower on the scale. She was in the overweight category and honey she didn't seem to have an ounce of fat on her. She is a weight lifter and distance runner with a very low fat ratio. She wasn't overdone at all, but she said she comes in at the lower end of overweight on the BMI chart. She works out with a guy who's obese according to the chart. He is a competitive athlete. Did you ever follow that link I posted on MFP that had...gad I think it was four measurements of health. BMI, waist to hip ratio, fat percentage and there was one other....anyway it actually suggested my goal might be lower than I think it should be based on BMI alone (which would allow me to go down as low as 95lbs and still be in the normal range).

Reality sucks and given I'm a huge steak lover...I totally got your longing hun But, no, at one month out I was literally dying in the hospital due to complications. But one month out from the repair I was allowed red meats if they were very tender. I have found that I can eat about 3 oz of tenderloin if it's cooked med-rare. A tougher red meat and I can't get down a bite or two. Lamb does not sit well but bison and wild boar do? Go figure My doc allows "meats" in general at the same time. My diet allowed tender cuts of meat (ie tenderloin) at the same time as hamburger or chicken, but the emphasis was on tender. A skirt steak is not tender, but a tenderloin is far easier to eat than dried turkey I did add that "talk to your doc" thing because my course of foods varied a bit from the norm due to my complications. Some docs do wait six months for red meats, but we seem to be seeing that less and less. I think my doc's standard for red meat was something like 3 months (for his normal patients). The only thing I have to wait for six months on is hard skinned fruits and veggies, which many people can have much earlier. But I'm a HUGE FAN of following the doc's orders, so talk to yours and ask if a tender cut of beef would be allowed. I normally have mine with a soft mashed potato or cauliflower mashed (mock) potatoes because that helps the meat go down easier than on it's own. (fully endorsed by my doc).

OK I personally want to invest in your new business embroidering that on pillows in hospitals!!!! I've dealt with so many lovely docs...and so many who need your pillow LOL Just as a daily reminder That quote should be in stone on the outside of every medical school

I'm sorry you misunderstood my post. I too was a Senior VP at a large bank. I also was a speaker and consultant for the OCC (Did a lot of work with your bank actually) and learned quickly that sometimes people read too much in to the written word. For instance, I was commenting in general about the thread, not specifically pointing you out. BTW, Dr. Hunter was one of Seattle's top docs and has been written up as a top ten doc more than once, but there is NO definitive top ten list of bariatric surgeons Every agency and magazine and region puts one out and the total of doctors on that list does add up beyond ten. That's all I was saying. This was after reading three threads where people point out their doc is the top in the nation...it wasn't all about you Sorry you took it that way. I do like to support victims of tragedies associated with this surgery. Much like others who have great outcomes jump on that bandwagon, or those who have binging issues jump on that one, etc. We all have our passions. None of these people deserve to feel so badly about their posts that they come back and post an angry (I could read the hurt and frustration) post as this OP has felt the need to do. It's HURTFUL to have a bunch of strangers jump down your throat when you have a legitimate issue. It could be an issue with her doc, (Sounds like others who have gone there don't have this experience though) or her Nut, or her understanding of the post op process (ie the high calorie and high protein choices). I don't think she's a liar, I think she's lost and needs help so I'm just saying that beating her up is unfair. We have a poster here saying that all the real docs do Barium swallows....that's obviously not true as you didn't have one. There is a medical theory that they can actually cause more harm than good in many cases as they can stress the newly closed stomach, which is why many aren't doing it anymore, and yet someone's fabulous doc says only good docs do it right? Im just saying...walk on by if all you have to contribute is beating her up, or the horror story, or anyone who's suffered a different outcome than the lucky people have. BTW, being an SVP just makes you a person who has responsibility on the job. It's not really valid here is it? Unless maybe you were inferring I was of a lower position and should learn from you Obviously that's me reading too much into your post so I'll assume you wouldn't be saying it for that reason to give you the benefit of the doubt. I didn't rise to the top in five years. I worked from the bottom up and in 20 years left the industry due to a family illness. I'm fairly comfortable counting to ten

I had complications so my experience was different than many, but I completely lost my palate which has been really tough because we are wine collectors. I also have no desire or taste for sweets, but it's less my taste buds than how it feels on my stomach.

Ok he really is one of the top cuz he's the guy who saved my life LOL By the way, he did do a barium swallow on me after surgery more than once, but there was a reason for it as he was repairing a nasty leak from another surgeon's issues. But they aren't standard and VM surgeon's are VERY VERY VERY good!!!

Why the attack? The poor thing obviously didn't get much support from her doctors office and ate what she thought that she was allowed (Cream soups were allowed for me early out...I had creamy potato in the hospital after my second surgery). I also gained not twenty, but FOURTY pounds in the first five weeks, so it's not impossible. I gained it because of my complications causing fluid retention, then on TPN in hospital (IV's etc). There's another thread where the poor gal posted her sisters tragic story and this same thing happened. She got beat to death when she just needed to share her story and was looking for help. If you don't believe the gal, WALK ON BY! Why do you have to beat her up. I also did not have a leak test at the hospital. They are not a 100% guaranteed test given to everyone. What your doctor does Dawg is not what every doctor does. I see this time and time again here, that people boast they have the "top surgeon" one of the "top ten" and yet I see so many names of docs in that top ten that even my 20 years in banking is not necessary to see that there are over ten top tens out there LOL This gal wanted help. Leave her be if you're only here to beat her up. Do you also stop and punch homeless people when you walk by you negative posters? Walk by!!! OP, I was allowed cream soups and things as well but I was limited on the amount. For instance 18oz is just way way way too much for anyone when we're talking cream based soups (or any soup really) and they are calorie packed. I'm wondering if you maybe need to work with a different nutritionist? Or also if you do have surgical issues to worry about. Did something go wrong? That could explain a weight gain. I hope you get to the bottom of it and I'm sorry that you got goober here. People on this site don't like to read about the bad stories. They make it very clear and unwelcome sadly It's human nature I guess, but for those of us who suffered them, it's also very real and our stories should be heard as well. Intelligent people do want to hear them!

Sistah, give her a hug from one victim to another. My heart not only breaks for her, but my brain also has an understanding in a small way of where she is now mentally after this horror.

step in the right direction hun You're finding answers. i hope they get to the bottom of it soon so you can proceed with life!

I've counseled people on here many times about insurance and my answer was quick because I was in an airport so let me expand. There are state and federal laws that superseded insurance company policies on occasion. If your state has a requirement of just one, the insurance co must approve...but that should be pointed to your employer first as they will want to fix that Best of luck

Leaks at six months happen, but they are extremely rare. And in all cases, you don't "feel" the leak (meaning you don't feel cold flowing out of your stomach...you poured cold liquid in a body that was 100 degrees hot...it's not cold when it gets down there). So honestly I wouldn't worry about the leak, but you aren't that far out of a major surgery and you've had extreme changes in your body in the last six months so a flu can be life threatening. Seeing your surgeon is a good idea, but I think you need to mask up and get to a quick care or er first hun if you don't feel an improvement. If nothing else, don't be alone just in case. The flu kills You have to take it eriously!

Low grade fever is a leak symptom. Mine never went over 99 and I almost died because the doc dismissed it. Call and get it to get checked NOW

IF the rule is two comorbidities, basically you're just throwing your money away hun.