iggychic

Are you allowed to have a cheeseburger at this stage? I guess I was thinking you were 4 or 5 weeks out....bread is a nasty no no early on as it puffs up in your tummy. I believe though you've said that your program allows potatoes at this point? (Mine does). What about making up some lovely fried potatoes at home, or shoe string but make them a bit healthier again by cooking them at home? Add some sour cream and butter, just a bit, given you aren't going to eat a bunch anyhoo and indulge in that major treat while still being sort of on program?

That is possibly the silliest non fact I've ever seen posted on the internet (aside from soy milk making baby's "turn gay") Are you possibly researching at clown college?

First and foremost, I'd ask...why are you having this surgery Bryan? Risking your life to lose weight indicates to me a desire not to weigh 400lbs? But your words belie your actions. You don't want to deal with extreme, yet you will undergo a life threatening surgery (anyone would have to say that this surgery is extreme). I'm totally confused as to the "why" at this point when reading your posts. Bryan, the plain facts are that 400lbs is an extreme weight to have reached isn't it? So let's talk about the extremes.... If you have major heart surgery you will find it can take up to 20 mins to roll over and get out of bed after surgery, with your heart racing you will slowly pull yourself up to a seated position, breath deeply for a few mins after that to slow your heart beat, then work your way up to a stand, only to have to pause to breath deeply...perhaps sit again, and start all over. If they cut half your leg off it may take you months to learn how to walk again on prosthetics. Cut half your arm off and you may take the same time to learn how to write again. Eventually with all of these, you'll regain your normal speed likely, but it takes time because you've had major surgery...something extreme, and your body has to heal. Cut out the majority of your stomach....and you can't wolf down a burger. See the correlation? It takes time to heal and for many that can be weeks and others months. I'm assuming you feel that you want the surgery to lose weight? Here's the deal...studies show that you need to leave a sleeve...just a sleeve, or the surgery is wasted. (Learned from studying cancer patients...the worse the cancer, the more stomach they took...the ones with "sleeves" saw the side effect of weight loss and lack of regain after 2 years, the ones who lost less of their stomach saw significant regain and didn't lose as much). The sleeve is hard muscle and the balance of your stomach is soft and flexible...it stretches to contain ridiculous amounts of food (ie thanksgiving dinner). If you leave part of that stretchy stomach, you leave the ability to over eat. If you want to over eat, well that's fine, but then why have the surgery? I'm three and a half weeks out from my second surgery, two months out from my first. I enjoy food and the social aspect of eating. We are big foodies and I don't expect this to change. I sat through a 4 1/2 hour, seven course dinner last weekend and enjoyed every min of it, even though I wasn't finishing each course. You can do this too. But it will take time to get your sleeve to the point where it's comfortable with larger amounts of food after the surgery. At the end of that meal people were groaning about how full they were. I was comfortable, enjoyed all but the raw vegis, and lost two pounds that weekend. I had the surgery and still regret the risks I took. I had severe complications and am still waiting to find out if more surgery is necessary. So understand that I get a bit of a chip on my shoulder when I think of people taking these risks without being committed to change their life even a little. I don't want to see one single person who ends up in a life or death struggle because they had to have that half a cheese burger too early. (Which can happen if you don't follow the program, eat smaller amounts and slower at first). My leak was not self caused...a horrible product of an internal bleed most likely, but no matter how a leak is caused, the recovery is hell. And some people don't recover. Don't have this surgery until YOU are ready for it Bryan. You're not right now, that's very clear. Don't take these risks for no reason. You'll just have to do it again (to get a real sleeve) later when you are ready, if you ever are. You need to wrap your head around the risks. You might be one of the people who, a year out, only can eat slowly (half an hour for a meal by the way is what normal people do). You will likely never have a huge plate of lasagna, half a loaf of french bread and a couple of beers in one sitting. Is that a bad thing???? Well in some minds it is, and if that's where you are, you need to walk past this weight loss option and look to something else. I probably sound half way flamming. I'm not trying to be a flamer. I'm trying to impart the reality of this surgery into your head. And yes, to talk you out of it now, at this point in your life. Later, when you're ready, it could work wonders, but not now. It's not your time I think.

Are you having your sleeve at Mass General?

But, since no one is representing Alaska I'm going to claim... Anchorage, Alaska (I am legally a resident there but we also have a home in Washington).

Care to elaborate? I'm sitting in Port Townsend as I type

Wow angel. when was this? are you feeling better now?

I tried wine (allowed) at eight weeks. Just sips. It tasted terrible but I have great dedication so I've kept it up and now enjoy white and roses but red still does not work for my palate...funny thing but I'll keep practicing . But I haven't had champagne because I was told strictly from two surgeons to hold off on any carbonation for six months because of its effect on the stomach.

When my son was a baby we had to offer him feedings every two hours 24/7 for two years (he was fail to thrive). I gained much of my current weight during those years even when dieting. Sleep is very important to both good health and weight loss!

But they are life threatening so I'd qualify them as major myself. Just because one does not die does not mean its not major . I had a clot that that was not major, but the majority typically are (that are discovered). Btw.(for another poster)...I followed all drs orders to a T. So did the gal here who died on the table (and was brought back) as did the gal with the wasting disease . You can't follow the rules out of danger entirely. No one gives themselves a blood clot or chooses to die from anesthesia. I didn't eat too many Cookies prior to developing internal bleeding. Most of these things just happen and the patient has no control over them.

Oh I think six might be excessive. Once the staples are encased in new tissue you are as good as normal. I will bet your doc says more like two or three months (likely three).

I read of a gal in England who got a wasting disease from WLS (it's incredibly rare but can happen) who lost all of her weight, then couldn't stop and died eventually. Her husband blogged about it. It was very sad. What have I read here...well heart stopping on the OR table. Complications from anesthesia as well (ie you never wake up after surgery). I had internal bleeding and ended up with an abdomen full of blood (which causes uncontrollable spasms...a hell I don't want anyone to share) a leak that caused my plural cavity to fill with Fluid which crushes the lung. Leaks can cause sepsis which damages your internal organs. Strictures which can cause the loss of your stomach. I'm sure there are other things that can happen, but those are bad enough for now!

Lol was it vodka laced?

But since you can't see a healed stomach you don't know if those staples are all grown over and your stomach is healed. As you know, your torso is at risk in this sport in more ways than just swinging the bat so be sure to hang it up the entire healing period. After that you'll have no worries and can hit home runs all day long

I never had great success with melatonin. But perhaps it's worth a shot again. I didn't know rose hips worked for sleep. I'll hit the local health food joint and give them a try.

LMAO!!! ok spray on low fat, low salt pam for some soy chips?

ya pretty impressive isn't it? i had major complications needing two transfusions and lived on tpn and iv nutrition. its all gone (or mostly....i still have a bloated belly from the internal bleeding). sometimes goals are out of our hands...like the first month or two after surgery the best goal is to stick to program, get your Protein in and get your Water in. its harder than you might think!

its not really the best idea to focus on a goal for the first month, and even two for many. your body is healing and you shouldnt stress it with too much exercise, and your feeding program is pretty defined. i gained 40lbs

i highly recommend ebay for not your daughters jeans. they run larger because of the stretch so buy one size lower than your current. you can wear them through a few size adjustments because of the stretch and they are very flattering to women. they are also recommended by my docs for lose skin issues.