Babysteppin

I almost feel like a person's 'weekly' weight loss/gain isn't a true indicator of how well or how poorly things are really going. I've had various NUT's tell me that before too. Really, our bodies fluctuate so much in their Water balance, muscle activity, etc throughout any given week, that it's not best to even try to compare it to last week's final weight. It's almost better to only weigh in 1x month...or every other week even. Easier said than done though! I wanna know NOW!! Hope this idea helps, or at least is comforting for when you see numbers from one week to the next that you weren't expecting.

Awesome, congrats! I'm on 4/22 too!

I know...it's a tough one! I've started brewing my coffee using half "high test octane", and half decaf. But I haven't made the switch over to ALL decaf grounds yet of course. *gulp*

WebMD knows it all I guess.

Cool, thanks! I don't see it as an option on my 'edit profile' page for some reason though. [Womp woommp]

My NUT told me that I should plan on avoiding caffeinated coffee for the first 6months to a year. The caffeine can lead to dehydration when you're early out, because it's a diuretic and it's challenging to get enough fluids in to compensate for the water loss. The caffeine can also be an irritant to your sleeve while it's still trying to heal, and while the swelling is still there. But my NUT said after that, there shouldn't be a problem with incorporating it back in. In the meantime, decaf will have to do I guess.

....If so, did it totally bum you out? Or did it make your birthday better somehow? Or was it just 'meh' either way? It's silly, but for some reason I'm worried that the combination of being 1 year older, single, aaand having only 10% of my stomach left could be 'the perfect storm' for an emotional funk. I'm being overly dramatic just for a laugh, yes. And there's a lot of waaay more pressing things I could be worrying about (and I am!). But nevertheless I'm still curious if anyone else has had a VSG / bday experience?

Welcome Jennifer! This site is wonderful. I hope you'll find it as helpful and supportive as I do! People are totally open and honest, willing to share, and help each other out which is rare to find.

Actually...I've even used it to make a Thai peanut chicken dish!

It's a jar of powdered Peanut Butter. Basically they grind peanuts, and dehydrate it into a powder form. They drain off like 80% of the oils and fat in the process so it's better for the waistline. You just add Water to it to make a spread...or you can blend it into stuff or bake with it. It's pretty good!

I've been using it for years...love it! I tend to like the more natural organic peanut butters, like Teddy...so I think that's why I like PB2 so much. I blend it into shakes, puddings, and also like making it as an actual peanut butter spread. Never tried the chocolate PB2 though. I figured I'll just keep adding unsweetened cocoa powder to it to make my own.

I know this thread was started by Kirby...but boy is this reassuring to me!! haha. Thanks for posting

Welcome! I felt exactly the same way as you in the beginning of my research...freaked out and scared to even entertain the idea of doing this. I still fall into moments of those fears sometimes, even though I'm now scheduled for surgery next month! Fear is normal to a big extent...I mean, the surgery is a big unknown. We can research every little fact and figure about the procedure, but at the end of the day we still don't know 'exactly' what it will be like...we just have to go through it to find out. This online forum has been an ENORMOUS support to me through the whole decision process...it's been so helpful to ask any and EVERY question I've had, and to read about the experiences and thoughts of those who've already been sleeved....and to also find that I'm not alone in the things I worry about by reading the posts of other pre-ops. My best advice to anyone is to take your time, keep coming back here, and keep asking questions and participating in threads. It's amazing how helpful it can be! Making up your mind doesn't have to be a race either...I went for all of the pre-surgical appointments, but took my sweet time between scheduling each one...it took me 7 months in all. I'm so glad I gave myself the time I personally needed though, because my faith in the procedure wouldn't have been there without all this time to process it. Although that's just me! When all is said and done, go with your instinct...the hard part is just seeing past the fears and anxieties that our brains produce, and to listen more to that gut instinct. (no pun intended.) Good luck with whatever you decide! Researching for a solution - whether surgical or non-surgical is great progress towards getting healthier, so congrats to you!!

Congratulations! I know what you mean. I called my surgeon's office recently just to see if they needed any other paperwork from me, and the coordinator replied "Nope. So how does April 22nd sound?" It took me SO offguard that I exclaimed, "APRIL 22ND??!!?"...and she said "Oh, I'm sorry is that date not good for you?" I said, no no, it's fine...you just scared the crap outta me is all! hahaha...gut reactions are a funny thing.

That sounds good, I'll have to try it. Right now I'm diggin' my vanilla nectar with a spoonful of cocoa powder, and a spoonful of instant coffee...it's like a homemade mocha! Hot or cold, it's been awesome.

Fabulous!! Congrats 4/22 over here.

Yay Jen, congrats! I know...time was rolling by as slow as molasses and suddenly it's in overdrive!!

Congrats! April 22nd over here, oh yeah.

Congrats! I agree, VST has been a LIFE RAFT through the pre-surgical process. My surgery is on 4/22...super excited and yet it doesn't seem totally real yet either. Good luck to you! I'll be right behind ya.

Congrats! I'm right behind you on the 22nd!

Congratulations! I'm right behind ya on April 22nd.

YEAH, April 22nd!! It's really cool to find someone else having surgery the same day as me. I've noticed for some reason that a TON of folks are scheduled for the 8th...weird! lol. But here's hoping more of us 22nd sleevers are out there too. Congrats to you! Would love to stay in touch since we're both sleevin' it on the same day.

Hey Joan, welcome!! I'm so glad to have found this site too. I've been in the pre-surgical process since August and VST has helped me sooo much in getting through it and building awareness and confidence about the procedure. Congrats on getting a surgery date! Go April sleevers!!

Some folks gain all the weight back by grazing continuously throughout the day, and particularly by grazing on calorie dense foods when they do it. (Although this can happen with 'healthy' food choices too, if grazing frequently enough!) People can essentially 'outsmart' their sleeve/pouch/band by still eating small amounts at a time, but yet they do it repeatedly. I'm not speaking from direct experience since I'm still pre-op, but I know 2 people that gained all the weight back this way. The psych at my surgical center confirmed this when I asked him, and he basically said that some people end up trading in old binging habits, for new 'grazing habits'. The best defense is to recognize the behavior pattern early on, and seek out support!

I'm no doctor (although wouldn't mind the pay)....but I'd think it couldn't hurt to take the Prilosec. Particularly if you already feel you have issues with GERD, heartburn, etc. The only thing with Prilosec is that it doesn't kick in instantly...you have to keep taking it for a little while. So might be best to just wait and see what comes of the EGD then. Worst case scenario is that maybe you just need to follow a course of medicine for a short period of time before having surgery. At least it's not usually a show stopper. I hope! Good luck