cat whisperer

Question for those who have been through surgery - have you had any problems with water retention? The two surgical procedures I had in the past, I had huge swollen ankles and legs from all the fluids they put into you. I'm not sure if they give you IV fluids during this procedure? I hope not because that was just about the worst part of recovery for me!!

Really sorry to hear you experienced that. I don't understand why people need to be that way, especially when they are working in a helping profession - I mean, even if you are "only" the receptionist, part of the job (you would think) is to make people feel comfortable and reassured. If you decide not to go with that particular surgeon, I think you should let them know that you felt very put off by the person you spoke to - I would guess that might get through to them. Good luck with your decision and have a good weekend!

Yes, for sure it does help to hear from others - I'm getting a bit scared about the surgery so it's good hear updates and have some idea of what it will be like!

Thanks for joining! I posted about the group in the talk lounge so maybe we will get a few members

This is day 8 for me on the pre-op diet... and I want to reinforce to you that it WILL get easier. If I can do it, anyone can. I will not lie - the first 5-6 days were some of the hardest days I've ever had... but the cravings do reduce. Just make sure you drink enough Water (i have herbal tea a couple of times a day when I don't feel like plain water) as I can tell that I feel very tired if I haven't had enough liquids. It is so helpful to come and read (or post) on this site when you are feeling like you can't do it - helped me several times. Hang in there, you'll do great

thanks for the update. I have eagerly been waiting to hear from several people how their surgery went! I'm very happy the procedure went well overall for you despite some of the yucky feelings afterwards. The difficulty breathing sounds a bit scary, though!! Thanks for the heads up - esp. about the ice chips for the nausea. I am having just day surgery, staying in a hotel for the night then have a two hour drive home the next day, so it helps a lot to hear your solution. sending you best wishes for your recovery

I saw your post, Creekwood, on another thread - glad you have updated us and that everything went well I'm starting to get nervous about the actual surgery part now that I am adapting to the pre-op diet... by the way, you were right about it getting easier. This is day 7 and I am not nearly as cranky, emotional, or hungry. take care and hope you continue to feel better.

I have four tattoos, all done mindfully to commemorate certain events in my life. I think it is a great idea as it is a meaningful and permanent reminder of something special. One of my tattoos is from overcoming a severe depression. I have "Lux" which is Latin (or Italian) for "light" tattooed in sky blue on my wrist - meaning finding the light, the positive. I now can also relate this tattoo to weight loss. One thing to make sure of, though - get an artist you are very confident in - that you have seen their portfolio and their shop so you know they are true professionals. Good luck with your decision!

YAY - so happy to hear you are doing well - both of you!!

Good luck!! all the very best to you - make sure you let us know how you are doing

I don't have suggestions for the puree but I got some ideas reading this. I mainly wanted to say - good luck tomorrow!! We will all be looking forward to hearing how you are doing. sending positive thoughts your way

this sounds really uncomfortable... is there anything to be done for it? I know I have read others taking Gas-X. Hope you recover soon... thanks for sharing your experiences with the rest of us, too - it helps to know what to expect.

Leanne, that is awesome. I loved my treadmill, had one for years (how I lost weight successfully the first time round) but we had to sell it when we moved, and don't have even a foot extra room in our house now to get another one. I think for SK it is a great idea to have one... we hope to get another at some point when we have more room or a bigger house!! You will love being able to walk/run no matter what is going on outside -even if you just want the privacy of not having to see anyone (I liked that!) LOL The weights are a great idea too. So happy you are feeling good - hope you had a great day

Great to hear all the good progress from you guys - I hope that I have similar success. Thanks for updating everyone!!

Wow, I can see a huge difference!! You GO, girl looking good!! It is very encouraging to see this kind of dramatic change

Soooo Day 3 pre-op.... tough. I commend those of you that have been through so much longer. Does anyone else find themselves angry/crabby? I hope this goes away at some point... otherwise I am going to be the world's biggest *B (you-know what) soon!!

thanks for the update. I hope that you are doing ok! You are leading the way for the rest of us all the best to you.

Hello - I'm wondering if those of you who have slightly older kids are telling them about your surgery? My daughters, aged 12 and 13 both know I am having "a surgery", but don't know the details. Neither of them have weight problems, but I have also raised them to be sensitive to other people's sizes (not to mention other things of course). It's difficult with girls as I don't want them to start worrying about their weights. Another factor is that I am pretty adamant about keeping my surgery secret, and I am worried about my secret getting out if I tell them as I am friends with several mothers of their friends. I don't think they would tell deliberately, but you know how things can just slip out in passing with kids (even as an adult that can happen). Have you told your kids? Told them to keep it a secret? I just really don't know quite what to do here so thought I would seek the opinions of those wiser than me

Looking forward to seeing how those who have their surgery today are doing!

Thanks so much I appreciate the support - this is tough - and I feel a little wimpy that I almost caved on the first day. Today I am feeling a bit better - certainly inspired by the fact that I decided to step on the scale and I am down 3.5lbs... what is this pre-op diet - magic or something? LOL I was given an alternative to the shakes - I am still checking it out to see if available. Chalk mixed with sour milk and instant cake mix is the flavor description that came to me, haha I did enjoy some nice veggies though.

Leanne, I'm so glad it is going well for you... holy moly, 9lb in one DAY!! That's what I was thinking I might lose in the whole two weeks, LOL. Good for you Anyway, for whatever reason, I wasn't told to start until today... and I hate to be a downer but I'm already not doing so great. I really didn't like the taste of the shake, and I found out it has aspartame in it which is an ingredient I have been avoiding for years. I have felt nauseous since I had it. I don't know how I will do this if I'm going to feel like I need to throw up all the time. I did email the nutritionist to see if there are other options... of course, whether or not I can find them in this small town will be another thing all together. So I guess I'll see what happens... I am feeling quite physically ill at the moment.

Thank you so much, everyone, for the wonderful replies. I read each and every one of them - and it really helped to hear what others had done. I was going back and forth still about telling my daughters... well, finally I did decide to tell them. I have a very close relationship with them, and I ultimately felt that not telling them didn't make me feel very good. I know my younger daughter will not tell anyone for sure... I emphasized the importance of keeping it our family's business only (as sherylkay said above) to my older daughter - and I am pretty certain she got the idea. As she is a chatty girl I suppose I do run the risk of it slipping out - but I guess I will deal with that if it happens. Good luck and best wishes to all of you

I use an ad blocker and I don't see ads on any websites I visit. If you are interested, and you use Firefox, go to their add-ons/extensions page and search for Ad Blocker. I'm sure there is also one for other browsers. I can't stand ads on websites no matter what they are (especially pop-ups - yuck), and this takes care of the problem nicely

I'm sure a slice of cake won't hurt you. I'm sure I would have done the same, too... take care - you are now back on track how long before your surgery? you are nearly there, right?

I was wondering the exact same thing... tylenol and other pain relievers do not work for me... I definitely do not want band erosion, however, once a month ( ) I get terrible headaches for a day that are not relieved in any other way.