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Just look forward - its the light at the end of the tunnel. It does get better. We've all been there. It will get better! I know a week seems like forever right now, but in the grand scheme of things, its a drop in the bucket. Just please make sure that you're getting your liquids in - you don't want to dehydrate!

haha and don't forget, your woodpile can grow if you lose the extra "shed"

that is amazing! congrats!!!!

what is your sodium intake like? That can really have a huge impact on it. A call to the doc might be warranted - typically, swelling will go down overnight with sodium intake being high. You might want to have this checked out.

i agree - until you have it under control, clean EVERYTHING out of the cabinets that isn't pure sleeve goodness.

I got a 6 month rule for alcohol. Have a margarita! But without the tequila

Yes, those pictures are from before I was sick. I was a size 8. I haven't done much shopping lately - I kept my clothes on the way up - it wasn't all that long ago (5 years since i got sick, 4 since I put on the weight) so most things that are basics are still relevant. I did go buy a couple of shirts and a jacket at Kohls which was no big deal - I knew what size i needed and grabbed them and left.

The best thing I ever did was put a treadmill in front of my tv. I could still "veg out" but was getting something out of it. I think a therapist to find out WHY you have this issue is important. Knowing the why is most of the way to solving the problem!

I'm in my 4th week post-op. Following my doctor's diet to a T. I've always been a healthy eater for the most part. After I got sick, I was too tired to cook - too tired to do anything really so I became a fast food eater - and it definitely wasn't always a healthy choice. What I've been able to do is revert back to being the healthy eater I always was. Being that I'm only about a month out, there's not all that much that has changed with outer areas of my life. I do feel more energy - my thyroid is showing signs of functioning again. The ghrelin was fuelling the steroid secreting tumors on my adrenal glands and those are pretty much inactive now. I'm not fighting the uphill battle against steroids now, which is probably the biggest victory of all for me. What I do know is, that as the weight comes off, I become more and more of myself. I feel a little more "ME" each day. I get more active, I have more energy. I get less frustrated with things that still aren't possible to do yet, because I know there's that light at the end of the tunnel. I will be running marathons. I will be hiking up Pike's Peak. I will be doing 10 mile backpacking/camping trips again. I will be hunting and fishing and all that good stuff. The biggest change in my life has been the knowledge that I know i'm not going to be ill for the rest of my life.

Take comfy clothes. You'll be in a gown sure, but I would take very loose fitting pants. I put on a pair of yoga pants and that made me feel so much more comfortable when I was up walking around- didn't want my big ole butt hangin outta the gown! I also brought my kindle - when i couldn't sleep, I could read. Phone was great too because I could listen to music and play games. Bring your basic toiletries as well. anything else I brought was really a waste.

Evening primrose oil helps with a lot of things - it can help to stave off hormonal effects, which contribute to the hair loss - also good for PMS, by the way I lost a whole lot of hair when I was going through chelation treatments. I thank my lucky stars I have overly thick hair because I was the only one that noticed. It was so bad I was pulling handfuls out in the shower. I have noticed that since surgery, my hair is actually getting THICKER. I know I've been exceeding my Protein goals each day and that my thyroid is functioning better, which also helps. I'm excited to know how well this is going to go for me!

You will lose a lot of muscle mass if you don't maintain your protein and work out. True, in the first couple of weeks, you'll lose some, but its not enough to really make a difference in the long run. The key is to work your body.

at 3 weeks, mushies/purees are where I was at. I did have some mashed potatoes, but I had very little and pretty much used them to thicken cream of mushroom soup. When I started week 4, that's when I went to eating chicken and other meats that were whole foods. Haven't had any issues.

I was wondering if they had something like this - I have slim in 6, power 90 and p90x - and i'm not ready to do any of them so I was gonna check them out. I used to do these and I will again - but need something a bit more my speed for now. Thanks for the tip!

I'm glad the hospital is doing the right thing and bringing in a specialist for you! That's very good! I know it stinks in the meantime, but getting the right care from the start is going to help you to overcome this obstacle. Praying your recovery will be quick!

KFC does sell grilled chicken and its outstanding. They have a sandwich that's 2 grilled chicken breasts, bacon and cheese -that's the whole sandwich - no bread or anything. It would be probably 4 meals.

GB is being proven to cure diabetes, but so is the DS, which, the VSG is the first part of. Most sleeve patients reverse their diabetes with the improved health and weightloss, and if it doesn't, you always have the option of going with a DS. I'm a firm believer in going with your gut. I have a person issue with the re-routing of the digestive system and leaving the unused portion of the stomach in place - that's the part that's not working - why wouldn't you take it out??? While I understand that GB is reversible, the main reason for reversing it is complications due to the rerouting. It sounds like trying to put tennis shoes on a goat - sure, it'll keep his feet from getting the carpet dirty, but keeping him out of the house will do the same thing. All that extra stuff for the same basic result. For some people, GB is necessary - they're not a good candidate for the sleeve. Some people NEED dumping syndrome. Some people have other issues that would cause the sleeve to not work for them - these are typically psychologically related. Personally if your insurance covers the sleeve, I would think they cover the DS. Have your surgeon book you for a DS, then decide later if you're going to have the second part of the procedure, should you need it.

You're doing great! You recognize the head hunger and you're dealing with it! The great thing is, you can have this stuff - you just have to make wise choices with it. A meaty pizza and toss the crust. mongolian style chinese food or make it yourself. Everything is accessable, you just have to make it work for you. Stir fry with chicken with the sauce on the side. Congrats on your progress so far!

awesome! Its great to visualize it, isn't it?

First of all, your stomach will let you know if your bites are too big. Secondly, try some premade shakes - the premiere protein shakes are divine. I haven't tired of them at all - the chocolate ones are great and I'm not a chocolate fan unless its covering peanut butter. The vanilla ones are great too - and you can flavor them any way you want with some sugar free syrups. I drink one protein shake a day, that's 30g of protein - first thing in the morning when I wake up - its 11 oz and takes me about 30-45 minutes to finish it. I take my time.

I'm still feeling better and better every day. I weighed myself - down another couple pounds Always makes me feel better - but I don't let the scale not moving make me feel worse Went for a long drive yesterday - had to get out of the damn house. I work at home and while it sounds neato fantastic, its really a bore. I don't have any coworkers or even really a boss that I talk to. I have zero human interaction and I'm a totally social person. Hopefully that'll change soon!

your bodyweight can fluctuate based on time of day, time of month, etc. The best thing to do is to weigh yourself first thing in the morning after going to the bathroom and before eating or showering. This is the weight you should track. Weighing yourself at different times will give you incorrect information for tracking.

Awesome! I didn't get to see the plans but I did hear about it I think it'll be great - can't wait to go back on vacation and see everyone

I had my surgery on 1/27/12 and so far I have lost 20 lbs since surgery and 42 lbs since starting pre-op

The cipro was nasty - I asked if i could cut the pills and swallow them instead of crushing them and was given the go-ahead. I cut them in 4 small pieces and they went down with ease.