deletedsally

WhooHoo! No sausage legs on you girl!

Thanks Lis, I hope you are right about my stomach capacity not increasing much. Some of the other members who have been sleeved for over a year have said that they are able to eat quite a bit more at 12 mo. than they were able to at 3 mo.. My doctor said that as well, so I have been paying pretty close attention to how much I am able to eat. I am anxious about the future, and honestly, I'm just trying to stay relaxed and enjoy the fact that I can walk and have fun doing things again.

Mine is a 40 with a sew over. Right now, I am very comfortable with the amount of food that I can eat, but I'm concerned about that because I am only 3 months out from surgery and from what I have heard, my stomach capacity will continue to increase over the next several months. I was not able to eat more than about 2 Tablespoons initially, but now I can eat about 3.5 oz of protein plus a few bites of rice or potato. If I eat something soft, like yogurt, I can eat an entire 8 oz. cup. Even though I am feeling great and not having any trouble eating any foods, I am anxious about the fact that I am not feeling more restriction/limitation this soon out from surgery. I don't want to be able to eat much larger portions 9 months from now. If I could eat twice what I can eat right now, I think I would feel like I had wasted my money because that would allow me to eat too much food. I'm sure it's hard for our surgeons to know what the exact size is for each person that will create just the right amount of restriction to promote loss, then allow for healthy weight maintenance at the right time.

WhooHooooo! Bet those fourth of July fireworks will really feel good this year!

Just another quick note. After many years of dieting, weighing and measuring my food, counting every calorie and carb, eliminating all wheat, sugar, and refined carbohydrates, etc...I am of the firm opinion that what goes in a person's mouth is not the deciding factor in body size or shape. Does it make a difference? Absolutely. Can you look at a larger person and assume larger calorie consumption and a complete lack of self-discipline? Not in my experience. In fact, some very reputable medical research indicates that many people who struggle with obesity eat fewer calories than others. The obese people who get attention on television describing how they eat a dozen eggs, a pound of bacon, and a loaf of bread for Breakfast are not representative of most overweight people--and that kind of sensationalism just pumps up the self-righteous, condemning attitudes toward people who are larger. We are dealing with a medical condition that most often has strong genetic and metabolic roots. When I see a client that comes in to my office weighing 350 pounds, I don't look at that person and ask "Why do you eat so much junk...why did you do this to yourself...why don't you go on a diet?" I feel the same kind of compassion that I would feel for a person struggling with any other health problem. If I'm going to ask anything, it might be, "Does anyone else in your family have a similar problem?" While this doctor may specialize in bariatric surgery, the fact that he is making assumptions about what you are eating based on your body size, suggests that his thinking is in the dark ages. I hope you find someone who will offer you the compassionate care that you deserve.

I would have a hard time trusting someone to take good care of my physical needs if they were that abusive and insensitive to my emotional needs. These doctors get paid an awful lot of money to provide bariatric care...why enable him by sending your business his way, when you could pay someone else?

I totally missed a "last meal" because when I went for my first consultation, I took a psychiatric evaluation, a letter from my primary care physician, 20 years of diet records, and a check to pay cash. My surgery was scheduled for the first available date, which was 10 days later. I started my preop diet to shrink the liver immediately and they told me not to have any big meals before surgery. I thought I was missing something then--but I'm glad I didn't have to wait for my surgery because I probably would have gained more weight trying to eat all the things I thought I might never be able to enjoy again.

Lots of the above posts did a good job explaining the advantages/disadvantages of each surgery...and yes, as you said, the sleeve is permanent. I had some anxiety about that too--but I want my weight loss to be permanent, so I decided to choose what I hope to be a permanent solution. At 3 months, I have no regrets about the surgery. I am able to eat any food and feel satisfied with much smaller portions. My biggest fear at this point, is not that I can't have my stomach back--I don't want it back. My fear is that maybe the surgeon didn't make it small enough and that as I get further out, I will be able to eat too much.

I'm sorry that you didn't receive more compassionate responses to your post about your experience in TJ. I babysit for my grandchildren (2&4), and on the days that they are here, I don't get to my computer much at all. I honestly never saw your post. I just found the original thread and read your story...I can't begin to imagine what that must have been like for you. This may sound like an unusual thing to say, but as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, I can't help but wonder how you are doing right now after having lived through something that terrifying. If you have symptoms like those listed below you might want to consider finding a therapist who specializes in treating PTSD. Additionally, after reading the thread, I will say that I agree with pcindy. I don't think that they gave you the medication that they intended to give you. I think that you were the unfortunate victim of a serious medical error and that the persons involved tried to protect themselves by suggesting that you had an unusual reaction. I hope that you will not be returning to this group. Common symptoms following exposure to traumatic events include any of the following: ? An unusual feeling of being easily startled (e.g., ?jumpiness? ? Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep; waking up early ? Nightmares and/or ?flashbacks? ? Difficulty concentrating or paying attention ? Carelessness in performing ordinary tasks ? Outbursts of irritability or anger, sometimes without apparent reason ? Loss of religious faith and feeling angry at God ? Family or work conflicts that were not usually experienced before the trauma ? Unusual bodily fatigue ? Feelings of emotional numbness (such as being ?in a daze,?or having an ?It doesn?t matter? attitude) ? Recurrent anxiety over personal safety or the safety of loved ones ? Feeling especially alone (e.g., having a ?They weren?t there? or ?They can?t understand? attitude) ? An inability to let go of distressing mental images or thoughts ? Feelings of depression, loss, or sadness ? Feelings of helplessness, powerlessness, and lack of control ? Feelings of guilt for not having suffered as much as others ? Unrelenting self-criticism for things done or not done during the event ? Anxiety about, and avoidance of, specific reminders of the event

What a wonderful first 2 months! Congratulations! My experience has been very similar...walking more easily...breathing easily...no more problems with sleep apnea...normal blood pressure. I may not have lot 100% of my excess weight yet--but I've had 100% improvement from obesity related problems!

Hi KK, I don't use artificial sweetners at all. I ate small amounts of regular Jello and regular popsicles when I was on Clear liquids, just because I had to crush/take a blood pressure pill and it was supposed to be taken with "food" and that was the closest I could get. When I was on full liquids, I had some sugar-sweetened yogurt and pudding--but truthfully, my body didn't really want anything sweet. One reason to avoid sugar and other refined carbs (other than the calories) is that they tend to increase insulin production which tends to slow your weight loss.

I'm still totally annoyed at this psychologist's statement that the reason you "put the weight back on is mental." Do you suppose that he would apply his diagnosis and treatment recommendations to the rest of the 95% of people who successfully lose weight and then gain weight back as well? I am a licensed mental health professional too, and while it is true that some people have problems with specific eating disorders, and may benefit from counseling, there is no scientific evidence that I have found that would support the idea that obesity and/or weight regain after dieting is caused by "mental" problems. This is just one more example of ignorance and predjudice toward those who struggle with obesity.

I'm so sorry your surgeon's office got things confused! Hopefully they will get it the new approval soon!

I'm glad to hear that you are better Maddie. Look at it this way: My goal weight is 140 also--but I weigh 232--so you are closer than I am already! LOL!

I think the psychologist you saw fails to take into account that only 5% of people who lose weight through dieting and exercise are successful at maintaining that loss. I was disciplined enough to lose 80-100 pounds four different times. I was a great dieter--but the more I dieted, the hungrier I got and the heavier I got with each time I regained the weight. I thought I had a "mental problem" and worked closely with a counselor. It didn't help. When I read the research on the effect that dieting has on the body's production of ghrelin and leptin, thing began to make sense. Do your own research and it will place this psychologist's "expertise" in a different light.

I can't say that I never experience hunger, but I can say that I don't feel hungry "all the time" anymore. When I do feel hungry, I eat a small portion of something and the hunger goes away. Given the fact that I'm eating well under 1000 calories a day, that's pretty amazing.

I had problems with dry mouth and a nasty taste in my mouth for several weeks after surgery. I thought that perhaps they had given me something during surgery to dry secretions and that it had some lingering effects. I just kept sipping fluids constantly. I added a small amount (1-2 teaspoons) of lemon juice to my Vitamin Water or crystal light flavored water because it seemed to help a little. Make sure that you are getting in at least 64 oz of Fluid each day. Usually, genuine thirst is a signal that your body is dehydrated.

You look incredible! Not sure how I missed these pictures when you first posted them--but they are a wonderful inspiration! Thanks for taking the time to keep encouraging those of us who are not as far down the road in our weight loss journey!

I just looked at your pictures--you look incredible! What a fantastic weight loss journey--from 374 pounds!!! No wonder the heads are turning!

Wow! Good for you. Passing those markers is a wonderful feeling. Thankfully, you will never have to see the "BIG 3" on your scale again!

WhooHoo! That is more than a small child...my 4 year old grandson weighs 46 pounds, and he's as big as most 6 year olds! Congratulations!

My full liquid diet included baby food meats. I don't know if you are allowed to have that yet--but if you are, try mixing some turkey or chicken together with some tomato soup. That really helped me to stay full a lot longer.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! I'm so glad to hear everything went well. The discomfort passes pretty quickly. My doctor sent me home with a prescription for Zophran because I had problems with nausea that lasted for several weeks. For me, it really eased the nausea and kept me from throwing up.