breezy

I was sleeved by Dr. Aceves on April 13. I'm really glad I did it. I feel like I have a chance at a whole new future that I thought was lost to me...being at a normal weight and living life more fully!

Cool Tiffy! :thumbup: I used to be able to work like a horse and do serious damage to yard work, but I haven't been able to work like that for several years. I thought it was my age, but after reading this, I'm sure that as I lose the weight, I'll be able to do more. I can't wait until the 8 week restriction for lifting is done and I can start to tackle my yard. I love working outdoors!

I have a sure-fire way to stop the hiccups. No kidding. Works EVERY time. Let's see if I can explain how to do it. Put Water in a small drinking cup. Lean over at the waist and place your lips to the far edge of the cup. Keep bent over and take several small sips of the water. Something about drinking upside down like that stops my hiccups in their tracks. Tell me if it works for anyone else.

I had my surgery April 13th and, honestly, it went better than I could have ever expected. I walked out of the hospital with a big smile on my lips and a bottle of Water in my hands. I set up having a wheelchair at the airport, and they carried all my luggage. You can't lift more than 10 lbs after surgery, so just ask for help with that, or pack extremely little. Good luck and please use this site as a support group since you haven't chosen to share your decision with many people. I had my surgery with Dr. Aceves. Who are you going to?

I got the VSG on April 13th and am feeling a little adrift here. I weighed 240 lbs on the 13th and today weighed in at 230. I am 56 yo, married, grown children, a couple of adorable grandgirls, female and live in Oregon. The reason I would especially appreciate a mentor is that I recently became the Guardian and Conservator for both my brother and my mother and some things "have hit the fan", as my mother always used to say, and I don't have the available time to search threads for answers to my questions. Does anyone have a little free time to help me?:biggrin2:

So many typos in that post! Sorry, but i THINK it's still readable...

Hi TXSam! Your post rang a bell with me. It could have been me writing it. I have had a lot of experience with being single. I raised my 2 sons alone and felt the same despair that I would never meet someone that would be my "happily ever after". The way I coped with it was to fill my life with things that gave it meaning: 1) Get involved in something that helps others. 2) Have a hobby that used my talents 3) Take care of my body I became a hospice volunteer for #1 (very rewarding), I painted pictures for #2, and for #3 I did a couple of things: I hiked in forests for exercise and started applying skin to myself in a self-loving way. The latter sounds wierd putting it down here, but I just got a good smelling lotion and before bed, I would apply it to my face, legs and arms while telling myself nurturing thoughts. I would imagine what I would say if I were my best friend, then tell myself the encouraging words. AND, I kept my options to find at least a friend by joining a dating web site. Two years later, when I was 49 years old, my now-husband found me & asked me out. I am not 56 years old and we are happy beyond anything I would have ever imagine. I don't know if this helps, but what you wrote resonated so strongly with me, I had to tell this part of my story.

I've lost 25 lbs; my one month mark is May the 12th. I still haven't had time to mess with putting the ticker on my signature, but I'm hoping I have more free time soon. I really have not had any significant problems. A little heartburn last night. Still can't eat much, but my relationship with food has changed so dramatically. I eat to nourish myself, not for comfort. I don't have hunger pangs/growly tummy at all. Does that come back? The hunger pangs, I mean? I'm challenged to drink enough fluids because I can only take a few sips at a time, then I put it down and forget about it. But I try to have fluids next to me at all times. I'm off my cpap machine! That is a big "hooray"! No snoring or sleep apnea. I have a few energy problems, but I just try to rest when I can. I'm overwhelmed with things that have to be done, but I make lists and try to put out the fires first, and anything that can wait, does. My mood is good. Everyone in my inner-circle has been very supportive, and my co-workers cheer me on as my clothes get baggier! Thanks for asking. It kind of made me glow inside that you are checking in on me. So nice of you....

That dress is rocking hot!!! What a centered, joyous and healthy state of mind you are in! You SHOULD be proud of yourself. Here's to you!

That IS exciting news! Congratulations! You must feel wonderful in your new body!

If I were in your situation, I might look among my friends and relatives for someone that I CAN get support from. Sometimes our husbands cannot give us what we need, and it is ok. But I would need someone to tell everything to and that would be my personal cheerleader.

I got back Tuesday and everything went well. I had the energy to do everything I needed to do, but whenever I could I took a power nap, which really helped. I rested on Wednesday, the most strenuous thing I did was groom a couple of my dogs (I have 9!). I will post a ticker next weekend when I have time to sit at the computer. Oh, and my brother is very suspicious of me still. I think that will take years to go away. He has dementia, but thinks there is nothing wrong with him, so he blames me for taking away his "life". But he is safe, and getting his meals and meds regularly. I know I did the right thing, and that will have to be enough to help me sleep at night.

I'm doing ok. I caught a cold from my granddaughter this week so I've been trying to get a little extra sleep. I'm tired of the liquid diet, but I don't suppose that's too uncommon :biggrin0: I leave for Missouri in the morning, so I'm washing clothes, packing and trying to put together any paperwork I'll need to apply for Medicaid for my brother, Jim, when I get him back to Idaho. Jim has seen me as "the bad guy" since I got Guardianship over him, so I'm hoping this will be a chance to redeem myself in his eyes -- or at least get him to distrust me a little less. The place I'm taking him to will have more freedom than where he has been. But back to WLS, my outside wounds have healed nicely and I'm able to take larger sips of liquid now. Not really having any trouble, surgery wise. I've lost 20 lb and already my knees are telling me, "thank you!". I'll rely mostly on the Protein powder to make drinks while I'm flying and hit the grocery store when I land and get a rental car. It's going to, physically, be a rough few days, but I was able to take a day off when I get back, so at least I'll be able to rest a little. Thanks for asking. It feels good to know I have this web site, and you, for support.!

I'm sorry it is hurting like that, but I understand. When my sister & I don't get along, it bothers me constantly. I hope things get better for you and your daughter.

I just went through that in an unexpected form. I told my sister and expressly asked her NOT to tell our aging mother. And she turned around and told her! Now the explanation from my sister and reactions from both are right out of the "dysfunctional family of origin" textbook. Sis rationalized her behaviour by saying, in short, that there was something wrong with me that I didn't want to tell people. Mom said she created the bodies of her children and had the right to know what we did to them. I tried to explain boundaries and privacy, but they couldn't even understand the concepts!

I have a desk job, so there was NO moving around except for short breaks. I realized just yesterday that I haven't been walking enough. It's Sunday now, and I'll run laundry, which will give me some exercise, while I take care of guardianship and personal paperwork. I found the cream Soups were tasty and a nice break from broth. I'm on the Protein shakes now, and they taste alot better than the liquid Protein I was using before (Jay Rob). Any other suggestions for the full liquid diet stage? I am drinking gatorade, Fruit drinks, etc, but I'd like something that keeps me from feeling so hollow. I want to take dry packets of Soup with me when I travel. Anyone know of something tasty that I might find in Oregon?

Thank you! Those are all GOOD suggestions! No, my boss is just desparate. We are a small company, skeleton staff, and when I took off last summer for 2 weeks to help with a problem my brother was having, it ended up being 3 months before I could come back. I had to stay in Missouri and go through the courts for guardianship and take care of them (Mom & bro) at the same time. My doctor did not tell me not to work for two weeks? He just said not to lift anything and follow the diet phases religiously. I find it interesting that the timelines around the diet phases and the thing about not working seems to be different between doctors.

Thank you for offering! I have to do an fly from oregon to missouri to pickup up my brother, then fly him to boise, do the medicaid paperwork, then fly back to missouri. I'll be leaving 5-1 and back 5-4. Then my boss expects me to get back to work right away!!! I'm going to request a wheelchair to get me through lines faster, keep me from having to stand/walk too much and get help lifing things, so I have that part figured out. I'll be on phase 2 - full liquids during that period. I have the powder Protein already bought. My worries: 1) Flying prohibits carrying fluids until after checkpoint, and I'm not sure the personnel pushing the wheelchairs are allowed to take me into the airport convenience stores. Do I buy a shaker cup and just use Water to mix a Protein shake for the flight? 2) After getting to Missouri and picking up the rental car, I can go to a store, but I still can't lift anything, and stores don't carry things to cars anymore. What can I buy to mix with water or skim milk that is light weight enough to carry? After I pickup my brother, he will be able to help me carry things, so I'm not worred about after that. Any suggestions?

I just got the GSS on April 13th and I've been thinking about just this subject. It's easy not to tell people that I don't know well, but the ones I share with regularly all know. So far I haven't gotten any comments like these _to my face_, and I don't know how I'll react if I do. Probably depend on my mood at the time. It was interesting to me to find that some of my family of origin were the ones that I felt the most uncomfortable telling. The family I have developed since being an adult (and by that I mean my children, husband, work friends) have so far been supportive.