Pennie

Awesome! I can't wait to hear how it goes. I'm sure you'll do great!

I still cook for my family, but I honestly cook LESS for myself now than every before! Don't worry about not cooking. A typical snack for me is string cheese - low cooking required. A meal might be scrambled egg whites... which, I cook in the microwave! LOL! Oh, I also love to "cook" morningstar vegetarian products. Lots of Protein, and super yummy... and also hardly considered "cooking". Don't worry, you find easy little meals to make for yourself.

You aren't the first person that I've heard develop a dairy intolerance after surgery. (Although this is far more commonly associated with RNY patients.) Things might get better once you are on solid foods. Have the runs is pretty common when you are on a pure liquid diet - I know I experienced that to some degree (not as severely as you, though.) Sounds like you have a good plan to avoid dairy. You'll have to be really careful in choosing your Protein sources. Until you are on solid foods, dairy is a pretty popular source of protein. Are you OK with soy? I hope things get better for you soon! Hang in there!

It's so funny - my surgeon tells patients "no straws"... but, I actually prefer them too! Maybe some people just have different stray techniques that causes them to swallow a lot of Water. I know I don't, and obviously you don't either! Glad you found someething that works!

You've lost 24 pounds in just over three weeks! That is 100% incredible. Your averge is still over a pound a day! I know when you lose really fast, it is easy to develop the expectation that this is the way it will always be. In reality, most sleevers do stall from time to time. I had a three week stall just weeks after surgery. It was frustrating, for sure. Just keep following all the rules laid out for you, and trust that the scale will begin to move again. Trust me, it will! After losing so much weight so quickly, it isn't suprising that your body is taking a little break. Hang in there, you are doing fantastic!

Yeah, you should be OK. They usually (usually) go by your first weight. They don't go by the weight you are after a pre-op diet, or after any mandatory diet.

Yeah, it has to do with the decreased volume of food. It's just hard to get everything we need when we are only eating such small amounts. I take one mulit-vit a day (chewable Centrum for adults), calcium, Iron, and D-3. I only take the iron and D-3 because my levels tend to be low - and they were low before surgery too. So I actually don't take any more Vitamins than I did before surgery.

It felt strange thinking about losing 90% of my "healthy stomach"... until I realized that it had done me NO favors. LOL! I love my sleeve, and I know you will too. (Note: it may take a few weeks to start loving it, but you will!!) You're going to do great!!

Four weeks is pretty late out to get a leak. Not impossible, but pretty late. I think it is more likely a bug than a leak. BUT, when in doubt always check in with your surgeon. Get their opinion. They may want to check you out. I hope you feel better soon!

I don't know what your "before" looked like - but you are beautiful!!

(((HUGS))) Of course your family would rather you lose weight without surgery! I bet you would too. We all would! But, the reality is that once you reach a certain weight it is extremely difficult to take the weight off, and more importantly KEEP it off, without weight loss surgery. Diet and exercise in the morbidly obese has something like a 95% failure rate. You could spend the rest of your life yo-yo dieting (and all the physical and psychological consequences that come along with that) or you can address your obesity with the sleeve. I think you are making a brillant choice! Statistically speaking, it's the only logical choice to make. Of the weight loss surgeries available, the sleeve is the best. No bypass, no risks of malabsorbtion, no "pouch" drama, no dumping.... The lap-band has it's own laundry list of complications and it's weight loss record isn't as impressive as the sleeve. You are not a failure. You are a smart woman who is about to overcome a major obstacle. Your family wishes you could do this without surgery because they are nervous about you having surgery. I'd feel the same way about a loved one having surgery, no matter what kind of surgery it was. But once you get the weight off, and keep it off, they will be so grateful to have a healthy wife and mother. What I did to help get my husband on board was share a lot of research and statistics. When he realized that I was unlikely to have success without the sleeve, he quickly came on board 100%. (Of course, he was still nervous and pacing the day of surgery!)

You know what, though? Making it through the pre-op diet will really give you a good feeling of accomplishment. Think of it as your last "diet" without the help of the sleeve. You'll do great! The first few days are the toughest, then it gets easier. How long are you on the pre-op diet?

(((HUGS))) It wouldn't be normal if you weren't at least a little nervous! It shows that you understand the risks and the lifestyle change that comes with the sleeve. You are in control here. You do NOT have to have the sleeve surgery if you choose not to. My surgeon used to like to say that patients can change their mind up until the point they get knocked out! LOL! If you have any major concerns or questions, make sure they are addressed to your satisfaction before you have surgery. Call your surgeon's office and ask to speak with someone about any questions you have. But... if you are just having pre-surgery jitters, think about all the reasons you are choosing to do the surgery. If you could lose weight and get healthy on your own without a powerful tool like the sleeve, you would have! You are doing this to improve your quality of life and to help you reach a number of goals that might feel just out of reach right now. I honestly believe the sleeve is BEST tool for treating morbid obesity. It's so simple and elegant. No intestinal re-routing. No worries on long-term malabsorbtion. You will simply have a small stomach that will support you in eating light for the rest of your life. The stats for weight loss are similar to gastric bypass, but without the bypass. Surgery is a risk, yes... but morbidy obesity is also a major risk. You've made a great choice, in my opinion, in picking the best tool science has to offer right now to get you to a healthy weight. The pain... well, everyone is different. I had some pain for a couple of weeks, and some only have pain for a few days. Many lucky ones, like Reet, even say they never have much pain at all! In the grand scheme of things, the pain is quite fleeting. You'll get some great drugs to help you through the first few days. As you start losing weight, and the pain disappears, you'll be so glad that you do this. The being "put to sleep" part sort of creeped me out too. I've had more than one surgery in my life, so I knew what to expect... but it still made me nervous. In reality, it feels like the blink of an eye. The doctor tells you he is starting the meds, and the next thing you know you are opening your eyes in the recovery room. It really doesn't feel scary when you are there. They even give patients anti-anxiety drugs before wheeling you back to surgery. My surgeon called it "I don't care juice". It really helps to take the edge off of any anxiety you have. Be honest about your anxiety! The hospital staff can help you to be comfortable and calm. They are very used to assisting patients who are scared of surgery, so don't suffer in silence. They can offer you reassurance, and also some nice anti-anxiety drugs! You can do this!! Today is the start of something WONDERFUL for you. Sending you prayers!

I just came across this article Bariatric Surgeons in Los Angeles Discuss Recent Gastric Sleeve Statistics -- it was pubished in May 2012. (http://www.execdigit...eeve-statistics) It sort of reads like an ad for a surgeon, but it included this stat: I'm not sure where that 89% comes from, but that sounds pretty impressive! (Of course, the words MAY and BY AS MUCH AS make this stat very different than saying it increases average life expectancy by X% on average.)

Good days are ahead!! It feels good to know you're on your way to a better life, right? Good luck and take care!

There is a difference between being "allowed" to eat lettuce, and it actually sitting well in your sleeve. I was allowed to eat lettuce at around 3 months (my surgeon was a cautious type when it came to advancing the diet). But it wasn't until about 5 or 6 months that I could actually eat raw lettuce without getting a stomach ache.

I agree with Cookies. I'm sure our life expetancy is much longer than it would have been if we remained morbidly obese. Here is one study that is often cited about how gastric bypass doesn't significantly increase life expectancy in older men: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/228264.php It's the only study I'm aware of, though, and it's conclusiosn are a bit controversial. You also have to keep in mind "quality of life" ... which is ususally better if you are not morbidly obese. So there are advantages to weight loss surgery beyond adding years to your life. I would think that the sleeve would increase life expectancy because it doesn't have the long term complications associated with RNY. Basically, if losing a lot of weight would increase your life expectancy, I would think the sleeve would increase your life expectancy. But... yeah, we'll probably have to wait a long time for studies on this.

Haha! That's hilarious! The novelty will eventually wear off and it'll just become normal life. You'll just have a smaller stomach and... well, a smaller everything! But I completely understand your excitement! This is a big life-changer! Your boyfriend better hold on for the ride!!

Don't worry! It's very normal to not feel full while you are just on liquids (or even purees for many of us). As you start introducing more "real" foods, you'll definitely start to notice feeling full. BTW... my "full" with the sleeve is different than my full before the sleeve. I feel more just a discomfort now if I get full. Sometimes a pressure at the base of my sternum. It's not an unbuckling-the-pants kind of full. It's just ... different. Congrats on your new sleeve! Happy healing!

Ah...auto correct. So rarely correct. I use the Bariwise hot chocolate. WonderSlim makes one too that a lot of people love, but I haven't tried it yet. I love the bariwise so much, I feel no need to stray. I get them online - through diet direct. (http://www.dietdirect.com/bari-wise-health-hot-chocolate.html) I haven't ever seen them in a store. They are kinda pricey (over $1.50 a drink, unless on sale), but sooooooo worth it to have a Protein drink that I actually enjoy.

I had 4 sugar-free carnation instant breakfasts a day (made with skim milk). I was also allowed to eat from a short list of veggies and also sugar-free Jello and broth. So I made Soup from the broth and veggies to have some variety. The first few days were the hardest. After day 4, it got a lot easier. The toughest part was still needing to cook for my family but not being allowed to eat any of it while preparing it! I've said it before and I'll say it again. In my own experience, I found the short pre-op diet to be the toughest challenge in my journey. Thankfully, it goes by quickly!

Goal weights are pretty arbitrary, in a lot of ways. Your sugeon might set a goal weight for you. Some surgeons do it based on the expected weight loss. For example, if they typically see patients lose 80% of their excess weight with the sleeve, he or she may set a goal for you that is 80% of your excess. Of course, to determin the excess weight, you have to have a "normal weight". BMI definitely isn't the greatest guide - there are lots of limitations to it that I wn't drone on about here. But If you are of an average build, it would make sense to put your goal weight in the middle of the "normal" range. You say your are small boned, so perhaps your goal weight should be at the low end of that range - say, 130 pounds. You could also set a goal weight that is the lowest adult weight you have been able to maintain and feel "healthy" with. So if your lowest adult weight that you were able to maintain for a while, or the weight before you gained weight (if you gained weight later in life) was at was 140 then that might be a good goal weight. Whatever you decide, just know that nothing is set in stone. It really is "just a number". Really. Your medical issues may also come into play and make it more difficult to achieve a very low weight. So you can come up with a number, but try to be realistic and err on the "high side" of things. You can always adjust your goal weight later (and you probably will). I changed my goal weight several times as I realized how I felt and looked at certain weights.

Don't worry - veggies won't be front and center in your post-op life anyway. I honestly had a hard time eating raw or rough veggies until I was about 5 months out. Even then, salads would still sometimes be uncomfortable. You really focus on Protein in your post-op eating life. In a funny way, because I have to focus on protein, I like veggies and fruits much more now than I ever have in my life. I like trying any strange or exotic ones I can find at the market - stuff I never would have tried in my previous life. Veggies have become (believe it or not) a treat because I don't always have room for them in my sleeve or in my diet. I didn't have a huge sweet tooth before surgery, but ice cream was a weakness for sure. I can honestly say that I don't miss it. I even sometimes have a little bite of my husbands, and it doesn't "do" much for me anymore. Your results may vary, of course but for me I'd say my sweet tooth was lessened. Not sure if that is the result of the sleeve or just the overall lifestyle change. Also, I get plenty of sweet with my (almost) daily protein hot chocolates! If anything, I get sick of sweet stuff now and I crave savory more than ever before. This surgery comes with a mandatory massive lifestyle overhaul... so don't worry. It's work, for sure, but you will definitely look at food differently after you are sleeved. Your relationship with food will change. Again, it requires work - and if you have any sort of emotional eating issues or binge eating problems, those need to be addressed with the help of a counselor- BUT once you get a few months into your new life with your sleeve, you'll look back with amazment how how different your relationship with food really is! At least, I know that I did! Good luck! It's great that you are thinking about these things now.

How exciting!! Congratulations! Your big day will be here before you know it!

You know, you'lll be unlikely to fit into those clothes come next winter. But, I wouldn't sell them just yet. First, if you wait until next winter before doing a closet purge, you'll know what fits and what doesn't. Sometimes we lose weight in ways we don't quite expect, and our body shape still accomodates larger sizes with some items. Second, if you are interested in selling your clothes, you'll probably get more money selling winter clothes in the fall or winter than you would trying to sell them now. So... I'd probably hold on to them until at least this fall. And, no matter what you choose... DEFINITELY keep a few pieces! You gotta have that iconic "holding out the giant waistband of your old pants" photo. Good luck and have fun. Getting a new wardrobe is a big plus with losing weight!