RJ'S/beginning

Wish I had known earlier I would have sent one out to you..My sister lives in Edmonton..... Why Mexico though?

It takes a special person to work with these children and give them so much of yourself....Amazing... You are going to put it all in order I just know it....

I was so close to death that they had to make a calculated decision...It was either take the chance of one or possibly lose my life...They did turn me but I was filled with Fluid that they pumped in to try to get the fever down and flush the poison...My skin was like tissue paper and I was swollen beyond recognition.... I was on the proper bed and they did what they could at the time.....They kept a ice block under me at all times while I had the fever because they knew that if they could not break the fever then I would surely have died..It was very touch and go....for a long time...

Maybe you don't have them out there..We have clinics here where nurses come to your house to tend you..they have all the supplies that hospitals have...I was thinking of the VON as well....

Have you tried weight loss clinics or extra mural nurses.....

I don't think there is a law against keeping a bottle of water at your desk and taking a drink as needed...You may want to give it a shot....Bet no one even looks at you differently!!!!

I had to do pre-op twice....2 full weeks of 4 Protein Shakes a day! They tasted like poop! You can do this..I did and so have others....Get it together girl! This is the real deal......lol You get to eat broth, yogurt, etc!....Oh if I only had what you get to have!!!!!!!!!!

This is a Canadian speaking here...lol Have you tried Ebay?!

Hind sight is 20/20! The worst thing that can happen to you is dying...the odds are in your favor that you won't...However it can and has happened to some on this very site... Only you can decide what is right for you...Only you can make the decision...Do your research, keep telling your doctor your concerns..Keep your support system going... You have more of a chance to be hit by lightening then to fie from this surgery.... I had a horrible year due to this surgery ....And I was not afraid to do it at all...i was ready....I worked very hard to get here today and have not regretted one thing.. I can now hug my grand daughter close to my chest, sit her on my knee and read her a story or sing to her...I can sit in a car without an extension or seats in the waiting room at the hospital..they don't have to call up for a bigger wheel chair anymore because I can fit in the regular one easily..And I am not even done yet.... I went from a 6X to a large so far...it just keeps getting better and better for me even though the first 10 months were hell... Oh one last thing my hubby says I scare him now because he can't keep up with me...thought that day would never be seen again..... It's your life, your decision and and your time to make a change or not.....All the best kid!

Saturday I am going to visit my brother and his family..He has not seen me for 2 years. Before my surgery he came for a quick visit and was horrified by what he saw..Not because he was rude or ignorant but because he felt I was in grave danger of losing my life...I heard on the way home on the plane he sobbed for me and his wife told him to just talk to me about my weight and encourage me to lose some... A few weeks later I phoned him just to talk and he kept asking me how I was feeling...I told him fine and he said I am worried about you. I then told him not to be but that I had something to tell him...I told him I was having surgery in a few weeks and did not want him to worry..All would be okay...He asked what I was going in for and I said Bariatric surgery. I figured he would not get it and so I felt I told him but he would not know..But his wife did and he was so supportive and then told me how proud he was of me and that he felt he could now relax as he was worried to death over my health... As most of you know things did not go well and it has been a long hard road for me to get this far...He phoned me every second day for 5 months in the hospital and every second day since.... He bought me this plane ticket to go see him as a gift because he felt that with everything I had gone through I really needed a break and a bit of a vacation.....I was surprised and pleased that I was going somewhere finally... I wonder what he will think when he sees me for the first time after 2 years..He saw me at my worst and supported me along the way... I hope he is happy at the progress I have made....

I will let you know...

Oh where do I begin....had the surgery...came home, 4 days later rushed in because I had a temp of 104..Was Septic! They did surgery to clean out the poison and try to repair the leak...I was put in an induced coma which lasted 19 days..when I woke up I found I had a trachea. I lost my muscle mass and could not walk or talk. i thought I had been kidnapped and they took my kidneys...( confusion due to coma ) ICU for 6 weeks total care....Found out that I had a category 5 bedsore and would have to be treated for that as it was in the worst possible place to have one... I could go on and on but I'll skip some and end this by saying 11 surgeries later and 5 1/2 months not eating..i had to learn to walk again, talk again, eat again, write again and on top of it all..I lost all my hair....I was in the hospital for 5 months and then under nurses care for another 5 months at home..My hand has a paralysis and i am still nursing the bed sore... They tell me it is going to take 2 years to recover from all of it..The conclusion is that they could not save my sleeve and I got a hybrid..Combination sleeve and by-pass. I would do it all again in a split second...I thought I had it all figured out and was really ready to get it all done.. Now a few days from a year out...I am such a different person...I have lost 176 lbs so far and no one recognizes me...I am living now as before I was just existing...Like the walking dead! I can do so much now and a lot of the pain I had before surgery is gone... With everything that happened to me I feel that the sacrifices I made were worth all the advancements I have made.... I consider this surgery a gift and a miracle and I am passionate about the entire issue....i wish everyone could have it done that are in extremely poor health or have put up with so much abuse from society.. I am not perfect by no means but I am truly a SLEEVE lover!

They certainly helped you realize that the real life is never the time you spend at work but with people who know your worth and believe and trust and love you.. i am so glad you had this surgery so that you move forward.. One thing I really hate is when people judge you not because of your intelligence but because of your size...That really sticks in my throat...... Vent when you need to we all do!!!!

Thank you :wub:

Thank you! I hope you are right....

Good for you...Just keep swimming!!!!!!

I am almost a year out and still can't eat beef or pork, white meat of poultry either. No Tuna either...I used to love these meats and have not been able to handle any of them...don't know if I ever will again.. I have started exploring new meats like rabbit, goat and different kinds of fish....Most people won't eat rabbit or goat..but I really want to eat my Protein in meat..lol.... so I will try anything almost.... I don't expect you to try them..it is just that there are some meat out there that is easier to tolerate then others..you have to explore or become a vegetarian...I didn't want the second option myself.....lol

I said Snacks..1/4 cup..not meals...lol

Refined sugar is not a natural substance for our bodies to ingest. So when we eat it it becomes an addiction like drugs. The more we eat of it the more we want it and are less satisfied with complex carbs. If you want to get the rest off and you find you are eating the wrong Snacks you may think about detoxing yourself again...That means no sugar and you will feel withdrawal..It will be uncomfortable for sure... Removing the sugar from your house or other tempting snacks helps a lot.....Some people don't have a problem with sweets or junk food...If you do that is your nemesis.... Switch your snacks to nuts and fruit 1/4 of a cup...Get the Protein in first at meals...It will start to settle down I promise...You will be back on the journey in no time.. Remember that this is a journey not a sprint..... Turn your love for food into a goal of only eating the very best of anything..read labels and count protein..It can get as challenging as giving up sugar....But so worth it! You can do this...Today is a new day and it is yours for the taking.....

Wow....what a transformation! Kick it girl!!!!!!!!!!

I had the same problem....I switches to Soups and cottage cheese which has twice the amount of Protein that yogurt has per serving. Soft cheese and pureed Beans... If I absolutely had to I would still drink a Protein Drink...But measured that out 1/3 at a time ......pudding is good too, not a good habit but will get you through in a pinch!

You look awesome...congrats! It is nice to hear how someone is doing with the plastics side of the journey..Thank you for sharing with us!

All I can do is apologize...the rest is up to you kid....

I have given up the secret love of my life "FOOD". The one who gave me comfort if only for a little while. The one I depended on to help me through the tough times. The one that brought me pleasure and happiness even though it was temporary. The one I trusted to get me through every pain, happiness, celebration, family get together's and so on. The one that was always there for me through the good the bad and ugly. The one thing I could always count on for support if everything else failed. The one that told me it brings happiness, pleasure and fulfillment like so many restaurants and the slogans for fast food joints promise...Happy meal...you get it!! The one who I tried so many times to break up with and it found its way back to you stronger and more powerful then before.... Why would you not dream about it. Fear it, try to control it and finally conquer it and put it in its place ...I will eat to survive not to live to eat... We are changing our entire relationship with food. The one thing we could always count on...But not without its consequences...health, how people view us, medical disdain for us and the over all ignorance of society... It will take some time for the fears to be brought into place and we may never think that we will have a normal relationship with food....We take it day by day. Minute by minute...That is called food addiction and we are all here with the same issues..... I will never trust me again to have a relaxed relationship with food...So that brings on the doubts and worries and dreams and fear of failure.... But it is up to me to pull out the will power and fix my brain to make it all work...A lot of sleevers have been totally successful and we can too..Faith in oneself and building up knowledge of what is better and healthier to eat as well as not making it the focus of life will go a long way in us succeeding... You can do this and I can too...And we will! How do you feel about it?

I am going through the same thing...Always taken back when a smaller size fits..Still not where I was when I was a teenager and really don't expect to be....but a size 12 or 10 would be okay with me... Congrats on your lovely NSV......