RJ'S/beginning

Thank you @@CowgirlJane I am slowly working myself back up to I don't care what one person think if he can do his job and do it well. I am fighting 10 lbs. It does not want to go....I lost it when I was 2 weeks in the hospital and it came back on hard and fast....My hubby says I am nuts to worry! oops.... He's so sweet!

2006.....you are now one of my hero's..... congrats on the many years of success...I hope I will do it as well. That's the plan anyway!

A goof ball..NOT! Everyone goes through this except maybe me that I have read on here. I was excited and could not wait until they wheeled me into the operating room. It was soon done and over. I think it is normal to be afraid of the 'what ifs' If you don't make an educated decision then you are not ready. I know looking back I was not. Make sure you do know the what ifs and that you can deal with the worst of them. If you can..You are ready to change your life. Your reasons are sound. And you will continue to flounder from one diet to the next for the rest of your life....that is just as hard on your body as WLS. I know after losing my weight I am a changed woman. I love doing a lot more things and being a grand mother has made my life way more active. Your doing it for your kids. Amazing love shown for them......

That dessert probably helped you lose some weight. Look it is not the best choice, but you are going to stop losing if you don't up your calories. The body will protect itself and if you can... up those calories to 1000. Your body needs to eat and use calories to lose. I know it sounds strange but it is fact.... Don't be so hard on yourself. So you ate a little dessert. Don't do it a lot. Once in a while if you find you can handle it. If it becomes a problem and you crave it too much. Then you will have to find other complex carbohydrates to eat. I did not eat for almost 6 months. I had to be taught again to eat. It was not fun...I had complications and so was on a drip. Be happy that you are able to eat. But try to keep the choices as healthy as you can...okay

For me I cook more. It takes time for me to plan healthy meals with a new spin on it. More legumes and fish and always trying something new. I make healthy choices most of the time now and to learn to eat more things that are high in Protein is not just about meat. There are other choices out there and I have been searching for them. Nothing with artificial sugar. Learning to cook with other sweeteners as well as different kinds of rice, Beans and yes even pastas. I use tofu which I used to think was the devil itself. And enjoy the Mexican burger. Great in chili. No for me it is more important now then ever to eat better and so I have expanded my search and cooking skills to include more fish and poultry. Fresh from the farmers mostly! Love it!

I am so sorry for your situation. I am here if you need someone to talk to ..Just PM me okay!

I did start a thread about my experience with plastics. he was more concerned about money then what was best for me. He also treated me in such a way that I felt like dirt. So I left there and things have been difficult since. I was approved by the way..But only for minimal care. I hardly left his office and broke down and sobbed. I have an appointment with another one in Jan. I will see where that leads me! But I have not felt good since that day.....

Having the same issue @@CowgirlJane But mine started when I went headlong into a depression episode after I saw my plastic surgeon. i kinda felt like it was all for nothing....now I am over that but having trouble getting back to basics....Dang..This is for life you know. Just when you think you got it a little figured out something hits you from left field... We got this girl!

I think that it is not normal to not be scared of this life changer. Going through all the what ifs and maybes and could or might is all part of it. But it can drive you bonkers to spend so much time on this aspect. It will be what it is. Prepare yourself by getting as much information as possible on the surgery of your choice. Make an educated decision and decide what you will do in the what if part. Other then that make a list of all the things you want to do and change and enjoy in the future. Once you are there it is go time. I was one of those not so normal girls who did not have any fear at all. Could not wait...But as I look back I did not have all the facts I needed. Still I look back and am very glad I did it and would not change my decision for anything... You got this!

This is one of the many changes that occur when having WLS. Things we found easy to eat before no longer agree with us. I can no longer eat roast beef or any solid meats like that. Pork kills me! Fish and the brown meat of chicken and turkey are my saving grace. I was able a few weeks back to eat a piece of beef and then tried again a week or so later and threw it up. I figure 2 years out...My relationship with certain foods is over! I eat lamb and rabbit and most fish now. Maybe that is what you are dealing with as well. I eat tofu now and other Proteins instead.

Learning and changing is a big part of this journey. Learning to love yourself will take real work. I think it is more then just the weight issue. I think that you do not like most things about yourself and need to look deep to see the wonderful person you are within and out. Being shy is a type of personality. It is not a bad thing. But it can hamper your successes in life. One of your goals needs to be to learn to like you now and in the future. You will struggle like we all do. But you can do this and still be the sweet girl that I just read about in your own words. It would be wonderful if you could enjoy life and not hold back but to be honest it takes all kinds of people to make this world go round and you would be someone I would seek out to be friends with because you are real! Honest and true. Don't lose that hun...... Isn't it wonderful to find out that people think nice things about us when we ourselves see us as some alien that does not belong here. You are not an alien. You are a sweet lady who should recognize your beauty as is and build on it. And as you go on this new journey learn to love you for you as well as making better health choices.....

I don't use either. I call it body at rest. Because your body is taking a break to regroup after a weight loss. It will go into that state to protect itself from any harm. It is an amazing machine that will do what ever it can to see the horizon at eye level no matter what happens to our bodies. So why wouldn't it take a break from weight loss if it feels threatened. Once it knows it is okay and still working its way to health. It will stop the body at rest and continue to lose the lbs. Stall seems so final where body at rest is telling me that your body is figuring out how to fix the problem and when satisfied will go at it again...

That may be the reason you are stalled. 500 calories is not enough for your body to allow you to lose. You will stall if your body is in distress. Unless you up your calories by 3 or 4 100. It will be a slow loss. I know you have issues with up chucking. That is normal as well. Try to work on Protein intake and up those calories. There are tasteless protein powders you can add to smoothies. Also try to stay away from the scale too much. That is only going to lead to self sabotage...Follow the guide lines set out for you and it will happen..okay..

It is two years today that I had WLS. I have been plunged into a bit of a fog over the whole thought of it. I know since I had this life changing surgery that I am no longer the person I was before in any way. I think completely different. Believe things differently and look completely different as well. I found out yesterday that I will have my 17th surgery on Nov. 27 to repair part of the bedsore scar. So it continues. That is one of the reasons for distress. But it is not all bad. There are some pretty amazing things I have learned about myself and experienced through this journey until now. I know myself better and have a lot more energy then before. I know that a lot of you know parts of my story and know that I would do it all again in a second if it meant that I would be the person I am now. I have met some very wonderful people on this forum and it would take pages to list them all. Each shared in my journey thus far and I thank you for your encouragement and help when I needed it. Could not have gotten this far with out all of you. I only dreamed of a time that I would weigh this much and be so happy with it. Another year starts tomorrow and the continued fight for health and well being is ahead of me. I wish all of you the same outcome. I just can't believe it..TWO YEARS since I told them to get this show on the road.....

If I had the chance to go back and do it all again. I would have skipped all the try this try that and gone straight for the Roux en Y. Looking back it would have saved so much pain and time. However there are things you will have to watch out for with this procedure as well. But it is the best choice for you or anyone who has constant complications. It will do the job well. I think you have TO TAKE CONTROL TO GET THINGS DONE......good for you girl! Your life is going to change so much..congrats....Keep us posted hun we want to know you are doing okay!

I hope your right!

Standing outside this morning I looked about and all was quiet. Moments later a light breeze started to affect one of the Maples we planted thirty years ago. It drew my attention because it was a soft rustling noise that came from no where and sounded peaceful and pleasant. Suddenly in the distance I could hear the rumbling of thunder and it felt ominous. Approaching my peaceful moment with the ability to give me cause to worry. It hit me that the entire experience of a few moments was comparable to the journey of weight loss surgery. We get to a point where we give in and think that we have reached the bottom of our life. There is nothing left and we think there is nothing for us out there to help or offer us an option to turn our lives around. But through gentle words and in the form of encouragement by family, friends and the medical field we learn about Bariatric Surgery. We are offered a tool that can assist us to find a new path to good health and well being. A fear builds deep within us but we know inside that this is the only option left. This is make or break it time and we have no where else to go. We see our mortality and the future looks dim. We are willing to do what it takes to find ourselves on the other side which offers a new life without food addiction. We can't even imagine how that would feel to be thin and in good health. Finally having the real control of our future and our lives. Not being the object of well intentioned or intentional comments or opinions that hurt so deep we feel wounded and or scarred for the rest of our days. But it is not to be. We have an option. A gentle breeze overcomes us as we realize we do have an option. We do have a future. One that will keep us around long enough to enjoy the rest of our lives as the person we always wanted to be. Being able to watch our children grow up and then the grandchildren. Not to mention doing all the things you thought you would never do. Making a bucket list of experiences you want to have and places you want to go. Not to mention the effects this new and improved you will have in a positive way with your family and friends, work acquaintances and yes even strangers. This is the gentle breeze of realization that is engulfing your spirit and giving you hope for a better life ahead. When does the thunder roll in the distance to threaten this new found peace you are experiencing? When you realize that it will take real effort on your part to accomplish this. When you take the time to really start changing how you view food and figure out why you used food as a comfort in good times and in bad. We are conditioned to believe that food plays a much bigger roll in our lives then simply giving us the proper nutrients to keep our bodies in good working order. By well meaning parents who told us how it was so important to clean our plates to the diet industry that makes millions off of failed diets. The false comfort in the form of food related slogans that advertising companies use to make us think that food equals happiness. That food is the backbone of our lives. Here are a few. Help yourself to happiness – Golden Coral Come hungry, leave happy – IHOP Unwrap a smile – Little Debbie's Comfort in every bite – Mars Bar Life tastes better with KFC – Kentucky Fried Chicken Little nuggets of joy- McDonald's Chicken McNuggets Double your flavor,double your fun – Double Mint Gum Feels like home – Sarah Lee Get your smile on – Lay's And on and on, teaching us that food is the answer to all our woes and will bring us happiness. But we know from our own personal experiences that this is not the case. And yet we battle these feelings of needing food as the drug of choice to fulfill in us an emptiness every single day. We find ourselves reverting back to the habits that has brought us momentary relief only to find that it did not help at all. This is the thunder that we all experience in our journey. The fight to stay on course and not give into the heavy winds and booming sounds of habit or the artificial comfort of using food to make us feel better. We are in a war. We will win a battle at a time. We will get there. Maybe not today or tomorrow but we will control this disease. Weight loss surgery is our tool to learn new life long habits and choices that will once again bring the gentle breeze of hope and then success.

Talk to the doctor ask him if there is another plan. What is going to happen next and what can they do to help her have hope. This sounds serious. I was one of those that suffered too. PM me and I will help you as much as I can using what I know about my own experience.

Yes it can cause havoc. Sorry you are in so much distress.

It was the ' it would take serious effort to do that' I found unfair. I just wanted you to know that I did not eat way to much to get a leak. So many times patients are not equipped to handle complications because they are simply unaware of the fact that they happen more then we think. And even if one person gets a leak it is awful and unfair. No one is ever prepared for the long haul of complications. Maybe I could have said it better. But i am not perfect and I am always so sad when people end up with complications. This is supposed to be a good experience. Positive and supportive. And those that are like me feel like we did something wrong to have these things happen to us. It is like being sucker punched in a way. There is enough to deal with without complications... That is why I responded quickly to your comment @@georgiare . Not personal just wanted to clear up the comment mentioned above. Sorry if i offended you. Not my intention at all. I promise you. Thank you for bringing your feelings to my attention.

As I read the post I saw myself except the part of no little children to take care of. These things can happen but for me the outcome is good. I have bounced back to almost 100%. It is no guarantee that every ones surgery will go well. I know my surgeon asked me what the worst thing that could happen to me was....I said death. Well I really think that what I went through and still going through might be worse then death. But I do not regret any of it and would lay down on that table again and do it all for what and who I have become... Be a positive influence on the person that suffers from complications and be there for them. Help her get to the goal that was so very important to her to take her to this point. No one should go through these types of surgery without knowing the risks and if this person is real or not it is good to know that there are others who struggle to get there, to stay there and still fight the complications. But would not do anything different because of the results...

I did not seriously over eat. I got an ulcer which caused a leak 18 months out. Ulcers are more common then you think in WLS patients. And steps need to be taken to avoid this happening. I am on some pretty strong meds now to avoid another one. The abscess is still there but no longer connected to the leak. Sometimes s**t happens and when we make blank statements like that it can keep us from being well informed.

Well I do appreciate recycled logic. And it is true we can worry about things that may never happen to us. I had a leak 6 days after surgery. And then again 18 months after surgery. I am in contact with a lady who had one 8 months after surgery and so I know it can happen. Rare but happens. Look after your sleeve. Take care to do as your surgeon advises. You will lesson the chances okay! I was one in thousands that have had these kinds of complications. So most likely you will not have them... As I said these are rare, no extremely rare as the time passes by. But it is not to say it can't happen. It can and it is one more thing that is never mentioned when you are in for your pre appointments. I am rare in having one 18 months out and so is my friend.

When I am out shopping I have found over and over again that the poor retail field has the hardest time dealing with those who tell it like it is in their own minds. You can see it in their manner as they try to keep it together after a person has raked them over the coals for saying what they think......I never leave a clerk or teller without making them smile or compliment them in some way....A lot tell me I have made their day and sometimes they do extra things for me..... I used to be that person that said what I thought and then learned to not say what I thought and became quiet and would think out what I was going to say or how it might affect people. There has to be a happy medium. I don't like abusive people who think they have a right to take their feeling out on me when I have made a mistake in judgement. It feels horrible to be made to feel you are dirt under someones feet. So then I will take them on. But most of the time it is not done to hurt us it was an error in thought. I like to think that most of the time people don't mean to hurt so if they say something I will ask if they meant to say it that way....The only field I am not understanding about is medical because they should know better. It hurts when they say not so nice things.....

If every body in the world were to give their opinions by holding back compassion or fellow feeling or plain ignorance of fact. We would be in one big mess. Everyone on this planet would be an a**hole. We would spend all out time killing each other off for the offences against us. Even the tiniest comment that did not suit us. Where does it stop. Are we in junior high for the rest of our lives. I think there are times when a person does need to put it out there and in no uncertain terms. And those times are for those who should by all means know better. But I like to think that mankind in general does not mean any harm. Which is well meaning comments but do not hit the mark.... Celebrating being a b***h. Nice! Congratulating ones self for no filter like the person who called you out....I don't know seems to me to be an exercise in fruitlessness. Some people just will never get it and so time wasted big time I think..Just my opinion! Nothing more.....