RJ'S/beginning

maybe if I had been given the med..It might have saved me from a long and painful leak and complications from it!hmmmmmm

If you don't have a leak then your stomach is sealed...However, you need to be careful for another month or so...We heal from the inside out in this one..Although we think otherwise because of our incisions....It takes time for the staples to be enclosed in scar tissue... So take it easy on the poor little thing and listen to your body when eating....It gives you signs that you are full or satisfied...It always did, we just chose to ignore it....

It is so confusing..But you are right and I agree...It is good to be struggling with small sizes then trying to stretch the old sizes to fit a bit better....

I want to bike.....and kayak and horse back ride like I used to.....

The only Protein bar I can tolerate is Smart for Life bars...20 g of protein..I only eat this if I have an appointment at noon and I am stuck! I get them a Costco

Yes I have the same problem..longing eyes staring at my left overs..I have a rule now..No touchy my food until I am done and then scarf away!!!!!!!!!!!man

Try petite in pants the legs are shorter...I think it is amusing that I take a petite in pants...Me who weighed 380 lbs....

I buy most things at a store called value village..It is a second hand store with great clothes that are in great shape...I only have bought a few pieces that are new so far...Like you I don't know where I am heading in size so I am careful!!! I am buying shoes, hats and jewelry though...Dang wish I could kick the jewelry habit.....Most of my rings don't fit anymore and I can't imagine having them all sized..What's a girl to do eh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is a good idea to try to introduce real food into your diet..it will get your system introduced to real food and the Protein drinks and bars are meant to be taken at this stage in an emergency.... 1 is okay, no problem...but it will be good to explore food and find high protein foods such as yogurt, cottage cheese, things like that...K

You were like a little bird at the BBQ place...lol

Sometimes they will change the Protein drink for you....I personally found them all disgusting and just fumbled through....every mouth full I gagged!! Now I drink Syntrax nectar..Like it much better....

Well look at you.......You must be floating on air...I am so excited for you kid!!!!!!!!!!!!!Size 12 amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm sorry I just couldn't resist this; http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080906191855AA2BM7H

I have done it both ways...ordered a small appetizer and brought it home for later or had a dinner and brought the rest of it home for other meals during the week.. My hubby has told me to order what I want ( less questions from people ) and he eats the rest the next day for lunch...when I did the appetizer the manager came over and was scared I did not like the food and offered a reorder for free...It is just easier for me to order a nice dinner eat a little and ask for a box to take the rest home... Congrats on your first experience...You did awesome!!!!!!!!!!!

Your flap at the bottom of your sleeve does not close without dense food being taken in..So you are right! Your liquid is going straight into your small intestine where most food is digested and then moves on to the large intestine...You are still taking in the calories and are using them to fuel your body....Careful to follow your teams advice as far as amounts.. You stomach is healing and this is a dangerous time to be plying it with tons of liquids so fast..There is no scar tissue surrounding the staples yet that give it strength to hold your nourishment yet. Sip sip sip and take in what you are supposed to it will lesson any complications that can happen at this stage....

So you are at the beginning of the head games you body is playing with you eh........ I want to tell you that what you are feeling is normal...everyone of us has to fix our heads if we are going to succeed in this journey...It is called a journey because it will not happen over night...Day to day we will work to learn different ways to handle our need to eat for comfort. That was the backbone of our plan to solve all the trouble we dealt with in life.... So ask yourself, Am i really hungry or am I still demanding that something besides myself is filling this void....I have to change the way I handle stress and life without food as the answer.... There is a few reasons why your body is experiencing head hunger..1 You have not found an alternative to replace it. 2 your body is craving these foods that kept you calm momentarily. 3 You are so distracted by the need to eat that you can't get past it. Keep some nuts or seeds by you or in your pocket for such a time...munch on one seed at a time..Maybe it is the crunch you are looking for....Grapes are another food that can be eaten one at a time as you go about your day.... The real solution is to find other things to fill the void and figure out what triggers this behavior.....What pushes the buttons that make you want to sabotage yourself..... That is where I would start!!!!!!!!! Drink Water as much as possible...sip, sip sip and work on the addiction as it is the main reason why you are here.... No one thinks it is a hop skip and a jump to win this war..It is one battle at a time..but you are not a lone..We are all fighting it together...K

My surgeon told me that if you gain 5 lbs over the years to not worry..If you gain 10 lbs. be worried! But if you gain 20 get your ass back here so we can help you!!!!!!!!! In the back of my mind it resonates as a safety net. You have done the same..You are reaching out so that it does not get out of hand. I admire that in you...Congrats on your 3 year controlled weight loss I hope I can do the same... Start back at basics..Lean Protein and then veggies and fruit...Try to get lots of Water in and watch portion sizes again..Limit it to 1 cup if you can....Stay away from carbs as much as possible... There is a diet a lot follow on here called the 5.2 diet and it works...I have not gotten to that point yet. At least I think that is what it is called...If not I am sure someone will set that part straight for you.... Welcome to this forum...We can be too honest with our thoughts sometimes, but it is done out of love and we look forward to your vast experience in staying in line for so long!!!!!!!!!

I read your story over several times and was at a loss for words and how my heart aches for you in this situation. I was gob smacked... As I read the replies of Miss Mac I realized there is nothing else to say...she is right on and knows from experience how things can go once they start and how quickly they escalate into a life or death situation.... As a child I witnessed that type of conduct from both my parents and life or death hung in the balance for all of us.... Take Miss Mac's advise look for help and act on it..... My heart aches for you!!!!!!!

When I was younger..I felt like that. but as I got older I began to realize that he was still here so he must want to be here. He has been with me through every nightmare and pain and happiness I have felt for 36 years. Actually 38 years. Then one day I thought if he strays then that will be his choice because I would stay with him if he lost an arm or had a stroke...So it all became his choice and mine to go on... Then I stopped thinking about it and enjoyed the time we had and have together and decided what I would be able to take and what would cause us to break up.... Then i thought..Well if someone wants him they can have him...And that's where I stand today on the matter!!!!! Maybe it is because I am 55 and don't take bull anymore....

I can see a difference as well...congrats...you are well on your way...just keep swimming!

However if your temp. continues to rise even though you are taking Tylenol....Contact your Doc. ASAP

NO..I do not agree..Any fever at this stage of the surgery is worth looking into...You need to check this out ASAP. Do you feel sick to your stomach or dizzy?..Do you feel full and almost full to exploding?....Are your incisions puffy or leaking?...If you feel any of these things....Go now do not wait for your Doctor to call you tomorrow....K

The waiting list is very long here..We only have a small number of surgeons who do this kind of surgery...they are getting more of them..but it still takes a long time to get it here.. The only thing that jumps the line is if it is critical!

Also you know what I don't understand! That if they are truly your friends would they want you to do things the easy way or the hard way...If they were friends they would not even say such a thing.....True friends want the best for you.....

Tell them that having your stomach 80-85 % removed from your body and then healing and changing your entire thinking and feelings about food and struggling to work on the addiction that food has played in your life and that you have made a commitment to do this for the rest of your life and that they know nothing about what has gone on in your life for you to make this decision.....Dealing with saggy skin and loss of hair and stupid remarks like they are making will not endear themselves to you as you take this so called east way out... In my books they are taking the easy way out because they have the choice to go back and choose to eat a lot or not. Go off their diets for special occasions or not..To gain it all back because they never fixed what was wrong in their heads... If they really think you took the easy way out then they are not friends at all..They should be supporting your decision not ridiculing it..... I think they are afraid of what you are about to become..A new stronger healthier person that they may have to find someone or something else to make themselves feel better about their short comings.... It is so much easier to look at someone else and say Well at least...If they lose that...well we will see won't we! So it for you hun and tell them that is exactly who you are doing it for...It is your turn and your journey!!!!!!