Arts137

AMEN! Just follow the program and it'll all come out all right.

Welcome, friend!

again, remember (as Justin said), this das was used to "inflate" your abdominal cavity for surgery. Has nothing to do with your mouth, stomach, and lower GI.

everyone is SOOOOO different. But remember that most of us really did not know what hunger was when fat, we just ate. So you might be being tricked by something else. Remember that your tummy have gone through some Big ch-ch-ch-changes!. I know that I get "mental hunger" on the schedule that I normally eat. Strange, but it does feel 'real'.

You will lose as much as your body can! If you are bigger, you might lose more. If you are a woman, you 'tend' to lose a bit more slowly. If you are inactive, it might be slower. If you are strict with your program, might lose faster. But in the end, you will lose as fast as YOU, as ONLY YOU can...

I know, this is VERY confusing. And you'll see how different our prep programs are as well. I doubt if you'll need to use 100# before surgery!!! You need to show "good effort" and FOR SURE you need to be strict in the few weeks before surgery to "shrink your liver" and make the surgeon's job easier (the live sits on the stomach). Vent, and stick with it, friend!

everyone does what feels right. Me, I weigh weekly to chart. And the number is just a number. Stay On the program and you will lose fat as fast as you can lose weight.

OK... Here's the deal. We won't be like "normal" people. Nobody's "normal" . And each of us in the world have things we are good at and things we struggle with. On this board, let me posit that we do NOT have a normal relationship with food, and working on this will be a lifelong commitment. "Just eating" is not in the cards for me. I don't "worry" about it any more than I worry that I need glasses to drive. Just a fact of life. For the rest of my life I will have to think about eating and activity. OK, I can deal with that. I might be healthier and live longer...

consider having your PCP write a pissygram letter (you can draft it). I did and it worked. Something like... "Whatareyou somekindanut??? Of course I was in communication with this dear wonderful and Fully Compliant patient!"

Yes, but the above poster is right... UP your fluids. Make sure you are peeing clear every couple hours!

Great news, thanks!

YES (back to the thread) I was asked to have a med alert (I have a dogtag) It says my name, the docs name and his phone and "No Blind NST" (for nasogastric tube without being guided by xray) "No NSAIDS or Oral Steroids" "No Cookies or Ice Cream, but pickle juice is OK" (I made that up.

Generally yes, though I still have more weight to go. PS, I assume you are talking about osteoarthritis, if it's rheumatoid (inflammatory) arthritis then no, all bets are off. However I have a bum knee that has NOT gotten better and I see the Orthopedist next week. The bad news is there is not a lot out there in OTC pain relief meds... This may be a case where you and your docs will need to make 'the best of bad' choices...

There is a chewable RX Omeprazole... I used it

give us a little background. If you are within 2 weeks of surgery, yep it'll stop. If it's still gas, walk walk walk. If it's heartburn, antacids or a PPI might help. If it's incisional pain, should be better (look for heat and redness). If I am off-base, call the doc. Shoot, you paid him a Bunch of money!

Hahaha, I was really nice to the sleep tech, and they showed me my results before I left the building. I knew what that meant... CPAP (And by the way, after about two nights I adjusted to CPAP, and LOVE it!!!

Forever... the pre-op will be up to 6 months, and post sleeve is FOREVER!!! :-) Don't rush, I felt just like you BUT I learned a LOT in pre-op that has helped me...

Yes, check with your MD. I had your symptoms in the second week, but they cleared. Was told to report diarrhea if more than 5x a day or it it continues. Mine has cleared and all is OK.

Lynn, your program seems to be a lot like mine... An (accidental) happy accident was when I gave up and tried to apply what I was learning in the 6 months prep. Cut down on caffine (slowly), cut out all carbonated drinks, tested the Protein suppliment powders/drinks. I never smoked, but if you do, you have to stop, and followed a protein/veggie diet. Lost a lot of weight and was really ready for the big surgical changes. And the medical preps helped me a lot. Discovered I had sleep apnea for an example! Have fun, it'll go super-fast, as you said.

Our brains are such problem children... GOOD responses above. Don't be shy about asking for professional help. I take an anti-depressant and it helps. And keep us all posted!

Yes. Some take a while, some never had much (like me) but few report it for a Loooong time.

Cleared to eat eat and eating it are quite different. Could you eat 1/2 cup and stop? I could not. I am a carb junkie. If I start I can't stop. So I don't start.

The more obese, the faster/greater the loss (with exceptions). Keep strictly following your program and best of luck!!!

I am not as wise as the yoga teacher (who seems to be channeling Kierkegaard's 'leap of faith'.) Me, I follow Lewis Carrol, where Alice learms: "Start at the beginning. Go to the end. And then stop."

There are a number of posts. Search "asthma". Also: http://allergies.about.com/od/fa1/f/asthmaobesity.htm and http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3392696/ So YES.