cindymg

Hi, I was sleeved 5/15/2013. Height 5'11", SW 258, CW 211. Down 47 lbs. Sizes have changed from 18/20 and 2X tops, to size 14 tops, and now size 12 pants! Never thought I would be below a size 14 ever (I'm built like a linebacker). And I have 30 lbs to go! What a ride!

My fat used to be solid too. Now it really jiggles. And, sorry can't resist, it makes me giggle! I think that maybe the internal, dangerous fat around my organs is fading away -- maybe that's why my jiggly fat is a good thing. Now when it's all gone, that will be heaven!

Are you working with an insurance coordinator at your surgeon's office? They should be able to help you.

Yeah, the hat! It was Easter Sunday and I found that hat. It matched my watermelon spring coat. The hat was $300 though, so it stayed in the shop after my friend snapped the pic!

OMG! I guess we will be part of the long term studies!

Thanks to all. I actually thought I looked older and more tired. But I'll take your word for it. Feel fabulous!

Fish Oil. Take fish oil. I'm nearly 3 months out and haven't lost a strand.

Wow!

I started with really well-cooked veggies on week 3. No problems as long as they are well cooked, like in veg Soup. But even after 12 weeks, still can't handle raw, or even lightly steamed. Fruit is limited to applesauce, cooked blueberries. I tried cantaloupe but it hurt my tummy, as did a couple of bites of pineapple. Grapes seem to be okay. I'll try again in a few weeks. I am craving a real crisp apple!

Diabesity = diabetes + obesity. Here's an article: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/magazine/issues/winter08/articles/winter08pg12.html

I have UHC Choice Plus. I was advised to call to speed up the approval. I did, told them I had a surgery date set, and I had the approval a week later. A warning: I had to delay my surgery about a month because of work conflicts. The morning of my surgery, my surgeon told me that the insurance company tried to weasel out of paying because of the delay. There was no date in the letter they sent to me, so I don't know why changing the surgery date would be a problem. Anyway, my surgeon got the surgery re-approved. So, make sure you stay on top of UHC. After the surgery, they assigned me a nurse coordinator who checked in on me periodically. I actually didn't need any help, as I had no complications or any problems. Good luck on your journey. It's going to be amazing!

Order a book entitled "Hungry" by Allen Zadoff. Avail on Amazon. He is not a WLS patient, but discusses food addiction. He also talks about "trigger foods" -- foods that lead you to other addictive foods. That's what anything with white flour or sugar is for me. One bite can harm you!

Take GasX strips and chew Gaviscon for the gas. Then get on the plane. It will always bug you if you miss your brothers wedding. As far as being on liquids, make sure you take plenty of RTD Protein shakes. You can also get broth -- just ask the restaurant to give you just the broth from the chicken noodle, veg Soup or French onion soup. I found that when I was just on liquids, I was better if I didn't miss social activities. And I actually enjoyed the people I was with MORE when I wasn't obsessed with the food. Make sure you have your own hotel room to escape to for an hour or two if exhaustion starts to take over. Go, have a good time. Then you can look back on it and say, "remember when I survived my brother's wedding on a liquid diet?"

Stoneyfield Farms makes a plain, 0% fat Greek yogurt in a 4 pack of individual 4 oz containers. 4 oz is about all I can eat at one time (hooray!). I mix with powdered fiber, Splenda, and a tsp of sugar-free Blueberry preserves. My late night snack before I go to bed. Yummy!

Yeah, I was stretching before my walk/run this morning, and looked at my legs. They were looking like the muscular legs I had 20 years ago!! The ones that everyone used to envy. No one has complimented me on my legs in awhile. Maybe they will now.

I live alone, and really had no problems after my surgery. Just really tired. My sister came from Tennessee for the surgery, and left after 3 days. It was great spending time with her. But after she left, I was fine on my own. Friends checked in on me and came for visits. Mostly I just slept in between visits. Week 2 I tried to get out every day, even if was just to wander around the drugstore. Not good to not see people everyday, and I needed to move. Hope this helps, and that your journey is as easy as mine was.

It happened for me when I picked my sister up from the airport. She came to help me after the surgery. Then it hit me again when I was in pre-op and they hooked up the IV. I said, "Guess there's no turning back now!" So happy I didn't turn back. Best decision I ever made!

Never had a problem bending over. In fact, I kept forgetting I wasn't supposed to lift anything over a few pounds. Oops!

I was freezing the first 6 weeks after my surgery -- and my surgery was in mid-May! It's now August and I no longer have to wear sweat pants and sweat shirts to bed, but I still wear socks. Feet always cold. Great change from always being the hottest one in any room. I suspect it's because of blood pressure. My pressure was always high; now it is normal and I am weaning off my blood pressure meds.

The Bariatric Advantage Multivitamins are chewable. The Biotin is a small capsule that you probably won't have a problem with. The Calcium comes in chews -- I love the caramel flavor. It's like a Kraft caramel but sugar-free. It's my nightly treat. Also comes in chocolate. The Vitamin D and E that I recommended are small gel capsules so they should go down easy. The Iron supplement, Ferosal, is a small capsule. You may have trouble swallowing the capsules the first couple of weeks after surgery, so you may want to delay taking those. But by week 3 or 4 you can give them a try -- one at a time with lots of Water in between. Oh, don't know if anyone mentioned B12. Bariatric Advantage has a sublingual version that you dissolve under your tongue. I got the peppermint flavor for a different taste.

Add Fish Oil, 2,000 mg. GNC carries an orange-flavored gel fish oil called Coromega. It will help you keep your hair. Also, I take 5,000 IUs of Vitamin D, 400 IU's of Vitamin E, and a plant-based iron supplement (called Ferosol, it is non-constipating).

All of my walking aggravated the bursitis in my hip. I had 2 cortisone shots (one in my shoulder for a recurring problem) about 3 weeks ago. I told the sports medicine doc about the VSG. No problems, no side effects. And my hip and shoulder are much better. Never heard anything about cortisone being a problem. Celebrex and heart problems I have heard of.

I was a 30 year Diet Coke addict. Like 4 liters a day. I had to give it up several years ago after I burned my esophagus ( don't ask). Then, about a year later, I tried drinking a diet Sprite. It burned all the way down! It was horrible! Was enough to make me swear off soda forever. I'll bet you will find the same thing if you try drinking diet soda after having been off of it for awhile.

That's so great! Congratulations! I noticed today that when I walking down stairs, surprise, my knees didn't hurt anymore. I could move faster than the young kids! Guess my couple of months of speed walking is working. I am going to try Zumba next!

If the pain of where you are isn't worse than the fear of where you are going, then don't go there. When I was making my decision I read everything I could get my hands on. Just search for gastric sleeve on Amazon. By the time of my surgery, I absolutely knew I was making the right decision. Yeah there is a lot of excess skin after losing 44 lbs (there is going to be more after I lose the next 40 lbs). Yeah I can't eat like my friends do. But, my health problems are resolved, my food obsession is no longer, and I feel better than I have in 40 years. Good luck on your journey. It's going to be amazing!