Miss Mac

Take a look to see if you have any of these other co-morbities that can qualify you for weight loss surgery. I also sent a heartfelt personal letter with my packet explaining why I needed the surgery and how the excess pounds affected my quality of life. Even family medical history or social discrimination can be a factors. Good luck. Obesity Comorbidities To follow is a list of comorbidities (additional conditions or diseases) related to obesity which may help you in qualifying for weight loss surgery. Family history of heart disease Family history of stroke Family history of diabetes Family history of heart attacks Hyperinsulinemia Diabetes High blood pressure Coronary-artery disease Hypertension Migraines or headaches directly related to obesity or cranial hypertension Congestive heart failure Neoplasia Dyslipidemia Anemia Gallbladder disease Osteoarthritis Degenerative arthritis Degenerative disc Degenerative joint disease Recommended joint replacement from specialist Accelerated degenerative joint disease Asthma Repeated pneumonia Repeated pleurisy Repeated bronchitis Lung restriction Gastroesophageal reflex (GERD) Excess facial & body hair (Hirsutism) Rashes Chronic skin infections Excess sweating Frequent yeast infections Urinary stress incontinence Menstrual irregularity Hormonal abnormalities Polycystic ovaries Infertility Carcinoma (breast, colon, uterine cancer) sleep apnea Pseudotumor cerebri Depression Psychological/sexual dysfunction Social discrimination Premature death

I agree with Blondiee, that carbs are not my friend right now. (I am approaching 3 months post op). With the pouch so small, it's challenging enough to get the Protein in, let alone anything else. Other veggies have carbs without doing the damage of starchy veggies like potatoes, corn, peas, and carrots. I have not had bread, cake, Cereal, Pasta, or crackers since my first pre-op visit in September 2013. I just have to think of staches, wheat products, and rice as the Devil for a long while yet to come. I simply do not have room for them since my nutrition is compromised and depends upon the utmost diligence to eat those things that have real food value.....that is meat, veggies, eggs (the whole egg), limited fruits, and foods containing monounsaturated fats, like avocados, nuts and nut butters, olive oil, and dark chocolate. I definitely won't starve to death while optimizing my nutrition. Since putting all of that behind me and passing over to the other side of the food funerals, I do not miss that stuff. I was in Pete's supermarket with my gentleman friend this morning and was not even phased by all of the attractive and colorful cakes, pies, and junk foods clammoring for my attention. To me they are just pretty poisons wrapped up in shiny colors with bows and bells. Similarly, that is why rat poison has corn meal in it, so the rat will be attracted to it and eat it anyway. To kill roaches and creepy crawlers in the house, you can mix borax and sugar and put it anywhere kids and pets don't crawI. Why add sugar? It attracts the roaches so that when they crawl through the powdered borax they drag it back to the nest where it burns all their little buggy feet off. I am so over sugar, wheat belly, starches, and junk now. No way can I eat the Food Pyramid recommend 6-11 servings of grains a day. I am not that girl anymore. Real food that you can chase and pick will have to do for me....(nothing made in a factory) and I am healthier for it. I have more energy than I have in decades and I am able to exercise and walk without so much pain. When I am with my nutritionist, I just nod my head in polite agreement and then go home and eat what is right for me. On a side note about borax and sugar. I needed something after a flood years ago carried some nasty neighbors roaches swimming all through the neighborhood. I found the remedy on-line from a hospital in New York City that was seeing an abundance of patients with insect allergies. Borax and sugar is what they recommended for insect control at home. I was able to find Borax very cheap at the dollar store in the cleaning supplies section. Wear gloves and a mask when working with the stuff so that you do not get itchy. Don't let it get on your dishes, pots, or silverware.

I do not get it why our surgeons vary so drastically with the pre and post op diets. I was allowed full liquids on day three. A week later to soft foods. By week 3, I was testing the waters on regular food. Even had some Wendy's chili on my way home from my appointment that day. It's crazy. I spent a lot of money ahead of time ordering whey Protein Soups and Snacks, and hardly used them. My Sweetie made sleeve friendly soups and meals and put them through the processor for me. I know that the clear phase is boring and unpalatable. Even if you don't get your protein in, get your fluids. You don't want to end up in the E.R with I.V s for dehydration.....Take care. I wish you good luck and good health.

Have any of you heard of exercise bulimia?????? I had not until a few minutes ago when I ran across it on a fitness forum. Apparently, if you are so concerned about calories that you have to exercise yourself sick and sore until you burn up every calorie you just ate, that is exercise bulimia. When I read about it, my first thought was that I am going to have to watch out for that. I think horrible thoughts about my own weakenesses, especially if I am in a stall and the pounds are not coming off in spite of my best efforts. Then, I feel like I have to drop the housework or my genealogy project or disrupt my sleep or avoid the next meal so that I can go exercise some more. See how easy it would be for us to fall into this trap because we are so eager and hopeful to make tangible and visible progress with our weight loss? Well, it was a rude and blaring alarm for me, as I am up to three exercise sessions a day and feeling guilty that it is not enough, and that 800 calories (my minmum limit from my bariatric team) are too many. So, I am good with it now, and can chill out about it, but Geeze Louis, you learn something every day. I had no idea. Here is the webpage with the information: http://www.your-bulimia-recovery.com/exercise-bulimia.html

As with everything, we have to find a balance, so I am flopping around trying to find mine!

Oh, what good news RJ! I am so happy for you. I was born with curly red hair, and I am hoping it will come back curly - although at 62, it will probably come in some shade of gray or white. That's Ok. I am coming up on three months post-op, so I am aware that it could start falling any time. Thanks for the encouragement. It is the feature I like most about this forum - that someone has already gone through some fearsome thing someone else has coming up, and can hold their hand through it. Happy Happy Joy Joy for you.

Dude, you progress is amazing, but your before picture cracked me up with that third hand looking like it's coming out of your neck! Great jo b and great photography, too.

St. Patrick's Challenge.........185 today, up a few ounces on a bouncy plateau.....arrrrrrrrgh! If you REALLY want to be depressed, weigh yourself in grams.

I noticed it physically before I noticed it visually and emotionally. My primary physician noticed it at 30 pounds, but I did not really see it until just a couple of weeks ago when I hit 50 pounds down. About three weeks ago, I had to see a specialist whom I had not seen for five months. I had been there for treatment every three months for the last three years but had to delay this visit because of my sleeve surgery so that I could lay on my belly for an injection in my back. No one in the office recognized me (including my doctor). They had to double check the paperwork and my I.D. to make sure they were treating the right patient.

If he crosses that line and physically cheats on you, then he is bring someone else's germs home to you and risking your health, which is not cool and is the ultimate disrespect in the marriage. My religious upbringing was very restrictive and put me in a position to "pray and stay" ten years too long with a prolific cheater. No woman deserves to be treated like yesterday's trash. I have taken flak for this position before, but I am going to say it again for the newbies here on the forum. Instead of thinking "I love him. Why does he treat me this way?" Start thinking, "Why would I love someone who treats me this way?" My girls were 15 and 17 when their father and I finally divorced, and I was already employed. I do not know how we would have proceeeded with more or smaller children, since my family was hundreds of miles away. You do not deserve this crap. I think you and your husband need to have a very direct and honest communication about where you stand in his world of priorities. Miss Text Witch needs to be deleted before he loses all that should be precious to him. He need to come directly home after work and be present and involved with his family. Good luck Sweetie. If you get tired of being strong, come here to the forum. I am sure that in all the myriad of opinions you will get, someone's experience and advice will be that gem that you need to get through this one way or the other. Carry on, soldier.

My insurance, BC/BS FEderal Employee will cover Panniculectomy two years after weight loss surgery, if chafing, infection, back ache have been consistently documented during that time.

I get a Tupperware burp.

22 of those pounds were lost in the 4 month pre-op phase, so 28 pounds in 10 weeks is a lot better than if I had not had the surgery. That comes out to 2.8 pounds per week. I guess it all comes out in the wash, but we do get impatient for a little something to fall off every day. Arrrrrrrgh, I was instructed to weigh every day so as to not fall into complancy.

I hear you. I am in yet another stall in spite of doing everything right and following my program to a T. With my limit set at 800 calories a day, I really can't eat any less, so I will double up on the exercise. Dang, this is a lot of work. Nothing "easy" about it, Sometimes I beat myself up thinking maybe I COULD have lost the weight if I could just find that magic bullet. But Ihave been on a diet since 1976, so I just had to give up and give in to the surgery. I know it will fall off, but the stalls sure are exasperating. Rock on!

I have gotten relief from Milk of Magnesia, plus I take a magnesium tablet and a Dulcolax morning and night. I also keep prune juice on hand. Sounds like a lot, but I eat eat so much Protein plus the whey protein of one shake a day. There is not much room left in MIss Tummy for veggies and Beans, and fruit is limited because of the sugar. Plus you could put Benefiber in your beverages. Good luck, I hope everything comes out O K (pun intended).

Oh, I wanted to add this. Sometimes the whey Protein powders clump up, so I started using my strainer. It made a big difference not swallowing clumps of whey. There is a 140 degree limit with whey protein powder, but it clumps up in any temperature of liquid anyway.

I mixed Syntrax varieties or unjury strawberry with Crystal Lite Lemonade or sugar free cranberry/grape juice. Also, there is Unjury unflavored Protein powder that you can put in anything. The Unjury chocolate Splendor can be mixed with a sugar free cocoa packet (and I put Lite Cool Whip in mine, too). There is always the Unjury chicken Soup variety, too. So, not everything has to be thick and milky.

Bread, Pasta, and sugar is what fueled my binging and weight gain, with an incessant appetite and non-stop hunger. With my calories limited at 800, I need to be diligent in using those 800 for Protein and veggies. So, there is no interest now in turning back. No more grain products for me. I do not want to open that door.

I will hit three months soon, and just had a nutrition appointment last week. She told me to stay around 800 until I can significantly increase my activity level. I just broke through a stall when I decided to hold back on enjoying so much cheese.

Same reaction here with pureed cauliflower. Miss Tummy immediately rejected it, and within 15 minutes had purged my system like a colonic. It will be a looooong time before I try any of the cruciferous vegetables from the cabbage family.

Miss Tummy has taught me to eat slower and take a minute between bites. She talks to me, and I had better listen, because she is my food boss now. I was told by the surgeon that I should eat 1/3 cup of Protein and two tablespoons of whatever my veggie or fruit is going to be. Miss Tummy made her own adjustment and reminds me to NEVER eat that last bite! My signals that it is time to stop are: 1. A "Tupperware" burp 2. A yawn 3. A belch (very loud, surprises even me sometimes) 4. A sneeze I got away from measuring and just started to eyeball my servings, but it was too easy to put too much on my plate, so I am back to measuring. If I transgress, Miss Tummy makes me suffer for about four hours. Lesson learned.

What a great start! Don't let negative people be joy suckers.

My biggest pre-op fear was the excruciating 2 or 3 days of shoulder gas everyone was talking about. I had that problem with a previous lapascopic procedure last year with a different doctor at a different hospital. I asked my surgeon at the final pre-op meeting how he manages the build up of CO2, and he said he would extract as much as possible when they close everything up. Guess what???? No post-op shoulder gas at all. I had worried for nothing. My post-op fear is the inevitable hair loss. As a pre-emptive strike, I am striving to keep up with my Protein and am also supplementing with Biotin. I bought some lightweight turban hats for if it gets too bad, but it is what it is. At least it grows back. If it makes me cry, I will just go wig shopping. The surgery was worth it. I feel better and my range of motion is improving. So, I will take a deep breath and keep chugginh along.

That goodness they found that blockage. Good luck with your sleeve surgery. The wait will be worth it.

You can just tell her how much better you can get around and how great you feel. Tell her that the weight loss is impacting your quality of life in a positive way and you don't regret the surgery at all. Your loss is within what is expected from this surgery. Some folks lose a little faster than others, and as your weight goes down, it will probably slow down, requiring more of that walking. Keep up the good work and don't let her suck the joy out of you. She may not understand the process and will have to learn by your example.