Cecilia

Geez! Please let us know what they say! I will be thinking of you!!!

Forgive me for being so nosy, but I'm trying to understand... has anything changed recently other than you asking him for a long-term commitment? Did that cause him to back off, or is he happy to just go along being your best friend with benefits but without commitment? The reason I ask is because at this stage of my life that's pretty much exactly what I'm looking for. Maybe I have trust issues of my own, but I would be happy to just have a lover who is my best friend and who doesn't want to move in with me or force me to commit for a lifetime... I guess I'm wondering if he might come around if you just continue as you are, or if you feel like you need to have a commitment or to move on to someone who will? Am I being too nosy?

... Wait... when you say "slumber party" is that an euphemism for sex or just for a platonic sleep-over?

It may be happening. I toweled off this morning and a little wad of hair collected in the towel. I've been through hair loss before after each of my three kids, so I know what to expect. Nevertheless, I went online and found a couple informative articles I thought I'd share: From the American Hair Loss Association (seemed like a reliable source) And from Drugs.com. This one is shorter and easier to read for those who prefer the TL:DR version.

Wow! Sixty more pounds in the next month? I'm speechless!

When you say, "I want more, I want a relationship," how is that different from what you have now? Do you mean long-term commitment? Cohabitation? Exclusivity? What would be different, specifically?

I read "man drama" and wondered what's up with your love life, LOL! ...since my love life is nonexistent!

Hang in there! The cravings all but disappeared for me by the end of the second week. Suddenly I need to remind myself to eat, and feel like I could survive on Water alone... It does get easier! p.s. See you on Fabulous February Post-op!

Good Monday evening, all! We're digging out of a snowstorm here in Minnesota (well, not me, my kids are -- hooray for slave labor! JK ) To bring you all up to date, I lost a remarkable 15 pounds in my first week postop, then stalled for a whole week. It is very frustrating at this stage of the game to not see the scales move. But then, hurrah! I've been losing about a pound a day since. I've decided not to weigh myself daily, but to wait until Fridays, that way if there is some fluctuation due to water retention or whatever, I don't get discouraged. I'm noticing changes already. The skin on my upper arms (soon to be known as "batwings") is drooping more, and my belly is noticeably smaller (well, to me anyway). My skin is unbelievably dry (I moisturize daily and have cut back on showering to twice a week, washing my hair in the sink as needed), and I am beginning to see bone structure on my face and neck. It's exciting, and a little scary. I know it's just a matter of a month or so until I start seeing hair in the bathroom drain. How are the rest of you doing? Are people beginning to notice? What changes have *you* noticed?

You are a braver woman than I am!! Congratulations on the amount of energy you have!!! I was told that *any* liquid counts as liquid. So if I have 12 ounces of milk, I add that to my liquid intake. If I sip on a cup of broth, that counts too. I try to get 64 ounces daily, but it's a chore!

I went through a pretty rough spot the first week to 10 days postop, but it did pass. I think it's part the "baby blues" experience of waiting for something for so long, then it happens, then... your life changes forever and you can't take it back. For me, I swear it was just the fact that I was on a Clear liquids diet the week after I came home, then trying to figure out what I could eat and how to eat it, etc. To make matters worse, I lost a ton the first week, then completely stalled out the second week. But now that I'm eating more normally, visiting with friends, going out for the occasional decaf skinny latte (counts as 12 ouces of milk!) I'm feeling more like a regular person. Hang in there! Tis too shall pass!

Congratulations!!! I lost 15 pounds the first week, and it's been a pound every 2-3 days since. And that's considering I've added walking daily in this last week. Like I said earlier, I'm a slow loser! On the bright side, I have 4 pair of jeans in my closet, and all but the tightest pair is looking baggy on me. When that last pair gets baggy, I get to break into my smaller clothes sizes (yes, I have a stash of multi-sized clothes from all the weight loss/gain cycles)

I think I may be one of the exceptions... I was off narcotics by day 4 and off Tylenol the next day. However, before you feel jealous, I think I'm one of the slow losers... this happened to me too when I did Atkins many years ago and lost 80 lbs. They came off soooo slooooow! Geez. My body doesn't like to part with its fat! I'm so jealous! Scrambled eggs sit very poorly with me. I did find out I can eat an egg if it's in egg drop soup, which is fun to make. So that's how I get my eggs... Still I miss scrambled eggs! My back felt awful for almost a whole week. I don't know if it had to do with the positioning during surgery or if it was gas escaping, but geez! I was glad to be done with that! Also, I did feel a stitch-like pain for the first week or two, but that has mostly gone away too. I hope it goes the same for you!

Good morning everyone! I'm so excited! The scales moved!!!!! (well, so to speak, as in the age of digital scales the only thing that changes is the LCD display, but I'll take it!) I guess you could say I'm in the "honeymoon period" because I don't feel hungry hardly ever, and I can cheerfully take my kids through the drive-through at McDonalds and not feel the least bit tempted by the sights or smells. All my bruises are gone, and all but one of the lap incisions scabs have fallen off. I can move without pain and don't tire easily. My only problem is getting all my nutrients in. If I focus on the protein, I come up short on the water. The next day I focus on the water, and miss the protein by half. I'm so glad I'm off work for another few weeks while I learn how to do this. I think I'll have to really develop a schedule that I can "memorize" at home, so when I go back to work I can take it with me and not come home from a 12-hour shift dehydrated and weak (and I could see this happening). How are the rest of you doing? Can we have a check-in of everybody? Those doing well, and those needing support? I'd love to hear from all of you! Cheers! Cecilia

Yurielisa, do you have someone who can help you? It's shocking how soon they send you home from the hospital, I think. To hold down medical costs they send you home as soon as you're off IVs it seems. I wish they had a transition unit, something minimally staffed but just with people to help you do things like fetch your meds, or to keep you from overdoing it or whatever. Don't get me started! Wishing you quick relief from pain and onto the "I feel fantastic" stage!

Remember to ask for pain meds before your planned walk (to make it more comfortable) and then be sure to have someone walk with you (to steady you if you get woozy). The pain will pass, although I remember when I was in the middle of it I thought it would last forever! Just repeat the mantra "this too shall pass, this too shall pass, this too shall pass." Best of luck to you and to others in recovery this week!

Hey everybody! I wanted to write to tell you that I'm so excited I have gone for a solid 30 minute walk four days in a row now! But unfortunately, I also have to share that I threw up for the first time today. I've been sticking to strictly purees, but tonight I saw the shaved Turkey deli meat in the fridge, and I thought "one bite?" So I took half a slice and chewed it until it was mush but I don't think it even hit my stomach before coming back up again. Damn. That was quite unpleasant. Sorry for the icky share, but I felt like if I only bragged about the exercise, I'd be lying. LOL! Cecilia

Hang in there, post-op ladies! It gets easier, I promise!!

I agree. Somewhere around day 10 I turned the corner. I swear I could go all day without eating. Yesterday was the first day I realized I'd been lazy with my Water, so I'm having to make myself drink. I guess this is what they call the honeymoon period? Congratulations!! Welcome to the other side! You are in my thoughts! I hope everything goes well for you!

Wow!!! That's amazing! My mom said she lost 30 pounds the first month... I just hope the scale starts moving again some day. Kat, you sure have had more than your share, haven't you. My heart goes out to you and my thoughts are with you at this difficult time.

If you mean after the surgery, I think most hospitals step you down. Right out of surgery you're in the PACU (post-anesthesia care unit) until you wake up and they determine you're stable. From there you go to a regular hospital floor. I shared a room with a lady that did nothing but sigh and complain and talk to people on the phone all day!

Wow. How interesting! It's good to know I'm not alone!

You're a better woman than I am! I have walked 30 minutes each day for the past two days. Today I went to the gym and did the elliptical for 30 minutes and it WHIPPED me, LOL!

I agree! I'm currently not speaking to my scales. I jumped on this morning and could have SWORN it said 208. I got again later in the day just to confirm, and no. I'm still stuck at 216 for the past week. The betrayal! In limited quantities, if and only if I get my protein in first. The goal is roughly 90 grams protein (which would be 360 calories) then there are modest portions (one or two ounces) of vegetables mostly. Everything still has to be pureed, which is fine by me, because my pouch can't seem to pass anything larger. So glad to hear you're back home again!! Take good care of yourself!