terry1118

Hell, NO! I feel good, I'm healthy, I can do things I couldn't do before, I look good in clothes and my confidence and self esteem are very high. My butt is gone, my boobs are deflated, and I have batwings on my arms but I don't care. I used to be in pain and unable to do anything, on meds, had big back-boobs, rolls and saddlebags. I was drowning in self-pity and self-loathing. I prefer the saggy-baggy healthier, happier me.

No, you should be fine. They'll either give you a prescription dosage or tell you how much you need to take. I tend to be deficient, too. Twice I tested totally depleted and needed prescription mega doses. I take it daily now to avoid problems. The best way to get your D is by sun exposure but I get sun-poisoning from sun exposure. Being a fair-skinned person of English and Norwegian descent, I also sunburn VERY easily. And there is a history of skin cancer in my family because we are all so light-skinned.

The complication rate it 1-3% nationally, I believe. The more experience a surgeon has the less chance of complications. My team's rate is less than 1%. Regardless of that, you could potentially be part of the 1%. The old saying goes "Hope for the best but prepare for the worst". I made a will (my husband didn't know this till after because he was already worried and I didn't want to totally freak him out) and I went out on FMLA just in case. I was encouraged by the responses of people I could find who had complications. All of the ones I could find said that even though they had a difficult time they would still do it again. :-)

Absolutely gorgeous! :-)

Their are a lot of hormones stored in our fat. During the first 3-6 months when fat-burning is at it's fastest these are released into our bodies wreaking havoc on us physically and emotionally. This, combined with your existing condition, is likely most of the reason you are feeling these negative emotions and thoughts. Perhaps part of it is how you felt about yourself before your surgery? Just continue working with your therapist and regardless of how you're feeling or what you're thinking continue to keep from communicating your negative thoughts and feelings out loud. Is your therapist aware of the hormonal aspect of your WLS?

My longest stall was two months. It was also my ONLY stall. :-)

And I am a mother of twins also. Mine are 28. :-)

What are your specific fears? I can tell you my personal experience was 100% positive. The surgery itself was my biggest worry. I was afraid of the pain and was expecting the worst considering the amount of internal rearranging they do. Recovery for me was surprisingly quick and the pain wasn't as bad as I feared. My rotator cuff surgery and gallbladder removal were both way worse as far as the pain went. With my RNY I was off daytime pain meds in four days, stopped night time dosage in six days, and didn't even need Tylenol after that. I was cutting my grass in eight days and the second week off from work felt more like vacation time than recovery time. My doctor set no goals for me. He asked me what I hoped to gain from the surgery and I told him I wanted to be healthy, live longer, and live my life instead of watching it go by. He said that was reasonable and felt I could certainly attain that. I figured if I could reach a size 12 or 14 I'd be happy enough there. In my wildest dreams I never thought I'd be where I am now! My surgery was 5/30/13. I started w/a BMI of 47 and had severe back, knee, and foot pain, was on cholesterol meds, and was pre-diabetic. I'm only 5' tall and I was in a 2X top and 22W bottoms. I was unable to do anything with my physically fit husband. I was 53 and felt 70. If something didn't change soon I would die young, or live a very poor quality of life until I died (to me that would be worse than dying young). I've lost 120 pounds and I now wear a size S top and 6P bottoms. My back, knee, and foot pain is completely gone. My cholesterol is normal so I'm off those meds. I feel great, have TONS of energy, and am no longer a couch potato. It's the best thing I have ever done and my only regret is that I didn't do it sooner...

I chose Wareham Surgical Associates because they are a center for excellence with over ten years experience. They made all my appointments in a timely manner and did their best to fit them in my work schedule. They coordinated everything - I basically just had to show up where and when they told me. The education and support I received was exceptional. I never felt confused, frustrated, or neglected. I was leery of Toby Hospital at first (it's so small) but my experience there was pleasant - I was surprised and pleased with the attentive care I received while there. I would happily recommend it to anyone. :-) I have a friend who went through Roger Williams Medical Center for her surgery. She had to call and schedule all her own appointments, and she had little to no education or support. Her pre op journey took longer and was frustrating because she had to organize it all.

I vaguely remember that someone in my support group said if you add lemon to the water it helps? It was a long time ago...

Awesome!!!!! Maybe he'll learn to keep his mouth shut? :-)

I had to crush them or get a liquid substitute for the first 30 days. After that I could take pills no larger than a Tylenol. At first, when I tried to take my regular meds whole, sometimes they got stuck which was painful and very unpleasant! My calcium and multi need to be chewable but my D and biotin are small enough not to cause problems.

What town?

I don't think so. But you can't mix protein into hot foods - it'll clump and sort of foam unpleasantly. Mixing protein works better with warm foods rather than hot ones.

Hang in there! I found that everything tasted bad for a month of two following my surgery. Nothing tasted right and even food smells made me nauseous. Gradually your taste will improve some, though I am still a picky eater. Try hard to get your vitamins and calcium in, especially since eating enough while you're healing is so difficult. Things will get better...

For those of you who have 'to not sweat so much' on their lists: I lost 120 pounds since last year. This is the first summer I've ever looked forward to and I've been so COLD! I've lost all my insulation! Lol

I bought appetizer forks, spoons, bowls and plates. I had my RNY over a year ago and still use them. Practicing helps but after surgery you might be very surprised at how little you feel like eating. Also, for me, food tasted bad the first month or two following surgery. I became a picky eater and still am. If you do eat to fast, too much, too dry, or don't chew well your body will punish you for it. It is a miserable feeling to have food get stuck, have the 'foamies', or throw it all back up. Once that happens it's a very good motivator to be more careful. Anything you do now to prepare yourself both physically and mentally will help you to be successful after. :-)

Not MA but so close to the border that my town isn't even physically attached to my own state! I'm in Tiverton RI, 1/2 mile from the MA border. :-) I had my surgery at Toby Hospital in Wareham.

Common sense. I did all my own research by reading everything I could find on the internet, watching videos, talking to the few I knew who had WLS (one lap band, 2 RNY's), talking to my endocrinologist and my PCP, then attending the informational seminar. I made my decision to do RNY based on my particular needs. This site was invaluable for those little tips from people a few months ahead of me in my progress that were not covered in my own research or program education workshops. Just talking to a peer group who understood everything I was experiencing was comforting, too. I like sharing personal experiences, getting encouragement and sometimes sympathy (and giving it). And where else can you find someone who understands the joy you felt when you could finally paint your own toes? :-)

Mine was 3mos, 6mos, 12mos. They checked for everything, including Vitamin deficiencies and cholesterol. I go again at 18 months just because I tend to be D-deficient. I usually have some overlapping testing done because of other routine Dr visits. Today I'm going for more blood work for my endocrinologist (thyroid function and cholesterol). I have a yearly physical w/my PCP in October and am hoping he won't want more labs done, since he receives copies of all my test results. :-)

About thirty days but only because the educational workshops required for my program were full. They wouldn't schedule me till I completed them. The whole process went like this: It was 3 1/2 months from Information Seminar to surgery. It took me approx two months to complete all the required visits for a medical clearance - 2 w/surgeon, 2w/psychiatrist, 1 pulmonary, 2 w/cardiologist, labs, and EKG. BCBSRI approval only took 5-6 days once submitted. Then it took three weeks to complete 3 educational workshops and a 4 hr nurse education class. A week after that I had my surgery. :-)

Search the recipe section for 'Ricotta Bake'. That's the recipe you're looking for. Variations of it can also be found on the internet. It's delicious and can be adapted to each stage. I'm 14 months out and still eat it but I top it with a meat sauce made w/ground chicken or chicken sausage. Very tasty! :-)

My team recommends two weeks for non-physical jobs and four weeks for physical jobs. I work in a bank so I took two weeks but could've gone back after one. The second week felt more like a vacation than a recovery. :-)

My RNY was May 2013 and my gallbladder removal was December 2013. I had a two day hospital stay for the RNY but was off pain meds 4-5 days later (I had a VERY easy recovery). I felt great after only a week and ended up pouring most of it down the drain. My gallbladder removal was outpatient but I found it surprisingly more painful - I used every bit of my pain meds and thought I might need to ask for more. I didn't feel good for about two weeks. With the RNY I had a pain pump while in the hospital, which I'm sure must administer a more potent drug than the liquid they sent me home with. Everyone's experience is different, though. I'm sure your doctor will manage your pain as necessary. You'll be fine!

I chose my surgeon's group because of it's experience, national rating, and results. My PCP and endocrinologist both recommended him. Since I chose him, I also chose to follow his program as closely as possible, regardless of what other people say or do. The education I have received has been extensive. They clearly explain what I need to do, why I need to do it, and what can happen if I don't. In addition to classroom education, I have a thick binder w/highly detailed information on every aspect of WLS including possible problems, staying healthy, and food lists. They have provided all the information I need for short term and long term success. A lot of my team's program are generally accepted practices proven to be successful with RNY surgeries over the years. Some of their program includes things they've learned through personal long term experience over the years. Each doctor may have slightly different experiences that may account for different instructions. For example: My team says no alcohol for the first year. They say this for two reasons. One is transfer addiction - a common problem for WLS patients who have a food addiction. While learning to deal with the removal of one addiction, many quickly substitute another one. The other is liver failure - less common but potentially deadly. Your liver is working very hard to process toxins that are being released quickly from stored fat as you experience fast weight loss. Drinking alcohol during the early months of fast fat-burning can overload your liver and cause liver failure. They had a patient die from this not long ago so that is why they stress abstaining from drinking alcohol. I'm just using this as an example of how my team's personal experience has affected their instructions. I'm not telling you to do as I do. Your own doctor probably has his own rules based on his/her own personal experience that may differ from mine. If you trust your doctor, follow his instructions.