1Day1Life4Now

I'm 8 weeks out and Im going through my second or third stall. I know its normal but it sure does make me nervous. I was hoping for a steady drop in weight but its definitely start and stop and slow go.

I'm eating all real foods now but still drinking my protein shakes in order to get in my protein. Plus they add fluid and I like the way they taste. I am eating a lot of fish and chicken and I'm ready for something very different. I just don't know what My reflux is pretty bad and even though I am taking protonix, I'm still in pain. Do any of you have that problem? It really limits putting any spices in my food. :-( And we know how us Mississippi girls like spice in our food.

I don't know what kind of cancer you have or had...but either way, go talk to a Bariatric Surgeon and they can advise you on what will and what won't count as a comorbidity and if you will be a good candidate for WLS. We're here to offer all the support you need but most of us are not doctors and can't really offer medical judgments. I feel like you will be offered uplifting advice from a surgeon but you need to go talk to them. Wishing you luck.

LOL, I'm storing some of these comebacks for future reference. Y'all are too good.

ItsAllNew: You are a wonderful daughter to care for your mom as you are. I know she appreciates and loves you more than you could ever imagine. I lost my mom very suddenly and never got to say goodbye, at least you will have that. My mother-in-law was in Hospice and that is where she surrendered her life. She knew she was loved and cared about until the very end and we were able to say our goodbyes to her. Neither scenario is easy... they are both equally painful but I prefer the latter if I had a choice. I understand your dedication to your mom and your lack of appetite but you have to take care of yourself. Others, friends, neighbors, relatives and church folks want to do things to help you but probably don't know how, be honest and let them know it would be good for them to bring you food each day. You know how important it is to take care of yourself so please make an effort so you will be able to be strong for your mom and able to be with her till the end. God bless you and keep you. Sending hugs.

Wow, what's the idea?

it took me about 5 or 6 weeks to drink normally. That sipping was for the birds, I couldn't get all my water in with such little sips. Also, drinking plain water was difficult for me. I had to add SF kool aid or crystal lite or some other flavoring. I could drink vitamin water flavored with stuff too. Plain water has a metallic taste now since surgery. I know, it must be in my head but regardless...I can't drink it plain.

Maybe you're just seeing if for the first time since childhood.

Very impressive. Congratulations.

@Misfitn2014, I'll be thinking about you on Wednesday. Good luck.

I used to have extremely thick wavy hair and people use to comment on it all of the time. It was my favorite thing about me. Then I was taking some medications for depression and it caused my hair to start falling out in huge clumps. When I washed my hair handfuls would come out in my hands. Talk about stressful.... I was in a panic. I stopped taking the depression meds and my hair quit falling out but it I never regained the volume or thickness I once had. Now I have what an average person might have at my age (I'm in my 50s). I'm 2 months post op and have not had any post surgery hair loss yet. I don't want to lose any but I know it is inevitable. I too am taking biotin and zinc so maybe it will be a minimum loss. I hope it will grow back this time and I agree with the other poster... I prefer to have the weight loss.

The pre-op diet is much more difficult than post-op because you're still able to eat and everything smells so darn good. Post op is a bit easier. My hubby was not thrilled about me having surgery but he said if that's what I wanted he would support me but not to expect him to change his "bad habits". I agreed so I had to put up with him eating things in front of me. I just kept telling myself... I don't want that...I want a better life and a better weight. Luckily, he ate pizza a lot and I'm not a fan so I wasn't too tempted. He came in one night with fried chicken and macaroni and cheese and though I wanted to kill him, I kept my mouth shut and drank my shake and ate some jello. Its not easy but in the over all scheme of thing, 2 weeks is nothing and if we can't commit to that... the surgery might not be right for us, because afterall, the surgery is not a cure-all or a fix. We will be changing how and what we eat for the rest of our lives....or we will gain back the weight. We're the ones on a diet, not our families. We have to learn to deal with the food choices around us because they will ALWAYS BE THERE. The sooner we face that demon, the sooner we will learn to resist.

Hi Mickey and welcome to the site. We all understand all those feelings and emotions you are going through right now. We did the same thing. I can't speak for all the surgical groups but mine and those of my friends were all wonderful. These surgical groups specialize in the WLS and they understand what the patients are going through so they make the experience as stress free and as calming as they can make it. They can give you something that morning to calm your nerves if you need it but to tell you the truth, the process moves along so quickly there isn't too much time to let the nerves get to you. The pre-op stuff is pretty smooth and once they put in that IV, your start to relax and you're asleep before you know it. It really relaxed me. I was out before I even made it to the operating room. The nursing staff will take excellent care of you and you will be fine. I won't lie, the first 2 weeks post surgery are the pits but its only 2 weeks and we can all deal with that. I'm less than 2 months post surgery but I'm doing great, losing weight, feeling good, exercising, and loving life. You will do great and then think back and wonder why you stressed so much over this. I wish you happiness, healthiness and lots of weight loss. You are a welcome addition to our community where we don't judge, we just offer support and love. I'll be thinking about you on Friday.

baking soda in water. The old fashioned solution.

I love your positive attitude. You will do great and as you said... you won't need those big sizes any more. Please donate the plus size clothes to a worth organization or individual.

I had my surgery on a Monday and took the rest of the week off. I went back to work full time the next Monday with no problems. I brought my lunch to work with me and my water and protein drinks and did just fine. My job is mostly sedentary but I still have to walk around a 3 story office building. No problem. Just take all of the things you might need in a day. If you get tired or feel sick... go home but I was ready to get back to work after a week. I thrived on the structure and it was easier to drink my fluids. You will do fine.

You are looking good. Keep up the good work.

oh my. Chad honey, you have been given some awesome advice from the posters above. I share the same sentiments as they so I won't repeat. You deserve a healthier and happier life and with the support of your friends and family you will be successful. If your boyfriend can't get on board with your decision, he isn't the right one for you. Don't settle on a partner and don't settle on an unhealthy life style....because you don't have to!! Surgery is available for you at 100% cost free, why would you let anybody deny that to you? PdxMan has the perfect script for you to use. I wish you luck. Hugs!!

There can possibly be complications with any surgery but with WLS the complications are rare. The complications from obesity are about 100% and what doesn't kill you will cause great limitations to your quality of life. As my dad always said... "Pick your poison".

It is so difficult at first to swallow most anything but it will get easier. I tried the Isopure and hated it. I tried a couple of flavors and it was so bad I just could not drink it. I prefer the Premier Protein drinks. The first couple of weeks the most important thing is getting in the fluids. Don't be overly concerned about the protein, it will be easier to swallow protein once the swelling goes down in your new tummy. Try the Unjury... you can order the sample case that has a little bit of everything in it and its high in protein and its quite tasty.

It won't cost anything to see a surgeon and talk about surgery and your options. Good luck to you.

For personal reasons I chose not to share my WLS with anybody I work with. I've made no secret that I've been on a strict low calorie diet and I go to the office gym twice a day to walk on the treadmill and ride the stationary bike for 25 to 30 minutes each time. On Monday, one of the secretaries mentioned to me during our morning workout that a bunch of people on the 2nd floor of the office (I work on the 3rd floor) had been talking about me. I asked why and she said they were all abuzz talking about my significant weight loss and how good I looked. I was excited that they had noticed but I really hate being the topic of other people's conversations. Then I went to a meeting, and one of the men in the office said "Wow, you've lost a lot of weight, are you sick?" WTH??? What kind of question is that and why would a person ask that??? It completely negated the positive statements from earlier. I have really mixed feelings. I am excited to be losing weight, feeling better and looking better. I suppose its good to be noticed by others but I am uncomfortable being the topic of office gossip, especially since the jerk asked that stupid question. I suppose I have to take it all if I'm going to continue on this journey as I'm not going to stop losing weight and I can't help but be noticed in my office. I wasn't ready for this part.

You aren't meeting expectations....it takes a while so just keep at it. I'm 7 weeks out and I'm still not meeting my water intake levels. It's a process we all have to work at so don't stress too much. It will come.

Wow, that's a lot for one post. Like Seela said, every insurance and surgeon is different so timing is up to them. Be upfront with your surgeon and the coordinator and let them know your time constraints. They will most likely be accommodating where they can. It will help if you do everything you are supposed to in order to make the process go quickly. I let my surgeon know that I wanted/needed surgery by a certain date due to an out of the country trip I had planned. I was scheduled 2 weeks after my last class. I made sure I had all of my prerequisite medical tests completed and sent to the surgical office so everything was on "ready". As for the 1200 calorie diet.. that pertains to people who haven't had WLS. With WLS you will only be able to eat a small amount at the beginning. Around 500 to 800 calories max. You will be drinking protein shakes and taking a lot of supplements to ensure you are getting your vitamins. You will need to follow your doctor's diet plan. I've had no fatigue and actually have more energy with the weight loss and I'm only 7 weeks post op. Everyone has fears regarding the surgery and eating plan so don't stress too much about that. You will attend a class that will teach you how to eat and which foods to eat and which not to eat. You won't be thrown out there to flounder on your own. And of course there is this forum you can always come to for support. Trust me, you will be hungry for food and tired of liquids and you will want to eat. For now, focus on getting to the surgery. After the surgery focus on the healing and the eating. Take it all in order. If your surgeon has openings, I feel sure you can get scheduled for surgery in July or August. Good luck

during surgery you were pumped up with air and given lots of fluids, of course you are going to be swollen. it takes anywhere from 7 to 10 days for that to go down. For some people it may take a full 2 weeks to notice any relief. Keep walking/ moving to release the gas and to help with the swelling. Drink lots of water as well. The first two weeks are uncomfortable and difficult but it starts getting better by the third week. Surgery is wonderful but it's a process and you have through each stage ...patience will be your best friend. Happy healing.