VSGAnn2014

Dub, I don't have any magic solution. But I will share what I've said before -- my knee pain didn't go away completely until I lost the last 15 pounds. And yes, inflammation and friction are at the heart of this problem. Things swell up inside the knee, creating more friction / irritation / pain. So don't forget ice packs. What about also adding some topical pain medications to the mix? There are multiple kinds that do different things. Finally -- are you a fan of chiropractic or massage? Those practices have been a Godsend to me at times for various problems. As we know, problems can show up in Part X of the body that are really being caused by something going on at Part Y of the body. That's all I got.

@@TracyBar -- that's what I'd call an ideal "Honey, I had an idea ...." conversation. Congratulations. Sounds like your husband will be the ideal supportive spouse as you travel the WLS path. Happy days ahead.

I definitely meal-plan, shop and cook more than I did pre-op. (I've lost all my excess weight and maintained my weight loss for over 15 months.) Breakfast is high Protein / high Fiber. lunch is something easy, e.g., dinner leftovers, a high-protein/high-veggie salad or sandwich, etc. Planned Snacks (not grazing!) are fruit, cheese. We do a sit-down dinner every night -- either home-cooked or healthy takeout. We eat in restaurants 4-5 times a month. I'm such a fan of My Fitness Pal. Using it for the last 2+ years, I've learned so much about the basic nutrients of specific foods. I now eat more fibrous veggies and fruits; yesterday I had carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, spaghetti squash, and blueberries. Yesterday's protein came from a Protein Drink, Greek yogurt, skim milk, cheese, roast beef, chicken. Whole grains were high-protein/high-fiber bread (2 slices), all-bran Cereal. I have treats daily. Yesterday's were 1 salted caramel biscotti, 1.5 ounces of scotch, and 1.4 ounces of dark chocolate. It's all so delicious and satisfying. I couldn't be happier about how I'm eating.

Jump.

Trust me, you're not the only late bloomer in the world. For now, just think of all this as "practice." You gotta practice to get good at anything. Have fun. But be appropriately skeptical.

Oh, @@gowalking ! So much fun to hear about. And whether it works out for the loooong term or not, you deserve all the fun along the way.

Don't listen to ANYONE about getting "too skinny." They're merely expressing their discomfort with watching you change. Their discomfort doesn't concern you at all. If you put any stock in the BMI charts, at 5'2" and 145 pounds, your BMI is still in the "overweight" category. Trust me -- really, trust me! -- you can gain some weight back. And within a year or two of reaching goal you will probably be struggling with a little regain anyway. Which would you prefer -- to struggle with regain from 145 pounds or 125 pounds? P.S. After reaching your goal, you will eventually find that what looked even to your eyes as "skinny" will begin to look normal, because it is normal. When you've been obese / overweight for a long time, it takes a while for your eyes / brain to become accustomed to what "skinny" looks like -- and doesn't look like. Good luck!

It doesn't matter one whit what she says. Or writes. Or acts. What matters is whether the life she is leading would work for you or for me.

Oh yeah, and while you're doing all that, @@Alex Brecher , would you please make sure Social Security's financial viability extends through the year 3,000? And please reverse global warming? And ask Joe Mangianello to give me a call tonight, please?

Thank you for your post. I hope you will continue to let us know what's happening and how you're dealing with this new affliction. Like obesity, alcoholism is something many people have overcome. "Recovering" from our specific afflictions is something we have to do every day. It isn't fair. But it's what it is. The good news is that we are allowed to choose how we respond. Sending you my very, very best wishes. Ann

I had my first gallbladder attack 10 days after my sleeve surgery. My bariatric surgeon removed it (full of gallstones) 18 days later. When I asked him if he had ever removed gall bladders during VSG surgeries, he said that he used to do that, but insurance companies no longer authorize gall bladder removal for a GB that has never acted up before.

Boy, you said a mouthful!

I had to google "sugar free rockstar." Everything else I understood. LOL!

I'm with @@cindyw41 ... the Quest chips are pretty bad, IMO.

These days I'm usually the slimmest or one of the slimmest persons in groups of women. I'm starting to get comments about being "so slim." This happens not only with people I knew when I was heavy, but also with those who've only known me as a slim person. To be honest, a few times their comments have led me to wonder if I've lost too much weight. Usually, these comments aren't made by women who are obese, but are overweight. In most instances, I don't think it's jealousy, but people who make socially inappropriate comments. I guess it's going to take longer than two years for me to get accustomed to being the skinny one.

I'm almost two years post-op. These days I can eat (comfortably) a cup of food at a time. I eat three meals a day and a couple of planned Snacks daily. I've lost 100 pounds and have been maintaining at 135 pounds for the last 6 months (and at or below my original goal -- 150 pounds -- for 14 months). I typically eat 1700 - 1800 calories/day to maintain my weight. I'm 70 years old. At six months I could eat 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of food. It's slowly increased since then. Very early on (a month or two post-op) the restriction is much greater because your newly built and badly traumatized sleeve is swollen and inflamed after surgery. The reason why your eating program is so restrictive for the first 2-3 months is because your stomach edges (where it's stapled together) haven't knitted together / healed yet. If you do have WLS, you will REALLY want to follow ALL your surgeon's eating phases so you don't spring a leak. Here's the deal -- after losing your weight you can regain a lot of weight by "grazing" (nibbling) foods that won't challenge your sleeve. The foods that will flow right through you, leaving your sleeve empty and awaiting more food, are things like chips, crackers, Cookies, ice cream, starchy foods, sugary foods, and, of course, sweet and alcoholic drinks. Dense Protein and fibrous vegetables stay in your stomach longer than anything else. (You'll learn all about "the rules" if you go forward with WLS.) Oh -- and sleeves seldom cause "dumping", although it does happen for a few folks. Sleeves usually let you eat all the sugary foods you can slurp up. Whatever you do / decide, good luck!

Thank you, @@LipstickLady . I understand how you feel. Hubby is a retired police officer. One of his favorite assignments was as a member of his department's first "salt and pepper" team -- a white officer and a black officer who together patrolled a tough neighborhood foot beat. They set the pattern for his department's long-time community policing program. Nearly 50 years later, they are still best friends. Good policing has been going on a long time. Bad policing has been going on a long time. Yes, @@JustWatchMe ... love MUST conquer hate. I believe it will.

@@OKCPirate ... you and I usually agree on most topics. I also fly a lot. I don't find the TSA experience enjoyable. Not the lines, the technology, the process or the pat-downs when they happen -- and yes, pre-checked passengers are sometimes patted down. And when I win the lottery I'll never fly commercial again. But I don't believe that 99.XX% of TSA employees come to work hoping to feel people up, whether they're "hot" or not. I think they're trying to do a job that's stressful and not easy. I also think that telling someone who's riding a subway to work wearing a TSA uniform (whom you don't know from Adam and have zero knowledge about his on-the-job behavior) is rude and juvenile. I also think that insulting strangers in public places who have neither harmed nor threatened you is not smart. Just wanted to add that perspective to the mix.

Old school.

Geez! I'm so sorry to hear of your troubles. But you sounds SOOO knowledgeable and strong and smart about everything that's happened to you. I can't support you with any knowledge or personal experience with your situation. But I can certainly support you virtually with kind thoughts and hopes that you will continue to heal well. Basically, it sounds like you now just have a gastric bypass, which hundreds of thousands of people have and have gone on to lead quite normal lives. I'd certainly hope that is in your very near future! Welcome to the forum. Again, you have sure been through the wringer! Glad you're through the worst of it.

After explaining what you DON'T want advice on, would you please clarify what kind of advice you DO want? (Not understanding what you're looking for.)

Can anyone think of a better example of "grazing" than eating while watching a movie in a dark theater? I can't.

I'm not a frequent marijuana smoker, but I think reading this thread is lowering my IQ.

So this is the new vets forum, right? Same as the old vets forum, but now a forum for WLS patients who are at least (12 months? 18 months? different time?) post-op? And everyone can read / see the posts here, right?

Happy First Surgiversary, Chris. It's a marvelous milestone -- especially for someone who's created the level of success you have. I hope your second year is just as exciting and rewarding.