MeAndTinyTina

@@jweinberg226 Hi -- How are you feeling?

Hi -- How much do you have to loose and how old are you? I was sleeved at 56. For me, the surgery was a breeze. I have no issues with Vitamin levels, etc. Never once vomited or had any kind of dumping issue -- even if I had a bit of a sugary treat. Maybe that would be true if I had bypass, but from what I've heard, it's somewhat more intense - both the surgery and the lifestyle. For either one, exercise is the "secret sauce". My original, self imposed goal was 112 lbs, based on insurance charts. Then I revised to 132. Now at about 140, I am wearing a 6 petite in most things. If I had the money to do a front lift and get rid of the excess skin, I would probably be a 4. I am more focused on percentage of body fat. When I started, I was at about 43% body fat -- now I am at 24%. So, my point is, it is possible to be very successful with the sleeve. I believe (but I am not a doctor) that there are other reasons to go with the bypass besides amount to loose. I have heard that it is a better (but not the only choice) for those with diabetes. Ellen

Hi - I went from an 8.5 WW to a 7.5 W.

Hi - Just checking in. I know some of you were pre surgery when we started this group - just wondering who has been sleeved and how it's going? Everything is great here in CT. Absolutely no problems (except for the non weight ones like my crazy job ). My friends in New York recently told me that Tina is a slang word for Heroin, and that I should change my screen name. I didn't know that, I just thought it would be fun to name my little sleeve and years ago I met a performer named Tiny Tina who cracked me up. Should I change my screen name? I don't want to scare anyone off. Ellen (a.k.a. Tiny Tina)

Hi Everyone. Rachel @@Rachel Pittsburgh -- sorry I didn't respond to your post sooner. On Nov 25 I had a partial mastectomy on one breast and reconstructive surgery on both. The good news is that they got all the cancer and it looks like I'll only need 3 weeks of radiation starting in a few weeks. This has really been a stressful time -- after the suspicious mammogram I had to wait 3 weeks for the biopsy date and then another 3 weeks for the actual surgery -- the waiting was the hardest! But the good news is that I have been pretty good with my eating. Believe me, I wanted to dive into a bag of bagels most days, but I went shopping -- fitting into size 6 pants and cute dresses was a much better coping mechanism for me. Rachel -- your surgery is almost here! Since I had the sleeve and not bypass, I don't know exactly what you can expect for the days immediately following surgery, but I'm thinking it is a similar experience. For me it was very smooth sailing. I've been on this site enough to know that many of the issues we all experience are in the "head" catagory -- not really physical issues (but everyone's experience is different). @@sebastian2015 @@Newme16 -- hope you two are also doing well. Sebastian -- try to focus on other things besides cravings. This life-changing surgery is a marathon, not a sprint. What seems hard now is so short-term. I see so many people on this site who are questioning everything their doctors told them. Most of us got pretty good instructions for the first few weeks and months -- stick to the rules, don't try to eat around them, and you should be fine. For me, after the first full week, I was able to go back to work and we're always so busy that I didn't think too much about what I was missing. Evenings were, and continue to be, the hardest time for me -- I can succumb to too much snacking! BUT, I have a strategy for that -- I go to the gym in the evenings. By the time I get home, walk the dogs, look at my mail, etc., it's almost time for bed. I started working with a trainer 11 days after surgery. It has been the most important lifestyle change for me and is the reason I can fit into size sixes and still weigh 140 lbs at only 5'1". Most people loose a lot of muscle as they loose weight fast -- I never did. My trainer is a degreed exercise physiologist who never lets me hurt myself even when I was post op from the WLS. I spend a lot of money with him and I know that's not for everyone. I am not wealthy and this is a big expense for me, but I do spend less on groceries and eating out (no joke) and I figure that there is no better investment than my health. I just started back at the gym now, 2 weeks after major cancer surgery. I have to be very careful because I have about 150 stitches, but I can still walk on the treadmill and ride the stationary bike. Please don't think that I am minimizing how challenging all of this can be. I have received a lot of inspiration on this web site and now, 14 months out, I'm hoping I can do the same for others. Ellen

Hi @@Rachel Pittsburgh. Your surgery will be here before you know it! You are at the lower end of the BMI spectrum for weight loss surgery. May I ask why you are choosing bypass? But no matter what surgery, I wish you the very best. WLS was the best thing I ever did for myself. Wish I had done it years ago! As for this group -- I don't remember who started it -- but I would like to see it back. Ellen

Hi - has anyone had this? I need to have a mastectomy (probably double - waiting for second opinion) and for immediate reconstruction they are offering my this plastic surgery treatment. They reconstruct the breast from excess abdominal fat and tissue. I'm guessing that WLS people on this forum might have also had this done, even without cancer, as an alternative to implants. The cancer surgeon examined me last week and said because my breasts got so "deflated" after my weight loss, there isn't really enough to do a lumpectomy that wouldn't be very disfiguring. I meet with a plastic surgeon on Monday that specializes in cancer. I've tried to find before and after photos of DIEP flap patients who had WLS, but couldn't find any. Anyone here go through this? Ellen

Thank you Cathy! I sign the surgery consent forms on Monday and they'll give me a date then. Hopefully soon -- It's been about a month since diagnosis and it's starting to get to me. Ellen

Thought I would post an update. I had a second opinion from Sloan Kettering in New York, and both Sloan and Yale recommend lumpectomy with partial reconstruction. So I won't be getting the "free" dummy tuck by moving my middle to my breasts, but the plastic surgeon will be lifting the girls, which is certainly the silver lining in all of this. I decided that getting both breasts removed at this point was too drastic for the situation. So, after the surgery I will get radiation, 5 days a week for 6 weeks (starting about a month after surgery). I'm nervous about many things, but chief among my worries is gaining weight during treatment. I hope I'll be able to go to the gym, but I've been told I won't be going full blast like I usually do. I will have to be very serious about what I eat. Being at home all day is hard for me -- the refrigerator is only a few steps away. Only has "good" food - but overeating is still an issue for me. I suspect I will be on this forum a lot -- for the distraction and the inspiration! Ellen

@@proudgrammy Thank you Kathy for your post. So glad you are a 15-year survivor! I do not want big breasts either, but I do want something! I somewhat nervous because I can't imagine too many plastic surgeons who specialize in post-cancer reconstruction have tons of experience with WLS patients. However, I am seeing someone at Yale I'm told is great on Monday, and then getting a second opinion at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York on Tuesday. I know I am very luck to have good insurance and live in the greater New York area where there are fabulous cancer hospitals. Can't wait until this is behind me. By the New Year I should be good as new -- or better! Ellen

@@Mom26 Thank you for your support. Ellen

Two words: breast cancer. Well, sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for. Now that I am close to my self-imposed goal, I have been thinking a lot on how to pay for a tummy tuck and new breasts. The arms would be nice too, but I can live with them. Last month a had my yearly mammogram and, long story short, found out last week I have breast cancer. It's in the very early stages, so I am sure I will have many, many years to enjoy my new, thin self, but what the @#$&! It did come as a blow. I have genetic testing today for the BRCA 1 and 2 gene -- if I have that, then for sure I need a double mastectomy and my ovaries removed. But the standard treatment for what they know I have now is lumpectomy and radiation. But the thing is, my big weight loss will make a lumpectomy risky -- to get big enough margins, they would have to take a lot out and I have very little breast tissue left! Even doing the biopsies was a challenge -- the hollow core needles were bigger than me! Who knew, under the obesity a very petite women was hiding! So, I am meeting with a plastic surgeon on Monday. Looks like I may have a double mastectomy and reconstruction surgery. They said they would use my excess abdominal tissue. If I do that, I will not need radiation, which is a plus, but it is a much bigger surgery. I asked if this would be a true tummy tuck and they said yes. I'll get more info on Monday, but maybe this is the silver lining in a very dark cloud. I will also add a NSV here. Since all this started on Sept 29th, I have stuck to my healthy eating plan. I was very tempted to bury myself in a loaf of bread or, "gasp", bagels (my former nemesis), but I'm staying true to myself. I've waited all my life to enjoy this new body - I'm not going to backslide now. I have to be extra careful -- after the surgery, there will have to be a long hiatus from they gym. Ellen

Thank you all for the encouragement. Its been a long day of work and doctor's appointments -- I'm not quite as upbeat as I was early this morning

@@4MRB4PHOTO OMG - you made me snort my greek yogurt and chia seeds. That was hilarious!

I was in Chico's today looking at the clearance racks. The sales lady came over to me and said "You're at the wrong end. You're probably a 0 or a 1! (their sizes are different - I think a 0 is like a 4/6). Didn't buy anything there, but I did buy a size 6 skirt and a size small sweater at Marshals. Gotta say, shopping is surreal.

Hi - Is anyone taking CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid - mine made from Safflower oil). I bought the GNC brand. Bottle says "Clinically proved to improve body composition". I am about 15 lbs away from my (self-imposed) goal. I started working with an exercise physiologist 11 days after my surgery. Now I am down more than 100 lbs. The even better news is that my percentage of body fat went from 49.4 to 26.0% So I have been very successful in gaining muscle while loosing the weight. judging from other people's stats on this site, I did seem to loose slower, but perhaps more steadily with less stalls. The normal body fat % for a women my age is 23-34%, so I am doing well. However, I really want to knock of the last of the excess pounds while maintaining my muscle mass. I am afraid that if I eat less, i'll start to do that. So, I bought a bottle of CLA. But of course I am now afraid to take it since I searched this site and no one has posted that they are using it. Thoughts? Ellen

@@SleeveMe247 Feel better soon!

@@jess9395 Wow - that is a very low percentage of fat. Do you mind saying how old you are?

Hope you're feeling well now. No, I have not experienced this. I've had a problem-free experience since my surgery 13 months ago. Maybe because I lost relatively slowly (as compared to others, but still faster than without WLS). Thanks for sharing - good information. Ellen

Oops -- my mistake - I see it was @@jennjarrid who was avoiding dairy.

@@Cheri_j I understand the concept your doctors are getting at. For me, I think of my day as broken up into 5 small meals. Basically at 7 am, 11 am, 2-3 pm, and 6-7 pm. I hear you on the slippery slope to grazing! @@lealor Some of my small meal ideas include everything the others said (jerky, nuts), but I do my apples with PB2 (reconstituted of course). I also depend on "meatless meatballs" -- a few with some tomato sauce is yummy, pre-cooked turkey meatballs with a few green veggies, and low-cal chicken salad. Chicken salad is easy to make with left overs or canned chicken and a little light mayo or greek yogurt sauce. I also have small meals with convenience foods if I'm out and about: Quest bar is a nice Meal Replacement, or quest Protein chips with some salsa. Lots of dairy meals too -- why can't you do dairy? Ellen

How exciting! No turkey neck for you next thanksgiving!

There once was a women named Ellen Whose weight was too much for the ‘tellin But the sleeve and gym helped her get thin Now her size she is happily ‘yellin. 100 lbs lost since the start of the 2-week pre-surgery diet on July 30, 2014. About 150 lbs lost from my all-time highest weight. Pants size day of surgery: women’s 22/24. Today: size 6 petite for the most part! Percentage body fat pre-surgery: 49.3; today: 38.3 (still not normal, but working on it) Blood pressure medicine went from 2 different prescriptions 2X a day, to one prescription, once a day at the minimal dose! Many, many more changes I could detail, but you get the idea! So, so happy, grateful and THRILLED to be normal for the first time ever. Went on my first diet at age 6. Losing 100 lbs is a lot to wrap my head around – there’s certainly a lot less of me if anyone cares to wrap their arms around me (hint, hint to single men in New England). Doctor never gave me a goal, I choose 132 so that I could have a normal BMI, but I’m not sure I can get there without plastic surgery. I’ll keep going until I see and feel what weight is best. I work out a lot, so may have to up that goal a bit. Bariatric Pal has helped me a lot – I read more than I post – so thank you all very, very much for going with me on this journey and helping me reach this milestone. Sincerely, Ellen, AKA Tiny Tina

Thank you all! By the way, my 2 miniature poodles are looking slim and fabulous. Since I weigh everything and enjoy every morsel -- I don't feed them off my plate anymore! They have each lost about 3 lbs over the past year, which is a lot for small dogs. We compete in dog agility -- they are little athletes -- so this is great for them too! Regards, Ellen

Beautiful!