mbrinmn

When is our next get together. I'll make sure I can make it!

Oh shoot. Went to put our next meeting on my calendar and saw that I am not available that afternoon. Darn!!!

Excellent plan, Lori. Count me in!!!

She doesn't sound like a true friend. All my friends have been very supportive even if they didn't agree with my decision. It's times like these that you find out who your true friends really are. She is not one of them.

Take it from someone who is almost 51. Get your head around the fact that your body is beautiful at any age. You're going to have stretch marks and cellulite and scars and bruises. If you're worried about how men will see you when you're naked, don't. Just remember that they don't have "perfect" bodies either. Find someone who loves your courage, spirit, resilience, intellect, and strength. You have a lot of years ahead of you to start hating your body now. You should see it when you're 50! It doesn't get any better unless you have a disposable income for all the plastic surgery in the world...and even then, you won't be happy with the outside unless you've come to terms with yourself on the inside. It will get better. You're only 21 and I remember how hard that age was for body image. I stopped looking in the mirror so often when I was about 30. You are not the whole of what you see in that mirror!!

Your own pillow (or pillows), a heating pad, and chapstick. Those are the things I could have really used when I had my surgery in Tijuana. The heating pad will really help the shoulder pain that most patients experience. I've heard that pain is a common side effect of anesthesia. Mine was more of a very bad ache and I would have loved a heating pad for that. I also was glad I had my iPad, because the hospital I went to had wifi...Hospital Mi Doctor.

Can't make it, but the reservation might be under my name since I made it through open table.

I had the same thing a day or two after I got back from having my Mexico surgery. My pubic area cramps were really bad. I took ibuprofen and used a heating pad. The diarrhea is probably just your body getting rid of all the medications and fluids they put in you at the hospital. I hope it's not anything more serious, but it's good that you're getting in to see a doctor. Because everyone is different, I can't tell you this will pass and not too worry, but my exact symptoms only last about 2 days. Marybeth

Don't feel blue. It take overnight to put the weight on and it's not going to come off overnight. The sleeve is not the gastric bypass. It's meant to be slower so you can be more methodical in changing to a healthy lifestyle.

What you're experiencing is the famous 3 week stall. It will pass. Keep doing what your doing. Mine staff started half way through week 3 and ended at end of week 5. You're going to hit LOTS of stalls, so don't get discouraged. I'm eating just a prescribed and working out like a fiend, but I've been in a stall since mid January. Not too worried though because I recently moved to size 16 jean...with no "W" next the number! My goal is size 14 by end of March, but it's just a goal, not a do or die situation.

Heating pad...or make sure the hospital will make one available. iPad. Chapstick. And your own pillow or two. The pillows and heating pad are more important than the rest.

Good earth on the 21st sounds awesome. I'll reserve seating for at least 8. Ask for B Pals if you don't recognize anyone.

Yep, it's your first stall. Don't fret it. I'm in my second stall after almost 5 months. This one has lasted a long time, but I've already lost almost 75 pounds. I hit my first stall right on schedule...the dreaded 3 week stall. Stalls will happen over and over. You just have to go with the flow and keep doing the good stuff...exercising, eating healthy, feeling positive.

No regrets whatsoever for me!!! And nothing for me was really the "worse part." I could have been released the day after surgery, but my program called for 2 nights hospital stay. If there was a "worse part" it would have been in the first 10 hours or so after surgery when rolling over and sitting up was uncomfortable. But all the walking I did after surgery really helped me with that. Everybody is different. My first week was a snap and it has been ever since. I've been really lucky! Maybe you will be too. Here's the best advice I can give... Be prepared for stalls in weight loss. They will happen soon and more times than you'd hope. Celebrate the little victories of a pound here and a pound there. You're not on the game show The Biggest Loser and your weight isn't going to melt off. Don't let the scale rule your life. I weigh in once a week, but I know some people who only weigh in at their monthly or quarterly doctor's checkup. Judge your weight loss by how loose your clothes get, how slim your face looks, and how much energy you have once you've hit your sleeve weight-loss stride. Good luck and take care.

It sounds like you have WAY more issues going on than just weight loss surgery. If you love him and really want to stay with him, I'd forget about the surgery and work on ALL the other stuff. While it does affect those around an individual, weight loss is a very personal struggle. Whether he's stuck with a program before or not is certainly not the problem. We've all been there and know how hard it is to lose weight through programs and that's why most of us are here. Weight loss surgery is not the be all to end all, but it is a more powerful tool than any of the programs out there. However, habits do have to change in a major way and I think weight loss surgery really helps you focus on making good, healthy changes. Sure people can gain the weight back after sleeve surgery, but that's what support, support groups, and nutritionists are all about. They are the tools that also should come along with this type of surgery. That said, I still hear much more going on than just weight loss. Financial instability on his part, caretaking on your part, plus on both your parts it seems that there are some real trust and self esteem issues and what sounds like a lot of co-dependence. I think those are the things you really need to look and forget about agonizing over the surgery. He'll do it with or without your support; it's his body, after all. I know you said you are a therapist, but sometimes you get too close to the situation and even though you know what's best according to your background and your studies, it's hard to follow. If you really want to stick in this relationship, which sounds like it has more disadvantages than real happiness, maybe you need to find couples counseling. I think that having a professional to talk to rather than try to think this all through will really help. As far as the surgery goes. It's pretty neat and clean with little recovery time if there are no medical issues. People have been having "tummy tucks" for years and years. That's basically what the sleeve is, only they remove the part that's "tucked" instead of leaving it dormant in the body. He's going to have to make some serious changes in the way he sees and treats food, but the sleeve really helps with that. The limitations help remind you that you have to eat right. However, this surgery can't make you happier and it can't make a relationship happier.