Beni

I am actually excited about not overeating. It's altogether not a good thing. You feel terrible anyway. If this will be the tool to achieve it, I am all for it. My 21 year old once told me as I was eating the last bit of leftovers - "mom you are not the trash bin." It stuck with me. So true! I am expecting my "no hunger" feelings after surgery to help with family meal cooking. I will also try to figure out how to eat dinner. I find dinner time to be a little stressful. I am trying to keep food warm, getting everyone to the table. By the time I seat down I am not feeling calm. If I am stressed I tend to eat fast. What about you? I also have a hard time keeping everyone at the table for 25 minutes. I am constantly going, "No, you are not excused." The boys want to eat and run. It annoys me to death. The extra stress makes me eat faster, I think.

How are you doing 4mickeymoose? 33 lbs is impressive. How is your recovery going? Any advice? My bypass is October 28th and there are 3 other girls I follow with October dates. We are all trying to ready ourselves for the big moment.

You have a full house even with the two at college. I am sure they keep you very busy. By the way my daughter (21) almost went to Grinnell College. She was accepted but decided to go elsewhere. I know what you mean about the nausea. I had that too. With my kids deliveries as well. In fact, with my first, I convulsed out of control. After going home with the baby my worst pain was my stomach. I was mad. I remember thinking, lots of other places are hurting, I shouldn't have this horrible tummy ache too. I think it was a reaction to Pitocin. Not the same as bypass but it was pretty memorable. I know I didn't like it one bit. Everyone seems to get nausea with RYN though. It makes sense, your stomach will not be happy. I guess that's an understatement ..... Thanks on the e-mail offer, but I think, I will stick to what the doctor says. In for a penny in for a pound. It was a brief consideration. How do you handle cooking for your family given our dietary restrictions? For you it won't be too different from the lapband. I am a bit worried about that. dinner time is the worst for me because usually there are leftovers and second helpings. This weekend there's a request for apple pie from my husband.

Oh, on the skin issue. I know time helps reduce this. At first our skin won't look great, I am sure. I had a friend who lost a lot of weight and her face looked a bit like a droopy puppy's face but a year later she looked great. The human body is amazing. In any case, a year after reaching goal we can examine the situation. We may require plastic surgery. Before that makeup and clever undergarments may have to be our best friends.

Hi, Our post-op diets look like they are the same but my pre-op diet is different. My doctor only has his patients do a 3 day Clear Liquids diet, if upon examination, he estimates your liver is of a size he can move it over easily. Apparently, I have a small liver. Who knew there's something in me that's small, I'm shocked! He tells me he used to have everyone do the 2 week diet as well but he didn't notice any difference in outcomes. Sounds great for me but now I worry and wonder if I should do it anyway. The NUT said the two week liquid pre-diet is mostly to get the patient to get used to what life after surgery will be and to check for a patient's ability to comply. Apparently some patients after surgery eat too soon and the wrong things to the point they cause harm to themselves. They bust their pouch. This is mostly on the compulsive eater side of things, I imagine. I would be so afraid of causing my pouch to burst I probably would side on the opposite side of caution. Something else to worry about, sorry! I have 3 kids and the youngest is 13. I have not told anyone except my husband. At this point I have not decided if I will or not tell them what kind of surgery I am having. Obviously mom will be going away for 2 or 3 days and she will come back not in a mood for running laps. I have to come up with an answer for that. The good thing is we both have had anesthesia and did okay. I had two Novasure procedures aka endometrial ablation. My periods used to be too heavy. I started a list of Protein drinks I noticed on other posts. I would like to buy a variety to test. We should compare notes when we get to that point. After you see your NUT and I see mine. It's next Wednesday for me. This is when all the pre-op stuff is discussed. How did your body handle losing so much weight when you had the band? Where you super exhausted? I imagine it must feel strange to be starved of nutrition. I know you don't feel hungry but hello, your body is getting a lot less food then usual. It must feel different, right?

There are two of us under the thread "October Surgery date." Mine is October 28 and the other is Oct 20th. She is also a revision from lapband to bypass. We should follow each other

Hi Pik, I had a long conversation with my NUT about beef yesterday. She told me most everyone can tolerate it eventually. It may take a while for your intestinal enzimes, (disrupted by surgery) such as pepsin to function. They are not completely back in the first year past surgery. She told me it would be at least 4 months before she recommended I try beef. I think you maybe a little early. Also, she said at the beginning to place the lean beef in a food processor (ground is not fine enough) and making a little hamburger. You still have to chew it for the prescribed amount of time but it will be easier on your stomach.

Hi AmyLynns, So glad you posted. It looks like you are a pro at this, as a second timer, you'll now what to expect as far as the hospital stay, etc. Your first experience seems painful and I am sure very disappointing. At my Bariatic Surgeon's support group last week there were 3 lapband to bypass conversions. This is more common then I thought. Lapband does not work for a lot of folks it seems. I noticed we have a similar height/BMI/goal weight. You are a bit ahead of me of course but close enough we should be able to relate our experiences. So, are you worried? I am a little. How are you planning for your after surgery recovery? I am trying to get organized What kind of pre-op diet is your doctor placing you on? I have my NUT appointment next week to go over that.

Best wishes and prayers.

Hurray, so glad you are doing well. I too am a little concerned about breathing because I have Severe sleep Apnea. Keep us posted. We are all cheering for you.

Hurray, so glad to get news from you and that you are doing well. I am going to get a surgery date today. I am expecting late October but we'll see. You will be about one month ahead of me and we both are 5' 5" and have a goal weight of 150. Team NOVA is well on it's way!

Lol

Wow, congrats!

Yes, not to worry, I think would be the aberration. It's super scary. I'm going to give myself a stomach ulcer before surgery. But I have come to terms with it through an analogy. In sailing one of the golden rules is: abandon ship only when you are stepping up to the dingy. In other words, the boat you are in is sinking and the dingy is actually the higher and safer option. With our weight 263, 278 and 265 our boat is sinking. Our heart and all the systems in our body are being taxed in ways that result in a significant loss of quality of life and life expectancy. It is then with the courage of a lone sailor, in the middle of the ocean, that we choose to step up to the dingy. We choose life! Should we look back at our sinking old boat with nostalgia for the once beautiful vessel that it was, absolutely. But it no longer is, what will keep us safe. Let's rock in our dingy!

That's okay! You'll be out that much faster. It's takes about 30 minutes longer to do it with Robotics.

Way to go Ginger Snaps, you broke the 50lb mark. By the way, I have decided to go ahead with my gastric bypass. I will find out this Thursday when is my surgery date. Excited and scared!

That's hilarious, lol I think Avon is coming the month after. Well, you know it's all about getting healthy first but looking good comes right after. I'm okay with clean too!

Hi Fab@ Forty, Keep us posted on your journey, we are thinking of you. Best of luck tomorrow. I will be sending good vibes towards Fair Oaks.

Yep, I do know those steroids well. I have a herniated disk on my spine and take those every once in a while. Boy of boy, watch out, those pills make you so very hungry. But this is just a little old stone on your path. Kick it and keep going.

Awesome advice! This makes so much sense. I am a bit of a sugar junkie myself. I have noticed when ever I go on a "diet" and cut sugar, I am like a sugar addict for a while. But once my blood sugar levels stabilize a few days later I'm okay. I am on a half sugar half Nectresse for morning coffee just so I can get used to not having sugar. I will start reducing gradually. Also, let's not forget simple carbs are immediately converted into sugar. This may explain why we love them so much. My surgery is still some months away but I am thinking ahead.

You make an excellent point on body versus face stitches. The ones I saw where on the face near the ear. By the way your scar looks really good and as you point out they fade. Good luck.

I have a friend who lost quite a bit of weight about two years ago. I suspect about 50 lbs. She is in her 50s. I remember saying to myself that her face looked a bit odd and saggy. Her cheeks had that droopy bulldog look. Well, I assumed it was just the way it was considering her age and skin type. I saw her two weeks ago and I had not seen her since December of 2013. The droopy cheeks were gone. l know she did not have plastic surgery. What I am saying is there is some resolution to saggy skin issues. I just don't know how much but I was amazed at the difference.

I don't know any doctors in Brazil but I lived there (Sao Paulo) for 2 years and they do amazing work. It is a culture where beauty is taken to the next level. There are legendary plastic surgeons in Brazil. I have lived in 8 countries and there is nothing like Brazil in that respect. In fact, when I see pictures online of full body plastic surgery in the US, I am very disappointed. I knew someone in Brazil who had a neck lift and her scar line was invisible. Unfortunately, I lost touch with her or I would ask. Keep researching, if you find someone please share. Do you speak Portuguese? I would start with all the major hospitals first and the most upscale neighborhoods. If you narrow it down to three, I will be glad to read their websites in Portuguese for you and check for any red flags. Someday. I will be doing this and Brazil would be my first choice. Also consider Thailand. I didn't have any experience with plastic surgery but during the time I lived there I was very impressed with the level of medical care. We used Bumrungrad Hospital. They saved my 2 year old's life there after accidentally ingesting an entire bottle of cough syrup with a bronchodilator. The bottle was not child proof, but that's another story. I hate to sound so crude but plastic surgery scars are in many ways about the stitching. The best are lots of tiny little stitches and a most smooth line. Eye/hand coordination! Good luck

Yeah! keep up the good work!

Oh my goodness 4 days. You are so brave. I am thinking RNY is for me too because I am 265 and pre-diabetes. RNY offers the best resolution for diabetes. Of course, I worry about Vitamin deficiency and malabsorption but one of the doctors I saw at GWU told me those were from folks who keep forgetting to take their Vitamins and do not follow protocol post surgery. As you know it is crucial that we do. I have read up on the Da Vinci. Pros and cons make it a wash. DaVinci less bleeding during surgery (35 cc less which isn't enough to make a difference, really) but regular laparoscopy takes slightly less time (less than 30 minutes shorter then DaVinci, blah! who cares, really) Try to distract yourself to the max. Have fun in the next 4 days. It will go fast and then a new journey will begin. Best wishes!