glitter eyes

I craved pickles and pickle juice for the first three weeks after my surgery. Pickle pops sound amazing!! What a great idea.

I think having feelings like that are completely normal. It's like having some type of post traumatic stress syndrome. When I was heavy I used to get treated so awful by the Victoria secret workers when I went in there to buy things for my skinny minny daughter. They would ignore me and when they did look my way I swear they were going to start throwing rocks. After I lost my weight and decided to shop there for myself my anxiety was through the roof. I felt like they were going to scream "imposter" and throw me out. LOL I took me a few trips in there to get over it. I think we all have those rare moments when we have those feelings of being overweight come back to haunt us. That being said- gowalking you are amazing and should be so proud. You look fab and are living a great fun filled life!! Hang in there.

I had a six month wait too. It does seem like a long time and a lot of hoops to jump through. I used that time to educate myself. I stalked this forum- where I learned so much from others experiences. I attended my hospitals support group meetings, tried a million types of protein drinks, and learned to begin focusing on me. You can make it through this. It's a long wait, but so incredibly worth it!!! An amazing new life is headed your way.

Hang in there and fight the cravings. These last few days will eventually pass. The liquid pre op diet is hard. What kept me on track was pure fear. I know the pre op diet was ordered to shrink the liver. The liver is a very vascular organ and can bleed like crazy if the surgeon accidentally nicks it because it was large and in the way. I was determined that if I had a complication it would not be one that I may have caused. Some complications can result even if the person is doing everything perfect. However, I would have felt awful if my actions had resulted in harm to myself. Try and keep everything in prospective. In a few months all this will be behind you and a new life is waiting. You can make it!! Good luck

I wasn't allowed to wear nail polish during my surgery. However, since I am truly addicted to nail polish. I packed a bottle, and as soon as I got to my room after recovery I painted my nails- bright pink!!!

Congrats!! What a great feeling when all the hard work pays off.

I think regarding frequent weighing and the scales everyone varies. In the beginning during my quick weight loss period I only weighed once every week or two weeks. I would feel happy because the number was larger than if I weighed everyday. Once I entered into the maintenance phase I do way better weighing everyday. The scale keeps me accountable. If I see it go up by a pound or two I know I have to cut back for a few days.

Hang in there. I promise it will get so much easier. As you lose the weight and progress through your eating stages you will learn what works for you. I am over a year post op and I can eat anything I want. I just can't eat as much as I used to pre op. I do track my food and make sure I eat my protein requirements, but I feel like I eat "normally". I have days where I eat treats, I just get right back on check the next day. You can do this. Hang in there and it will get easier as time passes. Good luck to you!!

As long as your doctor is providing you with the information you need regarding what type of plan he wants you to eat, you will be fine. My bariatric center and insurance only gave me one nutritionist appointment and that was a few months pre op. I have learned way more from my surgeon, support group, friends who have had this done, and of course lots of info from this website.

@@Sharon1964 I am not nearly as tough as my post made me sound. I am the nursing administer at the hospital where I had my surgery done so I had tons of visitors. Had to make sure I looked good. LOL. While I was in the hospital I stayed well groomed and acted like I felt great. As soon as I was home I didn't wear makeup for days or pants for that matter (the waistband rubbed one of my incisions). I wore my nightgowns and loose dresses for at least two weeks. I really am a wimp; I just couldn't act like it while I was in the hospital. Boy was I ever glad to get home and relax!!! It was a little stressful to have so many visitors, but at least everyone was supportive????

Sounds like your list is pretty comprehensive!! One of the things that helped me was I took a bottle of Biotene mouthwash to swish my dry mouth out with. It is a moisturizing mouthwash. I packed everything but the kitchen sink LOL I even took nail polish and makeup which for the record I used. Good luck on your surgery.

Congratulations!!

Awesome!!!

Congrats!!!

I don't miss anything because I occasionally indulge and eat what I want- in moderation. I just track my intake and burn off any extra calories at the gym. So far it's working.

Everyone's pain tolerance is so different. However, I am a complete wimp and have no pain tolerance whatsoever. I did surprisingly great after my surgery. I began walking as soon as I got to my room and walked every two hours while awake. I did take my nausea and pain meds around the clock for the first week and then was able to start taking them less and less. I am not saying there wasn't any pain, but what I had was bearable. Maybe because I thought it was going to be so horrible that I was expecting the worse. LOL This was also my first surgery and incisions. Good luck to you! You can do it.

I was a gum-aholic before surgery. My surgeon never mentioned I could not have gum. However, I had read on this website that gum was restricted from some peoples diets; so I decided to eliminate gum just to be safe. My alternative to gum ( I just liked the mint flavor more than the chewing part of gum) was I switched to the listerine mouth spray. It's a tiny little spray bottle and I use it several times a day. It also helps moisturizers my mouth while I am waiting to drink again after a meal.

@LipstickLady. That was an awesome NSV for you. It makes us truly grateful for our new lives when we can remember how it used to be. Weight loss is very freeing. I am so happy you had a great time. I too remember how I used to struggle to keep up while never complaining because I didn't want others to see how hard it was for me. I haven't been to a water park yet, but it is on my agenda. Congrats to you!!

Congrats on your hard work. You look amazing!!

I didn't experience a lot of feelings regarding the loss of food. However, last summer I was four weeks post op and went on a family vacation. I was still getting used to eating with my new sleeve and sticking to my plan very strictly. My family (all who are thin) eat like a pack of wild hogs on vacation. I was doing ok being around all the junk food until one night at dinner I burst into tears because I really wanted rice like everyone else was eating. Looking back it seems kind of silly, but at the time I felt really sad about that stupid rice. This summer I just got back from our yearly family trip and since I am in maintenance I ate whatever I wanted to. My sleeve tolerates most foods. I did gain a few pounds, but got right back on track when I got home and lost the weight within three days. I did have to learn to find joy in other things rather than food. I used to get excited on the weekends because we would eat out a lot and have junk food. My family still does that, I just choose healthier options at restaurants and limit my treats at home. I get my joy these days from exercise, hiking, kayaking, camping... All the things that I didn't do when I was overweight. I think it helps to find other hobbies to turn to instead of food.

That is wonderful news!! So happy for you that you have found a great relationship.

@ thanks for the info. Maybe I will bypass the Nioxin choice at this time. Has anyone had any luck with any other shampoos?

Nothing worked for me. I think it is just the luck of the draw on who is going to have hair loss. My hair started falling out at about six months. I had very thick hair so I was ok with it falling out in handfuls for awhile. My hair is about 1/3 of what I used to have. I do biotin, get all my protein (some days more), take my vitamins, drink my water, all my lab work is great. I have tried coconut oil, emu oil, castor oil, almond oil, various essential oils, liquid silica, massaging my scalp... I am 13 months post op and have been maintaining my weight for the last few months so the huge weight loss isn't a factor anymore. My hair is pitiful, but it is still so worth it to have the weight loss and regain so much energy, health, fitness. It's amazing. I can always get a wig. Next step I think I am going to try Nioxin shampoo. I have some close friends who had WLS and their hair is great.

Post op was way easier when it comes to the liquid phase and being hungry. I had no hunger after surgery for a long time. My biggest challenge was staying hydrated. Hang in there- you got this!

Congrats!! Sounds like you are doing awesome.