bewell

@@VSGAnn2014 Did you have a hard time getting to your goal? Did the weight loss slow down for you? I agree, I don't want to have a weight where I fight everyday to keep it there. That's where what my Doc said made sense. Find a weight were I can eat reasonable 1200 calories or about and maintain a weight. It's different for everyone. I got down to 165 before and even at 5.3 I felt and looked good.

Still vomiting-I could use some input?@@#$!! It seems my stomach is even more sensitive than 2 months ago. I still vomit my meals about 3-5 times a week. So far the only consistency from one time to the next is mixing foods. I'm very careful on quantity on how much and how fast I eat. Eating the right things. BUT......when I mix Protein and something else I can have a pretty violent result. Picture projectile vomiting. (sorry for the visual) EX- I slowly ate no more that 1.5 oz of very soft pulled pork. Wait 30-35 mins. All was well but I was still a little hungry so I ate 2 small slices of apple WITHOUT the peel and a small bite of soft cheese. I got in the car to run an errand and not 5 minutes into the ride, it all came back up. Fortunately I had a empty plastic bag in the car. After this, I'm fine and continue by errand. I wondered......is this what's it's going to be like from now on? And what if I had a friend in the car. Even my husband would have been alarmed. Ghezzzz! Is anyone else having this problem? Am I going to be limited to just eating one thing at a time forever? I'm very happy with my sleeve. I'm not hungry and I'm not playing around with the wrong foods. (I'm not a saint here, just any chance of another vomiting episode keeps me from playing around too much. I had a few bites of ice-cream on a long flight overseas and that all came back up pronto! So imagine trying to race to a airplane bathroom....not an ideal situation. Luckily that have those airsick bags, which I carry in my purse. I Also had one cup of hot chocolate and had a HUGE dumping incident. I hadn't had that much sugar since Dec.) Any thoughts? I could use some help and wondering if I'm alone in this vomiting challenge. I do see my Doc this week and will check with them.

E@@Eli Alexander With all you've got going on, you are a huge success!

For me, I feel I do have an age factor at work in my WLS. Now, in my 60's, this is a last change to live a full healthy life. In my younger years I was too willing to test the limits of eating the wrong foods for some kind of temporary "high" or satisfaction. Today I know I don't have many more changes to get this right. It supports me NOT to take that first bite and playing around on the slippery slope of eating the wrong foods and the inevitable downward spiral of addiction to the wrong foods and self hate. Some people can just eat one bite. I might be able to have one bite, and maybe a second. But at some point it has always got me into trouble. I WILL NOT DIE OBESE! I'm halfway there. 59 down, 60 to go.

@@VSGAnn2014 How did you determine your goal weight? And did you try to go below goal or did it just happen? My surgeon has said to let my body tell me what is the best weight to maintain with the assumption it i near a healthy weight considering my age. Just wondering how you did it. Thanks

Blood Sugar numbers Got my blood work done. Cholesterol numbers down 80 points BUT my pre-diabetic number has stayed the same-117. My Doc isn't concerned but I thought it would go down. Wondering what others experiences with blood sugar has been?

Great topic! I also had sheer terror and total anxiety my first 4 weeks after surgery. The changes for me were rapid but mostly I feared that I wouldn't be able to defend myself, or I'd be so tiny no one would see me. (of course I was still a big girl 250ish so it seemed totally crazy). I got help from a therapist. Working on the feelings that were coming up because I literally could NOT eat over them. I had used food to push down those feelings for 50 years and not I physically could NOT eat when they came up. It was an exciting time and also a scary time. I can say it got a lot better for me after the 1st 2 months. I no longer have the terror and I work through the feelings of being smaller and sexual stuff as they come up. For me, obesity allowed me to predict how people would perceive me. Fat, lazy, whatever. But never pretty, or sexual, or whatever. I hid behind the fat. Today I feel good moving around in a smaller body. I'm feeling "girly" wearing earrings and caring how I look. I do expect another round of feelings as i approach a "normal" size. I'm still a pretty big gal. Best wishes to you. And congrats on noticing the feelings, that's how we get better. Recognizing what got us obese in the first place. And as many more experienced sleevers say here....we had surgery on our stomach not our head!

@@Inner Surfer Girl I'm 4 months out and still can't eat many vegetables certainly not at the same time as meat. I still vomit 4-5 times a week. (I sure don't recall hearing about this much vomiting pre-op). The Protein drinks save me. Otherwise I'd never get enough protein. Surfer girl, just want to say that early on I read about others eating all kinds of foods successfully. I'd try them and up they'd come. So I'm pretty careful still. The fabulous news....I'm rarely hungry and when I am, it's REAL hunger that is satisfied with a small amount of food. I love that my old favorites are not calling to me all day. It's a near miracle. I hear the hunger and cravings can come back so my mentor in all this said to enjoy the ride while it lasts. There are some that gain their weigh back back or never get to their goal. So in a way I'm very grateful I still struggle finding healthy foods for my tiny tummy. The weight keeps coming off. Love my life!

Four months out and I still miss the planning, thinking, eating, warm fuzzy I TEMPORARILY got from my food addiction. It wasn't just putting it in my mouth. It was a love/hate affair. A deadly affair. It does get better. Now I spend more time feeling how my body moves better, faster, takes up less room. Easier to go up steps, get up from a chair. walk into a room and NOT feel like I take up the ENTIRE room. The best lately is in public close quarters.....I used to feel like I just didn't fit. That I couldn't walk between two tables in a restaurant (and I couldn't}, now I can move around so much better. It feels wonderful. I can almost feel my hip bones. When I felt them at first I wondered "WHAT THE HECK IS THAT"! Some cancer or something. No..... just my hip bones. It's been a long time since I felt them. Bottom-line....I feel my body more and now I think about that instead of what I'm going to eat and hate myself for eating it. Hang in there! It is a loss.....suggest you feel the loss, recognize the changes, have a farewell party for how you used to eat, but find other things to occupy your thoughts and time. It's worth it.

You know before my sleeve surgery I didn't know that the port removal was painful but NOW yes I do know. That area where they pulled the port out really hurt for a long time. Much longer than my other incisions. I get the risk aversion and totally understand. In the past I have had problems with anesthesia. They have to give me less because I go under so hard. They did give me too much for my sleeve and it took me hours to wake up. It is good that we can find the Doc that suits us best. And the recovery is so different for each person. At almost 4 months out I still have to be carful what I eat where I know of other sleevers who ate almost anything 6 weeks out. Not me. Best wishes to you.

@@Eli Alexander Eli you are doing amazing!! And making the changes you want. Congrats and so happy so see people do this at 40 instead of 64 like I did. You've got your entire life really to live it fully and healthy. So happy for you.

Best wishes to you. You are going to do great! Those bands aren't for everyone. Sure wasn't for me. I am so much better off with the sleeve then the band. Good riddance.

Obviously you know your surgeon and trust his judgment. I'm not trying to question your doc. BUT........My understanding is that generally just having any sugery and going under anethesia is often the most dangerous part of any surgery. So two surgeries with recovery would be a much higher risk that just one. For me, there was no way I was going to have my band removed, then recover and then do the sleeve. Two surgeries, two periods to recover. I had already had 2 band surgeries because of a slip. Every time they go into the stomach for surgery, scar tissue is developed and it makes it harder to have additional surgeries. My Doc said he used to do the revision in 2 surgeries but then it seemed much harder on the patients so now if at all possible, he does it in one. Just another side to the story. Doctors only practice and do it their way.

My doc used to do band removal and then wait for healing and do sleeve. Now if at all possible he does the removal of the band and the sleeve in the same surgery. He said it seems easier on the patient then 2 surgeries and he can usually get the band out pretty fast. My surgery was 3 hours. There is no way I was going to have it in two surgeries. I was only wiling for them to do their best to do the revision in one. And thankfully that is how it went.

@@Veronica Page Thanks for your honesty. We can bare it all here and know people won't judge and we get it. We've all been there, done that. Best wishes to you!

I just got back from Bali, Indonesia. Still in Singapore where my hubby works. I'm so happy I was able to navigate the food and restaurants. My husband who is very thin and tall can eat like a horse. At a restaurant he'd order 2 appetizers, a main course and I'd order something which I just nibbled at and then he'd finish it. He gained 2 pounds and I lost 3!!! I did have a few incidents of acid reflux and vomiting up when I tried something that didn't work (watermelon in this case) or ate just a few bites too much. I feel like a baby, still trying to figure out what I can eat and can't eat. Simple stuff like vegetables or fruit. But I'm figuring it out and I am so happy with this surgery! I really didn't want any sweets or carbs. The best however is I was able to wear shorts and a tee and walked around a lot. I didn't feel self-conscious like I was the biggest person on the island. A real gift.

@@Eli Alexander I'm with you. I've been seeking that emotionally comfort from food my entire life. Also the justified self-hate from being obese The first few weeks after surgery I was going crazy with anxiety cuz I no longer could eat anything to find that comfort. I'm 64 and I've done this weight loss thing too many times only to gain the weight back primarily due to emotionally looking for that moment of comfort. And I mean a MOMENT....never very long before I went to self-hate. A life long pattern for me. A rut that is hard for me to get out of WLS or no. At 64 I have no time life in this life to mess this up so I found a therapist who is helping me with the emotional part of this surgery. It's been very helpful. Thankfully he isn't taking me back to childhood stuff but just dealing with today and helping me navigate the wide range of emotions that show up cuz I can no longer get it from food. And there is a lot of emotions including great joy from feeling so good, which believe it or not, is also hard to let in. And right now a new sexual awareness I haven't had for years. Oh my......this journey is so much more than what I eat and losing weight. Very complex stuff at work.

I am a lap-band revision to sleeve. I had a lot of problems with the band (slips and lots of constant pain) but never vomiting. The band just wasn't the best solution for me. I am much happier with the sleeve. No pain and for me it's easier to eat right foods and just a little bit. BUT I do vomit and have acid reflux with the sleeve. I probably vomit 1-2 times a week. Either from eating too fast or too much. Too much is just a few little bites too much. To fast, well I got too hungry and eat too fast. Also, I had a lot of trouble early on with the sleeve and vomiting. Even vomited brushing my teeth early on. Even with this I love my sleeve. It is so much easier for me. The band was always a problem. With the sleeve I eat like a little bird. 3-4 small meals a day and a few Protein drinks. I am losing weight at a good pace, I haven't cheated and just a little protein like 2 ounces of chicken or 1 egg and I'm full for hours. I NEVER had that with the band. Best wishes on your journey.

I just got back from Bali, Indonesia and now in Singapore. You bet I still drink shakes. When I can't find the right food it is far better than eating something too spicy or I have no idea what is in it. The shakes keep me on track. If I eat at a restaurant and what I ordered just isn't going to work for a variety of reasons, I know I can have a shake and I'll get the Protein I need. Also keeps me from fooling myself and eating some crap cuz I couldn't find the right foods at a asian restaurant. And I really like protein shakes. Fuzzy navel has saved me many, many times from eating the wrong foods. And I do feel full with them most of the time.

I sure remember thinking "What HAVE I DONE!!!" but now I'm so happy with my choice. Hang in there. The surgery is a huge insult to our stomach and it takes time to adjust. And it does. Take care of you and be gentle with yourself!

I wish you the best on your journey. I also had my band removed in Jan and a sleeve done at the some time. I had lots of problems with the band, slips, constant pain, had it redone, etc. I love my sleeve. For me it is so much easier and less painful (after recovery) than the lap band. I'm still new at the sleeve but I don't get hungry and just a little food is all I need or want. Even with the band I wanted more food. Hang in there!

Just checking in----I am in Singapore (HOT AND HUMID) for 3 weeks. My hubby works here. It's a challenge to get the right foods but not impossible. Thank heavens for Fuzzy Navel. A few days ago I tried seaweed salad, a few bites so I thought I was good. Last night I ate a bit more, like 4 bites and spent the rest of the night heaving it all back up. Felt like serious acid reflux. My throat burns today. I've been here in Singapore many times and usually sweat like a "xx" .....well you know what. 50 pounds higher and I still sweat but not nearly so much and cool down much faster. It was always an odd feeling to be around so many Asians who are generally not overweight, often small frames, and walk everywhere. I'm still a big girl but I feel better so I'm not feeling so conspicuous and standing out. It is amazing what loosing 1/3 of my weight feels like. I can't even begin to imagine what 80 more pounds will be like. Scary actually but I'm working with my shrink on that one. Best to all of you!

It took me a lot longer to get to regular food than most. I had to stop reading where others could eat anything cuz I'd try it and vomit immediatly. The upside is I have really great restriction. I still drink Protein drinks and feel full on one. I am still just introducing some new foods. I tried many foods too soon and they all came back up, proto. Just trust your body to tell you what works and what doesn't. I still can't eat protein and vegetables in one meal. Even when the protein is just 2 oz. I wait about an hour to 2 hours after the protien and then eat the vegetable. My doc says it works for me so I eat 4-5 small meals, several are still Protein Drinks. I'm happy with how it's going.

I had a terrible head-ache on the pre-op liquid diet. For me, the headache came from the sugar withdrawal. It was really hard. But I liked the chocolate Protein drink from HMR. Made the sugar urge go away. And Sytex Fuzzy Navel. My food changed so much my bode rebelled. But today, 4.5 months later. Still no sugar and it feels great. I did have a hot chocolate and it made me very sick and my first DUMP. I'm sure it was from the sugar in the hot chocolate. No hot chocolate for me unless it's sugar free and those have such a lot of crap in them, I just don't want to drink it.