Dislexicon

Hey @@wombatski, how are you going now? I'm not sure, I haven't had surgery yet, but from what I have read, people's body's seem to have a slight shock reaction to the surgery and 'holds on' to the weight for a small period just after surgery. Sort of as if in reaction to the very large shock to the system, preserving what energy stores it does have, but then 'relaxes' again and you begin to loose in earnest. I also have read that you have another stall in weight loss a few months after and this seems to be the body becoming adjusted to the new diet and food intake, most people being to exercise at this point which kick starts the weight loss again. I hope it's working for you, try not to feel so bad about yourself having small slips... those dark thoughts can do more harm than good in the tricky world of food psychology. Just promise yourself that you will be true to yourself and make it all worth it and also allow yourself a small treat occasionally and enjoy it without guilt, because it is OCCASIONAL.

I'd love to know about people's insurance coverage and out of pocket expenses for the sleeve procedure. I'm not sure what to expect ..... :s

I haven't seen any blogs or vlogs yet of people who have had bariatric surgery who don't have excess skin by the time they reach their goal weight. It must be quite uncomfortable for you. I like shopping at Harris Scarfe, Rivers and Best and Less. All are cheap, have decent quality and not made for tiny girls with skimpy taste. Good luck x

@@wombatski Congratulations! It must feel good to be 'done' but I'm so sorry you are feeling unwell. It's been a few days now and I hope you are on the mend and your husband is being a good carer for you. All the best x

Congratulations! So jealous! What do you guys mean by ton?

Also interested to know what brand people find is best for the protein shakes? It's sometimes hard when most of the blogs, vlogs and forums are full of feet, inches, pounds and brands I've never heard of. So it would be great to have some home grown advice on which products you guys find stack up cost wise, taste and of course the all important protein and nutrient content!

I'm just wondering if any of you are juice drinkers and if it's something that you find beneficial after surgery or do you stick to the protein shakes? At the moment I start my days with a fresh juice with a mix of fruits and vegetables and I'd like to continue this after surgery.

I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Leanne. I've got a plethora of medical complaints I live with and I often get the feeling from doctors that they have little or no concern for how you may cope with what they are telling you and also if they have conveyed the information in a way that us sensitive but gives you all the information you need to understand the situation. I hope it all stays good, by the sound of it you've got a good doctor who will keep on top of it for you.

Hi @@MzGee thanks such for your reply. Everywhere I go for PCOS info the focus is on fertility and pregnancy, and I feel mean but I feel like saying "enough! There are other forums out there for this!". PCOS is such a complicated health issues (Dr's don't even fully understand yet) and each individual has a variety of different symptoms present in varied degrees. I'm so glad to hear your hair is growing back in. Was your bald spot from losing hair before or after surgery? At the moment I take biotin daily and use a biotin special shampoo and conditioner. I also take a whole host of other pills and supplements but it doesn't seem to help me much. I just do want to be bald AND have facial stubble .... Is that too much for a young woman to ask? Haha At least I could probably join the circus xx

It's called a hiatus hernia. It's as I explained before about the opening of the stomach to the esophagus... They ask about the reflux as it us a symptom of a hiatus hernia. If you suffer reflux it indicates to your surgeon that while he's exploring your innards, he should check it out and see if he can tighten it up. Most surgeons will do that as well as inspect your gall bladder and remove it if needed. Don't be concerned about guarding information from your surgeon in case it may delay surgery. Your surgery going forward and being successful is in their best interest.

My surgeon also asked me about reflux. He explained that when they go in to do the surgery he will check my gall bladder (won't stop him doing the surgery, it's just a courtesy) and also check the opening of the stomach to osephagus. If this is lose, it can be the cause of frequent indigestion/reflux and also as a courtesy he'll tighten it up if required.

Oh, you did reply by name. There you go!

Haha just type @ and then the screen name. I have a few tips I could pass on if you like?

Oh gosh.... So many typos. So sorry!

Hi @@wombatski I'd never heard of plication before. Very interesting. Although the sleeve is not reversible, one benefit is that the part of the stomach which produces ghrelin (hunger hormone) is removed, a big reason I finally settled on that decision. Everyone needs to reach the decision which is best for their needs and expectations. As for your current habits, I am concerned about the same things for myself and goal gas been to get as much of the psychological and emotional aspect of my food problem addressed prior to surgery. As others have mentioned, surgery is a tool. To use it well we need to learn some new skills, erase old patterns, create new habits and essentially make huge and fundamental life changes. Surgery is only part of it, the rest of it I'm anticipating will be a lot of hard work and adjustment. I hope you get what you want from it Where in Europe are you, by the way?

Hi @@steveelea thanks a lot for your advice, I'll have a look into elevit. Great. My aim with the portion sizes was more aimed at adjusting to what life will be like post op, trying to get used to the smaller portions on a mental level because currently my mind looks at small servings and says its still hungry before I've even started. My biggest worry is trying to prepare mentally and emotionally, because they are the true culprits, not my stomach. I sometimes see vlogs of 'cheaters' and I'm scared of going down that road. What did you do to prepare yourself?

Mmm goo... Haha

Dairy and eggs are a good source of Protein because they also contain amino acids which your body needs to build with the protein. (Any animal protein is more complete than other forms of protein because it has already got the complementary amino acids present). Of course after animal Proteins good sources are; nuts, seeds, legumes and soy products are rich in protein too. Some people recommend hummus as a great food, its tasty, easy to make and has great protein content. I'm no scientist, so my apologies to anyone who wishes to correct the terminology this generally unofficial information....

Hi Leanne. Thanks for the warm welcome. Yep, I'm going for the sleeve! I'm hoping to try scaling back my portion sizes a bit as it gets closer (and the devil on my shoulder keeps banging on about living it -or eating it- up while I can). I am vegetarian so I suppose I will have to get creative about protein intake but what do you recommend on the vitamins front?

It's called trichotillomania and I am not in the position to diagnose people but my guess would be that before surgery you would have been living with an underlying anxiety or stress issue. Maybe your mode of coping mechanism was eating, cooking or planning meals previous to surgery? Now that you are unable to use that coping mechanism, you are pulling hair... That's OK and well done to you for picking up on it. People develop very sophisticated means of directing their attention energy into tasks, chores, hobbies etc and can quite successfully 'cope' through this. Meaning that they can continue to live quite happily.... but if the coping mechanisms are noticeable to others or you are prioritizing carrying out the behavior without the ability to anticipate negative impacts on yourself, others or your lifestyle; drugs, alcohol, obsessive behavior like shopping, eating, gambling or even self harm etc ... Then the means of coping has become toxic to you, not helpful at all. We all carry 'baggage' and most people aren't aware... Just look into some cognitive brain therapy, counselling or whatever form of help you feel most comfortable with. Above all, remember that you are human and humans are strange, complex and amazing animals . . . we all need a bit of help figuring out what is really up with us. Xx

Hi ladies, I'm about 10 weeks away from being sleeved. I have had PCOS for over a decade, at this stage I have a pretty terrible problem with facial hair and I am also balding. I'm really worried about the additional hair loss post op. While I'm hoping to have children in the next few years my main area of interest/concern is with excess unwanted body hair and scalp hair loss. Has any other PCOS sleever got a success story to keep my spirits up?

I also wanted to share some info. I know a lot of people (if not all!?) Talk about addressing your underlying relationship with food, that just because there is a physical restriction in place, it does not mean that you have had a personality or habit transplant. The Swinburne Psychology department run a 3 months program (10 sessions then some over the phone follow up) called the Mindful Moderate Eating Group. I attended one session but due to a personal issue I had to defer until Jan 2015. The group is small 6-8 people and 3 PhD psych students. They encourage discussion and exploration of our thoughts, patterns, habits and relationships with food. They use cognitive brain therapy, self awareness, guided meditation and food journaling. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you have an open mind I'm sure it could be very complementary to surgery. The waiting list us quite long and it costs about $400 but if there is anyone out there who is waiting around for their insurance to clear 12 months and wants to be proactive with their time, give it a go.

Tough times, not thought times. Oh, autocorrect...

Hello all, new comer from Melbourne here. I'm booked for early Feb and as it gets closer I want to feel really well prepared (mentally and physically!). I'm 28 and 120kg plus or minus 2kg. I have PCOS with the full sha-bam of symptoms (excess hair everywhere i dont want it and losing hair where i do want it, that's the worst one) and I'm hoping that the sleeve will rid me of the condition and maybe reverse this? So... What are your top tips pre op? Would you do anything differently with the benefit of hindsight? What helped you get through the thought times?