pumpkin07

Hi there. Not sure where you live but i am also in Houston. Who is doing your surgery? I have been a single mom and I know it would be very scary for you and kids. End result is the important thing and I am Always telling everyone who does surgery is most important decision as this is a very serious surgery. There are some great soca some horrible ones and some avg ones. Go for great. Your kids sound like they are not being supportive but w teens it is so hard to see what is going on inside. But I would insist that they be involved so they will feel good about that later. Also maybe shop a lot early on w what you will need. I bought so much stuff I did not use. What I mostly used was a nectar Protein, homemade broth so lots of frozen chickens and onions and celery. I ate a lot of Jello and drank a lot of weak tea and koolaid. I drank a lot of hot green tea. If you can handle unflavored protein that is good, I could not. I use 20 oz rubbermaid shakers you gotta have a favorite sipping cup. I still use them. I used a few protein bullets for emergencies. Take care of you. I hope your job will be supportive. I went in a week but it was too soon. It helped me tho to be at work bc I was getting depressed at home. But I sat and cried the first day back which seemed very hormonal kind of a let down. Kinda embarrassing but I got thru it. You will know more to expect than I did.

That is super, it is so exciting......!!!!!! Funny to see how many years our current weight goes back. I weigh 155 today and remember weighing that for the last time which was prob 1989. Wow. It is a journey. I wish you the best, you are really losing weight quickly.

Oh, well, I shouldn't make it sound so great then. I need a lift so bad and a skin reduction. The girls are terribly 'long', so don't be jealous now. It's allllllllllllll lskin. My husband asks OFTEN when I'm having the next surgery. But geez, I'm so friggin scared. I'll start considering it at 1 year. I'll likely need a tummy tuck, a boob reduction/lift, and a butt-y tuck if they have that b/c I have a lot of extra skin hanging from my butt. My legs have just all but disappeared. But my tummy is still chubby. Kinda weird. I would have never guessed my butt would hang. My husband just invested in a recumbant bicycle but I was looking at it trying to figure if I could ride it with my hands instead of my feet. lol. I really need to work out my upper body; whereas my lower body is just gone. Kinda of an anti-gravity exercise device if I am upside down. I need anti-gravity right now. But at least I'm in good company, heh?

YA - It is TOTALLY cool.....I shop at Ann Taylor now, J Jill, Chico's. It is fun fun fun. The only thing that will fit anymore at Lane Bryant is the bras. I've changed bra sizes twice. But not in the cup, strangely enough.

Bless your heart, that coffee just sounds, wow, challenging. To me protein tastes no matter what. I have trouble understanding why I cannot do it unless last resort.

I cannot remember anyone who loses too slow. Some exercise, some don't. Some count, some don't. I am a failure bc I am not at goal and it has been over 8 mos. I failed. So that means I am wearing a size 8 to 10 petite instead of a 4. Haha. But I used to wear a 20 womens petite. The good thing with the sleeve is even the slow losers are winners. Best wishes...you will do great. Important things are to get a great surgeon that will support you throughout, a really good bougie size for you (mine is 34), no leaks, lotsa fluids and Protein, and do not move to solids alcohol or heavy exercise too quickly.

Wow wow wow. That is a lot to take in. I think you need extra love and pampering. Lotsa extra rest and frequent small meals. I would drink a couple glasses whole milk daily too just to be sure. Baby first, but the lil sleeve will need to filled often.

Where do you live? I would do it again, but am glad I did it in US w Center of Excellence bc if you have complications you will find a doctor in Mexico to be useless to you. I do know a few that have had leaks and if surgery was done here they were able to get through it easier. You can imagine doctors here are hesitant to get involved if a doctor outside of here did your surgery.

I first wore clothes tight bc I was fat and they were to small. After surgery I wore them loose bc I was fighting trying not to buy clothes. Now I buy my clothes bc I have no sizes like this and I buy them tight. I use a belt often, tuck in shirts. It is kind of a 3 phase rhino. The funny part was when you need clothes you also often need shoes underwear, pajamas, etc bc it all gets too big. How fun, enjoy.

Yeah you look really terrific. You look very small now. How cool. I have noticed that my lower body has less fat than upper body but I am not at goal. My fat above waist has changed but I would like to see more fat off above waist. Wondering if you noticed any of that.

Went w husband to Vegas this weekend. I know, I am showing age bc a lot of you are like who is he? But definitely this was on my bucket list in life bc his music has meant a lot to me since high school in late 70s. When I think of all I have missed in life bc of weight it is so sad. Seemed like everywhere I looked there were super fat people. We had nose bleed seats and watched a lot of fat people struggling to get up stairs. It was like their bodies were rejecting their Desire to have fun. Knees and legs weak, breathless and having to stop and rest. Some trying to not show that it was a huge effort to keep up w their friends. It made me sad for them and hopeful more of us fatties might consider a safe surgery alternative toward weight loss. It is like you lose the weight and regain your life. I believe for me this surgery was a good decision. A risky decision in some ways bc lack of longterm data and the irreversible factor that could bite me in the ass later. But considering that I was bounding up those stairs without losing a breath...and knowing I would have never even gone Otherwise. So much of our former surgery lives were focused on food and being uncomfortable in our skin. I see those of us w successful permanent solutions getting on w the business of living. It is a tradeoff bc there is risk involved, but for me my quality of life wad really suffering and also beginning to effect my marriage simply bc I felt unable to do many things and sometimes my husband or kids would also lose out. My husband never reallybcommented on it but now he is always anxiousnto show me off. His hands always around my lil frame. And I looked super in my berry red cord pants w sexy black sweater. Size 10P pants from Talbots and a size Med Petite Sweater. Nice belt which has been a while since I would consider a belt. I was so excited about new clothes I forgot to bring sexy shoes. I saw some heads turning...I just carry myself completely proud no longer hiding in the shadows.

Drink what you like. For me it has been important to have a favorite cup to go. At first I survived on diluted cherry koolaid which worked. Also hot green tea w agave, homemade chicken broth. Find what works. I could not drink Water much ... Everyone is different. I know I lived in a dehydrated state before surgery. But now I make a fav cup of coffee and a koolaid to go every morn...and as the day goes I get iced tea or more koolaid. Now I try to drink 1glass of milk each day as well. I don't like alcohol or cokes much...maybe occasional sip of soda but too fizzy now and too heavy. Listen to your body, make it fun with special containers that appeal to you, and don't allow dehydration to take hold. Best wishes...

Ditto to djackson post. I survived beautifully while consuming sugar in moderation. I also bought great chickens, very naturally grown ones and boiled them to shreds to get a very rich broth. You can boil chick, take off bone, and then continue cooking those bones a while longer. Add big chunks of celery and onion and some garlic. Strain and drink like hot tea...sip sip sip... I like a lil sweet to my drink, but if I buy sweet tea at rest I dilute w unsweetened tea. People on both sides of this issue. But it is not a race. Do what makes sense to you. Hydration is important

My best advice is to make certain your doctor is the best. If I had a leak I would be revisiting my doctor choice. I would be hesitant to use same doctor. At least worth reevaluating. Several people on this site have had leaks but best medical care is paramount as proven by who makes it through. But I know the best bariatric surgeon will get occasional leak. Go with your research and your instincts. Will be praying for you. It is always concerning. Please update us.

Maybe consider upping your vitamin D. When I don't take enough I feel sad. Can't hurt. Also maybe consider running blood work soon to check levels. Sounds physical

Sorry you are having troubles. I had two c-sections and it was NOTHING compared to my recovery from this surgery. I thought this was very very difficult to get through. I got very scared b/c I couldn't eat (sort of a panic) and also sad, but mostly scared what have I done, etc. I didn't have a fever or the severe abdominal pain that might signal a leak scare, but I just felt horrible and was very scared of not being able to eat. I went back to work a week after surgery, but I was worthless and should have stayed home that second week. I didn't have to go back, but the sense of normalcy and routine was a comfort even though I was very foggy-headed. I stayed in hospital 2 nights I think, it is such a blur, and I was severely nauseated. Finally I threw up the last of the brown blood in my gut and then it stopped. I stopped taking the nausea medicine b/c I could see I was throwing up old blood and I figured i needed to come out and it did. I remember helping a litte girl after her tonsil surgery and she was throwing up blood too and she didn't get better until she ran out of blood to throw up. So I figured it made sense and I went with it. I was very weak. What finally helped me was this website and just hunkering down inside myself and realizing what was done was done, and I just had to take it one day at a time b/c I wanted to live through it. Someone else that had surgery a couple weeks before me developed severe complications and that scared me I had to calm myself down lest I be laying beside him.....it was too late to go back. I know it isn't good to scare people. But I also know a tummy tuck is no walk in the park and I plan to get that done too. You gotta do what you gotta do, right. Best thing is to have the BEST Surgeon. That is where art happens. I don't know if this helps, but just take it one minute at a time, one hours at a time and the time will pass before you know it. But it isn't so great to have your tripas cut on, that is for sure. Makes for a tough recovery.

I am the lone sugar consumer. Personally felt I somewhat jeopardized my future health with this radical surgery and truly felt all the artificial crap might only make things worse. I have this tiny stomach with no room for error. I felt putting a bunch of unnecessary chemicals might be a bad idea for me. Everyone was doing the shakes and I drank real broth and did little shakes. All the artificial stuff is more aversive to me than ever. So I stick to agave and sugar. Others have lost faster than me, but I have lost consistently. I chose the surgery and am so thankful for the weight loss. But I just feel very protective of my lil sleeve. I do not drink alcohol or cokes hardly ever. I take antacids only if needed. I just try to listen to what sounds right to me. Don't be afraid to listen to your own common sense, whatever that might be.

I am so sorry. I hope your medicine works well and you are on the mend very soon. Good they found out what it was.

My husband was born in Mexico and we used to go a lot. We will not travel there now. It is really dangerous. Last time we went we were stopped twice by cops for no reason except to give them money. as an american/blonde blue eyes I was treated very weirdly in our 4star hotel which was a Mex American hotel in Monterrey. Bit took me by surprise bc I have even traveled w GF in Mexico and always was treated so nicely. One night was especially frightening as i truly sensed a man who delivered food to my room was contemplating attacking me. I thought fast and tricked him out of my room and called front desk as he was pounding on my door. So recently we needed to return for wedding and we chickened out and lost 600.00. While there for wedding 1friend was pulled over and held at gunpoint by drug person. It was mistaken identity and finally they let him go. I bow we all want to lose our weight but it is my opinion that we should pay bigger prices and stay home. Risk of leak and murder/kidnapping too great for me.

First few days and weeks are tough and you may wonder if it is worth it.I cried but now quite satisfied. I hope you know what to eat and drink. I was somewhat disoriented but what got me through was homemade chicken broth, yucky protein shakes, and weak cherry kola aid. Oh and weak hot or iced tea. Best wishes.

Hi. I had surgery w Terry Scarborough w TLC Surgery. Surgery was great but aftercare not so great. Most everyone I know loves Robert Davis or Garth Davis in Houston. Bigger clinic w all the aftercare you might want. Who is your surgery with?

I'm 7 months and a week out, and I still am losing 4-5 lbs a month. I have 29 lbs to go to goal. I have not exercised, honestly. I'm kinda mushy around mid section b/c of that...thinking about taking up pilates. It has been a lot of years since I exercised so it is a big thought at this point. I focus on Protein, but I don't count so much like others. I know I could do more...but someone told me when I was thinking about the surgery that they just ate less of their normal diet and lost a lot. That has sort of worked for me as I'm not much of a counter. The big changes I've made is I rarely ever drink soda or even alcohol, I am a Kool-Aid junky and a sunflower seed freak...this came after surgery. I buy the Lance brand of seeds which is low salt. I now sip all day long on something or another I made at home with no artificial sweeteners, only Agave or just less sugar) and I really enjoy my drinks more now. I think I used to live in a dehydrated state, so this is so much better for my health. food wise, I eat less fried food, hardly eat junk food, can't stand french fries from McD's or really that type of food in general. But in many ways I just simply focus on grilled protein and eat less. I can eat more on somedays than on other days, for some reason. Pretty happy with the results, but also realizing the last 29 lbs are going to be slow and I may need to get moving. But heh, bought a pair of size 8Petitie Ann Taylor Slim Cut jeans yesterday to celebrate! Haven't seen a pair of 8's in like, at least 25 years. Probably one of the biggest problems is keeping enough clothes in my closet that fit. But it is a fun problem to have. For every special occasion I have to shop. For work I have to shop. For play I have to shop. haha That has been fun. But by losing slow and buying tight I can get them to last the season at least. I am one of those people who wouldn't have lost the weight otherwise. I never dieted, never yo yoed. So yes, I'm grateful.

Everything has already been said. I can especially say I am very sorry for your difficulties and I certainly pray you find the right help to solve your difficulties. If I were you, I would feel exactly the same way right now. At this point, you need to fight for your life by finding top notch care - not just another doctor to look at you. Try to find the energy to just find out who can best care for you in your area - where do you live - maybe we'd have some suggestions. There is an answer for you out there. I think some surgeons are over confident and just will not consider the fact that maybe they did something surgically wrong that cannot be solved with time. It may need to be solved with a new set of eyes and hands working on you. I know you don't want things to get worse from here, so please just make sure you don't go to anyone except a bariatric surgeon that is truly exceptional. Because it could get worse from here if things are not solved in the right manner. Praying for you...

This is sure worthy of thought...I'm thinking...what a great post. I just saw a picture of myself from a few years ago. I turned red, I cannot believe I looked like that person...;'her' face was so wide, the whole body was so wide and just swollen. That is so sad to not even know how bad you look/looked/how unhealthy.... So what I'm thinking is... TO STOP EATING HUGE AMOUNTS OF UNHEALTHY FOOD!! TO GET YOUR LIFE BACK!!! TO HAVE FUN AGAIN!! TO STOP MAKING FUNNY NOISES IN YOUR SLEEP!! TO HAVE YOUR CHILD SAY HIS MOM IS HOT!! TO HAVE YOUR HUSBAND LONG TO TOUCH YOU (CONSTANTLY, okay that is annoying too, haha) TO WEAR AWESOME CLOTHES THAT YOU ACTUALLY LIKE AND LOOK GOOD IN!! TO HAVE A CHANCE AT LIVING A LONG, FUN, HEALTHY LIFE!! TO LAUGH MORE, LIVE HAPPIER, WORK HARDER, PLAY OFTEN!! TO FIND YOUR LOST HIP BONES!!