Daisee68

On Sunday I had plans to mow/weed eat the lawn (which I have been paying someone to do the last few years) and then my sister called and wanted to go for a walk. I went for a 3 mile walk AND worked in the yard for almost 2 hours and didn't die! Seriously just the lawn used to sideline me for a couple of days. Amazing how much more I can do now at 135 pounds down. Also went to a Dr yesterday whom I haven't seen in about a year and a half and had no idea I had the surgery. She was amazed and so encouraging! And PS it just never gets old when a Dr office hands me the smaller robe instead of the largest they have and even then it didn't fit right! Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App

@ - several of us here have Graves Disease. Glad they found yours and you should eventually be on the road to recovery following RAI. Please know that you could absorb your med differently so you will need to be tested every 8 weeks or so or at least keep a very close eye on your symptoms to request blood test and potentially make med adjustment. Having said that, it has not affected my weight loss at all. I had RAI in Feb 2012. Gastric Bypass in June 2015 and down 135 pounds. Have adjusted my Synthroid 3 times since surgery and feeling another change needs to be made. Just had lab work on Friday so we will see. Good luck! Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App

@@Elode - don't fall for @@KindaFamiliar 's tricks. He just wants to see pictures of you! Wishing you the best! Truly! I am calling this week to set up a consultation in May with Dr. Peter Fisher in San Antonio. Probably a little early but as I am so close to goal, I want to have an idea of what we are looking at time-wise and money-wise.

@@Elode - -so excited for you! Been thinking about you this weekend and remembering your surgery was sometime early April. You are going to do great! And I know you will be so glad when it is over! (You look amazing before though - just sayin'!) Best of luck! Let us know how you fair when you can!

You are definitely not getting enough Protein. Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App

@ midorigal- I've been taking my Synthroid whole since the day after surgery. It is very small. You can cut it if you need to but highly unlikely you will need to do that. @@shokoh - So sorry for your diagnosis but as others have said, if you have to get cancer, this is the kind to get. I promise once you get it out and get your Synthesis regulated, you will feel a million times better. You MUST be consistent with taking your med. Every morning with Water only and wait an hour to eat. It is very important to be consistent with this new especially in the beginning when they are trying to get you to the right dose. As for the other stuff, please don't let this derail you. You have done well. Are you seeing a therapist? If not, I would strongly suggest doing that during this difficult time to help you sort thru the feelings and to get back on track with your eating. You got this!! Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App

Have you gotten meds for your hypothyroidism? Once you get the right dose, it will help. I have had to adjust my Synthroid dose a couple of times since surgery trying to get back to the perfect balance but it hasn't slowed down my weight loss (thank goodness).

Well at 135 pounds / 10 months post-op, yep, I have a turkey neck and I absolutely HATE it! People tell me they don't even notice it even when I point it out, but it is the one part I really stare at and can't wait to get nipped/tucked. I am even been doing this laser skin tightening thing and it MIGHT have helped but I am not really convinced....

Girl, I can't do a lot of those things very well and I am down 135 pounds! Seriously, don't beat yourself up and remember that you have a headstart on surgery this way PLUS you will have come so much farther in 12 weeks! @@KindaFamiliar is right - you will drive yourself nuts comparing yourself to others. You just have to compare yourself to the past you. I man do I hear you about flashbacks to gym class but don't let it derail you. We (or most of us) have allowed these head games to derail us because "what's the point" is what we tell ourselves. Don't let that happen to you. Take a few quiet moments to yourself and reflect on what you WERE able to do and not what you WEREN'T able to do and picture what it will be like to be able to do all this in 12 weeks. And then promise you will come back and post on this very post and update us in 12 weeks on how you did.

@@kempermorris - Interesting! She is a great doctor! So glad I found her! Glad you did too!

I too find it odd there isn't a full workup. How old are you and what is your BMI? Perhaps he considers you relatively healthy? Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App

I also use the ready made Premier Protein (usually chocolate but sometimes vanilla) and love them. For powder I use Precision Engineered whey Protein Isolate (be sure to get the isolate). The chocolate is good and the vanilla is amazing. I gave some of the vanilla to my sister (non-WLS and just doing protein For health / muscle building) and she LOVED it! She said it was the best one she had ever tasted. They sell it online in a small 1 lb bag in addition to the large jars so you can try it out. She also likes Quest but liked this one even better. Also, get some sugar free syrups (like Torani) that you can mix with them. Oh and last, give the hot chocolate a try from the Bariatric Pal store. The Amaretto is my favorite and a nice change for some protein. Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App

Yes! I have ordered several things more than once. The Protein hot chocolate is really good (the amaretto flavor is my favorite). I ordered the protein chocolate chip Cookies the last time and they are pretty good. Different texture than the regular Protein Bars but still have a little protein type taste to them. The other stuff I ordered is pretty inline with pricing from other sites. Give them a shot!

Congrats!! That's amazing!! Great job!!

It is probably swelling and you may be getting too full. How fast are you drinking? Sip slowly - only 1 ounce per 10 minutes or so right now. If it feels that full, give it 30 minutes or so before you try drinking again. It will get better as the swelling goes down. Promise!

@kempermorris. If only weight loss were as simple as the math we have been told in the past. I have already lost 135 pounds and as I near my goal, loss has slowed regardless of intake. Appreciate your advice though. Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App

Congrats @@sassyfrass23! So glad you are doing so well! Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App

@@choicemun - Do glad everything went well. The gas pain does suck! Gas-x, hearing pad, walking and just plain old time. First few days are the worst. You got this! Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App

@sassyfrass23 @@choicemun - Hoping (trusting) all went well with your surgeries!! Check in and let us know how you are doing when you are able.

@@aelovelady - Great answer! Very few (if any) are 100% perfect. The key as @@aelovelady said, just forget about yesterday, heck forget about the last meal and just move forward. You can correct this day and then today will be even better. This is a really emotional journey, so feeling a little down is not abnormal. Just gotta distract yourself and power through the urges to eat until they are gone!

If it is muscular, try a heating pad too. That might relax it.

Beef jerky is definitely my favorite. Protein bars? Single serve packages of Peanut Butter or almond butter and then hopefully they will have an apple somewhere that you could eat with the PB? How about a big turkey leg that some fairs have? If all else fails, I think I would order a burger with no cheese and no mayo and then just eat the meat (with some pickles or onions, etc. for a little veggie). On vacation, I took a scoop of vanilla Protein powder (already divvied up in a small snack size plastic bag), a package of Orange Flavored Crush powder (or any of the Crystal Light flavors) and a shake cup and mixed it with Water and some ice for a Protein Shake. Ooh also there are these Snacks called Mr Cheese O's that I get at Target (or Amazon) that are great protein snack. If you don't have that, you can get Moon Cheese (carried by the Bariatric Pal Store) but they are a little high in fat to eat too many. Good luck! Have fun!

Depends on your insurance (if you are going that route). My insurance, Cigna, required 3 month supervised diet. (Many others, such as Blue Cross, require 6 months supervised diet.) With the 3 month requirement, I saw the surgeon on January 20, went to the "class" required by dr on the 30th. Finished diet and all requirements and insurance go submitted on April 30. Approved the following week but didn't have surgery until June 4 due to some work restrictions. I asked the same question to my dr at my first visit and they said average 5 months given the 3 month diet. Would imagine it could be closer to 7 or 8 months if you have to do the 6 month diet. Depends on your insurance (if you are going that route). My insurance, Cigna, required 3 month supervised diet. (Many others, such as Blue Cross, require 6 months supervised diet.) With the 3 month requirement, I saw the surgeon on January 20, went to the "class" required by dr on the 30th. Finished diet and all requirements and insurance go submitted on April 30. Approved the following week but didn't have surgery until June 4 due to some work restrictions. I asked the same question to my dr at my first visit and they said average 5 months given the 3 month diet. Would imagine it could be closer to 7 or 8 months if you have to do the 6 month diet.

There are a lot of folks who fly home from Mexico within a few days of surgery so 4-6 weeks should be completely fine.

I love my bariatric surgeon, Dr Colleen Kennedy. Her staff is great. She has 3 locations but the Baylor Dallas location is closet to Irving (also in Plano and Rockwall). I highly recommend her. PM me if you have questions Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App