BarrySue

Happy you're doing well!

Obsessively reading WLS forums

This thread is gold. Thanks for the laugh, ladies! I have officially diagnosed my scale as schizophrenic.

That kind of comparison is exactly why people are reluctant to share. WLS is stigmatized, and a potential romantic partner is not entitled to every aspect of your personal health information.

In that case, invest in all those lovely storage/compact clothing doo-dads and contraptions I see on QVC

You acquire basic/essentials that you keep all year round as a base/foundation for fashion throughout the year. Then you rotate in and discard seasonal items one by one. Some people go to Plato's Closet or consignment shop route too to swap out or unload old clothing to make room for new stuff, especially if they have a taste for fashionable clothes.

I was a 50DD, now I'm a 40C. It's a very, very full C, but once you take the bra off, it's the ol' fried eggs on a nail bit. They still look huge because the rest of me has gotten so much smaller, though. It comes with the territory; loose skin and saggy breasts are a luxury tax we pay for being allowed to eat uncontrollably our entire lives. I'll just pop on down to Mexico next year and purchase myself a set of new ones. God bless the technological advances in medicine!

Oh wow!! I am going to try this with my favorite rolls. Thanks for the tip!

*erects neon blinking "EMBRACE THE STALL" sign*

Nice Very nice

I stick to Target and Old Navy for cheap but comfortable/marginally fashionable stuff (Kohl's and Ross as well). Target definitely has nicer stuff with a more interesting selection than many of the department stores I've visited, and there are still larger/plus sizes if I want something a little bigger or if a certain style is too small for my still-massive chest. Unfortunately, Torrid's clothing is too big on me due to their vanity sizing. I don't fit into their size 14/16, and yet at other stores I can be 18/20.

Haha, I feel you, OP. I've always had male friends because we shared common interests (sci-fi, nerd culture, video games, I make chain male/battle armor for costuming purposes, 80's action movie addict). So I've always been very comfortable chit-chatting with guys, and because I was well on my way to 400 lbs, those conversations were only ever based on genuine mutual interest with ZERO romantic/sexual overtone. Now, I'm having to recalibrate my perspective because these random conversations sometimes end up going in directions I'm not used to. I feel like I can't read people at all! I've been accused of flirting/leading people on for having the same friendly conversations I always have. Bro, I thought you were sincerely interested in leatherwork and bbq recipes. I didn't know engaging in small talk about hobbies meant I was giving you the green light to grope me! Yeesh.

Wow, I couldn't have egg beaters for 4 weeks. I tried at 2 weeks and got really sick. I was fine by 6 weeks, but it took awhile before it wouldn't make me nauseous.

The typical route for moving along a BM post-op goes in succession if each one fails to help: LOTS of Water --> prune juice --> stool softener --> laxative Your surgeon likely has a specific instructions for how he prefers to handle post-op issues. Definitely refer to that. Also, remember that you have barely eating, and none of it solid, so it is common to have very little to no waste.

It's great though that you genuinely tried to follow their advice and still utilized them as a resource before striking out on your own. That's one thing I dislike about many WLS nutritionists -- they have a "one size fits all" policy that doesn't always accommodate the needs of patients.

I had it a month out, but I didn't really enjoy it. I ended up doing the smoked eel as sashimi--the rice kills it for me. Nine months out I have it occasionally, but honestly, it isn't the same. I LOVE the spicy tuna and spicy crab rolls, but I tend to peel off some of the rice because it just gets too filling too quickly.

Got surprised on my last day of community college with a huge prestigious scholarship for university and grad school. Video cameras recording the event, promoted in newspapers/websites, immortalized in youtube clips. And I was horrified. I've avoided cameras for years, but there I was, all over the place at 353 pounds, and there was nothing I could do about it. Everyone was happy for me, but I was mortified by what I looked like. It also took away a lot of the excuses I had -- the next six years of my life are paid for, both in tuition and living expenses, and although I still work as a nurse, that's all extra gravy for me to enjoy my life. Money and time were no longer an issue. But most of all, the prospect of a great future -- what was the point in getting this opportunity if I was gonna be dead or immobile in ten years anyhow? Why bother with grad school, speaking engagements, conferences, all the prestige and honors if I was fifty pounds away from being stuck in a rascal scooter? So the day after I received that award, I decided WLS needed to happen ASAP (and it did, two and a half months later). I guess for me, there was no rock bottom moment. There was only an "oh crap, I could actually have an awesome life" moment.

Wow. You are tremendously self-aware, and that's just about the greatest asset someone can bring to a relationship. I think you should discuss your fears and self-protective tendencies with him, and emphasize that it's something you're working on incrementally. You're getting there an inch at a time, and it'd be nice if he was there to grow with you. I think it's not only okay, but smart to keep part of yourself guarded, so long as you can unfold yourself a little bit more as the trust builds. After all, people who love indiscriminately aren't exactly healthy or wise about it either. I'm happy for where you are. You seem like a lovely person, and so does he. Wishing you the best.

I'm also self-pay and only did a "nutrition workshop" with a bunch of other WLS-scheduled patients that really didn't offer me any new information. As a nurse, I've already taken extensive nutrition classes, so I didn't get anything out of it. But while I'm lucky to have a strong medical background, I do worry for those who are left to the whims of internet information and forum advice; it can be hard to tell what is accurate and what is dead wrong (albeit offered with good intentions). I admit, I've been guilty of scrapping with others verbally on this forum when I think they're giving downright bad health information. I always recommend people go to established, reliable sources and use their doctors/nutritionists post-op to ask questions and get straight answers. Doctors aren't perfect (I've wanted to throttle more than one when I hear them tell patients stupid things), but it's always important to use the surgeon as a source of info BEFORE asking strangers on the internet.

I have Barrett's esophagus, and my reflux was so bad prior to the sleeve that I would wake up with vomit in my mouth quite often. It was especially frightening to me because my father developed throat cancer as a result of his untreated Barrett's syndrome. I was terrified of the reflux that so many people talk about, but in the 9 months since I've had the sleeve, NOTHING. I haven't needed acid reducers or any kind of OTC or meds to control it, and I haven't had a single incidence of reflux since. I can't tell you why, and it doesn't seem to be the norm, but I no longer have reflux with the sleeve (I did not receive any hiatal hernia repair or other alleviating procedures either).

I couldn't stomach shakes or Protein Soups (sorry unjury, I really tried to like you), so I lived on fairlife fat free milk during my puree/liquid stage. Fairlife milk is ultra filtered to remove sugar and lactose, and then fortified with extra protein and Calcium. I would drink it cold with sugar free strawberry syrup, or heat it with sugar free cocoa mix. It helped give me variety while meeting my protein needs. Good luck, OP!

Unfortunately, you'll get a different answer for everyone. For me, the spasms/cramps after every bite/swallow lasted about two weeks. Severe to moderate pain in terms of the incision lasted 4-5 weeks, and it took about 2 months for all the surgical site pain to go (but I am an EXTREME case).

Same! I absolutely loved spicy food, but now even at 9 months out it makes me nauseous. Such a shame, because cajun and mexican spices are so delicious, but what can ya do? I've learned not to resent my sleeve, even when it does annoying stuff like ruin jambalaya for me

You'll hear different answers from everyone, but I allowed myself a couple big dinners with my favorite foods before my surgery. I did two weeks of low carb, high protein/lean meat, then a few days of having my favorite foods, then the 48 hour liquid diet my surgeon wanted before going under the knife. I know a lot of people think this sets a bad precedent or indicates not being ready for a life change, but I felt like I needed it, and I'm happy I did it. I remember those last meals with a fondness so powerful it borders on sexual