Ashlegal

Bread is the bane of my existence. Bittersweet. I have always considered a slice of toast, chunk of fresh baguette, a bagel with cream cheese, etc, to be a perfectly acceptable meal. But it is not and since I started my WLS journey bread has not even been in my house. That doesn't mean I haven't craved it, hunted the internet for a reasonable substitute or sifted through hundreds of "bread" recipes on Pinterest. Then I came across a post on another forum where a member was RAVING about a recipe for "cloud bread." She said it was awesome, amazing and we should all give it a try. And I did. And it was amazing. I had chicken salad on a couple of "slices" and it felt like be reunited with a long lost friend. Here is the recipe, try it, you won't regret it.. CLOUD BREAD 2 eggs Separated 2 oz Cream Cheese 1/8 tsp cream of tartar Preheat oven to 300′. Separate eggs. Whites in one bowl, yolks in another. Add cream cheese to yolks and mix until smooth. In the other bowl add cream of tartar to whites, and beat with hand mixer on high until fluffy and peaks form. Carefully add the yolk mixture to the white mixture and fold to combine tupperware overnight. Like Magic they turn into “buns”. Enjoy!

I had a really crude (and naughty, more naughty than crude) comment to add but realized I'm a lady.

I am five months and 9 days post-op. I have lost 85 pounds, five pant sizes, 4 top sizes and five dress sizes. I started at 5'2 289 pounds. I am anticipated being in onderland soon! Hopefully by the time I head out on my cruise next month!

I know many of you won't care but because I am so excited, I had to share; I was lucky enough to get tickets to see Adele!!! That is all.

@ I was 302 pounds the first day I met with my program director. I am 5'2 and that is 160 pounds of extra (unnecessary) weight I was carrying around, all day, everyday. Two weeks into the program I was moved into "group" meetings and there I met women from different points in the same journey. Until that first meeting, I was going towards Sleeve surgery as it seemed less invasive (it isn't), less restrictive (it is but that isn't necessarily a "good" thing) and didn't seem as drastic (umm, you completely lose part of your stomach, that's pretty drastic). During that meeting I met six ladies who had all had sleeve done and were getting revisions to Bypass. When I asked "why?", they all had a similar story. They never reached goal weight, they were still battling comorbidities and they had horrible acid reflux (worse than prior to surgery). Two of them had actually been LapBand patients prior to getting Sleeved and were now faced with a third WLS. In total, there were out of the thirty people on the program (at the same time I was) 12 of them were Sleeve to Bypass revisions. Those revision stories and the fact that I already had horrible GERD, my surgeon and I decided Bypass was best for me. He also felt that due to my obesity, my obesity related issues and my age, (30's) Bypass was a better fit. I have lost seventy pounds since having surgery on September 9th 2015 and have absolutely no regrets. None. Not a single one and everyday I feel better and better. I am off all my diabetes medicine, my blood pressure medicine and my labs are spot on with taking my Vitamins daily. Which is something I (and many others) should be doing regardless of surgery. Many obese individuals were not getting the right nutrition from the foods they were eating, anyway. I am in no way trying to persuade you in one direction or the other. I am not a medical professional and all I am offering is my story. And the reason I decided to have Bypass over Sleeve. Good luck on your journey!

You will have great success with either surgery. With the sleeve i have good restriction and feeling of fullness. With bypass you also have malabsorption and dumping I don't dump. And taking my Vitamins keeps my labs perfect. Plus, dumping is a great tool for those that have weakness when dealing with high sugar/high fat foods. It keeps them in check and allows them to use their WLS tool successfully.

@@JengaBee The yucky, icky feeling you are experiencing being only five days post op is relatively normal. Think about what your body has been through; poked, prodded, pumped with air, insides re-arranged, sewn on the inside and realize that is a lot of trauma for a body. My surgeon told me to compare it to a minor car accident. It is the days following that hurt the most, are the most uncomfortable and make you feel like poo. As long as you are meeting your Fluid requirements and getting enough Protein in, you'll be fine as the days progress.

I was taken off all my extended release medicines and in fact even my pain medicine had to be switched to a patch. Not all people have issues but my surgeon, my PM and my PCP didn't take any chances; they worked with me through trial and error finding alternatives to ER drugs I was on prior to surgery. I would do some Googling, talk to your PCP or prescribing physician about ANY and all ER drugs you are currently taking. It is crazy to me that everyone keeps bringing up the size of the pill when there is a bigger issue at play.

The sleeve procedure scared me more than having RNY. For one I have horrible GERD, which is amplified when having sleeve surgery. The second reason was, RNY can be reversed if absolutely medically necessary, sleeve cannot. The third reason was, many, many ladies in my program were having revisions from sleeve to RNY. Their reasons were all the same; never got to goal weight, had too many issues with heartburn and many of their comorbidities were still present. I don't think there is a general pros. vs cons. for either surgery, it all comes down to personal goals and current health situations. I am three months post-op. Down 65 pounds, three pant sizes, 4 dress/blouse sizes, off all my heartburn, blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes medicine. I am so very, very, very happy with my decision to have RNY.

@@JengaBee @@pink22 There will be moments that regret is a nagging feeling resting lightly on your shoulders. It will whisper gently in your ears and it will cloud your focus. It gets further and further away and it visits less and less the further post-op you are. But there will be times that you get so frustrated with the program, with the discomfort, with the "restrictions" that you'll say to yourself, "why did I have this surgery? why did I not have better control of my food habits? how did I let myself get too fat I needed such an extreme measure to get healthy? why is this so hard?" And you'll probably cry (or feel like it) in those moments and you'll have to snap back into reality, work hard to get over the immediate feelings of "oh woe is me" and stick to staying positive. This is not an easy journey but it is well worth the challenges ahead.

Congrats on your decision! The biggest piece of unsolicited advice I can offer is, "be patient." This journey is not easy, it gets frustrating, it is emotional, it is physical and mentally challenging, it is going to take you down a road you can't see through the trees. It will be scary and it will take the kind of effort you sometimes don't think you have in you. But if you are patient with yourself, with those around you, with the program; you will reap rewards that will make every bump, every tear, every frustrated moment worth it.

Seriously?

This is what I use and feel it is a Godsend! I tried for many weeks looking, trying, buying, replacing and hating different calcium supplements. All pills were way too big, all chewables were way too expensive and a few other liquids were horrible tasting. http://www.costco.com/LIQUID-reViva%C2%AE-Calcium,-64-Ounces.product.11706458.html The only issue is, it can't be found at every costco. I have to order it online because my closest Costco doesn't carry it and the one almost an hour away isn't a viable option.

Congrats!! I started in a 24W and last week bought my first 18M. The 18 is a little tight but not uncomfortable! I can't wait to fit into a size 14!

How much have you lost in the months since starting your program?

Yes! I was the girl for many years that said "I never get cold and I am always hot!" And I was always hot. I live in Arizona and we don't get much of a winter but even when the temps would dip in the 40's I would keep a window open. Otherwise I would burn up under covers while trying to sleep, in the kitchen while cooking or even just lounging on the couch watching TV. I never understood people who wore slippers around the house or socks to bed. Guess what? I put layers on while hanging out around the house, I put slippers on and wear socks to bed. I feel like I can never get warm enough!

I attend both OA meetings and support group meetings at least three times a month, along with a couple of therapy sessions. I advise people if they cannot find or conveniently attend a bariatric support group, they should join an Overeater's Anonymous group. Many bariatric patients attend OA meetings. The OA meetings help me deal with my addiction to food, the bariatric support meetings help me focus on my program and my therapist gives me a platform to work out any other issues. Right now, I can use all the support offered.

My boobs are not losing any of their "girth" but I am losing inches around my bust. I was in a 44D before surgery and now sixty pounds later I am in a 38D. I do not want to be "all boobs." I am barely 5'2 and with only sixty pounds lost can start to wear large sizes and no longer need anything "plus-sized." I cannot fathom how ridiculous I will look if my boobs stay in a D cup while the rest of me fits in a size small.

I started noticing the weight loss in my lower belly, rear end and hips, first. Then I noticed it in my legs, then my face but overall, I have lost evenly. I carried my weight evenly and was never "top" or "bottom" heavy. I don't know if that has anything to do with where one would lose the weight first. *shrug*

First off, anyone who views the tool WLS provides to lose the weight to have a healthier, better quality of life, is an idiot. This is not an easy decision to make. It is not an easy way to lose the weight. It is not an easy journey to take. Is it easier than dieting and exercising? Not if your whole life when every diet and exercising attempt has been a failure. Do other people lose the weight without surgery? Duh. But those other people are not you, they may have not had your opportunity for WLS. They may not have had the health issues or the emotional issues or the necessities it takes to get approved for surgery. WLS is a tool. Nothing more. It is not a quick fix. It is not an easy escape. You have to dedicate yourself to a completely different way of life. Many people are ignorant to the facts of WLS and what it requires from those who want it or have had it done.

@@melps He didn't once bring up the issue of a possible stricture? Did you suggest you would like him to consider the possibility it is a stricture? If the carafate isn't working how it should, maybe you should call his office back to pursue the stricture possibility. It is better to be wrong about the stricture than to feel depressed about how you feel.

You need to be completely honest with yourself and reflect on if her weight is the only reason you are "falling out of love" with her. It is an easy escape in your current situation to blame her lack of motivation to get healthy on the reason you are having issues staying attracted and in love with her. Several months ago you may have felt due to your weight, you didn't want to leave her even though your may have not been still in love with her. Now that you have more confidence, feel better about your future and feel capable of attracting other partners, the need to stay with her isn't as strong. Being honest is the only way to come out the situation with dignity. The truth hurts, which is why so many people would rather lie. But no matter how horrible the truth, a lie is always worse. She deserves the truth and you need to be man enough to be honest.

I know you posted issues with the being able to keep food down a couple of weeks ago, have you not spoken to your surgeon about the issue?

Kristen Renee. She has been a guiding force in my journey. She is so amazingly positive, inspiring, up-beat and candid that she makes anything WE could be going through easy to get through. https://www.instagram.com/kristen_wls/ https://www.instagram.com/kristen_rb/ And her YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMH_2xy_V9NpXqYcfTBOY5Q Mellie May. She is another great person! She is easy to relate to, understand, feel inspired by and get great ideas from. Her Instagram handle is mellie.may and here is her Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYSpwzYZVMq2DWYaEY6otXg I have yet to find the courage to get back on Facebook or Instagram. I suspended both accounts a month before surgery and still can't see a big enough difference in my weight loss to "come out of the closet." Kudos to you! You are brave, beautiful and inspire many of us.

A size XL at Old Navy was a wee too big. I haven't worn an XL for many years and now I can start to fit into L. Mind-blown!