MrsKarenC2008

Everyone ... I THANK YOU so much for taking the time out to reply to my post ... It's so interesting how we all go through this surgery and try to better our lives and our health ... but yet ... all of our rules and surgeons rules are so different ! Like I read some of you eat mashed potatoes ... I wish! My doc says no no no ... And steak? My doc says no no no to that as well ... I'm 10 weeks out as of yesterday ... and he has me scared to death to try new foods ... I would love to try a few pieces of a salad ... but I'm scared to ! I don't know if he'll suddenly appear like a genie and wave his finger at me and say "I told you NOT to eat that!" Oh Lord ! My hubby said he's kinda worried because all I eat is Protein shake and P3's and eggs and the occasional piece of rolled up ham dipped a few times in mustard ... I take my Vitamins and I feel just fine ... but I figure when I'M ready to try new stuff .... I will be far enough out ... that I will be ok ... I'm SO GLAD I have this forum Y'all are AWESOME!

@Smills do you find the steak hard to handle? like tough or stringy ?

Wow everyone! Seems like we're evenly divided on this topic ... I honestly never thought about the places NOT offering anything worthwhile on the child's menu ... but that is very true ! Kids don't eat grilled chicken and vegetables ... they eat hot dogs and grilled cheese and macaroni ! Wow ... guess it doesn't pay to even go through the hassle ! We've only been out to eat a couple of times ... and I got a small bowl of chili one time ... couldn't eat it because it was so stinking spicy ... got scrambled eggs another time ... they were nasty ... NOT like hubby makes ! so ... I guess I'll stick to that ... or pick off hubby's plate

I have lymphedema in both legs .. and even with the weight I've lost so far ... they don't seem to be going down much ... a few years ago I lost weight and they went down "some" ... but now ... they are just as hard and big as they were pre-op .... so anyone out there have any stories to share with me? I need a glimmer of hope that when I lose the weight I want to ... that I could wear capri pants in public ... ya know? thanks everyone

@@Inner Surfer Girl I hate looking at my inner thighs ... they look like something from another planet ! icky! I'll stay dressed for the rest of my life ! LOL all kidding aside ... I am grateful for the new me that is starting to come out ... truly I am ... without this surgery this would NOT have happened for me ... and it's sad to say but I would be wheel chair bound ... I need to have knee replacements ... but the doctor said because of my weight and lymphedema he couldn't perform the surgery ... so having the my knee replacements in a few years was one of the biggest deciding factors in my weight loss surgery ... Everything for a reason !

@@Inner Surfer Girl doc says that as long as I'm losing to not worry too much about the lymhedmea right now ... that in time it will go down a little bit ... but it's something i'll always have ... you know, until about 4 years ago .. I didn't even know I had it ... I thought it was just fat ... it just seems to be so much more sensitive after surgery than prior ... so maybe it's waking up and will start going away .... one can only hope! My left is a slightly bigger than my right ... both legs start at my knees and go down ... so buying pants right now is so hard ... I'm one size in my waist / hips / thighs and the bottom I have to buy the wide leg type of pants just so that the top fits .... I know I shouldn't complain ... the weight is coming off and I'm doing okay ... it's just I read / hear stories about girls getting ready for winter with skinny jeans and boots ... man I cant remember the last time I could wear shoes / boots that went over my ankles ... so I was just wanting to share my thoughts / story and see if someone else shared my struggle ... thank you for sharing surfer girl!

@TJBintheOC upper arm and inner thigh cream HECK YEAH I NEED THAT TOO!!!!!!!!! Lord someone should invent it ... they would strike it right for sure ! Your post made me smile ... at least my smile muscles are toned !!

Oh Lord .... I thought I saw this coming a week ago ... but yep ... here it is .... I'm getting Turkey neck .... Oh on earth do you exercise that part of your body !? Tips? Tricks? Help before I start gobbling ! LOL

I have been debating on posting this or not ... but I figure we're all in the same boat ... and there are NO stupid questions ... so why not ... Ladies ... Since surgery ... have any of you had a feminine odor that you've never had before? And no matter how much Summer's Eve spray you use or how many times a day you wash ... it lingers ? I swear ... I've never had this, EVER! I honestly don't know if it's from a lack of something in my diet ... or because I now take Vitamins ... which I never did before, or what?! Ugh. Any advice welcome ....

@@dhrguru thank you so much for telling me that! glad to know there is hope!! I'm 9 1/2 weeks out...hopefully won't last much longer!!

@@kimby1029 you are right about urine also...I'm not a dirty person by ANY definition. .. but this can be unnerving. .. Thank you for your reply!

@Mom26 thank you very very much for your reply ... I will definitely ready this article you found for me !

@@Stevehud Congratulations! and can I be the first to say "Welcome to Atlanta!" Its been in the 80's here lately .... supposed to have a few cooler days beginning of next week ... I completely understand how it's the little victories that make us the most happy ... fitting comfortably in the airline seat with a seatbelt that buckles ... not having to lean and lift a hip to click the seatbelt in the car ... not having the hips poke out between the chair bottom and the arms of a chair ... being able to actually put on shoes with laces! We all experience the little wins each day ... I'm glad you shared yours ! Have a safe trip and enjoy my city !

@krista132 YOU GO GIRL !!!! @@newbeginnings1965 said she couldn't wait until her clothes didn't have a X or a 1 in them ... AMEN !!!! I feel the same way !! I have gone down 1 size in pants and I'm from a 4xl shirt to a 2xl ... So I still have #'s in my shirts ... but that is okay ! Low is were we go ! I wish you all continued success .... WE DESERVE IT !!!! ^5's all around

@Radar I used to think that same thing! But I went through True Results ... and that is how they did the sleeve for me ... there were a lot of ppl there that day ... they also do surgeries in the hospital for others ... but this is what worked for me

I was surprised by: how annoying "sip sip sip" was .... UGH ... I wanted to DRINK not sip ! how painful the gas was ... when it reached my left shoulder ... I wanted someone to shoot me! how weak I would be ... just taking a shower made me sleep for 3 hours afterward .... how certain foods would actually smell horrible! My mom made a bowl of Cheerios ... WOW they stunk!!!!! I had to go into the bedroom and shut the door .... bleech! how sugar free popsicles tasted like they were drowned in sugar .... I still have the box in the freezer ... and I refuse to eat them ... yuck. how not being able to take Midol anymore really really sucks. BUT ... the thing I wasn't expecting ... ( or maybe I secretly was ) was just how wonderful losing weight ... and KNOWING I cannot gain this much ever again .... just how great this feels !!!

@@magicalwoman Congratulations ! Welcome to the Club !!! @Radar My sleeve was outpatient ... I had it done at 8am and was home by 3pm ...

@Mega_100 P3's are the best invention ever! You can find them in the sandwich meat/hot dog/ section of your grocery store ... and even some convenience stores carry them now! As stated above ... there is a little bit of cut up meat/cheese and nuts ... there are several different kinds ... and I have one for lunch everyday ... its just enough then I'll have a string cheese for snack ... and Protein shake for my afternoon pick me up ... I double it shot my shake though ... I use half of a carton of pre-made with a scoop of Protein powder ... extra protein and tastes good too! I carry a huge bottle of Water with me ... along with a smaller bottle of Powerade Zero ... The lunch bag is my 2nd purse ... At least now I'm out of the pill crushing stage ... so thank Goodness I don't have to carry that around anymore ... You will definitely find what works for you ... everyone has a little tip or trick ...

first of all we don't judge her...we all struggle...as the saying goes the struggle is real" As the wise ladies above me stated...you know what's wrong and you know how to fix it. don't beat yourself up for falling off the wagon...just get back on it! do not let what lead you to surgery...keep you from its success! good luck! @@jackiemc1987

@@skirby22 unfortunately ... pre-surgery ... tomato soup was a staple for me ... but to my sadness ... after surgery ... when I tried it .... YUCK! it was one of the things the new taste buds and tummy does not like :( I hope that if you're craving it soooo bad ... that it tastes as you remember it ..

@shellyd67 PLEASE DONT CRUSH THE IRON!!! omgosh ... I tried it ONCE ... it tasted like I was eating fence ... Lord it was NASTY !! The Iron I take is tiny ... and I've been cleared to take it since week 5 ... Good Luck to you!

@Comicbookguy YES! it does get easier ... I was in the same boat as you ... I thought "I'm so thirsty - I wanna chug a lug sooo bad!!!" ... But tummy wasn't having it ... lasted about 3 - 4 weeks ... now I can drink normally Thank God! At first only room temp drinks were tolerated ... but now I love love ice cold things again! You will get through this ... Promise! Enjoy your journey!!!

@@shirleybstephens can I ask which Vita4Life formula you use ? I see there are several different types ... and if I can get ALL the Vitamins that are required in one pill .. I'm all for it ! Currently 8 1/2 weeks out ... taking chewable multi Vitamin - chewable calcium w/extra D3 ... sublingual B12 and Iron ... Thank you Shirley!

Hey there ! I had my sleeve on July 8th ... and actually went back yesterday for follow and blood work ... they say I'm right on track and out of the danger zone ... and to start adding more fruit and veggies ... I'm really not and never have been a veggie person ... so this should be fun! I stayed away from fruit because of the natural sugar and seeds in some ... but now im ok to add ... so this should be interesting ... I've been so afraid to add / try new things ... I just don't wanna tick off the new me in there waiting to get out ... and besides ... who really wants to feel sick to their stomach on purpose ? I hope you're doing well and have a great day !

@@Whitney1968 Surgery on that part too!? I'm going to be a walking bag of sutures! But I guess it's better than the alternative ... not walking at all! I thank you for your reply ... and wish you much continued success !