kranky813

Sitting here today at 169lbs. 5'7 and honestly feel really good. Everyone I see says how great I look and how I am going to blow away in the wind. I still don't see it but that's a topic for another story. Anyway, while everyone says how skinny I am and how great I look my BMI still says I am overweight... My surgeon and I agreed to 145 as a goal weight so I am on my way there but what everyone else is saying about me and to me is really starting to wonder if I should continue to shoot for 145. Anyone else deal with this? I can't be logical about it because I still feel like I am overweight and still see the "fat girl" in the mirror.

Thank you everyone! I agree that it really should be up to me (and of course my doctor) what my weight should be to stay healthy. I honestly just find it so hard sometimes because of the way that I see myself. I'm not used to seeing a skinny girl and sometimes I let what others say to or about me get into my head. I am going to keep going. We said 145 and I think 145 is what it should be!!

Mine was US $18k. Worth every single penny!!!

So we had this dinner in our community for the Fire Department (My hubby is on the department). Anyway I wanted to wear something nice so I went shopping and picked out some Miss Me Skinny Jeans and a super cute top to wear. The sales lady was super supportive and helped me pick the right size of jeans (hey, I'm not in my 20s anymore and I have no idea what all these weird sizes are) Anyway, I got home with my size 29 jeans and proceeded to do laundry and pick up the house. While folding my step-daughter's clothes I noticed that her skinny jeans from Miss Me are a size 28 and she is a tiny stick figure. I can hardly believe that we are only one size apart in jeans. It sort of blows my mind a little bit. So knowing that I had to go online and do a size comparison and found out that I am now a size 7/8. That is the weirdest thing I have ever seen in my entire life. In my eyes I still feel like I am a size 16/18 but I guess in the world of Miss Me I am a 7/8. Heck, I'll take it any day of the week! PS - Rocked the party

I would certainly get those test results explained to you - I can't offer advice there because I am not a doctor. What I can tell you is that your body is starting to go into starvation mode and it is completely normal for you to feel the way you are - exhausted, weak, light headed. This will pass. It's your body's way of telling you that you are starving and that you need to eat more. Your body is fighting you. After surgery my body really resisted me not eating. I was able to up my Protein a little bit through clear liquid Protein and that made a world of difference. Maybe try that.

So almost 6 months out and honestly love life. I look good, I feel good and honestly things are a lot easier these days... however... When I started to lose the weight I noticed 2 lumps in my right breast. I went to the doctor right away and had a mammogram and ultrasound with plenty of blood work. At the time my doctor didn't feel that the lumps were cancerous but wanted them out anyway. She also asked me if I had ever thought of having a breast reduction (which I had) and sent me to a plastic surgeon for a consult. They would do the surgery together. One time under the knife was good for me. We planned on having the surgery about 1 year out from my WLS because they needed my weight to stabilize first. I went in for a follow up last week and we discovered 2 new lumps in the other breast. Again, all tests look good but my doctor wants them out now vs. later. I am about 30 pounds away from my goal weight. I know I need to have this surgery and we are doing the reduction and lift at the same time as taking the lumps out.. but... If I continue to lose weight will my breasts be lopsided? I've heard horror stories where women will gain or lose more than 20 pounds after a breast reduction and their breasts will not look right. Ok, I'm not completely vain here. I know that I have to have this surgery. I was just wondering if anyone else has has this situation or gained or lost over 20 pounds after this type of procedure. Thanks!!

@@lsubabe33 I am a fan of flavored vodka and crystal lite lemonade. We went to a party last night and I drank Kinky Blue and Lemonade (they didn't have crystal lite) but I try VERY hard to stay away from anything carbonated. I have had a drink of beer and pop before and it gives me horrible gas and gas pains. That alone is enough to keep me away from the carbonation. @@lsubabe33 I am a fan of flavored vodka and crystal lite lemonade. We went to a party last night and I drank Kinky Blue and Lemonade (they didn't have crystal lite) but I try VERY hard to stay away from anything carbonated. I have had a drink of beer and pop before and it gives me horrible gas and gas pains. That alone is enough to keep me away from the carbonation.

I agree 100% with Jenn. Even if you can handle the infection at home make sure you go to the doctor and document it every single time. With the right amount of documentation the plastic surgery needed to fix it will be covered under insurance. So to answer your question, this is normal. Make sure you are using an antibacterial soap to clean and dry well after showering/bathing. My husband used to get rashes from his skin rubbing together and having to wear wrangler jeans at work every day. Once we switched to Dial Bar Soap the issues went away.

I have been struggling with the mental stuff lately. Really not being able to "see" the weight loss on myself. Everyone says that I I have lost weight and look great but honestly I couldn't see it in myself. Well I took a selfie the other day to show off my super cute new shirt and that is sort of when it hit me, I see the loss. I still have a hard time when I am naked but at least I am getting there

@@jessmarie0122 I had issues with the Isopure as well. I made up my own concoction to get the liquid and Protein down. Mix: 8oz of the clear isopure ready to drink 8oz of matching color of Gatorade or Powerade Zero 8 oz of Water It gives you flavor, protein and liquids all in one plus it isn't chalky. I would drink one of those every day for the first month or two.

I agree, call the surgeon's office. I am a self payer as well and the hospital told me the "all inclusive" plan but that only covered their part. I also had the surgeon's fee, the anesthesiologist, and the nurse anesthesiologist. The "all inclusive" only covered everything in the hospital such as supplies, operating room, drugs, 1-2 over night stays, etc... I would ask to see the contract and look at it very closely.

I say black and white one. I'm in the same boat as you... I still don't see "me" I see what I used to look like. Weird isn't it

My doc said 3 months but I started using them again at 1 month. I told him I was doing it and he just asked me how it was going. The big thing is that you can supposedly get more air into your tummy using a straw which can be uncomfortable and you can also take in more liquid than you are supposed to during one drink. At 4 months post op I would say break out the straw and enjoy!

Sorry, I haven't heard of this but working in HR I can tell you to just go and talk to someone in the benefits department at your job or you can call your insurance company to see if they would pay for the cost of care in Mexico. You don't know an answer to something until you ask. IMO

My doc said 1-2 weeks but I took 5 and was so glad I did. I honestly needed the time to just get into a routine with my new tummy and be able to heal. Everyone is different though. My doc told me he had one person go back the day after surgery, he didn't recommend it but his patient did it anyway. I would plan for the worst and expect the best. If you have the time off plan for it and then if you feel great you can always go back earlier.

@@jessmarie0122 I had a horrible first 2 weeks. So nauseated, couldn't drink, felt miserable and cried all the time. I regretted my decision more than you can possibly imagine! I ended up back in the hospital 2 days after surgery for severe dehydration. Ok... that is the bad. The good is that on day 9 everything changed. I started to feel a lot better. The nausea went away and I could take bigger sips of Water. I will tell you that I HATED drinking. It was the most horrible and annoying thing for me personally. It didn't matter what it was I hated it. BUT day 9 was the turning point for me. I am 5 months out now (holy cow can't believe it) and I love life. What I needed to hear at the point you are at now is that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I promise it will get better and once you hit the 30 day mark it will be so wonderful you won't even remember the first few weeks. Just hang in there and know that we are here for you.

What my surgeon told me was LOTS of water pre op and post op, Water is the best thing for your skin. Also to use a good lotion. I actually use Nerium (you can only buy it through a rep) and to be honest I can't believe how well it has worked for me post op. I still have loose skin but it's not as bad as it could be.

West suburbs here! I was sleeved in August 2015 and down 56 pounds! Feel AMAZING! Best decision ever! It's nice to see some locals here

My surgeon said I can take nsaid's for 72 hours if I double up on my acid reducer on the days I take the nsaid. I had kidney stones and the ER doc would only give me pain meds in the ER and told me to take nsaids at home. When I told him I couldn't take them he shrugged his shoulders (I think he thought I was a pain med junkie, lol)

That's awesome Dave!! Keep it up, it's such a great feeling to get those little victories!

Ok.. quick stats... 4 months post op. Love life... almost 60 pounds down. Here's the issue. 1st issue is that I am a size medium. Is that crazy or what! for someone who has always been an XL or larger being a medium is so weird to me. 2nd issue is that I don't believe it. When I look in the mirror I don't see the size change. I still see everything that I did the day of surgery. Everyone around me says I look great. I am at 180 pounds and I feel great. I hadn't seen below 210 since middle school so to see the scale that low is weird. But my brain keeps saying that I haven't changed. When I try on the medium clothes I think the sizing is wrong. Someone messed up. I can't be a medium because my naked body isn't a size medium. How long did it take your brain to catch up to your body? I KNOW I have lost weight and look good. But when I look at myself I do not see it.

August 20th here and doing FANTASTIC! Down 56 pounds (at a stall right now of course) and feel great! I just put on my work pants this morning and swore because I have to throw them out and get a smaller size. My clothing budget has gone up a lot in the past few months

@@ssguthrie So one of the concerns I had was like you about throwing up or not being able to eat certain things. I again will say that everyone is different but at 4 months out (actually at about 2 months out) I could eat what ever I wanted and it didn't affect me. I laugh and say I have the stomach of steel My doc was shocked that I ate beef Jerky at 2 months out. Not that he didn't want me to have it but that I handled it very well. I am not one to throw up either. If I eat too much I do not throw up. Now that being said I will also say that I have made myself throw up 2 times because I ate one bite too many. It was a very uncomfortable feeling where the food felt like it was stuck in my esophagus and the only way to make it feel better was to vomit. I did and the feeling went away. It has only happened one other time. I learned my lesson to slow down and not eat so fast so my tummy can tell me when it's full instead of having one too many bites. Skin... aaahhh yes the dreaded loose skin. I have it, it's not horrible, you can't tell when my clothes are on. PS.. my boobs touch my belly button now I just feel like the loose skin is a reminder of what I used to do to myself and where I don't want to be again. I gained 100 pounds in 6 months when I was pregnant due to pre eclampsia... I have a road map of stretch marks and scars and loose skin.

I'm glad it's not just me then. It just seems so weird. I knew I would go down in size and lose weight it's just weird being a medium...