justhere4theshow

If it weren't for my belly, I would have lost two pants sizes. My jeans are all super baggy everywhere except at the waist. It's driving me insane, but I know my belly will probably be the last to go...I know I will get there, but in the meantime I look like I have droopy-drawers...(y'all from the South should "get" that, lol) Truthfully, I can actually fit into smaller jeans, but I hate the muffin top!!! I will just wait it out...

My apologies. I had no intention of crossing over from opinion to assumptions, but I guess I did.

You didn't rattle my cage. I expressed yet another opinion. Your life is your own, and I certainly had no intent to label you. My words were based on yours, however incorrectly I interpreted your words. I still wish you the best, just as I did before.

I had no drains.

Expect the worst and hope for the best. No way to know what your experience will be. I can tell you that a positive attitude can change your entire experience for the better. I wish you the best!!!

I am curious as to how you know how you will feel 6 years from now? You feel how you want to feel, and I am sorry that you feel that you must live your life without hope. You create the future that you want to create, but life is not absolute. No one "alwayses" or "nevers". I don't intend to discount your feelings or take anything away from your experience, but I was once a pessimistic person myself. I chose at some point to change my outlook to preserve my sanity. No one knows what the future holds, and your situation has just as much of a chance to improve as it does to not improve. I think you are doing yourself an extreme injustice by making up your mind that the rest of your life is going to be miserable because you don't want to admit that things can get better just as easily as they can get worse. You are sure to manifest what you believe to be your reality. This is just another opinion and is in no way meant to disrespect your feelings, but I am sad for you that you are making up your mind to be miserable permanently. I sincerely hope things get better for you, but if you don't want or believe it to be possible, I can guarantee it won't. I wish you the best, even if you don't wish that for yourself.

So, here are a few things I wish I had known before I had my surgery (I was sleeved 5/23/16): The gas...oh my goodness, the gas. It hurts, it stinks, and sometimes you can't trust a fart. Lovely. Surgery doesn't make it easier to lose weight. It actually makes it more complicated! Protein, carbs, sugar, fat...It's all scientific now. If I don't get my protein, I hold Fluid and don't lose weight. If I eat sugar, I don't lose weight. If I don't get all my Water for the day, I feel hungry, tired, and--you guessed it--I don't lose weight. I even landed in the ER getting 4 bags of fluid and a CT scan to check for complications. And my insurance got a bill for $7,000. After the one they got for $29,000 just a month previous...more on that later... Mood swings from hell will descend upon you, and you will be powerless over it at first. Now, I am learning that I tend to cry right before a stall breaks. Fat stores hormones that have to go somewhere when the fat goes...extra PMS? Yes, please! NOT. Yes ladies, your period may go completely haywire for a while. FUN... Speaking of stalls...the weight won't always come off in a predictable pattern. It may not come off as fast as you want it to. If you stick to your plan, you will lose weight, but along the way you will stall. You may not lose anything for a while, even though you're doing everything right. You will get concerned, you may think the surgery isn't working, but if you stick to your plan the weight will come off. On it's own schedule, though, not yours. The human body is incredibly complex and very good at learning how to NOT starve. Some people believe in starvation mode, some don't, but don't test it. You don't want to get sick and malnourished. You may need to exercise more and log your food to make sure you haven't slipped up, but the stall will break. Eventually... You will become acutely aware that people who know you had the surgery are watching you. Watching what you eat, when you eat it, and how much of it you eat. Watching to see if you lose weight, and if you don't lose weight FAST, everybody has an opinion about whether or not you should have had the surgery and if it will work, and you may hear horror stories about somebody's friend/sister/brother/cousin/coworker who had the surgery and gained all the weight back. Or never lost it at all. Stick to your plan, and remember why you made the decision to have surgery. Be ready to avoid toxic people as necessary. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. So be careful who you tell. If you are married, consider your spouse's feelings. Talk about it. You will need them on your side if at all possible. If they aren't, it could be problematic. Be ready to have hard conversations and make decisions based on those conversations. You may learn things about your relationship that you never knew, which can be good or bad. You will have regrets. Mostly in the beginning, but be ready to wonder what in the hell you were thinking when you had this surgery. It's hard! There is an overwhelming temptation to believe that this was supposed to be easier. It's not. It's effective, but it's a lot of work and it takes a lot of self-discipline. People may judge you and say that you took "the easy way out". See the previous paragraph. And then see the second paragraph. You may have to educate a few people. Or tell them to get lost, your choice. If you didn't already know it, you may find out that you have a serious problem with food. Get that fixed, and do it before you waste a lot of time and heartache. Go to therapy. The surgery will NOT fix your brain. I cannot stress this enough! You will find out that food is the glue that holds our lives together. We Celebrate with it, we mourn with it, we reward ourselves with it, and sometimes our social lives revolve around it. All of that has to change. Food is fuel. Period. You will not enjoy eating out for a while, if ever. The portions are RIDICULOUS, and most of it is nothing you should be eating anyway. "I'll just have a small salad..." No, you won't, not for a while. You won't be able to eat raw vegetables for a long time, and never before your doctor clears it. It's the last step. And it may be never for certain foods. BECAUSE... Your taste will change. What your stomach can tolerate will (obviously) change for a long time, and maybe forever in some aspects. You may hate what you once loved and love what you once hated. Go with it. And get over your addiction to caffeine, because that has to go, too. Not forever, but your surgeon will have an opinion about when it's okay again. If you smoke, a reputable surgeon will not do weight loss surgery on you. They will most likely test you for nicotine, so don't cheat, just quit. You won't heal as well and it's just plain bad for you. You will have no vices for a long time. Because...you can't drink alcohol either! Not for a LONG time. Just look that one up, because I quit drinking a long time ago and I don't even care about this part. Except: you may trade old addictions for new ones. You may need therapy to fix this. If food was a coping mechanism for you, you had better have a plan for new coping skills. BECAUSE... This is stressful as hell, if you hadn't figured that out. You hair may come out. Be ready. Biotin is rumored to help, but it isn't a sure thing. You will need to take Vitamins for the rest of your life. Don't be cheap and skimp on this one. You need bariatric vitamins. Deficiencies can set you back in significant ways. It's not worth it. Take your vitamins. Now. If you're still reading this, you may think I am one hell of a "Negative Nelly". Nope! I am a realist. You should be scared. You should think long and hard before you have weight loss surgery. If you even qualify for surgery, you've cleared a significant obstacle. If your insurance covers it, that's another significant obstacle out of the way. Soooo...If you have a surgeon willing to do it, and you can get insurance to pay for it (or if you can make it happen as self-pay) DO IT. If you still want to have weight loss surgery despite knowing how much it can suck, then you will probably do well. BECAUSE... IT'S WORTH IT. All of it.

Fat stores estrogen. You are most likely being flooded with hormones. Most of us have been through it and still are. It can be rough, but it helped me to know what was going on. Some days are worse than others, but you just have to ride it out. Hope you feel better soon.

I'm sorry to hear that you are having complications. In my opinion, it is well worth it. But I didn't really have a full-blown infection. My main incision had a suture that worked its way up to the surface, so it took a bit longer to heal. Hang in there and just take one day at a time. This will be a distant memory before you know it. Keep posting and let us know how you're doing.

@@GinaCampbell I am so sorry. I also have fibro/CFS and a good bit of arthritis in my low back from surgery to clean out a disc that was really messed up. The WLS was indeed a trigger for my fibro, but I still believe in my decision. I realize it may take me a bit longer to reach my goals because I can't even exercise most days. I do try to at least walk as much as I can on those days when my body just doesn't cooperate with anything more intense. Some days I can't get out of my recliner. Needless to say I don't lose much weight when that happens. I did see some research that indicates that losing excess weight can greatly improve fibromyalgia. I don't know that anything will ever help with the CFS. I figure it can't hurt to be as healthy as possible. The thing I hate most is the fact that everything just seems so much harder for us. It sometimes takes so much effort for us to accomplish such minor things. Hang in there...you are not alone.

I was sleeved on 5/23/16 and have had two such episodes just as you described. I have not had one since. I believe it was dehydration as KristenLe stated. But I think it then turned into anxiety. I could not cool down and couldn't catch my breath for several minutes. I don't know if it had anything to do with hormones, or just low calories coupled with getting behind on fluids. Definitely keep in touch with your doctor about it if it happens again.

You're right! I never was a math whiz, haha!! Thanks for the clarification

I wouldn't expect a lower BMI patient to lose 18% in the first month, not pure fat, anyway. For me, that would have been 31 pounds, and there is no way in hell I got close to that number. My BMI was 34 at surgery. Everybody is different, but that is still a lot of weight to lose in one month. I am losing steadily now, thankfully, but I sure had a slower start. I don't expect any certain result by any certain date, because it makes me crazy trying meet a predetermined expectation. I am just allowing my body to take care of itself while I eat the right things and get my exercise. And of course--protein and water!!

I think what people mean when they make the comparison between muscle and fat is that a pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat. Of course a pound is a pound is a pound.

Oh goodness you are indeed tripping!! 8 DAYS. You will need to heal and adjust before you start dropping any meaningful weight. I know you want it now, because I did, too. Your main concern this early should be Water and Protein. You will see results when things get settled down. Just follow your doctor's instructions and stick with your plan. It will happen.

Aaaaahhhh, yes! I read that wrong the first time, haha!! Good for you!!

@@OKCPirate I am glad you liked my post. I can imagine the hormones are a nightmare for men, also!

I am not "afraid" of certain foods either, but I do have certain foods that I have a healthy amount of respect for. Some, I simply do not eat, because I know that they will either slow or stop my progress. My sleeve has really helped me to choose better foods, to savor every portion, and make sure it's something that helps me rather than hurting me. I never thought I would be able to eat healthy and not feel deprived and depressed about it. Love my sleeve!! once past having medical problems and cleared to eat any kind of food, I refuse to be *afraid of* or *guilty* about any foods. that being said the sleeve makes it pretty darn easy for me to stick with my plan, and that is why I am happy with my surgery results. before surgery my hunger was unmanageable.

I am 46.

Some people just don't tolerate carbs well in any form. I am one of those people. I have to keep the carbs very minimal in order to lose weight. And, yes, even "healthy" carbs.

The purpose of the pre-op diet is multi-faceted. You need to be able to make necessary changes in your eating habits. You need to shrink your liver (that is usually the 2 weeks immediately preceding surgery). You need to be able to not gain weight during the pre-op phase, as most every insurance company will not cover surgery if this happens. You risk having to start over and wait another 3 to 6 months. Every program is different, many doctors have a different approach, but insurance requirements tend to be pretty standard. I personally found it easier to lose weight pre-op, but it's coming back around as my body adjusts. I just never could maintain long-term weight loss before. The surgery throws your body for a loop, so things can take time to adjust. I have been able to make so many positive changes with the help of this tool. I quit smoking, I have broken my addiction to soda and sugar, and I feel better about myself each day. I think it all started with the pre-op diet and the self-discipline it required of me to make changes.

All protein bars are not created equal. You just have to read labels. Some bars are for weight gain, some are for building muscle mass, and some are meal replacements. Some are just glorified candy bars, but there are some really healthy ones, also. Remember to subtract grams of fiber from carbohydrates to get "net carbs". It is entirely possible to be successful using protein bars to supplement a healthy diet. Some people just can't eat enough food to get all the protein necessary. Do your homework and find what works for you. Your NUT should be able to help as well.

I bought Charco tabs today. They are supposed to reduce the odor a bit. So far no such luck. UGH.

Sleeve patients continue to lose weight as far out as 2 years. It is not necessarily faster in the beginning at all for lower BMI patients. You are absolutely going to have to slow down a bit...you're giving your body too much to deal with right now. I know you love to exercise, but you have to eat more when you work out so much. My weight loss has been slower also, but the further out I get from surgery, I am losing more and more. I had to stop expecting a certain rate of loss, and just let it happen. Follow your program and do what you have to do, but suspend your expectations for a while and just let your body do what it needs to do. This takes time, especially for sleevers. Be patient, be diligent in your efforts but don't kill yourself, and relax. You will lose the weight. (I'm not sure how you ended up overweight to begin with) Keep posting and let us know how you're doing. My best to you.