TracyBar

Do you have a surgery date yet? How are you dealing with what life will be like after surgery? That's where I'm having the most trouble. I don't take care of myself now as far as decent nutrition and time on myself, and I know that it's going to be crucial to do so after surgery. I'm trying to put things in place to set myself up for success after surgery, and it seems that the bariatric team believe I'm going to do fine. Can't help the anxious thoughts though! No turning back once it's done, that's for sure :-) Yes, Dr. Gill will be who I see I understand, although I doubt he/she? knows you as PatientEleventyBillion so saying hello may not work. LOL

I understand walking is key to moving the gas out of your system. Do you manage to get some walking in?

That's perfect! Even if you didn't pack much of a lunch, you have healthy options easily available. Couldn't be better! Your co-worker that was having issues really should have been looking at ways to eat and drink more often - perhaps she has other pre-existing conditions that have made the new lifestyle more difficult for her.

I can see that it could be hard to take the time to eat or drink in your job. But like you say it's a matter of 30 seconds to take a drink, or a bite of cheese or peanut butter. Can you carry a small container of water in your pocket - or a small snack? I guess you'll have to get creative!

Exactly why I'm not telling anyone. Double edge sword for you - on the one hand at least you work with people with a medical background so they understand (well, many I'm sure) why somebody would look at bariatric surgery in the first place. On the other hand they see outcomes, good and bad, and focus on the bad outcomes (as most people would do). There's nobody I know that would think anything but what most typically think - 'it's the easy way out, why don't you just eat less and exercise more'. Even if I were to tell people how much I've struggled with my weight most of my life, they wouldn't get it - how many things I haven't done because of my weight, how many things I regret because of it, how many missed photos there've been (my older kids' high school grads, university grads, any kind of special occasion). My mom passed away recently - I hadn't flown home to see her in 2 years because seeing everyone - family and friends - was just too embarrassing for me. In the end, I had to go back for her funeral and of course saw family anyway. We miss way too much when we feel bad about ourselves. But people who don't suffer from being overweight or obese don't and can't see this. (What sort of bad outcomes are your co-workers referring to btw?)

My plan - tell nobody. Nobody except my husband. In fact, I don't think I'll tell my kids. I would tell the older ones, but they have a girlfriend and boyfriend and I do not want them to know. So - I'll have a dinner and have all over, then say I'm going to get a minor surgery and will be home in a couple of days. If it's the hospital in the far south of the city, maybe that'll be better as so far for them to go. I'm going to get advice from my GP as to what to tell them I had done. Maybe some 'woman ' problem or something :-)

I'm in Alberta too - was at the bariatric clinic today for Dietician appt. I started the program in Aug/Sept. 2016, saw the surgeon a month ago. I'm not sure if I'll see the surgeon again or not. My surgeon is Dr. Mitchell and it takes the longest to get surgery with him, but he apparently has the most experience. Everyone passed me through pretty quickly (Nut, Psychologist, Nurse), and I'm a good candidate for the surgery. Just have an endoscopy I'll have to do in High River in a couple of months. I may see the surgeon for those results. Plus can see anyone I like at least every 3 months. I was down 10 lbs. so going in the right direction! And you gotta love the healthcare system for sure! No cost at all - and I'll also be able to get a tummy tuck if I lose 80-100 lbs. which is also fully paid for. Hospital stay is free as well. We're lucky to not have to worry about medical bills. If I have the surgery in one year from when I saw the surgeon that'll take me to February or so 2018. Bit of a wait, but as I said Dr. Mitchell does other surgeries and is pretty booked up....

Ask for a small pillow and press it to your belly if you need to cough. That should help...hope it has all gone well and you're recovering and happy it's over :-)

I can't even have sugar alcohols or aspartame. Sugar alcohols are bad for my IBS, but even more so, they're poison to me and I found out they caused 75% of my chronic migraines. I went from 18-20 migraine days a month to 4-6 a month and have sustained that for over a year. Fake stuff is terrible for your body!

Anejo for Mexican food in Calgary - they make the guacamole right at your table and it's absolutely the best! That'll be my treat once in a while after my surgery :-) As you probably gathered, I'm in Calgary too. My VSG won't be for another 8-11 months...

Hi - we just bought one last weekend. We were thinking of buying it, and while at Costco Vitamix was there demonstrating. We got the newest model ($600. Canadian). Before we invested that much $ in it we discussed how much we'd use it and for what. For me, it'll be handy as I cannot have sugar alcohols so will likely be steering away from processed, flavoured protein mixes. I want to try to make my own so I'm getting the vitamins from real food. I also get very nauseous from calcium, and although my clinic insists I MUST take it - being so sick daily isn't a great option. So again, I'll need to get as much as possible from food. My husband and I also think it's a great way to sneak veggies into out 11 year old daughter via smoothies :-)

thank you!

Haha! Well, it's just my daughter I need to fool - and honestly, my husband is a far better eater than I am - thus me being overweight! I was thinking Costco or Amazon - but I'll look at the website too for refurbished as well. thanks!

You are so right! So many great perspectives come out of these boards - I try to think of all the reasons why to do it (and yes, there are many!), but your point was a new one but one I know very, very well! Every single time I have launched a new weight loss program I kept telling myself "stick with this - in a year you can be where you want to be, or you can stay the same as you are now, your choice". And of course, I'm not here now because I was able to stick it out and lose the weight. There is NO fighting the new set-point we arrive at every time we lose weight, gain it back plus more. That's the new set-point and we cannot fight it - no way. I now know that it isn't lack of willpower, lack of desire to be better, lack of time, whatever I might come up. We just can't physiologically fight our body's purpose to get to a new top weight, as it does this for survival. Can't do it. And I am so tired of 'hiding', in more ways than with clothing! Thanks for the boost - I'm a lot closer to feeling good about this decision now :-)

I'm anxious too. See surgeon for first time this week, and I assume I'll get a surgery date at a time shortly after that. They say 3-9 months from date I see surgeon. Since I found out about this surgery (spring 2016) to now, I've been immersed in research like so many others. I believe it was Sept.2016 when I had my first appt. at the Bariatric clinic and several appointments later, here I am finally seeing a surgeon after being approved for surgery. I'm in Canada, so it's paid for, but there are a lot of people wanting this surgery, so I have to wait my turn. I don't have any pre-existing conditions, so I could get bumped further down the line toward the 9 month wait, I don't know. And that seems like a very, very long time away. Nearly a year from now. I don't like the idea of living in this kind of inertia just waiting to get this done and get to a healthy weight. As I see it, a year until actual surgery, then a year after that to get to my goal weight. Sigh.... Is it worth that?? I hope so!