Berry78

Thanks for asking this question! You have to hate it when Mom is right It will make her feel good if you tell her that you've decided to take her advice (without mentioning the message board). Outside, thanks for your succinct explanation!

Your first visit to the bariatric doctor (and maybe previous visits to your primary care doc) is/ the ones where your weight is important. Not sure if high cholesterol will qualify. Maybe look for sleep apnea?

Sitting on a pillow or cushion sounds like a good idea. Something that might help is exercising the glut. muscles. If those muscles can get bigger, maybe they'll help pad the area. Good luck! If you find something that helps, let us know!

Did the go lightly do the trick? I figure I'll possibly be in the same boat. The protein shakes are causing problems preop for me. Guess I need to add a fiber supplement. Hope you get to feeling better!

Ok, did a little bit of research, and most of the time it just means a small baby. You are a small Mom. It is to be expected. Congrats on the upcoming bundle!

Umm.. I think Eleventy didn't look at the dates. Sigh. It sounds like you have been doing everything great! I had high blood pressure with my first pregnancy and it made the baby small. (5th percentile). After birth she gained weight like crazy and has been perfectly healthy since. What does a short femur mean? Hard to say. It might not mean anything! If your doctor is concerned about the intrauterine environment, he/she will say something. I'm sure everything will be fine!

Woo hoo!

Hernias can be anywhere from really painful to zero pain. The only way to know for sure is to be checked out. Most likely you have just strained something, so don't panic. If you develop screaming, debilitating pain... 10 out if 10.. go to the ER.

Oh no! My condolences.

You are an inspiration!

Skakes are considered fluid, not food, so you don't have to worry about the wait around them. 2 tablespoons of full liquids or purees would not get me to wait either. Even if I wash that stuff out of the sleeve early, it isn't hurting anything, but not drinking enough does hurt. Once fluid goals are being met, and you are far enough out post op to start having soft, chewable foods, then I would start listening to the drinking restriction (particularly after the meal). At that point eating less frequently makes sense too.

I would try the sleeve first. You have a lot of decades left, and the malabsorption aspect can have long term consequences. If the sleeve doesn't do it for you, you could get a revision.

Did you get the abscess taken care of? Maybe it has to do with that?

The sleeve is a great option for lots of people. If you already have gerd, that is one reason to consider a bypass instead. Good thing is if the sleeve is a problem, it can be converted later. A bypass is, for the most part, not gonna be changed. You will already have scar tissue, which could impact your choices.

Maybe my kids were slower than average. They didn't have the capacity to really understand "eventually". In this scenario, the next day they would be like, "You ready to play ball now?!" Children can become anxious at the thought of surgery, hospitals, doctors, and the like. That is why I would avoid bringing it up to little ones. My kids are 11, 13, 16.. and they are all terrified for me. I figured they were old enough, and they are... but the concern is real. The one thing I could do for them was to say the surgery is one day later than it will be. That way it is over and done with before they really start worrying. (Same fib to my hubby too! Lol). They all will think I'm busy shopping when I go under the knife. About the time they start thinking.. gosh, tomorrow is the day... I'll be contacting them that everything went fine and I'm doing great! (Touch wood!).

The stomach doesn't have all its nerves hooked up for the first couple weeks. You won't truly feel what is happening with it until thise nerves reingage. Those first weeks, consume at most 1/4 of a cup at a time, more frequently. (6 times a day). Keep it thin. Always better to err in not eating enough, and too thin, rather than too much, too thick. Of course get those fluids in! Protein shakes will be your friend for the first couple months.

Walter, very few places do bariatric surgery as a same-day procedure. The first 48 hours, the stomach is so swollen, it is virtually impossible to get enough to drink. You'll go right back to get fluids if they release you same day (barring other complications). Nausea and pain control are also issues that don't necessarily respond to the first medicine attempted. Personally I would never do this surgery in a clinic that planned for it to be a same day procedure. I am a risk-taker too! Going to Mexico!

How did you get your belly skin up? Did it just bounce up from the weight loss, or are you wearing something to keep it up? (Or something else?)

I love compression leggings for exercise. They help keep chafing down. I do have trouble finding ones that fit... I have to wear mens 2xl.

I needed to start my preop diet 2 weeks before surgery. I started it extra early to get the hang of it, with no worries making mistakes. I'm glad I did, as I am more prepared for it. I am on day 2 official preop diet today! It's funny .. when trying to get pregnant, there is a "two week wait". The time between ovulation and potential positive pregnancy test. Now I am in a different two week wait! Congrats on your taking the leap to a better life!

The Johns Hopkins plan involves eating 6 times a day, 2 tablespoons of food each time, plus 2 shakes. For those that can't eat 1/2 a cup at a time, their eating schedule might seem more reasonable. The expectation is it can take 6-8 weeks to start eating more per time, and that is ok, as long as fluid and protein goals are met.

Wowzers! In general, I maintain on 3-4 thousand calories, and lose tons of weight on 1500cals. (With exercise).

You look alot more cheerful! Thanks!

Do not cancel the surgery. This is about your path in life, not hers. Have her become a coach/cheerleader for you. Focus on how the diet choices affect you, and ask her to help you make the right choices. She will learn valuable skills, and will naturally translate these lessons as to how they pertain to her (without you saying a word). With the surgery, you will become a positive role model for her. Without it, she sees how to become a person that needs surgery. (One of my biggest regrets for my own kids).

Moving backwards is actually the correct thing to do if something doesn't agree. Go back to full liquids for a couple days after vomiting (during the first 8 weeks). Hope you feel better soon!