Creekimp13

Johns Hopkins is a premiere research hospital. In fact, it's sort of THE research hospital. https://ncsesdata.nsf.gov/profiles/site?method=rankingBySource&ds=herd They spend more money on medical research and development than any other global entity.

This is a tricky one that keeps coming up for me.....friends, family and acquaintances who are heavier people insist that I'm not big enough for weight loss surgery, and almost get mad and take it personally. Like....Hmmm, if she thinks she's so big she needs to do that, she must think I'm outrageously big, too. And they get angry and seem really insulted. Why would you do that? You're not that big! This is a weird question, but is it better to address it and say.....I'm not judging your choice to be heavy, I love you just the way you are........or is it better to just say....well, my doctor thinks I'm heavy enough and has been asking me to consider this for years. Both kinda fall flat of the diplomacy i'm looking for. How do I defend my choice without making other heavier people feel criticized? I really don't WANT others to feel hurt by my choice, or feel I'm viewing them critically. Any ideas?

Yes, high protein, low carb diets are strongly correlated with kidney stones.

Crap. Dessert! LOL

You should have your liver checked out....because even if you're taking in absolutely no carbs or sugars....your liver has the ability to create all the sugar you need from fats and proteins through a process called gluconeogenesis. When you say your "sugar is crashing" can you put a blood glucose number on that? Or are you guessing that's the problem because of how uneasy you feel? If your liver is normal...consider that this might be a panic disorder, and that you're having an emotional reaction to the diet. Taking your blood sugar regularly and consulting your doctor would be a good place to start.

It's never a good idea to take meds that are not prescribed for you. If you want to dump water weight for a one-time weigh in, you can do it without pills. This isn't healthy and probably isn't even a good idea to list....but it's better than taking someone else's pills. 1. The day before your weigh in, drink a glass of water every half an hour. Drink, pee, drink, pee, drink, pee......this will purge a ton of salt from your body and purge retained water. 2. The next morning (after waking up twice overnight to pee) have a cup of strong coffee and nothing else. It's a natural diuretic. 3. Go for a 30 minute walk. You'll pee and very possibly, poop, too. 4. Take a very hot bath. 5. Don't eat or drink until your appointment. Take water with you to drink right after your weigh in. Be sure to wear the lightest clothing you have. A sheer shirt and leggings weight a LOT less than jeans and a normal top. If you need to, wear a long cardigan sweater over your lightweight outfit and take it off to weigh. Don't wear jewelry. Don't wear hair accessories. Don't wear watches, fitbits, etc. Every ounce counts. Take your shoes off and wear sheer socks. Again...none of this is healthy. But it will knock a few pounds off. Don't use someone else's meds. Very bad idea.

My doc won't do surgery unless you lose 10% body weight on your own. The surgery is a tool, not a cure. The real work...the real heavy lifting....is a commitment to diet and exercise. If you can't change your eating habits and fitness habits....the surgery isn't going to help you. Sounds harsh, but it's honest as heck. I'm three weeks out from surgery. If I wanted to...I could start gaining weight again. I can eat pretty freely, just in small amounts, often. Wouldn't be that hard for me to get 2000 calories in a day if I worked at it. I know that sounds awful, but it's true. The surgery doesn't fix your compulsion to over eat. And while certain naughty foods are less palatable because they get stuck or make you nauseated......plenty of super high calorie foods will go down just fine. Learn to master your diet and exercise first. Then, consider the surgery.

I had a little pain for about 72 hours. Was worst when trying to get comfortable to sleep, because I wanted to be on my side. I'm three weeks out and having no problem shoveling snow, bringing groceries in, doing cardio exercise, etc. If I overdo it....my incisions can ache a little. But by the next day, they're painless again.

I'm three weeks out. I wanted desert...so I had a little tiny piece. Ate it in a few little bitty bites. About a tablespoon worth. Felt like I'd had enough, and absolutely enjoyed myself. Then, I walked a little bit extra and burned up the hundred calories it cost me. Learning to live with food is important. Sometimes you're better off abstaining. Sometimes you're better off indulging in a small portion, but being accountable for every calorie. Balance. Living with food...even the temptations....in a healthy way is harder than it looks. I don't think I can strip food of it's power by running from it. I feel like I have to face it, and master it. I feel good about how I handled desert. By just having a little, I feel like I finally said.....hey, I can handle you. I can eat a sensible amount of you and know when to quit. I can take responsibility for those extra calories and work them off. I can enjoy this food without abusing it. This is the kind of balance I'm looking for long term.

What you're describing is totally common. Trust your saner self....the you who jumped through hoops and fought hard for this opportunity. Don't trust starving liquid diet you...who is scared and hungry and feeling discouraged. You can do this. You really can. Get over the hump of the surgery and you're on your way.

I had miserable shoulder pain after surgery. The pain in my belly made me sleep quite differently....and when you're on pain meds, you can sleep on your neck wrong and not realize it, and end up with a hell of a pinched nerve in the morning. Watch for rapid heart rate and elevated temp....both could indicate a leak. Take this possibility seriously. If your temp and heart rate are ok...Try walking, moving your body, doing gentle neck and arm stretches...and see if that doesn't help. Topical heat or massage might help, too, if it is a pinched nerve from sleeping wrong.

I had sleeve and a hiatal hernia fixed. I would have LOVED to go home the same day! They kept me in the hospital overnight, but I got outta there as fast as I could the next day. I never felt sick, never nauseated, had no problems getting my fluids and protein shakes down. I would have been a really good candidate for outpatient. That said...I know a lot of folks do require some extra care. I hit the ground running. Wanted to walk as soon as I was out of recovery. Took a shower bright and early the next day, blow dried my hair and put on street clothes and make-up. Wanted OUT. LOL. But again...have to say I probably benefited from good pain meds over night, I got a good night's sleep, and had the reassurance of good blood work and anticoagulant injections. Was also kinda fun to walk the halls like a maniac with the other sleevers.

We took vitamins in the months leading up to surgery....but the last week pre-surgery, we were told to stay off them. We started them up again two weeks post-surg.

Have some trust in your more rational self...the self that jumped through a million hoops to get here. When people are faced with stressful, scary situations it's easy to get spooked and want to run. Trust the self who got you here. You knew what you were doing and it's going to be ok:)

Best wishes for a healthy effective outcome! You're gonna do great:)

At the end of the day....as sad as this is....it might be more about them being unwilling to face their weight issues....than about you getting the surgery. They also might just be scared for you. But yeah...when the fat dynamic changes....that'll unnerve them. That's their problem...not yours. Do what's healthy and feels right to you and don't worry about their choices. I personally think you're on the right track:)

Well, since I'm an Atheist, it's not about Christ's birth to me...cause, well...I don't believe in Christ. BUT! I do celebrate secular Americana Christmas and Saturnalia....and I'm having a great day with my daughter and hubby....so I wish you a happy holiday as well:) No matter what your belief...it's a day off work and a great time to hang out with the people we love best:) Hope everyone enjoys themselves and has a great day:)

Absolutely go through insurance and try to have your surgery locally. Why? Because follow ups are a huge key to success. Also, when you have problems, it's nice to have someone local who has your back, who will see you, who knows your history and can look at your records. i'm not saying Mexico is horrible. I know a lot of people have had good experiences. Some have also had horrible experiences and fallen victim to scams. Still others have come home having terrible problems (because some folks do have a harder time) and had no support and no one to call except the emergency room. I think the best, safest way to have this surgery....is to have it with someone board certified, someone within an hour or two drive (if possible) who has a good reputation and who preferably offers a 24 hour hotline to their clients and lots and lots of client education. Keep in mind that you're talking about a procedure that will significantly change your anatomy forever. You will have to take vitamins forever. You'll have to give up certain things...forever. You should plan to be rechecked and continue to see your nutritionist and doctor yearly. This isn't a minor thing. This is a LIFETIME decision. Six months...is a drop in the bucket. Also, keep in mind....this surgery isn't a cure. Eating right and exercise are going to be huge parts of your success. Practicing those skills for six months isn't unreasonable....and it will help you get into the best shape you can before surgery for your safety and recovery. I would do a LOT of research before making this decision. And I would definitely try to go through your insurance.

I could have easily handled administering a test at a week out....but you really don't know, because everyone's body is so different. I had no nausea, very little pain, pretty good energy, and no issues with getting my fluids/protein drinks in. Some people really struggle and you never know which way it's gonna go for you. I had no problem walking 3-5 miles per day immediately after surgery. But again....everyone is individual. When people ask how much time they should take off, I think 2 weeks is minimum for anything that requires important thinking....and 3 weeks is better. It's not that you're so physically miserable, it's just hard to adjust to eating that few calories and functioning. I think waiting until you're adding in yogurt, hot cereal, pudding, etc....is a really good idea. You feel much more like yourself and can think more clearly.

Was sleeved on the 5th. Had a couple of tablespoons of turkey cut up really small, couple tablespoons of mashed potatoes and gravy, a teeny little bit of jellied cranberries, a bite or two of green bean casserole, and a bite of stuffing (didn't go down well). And yep, I had about a tablespoon of bread pudding with rum sauce...OMG...(went down very well...but if I'd eaten any more, would have gotten nauseated from the sugar...I played this one pretty slick) Mostly naughty, I know. LOL. But it's Christmas, and portions were very small. I don't feel bad about it. Fully recognize I can't eat this stuff all the time...just on special occasions. Also! I walked over 7 miles yesterday, shoveled snow, burned over 3000 calories, and am down half a pound this morning. So, I'm feeling ok about my choices:)

Yep, they're all different. Would be really interesting to know who makes this crap up, and why they so often disagree.

Weird. Mine says the meat sticks are fair game and very gentle on the tummy. LOL

whipped greek yogurt. the whipped texture was easier for me at first. Split pea soup. Tomato soup. Hummus.

Baby food toddler chicken sticks. They're kinda gross, but they were the first meat I could tolerate, as they are made with some whey protein mixed in....very easy on the stomach. 100 calories for a jar, 10g protein.

High protein oatmeal envelopes. Thin it down with plenty of milk/almond milk/protein shake.