Frustr8

Good luck My Friend , that is a worthy goal to aim for. And God Bless you and Tessie both, she sounds like a very special Equine Lady, after all!

Don't give up, Daisy, it still is doable, my friend!

Yes, I told Roy, my Bariatric Dietician at OSU I fully expect to graduate to Mechanical Soft instead of Stages 3 or 4 at the end. He told me " Patience Grasshopper, your day still will come!" Reminded me I will have all facets of my Bariatric Clinic"s programs when needed, up to and including the remainder of my life. I am a Permanent Adoptee, and isn't it 👍😛🍀 a totally Cool thing to know!

Well welcome @dparciak to our little exclusive club! Don't mean to sound totally flippant, just trying v to smile through my tears 💦😭. Met yesterday with my Bariatric Dietician Roy, yeah I have a male one- but he is good one. We went over diets to formulate one that will give me the most for my bucks. See there are things, try as I may, my rebel pouch the ever'present 👓Ms Precious Pouch, will not sanction within herself so we have found substitutes for each item. And sad to say, about 6 were things that were my go- tos before she was born of a scrap of my stomach tissue last September 5th. Oh I do try a small spoon of each about once a week, but they are all No Go still at 8 months in.👕

yes because of my gastritis ,stomal stricture and multiple ulcerations. Will I ever get to drink caffeine again? Doubt it strongly!☕

Well inside I felt like I was maybe 250 even when I was 365 and shocked when I saw my reflection. in the department store' s front windows. Now that I am actually 220, I have trouble reconciling my actual image with my inner beast. And I look so different I hardly recognize ME. I told in another posting " Who is that in the mirror? it looks like a bunch of dead relatives but I certainly isn't ME! Maybe that person is gone forever, do I have the intestinal strength to complete this or solve this mystery?

And the 7th was my middle child's birthday. He would have been 43 but he became an angel 11 years ago last January 11th. Losing a child. or grandchild is especially hard, it is not the way Life should be and even if they are an adult or near-adult your arms ache to hold them and you no longer can, all you have is empty air and memories. You may get PAST it but you NEVER get over it, no matter what those around you may say. There will always be a hole therem

Thanks so much for looking out for us Alex, I have found all the products I have gotten from the Store to be excellent. I haven't liked the liquids to make the fruity drinks as well, but that might just be ME instead of a product flaw. As soon as I know I have sufficent funds in my bank account to cover my shopping I will be redeeming some more of my bundle of points. Your Fan in Central Ohio----- Frustr8

My surgeon was on the conservative side, 6 weeks but usually once your incisions are totally healed. That way there is no chance of infection.

And that's quite Okay, I had 2 wonderful nursing experiences out of my 3, and both boys had baby- led warnings. If I were younger and breast-feeding I would not stop either. I had to pump and dump after my tubal ligation but had loaded up my freezer with breast milk. Grandma. had bottles to put it in , but my son insisted on having it put in his sippy cup, pretty smart for a 15 month old, and yes I was able to step up and re establish once I was home, decided at 20 months to drop the last nursing. He is heakthy, healthiest of my kids and Tomkitten will be 40 on June 12th. Did you know Adele Davis ( she wrote back in the 70s) said if you tested formerly breast- fed adults they retain more favorable intestinal flora until they are 30 years old! :-* know she said much other good things but that's what sticks in my mind. God Bless you both and I hope your surgery goes extremely well.

The last Endoscopy I had on April 12, the anesthesia doctor noticed when listening with her stethoscope that I had a noticable heart murmur, did not stop my testing, she was present instead of the resident planned and did my sedation herself. My hospital Ohio State University- Wexner Medical Center as well as being a Bariatric Center of Excellence is a teaching facility affiliated with the College of Medicine at Ohio State. So I was special enough for special treatment. Everything went well, neither that or my Thoracic Aorta Aneurysm have any trouble. I am a Pretty Strong Old Chickadee, after All!

Please GOD give me always FULL days. Make my days USEFUL My nights RESTFUL My home PEACEFUL And my efforts FRUITFUL AMEN

A couple ounces at first, maybe advancing to an1/4 then an 1/2 cup. It takes very little to fill your sleeve or pouch. And I have a very non-forgiving pouch I named Ms Precious Pouch, she is now 8 months old but she is an unforgiving tempermental little piece of stomach flesh. 3 nights last week she decided to repulse my supper, up and out everything came. And I swear much more came out than what I put in, because I usually measure everything. I am working through ulceration in my small intestine and a stomal opening stricture, showed up just 2 weeks after she was made. Don't worry , It really is rare although there are about 5 or 6 currently on Bariatric Pal, we give each other emotional support as we work through it, I think mine has been the longest in duration, but even I am improving and I can even see the sunshine ahead. Yes blended soups are one of my joys, that , protein shakes, broths and plenty of fluids keep me going. List 140 from my highest weight, 95 since my surgery last September 5th, and I am not over yet! So anytime you want to talk about things either I or another one of us are always here, okay?

Sliders tend to be things that go down your esophagus easily. One of Orchids and Dragons and mine, was Cheezits, you start with them and you have no brakes, you chomp the whole box. And ice cream was one of mine, I would think it tasted so cool and creamy I would devour an entire 1/2 gallon at one sitting. And often I didn't realize it until I was scraping bottom. Popcorn isn't one for me then or now, I have diverticulitis, those hulls do a number on me, PAIN CITY! And those are the ones in my life but others may have something else to contribute.

No it is a wonderful NSV, and I am happy for you and me both. Mine is somewhat similar, always had to ask for the "hat" in the toilet and sometimes I missed anyway Now I can wipe well and give them a Clean Catch because I can reach things without straining so hard. And those little things mean a lot, don't they? Now I can sit in chairs, even climb stepladders because I am UNDER the 250 pound weight limit. Won't bust things to smithereens accidently. Remember my,late hubby sat down in his favorite fishing chair, one of those with a woven seat. He didn't even wiggle or anything but it let out a,metallic scream and it collapsed to the ground with him still in it. ONLY THING BRUISED WAS HIS EGO but I wish I had sent the cellphone video to ABC for America's Favorite Home Videos, It was a real winner, and he always said he wasn't,OBESE, only me! Ha ha to the max there, he was 6ft3in and 330, but in his heart he must thought he was 195 like when he graduated in 1960. Still have his grad pictures, Tomkitten looks a lot like him, but maybe not much longer. After seeing I could have success, and knowing now I am 30-40 pounds lighter, he is considering Bariatrics for himself. And maybe he'll be a sleeve instead, maybe not, his PCP said he has costochondritis but I'm not sure if. he might have inherited my GERD tendencies also. And if true, he'll become a kangaroo like me! Why are the bypassed kangaroos? Because we all have pouches. Sproing,sproing!

Me too, at a 20 teetering on the brink of 18, started out a 28-30W. No longer do I have to ask "Hmmmm where are your largest clothes hanging?" No longer do I look at me in bra and panties and break down crying unceasingly, increasing my I can rotate , only take 2 mirrors instead of 3 or more to visualize myself. Oh, I am still a project that hasn't finished but now I have been given a transplant of HOPE and DREAMS for my future. No longer do I have to ask in a quavering voice," Is THAT all there is?" for there is much still ahead and I will live to see it all! AND THAT IS THE GIFT📦 THAT IS THE COOLEST THING OF ALL! 😛🍀❤🌈

I asked mine if he was fearful of my age? Will my recovery be more difficult than if I was in my 30s, 40s or 50s? I live 50 miles away, what are the things that a trip to Columbus is neccesary; what can I handle on my own? How long will I be hospitalized? These were things I asked. Something that impressed me, my son attends my appointments as a rule as I do his. He came over to other side of examination room, shook my son's hand and said " I promise, I will take very good care of your Mama!" oh I had liked him already but he gained future respect with that action. And now I can proudly say I am the oldest patient he has done surgery on, so not only do I want a good outcome for me, but for him also. I never want him to feel he made a mistake doing mine. On their website there are wrists,ipatients who relate their own stories. It is one of my goals to achieve a great of success so I also too can tell of my journey. There may be others who feel their chances have passed them by, they are too old, too nearly broken down by weight and life, time has passed them by. I want to show them , Don't give up, Something can be done, it is not a quick transit to better health but even at 70+ there is hope, a place willing to work with you towards a better life. Maybe then in part, I can show my great gratitude for the changes in my own life.

A couple years back I hand- made 2 skirts, of course they would fall down on me so I am sewing belt loops on the denim one. Would you believe when I originally cut it out my hips were bigger than 60 inches ? so I had to set an extra panel in because denim is sold in 60 inch width. Oh how things have changed in my shape, I am No longer built like salami sausage! I want to cut it down , maybe I can turn the extra panel into a vest or something when I make goal? Sure a lot less of me than awhile back, so glad my body is remodeling. Don't know who I will finally be but I could be smoking hot!😻,🔥

Hey oakbay, it's Frustr8, how are you doing now? I have had I think 13 endoscopies, first one my ENT did transnasaly, we kind of b tricked my insurance on that. See I had a pretty severe pre-aurical cyst, right in front of my right ear opening, this kooky anomaly runs in my family through my daddy. His never gave him a moment's trouble, both my daughter and I had flare-ups where it would get infected, gather into a boil type thing and then skin would break, and pus would come out. I know TMI, too much info but there is a reason I'm relating this. My daughter had to have her one, we both had pinholes on both ears,only one flared, but she was only 5 years old.c Mine I kept longer, clear into late adulthood, okay at this time July of 2014, I had a pretty bad flare. United Healthcare which I had at this time,regarded such cyst removal, even if I had a chance to develop septicemnia as purely cosmetic, just a vanity surgery. But they would cover an Endoscopy happily. So offically that's what it was billed as. The next one was done June 2015. as a follow-up to acute pancreatitis. And the last in my home town was done December 2017 as part of my pre- surgical testing with different specialities. I. am told I had another one during my RNY surgery,by Dr Needleman , guess he wanted to make sure I had not changed anatomically from the previous one, I must have passed because I did get my surgery, those were my EGDs, subsequent to bypass surgery , the duodenum can no longer be visualized. So from then on they are technically EGJ, the surgical endoscopies look now at your jejunem. So the rest of them started October 12, 2018, a month and week after my RNY. Attempts are made each time to stretch and dilate the opening, my pouch was so inflamed and had 3 ulcers present next to the opening which was shrunk to a tiny pinhole opening. First 2 were 2 weeks apart, and then at slightly longer intervals, but on November 28th I was so inflamed still and the 5 ulcers on the back wall of the small intestine looked much worse, although I had been taking Carafate every 6 hours around the clock since October 12. And I ended up with a PICC line, being fed for 12 hours daily through my vein in the upper left arm, my testing showed I was malnourished and protein- anemic , although I had been trying hard to do things correctly I was vomiting more than digesting food and using the nutrients. And I had this PICC intracath for 3 months. The month after it was terminated I lost 30 pounds, that made up for what I missed losing while on the TPN. So each time they tried it seemed to snap back shut. On the last one, April 12th , she put in her notes she felt she had stretched it enough that good could pass through, my diet would not have to be liquid or pureed, okay maybe that day things were fine but I have lost meals 4 of the last 6 days, if there is any joy there it is that I vomit so quickly there is no nasty odor to what comes up. And when I awaken in the morning I am still nauseous until maybe 10 AM, then I can start drinking fluids 2- 3 oz every 15 minutes, Good thing I am retired ,I could not do this and work at Wally World. And I still have pain, the pouch , the last little bit of my sternum and 2-3 iches below, usually feels like a clenched fist, and right subcostal pain which is my, pesky jejunal ulceration. I was told last clinic visit May 1st, we will do one more endoscopy, tenatively scheduled June to Early July, they believe the pouch has decreased in redness, but the 5 nasty evil intestinal ulcers remain. At that time ( I think 8 to 5 odds) more surgical intervention of another kind is done. But,i have lost 140 pounds from my highest weight,84 or 95 pounds since my September surgery, gone from a 28-30 W to a 20, ready to drop into an 18, where clothes selections improve dramatically. So that is Lovely Lovely Lovely but a heck of a way to get there!

I am far from perfect. I could have a flatter stomach,clearer skin, whiter teeth, better hair etc but at least I don't have an ugly ❤.

Evaluate the people in your life; then promite, demote or terminate. You are the CEO of your life.

If someone says you are incapable of doing something, do it twice,and then take pictures.

Sometimes our world seems to be turning gray; this is so it can be repainted in New and beatiful colors.

And every one of these foods which in my presurgery were a great comfort, my post- surgery pouch refuses to tolerate. Greek Yogurt Cottage cheese Bananas Peanut Butter Why did this happen? Wish I knew a Good Reason, she also hates most meats even chewed down to a fine squishy pulp.

Al.ist 6 months to the day, went to informational seminar at Ohio State's Martha Morehouse Pavillion March 9th 2018 and had my RNY September 5th 2018 at 7AM on my wonder Wednesday! Good Memories both!