kristieshannon

I’m going through a divorce. As part of dealing with it all I took a short term contract as a travel nurse for the summer in Boston (Seattle is home). I felt like getting away from the situation and having time & space to clear my head would be the best thing for me. As such, no one here knows I used to weigh nearly 300lbs. A couple nurses and I were at the desk one night shift and one was talking about her patient, whose stats are just about where I was before starting this process. The nurse said something along the lines of “I wonder why she doesn’t look in to one of those surgeries”. The other nurse loudly scoffed and said “Then we’ll just see her in here for problems due to alcohol or drug addiction instead of food addiction”. It was said loudly, unkindly, and with clear bias. I was stunned and walked away. Of course she has no idea of my past. On my way home I thought of so many things I should have/could have said to that nurse to advocate and stand up for that patient, but was caught up in my own feelings of shame about my past weight problem. Ugh. Just when I think I’m doing really well and moving past that, I’m reminded of all the struggles and stigma there is about being overweight.

It is weird! People clearly were “careful” around me with their discussions. I guess I’m general I didn’t realize how fat phobic people are (I mean, on some level I realized it, but didn’t know if was done so openly). In some ways I feel like pulling out an old picture of me to show them, in other ways the anonymity of my current fit appearing status is nice.

As @arabesque mentioned, have you called your surgeon? The ED docs and general med docs for sure should be consulting with your surgical team-not all ED teams and inpatient medical teams are familiar with bariatric surgery patients.

Pinup calendar material!

Have you reached out to the nutritionist at your surgeon’s office? I’d make an appointment with them. In the meantime, make sure your meals & snacks are containing high fat and healthy carbs. Nuts, avocado, full fat dairy are good options.

I know tracking is a pain, but if your knee it was time limited, just to figure out your food volume needed to maintain could you do it? I bet a month would be enough-first week just track what you have been eating, next week increase by 100 cals/day, and then adjust the next couple weeks until you’re staying steady.

No! You’ve gone through too much pre op, all the clearances, recovery itself to break plan. Follow your teams plan. You’ll get there at some point but not yet!

I had to go to a Title Nine women’s athletic wear store and get fitted for a super industrial strength sports bra. I can’t stand the feeling of the bounce! This thing keeps them TIGHT! The brand is Shock Absorber. It’s the only way I can run since surgery. I’ve been ok since about 8 weeks out doing sit ups.

I’m a nurse in a busy clinic. I took 3 weeks off. Fortunately we don’t have the drinking at work rules! I was able to keep my water jug at my desk. I agree you should be able to get a medical accommodation.

Damn, I bet you stopped a train or two with that look!!’ 🔥🔥🔥

Got a little too much sun today! Another little solo vacation to Cocoa Beach, Fl. I wore a bikini to the beach today and loved it :)

If you do want to make a dessert though, I just happened on this recipe on the Skinny Taste website. Several comments mention substituting stevia or swerve for the sugar and it turning out great. https://www.skinnytaste.com/5-ingredient-almond-cake-with-fresh/?fbclid=IwAR07otMXa9Sm-sZNcjW9zvbY-QChfy2ry2AzKFyk_MZpvdusVrRRj5Hf0RQ

I agree with this! I had for so long seen food as a reward. As part of my learning process I’ve come to use other things as rewards, celebrations, etc. A crafty thing is a great idea, or take her out for an experience such as pedicures, a massage, or if she’s to the point of incorporating physical activity a hike, kayaking trip, or bike ride.

We have some grocery store in my area that have nut grinders. Salted or unsalted peanuts, honey roasted peanuts, cashews, almonds. The machine grinds them in to butter. It’s a finer texture than jif crunchy, but so good! And nothing but the nuts.

Oh for sure, a few months out you’ll be feeling well and back to a normal diet. Plus, Hawaii is expensive-you’ll save $$$ ordering off the appetizer menu!!

Congrats @WishMeSmaller! You’re looking really great. Sorry you’re not feeling so well! I think you can easily increase your cal intake through healthy fats. Avocado, full fat dairy, and nuts are all good options that can pack calories in to a fairly small volume. On a side note, I’m a nurse too. I was in a FB group with a bunch of ladies that were scheduled to have PS with my surgeon the same month I was. 6 out of 8 of us are nurses! I wonder if statistically we’re more likely to get PS or if it was just a coincidence? I went back to work in my clinic job at 3 weeks post op. I was tired that first week, but overall did well. I pick up occasional shifts in our ED but didn’t do that until 6 weeks post op since it’s way more physical.

When was your surgery? Many of us have trouble with dense or dry meat, especially early on. Have you tried ground beef, chicken, or turkey yet? Steak has always worked for me as has any ground meat. I’m nearly 2 years post op and still can’t eat much pork, it’s too dense for me. Experiment, and if something doesn’t work now try it again in a few months. Take small bites, chew well, and eat slowly!

I’m just about 2 years post op VSG. I lost a fair amount of hair and definitely had to cover my head on sunny days the last couple years to avoid sun burning my scalp. I was just vacationing on Nantucket last week and had wonderful sunny weather. I forgot a hat! I got a little pink on my cheeks, arms and shoulders (despite using sunscreen) but had no burn on my scalp! My hair has finally filled back in :)

Absolutely! The more weight I lost, the healthier I ate, and the more activity I participate in the more energy I have.

My vitamin levels are all great, and I take them as prescribed. My point was that at 2 years PO my hair has come back! Just trying to give some hope to those pre op or early in their post op period.

Of course, but rare. Most don’t quite make it to a “normal” BMI.

Are you able to have a visit with a nutrition at your surgeon’s office to develop a maintenance plan?

It will vary wildly depending on where you are. I live in Seattle. I got four quotes here ranging from $30,000-$40,000. I did a ton of research and found that PS is much, much cheaper in Florida.My quotes there were $10,000-$16,000. I went with the doctor who charged $16,000 as he has a private practice and a strong emphasis on safety. The cheaper quote was from a high volume large clinic with many doctors. There are others here who have gone out of the country to the Dominican Republic, Mexico, or other countries and have paid less. I’d encourage you to review as much as you can about safety records wherever you chose.

I buy the pre mixed bottles of premier protein shakes by the case at Costco. One of those mixed sign a can of their cold brew coffee starts my day with the caffeine I need, 30g of protein, and 22 oz of fluid.

I mix my premier protein shake with cold brew coffee for breakfast every morning. I’ve heard of others here using protein shakes instead of creamer.