momof3_angels

Sounds like at a minimum you need mucus relief medication. Maybe antibiotics. Mucus changes color as you progress through stages of respiratory infections... sometimes you need the antibiotics, sometimes you don't. If you have a fever it could be a form of influenza. Getting checked by a doc is always a good idea.

Well, I am not confident enough in my body to raid HER closet lol. Plus, teenage girls can get away with a lot more than a 48 year old woman. She wears a lot of those crop style shirts and such. Her pants are also smaller (although we are close to being the same size - she is size 4-6, I am 6-8) and all her jeans are majorly ripped jeans lol. So unfortunately the clothing exchange is still a one sided theft that only she can partake in haha On a separate note... I got a new bathing suit that I love One piece so that my stomach is held a little flatter than it really is.

Like everyone else, I have purchased a whole new wardrobe. Down to Medium and Small top size, and mostly size 8 with some size 6 pants. And with these sizes, I am having fun buying "CUTE" outfits. When I am big I focus on functional outfits, but I like the way these fit so I want cute too! BUT......... my 16 year old daughter keeps RAIDING MY CLOSET! I can't tell you how many of my sweaters she has already stolen. A co-worker and I were talking about shoes and I mentioned how my feet shrank. She asked what size and said she had a closet full of shoes she barely wore that don't fit her anymore. She gave me a bag full. Then my daughter immediately tried steeling the first pair she saw me wear! I feel like I have to add locks on my closet doors! LMAO... I guess there are worse problems to have, but thought you might be amused like I am (when I am not mad that I can't wear the new top that I planned to wear today).

Is it respiratory mucus or stomach mucus? Makes a huge difference. If it is respiratory, you may need to start taking mucus relief medication, you can check with your doc to see what you are allowed to take. I have no problem with most medications. All the respiratory crud is going around bad where I live. My family is fighting it this week too. Did you get your flu shot this year? If it is stomach mucus... then definitely check with your doc.

OMG, who knew it would be so hard to get back into a routine doing Pilates? I belong to a HOA and they offer Pilates and Yoga at our Clubhouse/Fitness Center. They WERE offering them 3 evenings a week plus Saturday mornings. But with my daughter's activity schedule, getting there was a challenge. Finally forced myself to start going only to find one afternoon they were cancelled. Another afternoon the classes were being taught by my new employee (AWKWARD!). The 3rd day the class was great... but again getting there was a problem. I kept trying to do it at home, but there was no space, or my daughter would "critique me", or my husband would make unsolicited comments. Wasn't working. AT ALL. I finally finished cleaning out one of my son's bedrooms. Took months to finish it. Put my daughter's gymnastics mat on the floor, with my Pilates mat on top of it for extra cushioning. Bought a new TV... just big enough to do the job, but not too big... with built in Roku. Downloaded a ton of apps and sampled the ones I could until I finally found a "channel" that I like. I also have a DVD player with DVD's... but if those are all I have I would get bored quickly. Then I deleted all the apps I didn't like (because I kept opening them and never finding what I wanted). Anyhow... even though I have done Pilates regularly in the past, I found a beginner progression series to get me going again. It is a little more talk than I like, but the teacher is doing an excellent job of describing and demonstrating every move. I am doing the beginner moves, but so much more aware of positioning than I was in the past. And I am so proud... I can do most of what she is demonstrating! Except the Teaser... OMG I canNOT do the teaser yet! It was hard before, but my abdomen is still way too weak. Despite that... For the last week I have done an hour of Pilates everyday except yesterday. Today I did it twice! It feels go good to be getting back into a fitness routine and I love my new workout room. My husband and daughter still try to interrupt me, but I can lock the door if I want to.

If you have a streaming device you could add fitness channels. Some are free. Some are a small subscription fee. Usually in the range of $15-20/month. They have them for a huge assortment of exercise types. Daily Burn is one I have used, but I prefer Pilates so I subscribed to Pilates Anytime. They have a huge library. I personally don't like the free channels that much, but they do the job if you find the right programs. Figure out what kinds of exercise you like, and buy the basic equipment for that exercise. That might just be having a mat or towel that you workout on the floor. Perhaps some lightweight hand weights (don't need a huge set). For me, I have a mat, hand weights. Exercise bands, foam roller, a magic circle (for squeezing arms/legs against), exercise balls, and a strap for stretching. Nothing fancy and all of it is inexpensive. I use all of these with different Pilates exercises. They can also be used for Yoga or other mat style workouts. With or without a video. Oh... husband has a weight bench set... but I hate using it. I also bought an "Under the desk" bicycle thing that you sit in a chair and pedal with (takes up minimal space and I have one at home and one under my desk at work). I also just bought a mini elliptical that takes up minimal space. I have a full size treadmill but that is a much bigger investment.

LoL... I was just thinking the other day that it will be nice that my next mammogram wont have a warning saying I have dense breast tissue which make it harder to find masses lol. Of course, this is because my breasts are practically gone lol Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

Yes, lots of fluid retention. It will go away within a couple days. Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

I got rid of my big clothes as soon as I shrank below that size. Refuse to keep them as I refuse to ever wear them again! Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

The mandatory weight loss is to denonstrate you can comply with your nutrition requirements and thus evidence that the surgery is more likely to help you. How much you need to lose varies. I had to show I lost something every month... absolutely no gain... but something lost. Othere have specific weight goals. And some docs dont care if you gain, but most want a loss. Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

Honestly, you can do what he is suggesting, WHILE you are in the process of getting surgery. You have either a 3 month or six month nitrition requirement where you are on a medically supervised diet. Do it! But have the surgery too if that is what you want to do (but dont wait... do it when the surgeon schedules it). My hisband didnt want me to do surgery either. But now, 5 months post op, he totally gets it and is proud of my accomplishments. Your boyfriend is probably worried about surgery like my husband was, but dont let that deter you. In the meantime, you can diet and workout with him, but tell him you still need the surgery to get you to your goals. It is the best tool out there for those of us who have dieted and failed to have long term success. Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

It is definitely a possibility! I was a 16 for the most part but some were too small. Getting down to a 5/6 depends on bone structure too... but my friend is definitely a 6 now, I am getting there. There are a few who get to smaller sizes I have seen on this board!

Yes, those of us with lower BMI's are very likely to go from XL or plus size to normal sizes very fast. I initially only bought workout clothes while I was on FMLA. When I knew I had to go back to work, I ordered size large Tunics and stretchy work appropriate pants. I figured the tunics would cover the tighter then looser pants. And they did. But... about a month later they were way too big still. I am 5 months out. I wear a size 8 pants with medium tops most of the time, but am also wearing some size 6 and smalls.

I think this is definitely true for family and friends. That is why I am not telling my parents/siblings and more extended family. None of their business! Just my husband and kids because they are MY family. But thankfully I haven't gotten this from co-workers. Mind you, I only told a couple pre-op so there was nothing to talk me out of by the time most found out. Post-Op... almost everyone has been great. And they all have varying degrees of interest, but it has been overwhelmingly positive!

Initially I didn't really tell anyone. I wanted to be secretive in the beginning and I was... but that has slowly changed. So... I first started talking with a co-worker about it. She had it done 4 years ago (I was September 2019). I got a lot of support initially from her. I waited to tell my husband until I NEEDED him to know. Why/When did I need him to know? After my first appointments with my surgeon and nutritionist and I had to tell him because I was leaving the country for 5 weeks and I needed him to help me schedule some appointments for pre-surgery testing. He did NOT want me to have surgery. He made that very clear. But I insisted I was doing it, so he begrudgingly (sort of) helped me make appointments. He still tried to talk me out of surgery until the DAY OF surgery. He was scared I would die or something. But... he was also the one who took care of me in the hospital. Now he is proud of me for getting my health back. My daugther: I told her a few days before I had the surgery, only because she lives with me and she needed to know why I would spend the night in the hospital and then not go to work for a while. She is 16. She thinks it was stupid I had the surgery, but she doesn't give me much flak about it. My sons: I waited until a month after surgery to tell them, only when 1 was coming home for a visit. Both boys were surprised I did it, but they didn't really say anything bad about it. My younger son is still trying to just figure out what my new diet is lol. Co-workers: I ended up telling a couple before surgery and I knew they would be supportive. Otherwise, I was keeping it a secret initially. I still have not told the rest of my family (parents/siblings etc). I have no plans to tell anyone else. I did end up eventually telling everyone in my main office building and a few in other buildings that I work with... very selective with people outside my building. I will tell you, I was shocked at how interested and how supportive almost everyone has been! I get the most judgement from my own immediate family, but even that hasn't been unbearable or anything. My husband's reaction was out of fear for my health and safety. My daughter, just because she is 16 and judgmental of everything (mom and dad are ALWAYS an embarrassment stage). The only negative reaction I got from others was from someone who is much bigger than I was, who needs something like this much more than I did. And really... other than whatever she said in the first minutes after learning that I had surgery.... she has simply not talked to me much since. And that is OK with me. She isn't ready to face having surgery herself, so I won't talk about mine unless she asks. And she won't. And that is OK. If she changes her mind, I will share my experience. So... all in all... I am now happy to share with the people I am willing to share with. And the rest? If they figure it out, fine. If they don't, that is great too! I will tell you also, I have another co-worker who has asked a ton of questions and is now in the beginning stages of considering surgery for herself. I am so glad she knows she can come to me for support/guidance and I am happy to help her and anyone else thinking about going through the process. Hope this helps! Edited to add... my PCP was the one who referred me to my bariatric surgeon. She was great about it. My Sleep Apnea doc didn't really say much. My OBGYN didn't care either way (But when I asked for more IV fluids for a procedure shortly after my VSG, he was happy to order them). Haven't seen my cardiologist since I decided to have surgery, but he wanted me to lose weight. If he isn't supportive or gives me a hard time about it, I would probably just switch docs. But I like this guy and I think he will be happy my weight is down.

You should look at this from a different perspective. You have fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes as well as pain in your joints neck and back. Would you rather become fatter and acquire more problems before you resolve your weight issue? It is never too soon to take steps to improve your health. Losing weight is the most important step for many. You are making the brave choice to do what you need to do to get it done. Don't feel guilty about doing it! You know... first I was embarrassed and did not show my actual "weights" in my stats, thinking I was too lightweight to share with everyone here... when many weigh hundreds of pounds more than me. Then I realized over time, there are a lot of us lower BMI people on this website, just like me. And ALL of us, high bmi and lower bmi... we all have the same goals. To get to a healthier weight for a healthier body. The only difference is how much weight we have to lose and how fast we get to our goals. But... we all have to work to get there! And BTW, you will notice my actual weights are in my stats and ticker now. I changed it earlier this week. No reason not to share!

I think most of us have mixed feelings. Excitement. Fear. Maybe dissappointed that we needed the surgery, but relieved that we have the option of surgery. Whatever you are felling is normal! Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

Drink as much as you can comfortably handle. Water is good for us!

That stuff is terrible! Hope to never have to do it again

My doc says it is normal after surgery and with vitamins. Said to keep taking my B12 supplements. Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

FepBlue has a 3 month of nutrition counseling requirement plus all recommended consults. Had my first surgeon appt May 20, had surgery Sept 4. Once submitted for approval, it took less than a week for them to let my doc know I was approved, and I got a letter by 2 weeks. I never found my approval in the web page... only from a letter. Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

Anything within 5 pounds is a normal fluctuation. Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

Itching is common when skin is healing from surgeries. My skin itches after every surgery I have. Keep the wound sites clean. Assess for any other problems (rash, signs of infection, etc). If you do have another problem going on, see your doc. If it is just itching, use your favorite anti-itch remedy. If it is unbearable, talk to your doc.

Keep a log of everything you are eating and visit a bariatric nutritionist ASAP.

I would personally weight another week or two because pools and jacuzzi's are full of germs and germ fighting chemicals, but the steam room should be fine. But if your wounds are completely closed you would probably be fine in any of the above.