NickelChip

I definitely understand. Mine will be two weeks after yours, and I also have my final meeting with the surgeon on Jan 23. It's a big step, and it's a good sign you're not taking it lightly. Is there anything specific that scares you, or just the whole situation? The only time I've ever had a surgery or anesthesia was when I had my wisdom teeth out. It's definitely a good cause for some nerves, but don't let yourself get freaked out!

My goodness, that's a very severe incident. Given the very low complication rate for your surgery, I would guess you might only find a handful of people in the country who had an experience like that. Since it's been a year, I'm curious how have things gone since that time? Have you made a full recovery? Have you had additional issues? Did they ever figure out what happened?

Let's see if this link will work:

Interesting. This is the first time I've heard no red dye.

Is it possible your endocrinologist would consider prescribing one of the new GLP-1 medications? In cases where you've had the surgery, are doing everything right with nutrition and exercise, and still can't lose weight, I've heard a drug like mounjaro can make a huge difference. It's worth asking about as that seems to be something that some sleeve patients really benefit from during the maintenance years.

Feb 21 for me! There are two other Feb 2024 buddy posts on here somewhere, but I think they've gotten buried. Not too many people replying to them yet, which is interesting. It's only 2 weeks until February starts, so I wonder where everyone is!

I started taking my bariatric vitamins back when I got my original surgery date, in October, I think. I take the Celebrate One 45 chewable bariatric vitamin and 3 Celebrate calcium chews (fruit flavored, delicious!) per days, as well as lutein and omega 3 supplements that were recommended by my eye doctor (not weight related), and half a biotin chew because it can't hurt, right? I started early strictly to get into the routine. My memory is shite and I wanted to have it be second nature by the time I truly needed it. I do also add a scoop of collagen powder to my tea in the morning and I use retinol body and face creams, but that's more an anti-aging thing as opposed to loose skin prevention. As everyone has said, the loose skin and hair shedding is kind of unavoidable. The supplements, at best, are hopefully to ensure the new hair growth is as healthy as can be. I wouldn't go with expensive "miracle" products because they probably won't live up to the hype or the cost, but if it's in the budget to get a few things that make you feel better, it also can't hurt. I mean, peppermint and rosemary just sounds lovely. Even if it doesn't do a lot, it smells like heaven!

Happy birthday! My surgery is next month and my birthday (50th!) will be 24 days after surgery. I won't be eating any birthday treats this year as I'll barely be back on solid foods, but I'm thinking I will go for a pedicure. Actually, that makes a nice group activity if some of your friends want to do that instead of dinner, and at around $40-50, the cost is about the same as an entree, cocktail, and dessert. If you really want to splurge, you could also check around for day spas in your area. I have one near me that offers full-day package including sauna, mineral hot tub, steam room, salt room, massage, and facial. I grew up near a lot of strawberry fields, so traditionally my birthday cake has always been fresh strawberries on top of angel food cake with a little whipped cream. By next year, I imagine that will be fine, especially if I go heavy on the strawberries (no added sugar) and small on the cake. But I think the more you go for non-food experiences to celebrate, the better.

Interesting. That's right within the daily protein I've been told, and only 4oz short on the fluid. I'm not sure why they would want to make you feel you weren't doing well. It sounds like you're doing just fine.

Several years ago, I subscribed to a weekly produce box from a local farm. I was from a strictly frozen and canned veg family growing up, so this was the first time I really tried cooking and eating beets in any quantity. And they included a generous bunch of them along with recipes. I made myself a big beet salad, feeling so proud, and then forgot all about it, going about my daily routine. A few hours later, I had the scare of my life for about 5 seconds in the bathroom before realizing I was probably not suddenly dying of massive internal bleeding and that maybe beets were the culprit. Worth the fright. Beet salads are delicious, and I love to saute the greens with a little onion. In response to the original question, I would mention it to your doctor if you plan to take it in powder or pill form as a regular supplement, just so they're aware. But adding beets to your diet in their natural form seems like a great idea for overall health.

At first it was because, even though I completed my requirements in early October, the first available surgery date was end of December. And then my hospital abruptly cancelled all surgeries and closed the weight management center 3 weeks before my surgery, so I had to get established with a new hospital (one that is owned by the same big healthcare company that owns several hospitals in the Boston area). It was a real shock. The first available appointment was early January at the new place. Luckily, they've accepted all my prior appointments to fulfil the requirements, and they allowed me to schedule my surgery after one meeting with the surgeon and dietician, which I was able to do that same day last week. Now I'm scheduled for February 21 and am counting the days while fearing something will go wrong again.

That must have been frustrating! I don't like being told I'm doing poorly when I know I'm doing everything I can, either. Do you know how much fluid and protein you've been getting, and how far off it is from their goals for you?

A certain amount of sugar is usually fine, especially the natural sugar found in dairy or applesauce. Added sugar is going to be where your doctor will probably have strict limits, and things may change as you get further out from surgery. Chobani complete drinkable yogurt has no added sugar, so that's a good sign, even if the overall sugar is 11 grams. But you'll want to talk to your practice about how many you can have and when they're okay. If you haven't yet, you should soon receive a booklet from your dietician with all the rules they want you to follow, and yes, they will be different from rules other people get at other practices, even if they are getting the same surgery! My rules include finding protein supplements with less than 5 grams sugar, at least 20 grams protein, and 160-200 calories per serving. But that 5 gram limit is specific to the protein shakes, not to all foods or meals. I can also have Greek or light yogurt, and I happen to know plain Greek yogurt has 7 grams sugar naturally. One of those little snack cups of unsweetened applesauce has 11 grams of sugar (again, naturally occurring). So, I think the Chobani complete drink would probably be approved for me, although I'm fairly sure I would be told to limit myself to a certain amount per day and not use them interchangeably with protein supplements, which generally have way lower sugar.

That's really good to know! I heard the difference between sleeve and bypass described as a nudge vs a shove, and I knew I needed a shove. I'm glad to hear the hormonal issues are indeed likely to get some help!

I wouldn't be surprised if you losing weight is absolutely terrifying to your ex. As long as you are obese, he can assure himself that you'll never find anyone better than he was, which seems to be important to a lot of people regardless of whether they ended the relationship or you did. It's a pride thing. But when you start losing weight, now you're probably happier with more energy, you might look more attractive, maybe dressing in nicer clothes, too... uh oh! Now he sees you were totally settling for his sorry butt and are likely to find someone way better, and then his ego will be bruised as all your friends and family tell you how lucky you are. My ex, (who is legally not my ex yet, which is very annoying) is the sabotaging type, too. I see him 5 days a week when he picks up the kids for school or drops off from activities. I've had to tell him about the surgery as I'll need his help with the kids, and I am still on a family plan insurance so he'll need to know about deductibles and such, but I fully expect him to start panicking as the weight loss becomes noticeable. I can hardly wait to find out how he'll try to sabotage me.

I don't have a reply for your question because I haven't had surgery yet, but I'm curious if your doctor said why they recommended the bypass for those conditions? I also have PCOS and underactive thyroid, and have chosen the bypass, but didn't know there was a connection.

I think it depends a lot on your budget. If you can afford to buy things you may not wear more than once, go for it! But I would wait on making a major investment until you feel confident you're at the size where you're likely to stay. Personally, I'm thinking it will be Walmart and thrift shops in the beginning, and letting myself loose in the shops I never got to shop in because they don't carry plus size once I reach a point where those clothes will be with me for a while. I don't really have skinny clothes in a stash because I purged my closet before a move a few years ago, although I do have some things that will work at lower weights. Now to see about the seasons. I feel like when I was shopping for my babies and had to guess whether a size 6mo would fit them in cold weather or warm!

No surgery experience yet, but I can tell you from a few years ago when I was able to drop 40lbs through working with my nutritionist (and then gained it back...which is why I'm here now) that it did really show on my face in a good way at about that point, maybe by 30lbs lost. I look back at older pictures and ones now and I'm sad at how round my face is again. If you want to see it happen rapidly in real life, check out some YouTube channels of folks who are a year or more out from surgery and did weekly or monthly vlog posts. Two that I've watched recently and really enjoyed (and who are still producing new content) are https://www.youtube.com/@nicoleislosingit and https://www.youtube.com/@kakisrnyjourney5376. The facial changes when you go from episode one to the most recent episodes are truly striking.

The reason, I think, that average weight people feel they can say what they want to obese people is that being thinner gives them a false sense of superiority. If they believe we are fat because we are lazy and gluttonous, then it stands to reason they are virtuous because they are thin. Because they lost a whole 3lbs of extra weight that one time by skipping dessert for a few days, you should not eat a slice of birthday cake at the party today, even though they are telling you this while eating a slice of birthday cake. It's okay for them to eat it because they know a single slice of cake won't have much impact on their weight. But it's not okay for you, because it makes you fat, and you have no willpower if you want to eat some on a special occasion. Unlike them, because they totally have willpower, because they are thin. They're still eating the cake, but they wouldn't if they were like you, they're very certain of that, and that makes them feel very good about themselves. And yet they don't think through to the logical conclusion that if the cake is okay for them but not for you, maybe that means their body is different from yours, and that actually, it's a lot harder for you, that losing 3 lbs is not the same as losing 30 or 100, and you might require a different approach (and they should keep their mouth shut). Also, given that she's your boyfriend's family, definitely follow Tek's advice on what to say instead of mine. But you can still think it loudly at her.

I'd ask her is she's recently had a stroke or if she's just always been a rude cow (or another c word, if you'd rather). You do not have to justify yourself, explain your reasons, or educate anyone. What you choose to do for your own health is between you and your doctor. If she continues to make unwelcome comments about your personal business, feel free to tell her what you think of her poor taste in clothing, garish eye makeup, or whatever else you'd like to "helpfully" point out as being wrong with her, until she realizes it's no longer open season on fat people.

Wow, can't remember what that's like. Even years ago when I was a "slender" US size 16w, I couldn't find dresses anywhere. I remember going shopping before a coworker's wedding (pre-internet shopping 25 years ago) and I couldn't find a single dress. Not even bad dresses. They all stopped at size 14, and the women's department had work clothing but no fancy stuff. I was literally walking from store to store in downtown Boston with money burning a hole in my wallet and nobody had a dress to sell me. I ended up wearing a cute pink suit from my closet and making do. Thank goodness for the internet! For OP, if you can order from BloomChic, I was very pleased with their plus-size selections (if that size range is still needed for you by then). They have dresses under $40 that are really classy. I bought myself two, a short-sleeve and a long-sleeve, for my cousin's fall wedding and got free shipping. Both are nice dresses for a semi-formal dress code. With surgery coming up next month, I hope the next time I need them, they won't fit!

I am turning 50 in a few months, and I've struggled with my weight most of my life. At 26, my BMI was probably around 30, but I didn't have the health issues so it was just a nuisance to me. I tried dieting and healthy eating for years, but my weight increased steadily in typical yo-yo fashion. Post-pregnancies, I spent my late 30s and early 40s in the 35-39 BMI range and started getting co-morbidities. By the time my BMI hit 40 this past year, I was aching in my feet and joints, had high blood pressure and cholesterol, and was prediabetic. So it's not about weight or appearance at this point but getting control of my health now, while my body can still bounce back and hopefully age more gracefully. I feel like I'm at that tipping point where if I don't act, the next decade will not end well and I will not have a good time of my senior years. This is despite all my best intentions and 7 years of actively going to a weight management doctor. All of that is to say that trying hard and knowing the right things to do rarely leads to success if you are prone to obesity. It's a disease, not a moral failing, no matter what people tell you. Unlike dieting, weight loss surgery provides lasting metabolic changes, as close to a cure as you can get. And you still will have to make all the lifestyle changes you would need to do anyway to lose weight, but they will actually work (instead of spending the next 24 years getting bigger and less healthy like I did). I have posted frequently about what a huge fan I am of Dr. Matthew Weiner's books, YouTube videos, and new podcast. Honestly, his books were life changing for me in terms of my perspective. I highly recommend starting there. He has 3 books, one is called Pound of Cure and gives great, scientifically sound information on what a healthy, set-point lowering way of eating looks like and how to get there. The second is a book that explains exactly how gastric bypass and sleeve surgeries change your metabolism and why they work (it's not just a smaller stomach and eating less!). The third is a cookbook with bariatric friendly recipes and serving sizes for different stages. These books are super fast reads. You can probably get through all three in a week (minus making all the recipes, of course!). With three months to go, my suggestion is get these books and start implementing the diet changes in a deliberate way. Start exercising in a sustainable way, working up to it little by little. See how you feel. Don't do crash diets. Don't start anything, whether food or exercise, you don't think you can basically do 90% of the time for the rest of your life, because there's no such thing as doing it for long enough to lose weight and then getting to "go back to normal." This has to become your new normal, with or without surgery. In three months, if you really aren't sure about the surgery, don't do it. It'll always be there. But know that it's an additional tool that will make the hard work you have to do either way in order to keep your health for the rest of your life more likely to stick. Without it, there's a very high (but not impossible) chance you will not be able to keep your weight in a healthy range.

That's so exciting! I've been at this since early July and I still have over a month to go! I hope the time flies by for both of us.

What does your pre-op diet look like? Mine will be 2 weeks of full liquid, so basically protein shakes, water or sugar free flavored water, decaf coffee and tea, sugar free jello and pudding, sugar free popsicles, broth, skim milk, Greek yogurt, unsweetened applesauce, and cream of tomato soup. I think she said up to 5 shakes per day but I need to clarify at my final dietician appointment on Feb 1. Not gonna lie, I am not looking forward to this part. My previous clinic only did a 2-day liquid diet. But I can survive!

Glad you're back home and recovering!