pnw218

awesome job! you are a 5k up on me and I am almost 3 months post-op! LOL You have shown yourself what you can do! Next year you will run it and not even sweat! Congrats!!!!

Yes, stay positive : ) Patience is much more difficult to work with! Your body might need to be shaken up a little. Add calories for a few days, then add carbs for a few days, then back to your plan. I have definitely had slow weeks and can look back at my calendar and there was hardly any movement. If I wouldn't have had that cookie or pizza or whatever! : ) For me, I do better to have a bite of something if I am craving it, rather than depriving myself. Hang in there! It will happen!

I initially only told my husband, sister and daughter, who still lives at home. At first, I didn't think I would tell very many people about the surgery. Then it changed to - I would tell some people but not until I had lost at least 20 pounds or so to make sure it was working. Later, I totally changed my mind. I tell almost everyone I come in contact with - friends/family/business contacts who notice the weight loss or even the gal at Starbucks! I was just there to buy gift cards and she was trying to hard sell me on a coffee drink! LOL sorry, I don't drink coffee. ok - how about this? or that? Finally, I said sorry, I had weight loss surgery and really can't have any of it! Then you have their total attention and they want to know all about it! haha! I also decided that my embarrassment over telling people that I had the surgery did not outweigh the benefit it could be for people who had never heard of the surgery. I didn't know anything about it until one month before my surgery! I had truly only heard of the bypass and found out about the lapband while desperately searching the internet for "something" to help me. My other main issue was in regards to people I knew who had also struggled with losing weight. I felt that I would be lying to them if I only said that I was losing weight by eating smaller portions and exercising - even tho that was true. I didn't want them to feel that I was any better than them, because they weren't able to do it that way alone. I have received a variety of responses. Friends saying that they weren't ready to take the easy way out yet, and would keep dieting and exercising. Those who say that they could never afford it like I could. (yes I paid cash but that doesn't mean the money was just sitting there waiting to be spent). I always just smile, wish them luck, tell them to feel free to share my info with anyone they talk to who might be interested. Then I email them a general surgery description, post op diets, etc. Most people tho are very supportive and say they never thought of me as fat or needing to take such a drastic measure to lose weight. Kinda true but I also explain to them about the sleep apnea, back probs and other medical issues. Definitely another one of those personal choices. There are probably some people I don't care for much and I might not tell them right away! LOL The restaurant thing is funny! A couple of times, I have actually asked them to bring my meal in a to go box! I usually just say that I had a late lunch or whatever : )

You are the one to get over yourself sweetie. My post was the only one you didn't acknowledge as being "good advice" and your comments were with the intent that "just because the guideline is there" doesn't mean it is good. It is from Cornell University, a pretty well known place. And you have posted it yourself. Don't try to act like I am posting something that might kill people or cause them serious problems. You are not queen bee of the board even tho you try to wear the banner of Miss Know it All. I have already apologized personally to Maravilla for the drama in her thread but I refuse to allow you to push your narrowminded opinions on people when there are other options that might work for someone. Try posting in a less negative mode with a backhand slam to someone else. Everytime I see you or your group do it, I will respond. Getting attacked by ya'll doesn't deter me at all. Even tho I am losing weight, I still have big shoulders.

It is the one thing you aren't supposed to pray for: patience! : ) Cause you just might get it! Take it slow and steady. I get on the scale almost every day - unless I am not at home, and often the scale is up a pound or juggles by half a pound up and down. It certainly is one step forward, two steps back. And back and forth. The scale will move downward, just not constantly or as fast as you may want. It will work. Give it a chance. Your body needs to adjust to the changes. Trick it once in awhile. Add calories for a few days. Then add carbs for a few days. Then go back to your plan. You will likely see a change. Hang in there! And stay positive - the better "p" word! :001_cool:

Hmmm, was that directed at me??? LOL Seems you have even posted the Cornell guidelines a few times.

note to self: while in Dothan, kidnapp Sam and put her on the plane a few days early with a note to her dr: sleeve only, no lapband! lol I am also one of those who intended to do the band, primarily because it "was reversible". I do have my doubts about that now. I had even scheduled my surgery as the band, and then switched to the sleeve a few days later - thank goodness!! Our area is inundated with band commercials right now (or maybe I am just now noticing them??). I haven't seen a single one for the sleeve. I am working on an article that I will try to get published ..... the only thing that is holding me back is going "public". I don't mind it on a one on one basis and freely tell those I come in contact with. Just not sure I want the entire Puget Sound area to know! LOL And not so sure it would get published if I don't use my name. Seriously Sam, I understand wanting your familys' blessing, but in the end, it is your decision. You are trained in the medical field so have alot of knowledge and experience that others should respect : )

I would have gone crazy on a pre-op diet, so I congratulate anyone who makes it thru! You could have eaten something much worse than oatmeal : ) Get thru the next couple of days as best as you can. Don't drive yourself crazy. After surgery, it will be much easier to stay on track. For safety's sake, don't eat after 11pm or midnight, whatever your directions are for the night before surgery. That is important not to mess with : ) Good luck with your travels, surgery and recovery! It is amazing!!

LOL!!! Congrats on the "who's the hot babe answering the door" comment! That is awesome! oh, and the dress is good too : ) I am getting close to the size when we got married and it feels great! Congrats again!!

It definitely is mind over matter. You need to have small goals and victories along the way. I can relate to the mirror issue from a different direction. For most of my 'fat' years, I still felt like my old, slender self and then would look in the mirror and be totally shocked and disgusted with what I saw. Now, even as I lose weight - there are days that I am feeling better and more confident - and other days that I still feel heavy. The mental is a very strange aspect for sure! Congrats to you for your weight loss so far and the positive attitude!

Your swelling may just be taking longer to resolve, so don't panic : ) Everyone has a wide range of recoveries from pain, to what they tolerate, etc. I had my gall bladder removed a few years ago and it didn't affect how much I ate, only what I ate. My system didn't adjust well to the increase of bile so it was food in, food out. Not pleasant. There are a couple of meds out there that will help that - if it becomes an issue for you. My issues totally went away after sleeve surgery and I have quit taking my "gall bladder" med. I still eat quite slowly at two+ months out. At two weeks, it took 45 minutes - hour to eat 2 ounces. It seemed like it took forever to take a real drink of water! Now it is pretty much normal. Hope you get good advice from your doctor in the morning!

At eleven days, I was eating most anything I wanted - within reason and either mushy/soft or chewed very well. I found the Cornell guideline before my surgery and it worked great for me. I think the most important aspect is not to eat anything that will damage your stitch line - like nuts or anything that could stay crunchy and get stuck, causing an infection. http://www.cornellweightlosssurgery.org/pdf/dietary_guidelines_sleeve_gastrectomy.pdf I also think it depends alot on what your stomach will tolerate. Many patients here talked about eating chili early on and I could never have done that! LOL

My fav is the Premier Chocolate Protein premade shake, I buy it at Costco. It has 30 grams of protein. I do at least one and often two of them every day and pretty much takes care of my protein for the day with only 5 carbs each.

I used my fork and it worked great! : )

at 12 weeks .... 156.8 a loss of 36.2! It has been encouraging to see the 2lb a week loss continue even tho the past week or so hasn't been "normal". Life in general has been busy and stressful, I was sick last week and didn't sleep well this week. Being sick - wasn't sure if it was a "flu" bug or something I did (or didn't) eat. I spent about 4 days with blurry vision, dizzy, hot/chills, shaky hands. I spent last weekend protein and carb loading, drinking as much as possible. Finally went away - but then I couldn't sleep! Sunday thru Wed nights were terrible. I finally went to the acupuncturist on Thursday afternoon. Have been sleeping about 12 hours per night since then! LOL Feels great! :tongue_smilie: Friday - Saturday I took our club volleyball team to Great Wolf Lodge as a reward for winning a difficult match. The good part - they are all 14-16 yr old teens so didn't need supervision - well, except for the boys! lol I would have felt very comfortable putting on a swim suit and hanging out in the water park, however the mom who came with me, wasn't - so I just wore a tank top and shorts, and we sat outside in the sun. It wasn't too hot and was very relaxing! I am over the halfway point to my goal - again, a goal I pulled out of the air. LOL It is actually the mid point of the weight range for a female with a healthy bmi, medium build and 5'4". My next short term goal is to hit the 40 pounds lost mark. Getting close!! I should be there before I go to Alabama the first part of June. I have never had such confidence knowing that I could set a goal and actually have a reasonably strong chance of hitting it before in my life. It is a feeling you can't describe, but those who have done it, will understand.

Judy, I don't know of any reason why you wouldn't be allowed to sleep on your side, other than it might not be comfortable. I was sleeping on my side by day 2 post-op, and used a pillow between my knees and a pillow along the length of my side as a cushion. I did lay on my right side - my drain was on the left. Good Luck and happy planning!

My guess is not much. I saw the amount removed and it looked like less than a handful. Are you pre or post-op?

absolutely amazing!!!! you should be very proud of yourself! thanks for sharing that!!!

In honor of Mother's Day .... A Mother's Dictionary Bottle feeding: An opportunity for Daddy to get up at 2 am too. Defense: What you'd better have around de yard if you're going to let the children play outside. Drooling: How teething babies wash their chins. Dumbwaiter: One who asks if the kids would care to order dessert. Family planning: The art of spacing your children the proper distance apart to keep you on the edge of financial disaster Feedback: The inevitable result when the baby doesn't appreciate the strained carrots. Full name: What you call your child when you're mad at him. Grandparents: The people who think your children are wonderful even though they're sure you're not raising them right. Hearsay: What toddlers do when anyone mutters a dirty word. Impregnable: A woman whose memory of labor is still vivid. Independent: How we want our children to be as long as they do everything we say. Look out: What it's too late for your child to do by the time you scream it. Prenatal: When your life was still somewhat your own. Preprared childbirth: A contradiction in terms. Puddle: A small body of Water that draws other small bodies wearing dry shoes into it. Show off: A child who is more talented than yours. Sterilize: What you do to your first baby's pacifier by boiling it and to your last baby's pacifier by blowing on it. Storeroom: The distance required between the supermarket aisles so that children in shopping carts can't quite reach anything. Temper tantrums: What you should keep to a minimum so as to not upset the children. Top bunk: Where you should never put a child wearing Superman jammies. Two-minute warning: When the baby's face turns red and she begins to make those familiar grunting noises. Verbal: Able to whine in words Whodunit: None of the kids that live in your house. Whoops: An exclamation that translates roughly into "get a sponge."

I am using a auto cpap so it adjusts the air flow based on my need. I agree that if the air flow is set high, it is hard to breathe out! And it felt like you were almost drowning by the rush in of air! lol My husband has had to wake me up a few times to put on the mask : ) To me, this surgery was nothing like birth! Also went natural with all three 9 pounders. You have more experience tho being open three times. The closest I got was my tummy tuck and that was awful. Everything else has been lap or vaginal. You should do great with a high pain tolerance. I quit taking pain meds on day three : )

I like the Premier chocolate Protein shake from costco. They have 160 cal, 3 fat, 5 carbs (3 Fiber, 1 sugar), 30 protein and are 11oz. I didn't care for any of the protein powders at all.

your tummy is likely very swollen from the surgery and the vomiting. it should get better. its a good thing you are seeing your dr in a couple of days!

Hey Tiffany! Glad your scale moved today! And in the right direction! Just a funny thought. Before surgery, I was only going to count the whole numbers, wasn't gonna mess around with the .2, .5, .8. And then, after surgery, I discovered how important those tenths were!!! LOL I am absolutely thrilled on days when I go from .8 to .2 : ) You are a walk up on me today!

When I did the Atkins diet prior to surgery, I always counted net carbs and I often stayed below 20 per day. Post op, I just count carbs. Too lazy to do the math. LOL And I am so used to eating at the lower level, that 40 seems like a breeze : ) Hope you are feeling better today! :biggrin2:

Hi Jeannie, I have never had "heartburn" either - other than maybe once or twice during three pregnancies. I have taken omeprazole for several years tho for stomach soreness, mainly from pre-ulcer redness, spicy foods and citrus. I have continued to take one omep per day. No big desire to stop now and see what happens. Maybe down the road sometime. I have not had any heartburn post-op. The only discomfort I get is if I eat too much or too fast. You don't wanna to that : ( lol What type of breathing mask do you use? I started with the nose pillows and also have the smaller nose only mask. It took several weeks to get used to the nose pillows but they work well now. I am able to sleep all night. If I am stressed or restless when I go to bed, I will use the nose mask. Maybe you can try a different type of mask?? I am so glad I didn't do the band and I never considered the bypass. Didn't have enough to lose for that drastic of a move. The sleeve is wonderful! good luck!!