Beadingnurse

Diva...I imagine it was because your mom was seeing you in a group of people and had to pick you out of the crowd where normally she sees you in "your" environment (home, etc). Either way....what a great compliment! I'd love that. I had the reverse happen to me recently when I was walking in the mall and saw this woman coming toward me and I thought to myself, "gosh, she looks so much like my aunt Barbara...only much heavier." You guessed it...it was ME reflected in a friggin mirror! What a bummer! Oh well....a week from today I start my journey to becoming unrecognizable to my family because I've become so svelte!

Good luck on your journey and wear the lightest weight flip-flops you can find to your next appointment if they are going to make you weigh with your shoes on!!

Her website completely changed my view of what my world of eating was going to be like after the surgery! It gave me hope that I will still be able to have yummy food and not live on Protein shakes and tuna fish! I made one of the "bite recipes" that you make in mini muffin tins and they were terrific. In fact, I had them for Breakfast this morning! My surgery isn't until next week but I plan on using her website/blog as an inspiration and a source of cooking ideas. I wish she would publish her recipes in a cookbook...I would totally buy it!

Great topic! I think the problem is multifactorial, too much processed food, too many chemicals, not enough exercise, etc. But my surgeon told me something that REALLY resonated with me and it was in that moment when I knew for sure that I would have this surgery. I can't quote him exactly but he said that humans evolved for eons in a world of scarce food and unreliable food sources. We have big stomachs for a REASON.....when we found food, we needed to be able to eat as much of it as we could because it might be a long time before we would find more. We were (and are) hard wired to prefer foods that will provide us with the most energy, honey over celery sticks for example. Now we live in a food environment that is toxic in it's overabundance and over processed excess, (at least for those of us in our privileged industrialized nations). Unfortunately, we are still hard wired to eat everything we can and to retain those calories even though we are likely not to ever face a food scarce environment. We are fighting our biology and our instincts. My surgeon said a small stomach makes more sense now when we no longer need to "stock up" in preparation for the next famine. Anyway...that made more sense than anything I had heard and it helped me to be at peace with this surgery. Maybe a rationalization but it worked for me.

Starry, I second the motion about asking for Ativan. Let the doc/nurses know that you can projectile vomit on command and they will be the first to load you up with anti-emetics and anti-anxiety meds! Hang tight...you are almost there! I feel for you...I am only a week out from surgery myself and it feels a bit like diving off of the high dive... blindfolded! Hope there is some Water at the bottom and that I can swim!

Sam...this reminds me of an old joke that nurses tell each other. Know what they call the doc who finished dead last in every class in medical school? Doctor. Enough said. I am married to a physician and work with them so I know they can be brilliant and compassionate but every profession has it's duds and medicine is no exception. (or nursing!! )

Congratulations Ashley! The time will pass faster than you think. In the meantime this is the best place ever to learn about the surgery and all the tricks and tips for living your life with it. I am having surgery next week and I am so much more informed than I ever would have been without the wonderful people who openly share their experiences here. Good luck and we will look forward to hearing how YOUR journey goes.

Toni...follow the link to her blog...it is on the bottom of her message. VERY encouraging and inspirational pictures!

That is awesome! You should have invited the little old lady into the dressing room to admire your new shape! Just think....the numbers are only going to go down from here! :waytogo:

Are you saying we will get our minds back after the surgery?!!! . Something new to look forward to!

Not having surgery until the 12th but my doc said overnight is the most typical post op outcome for his patients. I am planning (hoping) to go home the next day since I am private pay!

Congratulations!!! You must be so excited!

Good luck Stary from one Texas gal to another! You will be FINE and you can tell me the same thing a week from now! We have far greater risks from obesity and this surgery is the best thing for us. Can't wait to hear how your surgery goes!

April 12th for me!! Went to Goodwill today and bought clothes in 3 different sizes...all smaller of course! I have a couple sizes in my closet now but can't wait to start clearing them out! Good luck everyone.

I love the Atkins shakes too and enjoyed reading about the comparison to Optifast. It is all a matter of taste though as the dark chocolate one is my favorite and I can drink the caramel one but don't like it nearly as much. I won't buy that flavor again when I run out.

Congratulations all of you...you are inspiring! Can't wait to join you! :waytogo: I've been trying to be very aware now when I eat of whether I am hungry or not and whether or not I CAN recognize signals that I am full. I recognize when I am stuffed and miserable but full is a tougher feeling to get in touch with now....before surgery. I am a bit afraid that I won't know the difference after surgery so I plan to document every bite I eat too to make sure it doesn't get out of control. Good luck everyone and keep posting about your progress as it keeps those us on the path motivated!

I hadn't thought about looking forward to weighing less than my husband until he commented yesterday that he had "lost a few pounds" since I started my pre-op diet! :frusty: How is it that he can lose MORE weight than I have and he has just eaten a few less pieces of bread? Sigh. SO....the new thing on the top of my list of things that I am looking forward to after surgery is to weigh less than him!

I think that I read in several of the posts here that healing after a sleeve + hiatal hernia will be different than just having the sleeve alone. Can someone expand upon that? What will be different? My surgery is now less than 2 weeks away and I will be having the hernia repair surgery too so I am trying to be prepared! Thanks....

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Good to know that the spasms are the thing to watch out for. I think I will try to be one of the "some" who don't have any problems! :wink_smile:

Austin, Texas! Getting sleeved on 4/12/11 Yippeeeee......

Robin, One more thought and you have probably already done this...but you should check in with your gastroenterologist before surgery to see if you have any additional precautions. Better to be over prepared! By the way...your surgery and mine are on the same day!

Hi Robin, I don't have Crohn's Disease but I have heard of folks who do and who still have weight loss surgery. Talk to your doctor of course but it shouldn't be a contraindication since Crohn's primarily affects the large intestines and the sleeve shouldn't affect that functioning. My surgeon said that almost everyone will have a drain after surgery (Jackson-Pratt or something similar) but you may or may not go home with it. Posters on this site report having it removed while still in the hospital and others have it done later at a post-op appointment. Another question for your doc! As far as gaining weight....some folks appear to initially gain in the hospital from IV fluids, glucose, etc but tend to drop that in a few days/week. Over the long haul it seems to me like most people DO lose although there is no question that you can work around the sleeve if you are determined to regain and drink a ton of high calorie drinks or slider foods all day. I haven't had the sleeve yet but I have been reading on this board for a long time and I am just repeating back to you what I read. Good luck with your surgery and let us know how it goes!