Helen the Cat

You go girl! You look AMAZING! Earlier this week I came home for vacation (work in CA, make my home in Iowa) and my FIRST stop after arriving at the airport was to buy new jeans at my favorite store. I fit into a 12, which TOTALLY blew my mind! I told the sales gal a 14 or 16, and after trying on a couple of pair she said "Those are TO BIG! Let me try something else." And brought me some 12s. I was so happy, I had to sit down and CRY right there in the dressing room! Keep it up. You look amazing!

I am a nurse in a busy Labor & Delivery unit. I had my surgery on the 18th of June, and went back to work on July 1. It was to early. I SO wished I could have taken 3-4 weeks off work. I was so tired, clear to the bone tired and had to literally drag myself to work and home again after a 12 hour shift. But I am a contract nurse (Travel Nurse) and contract out to hospitals for 13 weeks assignments, and couldn't take any time off without losing my contract. So I worked. If you have a BUSY job or work LONG hours, be good to yourself and plan on taking 4-6 weeks off to recover if you can. I am past the horible fatigue I had, and so thrilled with my results. But if I were doing it again, I would plan on more time off.

I just received my sampler of Unjury protein powder today, and I love the vanilla and chocolate! I have tried SO many protein powders and HATED them! Am so glad to have finally found one that I not only can tolerate, but actually LIKE the taste of it!

I am 3 1/2 months post op, and almost no one from my circle of family and friends has seen me since the surgery. I make my home in Iowa, but work in California. I went home to have my surgery, but flew back to CA at ten days post op. So no one, except my hubbie, has seen me since I have been losing weight. I have now lost 80 pounds, and even though I still have about 30 to go, the weight loss if finally noticable. (For the longest time it just didn't show that much!) I am flying home next week for a ten day vacation to see family and friends, and now wonder how they are going to treat me. One of my sons was very much against the surgery, and was upset that I still followed through and had it. My daughters were concerned and I think the oldest one thought I had lost my mind when I flew to Mexico to have the surgery. Hopefully no one will make cruel comments or treat me differently than when I was fat. I am so anxious to see everyone, don't want to have my vacation ruined by rude/cruel comments from friends/family! In the end, we each have to do what we feel is right for us! I think my sleeve surgery was the best thing I have ever done for myself. I am on my way to being healthier and certainly happier!

I have had SO much trouble getting enough protein in my diet! I have tried ALL KINDS of protein drinks, and they taste so BAD, I just can't get them down! BUT I finally found a protein powder drink mix that I love! I saw that Unjury was offering a sample packet that included two each of Chocolate Splendor, Vanilla, Strawberry Sorbet, Chicken Soup and Unflavored protein powders. Each packet makes one serving. It was 17.95 for the 10 packets, and came with an instant read food thermometer, and a shaker bottle to mix the powder and liquid in. I have only tasted the Chocolate Classic, But I have to say, I LOVED IT!!! It tasted like chocolate milk to me. I mixed one packet of the powder with 8 ounces of skim milk, and it was SO good. I have NEVER been able to drink a protein powder mix drink before and get the entire serving down. I am so thrilled, because I was starting to worry about my protein intake. I can only eat 4-5 bites of food at each meal, and there is NO WAY I can get my daily protein requirement in 4-5 bites, three times a day. There are 100 calories (5 calories from fat) in each scoop, so if you mix with 8 ounces of skim milk, you are taking in 180 calories, not to bad, and it contains 20 Grams of protein! You might want to give it a try.

I was sleeved on June 18. I started on the pre-op diet on June 1 and lost 20 pounds by the 18th. Since then, I have lost another 59 pounds for a total loss of 79 pounds so far. The weight loss has slowed down, but am still losing about a pound per week now. Was thrilled to be down in the 170s just yesterday! Can hardly believe it is me when I get on the scale! I am not sure how many calories I eat per day, probably around 600-800. I can only eat about 5-6 bites per meal, so am really conscious about trying to make good choices for what I eat, to be sure I get my Protein in. I have started eating either a Protein Bar, or drinking a Protein Drink on a daily basis to supplement my protein, as I was having a really hard time getting it all in when can only eat 5-6 bites per meal. (I hate to consume the calories associated with the protein bar or drink. I try to read the labels and make sure that I am not eating some "glorified" candy bar, but something with a significant amount of protein in it!) I am working on trying to acquire a taste for Greek Yogurt, since it has lots of protein, but so far, it doesn't taste that good to me, but I keep trying! I get all my liquids in with no problem. I drink iced tea (unsweetened) or Chi Latte all day long. I am using an unsweetened Chi Latte and mix half and half with skim milk, so am getting some Calcium and Vit D along with part of my liquids when I drink the Chi Latte. I mainly eat chicken, fish, eggs, cheese or Peanut Butter for my protein. Have to limit the peanut butter because of the fats in it, but it does taste good on my half an English muffin for Breakfast. Carbs (in bread, Pasta and potatoes) were really hard for me to give up. So two or three times a week I treat myself to a half an English muffin with peanut butter on it for breakfast. That is about all the carbs I eat, except for fruit. I try to eat an apple every day or so to help me "stay regular". The really funny thing is, since my sleeve surgery, I have lost my sweet tooth! I used to LOVE Cookies, cakes, pies, candy. Now they just don't taste good to me! BUT, I still love to bake them. The gals at work are all complaining that I have to quit bringing baked goodies to work, as they are all gaining weight! I love to cook and bake, and the more I lose, the more I seem to want to bake stuff. So everyone at work asks me "what did you bring tonight?" when I get to work. They all look forward to trying whatever new things I baked that day.

I can SO identify with your fears! the night before my surgery I didn't sleep at all. My children are raised and off on their own, but I was SO afraid of "what might happen". I didn't want my life to be over, to end on some operating table in Tijuana, Mexico. But I thought I have come this far, I am NOT going to let fear stop me! Thankfully, everything went well, and I did well with NO problems at all post op, other than some complaints of fatigue for several weeks. There were of course days when I had "buyer's remorse", cause I wanted to pig out so badly. I wanted all the foods that had comforted me daily for SO long! And I got tired of liquids before I could progress to mushies and then solids! But now I am almost 14 weeks out, and I feel SO good! I have lost a total of 79 pounds so far, 20 on the pre-op diet and 59 since the surgery. I still am only able to eat about 5-6 bites before I am full. And I am still working on trying to eat SLOWLY and enjoy my food, rather than stuff it in as fast as I can and unintensionally overeat. But I know that will come, it is just something I need to continue to work on. Of course, everything in my closet has gotten to big for me. I finished cleaning out my closet just this week, and I do not have one original piece of clothing left in there that I had prior to my surgery. In fact, some of the shorts I bought 4-6 weeks ago (cause my other shorts were FALLING OFF OF ME WHEN I WALKED!) are too big now already! I have shipped 6 huge boxes of clothes to friends who are about the size I was prior to my surgery. When I went shopping last week, I bought six bras with matching panties! I SO LOVE having these beautiful sets! They make me feel SO feminine! Something that I hadn't felt in years and years!!! I love wearing them to work. I have to change clothes when I get to work, and everyone in the dressing room comments on my "fancy underwear". But I can tell they all think it is great! I love wearing some of my new clothes that make me look slimmer and make my legs look like they go on forever! I am totally in love with how my body is looking now that I have lost those 79 pounds! My husband is home in Iowa, and hasn't seen me much since the surgery. (I am a travel nurse, working in California.) I am flying home in less than two weeks for a week's vacation, and I can hardly wait to get home and show my new bod to hubbie! He is excited to see the changes that have happened since he last saw me! In addition, my allergies are SO much better since my surgery. Don't know why or what my extra poundage had to do with my environmental allergies, but have been able to go off my allergy meds. almost never have a problem with stuffy nose now. Also have been able to go off my cholesterol meds, my anti-inflammatory meds, my sleeping pill, and my high blood pressure meds! So am saving $ every month on medications! I have tons more energy, and love it. I used to drag myself to work, and drag myself home. Now I feel pretty good, even in the morning when I get off work after a 12 hour shift! Just a couple years ago my husband said to me he didn't think I was physically able to even work in a hospital anymore. I went out and got a hospital job just to show him he was wrong, but it almost killed me some days, I was so tired from dragging all the extra weight around at a very physically challenging job. Now it is so much better. Also LOVE all the positive remarks I get at work and from friends! So many people have told me how good I look. I got my hair cut into a more "hip" style and co-workes have told me it takes 10 years off my appearance! I am so pumped and excited about my "new" life! I LOVE IT! It is the most positive thing I have ever done for myself! I would not ever go back to where I was before! I hope you make the decision that is right for you. But for me, my sleeve has literally SAVED MY LIFE!

I have tried amost every kind of vitamin available in retail stores, including GNC and Vitamin World. Every single one of them made me sick. I finally talked to my primary care physician and she suggested getting spray vitamins. I ordered them off the internet from Vitamist, and have been using them for a couple of weeks now. At least they don't make me throw up!

I am SO sorry to hear that you are having problems this far out from surgery, but I can certainly relate to it! I too had this bone deep, dead tired fatigue that seemed to plague me for weeks and weeks after my surgery. Since I am a nurse, and thought I knew so much, I only took 12 days off work to have the surgery. I am a Labor & Delivery nurse in a busy L&D unit, and for weeks, I lieterally had to drag myself to work and home again the next morning. (I work 12 hour shifts, from 7:00 PM to 7:30 AM) I was beginning to think that I would NEVER feel good again, and finally somewhere between 6 and 8 weeks post op, I finally started to feel better. I am sure part of the problem was my limited calorie intake. At first, after I started eating solid food I could only manage betwee 150 and 300 calories a day. It seemed that after 2-3 bites I was so full, and if I ate more, even one more bite, I was in agony for at least an hour or two. So I only ate a bite or two at each meal. I have never felt hunger since the surgery, but I sure do feel full quickly. Anyway, long answer to your question, I "turned around" somewhere between the 6th and 8th week. Hope and pray that this is your experience also! Keep the faith, It WILL get better!

That is FANTASTIC!!! Keep it up! I too am enjoying my co-workers comments on my weight loss. It is addictive!!! LOL

I don't think I have really had any hunger since I was sleeved. I am 12 weeks out now, and I do have head hunger, but as far as actual hunger pangs, I don't have any of that. I know some days I will come home from work (I work over nights, from 7:00 PM to 7:30 AM) and go to bed without even eating breakfast. When I get up, I'm not really hungry, and I rarely eat at work. Before I was sleeved, McDonalds was my first stop on the way home! I couldn't even get home without almost perishing (or so I thought) from hunger. I usually have something to eat when I get up, because I know if I don't, my body will switch into starvation mode, and I won't loose anything for several days. And of course, I know that I need to eat to nourish my body. My hardest situation is making healthy choices. Since I can consume such a small quantity of food, I know it is essential that I make wise choices, and choose protein over empty carbs. Not always an easy choice. I have been reading on the internet about foods that help to keep you satisfied, and many sources suggest being sure to eat enough lean protein foods, high fiber foods and foods that contain a high content of water. All of these are supposed to keep you feeling more satisfied than some of the other things that are out there. Hope you can work through this!

Last night at work was SO good for my ego. I had three different people at work tell me how great I looked. My Husband (God love him!) has always told me I look good, but rarely (?never?)has anyone else mentioned to me, out of the blue, how good I look. Last night at work. I had three different individuals come up to me and tell me they noticed how I had lost a lot of weight, and that they just had to tell me they thought I looked great. One of them was this tiny little doctor who can't weigh much over 100 pounds herself. She told me "not to overdo the weight loss thing"! Not that I will ever be as tiny as she is (she is only like 5 feet tall, and probably weighs all of 110!) When I told her I had another 35-40 pounds to lose she asked me "where? off your big toe?" Now my friends and co-workers, who know what I have done, have been very supportive. But these were people who didn't necessarily know that I had been sleeved, but just realized that I had lost a bunch of weight. All three of them told me how fantastic I looked. I had one of my new pair of shorts on when I went to work, and one of them told me that my legs looked absolutely great with my nice tan! I almost floated clear up to the ceiling I was so thrilled to hear somebody give me a compliment like that! In the future, every time I get discouraged about not losing fast enough, not being able to eat all I want to eat, every time I hit a stall, anything, I am going to replay that memory in my brain's DVD player to remind myself how great it is to look and feel good! I am going home for a ten day visit in about 2 1/2 weeks, and am hoping to loose a few more pounds before I go home. My husband is excited to see me. He has NEVER known me at this weight. I weighted around 200 when we met, got married, and all our married life (41 years!). So he can hardly wait to see me. I was just at the 200 mark when he left for home in August. He said he is going to get a sign that says "Kathy Warren" on it and hold it up when he picks me up at the airport, like limo drivers do when they are picking up someone they don't know, since he is convinced he won't know me! Funny Man! I am just a little over 180 now, and hope to be in the 170's by the time I fly home. And I can't wait to fly home. For years now I have HATED to fly, cause I had to ask for a seat belt extension (SO embarassing!), and then I sort of "spilled over" into the seats on either side of me, if I was in the middle seat. This time there should be NO "spill over"! And certainly no seat belt extension needed! The last few times I flew, I even went to far as to purchase a first class ticket, so that I would have the advantage of the larger seats and more room in First Class. Now I love to fly First Class, BUT it is so pricey! Am loving the savings that I am going to get by being able to fly economy, but of course, will miss the individual attention and service that comes with First Class! But I keep telling myself, I can fly home more often when it doesn't cost as much! Well, should close. I only slept four hours and then woke up. Am going to try and get back to sleep for a few more hours, as I have to work all night again tonight. Hope all you Post Op sleevers and potential sleevers are having a Great weekend. The weather here in the Central Valley of California is great. Hope you are all outside doing something special. Later........

I was interested to read you blog entry, Would you mind if I commented on several of your points? First of all, the vitamin thing. Post op bariatric surgery patients need to plan on taking a multivitamin every day for the rest of their life, not just during their childbearing years. Because the VGS severly limits your food intake, it is hard to get 100% of all the required nutrients. So the vitamins are not just for your CHILDBEARING years, but the rest of your life. As far as acid reflux is concerned, my surgeon put me on Nexium twice a day for two months. After the two months, he told me to stay on the Nexiiium if I had any symptoms of acid reflux. I am three months out, and am still taking one Nexim a day, and have had absolutely NO symptoms of acid reflux. And I know what acid reflux is, I had been on Nexium (before that Prilosec) for the last 15 years. As far as surgery risks go, do your research. Ask questions. Find out the individual surgeon's complication rate, his infection rate, ask to talk to some of his prior patients who have had the procedure you want to have, and get their take on what they think of the surgeon, how their surgery and post op course went, how responsive he and his office staff are to your needs, concerns, etc. Make sure the hospital the surgeon practices at is JACHO approved. (The Joint Commission for Hospital certification is the Gold Seal of approval as far as adhearing to medical standards.) And go with your gut. I was all set up to go with one surgeon, and then got some "bad vibes" from him and his staff. I (hesitantly) cancelled my surgery and went back to researching other surgeons. I was very happy with my final choice. Best of luck to you!

I had my surgery done in Tijuana in June of this year with Dr. Rodriguez. It was $6900.00, all inclusive, except the round trip air fare. (Had to make a $500.00 down payment to secure a surgery date.) We were picked up at the airport in San Diego, transported to a nice hotel several blocks from the INT hospital, then transported to the hospital for blood work and EKG. Then back to the hotel. The Dr. met with us the evening before surgery for a general discussion/question and answer session. Then the next morning we were transported back to the hospital. I was second of three surgeries that day (it was a Saturday). Stayed overnight Saturday and Sunday nights, and Monday transported back to San Diego. We elected to stay in San Diego for several more days to assure that there were no complications. Our van driver drove everyone to the airport, and we were prepared to take a cab to our hotel from the airport, but the driver said "Don't waste your money, I will take you." So he drove us to our hotel. We flew home three days later, and have been doing well ever since. I had some concerns with the hospital and it's procedures, but in the end, everything worked out well. (I am a nurse, so I noticed several things that I don't think a lay person would notice that gave me cause for concern.) If you want to know more about the things I had concerns about, feel free to contact me and I will elaborate.

Just one thing to add, be careful when ordering a garment off the internet, Read the sizing information carefully. I bought myself a 2X compression garment, one of the tank top kind, with the bust area cut out, and even though I have lost 75 pounds and am well under 200 lbs now, I can't get the thing on! It has hooks and eyes that you fasten, and then a zipper. I seem to hold a lot of my weight between my waist and bust line, and I can't get the darned thing snapped and zipped to save myself. I have tried three differnt times to get it on, and each time it goes back into my dresser drawer! It is a Leonissa brand, that is advertised here on this site. I am looking forward to the day that I can get it on and wear it under some of my more "clingy" tops. But that day hasn't come yet. The last time I tried to put it on, I stood in front of my mirror, to see where the hook and eyes were, to help fasten them, and got to laughing. I laughed so hard I had tears running down my face, so even with the mirror, couldn't see what I was doing! Back in the dresser drawer again!

At first, was going to keep it a secret, and not tell anyone what I had done. I did tell my best friend at work, and asked her to Please keep it quiet. Well when I went back to work, almost everyone knew. So I guess my friend "forgot" to keep it quiet. I had a number of people come up to me and say they heard I had "taken the easy way out" to lose weight. I finally got up the nerve to tell someone that there was nothing "easy" about having the WLS. That it was major surgery, left me with only a 2-3 ounce stomach, involved lots of education, lots of motivation, a huge amount of determination, and the wonderful benefit of knowing that I will never be fat again. Most people were flabergasted when I said all that. The only person I haven't told is my mother. She is 90 years old, and worries about EVERYTHING. Being a good daughter, I don't want her to worry over something that she can't change or do anything about. So I haven't told her, and since she lives 100+ miles from me, hopefully none of my friends will ever see her to tell her. (When I answer people's questions and tell them about my experience, I add the caveat, "Please do not tell my mother about this if you should meet her. I wouldn't hurt her for the world, and I know she would be hurt and worry about me if she knew. Thank you!" But now when someone asks me what I have done, I am up front with them and tell them that after many, MANY years of trying to lose weight permanently, I decided to try a different way, not THE EASY WAY, just a Different Way. I am happy to say that it is proving to be a successful way! After reading about Dr. Oz's endorsement of WLS, I decided that being up front about what I have done is best. Most people I know have only known me fat, so they are bound to notice a difference, and want to know what has changed. But I have to say, whatever works for you is the right thing to say.

Well, I have written this two times previously and lost it before I could post it, so am praying that the third time is a charm! I am sure it is something that I am doing wrong, but I get SO frustrated when I spend 20 minutes writing this out and then losing it before I can get it to post. I guess I am just not computer savy enough! Today is Friday, the 9th of September, and tomorrow is my 12 week surgiversary! I will be 12 weeks out tomorrow. I have lost a total of 74 pounds. I lost 20 pounds prior to the surgery, on the pre-op diet, and have lost 54 pounds since the surgery. The fatigue that plagued me for weeks after the surgery is finallly gone for the most part. And the nausea that I struggled with off and on for several weeks is also a thing of the past. I am just SO happy to have my old energy back, and feel good! None of my old clothes fit me at all. I sent four huge boxes of clothes home with my husband when he came to visit me the first part of August. (I live in California, am a travel nurse and am working here on contract. Have been living and working in CA this time, since last October. My contract runs through the end of November. But my husband and I make our home in north central Iowa.) He stayed two or three weeks, and I sent all these clothes back to a friend who is about the size I was prior to my surgery. Some of them were practically new, a couple still had price tags on them! She was thrilled to get them and I was thrilled to get them out of my closet. While he was here, I went out and bought a few new things, as I had to hold my pants up when I walked, so they didn't slide down and off completely! Now I have lost enough that I have to do it again! So yesterday I made a trip to the local Lane Bryant and Dress Barn and picked up a few new things. I was looking for shorts, since it is still in the upper 90's and occasionally 100's here in the Central California Valley. Since it is the end of the season, the pickings were few. But when I was at Dress Barn, the sales clerk found three pair of Size 16 Misses shorts! I mean I haven't worn Misses sizes in at least 30+ years! What a thrill! Also had to purchase a couple new bras, since the majority of my 74 lb weight loss seems to have been off my bust line. All that is left in that area are two empty sacks of skin! But when I roll them up and put them in the bra cup, I have a very modest bust line! In the past when I was trying to loose weight, my mother would always try to encourage me by saying "nothing tastes as good as thin feels". Well, I got to the point that it drove me crazy when she said that, cause I LOVED to eat, and nothing could beat how good some things tasted to me. But I am finally at the point where I can see that what she was saying was right. I seem to have lost my sweet tooth since the surgery, don't even like the taste of sweet things now. And I have to admit, being thin (well thinner anyway) does feel SO VERY GOOD! I want to get down to 150 pounds, so have a little over 30 pounds left to loose. But am thrilled with my progress so far. I would never have worn shorts in public before. I didn't want anyone to look at my fat thighs! Now I wear them to work! (Have to change into scrubs when I get to work.) I am still hesitant to wear anything sleeveless, as my upper arms are SO flabby! So often I wear a sleeveless top and a little sweater shrug over it to hide my upper arms. Would give anything if the skin on those upper arms would shrink and tighten up, but am not expecting miracles! I tried something else yesterday that is new to me. I have always wanted to be nice and brown for summer. But I just don't tan. I seem to have two colors, white, which I am most of the time, and red, which I turn when I am out in the sun for very long. Then I peel, and am white again. So yesterday I went to the beauty salon for my monthly cut and color and noticed they had a sign saying that they do spray tanning now. So I asked my operator if there were any openings and they had one. So I got naked (!?!) and they sprayed me! Before my weight loss, I would NEVER have gotten naked to be spray tanned. Not for anything in the world!!! And guess what? I love being tan! I think this is something that could become addictive! My roommate (who tans beautifully!) was stunned when I came home. But I definitly think it is worth $35.00 to feel so good about myself. Well, enough of my ramblings. Hope everyone reading this has good plans for the weeken. I have to work Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday night. So kknow what I am doing this weekend, work and sleep. Have a GREAT weekend!

I am now 10 weeks out, and in the last few weeks, my "full feeling" has changed. Initially when I started eating solids, I would feel full all of a sudden, without warning. The full feeling was just that, I knew I was full. Several times I did take one more bite after I got to full, and then I was miserable! I mean REALLY sick! Everything seemed to be sitting right at the bottom of my esophogus, and it seemed like nothing would go down. It was a really miserable feeling, painful, nauseating, uncomfortable, etc. In fact after the first time it happened, I was careful that if that "full feeling" happened when I had food in my mouth, I would spit it out!!! I KNEW if I swallowed even ONE MORE BITE I would be miserable and feel sick for hours! Now however, it seems like I can eat more, and when the full feeling comes, I know in advance, if I eat slowlly. My one problem however, is slowing down my eating. I have been a labor and delivery nurse for over 40 years. When you work L&D, you learn to eat fast, or you may not get to eat. That is working against me now. After years of eating as fast as I could (so I could eat my meal), I need to slow down and try to experience how the food feels when and after I swallow. I have to tell myself over and over again, "SLOW DOWN!!! Don't eat so fast!" It seems like if I eat fast, I get to the full point and beyond before I know it, and I am miserable all over again! So I am working on eating slow, chewing well, and concentrating on enjoying every bite slowly! The other thing I have found is that my food tastes have changed. I no longer like the taste of sweets. And pre-op I had a REAL sweet tooth. Now I take a bite, and it tastes OK, but not something I want to eat a lot of. The head hunger is still there however, and sometimes I let it trick me into eating sweets. However, if I stop and THINK about it, I know that I don't want to overdose on sweets. Also fried foods don't taste as good to me as they used to. So I think my body is responding well to my sleeve, I just need to stop and think before I eat. It's a hard habit to learn!

Garden Diva, TOO, TOO funny! I love it. thanks for sharing! KathyD49

Kamay1234, what a FUNNY story! I laughed till I cried! I love to bake, and I am still baking LOTS, just not eating any of it! I take every thing I bake to work and feed it to my fellow workers. Several of them have complained that they are getting fat from my getting skinny! Thanks for sharing! KathyD49

Am sorry to hear that you are feeling so low. I have to concur with the other gals that have posted, maybe you need to consider an antidepressant to help you feel better. Also know that you have friends here on this board. I have put you on my prayer list, and will be praying for you everyday. I too have suffered depression in the past, when I felt abandoned, and felt that no one cared about me, felt that I had been forgotten by everyone that I cared about. It took me a while to get past my feelings of abandonment, but the antidepressants helped a lot. Don't go through this alone! There are tons of people out there who care and want to help! Seek them out. Do you have a church, can you talk with your pastor? Call your local Mental Health institute. What about Employee Assistance Programs through work? All of these places care and want to help, you just need to reach out. Please investigate some of them and let them help you! And please keep posting so we know how you are doing! I am sending you Love and Hugs and Prayers tonight! KathyD49

I know how you feel. I had a couple of weeks when I was so nauseated, and the thing is, it didn't start till I was four or five weeks post op. It lasted so long that I was certain that it would never end, and coupled with the fatigue I was feeling post op (which was horrible, bone tired fatigue), I was certain that life would never be good again! I was getting SO depressed! I had serious buyer's remorse!!! But I am 9 weeks out now, and I feel SO good! I have finally gotten over the fatigue, and the nausea is finally gone. I now have some energy, and am able to do some of the things that I enjoy again. This too will pass, and you WILL feel good again! Hang in there till then. And keep on posting so we know how you are doing!

Dear Indy Sleever, Am SO happy to know that you are done with your surgery and everything went OK! I know exactly how you felt. I wanted to have my surgery in the WORST way, (I cashed in my retirement 401K to pay for it, since my insurance wouldn't pay a penny towards the surgery) but three days before the surgery I thought "WHAT AM I DOING?" I had buyer's remorse before I even had the surgery! But like yours, everything went well with my surgery and I am now 9 weeks out and doing great! I wanted to write to you and let you know that I have put your name on my prayer list, and am praying for you everyday! After surgery I went through a lot of fatigue. I also had problems with constipation and nausea. I am happy to say ALL THAT SEEMS TO BE BEHIND ME! I feel so good now, and am happy everytime I get on the scale! I am down 65 pounds so far, and am in a size 14 now! So keep your spirits up. It only gets better and better! Please keep on posting so we all know how you are doing! Love and Hugs and Prayers coming your way! KathyD49

I can't wait to get there too! I was so excited when I got under 200 pounds. I haven't weighed under 200 in over 35 years, so it was wonderful. Now I too am waiting to get my BMI under 30! Congratulations on your victory!!!

It is so funny that you brought this up! I bought a pair of duty shoes (white nurses shoes) about 2 years ago. I didn't try them on at all. They were same style and size as the work shoes I was currently wearing. When I got home and put them on to go to work, they KILLED my feet they were so small! I said bad words about the company changing the style, skimping on the size, etc. Now that I am down 64 pounds since my surgery, I find that I can get them on quite comfortably! In fact I wore them to work the other night for the first time. I never thought of my feet as "FAT", but obviously I have lost some fat in my feet as well as other places! I am still a size ten shoe, but wow, do they ever fit better!