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April 10, 2012 (TMI warning for some of you guys out there) Another day waking up in pain. My ankles, my knees, my hips, my back, my shoulders, and my neck.... I am still struggling with the lack of Advil in my regimen. I love to play with my little daughter. However, she is a toddler and very active. Her favorite things to do DAILY are dance, twirl, jump, bounce, etc to music. I have to say I cannot wait to be rid of all my pain. In an attempt to keep up with her and not disappoint her, I force myself to do this with her daily, even knowing what the repercussions will be to my joints. Not to mention, when my daughter wants to jump and bounce to her favorite song everyday, I just about take myself out with my boobs! The sheer physics of it all is kind of funny actually I go up, and the velocity of my boobs seem to continue to accelerate as they head toward the sky (or rather my face) like two melons being launched out of a sling shot. The funny part is you are already on your way back down as your boobs lift further, then they drop at the rate of gravity (9.81 m/s2) VERY quickly after. There is nothing like the jerking halt of what feels like two giant bowling balls tied to a string around your neck being dropped off the edge of a building. I know I am not the only one who knows this feeling. This isn't just with jumping, or bouncing, this is also with running. Even in situations you would never dream of.... Once as I sat in a friends speedboat going over the choppiest of waters. Yep, that sure did make for some entertainment for a good 30 minutes as I did everything I could to keep these puppies under control. It did give some good laughs though. Another funny boob story, I took my son to an arcade for the day (little mom and son time) He wanted to play this virtual roller coaster, so I get on, lean back and the entire ride starts to move with the movie screen. Well, I have to say, laying on your back with your breasts jerking around in just about 360 degree turns is not a pleasant experience. My point is, I can't wait to get rid of these knockers! They are in my way; they make my back hurt, my shoulders hurt, and my neck hurt. I want little itty-bitty boobies with a cute lacy bra. I would like to work out in a sports bra without having the enormous uniboob that is oh so stylish. I have no doubt when I take all this weight off that is pounding down on my joints I will feel better and I can continue to play with my very active daughter pain free. Ooooooooh the day can't come soon enough.

You think 11 lbs in 2-1/2 weeks is not losing? I think that is great. Hang in there and don't be in a rush to drop the weight instantly. It's not realistic and it will just get you discouraged. I know it is hard to be patient, I can relate to that.....my surgery isn't until 5/21 and it seems like my life is on hold. I know that it will be a few months before a dramatic change. My hope is that I can lose 17 lbs in 1 month and than I figure it will be more like 7-8 p/month after that but at that rate I should be close to goal by Christmas, way better than any other diet I have been on. Hang on and see how you feel 3 months out. For the constipation you should check with your Dr. I don't think they want you to have severe constipation and straining (sorry tmi). It seems like my nutritionist said if that was to happen, I should use baby food prunes but you better check with your Dr. or nutritionist to be sure. I know they can give you something to help.

This is me. Yesterday I had that "burning feeling" when I peed. Tmi I know. But I am positive it was because of not enough water. Today I feel better but I have really been concentrating on it.

Hi Thickhawk, Are you drinking plenty? For the first few days I could only pass water, but eventually (TMI warning) I did pass some very loose and watery stools. However, if you are not able to pass anything, perhaps you could ask your dr to recommend something. I had senacot, as it is a natural remedy and works very gently on your system. The box says to take two in the morning and two at night, but I managed to get moving by just taking one in the morning and at night and it worked wonderfully. My advice is don't leave it too long before speaking to your doctor. I was very lucky, in that before surgery I had to do a complete liquid diet that did not include protein drinks. So after surgery, when I was still just liquids to be able to drink protein drinks filled me up. I did start my mushies a day early as by then I was absolutely desperate to eat something. This is when the hunger goes away and you do begin to feel like the operation is working. Hope things work out for you soon. Phoenix

Hello everyone! I am new to this forum. I have not yet had my surgery but have had my initial meeting with my doctor. He wants to do the sleeve, but, I am not sure my insurance will cover. I hope it does as I prefer the sleeve to the bypass. I am 50 years old and have been obese for about 30 years. I have tried multiple diets, exercise regimens and drugs and either didn't loose any weight or did loose and gained it back. So hopefully this will be my lifesaver. Even though I am about 7 months out, I am already working on drinking the requisite liquids per day and am slowly making my meals smaller and smaller and am working on learning to chew - chew - chew! I am doing a walk at home program as my small town has horrible sidewalks. My biggest concern and issue is I am single. I moved here from the South about 3 years ago. I work alot and do not have many friends so basically I am doing this alone. I am strong and know I can do it but I do wonder how much others here needed help before and after surgery. I am not so worried about the before as I work alot and that will keep me occupied. It is the after that has me concerned. Has anyone else here done it alone? I work second shift and cannot attend the support meetings and that worries me too. Also, with the new diet and the liquids, is it hard to do all of it and work? I work in a manufacturing plant and my job does allow me a lot of freedom as far as restroom breaks but sometimes I just can't pull away. I know I am asking for tmi...but in reality how many times a day do you hit the restroom? lol If that makes sense at all! Excuse me for this being sooo long ..I am longwinded in real life also!

Omg I've had a couple of stucks ): I hate it. It actually makes me cry & my lovely fiancé is so supportive (: Wow what am emotional journey this is, very intense sometimes. Caution TMI coming up ... I hadnt had a "girl thing" for 6 months before my surgery... Now I've lost 10 kilos & badda bing badda boom my hormones have kicked back in & flow cam to town !! This is great news for me as my fiancé & I have been trying to have a baby for over a year. That was my main motivation for the surgery as my weight was severely effecting my fertility !! Anyways in super stoked (that means happy, in Aussie) & I hope you all are doing & feeling great ! Check back soonish ! All the best xxxxx

Yesterday I realized that I don't pee when I sneeZe. Sorry if tmi. . This is big for me.

Dang. haven't been losing for the last few days. Now I know. What a time for the TOM to show up! Grrrrrrrrrrr! The weight usually drops to normal non-water retention a day after. TMI huh?

Remember that poop is a waste product. Right now your body doesn't have a lot of waste. So what you're able to discard is much, much less. Your body also isn't good at converting liquids to solids, so expect to have diarrhea or very loose stool when it does happen. I was released from the hospital Wed of last week. My first poop was early Tue morning, pure liquid. My second was yesterday morning, mostly liquid and some pudding consistency. Not much at all. Haven't had poop #3 yet. Sorry if this is TMI, but it's an honest account of what you might expect (similar, anyway).

I'm post op day 5, had band with plication. I have been having horrible cramping and diarehhea. Everytime I eat or drink anything substantial I end up on the toilet! Is this normal or happening to anyone else??!!

Thanks. I feel a little better in some ways. I'm having pretty bad lower abd gas pains. TMI alert... I haven't passed gas yet. I've been walking, tried pillows, and I'm out of ideas. I wish today were not Saturday so I could call my surgeons office. Grr

Hi Panda Where you buy those shakes? I'm drinking Bariatric Advantage w/ 8oz of skim milk so i just have to drink 12oz to make it 60grams. When did you star taking your Protein? I started at the hospital on my 2nd day, then got d/c and my surgeon told me to continue on Clear liquids but to slowly add protein to my diet. So I did today I dranked 6oz and those were pushed cuz I get full so easily, even w/water. I just passed my 1st down bellow gas sorry if is TMI but I wanted to share my journey! I haven't have any BM yet but I'm taking it easy, I'm walking inside home, pain still comes and go but is it subsiding and I'm felling much better as right now, my back and neck are much better thank god! Keep you all post it later

I drink a little fruit juice and club soda. Diet soda gives me carb cravings. Diet soda with aspartame is really no good for you. People with a lot of reflux and heartburn should stay away. I don't have any trouble with carbonation. i just burp. Sorry if TMI. I was drinking coffee in my chocolate Protein shake two weeks out. YUM mocha!

Hi Yall! Im having a TMI moment but need talk to yall about it. Off and on since my surgery 5 weeks ago, my bowels go CRAZY and cause me horrible discomfort in my lower abdomen and pelvic region. Bloating, fullness, aching and pain! My bowel movements cause it to hurt worse and then after a while it goes away. It does this At random and im sick of it :-(. Any tips? Sometimes its one sided and sometimes its both sides.

I know it's soo easy to get up, after all we did cut out a portion of our stomach. Have faith we all stall. That's the body way of handling all that's going on. As long as your eating and drinking what you are required to eat and drink then you are fine. That extra pound could be water or TMI poop lol. You are doing great!

I've been doing floor exercises, which has helped alot, lots of stuff on utube. Yeah when I notice sweating undies (TMI) I started exercising that area asap! good luck

I had the thigh sag just at the very top inner thigh and its gone! The skin over my groin area is pulled very tight. And i am over the moon that I have the hoo-haa of a sixteen year old, sorry if that's TMI. You dont really reluse your bits have sagged after childbirth and weight loss but they do!

As promised keeping you guys updated day 2 seemed pretty easy, minimal headache and lots of energy. I work the evening shift and for some reason when I got home at 10pm I was starving!!! I literally got up out of bed at around 1 am and emptied my fridge so there were NO distractions. sleepytime decaf tea has been helping knock me out at night. I am on day 3 and already down 3lbs!!!! No headache stomach, growls here and there but I'm sticking to it!!! I more week to go!!! Oh tmi maybe but going to the bathroom has become harder as expected "/

My weight is fluxuating between 216 and 222 - feels like I'm circling the drain so to speak. Plugging along with Weight Watchers and working out but having a hard time getting my weight to stablize. Considered going in for a fill, but it seems like I'm stuck at least once a day and vomitting at least once a week. Wish I could say it's consistantly due to the same food violations(pizza, bagels, bread - you know, the "No-No's") but it happened the other morning with my scrambled eggs(couldn't even get them down - my dog loved it though) and I had a fun two hour bout in the bathroom the other night over one stalk of steamed asparagus and less than an ounce of grilled chicken. I can actually eat a slice of thin crust pizza with no problem. Don't really eat bread anymore and forget bagels - but when three mini pretzels cause a problem it gets frustrating. Sometimes I'm afraid to go out to eat for fear that I going to have an incident. Frankly, there are many days when I make my breakfast or lunch and it takes 45 minutes to get it down! Oh well - I keep reminding myself that my weight gain was my own damn fault and now I'm paying the price. Speaking of prices paid - with the weight loss has come the giant jelly roll which fortunately with the right spanx-type garment I can mostly conceal, but I gotta wonder how much this thing weighs? Oh so much fun to have to buy pants etc to accomedate the "roll' then have to have the waist taken in! Came home from the gym the other day and notice this sweaty(wet?) semi-circle on the lower abdomen of my yoga pants. Probably TMI, but I'm now getting a permenant red rash and tissue breakdown under the "roll". I'm using baby butt cream and powder in an attempt to keep it dry, but if it's this bad now, what'll it be when(if) I get to my goal weight ...another 75 pounds from now?! Maybe I should just pack the area with paper towel, throw on my gridle and live with it! Amusingly enough, my insurance will cover the surgery since I had WLS - but if I just lost the weight on my own it wouldn't!?! The plastic surgeons I met with re; my breast reconstruction also consulted on my "tummy tuck" - they suggest that I need to be at or near my goal weight before even considering the latter procedure. Course with a roll this big, maybe they could just pull it up and create some faux boobs!

For me, being stuck is the worst ! it feels like heartburn sorta , in the middle of your chest. nothing will make it go up or down until its ready to, so chew, chew , chew and chew some more, taking small bites. PB=Productive burping, its burping a bit to make some thing move that might just be a little stuck. TMI ALERT- stop reading if you get grossed out easily. last week i had mexican food, just a little of the inside of a quesadia, 3 chips chewed well, and 3 sips of a margarita ( forgot that i wsnt supposed to use a straw -ever !) well......... after 2 trips to the bathroom wherei pb'd up the dinner, i proceded to completely throw up and slime my whole dinner out. not pretty................ i had the leftovers the next day with no probs, so im guessing it was the alcohol in the margarita, or the straw. either way i dont want to do that again ! so be advised, watch what you eat and drink !

This maybe waaaayyyy TMI but, my husband has told me he has plans for me after the surgery (he, he, he). He asked me if I was still as limber as I was in my days of gymnastics LOL On a more serious note, in the past before my orthopedic issues were such a problem, I have lost weight from diets and exercise and hubby was thrilled! Not just because I felt better about myself but because I was healthier. In his words, "I want you in this life and in the after-life so if getting surgery can make you healthier and hotter than I am behind you 200%". While I think some of our significant others would get a little annoyed at some extra attention, I believe that if the person really cares about you, the results of the surgery will only enhance things. Please keep us posted,

Our relationship has always been great, but we are having sex more often and I love it. Sorry if TMI.

I got sleeved last thursday, 3/29. I started my period on saturday night. It's not typical that my 'time of the month' is ever on time, so I was suprised when it came because I wasn't expecting it for a week or two. I do suffer from PSOC (polycystic ovarian syndrome). So I have been in a lot of pain also with the pain of recovering from the surgery. My main concern is the ammount that I'm bleeding & the big clots that I'm having. I usually get lighter by the 3rd day & am done with it on the 4th. But I'm having no such luck. It's just as bad as when it started. Any suggestions why? or any need to call my doctor? Thanks =)

So, today I looked in the mirror. I mean really looked in the mirror and what I saw was a new me. I haven't really noticed how much I have really really changed because everytime I would look in the mirror I still saw the old me. The fat me. How is that possible to still see that person, honestly Im not really sure. I am amazed at my journey. How I have gone from a size 20-22 to a size 6. From 240 lbs to 143 lbs. I am 3 lbs from goal of 100 lbs. That is an amazing accomplishment. It wasnt always easy. Surgery is NOT an easy way out. Its the tool that some of us need to help us. When I was diagnosed with Severe Sleep Apnea in December 2010 I knew this was it. I had been fighting with my weight from my PCOS and was getting depressed and frustrated that nothing was working. Diets and exercise were not working either. The PCOS had made it very difficult. Which then caused me to have this severe Sleep Apnea. My PCP was so concerned about the Sleep Study that within 4 days I was given a CPAP machine. That was enough for me to talk to her about getting referred for a lap-band (which was what I was thinking of doing in the beginning). So she referred me to a surgeon and I started the process. It was quick I was surprised, but then being military...Triwest stopped my surgery referral and sent me to the Naval Hospital Surgery Center where I pretty much had to start my process all over and take even more steps. I did get to finish quickly since most of my testing was already done outside. The surgeon was awesome. He explained all the different types of surgery to me and I researched them all. I got to choose which one was best for me. I wasnt swayed one way or the other. They let me decide. So I chose the Sleeve. That was awesome. My Niece was also seeing the same surgeon I was and she had told me about the sleeve. The two of us took this journey together and we ended up having surgery on the same day back to back. It was awesome having her as a support system as we started our journey down the liquid phase and so on together I will be 11 mos post op on April 18th. I have found that things I used to eat are nasty and gross now. I have found that I can tolerate somethings more than others. I have realized that even though I was eating right before the surgery that it wasnt enough to help. I don't eat much anymore, I try to eat every 2 hours but for me thats hard. I don't enjoy food like I used to. Yes there are times I will eat something and think Im in heaven LOL, but there are many times that food just doesnt interest me. I am thankful for the sleeve. I love that I had the loving support of my Husband, my parents, my grandmother, and several friends. I didnt care what the negative people had to say. If they couldnt be happy for me or support my decision then they were not worth my time. This was a life changing decison that saved my life. I went hiking and boulder-ing for the first time in my life. I can keep up with my kids. My husband loved me before and still loves me after. He has always told me that I was beautiful. I have to admit the SEX (LOL) is amazing I know TMI, but trust me, you will see too I had to share Im not embarrassed to admit that at all. I look in the mirror and I see the new me. My self-esteem is high, Im happy, I love riding bikes with my kids. They love that I can chase after them, play with them and I dont get winded climbing up a flight of stairs. Each and every surgery is a personal choice. I tell everyone do your research and don't let anyone discourage you. This is for you and you only. You have the power and the strength Be happy with who you are and know that no matter what there are others out there that can be your support system. I am happy to share things with each and every one of you. Just ask I will share food ideas and other things with anyone who wants to know. GOOD LUCK EVERYONE ON YOUR JOURNEYS AND PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS HERE WITH ME

I tried miralax and I have the urge but nothing. Lol! Sorry TMI!