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The place was the best... all the employees really like their job and it shows. If you get a nurse named Will you must tell him Kim said hi. (remind him my son is in the Navy) Will was a Marine. Yes.. the floor is mostly WLS with a few Hernia's. We all look like walking zombies walking the hall with our IV rolling racks. ONE VERY IMPORTANT NOTE. They do not let you change out of your surgical gown so take a robe and some panties to cover your back side when walking. I had a simple thin cotton robe that worked great and I took several pair of panties because (TMI ALERT) some times when you are trying to pass the gas you may piddle a little and wish for some clean undies. Our group was very social so we would go visit each other in our rooms etc. the nurses said that was a little unusual but 2 of us were from this forum and we found each other quickly and became walking buddies. There will also be men on this floor so another good reason to make sure the rear end is covered. The rooms are every bit as nice as the pictures and yes i walked the halls. this place is very clean. the nurses station is in the middle so you will always pass them. All the nurses work a 12 hr shifts from 7 - 7. When you arrive your family will be given a restaurant style flashing pager that the hospital will use to let your family know they are needed. My husband was allowed to sit with me in pre-op after I was changed into my surgical gown. You will have lots of people come visit with you to go over everything with you then you get that magic iv push and off you go. Let me know if you have any other questions. I still fresh with thoughts...

It seems to be happening to us all! I lost 20 lbs in 17 days and now in the last week I think I am down only a half of a pound. I don't think the constipation is helping me either. Sorry if TMI. I go to the doc today and we'll see what their scale says. I know they will be saying that I did so well but that was LAST week. Then...standstill. I knew I wouldn't lose rapidly the whole time but I didn't really expect to stop dead when we are only eating 1K or less calories! I walked on the treadmill only once so far but I will be starting that daily soon. I want this weight to start moving again. Also, I am going on a cruise at the end of the month and I was hoping to drop another 15 before we went. Now, that is doubtful! Waaaaaah!

Just a quicky here; while I was in Hawaii, I discovered that I can now comfortably wear a 38 inch waist jeans, shorts, and slacks. The last time I could fit into pants with smaller than a 40 inch waist, I was 18 years old. I'm well on track to "bottoming out" at around a 36 inch waist by my birthday in June, and given how solidly built my legs and butt are (TMI?) that's going to be just about cloth on muscle and bone, very little fat. So that's a tremendously great feeling; to be fitting into clothes that I haven't fit into since I was a teenager! And only 9 months out! Huzzah!

I've been working out in the mornings, and I'm a little tired today, but it's also that time of the month (i know TMI ......LOL) so i can't blame it on the pr-op diet. Anyway I'm down 8lbs.

I'm right there with you guys. I'm trying to get in my 60 ounces of water a day, but it has been hard. My stomach has been queasy too, and like the pp, I haven't had to worry about constipation...sorry TMI, quite the opposite. I called and spoke to a nurse at my doctor's office and she just said to keep drinking water -- and that my body is getting used to a new system. I'd just like for the stomach gurgling to stop.

2bslimkim-- Enjoy your posts. We are similar in size and your surgery is one day before mine I am 3/1 in St. Louis. It is interesting to see how different all the preop instructions are. Mine said I did not have to do liquid before OR a bowel prep. I opted to self impose both as I don't want anything lingering around in there for days.....sorry tmi.....I don't think the broth will hurt you. Keep in touch---cant wait until they give us our adult beverages back----when they do let's have a virtual cocktail!! also the citrate of mag was not bad did it yesterday

Good Evening All...Phyll....beautiful orange bracelet you posted on facebook. Very special that you made that for your friend. Very special. Cheri...you are on my mind. So much for you to deal with when it comes to your DD and father. You are strong and might feel very challenged in the next few months but hold onto being positive and deal with it the best you can. Good job on cleaning up and putting it out there to your DH on what you need. Good way of taking care of YOU. Hugs. Janet...looked up that bra....might order. I have been wearing a minimizer lately. Don't like the way it looks in T-shirts but comfy. Your "girls" looked very nice last time I saw you (TMI...but who care amongst friends). Same bra? Great...I'm so iffy on the thread lately that when that little babe finally does come, I am going to have to go back and figure out who wins the bet. Only thing that matters is having that little one home and in her parents arms and getting your DD back to good health. I am sure you will see her through it. Linda...sounds like you guys have had all you can handle with your DSD...hugs. Hope she can get it and get on the road to recovery. Sucks. Hugs. Had a great but heart wrenching day. Took some things over to the new/old place to store for next year and years to come. Had a very nice visit with the previous owners and others in the RV park. Had to peel ourselves away because we had a lunch date with my adopted bro and his wife. Spent a few hours with them and then went over to help DH's dad while he purchased a more permenant place at his RV park. It was the saddest thing to see him bawling in the driveway as we left. I will never forget the moment. He hugged us so hard and thanked us a number of times for doing what we have. It just killed us...both DH and I had tears streaming. FIL is such a lovely person. Just really hate leaving him here but he has so many ppl watching out for him and soooooooooo many widows that vie for his attention that he will be fine. 87 and the cool guy in the RV park. If I ever left this earth b/4 DH, that's what I would want for him. Don't want him living on TV dinner only and being lonely. Have our route planned for the drive home. Sounds like there should not be any "weather obstacles" to deal with. Just want to be sure to make the bday party for Joe, our oldest DS. A very well-planned party by his GF. We were silent partners in all of it. Let her plan, plan, plan and will help with the cost. Gonna miss that Eva...such a joy to have been able to have spent as much time as we have with her and her DH. Just happy that DH and I were able to meet half way...we are close to his DF...I am close to adopted bro and wife and also within an hour from Eva...weekly roadtrips and lunch with her. It's been very special. Gotta hit the hay....love to all...sleep tight.

Karla When your Mom makes those comments what do you say to her.... You are a grown women - time to stick up for you... I want you to talk to the counsler about how to handel those comments - Really Truely - cuz this is another thing that keeps holding you back from being the best that you can be - It just pisses me off - I wish I could tell your Mom something - She's a grown woman she should know better - but you can't do better if you don't know how.. Please Please talk to the counsler about this - I think these comments really distroy your well being.. I personnally would cut of ties (I think) or I do know I would comment back as respectully as I could - If pple aren't going to respect you for the professional smart compatant woment that you are - the F them - you don't need them in your life.. I didn't sleep well leg/feet cramps all night - didn't drink enough water the last few days and am having tmi issues too... Think the dogs had me up at 5 ish - but went back to bed - slept till 7:30 ish - need another cup of coffee and got to the bathroom PLEASE lol... s

This is day 5 for me... Day 2 was the worst just because I had a slight headache which Tylenol relieved. Day 5 has been a challenge just because so many of our friends are planning dinner and drinks... I want wine really really bad. Another issue (TMI) i've been trying to poop something with the consistency of coal from the high Protein diet. NOT FUN. Added Fiber to my drinks and took some Miralax today, hopefully it will work. My husband and I had lunch at an asian restaurant today and I had the broth from wonton soup and that was very good. The restaurant is going to sell my husband some wonton broth for him to have at the house when I get home. They said they would strain it for him and make sure there were no added oils. YAH! I make my own Protein Drinks and I also made my own vegetable broth which I thought was much tastier than store bought. I warned everyone at work that "object in the mirror may be bitchier than they appear" Good luck.... I'll have my laptop at the hospital so look for my posts... post surgery

Don't worry about the fridge, in the US almost all hotels have some sort of ice dispensing machine. Try to find a bottle with a big opening, where you can pour in Protein powder, Water and top it off with ice to shake it. The "ready to drink" stuff may look like a better alternative, but in most cases warm Protein Drink are awful and you are better off with a mix shaken on ice. I do like GNC too, and they are very generous if you buy something you don't like. You can just bring it back - even opened and used (moderately used of course), no problem at all. I like the GNC Wheybolic Extreme chocolate - chocolate has almost no aftertaste and a serving has 280 calories and 60g of protein (I usually have half a serving for breakfast). I mix it with water. Don't forget, in the US you can pretty much tell the waiter what you like and what you don't like - I am from Germany (but living in the US for 11 years now) and most waiters in Germany would slap me over the head if I would tell them "No butter, no croutons, dressing on the side, no almond slivers on the salad and no mayo on the bun" etc. I imagine Denmark is similar :-) And I don't think anything on here is ever TMI :-) Have a great trip!

I'm taking quotes for a back alley surgeon that will take this damn thing out NOW! Wednesdays are date night so Lee and I make sure that we save enough money out of our budget to go out once a week and do something without work or my doctorate program interferences. So last night we went to Dave and Busters (which is like Chuck E Cheese for adults!) and I ordered some grilled shrimp, veggies and potatoes. Seemed to be going down fine until about an hour later when I thought I was going to have to turn the stools and people in the game room of the builiding into hurdles on a track...I was running like there was no tomorrow because it was all coming back up (sorry...TMI). Then this morning...yogurt up and out. I'm ready for anyone with some surgical skills to put in an offer I can't refuse! I suppose that since I have been dealing with a lot of this for months now that I can deal with it for one more month. Sigh...It's just that now I know there is something wrong and that it can be fixed and that it is just not me being a screw up...I am ready to get my life back. This has been beyond frustrating. Well papers are not going to grade themselves. Karri

TMI!!!

Somewhere over time I've gotten rid of full-length mirrors. I'd like to think it is cause I've moved and etc, but I don't look so hot in them anymore. TMI: When I was young and naughty they were even nice to have in the bedroom...but now: pitch black and then maybe not.. LOL Friday, when I had to move my last Dr. appointment before filling to Monday, I had on part of a towel and came to ask my hubby a question, but was stopped by the mirror. Who is that wide girl with ripples down the front of her legs and the 75 extra tummies?? OMG that is me! Tiny head, big ol body. Hellll no! I have been debating WLS, scared of the Sleeve, really I am (don't wanna die), but Band is stupid Drama and I suspect won't work anyway, so I'd even thought of doing nothing..then I saw the mirror! You've heard how older people "feel" inside 26 or whatever, even though their body is breaking down, I don't feel as bad as I look, I run around just fine in the world, although I have nothing to wear and don't look good in a dang thing, so I was surprised how I look compared to how I feel about myself (I do look good in that Peacock blue dress in my profile pic-and pics DO lie, my photographer BFF has The Eye). Anwayyy, now I say, bring it on! Told the Dr. yesterday, file for the sleeve! Now to wait for insurance to approve. Wait Wait Wait. Hubby is about to lose the job that pays for WLS, this is all under the wire, timing is crazy short. My goal is not to die in or after surgery, no leaks no complications! Then, my goal is to lose 115 lbs. I'd be able to get clothes, I looked good at that weight and didn't have to shop at The Fat Chicks Store (Lane Bryant). Come on Dr. Ganta and Aetna! TTL! Colette Here is an aside, I mentioned to a friend that I'm about to have surgery, he's a big boy, turns out he has a Band and gained back the 80 that he lost and he's saving for a OOP Sleeve, but told me of course that I look fine either way, but he hates his Band!

I think you need to see your doctor and have another fill --at least that's what I'd do. I've been filled to the point where nothing would go down, even water (at the drs office) and he immediately unfilled "a little" --since then I've been happy with what I have --no fills in 4 years --but I AM filled pretty tight --have to watch what I eat and how much or it just sits there for a long, long time. Sometimes fluid can leak out, I suppose, but in all honesty, going through all you have, you need to go back to your doc and say, hey, let's work on this together. I cannot see how an unfill would achieve anything excpet put you back where you were. FYI started at 242, currently 152 and have been at 152 for a year --It took me about a year to get to 162, then just sort of continually drifted downward with no particular effort until 152. I do not exercise but I'm a farmer so very active. I don't know about a 'sweet spot' --I think if my doc were alive he'd think I was a bit too tight (he died) but his associate doesn't want to change anything since I'm where I want to be. If I slip down past 142, I'll probably go see her about a slight unfill -- I no longer see the bariatric folks --just my GP --I call once a year to see if they want to see me, but so far no. I did call when I went o Celebrex and it made me barf every night --but that's just how some people react to it. Once I stopped taking it, I stopped barfing. TMI Sorry. Work with your doc, he's the expert. :-)

TMI coming your way! Lucky for me when I slime (so far) I don't puke, I just cant swallow anything else, and my mouth fills up with thicker than saliva "slime" that I spit out. After a few spits, usually the sensation goes away... but can't eat anything for a while... The last time this happened, I only had one spoon of cream of broccoli soup... and started sliming... so it didn't take much or even eating fast... the soup did taste horrible....what the sleeve wants to do, the sleeve does....

No, you dont need to cut your workouts, logically you KNOW that's not fat lost and gained. Its Water fluctuations, when you're constantly tearing your muscle tissue and it has to repair, it gets bigger, yes, but it also holds Fluid in the process. That's why people gain weight when they start at the gym, not because they've gained 3kg of muscle in 2 weeks. I'm a bit the same, its just hard to see weight go up no matter what the reason. I have a temporary ileostomy at the moment, so I produce lots of very liquid poo (lol, TMI but its kind of on topic) and I really battle dehydration issues as a result. So how nuts is it that I feel "good" on the days that my weight is under 60kg (which is dipping down into a BMI of 18) as a result of dehydration and "bad" on days when I've manaed to eat a dietary combination to thicken things up and retain more fluid in my body and thus weight a kg or two more? Logically I know that the amount of fat on my body has not changed, but my mood can still be dictated by what I see on the scale. I'm scary thin at the moment and I should Celebrate any gain. Likewise, exercise is only going to improve your health and weight loss results in the long run and you do NOT need to cut it back to lose weight. ITs the fat you lose that matters, not what the scale says. Perhaps its just better to not look, although I can never resist.

I am 6 weeks out and had hamburger meat with no problem. I took TINY bites and chewed like crazy. Although I have not vomited, I did have one occasion where I was eating a Lean Cuisine fish this week and I guess I took one bite too many and literally choked the last bite up. It was very weird. Not a vomit (sorry TMI). I felt a little uneasy but then after about 20 minutes I was fine. I won't make that mistake again. Scrambled eggs killed me after surgery (why does the doctor recommend them?) but egg salad does not. I have not tried scrambled eggs lately though.... Good luck

I had a drain and my doctor said he wouldn't do the surgery without it. If you have a leak or an infection, it will show in the drain before you even had symptoms. My drain was a tube hanging out of the right night of my stomach and I had to empty it twice a day. The Fluid looks like kool aid (sorry TMI). It only fills a little bit and isn't too bad. My doctor removed it after 10 days. They remove it in the office and the hole literally closes on it's own. I was amazed it didn't need a stitch. The drain is the pain the the butt. It tends to pull and tugs. sleeping is difficult. BUT the good thing about the drain, other than peace of mind with infection, etc is that I spent so much of my time hating the drain, I got through 10 days of Clear liquids fairly easily. So, in the end ....it was a good distraction! LOL. The good news is that all this inconvenient stuff is TEMPORARY. By 3 weeks post op I was feeling Good and by 4 weeks, I was great! I even went sledding!! Good Luck.

I have heard that warm liquids help folks loosen the band in the mornings...I know that when I have a cold or my allergies are acting up I am a lot tighter....I attributed it to the mucus, etc, running down my throat. (sorry TMI) It's hard to know sometimes what is causing it....I did notice last summer on the really really hot days that I felt really tight and didn't want to eat anything as I had no appetite. It's wierd how things like stress, sickness, and atmosphere can affect our bands! Hang in there! Kim

So, the first question I asked my doctor was, "When can I have sex?" Before surgery I had a pretty active, and regular sex life, and now that I'm 7 days out, I think that enough time has passed and I don't see why I shouldn't be going back to my regular life. I have some incision pain but it's mininal. I stopped taking pain meds 4 days ago. My doctor said that as long as I don't have pain, and I don't do anything that will hurt that there's no reason why I can't have sex. Granted, there will be no swinging from the chandeliers or anything, but with some creativity I think I'm ready. My girl on the other hand, thinks I'm going to break and is totally against it. She's all, it's too soon. You just had surgery last week and you're not ready. Trust me, EVERY part of me except the incision on my navel is ready! Even with a doctor's note she's not trying to hear it. If this is a TMI question, I understand, but how long did you wait?

I am just wondering if anyone had to do a bowel prep prior to surgery? I am supposed to drink Magnesium Citrate which is basically a liquid laxative. Sorry for TMI, I am just wondering if anyone else had to do the same thing.

Glitter ~ I hear you on the coffee...I've been good and haven't had any, but it makes for a very slow (and sometimes cranky) morning at work. LoL. You're getting banded about the same time as me -- I'm 02/22. I'm getting excited and nervous. What Protein shakes are you drinking? I've been drinking mostly Lean Body for Her (chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla) and occaisionally adding in 1/4 cup blueberries or 2 strawberries. I just ordered a couple of new Protein Shakes today -- BSN Lean Dessert Protein. They came recommended from my nutritionist -- only 20 grams of protein per serving, but the calories and carbs are pretty low (130, 7 -- respectively) and they are supposed to taste pretty good...I'm hoping it helps during the liquids phase post-op. How are you feeling? ck1Redhead ~ I would LOVE your pre-op! I have 2 protein shakes a day and then a "sensible" meal of 4-6 oz. protein and 1 cup of fruit (only approved ones) or veggies. I did stray off course briefly, when my original surgery date was rescheduled due to the insurance people at my doctor's office (long story -- but they told me to get off of the pre-op diet because I was being moved to March), but it was only for a couple of days and during that time I was still fairly good. What shakes are you drinking? I think you are also getting banded about the same time as Glitter and I. We are all going to do awesome! I can't wait! Both of you are doing so well on your pre-op diets! I'm down a little over 10 lbs., but fluxing a little bit due to (sorry TMI) PMS. Boo.

Hi, I'm Shanny, and new to the site. I got sleeved 5 days ago - at GBMC Hospital, Dr. Peter Liao, and I've been home for 2 1/2 days. So far it's strange as all get out. Between my stomach making all of these weird bubbling, gurggling sounds, and not being able to tell hunger from nausea pains, the choronic diarrhea, the indigestion pains if I take too big of a sip - I think I may just might think this procedure was worth it. I'm finally on full liquids. Thank God, if I had to drink broth one more day I think I might have had to take a hostage. This may be TMI, but I noticed as long as I was on Clear Liquids I kept having these watery stools. I couldn't even tell when I had to go. I would think I had to pee, and when I tried, I would end up with diarrhea. That's not a good look. I've been on full liquids since yesterday, and having yogurt, and cream based Soups, and Protein shakes hopefully are firming things up. I can't wait until next week when it's puree food. I want to put everything in the blender! Also, I think I just figured out when I'm hungry. It doesn't feel like a hunger pain, but more like a gas bubble. I weighed myself today and I've lost 8 pounds since the surgery. In total, since I started this journey that makes 22 pounds all together over the last 7 months. My goal is to lose another 75 pounds. After trying countless diets and being able to keep the weight off for a few months, I finally got tired of the rollercoaster and the feeling of failure. I researched the surgery for 5 years and finally decided on the sleeve. I'm a little nervous because I didn't tell people at work that I was having it done. They're going to know that i did something because I'm losing so much weight. I mean, over 7 months, it's not that noticeable, but I lost 8 pounds in 4 days. THat's pretty quick, ya know. I guess I'm embarrassed, or I don't want to answer a bunch of questions. I don't want to explain to my coworkers that I'm a survivor of an extremely abusive relationship, where my son's donor tried to kill me on a regular basis, and I thought by gaining almost 100 pounds, I'd make myself ugly and that way no one would want me and therefore no one could hurt me. 13 years and thousands of dollars in therapy later I'm not in that place anymore. I don't want to be invisible anymore. I don't know if the people I work with are ready for that, or if they can understand that. Hell, people in my family have been telling me that "you don't need that" regarding the surgery, or "that's not normal" well, being 5'1" and 247 pounds isn't normal either. I may not have "looked" like I needed to do something drastic but I did. If the majority of my family wasn't supportive, I don't know what I think my coworkers would say. My son and my girlfriend have been so supportive, though. My girl, (we've been together for 2 years) adores me no matter what size I am. She came to the hospital with me, slept in the hospital room next to me, got up in the middle of the night with me whenever the nurse came in the room and called them if I was moaning with pain. She's taken off work this week to take care of me. She's been blending and straining, and giving me meds and protein like a Nazi - but that's because she loves me and she wants me to be happy. She bought me swanky tennis shoes for exercising, and the Zumba Fitness DVDs for Valentines Day (that's what I asked for). I've never had support like this before, but I can tell you it makes me all warm and tingly inside. Okay, so I'm going to wrap this up. This is an introductory post, so it's long. I just want to know, how long did it take for you to be able to drink without sipping? For your stomach to stop gurggling and making loud noises? For your bowels to go back to normal? For you to start feeling "normal" again? I'm hoping most of this is because I'm just out of surgery - but I'm scared this may be how it is for the rest of my life. I look forward to meeting you all! SW: 247 CW: 215 GW: 135

I started at a 46G and I am now in a 38DD after losing almost 90 lbs. I have to admit, they do not look good. I am 35 and my nipples point south. Yes, TMI, but losing weight hasn't really helped the way my boobs look naked, though I look a LOT better clothed. For me, breasts have always been the first place I gain, and the first place I lose. They apparently have been through too much over the years and have given up