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I started my preop diet on 5 May 2019 and tend to think of this date as my anniversary, rather than my actual surgery date of 15 Oct 2019. Since May 2019 I've lost about 140lbs; 90lbs of this was after being sleeved. I lead a very busy, very active life and my goal weight is within sight, but it's more important to me to be fit, strong, and healthy, which I now am. Before becoming MO, I was a competitive athlete, and am again able to participate in sports and fitness the way I used to. There have been dozens of NSV's, and I'm grateful for every one of them. My focus continues to be on the psychological adjustments and actions required to permanently change my habits and behaviors. Since the coronavirus lockdown, I've continued to strictly follow an eating and exercise schedule so that I remain on track. With so much uncertainty at this time, what I put in my mouth and do with my body are one of the few things within my control right now. Congrats and well done to all my fellow Oct sleevers.

Oh I am absolutely exhausted. BUT I will say that 35 lbs ago I would have never been able to walk that much. So it was definitely a big NSV.

How do your clothes feel? How do you feel in your body (not looking at scale)? When I don't see the scale move I judge on my clothes and how I feel personally. I am seeing subtle changes to my body. My legs are thinner, my neck is thinner, facial features are more prominent vs fat round face. Take the NSV into account. I'm not going to say muscle weighs more than fat because 1lb is 1 lb. The difference is a pound of muscle is smaller than a pound of fat. I know you feel discouraged, but try to see all the other positive things happening to your body right now. Take a picture of you today with an outfit from the past and compare it to a picture of you wearing that same outfit. I bet you will see a giant difference! I bought a 1-piece jumper 2 weeks before surgery to do just that. I use that jumper as my motivation to keep on my path because I really don't like how I looked pre-surgery. Find 1 thing to be happy with on yourself every day and focus on something else besides the scale. You're a beautiful young lady, don't be discouraged, you have a lot of supporters right here to help you through those difficult times.

[awesome info!!!!quote name=Lilee84" post="2285395" timestamp="1332967880] DISCLAIMER: This FAQ is in no way intended to replace or undermine the advice of your physician. Every person is different, every surgeon has different guidelines, and no two situations are identical. Therefore if any of the answers below are unclear or contradict your physicians’ instructions, always follow your physicians’ instructions. The responses given are a compilation from multiple sources and references. How do I embed the weight loss ticker? Click on the My Tickers link under your settings in the top right of any page on here. What can I have during liquid stage? During your clear liquid stage you can have anything that you can sip through a straw that is translucent, meaning see through. For instance: Water, juice, broth, sugar free popsicles, sugar free Jello, Isopure Protein drinks, Gatorade, Powerade, decaf tea just to name a few. Once you move on to full liquids you may add liquids that are not translucent. For instance: creamed Soups, soups with the chunks strained out, milk, Protein shakes etc… When do I start mushies/purees? Every surgeon has different guidelines for the progression of your post-op diet. The majority of post-op diets progress as follows: Day 1-7 Clear Liquids Day 8-14 Full liquids Day 15-21 Purees Day 22-50 Mushies What’s the difference between mushies and purees? The major difference is that purees are anything that has been blenderized/pureed to a baby food consistency and has no chunks. These should not be watery, but instead a thicker pudding like consistency. Mushies are soft foods that have not been pureed. Should I be counting calories or carbs or both? Both. Again, every surgeon is different, but the majority of sleevers will be on a 600-1000 calorie/day diet with carbs kept at 60-80g or less. The general guideline is this: When eating, protein is always first, veggies are second, and if you have room carbs/starch last. The majority will rarely have room for the carbs. How much protein should I be getting per day? The recommended protein intake may vary from 55 to 100g per day, depending on your individual needs and the bariatric diet provided by your surgeon or dietitian. The generally accepted minimum protein requirement for women is about 50 to 60g per day and men need at least 60 to 70g of protein per day. How much liquid do i need for the day? About 60-80oz When can I eat salad? Once you reach the point where you’re on normal solids you can try salad. Start with a small amount and see how your sleeve tolerates it as it can be difficult to digest. Best protein shakes? This one depends on your particular tastes, however most seem to enjoy unjury. What else counts as a liquid? Anything that can be sipped through a straw or that will reduce back to a liquid. For example: Jello, sugar free popsicles, frozen yogurt/ice cream (these are generally no no foods) How long will my surgery last? Typically about 45mins assuming there are no complications or other procedures (ie: hernia repairs) being done at the time of your surgery. Every surgeon is different so for a more accurate answer you should consult your respective surgeon. Why can't I tolerate plain water, is this normal? It’s called water nausea and it is completely normal. This is very common during the first few weeks following surgery and should eventually subside. What is sliming/slimes? Sliming or slimes occur when you eat or drink something and then regurgitate a slimy, foamy, saliva like substance, usually when belching. What is grazing? Grazing is when instead of consuming your standard 3 small meals and 2 small Snacks per day, you simply munch all day grabbing a handful here or a bite there. The rule is that your meals should take you 20-30 minutes to eat and should be about 3 hours apart with only fluids in between. What do all these acronyms mean? In no particular order: WLS – Weight Loss Surgery NSV – Non scale Victory (ie: smaller clothes, compliments, climbing a flight of stairs etc…) NUT – Nutritionist PCP – Primary Care Physician VSG – Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy TOM – Time of the Month SF – Sugar Free WFL/WFD – What’s for Lunch/Dinner How much did you lose at 1 month etc.? How much can I expect to lose in what time frame? Everyone’s body is different and so is everyone’s journey. There is no set amount you should expect lose in a set amount of time, and you should never compare your journey or your progress to someone elses. As long as you’re sticking with the program and following your surgeons guidelines, the weight will come off. What is a stall? How long does it last and how do I break it? A stall is a point at which the scale stops moving for a period of time. The length of the stall varies from a few days to a few weeks and sometimes a few months. Non VSG’ers typically call it a plateau. Stalls are perfectly normal and to be expected. As we lose weight so dramatically, our bodies need time to catch up physically - this typically happens during a stall. While the scale may not be moving, you may notice an increase in compliments. This is because while the number on the scale isn’t getting any smaller, you are physically getting smaller. There are many tips and tricks for breaking a stall (increase your fluids and protein, increase your activity, up your calories…) but the reality is it will break on its own. When can I have sex? When you’re ready. Keep it simple for the first few weeks post-op and don’t attempt any tricky positions. Be careful until you’ve been cleared by your surgeon for strenuous activity. When can I start exercising? Typically right away, though the types of exercises you can do will be limited. Most surgeons restrict weight training/resistance training for about 3-4 weeks after surgery, but you should be walking/speed walking at least 30-45min daily starting from the day you get home. What do I do with flabby skin? What's the best exercise etc.? The severity of the flab will vary based on many different factors. While there’s no way to tell how bad it will be or whether it will even be bad, there are a couple of proactive measures you can take. Make sure you’re using a moisturizing lotion with Vitamin E and Keratin several times daily. The vitamin E will help add elasticity back to your skin and the keratin will add moisture, both of which may help your skin bounce back as the weight falls off. The best exercises to target your problem areas are resistance and strength training in order to tone and build muscle to replace the fat. Lastly, be patient. Just as your weight stalls while your waist catches up to it, your skin will sag until it gets the signal to shrink. While it probably won’t ever be as tight as you’d like, it will shrink. Will I lose hair? How much? What causes it? When does it return? Do Vitamins help? The truth is, yes, you probably will lose hair. Because of the drastic changes going on that are caused by the extreme reduction in protein and vitamins coming in as well as the hormonal fluctuations caused by the rapid weight loss, it takes our bodies a while to adjust. Don’t worry, as our hormones level out and our bodies get used to the new us, it will come back. There is no set time frame for it to do so however. I’m constipated - what is it okay to take, especially in the beginning when newly sleeved? Will it get better? Worse? In the beginning a simple stool softener like Colace should do the trick. You don’t want to take a laxative or anything that may irritate your new sleeve. While you’re in the liquid/puree stage, constipation shouldn’t be an issue, but as you reintroduce solids you may have to go back to your stool softeners. If you do find that stool softners are only offering temporary relief, try increasing your fluids and Fiber and decreasing your cheeses. I’m having very loose bowel movements, is this normal? Totally. You do need to monitor stools of this consistency to ensure they contain no blood, but very loose stools, even watery stools, are completely normal for a few weeks post-op. When in doubt – ask your surgeon. Will I feel fatigue? Will fatigue go away? Yes and yes. Your body has just undergone major surgery and it needs to heal. While it’s healing you will feel more fatigued than normal. Subsequent to having such a large portion of your stomach removed is the fact that you can no longer take in as much food (read: fuel) and therefore your body has to adjust and find a new fuel source. Your body will eventually begin to burn fat for fuel and some of the fatigue will subside. Your surgeon should also prescribe a B12 supplement which will also help with energy. When can I go back to work? How much time should I take off? That will be entirely up to your surgeon. Most return to work within 2-3 weeks. How many days in the hospital? Your hospital stay will depend on your recovery. When you are able to keep down liquids, are up and about and walking as directed, and your surgeon and nursing staff are confident there are no complications, you’ll be released. Your surgeon should be able to give you an expectation of the length of your stay. Do the staples dissolve? No. The staples used to close the stomach are titanium and do not dissolve. The stomach tissue will eventually grow over the staple line. Your staples do not make metal detectors go off or make you ineligible for an MRI. They are completely benign. Why am I always hungry? The most likely culprit is either head hunger or reflux/heartburn. Head hunger is a false sense of hunger triggered by boredom/emotions/the clock or any number of things which make you think you’re hungry when you’re really not. Heartburn is the most common culprit of constant hunger. Even though you may not feel as though you have heartburn, you may find that a simple antacid will eliminate that constant hungry feeling. What is a stricture? A stricture is what happens when scar tissue builds up in your esophagus (sometimes caused by reflux) that causes your esophagus to narrow and makes swallowing difficult. What is a leak and what are the symptoms? A leak is an opening along the suture line of your sleeve that allows bile and other digestive fluids to leak into your abdominal cavity. The symptoms of a leak vary but the most common symptoms are pain radiating across the abdomen, fever, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, dizziness, vomiting, nausea, fatigue, and abdominal cramping. It is important to note that leaks are rare and only occur in about 1 out of every 100 cases. Can you get a leak any time after surgery? Or is it just immediate? Most leaks happen very soon after surgery, but there is still a risk for about 4-6 weeks after. Again, it is important to note that leaks are rare and only occur in about 1 out of every 100 cases. Some of my incisions are oozing - is this normal? If they’re oozing a green or yellowish Fluid, absolutely not. Green and yellow are the colors of infection and should be reported to your surgeon immediately. If your incisions are oozing a pinkish or clear watery fluid it’s your body’s way of keeping your incisions clean and isn’t usually a concern. When in doubt, ask your surgeon.

Thank you Robin!!! Just got my secret santa. Loved it all! I think Robin must have had a link to my mind. Pear berry bath set with body spray, lotion, shower gel and bubble bath (one of my NSV's will be being able to take a bubble bath again). Also some coffee cake candles...smell so yummy and a great little machine for relaxing sounds. I use one of these to help me sleep at home but it is such a pain to take when I travel. This will be such a help on those trips. And it has WIND CHIMES....my favorite! thanks you again Robin! :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

Sooo....since we still have 6 days of fabulous pre op diets to survive, I'd like to focus on some of the NSVs that we're looking forward to. I know we all have several we could list, so let's share what you're excited about. Me? I can't wait to wear a pair of jeans (or anything for that matter) without my "front a**" hanging out! (I have a lot of extra skin from my pregnancies/ c-sections, and that coupled with carrying around extra fat...gives me a big pooch in front...like an a** in front. HATE it!!!) I wanna feel good and look good in my clothes! What's yours??

Happy Sunday morning, all! Dorky one, I LOVE your new glasses. And your hair is so cute! With all the NSVs going on in your life, you must be feeling really good! I hear ya' with the out of state thing. I think it's only natural that, if we were seeing Dr. K. every month, we could ask him those things that come up in our minds. But since we're not, we end up with little and/or conflicting info from aftercare people. And the conflicting info is the worst! We should always follow what our doctors say, but which one should we follow? As you stated, though, that's kind of the price we pay for making the decision to go out of town, so thank heavens we do have this site!!! Denise, it really sounds like you need a little unfill. Do you take anything like prilosec on a regular basis? The guy I went to the other day highly recommends taking it every day to prevent "gastritis" problems down the road. Just a thought. You must have been so thrilled with the deals on the dresses! I LOVE a good bargain. Oh yes I do :thumbup: On a completely different note . . . DH and I have been having some wacky thoughts lately about retiring in 5 or 6 years, selling everything we own, and living in a motorhome. We could spend the summers on the Oregon coast (our favorite place on earth), spend more time with our grandbaby in northern california, get out of the cold in the winter, etc. Are we nuts? Any thoughts on this plan?

Lap - that's exciting! I'm actually looking forward to getting the pannus ripped off me (and some days I'm ready to take a knife to it myself - that might MAKE insurance pay for it! Gross, I know, thats why I haven't done it...that and I'm not crazy!) Good luck! A couple of weeks ago I had a major NSV that I don't think I wrote about, but wanted to. Anita and I have a total aversion to excercise so it's a pretty big deal when I even head outside at all! Well, I got myself a new bike, hooked up the kid trailer and set out for town. (It just happened to be the ONE nice day since.) I planned with a friend to meet "in town" at a park and our girls would play. I was VERY apprehensive because there's a BIG hill on the way into town and then once I got there...would I be able to come back? Well, I decided that if I had to I'd just walk my bike up the hill and call my husband to come get us if I just couldn't get back....so there were no excuses. Turns out I didn't need my back-up plans a all! It was about a 3 mile ride each way with several hills, but I made it and wasn't even a little pooped when we got home! My daughter had a great time too! This is big... My husband FINALLY made an unsolicited comment on how good I looked today. And that was after the Chief of Police told me I was lookin' good! So now I have both bosses of public safety telling me I'm hot....I can get away with anything! Right?

Hey! I'll meet you! What time would be best and what date? I'd love to meet you! WE could have soup or just drinks! I am a big time Huskers' Fan! I went to UNL and graduated in 1985! I was there during the big Osborne era!!! GO Huskers!! Yup, that is how I feel when I have eaten too much! It's not a good feeling!!! I am a Water Bottle addict! I love all kinds of water bottles! I love your glasses! I just got a new pair also! I was going for that, "Hot for Teacher" look!!! I think you're right about not getting a fill. I'm in the same spot. AND it scares me to mess up a good thing. Even a tiny fill can ruin a your green zone and having an unfill can really mess things up! Sometimes it takes longer to get to the green zone after having an unfill. Tom and I discuss this everytime I go in. I made my next appt. for 6 weeks instead of 4. Congrats on all of those NSV's!!:thumbup: That is so scary! AND so close to your home! I hate when that happens. Even tho you know it's an isolated case and most likely not a random crime, it still is unnerving! I'm so happy to hear about Tucker-Baby! That's great news! There is an Atlanta Bread Company not far from Dr. K's office, we could get some soup OR we could hit those places off of Pena and Tower area if you want -- that would be closer to the airport and closer to Brandy-girl. I confess, I love Popcorn! The AMC theater near my home has this great little package deal. 8oz of popcorn (smaller than the kids size) an 8oz drink and candy. Or any combo! I usually get the popcorn and two water bottles. I know it's bad! BUT I really don't care! I sacrifice all of the time, if I want a tiny popcorn when I go to the movies, I think that's okay. Okay Guys, as some of you know I served a year in Haiti as a student missionary. I loved it there! More than anything, I absolutely loved the people! They are really struggling with the recent hurricanes. Please take a moment and say a prayer for the people of Haiti and all the others who have suffered from the bad weather. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Their lives are hard enough and a disaster like this is devastating.

Dee~ You are so sweet! I was only kidding about having a place to stay. =) My husbands Aunt and Uncle live in Aurora. She just recently had half her lung removed due to cancer... so I may just do the hotel thing so I don't impose. I also had to add.... I went out with my family to ride Quads the other day. It was a BLAST. I think 60 pounds ago it would sucked. I was all over zooming and zooming! Even rode double with the hubby which would have never happened before. Oh... and another NSV... I bought a size 24 bathing suit that I was hoping I could wear by the end of summer. Well it FITS! Granted a scootch too tight, but I can wear it and I do! lol. From a tight 32 to a 26... tight 24. This rocks!

How frightening! Isn't the husband a suspect in the Cooper case too? Hey, I see your 'pack won yesterday!! I'm a Tarheel fan (don't throw anything) now, but was a 'pack fan when I was a kid. Have had family at both schools. At least we're not Dookies, right? Glad to hear he's home! Labs will eats ANYTHING handfed, I'm convinced, just to please their people. Such a good boy!! Bwhahahahahahaha!!! Love it! I love the new glasses!! So very cute!! Congrats on your NSVs! Nothing makes me happier that a good deal~ you hit the motherload!! Congrats on your NSVs! It's the little things that make it all worthwhile! I would be all over that!! That is a dream of mine! Somebody on this thread alreay does that, but they haven't posted in awhile. Help me remember who it is folks! Back to my scraping and then mowing the yard. More later.

Hey Folks! I had two great NSV's this week! In 2005, I had my achilles rupture and since that time, I haven't been able to stand on my tippy toes! I didn't have surgery to correct this, I wore a brace. Anyway, yesterday at Whole Foods, I was trying to reach the Brown Rice pasta and I just stood on my tippie toes and got it! Then it hit me! I had stood on my toes! I got tears in my eyes and just stood there for a moment of silence! Then today, I went swimming at Lifetime and I was able to get into the pool by way of the ladder! That's amazing! I usually have to take the steps! The ladder! Me!! The simple things in life that others have taken for granted! I am blessed to have achieved! I'm thrilled!

Welcome Sidann! Congrats on your upcoming surgery! Do you live here in Colorado? Join us at Red Robins each month for some extra support, if you do. You'll be thrilled with Dr. K and his staff! This surgery has been the best thing for me! Each new day brings me a new NSV! I love it!:rolleyes2: dee~

I know what you mean Bella. I talk about this all the time. I know someday I will get PS, but I have another 4 1/2 years until I have my lapband surgery paid off so I will have to wait until then unless something else happens. Depressing to know that it will be 5 years before I can get this extra gross skin taken care of and my breast will keep sagging until then too. I think I would even be happy with my body now if I could have PS. I think I would be able to fit into a size 10 then (I am wearing a size 12 now) and I never even thought about wearing a size smaller than that. I am getting to the point where I can tell a difference in my shoulders and face. I even wore a tank top when I went golfing with my hubby yesterday!!! That is a NSV!

Nah, you won't miss LB, because you'll find so much more at so many places that you won't have to miss them. Great NSV!!!!!!!

Really no secret, just your basic, healthy meal plan..... For the first 6 weeks I followed my surgeon's meal plan and transitioned slowly through the food stages (very good restriction did not allow for "skipping ahead"). As hard as it was, I met Protein and Water goals 90% of the time. Once I was on regular food I focused on protein and non starchy veggies. Steak, burger, ham, ribs, pork, chicken, BBQ, tuna, refried Beans, eggs, milk, Protein Bars, PB2, Greek yogurt, avocados, cheese, cottage cheese, mixed nuts, beef and turkey Jerky, broccoli, spinach, kale, green and yellow beans, mushrooms, red peppers, edamame, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, Chinese mixed veggies, you name it.... Now at just over 7 months out I have a 24-32oz protein smoothie with 30-40g protein everyday and eat 4-5 meals and Snacks. I get a MINIMUM of 64oz water daily and I take whole food based Vitamins. I have had sweets, deserts, chips, fries, alcohol, bread, Pasta and rice, but in moderation and probably not even once/week. As I got close to and passed goal, I started adding more fruit and whole grains. Besides protein bars (Natures Valley Protein, GNC Lean Bars, Fiber One Protein) I added whole grain bars like Kind, Kashi pumpkin Flax, and Pure Ancient Grains. I snack on mixed nuts, pumpkin seeds, edamame, Peanut Butter and apples, frozen pineapple, melons, and plain Fage or Chobani Greek yogurt flavored with Protein powder. I add berries and other fruit as well as Metamucil and benefiber to my protein smoothie. But really, the simple answer is I eat a healthy, balanced diet of protein (always first priority) veggies, fruit and whole grains. I eat when I'm hungry and only until satisfied, not full. Besides protein and water, I never tracked anything. I have no idea how many calories or carbs or fat I eat. As for exercise, I've got no magic formula there, either. I haven't been to a gym in years. Immediately postop I walked a lot but that was pretty much to help with digestion and to decrease the bloated feeling I had. I rode my recumbent bike 20-30 minutes/day for awhile but I haven't been on it in a couple weeks. I actually just have a very active lifestyle. I work 60+ hours/ week. I am a vet tech, so I'm standing, squatting, bending, lifting and walking all day. On the weekends I ride my horse, sometimes 15-20 miles/day (which is an excellent Pilates and thigh master workout if you are riding "correctly"). And along with the horses comes chores...shoveling shit, fixing fences, hauling water, feeding and stacking hay. Last weekend I got 42 bales of hay. Each bale weighs 80 pounds and I had to lift and move each one 3 times (big stack to truck; truck to shed; stack in shed). So essentially I lifted 10,000 pounds in 2 days....and at least part of that over my head (Basically lifted weights and did stair master for a couple hours). I got another 21 bales yesterday and the day before went whitewater rafting and rowed a boatload of friends 8 miles (more Pilates and push-ups). Anyways, everyone's journey is going to be different. What works for me might not work for you. Just figure out what you are most comfortable with (establishing a workout routine and tracking everything is not a bad thing, it's just not what I did). And if you are still reading this, let me say my biggest advice is don't compare your weight loss to others. Concentrate on being healthy, don't torture yourself with guilt, keep a good attitude, and look for NSV's for validation, not the numbers on the scale.

I weigh myself every Friday morning--the weekly anniversary of my surgery and at special milestones like month anniversaries. I was getting obsessed, weighing everyday, multiple times a day. I am not a big NSV girl. I need to see numbers go down to stay motivated. But I am slowly getting control of the compulsion.

Chris I know you're going to do fine and be on your losing way very soon. You're going to do great girl! NSV - I actually feel smaller today. yeap for the first time since I've had this band I can finally say I actually feel smaller than when I started Not a big deal to most but, to me.....and this head had to catch up with my weight loss :confused: Keep on keeping on my friends! Hope you're all doing well and shrinking!!!!

I took a leap of faith today. I purged my closet of the largest sized clothing (26). I decided to do it considering the weight I've lost already and that since returning to work I experimented with wearing some blouses that had gotten too tight. It was definitely my first NSV.

Checking In at one week postop. HW 315 did diet and Nutrisystem Preop weight 275 Surgery weight 265 1 week postop 260 It looks like a lot of us are around the same weightloss oh and I am 5 '5". I had my first NSV. Went shopping with my family today and I have skipped a size! I was a 3x and today I was a 1x. Felt great! I was not expecting that. I have not been this size in years either Good luck to everyone else with their weightloss as well.

Hey Y'all, Well, I went in for my fill today and even though I had not lost much weight since August, I did have a major NSV! My Dr. was very happy with my results. I lost over 19lbs of fat and gained 10 lbs of muscle. So, okay, I'm happier now since I know what is going on. I got a fill of 3.1cc today. Can't wait to see what this does for me.

Ohhhhhhhh I remember those all so clearly. I had serious doubts...... most of them because I was head strong and successful on the pre-op weight loss so I started to think I didn't need the band and that I could just continue being strong by myself........ then I just kept telling myself that I was fooling myself.....I have been trying to get this weight off for 30 years....I was done doing the up and down, I was tired of lying to myself, I was ready to make a very positive commitment to myself..... I thought either I can sit here and yo yo diet for another 10 years and run into more serious health issues or just do it....... be proud of a courageous opportunity and jump into it....... it really helped me to stay in tune with these forums.... it helped me keep my excitement up to look at before and after pictures, to read of weight loss success, to hear all the NSV's........... it was and still is very exciting to know that I can do it too..... now that i'm post-op I'm still a little scared sometimes that I just made such a drastic step..... but it's quickly smashed when I jump on the scale and see it going down..... safely, healthy, and steadily...... I told myself I will commit a year 100% to this...... I think in a years time we will all be in celebration mode and very thankful we did this.

wow, Paul... new avatar looks great! Well guys... great NSV's this weekend! My hubby's cousins saw me for the first time since surgery and they were just full of compliments. Huge ego boost! I went and saw the Bellamy Brothers and they rocked! I looked good that night too!!! I am wearing a size 12L Levis right now and I don't know that I have ever worn that size in my life! I think it is possible that I might one day fit into an 8!!!

I've always had "deep veins" and I've always been pretty sure this is nurse-code for "fat". I used to squick and squirm about getting IVs or doing blood draws, but eventually I learned to just calm the f* down and everyone's life is easier. I have coached people through which veins might hold, which veins blow easier, where to try looking, and a lot of "no it's ok you can keep poking." I've stopped having to ask for a pediatric needle as I've gotten better at telling people where to look, but it's still a chore. Can't ever find the one in my elbow - always gotta go with my hand.... My surgeon sent me for my 100-lbs-lost blood work (85+ since pre-surgery diet but 104 since my first visit!) and I went to the lab, took a deep breath and said, "I'm pretty patient about getting stuck, so if you can't find a vein right away, it's OK. My veins are hard to find." "No, I see it, it's right there," said the tech. I looked. Sure enough I saw a little glint of blue in the fossa! "Your veins are great," she said. "Great veins"?!? I have NEVER had "great veins"!!! But losing some of the thick fat in my arms.... Now I have great veins. WHO KNEW.

NSV time! Some of these may be repeats; if so forgive me. 1. Gained more confidence 2. Husband noticed I can now slide around the restaurant booth 3. Can wear a bathing suit off the rack 4. Can get off the floor easily 5. Less joint pain 6. NO AIRPLANE SEAT BELT EXTENSION 7. Less sluggish 8. Fit into old clothes