400+ Sleevers?

[LadyK 164]

Hello, I started out at 480 at my per-surgical testing visit on Sept 20th, and I was devastated because I had gained 10lbs doing a "bye-bye bite" to everything since my birthday on the end of August, on top of that my BP was 190/100. After looking at that and the surgery was only a week away, I had to pray and tell myself you gotta stop. That day was the fist day of my pre-op diet, (again) and I knew I had to stick to it because of the liver issue. I was very emotional and furious because my family kept eating McDonadls, Taco Bell, 7-11, and each time would order something I would like. Nevertheless, I stick to my Protein Shakes, raw veggies, and baked chicken, sugar free everything. Instead of Salad Dressing I used 0 fat plain Greek yogurt mixed with one of those hidden valley ranch powder packets to add flavor to my salads and Protein, as well as tuna. The first few days was ok, but toward the end, I started to get leg cramps, dizziness, lightheaded, and I just wanted to eat one final gigantic burrito from taco bell, but I didn't. The nutritionist did tell me I could eat a banana or a potato to stave of the cramps, I ate just a little bit of both, and that helped. I almost passed out in the shower too the last day but I was on a mission. The day of surgery, I was taken back to be prepped and I was weighed. In 1 week I had jumped down to 453, and my BP was 163/90! I had the surgery on Sept. 27th and the only complication I had was my BP went back up into the 200's. I don't know if that's my body's reaction to surgery or what, because the same thing happened when I had my youngest daughter it was in the 200's after my c-section. After a few days it dropped down back into the 150/80 range and I was released. My doc was a little nervous about releasing me because I was a little dehydrated, so I went home with a picc line in my arm. I was weighed and I was 456. This was the 29th, and even though I didn't want to, I made myself keep sipping liquids all day, all night, because I did NOT want to go back to the hospital. My urine output picked up a lot, and I started having more energy. That Monday, Oct 1st my picc line was removed and I went back on Thursday to have my staples removed. I have six laparoscopic incisions. I also had to have a hiatal hernia repair, My doc said my liver was fine. I was also weighed again and was 461, but I didn't panic because being a woman, hormonal fluctuations cause extra Fluid and bloating, also they pumped me with several IV's in the hospital. My BP was 142/79 when I when to my family practice doc, he was so excited LOL. I also monitor my BP on my own, because I am on a lot of BP meds, and one day I took it it was 127/72. Gotta be careful with that and taking the meds. I also home school my children, which made it easier, and my mom kept them for a few days so my husband would not have to drive an hour away back and forth with the kids. The only problem was not having a dog sitter, so hubby still had to drive home to feed her and let her out. I was afraid too, mostly about being under general anesthesia. It wasn't like I thought though, the anesthesiologist was really nice and talked to me before they put the meds in my IV and he told me, now we are putting the meds in, and I started to feel sleepy and the last thing I remember was the anesthesiologist's eyes, and I was thinking wow he has some blue eyes, and the next thing I know I heard some one say my name and say your surgery went fine we are taking you to recovery. That was my experience, I hope I helped you! Pray, Keep researching and make certain you have a good surgeon.

Oh I forgot I am between 5'7 and 5'9, I think I lost a few inches because I am so heavy so I can't stand up completely straight. There's like a curve in my back.

[keya34 46]

Hello' date=' I started out at 480 at my per-surgical testing visit on Sept 20th, and I was devastated because I had gained 10lbs doing a "bye-bye bite" to everything since my birthday on the end of August, on top of that my BP was 190/100. After looking at that and the surgery was only a week away, I had to pray and tell myself you gotta stop. That day was the fist day of my pre-op diet, (again) and I knew I had to stick to it because of the liver issue. I was very emotional and furious because my family kept eating McDonadls, Taco Bell, 7-11, and each time would order something I would like. Nevertheless, I stick to my Protein shakes, raw veggies, and baked chicken, sugar free everything. Instead of salad dressing I used 0 fat plain Greek yogurt mixed with one of those hidden valley ranch powder packets to add flavor to my salads and Protein, as well as tuna. The first few days was ok, but toward the end, I started to get leg cramps, dizziness, lightheaded, and I just wanted to eat one final gigantic burrito from taco bell, but I didn't. The nutritionist did tell me I could eat a banana or a potato to stave of the cramps, I ate just a little bit of both, and that helped. I almost passed out in the shower too the last day but I was on a mission. The day of surgery, I was taken back to be prepped and I was weighed. In 1 week I had jumped down to 453, and my BP was 163/90! I had the surgery on Sept. 27th and the only complication I had was my BP went back up into the 200's. I don't know if that's my body's reaction to surgery or what, because the same thing happened when I had my youngest daughter it was in the 200's after my c-section. After a few days it dropped down back into the 150/80 range and I was released. My doc was a little nervous about releasing me because I was a little dehydrated, so I went home with a picc line in my arm. I was weighed and I was 456. This was the 29th, and even though I didn't want to, I made myself keep sipping liquids all day, all night, because I did NOT want to go back to the hospital. My urine output picked up a lot, and I started having more energy. That Monday, Oct 1st my picc line was removed and I went back on Thursday to have my staples removed. I have six laparoscopic incisions. I also had to have a hiatal hernia repair, My doc said my liver was fine. I was also weighed again and was 461, but I didn't panic because being a woman, hormonal fluctuations cause extra Fluid and bloating, also they pumped me with several IV's in the hospital. My BP was 142/79 when I when to my family practice doc, he was so excited LOL. I also monitor my BP on my own, because I am on a lot of BP meds, and one day I took it it was 127/72. Gotta be careful with that and taking the meds. I also home school my children, which made it easier, and my mom kept them for a few days so my husband would not have to drive an hour away back and forth with the kids. The only problem was not having a dog sitter, so hubby still had to drive home to feed her and let her out. I was afraid too, mostly about being under general anesthesia. It wasn't like I thought though, the anesthesiologist was really nice and talked to me before they put the meds in my IV and he told me, now we are putting the meds in, and I started to feel sleepy and the last thing I remember was the anesthesiologist's eyes, and I was thinking wow he has some blue eyes, and the next thing I know I heard some one say my name and say your surgery went fine we are taking you to recovery. That was my experience, I hope I helped you! Pray, Keep researching and make certain you have a good surgeon.

Oh I forgot I am between 5'7 and 5'9, I think I lost a few inches because I am so heavy so I can't stand up completely straight. There's like a curve in my back.[/quote']

Sound like u will be of blood pressure meds soon. That is awesome way to go. I am getting inpatient I dont know if I can till Dec.

[humnopnop 8]

Hello' date=' I started out at 480 at my per-surgical testing visit on Sept 20th, and I was devastated because I had gained 10lbs doing a "bye-bye bite" to everything since my birthday on the end of August, on top of that my BP was 190/100. After looking at that and the surgery was only a week away, I had to pray and tell myself you gotta stop. That day was the fist day of my pre-op diet, (again) and I knew I had to stick to it because of the liver issue. I was very emotional and furious because my family kept eating McDonadls, Taco Bell, 7-11, and each time would order something I would like. Nevertheless, I stick to my Protein shakes, raw veggies, and baked chicken, sugar free everything. Instead of salad dressing I used 0 fat plain Greek yogurt mixed with one of those hidden valley ranch powder packets to add flavor to my salads and Protein, as well as tuna. The first few days was ok, but toward the end, I started to get leg cramps, dizziness, lightheaded, and I just wanted to eat one final gigantic burrito from taco bell, but I didn't. The nutritionist did tell me I could eat a banana or a potato to stave of the cramps, I ate just a little bit of both, and that helped. I almost passed out in the shower too the last day but I was on a mission. The day of surgery, I was taken back to be prepped and I was weighed. In 1 week I had jumped down to 453, and my BP was 163/90! I had the surgery on Sept. 27th and the only complication I had was my BP went back up into the 200's. I don't know if that's my body's reaction to surgery or what, because the same thing happened when I had my youngest daughter it was in the 200's after my c-section. After a few days it dropped down back into the 150/80 range and I was released. My doc was a little nervous about releasing me because I was a little dehydrated, so I went home with a picc line in my arm. I was weighed and I was 456. This was the 29th, and even though I didn't want to, I made myself keep sipping liquids all day, all night, because I did NOT want to go back to the hospital. My urine output picked up a lot, and I started having more energy. That Monday, Oct 1st my picc line was removed and I went back on Thursday to have my staples removed. I have six laparoscopic incisions. I also had to have a hiatal hernia repair, My doc said my liver was fine. I was also weighed again and was 461, but I didn't panic because being a woman, hormonal fluctuations cause extra Fluid and bloating, also they pumped me with several IV's in the hospital. My BP was 142/79 when I when to my family practice doc, he was so excited LOL. I also monitor my BP on my own, because I am on a lot of BP meds, and one day I took it it was 127/72. Gotta be careful with that and taking the meds. I also home school my children, which made it easier, and my mom kept them for a few days so my husband would not have to drive an hour away back and forth with the kids. The only problem was not having a dog sitter, so hubby still had to drive home to feed her and let her out. I was afraid too, mostly about being under general anesthesia. It wasn't like I thought though, the anesthesiologist was really nice and talked to me before they put the meds in my IV and he told me, now we are putting the meds in, and I started to feel sleepy and the last thing I remember was the anesthesiologist's eyes, and I was thinking wow he has some blue eyes, and the next thing I know I heard some one say my name and say your surgery went fine we are taking you to recovery. That was my experience, I hope I helped you! Pray, Keep researching and make certain you have a good surgeon. <img src='http://www.bariatricpal.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

Oh I forgot I am between 5'7 and 5'9, I think I lost a few inches because I am so heavy so I can't stand up completely straight. There's like a curve in my back.[/quote']

LadyK, thanks for sharing... My anxieties are going away little by little with all this info. I guess never thought I would be doing this so kind of taken aback - but again definitely full blessed. Althoughbeit, I don't have children, there are plenty who need me in their lives. I know I will do this!

[LadyK 164]

@ keya yes, I hope I'm off of the BP meds soon too, I'm tired of taking all of these pill+vitamins, it's getting hard to remember to take them. Hope the time goes by quick for you, my surgery was first scheduled for aug 30th but I had to reschedule to sept 27, that was the longest time for me LOL

@humnopnop No problem! I didn't think this was something I would do either, I had been back n forth over the course of 6 or 7 years with the decision of WLS in general. The first person to suggest it to me was my obstetrician right after I had my daughter, and I had already lost 30lbs from that. I wanted to kick him in the neck LOL, definite NO then, but as the years progressed and I kept packing on the weight, the idea of going through with it became more of a reality for me, because I thought of all the time I wasted, summers of not going swimming, picnics, the zoo, amusement parks, winters ,no snowball fights or sledding with my children all because I was too ashamed of my appearance and got winded to quickly to really play with them. This is what made me really consider and decide to do this, because I was tired of being over weight, my children have grown so fast, I don't know where the time went, so before they are "too old" to want to run and play or ride bikes, I want this weight off before I miss out on their childhood. Sorry, I've gone on again LOL.

[Nate 292]

Forgot to mention it in my earlierposts... Since surgery I'm completely OFF my Diabetes medication, my Blood Sugar level is regularly between 85-110 now. My Blood Pressure is way down from where it used to be and my medication for that has been decreased. My back doesn't bother me like it used to, my knees no longer hurt nonstop. And I can walk far better and farther than I used to be able to. Things are only going to get better the more I lose. Sure the Surgery was a bit of a risk at my size. But the risk has been well worth the reward. I would do it again in a heart beat even at twice the risk, because the risk of dying young is just as great if I would have carried on without the surgery.

It's natural to be concerned with any surgery. I'm living proof that even the extreme cases can make it through just fine. Try not to worry too much!

[ReduceReuseRecycle-Me! 119]

Hello' date=' I started out at 480 at my per-surgical testing visit on Sept 20th, and I was devastated because I had gained 10lbs doing a "bye-bye bite" to everything since my birthday on the end of August, on top of that my BP was 190/100. After looking at that and the surgery was only a week away, I had to pray and tell myself you gotta stop. That day was the fist day of my pre-op diet, (again) and I knew I had to stick to it because of the liver issue. I was very emotional and furious because my family kept eating McDonadls, Taco Bell, 7-11, and each time would order something I would like. Nevertheless, I stick to my Protein shakes, raw veggies, and baked chicken, sugar free everything. Instead of salad dressing I used 0 fat plain Greek yogurt mixed with one of those hidden valley ranch powder packets to add flavor to my salads and Protein, as well as tuna. The first few days was ok, but toward the end, I started to get leg cramps, dizziness, lightheaded, and I just wanted to eat one final gigantic burrito from taco bell, but I didn't. The nutritionist did tell me I could eat a banana or a potato to stave of the cramps, I ate just a little bit of both, and that helped. I almost passed out in the shower too the last day but I was on a mission. The day of surgery, I was taken back to be prepped and I was weighed. In 1 week I had jumped down to 453, and my BP was 163/90! I had the surgery on Sept. 27th and the only complication I had was my BP went back up into the 200's. I don't know if that's my body's reaction to surgery or what, because the same thing happened when I had my youngest daughter it was in the 200's after my c-section. After a few days it dropped down back into the 150/80 range and I was released. My doc was a little nervous about releasing me because I was a little dehydrated, so I went home with a picc line in my arm. I was weighed and I was 456. This was the 29th, and even though I didn't want to, I made myself keep sipping liquids all day, all night, because I did NOT want to go back to the hospital. My urine output picked up a lot, and I started having more energy. That Monday, Oct 1st my picc line was removed and I went back on Thursday to have my staples removed. I have six laparoscopic incisions. I also had to have a hiatal hernia repair, My doc said my liver was fine. I was also weighed again and was 461, but I didn't panic because being a woman, hormonal fluctuations cause extra Fluid and bloating, also they pumped me with several IV's in the hospital. My BP was 142/79 when I when to my family practice doc, he was so excited LOL. I also monitor my BP on my own, because I am on a lot of BP meds, and one day I took it it was 127/72. Gotta be careful with that and taking the meds. I also home school my children, which made it easier, and my mom kept them for a few days so my husband would not have to drive an hour away back and forth with the kids. The only problem was not having a dog sitter, so hubby still had to drive home to feed her and let her out. I was afraid too, mostly about being under general anesthesia. It wasn't like I thought though, the anesthesiologist was really nice and talked to me before they put the meds in my IV and he told me, now we are putting the meds in, and I started to feel sleepy and the last thing I remember was the anesthesiologist's eyes, and I was thinking wow he has some blue eyes, and the next thing I know I heard some one say my name and say your surgery went fine we are taking you to recovery. That was my experience, I hope I helped you! Pray, Keep researching and make certain you have a good surgeon. <img src='http://www.bariatricpal.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

Oh I forgot I am between 5'7 and 5'9, I think I lost a few inches because I am so heavy so I can't stand up completely straight. There's like a curve in my back.[/quote']

Hi, Ladyk, very nice post. Thorough and well-written. Wishing you continued success.