Kaiser Richmond Pre-op

[meandmyweightloss 0]

Christine....My starting weight is in my signature...its the very first weight, it says starting above it and it says it on my ticker...:thumbup:

Good to see everyone today.........If it was a bar Reggie, Christine and I would have closed the joint!! LOL

Good for you Sing and Dance.......Nicoles right if you start losing right away your other appt will go so fast....I'm suprised they told you who your surgeon would be already.....I had my orientation with Dr.Im on March 3rd.....then I got an appt card in the mail for 03/11 with Dr.Baggs....when I went to that appt I asked him if he was going to be my surgeon andd he said yes as long as I wanted him!!!!!!

I agrre Tina its razy sometimes to believe that ride is over already....but a new one is starting!!!!

[smallerj 2]

Hi Ladies-

I've been reading all your posts and wanted to join you. Seems like everyone is doing so well on the journey.

I'm in the process of trying to get to my goal weight. I had my surgeon and psych appts already. I'm having a bit of a tough time getting there but oh well...

Anyway, I'm trying to figure out how long I need to be off work. I know Kaiser gives you 4 wks but do I really need that long?

[meandmyweightloss 0]

Smallerj.....hey good for you!!!! I had surgery last Monday 05/04....I have a job where I sit alot...although I took the whole month I think I could probably had gone back to work...may at the end of this week..so like a week and half....my port still hurts so I would have to get up alot but I think its doable!!! :thumbup: Hope that helps

[swrktp 1]

I took a month off and I needed every day of it............I also have a very, very stressful job with lots of running around and driving. It would have been way to much for me to handle.

Went back to work on Monday and actually it is the sitting all day that is making my port achy and hurt. Go figure. I guess I do better moving around or laying flat. My port was hurting so band by the time I got home tonight. Elastic pants tomorrow no matter how nerdy I may l look!!! LOL.

Everyone is different. Gotta tell you my blood pressure and health was not great before surgery. I had Migraines and GERD and (gross) I know but everything I ate made me sick at one end or another................I also had pnemonia really bad last spring and have some scarring on my lungs, I got chest congestion and a yucky cough after surgery. Hurt to much to cough it up(don't tell Liz) so I didn't which didn't help.............add the stess of my job and all the negetive media coverage lately and I was almost ready to go on stress leave forget surgery!!! I needed all that time to heal and get my head back in the right place...........

to be honest I am out interviewing for jobs on Friday. Not sure my current job is a good fit for a "healthy" lifestyle. My PCP and Dr. Baggs have talked to me about work stress and how bad it has been affecting me the last year............Dr. Baggs said stress and weight gain go hand in hand...............so honestly I am trying to get into a less stressful/stable position as a long term goal to help with my weight and my mind!!! LOL.

That is just my take on things........

Edited May 13, 2009 by swrktp

[swrktp 1]

Robin forgot to call me today..............strange. Maybe tomorrow. I am moving to soft foods anyway..........

Riley salad is a soft food now right!! LOL. I will hold off a few more weeks but NOT 8 more weeks.

Darn this port is killing me tonight. Everytime I eat the port pain flares up again worse. ANyone else have this??

Candi you are doing SO, SO WELL!!! Out at a week...........not me for sure. I didn't drive for two!!! LOL. YOur don't even look like you had surgery!! LOL. Your looking great!!

Edited May 13, 2009 by swrktp

[smallerj 2]

Thanks for the reply, I'm just trying to figure out what is a good time for me to do this. i'll probably need the month any way.

I'm worried that I'll be at home watching tv and all the food commercials and need to get back to work.

[swrktp 1]

LOL smllerj.............I needed to go back to work this week. I was starting to get restless and bored the last few days at home!! Wanted to snack...........

I didn't watch much TV I would fall asleep everytime I tried!! I slept alot the whole four weeks!!

The food commercials were bad the first week than I quit caring..............LOL. Now I don't care as long as I have crystal light to fill up on!! LOL.

Other people on here did alot better so let them respond too before you make a decision..........

[reggie71 0]

candy, Tina, Pam and Riley it was a pleasure meeting you all and Chris and Nicole it is nice to see you as usual. All you lades looked good and healthy, can't wait to see the results i the next month. We'll be rocking.

[AudsMom 2]

I can not believe Helen won tonight!!!

AND< i was so disappointed i looked on Facebook just to see what my friends were doing and saw it before they even weighed the old guy to win. It ruined the show.

Ok so..

Hmm, i dont work, but I can say I was sooo tired until about week 4. It was a chore just to go for the walks. I say take as much time as you can for YOU. This is the only time you will be preop, and you will go thru many ups and downs:) (Psst..thats what we are here for:rolleyes:) It really depends on ur career, etc.

Tina: That is probably a good idea... stress is soo bad, and thats all my life is right now, again another reason im not suprised with my plateu games. I heard the old guy say something tonight on Bl and im trying to figure it out (" I let my brain go and let my body take over" )I am not sure what it means but I will figure it out:smile: Wow im suprised she didnt call.. weired!

I am so glad I got to see you ladies it always helps remotivate me to see you all doing so well! Reggie!! Soon!!! Sorry I didn't hang with everyone I wanted to but auds and mike were sitting in the car lol, can't let that go on for too long...

Ok good night ladies!

[momcof3 1]

It was nice to meet you Reggie and Riley- and nice to see the rest of you yesterday. Wish I could have stayed longer, but I had to pick my kids up from school.

It is hard to believe it has been a year since I went to orientation in Richmond.

Our little group is growing - that's a good thing. The more the merrier. I know the support helps me keep focused on this journey.

[swrktp 1]

Morning all

Fun yesterday. Going out with everyone is getting to be a pleasant habit now!!

Maybe BL was talking about his head hunger took over and and he got fat!! LOL. I like that show.

Ok well off to work.

Still on a crazy plateau here!!!

[swishbc 0]

Candi, did I say starting weight? Duh...I'm a dork. I see the starting weight, I meant your weigh on surgery day. I couldn't remember what it was, it's fun to keep track of post-op weight loss.

I was SO bummed that Helen won and to be honest I was pretty shocked. She looked freaky too, WAY too skinny. I think she looked the best right when they left the ranch and she was 154 or something like that. See? There IS such a thing as being TOO skinny!!!

[riley4183 0]

Oh my gosh you guys, I had so much fun yesterday!!! So good to meet you all in person finally . . .and ya know, everyone was exactly how I expected them to be from chatting for 7 months with them! Means you girls are honest. And BEAUTIFUL!!! Oh my goodness, I can't believe how darned good looking that group is! I sat there and looked around and felt like I had known all you guys for a long time - I guess I kinda have!

Smallerj, I had surgery on a Monday and went back too work the following Monday - desk job, but lots of opportunities to get up and walk around all during the day. I ended up just working 5 or 6 hour days that week, I had developed a bad infection (cellulitis) at 4 days post op and was on some AWFUL antibiotics to knock that out, they worked but they made me queasy-sick so I didn't really feel like working. My recovery was very very fast and easy, but everyone has a different experience and you just don't know what yours will be until you get out on the othert side. I'd suggest that you take off 2 weeks minimum if you have the sick time. I didn't have it! I have friends who went back in 4 days, there is NO way in heck that I would have done that!!! I only had port pain after day 5, and I was SO needing to get up and do stuff - adult ADD here - that my house has never been cleaner! I was ready to go back to work, that's for sure. But I had also told everyone here (almost 200 people, I'm not shy) what I was doing, so never had to try & "hide" my little 2-oz. containers of full liquids in the fridge.

Yay, scale moving again!!!:smile2:

Riley

[riley4183 0]

What I meant to say is, the only pain I had after day 5 was from my port. And that hurt for a long long time. But Nicole, I'm kinda worried that yours is hurting when you eat and stuff. It should get steadily better, not do flare-ups of getting worse! Damned port. Have you asked Dr. Baggs?

[Desperate1 1]

Hi All,

I had orientation yesterday and now feel like I'm officially on my way to being one of you! I don't feel so out of the loop and know more about what you are talking about. My surgeon apt is 6.3.09. I need to schedule a mamogram ASAP as I just turned 40 10 days ago and need to have it done before they will band me :smile2:

Dr. Fisher confused me a bit - he didn't seem to believe that the band did too much to help. He said the adds were misleading and not true - that it doesn't help take away the hunger nor does it really make you feel full faster. So I ask the question to all you experts - is it helping with the hunger & satisfaction of smaller portions???

Liz was great - she's my type of girl - straight to the point. It was very clear that she doesn't like to repeat herself LOL.

I started the 1200 cal diet this morning and I was really full! I never really eat Breakfast so the getting up earlier thing is gonna take a bit to get use to. I believe it was Reggie that said it was a piece of cake and you are correct! I don't usually eat this much in one sitting but I don't usually space my meals 6 hours apart either. Not eating in front of the TV and not snacking will take me a minute to perfect but It is definately do-able! Think my biggest problem is boredom & lazyness!! I don't cook much - my husband is a snacker and won't sit for a full meal - and, when I have nothing to occupy my time - I eat. ANY SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO GET PAST THAT BOREDOM EATING WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!! If I'm not snacking on almonds in front of the TV I am lost - hahahaha

Sounds like mimi's was a lot of fun and hope to be able to join you all one day. I did get to meet Heather yesterday - she is adorable! Unfortunately, it was at the very end and we didn't really get a chance to talk - so next time!!

Smallerj - just wanted to say welcome - I read these girls posts for quite some time too before I got up the nerve to join in - I always have an inferiority complex! Anyway, glad to see you in here.

Have a great day ladies!!