Weight loss surgery and obesity

Congratulations on such an awesome update Sara! I hope everything continues to go well for you.

Take care,

Sarah D

10-27-99

Congratulations Dawn on reaching the one year mark! You have done amazing. You've really come a long way! I hope everything in your life continues to go well, you deserve it!

Take care,

Sarah D

Congratulations, Sara!!! You have done SO well. You need to
transfer all these good feelings about yourself to other parts of
your life, now. You CAN do whatever you want to do!
Hugs,
Jen A.

I would call the surgeon's office and speak to one of the nurses regarding your questions. The number is 763-236-2025. I checked in my handbook and didn't see anything about four months out. I think you meant a 1/4 cup of protein? I don't think it's a 1/4 cup of protein, but of food, but being protein-forward (as in 3/4 of the meal being protein). And measuring it can be tricky. Some have said you measure like you already chewed it up and I have hear other say 1/4 cup before it's chewed up. I think it might even be more than a 1/4 cup by 4 months out, but I'm just not sure. Definately call. The nurses are so friendly and will gladly answer your questions.

As for the snacking habits, I hear you. This is a difficult part of this surgery - re-learning to eat. Please try not to beat yourself up over this. We are so trained that if we snack at all that we are a failure and that's just not true. We are human. Yes, we are not supposed to snack, but we all make mistakes. When you make a mistake, try to move on.

Are you eating out of boredom? When you feel a snack attack coming on at night, try finding something else to do to keep yourself busy. Tell yourself that if you are still 'hungry' in 15 minutes (or longer), then you can have something small (and protein forward). Most of the time we get involved in whatever we are doing and will forget about the food.

Therapy is a tricky thing. They don't always give advice. Sometimes you need to ask for it. Maybe this person isn't right for you? Maybe you need someone who will give you more suggestions.

And remember - you are NOT a failure! You are doing just fine and going through very normal things! Things that successful gastric bypass patients have go through themselves.

Sherry

Sara,
Congratulations! Down 135lbs already wow.
Tammi

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because
they
haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it
was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.
I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, "How about
going
to lunch in a half hour? " She would gasp and stammer, "I can't. have
clothes
on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday. I had a late
breakfast. It looks like rain." And my personal favorite: "It's Monday."
She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.
Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule
our headaches.
We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all
the
conditions are perfect!
We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Stevie
toilet-trained.
We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet.
We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of
college.
Life has a way of accelerating as we get older.
The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer.
One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a
litany of "I'm going to", "I plan on" , and "Someday, when things are
settled
down a bit."
When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to
adventure
and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her
enthusiasm
for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're
ready
to trade your bad feet for a pair of Roller blades and skip an elevator
for a
bungee cord.
My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's
just
that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and
eliminate the digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and
bought
a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would
have
died happy.
Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to......not
something on your SHOULD DO list.
If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could
make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?
Make sure you read this to the end; you will understand why I sent
this
to you.
Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to
the rain lapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into
the
fading night?
Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask "How are you?"
Do
you hear the reply?
When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred
chores running through your head?
Ever told your child, "We'll do it tomorrow." And in your haste, not
see
his sorrow?
Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say "Hi"?
When
you worry and hurry through your day, It is like an unopened gift....Thrown
away...
Life is not a race. Take it slower.
Hear the music before the song is over.

Hi,
I had my surgery on 7/28/03. With Dr. Baker. I have lost about 80lbs.
But my questions are this. Are we at 4 months out only to have 1/4 of
protein only at meals? if not how do you measure it out? How many
calories am I supposed to be eating? I have gone right back into
snacking allot at night. I have allot of stress going on in my life
again. I do workout everyday which does not help my stress and I see
a shinrk for eating disorders but she does not really tell me or give
me advice on what to do to stop this snacking. I know why I am doing
it I don't know how to stop it. I really need help on this. I feel
like a failure already I don't want to gain this weight back again.
Please help!
Shannon Florek
Dr. Baker
July 28th
start 258
now 173

Hello, I cant believe its been 6 months already! WOW! Gosh, I can remember hating myself when I first had the surgery, wondering what the heck I just did to myself. LOL Drinking that lovely bowel prep stuff.....mmmmmm......almost makes me wanna hurl, just THINKING about it. lol Seriously though, the first few months, I didnt notice any changes in myself, but now, I have to admit, I can see some stuff I couldnt see preop! I have collar bones! I have cheekbones! I DO have ankles, they were just hiding under all that fluid! OMG someone at work told me they couldnt recognize me from the back, that was a nice compliment. It feels soooooooooooooooo good to be off all those nasty drugs I was on for my rheumatoid arthritis, I cant explain in words JUST how good it feels. I can actually do the dishes now WITHOUT sitting on a chair! I look forward to the next 6 months, and I am pleased with the results so far...............Now, I will have to do my measurements, I havent updated
those on my signature since my 3 month checkup! Have a nice xmas everyone!

Sara C
Set free on 06-06-2003 but..
In 2004 I'm gonna soar!!!
Dr. Jones/Methodist/St.Louis Park
-135 pounds
56D down to 40D(bra size)
-3 1/4 inches on arms
-8 inches on waist
-5 1/2 inches on hips
preop BMI of 66
current BMI of 45.9

Holy buckets, Bernadette, what an incredible development. Poor TJ has
fought off and through so much already, I do not know where she is
finding the strength to go on, except that little girls is a mighty big
motivator to be ok and get back home. THank GOD the docs found the
culprit and can fight it with her, I hope the drugs are tolerated by her
and that she stays hydrated and positive. I will keep her in my thoughts
and on my prayer list, and thank you for keeping us all posted on her
incredibly rare journey. The rest will seem so easy to her after THIS.
linda stenson 8-5-02
*Don't worry about tomorrow, God is already there*

Dawn, I am so happy for your new life and that you are happy and
healthier from WLS and your own determination to save your eyesight and
as a result, your life.
Congrats on making it through quite a rollercoaster ride of a year and
coming out smelling like a rose or is that ROS?
LOL
linda stenson 8-5-02
*Don't worry about tomorrow, God is already there*