i am so glad i had surgery, it has saved my life and giving me a life

i am almost three months post op November 29 and i am down 40 pounds. I do feel tired still and i am sick of my hair falling out but i'm sure it will stop soon. Is this a good weight to be down for 2 and a half month guys. I just want to be at my ideal weight as soon as possible. Please someone write back to me thanks Rachael good luck to all of you keep up the good work

hi rachael my name is jodie buckingham and i am going to be getting the surgery done in the near future. my first appointment is jan 21 2004 with the surgeon. i have already done most of the tests including the pulmanary function test and labs. i am getting very anxious about the surgery because of the fears i have for afterwards, and one of them is what you seem to experiencing right now, the hair loss. the question i have is does you have fall out or does it thin out. i am picturing in my head my hair falling out in chuncks and having bald spots all over my head. and the other thing is being nauseous for the rest of my life. im wondering if you could write back and tell me a little about what your going through just so i have some what of a clearer picture. i also wanted to tell you that your a brave woman to do this i know how it feels to antisipate something for so long and then actually go through with it. i know that you are going to do wonderful and your hair will grow back to be more beautiful than it was. i admire you and you bring me strength as my surgery approches. take care and may god continue to hold you in the palm of his hand. stay stong.........jodie buckingham

Rachel- Everyone looses at a different pace. Usually how fast you loose at first goes by how much you have to loose.. those with more loose faster..especially in the begining.

I just found the August surgery date message board. Rachael, keep working at it. I had open RNY 8/26 and have lost 57lbs as of today. I got stuck for the longest time at 47lbs until I made the commitment to go back to the gym. Once I started back, the pounds started to fall off. When I went in on 11/17 for an early 3 month follow-up, I'd only lost 44lbs. My surgeon said I was right on track....so I wouldn't worry if I were you. Different people lose at different rates. But I can tell you that exercise definitely helps. As for your hair falling out, it could be a lack of protein. Are you getting in enough? When you eat, do you get your protein in first? I know that as much as I was dying for some stuffing on Turkey Day, I ate most of the turkey first before hitting up the other goodies. I can't seem to handle protein shakes anymore, so I've been looking for protein-enriched stuff. I found that 1/3 cup of roasted soy beans has 11 grams of protein. They're crunchy--just what I need to satisfy my need for crunchy/crispy stuff! I've also been told that not getting your B12 causes your hair to fall out, so you you may want to have that checked. Good luck, Rachael. Just think of yourself as a work in progress and you'll be fine!! Freda

Rachael - How is it going now?