Anybody else from this December group have to have their gall bladder out yet??? Sorry, I can't remember... (Yes, not only have I lost weight and my hair, I have also lost my mind) I know alot of folks from my GA group have recently had it. My reason for asking is that 12 days ago, I had to have mine out. And I gained about 11 lbs with the surgery. At first I blamed the gain on IV fluids, and figured it would come off in a few days like after my kidney stone lazertripsy last year. It didn't come off in just a few days. Well, 5 lbs have come off, but I am still about 6 lbs heavier than before surgery. And while I know that 6 lbs is not alot, it is very frustrating to me that I am having trouble getting back down to where I was. Atleast I am feeling better now and don't have that nagging pain between my sternum and belly button everytime I eat. However, this has been a new learning experience for me when it comes to eating. I'm not sure whether my pouch has shrunk a little or what.... but it doesn't take much to fill me up now, and I find that if I do over eat, even just a little, I have awful stomach pains. And now all of the sudden, since having the gall bladder out, bread has all the sudden become a problem for me. I try to tell myself that this is a good thing. Oh well, enough whining for today.... I will finally go back to work on Monday, and maybe then things will get back to normal. Whatever that is... Hugs, Susan

Hi Judy, I know exactly what you mean. Mine does that as well. Keep yourself a diary and watch what you eat, and how your blood sugar does after eating that. Before surgery I was taking lots of oral diabetes meds, and haven't needed any since surgery. And I too can eat small amounts of sugar or carb type stuff without too much trouble. However, what I have noticed is that when I do eat this stuff, my bs bottoms out. This is how it was explained to me... Before surgery our bodies reacted to the high sugar/high carb foods by our pancreas working extra hard to produce it's natural insulin so our bodies could handle the sugary item we just ate. Now, with the incredible weight loss, our body still tries to do the same thing. This causes us to have a rapid sugar rush with what we eat, the pancreas kicks in, majorly producing insulin like it used to, and then we have a very quick drop in bs. I actually go thru 2 quick phases when this happens. When my bs goes high initially, I get the hot, flushed feeling, then within just a few minutes, when my bs starts to bottom out, I get very shakey and almost feel like I am gonna pass out. I think it's natures way of slapping me on the hand for eating those things I really shouldn't be eating. Hope this explanation helps you to understand what is happening. And no, I'm not a doctor/dietician/etc.... and I didn't even stay in a Holiday Inn Express either... LOL... Just how it was explained to me... Also, when you feel your bs start to drop, rather than eating something sweet (unless it is sooo low you need something immediately) try to have a high protien snack available. This will sustain your bs longer, and will not cause your bs to drop again from the sweets you just ate. In my profession, I work with alot of diabetics who take the chance of the bs dropping while I give them a hyperbaric treatment. While I always check a diabetics bs before a treatment, we routinely give them a snack of peanut butter and graham crackers and apple juice to raise their blood sugar if it is low before the treatment. The higher protien in the peanut butter will sustain the bs longer than a peice of candy or something like that. Hope this helps some. Hugs, Susan

Hi Judy, Just remember to smile. I do some interviewing for my job and you won't believe how some people do not smile. I know you will do well. I'll be sending you lots of positive energy. Let us know how it goes sweetie!!! Take care, Diana

Today... I looked at myself in the mirror as I was getting ready for the trip to Monmouth. I was wearing my new mall pants and I had just finished brushing my hair. I scooted back some so I could make sure the bottom of my shirt wasn't too tight. I lifted it a little (just enough to see my belly button... and a thought occured to me... I even said it to myself... "Wow, I've lost some weight" realizations are great eh?

Donna, Thanks for the advice. I'll go in with a positive attitude. The guy that does the hiring sounds about 12, maybe I can bake him some cookies! ((hugs)) Judy