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I decided to share my story with you all. I'm a sudden cardiac arrest ( also known as sudden cardiac death) survivor. I was at work on October 30th 2015 when I was stricken. I was clinically dead for over 5 minutes. I was revived with the use of an AED (automated external defibrillator). I also suffered from mild cognitive impairment, kidney failure and laryngeal edema (swelling of the larynx) which was so severe an emergency tracheostomy was performed on me. I spent 30 days in the hospital with majority of them in ICU. The total survival rate from sudden cardiac arrest which kills 17 million people every year worldwide is only 1%. I am a walking and talking miracle and thank God everyday for my miracle. I was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy ( severe thickening of the lower left ventricle in my heart) which was the cause of my cardiac arrest and had an ICD (Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator) surgically implanted in my chest to shock my heart back into rhythm if my heartbeat becomes irregular. I have been advised by my cardiologist not to engage any strenuous exercises due to my enlarged heart. I've been obese since my late 20's (I'm 51 now) and decided to have WLS after years of failed diets and exercise, I decided to take control of my health once and for all. I had RNY surgery on April 11th and to this date, I am 93 lbs. down with in just a little under 5 months with 50 lbs. to go until I reach my goal weight and I feel great! I accomplished my current progress without exercise due to my restrictions. Follow your post-op meal plan closely and with time, you will see and feel the weight coming off. I just want let you all know, if your journey is slow and your faith is low, I want you to keep your head up! Just remember this, you did not become obese overnight, it took time and it will take time for the weight to come off. I'm sorry for taking up your time but I just felt compelled to tell you my story since we're all brothers and sisters in this journey.

My high weight right before I started my pre-surgery diet was 250 on the nose. The first pic is in December of last year, three months after surgery, which means I was down to about 200. I've lost a total of 110 pounds in the last year, which is crazy. Don't be fooled by the black tights- there's a pool of saggy and baggy skin under there. Still, I'm in awe of the difference. I spend a lot of time looking in the mirror- not out of vanity but because I really don't recognize the person I'm looking at. It's a trip. It's confusing and exciting and rewarding. I'm in my goal range and seem to have leveled out as far as weight loss, but my body keeps changing still. It's weird to have a whole new host of body image issues to deal with. I can still very much be the girl who is terrified of taking up too much space and being fat and uncomfortable and unhealthy, and seeing a small person in the mirror can be very jarring to the image I have of myself in my head. That is slowly adjusting as my body does, but I struggle with seeing myself as a different person. I am so glad I made this decision- I feel so much more confident and healthy, I'm more active and eat healthier food, my back doesn't hurt- it's great! At this point in my journey the mental hurdles are the biggest ones to overcome, and it's fascinating to see how my mind tries to assimilate the knowledge of this "new me."

I had my bypass done 9/5 and was wondering when most of you all got cleared to workout? I would like to start hitting the treadmill and light weights to help with my weight loss. Thanks Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using BariatricPal mobile app

My opp was a week ago and there is no way to say this in a pretty way, so here it comes: You will be very grateful if you bring baby wipes with you.( I never expected a constant diarrhea but it went on for about 6 days.)

Oh wow!! I can't imagine doing this alone. You are so brave and so strong!! We are here to listen and help. These first weeks are the hardest and most emotional. This is a hard, arduous process that is the opposite of the Easy Way Out. We are badass warriors who do this despite being scared and sometimes alone. I want you to know that I truly believe you are a hero for doing this. We are saving our own lives and it's hard. You are gonna LOVE your life soon. You are going to be walking, then running and that's when we start to fly. You are going to feel great! This is a strange process, learning a new way of life that lets us live a life we only dreamed of. I'm so sorry you are feeling alone and sad, You are a freaking amazing wonder and please try to remember that.

Hello, Im on my 4th day of preop diet and I've been drinking premier protein adding a water flavor packet to it, it gives it a different kind of taste. Sent from my SM-N920T using BariatricPal mobile app

The warning signs are running noise burping or hiccups. You should always eat your protein first at every meal. At least this is instructed by my medical group. If you eat protein first especially dense protein you probably will not be able to eat more than 2 oz. eating sliding foods will go right through you and will not fill full. Be careful because this is how most start regaining. I wish you the best in this new and exciting journey.

the duodenal switch is sometimes done as two surgeries, so that's not too unusual. Odd he wants to wait five years between them, though. as far as losing weight, some surgeons have a BMI limit (for example, they won't operate on people with a BMI over 60 - or over 70 - or whatever). On someone with a really high BMI, the surgery is riskier, and some surgeons don't want to take the risk. So you'll either have to lose the weight, or find a surgeon who operates on people with high BMI's.

Lately my lunches have been a 4oz salad with 1 oz of walnuts and 2tbls of orange seseme dressing. I usually pack a power crunch protein bar for an afternoon snack since lunch is at 11:00 am and dinner is often not until 6-6:30.

But is there light at the end of this tunnel or is this her life. Continious pain, nauseous, depression and being fed through a tube. What is the end result of this. Im grasping at straws here i know but has anybody gone through this and what is the journey?