Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!
$99 Yearly Supply Alert! 🌈 "1 per Day!" Bariatric Multivitamins

dargar27

LAP-BAND Patients
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content Count

    296

  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by dargar27

  1. Posted

    Lisa,

    Choosing between D. Land and a support group meeting is easy...always choose the mouse! :)

    I won't be there for themeeting. Bummer that would be awesome. I won't be home till Sunday.

    I still take prilosec for acid even though dr Le toldme I could go off of it. I stopped it for a while and felt the same as Lee. So I just take it. I don't mind. I no longer take bp meds, cholesterol meds, and I'm cured of my sleep apnea. it's a great trade off. Oh and sorry if TMI, but before I lost all this weight I would sweat so bad on a trip like this walking around Disneyland all day. But now I feel normal. No more sweating like a stuck hog. Yeah.

    Lisa

  2. Posted

    Hi Lee,

    I felt hungry right away. I had surgery on Monday, and I was feeling hungry by Tuesday night. Of course, it's resolved with one sip of a Protein Shake at this point, but I was really hoping the hunger feeling wouldn't return.

    At 15 months, I'm still taking my Protonix 2x a day.

    Sometimes when people go off their PPI (protonix or other) they experience what feels like more hunger when in reality it is acid building up in the stomach. When I tried to go off it, I discovered that I had heart burn for the first time in my life. I also felt hungrier than I did when I was taking it. I'm one of those that had the hunger feelings return early. I think with the smaller sleeves more of the gherlin is removed and you don't get that hunger back so quickly. Not sure, no science behind those thoughts. But the statements of more acid, more hunger feelings when going off have been talked about extensively over on Obesity Help.com.

    Congrats to those of you in early recovery!!

  4. Posted

    Hey Baby,

    Yes, I have to take it daily for three months until the bottle is gone. Thankfully, I haven't had any heartburn yet, but of course I'm still on stage II so we'll see how things go when I reach stage III....can't wait for that stage B) Today, I am really full but probably only consumed 150 calories...it's so strange, and will take a lot of getting used to.

    Hello Dargar27,

    I am glad to see you are home and doing well..... Did they give you a pill heart burn? A friend of mine who had the VSG at Richmond Kaiser said they gave her medication for acid/heart burn that she takes every day. Get your rest and do what you can without over doing it. Hope to hear from you soon.

  11. Posted

    Well, I'm back!

    I had my surgery on Monday the 6th, and came home yesterday the 7th. I'm still on pain meds, although I think I will try regular liquid Tylenol rather than with the codeine today and see if that will still help with the pain. The codeine knocks me out.

    Not sure what information to post, so if you want some additional info, feel free to PM me or post back.

    I had my surgery at 8 a.m. and was walking around by 3 p.m. Walk, walk, walk is all I can say. Everyone at Kaiser was very supportive and very kind. The nurses and techs are truly nice people who were very helpful in managing my pain and nausea. Don't be afraid to ask for pain meds when you first wake up. It hurts. It's manageable though, so don't freak out. The nurses are completely on top of it and will give you a button to push every 6 minutes, which saved me.

    The first day and the second morning were roughest for me, but once I was past the morning nausea of the second day, things got much better. They gave me something for the pain and the nausea and it got rid of the nausea, and after that it was walking, sleeping, walking, sleeping. The pain meds kept knocking me out! lol

    On day two, I went for an upper G.I. and they looked for leaks. No leaks were found, but apparently I have some kidney stones I'll get to enjoy passing one day. Then they cleared me to eat and drink. They started me on Clear Liquids for Breakfast, and then put me on stage two for lunch. I hardly drank anything for breakfast, and I literally took two bites of some pudding and was full for lunch.

    Last night at home wasn't too bad. I took the Tylenol with codeine, and alternately slept in the reclining chair and then in bed every 45 minutes last night. I'm still sore, but doing just fine. Hope this helps, and best of luck to all of you who are having surgery soon!!

    Darlene

    Dargar- 1 week apart- :)

    post as soon as you get out-

    or Pm me...

    I want to hear all about it...

  12. Posted

    Lee, you hardly took any time off at all. That's great, and I hope I won't need as much time either. I really don't want to suck up all my sick leave if I don't have to. Thanks for your summary, it's helpful :D

    Time off work. Here's what my process looked like.

    These are consecutive days during the first few weeks. Take into account that I work a desk job.

    Wednesday - Surgery

    Thursday - Go Home

    Sunday - walk on treadmill for 20 minutes, drink 64 oz fluids

    Monday - last day off work

    Tuesday - Friday - Work from home for 4 hours a day. I was tired during that week.

    Monday - Tuesday - Work six hour in the office. So ready when it was time to go home!

    Wednesday - Friday - Work eight hours in the office.

    I wanted to be in bed by 8pm each of those days. I'm not a napper so I'd get up early and be awake until bedtime.

  13. Posted

    Hi Sing,

    3 weeks seems to be standard, but a few people I've talked with have taken much less time. My friend took 3 weeks then went back to work part time for one more week. She was mostly tired and having issues with stomach acid so she needed some additional time. Another friend only took a week, which I thought was incredibly short, but she was completely fine afterwards. I'm hopeful that I won't need to take the full three weeks, but we shall see :) I have my surgery this coming Monday and will post back how I'm feeling...I hope to be home by Wednesday :) You'll have to post back about your surgery as well. I would love to hear about it! We are definitely in this boat together :) Good luck!! :lol:

    OK everyone with surgery coming up.... How long did you get off work? Dr Alami is giving me 3 1/2 weeks off work. My boss loved to hear that, but it makes me super nervous. It just doesn't sound like enough time. I thought 6 weeks was pretty standard and know people who took 8 weeks. 17 days till surgery for me!

    Babysista- I feel the same way as you... I'm glad Dr Fisher refused to do my surgery for so long, I might have been stuck with a band! Of course, I'm also glad I switched to SSF because Dr Alami rocks!

  17. Posted

    Lisalisa,

    I don't think I've seen the 150s since I was 16, that's awesome ;) Glad to hear you haven't had a lot of nausea. How did you do while you were in the hospital?

    Darga, no regrets. Sometimes I still forget that my tummy is small and I'll go to chug some Water or a cold glass of milk and say whoops can't do that. I have not thrown up at all. Occasional nausea when I take my Vitamins. I can eat mostly what I want just in small quantities. I still don't eat popcorn, steak, celery, regular coffee, bread, doughy rthings, rice, and other things. I need to get back to my Protein Shakes. I got burnt out on them and haven't had Any for a month.

    My goal is to kick off 5 lbs to get into 150s by 6 months. If it weren't for the surgery I personally would still be morbidly obese. Nothing has worked for me for 10 years.

    The best to u.

    Lisalisa

  19. Posted

    Hi Lisaaa,

    I've been watching your progress for awhile on this board, and I think that's awesome that you are so close to your goal weight...congratulations!! I can't wait to get rid of those pesky 2XL shirts and start shopping in the normal ladies section...Do you enjoy Zumba? I was thinking it looked really fun and I would look for a class once the surgery is over.

    A question for you since your are only 5 months out....any regrets? Any side effects that you didnt' expect? Do you miss anything? Thanks :)

    Hi everyone. First of all, you guys who r up for surgery, you will be thrilled. I am almost 5 months out.. I have lot 53 lbs. I went from size 18 to 10 so far. I went from size 2XL to med/large tops. II am 25 lbs fro goal. I feel amazing. I do weight training and Zumba. I haven't lost much weight this past month but the inches are melting. I went down a whole size.

    Think and look beyond the first few days after surgery. It's really a great experience.

    Best to you.

  20. Posted

    Thanks Babysista and congratulations to you too!! I can't wait, although I'm super nervous as well. Organizing your clothes is a GREAT idea and I'm going to do that tomorrow :) I'm lucky because a friend of mine went through this back in October and gave me all her clothes which is going to save me so much money it's ridiculous. When I get down to a normal weight I'm going to treat myself to a stylish leather jacket and some incredibly expensive jeans...lol Keep me posted on your surgery as well so we can compare and support each other. Good luck to you!!

    Hi Darlene,

    I am so happy for you!!!:D I have been on this journey for 2yrs and I am right behind you. My date is on June 22nd at SSF with Dr Alami :rolleyes: . I am in the process of getting my house in order for my surgery. I am rearranging my closet by size so I wont miss out on wearing any of my smaller clothes B) . Keep us posted with your progress. On the 6th you will be in my thoughts and prayers.

    Babysista B)

  21. Posted

    Hey David,

    Was that you I saw on the 24th at the SSF support group? I wasn't sure, and then I didn't get a chance to ask you after the meeting. Anyway, if it was you, then you look great and congratulations!

    Hey Darlene and Neil...big congratulations to both of you!!! It's really going to happen and your life and health will change for the better forever. I'm so happy for both of you. Stay the course and you will do fine. I was a porky 381 in August of last year when I started the program and now I'm down to 254 and feeling like I can take on the world. I've got a ways to go but i know I will get there.

    There is no Kaiser requirement of a liquid diet that I know of--I think they would rather you lose on real food so that you learn along the way. The Pre op meal plan really helped me internalize what was most important for success--healthy eating along with Portion Control. It works.

    Congratulations again and you both are in great hands with Dr. Alami. He is a SSF favorite.

    David

  23. Posted

    Hi Lee and Chef,

    Well, I'm one week away from my surgery on June 6th and getting nervous quite honestly. I'm definitely ready for this, but at the same time I completely realize how life altering this will be. I know it will be fine, but I'm nervous just the same! Anyway, best of luck to you both!

    Welcome Chef Neil. Your surgery date is getting closer. Are you excited?

    This thread has been quiet for awhile. How's everyone doing on their journey?

  24. Posted

    David,

    That's a great answer, I love it. I've basically told everyone who's close to me, select co-workers, and management. Those who I know will be opinionated or judgmental will eventually be told, but at my own pace when I'm comfortable. As you said, it's such a personal decision, and for whatever reason, this surgery sparks many opinions, and a lot of judgment. My life, however, is pretty much an open book, and I'm not good at keeping my own secrets so I prefer not to have any. It is what it is. This is a decision I've made, and not one I made lightly. Thanks again for your candid answer, I appreciate the support and best of luck to you!

    Hi Darlene,

    I bet this sleeve surgery will be a breeze compared to two c-sections. The sleeve was an easy recovery for me with little pain and no nausea at all. A little tired for a day or two but that's really it.

    OK, as far as telling people, let me first preface this by saying that this is a very personal decision and there are a lot of opinions out there on what to do. Truth be told, there is no right or wrong way--only the way that works for you.

    My choice was to tell everyone that was important to me about the surgery upfront and I received mostly very positive support and one or two people who really questioned if I was doing the right thing or not. The naysayers shook their heads and just did not understand why I was going to go through with this and at the same time, I know that these same people are dealing with their own weight issues and I believe that me making this decision for myself called out their own insecurities around weight loss and getting healthy. The good news is after seeing the results and learning while I am on this journey, they are now much more supportive.

    So we know that theere is a lot of ignorance out there around weight loss surgery and especially around the sleeve I feel, that for me, if I remained silent about my weightloss, I was pushing that same ignorance forward by giving credence to the silence and possibly giving people the impression that I was doing something that I was ashamed of. I am just the opposite...I want to enlighten and educate and I do--whenever I can. People are very resourceful. If I didn't say anything, they would find out or at least speculate that I had help and "took the easy way out.". This way, by telling people and educatiing along the way, I can show friends and family how this is tough work and certainly not easy. I felt I could only do this by telling the full truth. I guess I just want to bring the sleeve out of the closet and into the light that it deserves. Sleeve surgery saved my life and I will tell the world.

    For me, Sleeve surgery did not make weight loss and getting healthy "easy"--it made it possible!

    David

  25. Posted

    That's great kelly, but I think you might be a little far for me...it's such a great idea though!! I love the Protein shake testing and the clothes sharing!

    A few of us on here have put together a support group just for VSG. We were having trouble finding groups that weren't lumping sleever's with bypass and wanted just a sleeve group, so we made our own!!

    Our next meeting is this Saturday at 2:00 if anyone is in the area or knows someone in the area that would like to join us!! Everyone is welcome to come.

    If you have any questions, please feel free to inbox me.!!

    Saturday 5/28

    Location: Market Square food court @Arden Fair Mall.

    Street: 1689 Arden Way

    City/State/Zip: Sacramento, CA 95815

    If you have any Protein drinks, please bring them! It's a Protein flavor

    try-out. :) Also, if you have a pile of clothes ready for donation, bring those

    too. :)

PatchAid Vitamin Patches

Bariatric Forums

For Patients

Health Professionals

Search Surgeons

Bariatric Surgeons: Want to research a weight loss surgery surgeon? Enter their last name below to start!

×