Estella

7 Months post-op. I lost 33 kilos, down from 115 kg to 82 kg (from 253 lbs to 180 lbs). I know 82 kg doesn't sound skinny, but I am also very tall so the results are to my liking. I buy size 40 jeans (size 30 in jeans measurements, size 12 in EU sizes or size 8 US), I feel much better about my body and my life in general.

The great surprise was that my period returned - it appears once a month, which is something that never happened before. The other side effects of PCOs, however, are here to stay: the excess hair on my face, the dark Patches of skin on the feet and neck (my sugar levels were always okay, so it wasn't diabetes).

Seeing that losing so much weight did not help me get rid of the facial hair, I started taking Yasmin contraceptive pills. The doctor says that within 3 months I should see some improvement. Will update if it works.

I went into the OR roughly 6 months ago. The operation and hospitalization itself were not too painful. I got the surgery for free because I live in a country with universal health care. The wait was long, 9 months, but it wasn't too much trouble.

The first few weeks were rough and there was some (but not a lot of) vomiting. Then I started eating what the hospital's dietician listed for me - 6 meals a day, one in every 3 hours, give or take. I don't follow her guidings too strictly, but those 60 lbs just came off by themselves. I didn't exercise intensively (once a week or less). I didn't abstain from candy or carbs - I ate less of them, not because I was "on a diet" but because I didn't want more than one slice of bread. It was enough.

I'm down 3 sizes and I wear UK size 14 pants now (US size 10, EU size 42). I can shop for clothes on any store and I don't need to go to the plus size section. My face is looking a lot better now. I realize I didn't shed all my excess weight yet, but even if I stay this way for the rest of my life, I'd be very happy. I started making further changes in my life - I'm learning to play an instrument, I date more and really try to be out there instead of hiding.

I hope some pre-op readers pass by here and read this. Go do this procedure. Life's too short.

I used to have lots and lots of dandruff for 4-5 years, and nothing helped. I used to wash my hair and 30 mins later, when I combed it, I could see the little white pieces of dead skin falling off it already. 6 weeks post-op and it's 100% solved, no more dandruff.

I've no idea what was cause, and I'm not sure if it's PCOs-related and whether the change of food following the surgery helped, but I'm quite thankful.

(Still waiting for regular menses and less facial/neck hair, doesn't look like either will happen any time soon).

I wish I had your trouble!

Your insurance won't pay for the psychiatric evaluation? Have you asked the surgeon's office for a different psychiatrist referral? Maybe there is another office that is easier to work with? How about those "CareCredit" places, that can give you a line of credit for medical expenses? I think those are low interest? If you've jumped through all these hoops and all the mental/emotional strain, don't stop now! You can win this, don't give up.

I seriously don't get this. How come the richest country in the world cannot provide its citizens with universal health care? I live in Israel, and we're far from a socialist country. In fact, during the last decade, all our prime ministers were conservative - and I still paid 28 Shekels (roughly 7 USD) per doctor visit, including psych evaluation. How can anyone afford the cost of medical treatments there?

Just wanted to get some opinions on this topic.... I made the decision to tell all of my friends and family as well as coworkers that I was having the sleeve done (01/20/12). I think that for me it will give me a huge support group as well as a lot more accountability. What are your thoughts and reasons behind them? Kacy

If your co-workers, friends and family happen to be very supportive, great. Don't be surprised though when they tell you to back off, because they heard of a friend's friend who had the surgery and gained all the weight back (usually a lap-banded person but they can't tell the difference), or when they give you the number for some new diet group or tell you that "it's all in your head, you need to change your thinking instead!"

I heard so much B.S. from people I considered intelligent and supportive, that I decided to keep it to myself. They haven't read the researches that prove the effectiveness of bariatric surgeries and the ineffectiveness of other dieting, instead they read the "10 tips that will help you lose those extra holiday pounds" in women's magazines. They believe the myth of weight loss by dieting, I don't. I didn't want to hear their views and opinions because it was not at all helpful.

than sleeve gastrectomy. I got this from my surgical coordinator when I told her why I choose the sleeve: "Well, gastric bypass is the Cadillac of WLS and there are no long term studies for the sleeve ..." and then she went on about the pros of bypass. Also from family - they thought bypass sounded better because it's reversible (who does that? Reverse a bypass I mean?). To me the sleeve is far superior because you keep your own stomach, can take steroids, keep your stomach and valves, less chance of dumping, don't have a blob of unused stomach in your body, is restrictive and does not cause mal-absorbtion of nutrients, etc., etc. I guess the weight loss is slower, but all the better for my skin. What is it with all the negativity?

Keep in mind that an unsuccessful sleeve can be converted to a bypass later, if needed. btw, I wouldn't call sleeve weight loss "slower" - most of the loss happens during the first months.

All I can say now, a month post-op, is that the easy way wasn't so easy for me. It still isn't a magic pill. I vomited thrice, and suffered from terrible nausea several times. I can't even eat certain foods which are considered healthy, such as vegetables. I am spending a fortune of my teeny-tiny income on expensive Vitamins so I won't have any deficiencies. I still have to exercise in order to remain healthy. And on top of everything, I had my belly cut 5 times in order to insert various medical appliances into it, which hurt for 3 weeks straight, regardless of how many painkillers I took. If anyone ever expresses disrespect towards me for choosing this path rather than throwing my money on Weight Watchers or something in that spirit, I'd go raging.

I live under the assumption that skinny people cannot possible comprehend what fat people go through, they see weight loss as something trivial and easily doable. There's not much point in convincing them otherwise, you have to live through it to understand.

I am 1 month out, and chances of me eating a whole egg anytime soon are slim. In fact, I tried eating 2/3 an omelet and vomited it all. Even 1/2 an egg is a challenge. You're in luck!

I was sleeved a month ago, and already lost 10 kilos (22 lbs) give or take. I'm very happy with the results but I'm a bit concerned about not having vegetables.

I understand that we all have very little stomachs and therefore we must save room for the Proteins, but it still concerns me that most of my Vitamins come in a pill. Do they really replace my daily salads? The only fine part about being "on a diet" used to be making a fancy salad, which included tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, onion, red pepper, 5% fat Bulgarian cheese, some olive oil and lemon juice. It was both nutritious and fun to eat, but now I seriously doubt that I can stuff a single tbsp of salad into my mouth.

Anyone else shares these feelings? Anyone here who was sleeved long enough ago and can confirm that you can eat veggies again after a while?

People love to hate fat people. My own mother is like that. My being fat has been a big disappointment to her. We do not communicate anymore.

I am reading this in tears now. My mother and I have had numerous quarrels regarding my weight, even long after I passed the age-range in which it is still legit to shove her nose into my plate. Ever since I was a toddler, I was taught that "kids will always be cruel to fat people". The irony is that the abuse from my other classmates stopped around the age of 13, when they were no longer so immature, but my mother's abuse, name-calling and accusations never ceased, to this very day. This topic probably justifies a separate thread, I'm sure lots of people have a lot to say on this matter.

You wrote that you and your mother do not communicate. Neither do I communicate with mine.

My sister was the one that held my hand before I entered the OR. She didn't pass a single word of judgement. My mother was emotionally incapable of supporting me, or anyone for that matter. I suggest you google the term "poisonous parenting", you mind find interesting readings.

In my humble opinion, if your mother has the same issues and her behavior is as detrimental to your mental health, do not bother sharing this with her. No good can come out of it.

As for your husband, all the researches and statistics reinforce the notion that the comorbidities of obesity pose a higher risk to one's health than the operation itself. Diabetes is more hazardous than anything, and I recently read that the daily routine that HIV carriers go through is less troublesome than diabetics'. I can't be arsed to find the links, but the death rate from VSG is teenie-weenie - 2-6 people out of 1,000. I find pure science to be more reassuring than faith, positive thinking, trust in god etc.

Salt Water? Interesting. So the old say "rub salt into one's wounds" is false in this case

The only painkiller I've left from the post-op days is Dipyrone (commercial name: Optalgin), but not only it was useless but also it tasted like a bird defecated straight into my mouth. Not a fun drug, I tell you.

I tried cough Syrup which yielded partial results. However, I did not try Tylenol (Paracetamol) just yet. Will try and report of the results. Thanks!

Jello tastes like hell post-op anyway. I tried various kind but I couldn't handle sweets at all, even one tbsp of sugar in my coffee was way too sweet for me.

Feeling like you want to cheat is okay. However keep in mind you're physically unable to cheat anyway. 3 weeks post op I had an insane craving for lasagna, bought a piece and realized that even one well-chewed bite was way too heavy for me to handle.

Last night I drank and ate at the same time (don't!) and as a result, vomited. My throat has been sore since and I can't sleep for long because it really hurts. Any tips on relieving the pain? I googled it and came up with various tips like "drink milk", "don't eat anything for a whole day, just drink" and others. Not sure what's right and what's wrong.

Any ideas?

3-weeks post op, no improvement whatsoever in the amount and texture of chin hairs. I'll keep track and update you guys, perhaps it's too soon to tell - but outlook's not good. I don't want to go on the pill for this *sigh*.

On of the surgeon websites (it's in Hebrew so I'll spare you the link) claimed that there's 86% chance to get rid of PCOs-related symptoms post-op.

Nope, no Hair loss pre-sleeve. I have a bad case of PCOs-related hirsutism (excessive hair on the neck, face, arms and abdomen), I am praying for some serious hair loss in those areas.

No need to weigh oneself every day, IMO. I can feel the difference on my jeans' button.

Ooh real foods! I have vague memory of what it was like... I really miss a good salad, with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, olives and dressing.

This "nutritional supplement", does he happen to be selling it? It sounds like one of those pyramid marketing schemes, honestly. Vitamins do not effect anyone's weight, you can find this info in official FAQ pages of any Vitamin companies. There are no nutritional supplements that cause weight loss either, science did not come up with any magic tricks just yet. The only "supplements" that affect people's weight are the ones that contain laxative-like ingredients, and they are more harmful than beneficial. They often cause dehydration, and most of the weight loss is achieved by losing fluids instead of fatty tissue.

I advise you and anyone else for that matter to take ANY "natural" supplement to a doctor before intake, he's likely to tell you to place it in the trash can.

Someone here gave me a good advise - buy the chocolate flavored Protein poweder for shake, mix in a blender with crushed ice, milk, 1/4 banana and 1 tbsp of smooth Peanut Butter.

Makes it a lot more edible.

I feel your pain - a few days before my operation was scheduled, I filled my freezer with tasty things - not Cookies, smaller "sins" like baked eggplant cutlets covered in breadcrumbs, but I still couldn't touch them because I was afraid that my liver would be too fatty to operate.

I'd advise you to keep away from such harmful foods, but I realize it's hard to avoid family dinners and such just to refrain from having a close encounter with a cake.

Took me 9 moths to get the op, from the universal health care system we have here. It takes time, yes, but I can advise you to make good use of the waiting period by trying to adjust a little to a healthier lifestyle.

Celebrate / Bariatric Advantage - They don't sell those brands in my country.

There is a "bariatric patient friendly kit" sold by Bariatrix, I didn't bother spending good money on it because everyone who ever bought it claims the taste is atrocious, and that they rather stand in front of a firing squad before tasting it ever again. :s

In the first 2 weeks since the operation, I've been taking 2x Centrum Junior per day- a kiddie Vitamin that comes in comes in a chewy candy, which made it a lot easier for me to take. But my surgeon's dietician disqualified them, saying the quantities aren't even remotely sufficient for an adult, and taking a double dose won't help me overcome the imminent vitamin deficiencies (I had Vitamin D deficiency even before the surgery, like most of us I assume - it easily dissolves in fat).

The bariatric dietician gave me a list of Vitamins to start taking. She emphasized that they ought to be taken separately, and that I cannot just take one comfy Multi-Vitamin and get it over with. It's really frustrating for several reasons:

1. Taking them separately is quite expensive. I went to the drugstore and it summed up in 700 NIS (roughly 180 USD).

2. Swallowing so many pills a day is somewhat troublesome.

3. Not all the vitamins exist in liquid/chewy candy form, some are to be swallowed and those pills are bigger than my head! They're huge, I suspect that even people with regular sized stomachs would be unable to consume them. I am taking 2x Losec/Ompradex (Omeprazol) a day, and that's as big as a pill can get if it wants to fit in my belly.

I went to my GP, he narrowed the list down to 3 vitamins: vitamin B12, Iron and calcium+vitamin D, only 2/3 of them come in non-gigantic pill form. The remaining pill, vitamin D + Calcium, won't go down my moat. I tried cutting it with a kitchen knife, without much success.

I am seriously considering defying the dietician and doctors' orders, and taking just B12, iron and Centrum Junior.