TheRealMeIsHere!

Wow, THAT sucks!! Could it be that you are eating too much, too fast, fatty salad dressing or drinking too close to eating?? Hope you figure out why, so it doesn't happen so often, or at all. What does your dr. say? I think the only reason I passed out was because it triggered a vaso-vagal attack.

My ab muscles were sutured back together during my TT. The pain is not nearly as bad as you would think. I was pleasantly surprised! I expected to be completely incapacitated for WEEKS, but rather, it feels like I hardly skipped a beat. They will probably wait to see what the condition of you ab muscles are, my plastic surgeon told me it depends on if the muscles are strong enough to hold sutures. The biggest issues I had were: where the drains went in was the most painful, but not more than a 3-5. Had to walk and sleep like Quasimodo for a while to allow proper healing Had to hold my tummy when coughing, laughing or sneezing Good luck!

they gave me antibiotics. Z-pack maybe?

I had positive H Pylori, they said that most people have it, that's why they test for it. It can cause ulcers. They treat it, then you are good to go. I'm sure there are also meds for the PTT, something opposite of a blood thinner maybe??

It's not a great idea, for several reasons. Cereal is high in carbs and carbs will slow your weight loss. Also your stomach is so tiny, that you should not waste precious space on carbs, when it it difficult to get enough Protein. liquid and solid together will either fill you up too quickly or create a slurry in your stomach that passes through too quickly, allowing you to consume too many calories.

LOL, luckily not a random toilet stall, I was home

I'm fine with a small dish of the ff/sf frozen yogurt, but she gave me waaaaaayyyyyy too much!

OMG! 2 1/2 years out and experienced my first episode of dumping and NEVER want to experience that again! Went to my favorite frozen yogurt place. They have fat free/sugar free soft frozen yogurt that they can make in any of 48 flavors! So I ordered my usual small dish. She made it about twice the size!! Well, the fat kid in me, kept eating until it was gone about 30 minutes later, some stomach cramps. I thought maybe it was gas or I needed to poo. 20 minutes later, I KNEW I had to poo. Sitting there, things started to go gray, I was soaked in sweat AND freezing. I put my head down and must have passed out. I woke, curled up on the floor. Got up, sat back down, then went to bed 2 1/2 hours earlier than my normal, I was exhausted. I think the stomach cramps must have triggered a vaso-vagal attack, as it was the exact same symptoms that I get during those! NEVER AGAIN!! Small means SMALL!! Even if I have to ask her to take out the extra! Don't know if she thought she was being nice or what.

I'm sure the plastic surgeon could make them less noticeable. But they definitely won't look worse after TT, as I said, they don't stretch the skin

My scars from the sleeve surgery are so tiny that they are barely noticeable. After my TT, they did not stretch out. They don't stretch the skin, just tighten it.

coffee can dehydrate you. Especially in the beginning when it is difficult to get in enough liquid. Also it is very irritating to a tummy with a long incision that is trying to heal

At around 18 months post, I began to feel hunger. Freaked me out a bit! So when I do, I make myself a nice salad, using low carb veggies, some lean Protein and red vinegar. This way I am not adding alot of calories and still feel satisfied.

I enjoy eating out. It's liberating to not be a slave to cravings or pictures of unhealthy options on the menu. I do try to peruse the menu, online, beforehand, if possible. There is always a grilled chicken, fish or steak option at most restaurants and I pair that with a salad (either just vinegar or dressing on the side and no croutons) or steamed veggies If Breakfast, I'll order egg beaters, with low carb veggies, cooked in no oil or butter, no toast or potatoes. Turkey sausage or bacon is available at alot of places. Canadian bacon or ham is also a great choice. Ruby Tuesday, is one of my favorite places, they have MANY healthy options. The hickory bourbon salmon is to die for!! Always ask that food be prepared with NO ADDED fat/butter or oil. If ordering Chinese, you can remove 100's of calories by asking that dishes be prepared with no oil, but still keep the sauce, or sauce on the side. I ask that they don't bring a bread basket

PB2 is really good!! I add it to shakes (chocolate powder, sliced, frozen banana, Water and PB2, DELISH!!) I use it in recipes and even just mix up a portion and eat it. If you are a peanut butter-aholic, it's also great for helping with self control, because instead of a whole jar, you can just mix up what you want. Keeps you mindful of what you are eating.

I ate Protein ONLY for about 18 mos. after surgery (per my NUT's instructions) until my stomach expanded enough to allow me to get my 80gms of protein and still have room for non starchy veggies. Boy, did I miss salad!!! And yes, it did cause constipation, so took Miralax and Colace, daily. NUT said as long as I took my Vitamins, my nutrition was ok. Blood work was always fine. She said that not enough protein would increase hair loss and effect weight loss as my body would go into starvation mode.

It was about 3 months, till I was 100%. That being said, the recovery was FAR better than I expected and the drains not as gross. Had to sleep sitting up for a few weeks and walk hunched, like Quasimodo. It was more uncomfortable and only mildly painful. I gained about 20 lbs from swelling and had to go up a size or two for a few months. After that, I was in the same size as before tt/panni. I was back at work in two weeks, but my job is only a few hours a week and no lifting.

I hear you about feeling like you are wearing a fat suit. I felt like a fraud, of sorts. People said I looked great, but when it was just me and the mirror, I still saw 275 lb me. a panniculectomy is just removal of the 'apron' that hangs down. Insurance will sometimes cover it if you can prove medical necessity. Check what criteria they look for. a tummy tuck is tightening the muscles and skin above the umbilicus. Insurance may cover this, again if medically necessary under their criteria. I was lucky to have both covered. I checked the criteria on my insurance website. Took that to my pain management Dr. who wrote a letter speaking to all the points they were looking for. I wrote a letter describing my co-morbidities pre-sleeve and how the excess skin impedes me. Also how exercise is crucial to keeping weight off. took all that to the plastic surgeon, who submitted to insurance along with pics. and all the stars and planets aligned, it landed on the right persons desk, and I was approved a week later, lol

yes it is Mary, you look terrific, work it!!

sounds, basically like a plication. http://gastricplication.org/about-plication/

what a wonderful evening! Sounds like it couldn't have been any better. Your story made me tear up.Congrats on your success and good luck to your mom, if she decides to do it

At the time, I had Blue Cross. They covered not only panni, but TT too!! YES, just had a panni/TT on 10/17/2013. First printed the ins. criteria from their website. Took that to my pain management dr. who wrote a letter echoing EXACTLY what ins. wanted. Wrote my own stuff about how my co-morbidities are resolved, importance of exercise in keeping weight off and co-morbidities gone. How excess skin impedes exercise. Took all that to plastic surgeon, was approved in less than a week.

Awesome suggestions!!! they all sound delish!

you really need to focus on lean or fat free Protein. Here are some of my favs: (some are not for puree) http://ormcbariatric.wordpress.com/2012/08/22/thank-you-to-de/ http://ormcbariatric.wordpress.com/2013/01/07/high-protein-yummy-great-recipes/ also good: egg beaters (cooked or raw in an eggnog shake, they are pasteurized) ricotta with Italian seasonings and low carb sauce FF plain Greek yogurt with extracts or cocoa and Splenda, I've even heard of people using some Crystal light powder egg salad, mashed well ff cream Soups with some ff cheese added to up the protein

at least 64 oz of calorie free liquids per day Protein, protein, lean and/or fat free. My nut said NO veggies, fruit or starches till I was getting ALL my protein each day. This took about 18 months. an exercise routine that you can stick with and enjoy! I've gone from 275 HW, 239 SW, size 22+++++ down to 115lbs, size 0-00 and have maintained for about a year and a half