atelux17

I instaneously lost my 2 best friends(1 about 50lbs overweight the other was 350lbs)when I started losing weight& am less close with my mother who is obese. We had less of our normal activities to do together since binge eating & eating unhealthy foods was not on the agenda for me. There's also a jealousy factor. People do not see how much of a social issue food & appearance is. People who would never even socialize with me at work are now clamoring to be the 'funny' girl's friend & attention from males is astounding. That being said, I feel like sometimes people who don't know me well, look at me as just the girl who has lost weight. A supportive social circle is a blessing. Thanks for the great piece, Alex!

What inspiring advice to 'veteran' post-op WLS people!!! The daily choices we make our what determine out long term success, health& happiness. A commitment to yourself to make the healthiest choices at every meal makes all the difference. I'm realizing that now 16 months post op. The struggle to stay away from high caloric, low nutrition food is a constant for me& I'm recommitting myself to healthier choices. Surgery is a battle. Maintenance is the war. Never give up.

My heights wt was 245lbs, 5'4. The odd photo of ne in a pink dress with my eyes closed is a photo taken 1yr post op at 135lbs.

Me:

Yum! Tried it right now! W/Chike choco powder!

I've heard of a lot of bad reactions to chantix like the ones above. Have you tried an electronic cig? Kudos to you for quitting!

I'd of course follow up with your doctor, especially with that slightly elevated temp, but maybe you have a sodium imbalance. Sometimes we get over hydrated while in the hospital and this can decrease sodium. Maybe, take in some broth or bouillon cubes. These are super high sodium & you can add flavorless Protein if you like. The 1st surgeon I had a consult with also puts people on Protein drinks after 2 days (which ASMBS also states 1-2dsys of clears then, full liquids with milk)but the consensus about post-op diets on VST is 1 week clears. Wishing you a speedy recovery&keep us updated! http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_id=691

Best of luck to you!!! Stay strong!

Start taking zinc & selenium maybe.

I'm Nanerpuss on fitness pal. I wish they showed carb daily total tho.

& where to send it. Um, isn't that your job? Stay strong!!!

That sux. People can say that a 6 month diet is 'commom', but really u feel like insurance just tries to throw as many obstacles as possible & keep patients in the dark. I called my ins 2x, different answers within a 48 hr period. When my doctor referred me to a bariatric surgeon, my primary MD's office called me in a panic asking if I knew if I had approval to see the surgeon& ho

I'm on day 2 of an all protein shake diet. I have cheated and had a hard boiled egg, 1 slice of bologna,&1 marinated artichoke. I couldnt sleep i was so hungry. I still have leftover food from my low carb diet. I'm hungry all the time. I have severe headache, growling stomach, grouchy, & living in a mental fog. I thought the Pre-op diet would be ok, just like doing slim fast ( which I've gone several times, ha ha), but the diet is worse than that. I'm concerned I can't do this, will screw up my surgery, & just worried about the surgery in general.

So I've been denied 2x now, once because they said I was suddenly an inch taller than I ever have been. This time I made it in to see the surgeon. I called the surgeon's office to see if they had submitted to my insurance & they said they do not submit until after the Nut(ritionist) sees me. Earliest date to see her is Oct 29th! She only works one day a week! I feel this is so unfair& they are denying me access to healthcare. There's no one else i can see. I was going to stay at my job if I knew I'd be approved, but it will be another 4 to 6 months before I even know. Planning self pay options.

Maybe your friend is talking about plication or gastroplasty surgery in which surgeons used to sew the stomach or fold the stomach over and then suture it. Complications arose with those surgeries because part of the stomach would die from lack if blood flow or leaks would form in between sutures. The sleeve is stapled and sometimes oversewn. The staple gun puts staples closer together than any surgeon could. I know that there are gastric cancer patients who have had gastrectomies and have survived long term. I'm an RN at a unit that routinely does gastric bypasses, lots of return visits for dehydration and metabolic disturbances. I'm afraid of the lap band due to erosion, obstruction from eating any healthy foods, and the headache/cost of constant fills. The sleeve patients I've seen seem happier & lose the majority of their weight. I'm willing to try anything at this point.

Just read this story. It really struck home for me. I regained the weight I lost for my 6 mo Md supervised diet. I'm trying to get back on the wagon. A lot of thinpeople ask me why i want this operation even tho im so "good" at dieting or why bigger people cant just eat healthy & exercise. Healthy eating habits, exercise, & portion control, even vanity about one's own appearance, are not instilled in everyone. For a lot of us, healthy behaviors are hard to learn. I wish that people would recognize food addiction more. Its not like quitting smoking or drinking,I cant quit eating, i have to eat to live. Part of the reason for having the vsg is that it can aid in preventing weight regain by creating biological feedback for portion control. I think almost all of us have lost weight only to regain it. I hope this guy loses his weight & recovers emotionally. http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/47703439#transcript

Hello everybody! I've been researching the sleeve for about a year now, which makes me feel like I'm at zero. I was thinking about going to Mexico, but got scared about insurance not covering the bills afterward, other people judging me & getting time off, I'm an RN on a surgical floor. There have been ~6 sleeves done at the hospital I work at. They seem to have a good post-op recovery, but I don't know about long term results. I'm in month 3 out of a 6 month MD supervised diet. Just gained back 7 lbs. If I approved for the surgery, I'll be under the scrutiny of all my co-workers, residents, etc. Grr. I just don't know what to do. I'm 2x the size I should be& am feeling the health & social effects to a new extreme. Anyway, I'll end my Debbie downer post& try to be more positive. Maybe by a ticket to Tijuana.

I also have an uncontrollable love of BBQ sauce There's a walden farms BBQ that is no calorie. I'm leery of fake foods tho. U could get the taste of BBQ sauce using one of the low cal, low carb sauces that are posted. Most are just vinegar, liquid smoke, spices.