deb_fox

Not to preach, but you would probably be better off staying away from fast food all together. Yes, your taste in food does change and perhaps that is a good thing for most of us. I am a year and a half out and some things that I used to enjoy taste and smell terrible. There are times when I have to go to fast food because of well....life. I do try to make good choices. At McDonald's, I would choose a side salad and a fruit parfait. Good luck!

It's all in your state of mind. I just kept telling myself that this is necessary to have a safe surgery. After a couple of days, I wasn't even thinking of food anymore. I was drinking nothing but Glucerna, which is what my surgeon had me drinking. To be honest, I was full all of the time because it is loaded with nutrients. It just made me very gassy.

I couldn't even swallow the protein bullets. That was some potent tasting stuff! I am so glad I took advice from this forum and tried the unflavored Unjury. It is virtually undetectable in cold water with crystal light fruit punch!

Don't be nervous!! Good luck to you on your new weight loss journey. Speedy recovery!

I drink the muscle milk light. The only other thing I found that I can stomach is a light chocolate milk my local supermarket sells with 20 grams of protein. The problem is they are out of it half the time I go shopping. I am lactose intolerant too. Even though the muscle milk is dairy free, it goes right through me sometimes. I think it may be that it is so sweet.

I wouldn't take it. I would try tylenol. I know it's not the same, but you don't want to risk anything. I know all Doctors tell us different things, but I was told to stay clear of Acetaminophen and caffeine.

I was prescribed Prilosec to take every day for 6 months after surgery. I never in my life had indigestion, heartburn or reflux. I hate taking pills that I don't need, but maybe taking this has made it so I never had to experience the nausea and vomiting. I do worry that my food intake is not enough to sustain a healthy body. My bloodwork came back excellent, so I guess what I am consuming is enough. I eat only a few fork fulls per meal and drink a few protein shakes daily. Good luck. Hopefully this is only a very temporary problem.

I didn't keep my surgery a secret. I told all of my family, friends and co-workers. The reason I didn't keep it a secret is that I have known several morbidly obese woman who have told me through the years that they were huge their entire lives. Then, all of a sudden, they become skinny within a year and keep it off. I feel they had to have done a form of surgery because to struggle your entire life and then to claim to lost it all in a year or less and keep it off seems suspicious. I just wanted it out in the open because I feel there is no shame involved. Getting a sleeve is just a tool I needed to help me.

My Paternal Grandpa was born and raised in Ilocus Norte, Phillipines. My Dad was 1/2 Filipino. My Aunts were all short and chunky until they neared their 50's. That is when they all lost weight. I have the same body shape as them, but am heavier than they were. They all have said things about my weight over the years and it gets me so upset. They and some of my cousins talk about my weight as if I am the only one in the family with a weight issue. I will never criticize anyone's weight once I reach my goal. It is hurtful and we often don't know what led to the person's weight gains. In my case, it was depression after losing both of my folks while still in my 20's.

I used Dr. Collin Brathwaite for my surgery. His office is located in Patchogue and the surgery was done at Winthrop Hospital in Mineola. I could be wrong, but I thought one of his patients in my support group said that she was 16. I will give you their office number. It is 631-475-1900. All of my Doctors said they would recommend Dr. Brathwaite for the surgery. Every time I spoke of wanting the surgery to one of my Doctors, they said Dr. Brathwaite is the one. I know many people that have used him too. My surgery went great! Good luck sweetie.

I too get frustrated with the rate of my weight loss. I read other people stating that they lost as much as I have within the first month and I am two months post-op. I know in my heart of hearts that everyone is different. I also know that my thyroid problem is going to make my loss slower. My husband tells me to look at the whole picture. I am down 45 pounds since my pre-op weigh in at the Doctor. This is since June 1st. When is the lst time I have been able to say I lost 45 pounds in 2 months...NEVER! I need him to remind me of these things from time to time. FYI...I sometimes go a week or more without dropping a single ounce. As long as we follow the required diet, this has to work!

Sorry, type-o. I am 8 weeks out of surgery.

I have to crush my pills for 4 months.

I attend a lot of support group meetings with my Doctors office. There are people there that have been banded, sleeved and received the bi-pass. There is no right surgery, it is what is best for you. I started out wanting the band. After a year of research and talking to people, I decided that it was too "iffy" for me as to whether or not it was going to work. If I was going to put myself through this, I wanted to be certain that I would get the results I was looking for. That is when I started talking about the other two options with my Surgeon. With the sleeve, you are having 85% of your stomach removed. The digestive system is fully intact and you digest food as you did before surgery. There are far fewer problems with food intolerance with the sleeve vs. the bi-pass. The bi-pass is not removing anything from your body. You are simply bi-passing part of your digestive system and you are only using a small portion of your stomach. The bi-pass usually results in a more rapid weight loss than the sleeve. According to my Surgeon, after a 5 year study, they seem to be equivalent to one another. The idea of having 85% of your stomach removed with the sleeve is a little scary for some. As someone who was sleeved on June 11, 2012, I am grateful that I chose this procedure for myself. When listening to some of the bi-pass patients discuss the hurdles they had to overcome, I am happy I will not have to deal with that. Then, you can find people that had the sleeve that aren't happy. That is why it has to be your decision! Good luck and do what you want, not what someone else thinks you should do. Take your time and read a lot. Go to support groups before you decide, to help you decide. Good luck!

Will I ever be allowed to eat popcorn? It is my favorite snack.