Izuri

My advice would be: - Call your insurance today and make sure that their requirements match up with what the center told you - most places are good about this but sometimes they miss things - Write yourself a list of requirements out so that you can start crossing them off. Each one off the list feels awesome - Write a list of questions you have about the surgery to take with you. If you're anything like me you will get there and forget as soon as the doctor asks if you have any questions. - Ask them what a realistic time table to expect surgery looks like at their clinic. That way you won't be going out of your mind wondering when the insurance will get back to them, etc. - Enjoy yourself! Relax and have a good time with the journey =) I'm not sure what your first consult includes, but mine was just getting a baseline weight, BMI, blood pressure, etc. I didn't have any kind of pre-admission testing until a week before surgery. If yours is anything like mine it's really low key, you just get to ask questions and chat with the surgeon. Good luck!

Yes, liquids move through your stomach faster, so it's easier to get more of them down. For most people, as you move on to foods that are more dense you will start to be able to tell more. Some soft/regular foods are 'sliders' and those you probably won't feel restriction on, but if you're eating the right things (especially protein) you will feel restriction. Some days it seems like my restriction is tighter than others, but I definitely feel it when I make sure I'm eating my protein first.

Yeah, I had this issue too. All liquid in, all liquid out. It will get better as you move on to puree and soft foods. Just make sure you're getting in enough water every day.

I had some of that, and I got the hiccups like 6 or 7 times in the first day and it tapered off a little each day. I had a small hiatal hernia repaired which was what I attributed it to - the hiccups/spasms hurt. Did you have a hernia repair?

Yes, the week before surgery I could not concentrate at all at work. My brain wouldn't cooperate with me. Maybe keep a protein shake or a little healthy snack at your desk and that way you have a little healthy treat when you pass up the new chips! What a struggle that must be - you're very strong!

Neat experiment. It's crazy how little actual volume there is in a whole bag. Puts things into perspective, thanks!

I'm sorry to hear that you're having such an awful time. I think you are strong to admit you need to get back on track. You can get back on track. I would go 100% back to basics. Start again as if you had just gotten sleeved and let your doctor know what's been going on. They need to keep a close eye on you to make sure you don't run into any complications. I don't really enjoy food at this point (5 weeks out), but I make myself eat on a schedule and keep track of it. You should join Myfitnesspal or some other tracking website and add people to try and get some feedback on your days. I do not have acid really, but if you are, I would bug your doctor until they talk to you about it. They need to be responding to you, you deserve follow-up care. I was on prevacid for a month post-op, and I'm sure that had an effect on the acid. If you are having trouble eating around your family - eat away from them. I know that sounds really hard, and maybe they will resent it - but you're dealing with a health issue here, they will get over it in time. Right now, you need to be able to focus on you. Do you have any friends close by that support you that might be able to spend a couple days with you while you get back on track? Weigh everything you eat. I can't eat more than about 2oz of Protein at a time, and maybe a few soft veggies/fruits pieces. I also think it sounds like you need to see a therapist and join a support group. You aren't alone. Head hunger is a crazy hard thing to deal with, but you can figure out strategies to get through the day. Post your goals on the refrigerator door. Make a list of all the things that you want to be able to do. Make a list of all the reasons you don't want to be overweight anymore. Stick some motivational post its to your mirror so you see them every morning. The only thing you can do from here is move on. Get back on the program, get some guidance from your doctor, find some support (which you deserve!), and start over. Keep an eye out for the signs of a leak, and that's really most of what I can think of. Don't give up. You can get through this.

I am 25 and have been overweight all my life. I had not been nearly as overweight when I was young, but once I was in my late teens my weight shot up. I tried unsuccessfully to lose weight (lost and regained some multiple times -never more than 60lbs). Realized it wasn't working on my own and was afraid of becoming diabetic because it runs rampant in my dad's side of the family. I also was having trouble with simple tasks, standing at work, getting through school clinicals. I was just incredibly unhappy and unhealthy. The sleeve has been an amazing thing for me. I feel like even 30 pounds down that I'm starting to get my life back.

YAY!!!! I'm so glad it worked out.

I think you should try it. Insanity has been one of my goals forever, and once I've worked up to it I totally intend on getting through it.

Yay!! Congrats =)

Well, at least you are honest about going off plan. Everything zoomed by for me and I was working a lot, so I didn't get many chances to have 'last dinner' issues, but I could see myself struggling with the same. Get back on track and if you're feeling anxious just give your doctor a call, I'm sure they get this issue a lot, and they can give you a clear okay about it. If you're not feeling up to the gym maybe you could do a couple short walks a day, or just making sure you're getting up and around the house when you're not resting. At this point you're doing what you can to make sure things go well, and I think that's the best choice. You should probably go ahead and have your x-ray done, that way they can provide treatment if needed.

Could you tell them that you're having a medical procedure? If they ask for additional details you could always say it's personal and you'd like to keep it private, but it does have an extended recovery time. If you have a hiatal hernia like I did and they are repairing that too, you could just cite that as the reason. I know when I told my boss she said that she understood it was my personal business and if I decided not to tell anyone she would respect that and not say anything either. That way you don't burn through your vacation time. I just know that I don't wanna burn up vacation time doing anything but enjoying myself. I don't think I was ready to go back on day 11, but I also work a job where I walk/stand for 8+ hours. I can imagine if I worked a job where I got breaks or was allowed to sit, I would have been able to go back probably toward the end of the second week, so I guess possibly by day 11.

I'm still only 5 weeks post-op, but I still am taking my mood stabilizer. I have actually thought about increasing it. My psychiatrist said that we have plenty of room to increase since I'm on a low dose, and she would be willing to add an anti-depressant if needed. She has treated quite a few post-op patients and said she knows hormones go wacky and even if we do need to increase, she thinks eventually I'll level back out. My mood the first few weeks was pretty stable. Last week it hit a low like I hadn't had in quite a while, and then this week I'm stable again. I think my hormones are going crazy though - I have had at least 2 periods in the last month and had issues in between each (sorry if tmi) so I think this has been the culprit since pre-surgery I was stable on my medication for over a year. I would not, absolutely not, go off your medications unless you have talked to both your surgeon and your psychiatrist/doctor prescribing them. Some medications have an awful withdrawal, some can have side effects if you stop them abruptly (like rebound depression, etc), and it's never a good plan to immediately stop something without talking to your physician. Maybe you can talk to them about tapering the dose down or something, but immediately before a big surgery is not the time to be screwing with meds imo. I just don't want you to have any problems/increased depression after. Also - if you are worried about tablets/capsules/etc - many medications come in liquid/chewable/dissolveable form. You can absolutely keep taking them post surgery and don't have to crush up those tablets because they taste horrible, just ask your pharmacist, most times they will be happy to help.

I was kind of at the end of my rope for the last week. I was getting pretty bummed, on a stall, hormones going wild, and I felt like I had done all of this for a small amount and that I'd probably just end up fat again. I cried a bit, mourned food some (Everyone seems to want pizza this week and it's been something I'm craving), and had a little mini hissyfit to myself. I hit a point where I knew I was acting downright silly. I told myself the next day would be better, and it was. I woke up with a positive attitude, got my mind off stuff at work, and came home feeling good. I tried on some old clothes that had previously been too small, and I now have about 4 pairs of pants I can wear again - mostly 26s, and a few 24s. Today, I woke up and the scale was down a little. I'm sure it's not the last time I will have a hard time, but it taught me some about how to handle future hard times. Perseverance is worth it. You'll get through this and when you do, you'll be thanking your past self for having so much patience.

I'm about 5 weeks out today and I have been able to finally get through a decent amount of water quickly. I cannot chug like I did presurgery, but I can take bigger drinks now. I still can overdo it though. I have tried to take too many bigger drinks in a row and had it feel stuck behind my sternum. Most of the time I'm fine though and can finally get in water easier.

You should brag! What a stunning difference. You look incredible.

That sounds like a lot lost to me! You are doing amazing - keep it up and those 75 will be off in no time!

You can really tell the difference! Congrats! Oh...and I am soooooooooo in love with your shoes in the first picture! Super cute outfit.

Congratulations - That's amazing =) You should post some before and after pictures! I bet the difference is incredible.

You're only 4 days into being stalled, so it's possible that it won't even last a week - you will have many more 4+ day stall probably throughout your journey. Stalls happen, they're annoying, but we get through them. I am (KNOCK ON WOOD) just starting to come out of a stall that lasted 3 weeks. It started at the middle of week 2/beginning of week 3 post-op. It drove me up a wall. BUT I continued to eat right and get my walking in and there are a bunch of pants a size down that I can now wear. Have you measured? Sometimes that can be encouraging - you may be losing inches even if you're not losing pounds. For a few days I had to put away my scale (On and off I was unable to resist the temptation) because it was driving me crazy. So if it's bugging you - try to put it away! Have a family member hide it for a few days. I tried almost everything to switch it up for my stall, but nothing really helped except getting back to work. Even though I was walking, my body was not responding. I increased my water/protein/walking and decreased my carbs. Nothing helped. Now I just aim for my Protein and Water goal and hope for the best. It will get better!

I have had people tell me about the strange, creepy dreams they have had on it, and how their behavior has changed some. BUT I have also heard that cigarettes never taste the same after. It's been years since I smoked, and it's hard to kick the habit. Good job working on quitting - that's awesome! You can do it!

Just want to say you're brave for admitting to us and yourself that you cheated and made a mistake. What is it they say....that admitting it is the first step to overcoming it? I can't remember exactly, but it's true. I know that before I decided on the surgery I lied to myself and the people around me about what I ate because I was ashamed. I am trying hard to be an open book now, because being ashamed isn't productive - it just leads to wanting to eat more. Plus, the more honest I am about what I eat, the more it helps keep me on track. I doubt that you will be unable to have surgery. If you're feeling worried you could always give your surgeon's office a call for a little peace of mind. There will be many more of these challenges to come throughout your post-op life, and you did the right thing by turning to your NUT. Are you tracking your diet? It helps me to write out my day's diet on MyFitnessPal. I have added quite a few people on here (If you want to add me my username is the same as it is here), and they are all very positive/reinforcing good habits. It's nice to get feedback and to be able to see how others are doing. By the way, congratulations on your loss =) Surgery will be here quick and you will be over here on the loser's bench in no time! Lollyfidy1965 - Thank you for the book recommendation! I am really interested in this too and will definitely be checking it out.

I'm really sorry, I have never been married, but I did have an engagement fall through with a guy who was lying/cheating/etc and I know that the loss of someone you love can be an overwhelmingly hard thing, no matter how it ends. It sounds like the relationship you had was rather volatile at times. I hope you realize that despite anything he says, anything that happened, anything that does happen, that you deserve better than what you've been given. You are still very young (We're actually the same age =p), and if you think back to 8 years ago, a lot has changed from then, right? A lot can happen in the next 8 years too, and maybe in those 8 years you will find more love and respect for yourself and possibly someone who will treat you with the respect you deserve. There are days that I wonder what it would have been like if I had stayed with my ex-fiance, but I never regret what happened. I learned a lot about myself and what I want from my life, and I still have a number of years ahead of me - who knows what they hold. If you ever need a friend to vent or a shoulder to cry on, you're welcome to message me. We all need a place/friends to talk to about our hard times.

I'm so glad that they caught the clots and that you went to the ER when you did - that is really scary! I hope that you're feeling a little better today. Time in the hospital is no fun, that's for sure, but I hope you end up having a quick recovery.