makemyownluck

Who on here is considering lapband? lol - not true from what I've seen!! I chose sleeve over band because I didn't want to bother with fills, I didn't want a foreign object in my body, it has higher long-term complication rates and from what I've seen on this forum, many people are dissatisfied with their weight loss from the band and get a revision to the sleeve. I chose sleeve over RNY because RNY makes you sick. It makes you sick if you want to enjoy something you 'shouldn't'. It makes you sick because your body can't absorb Vitamins and minerals the same way and you suffer nutritional deficits that can be life long. And I didn't want my intestines cut up. With RNY, your stomach is still there, meaning it might NOT take your hunger away and it has a chance of stretching your pouch so that you gain weight - but still have to deal with the nutritional deficits because you can eat as much as before, but your body isn't getting the nutrients it needs from your food. It's harder to find a balance with that surgery. I chose sleeve for ME because it offers what I need: portion control! I'm 3 wks post op and I feel like I eat like I did before, as far as the size of bites. I drink the same as well, I haven't had any nausea, vomiting, food intolerance... in short, my recovery has been great. The sleeve, IMO, offers a more 'normal' post op life. Once I'm done with my stages, i can eat pretty much whatever I want, just a LOT less of it. Of course, I've made changes to what I'll eat. I'll make healthy choices more often than not, but if I want to have cake on my birthday, it won't make me violently ill (like with RNY). Plus, I wanted a permanent tool. I don't see the point (for me) in getting a band because I think the big selling point with the band is that it's "reversible", meaning you can have another uncomfortable surgery to remove the band, when I need something that will help me for the rest of my life. So between the band or the permanent surgeries, I chose something permanent. And, for me, the pros/cons of VSG vs. RNY are clearly in favor of VSG. Everyone is different and has different opinions, obviously. It's smart to check out all your options before committing to anything. Good luck!

I know exactly how you feel. I've lost 50+ lbs but I still have soooo far to go that it's hard to get REALLY excited about it. I know 50 lbs is a lot to lose, but it's also just the tip of the iceberg so it's so hard to really feel great about yourself when you see that you're still big despite the loss. I'm not sure how much farther you have til goal, but I have 200+ MORE to lose, so girl... I can relate to this!! That said, it IS a wonderful thing that you've lost 50 already! That's 50 lbs off your heart, off your joints, off your whole body forever! Maybe you don't see/feel it now, but all the work you are doing is paying off, you're headed in the right direction and it's just going to keep getting better and better! As for the jerks yelling things at you - I'm so sorry you've had those experiences. I've had my share and it's never easy. There are times that I have given people a real piece of my mind and made them feel like a-holes for saying something in the first place - then there's the time I bawled hysterically because a 3 year old in a store kept yelling "You're fat! You're fat! Mommy, that lady is fat!" at me in the middle of the check out line at the store. There's not really a good way to deal with it - just try not to let them get you down. Feel bad about it if you're not doing something about it - and since you ARE doing something about it, just try (TRY) to let it roll off your back. You'll lose the weight - they will be jerks forever!!

Is the surgeon/hospital you are going to part of your bcbs network? If so, then you shouldn't have to pay anything up front - that's part of their contract with bcbs to be a provider in their network. I'd contact my insurance to verify the providers you chose are in network and will be paid at the highest available level for the surgery. If not, you might need to start shopping around for a different surgeon. Or try to work something out with them about the pre-payments. I have bcbs (but in IL) and I didn't have to pay anything up front.

Lip balm, your own toothbrush and toothpaste, biotene mouth spray, gas-x strips, deodorant and your favorite tea (if you like tea). I brought a ton of other stuff and only used the things I mentioned above!

I just emailed my NUT this same question. I can pass on what she says... but I'd suggest emailing your NUT if you can. Mine actually prefers emails to visits, which works out nicely for me and my wallet! I'm currently 3 wks post op (well, 3 wks post op tomorrow, actually), and I'm getting in about 900-1100 calories per day, 80-95g Protein per day and about 50-70 carbs per day. I track everything on MVP - mostly to watch my protein intake because I feel like I don't eat enough to get too many calories or carbs at this point.

Thank you, thank you, thank you so much to everyone who responded here. I've read mannnnyyyyy posts on this forum about stalls, but I didn't expect to have such an emotional reaction to it when it inevitably happened to me! In the past few days: - my period ended - the tears dried up - I lost 2lbs. Now, I don't know if the stall is necessarily broken, but I am hoping to see a loss. I've decided to limit myself to weighing in only once per week! I think I'll be happier than if I check it every day. I It's ironic - pre-op, I didn't ever own a scale. When I bought it, I didn't weigh every day. It was only when I was on that pre-op diet, I started weighing every day. It's not a good habit, so I'm gonna cut down!! I appreciate all of you that took the time to offer encouragement. It's so nice to have people who understand what I'm going through! Good luck to us all!

Well, according to your ticker, you've lost over a billion pounds! You should be proud!! Jokes aside, I hear ya. I'm stalled out after only 2 damn weeks and I'm feeling really, really down.

It's only Tuesday, and I can already say that this week stinks. I've been stalled. Stalled for about a week. It's frustrating. Today I stepped on the scale and actually put on 3 lbs since yesterday. I know fluctuations are normal, and I'm also on my period so I know that's not helping, but I just can't help feeling totally hopeless. I feel like I'm gonna be "that person" that this surgery doesn't work for. My first week, even in pain, I was flying high because every day the scale went down. Then week 2 it stopped completely. Now it's almost week 3 and I'm gaining. I'm feeling very much like a failure today. I sat at my desk today at work and just cried and cried. Not sobbing or anything, but I just couldn't stop the tears from coming. And it doesn't help that my mom keeps calling to ask how much weight I've lost. I try to explain the stall to her and find myself getting choked up and sad because I'm so frustrated that I've gone through all this pain/work/discomfort/change (not to mention how much money I've spent!) and it's just not happening the way I wished and hoped it would. My activity is minimal, I'll admit it. I'm not cleared for any weight lifting or exercise beyond walking right now. But I have been going for walks - albeit short walks - around my neighborhood. I still have soreness that flares up if I move around too much - pretty sure that's because I have such a jiggly belly, so it's constantly moving around. I also still can't sleep on my side and get comfy, so I feel like I haven't really gotten a GOOD night's sleep since surgery. The soreness and feeling unrested is wearing me down... I'm struggling to stay optimistic that the stall will pass and that I'll be back to losing soon enough. I hope I didn't go through all of this for nothing.

Hey - when you are no/low carb and high protein, you are in ketosis (which means you are burning fat). It's a good sign, actually, and it WILL go away, but it might take a few weeks. look up "ketosis breath" if you want more details about it. Mine passed after about 2 weeks. Gum helps, if you can have it, but so does Biotene dry mouth mouth wash and/or biotene mouth spray. I also ended up brushing my teeth 2 or 3 extra times a day when it was super bad! Also, make sure you're getting enough Water, that helps it quite a bit as well. Good luck, guys!

Gas-X strips! worked for me, anyway. I'm 32 y/o female, sleeved 5/2. Down 27lbs since surgery. Doing great - have had zero nausea, vomiting, dizziness since day one! Getting about 1000 cals a day and 90g Protein. Can drink normally - haven't felt hungry since pre-op!

I am, J - how are you feeling these days? All well on your end?

Considering she's telling you that you need to see a doctor for these questions, I don't know why she thinks SHE'S qualified to tell you what you should and shouldn't do, when it sounds like you didn't really give her any details. It is hard, though, to convinice an MD you've never seen before that you think surgery is the best option - they don't have first hand knowledge of what you've weighed, or how long you've been overweight or what you've tried, etc, so they look at this as a "first attempt" going straight to surgery when it should be more of a last resort. While that nurse may have given you some attitude, she did raise some important points. You do need to find someone (a doctor) who will provide you post-op care in the States. You need to ask what the Mexican clinic/hospital you are going to would do in case of emergency. I think it definitely could've been done in a more professional manner, but ultimately, you get what you pay for! Definitely do all your research and preparation beforehand so you don't have to deal with it when you're post op. Good luck!

Made this today, thought I would share! You can add in other goodies as your diet allows - I would like to try it with different veggie/cheese combinations! Mini crustless quiche makes: 4 servings ingredients: 4 slices of prosciutto, very thinly sliced! 4 eggs, beaten 1/4 cup low-fat ricotta cheese 1 slice american cheese (2% or skim milk cheese would be best) 1 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese salt and pepper to taste (I also put in a bit of garlic powder - optional) *note: prosciutto is very salty on its own and you do not need much added salt in this recipe. In fact, you might want to skip salt altogether and just salt the finished product if it's needed instructions: spray 4 ramekins with cooking spray in the bottom of each ramekin, loosely pile one slice of prosciutto in each ramekin in a medium bowl, beat the 4 eggs and ricotta cheese together, season with salt and pepper to taste. pour mixture evenly over the prosciutto in the ramekins. tear apart and distribute bits of the american cheese among all 4 ramekins and top with parmesan cheese and one last bit of fresh cracked black pepper. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 13-15m or until toothpick comes out clear. Allow to rest for a couple of minutes. They should pop right out of the ramekin since you sprayed them first! per My Fitness Pal: per 1 serving: 148 calories 8.4g fat (you could cut this down if you use egg whites) 1.4g carbs 13.2 g protein

Hey Jeffie! I hope it's getting better for you over there! I agree with KC above who says it's time to stop beating yourself up. It's a learning experience! You certainly aren't the first or last sleever to make a mistake like this. Just know that it's too soon for that and stay on course as much as possible! It's only a matter of weeks before you can eat more normally, so you're bound to make some other bad food choices at some point - but that's life! I track everything I eat, so even when I indulge, I still can keep it in perspective vs. all the good I'm doing. Yes, it's dangerous to indulge now when you're recovering, but in just a short amount of time, it will be all about balance! Don't let any naysayers get you down - it's possible to be stern without being condescending. I really think you've learned from this, and I'm glad I could help you through it! I hope you didn't do any damage, as leaks are serious and can be fatal - and recovering from one is no picnic either. If you want some scare tactic type inspiration, go search out some threads about leaks and read what they go through!! I hope all is well. Good luck, hon!

*raises hand* me, me, me!! First couple of days I sipped. Partly because of my sore throat from surgery, partly because it had been beaten into my head from everyone along the way to sip and go slow after surgery. So I did. but about day 3 or 4, when I was home, I got up one morning and poured a glass of Water and drank it normally. I didn't guzzle or gulp. But like two normal drinks. Went down fine. I realized after that first drink that I didn't sip and was worried that I would regret that mistake... but nothing happened. Had a lil baby burp to help it go down, but no problem. And ever since, I've had no issues with drinking! Yay us! We should start a group. non-sippers unite, sip-less sleevers or something like that, lol.

I have heard that drinking a little apple juice every day gets it moving - or prune juice if you can handle it. My MD gave me Colace and said I should take it if I go 2 days without a BM. Take 2x day until I have a BM (usually happens the same day). I haven't had an impaction, but I have had a couple rounds of constipation, where you feel like you have to go and nothing is happening... or it won't come completely out - so uncomfortable!! In those cases, Milk of Magnesia works well for me. I think everyone should keep a BM diary after surgery until they feel regular again. When you're on a high protein/low carb diet for a long time, constipation is a very common side effect. Aside from impaction, you could also develop hemorrhoids or a fissure. Even if you're having loose stool, that's not normal either - and you should discuss what's going on with your MD so that medication can be used if needed! I hope you're feeling better soon!!

Where is the rash? Are you sure it's from the b12? I take that much b12 everyday and haven't had any rashes... Sorry you're experiencing it, tho. Try some hydrocortisone to help clear it up!

Good luck to you Kim!! I was at 406 day before surgery and was so hoping to get to the 300s before surgery, but it just didn't happen. Felt awesome get here, tho - I know when I get to the 200s, I'll be numb from excitement! Good luck to you, too - how long do you have left? Do you have a surgery date?

actually, now that I'm thinking of it, lately I'm really enjoying a banana split in half with peanut butter on it. You could easily smash that to puree consistency! Bananas are good for wound healing, too. And get some natural pb - it has a lot of protein in it. Yes, carbs too, but if you get natural pb, it's not as bad. Plus, you're not eating that much now, so I don't think carb counting is really all that important when you can eat so very little of anything - it has protein, go for it!

I mostly ate Soup that I pureed. I make my own Soups and then just blended them up. Veggie soup, minestrone soup - whatever it is that you like. I'll be honest and say I kinda skipped the puree stage. I mean, I had yogurt and cottage cheese, the blended soup, but after a few days, I started testing the waters on soft solids - I had a bit of overcooked peas, some deli meat - just made sure that I chewed it down a lot before swallowing. I haven't had any issues. I'm DEFINITELY NOT advising you go against your NUT's plan, I'm just saying that puree stage was tough for me too, because I didn't really know what to eat. Pretty much anything you want, but pureed is what my NUT told me, but it just didn't seem practical. The pureed veggie soup was good, tho - just got pretty boring! Good luck, I hope you get some good suggestions!

Sounds like you are doing great!! I couldn't really handle anything they gave me in the hospital. The Jello wasn't sugar free, the broth was too salty, they gave me coffee and orange juice (2 big no-nos, IDK why they even gave me that!), and so all I had was Water, ice and some tea that I brought from home. Anyway, you sound good - 2 days post op, I mostly just wanted to sleep! I'm 17 days out now and feeling great - so just know that any pain/discomfort you're having does go away quicker than you think! Good luck! Congrats on coming over to 'the other side'!!

good luck with your rheumatology visit. I would say that losing that much could cause those symptoms. Your body doesn't need as much of the medication now that you've lost the weight. I lost a little over 50 during pre-op, and 1 wk before my surgery started having lightheaded feelings, I almost felt like I was going to pass out one day. I went to see my PCP and my bp was really low... I was still 200lbs overweight, but that 50lb loss was enough to take me off my bp meds. And my bp has been great ever since! So, I hope your MD has good new for you and that as you lose more weight, you can get off your meds completely. I'm okay with taking Vitamins for the rest of my life -- because being off bp meds is a great feeling! Good luck to you!!

awesome, girl!! Keep it up!

It's interesting how this surgery affects people so differently. Yes, a hot dog probably wasn't the best choice, but honestly, you could have had this reaction to anything you ate. I was on clear liquids ONLY for the first week, and when I had my first protein shake WOAH - it gave me serious gas, weird indigestion gurgling sounds and mild pain in my stomach. And that was something that was liquid! I'd say part of what you're going through is just your stomach saying "WHAT IS THIS!??!?" because it's been on the liquids for so long and is getting used to digesting what it's had so far. Then you over eat this dense food and your tummy is just letting you know it's not ready for all that! What helped me were gas-x strips - really helps with the gas, and fast! Also, walking around helps too. Drinking too much water on top if the full tummy sounds good in theory, but it doesn't always work like that. With how small your stomach is, the water could really 'over fill' your tummy and make it more painful. Try to get moving if you can! I hope it works itself out soon. I'm 17 days post op and I'm eating lots of stuff. I don't know if I have one of those sleeves of steel, but I haven't been sick once. No nausea, vomiting or pains - aside from the protein shakes, which still give me some gas, but not pain like the first time - and I'm having deli meats, low carb flat bread, yogurt, cheeses, cottage cheese... lots of stuff. I plan to try some fish this week, and canned chicken, then in a few weeks I'll try some veggies (coincidentally, my local farmers market will be open then, yay!) I certainly didn't have this surgery to be on a diet for the rest of my life. I like hot dogs every once in a while and plan to have them when I'm ready for it... so I'm not shaming you there. But considering we only get so little in us in the beginning, I'm trying to make it as good as possible. Deli meat isn't something I would normally have that often because of the salt and nitrates, but because it's something that I can tolerate now, I'm having it. While I am able to eat all these things, I can't eat much of it, and that's the key for me. So what if I had deli meat, it was ONE SLICE! I never thought I'd be completely full on just 1 banana for breakfast. The shakes are saving me with protein intake, because I really don't eat much. But when I DO eat, I can handle everything I've tried so far... I guess that's just lucky on my part. I definitely hope this passes for you soon!