Mz.Vickie

My doc told me I can start walking after week 2. But I'm still in the hospital right now and I'm getting almost 5,000 steps just walking the hallways and getting this gas out. My surgery date was 1/5/17
Sent from my SM-G935T using the BariatricPal App

Have you tried the Citrate Vitamin D and calcium chews? The are good. I also ordered Vitamin Patches that stick on your body. They arrive sold on this website and http://www.patchmd.com/ Sent from my SM-G935T using the BariatricPal App

My doc told me I can start walking after week 2. But I'm still in the hospital right now and I'm getting almost 5,000 steps just walking the hallways and getting this gas out. My surgery date was 1/5/17
Sent from my SM-G935T using the BariatricPal App

Vomiting and GERD -- I haven't had any
Pro's and con's -- first time in my life I am at a normal weight, which means my life has changed entirely. No real cons except (1) it's major surgery, so that does mean a period of pain and tiredness after as you recover; and (2) some people find themselves unable to tolerate certain types of food after. I can't/don't eat bread anymore or anything carbonated.
Advice -- you have to be ready and want to build an entirely new relationship with food. Food will no longer be your comfort, your entertainment, your stress relief, your way of celebrating holidays or family. That doesn't mean you can't enjoy it though. You have to be willing to work hard at weight loss and weight maintenance for the rest of your life (I'm deadly serious about that). You have to be willing to accept the possibility that you radically change the kind of food you eat for the rest of your life. Don't kid yourself into thinking this surgery means you eat three bites of pancakes for Breakfast, one mini-cheeseburger for lunch, a Snickers fun bar for a snack, and a twinkie for dinner with a side of a couple french fries. Doesn't work like that. If you are like most of us, those types of foods are either entirely or very largely excised from our lives completely if we want to be successful in losing weight and keeping the weight off.
Small portions for the first month? I didn't have any "portions" for the first month. My plan called for liquids for the first month post-op.
After that I was allowed to move to pureed high Protein foods for four weeks. Portion size there was 1.5 ounces weighed or 3 tablespoons measured. This was more than enough, believe me.
After that I moved to soft foods for four months and my mandated size for each of my three daily meals was 3 ounces. I could rarely eat that much though.
I am now 3.5 years post op and can eat about 5 ounces per meal, depending on what is in the meal. I still focus on high protein, low carb eating in order to maintain my weight loss (over 200 lbs).
I don't know that there are stats or averages for weight loss in the first month. The first month post-op, your body does some insane things trying to recover from the trauma of surgery. Healing and getting used to a new way of relating to food should be your focus in the first month post op, not how fast you are losing. All that said, I would think anywhere from 8 - 25 lbs is a reasonable expectation for first month loss for someone your size. Focus on the lower end of that and if you lose more, let yourself be surprised and happy. Good luck in your decision!

At 8 months out now, I wish I had done full body measurements before surgery. Because there are times when I don't see the scale moving, but I lose inches and so I keep track now, but didn't start right away. Also, I did do before pictures and the exact same photos after a while for comparison. Another thing is I was told and am glad I was, to keep a journal. It truly is a great way to look back at the beginning and remember how far you've come. The one other thing I wish someone had told me, but didn't is to make a couple of videos of yourself right before surgery. Something that you can add to your "Before Surgery" file. Because, hopefully, that is the last time you will see yourself at that weight ever. Wishing you a most excellent journey as I have had

Hello! My surgery is scheduled for 1/9/17 and I'm looking for advice and guidance! What are some of the things you wish people told you before you were sleeved?
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Jan 17th for me.
Sent from my SM-G930P using the BariatricPal App

Sent from my SM-G935T using the BariatricPal App

January 5, 2017
Sent from my SM-G935T using the BariatricPal App

January 5, 2017
Sent from my SM-G935T using the BariatricPal App

I had a list of 50 questions for my surgeon... my first question was had ever had an malpracitce suits. Here are a few of my others:
1. What size bougie do you use?
2. Will you be able to use any of the same incisions from my band?
3.What are the worse complications that you have seen occur?
4. What Vitamins are recommended after surgery?/
5. Will I have self adminstered blood thinners after surgery?
6. Will I have JP drain?
7. Will I need an abdominal binder?
8. How much of my stomach will you remove?
9. Do you sew over the staples in the stomach?
10. How frequent are my follow up visits?
Hope some of these help!

I keep seeing people say lapband to sleeve revision patients lose weight slower than just sleevers. Im getting revised in December. Some questions I have for those people are 1.) Did you gain most or all of your band weight back before sleeve surgery 2.) How long did you stay significantly overweight before you decided on the sleeve 3.) How much did you lose on your pre op for the sleeve 4.) How much have you lost now and what month are you post op? Thanks in advance for filling out my questionnaire, lol.
Sent from my SM-J700P using the BariatricPal App

Okay, I'm at my PCP getting preop labs and EKG done. The nurse comes in to do everything and says oh you are having surgery & I answered yes. Then she saw what type surgery. She was like you are 222 lbs and you look so great why would you do this. I told her I started way higher at 244 and loss I have now is result of a 90 day dietician consult with diet changes. I said it's not that I can't lose the weight , it's that I can't keep it off. She said you are at risk for clots, stomach leak, taking Vitamins rest of your life and not to mention the nausea and diarrhea. I asked her if she had surgery and she said no but I had patients that had gastric sleeve and they have told me. I was like everyone is different and I trust in God and know I will be fine. She was like you don't need it. I wanted to say leave me the heck alone . She is seeing me after 20 lbs gone but didn't see me at 244.@ 5'6 . This is so irritating to me... no one is in support of me doing this . My PCP is on board though so that's good. Just tired of people saying what I don't need. I know my body ... lose 40 pack on 60... story of my life. I'm doing what's best for me. Bad enough my husband just doesn't get it and is totally against me having it. Geez!

Yeah real simple. Morning Premier Protein shake (11 oz - chocolate). lunch Premier Protein Shake (11 oz - vanilla). dinner Bariatric Advantage Protein Shake (powder I got from my doctor's office, blended with cold Water and crushed ice), either vanilla or chocolate. Snacks: 1 Protein pudding (sugar-free Jello pudding mixed with one serving of Protein Powder and 8 oz of milk, would make 4 servings). also 3 or 4 sugar-free ice pops. Sometimes I'd have a fourth protein shake if I felt like it. Lots of Water. I was allowed to have low-sodium broth, I tried it once and it was disgusting, too bland, inedible. I was also allowed some greek yogurt I think and milk but I never bothered. Strangely I never felt hungry at all, although most nights I got cravings for real food, mostly chicken parm. In 2 weeks I dropped exactly 25 lbs.

Got the date for my surgery late yesterday. I'll be banded on 10/24. Having a date I great and exciting, but makes it a bit scary. Does that make sense to anyone?

You are NOT supposed to drink with a straw - ever again! Too much air. Didn't anyone tell you this?

I was covered by insurance. They wanted to make sure I'd have no complications swallowing the foods they expect me to be on the next 2 weeks. Also, they put the band on with no fill. Some doctors put a fill in upon placement, so that may change what the patient eats.
I know what you mean. The inconsistency between doctors is enough to make a sane person crazy. I feel great though. It took me a couple of hours to get through the Protein drink this morning and I'm sipping on a prune juice Water cocktail because Vicodin blocks me up. I had some last night to sleep, but not any today, so far (the husband's not happy, so I may have to have a little soon).

Congrats!!! I have skin issues as it is. The nurse told me that because of that the insurance hopefully will consider it a medical neccesity instead of cosmetic and pay for it when I get to that point.

I just stocked up on two 6 bottle variety packs of Torani SF syrups which i purchased from Amazon. I'm ready to get my creative "juices" flowing to see what I like b4 surgery!

I have pumpkin pie, peppermint, coconut, almond, butterscotch and caramel. In the torini I have chocolate, hazelnut, raspberry and vanilla. The only one I don't use in yogurt is my peppermint and I made a chocolate peppermint Protein Shake the other day. T'was good. I also like the pumpkin in my vanilla shakes with a touch of caramel.

Such energy! You are doing awesome! I got exhausted just reading this! Lol.
I'm almost 54 and I've been overweight for 28yrs. I still have back pain but it's slowly improving as I lose - It's all I can do to walk two miles! I think I could do more if we could get rid of this heat and humidity. Lately it's either 90° plus or it's raining... and there's no relief in sight. Hate summer! Love, love, love Fall! :-)

Hope your recovery goes smoothly. Walk...even if you dont feel like it, it really helps get rid of gas and will make you feel better. Hang in there, this is tough...but you are worth the effort!!
You'll need to rest, walk, sip....rest, walk, sip....keep repeating! Take the meds, dont try to be a hero.... be comfortable!
Good luck!! keep us posted!