LilMissDiva Irene

Hey Sarah, you're looking really great!!! Love the smiles :) Now to work on the "Only" part... it should be more like, WOW!!! I love 11 freakin Lbs in one month!!!

I chew gum for all those reason you mentioned, I would also like to add something... I MUST have a piece of gum or a mint after having a Protein shake. It curbs the need to "chew" and the after taste on those things are hideous!!!

Haaa!!! Taking me back is what you're doing! No worries though, believe me when I say it does get so much better. I'm six months out and my thoughts now are "THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU... infinity to all the powers that be..."

For me Biotin has been working incredibly. No it doesn't help with it falling out, but I have so many regrowths on my head it looks like a porcupine! My nails are growing fast and strong too, so it has lots of good effects. I've been taking 2500 mcg since I noticed my hair falling out which was about 3 months ago now. Also I'm 6 months out now and I've noticed in the last few hair washings that my hair is falling out much less than say 1-2 months ago. I've heard others say that around 7 months it pretty much stops, and I'm running toward that so I'm hopeful that I will be one of those folks too.

WOW LOOK AT YOU!!!!!!!!!! You are sooo cute!!!! Great job so far, I think you're doing super good!!! Big hugs to you

Wow!!! That was quite a story... I know many here will find that very helpful as they prepare for their surgery day, thanks for sharing. Wishing you well on the days ahead!

Hey girl CONGRATS!!!!!!! Go you GO!!!

1. Are complications after surgery common? I've seen a few people mention leaks, abscesses, etc. I just don't want to be sick or deal with anything else, but learning to eat in a new way afterward. No complications are not all too common, but they are possible. No one wants to come out with any kind of complications, I'm sure but they do happen - and is something you will have to be willing to work out should it occur and be mentally prepared for. 2. Eventually, can you have any kind of food, but just in moderation? I'm talking an event or festive holiday occasion where I might want a sip of a margarita or bite of chocolate. Could I ever do that again? Yes, over time you will get back to pretty much eating most everything you ate pre surgery. I'm six months out and I can eat everything I did pre surgery. Just not nearly as much, and for me that is one of the reasons why I chose this surgery. Wishing you well!

Wow you look great!!! Congrats!!!

I do not have the Plication, but I just wanted to wish you well - and I hope everything turns out ok. Please check back in and let us know.

Just thought I'd share some recent pics I've taken. So you know... this surgery really works. New Face Shot My Arm... LOL My Leg - still working on those thunder thighs... And here's me again at my heaviest ever.

Hello 9 years, I did have this right after surgery. Even if I took the tiniest sips sometimes it would still hurt. It did this for at least the first 6 weeks, but in those weeks it would gradually get better. Unless it's doubling over in pain bad, I'd say you are ok. Do try to take the smallest bites and sips possible, and a little patience - you will overcome it. I'm 6 months out now and sometimes I even forget I used to get that pain anymore, so it does really go away. I hope this helps.

I believe you are thinking about the Duodenal Switch with that issue. The answer is no, sleevers (at least all the ones I've known here) have never mentioned this type of problem. I certainly don't! Thank goodness.

Hi there, Yes you will need quite a bit of willpower to get to your goal and you will need won't power to keep it off. Won't gain it back! LOL :-) I'm getting closer to goal every day and I'm battling this more and more now. I won't gain it back!!! I won't let myself slide back into my old habits!!! I won't allow the old me to take back over and do whatever I want and then some... for that is how I got to over 300 Lbs in the first place. Yeah, sure... you can do it without the surgery, but this tool is incredible as far as keeping your portions way down and helping with the hunger issue. Not everyone gets all the hunger taken away so that is something to think about. But... smaller portions will help you to lose weight. Diet is the main focus on any weight loss program. It far out carries workouts or anything like that. I do workout a lot, so I'm burning an additional set amount of calories per day which helps a lot. But... if I'm adding them back in, it doesn't help at all, right? Of course. The truth is this tool will keep you in check in a lot of ways. You can cheat it though, as with any of the other WLS, I just find it quite a bit harder to with this one. I've had the band too, so I know it's way better at keeping me in line. For you, make sure you are 100% on board with it. It's a huge life changing event, and you will need to be as mentally ready as possible. Good luck to you!

Anytime All that you described to me here is how I felt with my band too. No amount of fill stopped it and then too little and I could eat enormous amounts of food. Hmmmpphh!! Some would say, well don't eat that much - but when you're physically starving for food, my instinct is to eat... so... The sleeve has saved me from this and I no longer feel hunger. Not completely 100% gone, but I notice it's mostly due by what I ate at my last meal, and the Omeprazole (Prilosec) helps a great deal. Who knows if this will be the case for you however? Everyone is different and that is probably the biggest lesson I learned as a bandster. Good luck to you as well. Read up here and ask all the questions you can think of. We are very tolerant here and mostly because many of us are revisions too. Hugs!!

Hahaa!!! That's right - love my GMen!!! Thanks ladies.

I did 10 day of clears, 10 days of full liquids, 10 days of mushies, then slowly going back to full foods. I took my time with it, and to be honest there's no way I could have done puree'd foods on day 3. I could bare sip Water... No rush, take your time. I actually didn't get back to a full solid food eating plan again until almost 3 months out. There are even some foods now I can't tolerate yet and I'm one week shy of 6 months out. Definitely follow your surgeon's plans, to all who may be reading this.

Yes the heating pad really does help with the gas pain. Also, after surgery for some reason you will be cold all the time. So, it's the Two Birds rule.

My Big Day, you have done very well so far! I'm very happy and very proud of you! You will do super good post op... good luck to ya!

OMG YEAH YOU!!!!!!! You have done sooo well... I'm very happy for ya!

Get used to it!!! It will just continue as time goes on and as more weight drops. I'm getting stopped several times per day at work. I've slowly gotten more open to letting some know I had surgery - usually if I think the surgery might spark an interest in some folks. I mostly keep it to myself though, as really it's not anyone's business unless I make it their business. If the word gets around, oh well. Not sure I really care... LOL Anyway, people are just genuinely interested because everyone knows how hard it is to lose weight - so they will be asking for ideas. I at least can tell them its from all my running... haaa!!! It's not a lie though!

If it's regular or even light yogurt, like the Yoplait type, I mostly consider that a slider food. It's pert near liquid and it has lots of carbs and sugars in it. Try switching to Greek Yogurt. I have tried the Chobani and the fruit on the bottom, its filling and lasts much longer. It's pretty tasty too. Good luck!!

@ Jennet, HELLO!! I always love to talk to revisioners because we can all truly understand each other. The truth is no, I didn't really get a lot of negativity from LBT - however I was treated very harshly at OH. To this day I don't really spend any time over there at all. They were so rude and demeaning, however this is how I see it. No one likes to feel like they went to all the trouble with surgery just to find out that the chances of them needing a revision down the line is extremely high. For that would mean they made a wrong choice... who ever wants to admit that? It took me a few years to finally admit that *I* had made the wrong choice. It wasn't a good feeling. To date my feelings are exactly the same, I am totally head over heels for my sleeve! I have been stalled for a few weeks but to be honest I've not been giving it my all either. I've been doing good but not as good as I could do. I think I crashed from a few months of going insane with my routines, however I'm now slowly getting back in to them. So I anticipate things will start moving on the scale again soon. I have decided to make a conscious effort to not abuse myself anymore, for that is how I got to over 300 Lbs!! I know as long as I'm doing the right things the weight will come off. It still is, for I know my face right now is thinning even more and my clothes are fitting looser again. Just need for it to show up on the scale. I also need to find a better balance on all aspects of my life too, and that has been a challenge for me so far. I'll get it down eventually... Good luck to you! You will love your sleeve NO DOUBT!! @ Daisy, I would like to personally thank you DAILY for your guidance. You were what finally got me to take that final step to have my band removed and get something that actually is helping me! I will always appreciate your help. Believe me, I am MORE than glad I'm over here!

Yeahhh!! Congrats!!

W W!!!!! CONGRATS!!!!!