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Haha! That's just a tiny fraction of the massive Osh Bazaar. If it's for trade or sale, you can buy it there. The produce section really is HUGE, though you see a lot of repetition between vendors. I do read and speak a small amount of Russian, yes. I wish I was better with it but I don't really practice unless I'm talking to our housekeeper. My husband is fluent, though, so I let him do the talking most of the time. ~Cheri

I would ask to move on immediately if the next cycle is a bust. If you aren't developing follicles at all, I'm not sure upping the dose will do what you need. I've known women to have success with the metformin added in, so hopefully that will work. Beyond 150 mg Clomid can hinder, not help, fertility. Once you need a dose that high, your doctor should have you move on to injectibles to see if that bumps up your follicle production. At this point, I'd try one more round of Clomid at the high dose , then ask to be put on a split cycle of Clomid plus one or two "booster" doses of injectibles to see if that helps. By the end of that cycle, you'll know if the injectibles boost your production or not. If they don't give you any better results, don't let your doc talk you into several expensive cycles done that way. Injectibles can cost a lot if your insurance doesn't cover them. Best of luck. Infertility is a horrible experience for a couple. You might find something to help you on FertileThoughts.com - their forums can be interesting. ~Cheri

I didn't eat that much for a long while but everyone is different. I could have eaten that much, had I made different choices or forced myself to eat more at each meal. The important thing is to track your food and your weight, and stop when you reach that point where what you're eating (either quantity or quality) is affecting your progress. For everyone it's completely different. Some of us need less calories and some of us need to avoid certain foods in order to lose weight. Not everyone loses the hunger. And many, many people report that exercise increases your hunger. You are burning a lot of calories in a week and it's possible your body simply wants more fuel. It could be either in your case. It's not one size fits all, so if you're simply a slower loser (I lost, on average, just over six pounds a month) but having consistent results with your current program, there is no need to change anything. If you're hungry all the time and can safely add more calories without sabotaging your loss, then do that. The end goal is to find the happy place where you're feeling good about what you're eating and you're still losing. ~Cheri

I'm currently visiting Cincinnati. There's an okay farmer's market and a couple of places to get some decent meat, so that's alright. I live in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, in Central Asia. I won't lie and say the place has much going for it otherwise, although I don't really mind living there. But one thing they do have are amazing produce markets with mostly local produce (you can find imported stuff, though), butchers that use meat they acquire locally and they really don't eat much of the junk we eat here. Now, don't get me wrong, I can order french fries in a restaurant. But when I do, they cut up a fresh potato, fry it up, salt and pepper it and bring it to my table. It's not made of a pre-frozen potato plus additives. And trust me, you can taste the difference. ~Cheri

I had an increased number for, oh, about six months or so. I used to go months and months without one, and in the early months I was laid up with one just about every month. They faded, however, into regular headaches (that lingered) over the first year, and now that I'm two years out I just realized I can't remember when I had my last migraine or headache. I think it's all the wacky in our bodies. Fat cells store all sorts of ugly things and that could be part of it. As your body adjusts, hopefully your migraines will decrease like mine did. ~Cheri Oh, and Imitrex is a great drug for migraines, true. But in both my mother in law and myself it caused tinnitus, which doesn't go away when you stop using the drug.

I'm two years out from surgery and currently pregnant. 1) I confess that maintenance is EASY but because I don't really gain weight (outside of this pregnancy), I get sloppy about my eating habits if I'm not careful. 2) I confess that I am having a hard time, mentally, adjusting to the idea of gaining weight and losing my small waist for a pregnancy. I didn't expect it to be so hard for me to expand, even for a good reason. 3) I confess that food in America is for the most part, disgusting. I'm sorry, but after spending most of the last seven years overseas and shopping local produce markets and fresh butchers, and making nearly all of my own food from scratch, the return to overly processed, chemical laden and barely "real" food is difficult to stomach. Literally. I'm amazed that anyone eats these things. I'm ashamed that my food memories had me nearly lusting after foods that I think are barely edible now. I had no morning sickness until I hit American soil and started consuming all this junk. It's back to the fruit and veggie stands and good quality meat for me. No more restaurants and certainly no fast food! 4) I confess that I eat many of the things (at least without being pregnant) that most of you are confessing as if it's a bad thing. I suppose it's all perspective, or approach, or perhaps just time out from surgery. Normally, I consume caffeine (one coffee every day, as a Protein drink), alcohol, ice cream (made with coconut milk, anyway), fried food, baked goods - just about any food you can name - in moderation, without guilt. Usually made from scratch, though, if that improves things. 5) I confess that I feel there are too many people having surgery without doing their research and adjusting their expectations (short and long term) to reality. It's sad and annoying, really, but I suppose some people just have a nature that allows them to dive in without checking the depth of the pool. I'll also confess that I don't feel I should have to adjust how I speak or how I answer just because it might offend someone. Oh, the trials of being a long-timer on here. If you ask random strangers on the internet for help or advice, try not to be offended if they don't answer the way you envisioned. ~Cheri Oh, and 6) I confess that I do not, have not and probably will not exercise. I hate it. I wish I could develop a love for exercise like I have a love for food but nope, it's not happening. If it didn't magically happen yet, I doubt it's gonna happen!

People do not stall because they aren't eating enough. I see SO many people climb on here freaking out because they're "stalled" and the first thing they do after three whole days of no loss is start screwing with their diet. This is a major shock to our systems. Shedding weight at a rate of more than a pound a week is a shock to the body. It stops and starts and tries to recover along the way because you've completely changed from gaining weight to rapidly losing weight. This has been widely debated here but the starvation mode thing is doubted but a lot of us. Too many people carry those misguided notions from life prior to surgery (we MUST eat 1,200 calories or we'll starve, eat with a calorie deficit and you'll lose every time you step on the scale) and try to apply them to life post op. It's not the same. Diets are NOT all one size fits all, I say this over and over again. Why people who fail to lose the weight following a strict 1,200 calorie diet and exercising prior to surgery but then try to apply that same failed experiment to the sleeve post op amazes me. Calories are fuel. They are neither good nor bad. food in and of itself is not good or bad. Life and diet are not black and white. Food is fuel. The nutritional makeup of your food can be better or worse for your body, and you can certainly waste food space (very limited for a while post op) on absolute crap choices that do nothing to further your nutritional goals. Living like the sleeve is a diet is the biggest culprit I see in stressed out sleevers and regain posts. Everyone's body is different. How many calories you need is based upon how your body does. I was amazed to see that I lost best initially with about 800-900 calories a day. It took me months to get to the point where I could eat that much. I still lost when I ate less, and I still lost when I eventually upped my calories. It's not an exact science for most of us. There isn't a big, bold line we can't cross - it's flexible, and a lot of it is dependent on what you're eating and how your body reacts to those foods. I am a huge advocate of eating normally. That means no foods are off limits and moderation is key in all things. That said, I truly feel that our weight issues start with our brains and our habits of disordered eating. So until a freshly sleeved person learns more about how their new body tolerates things, and until they work on some of the head issues, I wouldn't say that worrying about upping calories, and downing possible trigger foods to do it, is a good idea. It's a process. There is nothing wrong with indulging once in a while - it's normal. But building a habit of telling yourself that you need extra calories, and therefore a bowl of ice cream (or some other such treat) is necessary each day *could* be a slippery slope for a lot of people. I truly believe you'll have such a hard time getting in your basic Protein first calories that you won't have room for the thought of anything else. That's how it is for the vast majority of us. And nothing tops a lower carb Protein shake for nutritional punch. We don't eat them to add to our calories in most cases. We eat them because you can drink pretty easily once you're healed, and drinking up to 50 grams of protein with only 200 calories for a meal is a darn good way to stay healthy once you're sleeved. You brought up some interesting questions. I am not trying to slam you or any of the other responses here, or lecturing you as if there's only one way to live post op. I've just spent a lot of time on these boards in the last three years and I've seen a lot of trends. Best of luck to you, and congrats on trying to work some of this out prior to surgery. It shows you're trying to prepare and that's important. Too many people skip the questions and research! ~Cheri

Best of luck to all of you and I hope that weight loss will help increase your fertility. Just one thing I wanted to add because of my personal experience, though! If you AND your partner haven't had a full workup, do not let any doctor tell you (without running any tests on both of you) that your weight is the culprit in your infertility. DH and I wasted years TTC being told the only issue was my weight. So as I tried diet after diet to lose weight (Nutrisystem once, Weight Watchers twice) and only shed thirty five pounds I was heartbroken and beating myself up for our inability to conceive. Three different GPs told me the issue was my weight, without bothering to run hormone panels or test my husband. Well, we FINALLY got a sympathetic GP that tested both of us and lo and behold! The issue was my husband, poor guy. I could have lost 100 pounds and it wouldn't have made a lick of difference - we had to move straight to IVF w/ICSI. So unless you're SURE it's PCOS related infertility (the way weight is usually culpable for infertility) or some other issue losing weight can resolve, be sure to get tested! Do not allow your medical professionals to discriminate against you based upon your size, and take the lazy way out. That is all. Best to all of you gals! ~Cheri

Anywhere from six months to a year is the norm to get off the PPI. Some folks need them for the long run. I was lucky enough to stop taking mine somewhere between 4-6 months. However, in times of stress I do need them for a short spell again, as I seem to be more prone to acid problems than prior to surgery. Small price to pay for goal weight, though. I hope that sometime in the next few months you can wean off. I started coming off by taking one every other day. Try that and see how it goes. ~Cheri

shake it off. People just don't understand and she probably feels like she was offering good advice to someone she wants to help. If dieting was the answer, you wouldn't be where you are today. Weight loss is not one-size-fits-all or our first attempt at Weight Watchers would work like magic and we'd all be thin. Your friend probably means well but believes what every doctor and media source tries to tell us: if we're not thin we must lack willpower or the knowledge to succeed. Well, it's not always that easy. You have to do what's best for you, regardless of what other people think. I only told a handful of people prior to my surgery. Now that I'm at goal if people ask I tell them how I lost the weight. Prior to surgery you're opening yourself to judgement - and it's nobody's business but yours and your family's. Afterward, it doesn't matter what they think. The surgery will work, you'll lose the weight, and they might think you took an easier or more risky way out but you won't care at that point! Don't let this bother you. You're making a great decision to change your life permanently for the better. She'll come around in time when she sees how happy you are how successful it is for you. ~Cheri

I travel A LOT, especially internationally. I've never had an issue packing a shaker cup and Protein powder with me. I even go out of my way to buy a few individual serving packets of Protein Powder to mix on the plane if it will be a very long flight. I wouldn't try to carry RTD shakes through, nor would I freak out the TSA fools with unmarked baggies of protein powder. Those people swabbed my four year old's stuffed rabbit for explosives - they might lose their minds faced with an unknown powder. Honestly, I just traveled FORTY FOUR hours on four different flights and two different airlines. I had my trusty shaker cup and protein packets (and protein bars) with me the whole time. ~Cheri

To stretch your sleeve you would have to regularly eat to the point of pain. Even doing that it would STILL be tough to stretch this very un-stretchy part of the stomach, because you're more likely to simply toss up those extra bites than keep them uncomfortably sitting in your smaller tummy long enough to do lasting damage. That said, it's important to learn your new full signals and stop before you get to that point. We all take a little time to do this and it's normal to overdo it a few times before learning exactly when to stop. Certain foods swell in the stomach and cause issues. I have a real problem with Pasta and tortillas. Some people have an issue with scrambled eggs or bread. My full signals are a runny nose, the hiccups or a feeling of tightness in my chest. If I go beyond that, I'll toss it back up or suffer discomfort. ~Cheri

Ultrasound wasn't fully conclusive. We saw what might be empty sacs or what might turn into additional babies. There was one very healthy little one with a heartbeat (before six weeks!) and I was very happy and relieved to see that. I'm due for a repeat ultrasound at eight weeks. At that point we should see everything there is to see and be able to say for sure what we've got. Six weeks is VERY early for an ultrasound, and the equipment in Bishkek isn't exactly state of the art. With my twins (now four), we saw one at seven weeks and two at nine weeks. So I'm not going to announce anything for sure until we get that next ultrasound. Fingers crossed for one, but I'll be thankful for whatever I have. ~Cheri

Congrats on being cleared to try. My situation is different so my input on how long it took won't help you. That said, as half of a couple that struggled with infertility, I would suggest that you actively try for six months. If you haven't had even a late period in that time, move onto asking for help. Doctors love to blame our weight when we have trouble conceiving but that's not always the issue. A number of women do report increased fertility after surgery, so hopefully you'll have no problems. But if you do find it's taking a while, you should try to have some simple tests run to see if there's another reason it's not happening easily. Best of luck! ~Cheri

A number of women report whacked out cycles after surgery, so don't get crazy yet. First Response Early Response tests as little as 6.5 mlU of HCG in your system and is accurate as early as ten days post ovulation. If you're experiencing actual pregnancy systems, your hormones should be elevated enough for a positive test. More likely, you aren't pregnant. While I'm sure you might want to enjoy another child later, I'm hoping this is just a hormonal fluke, so that you can adjust to your sleeve prior to experiencing a pregnancy. Let us know how things come out. ~Cheri

For me, all day nausea, horrible gas, stomach cramping and discomfort, followed by really bad bathroom issues. It's horrible. RTD Protein drinks, even lactose free ones, make me horribly ill. I used to love Oh Yeah or Muscle Milk but they make me so sick I can't stand it. I stick to Syntrax Nectars and mix with Water, coffee, tea, soy milk or juice. The good news is that my intolerance has gotten much better the farther out from surgery I get. I still can't drink a glass of cow's milk, but I can tolerate cheeses, a small amount of yogurt or ice cream, cream sauces if they aren't too rich, and most important to me: a splash of cream in my coffee. ~Cheri

Whew, net gain is finally back at zero. The bloat thing is nuts! One day I look a few months pregnant, the next I look pretty close to normal. I have hormone shots for four more weeks, though, so I should get used to it. I still see a crazy fluctuation on the scale but most days I'm within my normal range so I'm not counting it. It's crazy, though! Up four pounds overnight, down six pounds the next day...if I was in the losing phase I'd have lost my mind and tossed the scale out the window already! Ultrasound is Monday and it can't come fast enough. I'm nervous and it's even more nerve wracking that we might not even see much. A lot is based upon this ultrasound, because I'm in a remote location with no real medical support. It doesn't help that our international medical team in London is absolutely freaked out that a woman with a history of multiples is pregnant here. I think they'd evacuate me tomorrow if it were up to them! It's kind of silly, because most women would only just be discovering they were pregnant at this point. I'll update Monday evening, my time. ~Cheri

Yes, get in to a high risk OB (MFM or perinatologist) because of your history and your current medical concerns. It's not the ideal time to get pregnant, no, but there's never a perfect time! Embrace this surprise blessing and do everything you can to take care of yourself and your baby. As for the bariatric surgeon, he's not part of your OB care team. I'm sure he'd be disappointed but the reality is that you're not the first to experience increased fertility as you lose weight. It happens. The most important thing is to be 100% up front with your OB care team about what meds you're on, how often you take them, any health concerns and yes, your sleeve. Get an appointment ASAP - if they try to push you off explain a bit of the situation so they know how serious your situation is. Wishing you the very best. Make sure you're getting in plenty of Protein and water! ~Cheri

I looked at the BMI chart and chose the highest weight I could be and still be in the normal range. I had actually hoped to get smaller but found that once I got there, my body just didn't want to lose any more weight. I'll get to my "wishful thinking" goal of living in the 120s after plastics, I'm sure. My goal seemed insanely low to me since I hadn't been this weight since junior high but I kept at it and got here. Some people exceed their personal goals because their bodies are happier at a smaller weight than they can wrap their heads around. Some of us have bodies that stop when they want, and it might be right at our goal or even a little higher. I can maintain 134-136 but my body loves the number 138 and wants to stay between 138-140 so I have to keep an eye on the scale or it will stick there. ~Cheri

Nobody has been tracking the results of the sleeve as a WLS that long yet. Give it a bit more time. I'm not certain but when I was researching I think someone posted a five year study - you might do some searching and see if you can find anything on VST about it. Regain is possible with any surgery. The big benefit the sleeve has over bypass (what most people are probably thinking of when they talk about regain) is that there isn't a honeymoon phase or window where loss is easiest. Once you're sleeved and healed, your capacity only increases a small amount. Unlike a short window where malabsoption is guaranteed, or a pouch that is likely to stretch (or a band that requires fills and unfills, for that matter), your sleeve is going to restrict you immediately after surgery and for the rest of your life. I am two years out and maintaining beautifully. I'm currently pregnant and while I have hormone bloat and the start of a rounded tummy, I'm not having a problem with weight gain (nothing more than I'd expect at this point) despite the fact that my capacity is increased now that I'm pregnant. All surgeries come with the risk of regain. Using the sleeve like a diet that will someday end is the biggest cause of regain I've seen - people just stop being diligent at goal and fall into denial about bad habits, ones they didn't fix while losing in the first place. That said, I have seen very few regain posts in the three years I've been here. I've seen plenty of "I got out of control over the holidays and gained a few but took it off quickly" posts, though. If you weigh daily in maintenance and actually learn how to eat like a healthy, normal person during the first few months post surgery, there is no reason you can't reach goal and maintain for life. ~Cheri

You really shouldn't have any problems. I agree with Tracey - you get plenty of warning with discomfort. And I think MoreganK's suggestion to introduce new foods at home is a good one. You never really know what will upset your new sleeve until you try it. The only thing I think you should consider, or remember, is liquid in = liquid out, so if you're still on a liquid diet at that point be aware that it's normal and something you should be prepared to handle. ~Cheri

No. Fever could be a sign of a complication, please call your doctor ASAP. ~Cheri

You still could. You never know, and there's no reason to stop trying or beat yourself up. The more we lose, the longer it takes for those last pounds to come off. I hit a rough patch about halfway to goal and those last twenty pounds took me six whole months to shed. I understand being disappointed in not meeting a goal, but the END goal is still to lose the weight, and you're doing that. So don't get hung up on dates on the calendar and forget to be proud of your accomplishments so far. ~Cheri

Yes, change your shake, then. Or mix with Water instead of milk. Or tea, or soy milk, or coconut milk, or coffee, or juice. I've done all of the above. If your shake has lactose you might have lactose intolerance. And if you're mixing them with milk, and intolerant, well, it would stand to reason that you'd have some issues. Try mixing your shake with a different liquid. Still sick? Try a different shake. Keep at it until you find something that works. Some people do like the bullets but I've also seen references to studies that they don't absorb as well. ~Cheri

I went alone. It was just too complicated and expensive to drag DH and the little ones along. I was fine! You'll make buddies with the other patients getting surgery that day and you'll have someone to come visit you when you get out, I'm sure. I also agree that it goes so quickly and there isn't much for a traveling companion to do in such a short time. Good luck! ~Cheri