FlyGirl

Yay! I remember so many of you! I was sleeved 11/16/2010. I didn't post much but I sure did read everyone else's posts. If it wasn't for VST and all of you sharing your experiences and knowledge I wouldn't be down 118lbs... Still 10 away from my goal, but I'm in a size 6 so I'm not complaining at all. :-) You are all awesome!

Sorry, I forgot about not being able to see the tickers on the vst app. I also use my iPad, and if you go to the actual vst website the tickers show up. I love looking at everyone's tickers! That is awesome your insurance covers a TT! Mine will only cover a panniculectomy I'm going to see how much extra it'll cost to do a TT at the same time. Hopefully I'll be able to afford it. I'd rather get them done at the same time. Here's my stats: 5'5" Starting 268lbs 44.59bmi Day of surgery 260lbs Current 155lbs. 25.79bmi Goal 140lbs Date of surgery 11/16/2010

I haven't had one recently but I probably should... I have my yearly appointment with my surgeon coming up so maybe I can find out what's going on. :-)

I'll be 3 years out in Nov and I have horrible hairloss to the point that I bought a wig yesterday. :-( I take all my Vitamins, get my Protein and have had tons of blood work checking my Vitamin levels and I'm all good. I doubt it's related to the sleeve, i have other issues (lupus) but who knows. Some things to try that might help it grow would be Biotin, Rogain, Nioxin shampoo. There is also this stuff called Toppik, it's hair fibers that you can sprinkle on your part and it will help hide it. It comes in different colors. I used that for a long time but mine has gotten a lot worse so that's why I bought the wig. It looks real but I don't feel comfortable and I feel like everyone can tell... But my family says it looks natural. Anyway good luck, hopefully all it is is maybe you're low on Iron or something that will be an easy fix.

I'm almost 3 years out and have been taking 40mg omeprazol in the mornings and never had any heartburn but the last few months I've been having it at night to the point I start choking in my sleep and it wakes me up. My dr changed my dose to 40 in the morning and 40 before bed.. It was working,but I didn't really feel comfortable taking such a high dose. So my dr has me taking 20 & 20 and so far so good. I've tried skipping a does but when I do I always get heartburn.

Hi! All my stats are below. I'm almost 3 years out and absolutely still love my sleeve. Starting to look into getting insurance to cover a panniculectomy to remove my excess skin on my lower belly. :-)

Hi Susie! Have you had any luck with getting approved?

Hey, how's everyone doing now? I still haven't made it to my goal of 140lbs. I've been stuck at around 160 for about a year. Does anyone still feel any pain? I've had pain under the right side of my rib cage since my sleeve. I thought it was my gall bladder but had that removed in sept 2011 and the pain is still there... But I'm still happy with the sleeve!!!

carbs - Fiber - sugar alcohol = net carbs is how they come up with the "net carbs"

Because it'll make the food slide thru the stomach faster which will make it so you eat more and you won't get full as fast as you would without drinking. :-)

Here's my tickers. I like to keep some stuff private so if anyone would like to see my profile please just send a friend request. I just have to make sure I don't actually know you, lol. :-)

I confess that I never get all my daily Protein in. I confess that I should be at my goal weight now. :-( I confess that I never exercise. I confess that I eat way way too much candy. I confess that I love ordering a kids size meal and being too full to finish it. :-) I confess that I love being able to shop in the normal size stores. I confess that I made up a story about my weightloss so my co-workers wouldn't talk crap. I confess I spend way to much money on new clothes and way too much time getting ready in the morning now.. I confess I used to be so jealous of watching people eat a huge amount of food, but now I LOVE being able to be full and satisfied on 1/8th of what everyone else eats. I confess that I am so happy that my mom decided to have the sleeve done too. So we go thru this together. I confess that I know what I need to do to get to goal but for some reason I just can't make myself do it. Ugh. I confess I could confess a lot more, but I'll stop now because it was kinda depressing! Still love my sleeve and wouldn't change a thing!! :-)

I'm 5'5" Starting weight: 268 Pants: 16w-18w Shirts: 2X-3X Ring finger: 8 Shoes: 9 Bra: 44DD Surgery date: 11/16/2010 Now... Age: 34. Weight: 155 Pants: 8 Shirts: usually Medium Ring finger: 5 !!! (Have to eventually get the all resized) Shoes: 8-8/12 Bra: 36C ** I have been at these stats since about 3/2012 My goal is 140. Those last 30lbs take a LOT of work. I know if I tried harder I could have been there a long time ago. I've set a new date to reach my goal by November 2013. The best advise to newby sleevers is to take advantage of the sleeve the first year you have it. Do everything you are supposed to do... take your Vitamins daily, get your Protein in so you don't lose your hair, drink your Water so you don't get wrinkles, exercise to help with saggy skin and use lotion daily. Try to lose as much as you can because after a year the rate of which you're losing will slow down. But don't worry when you stall, because eventually you'll start losing again. I love my sleeve!!!! :-)

I felt the same way. It was so weird... Like a bag of marbles. I wore a compression binder and that helped. I even wore it while sleeping because laying on my side it felt like in insides were falling out. Eventually it'll feel normal again. It took a few weeks for me. Congrats on getting your sleeve! U will love it! :-)

This link explains it better than what I would.. I had mine done at a Center of Excellence and it was great. Very happy with everything. http://www.obesityaction.org/magazine/oacnews17/bscoe.php

Try the EAS Carb Advantage. You can find them inexpensive at Walmat for about $4.22 (4 pack) at other drugstores they are about $8. I like all of the flavors but the french vanilla I like the least. 17 protein, 0 sugars and around 100 cals. But the best thing about them is that they don't leave that nasty protein aftertaste...

Hi, I had to have mine removed 10 months post op... I probably should have done it sooner (about 3-4 months out) but I was trying to avoid it. If it's bothering you, it's better to just get it removed.. The surgery isn't too horrible.

Ask you dr for Zorfran for the nausea.. the kind that dissolves under your tounge. If you are getting sick after taking your pills or vitamins try putting it in a spoonful of applesause. Always drink water with electrolites.. Smart Water if you like unflavored, or Zero Vitamin Water/Propel... things like that. Freeze some and eat it like a popcicle. Or pedalyte has popcicles which will help you stay hydrated too. I was very dehydrated after surgery and it was the most miserable feeling I've ever felt. I ended up not being able to keep even a tiny sip down and dry heaved for about 2 days before I went to the ER and found out I had pancreititus. I shouldn't have waited that long. If you can't keep anything down, you'll have to go to the ER. Just being dehydrated can make you feel nauseous so do like other suggested set a timer and take baby sips all the time. Eventually you get back to feeling normal. Good luck & sip sip.

At first I thought I wanted the lap band too, but I am so happy I chose the sleeve instead! I've read about so many people who have gained their weight back with the band or have had horrible complications then require having multiple surgerys to fix all the problems the band gave them. The sleeve is a one time surgery. Yes, i agree the thought of having part of your stomach removed is pretty drastic and scary but think about what can happen with the band... slippage that does require another surgery to fix, scar tissue, your body rejecting it... Most people who have the lap band end up having another surgery to either remove, repair or get a revision to another weight loss surgery. Being a self pay that is something to consider too... Another huge positive the sleeve has over the band is that it controls your hunger. I'm 1 year out and I can eat about 4-6oz of food and I get full and completely satisfied. Good luck with whichever surgery you choose! Keep us posted.

Hi Gina! The hospital gave me one that just wrapped around and velcrod together which was nice because it was adjustable and right after my surgery i was very swollen. It helped me SO much. It's kind of a strange feeling after surgery... the best way I can describe it is that my whole abdomen felt like a bag of marbles... like everything was loose. I wore it all the time, even when I was sleeping. It helped so I could lay on my side without it feeling like everything was moving. That feeling only lasted a couple weeks. I do still wear a "suck it in thing" as I call it... bacially those compression underwear that go up to my ribs. I only wear that because it flattens my belly and helps my love handles go away. Now my mom just had surgery last month in MX and I gave her my wrap they gave me in the hospital and she never used it. She didn't have that feeling that everything was loose... So maybe you won't need it, but very good to have just in case. Good Luck with your surgery!! It's the best thing EVER!!

:cornut: Hi everyone! I had my surgery Nov 16 2010. I remeber feeling just like you all, If you have any questions let me know. I'm almost to my one year anniversary. I started 267 and now 164. So I've lost 103lbs in about 1 year! I still have about 24lbs to go until I get to goal. So just think how awesome you guys will be next year at this time!! :plane: :not_ripe: :party4: :heart: :coolgleamA:

Hi Stacey! I also have BCBS. I have all my dates of everything listed below. I set all of my appointments as soon as I knew what the next step was that I had to do. Just keep all of your information together and follow up on everything. After my info was sent to the insurance I called them everyday to check on the status... (I always got a different person, so I didn't feel like I was being too annoying, lol.) Read all the great info that you can find on this site. It's SO helpful because it seems that everyone has gone through basically the same situations. I love my sleeve and I'm sure you will love it too! It's definatly the best things I've ever done for myself.

You look great!!!!