teambrown4

* typos thanks go to my iPhone -lol

I'm completely worried about this too! My dr says expect to lose 3/4 of what I have! YIKES!!!! My bf had pretty big boobs now.... Well long flat pancakes is hOw she describes them. she's now wearing VS Water bras:( My dr's office has a plastic surgeon and a visit with him for a breast lift and timmy tuck was part of my consultation. I can't imagine going through surgery again (even after a years wait) after all the pain I had from this one, but in a years time as my body changes I might change my mind as I know I'll miss my boobs! I'd love to see the feedback u get from people a year or more out. Good luck to you.

So today I went in for my one month PO visit. I just really need to vent to people that understand cause I only have two people that I can talk to about this that have gone through it and neither live close enough to visit in person so it's a lonely road right now.. I gained two pounds! ;*( I initially have lost 11 the first 8 days out. But in the past three weeks since then I gained 4 during my period and lost two but am still up two, from my one week PO visit. Dr says I am not eating often enough. He wants me eating 1oz 6-8 times a day. I'm eating about 2-3oz 3 times a day now. I'm drinking at least my 64oz of Water so that's not an issue at all. I exercise 45-60 mIn a day and am up and down stairs throughout the day so I'm doing well on exercise. I'm getting in all my Protein without issues. And am not eating crap or fatty or fried foods. I'm so beyond frustrated!!!!! I've developed horrible acid reflux in the past two weeks (have a rx to take once a day but its not helping) and each time I'd take my Vitamins (3 pills 3x a day), I'd get nauseus for hours or immediately throw up. So I was just told to stop my vitamins over this past weekend but now I'm so tired that I have zero energy which makes me feel Awful. Now my new thing is insomnia! I'm not blaming the surgery as I do have some stress going on in my life but even if I go to bed at midnight, I'm up t 3-3:30am. It takes hours for me to sleep again and then I'm tired all day.;( I just feel very discouraged. I don't enjoy anything I eat. I have pain and gas and acid and feel like I'm hungry all the time so I drink my water to help that feeling go away but my head says "why another diet, I'm hungry"..... This just sucks.....

I felt the same! The emotional roller coaster is very hard! I'm one month and two days out and feel nothing like I did one week out or two weeks out... It jut all gets better in time. I've actually gained weight, so add that into my regret?!!! But I know in time that will change too!!!! Talk to people often in the same situation and it will be a huge help! This too shall pass!

I truly needed to read this today! Thank you! My one month is tomorrow and after my initial -11lbs my first 9 days, I haven't lost anymore the past almost three weeks. I have my nut telling me she's sees I'm doing verging correct in it and exercise and yet my dr said -1-3lb at least a week is normal. So to lose none is discouraging!;( But again, I say the same thing every night before bed.... It'll get easier every day and less will be intolerable and less will be painful in one month, as one month ago this week was hell and pain like I've never felt. (& I've had four kids)! Yes, to look towards the future is all I can do and just stay positive everyday that this 'diet' is one that will work!!!! :-)

Well tomorrow is my one month mark. I like to say right now this was all worth it but I can't. I lost 11lbs in the first 9days (duing hell week), but nothing since then. That's almost three weeks without a weight loss? How's that possible? My NUT says expect 1-3lbs a week but I'm not even doing 1lb. :-( We went over myfitnesspal tracker that I use on my iPhone, to see what foods I eat and liquids and Vitamins I have and my NUT says I'm doing great. After week two she suggested to take my walking and treadmill exercise from 30min a day to 45-60. Which I did, & Although I feel better, the body doesn't look better. I'm not gaining muscle mass as I'm not working out but the NUT says don't worry it may just be this way for a while, yet my dr says the first three months I'll lose quickly. What the heck? I can't even lose over three weeks. I did measure myself & I have lost two inches overall but again, that was prob from the initial 11lb loss. My month PO is in two days and I'm sure I'll have a lot to say to my dr when I see him. This is just very frustrating and of course the thoughts of why did I do this echo over & over. I could have probably just committed to Jenny Craig and saved me 20k CASH, and 2 weeks of pain and worry. Ok... I just needed to see if there's a light at the end of this long lonely tunnel.... Venting over..... Back to trying to be positive about my future health!!!

Wow that's awesome!! Good or you! How exciting. You must live looking at the transformation before your eyes! I'm one month tomorrow and haven't done anything in terms of exciting. Not yet! Lot 11 lbs the first week and nothing past three weeks. Very discouraging! So I'm happy to see this does work for others as I know what a physical, financial and emotional tole this takes. Great work! Keep up the inspiration for those of us not as successful (yet)!

I know this all will take time but to see weekly progress even if only one pound would be encouraging and satisfy my question of was this even worth it? The first week home, hell week as it was, was an 8lb loss, then from there the bext two weeks were only 3 more. It'll be a month this coming Tuesday the 13th and I've gained three pounds this last week and lost one. Yes gained:( Yes I am following all the diet and exercise and Water advice my NUT is giving me. I'm getting in all my Proteins and not eating crappy stuff. I'm not cleared to exercise with weights so it isn't a matter of weight being more due to muscle mass. I do feel hungry all the time but since I use the app tracker called my fitness pal on my iPhone I am very clear of every Protein, fat, carb, and so on thy I'm consuming and my NUT says I'm doing perfectly! So why aren't I losing? Seems so odd that someone can be eating as few calories as I am, drinking an ocean of water, taking 9 damn Vitamins a day and walking or treadmilling over an hour at minimum 7 days a week. This weekend ends a month of Sadness and frustrating at the least....

They sound great! Thanks for the tip

My hospital required me to be picked up. My husband stayed in the hospital with me so it was not an issue. Maybe speak to a friend or if u go to church someone there. Or how about reaching out to someone here by listing your city and maybe someone here that actually understands your needs lives by you and you can then also have someone to lean on? Good luck!!! If u live by me in Cali I will come get you;-)

I too would not consider Mexico for many reasons but if you won't consider that either then you do have options. I'm in Cali and have an amazing dr but it's good to find someone close to you for all your visits pre and post op. My total was 20k. I used my insurance for the Pysch visit and the endoscopy. The dr I used has a nutritionist on site an that visit was $25. My cost includes all other lab work, my hospital stay and 5 years after care visits for check ups and nutritionist. Because I was self pay I did not have to have the sleep study as that is something only an insurance company requires. My ins co.(Cigna) had pre approved me after a 6 month diet monitored by a dr and three weeks befor surgery I was denied! I went through with it anyway. Most all doctors have a finance company they work with for cash payments and I suggest you check into your dr office for that advice. It was worth it to me! I know I could have paid less than half that in Mexico but the pre op and post po care needed to be close to me and for my family to be with me, as my hubby insisted on spending the night, it was just important! Anyway there's lots of options so just do your research! I had seen two dr's before finding mine who had a seminar and then a consultation I went to. I clicked right away And that was overall important. I read every review I could about him and asked tons of questions and was very happy with my choices. Good luck to you!

You look great! Love the darker hair. Looks like a different person. Congrats on your success!

I'm so sorry this happened to you! I'm on pins and needles waiting to know when I came at sushi again (I'm only 3.5weeks po) I hope someone can give you some advice that we can both learn from. I for one was told stay away from fried foods, so maybe the tempura is what did u in? Also nothing wrapped will be easily digested (sea weed or typical Cali roll). Stick with the rolls with baked rice or at Lear brown so it's very dense. That's all the advise I got from my Nut, but she also said wait a few months. So far I've only had seafood that has been the closest thing to my wonderful sushi. Good luck and I hope it passes and isnt a thing of the future for us.

So today is 3 weeks post op date. I am very glad that I am feeling better every week. The pain from the incision in the right side muscle was almost unbearable the first week and now it only bothers me when sitting too long. I am totally used to burping in-between bites..lol.... not something I ever thought I would be comfrtable with, but it has to be done or food gets stuck. I had a bad weekend of trying new foods, and all feeling stuck. As for the weight loss.... well I feel that I am a slow loser? I can see that lots of people have twice the success as me. I lost 9lbs the first week and 4 since then, nothign since last friday tho. I know that 12lbs is still something to be happy about. I could not even button my pants after surgery because of the iv fluids and gas inside me so at least I feel that I am fitting into my pants with ease. I know that 12lbs in 3 weeks is something I would not have done on my own. I also know that not drinking alcohol or eating late night Snacks would still be happening if I did not have this surgery. It is a shame I could not have adopted this mind set before, as I am still always hungry, so I have been cranky. The worst for me right now is the moods! I am hungry... my dr says it is gas, and ummmmm noooooo it is hunger!! so I am depressed not to be able to fullfill that emtiona need sometimes, and then angry cause I am hungry and feel pain when I eat most of the time, so then angry for putting myself in the position of being so over weight that I had to have surgery and then I feel sad that I have so many restrictions which make it hard to enjoy being out with friends and family as we used to. I am glad I made the choice to do something for me that will help change my life because I know that a year from now i will see this was all worth it. good luck to all on your journey.

I completley agree! I am also 3 weeks out and I lost 9 pounds the first week, then 3 the past two weeks. Last week I gained 1.5lbs, and lost it, but do not count that loss of course. I think it was because of my period. Which came two weeks early too. i have heard that is an issue for a lot of people too. I think 12lbs in 3 weeks sounds like a lot, and yes it is... however not when you consider I am following my dr's diet and exercise advice and others i see lose at least twice as much as this. I haven't lost since friday, and that is ok if it is just gonna be a few pounds a week, that is great in a year from now... but I get how you feel right now... just seems like we are doing something wrong, but i know I am not and just have to tell myself to have patience. Afterall at 42, this weight came on after years and years of being unmotivated, lazy, and hungry-lol... so it will take time to lose it I know! However despite what my doctor says, I am still hungry,... it is not gas pain, it is hunger! so this is still as hard as it ever was to diet, as I am just hungry! Oh well.... all in due time... Good luck to you on your journey as well.

Thanks for the tip!

I too am 3 weeks po and have lost 10.5lbs! I feel like its nothing compared to those I know and those here I read about. Sorta depresses me but I too have told myself to stay away from the scale. I know I'm following my dr's food and exercise advice so eventually things will start moving for me, they have to!!!! Hang in there and lets hope we can move past this and into the next phase.

Yep!!!! It was just a nightmare dealing with Cigna! Being approved then not then being told what to do to get approved by them only to have them dent 3 weeks before (again)! I have many personal reasons for not going to Mexico that I just couldn't see doing but many have had success there. Care credit is a good loan option the dr office can tell u about. I ended up paying 20k!!! Yikes... But for the surgeon I wanted and hospital too and 5 years after care it was worth it for my peace of mind for my health. Now with that said.. Am I glad? Well I'm only 3 weeks out an not losing but I think it'll pay off if I stay patient and disciplined! Good luck to you!!

I too came home about 7lbs heavier too. I lost it in a week then was the weight i was day of surgery.... :-( but honestly I don't know if the First few Weeks are golden cause I'm three weeks out and only down 10lbs. I too am Following my dr's advice on diet and exercise and it's just not coming off :-( I'm sure it's different for us all!!! I'm trying to be patient as its all I can do not to regret! Time will tell ;/)

Cigna gave me a pre-approval with my 6mo requirements and then 3 weeks before surgery they denied. I appealed and they were quick to deny again! I went ahead and got a medical loan and paid the (gulp)20k!! Mexico wasn't an option for me on a personal level but a LOT of people go there and have great success for less than half of what I paid. So check into that. Good luck

Cigna gave me a pre-approval with my 6mo requirements and then 3 weeks before surgery they denied. I appealed and they were quick to deny again! I went ahead and got a medical loan and paid the (gulp)20k!! Mexico wasn't an option for me on a personal level but a LOT of people go there and have great success for less than half of what I paid. So check into that. Good luck

That's a great post! Thanks for sharing. I was so ready to make a comment on the drinks until I saw your ps-lol Congrats on your loss and work and good luck on the rest of your journey!:-)

Ahhhhhhhh I feel ya! I didn't have a preop diet but 9 days after surgery I weighed in and lots only 8lbs. It's been 8 more days and I gained a pound and a half (yes gained) then lost half a pound as of today. It's so discouraging! I'm following my dr's diet and exercise advice and it's just not moving! Very discouraging. This is my third week and I just feel so tired and blahhhhhhhhh

I went through almost the same thing with Cigna! Well it was 3 weeks out and I hadn't fasted yet tho! I was crushed and cried that entire day and then said... No this is really important and I jut gotta folloow through. So I kept my surgery date, used my savings and 20k & 3 weeka later I had my surgery on 2/13/12. I'm not done writing and submitting info and bills to Cigna, but I just had to get through it! I wih you lots of luck! if you have the time then email & call them daily! Submit statistics for the long term Health issues and pictures and whatever u can gather to get ONE PERSON to look at u and make te Change! To approve band and not sleeve makes no sense! State the fact that there's more long term office visits with the band for the constant maintaince and the slippage rates and so on! It's ridiculous to approve any if not all! Wish u luck

-14 That's great! I was only minus -8:-( but some of my nutrition classmates are -26 & -22(hell if I know how)! You're the norm!!! Good job!!!!!!