PoohSoup0803

I actually went to the ER because the pain was so bad.They tried giving me antibiotics and sending me home but I ended up back in the hospital two days later having it removed anyways. They said I had a lot of gallstones & that it was pretty inflamed.

Yes it was my stomach. Kind of gross... but informative. Lol

I have Northern California Kaiser and was sleeved 9 months ago. First you have to go to your primary care provider who refers you to a "weight loss class". At this class they make sure you are serious about changing your life and eating habits. It's a few hours long. If they see you are serious then you move on to the next step, which is another class. Also a few hours long. After that class they give you a date to meet with the Dr that is going to be your surgeon. They also inform you of what your pre op diet will be like and what exercise goals you need to meet. They let you know you cannot smoke, chew gum, or drink through a straw after surgery. If they don't think you are serious they will not give you a date with the surgeon. Once you meet the surgeon he will weigh you and tell you how much weight you need to lose to qualify for surgery. After that is up to you. There is no approval needed for the insurance. I got lucky and didn't have a copay. That is the only thing you might have to worry about. Once you make it to the surgeon though it's all downhill from there. As soon as you meet the goal you will meet with a nurse and a nutritionist. They're the ones that schedule your surgery date. You also have a consultation with a psych doc. A word of advice. Do not shoot for the goal they give you. If you weigh even one pound over what you're supposed to on the morning of surgery they will send you home and not do the procedure. Try to go at least five pounds lighter than your goal weight if you can. Good luck and I hope it works out for you.

I have Northern California Kaiser and was sleeved 9 months ago. First you have to go to your primary care provider who refers you to a "weight loss class". At this class they make sure you are serious about changing your life and eating habits. It's a few hours long. If they see you are serious then you move on to the next step, which is another class. Also a few hours long. After that class they give you a date to meet with the Dr that is going to be your surgeon. They also inform you of what your pre op diet will be like and what exercise goals you need to meet. They let you know you cannot smoke, chew gum, or drink through a straw after surgery. If they don't think you are serious they will not give you a date with the surgeon. Once you meet the surgeon he will weigh you and tell you how much weight you need to lose to qualify for surgery. After that is up to you. There is no approval needed for the insurance. I got lucky and didn't have a copay. That is the only thing you might have to worry about. Once you make it to the surgeon though it's all downhill from there. As soon as you meet the goal you will meet with a nurse and a nutritionist. They're the ones that schedule your surgery date. A word of advice. Do not shoot for the goal they give you. If you weigh even one pound over what you're supposed to on the morning of surgery they will send you home and not do the procedure. Try to go at least five pounds lighter than your goal weight if you can. Good luck and I hope it works out for you.

I am just a little over 9 months post op. Between about month 3 and month 7 I can't even remember how many times I cried in the shower as I watched clumps of hair fall out... when brushing my hair there was times I even regreted the surgery. I went from having full and thick curly hair to being able to see my scalp no matter how I did my hair. I never took any supplements. Time has slowly started to heal my poor head of hair. It has stopped falling out for the most part and is starting to fill back in. I know this is not what you want to hear, but if you just keep doing what you're doing and stay patient... your beautiful hair will come back to you soon.

I have been taking a medication called protonix since the day of surgery. It is one pill a day before you eat anything in the morning and it keeps all of the heart burn away. There have been a few days when I have forgotten to take the pill and I paid for it big time. This medication is by prescription only. You should definitely check with your surgeon.

I thought I had liver problems but it turned out to be my gallbladder. Gallbladder problems & gallbladder removal are VERY common after our surgery. The pain is also on the upper right side area & sometimes extends to the back & shoulders. I just had mine out 3 weeks ago. Good luck.

Me on the morning of surgery at 241lbs, the before and after picture of my stomach, & me 4 months after surgery at 202lbs. I weighed 279lbs before starting the pre op diet. I still have another 35 to 40lbs to lose. [ATTACH]18694[/ATTACH]

You lost over 150lbs? That's so great! Congratulations on your success & all of your hard work!

Hello everyone. I'm 6 weeks post-op and have a horrible cold. I'm wondering if there's any over-the-counter medications anyone knows of that are safe to take? My doc is out of town & I've been sick for 3 days already.. I'm worried about the alcohol & sugar in a lot of the OTC meds.. Thanks!

My BMI was 39 at the time of surgery.. I have lost 17lbs. I've been at the same weight for 9 days. Tomorrow is 4 weeks for me & I can't help feeling I should have lost more :/

Hello all! I know everyone is different, but I'm just trying to find what an average weight loss is for the first month post-op. If you could post how much you had lost exactly 1 month from your surgery I would appreciate it. I am 4 weeks post-op tomorrow & want to know how I measure up. Thanks!

I'm in Oakley/Brentwood area

Try this out.. I don't go to San Fran much.. But this might help! http://gosanfrancisco.about.com/od/thingstoseeanddo/qt/bestofsf.htm

Hello all! I was sleeved 12/10 and am down 17lbs since surgery. I'm looking to see if there is anyone that lives near me and would like to become occasional work out buddies or attend support groups together. I live in the East Bay of Oakland-San Francisco area.

Hello all! I was sleeved 12/10 and am down 17lbs since surgery. I'm looking to see if there is anyone that lives near me and would like to become occasional work out buddies or attend support groups together. I live in the East Bay of Oakland-San Francisco area.

Wow! Congrats! That's so great!

You are right Brandy.. I think it almost is! Lol. I hope that's the explanation!

Thx Chris. I saw a few of them.. It's just kind of discouraging. I hope to get over this soon. Did it happen to you?

I'm lucky to get about 32oz in.. It's sooo hard not to gulp Water down!

That's great! We are supposed to be at 64oz a day right? How much liquid can you keep down?

Sadly a lot of people on here are rude to other people as well.. We forget that we ALL have something in common on this site.. People need to realize that the negative attitude and comments don't benefit anyone.. I don't know you personally.. But am proud of your journey and success. Tell your wife not everyone on here is crazy! LOL! I was sleeved 12/10/12 & I am doing great. Keep up the good work and remember when you are on here to just focus on positive people and their experiences. We all already have so much going on in our lives.. Why waste any energy focusing on the negative?

It's so frustrating!! I feel like I went through the pain of the surgery, and I'm not getting results.

Wow I never realized that sharing my opinion or advice would result in so many rude & catty responses! I thought we were all on this forum to help each other and offer support and advice not be rude to each other. If you did not like my advice or my suggestion to you, you simply could have thanked me for offering it and moved on. You didn't have to be rude like you did as well as the other posters in this thread. As for the other people, my information is neither wrong nor outdated. I have been a nurse for nine years working in a pediatric department. All of my information is the most current and up-to-date. The only reason I suggested pumping and dumping to you, is because that is what I did. I was sleeved on December 10 and have a four month old. While other people might tell you it's okay to breast-feed while on narcotics, that is not something I personally would want to take a chance with. Whatever you decide, I hope it works well for you. I will make sure to never post on your threads again. Like I said, this forum is supposed to be about helping people, and sharing your advice and experience. It seems like you and the posters of this thread have turned it into attacking people you don't think are right in their answers. How sad.