MichiganChic

@@swimbikerun What do you do for a living?

RJ, so sorry about all this!! I hate this for you! I'm wishing you a speedy recovery, and that you are able to maintain your sunny outlook. That's the thing you can control, and I'm sure it goes a LONG way in helping you get better. Keep us posted, and enjoy that deck!

@@beachgurl84 I think sometimes docs take a singular approach to both surgeries, and don't always differentiate the uniqueness of the sleeve. My doc did tell us in the seminar that sleeve patients can take NSAIDS, steroids, etc because there is not an anastomosis (suture line from stomach to bowel), where ulcers are likely to occur. I've been taking ibuprofen for a year without difficulty. I'm not advising to go against their docs orders - just saying what mine said and what I do. As for the reflux, I had that before surgery. I had been taking a PPI up until recently. I am pleasantly surprised that I have been able to get off of it! I was really worried I would need it forever, but I've been off about a month now, and no problems. Hope it stays that way!

Hi Sannah, Great to see you again! I'm not pregnant, (too old ) but we were sleeved around the same time and remember you! Hope all is well with you and your upcoming arrival! How have you been in general?

I think the biggest risk is in the first 2-3 weeks. After that, it diminishes significantly. I've heard of people discovering them some time later, but after the first 6 weeks, it's pretty unlikely.

Both can be successful, just depends on what YOU do with them. Statistically RNY patients lose about 10% more, but I've already lost more than either statistic. I chose sleeve because I didn't want the malabsorption. I'm happy with my choice, but I'm having a hard time with the last few pounds and sometimes I wonder if I would have done better with the RNY. Also, I have to really make a conscious effort to eat the right things. I can tolerate absolutely everything, so there is no deterrent to eating ice cream, cake, etc. Also, I'm a grazer by nature, and RNY is a better choice for people like me. I knew that going in, but I chose the sleeve anyway. One other thing - you can never take NSAIDS with RNY, but you can with the sleeve. That was a big consideration for me. I don't want to get into old age and have limits on medications that I may need. Again, I'd make the same decision again, but I think those are things to consider.

LOL. My kids are ALWAYS Hangry. They drive me crazy

I'm 18 months out, and my labs are all normal, as of yesterday. I take 45 mg of elemental Iron daily. I want to get off of it, but my doc (PCP) doesn't want me to. He said he has a few patients with sleeves or RNY who have low iron even with supplementation. I'm going to go off of it (against his recommendation) and have it checked again in a couple of months. I have read studies where some people are anemic even with lots of supplementation after WLS, just as some become hypoglycemic, despite adequate intake. I did recently get off the PPI successfully.My Calcium levels are a little high, and I don't take any calcium. I've had my had PTH checked, and it's OK, but something we have to watch. I also have to get off the mild diuretic I've been on for a few years for pedal edema, since that might elevating the calcium levels........Hate taking pills, but I hate Water retention worse.

It's water. With increased heat and humidity of summer, it's easy to hold on to water. I can easily hold 4-5 pounds of water. When I was 300 pounds, it was at least 10. Try increasing your fluid intake, avoid high sodium foods (read those labels) and try to get in a little walking. Sit with your feet up when sitting.

Yes, we have set points where our bodies are more comfortable. I'm at one right now. Even as a young adult my body resisted going any lower than 160.

@@CowgirlJane I can't remember the exact name of it. I looked a little and couldn't find it, but when I have a little more time I'll search some more. It was a really interesting program, with 3D graphical images of the bones in motion.I'll let you know if I can find it.

I was expected to eat under 600 calories for the first few months, up to 800 for the duration of weight loss. I pretty much did that, and I learned that I don't lose very well if I eat over 800-900 calories. I would have never known that without the sleeve. I eat around 1100-1200 now, and the last few pounds are coming off very slowly at 18 months.

Lisa, I am so sorry for your loss. Know that we are here for you during this difficult time. Sending prayers your way.

As a daughter and a mother....I can understand this trap. I did to my daughters what my mother did to/for me - try to encourage good habits. Unfortunately, I was never able to walk the talk. I knew what to do but couldn't seem to do it, and desperately did not want my kids to follow in my footsteps. I kept hoping that teaching them would be a step up. They saw it as criticism and nagging. Even when I would do what was needed for long periods of time and tried to bring them along, it was not successful. You can't make another person lose weight, or do just about anything they don't want to. So, I wonder if your mom is the same way. She may not feel she can help herself, but she probably is encouraging you the only way she knows how. So, just like my mother was unsuccessful in enforcing my diet, as I was with my kids, you also can't get someone else to change their talk unless they want to. You can try talking to her about it, but at the end of the day, you can only control yourself. Good luck!

@@ljperez I understand that. I was a closet eater, in addition to an out in the open eater. I still find myself less willing to graze or put things in my mouth when my family is around. In my case, being a closet eater might be a good thing, lol. I'm also about a year and half out, and my family is also surprised at my capacity. I think they are comparing it to the 2 oz max I could consume the first month or two, and not to the 4 quarts they consume! I just explain this is how it is. I've lost a lot and I'm not gaining, so there's not much for them to say. They are adjusting I really can't blame my closet eating on them, though. They never judged me for my weight or my intake before surgery. It's all on me, and I just have to fight that demon best I can.

I measured and kept water near me at all times, and just sipped, sipped, sipped.

LOL, none of the above. Some procedures are clean, some are sterile, which dictates the process. Here's the thing. I think it's imperative that you are the master of your own health care and that you make informed choices. You should expect your healthcare practitioners to provide safe care and you should have some basic expectations (like did you SEE them wash their hands before and after the touch you). But since you are not a medical professional, you are never going to be able to evaluate everything they do. You need to make sure they are accredited by some regulating body to show that they meet standards of practice. Research the best you can, and go with someone you trust. The trust is key here, because even if they have passed a survey, there is no guarantee they will not deviate during your procedure. You need to trust that they will adhere to the standards when no one is watching.

Michigan Chic, This statement right here is what I keep coming back to. My husband, who loves food and loves to eat, but can easily turn food away, just doesn't really understand what I go through day in and day out. I heard one person call it "brain chatter". That constant nagging in our heads about wanting to eat, thinking about food, etc. I have read where people talk about what you say...feeling more "normal." That's how I felt, back in the 90's when the "real" Accutrim was out there. I would take one of those on days that felt stressful or like I might have a problem watching my intake and for that day, I felt like my relationship with food was...normal. I ate when hungry, stopped when no longer hungry. I wish there was something that would give me that feeling all the time. I just want a normal relationship with food. I know what you mean about the brain chatter. I never thought of it that way, but that's what it is. I hate to tell you, I still have that. I don't know if it will ever go away. However, it does not have the power or frequency that it used to. I can resist it, and I can easily be distracted from it. A lot of the time, it's not there at all. I do get hungry, but it's not this overwhelming DRIVE TO EAT that it used to be. It used to feel like I HAD to keep putting food in my mouth, much like breathing, even when I was not hungry (though I truly was hungry a lot of the time). Now normal to small size portions satisfy the mild to moderate hunger I experience, and the chatter subsides. If I'm stressed and not otherwise occupied, the chatter is there. However, if I am busy, there's no chatter! And, when I'm physically hungry, I get what I suspect is a normal urge to eat. Anything will satisfy it, so it allows me to choose the right foods instead of some crazy drive to eat cake. I could not have begun to realize how life changing this would be for me. I really wondered if I would be a good candidate for surgery that did not involve malabsorption, because I could not lose weight at all, the older I got. I figured if I couldn't lose it myself, what on earth would make it come off after surgery? Answer: It's the ability to drastically decrease calories and maintain that reduction over time. Some people get inflamed when others accuse us of "taking the easy way out", but for me, it was definitely easier. I don't mean to imply that I don't work for it every day, all day. I just mean that if you compare the scenarios, this is much easier. You still have to do the work, but the difference is that the surgery gave me a fighting chance. Hunger and capacity are decreased enough to let my willpower do what normal people do - manage my weight through diet and exercise.

I wondered about this, too. But I saw so many people succeeding, and the statistics indicate that people can and do succeed in losing and maintaining a significant portion of their excess weight, that I decided to take a leap of faith. I just wasn't sure if I had what it takes to be successful, but since I was already unsuccessful in my weight loss attempts, it was sort of a last hope. I do think that part of the success factor is the rapid weight loss in the beginning. It's very encouraging in the first few months to see the weight sliding right off with little effort or hunger. The severe restriction and general discomfort associated with eating helps to instill new habits. Success begets success. It's true, hunger does seem to return for most people. Your capacity will likely increase (mine did). However, even with the return of hunger, it's manageable. Probably like a normal person, something many of us have never known. And, even with an increased capacity, it's NOTHING like it was before. So, those are the tools you hear people reference. At the end of the day, it's up to us. You have to decide what you will do with it. You can maximize it, or you can work around it. It's not magic, and it does not change your behavior. You have to do that. One other thing that it helped me with - I learned a physical reason I was so heavy (besides the obvious). I have to eat around 800-900 calories a day to lose weight. So, even a "normal" diet (based on scientific calories in/calories out) for me was way too much. Without the sleeve, I would have never been able to decrease my intake long enough to lose the significant amount weight I needed to lose. I have seen similar stories from others, so I know I'm not alone. So, that's a long way of saying there's more to it than meets the eye. The sleeve will do some of the work for you initially, but for the long term, it's ALL you, baby! And you can do it if you want to.

Life as you know it will be over. You will be moving on to your life, V2.0. It's much better. If you play your cards right, make the right changes to your thinking and diet, you will never mourn the old life that is focused on food as a major source of entertainment, comfort, and enjoyment. Personally, I'm pretty happy about it. I knew that things would have to change but couldn't really fathom what it would look like. I had to decide that food can NOT be the center of my universe. I still enjoy eating, I do dine out, but it's not center of my universe anymore. I think my new life is better, richer, and far more balanced. You'll find that you don't need to focus on food because when you are thin and healthy, there are so many better things to fill your time than eating. Good luck.

Wow. That individual clearly has issues. And she doesn't sound that bright, either. Obesity is a medical condition and complications from it can be life threatening and life limiting. Sorry you had to endure a self absorbed rant your expense. Hope she feels better about her own fat acceptance, now. This individual is missing the boat - your actions in no way are a judgement of her, yet she feels perfectly justified in judging you. I say good riddance. And I almost never say that.

@@Georgia I couldn't agree more. I reach a point once in a while where I just need a break. I have new habits that I've learned, but the old ones are still lurking in there. It's work for me to squelch the old, bad habits. It wears me down some days when the rest of my very busy, overly stressful life takes all of my energy. The one new habit that I've learned, that hopefully will be the thing that leads to continued success, is the knowledge that one bad meal or day or week does not define my future success. I have the power and can exercise it to stay or get back on track after a deviation from usual good behavior Yep, this too, shall pass.

@@Travelmego I did mean mask on the nose, but really, in my opinion, not putting it over the nose is just about like not wearing one at all.

What type of surgery is he proposing? I don't know what "moved up" means. I think that a sleeved stomach can twist, can get strictures, and can have an intussusception (usually the bowel) meaning it telescopes into itself. Any of these might be considered an obstruction, causing the symptoms you describe. I'm sure there's a host of other things "moved up" might mean. I think it would be a great idea to call the surgeon and get some specifics so you can know what's going on. Either way, hope you feel better soon!

Love that!