BKLYNgal87

Interesting but always beware of small sample size studies. When studies like this are expanded, the results can be quite different.

Wow way to go! Wishing you continued success

I concur with the pillow advice. My 8 lb cat sprang onto me about 4 days post op. Ugh! That re-activated my incision site nerves! I was fine but I considered buying her a collar with a bell on it

It could hurt. Don't risk it. This is what I did - made sure I drank all my protein requirements and every time I felt a pang I'd force myself out the door and walk around the block. The "hunger" subsided.

There are plenty of men who like bigger women. My year living in the UK was the most productive in my life in that department ... . IMO if you did this surgery to get more attention from men you did it for the wrong reason. SMH. OP - as others have said, those who matter don't mind and those who mind don't matter. I'm willing to bet if he's battling the bulge he will be understanding.

I love it!

If you don't have any issues with your gall bladder, you shouldn't have it removed. Period. Any responsible surgeon will say the same. If you take the preventative medication (actigall) after surgery it's not likely you'll need a second surgery to remove your gall bladder. Some people may still need it removed but it's not common. If it was a likely prospect then more surgeons would be removing the gall bladder pre-emptively. The more they can bill for, the better for them.

OP - I totally get where you are coming from. It's actually my worst fear that the sleeve won't work in the long run. Not everyone reaches their ideal goal and a big part of it is non-compliance but some of it is factors harder to control like genetics or thyroid problems. A great number of us are fighting a constant battle against our own bodies and always being one step ahead of the slump is very hard to maintain. Despite the pontification of some posters on here, I think the battle to maintain effects everyone in some way. I won't say don't do another surgery but I will say I also know people who had gastric bypass or the DS revision you're talking about. A few of them got to goal but struggled with the maintenance and ended up gaining back. I know a woman who lost 150 lbs with gastric bypass but 5 years later she has gained more than 50 lbs back. She is in her 50s and overweight. And she has bad arthiritis now so exercise is difficult. There are no more interventions left for her other than diet and it's a daily struggle. Like the sleeve, DS and bypass are tools, not solutions by themselves. Could they help you get back down to goal? Sure they could. But there's no guarantee you won't find yourself in a similar position in another two years. There are lots of DS resources out there, which other posters shared. People who have undergone DS probably don't post on VSTalk anymore so that's probably why you didn't get a response you'd hoped for. Talking to your old surgeon or nutritionist or a WLS counselor may also help you to determine what options would be best for you at this point. I am rooting for you! Wishing you all the best.

I second calling the practice manager. Every Dr's office has one.

I agree with everyone else here - no regrets. I wish sometimes that I did this sooner though honestly I don't think I could have handled all the changes one needs to make when I was younger. It happened at the right time and place. You have to be ready but you also need to be convinced this is the best way to permanently lose the weight. Trying to prevent eventual chronic deadly disease is one of the best reasons I can think of to get this surgery. Based on my family history and my weight there was no way I wouldn't get diabetes. My grandfather had it and died in his 50s. My father has it and barely manages to stay off insulin. I did NOT want it to happen to me! And on another note, I can drink Water post op just as easily as pre-op. I feel like I can't get enough of it actually because this summer's heat and humidity are making me nuts!

Mandy - Congrats on your success and best of luck on the rest of your journey. I can't wait until I can ditch my CPAP machine!!

Marriage is supposed to be a partnership in this day and age - not a transaction. Common ground can be found best, in my opinion, in therapy. You had this surgery to improve your health and quality of life, so that you could be there for your children longer - am I right? This wasn't a selfish, cosmetic decision. Perhaps the most basic fact in the universe is that things change. People change. This is one of the main reasons why divorce happens. But it doesn't have to be the logical conclusion. If both parties want it enough, a compromise can be reached. Maybe you and your husband can look up new healthy recipes and he can pick what looks good, maybe he can help you prepare dinner, maybe a couple nights a week you can eat something simple that doesn't require prep work. These are things to try while under guidance of a professional. If that doesn't work and your husband still isn't supporting you, then you'll have some tougher decisions to make. But you haven't been married that long and you still have plenty of solid options for resolution. Best of luck to you.

You don't both work full time. He works one job and you clearly work two [homemaking is a full time job - double full time]. You don't feel supported because he's not being supportive. Sorry but it's true. Methinks you two should really have counseling together before your surgery. You and he need to work out a plan that works for both of you so he doesn't sabotage your weight loss. Spouses have been known to do that. SMH.

Eventually your body will become acclimated to the diet. You will have a very difficult time continuing to lose weight if you don't start an exercise program. The key is both diet and exercise.

Yes everyone is different and everyone's instructions are different. You'll probably be fine as long as you're not on the pain meds. But it's not a good habit to get into to ignore your doctor's advice.

Thank you for sharing. I can't begin to fathom how difficult it has been to lose your sister. I applaud your bravery to make positive change in your life. Looking forward to seeing more from you!

Before you head off to Mexico or give them any deposit, you need to check your insurance policy handbook and see if there are any coverage limitations for complications of surgery performed outside the US. If it doesn't specifically say it won't cover medical costs of complications, then you don't have to worry about insurance not covering you if you have a problem post-op. I agree with Maharet, you should find a new GP because this surgery requires a lifetime of follow up and it's best to find a supportive doctor. The first big post-op testing you'll need is bloodwork at 3 months post-op to make sure you are not suffering any vitamin/mineral deficiencies among other things. Internal Medicine docs certainly can do post-op care, they do it for all sorts of surgeries, not just bariatric. Your doctor is just trying to avoid potential liability. As for not "medically clearing" you, this is irrelevant because your insurance isn't paying for the surgery. It behooves your surgeon in Mexico to medically clear you before surgery, however. If you determined there are no coverage limitations in your insurance policy regarding surgical complications then it doesn't matter if you've been cleared for it in the US or not, unless Dr. Alvarez requires it. Still, I say find a new GP.

I personally cannot lose any weight no matter what my calorie intake unless I exercise. You eating 800 calories and managing 100 grams of protein out of it sounds pretty good. I really think you've hit a plateau because your body has become aclimated to the diet. Exercise in some form (elevated heart rate) every day will kick the weight loss back into gear. Take it slow and enlist the help of a professional, if you can, to prevent injury.

Awesome work! I am inspired

I wanted to add that a 140 lb loss in a year is astounding, and something to be truly proud of, especially since it sounds you've mostly worked on the nutrition part of it. Congratulations on your success so far! The home stretch is always hardest as Cheri said but with hard work, sweat and determination you'll get there!

I saw you said the last two weeks you had been using an exercise bike. Had you been on an exercise program previously post- surgery? I think the only way for you to continue to lose weight is to step up the exercise, big time, to the best of your ability of course. If you are new to working out then I suggest you seek the guidance of a fitness trainer in the beginning.

Darn phone app. Was gonna say it depends on the individual patient's needs. People who need to lose 200-300+ lbs may not lose all the weight they'd need to with the sleeve. A lot of surgeons will do a two step surgical intervention, first the sleeve then bypass.

It depends on what is right for the individu patient

Everyone has those "am I doing the right thing?" moments. It's completely normal. This is a life altering surgery, but I kept looking at it as if I don't do this now, years down the line I will be suffering greatly and wish I had done it. As for difficulty swallowing, the first 24 hours post op they don't give you anything by mouth, and you shouldn't be drinking or swallowing any pills. In fact I couldn't take any pills at all for a week. Yes your throat is sore from being intubated during surgery but you'll also be on pain meds so for most people it's manageable. After your barium swallow you can ask if they'd allow you to take any lozenges if you are in pain. Good luck and smooth recovery!

Cheri - Thank you so much for sharing. Your insight and advice is always spot on. You look radiant, especially in the photo with your daughter . Congratulations on all your success! PS: You certainly look like you've got your hourglass figure back. Love your fashion style!