KristyM

What an incredible journey so far! Today is the 9 month Anniversary of my surgery, and I am in the best shape of my life!! I feel great and I am keepin' on keepin' on. I can wear belts, now. Wooooohooooo! I am blown away with how easy things are for me physically, now that I have lost a super model (actually, they weigh less than 112, so I've lost a super model and a toddler). The benefits of my weight loss are too many to list, and I am so very thankful I made this decision to LIVE!!! I am doing my very best to make the right food choices, and I am staying active. I am looking forward to what life has in store for me. Thanks for listening!

Welcome! Welcome! This will be THE BEST thing you will ever do for yourself. Yes, you will have negative folks, but in reality, their negativity is rooted in concern for you: afraid of what might happen to you, in the worst case scenario. But, WLS has come so far since the early days, and I think the Sleeve is the best option, at least for me: it is less invasive, you are able to eat, you won't have the malabsorption issues that other WLS results in, etc. Both of my sisters and a close freind had Bypass, and it just wasn't for me. They are happy with their choice and I am happy for them. It is smart to do research and watch videos, but try to limit those--they scared me and I almost backed out of the surgery after watching some hair loss and excess skin videos. Being healthy is the most important motivation for you, I am sure. Yes, it will be a challenge, but you will be so wonderfully surprised how easily you will meet those challenges. You sound prepared, which is one of the most important things to help you during your journey. If you are a woman of faith, being Spiritualy prepared is important, too. If not, finding a group of like minded friends, and this forum, will be an invaluable resource of encouragement to help you prepare. Don't be afraid to ask questions, and do question everything! You will not regret this, and you will be so glad you made this decision to change your life!! Best wishes!

This happened to me, too. My periods were out of whack for about 5 months. And, not that this will happen to you, and I hope it doesn't, but I want to give you fair warning: some women, myself included, experienced yeast infections for about the first 3-5 months, too, in addition to the wacky periods. Not sure why the crazy periods and other female issues happen, but I think it is because our bodies go through a drastic change, and our hormones and such can't keep up. But, once you balance out around month 5 or 6, this should all stop and you will be back to normal. I would give it another month or two of periods to see if it evens out, but if it doesn't, don't hesitate to contact your gyno, just to be on the safe side. As if you aren't dealing with enough, Aunt Flow has to show up and ruin everything!!! I really hate her!!

I sure hope it is normal, because I get hungry about every 2-3 hours. I eat something small, enough to safisty me, but not a meal every 2-3 hours. Yep, I get that rumble (almost a kind of hurt) hunger pang, and when Matilda (the name I have for my new stomach) gets hungry, boy does she let me know!! I have noticed that my hunger pangs are much more pronounced now that my stomach is smaller. The first hunger pang I had after surgery scared me to death---it hurt and I thought something was wrong with me. I eat a tablespoon or so of peanut butter on a saltines, an ounce or 2 of cheese, half a protein bar, etc. whenever I get the hungries every 2-3 hours. I really hope this is normal, because I have been doing this since my surgery. I have found it helps me to snack on small stuff about 5-6 times a day instead of having 3 meals a day.

Yes, it happens, but I can assure you, you are not finished losing weight. I went through the same thing--staying at the same weight for about 2 weeks, then bam, you will lose about 5 pounds in a week or so. Just keep eating smart, making good food choices, and keep exercising and moving. It will start dropping off again, I promise.

You rock, Sista!!!

I have collar bones, collar bones, I tell you!!! Who would have ever thunk i?. I can wrap my hands around my wrists and my fingers meet. I no longer have cankles. I don't sweat all the time---I can actually walk around a store and shop for more than 5 minutes without sweating!! I can shop in the misses and junior sections. I can run and jog without it registering as a 5.9 on the richter scale. I have a gap between my thighs and can now wear corduroy pants without starting a fire from the friction. My bony butt hurts when I sit on hard surfaces. My double chin is gone. I have hip bones and ribs. I can breathe so much better---I no longer sound like Darth Vader. I actually look forward to shopping for clothes, instead of having to take a Xanax just to face the mirror in the dressing room (just kidding about the Xanax). The word big is no longer used in a sentence by others when describing me. My nickname has changed from, well we won't talk about my old nickname, but my new nickname is Skinny Minnie. Other than that, I haven't changed one bit. :)

Yes, go ahead and start your vitamins now, for 2 reasons: getting used to taking them and to hopefully help with the hair loss. I started taking a multi-vitamin about 2 months before my surgery (GNC Hair, Nails, and Skins brand is good; about $20.00 for a month supply). Yes, I have had some hair loss, but not as bad as I thought it would be, and I like to think it has been because I got a jump start on the vitamins. As you know, vitamin imbalances can cause weight gain, weight loss, fatigue, aches, etc. So, the better in balance your body is, hopefully it will help you heal quicker, maintain muscle, and lose weight steadily. Taking vitamins responsibly is always a good thing. I am 9 months out from my surgery and I faithfully take an iron pill and 5000 mg biotin once a day, and a hair/skin/nail multivitamin 2 times a day. I have had labs done twice, and my numbers are perfect---no vitamin, iron, or any other deficiancies of any kind. Of course, for at least a month after your surgery, you won't be able to swallow a pill, so prepare to buy liquid vitamins or be prepared to crush up (nasty) and swallow your pills. But, you will have to do this, so just prepare yourself. If you go the crushed up pill route, mix it with a spoonful of applesauce and it will go down lots easier. Best wishes!!!

No, I don't recommend trying that just yet. Your new stomach can't digest a whole pill right now. It could sit on your staple line undigested and cause major problems. As yucky as it may taste, crushing up your pills is the way to go for now. If you can get your vitamins and regular meds in liquid form, do so. Taking the crushed up meds with a spoonful of apple sauce helped me. Good luck!

Welcome!

That is totally normal. You will have pangs and such occassionally for quite a while as your body adjusts and grows back together. Just don't lift anything heavier than 10 pounds for 6 weeks, and don't do any core or abdominal exercises until your surgeon says you can, and you will be just fine. Best wishes to you!

I work in Accounting and sit at a disk all day long, too. I had my surgery the day after Christmas, 12/26/12, and I returned to work the next week, on 1/2/13. I asked for help moving anything that was more than 10 pounds. The sooner you are up, moving, walking, and getting back to a normal routine, the quicker you will heal. Every person deals with pain and getting over surgery differently, so definitely take as much time as you need. But, sitting at my desk was not any worse than sitting at home on the couch. I could not afford to stay out any longer than I did----I only had 3 sick days, so I didn't have a choice; I had to get back to work. In the worst case scenario, for a desk job, I recommend going back to work in less than 2 weeks. Again, it all depends on how quickly you recover. Take care of yourself first and foremost. Best wishes to you!!

Have at it, Sista!! I don't recommend that he lays on top of you with his full weight---there are other ways, as you know......... Have fun, and try not to pop your stitches!!!

All doctors are different, but I am so glad my doctor required a pre-op diet--it helps you get into the groove of what it is like eating right after surgery, and it is safer for your body because your liver shrinks and Proteins help your body heal better after surgery. I was on the New Direction Protein diet 2 weeks before surgery. I had to eat or drink 4 New Direction protein supplements a day and one meal with lean meat protein and any and as many green vegetables you want. I lost over 5 pounds that first week. Look online for New Direction supplements--they have things like Soups, puddings, hot chocolate, choclate Fiber drink, Protein Bars, etc. You have to eat or drink 4 of these a day, any comination, and again the one meal a day. The supplements are pretty good and I didn't feel like I was starved or hungry. The bars and drinks are very filling. Cut out all breads and all soft drinks during this time, too. You can't have them anyway after the surgery, so you might as well stop them now to prepare yourself. Below is a link to New Direction's website. Click on Bariatrics on the left hand side of the webpage, and it will lead you to Products to buy. http://www.robard.com/Programs/New-Direction/ Best wishes to you!!!

Hang in there, dear. You are experiencing normal things, and each day will get better than the day before. I know that is not very helpful, especially when you are going through it, but I promise you are not alone. I also promise, like pinky swear promise, that you WILL NOT REGRET this decision in any way. Once those pounds start dropping off, you are walking and doing light exercises, you begin to gain energy, etc., you will know that you have done the exact best thing you could possibly do for yourself. Of course you are tired---you have just had major surgery, and the anesthesia always catches up to you around this point of your journey. You are experiencing absolutely normal things. Once you can begin eating soft foods, you will begin to feel so much better, I promise. Just hang in there, do your best to walk, sip, walk, sip, walk, sip, and take each day as it comes. You can't speed up this process, so each day is a new experience, albeit a slow one. But, once you drop that first 20 pounds, that will motivate you to keep going. I am glad to hear the soreness is easing up a bit. I didn't have the hiccup thing, but walking and moving as much as you can will help move all the gas out of your stomach area. You've got this, Sista!!!! Take care.......

Nooooo! I do not recommend the Bypass---too many absorption issues and you are not guaranteed not to have reflux with the Bypass either. I had horrible reflux before my Sleeve and I am fine now. As long as I avoid the triggers like tomatoes and such, I have no probems with it. Both my Sisters had Bypass and they lost a lot of weight fast, but so have I witht the Sleeve. They both have to have iron infusions because they cannot absorb nutrients and vitamins naturally. Comparing their Surgery experience with mine, SLEEVE IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST WAY TO GO! Do not ever let a Doctor talk you into doing ANYTHING you don't want to do. Just look at the thousands of happy folks on this site, and it should help you make that decision. A 15% chance of anything should not be enough to make you choose the Bypass----anybody has a 15% chance of getting reflux if they over eat, each chocolate, or eat tomatoes. Also, you could save 15% or more on car insurance............................ Best wishes!!!!!

After lots of hard, hard work, some worrying, some tears (mostly happy ones), lots and lots of happiness, lots of new discoveries about the new me, lots of wonderful changes, I can finally say I have (almost) reached my weight loss goal. Only 2 more pounds to go! Wow, what an amazing journey this has been. I am so happy to be able to do things that ordinary, thin folks do all the time and take for granted: walk around a store without sweating and breathing hard, walk up a small flight of stairs without wanting to pass out, take a walking tour of an historic town on vacation and not have to stop and rest and wipe sweat, shop and try on clothes without being flustered, sweaty, and agrivated, etc. My energy level is out the roof and I have been able to get back into doing my favorite things: DIY projects and furniture refurbishing. My health had gotten so bad because of the weight, that I just didn't feel like or have the energy to tackle DIY projects, which I absolutely adore doing. It feels so good to have the energy and drive that I had lost because of the weight. I don't ever want to be robbed of another moment, for the rest of my life, by weight and health issues. Before I lost the weight, I always hid my hurt and uncomfortableness about my weight with humor---even if I was dying inside and hurt by other people's rude and hurtful comments, I would laugh and be self depracating. One of the things I always joked about, when it was windy and stormy outside, is that I almost didn't make it into the building because I almost got blown away (when you weight 285 pounds, that is funny, cause it would take one heck of a storm to blow away a 285 pound woman) Now, I literally have that exact thing said to me: "You are going to dry up and blow away if you lose any more weight". WOW! How ironic, huh? But, this journey has never been about being skinny. It has been ALL about being healthy, and Praise God, I am healthy!!!!! I am alive, I am still here, and I am better than ever!!! I must go now--a storm is coming and I've got to find something heavy to hold on to, should the wind actually blow me away....... Heheheeeeeheeeee Signed, Skinny Minny

Definitely do the diet as planned, and keep your fingers crossed about the approval. If you have done everything the insurance company has asked you to do pre-op, and it sounds like you have, then you should have no problems getting approved. And, you definitely want to have the diet started when you get the approval notice. Otherwise, if you don't do the diet now and you get approved, you will have to reschedule your surgery for later. The worst that can happen if you don't get approved---you do the diet and lose a few pounds on the diet. Stay positive and best, best wishes to you!!

Although Insurance paid for my Sleeve, my doctor's private pay was $14,000.00 in Alabama. This covered anasthesia, all doctor's visits, the surgery, and the hospital stay. Best wishes!!

Yes, I have BCBS of AL and they paid 100% for my surgery!! I followed their pre-op 6 month plan to the letter, as they asked (Weight Watchers once a week, Doctor's appt once a month for seven visits, provided 3-5 years worth of weights from previous year's doctor's visits), and I was approved on the same day my doctor's office submitted my paperwork. Of course, my BMI was over 40, and BCBS of AL will pay for the surgery without co-morbid conditions if your BMI is over 40. If your BMI is 35-40, you must have 2 co-morbid conditions (diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, etc). If you have done exactly what they have asked and you meet the BMI and co-morbid conditions, then you should be approved. Please let me know when you get approved and BEST WISHES!!! This will be the absolute best thing you will ever do for yourself!!! Don't give up and if for some odd reason they don't approve you, keep trying and resubmit with an appeal letter.

Thanks everyone! I have been gauging my success by the scale for 6 months now, and I sometimes forget that I am healthy, active, happy, and don't have to shop in the plus size section anymore----I need to focus on these facts instead of the scale at this point. I am actually in the size clothes I thought I would be in after I lost weight, so I am happy, happy, happy about that. Scale schmale......

I am a few days away from my 6 month anniversary of my Sleeve. I have lost 94 pounds and have about 12 pounds to go to reach my original goal. I have been hovering right at my current weight for about 2 weeks now, and I am fluctuating a pound up or down from my current weight. I am still eating right and exercising as much as before, but I just can't get past my current weight. Am I done losing??? I know 94 pounds is a lot of weight loss and everyone tells me I am looking and doing exceptionally well, but I really want to reach my goal of 12 more pounds. Am I being unrealistic about the 12 pounds? Should I just accept that 94 pounds lost might be it for me? I know 94 pounds is nothing to sneeze at, but up til now, I have been accustomed to stepping on the scale and seeing a loss in weight. It is freaking me out to see the same weight, and sometimes a pound more, especially knowing how hard I am trying. Signed, Not sure if I should be sad or glad...........