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I hated Bosely. Left like a film on my hair. I use Revita shampoo and conditioner. They also have Minoxidal products. It's expensive, but worth every penny! My hair was thinning long before the surgery and Revita stopped it. The conditioner helps hair grow back and adds thickness. Available at hair salons and on Amazon. Also, broken record here, start NOW on multi-Vitamins, Vit D, Vit E, Biotin and most-important, fish oil. The pre and post op diets don't contain enough good fats -- that's why hair falls out. I am 2 months out from surgery, and no hair loss.

Tinahall: I am 8 weeks out and I notice the same thing. I sit down to eat a delicious meal, and boom -- 4 bites and I am done! I bring a lot of food home. It's such a surprise sometimes. Oh well, wouldn't trade my old life for my new one.

Anything with tomato sauce. 8 weeks post op.

Private rooms at St. Joe's. Decision could come down to which is most convenient. You'll spend a lot of time going back and forth to the center both before and after the surgery. For me, St Joe's was the most convenient. Plus my Primary Care Physician recommended Dr Lutfi and she has sent several patients to him -- all with great results!

At 3 weeks I was doing soft foods and Soups. I couldn't deal with the texture of pureed foods. Cottage cheese or scrambled eggs for Breakfast, Protein smoothies for Snacks, homemade soups/stews for other meals. I would go out for chicken and mashed potatoes (Boston Market), but if something upset my tummy, it was back to soups. Good restaurants for soft foods include Boston Market, Baker's Square, Panera Bread or any place that serves mashed potatoes (Chili's). Also, learned to love Greek yogurt with sugar-free preserves and Splenda, and sugar-free pudding. Applesauce is good too -- never thought I would eat applesauce as an adult, but I actually like it. What I especially like about these food is the single-serve packs. Portion controlled!

I had a six month approval cycle dictated by my insurance company also, but actually it gave me time to really decide if the sleeved life was really for me. Plus I needed the time to get the upper GI, psych eval, stress test, etc. Don't know if I was supposed to lose weight during that time, because the closer I got to the surgery, the more I ate. Some people call it "food funerals." I called it the "dead man walking" diet (you know, the "every meal is my last meal" syndrome). Like you, I wondered how I was ever going to go out with friends again, what I was going to do if I couldn't go out a drink beer and inhale chips and salsa. Since my surgery, where I thought I was going to miss certain foods and eating large portions whenever I wanted, I actually feel free and released from that addiction. I don't miss my old habits, old foods don't taste the same anymore, and I feel so much better now that my diabetes and high blood pressure are under control. As far as missing the eating and drinking with my friends, I find that I actually enjoy my friends more now that I am not obsessed with the chips and salsa, or the bread basket, or the plates of Pasta. I eat my small portions slowly and can then sit back and talk to friends. For me, the sleeve is giving me a chance at a normal life. No regrets. As far as negative reactions of people to the sleeve surgery, maybe I'm just old and bitchy, but I don't really take much crap from anyone. Remember what Ann Landers (or maybe Dear Abby) said, "no one can take advantage of you without your permission." Translate that to "no one can make you feel bad without your permission." Good luck on your journey! It will be amazing!

Five Guys was my favorite place BEFORE my sleeve. I actually went for the fries. I can't imagine it tasting good now -- all that grease! Ground beef is on my soft foods list and I have had burgers at some really fancy restaurants -- really lean. No bun, a little cheese. I can eat about 1/3 of a good sized burger. I am 8 weeks out, and, knock on wood, no problems with beef.

Are you on blood pressure medicine? I had several vasal vagel episodes in the weeks following my surgery. Kept cutting back my blood pressure meds and now I am on 1/4 of what I used to take. Even if you are not on bp med, it could be low blood pressure.

Vitamin D and Vitamin E to stop hair loss.

The chewable lemon-lime multis from Bariatric Advantage aren't too bad. I double them. Also 5,000 IU of Vitamin D, Biotin, Vit E, B12 (sublingual). Recently switched to plant-based Iron as the other can cause constipation. Also, get Fish Oil. I use Coromega, orange flavor. Comes in a gel pack. GNC has it. The pre and post-op diets don't contain enough good fats. That's why the hair falls out. Vit E and Vit D capsules are really small and are easy to swallow. They help prevent hair loss also.

Yeah, really, it took some doing. I never really even liked regular yogurt until after my sleeve. But, oddly my tastes have changed. I don't eat sugar, so I buy the 0% Plain and start doctoring. Try making cheesecake yogurt: one 4 or 5 oz container of plain Greek yogurt, Splenda to taste, tsp of Cinnamon, and a tsp or so of good vanilla (the real stuff, not the fake). Or, get some sugar- free fruit preserves. Whole Foods makes a delicious Wild Blueberry. A tsp of that in 4 oz of plain yogurt, then Splenda to taste. It's my late night snack (beats the huge bowl of ice cream I used to have every night). I don't have any smoothie recipes, but a friend makes her smoothies with Greek yogurt for the added Protein. She is using the Davinci syrups and agave, I think.

You can get Protec liquid protein from Amazon or Bariatric Advantage. Comes in 25 or 50 gram sizes and a bunch of flavors. I ordered the orange-pineapple flavor and mixed with Orange Crystal Light. It's in individual tubes so I could just stick it in my purse with a packet of Crystal Light and go. Can taste a little vitaminy, but gives a nice energy lift.

Don't own a scale, refuse to buy one. I am obsessive about scales and would weigh every hour if one was in my house. Only weigh at the doctor's office. To me, the way my clothes fit is more important. Sleeved on May 15, 2013, down 3 sizes. Gonna need an entirely new wardrobe -- oh darn!

Tracking my food and exercise using MyFitnessPro. Not drinking while I eat and waiting 30 minutes after eating to drink. I actually eat less! Finding excuses to exercise, i.e. parking farther away than I would have in the past and walking instead of driving. Helps that I'm not dragging around the extra weight. Learning to LOVE Greek Yogurt!!

Really? That's interesting. I missed that. I'll have to re-read that section. Another sleever and I were discussing the book and had the same question. Thanks.

Welcome! My suggestion: read. There are lots of books on Amazon about the sleeve surgery. The more you know . . .

I think my PCP is more excited about my sleeve than I am. I think she felt like a failure that she couldn't keep my weight, diabetes and blood pressure under control. She never brought up the surgery herself, but when I heard about the sleeve and asked her, she referred me to a great surgeon who had helped other patients of hers. She even visited me in the hospital after the surgery (not billing for the visit)! It's great and a shame that all doctors can't be that supportive.

DonRodolfo: where do you get this stuff? Thanks for making my evening.