Catherine707

In most states an employer can't fire you for a health related leave. I would find out what is and is not allowed in your state. Once you are approved for surgery, you usually have a year to complete it without having to run the gauntlet with the insurance company again. Only you can determine what your financial and work situation is and see the bigger picture of what is the best path for you. I am a firm believer in "what is meant to be is what happens". That doesn't mean sitting being passive, but if there is a big road block in my path, I look for why it might be good to have a delay or to change paths. Good luck to you, I'm sure you will make the right decisions for you and your health!

I was really nervous too, and I had had several surgeries before that went smoothly PLUS I work in the healthcare field. Once I got past the surgery and was feeling "recovered", I realized that my fear wasn't about the surgery, or side effects, but facing the reality that my relationship with food will be forever changed. That was a HUGE deal for me and was the root of my anxiety. The good news is that 4 months post surgery, I feel like I have made a lot of progress in dealing with my food issues. I am really glad I had the surgery and love the positive results I have seen so far!

I had problems about 3 weeks out with vertigo and nausea. My doctor told me to boost my protein to 90 grams per day, and increase my water to 80 ounces. I found that when I boosted my calorie count above 850 that things started to normalize for me. You could also have a stomach virus that is making you ill and giving you the diarrhea. The low sugar Gatorade / PowerAde would help replace any electrolytes that are low too. I hope you start feeling better soon!

That is definitely something to worry about. I started counseling after my surgery to deal with the loss of my best friend, food. It has been a challenge to find better ways to deal with issues than to reach for food, but I am doing pretty well overall. I think acknowledging the issue is the first step. Making up your mind to use food differently also makes important changes possible.

I had my surgery on May 23rd. I woke up May 22 with a sore throat and stuffy nose, and because of all the arrangements to have my surgery 150 miles from home, moved forward with the surgery as planned. The morning of May 23rd I felt ok, but not great. The day after surgery an upper respiratory infection hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt absolutely horrible. Because of the surgery it took me longer to get over the virus, AND it delayed my recovery from the gastric sleeve. I didn't feel well enough to do more than lay around for 4 weeks. In hind sight, if I had delayed my surgery I would have bounced back a lot faster. I have a history of getting upper respiratory viruses a couple times a year and I don't just get the sniffles, it is always the full blown bronchitis and sinus infection. I would definitely mention it to your doctor before you have surgery. If you are someone who just gets the sniffles and feels bad for a day or two, then it might be just fine. If you usually come down with a full blown infection like I do, then it might make sense to postpone. Good luck, I hope everything goes smoothly for you what ever you decide!

Both sides? Or only on one side?

I find that heavy protein meals (ground turkey, meat, and fortified Greek yogurt) tend to make me feel fuller fast. Foods that have simple carbohydrates seem to "slide" right through my stomach and I can eat a larger volume. There are several discussion threads on here about slider foods. The best thing is to experiment and figure out for your body what fills you up and meets your nutrition goals and which foods should be avoided because they lead to over eating.

Congrats to you! Something to celebrate for sure!

How long ago was your surgery? How easy is it for you to drink fluids and moderate your glucose levels? I would ask my surgeon before donating just to be sure!

This surgery is an emotional rollercoaster! There are lots of ups and downs and the best thing you can do is realize that they will come and then go. The feelings are temporary, and will pass. You have made significant changes to your body and taken away your ability to use food to sooth yourself. The emotional lows are normal and while they seem overwhelming at the time, they do pass and you will feel better I promise! Make sure you are getting all the protein, fluids and movement that your doctor recommended. I also found that if my calories were below 800 that I felt absolutely awful, but I couldn't get 800+ calories in my stomach per day until around week 3 or 4. Hang in there it will all be worth it when you see the weight come off and the scale move lower!

Wow, how much did you expect to loose per week? If one is able to maintain a 2 pound weight loss per week that is a terrific rate. We lose more weight in the fist couple of weeks because of the trauma to the body, and then most everyone hits the week 3 plateau while their body adapts to all the changes and they lose nothing! When you move through the plateau and start losing again, 2 - 3 pounds per week is really a good weight loss. Remember the sleeve is a TOOL it isn't a magic wand, although you will read a lot of posts with people with high weight loss, if you lurk on this site you will see that a more reasonable expectation is about 2 pounds per week.

Seems like a slider food to me. No real nutritional value. There is no protein and no fiber. I wouldn't eat this except on a very rare occasion.

I was ok for the first 3 months, but then the constipation hit like a ton of bricks (pun intended!) My doctor suggested a mixture of applesauce, wheat bran and prune juice. (1/4 cup applesauce, 1/4 cup wheat bran, 1/2 prune juice) mix it up and keep it in the refridgerator. Have 1 tablespoon at night before bed with 12 oz of water. It seems to be helping, but I'm not out of the woods yet....

I found that within a couple of weeks of eating solid foods that I was able to gauge how much was enough and what was too much pretty accurately. It is a trial and error process, trust me you want to error on the "too little" side not the too much, otherwise it is really uncomfortable.

I love the premier shakes, the only one I have tolerated so far. I'm 4 months post surgery and like to alternate a "fortified" greek yogurt and the premier shakes for breakfast each day. I like starting my day with a 30 gram protein shot! Glad you found something that will work for you too!

The anesthesia and the "trauma" of the surgery totally wack out your hormones. Some people start early some people late. It is nothing to worry about. Part of the healing process! I hope you are feeling pretty good post OP!

The roller coaster of emotions is part of the process too. I've had days were I thought my life was crap, and the world sucked.... but that was only how I "felt". When I step back and look at my real life, things are going pretty well, I'm losing weight, getting more energy, and handling projects at home I have been avoiding for years! Those are all signs of "sucess"! not failure. I have been a food addict most of my life and the sleeve "took" my crutch away. I am learning new ways of coping with the world and emotions without using / abusing food. If you no longer can access the thing that always made you feel better, then of course you will have emotional lows! So now when I am in one of those emotional lows, I acknowledge it, and maybe talk about it with a friend, but I also know with certainty that those feeling will pass, and I will find my way back to a happier more content place, I just need to give it time!

I think what you are seeing is very normal in the early stages. I hit a 2 week stall at week 3 / 4 while my body healed from the surgery and I was figuring out how to get the protein, water and calories in. Hang in there, follow your doctor's instructions and everything will work out in the end!

It is impossible to compare yourself to anyone else in the WLS world. People experience the weight and the surgery differently. I think it would be very hard to have my boss and his daughter saying how much she regrets her decision, but she isn't you and if you have done the research and attended the classes and understand what you are geting into with this tool, then your eyes are open and your decision is what is best for you and your health. Be polite to these folks, but don't let them sway you from your path. Good luck with your surgery!

Don't despair musiclover. It is easy to read the profiles on this site and lose sight of how well you are doing. Everyone loses at their own pace. Many people hit plateaus and have a tough time breaking through, but it doesn't mean the tool isn't working for you. You mentioned PCOS and thyroid issues, so you also have metabolic problems that some people don't deal with. You have lost 42 pounds, that is more than you would have if you hadn't had the surgery and changed your life. I couldn't function and work if I was eating only 800 calories a day. Have you talked to your surgeon or nutritionist about adding in more calories, protein or any other changes that might speed / sustain your weight loss? How is your exercise? That is another way to jump start your metabolism. The bottom line, you have made great progress and you can't compare your statistics to anyone else because no one has your exact circumstances or body except you!

I have used therapy to deal with some long standing issues multiple times, and was successful each time. For some people emotional issues are like an onion, lots of layers, and you might be only willing or able to deal with a couple of layers, but it is huge forward progress. Then you can take a break, and return when you are ready to deal with more layers of the onion. I live in a rural area and there isn't a support group for bariatric patients. I started seeing a therapist after my surgery knowing that dealing with the stressors of life without being able to use food to sooth and numb me was going to be a challenge. It has been very helpful to have someone to talk about the role food played in my life and how I need to cope / change without abusing food. As people above me have stated, if you aren't wiling to look at your issues and get some honest feedback, then therapy won't work, but if you can feel comfortable sharing your innermost thoughts, and are open to honest feedback and change then it can be one of the best things you do for yourself! Good luck!

Like you I had tried for 15 years to get my eating and weight under control. I always said "the deck was stacked against me" because I have had multiple injuries that prevented me from exercising over the past 15 years. I seem to take FOREVER to heal from an injury that others can bounce back from in a month or two. In 2011 I changed jobs and moved to a rural area, and I thought this was finally my time to get the weight under control. In 2012 I was diagnosed with metabolic syndrome and needed to get my pre-diabetes under control so I started the low carb diet recommended by my doctor. Two months later, I had lost only 7 pounds but my gall bladder was inflamed and I had surgery to remove it. Another couple of months to heal from that, and I got "serious" about losing weight again. This time I tried Medifast. Three weeks on it and I had a major allergic reaction to the soy in the food! In the meantime an acquaintance from my old job had bypass and kept posting on facebook about her terrific weight loss. I reached out to her and for the first time heard the truth about WLS, it had always scared me before. It got me thinking and then my employer sponsored insurance announced they would cover WLS starting in 2013 and I got even more serious about researching my options and educating myself about the surgeries. The first week of January 2013 I was contacting my insurance and getting the ball rolling. I had an up hill battle because the insurance didn't update their computer system with the new details of the coverage so I kept getting told "it isn't covered". That nightmare took 3 months to resolve! On April 15th I was approved for surgery, and had my sleeve on May 23rd. I had another rough recovery from the surgery and was off work for 7 weeks, but I'm 4 months out, and I've lost a total of 62 pounds! I never could have done it on my own! Now if I could just get the insurance company to pay the bills correctly, and I can lose the $9,000 bill that is hanging over my head, life will be really wonderful. At this pace I will lose 100 pounds by my 50th birthday at the end of January! That is a huge life changing number!! I'm glad I had the surgery and am looking forward to the day when I can do all the physical things that I used to enjoy. Good luck with your surgery, I'm sure you will be thrilled with the results too!

At under 300 pounds you shouldn't need to worry that they won't let you fly or will require a second seat. You are making great progress and your internal mental image may not be in synch with your new trimmer body. I'm sure everything will go smoothly and you will be pleasantly surprised at how much you have changed since the last time you flew! Keep up the good work and be prepared for a NSV when you realize how much easier it is to travel at less than 300 pounds! I am flying for the first time post surgery on 9/29 and am hoping I won't need the extender this time! We have to embrace and rejoice in the little victories along the path to a healthy body!

I caught an upper respiratory bug in the hospital and it really slowed my recovery. I would do anything possible to ward off a viral infection before having surgery!

This doesn't sound good. Has the surgeon seen it or have you only had phone consultations? I think a Dr needs to see it physically ASAP! You don't mess with incision wounds, it can get nasty quickly.