Catherine707

I think the restrictions go the other direction - you can't bring home grown food back across the US border. To be certain check out the State department's travel site.

I think the emotional rollercoaster happens for 2 reasons. One you have huge changes to your hormones so there is a real physical cause. Two - if you have used food to cope with stress and problems in the past, you have lost that coping mechanism and now have to find other ways to deal with those negative emotions. For a food addict like me, that was and still is a challenge.

After surgery! Hang in there Amanda - it really does go by fast and you will be happy with the results!

I have been watching Chris Christie for the past year since that was the time frame that I started my weight loss surgery journey and he was a public figure that had an obvious weight problem. I too chose not to announce to the world that I was having the surgery preferring to keep that information private. But at some point when you have lost 60+ pounds people start noticing - he has done a great job of acknowledging he had the surgery but not letting the media or the public draw him into any weight loss discussion or pronouncements. Hats off to a high profile public figure that managed to lose 100+ pounds in a year. Yes it is slower than the sleeve or the gastric bypass, but it is working for him and in the end that is all that really matters - he is dealing with his health in a positive way!

I am going to be honest..... the pre-surgery was the hardest because I still wanted / could eat real food and I was Sooooooo hungry! You just have to be strong for the next 12 days and know that you are going to feel so much better after you have lost the excess weight! Stay focused on why you are doing this surgery and feel free to vent and complain all you want online here. We have been where you are! Best of luck to you!

I had what I thought was a muscle spasm at the base of my right shoulder blade - turns out it was my gall bladder. Gall bladder pain can radiate to lots of places in the abdomen, so if it doesn't go away, you should have it checked out by a doctor. The gas pain from the surgery goes away within a week or 10 days so I doubt that is what is causing your pain. I hope you feel better soon!

I once heard of a lady that cried when she got new tires on the car..... no it wasn't anything special, she just said they were so "pretty"! Her husband thought she was going crazy and called the surgeon's office for reassurance and was told - "that is completely normal"! We all struggle with the vast changes our bodies go through post surgery. Sometimes the struggles are physical - nausea and not feeling well, and other times it is an emotional rollercoaster. It comes with the territory of major change and gets better over time - I promise!

I was concerned about the same thing, and what I learned is that if you have a leak, you will know it because you will have a fever and lots of intense abdominal pain that stays for hours. Complications from sleeve surgery are rare with experienced surgeons. It is probably better for you to spend time thinking about your new healthy life than to worry too much about what complication you might run across. I remember not feeling all that well at day 10 post op, so I can understand your concern. Just keep following your surgeon's instructions and focus on getting your Protein and Water in each day and before you know it you will be far down the recovery path!

Thank you Swimmer and CowgirlJane for sharing your experience! I knew I wasn't alone in this struggle, and it is really helpful to hear your thoughts and ideas. That is why this website is so helpful for everyone pre and post surgery!

I know the waiting is hard, but lets keep our fingers crossed that you are approved and don't need to go through any additional "stuff"! Once you are approved then you can get a surgery date and start planning for your new healthier life!

I spent a lot of time evaluating my prior weight loss attempts to ensure that I really had tried everything else and that I was ready to make the permanent lifestyle changes needed to be successful with the gastric sleeve. I realized that some of my prior attempts were half hearted, and in 2012 I gave it my 100% effort; after a low carb diet I had to have gall bladder surgery due to the GB stones getting stuck in the neck of my gall bladder, and then I tried Medifast and had an allergic reaction to the soy in the Meal Replacements. After those issues I knew that I was serious about weight loss and had really tried everything - so I was comfortable moving forward with surgery. Now 9 months post surgery I have lost 100 pounds and am very happy with my sleeve. I know this was the right decision for me.

I had a terrible time with the insurance but for really weird reasons like their computer system hadn't been updated to show that we had bariatric coverage.... so I wouldn't expect that to be a "normal" experience. Generally I think a 2 - 3 week timeline to be accepted or denied is "normal". If you don't hear back next week call and make sure they have all the pieces they need to make their decisions. There could be one report that didn't make it to your file and they think it is still coming in. Don't be afraid to follow up with the insurance company. I had to call daily to get my issues resolved. Yes they got tired of my phone calls, but it also motivated them to fix the problems too!

I had Achilles reconstruction surgery on 10/18/13 and was non-weight bearing for 8 weeks and on crutches partial weight bearing for another 4. I'm 4.5 months out from surgery and have spent most of the past 6 months sitting on my butt. I also lost 40 pounds in the time frame - so it can be done when you are unable to be active. Honestly it is a mind set - focusing on the goal of weight loss and then doing the things necessary to achieve the goal. Being inactive because of an orthopedic surgery is not in your control, but having junk food in the house is within your control! Focus on why you want to lose weight to find the motivation to make the changes and to reach your goals!

For food addicts, the idea of changing your eating habits can seem overwhelming. I had a lot of the same issues before my surgery. I just kept reminding myself why I was doing this, how terrible I felt at over 300 pounds and what I realistically expected to be able to accomplish with less weight on my body. Change doesn't magically happen overnight, it takes commitment and hard work, but I can guarantee it will be worth it when you see the scale move lower and you have to get new clothes because everything is falling off your body! I also decided that no foods were on the "never eat list" unless they made me ill post surgery. I have a small portion of the "bad" foods and have been surprised that it is satisfying. Knowing that I wasn't removing anything forever, but just for a time, has helped me realize that I don't need food to cope with life. Pre-surgery I wasn't sure, but now 9 months later, I feel so much more in control of my food choices. This tool has worked well for me, and I know it can for you too! Good luck, you CAN do it!

I lost 12 pounds pre-surgery - gee I think that was the hardest 12 pounds out of the 100! Good luck to you, I know you can do it!

Congrats to you for deciding to take control of your situation and get back on track! There are a lot of people on this web site willing to answer questions and help you get to your end goals. If I were in your shoes, I would pull out the food plan my surgeon gave me and recommit to everything on the plan. Also if you aren't using a calorie tracking system - My Fitness Pal is a web / phone based application that has been really great in keeping me on track. I made the commitment to log everything that went in my mouth - no exceptions!! It keeps me accountable and reminds me when I have reached my allotted calories. Are you drinking enough Water? Aim for 60 oz per day. How much Protein are you eating? My Dr recommends 60 grams per day, but that varies from doctor to doctor. How about exercise? That will jump start your weight loss too. Don't go over board, 15 - 30 minutes per day is great if you haven't been doing anything! I know you can reach your goals, just do it one baby step at a time, and don't look for an overnight solution. The steady and consistent path will get you to your goal!

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea a decade before my surgery! It takes a bit to get used to the CPAP, but the good news is when you lose a bunch of weight you will most likely no longer have sleep apnea, so it is just for a few months that you will be tied to the CPAP! Congrats and good luck to you!

I had the same problems pre-surgery. I told my parents when I started the process and while they were always supportive, my Mom said a couple of things that sounded like "are you sure this is right for you?" that I interpreted as unsupportive. I told friends and co-workers after I had been approved by the surgeon and insurance. In hind site, I think I would have waited until I had a surgery date to tell anyone but my closest friends. It just seems easier to tell them a couple weeks in advance than to have it out there for comment for a longer period. I really don't recommend not telling your family before surgery. It isn't fair to you or them to not prepare in advance for the changes that will come post surgery. I recommend writing out your reasons for having surgery so that you can make the most compelling points about why this is the right choice for you! Also tell them that if they don't have any thing supportive to say to please keep the negative stuff to themselves. Also be prepared to answer questions about what kind of help you will need post surgery. If you are organized and clear about the process then it will be easy to answer their questions and deal with their concerns. Finally - know that they love you and are concerned about your well being. That may cause them to ask questions or say things that seem unsupportive, but just be grateful that they care and want what is best for you. Good luck as you head into surgery!

Week 2 was still liquids for me, but when I was able to add more solid food, I started with Greek Yogurt and cottage cheese then progressed to scrambled eggs and canned corned beef hash.

Anyone that gets to know you, and likes the real you, won't care that your have some jiggley parts. If that is all they see then they aren't the right person for you!

Your new stomach may not be ready for the pureed foods yet! Go back to the liquids for a couple more days then try again. Also you might ease into it with Greek yogurt and cottage cheese, they are both pretty easy to digest.

It seems like a lot but once you take it all in and "own" the information it isn't really so bad. I was thankful that my surgeon gave us so much info. It really helped me deal with all the changes after surgery. Good luck to you, you are taking a big step towards good health!

I tried the strawberry this weekend and I thought it was great! I am thrilled to have another flavor of Protein shake that I can tolerate - I too only liked the chocolate previously. Thanks for pointing out the chicken burger - I will see if my costco has those too!

I'm sorry to hear that your friend is ill and struggling. I think it is entirely normal to be focused on that situation and to have some stress responses to it. It is only 2 days post the trauma of your friends illness, and that doesn't undo all the good that you have accomplished in the past year. Be kind to yourself, and be there for your friend, the rest of this "stuff" will work out over time.

I have struggled with sleep problems for years, but yours are really bad! Are you taking any medications for pain or anything else that is "new" post surgery? Have you added anything with caffeine in it? The surgery is a big trauma to your body, but usually that would cause you to sleep MORE not less! If this lasts for another day or two I think you need to touch base with your surgeon. Another thought - the first week your body is getting rid of all the anesthesia drugs - maybe this is a side effect of those drugs?