Roo101769

Yes, I have a few times now. But it could be anything. I know from a childhood experience it could even be some constipation. I had a small blockage back when I was a kid and started having pain in my side. They actually thought it was my appendix. Nope- it was poo. Even though I had been going, obviously not all was moving along. So I had an embarrassing trip to the ER. (good thing I was young and didn't worry about stuff like that) Anyway, if it continues to bother you be sure to discuss with your doctor. ( and of course if pain gets worse seek medical help asap)

Even though we go through a psych eval before surgery I don't think a lot of folks get what a BIG mental battle this all is! There are so many elements to it to, not exactly "one size fits all". (Pardon a very bad pun) You have been on such a ride since you had surgery, not a fun one either. This is just another time when there is brain/body disconnect. Do your best, that is exactly all you should have to do. No one is in your shoes but you, it is hard to understand and easy to judge. They do it out of love no doubt, but it is still your path to follow. Do what you can to make your doctors happy and to stay healthy, after that be sure to make yourself happy!

Here is the easiest way to explain sliders....If it is something that tastes good, ( or did) is processed, out of a bag, box or drive thru and you know it is bad for you- that is a slider. They go down easy, you can eat too much and they were never good for you to begin with. Everyone will eventually experiment with sliders. (or a large majority of folks) The key is to identify and try at all cost to avoid. Yes, it happens. Just don't allow to happen too often because it IS a slippery slope!

I am in the same boat, although my journey is far from over. I have lost 75lbs to date and I have a very hard time adjusting to it. I stayed in my size 26W jeans forever because I didn't feel I was actually changing that much, until they about fell off me! I bought two pair of size 24W jeans not quiet two months ago. I figured they would suffice for a while too, as I have been losing weight at a slower pace.(IMO) Well early last week I actually had to go to the restroom and check what size jeans I had on because I thought I had grabbed the 26Ws by mistake.. Nope- the 24Ws are just getting too big! So I ordered three new pairs of jeans, two size 22W and a pair of 20W. I think my issue is I still see fat (and now sag) when I am naked. It is hard to process how much less fat there is when all I see is rolls. As it was said before, I didn't see the fat when there was 316lbs of it either. Ok- I knew I was fat. But it was hard to "see" it, unless I saw pictures of myself. Easy problem to solve, just didn't take pictures!!! LOL So now I do try to take selfies a little more often. It isn't vanity, it is my way of showing my mind that my body IS changing. For me it is a slow process of change and acceptance.

I absolutely hate to admit this but...My BFF bought me a bunch of these for my birthday which was a few days before my surgery. He bought one of every flavor he could find, I think there were 8 or ten overall. I drank half a punch and some of an orange and threw the rest out. I did hold on to them for months thinking I would drink them eventually, but I just couldn't do it. For the record my friend had his surgery in December and he can't stand the Isopure either! Everyone has different tastes...

I have to say I am in the minority that wasn't all that fond of them, but they are ok. I did try chilled as suggested in another post and liked it a bit better. My favorite is actually PB&J....lol

I think it iis an absorbtion thing, but I may be wrong. I can only use Caltrate because everyone else adds vitamin K. I am on warfarin so I cannot take vitamin K. I like them and they are good so I have no issue using.

Hi Heather...My name is Rhonda. I read your post and I can totally and completely relate to you. I am just shy of four months out and have been in a similar situation lately. I have found I can eat sliders, easily. It has messed with my head more than I think I want to admit. I can't say I was a compulsive overeater, but boy did I eat crap before. And lately I have been pushing the boundries hard. To the point I tell myself no more, but turn around and do it again. How crazy is that? It hurts my heart that I haven't had the control and strength I wish I had. But each day I get up with hope, hope to get back on track. I think I am going to try what the poster above mentioned, two weeks of protein shakes. Next week is my four month check up with my surgeon, so I expect to have further motivation. I have continued to drop weight even with my self sabotage, but nothing near what I could have lost had I done what I should have. I wish you the very best of luck in finding the help you need to push past your demons and find the inner peace you need. I hope to find the same..

My surgeon and NUT said no CAFFEINE. I can have decaffeinated coffee or tea. I usually only have about one cup as my tastes have changed. The reason I was given was because caffeine can limit Vitamin absorption. We are already taking multiple supplements because we no longer obtain the bulk of our vitamin needs from food, so we don't need to hinder the process further. I will admit at work I do not have decaffeinated coffee available but still yearn for that morning cup of coffee. What I started doing was using a Styrofoam cup ( bad for nature but much easier to regulate amount as my ceramic coffee mug is enormous!) and fill it about half way with coffee. Then I fill to the top with hot Water. This creates a full cup of coffee, but only half the caffeine. You would think it would be to weak or watery, but it really works for me. Might be because I have become used to caffeine free at home ( couldn't give up my Keurig, just had to switch) or because my stomach doesn't handle the full strength stuff anymore. IDK... My recommendation would be ( and this is only opinion, I am not your doctor) spend the time you have in the next year of weight loss and healing getting used to decaffeinated beverages. Once you drop your addiction to the caffeine you may not wish to return to it. It is just another one of those habits we obtain that really serve no good purpose for us. Good luck!

Jens....It is a double edged sword for sure. I think 99.9% of people go into this with the fantasies of the "perfect" thin body. You imagine being as you were at your skinniest, and being that person again. For me, my thinnest adult body was in my early twenties. I had curves for sure, but in a good way. I wore a medium or large. I could shop in regular stores. And I looked good naked! LOL Well now I am almost mid forties. I spent the better part of the last 20 years obese / morbidly obese. Even if I get down to the weight I was in my early twenties I will not LOOK like I did in my early twenties! That fact is probably the hardest pill I have to swallow now. It is why it is hard for me to see my progress. Instead of thinking "Damn! I haven't been 245lbs since I was around 28-30!" I think "dang, look at how old I look!" My face has aged. I don't have the multiple double chins, but in their place I have these deep lines where the skin was stretched out and the fat is no longer filling it in. I still have rolls on my stomach, but now they flatten out a lot more. My boobs....oh my poor boobs. They have lost much of there fullness. Since I am still obese they aren't pancakes, yet. But as I continue to lose weight they will continue to deflate. And the hair issue. That is probably my biggest and worst realized fear of all. Not everyone will be in the place I am so I don't want to panic anyone. My story is my own. I have struggled with hair loss for years, starting in my mid twenties when I was diagnosed with PCOS. ( about the same time my weight started going up) In recent years it was made worse by health issues that have forced me to take blood thinners (warfarin) for the rest of my life. And now I have the post op / three month fall out. I have been wearing a wig since Thanksgiving. My hair has continued to fall out. Currently my real hair is so thin or non existent that I look as if I have been on chemo for months. You know how cancer patients look after a while? The paleness, sagging to their skin? The balding heads? That is exactly how l look at night when it all comes off. Sure, during the day I look better than I have in years. But that isn't ME! I am scared to death to allow anyone to see me for who I really am. I even wear a hat or scarf around the house most of the time ( when I have the wig off) because I don't like to catch a glimpse of myself. And let's not even begin to go into the dating/ meeting a new guy/ first time intimate thing. I am single, so I have had no one beside me during this journey. I have started dating someone new and he has seen me without makeup and in my hat or scarf. Trust me it was hard as hell to get to that point. I cannot imagine him ever seeing me without, in "all my glory". It is hard to live this way because I am not comfortable. But what small amount of vanity I have left prohibits me from being open with my true self now. Yet here is the crux of the whole matter..I m glad I did it. I am glad I had the surgery. While I still have a lot of weight to lose, I am glad to be where I am. I physically feel better than I have in YEARS! I have knees that don't hurt all the time now. I can bend and move and get around without constant pain or restriction from fat. I look forward to getting on a plane again sometime and NOT needing the seat belt extender! I just have to contend and reconcile with the fact that my appearance is not what I did this for. We all say it, we all say we do it for health. But in our hearts, we all want to be eye candy. We live for the moment when the world stops, draws in their collective breath and cannot believe the beauty in front of them. As Revs said, the Butterfly (Demi) moment. It is part of our human nature. We are all blessed / cursed with some amount of vanity. Sometimes vanity has to take a back seat. My reality is it is highly unlikely I will ever grace the cover of "SI Swimsuit Edition" or "Vogue". Can I live with that? I think I can.....

I have read through the entire 5 pages of this post with great interest. I too get what you are feeling, I think. I struggle to see a "Demi" transformation. It is like I went from Sloth to RuPaul. Why did I pick a drag queen to compare? Because under the wig and war paint (make up) and body shapers he is nothing but a skinny dude. I get compliments how I look now, out in public. People do notice a change. But it is a total and complete sham and I feel like a fraud. I go home, take off my wig and war paint and less fitting clothes and I am no Demi. I see an old woman. Things dangle and jiggle. I have scars. I have aged. I love being thinner for every health benefit imaginable. But I have to work a lot harder now to be "passable". I am not a natural beauty. I would never say I was, but I was ok. Now I am not. I am so self conscience now, and I never imagined this. I thought fat was the worst thing. But this is running close to it. Anyway I think I went off on a tangent here. I guess the thing is I do have some who have noticed. Wasn't until I was down nearly 60lbs before that happened. And I know I have a lot more to go to be near or at goal. I have had to realize I am no longer in my twenties. ( although my mind has issue with that fact) I am not going to look like those who are. No matter how thin I get I won't be a Demi. ( unless I win a lottery and get LOTS of plastics and a hair transplant) I sit and think " I haven't been this size in about 15 years", but it isn't as I had hoped. Because I put my body through the wringer with the fat in those fifteen years. It is a whole lot different coming down than it was going up. And I am fifteen years older, that won't change either. It is hard to put what I mean into words. I think it boils down to expectations. Pre op my expectations were different than where I am at now. I had the dream, believed the fantasy. I saw all the amazing before and after pics and wanted that for me. Now, I just hope to lose as much as I can to be healthier. And maybe, just maybe, I can hope for a older Demi moment! LOL

My surgeon did a 10 day diet, 9 1/2 were full liquids with clear liquids from 2pm (until midnight) the day before. But my BFF, who used a different surgeon, was put on a two week diet that included two Lean Cuisine meals a day. Each surgeon is different, as each weight loss journey is different. To use a winter analogy ( because who hasn't had enough winter yet?) it is all as individual as a snowflake! I will tell you this, anything you do pre op to help you prepare will only pay off for you post op. I won't lie and say there might not be struggles, because there probably will be. But if you are making the effort mentally to prepare it is nothing but helpful. And the lower your BMI is going in the less risk of complications. So if you can drop that a few points it is just a bonus. ( not to mention less you have to lose post op) It is great to be proactive but also listen to your surgeon and NUT. I think this is a journey of knowledge and not any one plan is the perfect one. But the overall is what is perfect!

I bought probiotics at Walgreen's pharmacy. I went in looking for the Align brand, but they did not have in stock. I had also heard good things about pearls, but the ones I saw you had to take more than one a day. I bought a probiotic that is a gel cap ( was thinking easier digestion) and only take one a day. I do forget the brand name, but they are small darker red gel caps. They have definitely helped me a GREAT deal. As I told another poster I was having some pretty serious constipation issues. (not impacted but heading that way) I also suffered from a LOT of gas. Once I started the probiotics I became much more regular ( I may skip a day now and then, but mostly everyday) and the gas and bloating is less. So, for me, they have been awesome.

I used to watch the Biggest Loser religiously. That was until I started seeing all the stories about what goes on behind the scenes. Former contestants saying they were not given the kind of support and counseling they needed to be truly successful. (long term) The show is a contest, plain and simple. The biggest loser wins. People who are morbidly obese will have ( the majority of the time) a lifetime of unhealthy eating habits and emotional baggage. You cannot just saw "eat healthier and exercise" and not take into account the mental aspect of losing weight, it is a recipe for disaster. So the idea that a contestant would take things too far in losing weight does NOT surprise me. I did not see the show, but I would bet money that this lady now has another eating disorder. Just like what can happen after WLS, she traded addictions. It is a sad thing.

I started having some pretty serious constipation issues myself. It felt like I didn't have the "push" I used to have, if that makes any sense. After doing some reading and research I started taking Probiotics, one a day. While I do still have a day or so without on occasion, for the most part I am now back to pretty regular. I had considered laxatives or stool softeners, but probiotics seemed like a more natural remedy. So far they have worked for me. Between your constipation issue and taking sugar as a remedy ( probably not a good idea) this may help explain your stall. Talk to your doctor about probiotics and get his take. I know I am glad I found them...( PS- I used to have HORRIBLE gas too, which has now calmed down greatly with the probiotics)

I just bought some of these yesterday and had the Cookies & Cream on today. It was good, but not my favorite. I will try the hint of chilling it, that sounds like it would work. I actually like the PB&J flavor. ( I know-weird) I did get a couple new flavors to try this go 'round so I may have a new favorite to come!!! Love them

Mmmm..Yep, tomato soup was super yummy after surgery. ( when allowed full liquids) I was sick to death of "cream of" anything, but tomato soup never got old. Of course it did take an entire week to finish a family size can of the stuff, but it was so worth it! In fact, it sounds good right now! LOL

I am covered by Anthem BCBS in Ohio. I had a vertical sleeve gastrectomy in October, and it was covered virtually 100%. Every policy is different and has different requirements as placed by your employer. (I did not have to do months of counceling or diet) The hospital contacted me weeks before surgery to tell me my costs. At that time my old insurance had not transfered our records to BCBS. (We switched insurance in June and any costs we paid until then were being applied to new insurance) Basically you are responsible for whatever amount you have open to your annual out of pocket max. The hospital said I would owe $1800 because, at that time, that was the difference between what I had paid and what my out of pocket max was. But....in my case I had already had extensive hospital costs earlier last year for DVT/PE. Once those costs were applied to my new insurance I ended up owing nothing for the surgery! So...you should find out from the hospital sometime soon. They are willing to discuss payment arrangements so don't give up hope!

See your GP and get it handled. Don't wait. I had a sinus infection going in to my surgery. In fact I spent the weekend before my Monday surgery sure I would be postponed. But they went ahead and did my surgery because my infection wasn't to bad come that day. They said I would be getting antibiotics anyway that would treat my sinus infection too, which they did!

That sounds good. I make lasagna cupcakes ( recipe on here) and they are DIVINE!!! In fact I have had many, many people take the recipe from me and make their selves. ( Non WLS peeps) Definitely delish.

I have officially lost 70 lbs!! I am very happy. While I still have a ways to go to goal, I have to acknowledge how far I have come. I had come to a crossroads in my life where it was do or die. I made the choice to do. I get to live my life now, I mean really LIVE. (not just exist) Half this loss was done on my own. (-33lbs pre op) But without the sleeve I probably would have failed by now. I know the only way I have come to this point is because I had the surgery. It has been one of the best decisions of my life. Now I look forward to more milestones.. I may be a bit of a slow loser, but I WILL get to where I need to be.

Funny you mention the sweater. I have another pic on here from December and I am wearing the same sweater. Maybe it is me, but I can tell a big difference between then and now even. I never got my measurements before I started all of this, and I really wish I had. I KNOW those numbers would make me happy when the scale doesn't. Things have been shifting and moving and inches are gone. Even a sweater can tell you that! LOL

Amazing, awesome, inspiring...What words can I say to tell you how great you have done? I don't need to tell you, because you get to live it! Congratulations!!!

I am a slow loser, but I am a loser..( weight that is!) I was sleeved 10/21, so I passed my 3 mos. mark a week ago. Since surgery I have lost 36lbs. That is not a lot for someone who has been sleeved, at least not in my opinion. At the same time I must remember I lost 33lbs prior to surgery, on my own diet.( since August). I am right now one pound away from a total loss of 70lbs in about 6 mos. I will be the very first to admit the slow loss has a lot to do with me. I have not followed my eating plan like I should have and I do NOT exercise enough. No excuses, just the truth. I am taking each day one at a time and trying hard to get back in gear. My short term goal ( very short) is to hit that -70lbs mark and then keep going. I have not weighed 247lbs in I don't know HOW many years, so slow loss is way better than NO loss! And another crazy thing I have made mental note of....When I first gained weight and got to 247lbs ( on way up) I could not believe how fat I was. I felt horrible, thought I looked hideous and wanted to crawl in a hole and hide. Now, on the way down, I can't be more opposite. I am amazed at how small my body is looking. I am proud of getting here. I feel better than I have in years. It is absolutely amazing what a little prospective will do for you. Just remember slow losers, you are losing!!! As hard as it is not to compare yourself to others, ( My BFF from high school was sleeved 12/17 and he has already lost, since surgery, almost as much as I have total!!! ) remember to compare yourself to YOU first and foremost. All that matters is how far YOU have come. ( And yes, I have to remind myself of this often!!!)