bikrchk

I was offered to skip it by my doc as he said I was moving around A LOT and very well 1 day post op. I cheerfully agreed. No issues for me, but you should follow whatever advice YOU are given.

I can say I bruise easier than I used to after losing the weight. Less cushion, I guess. My labs are fine, so it's not that. You should probably talk to your doc and maybe get some labs as bruising can be caused by Vitamin deficiencies. Think they did 3 month and 6 month labs on me anyway. Maybe a part of your follow up appointments?

Protein'd Chai Nestea instant tea, (decaf if you like) vanilla Protein powder ginger cinnamon ground cloves You can use Water or milk or a combo of the 2 Heat you liquid without the whey in it or it will clump You may have to experiment with how hot the liquid can be, (I recommend less than boiling) or it may cook your whey - blech! Toss in a ball shaker and shake once, then butp, twice the burp, rinse and repeat until you get it mixed well. Hot liquids + whey in the shaker can be volitile if you don't burp them so don't skip that part! Don't make any more than you can drink in a sitting, because you'll not want to put this in the microwave and warm it up. Again, chunks, yuk! Pour in a mug (I use a go-cup thermos to retain the heat) and enjoy a spicy, foamy creamy high protein treat! You can do the same with coffee. I do a protein'd latte every morning! Good luck!

Yep. 2 years out, drink carbonation regularly, (but not NEAR like I did pre-op) and I still have GREAT restriction. I can tolerate anything I like, just in very small quantities. When it comes to carbonation... slooowly. I can start on a Diet Rite at work in the afternoon and not finish it until some time after dinner! Bubbles fill me up. When I'm full, I can't eat! Win-Win!

I wasn't so much focused on reaching a number. Yeah, it was in the back of my head, but I'd NEVER been a "normal weight" so until I got close, I didn't really understand what made sense for a final maintenance zone anyway. Set goals that are SMART, (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound). It is not realistic to set a goal that says "I will weight xxx by xx-xx-xxxx", You have no control over a specific #. We've all stalled. Sometimes your body is gonna do what it's gonna do! What you DO have control of is the actions that will move you toward a better health. Set a goal to work out x # of minutes per week, to get at least xG of Protein per day, to journal your intake.. Do theses things and you'll get where you are going with a lot less guilt and stress!

"ShockCollar"... It's all good as long as I stay in the boundaries, but if I step outside I gen an unpleasant correction!

I have 4 and now 2 years later, 2 of them can be mistaken for mosquito bites. That was apparently all my surgeon needed, (2 bigger ones for instruments and 2 little ones for cameras). Some do a single laproscopic incision. Depends on the surgical technique, I guess.

Yep! Still drink it too, with few repercussions. Sometimes reds give me reflux but whites are almost always okay. As for it making me gain, I tried my first drink a few months in while I was still losing, but was also still tracking religiously. When I chose to indulge, I worked it onto my day and lost fine. I also had developed a regular exercise routine burning 400-500 calories 5x per week which helps my metabolism and gives me leeway for the occasional "indiscretion". Now 2 years out, I don't track anymore, but if I gain a few pounds, alcohol and other "treats" are the first to go until it comes off.

Pre-op, while I was just crazy to get it done and wouldn't think about anything else, Yes! Post op as well, for about the first 6 months. Then an amazing thing happened. Several months in, I learned how to FEED myself. A diet with as many calories as my weight loss would bear, (aimed at about 1200 per day) with 90G of protein and regular exercise. By about 6 months out, I was near goal and off all the meds for cholesterol, asthma, blood pressure, anxiety etc and I had a clearer head. So it was probably a little of everything, exercise, food and losing the meds that were dulling my senses. Things DO feel funky during the rapid weight loss phase. For me, it passed.

I used to think that unless a person was above a certain BMI, they were ridiculous for considering WLS, but with 2 years hindsight living in a healthy body, I no longer hold that narrow view. I was sleeved at 235 pounds 5'6" and at my consult so I barely qualified via the insurance requirements. Obese since childhood, I'd begun to develop diabetes and my high blood pressure and high cholesterol needed lots of medication to control these obesity related conditions. I couldn't breathe well and exercise was not even a consideration most days. I just didn't have the energy. Having lost the same 60 ish pounds multiple times in 40 years I knew losing it wasn't the problem, but keeping it off was a losing battle for me. Here's the deal... When I'd gotten half way through my 95 pound loss, around 185, I felt good. I looked good. Some friends were telling me to "stop, you look great now", but I was still clinically overweight, not yet off all the medication and exercise was still really hard. By the time I'd achieved a "normal" BMI, (I hang out around 23-24 now), things were much different. I could breathe and move easier which made exercise a joy rather than a chore and I was off all the meds to treat the co-morbidities of obesity. So yes, I believe a person merely classed as "overweight' can benefit, but that needs to be a conversation between patient and doctor. Hopefully multiple doctors. Yes, there is a huge risk to bariatric surgery, but the same holds true for folks who choose to have plastics. Insurance concerns aside, would you judge someone who chooses a implants and a butt lift any differently? People choose elective procedures all the time for their own reasons. At least with WLS one of the goals\effects is better health. A better body, yes! I'd be lying if I said I'm not enjoying my skinny jeans, but the gift of good health has been worth more than I could have imagined when I started this journey.

Going to a party! Yes, there will be lots of food there, but there will be plenty of good choices, (veggie trays, hummus, etc) and most importantly nothing left at MY house for days afterwards for me to graze on! I have good enough habits now, regular exercise and built in portion control, that I don't tend to get in trouble for "one night out" it's when I have multiple days of bad decisions that I see it reflected on the scale. Bring it!

EVER? Not sure why anyone would say that. I eat less fruit now than pre-op for sure. Just not a lot of room and I never mix it in a smoothie anymore. Really don't drink smoothies, ever unless I'm craving an iced Protein latte... IF I eat fruit, I EAT it. I do try not to drink my calories. I'm 2 years out. If I'm craving something sweet an apple with some almond butter for lunch or a snack is just the ticket!

About 4-5 weeks, I think. I had fish and it was heavenly!

I'm 2 years out maintaining for a year and 1/2 now. I jumped back into my social life after losing about half my weight. Probably too early in hindsight. As I approached a healthy BMI, I attracted more attention, (not always the kind I wanted), but looking back, my accomplishment was always present in the front of my mind then. I thought about it a lot. Every time I passed a window or mirror I was astounded by the reflection I saw. I worried about when I would tell a potential boyfriend and how. Was in a 10 month relationship that recently ended and recently jumped back in the pool. It's different now. I'm not complacent. I still work out 5 days per week, weigh several time per week, eat small meals, (like I have a choice), :-) but I think about all of that A LOT less than I used to. I've met the "fat shamer", but they are few and are between and never get a second date. I'm choosier about who I'll go out with now. I'm looking for someone who is ACTIVE, because I need that influence in my life, but not someone who's more in love with his pecs\abs\whatever that he will be with me! Where I used to obsess over my progress and maintaining it, I just don't so much anymore. Where I used to obsess about telling a potential partner I'd had bariatric surgery and why I eat so little, I don't anymore because all of that feels really normal to me now. I'm just more relaxed about it all which I think comes with time.

I've had all of the symptoms you describe at one point or another. Some I grew out of, others, not so much. Wine still gives me heart burn and too much ice cream or anything super high in sugar is a no go. Small amounts are okay now. Probiotics help a lot! You are so right! these are such small prices to pay to have my health back! I would gladly do it all again to achieve this result!

Kansas City area here! (Shawnee). Had surgery 2 years ago this month and maintaining a 90ish pound loss for a year and 1/2. Life. Is. Good!

47 when I had mine done. Lets just say 50 will look, (and feel) waaaay better than 47! I'm in the best shape of my life now!

1. 4 months 2. No. 3. No. 4. No.

You'll need someone to pick you up from the hospital afterwards. It's a good idea to have someone around for the first few days post-op just to be safe incase something goes wrong. This is major surgery after all and complications happen. You at least be checked in on regularly. Now that said, I didn't "need" a thing during my recovery. My mom came to stay because that's what mom's do, but she was bored out of her mind since she couldn't feed me! I booted he back home after a few days and was fine. Back at work the next week. You won't be able to lift anything heavier than 10 pounds for several weeks, so plan for that. If your kids are old enough to help carry a laundry basket and change sheets on a bed, you're probably fine. If they're "car-seat age", you may need some help!

My surgeon doesn't even see patients for the first consult until they've completed all the pre-op requirements are are ready to submit for insurance. All education and pre-op work is coordinated by his team lead by a Bariatric NP. So, I'd done 6 months with my PCP, a psych eval and Nut visit before I even met my surgeon to discuss which procedure, (I was tossed up between sleeve and bypass, eventually choosing sleeve). From the time I had my consult, it was 6 weeks, (so not that different than your 2 months). During that time, I was put on a liver shrink diet and had to schedule and attend several more pre-op appointments. Pre-anesthesia testing which let to the ordering of some more tests for lung function as they were worried about my asthma. EGD which took 2-3 weeks to schedule with the surgeon in a busy GI lab, pre-op blood work appointments, final pre-op appointment with the surgeon to finalize everything... My point is this stuff takes time. I'd be worried i they are rushing patients through. The pre-testing is IMPORTANT. It's where they find out if there are any surprises and design ways to make your procedure the safest they can. One thing that came out of my pre-testing was that I DIDN'T have significant asthma. What I had was silent reflux causing chronic night time coughing. I'd been improperly treated for asthma for YEARS. The EGD and subsequent visit to a pulmonologist uncovered the silent reflux, (no heartburn, ever). And they were able to put me on the right treatment plan and find and fix the hiatial hernia exacerbating the problem during my procedure. I know you want to feel better NOW. I felt the same, but 2 years post op, (3 since the beginning of my journey), and now living in a healthy body for the last year and 1/2, I finally get "This is a marathon, not a sprint" in a way I could not comprehend before. Hang in there and do what your team tells you to do. It's SO worth it!

Just had that happen over the weekend. At 2 years out, most of my friends know at this point, but I was at an annual bonfire and ran into folks I hadn't seen since before surgery. First it was you've lost weight, you look great! But later, "have you been sick"? Coming from this particular person, I get why she'd think it. She and her husband both have lost a bunch of weight from illness. She's been in and out of the hospital seems like every other month. When I get those questions, I'm just honest about it. I told her I made a conscious decision to get healthy and I had a gastric sleeve procedure that helps me with portion control and the will to stay active. It's VERY rare that I get a negative response when I frame it this way.

I remember asking that question but given that surgical technique can have a greater effect than bougie size, it was answered this way... "Dr. does an 85%-90% sleeve, which is smaller than most (typically 80%-85%). In his experience, patients have better long term success with a slightly smaller pouch". I like this answer better as it communicates better what the size will be. I had zero complications. I'm 2 year out this month, maintaining my goal for a year and 1/2 and still have excellent restriction while being able to eat pretty much whatever I like in very small quantities.

I'd been overweight since childhood too. I had surgery at 47 and my BMI was about 36 going in (after a small preop loss). I'm 5'6". I lost about 93 pounds in the first 7 months and settled in around 145 as a maintenance goal. I maintain pretty well between 143 and 147 most days. I wear a size 4 or 6 jeans and about an 8 dress, (always been bigger on top). I felt really saggy the first year. Probably partially because I wasn't used to the new me and probably partially because it took my skin some time to recover, but mostly recover, it did. Don't get me wrong... I have bat wings, but so do many women my age who haven't lost upwards of 90 pounds. I'm self conscious enough about my legs that I don't wear shorts much. They look "elephanty" to me now. I have wrinkles on my tummy. But no panus, etc. and my clothes fit well. I look great in a pair of skinny jeans. I'm very lucky to have a body type where I carried it "all over" being a little larger on top. When I lost it, it came off proportionally. Surgery was better than textbook. 24 hours in the hospital, a week and 1/2 off work, then I went back to my desk job. Never required narcotic pain meds, just chewed Tylenol Jr for the first week. Advanced my diet as directed, with a few painful lessons along the way as I learned to slow down and eat even smaller portions than I thought. Started an exercise program I'm still religious about today. It's been two years TODAY for me and I'm still a size 4\6 with none of weight related the health problems I had before. TOTALLY worth it for this chick!

Breakfast: 1 egg yolk broken and folded over with 1 slice of cheese Alternate breakfast: 1/2 a P28 Protein bagel with cream cheese Scoop of protein in my coffee for a latte when I get to the office Snack: a couple of baby bells and some rice crackers or a small apple Lunch: Cottage cheese and rice crackers Fast food lunch: Chick filet chicken nuggets (6) Snack: PowerCrunch protein cookie Dinner: salmon on a bed of greens with goat cheese and salad crunchies with 10 year aged balsamic and oil

Yep. It's 2 years since my sleeve next week. Hardly seems possible! Been maintaining a 90ish pound loss for about a year and 1/2 now. Went for my yearly fasting physical with my PCP yesterday (I don't see a bariatric surgeon anymore as mine left town). Only bad thing is I got to find out I don't "fast" well anymore! Got up at 4:20AM as usual. Did 45 minutes on my bike, drank LOTS of Water all morning prior to my 10 am appointment so my veins would be nice and plump for the vampire. I started feeling like crap (horrible headache, very tired, etc) by about 7AM. I typically do 1 egg and a piece of cheese right after the workout then a scoop of Protein powder in my coffee 2 hours later at work, 1/2 and apple or piece of cheese mid morning THEN a small lunch. I wasn't necessarily "hungry" but could tell I needed to eat already. By 10 felt worse, made it to the doc, she was like... "I'll bet you eat all day long now, don't you"? Yep. every couple of hours... This is not going well today, *weak smile*. "Go get some lunch, you're doing amazing, couldn't be more please with your progress and focus, blah, blah..." Yay me! Headed to lunch, tried to eat a hamburger, (pretty much just part of the meat), BIG mistake! Add puking, (had to pull the car over on the highway) to the massive headache that was not improving. Had to call my boss and tell him I wasn't coming back to work and go home and pass out for a couple hours! Finally got a Protein shake down about 2PM and started to feel better. WHAT A MISERABLE DAY! I guess the next time, I sleep in, don't work out and go straight to the Dr office for the first appointment of the day! Oh, I feel fine today, labs came back and everything was PERFECT! Yay me!