Dr-Patient

I use straws everyday, especially when aiming to get in more fluids in the evenings. I've had no problems at all. Love them.

@@for_me I usually don't even say anything when I read posts like yours ~8:36 AM. But your reply to someone (lipstick lady) who was kind enough to encourage you was totally uncalled for and rude. If you ask a question and someone is trying to tell you you're doing well, don't jump in their @$$!! Take it to another board. Most of us don't tolerate that here.. YOU are the one being snarky. Get a grip.

You are so close to breaking through the 200s and entering Onederland. Stay away from the carbs at all cost. Just don't even start. Trust Me. They've kept my weight stuck for a few months now. I started anew today, trying to be strictly Protein with a few veggies and vinegar. Avoid carbs, if you can. Wonderful Onederland awaits your membership!

@@VSGAnn2014 Hi. I am so proud of you, and happy for you! You've surpassed your goal! Good for you! One of us--that would be me--well, I've been naughty and hit a Carb binge. Doing well today though. Still want to lose 20 more. Overall, from 271 to 185-190. I want 165-170. Again, proud of you!

PS: Don't be scared you'll be saggy; be happy you'll be healthy!

You are young enough that, if you exercise, your saggy skin will likely be little to none. Operative words: if...and ... exercise. Also, if your doctor recommends (whatever), and it's a doctor you trust, why be non-compliant? If they gave you something like Metformin, it might actually jumpstart your weight loss (as it does for most patients). But check with them re what they Rx. Saggy skin or no, losing the weight is a good thing to do. It'll be worth it.

Just work off the calories by having more sex!!!! Fitz and the other guy work for me. Swirl on!! That's where I'm at these days!

@@VSGAnn2014 Congratulations on your weight loss! I just noticed that you are almost at your goal! Wow.

I am not good about exercising, though I did walk a couple of miles today. But, find some music you like and just dance! My go-to song was Blurred Lines, but I can play Bruno Mars' Uptown Funk for hours on end! But I do need to seriously work out--weights, especially. We can try to encourage each other.

I don't take any. (Oh...I do take Vit. D at times.) My annual exam/labs will be in May, so I'll see what's what then.

@@SOPHIAAGETTYS80 Shortly after I posted, you wrote, " I'm currently eating 12-1300 cals a day... I can eat about 1 Lean Cuisine serving size easily." As you await your records, see if your doctor would advise you to cut your calories back a bit, maybe to 1,000-1,200. And, clarification, please: Are you actually eating a Lean Cuisine [daily/regularly], or did you mention that to give us an eyeball idea of the volume of food you can eat? As I read it, you didn't really say you "eat" a Lean Cuisine, you referenced the serving "size," which might have been for our benefit to comprehend your food volume capability. [??] As you await your surgical records, check with your current team re: maybe cutting your calories back to 1,000-1,200; and if you are actually eating a lot of Lean Cuisines...maybe don't. Some don't do well with processed foods. Natural and fresh is much better, and better for us all. [Ex: I can't do Splenda. It blocks my weight loss, so early on, I had to stop the early-phase Protein products/drinks, etc.]

I have occasionally had an Eggo wheat waffle, or have made pancakes, of which I only eat one and freeze the others. But to keep losing, I KNOw that I shouldn't. Carbs completely block my weight loss success and it's hard to give them up sometimes. Best not to start, for me anyway. PS: I have a recipe for the Biggest Loser's pancakes, made with cottage cheese and whatever; I haven't tried it yet, though.

I think I can add to this discussion. I do so without the benefit of seeing the actual report, the actual images, examining you, etc.. Given that: That it reads: "Mild circumferential narrowing of the mid body,"... it doesn't seem that you had a complete sleeve; i.e., it wasn't done the full length of the stomach. You don't have a "banana"-shaped stomach, a narrowed, tubular-shaped stomach, as you now should. Get the op note--the "operative report/note"--from your surgeon. See what size bougie he/she used. But it ~seems they left your stomach too big, didn't really cut the full length of it, and only narrowed a portion of your stomach. With that, you likely still have a lot of ghrelin circulating [hunger hormone], and of course, greater stomach capacity. The greater curve of the stomach may not have been excised. Also get any "discharge summary" --in fact, get ALL your records from your surgeon, to give to your current doctor. And if you have any previous stomach imaging reports, they'd make for a good comparison. Also, there should be a pathology report of your excised stomach portion; it'd be interesting to see its size. Again, request ALL your records from the surgery. The good news: no abnormalities are noted, and you have lost ~ 50 pounds...though I know you'd expected more pounds lost by now. Get those records; keep doing what you're doing and see what the new doctor says, and what any future imaging reveals. Keep us posted.

Whatever you do, just resist reading the menu with your (old) eyes and order what you might have previously ordered. My very first meal post-VSG....I ordered an appetizer and an entree. Ha! A few spoonfuls of the appetizer soup and I was done. Took the rest back to the hotel for Breakfast and lunch the next day.I had to tell the waitress that "yes, the food was fine; I just wasn't as hungry as I thought." If you're thinking to do this while still on mushy or liquids, just go for a soup appetizer, eat slow and talk a lot. Conversation/Laughter will distract folks that you aren't woofing down a huge plate of whatever. And you could say, "I've been talking so much, I'm already full," etc. if you do this after you're allowed solids, soft stuff like fish tacos/whatever will be good; just avoid the pita/tortilla. Pull out all the innards and you'll be fine...and full.

Enjoy it. Relish these times of only 2 tblsp. and enjoy the continuing weight loss. I wish I was only able to tolerate that much now because I'm hanging out at a 'new normal' of 186-189.8 [okay, 190], as I am able to eat more than I think I should, and certainly more than I want. As an old gospel song says, "take me back..." to the place...where I could only eat two spoonfuls!!"] Don't worry; your day will come when you will be able to eat more. But hey...don't sweat these days. be happy for them.

Did he tell you your "H/H" values--hemoglobin and hematocrit levels? If not, ask for them. That and your "platelets." Then ask what's normal (so you can see how far off from the norm you are). Why a transfusion? Are you dizzy, bleeding internally? fainting? Bleeding a lot through the drain? Are you in the hospital? As a patient, YOU have to insist on knowing WHY; unfortunately many of today's docs--especially the younger folks--don't expound. Speak up. Ask for specifics and WHY, with documentation of your H/H.

I'd try to avoid prepared foods, the frozen meals, etc. you really don't know what's in them, all those things to keep stuff taste like something. I've even Found that prepared salad dressings jack me up, with salt and God knows whatever else. I gain 2 or more pounds every time I eat that stuff, so I don't now. You can't eat that much, so just try to take a few minutes, broil or grill whatever and munch on that. imo. I made some lemon vinaigrette the other day, also an herb butter, to put on whatever. So much flavor, etc.. Of the frozen ones, I tried the LC garlic chicken, and maybe meatballs, if you must. Eat around the carbs.

It IS nasty, regardless of flavor. Makes me shudder. I personally did drink a bottle the early afternoon before my surgery, not that I was told to. But my "Last supper" was knockwursts and baked Beans, so I wanted to clean myself out. :-) Surgically, MgCitrate is sometimes prescribed, to help evacuate the bowel. Watch for dehydration. Is this your desire, or was it Rx'd by your doctor? PS: I sometimes still use that now, but it's even worse to tolerate and I can't do the whole bottle. I just hate when my bowels are too slow. NOT a medical recommendation; just something I did for me.

It is so good to actually explore my body! (For all of you that think I'm talking about playing with myself, sorry to disappoint! :-)) BUT (and you don't have to be a surgeon to appreciate this), I am sooooo happy to be able to see and feel bones, veins, muscles, etc. But, yes, admitedly as a physician/surgeon, I do enjoy saying: "Wow, I can really see my sternocleidomastoid muscle!" [the long muscle that appears at your neck when you turn your head]. "Wow, there's my 'anatomical snuff box,'" [Extend all your fingers as much as you can. really stretch the hand. Between your wrist and thumb, there are two "lines"--the longest, on top; the short one on the bottom. The space between them is what's called the 'asb'.] When lying in bed, wow, my hip bone is "right there." "Check out my 'supraclavicular fossa,'" [the indentation/dip just above your clavicle/collar bone] etc. My ribs--I can feel them! Cool. I even like seeing my veins; not varicose veins; I ony have one of those. But just seeing basic veins, because (to me) that means easy access if ever needed for medical purposes, like IVs, etc. Granted, the boobs are droopy sacs, not voluptuous, bountiful beauties, as before, but, hey... I took pics beforehand. Also, I think I'm back on track, thank God. I bounced up to ~193, after weeks of company, and eating stuff I shouldn't have, even if just a little at a time. I'm down to 188 again, and am focused again. Goal; ~160-170 by late spring, if that doesn't make me too skinny. Pray for me. Glad to see many doing so very well!!!

Jamie, I will say, that sometimes my hip bones do hurt when I lie on my side, so, yeah. I hear ya. There's no more cushion. But still, I'm happy to feel them. Also that I can put my hand around my opposite wrist; in fact, a good many inches above my wrists. Just everything. Good changes.

@JamieLogical Ouch!! But that's a good reason for you to be on top, on the side, or who knows whatever else you can try!! have fun!!!!!!!!!!!! Whoop, whoop!

Send that B&W head shot in to an agent, get a modeling contract :-) Congratulations!! Fantastic journey.

ARIEL ORTIZ, MD, for sure. He has a great reputation in the field and among colleagues.

After paying >$250 already for just a few alterations--"Can you take this in, please? Taper these pants?"--I will pull out my very old Singer sewing machine--the one I've had since the early 1970s!! [From what I deduce, you weren't even born then.] I'm afraid to even look at new machines; how much are they and are they very newfangled things these days? Mine is so basic, but it still sews/works well. I did buy some seam rippers and sewing straight pins the other day. I don't want to lose all my nice jackets, etc., but I also don't want to pay for all these alterations. Now, to just get to doing the alterations myself. Hmmm. Have fun if you do get a machine! Let us know what you decide and which one you get.

If interested...just sharing a new article via the ASMBS's "Connect" newsletter: Mortality Rate Associated with Bariatric Surgery Reaches New Lows, Life Expectancy Reaches New Highs: http://connect.asmbs.org/february-2015-surgery-mortality.html