MRhynard11

My husband is thinking about sleeve surgery now that he's seen my success with mine. He's overweight with terrible back problems. His reason mainly to get it done would be to cut down on the back pain. He asked me today if there are many men on this forum. I asked why and he said that he'd like to know if the surgery caused them to lose their hair. His is already thinning and he's super sensitive about it. I told him that as long as he eats his protein he should be alright. I've honestly lost a little bit of hair myself but I have a tough time getting all of my protein in every day. Anyway, are their any men out there that could give me some advice for him?

Yup, I felt kind of down and sad too. I don't want to bum you out, but for me, it didn't go away until several weeks after surgery and I began to feel like I was myself again. I think I felt that way because food was something that I've had a pretty significant relationship with my entire life. Before and right after surgery, I felt like that relationship was over and it literally did feel like a loss. I guess you could say that I was in mourning. Don't worry though. The weight starts melting off and you feel such a euphoria from that. Then, you realize eventually that you don't have to say goodbye to food. You'll be able to eat again and that sense of loss will leave you. You just can't eat much lol but you can still enjoy. Hell, it's actually more fun for me to go out to dinner now than it was before because I know that I'm totally going to get to enjoy whatever I order for the next 3 meals! One of my favorite hobbies now is searching Pinterest for neat bariatric or low carb recipes. IAnyway, hope this helps.

I drink a lot of unsweet tea from fast food places like chick fil a. I'd check out the lemonade first on my fitness pal just to see how much sugar is in there. Personally, sugar is the kicker that makes me really sick if it has too much. With unsweet tea, I can sweeten it myself with equal or something. It does the trick for me because I have a hard time drinking water too.

This drives my husband crazy, but popcorn is something that I have to get when we go to the movies. That's probably why we don't go that often- because getting popcorn, a drink, and movie tickets are so dang expensive. Anyway, I was really worried about how I would do without it. I went to the movies about 1 1/2 months post surgery and as soon as I walked in and sniffed the air I knew I couldn't resist. I ended up getting a small with no extra butter and a water since we can't drink soda. I ate probably about 1/2 of the it and was fine. No nausea, no feeling of food stuck in my throat, and no sweats. My sleeve is so stubborn- most things I used to love make me sick now. Popcorn is something luckily I can still have once in awhile and in moderation. Thank goodness.

Call your insurance company. I actually found out that I was approved from them several days before the doctor's office called to schedule my surgery. The recording at my dr's office specifically says not to call them regarding approval questions- they'll call me. They probably did that so that they wouldn't get daily phone calls from people waiting to hear. You're insurance company shouldn't have a problem checking for you though.

Yes! I rode one coaster last month and was miserable for at least an hour after. My stomach felt horrible. I've always been able to ride them in the past. I just chalked it up to "getting older" at the time, but maybe you're right- maybe it is due to the surgery!

My husband's done a couple. You report there for your first study in the evening and bring your pj's. You then get hooked up to a bunch of cords that monitor you throughout the night. He said that the room at the hospital that did his study actually looked like a hotel room. He watched tv for awhile but fell asleep after an hour or so. They woke him up early in the morning and that was it. His doctor contacted him with his results a few days later. He ended up having to do a second sleep study because his doctor felt that he needed something called a VPap machine permanently due to his results. He was fitted for a VPap for the second study and monitored throughout the night. Hope this helps. Side note- it was recommended to me to do a study also by my doctor but I honestly think the weight loss I've had so far has helped me considerably. My husband says that I barely snore anymore and once in awhile he used to hear me actually stop breathing, which really scared him, but he says I don't do that anymore either. Good luck to you!

You actually want to send out one of those cutesy Christmas postcards where everyone's wearing red sweaters with big smiles...

A few days shy of the 2 month mark and I'm at 32 lbs gone. I like this topic because I'm sure, like myself, so many of us wonder if we're losing at the pace we should.

I get dumping syndrome if I eat something too surgery. That's not to say though that I haven't had a treat every now and then. For example, if my family goes out for ice cream, I may share a scoop of vanilla with my son- share being the operative word. I found out the hard way that more than 3 spoonfuls of ice cream will get me sick. Sorry about the tmi you're about to read, but I suddenly get dizzy, sweaty, and feel like I have diarrhea and need to vomit. I literally almost fell on the floor waiting in line for a bathroom at a busy mall because I ate a little too much ice cream and feeling this way came out of no-where. I'm actually glad that I feel so bad- it keeps me in check. You'll learn your limits too. Probably the hard way like me lol. Try watermelon- it's sweet and mostly Water. It satisfies a sweet craving without making you sick.

This is wonderful!!! You should feel so proud of yourself! I too just hit one-derland and the feeling is so satisfying. One of the best parts of that feeling is knowing that we're never going to see the 2's again!

I find that since surgery, my favorite drink is unsweetened iced tea. I sweeten it myself with a half a pack of equal or splenda for a large size. McDonald's has them for a $1.00. It keeps me from getting a caffeine withdrawal headache and I can drink it with a straw without a problem. It's actually the only way I can get my Water in because regular water doesn't taste all that great to me anymore. I haven't tried any soda since surgery- just the thought isn't appealing at all. I get constant bubbles from my stomach to my throat while drinking anyway and I couldn't imagine adding carbonation to that too! I think you'll find that foods and drinks you loved before surgery suddenly lose their appeal after.

I've been feeling bummed lately because my weight loss feels slower and I'm having trouble finding food that my sleeve actually agrees with and won't make me sick. However, yesterday I went to an amusement park with my family. I was able to walk around all day in the heat with tons of energy! The old me would had throbbing feet and ankles and needed my asthma inhaler all day. Hell, the only time I needed it yesterday was because my brother dragged me on a rollercoaster with four loops lol. I only needed it because I shut my eyes and held my breath the whole time! That's another thing- I haven't ridden a ride in years because I was afraid the attendants would tell me I'm too big- I fit just fine now! One last thing- we had to park at the far end of the parking lot. Walking the distance wasn't a big deal at all! In fact, I walked ahead of my family and had to keep waiting on them! Anyway, yesterday was just what I needed to boost my spirits and remind me why I'm on this journey! It reminded me that success after WLS isn't just about what's reflected on the scale everyday!

I was too- no biggie. Just tell the pre-op nurse when you get there. They made me where one of their maxi's and special underwear. (sorry tmi)

Use My Fitness Pal to track and look up food. You'd be surprised at how much you can eat on 1200 calories! Especially if you limit carbs and go more protein based. Good luck on your journey! I can tell you now that I'm on the other side- whatever hoops you have to go through to get here is so worth it!

I had my surgery when my son was 4 months old. I was worried that insurance or my surgeon would deny me because it was so soon, but they didn't. I would recommend lots of help though if you decide to pursue this soon after your baby is born. It's been tough but do-able and so worth it! I was lucky though- my son is little so the lifting isn't bad and I healed pretty quick from surgery. Good luck to you and congratulations!!

I'm just like you! I also had my surgery on June 24th and have stalled this week. I've been worried that I'm eating too much (around 700-1000 calories). My doctor told me last week that I could progress to soft foods as long as I'm remembering to chew everything to an applesauce-like consistency. I think that once different foods were introduced back into my diet that it opened me up to hunger again, unfortunately. I'm trying not too snack too much and I'm working on drinking more Water and getting more Protein in. Today I actually got close to 70g's of protein (which is pretty good for me) and I forced myself to drink more than normal and I can say that as of right now, I'm not feeling as hungry as I've been lately. Also, if I do need to snack (like at night when my sweet tooth kicks in!), watermelon or Outshine no sugar added popsicles are pretty great. The only exercise that I've been doing is walking for a half hour everyday around my neighborhood. A nurse told me (before my surgery when I complained that my feet hurt way too much to even think about going for a walk) that often it's the shoes that hurt more than being overweight. I invested in a good pair of walking shoes and I can actually say that my feet don't hurt when I walk anymore and each day I try to go farther and farther. Anyway, just wanted to share with you a few things that I've tried that seem to help since we're in the same boat! Good luck!

Thank you for taking the time to put this together!!

Just wanted to tell you that I'm inspired by you! Keep it up- stalls happen to everyone and remember that it's scientifically impossible for you not to continue to lose weight if you keep living your life the way you are now.

I'm sooo in!! CW- 214 GW- 184

I'm having the same problem. When it's been over 3 days, I usually drink about 1/2 a cup of coffee and then take a walk. That seems to help.

Is it normal to have a stall only 1 1/2 weeks after surgery? I'm having some issues getting enough calories in and not as many carbs. Maybe that's my problem. I'm going to really try to keep my carbs under 50, which someone suggested earlier. It would be nice to know though that I'm not the only one so new to the surgery who is having a stall.....

I'm a pretty thrifty person and for me, it would come down to one thought. Am I paying for the sleeve or is insurance going to cover? If you're paying out of pocket, then maybe wait a year or so and see how you do without it. You may find that you don't need it. Or, especially if you're covered, I think that because the band taught you how to eat and you're proving right now that you truly have changed your relationship with food, that you'll be even more successful with the sleeve. I'm still a newbie with mine- but I'm slowly seeing that it's a blessing. If you have the opportunity to get it and have your insurance cover it, then why not? It will just help to ensure that stay a healthy weight for life.

Plain Greek yogurt and tons of Protein supplement! I'm in my second week post op and am finding that in the liquid stage, pretty much the only way I get protein is through supplements. It also takes forever to drink one. I've found that if I blend chocolate, vanilla, or banana with ice and plain greek yogurt, I'm getting tons of protein in one glass so I only have to drink one in the morning and one at night to get my protein in. The rest of the time I'm eating Jello, pudding, popsicles, or broth. Good luck!

I was sleeved on 6/24. I'm feeling pretty good- I even went for a walk today! I'm in a stall though, but it sounds like just about everyone is! I feel a lot better about it. I can't wait to be off liquids! HW- 245 SW- 226 CW- 214