BitterSweet*

Agreed. As long as you actually go for your follow-up appointments and get your labs drawn, you shouldn't have any issues - certainly not life threatening ones.

@@JerseyJules, thanks for the education but LapBands do in fact have a high failure rate that is unrelated to compliance. FYI: Being compliant with nutritional guidelines will not prevent a LapBand from slipping; eroding, breaking; adhering to one's liver; port site infections......shall I go on? None of the things I listed have anything to do with someone not eating Protein dense meals as required following WLS. They are just very common complications of having a device that's capable of migrating even when you vomit. Also, I don't need the education about LapBands because I researched them for over two years; more people than not have complications from them. How do I know? I'm a registered nurse at a tertiary hospital that's also a Bariatric Center of Excellence and I work in PACU. Every single day that I work I have no less than one patient having a band revision surgery, or band removal due to infection, failure, or erosion. Every single day. I'm not here to debate with you, I am here to support you and others; and if you were so sold on a LapBand (enough to educate me on it), then you'd be post-op right now. It is ok to be unsure. You did the right thing backing out and once again..........you owe no one but yourself an explanation and the benefit of more education and research. We all owe that to ourselves. You're the one who will have to live with your choice, not any of us. Good luck to you on your weight loss journey. I sincerely mean that.

@@jmscout6, Same question. Have you checked your temperature and heart rate?

@@Lipstick Lady, Agreed. @@JerseyJules, the complications with the Band are indeed great; they just don't work which is why so many surgeons simply won't do them anymore. Who would want to have WLS and not lose weight? Nobody. I think you definitely made the right choice in backing out and you don't have to justify that choice with anyone but the person who stares back at you in the mirror. We're all here to support each other and if you do end up changing your mind, you're entitled to do so and we will be here to support you.

"Snap out of it!" (in my Cher voice). You're doing great! Remember slower or slow weight loss helps mitigate loose skin. Just that fact would have me smiling instead of frowning. You've got this!

Inadequate protein intake (yours is on the low side) and dehydration are common causes of stalls. Speak to your nutritionist about upping your daily protein and find a way to drink more water.

Yay!! Good luck and congratulations!

I think it's great to have expectations but being realistic is also very necessary. 60 lbs in less than 2 months means that you have lost more than 1 pound per day. More than a pound per day. That rate of loss was bound to slow down at some point. You're obviously doing the right thing so just keep pushing through; you'll get there! Congratulations on your success so far!

@@beach lover, When I had my tummy tuck I was not big. I had a little pooch (and I do mean little) that would never go away because of a previous c-section. My plastic surgeon removed 5 lbs of skin. I'm still blown away by that. My pooch wasn't even big enough to grab; pinch yes, grab no, and it wasn't loose, hanging skin. So the answer to your question is yes, you probably are at your goal weight minus the skin. The best way to find out is to start going to plastic surgery consultations. The surgeon needs to physically palpate (feel) your fat to gauge whether it is dense or not. Skin that does not have a lot of dense fat will produce amazing results in the right surgeon's hands. Once I was all healed up and the swelling had subsided, I was exactly (to the ounce) 5 pounds smaller than my weight the morning of surgery.

This is a blessing. IF you in fact have a true cardiac problem, not knowing about it won't make it go away or any better if left untreated. Now you'll know exactly where you stand heart wise, and abnormalities will not preclude you from surgery. Delays are sometimes a good thing and whatever the issue is, it'll be medically managed and you'll just need clearance from the cardiologist they're going to send you to in order to have your VSG. Good luck!

I decline all invites to workout with others. I'd much rather be alone with my own thoughts, competing against my last performance, and jamming to some music. I get super annoyed when people interrupt my time on the track. If you want to invite me to your church, leave a church flyer or card on my car. If you're trying to "holla", keep it moving; I'm not interested in your tips - that's what my trainer is for. Booty watch from a distance like the rest of the weirdos.

I'm a believer in cleanses because I've seen a lot of nasty stuff as a nurse. A clean, raw diet is indeed the best practice, especially if you can do it for a while. I've done an intestinal cleanse a couple of times because I had too much accumulated and sedentary waste from years of poor eating. I've done homemade juice cleanses with raw fruits and veggies and those worked great, but I wasn't mindful of my Protein intake and suffered hair loss as a result. The last juice cleanse I did was for 7 days and I lost about 12-13 lbs. I did not gain the weight back once I began eating food again, and the cleanse was done with my doctor's knowlege and blessing. A cleanse is not something I would do without consulting my surgeon and nutritionist; just to be on the safe side. Colon cleanses can be quite harsh on the GI system and many of the recipes for homemade juice cleanses (like the ones I've done) contain a lot of sugar - albeit natural, and they lack protein (which is a no no after having a VSG); Fiber is also lost in the juicing process. I don't know if this helps at all. Sorry but I'm not familiar with "Advocare Cleanses".

@@laurenella82, that's right. And once you're discharged it's so much harder to resolve medication issues. It's better and smarter to leave the hospital with all the prescriptions you may need. Pain meds, nausea meds, and a PPI are a must, and if you don't need the first two, then don't take them.

You can request it. Although it may not be in the form you'd like. ???? #analsuppository

Ikr! Stranger things have happened! I'm getting my mind psyched for the worst. I realized long ago that I'm not a special snowflake and all I can really do is try to be as prepared as possible and pray. Stay in touch!

@@laurenella82, that sucks! What in the world do you take for a random headache? Menstrual cramps?! I'm sure you'll be in good hands at the hospital, and you'll be asked a million times what your allergies are in pre-op. Be mindful though that some hospitals have started administering IV acetaminophen, so that would be a no no for you; and be really cognizant when it's time to be discharged that: 1) They don't accidentally give you pain pills or liquids that contain acetaminophen or ibuprofen. 2) That you've been given a safe and strong enough prescription for at home use. 3) That you have an Epi-pen for at home. I hope everything works out for you!

Short answer: Dilaudid or Oxycontin are the two meds you'd likely be prescribed for at home use (and given IV while hospitalized), if you have a true allergy to the meds you listed. Both meds are available in liquid form and are extremely effective for pain control. There isn't anything stronger that's available. Many doctors are reluctant to send patients home with either of those meds because of their strength, increased risk of respiratory distress, as well as their addictive properties. If you have a true allergy to acetaminophen by itself - not combined with another drug, then you'll probably get one of those meds. A true allergic reaction includes itching, a rash, hives, itchy tongue, swelling, respiratory distress.... Nausea or GI upset is not an allergic reaction; those are side effects.

Allergic how? What's your reaction to those meds?

Smh.

Gosh, you ladies look fantastic! Totally age defying. Congratulations to all of you!

@@mami2two 1) Yes. 2) Possibly, but it can be managed with meds and avoiding reflux causing foods. Many obese people with reflux have hiatal hernias that they may be unaware of, and reputable bariatric surgeons will repair that type of hernia during a VSG. Sometimes the repair solves the reflux problem; sometimes not. 3) The pre and post diet requirements vary greatly from surgeon to surgeon and sometimes individual to individual. I've seen posts where members had no pre-op diet at all and others who had to do 4 wks. Same thing post-operatively. Some people had to do liquids ranging a couple of days to a month before their diet was advanced, others started pureéd foods while still in the hospital. This answer will be specific to the surgeon you choose. 4) No, and you shouldn't. The shakes are designed to help you meet Protein and caloric requirements when you can't eat food right after surgery. The goal is too glean all of your protein from healthy foods (lean meats etc.). Some people use one shake or smoothie per day to help maximize meeting their protein goals. 5) Yes, but it may make the shakes extra frothy and bubbly, which may cause excess gas and make them harder to consume. 6) Yes, you will be able to eat those things but ideally should happen after you've eaten your protein and vegetables. People tend to find that simple carbs create a slippery slope. Highly processed foods are easily tolerated (called "sliders".....chips, Cookies etc.) and the things that are supposed to be eaten cause more digestive difficulties at times. So, consuming those types of food can be problematic for some people - meaning old bad habits proliferate and weight loss is slow or regaining weight occurs. Hope this helps! Keep reading and doing lots of research and good luck with whatever you decide!

Nice!

You need more calories.

@@georgiare, you've done quite well then. Surgeons typically put patients on a prescribed PPI after VSG to keep the stomach acid at bay - allowing the staple line to heal and minimize the chance of complications.

@@LeoButterfly25, you need more calories and you do need to meet daily Water goals. Your body is in starvation if all you're managing is an "occasional half-cup soup"; that's too little calorie wise to live on and lose weight with. Side note: Muscle does not weigh more than fat. A pound is a pound. Muscle takes up less room than fat, and of course is visually more appealing than the lumps and bumps of fat beneath skin.