Court3625

I'm down 68 pounds from my highest pre-surgery weight. Only 3 pounds to go to reach my first weight goal. I see my surgeon toward the end of February and very hopeful I will have achieved my first goal!

About a week or two after my surgery I started taking a multivitamin and calcium that are not chewable. I have had no problems with either. I just make sure to have something on my stomach when I take the multivitamin.

I had the surgery on 8.7 and I'm down 52 pounds from my highest pre-surgery weight. I'm very happy with how things are going.

I was also sleeved on 8.7.15. Today I'm down 42 pounds from my highest pre-surgery weight. I'm pretty pleased. -C

You're definitely right. When we take in fewer calories our bodies pretty much freak out and say no way! Losing too fast is not good. I'm pretty pleased with my lose. I'm down 38 pounds from my highest pre-surgery weight. Tomorrow I will be 6 weeks post-op. ???????? -C

I think eating slowly is the key, especially when you're incorporating a "new" texture into your diet. I was definitely concerned too. I started with refried Beans with a touch of enchilada sauce (made the beans softer) and some shredded cheese. I didn't have any problems with that. Small curd cottage cheese is also good. I took a rotisserie chicken and put it in the Nutra Bullet and added a little bit of mayo for taste. That was really good! There are lots of good ideas on here. -C

lealor, Did your doc put you on Prilosec or anything like that? If he/she didn't give you a prescription you can buy it over the counter. Hope you feel better soon! -C

I had mine done on August 7. Everything seems to be going well. I'm on regular foods now but not in any kind of hurry to go back to my pre-sleeve habits. I had the lap-band from May, 2011 to December, 2014 with several painful experiences with food getting stuck. I don't want any repeats! Since my heaviest pre-surgery, I've lost 36 pounds. Two weeks of that was my pre-op diet. But a lose is a lose!

Agreed, don't do it. I can only imagine how difficult it is to quit smoking. Think about being 4 months cigarette free; that's an awesome accomplishment! Try to find something to take your mind off the urge. Have you heard about the recent trend of adult coloring books? It sounds goofy but I highly recommend it. Get some crayons or colored pencils and you can find images online. I was getting super stressed out before my surgery to the point were I was having significant jaw pain due to clenching my teeth. Coloring really made a difference. Here is just one of many sites. http://www.coloring-pages-adults.com/coloring-zen/ Good luck! -C

I was told to do a liquid Protein diet two weeks before surgery and clear liquids the day before surgery. The reason why is to reduce the size of the liver. The liver rests just over the stomach. Making the liver smaller will help the surgeon during the surgery which ultimately can reduce the risk of complications. This link has a good explanation. http://www.ouh.nhs.uk/patient-guide/leaflets/files%5C101018bariatricdiet.pdf

I am just a little over 3 weeks out and my incisions were itchy too. My problem was I think I'm allergic to the adhesive they used to close the incisions. I experienced this with the last surgery I had. My doc suggested a Benadryl itch cream but put it around the incision, not on it. Once the adhesive came off it made a significant difference in the itching. Good luck! -C

I also was sleeved on August 7 in Michigan. I was back to the gym walking the track the Tuesday after surgery. I took a week off work to recuperate. I should be on puréed or soft foods but I'm pretty much eating regular consistency foods at this point. I had some chicken fingers on Friday with the breading removed and I tolerated it well. I had the lap band previously and it was removed in December. Having had experienced restriction before with the lap band I'm taking it easy with the foods I'm willing to try since being sleeved. This has been a very easy/good experience for me. The only issue is that now I can't tolerate sugar-free foods with sugar alcohols. They never gave me problems before getting the sleeve but now I can't even take the Celebrate chewable Vitamins because of the sugar alcohols. Good luck on your journey! -C

I'm a nurse and have taken care of many patients who have had gastric bypass. Most of them were nutrient deficient with malabsorption problems. They were in and out of the hospital on a regular basis. They may have lost a lot of weight but they were not healthy people. I know that is not what every bypass patient experiences but I was not willing to try my luck. I had the band removed in December and was sleeved on 8.7.15. Other than not being able to tolerate sugar-free foods, it's been smooth sailing.

I also got my Apple watch in the first wave of shipments. I absolutely love it! I was sleeved two weeks ago. I've not really been using the watch related to eating or drinking. But, I started going back to the gym on my 4th day post-op. I use the watch to monitor my heart rate, calories, and activity achieved. I really try to get all three rings!

I had the band from May, 2011 to December, 2014 and was sleeved August 7, 2015. Before the band I had occasional reflux; nothing to see a doctor about. With the band, I had constant reflux that required Prilosec daily. Taking it has become part of daily routine. I would love to stop needing it but I'm also happy I only need it once a day; I can live with that!

Versed Generic Name: midazolam Midazolam is used to produce sleepiness or drowsiness and to relieve anxiety before surgery or certain procedures. Midazolam is also given to produce amnesia (loss of memory) so that the patient will not remember any discomfort or undesirable effects that may occur after a surgery or procedure.

I was sleeved on 8.7 and had to try different things after surgery. My pre-op diet was sugar free CIB with Protein five times per day. Since the surgery I have been having watery stools. I switched from the sugar free CIB with whey protein to Fairlife milk. That seemed to help. I had a sugar free pudding last night and had the watery stools again this morning. I'm beginning to wonder if I can't tolerate the sugar free products like I used to. Has anyone experienced that? Other than the stool issue I feel great. Stopped pain meds on day 2 post-op, driving and running errands, walked at the gym yesterday and today for over 30 minutes. Thanks! -C

10 year RN here. I had the sleeve this past Friday, August 7. I understand the feeling of guilt. I told my surgeon that I can give lots of nutrition information and suggestions to my patients but don't always listen to my own advice. I had the lap-band place in May, 2011 and removed December, 2014. I was sure that I could continue to lose weight on my own. I gained about 40 pounds and felt like such a failure. I am one of those people who has decided to only tell my family about getting the sleeve. I have no regrets so far but the fact that I needed another surgery is too embarrassing to share with others. Maybe someday I'll share with others but I'm not at that point yet and I'm ok with that. -C

Regarding your question about informing potential employers of your plan for surgery... I had a revision on my lap-band on a Thursday and was in an interview within 24 hours after the surgery. I had the same kind of question...do I tell them I had surgery the day before? I decided not to disclose that information and everything turned out well...I got the job. I think of an anticipatory surgery like I do about a vacation. Don't disclose that in the interview but if/when you are offered the position and are discussing a start, then you can mention you have a procedure coming up especially if you have a set surgery date. If you are discussing a start date and don't have a surgery date, I wouldn't mention it. Does that make sense?! Anyway, I'm scheduled for the sleeve on Friday, August 7. Good luck! -C

I received a call last week asking if I was available for surgery on August 7. Stunned, I said yes! I was certain I would have to wait for the original surgeon to get back which could have been mid September. Now I officially have my surgery date, two weeks away. I'm on Day 2 of my pre-op diet. This is going to be a long two weeks

Hello all! I'm Courtney and I've been a nurse for 10 years. I worked on a LTAC unit for 8 years then transferred into the EHR department. I have not been sleeved but that is my goal. Here is my condensed story... May 2, 2011--lap-band placed January, 2013--surgical release of band due to band slip March, 2013--surgical reattachment of band and sutures placed to keep band from slipping again. 24 hours later, I was interviewing for the position I'm in now! December 5, 2014--surgical removal of lap-band due to another slip even after sutured in place. I attempted to maintain my weight on my own but was unsuccessful. After careful consideration and lots of research, I requested to get the sleeve. My surgeon has been incredibly supportive. I was approved by my insurance company and received my letter last week. Now to figure out a surgery date. As luck would have it, my surgeon is going to be off from the end of June through the end of August for knee replacement. It's unclear if his old partner, who is seeing patients while my doc is out, will do my surgery or if I have to wait until early to mid September. The waiting and not knowing is really testing me! I'm ready to get the surgery over with and start this new part of my life. -C

I'm in Saint Joseph. I had my band removed in December, 2014. My surgeons office is getting my info together to submit to the insurance company. Impatiently waiting! Good luck with your surgery!

I had the same thing happen to me. I got the band May, 2011. It slipped at the end of 2012. Had surgery to release it. Six weeks later had another surgery to put it back together. Band slipped again fall 2014 and it was removed December, 2014. Since then I've gained 25-30 pounds. When the band was removed, I would not consider another surgery. I thought I could do it on my own. It took me a while, lots of thinking and research. I also talked to two acquaintances who have been sleeved. I wanted to hear from them that they weren't experiencing the problems that bypass can cause. I'm a nurse and took care of many bypass patients and saw the problems they had after bypass...malabsorption and dumping syndrome being the most common. Finally decided I want to pursue the sleeve and my surgeon is in agreement. Now to determine if the insurance will cover it. I hate the waiting. I would assume since they approved me for the band and I did lose a significant amount of weight that I should be ok to get the sleeve.

I see this was discussed a month ago but I wanted to share... I got the band in May, 2011. In November, 2012, I was experiencing some back pain that would not let up. I was still able to work (I'm a nurse) but laying down/sleeping has hard. I bought two different types of back massagers and a memory foam topper for my bed with very little improvement. Then right after Christmas I developed some terrible reflux that wouldn't go away. I tried every OTC antacid available. Even got to the point that I was drinking Maalox more than I should have because the reflux was so bad. After a week of this, I saw my surgeon. I told him about the reflux and casually mentioned the back pain, having no clue about the correlation, and he scheduled a swallow X-ray for the next day. Before I left from the surgeons office, he took out the saline from the band. That felt quite a bit better. I had the X-ray and sure enough, clear as day, the band had slipped. Actually, it had slipped to the point a little pouch was created and that's why I was having such awful reflux. A week later, I was in the OR to have the band released, not removed. In March of that same year, the surgeon reattached the band and added sutures. So far, no more issues of back pain and reflux. I had no idea the back pain was the first sign of my band slipping. But not everyone's symptoms will be the same.