freezepop

I think the blame is being misplaced here. I think the majority of the blame is with the doctors not properly informing their patients and patients (us) not taking the time to educate ourselves. I have an excellent doctor that I trust. He did both my band and sleeve surgeries. He was named one of the top 15 bariatric surgeons in the country by Newsweek and he told me in 2009 when I had my surgery that he could not tell me how long it would work for me. He said that the band was fairly new in terms of the fact that no one has had the opportunity to even determine if it could be a lifetime tool since it had not been on the market long enough. He said that there was nothing to say at 50 years old I would have to get it replaced.

I had tons of trouble with my band and made many trips to the ER because of it. Do I regret getting it? Nope. I made the choice based on the information I researched and what was given to me by my doctor. I knew my eating habits would change drastically, I knew there was a chance of it slipping, I knew it may not be forever, and I knew it may not work. I took the chance and lost close to 100 lbs. It saved my life. Did it eventually fail? Yes. Would I be where I am now without it? Nope.

I think as a country we are a little too sue happy. I took the risk of attaching a foreign object to my body, a body that is unique from everyone else's in this world. I knew that my band might not work like the person's next to me. I knew that it might not work the way I wanted it to at all. I was altering my digestive system with a plastic ring. I dunno. Call me crazy, but I have no regrets. I would do it all over again if it meant getting me to the place I am now.

I never got the band i have the sleeve but my surgeon group only really advertises the band. They tried to convince me that the band really had no side effects and every time I brought up a lot of the chronic issues i read about they just looked at me like I was crazy. They also sold the sleeve as more dangerous and the band as less drastic. The sleeve was never brought up as an option until I mentioned it. So yes there are surgery centers in 2014 that will sell you the "banddream". If i believed them and got the band I would def sue. But luckily with my experience with doctors I know to take everything they say with a grain of salt and do my own research. A lot of people expect Dr.s to be truthful tho and to have more info than them. Which is a realistic expectation.

Sorry to hear that. That sucks

What can u eat? Your sleeve must be really small

Went to the doctor today to get my blood pressure checked and some blood work done, I'm finally in the 180's!!!! Haven't seen the 180's in 15 years. Also, I fit a size large dress and I've been using the ketone strips and finally I'm back in fat burning mode. Thank everyone for your encouragement.

Congrats!

for me watermelon is a no no i am a little over 2 years out and i just puke it up its too high in Water content my sleeve is a tricky bugger i foam and its game over tried several times same thing every time no matter the amount i try and eat.

when i say its a bugger most people have no problem with popcorn not me even a little handful of the stuff puke it back up in little chewed up puddles lol

Sorry to hear that. That sucks

I was a slow loser and I was frustrated at the time. 2 years post-op. I am thankful. I've lost 118lbs, wear a size 6, and I have minimal sagging skin. It's a blessing to be slow sometimes. I've had friends who've dropped it fast but they have so much sagging skin they aren't happy with the weight loss results. I've been slow and steady. I'm still losing and I'm feeling much better now that I threw out my scale. It depressed me and kept me mentally bound up. I focused too much on the scale going down instead of my clothes. Now I don't look. I get up and do all I can and then I push it some more. I feel around on my body and notice lumps are gone, belly almost completely flat and thighs are almost dissolved. Woo Hoo. Plus, like I said, I have a slight amount of sagging skin on my inner thighs that is noticeable to me only when I am naked but it seems to be getting better the more I lose. Throw out your scale and just keep going and going and going some more. Be as active as you can and look for the results in your clothes and how you feel. The weight will come off if you don't obsess about it and don't beat yourself up if the scales don't move.

And also congrats on the loss .. very good job !

They strips that you buy in the diabetic area of Walgreens/CVS/walmart. You pee on them!! If you are eating low carb and have used all your stored carbohydrates in your body your body will the start to use fat as it's primary source of energy. The byproduct of that process is ketones which the strips measure letting you know that you are burning fat for energy. You can learn about by reding a multitude of books most notable is Adkins new diet revolution or google it.

Damn derrty just debo'd my reply lol

Omg I am so frustrated I was banded 12-12-13 and I only down 6lbs from surgery date!! Please tell me someone out there experienced this.

I hope you are trolling

@@freezepop

Thank you! Exactly what are ketone strips as and how should they be used?

Very welcome:) They are litmus strips that measure the amount of ketones in your urine(you pee on them like a pregnancy test). If you are in ketosis they will be pink to deep purple. As long as you are in ketosis you are burning fat. They are with the glucometers in the diabetic section at the drug store. Sometimes behind the pharmacy counter. Around $11 for a container of 50. I use one every morning when I wake up just to keep me motivated and to warn myself when ive had a little to much fruit or other carbs.

I was a slow loser and I was frustrated at the time. 2 years post-op. I am thankful. I've lost 118lbs, wear a size 6, and I have minimal sagging skin. It's a blessing to be slow sometimes. I've had friends who've dropped it fast but they have so much sagging skin they aren't happy with the weight loss results. I've been slow and steady. I'm still losing and I'm feeling much better now that I threw out my scale. It depressed me and kept me mentally bound up. I focused too much on the scale going down instead of my clothes. Now I don't look. I get up and do all I can and then I push it some more. I feel around on my body and notice lumps are gone, belly almost completely flat and thighs are almost dissolved. Woo Hoo. Plus, like I said, I have a slight amount of sagging skin on my inner thighs that is noticeable to me only when I am naked but it seems to be getting better the more I lose. Throw out your scale and just keep going and going and going some more. Be as active as you can and look for the results in your clothes and how you feel. The weight will come off if you don't obsess about it and don't beat yourself up if the scales don't move.

Yes im glad for the slow weightloss ..Im too young for saggy skin lol

This is encouraging to read. I was so excited! Walking daily and ready to do everything the doctor said.......well its tough when the pounds come off slowly or stall.....I've been sitting at the same weight for two weeks. Super depressing but I'm a little encouraged after ready this thread.

I stalled when i started on solid foods for two weeks. I haven't had another stall since then and Im 4mths post op

Thanks Fluffnomore! I wasn't expecting to drop 50-60 pounds inn a few weeks, just noticed that some do. I know my starting weight wasn't as high as some, but it was big enough for me. Just don't want to feel discouraged, and as we already know - since the lap band failed, that is one of my biggest concerns. I just don't think I can mentally taken another failure, but I don't see this as failing. Just slower than some.

No failure ,you are doing fine im 4 mths out and at -52 lbs sw270 ..i exercise 5-4 days and stay in ketosis daily so im doing the best I can. You are closer to goal than others so you will naturally lose slower than a 500lb person. Everyone is different but you will reach goal. Get some ketone strips and test frequently..they keep my mind at ease.

Exactly. I just got my check from Skechers last week for 35 for the false claims they make with their Shape-Ups shoes

Lol

Use some responsible caution on the pain chillers. I didn't take any for 4 months (perks) due to fear of tearing up healing flesh and general after effects of Constipation, etc.....had enough of that early on. But about a month ago starting training for my wine marathon in Italy this September (distance drinking). Found one Percocet seemed to settle the stomach acids enough to let me enjoy a bottle or two of a mild, laid back Chardonnay,,,,like to keep a couple hours between the wine and any significant food intake, just to be adult about it. Get tipsy a little quicker so need to be aware. Find food also settles more easily--again pain pill seems to lower the production of stomach secretions, Clearly I am not a doctor and my personal experience shouldn't be taken as advise..but it works (or is working for me). Slowly finds what works for you and enjoy the same when you want. Mind and body will get you where you want to be. 120 days gone; 80 pounds down---yah who!

A percocet and 2 bottles of wine on an empty stomach?? Id be puking from the percocet alone

It is possible to get a sugarfree slush at Sonic- the trick is to ask for an "add in" flavor ONLY with no slush Syrup base. I did this with the sugarfree mango and the sugarfree raspberry and they were yummy. The add in favors are colorless so it looks like a cup of plain crushed ice but it is delicious!

Thank you. I shall try this

I still have a ways to go my insurance requires 6 months of diet with Pcp I got 4 more months to go , looking at beginning of December . I'm so very nervous, some days I'm really excited and feel at peace with my decision and some days I'm scared I'm doing the wrong thing.

I was nervous too.... but you just close your eyes and wake up with your nurse holding ur hand lol. I don't remember being intubated or extubated. Very easy. No worries

I showed up to my appt at 12:30p and my appt was at 1p. I didn't get cut up until about 5p and I was home by 8:30p with some seriously intense gas pain in my chest. It was one of the worst night sleeps I have ever gotten.

Took a gas pill not sure if it worked or if time helped. I dry heaved about 6 to 8 times last night and at the hospital which I was thankful for as it helped with the pain a bit.

Woke up every hour to pee, it was exhausting. I know this surgery was the right choice but I feel like this was a bad idea. I know in a few days I will be fine and the pain forgotten.

Going to try Jello in a bit because as much as I love Water it is a pain to drink.

I asked for a catheter right after surgery lol i got up like 30 times it felt like . Of course i couldn't get a catheter. Congrats on making it post op

Hey everyone. I'm 2 months post op and down approx 38lbs. I know I shouldn't compare but I'm wondering what everyone's average is? I still don't eat much and struggling to reach my Protein min of 60g/day. Thanks!

Im 4 mths out and 51lbs down my starting bmi was 43 ..you are doing really well

Yep I thought I had discovered an amazing treat when I had the diet lemonade slush from sonic! That was a low blow haha!

Yeah it was ...kinda like msg fiasco smh .. im looking into slushy machines

My NUT advises against the gummies. She does recommend Flintstones Complete chewables. I suggest you compare the labels to check the differences.

Are you post op yet? Beagle lover?

We all don't have the same surgeon or NUT so everyone's post op rules will slightly vary. My surgeon said 2 gummies everyday and I will be fine. If my preop levels were off or if I had certain comorbidities my surgeon might have given me different directions. I think as long as you can keep what you are taking down and your blood work comes back good you should be fine.

Just got home from the hospital I was sleeved on July 21 and I still feel really crapy, and throw up. I also have a massive head ache. Anyone else experienced this ?

No I didnt throw up or have a headache. Are you dehydrated? Everytime you vomit you must replace what u lost. Keep sipping on Water and gatorade or electrolyte water. Dehydration causes those symptoms and lethargy. It can be a vicious cycle once starts. The first few weeks suck. Good luck:)

Having a hard time getting my Vitamins in. They are so gross! I had a hard time with vitamins pre-op too. What's everyone else taking?

I took 2 Flintstone gummies and a liquid B12 post op ...now I take the gummies.. super bcomplex pill..l lysine pill ..magnesium ..that was my preop mix for bipolar ,anxiety,and depression ..i just recently started back

Hi All - Just new to this forum, but I am finding I do need some help. I have been suffering from Nausea and Heartburn ever since I have progressed to the soft food phase. Trying to find foods my body agrees with and keeping my energy levels up is quite difficult yet I continue to push forward every day.

I would love to hear from people who have also had these issues and what they have done to overcome them. I have been to the doctors about the heartburn, but I just want to feel good not tired or worried everytime I go to eat.

Thanks

Vanessa

Im 4 months out not sure if I can offer much help . My stomach did lots of different things at the beginning. It sounds like heart burn ,your stomach is getting use to processing soft foods. If your antacids aren't working maybe back off of the soft foods and go back to more liquids to get all your nutrients in. Some days my stomach was like "im not eating that" and Id go back to a shake ,then try again the next day. You have to take it day by day and pretty soon your knew tummy will be just like before only smaller. Good luck.

I am one week from the day I underwent the VSG procedure. Most of my painful symptoms such as gas pain has gone away but I am still having difficulty, adjusting to this new lifestyle. Especially with eating, like today it seems like I am having a hard time eating and getting the Protein Shakes down. I would take a bite or a sip then there would be a girdling sensation in the upper part of my chest then down to the top of my stomach. I am getting sick of this feeling so I was wonder if anyone has had this problem, is it normal, and will it go away?

Also I am confused what my full signal is, my stomach is still sore, rumbling, and healing from the procedure so I don't know if I should follow my stomach's feeling of fullness and how long after I should eat because I never feel physically hunger but I know I must eat/ drink to fill my juice and Protein requirements. What where you full signals the first couple of weeks and how long did you eat again after those signals?

Congrats on making on the other side I didnt have any full symptoms until i moved to soft foods . My first solid food was tuna and i could only get 2 fork fulls. That is when my wieghtloss stopped for two weeks when I moved to solids just a heads up. Good luck

I am still very ill.....in and out of the ER...the doctors there keep giving me Lyrica and tramadol and gababentin.....and nothing of that ilk has helped....I have lost 146 pounds in a year.....I had a CAT SCAN in the ER and it showed that I have some ASCITES and an enlarged spleen and enlarged lymph nodes....I suppose that there is some sort of infection post op....I will have to see a gastroenterologist...so disappointed by the medical care at Columbia Presbyatarian Hospital and Mount Sinai Hospital in NYC....the independent neurologist that I had seen was horrible....I saw another horrible one today and they have not addressed my severe pain in my feet and legs.......anyone ever experience these things ?

Wow soo sorry to hear that. I know that feeling of being sick and not getting adequate care. You really feel alone and start to forget how it feels to be "normal" again:(. My illness was years before my surgery and I lost about 80 lbs from 225 in 4months (ofcourse gained it back) but I do understand the feeling of being really ill and it seems like its no way out of it. But some how I made it out and on the other side..and you will too. Did you have any organ dysfunction prior to surgery like diabetes?

Kind of a weird title. I've read all the complications of the 3 surgeries on this app and I am still glad I chose the sleeve. The lapband effect on quality of life(can't eat but can't lose weight) (eroding esophagus)and being tethered to doctors when things goes wrong still terrifies me. The rny malabsorption and Vitamin deficiency also still scares the hell out of me. I am very fortunate that i haven't had any complications thus far but I dont have the fear that I think I would have about the future had I chosen lapband or rny. Do any sleevers that have/had complications wish you chose a different surgery??