Djmohr

My doc did not even want to talk about the scale. We set goals that resulted in my health improving. No more diabetes, Gerd, high blood pressure, sleep apnea. I do have a non scale goal I have been working towards and I am well on my way. My personal goal is to ride a bike this spring! I used to hate excercise which is part of the reason I got to this point. I excercise regularly now and I rather miss it if I skip a day.

I was very lucid within a few hours post op. I began walking as soon as I got back to my room from recovery. My surgeon did not use a catheter so therefore I had to get up with help to use the bathroom. I found very quickly that it was more comfortable to sit in the chair vs. stay in my bed. I walked constantly to get rid of the gas pain. I took a shower the very next day. I was on diluadid the first night and then we switched to liquid oral Vicodin as I don't tolerate Percocet well. The issue with that is that other than watching tv, the meds made it hard to read or use my iPad. Sleeping that first night was pretty much non existant but I was told that is normal. The amount of gas in your belly from the laporascopic surgery is what makes you most uncomfortable. I had surgery on Monday and was off all pain meds by Thursday. Also, I stayed in hospital gowns the whole time, it is easier to deal with IVs. I wish you the best of luck with your surgery and hope you have a very speedy recovery!

Keep calling them. If everything is there it should not take them so long. Sometimes the squeaky wheel gets the grease!

Congratulations on your approval! I remember heading into surgery with that same feeling of excitement. For some reason I was never scared. I have had a lot of surgeries in my life and most of the time I fret about them and don't even sleep well for a week before. For some reason I was so excited to get started on this new life that being scared or nervous before hand just did not occur. Hopefully your nerves will dissipate prior to surgery and all will go well. Keep us posted on your surgery date and I will say a prayer that all goes well!

Hi there! I had my surgery on 9/29/14. I too was dealing with constipation every day until about 3 weeks ago. The biggest change for me has been adding more vegetables, nuts and making sure I get a minimum of 60oz. Of water per day. I also get my protein in. I believe it is a combination of those that helped resolve my constipation. I am not taking any stool softener at this point and I hope my luck continues!

Congratulations on your tremendous progress! I too am one of the lucky folks that have not experienced dumping syndrome. I however do not like anything that is sweet which is great for me because I was a sugar fiend before my surgery. I simply stay away from it at all costs.

How exciting for you guys! I too had the RNY because I had uncontrollable reflux. I am now 3.5 months along and have never had a problem with reflux/Gerd and my case was very severe! They had me take my nexium for the first 30 days and I have been off all meds since. I wish you guys the best of luck and pray for a speedy recovery! Keep us posted on your progress!

@jeniker3. I ended up buying a recumbent elliptical which has the ability to add muscle endurance, chest presses and leg presses to. I purchased it for this very reason and am doing well with it. I chose a recumbent elliptical because I have psoriatic arthritis and a regular elliptical causes a lot of pain in my knees and spine. My elliptical is made by Octane and I purchased it from 2nd wind. Unfortunately I had to buy it new because ellipticals are apparently favored by most and I could not get a used one. I absolutely love it! I am on it most days if not every other. I have noticed a big difference in my arms and legs and I have only been using it since the end of November. I don't know how toned my arms and legs will get, I am 51 and have already lost a lot of weight since my surgery on 9/29. I have a lot of loose skin..... However I would rather have that than the 72 lbs I have lost so far. Good luck on your decision to purchase some type of equipment. I am so happy I have mine and it was worth every penny.

@@adrianna33, this was exactly how it was for me. I did not feel hungry at all until about 10 weeks post op. I had to force myself to eat and sometimes set an alarm to ensure I was able to get everything in. It changed for me after I started working out. I then noticed actual hunger coming back. The good news is, I just eat a small amount of food and I am full again. Good luck to you and enjoy the honeymoon period!

I was actually wondering about this too. My fasting sugars is now between 70 and 75 every morning. Which is very strange because previously I was in the 120 range on average. Is this something I should be worried about? I feel ok other than I am getting migraines almost every day again. Not sure if this is related.

I am so motivated by music when working out. I actually listen to iTunes radio, specifically the classic rock station.

Congratulations on your fantastic progress. Isn't this a great problem to have! For professional clothes I would look at Macy's as well as Boston Store if you have one. The have great prices on their clearance racks.

Stalls are very real but if you follow the eating, drinking and exercise plan the scale will move. I agree with everyone who mentions tracking. You really might think you are getting your Protein and staying under carbs but could be way off. As a first step I would start tracking. Also, Water makes a huge difference. See what will happen if you try adjusting those two things. Good luck and keep us posted.

@@Mommabird, good for you! I too went out and invested a small fortune in my health a few months ago. I purchased both a treadmill and a recumbent elliptical. I have to say, I have always hated exercising and now I love how it makes me feel afterwards. I was walking outside until the weather got so cold here in Minneapolis. I by far get a better work out on my new equipment! I too am having a hard time getting my hubby to use it. I like to work out in the morning so I can get a head start on my steps, he likes to sleep in. He wants to work out with me vs. by himself. So, yesterday he told me he will get up with me starting Monday morning. We will see what happens. I might just drag him out of bed by his ear! Good luck to you and have fun on your new equipment!

Thanks so much for sharing your story. I think most on this site can relate to parts of it. I am really happy to hear your eye has stopped twitching! So many people are afraid of talking to a psychologist and shouldn't be. Especially one that is an expert on obesity. I have yet to hear a story where they talk you out of anything. They tend to be very supportive and are trained to help you get ready for life changes that are required to be successful. if you are not ready yet, they will help you to get there. Thanks again for sharing your story and keep us posted on your progress!

I am currently at 3 1/2 months post op now. I see many folks who are able to eat salad successfully. For some reason when I eat lettuce my pouch does not feel right.nit really bums me out because it removes so many options from restaurants. Has anyone else experienced this and if so does it ever go away? As far as food at Panera goes I stick to the soups there or have a sandwich but just the insides only, I pick the bread and lettuce out.

Thanks for sharing your story and congratulations at the fantastic progress you have made so far! I took my family on a cruise back in August and that was rough. My mobility sucked and it kept them from doing things they should have been doing because they did notat want to leave me out. At that time we paid for a photo package on the cruise ship and I felt like I ruined every picture that I was in. A few weeks ago my family went to Benihana for birthday dinner for my Grandaughter. They took our picture and when they handed it to me, I was shocked at how thin my face looked. I raced home and pulled out the pictures taken on the cruise and I actually began to cry. I could not believe the incredible difference of my befores and afters. I love to get my picture taken now! Congratulations on your progress and thanks for the uplifting post!

I would absolutely participate. I would however refrain from participating if this became an auto ship deal. I hate getting roped into them and then going through all the work to cancel. Auto ship would keep me from participating at all. I would be interested in: Premier Protein unjury Quest I would also like to learn about new products that might be worth trying. Thanks for going through the work to get this done!

Wow! So you just lived one of my dreams. Congratulations on your progress! I have walked by that store so many times for so many years hoping I would one day be able to purchase bras and panties from there. I am still not quite there but I am not too far off. I am however able to purchase some clothes from normal stores and am close to moving down another size here in the next 5/10 lbs. I cannot wait to cut up my Layne Bryant card. I think there will be a huge celebration at my house. I have had to replace all my shoes because I now take a medium width! I love shoe shopping! By the way, I have always hated shopping, now I look forward to trying on clothes! Congratulations again on your great success and thanks for sharing your wins! I guess I will live vicariously through you until I lose the next couple of sizes.

It is normal to stall, in fact I think they call it the 3 week stall although it happens to some people earlier and later than 3 weeks. It is your body realizing that you are making big changes and it is not quite sure if it should let go of fat stores in your body. The most important thing you can do is stay the course on the plan. Drink 64 oz. of Water per day, get your Protein in, take your Vitamins and keep on exercising. It will all of a sudden let go and you will start losing again. I know it is frustrating, I had a stall that lasted 4 weeks and a couple more that lasted a week. All of a sudden weight will drop off. Keep in mind it never comes off as quickly as that first month. Expect a couple of pounds a week if you are following the plan. Some people lose faster than that and it all depends on where you are. Heavier people usually lose more faster in the beginning. Everyone is different and you should not compare yourself to others. Also, if that scale is making you crazy, stay off of it. I actually weigh daily but I do not let the scale make me nuts. I use my clothing to gauge my weight loss. If my clothing is fitting loser, then I know I am losing inches. Good luck and stay positive!

I am so sorry to hear about your negative experience and I certainly hope you are feeling better now. I feel bad that you have struggled so terrible. I do believe that good nutrition following this surgery is critical to its success. There have been times when I am nauseous and still have to make sure I get my Protein, Water and Vitamins in. If I dont I could end up dehydrated and missing the most critical nutrients. That can make and keep a person very very ill. It has been drilled into our heads that we have to eat a minimum of 3 times per day and that food should consist of both protein and vegetables. I would hate to see people discouraged from having a critical surgery that could save their lives. The most important thing is that as a WLS patient cannot come along for the ride, they must work very hard to both lose their weight and remain healthy doing it. It is up to the patient to follow the plan. I have read about folks ending back in the hospital because they cannot stay hydrated or choose to not take their vitamins as prescribed. I do think that is why there is such a long process to get approved, they want to make sure one is willing and able to make the changes required to be successful. I hope you are feeling better now and that you don't continue to have problems in the future.

Glad to hear you are doing so well. For me the terrible gas pain was the only real pain I had and it started right away.maybe you won't have that problem! Keep us posted on your progress and good luck!

I had to go through the sixth month process as well. My problem was in order to get a follow up appointment with shrink it took another 8 weeks, very frustrating. And then finally it went to insurance for approval. The approval was very fast 48 hours and I was approved. Then surgery was scheduled 3 weeks later. Total time from start to surgery date was 9 months. I will tell you now, that I am glad about this process because having this surgery takes time to prepare. Your lifestyle changes need to begin immediately and if you do, you will be more successful. Especially if you have to quit smoking, quit caffeine, quit drinking and quit soda. Thankfully I did none of these things which allowed me time to break habits like eating while I watch tv, eating slower, taking small bites and chewing like crazy. Also began practicing no liquids 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after. Also walking, I began walking right away to help build more stamina after surgery. I think I have been very successful because of that time allowed to make changes. I certainly plan to continue my success. Good luck on your journey and be patient, it will be worth it in the end!

I would be careful about assuming the average weight loss is where you will land. The reality is this is a tool and the most critical piece is making the lifestyle changes to keep the tool functioning properly. Regardless of what surgery you end up having you will have to make the changes to get the maximum effect for that surgery. I am not sure about DS but I do know that the first year is the most important for RNY. My doctors office actually spends a lot of time teaching what is most important to get the maximum effect from your surgery. If you do that, you will not be average. Good luck to you in whatever you choose to do.

Mine was 4 weeks and I was not eating enough and exercising too much. I added more protein and backed off my exercise from 1 hour per day to 45 minutes. I broke my stall within 2 days of making these changes.