mae7365

My goal is 140 (top of the recommended normal weight for 5'4" female). My doctor never gave me a goal. I see him again in March and I plan to ask what he expects as far a goal weight. I know most surgeons are hesitant and always say things like "it all depends on the person" etc.

So many on your list would be on mine as well. Some days I just gush to my husband about how great I feel about myself. He was not supportive of my having surgery (since surgery is only for people who need to loose 100's of pounds....), but he is now on board with me. I love pulling old clothes out of the closet and doing "fashion shows" to get his opinion of whether I should keep or donate. All of my high heeled shoes now fit and some require insoles since my feet have clearly gotten smaller. I still take my OTC Prilosec, but I'm off all other presurgery medications. No more high blood pressure, high cholesterol and no more sleep apnea. I just never thought I would ever be thin again and I am so happy with the woman I now see in the mirror!

Exciting....and you look fantastic. I'm loving 2015 so far and I have no doubt it will only get better!

I pulled out my sewing machine.......haven't used it since I made Halloween costumes for my kids in the 90's. But I've figured out how to remove seams (seam removers are nifty devises) and I have taken in 2 - 3 inches from my slacks and shorts. It may not be a perfect tailors job, but it works for the majority of clothes. I refuse to buy new clothes or spend a zillion dollars on tailoring when I've changed sizes 4 times in 3 months. But, I'm retired and this is a great project to keep me occupied. It would be a struggle if I was stills working or had small children around the house.

I actually had to gain 16 lbs to qualify for my insurance to pay. But I knew this prior to my first consult, so I packed on 15 lbs in 3 weeks to make sure I met the 35 BMI minimum. I had comorbidities, and ended up at 36.1 BMI the day of surgery. Yes, it's crazy, but I didn't want to end up paying out of pocket if insurance would cover it.

I'm three months on Thursday and I am thrilled. I think my husband is having an "affair" with the new me. I am so excited to shop, try on old clothes and have them be too big or have the smaller sizes fit. 43 lbs gone, down 4 dress sizes and 3 Jean sizes. No more medication for HBP or cholesterol. No more BiPap. Life is good!!!!!!!!

I went to my support group meeting last night and this was discussed. I'd say to check with your doctor, but the 1-3 year post op members were saying they take Aleve, Advil, Motrin etc. The discussion basically said those types of NSAID were off limits while your stomach is healing, but ok once you are back to being able to eat anything.

I'm not new/new, but sometimes I feel pretty stupid when I don't understand the acronyms used in this web site. It took me a week of searching to figure out that NSV meant "non scale victory"? Is NUT just short for nutritionist? Is there a list of commonly used acronyms that I can find somewhere? This is a great site.......maybe there's a list somewhere that I cant find?

I had the exact same issue - told the surgeon I was sure I was going to die since it felt like crushing chest pain - doctor told me it was esophageal spasms and they would stop about 3-4 days post op. AND THEY DID. Ask your doctor if that could be what is happening to you. Hang in there.....it gets better each day.

If you've ever done Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, Metabolic etc., you can call them and they can give you your history. I was pleasantly surprised when everyone I called either sent me the info in email or gave it to me on the phone. I just created a list with dates, starting weight, ending weight and then how much I gained between weight loss efforts. I'm not sure if my doctor's office had to submit it to Aetna, but they had the last 5 years if needed. So if you're like many of us who have tried a lot of different diets, give them a call. I found all the 800 numbers on the internet.

Done. I'm mae7365

I'm sleeved and I'm required to take any OTC daily Multivitamin. I use Women's One-A-Day gummies.

Research, research, research and talk to people who have had both. Go to support groups in your area and talk to people. For me, 36 BMI on day of surgery, VSG was my best option. And, I had acid reflux for years before surgery. My reflux was really bad post op for the first 8 - 10 weeks. Now I'm doing great. My main reason for VSG was the nutritional data. All I'm required to take post op are daily OTC Vitamins and OTC B12. My digestive system is intact and works like anyone else, just with a smaller stomach.

Your story is exactly why I had surgery last year. I have to be thankful for the co-morbidities (HBP, High cholesterol, sleep apnea, high glucose) since that was what got my insurance company to approve the surgery.......but every condition is GONE at 12 weeks post op. Blood pressure is perfect, cholesterol and glucose are normal and the biPap machine has been returned. I was a low BMI patient (36.1) on day of surgery, but I knew my quality of life and my health were going down the tubes quickly if I didn't have surgery. @@wildGoose Have your other health problems improved since surgery?

Call your doctor's office if you are sure you're getting enough fluids. I waited too long with dizziness, weakness and ended up back in the hospital with severe dehydration. Don't take chances.

I had very crushing chest pain for the first week post op. My surgeon told me it was esophageal spasms and they would end. They did, but I was convinced I was dying at the time. Could itbe the same thing? If you are concerned, I always advocate calling your surgeons office.

Special K protein meal bars (strawberry, chocolate-peanut butter, cranberry walnut are my favorites). 180 calories with 10 grams of protein - not high protein by bariatric definition, but so much healthier than candy for my sweet tooth. They taste really good.

I still use gas-x on occasion. But they were essential those first few weeks. I also never had diarrhea, I had constipation issues. If you are concerned, you should call your doctor's office.

Wow, I'm not sure if I'm glad I'm following this or not. Lots and lots of very GOOD AND CONTROVERSIAL posts. I'll just be the Pollyanna and remind everyone that we are all in this together. We Celebrate each others victories and support each other when we relapse. And believe me, this Pollyanna is far from perfect. I have carb cravings that I've given into a few times over the past 12 weeks. But like many posts have said, I wake up the next morning, brush myself off and get back on the "high Protein, lots of fluid" train.

@jayhawkgirl Do not beat yourself up over 14 pounds. You can and WILL get back on track. Although you have so much sorrow in your life, you also have so many blessings (your improved health, your husbands improved health etc.). This is a great forum to vent (vs. eat), Celebrate weight loss AND non-scale victories like smaller clothes size etc. Welcome to the biggest support group you will find!!!!!