Proud2BMe

That's not good. I fear you are setting yourself up for failure. You are likely malnourished. I understand you feeling sick but to refuse to eat because you don't find food appealing and refuse to drink Protein shakes because you don't like the taste are warning signs that you may be damaging your body. The thing about stretching the sleeve is that it will let you eat more. So when you do start eating you will be able to eat far more than most patients who have not had their sleeve stretched. However, stretching the sleeve is the treatment if there is a stricture so maybe that's what you have. Honestly, I would suggest you try more Protein Shakes. I've found the inexpensive ones from Walmart, like Body Fortress are the best for me.

Unfortunately reflux is a side-effect for many sleevers. I didn't worry about it because I had reflux before the surgery. You will need to continue to take you meds. In time it might mellow out but you will likely have bouts with it the rest of your life.

At this point you should be on only Clear Liquids. Your Protein requirements shouldn't be worried about until you are on the full liquid phase where you can drink Protein shakes.

Nope. Your symptoms can also be a result of being malnourished or not getting enough key Vitamins and minerals. Talk to your doctor. You might want to switch brands as well.

Can we eat popcorn? Yes. Should we eat popcorn? No. It has far too many carbs and is a known slider food, meaning that it's possible to eat a ton of it because it just slides right down our sleeve and does not produce restriction. I can tell you that I messed up once and went to the movies and gave in and ordered a large popcorn. I thought I would have plenty to eat over the next week or so. I ate half of the bag right then and there and the rest that night. If you are going to eat popcorn only eat it as an occasional treat and do not make a permanent part of your normal diet.

I didn't. I've heard it from others though. It's usually not a biggie. The only thing I remember was lying down on the table and then waking up in a dark room thinking the surgery hadn't taken place yet. I was excited about the surgery and was anxious to get it done. I've heard other peopel have been given a valium but honestly it's not needed. More and more of sleeve surgeries are being done as outpatient.

What I did was to save up the entire sum of what it would cost and so when I was ready to pay my deposit I didn't have to then worry about having the rest saved up. Most companies will give you the total so it shouldn't be a problem.

It depends on the company and why you were denied. If you were denied over something trivial that can be corrected then it may not be a problem. If you were denied because you don't meet the qualifications then you probably don't stand a chance. Check with them and find out.

Self pay is also an option, just so you know. I had mine done in Tijuana and the experience was just the same as if I had it done in the states.

Is it normal? No. You, like most of us, have a food addiction and have not yet began to take control of it. Please realize that even with the surgery you will have to take control of it or you will gain it all back, if not more.

In my area it would have cost me about 20 grand for self pay. So I went to Tijuana. It was great. I would do it again in a heart beat. I ended up only paying $6,700, which included the sleeve, having my gall bladder removed and 2 first class flights.

Well, I would consider the surgery the starting point, not the finish line. But that's me. I had very little pain. It just felt like I was punched in the stomach. Having the drain removed 2 days later was the most painful part of the entire thing. I tried the expensive Protein shakes and Vitamins but then settled on what I could easily obtain in my area, which is Body Fortress and Centrum chewables, both from Walmart. Both do the job.

Standard tummy tucks can produce undesirable aspects, such as "dog ears", so you might want to consider the 360 degree version. Your post sort of implies that you plan on gaining a lot of weight with your future pregnancy. If so, please know that you don't have to!

I doubt they test for weed. They do for nicotine.

Excess skin is determine upon how big you are as well as genetic factors and has no bearing on what surgery you have.

Please see your doctor if your blood pressure is not stable. For most patients, blood pressure will drop after surgery which either clears up issues or cause one to have to take less medicine. Hunger can cause headaches but high blood pressure can as well.

Try to get protein shakes in as they will give you both liquid and protein. You don't have to buy expensive ones if you don't want to. I use Body Fortress from Walmart. I do two shakes a day, breakfast and lunch, and then a normal dinner, plus the occasional snack.

Mine was just one week clear liquids, one weak full liquids, then the other stages. But you can stay longer in each phase.

If you are struggling with quitting smoking you might try e-cigs. They helped me quite. The 10th will be my 3 year anniversary of quitting smoking. As far as excess kin, it's going to happen. Almost everyone seems to think they will be forced to live with it for the rest of their lives. In reality, you can have plastic surgery to remove it. Just think of it like the weight loss surgery is only part 1 of a 2 or more part surgery you will need. You can actually go ahead and research it and save up for it since most insurance companies will not cover it.

Yes. Your stomach just went through trauma. Keep an eye on severe pain and check your temperature daily.

Not having an appetite is normal. You really should be at least doing the Protein shakes to make sure you are getting enough protein. Follow your post-of diet info.

Unless you have an underlying medical condition then you should be able to take care of yourself. You will be able to go to the bathroom and shower/bathe as normal. The surgery is a breeze. They made me take a shower on the morning of day 2 before being released. It's no biggie.

About the slimes, I'm almost one year out and I still get them, especially if I get too excited about eating or if I eat too much. About volume, if it's salad I can eat a ton of it. Like a huge bowl full. If meat or denser items then I can only eat a small amount, say maybe 2-3 ounces, before I feel my restriction kick in.

I chose 170 because it would put me under 25 BMI and I know I can reach it because I weighed 170 back in 1997. However, my doctor said that normally people of my height could get down to 140 but he doesn't recommend it for me because of my bone size. He thinks I should go no lower than 160 lbs. If I can hit 170 lbs I will be elated.

(throwing hands in the air) I can't believe I'm in one-derland in less than one year since my surgery. Wow, this has been a truly life-changing journey. So proud of myself and so eager to reach my goal weight. To Celebrate I went to the bakery and bought a tub of birthday cake icing. Yum! (-j.k. lol)