Stephanie Stroup McIntosh

Awesome Post! My height, Surgery weight and goal weight are fairly close to you, so its nice to hear from someone so similar. Very motivational!!!!!!!!!!!

35 is typically the requirement with a co-morbidity or 40 without one. You would be considered overweight but not obese. I don't recommend trying to gain weight as a way of losing weight. You may be successful with a medical weight loss program that does not require surgery.

How old are you? What is your height and weight?

It is up to the individual doctor and won't hurt you if you would like to do a diet based on high protein/low carb shakes. Many doctors vary their diet based on the BMI of the patient.

The goal is to shrink the liver. Stay away from fat and sugar and your should be fine.

I weigh in a lot, probably way more than I should. I weigh every morning when I wake up and every evening before bed. I will even weigh myself after having a bowel movement. I will vary a little, but I am not too concerned if I am up by about a pound or so, unless I know I ate poorly.

Don't put too much emphasis on what the scale says on a daily basis, but on how much better you feel and your non scale victories.

You have a higher starting weight, so you need more calories than people with lower starting weights. I know it seems strange, but you can actually eat too little to effectively lose weight.

As far as your carbs go, just make sure that they aren't simple sugars. Get plenty of healthy grains, fruits, and vegetables, but stay away from actual sugar. Most of us ate simple carbs (white breads, Pasta, sweets) before surgery. Your body does need some carbs to be able to function correctly.

Follow your doctors instructions and don't stress yourself out. You can do it.

I was sleeved almost 6 weeks ago.

At 2 weeks, I got a horrible burning pain near my left breast. It almost felt like my underwire was poking me, but it happened even when I wasn't wearing a bra. It would come and go depending on how I moved. I did a self breast exam and had a friend feel as well. There was no lump. I was going to ask my doctor and then it just stopped.

Now for the past week or 2, I have had the same burning sensation on my back. It is isolated to a small area and there is no mark or lump. It hurts like hell though.

Anyone experience something like this?

Thanks for your help.

Congrats. You can do it!!!!!!!!!!

You honestly probably won't know that anything even happened.

I was given an IV and Fluid right away. My surgeon doesn't put in a foli catheter (for urine) unless he ends up having to do an open procedure or there is some other complication. I was even given the opportunity to go to the bathroom right before I left the pre-op area and then again as I got in the OR was asked if I need to go. It was more for my piece of mind than for them.

You will be asleep by the time they intubate you.

You will still either be asleep or not realize you are awake when they take the tube back out.

Usually, they will give you some meds to help relax you as well.

I haven't tried the unflavored in a beverage, but I have mixed it into foods and I liked it. I didn't think it had a very noticable flavor. I did try the strawberry sorbet and their chocolate, and I liked them both. They even have a chicken broth that is tasty.

It depends how far you fell. If you ate healthy lean meat and veggies, you will be fine. If you went crazy at an all you can eat buffet, you may be in trouble. Definitely get back on the wagon now.

Make sure you choose a low carb variety.

I hope your surgery went well. I am just a few hours away in Erie, PA. You can do it.

I had to do a liquid diet for 12 days prior to surgery. I did cheat a little, which I immediately regretted. I would start fresh and do as much liquids as possible that are no sugar/low fat/ high Protein. Pre-op sucks, but it is important. You can do it. Buckle up and stay on the wagon.

Have faith in the process. More people are aware of the process now and are better able to gauge what you will need to do before having surgery. Don't let it stress you out. Do give up on sugar now! good luck

So I am just over 5 weeks post-op. I am now permitted to eat most foods. I can have moist meats, cooked vegetables (w/o skin) and even Pasta. I have been able to tolerate everything that I have tried. Starting weight 295. Surgery Weight 263. Today's weight 235. I have lost 60 pounds in 7 months and 28 since surgery. I would like to be losing a little faster, but the time will come.

This week, I have been asked to go out to lunch twice, dinner once, and to the bar on another night. I will go to all 4 and just have to monitor what I eat/drink. i even went to 2 baseball games this week. Its funny how socializing often takes place around food. I am not finding it difficult at this point to order off a menu, unless I go somewhere that is mostly bread and pizza. Most places have Soup and grilled chicken. I have even gotten used to not drinking with my meals.

I feel great. My jeans that were no where close to fitting prior to surgery are now getting to be too big. I need to put a new notch on my belt to keep my pants up. My bra feels so much better. The seat belt fits and I have several inches of space between my stomach and the steering wheel. I even went to my first massage, and didn't feel self conscience at all. I sound better when I sing. Everyone I see tells me how thin I am getting. It definitely does something to my self-esteem. I never had a problem being overweight. I was fine with it and was a pretty happy person. I am happier since surgery.

I didn't take my measurements before surgery, but I sure wish that I had. I started taking them last week and will record them weekly from now on.

If you are having second thoughts or struggling, I just encourage you to stay positive and look towards all the greatness that will come from this surgery. It is work, but you can do it.

I have seen a lot of people asking about the out of pocket costs for the surgery. I have an 85/15 plan so I am responsible for 15% after my deductible. I hit my deductible earlier in the year with the pre-op testing and other doctor appointments. I just got the bill from the hospital today. $67,704.30 before insurance. That doesn't include the doctor. After the insurance discount and what the insurance paid, I am responsible for $1,562.72. I did get the bill from the doctor, but I don't have it with me. I owe him roughly $220. With all the pre-op and this, my total responsibility is approximately $2,500, but its worth every penny.

I had BCBS PPO when I started the process. They covered the sleeve. I ended up switching to a UPMC plan because of my job. I would definitely look into this more. Ask your doctor for the exact billing code and give that to the insurance.

I recommend logging each sip and each cracker between sips. That way you can really gauge the calories and make sure to make up for it the rest of the day or week.

I run a restaurant and have a similar situation. We can do it.

Make sure you are eating slowly. You over eat most often when you eat quickly.

Are you having regular bowel movements? That could have a lot to do with it.

There was not even a mention of a colonoscopy. Unless you have some other warning signs for colon issues, you should be fine.

I made sure my laundry was done, my sheets were clean, and my house was generally clean. I also made sure that I had Protein Drinks, sugar free jello/popsicles, tea, broth, and some juice.< /p>

It is common to have an Upper Endoscopy to check for issues with reflux. You will just get a script for a PPI, which you will probably get after surgery anyway.

My guess would be that you are eating more since you know you will soon have to give it up. You may want to find someone to talk to about your food issues.

You can do this, and its all normal.

I started going to the gym at 2 weeks. I started with just walking and would stop when my stomach started to ache. I am 5 weeks post op now, and go to they gym 5 days per week. I run/walk 1-3 miles per day, lift weights, take spin class... I am cautious to avoid anything that could be dangerous to my stomach, but I just take it slow until I decide if I can do it or not.

I weighed 263 the morning of surgery (3/23) and was discharged at 274 3 days later. Today I am at 236. I lost 20 pounds in 2 weeks, then gained 3 pounds when I got my period. Since then, it has come off a lot slower. I did lose 32 pounds before having surgery as well.

I am very active and am afraid that I am not actually eating enough calories, so I will be discussing it at my next appointment. I go to the gym 5 days a week and run/walk 1-3 miles, do weights, and take spin classes. I am easily burning over 1000 calories per day at the gym and only eating around 700.

I haven't gone back to work yet, but when I do, my activity will increase as I have a very physical job.