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Stress eating, that is an old, bad habit that I struggle with. I need to learn to turn to positive outlets, other than eating, when I am under emotional stress.

For every one of the people they found about who died from this procedure: "My next door neighbor's, best friend's, twice removed Aunt whose best friend's favorite restaurant has a person who delivers their produce and their son has a kid in their gym class who has a paper route and they think that one of their customers died during this procedure or divorced their wife and moved away, but they aren't sure"; I bet they know many more first hand who died due to complications brought on by obesity.

Yes, I recommend it. Yes, I would do it all over again. My comorbidities are lessened or completely gone, my self-esteem is very good, I feel great, I have had more NSVs then I can shake a stick at, I am adding years to my life, etc., etc. My only regret was not having a VSG sooner. Make the best educated decision on the procedure that is correct for you. Research as much as you can, attend a WLS seminar, WLS support groups and have your PCP, surgeon and any specialists you may be seeing all on board. Congratulations.

It sounds like that woman at your job needs a surgical procedure to remove her cranium from her rectum.

Would you consider going to Mexico to have the surgery performed since it costs less there?

If anyone asks why you aren't eating, just say your stomach is bothering you. If they are persistent to find out more details, tell them you had explosive diarrhea; that'll stop them from asking any further questions about why you aren't eating.

Thanks for the info. That is why my surgeon's team did not want me to take PPIs for the long term. Everyone is different, some people may have severe GERD or prone to ulcers. In their case the risk of an ulcer outweighs the possible risk of bone thinning due to PPIs. They can do a bone density scan periodically and take other actions to mitigate the chance of this.

Research as much as you can about both surgeries. Attend a free WLS seminar at a local hospital and go to a few WLS support group meetings. Talk to a surgeon, your PCP and address any medical conditions you have. This will help you make the best decision for YOU. Congratulations.

People should ask questions, but maybe they should take a little self initiative and search on the forum for similar questions and answers or "Google" it, then ask their question. For example, instead of asking "Is a stall normal", they can search to see "Yes, it is" and further read if there are things they maybe can do to modify their lifestyle, such as making sure they are eating enough Protein, drinking enough Water, exercising, or just wait it out for a week or two, etc.. Also, by researching a little and seeing common answers, they can have a little more confidence the information is valid.

Later if he finds out the truth about your WLS, he will feel deceived. Also, if he ever saw a picture when you were heavier or someone commented about your weight loss, or for that matter "bat wings" or other signs of stretched skin, he would know. Don't say anything, if it is brought up, IMHO you should be honest. Go with the gallbladder surgery approach if you feel comfortable. If he is the one and you ever needed gallbladder surgery in the future (knock on wood), just tell him "it's a miracle, it must have grown back like the leg of a starfish".

Then what is coming if it is "hairy palms"?

I was drinking decaffeinated coffee a couple of days after surgery. At 5 weeks you should be ok, but you should follow your surgeon's recommendations. You are right, it can be a little acidic, but in reasonable quantities you should be ok.

"."? Shouldn't periods be discussed in the "Female Only" forum?

Was you surgeon a gypsy?

Enjoy the SF Slurpees. The worst thing that will happen is you can get "brain-freeze" if you drink it too fast.

Walking up/down stairs is allowed right after surgery (You could play it to your advantage if you want others to bring you something from another level in your home )

Type "3 week stall" in this site's search box (or "Google" it). You are far from unique, it is very common. Don't beat yourself up over it. Keep yourself well hydrated and make sure you eat enough Protein.

I am very sorry to read this about your son. You need to take care of yourself, your son and family need you now more than ever. I hope and pray that your son will be ok.

You admitted to yourself that you are a "scale-aholic"; that is the first step to recovery. You need to go to SA (Scale-aholic Anonymous) meetings. I wonder if they serve vegetables as Snacks at those meetings instead of doughnuts?

BLACK FRIDAY WLS DEALS! Post 1 pre-op WLS diet complaint, get 1 post-WLS diet complaint post free! Save 50% off the calories for all the Snacks you only have 1/2 a serving of. Get a free 3 week weight loss stall with any WLS purchased. (add your own "Black Friday Savings" to this list)

To see how big your pouch is, shouldn't you "whey" the difference? (Sorry folks, that pun was a little "cheesy" )

Yes, since I lost the thick layer of blubber, I mean insulation, the cold weather affects me more now. I just went camping for 2 nights, the overnight temps went below 30 degrees and I definitely felt it more. It is nothing that an extra layer of clothing didn't fix. I am happy to be thinner (but feel the cold more) and be able to camp out, then to be overweight and not able to enjoy the outdoor activities.

I heard that apple cider vinegar is a natural remidy for "butthurtis".

Omeprazole (Prilosec, etc.) and other PPIs are widely prescribed, but they can cause Calcium depletion (bone thinning) when taken for the long term or taken permanently. That is why they wanted me to take it for only a few months after surgery. Before you take it for the long term or permanently, touch base with your surgeon or PCP, if they prescribe it long term, they may want you to take calcium supplements or go for a periodic bone scan, etc. They also know your full medical history and what medications you are taking so they can prescribe the right dosage or see if there is a better choice of medicines to take if you have stomach acid issues.

Do you mean the Steri-strips that they apply across the sutured incision?