CloserToFine

You are awesome!! Congrats!!!

So sorry to hear this, VanessaVSGforme! Can you lay down in a quiet, dark room?

I've been diagnosed with a pretty bad sinus infection and have to travel tomorrow on business . I warned my PCP about my sleeve and said that, no, I absolutely did not want to take Augmentin 875 twice a day for 10 days. (I could barely tolerate it when I had an intact stomach. ) She prescribed levofloxacin 500 mg/10 days. I've never taken that before and am somewhat nervous about the side effects, especially when flying . Does anyone have experience with this drug, and/or which antibiotics have worked well for you post-sleeve?

@@MzB, you look fabulous!! At 49 years old, I already had genetic thinning before WLS, so was pretty worried when shedding started at Week 5. Fairly soon after, I started Rogaine 5% for Women. I knew that the Rogaine wouldn't work on my weight loss-related hair loss, but might work on the genetic hair loss. I've been using it for not quite 2 months, and I'm definitely seeing little hairs sprout at the hairline. I also take Biotin 5000 each day, and always try to meet or exceed my Protein requirements (70mg). Apart from being vigilant, I keep telling myself "this is going to be fine." I might see scalp in places through my thinning hair, but it's not the worst problem anyone's ever had. It will get better!

I'm almost 9 weeks out, and have used straws to drink iced coffee for the past few weeks. No problem for me!

How about turkey chili with Beans? http://www.cookinglight.com/food/top-rated-recipes/best-chili-recipes/turkey-bean-chili-recipes Curry chicken salad? http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/curried-chicken-salad-with-nectarines

Hello ! Yes, I've taken fish oil ... and the Glucosamine/Chondroitin ... and the Osteo Bi-Flex .... and then Move Free ... you name it ... I've wasted so much money on those things ... I've had shots in my knees ... I've gone 'round and 'round ... They are just too far gone for a simple quick fix ... I guess I was just spoiled before surgery with my NSAID medication ... that now .. I've been without it for 8 weeks ... and with many storms in the area and colder weather coming ... I know I'm in for a lot of really stiff and sore days ... I thank you so much for your time and the information ! I wish I had better suggestions, but I'm sooooo glad you have a pain doctor. We have specialists for everything else; why not pain management?? Sending good wishes your way

@@MrsKarenC2008 I'm sorry for your pain. I have arthritis/MCL pain in the left knee that is usually helped by taking a high-quality Omega-3 fish oil supplement. When take it consistently, the pain goes away. Have you ever tried them?

@@CowgirlJane, I agree with the posters above that the guy in question wants sex and soon. Pulling your hair is an intimate act, regardless of which men's magazine he learned the technique from. Practically the first thing you said is that you "reluctantly" agreed to meet the guy. Feeling embarrassed and appalled by his actions is a very clear sign that something's amiss. If I were you, I'd back away. Remember Maya Angelou's quote: “When someone shows you who they are believe them; the first time.”

I'm so sorry to hear about your misery! It's no fun to suffer and I'm glad that you know what works best for your body. Hang in there!

Thanks, @sweettea. What do you do to relieve the pain and constipation?

I'm 8 weeks out and I think I may have had gastric dumping syndrome on Sunday night. I'd just returned from one hot, humid vacation week of walking several miles a day. I hydrated a lot on that trip, but probably not enough. Because I was constipated when I got home, I searched online for "natural" remedies and kept reading that a glass of hot Water with 1tbsp raw honey would do the trick. Oh. My. God. 15 minutes after drinking the water/honey, I did move my bowels, but afterward I was in such excruciating abdominal and back pain that I could barely breathe. I was at home alone, at night. I was shaking. I couldn't get comfortable: walking felt impossible; laying down almost felt worse. I kept thinking "I'll bet this is dumping syndrome" but I decided to call my surgeon. Thankfully he called right back, but he said that because I had the sleeve rather than the RNY it "couldn't be dumping." He told me to drink water, and also to take ibuprofen. (I didn't take the ibuprofen because it's so hard on the stomach!) He said that if things didn't improve, I should go to the ER and/or could see him the next day. My dear friend came over to support me Sunday night and said: "I'll bet this is just really bad constipation and gas. Drink water and try to walk around." After 20 minutes of doing that, I started to feel better. Things felt like they were moving around in the bowel area, and though I didn't have another BM that night, I did the next morning. It was so scary. I really thought I was having a problem and would have to call an ambulance. And I think my surgeon was wrong after all -- I believe it was dumping. I believe that the tablespoon of raw honey was a huge jolt of sugar to my system, and that plus the constipation got the best of me. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dumping-syndrome/basics/definition/con-20028034 Has anyone had anything similar -- and was it dumping? I'd love to get some advice from sleevers. It's still very hot here and I'm struggling to stay on top of the hydration -- drinking a ton of low-cal Gatorade because plain water is making me a bit nauseous. Thanks in advance.

@@kathy2208 -- it seems like every patient is different. During my pre-op diet, which was for a period of 3 months, I was told to stick to 1500 calories a day and to chart everything I ate. The nutritionist would check my food logs at every visit. Some people on this forum are told to use a specific diet plan (Atkins seems to be fairly common) or buy specific products, but I wasn't. The differences show up even in the pre-op liquid diet phase, a week or so before surgery. I had a 10-day liquid diet where I had to meet certain Protein goals. I couldn't eat anything solid at all -- not even lettuce! But many other people on this forum were allowed to eat lean solid Proteins and others had a specific brand of shake they were supposed to use. It really all depends on what your surgeon wants. Good luck to you!

Now that's a win-win! My primary motivation was also my health. Given the culture we live in, though, it would be miraculous if the thought of "looking better" (i.e. conforming to the norm of what supposedly "looks good") wasn't somewhere, even unconsciously, tied up in the decision to get WLS. I do believe, by the way, that fat people can be healthy. A number of my girlfriends happen to be fat but also exercise and eat healthily. They're inspirational to me! Excess fat just didn't work for my particular body, and dieting alone didn't work, so I made the decision to get surgery.

There are several reasons why surgeons ask patients to lose weight before WLS. First -- and let's be honest about this -- it's usually to comply with insurer's requirements. Per insurance requirements, somewhere between three and six months is frequently the amount of time that patients are required to be on a monitored weight loss program. Second, losing weight beforehand shrinks the liver and makes surgery safer. Third, losing weight beforehand shows your willingness to comply with the WLS program and "prepares" you (to a certain extent) for your life post-surgery. I can't imagine why your doctor hasn't said anything about a pre-op weight loss program. Are you self-pay or insurance pay? Are you a low BMI patient? By all means, contact the doctor's office and get the scoop. Good luck!