bigbit

7 months in and no hair loss. I take Biotin twice a day, B12, D3, and a chewable multi-vitamin. Latest blood work from 2 weeks ago shows everything in normal range.

Elode, You look great. And as a fisherman, that's a nice Crappie you landed. My one pleasure trip to your neck of the woods was to go bass fishing on Table Rock Lake.

@@sgc, to give you one reference point, I had my surgery just over 6 months ago and I am down 115 pounds - about 20 of that was pre-surgical liquid diet. So your expectations align with my experience to date. I agree with VDB that I wish I had done this sooner. Too many years of suffering at 400+ pounds. I'm 2 pounds away from breaking into the 2's!

I've had several, and each time they put the plastic bit in my mouth after having me swallow a liquid. I had to stay awake long enough for the tube to get past my tonsils, then it was sleepy time.

Requirements depend on your Insurance policy and the wording in the policy. I have Anthem Blue Cross (I'm in Southern California), and my policy dictated proving I participated in a weight loss program for at least 6 months in the past 2 years. I to had to have a minimum BMI of 40, or a lesser number if certain comorbidities existed. My pre-surgery BMI was 56+, so no issues there. I had to get Upper GI, Pulmonary and Cardio testing, psychological exam, approval from my primary care physician and specialists, nutritional consultation, and lots of waiting. I started working on getting the surgery in May 2015, and finally had the surgery in November. Since then, I am down 114 pounds, so it was worth the effort and wait.

Crotch swelling used to be a problem for me as a teenager, but in my 60's it's an event for celebration!

I like the little symphony of gurgles and noises my stomach makes after drinking fluids. It goes on for quite a while - like air bubbles are rising to the top of a container...

@@Elode, your surgeon did a great job. You should be happy, and I can tell you are!

I seem to be losing weight at different rates in different parts of my body. I wore 5X shirts and pants when I started - I'm down to 4X on the shirts and still some 4X shirts are a bit snug. On the other hand, my pants are down to a 3X and I'm getting ready to go to a 2X. My surgeon said this is normal - that the belly goes last - but when I was younger, I was heavier in the legs. I'll take the progress as it comes.

I'm halfway to goal - here's a before and "after"

Glad to hear that things went well!

Yes, the vagus nerve is the sneeze / nose run / hiccup button. It gets more easily irritated by the smaller stomach capacity, I have suffered all of the above symptoms.

I *HATE* Walmart and stay away at all costs...

I'll never be able to watch The Big Bang Theory in the same way again!

I started at 415, with an all-time high of 426. I had the surgery last November, a month before my 61st birthday. Right now I'm at 309. I can't report anything unusual to date; everything has been good with little pain and good progress. I empathize with all of your frustrations: the chairs in restaurants (especially booths), airplane seats, event seats, etc. Next Monday I'll be on my first airplane flight since taking off over 100 lbs. I'm anxious to see how things go. Obviously, the health improvements have been great. I can walk now without getting winded; climbing stairs is pain-free and easier; I can sit in a stadium seat with someone next to me, etc., etc. But I still have a ways to go, being slightly less than halfway to my goal. Blood pressure is way down, heart rate is down, all my blood numbers look great. For me, this was the right thing to do.