Swampdoggie

I had a number of episodes with lightheadedness. Dr took me off one of my bp meds and that helped. I had an episode this am and realized after reviewing my food log that I'd not had enough protein yesterday. Also if I forget vitamins it happens. I'm on a zillion meds for lyme and once in a while I would forget what I have and haven't taken. I had to set up a system and now so I contemplate track. Sometimes it's hard to be a human!

That is AWESOME! Great work work! That is AWESOME! Great work work!

Banded at 43; sleeved at 50. Wish I could have been sleeved at 36.

True dat. On we go :>

Yeah, there's no doubt about it, it is hard, esp pre op. This may not go over well with some of the forum, but I suggest you look into 5:2 intermittent fasting. That way you can have some of the stuff you like but still have strict days that help with compliance (you don't totally fast on the 2 days, you just cut way down). BUT if your dr has you on a program, do stick with that. I was thinking if you're on your own for now this might be helpful. It might give you a sense of permission on the 5 days (vs sense of having cheated) and get you "organized" for the strict days. There's a group in the veterans forum who use this and have been successful. You can't post but you could read their posts. Also lots of info on the web.

OH, right, 64. I can read, doy. That's a tougher call, I think, esp for 45 pounds.

Rats I accidentally dropped my post. So, I was banded in 2008 also and was not very successful. I didn't work very well with it, was always either hungry or stuck and never losing weight. I thought long and hard about getting sleeved and I'm glad I did. I have had no complications, surgery was easy and if not painless than much easier than other surgeries I've had. I am losing weight slowly and I really feel a lot less hunger post op. Its kind of miraculous. My goal was to become healthier and I am on my way. I have been taken off my bp meds and just look and feel better, more energy, more focus. I don't know how old you are, I'm 50, and I've struggled much of my adult life. If I knew at 36, when I ruptured a disk in my back, what I know now, I would have done it then and saved myself all the misery, pain, depression, meds, lost time with family, etc. In my opinion, it was totally worth it. Its not what I would call easy. But worth it.

Hi Mary, From my own experience, having failed with the band and succeeding with sleeve, I did the following: 1) Read everything I could get my hands on. It keeps me synced with my goal 2) I got counseling for my food issues. I still have them, but I understand them better and work with them. 3) I attended and still attend support groups, including checking in here, which has been really helpful. 4) I eat healthy fat - avocado, macadamia nuts, real sausage, real cheese, etc. It is more satisfying. I eat very few carbs now and really no sweets. Of course I eat my Protein. I didn't start pre op that far out - my surgery was on Jan 19 and I started the day after Christmas with one meal and the rest protein. It was miserable. For about 5 days (which can seem like forever!!) but then, miraculously, it got better. It really did. 2 week before surgery went to all liquid and that was actually easier than the first five days with one meal. And after surgery was better still, with almost no hunger, and the ability to satisfy with so little. I believe you can do it. Because I am doing it and if ever there was a naughty, non compliant, I'll play by my own rules kind of girl, that was me. But its different now and it is working. But you do HAVE to commit.

Wow what a great question. Im 50 and I definitely would have had the sleeve instead of the band at age 43. But if I could take with me all the insight and hindsight and insurance coverage I would have done it at age 36. Until then I had so called normal struggles with weight, mostly a size 12 and athletic, but at 36 I ruptured a disk in my back and gained 80 lbs in one year from the pain, inability to exercise, stress and depression. Then weight went up up up every year. That said, I'm a lot more compassionate due to my issues so perhaps as one poster said there's a time and reason for everything.

Congrats! You looks truly awesome- healthy and happy. Great work!

Good for you! Its awesome to feel so great, yeah? I was sleeved on Jan 19 and I haven't started real exercise yet because I have Lyme disease and am waiting to get my IV line out. Which may be on Friday, after 6 long months. But I feel ready to work out now where I haven't before so it must be about the right time. I hope I'll feel as good as you clearly do. Keep up the good work!

I'm in the same boat. I keep seeing how some people can't get their protein or liquids in and are never hungry yadda yadda. I don't feel the 're s friction like I did with the band but I am extremely careful about portions and eating the right things. But I am not losing and I am hungry. One difference is that I do get full faster, but I could eat a helluva lot more than I do without problem.

Yeah me too. But no. I've on l y lost 12 since surgery on Jan 19. I keep telling myself not to worry. If you lost before surgery your body might be trying to catch up with itself. Stay the course.

My sleeve was January 19 and I've only lost 12 pounds though I lost 23 on the pre op. I gave up weighing every day for 2 weeks and I gained. I'm back to weighing every day. I think it makes me a little more accountable even if the fluctuations are tough to see. I was banded in 2008 and was not successful so yes I do have a lot of anxiety that this won't work for me. But I'm gonna keep at it.

I'd definitely talk to one of your drs. Have you taken any milk of magnesia? If not, take only a little to start, the runs aren't anymore fun than the stops.

I'm 5'8" and set my own goal for 155. For me thats a size 12 or so. I asked my surgeon and he said we should wait and discuss further along. I'm glad to see some logical n umbers out there! I agree with the prior posters that there are differences that bmi doesn't account for. My arm span is fully six feet,I'm like a monkey. My hands are bigger than those of my 6 ft tall husband. My wrist is 7.5. I'm losing really slowly and I'm ok with that so long as it doesn't stop. The stalls are so stressful. But today I'm at a weight I haven't seen since 2005. Bit by bit by bit. I am not exercising yet, not until my IV line comes out and I hope that when I can it will jump the loss a little bit.

Try bariatriceating.com. She has products but also a lot of recipes. I bought her book after my band and I re-read before my sleeve. I've tried some and they are good. JamieLogical recommended a book by Dr Duc Vuong about living with the sleeve and that was helpful too.

Ugh yeah not worth it. Keep up the good work.

Good. Keep us posted

I take melatonin and sometimes benadryl. Benadryl is basically the PM in Tylenol PM

This describes me too. Ill be one month on the 19th. My skinny DH and I always disagreed about the temperature in the house. Now he's haha ing me. Small price.

@@mercy96 probably you have already but since you said you thought of your coworker as a friend can you talk to her about how things have changed and how sad you are, or whatever emotion, about the change in your relationship? Everybody deserves to be healthy. Who could argue with that? It does suck to look for a job when overweight. I'd been looking too. M y resume got me in the door 5 out of 7 attempts. Phone interviews got me to in person. Weight got me a thank you for coming in.

I'm still in a scale stall at almost one month but I have lost some inches AND my blood pressure has gone down so much I was taken off those meds. Oh and also my blood sugar seems to have normalized around 90. Down from the 150s. Some little NSVs for me. @@Veronica Page I'm really happy for your loss. You're exactly one week ahead of me.

Every 3-4 days and with a little milk of magnesia. In between I feel a little bit 'gloopy' and bloated. I'm almost a month out and figure tummy is getting used to its bad new self.

@@Peace Love & Sleeve I think if you're not getting answers from your surgeon that are helping you should call your primary. This just does not sound right and you should trust your knowledge of yourself. I think you need to push this until it's resolved. It's gone on a long time. If it does turn out to be a small thing, so what, a little embarrassment. But if it turns out to be a big thing pushing til it's resolved will have mattered.