BarrySue

I am still looking for tops... i did get two pair of 22w jeans at good will but I am still in need of 3x tops Please inbox me your address! I have some 3x good quality tops that are getting too small (mostly lane bryant stuff). No charge, I'm happy to send it to a fellow sleever!

Starting to lose some as well, but my hair is already very, very thin, so it's a little disheartening. I'm 71 lbs down, but have developed a stricture and can't get dilation/treatment until January. I miss how much I could eat 1-2 months after surgery, as now I'm down to almost nothing. Even nibbling all day, I can't break 500 calories. Ugh. Thankfully, I have only vomited twice, mainly I just eat two bites of soft food or a little more in liquid, and I'm done.

Thanks for sharing, ladies. I will not have medical insurance until January, but knowing they may cover the procedure helps. Until that time, I am on my own.

I'm nearly 11 weeks post op, and gradually over the last several weeks I've been losing the ability to tolerate food, have nausea and gagging after even a few bites of food, and don't want to eat anything at all. My doctor believes it is a stricture, but I was a self-pay surgery, so everything is out of pocket and I can't afford the diagnostic test to confirm, nor the dilation procedure. It isn't an emergency, so I can't simply get it done and work something out with the bill later. As a student living off a stipend, I had to borrow the money for the procedure as is, so I'm stuck until I get my tax return. I'm wondering if anyone has experience with strictures here (the chronic ones that develop 2-3 months post op, not the acute sort right after surgery), and what their experiences were both before and after it was treated (if it was treated at all). One person told me "you're so lucky, now you'll lose weight fast," but going from an overeater to a chronically malnourished, vitamin-deficient, hairless, toothless mess isn't a very good trade off. Any fellow sleevers who were part of that unlucky 3.5%?

Wait the extra month! You never know what your recovery time will be. I'm young, mobile, no co-morbidities, but was out of commission for six weeks post-op. Enjoy your vacation.

BED person here as well. Honestly, I do a lot of the following to avoid issues: I don't keep tasty food in the house, or only enough for 1-2 portions. If it's there, I'd eat it. I prefer to make daily stops. I keep busy constantly. This is the biggest help. Any idleness/boredom kills me. In addition to work and school, I volunteer. If I decide to eat something I shouldn't, I am required to call a friend first to tell them what I'm doing. Sometimes they can talk me down or encourage me to only eat a little, then throw the rest away. I haven't had an episode in the eight weeks since surgery, but I know as I heal more, the temptation will grow. I'm not going to ever talk/psychoanalyze my way out of the pleasure of binging, so I'm just trying to fill my life up and replace it with other things.

Honestly, I'm still a fast eater as well two months out. Eating fast makes it so you don't realize you're full until there is pain, but I pre-portion my food out so that it isn't really a problem.

Two months out, I don't break 400-500 calories. Not because I'm trying to over-diet, but because so many foods don't sit well with me. I do, however, get creative to make sure I get as much Protein as possible in. I've finally started exercising, but I'm keeping it light (15 minutes of cardio, that's it), because I don't have the caloric/nutritional support to sustain a more intense workout yet.

Honestly, OP: In two pages of replies, there was a single post that was rude, and a hell of a lot of support and "I hear ya, girl!" from everyone else. Don't cherry-pick for reasons to victimize yourself and decide the entire world is against you. The internet is tough; it's not always a hugbox and echo chamber, and sometimes people will be blunt. I felt that poster had good advice, but wrapped it up with a rude little bow that ultimately made it useless. And to be fair, it looked like she was responding to three posts in a row where people expressed temptation or cheating (including one where a fresh post-op patient ate lasagna and felt pain, that is dangerous). In the end, you let someone cut out part of your stomach because you're so freaking committed to making a positive change in your life. You've already done a frightening and courageous thing. And because of it, you're a hungry, red, raw nerve right now (I think we all were ), so take a breath. You're already on your way, don't let a post that get your spirits down.

I hate exercise. And as an awkward white girl with ZERO rhythm or coordination, I don't want to join any aerobic/dance groups at a gym. So I found "fat girl zumba" videos and different 10 minute dance workouts I can do in the privacy of my own home where only my dogs judge me. They get me sweating, and they don't kill me. If it gets boring, I can switch to another video/style.

Yeah, it's how I coped with not being able to down protein drinks. Most gave me dumping syndrome, the rest gave me severe nausea. Without fairlife, I would have been hospitalized. It was the only thing I could tolerate for nearly a month.

Yep, I had spasms for about 3 weeks post-op. It gets better.

My scale moved right away, but I didn't feel or notice a physical difference until now. I think some of it depends on how you carry your weight. I'm a classic apple body type, so I lost weight in my neck, shoulders, and back, but little to nothing from my waist/hips.

I am a super picky, finicky, whiny eater who hated everything already, and it only got worse after surgery. These are some of the things I do to get protein: Fairlife milk (lactose/sugar filtered out, protein/calcium added) mixed with diet hot cocoa mix or sugar free strawberry syrup String cheese Small amounts of vanilla Protein powder mixed with sugarfree vanilla pudding cottage cheese mixed with a tiny amount of tomato sauce (tastes like pasta/lasagna) plain greek yogurt mixed with sugar free strawberry syrup so it tastes more like regular strawberry yogurt rather than that bitter/sour flavor Now that I've been cleared for normal foods again, it honestly isn't changing much since I can't tolerate dense meats and Proteins. I have however bought my first pack of low-carb, high protein chips/pretzels/cereal (10g protein per pack), which I'll try and pack with me when I'm at school/work so I don't completely starve myself. It sucks when your tolerance for most things are low, you've just gotta find things that work for you.

Judge you? Never. Anyone with the courage to combat two difficult addictions at the same time is awesome in my book. Before you break down and try a cigarette, go with gum, patch, vape, anything else. Giving in doesn't mean you should throw caution to the wind and fall completely off the wagon. Whatever you ultimately choose to do, don't do it right now. Wait a day and see if it passes. Stay busy on here. Call friends. Take a walk through a local mall or park. Distract yourself. Make your decision in the morning based on thought, not pure impulse.

I'm picky and miserable by nature, so the surgery only made it worse food is such a big part of social gatherings, satisfaction, daily decision-making, and self-reward. So yeah, depression is pretty common among a lot of us. Personally, I didn't feel better until I was out and about again at work/school. But connecting with people on the internet who are going through the same stuff as you can help take the edge off of things. Once you start feeling physically better (and yes, I promise, it will happen), things will gradually get easier. I will say though, if you are still having *extreme* pain immediately after eating, check in with your doc. I had a lot of pressure/discomfort after eating for the first month, but I only had pain if I overdid it. Like you, I also couldn't tolerate anything, and I was already picky before. The first month is the worst!

Protein shakes made me ill, and I was super picky, so some of the following helped me get closer to protein goals: Fat free fairlife milk (lactose/sugar filtered out, tastes like regular skim milk, fortified with protein/calcium) Fairlife milk mixed with either sugarfree strawberry/chocolate syrup, or served hot with diet cocoa mix Mixing a tablespoon of vanilla Protein powder with sugarfree vanilla pudding (I never added too much because I hated the aftertaste, but it was a good way to still add some protein) cottage cheese with just a tiny spoonful of tomato sauce (tastes like lasagna!) I also used the hershey's sugarfree strawberry syrup and added it to plain greek yogurt to make it taste like regular yogurt I'm seven weeks out, and these things have been a godsend! Soft food stage will open up a lot more options for you. It gets better!

I ate tomato basil soup five days out. It was my reward for progressing to full liquids! I could only eat a little, but it was a nice change of pace. I've only had it once more since then, but it caused me no issues. Just make sure you strain it to prevent chunks.

Toning can help a little, but ultimately skin is skin, and it will not magically disappear. Surgical intervention is one option, but learning to accept yourself is another. Unfortunately, there is no miracle treatment (and anyone promising you that is either mistaken or trying to sell you something). It took many years of abuse to bring your body to this point, so don't get discouraged when it can't be undone. I've heard good things about the arm surgery, and the recovery time seems to be quick.

I ate paneras soup without straining, but left out the bigger chunks during full liquid.

Some itching is normal. Mine itched a lot as well as it healed! Just be careful not to open any wounds, and wash your hands frequently to keep from getting an infection.

Never heard of it, but it sounds interesting! I just ordered a pack of the vanilla to try it out. Thanks for the link! **Edit: Aw, shoot. They advertised vanilla, but actually only have chocolate in stock for ordering

Honestly, given the severity of the situation and the amount of money, I would recommend you stop asking strangers on the internet (if only because we can't possibly know the complexities of the contracts, your policy coverage, etc) and go see a lawyer. Paying a very small nominal fee for a consultation may save you a lot of money. Go to an expert who does this for a living. I'm so sorry this happened to you. I got stuck with an additional 700 dollar bill and was upset, but your case definitely puts things in perspective. Good luck.

Given the shells, kernels, small size, and ability for all those crumbly bits to get stuck in your new sleeve, I'd say wait for clearance from your doc. At minimum, I would guess 2-3 months.

That includes 2 1/2 weeks of semi-serious pre-op dieting (I cheated a few times, to be honest).