ttdish

I'm in Minnesota as well, in the southwest metro. I was sleeved in Florida (self pay, got a better price there) on August 31st, 2015. I go to regular support group meetings at the Two Tweleve Medical Center in Chaska, as they are free and open to everyone, not just their patients. Down 73 pounds in 4 months, and thrilled with my progress! ~*~ Find me on YouTube: Trisha's Sleeve Story ~*~

I like edamame noodles. Good Protein source, and close in texture to regular Pasta. Two ingredients: edamame and Water. ~*~ Find me on YouTube: Trisha's Sleeve Story ~*~

Irritability on the pre-op diet is DEFINITELY normal. Follow the plan as written, and be sure to stay hydrated. If you absolutely must eat something, stick with lean Protein, like a grilled chicken breast. ~*~ Find me on YouTube: Trisha's Sleeve Story ~*~

My pregnancy was high risk right from the start because I was obese and had high blood pressure (and other weight related issues), and then I also developed gestational diabetes. I'm very grateful I delivered a healthy baby. You think it's hard to carry around 285 pounds? Add another 25-40! It's not pleasant. I was 230 or so, when I got pregnant and put on about 30 pounds. Then, instead of losing the baby weight, I gained weight afterwards, and got up to 245. At 5'3" that put me at a BMI of 42. I was exhausted all the time, and couldn't even keep up with my one year old, let alone focus on myself to try and do something about the weight. I wanted my kids to be close in age, but I knew I couldn't be pregnant again at that weight. It wouldn't be healthy for me or the growing baby. I knew I couldn't do it alone, so I made the decision to get the VSG surgery and put off having baby #2 until I was healthier. It was a hard decision, and would have been harder if I hadn't already had one kiddo, so I don't envy your position, but it was absolutely the right decision. I'm now down almost 73 pounds (sleeved 8/31/15), and I actually PLAY with my son now, instead of watching him play. I wish I could say that was true for the first year of his life (not to mention the fact that I have almost no pictures of us together from his first year because I hated how I looked). I have so much more energy now, and even though I know I need to wait to have a second child, I also know I'll be healthier for the pregnancy and after baby arrives, and that is so much more important than my preconceived notions of having my kids be close together in age. That just seems silly now. I wouldn't change a thing, of course, because my son is the light of my life, but knowing what I know now, I would definitely recommended getting yourself healthy first, so that when you get pregnant, you are providing a safer environment for your babe to grow, and when you have a baby, you can truly enjoy your time together. ~*~ Find me on YouTube: Trisha's Sleeve Story ~*~

Sounds like there is a lot of weight in your life you could drop before surgery. Obviously, make sure your daughter is fed, but beyond that, take care of YOURSELF. If he can't deal with that, you really should reevaluate your relationship. Having this surgery can put a strain on healthy relationships, so imagine how difficult it will be to maintain a rocky one. If he isn't supporting you now, he probably won't support you later, when you really need it. All the best to you! ~*~ Find me on YouTube: Trisha's Sleeve Story ~*~

I did the same! Self pay in MN wasn't feasible for me, and I wasn't comfortable going to Mexico, so I did some research and found Dr. Shillingford! I flew down a day before surgery, and home a few days later. I wish I could have been there to take advantage of the pre-op testing and follow up that is included in the price, but even paying for my pre-op testing myself, it was a great deal. I'm now down about 73 pounds (sleeved 8/31), and have had no complications. If you pay with a cashiers check instead of with credit, they'll knock off another $500 too! So mine was only $10,000. ~*~ Find me on YouTube: Trisha's Sleeve Story ~*~

I'm down almost 73 pounds (includes 12 pounds on 2 week pre-op diet). The holidays have been a bit of a struggle, and I definitely need to kick the carbs again, but I've still lost some every week. No stalls yet, luckily. I'm also working out 2-3 times per week.

I'm 5'3" and 32 years old. My current goal is 125, which is right in the middle of my healthy BMI range. I started at 245, and I'm down 71 pounds, with 49 to go (sleeved on 8/31/15). If I feel happy and comfortable at 130 or 135, I'll reevaluate at that point. ~*~ Find me on YouTube: Trisha's Sleeve Story ~*~

MY Weight is my favorite for specifically tracking weight. ~*~ Find me on YouTube: Trisha's Sleeve Story ~*~

If it only gets you in a couple of months early, I would stick with the local surgeon. Your post-op care will be much easier, with nothing out of the ordinary to coordinate. I think it if was going to be 6 months or a year, then I might consider it, but not to save myself one or two months of waiting. ~*~ Find me on YouTube: Trisha's Sleeve Story ~*~

Following..

Ugh!! Mine started 2 or 3 days early, I assume due to the stress. I checked in for my surgery, went to the bathroom, and there it was! The nurse told me that happens a lot. I just wore a pad, it wasn't a big deal at all. Bring baby wipes, in case you can't shower for a few days. I wasn't allowed to shower until my drainage tube was out. ~*~ Find me on YouTube: Trisha's Sleeve Story ~*~

Following... My BMI was 42, and I'm 32, but only 14 weeks out, so I'm not much help. Down 67 lbs, and feeling saggy, but time will tell if I stay that way.

Comparison is the thief of joy...... -Theodore Roosevelt Stop comparing your journey to others, or you will go mad. Celebrate those 12 pounds!! You lost weight super easy all those other times, but I'm guess you gained it all back, or you wouldn't have gotten sleeved. Think of it this way, you may have lost it easier or faster in the past, but this time you are losing it for good. Personally, I'd much rather lose weight permanently at a slower pace, than lose it quickly, just to gain it back. If you are following your plan, then you aren't doing anything "wrong." Let the plan work, and the pace will be what it is. ~*~ Find me on YouTube: Trisha's Sleeve Story ~*~

Are you still on an all liquid diet? Liquid in, liquid out! It seems people are either constipated or have diarrhea, and both are normal. ???????????? ~*~ Find me on YouTube: Trisha's Sleeve Story ~*~

As much as I hated my two week pre-op diet, I lost 12 pounds. So at 11 weeks out, I've lost over 58 pounds, and would only be at 46 pounds without my pre-op diet. On another note, I hope most people are vetting their surgeons much more thoroughly that just deciding that the "good ones" don't require a pre-op diet. What a ridiculous post. ~*~ Find me on YouTube: Trisha's Sleeve Story ~*~

I would call your surgeon and your PCP. Tell your PCP about the lingering headache and pain after you've completed your antibiotics, to make sure he doesn't want to add additional treatment. Also, you do not want to get to the hospital the day of your surgery only to be turned away. Better to let your surgeon know in advance. It's risky to undergo surgery while you have an active infection, so he'll want to make sure it's out of your system. ~*~ Find me on YouTube: Trisha's Sleeve Story ~*~

I didn't bring anything special, just sleep clothes, clothes to wear the next day, and toiletries. It's pretty obnoxious to fall asleep with all the stuff glued to you, but not much you can do. I agree with your thoughts on taking benadryl- I wouldn't want to skew the test results. Just try to relax, maybe bring something to read to calm you down before bed. And just for fun, here is a pic of me with all my leads attached that I dug up the last time someone asked about the sleep study. This was a few years ago, long before I considered bariatric surgery. ~*~ Find me on YouTube: Trisha's Sleeve Story ~*~

I think she means that the two statements with asterisks (**) before them are related, but I don't think that is correct. I think it's just indicating that they are important to read. The bariatrician is a different Doctor than the one who determines if your gall bladder comes out, so I don't think one has anything to do with the other. I also don't think $900 is particularly high for anesthesia. I can't help with your initial question, but don't feel bad, her questions/posts were confusing ~*~ Find me on YouTube: Trisha's Sleeve Story ~*~

Hi Colleen! You may want to post your question as a new post, as it may be overlooked since this thread has so many responses already. But here are my thoughts: For the first few weeks I had trouble slowing down to eat, and I actually used an app called "next bite" to help me. I'd set it for one minute, take a bite, chew the bejeezus out of it, and wait until the timer went off before taking my next bite. I also used a timer and set it for 30 minutes after I took my last bite to know when I could drink again. You don't realize how much it is second nature to want to drink while you eat until you can't. Don't keep any liquids nearby while you are eating, so you don't reach for it by mistake. Are you sure you are dumping? While it can happen, dumping with the sleeve isn't overly common, and more often found on bypass patients. If you aren't eating much fat or sugar, I don't know what could even make you dump. Some people find they have trouble digesting dairy post op, and lactose intolerance could present as similar to dumping, and would also explain why your protein shakes (presumably whey) are making you gassy. I'd talk to your surgeon, but my suggestion would be to find a non-whey protein shake, and cut out other dairy from your diet for at least a few days or a week to see if this solves the problem. If you didn't have a problem with artificial sweeteners before surgery, I doubt that is the culprit (but could be way off on this). If you are feeling super full, you likely either ate too much (at 4 weeks out, portions are still pretty tiny) or you ate too fast. I suspect the latter, since you said you've been having trouble with slowing down while you eat. If you eat too fast, and then get full to fast, you may be hungry again too soon because you simply didn't eat enough. If you are drinking while eating, that may also cause you to feel too full after not eating enough food. Are you on any PPI for acid, like Prilosec? It sounds strange, but reflux often feels like hunger post-op. Lots of people report being frustrated because they are always hungry, but after starting a PPI, they don't feel that same hunger any more. I hope this helps!! But again, you may want to start your own post to get more responses from people much smarter than me. ~*~ Find me on YouTube: Trisha's Sleeve Story ~*~

You can do this! Watch your sodium levels (especially in soups), as it can make you retain Water. Drink lots of water to help flush out your system. If you are still cutting it close on the day of your weigh in, eat light, and watch your Fluid intake, just as a temporary measure. If you can't strip down to weigh in, wear as light of clothes as you can (no jeans or heavy sweatshirts, etc). Make sure to go to the bathroom before you weigh in, and try to get your appointment as early in the morning as possible. Good luck!!! ~*~ Find me on YouTube: Trisha's Sleeve Story ~*~

Well you totally have the right attitude

Hmmmm... One thing that helped me up my calories was skipping the light/low cal stuff. So full fat cheese, for example. I too found I couldn't eat more as in quantity, so I added more calorie dense foods. Avocados are great for that, high in calories and healthy fats. Peanut Butter is good for the same reason. Lean Protein is great, but if that's all you eat, it's hard to get the calories in! Are you doing shakes still? I find that when I can't eat enough, I can still manage to drink a shake to get extra calories and protein in. I think we just have to get a little creative sometimes, and it's harder than you'd think to eat more, when our whole lives we've been trying to eat less! Good luck! I hope you have a helpful visit with your doc! ~*~ Find me on YouTube: Trisha's Sleeve Story ~*~

I don't know if it's the same stuff, but there is diaper cream with the same name, so in the baby section ~*~ Find me on YouTube: Trisha's Sleeve Story ~*~

I went from constantly thinking about food and what I would eat next..... to being irritated when I feel hungry, because I don't really want to eat. I take very little pleasure out of food/being full now (but in a good way). It's so crazy! ~*~ Find me on YouTube: Trisha's Sleeve Story ~*~