catwoman7

like everyone else said, it's just normal fluctuation. as for 30 lbs in 7.5 weeks, you're ahead of where I was at that point, and I started out WAY heavier than you (people with higher BMI's tend to lose more quickly at first). Your loss is completely within the normal range.

dumping is when you eat too much sugar or fat in one sitting and your system goes into overdrive trying to deal with it. Vitamins wouldn't do that. Also, dumping isn't very common with sleeve - it's much more common in bypass patients (about 30% of whom dump). So I wouldn't worry about that...

in addition, no, PPI's are NOT perfectly safe. There has been a LOT of publicity the last couple of years about the dangers of long-term use of PPIs. They're fine for the short term - maybe a few months - but not for long-term use. My clinic used to put patients on them for a year (like back when I had surgery in 2015). But no more. Most clinics limit them to 3-6 months now.

like the above person said, the average weight loss difference between the two isn't that much, and it IS up to the patient to develop good, lifelong eating habits to prevent gaining the weight back - so I agree with that part. However, there's about a 30% chance of developing reflux with the sleeve (or if you already have it, of it getting worse), whereas the bypass usually improves - if not outright cures - GERD. most of us are put on PPI's (like Prilosec) for the first 3-6 months after surgery, but after that, no. If you continue to have reflux issues after that, then yes - but continuing reflux problems are much more common with sleeve than with bypass. I'd consult with another surgeon. Or if you don't have other options, then insist on bypass. You should be able to get the surgery that you want.

did this just start recently? And is it mostly after you eat or drink something? If those things are true, it could also be a stricture. You're in the right time frame for it. Let your clinic know. If they suspect it might be that, they'll have you come in for an upper endoscopy. It's an easy fix if that's what it is. I had two of them (at four weeks out and again at about eight weeks out) they almost always appear 1-3 months after surgery. They're very rare after the three month mark. About 5% of bypass patients get those.

it depends on the surgeon. Some say never again, some say it's OK once you're a ways out and your stomach can tolerate it. my surgeon is in the "never again" camp, but I tried it when I was about three years out. Never again for me -- not only did my stomach not tolerate the carbonation, but it'd been so long since I'd had it that it tasted like chemicals to me. Gag.

about a week. And just a warning, that first one can be a doozy, so I'm glad you're taking stool softeners!

Delta was worse (as in a more dangerous variant)- but the difference is, there were no vaccines available when we were hit by Alpha - and it was also so new that they weren't sure how to treat it. They've learned a lot in the last couple of years...

it's the infamous "three-week stall" - right on schedule! Do I search on this site for it. When I last checked, there were over 17,000 posts on it (and no, I am NOT kidding...)

you're right in that a tummy tuck (and better yet, a full lower body lift) is going to look more natural than a panniculectomy. The question about adding lipo to it is one for a plastic surgeon. People do lipo with tummy tucks and with lower body lifts, but I don't know about with panniculectomies. It would definitely add to the cost, but I don't know by how much. I also don't know the price range for a tummy tuck if insurance covers the panniculectomy part of it (although that's done commonly enough that there are almost certainly people on here who've gone that route and can let you know about what they paid (for tummy tuck if their insurance paid for the panniculectomy part of it) . When I started looking into plastic surgery about five years ago, I was told to expect $8K-$10K per procedure (I had my lower body lift first, which actually counts as two procedures, because they do both front and back, plus a mons lift). I had four consults with plastic surgeons, and that guesstimate rang mostly true. My estimates ranged from $16K - $23K for a lower body lift (but again, that's more extensive than a tummy tuck since they do front and back - so it counts as two procedures). I also had an estimate from a surgeon in Mexico that as I recall was about half that. The cost is also going to depend on location (prices in New York, Chicago, and LA are going to be higher than prices in places like Knoxville, Tennessee) and the surgeon. Surgeons with national (or even international) reputations - or surgeons with many years of experience - are going to command higher prices. So ...I know that doesn't answer your question, but then, pricing is going to vary depending on several factors, so it's kind of hard to answer it. Some people start having consults before they actually get to goal, so you can always do a couple of them and get some estimates. Consults are usually fairly cheap ($100 or so) if not free (and if there's a charge, the consult fee is often deducted from your bill if you decide to go with that surgeon). I think it's money well spent, actually - I learned a lot through my consults.

the times I was under 300 lbs (like around 285), I didn't need an extender in regular-sized planes. I did on those little commuter flights, though. If the belt doesn't fit, just ask one of the flight attendants for an extender. They probably get at least one of those requests on every flight.

I haven't in a long time since i don't eat bariatric-specific foods anymore, but I always had good luck with it (i.e. the store)

luckily, the only things we ever had to count were protein grams and fluids...

I never got one. I know this comes up occasionally and some people get them - but I don't think most of us do.

Jen - I sent you another message with the contact name (the woman in Rockford who also had surgery there). It's in the messages part of Bariatricpal.

it's very common with both sleeve and bypass people. It has to do with the high protein diet and some of the supplements (mainly iron and calcium). A lot of us take a capful of Miralax every day to stay on top of it. Others take Colace, magnesium tablets, drink Smoothmove tea, or eat a few prunes. Whatever it takes to keep on top of it..

a few years ago I started drinking a 16 oz bottle of flavored water first thing every morning - as soon as I'm out of bed, and before I eat breakfast. Once I started doing that, I rarely had problems making it up to 64 oz by the end of the day.

I'll send you a PM in a sec I do know they've been doing a lot of appts virtually lately. My follow ups, too, have all been virtual since the pandemic began. also, you may be able to have some of your pre-op stuff, like bloodwork, done locally. And if not in Freeport, UW Health does have some offices in Rockford (which would be way closer to you than Madison). Swedish American Hospital in Rockford is part of UWHealth, and I believe they have several clinics there as well. I get lab work done every year (blood), and I can go to any UWHealth lab - so I don't know why you couldn't go to one of the labs in Rockford. Or again, if there are no UWHealth labs in Freeport, they may be OK with you have it done by your local PCP. Just ask. you don't have to call them if you don't want to - you can always email Dawn and ask her. I swear that woman knows everything! I'll see if I can find her email address and I'll PM that to you as well.

it might be over in two weeks - or do yours last longer than that? Plus they may still do it - you can call and ask...

their program is also fantastic - by the time you're rolled into surgery, you'll be very well-prepared. Also, they have fabulous support afterward. I used to lead one of their pre-op classes before the COVID lockdowns started - I did it for three years, so I'm probably even more familiar with the program than most. I think you'll be very happy you went with them. P.S. I'm guessing you live in or near Rockford? I can connect you with a former patient who lives there - she did go through UW's program - not sure if she had Dr. Garren or not - but she's very involved in the bariatric community. You'll get to know people on the program's Facebook page, too (they'll add you to it (if you want to be added, that is) once you officially enter the program)

yes - I had my surgery there seven years ago - and Dr. Garren IS amazing. I would highly, highly recommend him.

you need to do whatever you can to get this back under control. Does your clinic have a dietitian or psychologist you can work with? Or if not, can they recommend someone?

a 10-20 lb weight rebound is very common after you hit bottom. In fact, I "attend" Unjury's virtual support group for people 1+ years out on Wednesday nights, and the speaker they had last week (a dietitian in Boston) said a 5%-15% gain from your lowest weight is pretty much expected, and they don't consider it a regain until it goes over 15%. Until then, it's just your body settling in at a weight it's comfortable at. That said, things do start to get trickier, because you don't want your weight to start spiraling out of control again. A lot of people set a "red line" for themselves - a weight that, once you go past it, it's all hands on deck until you get back under that red line again. so anyway - yes - it's a lifelong battle.

I agree - I don't think four days is going to make much of a difference.

those sugar alcohols (those with names ending in "-itol") do give a lot of people diarrhea. Xylitol doesn't do it for me, but maltitol does. I don't know that they're necessarily dangerous - they just give a lot of people "the runs". So yea - it'd definitely do the trick! Although people considering that might want to check with a doctor first just to be sure. I wouldn't think they'd be any more dangerous than something like Miralax, though.