LisaMergs

Totally agree!!! Great job!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

You are doing an AMAZING job!!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I think the terms medicARE and medicAID are being used interchangeably. MediCARE is not the same as public aid based Medicaid. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'm going to take this further... ONE GRAM of protein- 4 calories So, if a person had a low-ish Protein target, of say, 60g a day, THAT is 240 calories. That's not considering fats, carbs, or anything else... And FATS are 9 calories a gram. Most of us don't watch fat content with laser intensity--- we watch sugars. So the likelihood they're getting plenty from fats, and the Fiber in foods... Minimally, I would say, people are hitting the 700-800 cal a day. But 300???? No no no. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'm sorry... But as a lap band patient, I keep seeing you post about bypass and sleeves and I tend to disagree with pretty much everything you're saying. In NO world does ANY NUT or Doctor recommend 300-600 calories a day for the first three months. NEVEE EVER EVER. IF you want to pass information along, please say "in my opinion", or "I THINK", or "I may have heard..." But to the pre-op and newly post op sleeves and bypass patients-- This is false information. One protein shake by J Robb is 110 cal mixed with one cup of skim milk is 91 cal for a total of 201 cal. Are you telling me that at 2-3 months all a person is consuming is 1 1/2 to 2 shakes??? Nothing else??? Please please be careful. People will read your posts and get misinformation. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Thank you for your post. I did mention the dietician who leads my support group shared those calorie guidelines. I don't think she was lying nor am I. We all have different experiences and medical professionals guiding us. Best wishes to you in your journey. Had lapband surgery 10/12/16 Then PERHAPS you misheard her... Because there is NO WAY anyone would suggest a 300 calorie a day diet for a bypass or sleeve 3 months out. Fact. And I stand behind what I said--- Pre Ops and newbies alike- This is misinformation. Either from the poster or her team. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'm sorry... But as a lap band patient, I keep seeing you post about bypass and sleeves and I tend to disagree with pretty much everything you're saying. In NO world does ANY NUT or Doctor recommend 300-600 calories a day for the first three months. NEVER EVER EVER. IF you want to pass information along, please say "in my opinion", or "I THINK", or "I may have heard..." But to the pre-op and newly post op sleeves and bypass patients-- This is false information. One Protein shake by J Robb is 110 cal mixed with one cup of skim milk is 91 cal for a total of 201 cal. Are you telling me that at 2-3 months all a person is consuming is 1 1/2 to 2 shakes??? Nothing else??? Please please be careful. People will read your posts and get misinformation. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Really? It's a bad thing for ME. And I only know ME... I'm hopeful you've had success since surgery... Mine was March 23- day before yours. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Okay. Tough love here... Get over it. Period. You don't eat that crap any longer. Period. Just saying what you NEED to hear..may not be what you WANT to hear. Solution??? ( cuz I'm not going to dish it out without a helpful hint...) Water. Lots of it. Walk, run, bike, do some kind of cardio. Call an old friend who you want to catch up with and get your mind off food by engaging in a lovely conversation. DO NOT SIT DOWN and watch tv. Clean house, like DEEP CLEAN a closet or something. Just keep busy AWAY from food. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Lol. Please please please don't do it because 30 people didn't have an issue... How about this turn instead- " there is NO evidence that straw usage will do anything other than allow you to drink liquid..." We could go round and round... To each, their own I say! It depends on what kind of slush (like a slurpee from 711?) and how you handle sugar. I really badly wanted a slurpee but no one in my area had any sugar free slurpees. I made one myself with crystal light and ice in my ninja. Not perfect but close enough. I use straws too. My surgeon said it was ok, it was up to me and my reaction. I havent had any negitive experiences. HW 385 SW 359 CW 331 (54lbs down!) Sleeved 10/5/16 My dr is definitely against them but i have had a regular slurpee. Im not a cookie, cake, candy person but my craving is a cherry slurpee from 711, and 1x a month, i treat myself. Thats just me. Sent from my SM-N920V using the BariatricPal App[/quote Wow!!! You're LUCKY! You can't use a straw but you CAN ingest a Slurpee? Do you get the ones that are sugar free? And do you eat it with a straw? Those things are soooo pumped full of air. That would certainly cause an issue for me!!! #strawgate Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Do LapBands dump?? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Yup. Chewing gum right now actually... Lol And you're welcome, @@imightknow Anytime Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Good luck!!! Welcome! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I would skip the premier Protein and go to a 100% whey protein isolate. Whichever brand you prefer. And how do you know it isn't Acid? I had it horribly and it actually was acid.. One Zantac and within 20 min the "pain" was gone... That was my experience. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I've been using straws since about day 5... No issues here. And so, The Great Straw Debate, or Strawgate, returns...lol. Lots of us use them-- without ill effect. They don't stretch anything and they don't introduce too much air. If anything, they nicely funnel the liquids into your tummy... Less than with gulping, that's for sure. @@LipstickLady You NEVER use straws, right? Lol Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@Babbs Agreed. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Bacon has NOT left the building in my life... Nor will it EVER. As in nevah-evah-evah Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

When you get old you repeat yourself. Did you know that when you get old you tend to repeat yourself? Umm... I don't recall what you were talking about but did you know that as we age we repeat ourselves? Can you repeat what you were saying? Squirrel moment! Easy on the squirrel. It was my dads nickname for me lol Easy on the squirrel. It was my dads nickname for me lol Damn. It happened again. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

No problems at all. #12 is not as likely to suffer dry socket as a molar or anterior tooth. Don't use straws, don't spit, don't smoke. You want to keep the blood clot forming and in place. By next week you should be golden. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Can't get enough heat... You name it, I'll try it. Makes eating so much more enjoyable!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Feeling old.... I have no clue what anyone is talking about, save @@Dub and his ass kicking. It's my modus operandi. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Feeling old.... I have no clue what anyone is talking about, save @@Dub and his ass kicking. It's my modus operandi. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Ugh is all I can say... Horrid when WE have to deal With it-- unbearable to see our kids go through it. Sounds like you're in good hands though Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@theantichick I always hate hearing about people who tested negative for RF and their docs didn't go ahead and treat for it even though all the S&S were present. I'm so glad you're with docs who did!!! That alone helped you avoid any degeneration. First time I saw my rheumy, he said, " we will run the blood work, and see what it says, but if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, I don't need to see it swim like a duck". Thank goodness. As it were, my factors, ESR etc were all through the roof. Have you had the Vectra DA bloodwork done? If not, I would HIGHLY rec you ask your docs to run it. Very specialized test, needs to be sent out to a special lab, but what they can see on it is AMAZING!!!!! I can't recall my actual numbers, but for argument sake, say a score of 25 out of 100 said moderate disease is present, mine was like an 86!!! Crazy!! This was 3 months prior to my bypass, a year ago. They are running it again next month for comparative value. Should be interesting. The test is highly specified, and truly they can see things on it that they can't with standard RA patient blood draws and labs. Good luck sweetie!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

This is very interesting to me, since I also have RA/PsA. When we started discussing biologics, I asked my rheumy's opinion of WLS. She was enthusiastically behind it, citing WLS as many times reducing the inflammatory factors. However, she and my surgeon (and my research) all said that the bypass was NOT a good option for someone with auto-immune because of the complete contraindication for NSAIDs and steroids, where the sleeve only has a relative contraindication for those meds. Not criticising you or your docs, just find it interesting how there are so many differing opinions in the medical community. BTW, biologics are now off the table for me for the forseeable future. My inflammatory factors are down, and we still have dosing room on sulfasalazine and we haven't tried plaquenil yet. Mtx failed and I developed an allergic reaction to it, so at least I don't have to give myself chemo anymore! LOL. So the sleeve has worked amazingly well for me. Not remission, but meds are working better and we're able to avoid the real heavy hitters indefinitely. Knowing full well the contraindications for NSAIDS, bypass was the only WLS that showed remission in autoimmune disorders. My docs are part of a center of excellence, both with the University of Chicago and Northwestern University, and my rheumy is Duke- trained and one of the top researchers in RA and Lupus, so I felt pretty comfortable with their recs. Giving up ibu was mentally harder than anything else, considering I've not had to take more than 3 Tylenol since my surgery! Sucks about the MTX for you...wondering were you doing pills or injections? Pills had me puking and were much less effective than the shots. Plaquenil was useless, as were every other med...been there, done them all. My last drug, Actemra, provided a LITTLE relief- about 10%, which lasted a whole week after I was infused. It was the IV decadron that kept me going along with the daily pred. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

And I did forget to mention, the only medications I now take our drumroll please zero. Other than my Vitamins that's it. Let's all do a happy dance for that, at one point I was taking upwards of 20 pills a day giving myself daily shots weekly and monthly chemotherapy. Not a bad trade off A gastric bypass for my life Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

So here is my question for you. (And before ANYONE starts a battle on @@LisaMergs behalf -- she and I are groovy, we can discuss like adults without intervention.) Clearly you have had awesome results with the bypass. Why did you doctor suggest it? Was is malabsorbtion? As I stated earlier, that makes MUCH more sense than the people who say they never overate but who choose the sleeve. Did he/she think this would "reset" your metabolism? More importantly, are you off all those awful meds that made you gain the weight? I've seen your pics and you look AH-MAY-ZING. I know you can clear up some of my confusion about this. My whole purpose for having bypass was based solely upon anecdotal evidence showing that people with autoimmune disease specifically rheumatoid arthritis were going into remission after bypass. There was no evidence shown for patients who had the sleeve. My feeling was it was worth a shot. Worst case scenario oh would be that I would be able to drop some of the massive weight I had gained from all the medications there by alleviating the pressure and extra weight put on my already damaged and painful joints. I was one of the fortunate who went into complete remission after my bypass surgery. I know coming off all the steroids had a huge impact on the significant amount of weight that I was able to lose so quickly. But let's face it there was still plenty that has had to come off with Hard work determination and a commitment to the tool and for lack of better terminology life altering life saving gift I was given. Two things- Forgive my lack of proper sentence structure I'm dictating this into the phone as I'm driving to pick up a child from school, and lipstick lady is right we are super groovy and big girls and don't take anything each other says with anything other than the intent in which it was stated. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App