Slimliz

I was sleeved on 4/11. My hw was 345 pre- op after my diet on surgery day I was 325. Well yesterday was 24 days post-op I weighted in at 299. This is the first time in a long time I've been in the 200's. I'm little kid excited. So I have 4lbs till my 50lb loss. I know I have a long way to go on my journey but I'm breaking it into little goals for my sanity. So yahhh me. And we are doing something awesome so lets keep up the good work.
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Finally approved!

Pre op tips?
Follow your surgeon's instructions for any pre-op diet. If you have one, it will likely suck, but remember it's only temporary! Also, you will likely have moments of panic and anxiousness leading up to your surgery date. Have faith that you made the decision to have surgery while you were being logical and rational. Don't let your emotions get the best of you.
What to expect for days after op?
You will be uncomfortable at the very least, if not in real pain. It might be hard for you to get your Water in (if the internal swelling is bad), but it's incredibly important to stay hydrated. Just take tiny sips and try to get in an ounce of Water every 15 minutes you are awake. You'll likely want to nap a fair amount. It's VERY important to get up and walk a little every hour or two. Even if it's just marching in place. The moving will help you avoid blood clots and it can also help with gas pain. Also, don't be surprised if you are moody and emotional and crying a lot. That's very very normal.
What should I have organised at home?
Whatever "food" you will need for the first couple of days. If you are on Clear liquids, you will want broth, sugar-free Jello, and sugar-free popsicles. You should be able to go shopping within a few days, so you won't need to stock up for your later food stages just yet. Shopping is a good way to get some walking in. Just make sure you don't try to lift more than a gallon at a time.
How to manage with three kids under 5?
Prayer? Seriously though, if you have friends or family members who can help wrangle the kids, you need to get them on board. Don't try to manage that yourself in the first couple of days!
Pain rating?
Seems to vary drastically. I didn't have any real pain, except gas pain. Some people seem to have a LOT of pain associated with their ab muscles and incisions. I didn't have any of that.
Malnutrition?
As long as you start working on getting your Protein in towards the end of the first week post op and follow all of your surgeon and nutritionist's recommendations for Protein and Vitamins, you shouldn't have to worry. Dehydration is a much more immediate risk in the early days post-op. Sip, sip, sip!
Excess skin?
Not something you should be worrying about this early on. If you have more than 100 pounds to lose, you will likely have some excess skin. What you feel you need to do about it is up to you. There are a handful of things you can do that *might* help some, but it mostly comes down to things like age and genetics. Stay well hydrated, take your Vitamins, moisturize daily, and do some strength training once you are cleared for it.
Alcohol? Not that I do this anymore with kids but wine, can you still have it?
I was cleared for alcohol at 3 months post-op. Some surgeons recommend never having alcohol again, because of the risk of addiction transference (WLS patients are more prone to alcoholism). Just know that if/when you do drink alcohol again, it will likely be very different than pre-op. In my case, I get DRUNK off a tiny amount of alcohol, but then sober up super quickly.
Exercise? Can I still do weight training?
Once you are cleared for it by your surgeon. I was cleared at 2 months post-op. Some surgeons clear for it sooner. You will definitely at least have some sort of lifting restriction for the first couple of weeks post-op.
Energy levels?
Mine were VERY VERY low for the first several weeks post-op, until I was back on solid foods and could get more calories in. The fatigue was a real issue for me. I was napping a lot while I was off of work. When I returned to work at 15 days post-op, I really struggled to last through the day. I ended up going straight to bed after work in those early days. Once I was cleared for solid foods at 40 days post-op and was able to eat more, my energy level got back to normal.
How has your experience been?
I'm 20 months post-op now and I consider my sleeve to be one of the best decisions I ever made! It was hard, especially in the first couple of months, but now I am completely adapted to it I reached my goal weight right around the 1 year mark. I've been maintaining below goal for 8 months now. I ran my first half marathon a little over a week ago. Life is amazing!

Wow! My first post. I've been one of those "trolls" that would just read posts since I was way to shy to say a thing. Sorry guys!
But today I think I have finally gotten the courage to be proud. So here it is....
A few years before even considering the sleeve I had bought this beautiful white Marilyn Monroe inspired swimsuit in a size 8 for inspiration. I had hoped it would help me stay focused and on track to gaining what I thought would be the "perfect" me. Well... it sat in the closet for three years collecting dust. While I collected more lbs. Not what I had forseen. Then.... my doctor told me that I had PCOS. My husband and I learned that we might not have kids if I didn't lose the weight. That through me into a wake up call. I had to find something. So I came here... to this place. Looking for other people who understood. I decided to take the leap. My husband and parents were behind me 100%. I did it. I had the sleeve surgery. What an incredible choice to change my life!
Now.... back to that swim suit. I found that dusty swimsuit and thought oh no... there is no way. I still had/have that "I'm still way to big" mentality. But instead of just hiding it again, I decided to grit my teeth and try it anyways. It finally fit after three years of being in my closet. The wash of pride and relief came over me. (Hopefully I added the picture right)
I thought this swimsuit was what I needed to inspire me. It wasn't. My family and future children are. This swimsuit was just a sign that I am on the way and did the right thing for myself.
(Thank you for reading my random thoughts and story.)
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yay!! I reached a 100lb loss 7 months out.

I work from home, my husband already knows, so I only have to worry about my dog.....and he's very clever and will probably figure it out soon...hahaha
I've told a couple of folks I work with, but since I don't see any of them face to face most of them think I'm just having hernia repair surgery on 5/16, and I'll be on PTO for that week.

I just had my EGD yesterday and I have had acid reflux for years that is managed with diet and over the counter omeprazole. My gastroenterologist said that as long as I did not eat large amounts and stuck to the recommended diet and portions I should not have problems with the sleeve.
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I was on 4 metformin a day - and still had what seemed to me, higher blood sugars. between 130 and 150. Stopped meds 2 days before surgery.
My last A1c before surgery was 6.5, and at one month post op on no medication it was 6.0. I am hoping that by 3-6 months I will be able to drop the diabetes diagnosis completely!
This was my main motivation for surgery.
I am also on BP meds, and they have been cut in half with excellent BP.

304 to 213
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I'm enslaved on May 15th and can hardly wait... I told my family and everyone has their opinion but I know I must do this for me. My husband is supportive and together we will embrace our future as I become healthier and happier be here for my grandchildren.
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Dr. Kim at Kim Bariatric Institute did my sleeve a year and a half ago. He and his office staff were terrific. My insurance required 6 months of nutrition classes before they would approve the surgery and I learned a lot about making the right choices and lost nearly 30 lbs before surgery. After Surgery the on-line support group was there along with Nurse Pam at the office to answer all my questions (even the stupid ones) I'm down another 150lbs since surgery and could not be happier. I highly recommend them.

Dr Kim at Kim Bariatrics is great! He did my surgery 4 years ago and I am still involved in the support system they have there. You will get support for life at KBI. Monthly support groups, FREE bootcamps for their patients, FREE U Jam classes, Cruises, Hiking events, etc and the private patient only FB support group does monthly Breakfast and dinner get togethers, monthly 5ks, and lots of fun events like bowling, painting, ziplining in DAllas, dancing, toller skating, karaoke nights and lost more!! That is what has helped me be successful in my 90 lbs loss. The office has always been very helpful to me throughout my journey. Dr Kim did my sleeve and two years later Dr Holden took out my gallbladder. All docs on his staff are GREAT! Good luck in your weight loss journey.

Damn helpful visual @@jenn1
I'm at 6 months and getting closer and closer to my goal.
Was given an "attaboy" from my surgeon last week and told to up th portion size.
I splurged a couple times over this weekend at work. We'd ordered out for our lunches. Instead of eating only the toppings off the pizza......I had the whole slice....two slices, in fat. Next day's lunch.....instead of just eating the bbq, I also had the bread that accompanied it.....and the hash with some of the carb sides.
I say that to say this.......I am smack dab in the middle of my weight loss phase and I brought bread & carbs back into the mix in small amounts for a three day period. I weighed this morning and was not surprised at all with the horrid sight on the scale. No surprises that the number that looked back at me wasn't to my liking. I rationalized that I needed the glycogen for my weight training sessions this weekend. So much for my bullcrap broscience.
I was a dumbass and there was my sign.
Sometimes in life things get real simple for us.
Such is the case with weight loss.......
Cause......and effect.
Guess what this old boy is having this week........protein first......protein last......protein all in between. Gonna get a healthy dose of treadmill and elliptical, too. Bamsucka. Fell off the horse, but back on it and gonna ride that beast bareback until it can't take any more......then I'll hop off and drag it across the finish line.
Carbs......piss on 'em.

YOU NEED TO WRITE A BOOK JAMIELOGICAL!! I LOVE ALL YOUR ADVISES, STATEMENTS, RESEARCH YOU DESERVE THE VIP STATUS FOR REAL..

@@Watch.Me.Lose.It I think the thing that took me a while to get my head around is that WLS isn't like losing weight in the past. It is not a "diet". You will never be "done" with it. Your sleeve is forever. So how long it takes you to lose the weight is completely meaningless in the long term. Once you are at goal and maintaining with the help of your sleeve, you aren't going to be looking back and thinking "if only I'd reached goal one month faster!" As long as you get there eventually, how long it took you will be so unimportant once you are there.

Fort worth texas here Dr. David Kim is my surgeon
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Well said, Suzanne. I am 60, soon to be 61. I am scheduled for a gastric sleeve on Feb. 15. I have had all kinds of negative responses. Most people just want to know why at my age? I plan on living for quite a few more years. I want to enjoy them to the fullest. I want to feel better physically and emotionally. I want to keep up with my 3 year old granddaughter. I want to go to the beach and never feel self-conscious again. I want to play tennis on a regular basis with my husband. I want to be able to hike without huffing and puffing. I want to look in the mirror in the morning and not say gross. I want to witness the transformation. I have begun my pre op liquid diet. I know this sounds weird, but I like it. If this is something you want badly, people should be happy for you. Be supportive. Look at the positives. I look forward to a successful surgery.

I stayed 2 nights. I live alone and my doctor thought an extra night would be better for me. I had my 3 mo. check up and all is well .

Hello everyone thought I would join the group. I am 62 and dealing with the pre opt diet. There are moments that I find difficult because I am a musician and some of my work is in restaurants. Today I will be spending three hours playing a brunch gig watching people eat. I am sure I will find a way to deal with it, but I may not be easy. The good news is since the start of my pre-opt diet I have dropped more than five pounds and feel really good. I am excited and nervous by date is fast approaching. I know I am doing the right thing even at 62 years old . Thanks for your posts, good to hear what others in there sixties have to say.

February 8, 2016: I attended the Elmhurst Hospital free bariatric seminar. This is where the surgeons, bariatric Dr and nutritionists talk about what to expect before, during and after the surgical process. It was clear that this group greatly preferred the sleeve and the RNY bypass. In their opinions, the band just doesn't work. I'm sure others on this board would disagree but they said that failure in the long term was the norm rather than the exception. They explained the available support groups and the topics they covered. They discussed potential complications, the success rates, what the procedures entail and the pre and post op diets. Honestly, I already knew everything they covered from obsessively reading right here on bariatric pal.
I asked questions, introduced myself to the surgeons, bariatric dr. and nuts and left feeling very good about their competency and the prospects for being successful. Oh my God, I may actually succeed in losing 150 plus lbs.!
February 16, 2016: My first appointment with my bariatric surgeon. I learned very little here but this is where we got to know each other a bit better and he explained the process I have to follow. I learned about visiting the bariatric dr (who acts as a kinf of coordinator), the psych, the nuts, cardioliology, pulmonology, etc. It felt overwhelming because I knew making and keeping all those appts. was going to be a big challenge. I also learned that the two surgeons at the seminar always do surgery together. I liked that because I was really unsure if I had picked the right one of the two, though both seem excellent.
This is also the appointment where I filled out massive health history forms and talked a bit about my weight history and struggles with losing.
February 18: Visited my PCP to get his blessing. He gave it. He also gave me an ekg and referred me to cardiology for clearances and did some basic bloodwork. I was afraid he would not approve, and he was hesitant but he came through with the support.
February 25: Visited my pulmonologist. Easiest appointment yet. He listened to my heart and lungs and reviewed my CPAP record. All looked good and he signed off on surgery. He seemed very pleased that I was doing it and suggested that my sleep apnea would improve immensely.
February 29: Visit with the bariatric dr. This guy does not do surgery but is kind of the "glue" that holds everything together in the practice. It was an hour and a half appt.! We covered nutrition counseling, weight history, basic psych profile and he asked tons of questions to determine if I was ready for this big step. When I left, I made an appt. to see him again as he required.
February 29: Killed two birds with one stone and saw new cardiologist today. He checked the swelling in my legs, listened to my heart and lungs and ordered both a nuclear stress test and an echocardiogram. The nuclear is a two day test and the echo a siple sonogram of the heart.
March 2: Appointment with Nutritionist. This seemed like a waste of time to me. She covered the same things that the bariatric dr. covered. But she did give me a "big book of bariatric surgery" that covered all the steps leading up to and immediately after the surgery. She covered how I would eat for the rest of my life and covered the basic stages of Bariatric Eating. I already know most of this stuff from Bariatric Pal. She had me make some excercise and eating commitments.
March 8: First half of my nuclear stress test. I couldn't eat or drink any coffee. They had me walk on a treadmill and injected me with something that made my heart race and made me out of breath. This simulated exercise in lieu of traditional running on a treadmill, which I can not do because of my obesity and bad knees. I was injected with a nuclear dye then I laid on a table and was scanned with a machine kind of like a Cat Scan. This first part of the test images the heart under stress. The next part, two days from now will image the heart at rest and they compare the two to determine heart health.
More later

Hello everyone! I thought it would be helpful to have a detailed account of my experiences from first pre-op meeting through surgery (have a date but have not yet been sleeved) and perhaps beyond. These are my experiences which I think are fairly typical though yours may differ. Much of this same information is available here on bariatric pal but may take a bit more digging than I hope to lay it out here. So, let's begin.
May of 2012: I began to seriously consider bariatric surgery and began hunting around for information and resources. It was then that I found Bariatric Pal. I thought my mind was made up about getting the lap band but after reading numerous posts here, I also began to consider gastric sleeve. The band seemed simplest and safest to me. After reading many, many posts here, I learned that that was not only untrue but that the band simply didn't work for most people.
June of 2013: I finally got up the courage to see a surgeon about the surgery. After seeing him I was sold on the sleeve. It has a great long term success rate of an acerage of 60-70% (depending on the study) excess weight lost for five years or more. He highly discouraged the band and simply said it just doesn't have the success rate and he is not recommending them.
August of 2013: I learned that my insurance at the time would not cover the sleeve, band or any other bariatric surgeries or weight loss programs. I was very upset but renewed my determination to lose weight "on my own". I did. I went from 385 lbs down to 305 and felt like a million bucks. I was absolutely positive I would shrink all the way down to my then goal weight of 225. Hah.
Mid 2014: I ballooned back up to about 365/370 and began experiencing extreme knee pain, occasional chest pain, increased sleep apnea and rising blood pressure. My quality of life sucked.
December 2014: I had a total right knee replacement. It was horrible. My weight prevented from attending the inpatient rehab clinics that I wanted to attend which had weight restrictions. I wound up in what was essentially an "old folks" convalescent home that made me feel old and invalid. I was ashamed to be there.
February 2015: I severely injured my replaced knee while leaving physical therapy. I tore my hamstring and the tendon which attaches to the knee cap. It sucked and I know it was largely due to my weight. The injury still has not healed properly and I continue to feel very handicapped and I am only 48. I can not run at all and standing and walking long distances is out. I again renewed my efforts to lose weight. I went from about 375 to 345 by May and was feeling pretty good.
May 2015: I learned I had a diaphragmatic hernia which is like a hiatal hernia but not as close to the esophagus. I had it repaired, which went well but developed an incisional hernia at the site of the laproscopic repair. My efforts at losing weight again turned around. It was at this time that I renewed my intention to get bariatric surgery. I came back to bariatric pal and researched Mexico.
July 2015: I was just about set to go to Mexico. I did a skype consultation with Dr Altamirano in TJ and joined his FB group. I began putting the money aside in hopes of going in Mexico for surgery in December. I had strong reservations about Mexico at first but got over it after much reading on here, the consultation and the FB group. Still, I worried about follow up care if there were complications. I had new insurance at work but it still did not cover bariatric surgery.
November 2015: I learned from some folks on here that they bought an insurance plan off the Obamacare insurance exchange and used it to cover their surgery right here in the U.S. Some of them even had it as a secondary insurance policy and it worked. My interest was piqued and I began exploring the exchange for an affordable policy that covered bariatric surgery. Some of the others I referred to had success with BC/BS of Illinois and I learned that Illinois requires companies participating in the exchange to cover bariatric surgery. Since I live in Illinois, this was great news! I found a policy that covered the surgery at 100% after a deductible of $3500. Steep but doable. The premium is $398 per month.
January 2016: Now we're getting to the meat of the potato. I bought the plan off the exchange, receiving no discount, and it took effect on Feb 1st of 2016. It was the BC/BS IL PPO Silver Plan. Pretty good coverage after deductible.
February 2016: I called the insurance company to verify benefits, and they were confirmed. I learned that they did not require a six month diet, or many of the other things that many insurance companies require. They simply said the require a "letter of pre-determination". I also learned that they do not cover the hospital or the surgeon that I initially consulted with. I researched their website and found out that Elmhurst Hospital, and their surgeons were covered. Hallelujah, I live in Elmhurst!
I will pick up here later with details of my visits so far!

Yep some non surgery victories :-D Friday I went to the movies with a friend and was able to put both arm rest down and still have plenty or room in my chair :-) Now my niece can hug me and wrap her arms all the way around me :-) oooo... Was able to wear a REALY cute pair or wedges all day :-D Okay I wanna hear some of y'all's now :-D

My favorite NSV ... I'm able to buckle my seat belt without lifting my butt/hip I can just click and go!
I wear my watch and it slips up and down my wrist.
.::SurgeryDate 7/25/12::.

So many... I use a normal towel after I shower instead of a beach towel. I use a normal public bathroom stall instead of the handicap stall. I cross my legs all the time. I don't sweat as much. I am never out of breath. I can run up the stairs at my house instead of hanging on the banister all the way up. I'm in single digit clothing. I don't dread being in a picture... In fact I'm front and center now. So many more.... I smile all the time now!!!

Yolie, I am having gastric sleeve with Dr Holden (Kim Bariatrics) and she requires 3 weeks pre-op diet with Protein Shakes and liquids. I was beginning to think I was the only one that had to do 3 weeks!
Will you be having surgery at Baylor Trophy Club?
I hope to have my surgery late July or early August. Let's stay in touch!
Excited for everyone and so glad we are all in this journey together.
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