JAM72

Long time migraineur here, and an RN as well.
I just want to clarify for everyone: the triptan class is NOT an NSAID. There are ZERO contraindications for the triptan class and VSG. This includes Imitrex, Maxalt, Relpax, Zomig, etc. If the generic name ends in -triptan then it's in this class of drugs. There are a couple of formulations that mix a triptan with naproxen, it's the naproxen component that is the NSAID, not the triptan.
My team allows me to take NSAIDs because I have auto-immune conditions and the benefits outweigh the ulcer risk. I am minimizing my NSAID intake however, because I only want to use it when I absolutely need it. Knock on wood, haven't needed it since surgery.
Excedrin usually will knock out my Migraines if I take it fast enough. Since surgery, I've switched to going ahead and taking my triptan instead, and it's working GREAT. I have the kind that melts on the tongue - gets in the system faster that way - and it tastes like a dirty mint but it works amazingly well. My doc is going to put me on topiramate as a preventative if I start having them regularly, but so far that hasn't been needed.
Talk to your team, though. They may be OK with an occasional use of Excedrin for migraines. I highly recommend switching to a triptan or even an ergotamine if you tolerate them.
Also, the biggest triggers of Migraine are dehydration and low blood sugar. In the words of my daughter's neurologist - never let yourself get hungry or thirsty. I had a string of migraines one week when I wasn't on top of my Fluid intake.

Oh, the dissolvable one I take is Maxalt ODT, btw.

I just wanted to take a second and thank everyone that commented on my post. It warms my heart to feel as if i have had any positive impact for anyone!
Wednesday will mark my 9 month anniversary of my Surgery. I am down now 180 lbs, which is only 10 lbs away from losing 1/2 of my starting weight of 381. I am thinking that i am starting to level off, but... i am content with whenever my body thinks its time to do so. I am starting a Meetup group to try and do some virtual coaching and speaking with others that are going through this journey. I feel that it is important for me to share the good word... lol.
My life has forever been impacted, for the better, and i just hope that others can use this amazing surgery to help them realize their own potential.
If you are interested in seeing my videos ( Which are still being worked on) or maybe joining a Meetup ( In person or virtually) let me know. I want to help, i feel it is my duty to do so...
Thanks again to all of you, and please... Let me know how you are doing on your Quest. especially if you are in the first couple months Post-op. Let's compare notes

I abso-freakin-lutely agree 100%

Absolutely! As in not having it performed a few years earlier.

It took me longer than I thought but I couldn't be more excited!! 2 months and 3 weeks post op and I've hit the ONEderland! Yayayayayya! Sorry just felt the need to shout it from the roof top. I've met many mini goals in the past couple months but this was my first large goal. Actually 3 large goals in one day! 50lbs down, 50 to go. I'm halfway to my ultimate goal and first time below 200 for about 5 years
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I'm an attorney and work long hours. What works for me is the following. I bring a bottle of propel with me in the car and try to drink as much of it as possible on my drive to the office. I bring my Breakfast with me, and will eat it as soon as I get to the office (usually between 8-8:30). I wait 30 minutes and begin drinking. If I stopped for coffee on the way in, I'll drink that and count it as my mid morning snack. I also have a 30oz cup with a straw (!!) I fill it and won't eat anything else until I get that sucker down. Many times I'm not hungry for a mid morning snack (particularly if I have the coffee) so I fill up with liquid. I usually have lunch around 1:00. 30 minutes later I start on more liquid. I usually have a snack around 3:30-4:00 (typically sliced deli meat) and I'll have another snack (either almonds or a greek yogurt) before I leave for the gym. Fill in the rest of the day drinking. Since I work long hours, I eat dinner relatively late, but that means I don't feel the need for a snack. If I have a nighttime snack, it's usually a popsicle or a fudgesicle. I find things work much better, for me, if I stick to a schedule. Eating like this insures I get all my Protein in (85-100g a day) and Fluid in (90-120 oz a day) Like I said, this schedule works for me. I'm maintaining a 130 lb loss eating this way. I find the weekend much more difficult because it is definitely less structured.

Hang in there. I followed mine strictly and lost 15 lbs. prior to surgery. It put me in a great starting position for losing. It was worth it and it got better after day 3.
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I weigh usually daily just to keep my head in the game. I am officially a vet today as I am 18 months post and about 15lbs from my dream weight. I check in but quit posting for a while as I was frustrated with the mindset of some folks about how some of us respond.
Glad to see Jenn is still checking in. I miss some that don't check in at all anymore :/

Don't even think about the fact I had WLS...just go about my daily routines day to day.
During that "Learning" phase with the Lap Band, I have adapted to new ways of eating, along with new foods.
Not to mention the foods I have given up such as meat and bread (flour based) products... Some on my own, some because the band won't let me eat them anymore.
But it's all good
As long as my band functions as it has since my last fill over 5 years ago, hunger and portion sizes limited, I have very little concern about gaining any weight back.
There are a lot of things I do that would push many peoples buttons on this forum...so I don't mention them lest the newbies and those still learning get sidetracked
Only thing I do think about day to day is Protein, Water, exercising and eating the healthiest foods I can.(when I do eat)
I start every day with a wholesome Protein smoothie I make in my blender, mixing in fresh fruits, etc.just as I did since surgery.
I have many friends who have not had WLS that focus on the same principles I do, so I pick up on things they have learned, and vice-versa.
One thing though, most times I have forgotten what it was to be overweight...not sure if that is a good or bad thing.

BE.com has some real, in your face truths about bariatric surgery. I refer people to them A LOT.

I don't come around much, but at more than six years out and successfully maintaining, I can say that the article is a good find.
I'm not hyper-vigilant but I still follow my original food rules more often than not. food is a slippery slope, and I will always need to be a mindful eater, for fear of sliding into regain. Period. People in denial about their habits, or expecting their surgery to endlessly do the work for them will be disappointed, because there does come a tipping point.
Again, solid article. Thanks for sharing.
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I have two dogs.
One sleeps against my worn out right knee....she's warm and keeps the nighttime pains away.
The other sleeps on my blown out right shoulder. It is amazingly therapeutic.
They just pile up there when I get in bed. I've never coached them to do so.....but those are the EXACT spots I'd go for.
I sleep well thanks to my girls.
So......my advice......go forth and get yourself a pair of great dogs.

Do just what you did.
Smile and say, "no, thank you."
Practice these phrases:
"It was delicious."
"No, thank you."
"Can you bring me a box when you get a chance."
"I have had plenty."
"Everything is great."
"May I have ____ (vegetable, salad, etc.) instead?"
It gets easier.

Don't forget to join the November sleevers Facebook support group. Just go to Facebook and search for November 2016 sleevers and ask to join. We are a fun group all bein sleeved in the same month and would like to support each other through this journey

I agree with above posters. Losing more gradually allowed me to have very little loose skin (only in upper arms) and completely no hair-loss.
My hair actually got healthier.
I also agree with others' advice to Not compare your own weight-loss with other people. It is a very individual journey.

I had a 38 bmi I think
I had vsg march 29th this year have lost 39kgs to date 5kgs to go to get to goal I have virtually no lose skin my surgeon did tell me I'd almost be at goal within the first 6 months I was like what ever couldn't see it being possible but it was
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I had the VSG in mid-August 2015 with a BMI of 32 and have s l o w l y lost 80 pounds since then. My BMI is now 19 (which suits me because I have a narrow frame). I had several lengthy stalls (more than two months long), and experienced a few pounds of regain when I changed medicine I was taking for PCOS and my hormones went haywire. I agree with the advice above to just focus on your own progress and not compare your rate of weight loss to anyone else's, as tempting as that may be to do. My goal all along has been to cultivate better habits so I can have sustainable weight loss. I've lost rapidly in the past, only to gain it back fast.
For me the perks of losing weight gradually has been absolutely no loose skin - it's actually firmer now that I've become more toned, minimal hair loss, and not having to buy new clothes as frequently.

I went in to surgery just below 34 bmi. I was told to expect to be a slow loser and not to compare my weight loss numbers with others. Surgery was almost 3 weeks ago and I've only lost 10 lbs, but overall I'm down 26 lbs from my first consult, mainly due to the pre-op liquid diet. I don't mind a slower loss. Fewer raised eyebrows and likely fewer skin issues.

@Jmill72, it helps, but it's so freaking depressing, LOL. Agh, hopefully getting out of plus sizes in LB to only go BACK to plus sizes in regular stores? LOL. Bummer. Oh well. It is what it is. At least I can eventually fit into the cuter clothes!

I am actually hoping for slow weight loss. I know that sharing of this surgery would be received negatively by family and friends, therefore I am keeping it to myself. I am hoping that if I am able to loose the weight slowly, it will be both healthy and raise less eyebrows. I just don't want the negativity in my life from nay sayers.
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The rate of weight loss is dependent on the type of surgery. I had RNY gastric bypass and I lost my weight quickly and leveled off at 7 months. Individuals who have sleeve surgery tend to lose weight at a much slower pace but they are in the weight loss phase for a significantly longer period of time, sometimes 2 years, until they transition into the Maintenance phase. The total weight loss can be the same for both types of surgery. Sleeve patients can experience many stalls, so be patient.

I was barley a 40 BMI the day I went into surgery. It took me a year to lose 85 pounds to get to my goal of 150, and continued to lose for several more months until I stopped at 143. So steady, but definitely on the slower side. But I'm also a bit older, so that may have been part of it too.
Try not to get too caught up in comparing your weight loss rate with others. As soon as I let that go, it made the process so much easier and enjoyable. The next thing I knew, I was where I wanted to be and doing maintenence. Now maintaining my weight for a year, how fast or slow I lost it doesn't matter at all.

Allow yourself to cry a little...purges toxins and reduces stress. I'm scheduled for December...are reg gas meds not allowed? Phazyme and such?
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There really isn't a norm. I never lost as fast as a pound a day, even though I started out at 50+ BMI. If I had lost that fast I probably would have been crying with joy and gratitude. Even though I never lost that fast, I still managed to lose over 200 lbs and get to a normal BMI, so how fast or slow I lost at the outset really ended up being irrelevant to my long term results. Good luck!

I started at 202(day of surgery, 211 preop diet) and I'm nearly 3 weeks out and only down 10.5 lbs! scale hasn't moved in 5 days! Not sure if bc I was smaller my stall maybe is earlier than the infamous 3 weeker?! Trying to stay positive I am eating a fraction of what I used to, it will eventually have to come off by laws of Science. Now I see how hard it would've been to continue diets bc I get to this point and give up and thanks to my trusty sleeve, I cannot!