M Ashley

All my best! I know it will turn out wonderfully for you.

@@Djmohr - Thank you for your kind words. Already I am happily overwhelmed by how welcoming everyone has been. This surgery seems to be an amazing thing. Although I've read a lot about loose skin and other not-so-great things, almost everyone says it's the best thing they've ever done for themselves. I so look forward to changing my life this way also.
@@Cervidae - That eases my mind so much! I am VERY lucky that, besides PCOS, I have no other severe comorbidities. I am not anywhere near diabetic, no sleep apnea, and, if you can believe it, my blood pressure is actually lower than it was when I was 19 and 130lbs lighter. Weird. But the PCOS rages on. I'm right with you on the five o'clock shadow. Spiro was the third medicine I tried that I couldn't name. As you said, none of that even remotely touched the symptoms. If the surgery can relieve even part of that, I will be extremely grateful.

And as for all my other relatively good health: I woke up about a week ago and realized that it IS strange and it WON'T last forever. One day there will be something, probably something tiny, that will tip it all over the edge. And that's it. If I am going to do this, I must do it while I am still strong.
I went with my mom to physical therapy a little while ago and saw person after person confined to scooters because of their weight. That scared the hell out of me. When I weighed 330-ish, I was able to walk a couple of miles on the beach one day, then climb up the massive cliff to get back to the car when we were ready to go. Thirty pounds later, I went to a Halloween haunt thing at the Queen Mary and, for the first time in my life, I had to sit down between going through haunted houses because my feet, ankles, knees, and back hurt so badly. Slowly but surely, I'm coming to the tipping point. I need to do this now.

Sorry for the rambling. So much is going through my mind right now.

Hello Everyone,

Let me introduce myself: My name is Michelle. I am a writer who lives in Southern California with three fantastic mutt-dogs. I am 37y/o. Last Thursday, I finally got up the courage to ask my GP about the possibility of bariatric surgery. She almost looked relieved that I was the one who brought it up first. She said that with Kaiser, she doesn’t refer me directly to surgery, but rather to bariatric surgery orientation which then leads to bariatric classes. That leads me to my first question: Does anyone have experience with Kaiser in SoCal? If so, do you have any wisdom to share on what to expect?

I made another step on my journey yesterday by calling Kaiser and asking the dreaded question: How much? I was told I would only be paying for my hospital stay at $260 a day. Not bad at all if I only stay the two or three nights most people seem to stay. That is a huge relief!

It’s strange, since I’ve made these first steps, I have felt like crying a lot, (and I am not usually a crier). Has anyone else experienced this? My current thought is that maybe it’s because my body and mind are feeling relieved finally and seeing, for the first time, a real solution on the horizon.

That’s it for now. I look forward to keeping up with the posts here and getting to know you all.

-M.

Mine prescribed 5000 units per day, both before and after. My level was 20.
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Thank you for this post. Your attitude is truly inspiring.

Thank you for this post. Your attitude is truly inspiring.

Thank you for this post. Your attitude is truly inspiring.

Thank you for this post. Your attitude is truly inspiring.

I had very little pain and went back to work after a week. I wish I had been prepared for the buyers regret phase. I had about a week (while I was recovering) when I kept having mental attacks of "holy crap, what did I do!" I know it was frustration over not eating, feeling wonky and all that but it did pass and now 1 month post op I have no regrets or doubts. Another thing that has been learn as I go is getting used to sipping Water. I live in the south and it gets to be 110 outside and I feel like I am constantly thirsty. I keep sipping but have learned that crushed ice and SF pop cycles work the best on helping you feel hydrated. I am still struggling on timing out my eating too. It seems so odd to put my fork or spoon down after each bite and savor the meal instead of cleaning my plate in 30 seconds. I am getting better though.

Remember, this new chapter is going to be a great one. Think of how many people here, and elsewhere, have said that no matter what, this was the best decision they ever made.
I wish you all the best. I'm pulling for you.

Afternoon all!
I just had my one year post-op check up yesterday, though my surgiversary is not for another week (expect a post then too!) and my blood test results are already in (I love my bariatric center!). Recently there has been a lot of discussion and confusion about Multivitamin Patches and some of you may have seen in previous posts that I am a proponent of the multivitamin patch for people who have trouble swallowing pills as I do. I promised I would update about my blood test results when I found out, so here they are!
  
Everything is completely normal except my folate, which is high, which will probably mean I need to reduce my Iron supplements. I'm going to wait to change anything until I speak with my doctor about it.
I've been using the Vitamin Patch for about 6 months. I also take a prescribed iron/b12/folic acid supplement. I have not taken Calcium for several months because my Premier Protein shakes, coupled with my diet, is obviously sufficient.
So there you have it! My promised blood test results. I would like to add a disclaimer:
***my results may not be everyone's results. Some people may have deficiencies or pre-existing issues that affect levels in the blood, and the patch may not work as well for them. I am not claiming the patch is for everyone, nor am I even claiming it's working for me. It's entirely possibly that my Protein Shakes and diet happen to be enough for me right now to achieve these normal results. It's also entirely possible that this will change in the future. I'm simply showing you all how I'm doing right now while my daily regimen consists of Premier Protein shakes, one iron/b12/folic acid pills (prescribed by my surgeon), and a multivitamin patch.***
Thanks for reading! I hope you all have a healthy and happy rest of your day.
<3 Cervidae.

I was 23 and 402 pounds when I started the bariatric program at my hospital, and 450 at my highest when I was 22. I'm now 209, and I will be one year post op in three days. That's going to be you soon! So excited for you! I never believed it was possible to be here, yet here I am and still losing, slowly but surely...

Good luck on your upcoming surgery. I recommend you do three things.
1. Take a good before photograph of yourself, so that you have something to compare to after surgery. Many times we are blind to our obesity. We do not see ourselves. Therefore when the weight begins to drop off rather dramatically, we question if this is really happening. Photographs are a good visualization of our success. Many people carry a before and after photo with them, just to remind themselves of their success.
2. Walk 30 minutes each day, every day until surgery (or equivalent exercise). Walking helps the recovery process go smoothly and minimized the pain levels from surgery.
3. Wean yourself from caffeine and carbonated beverages now. After I gave up my 6 diet coke a day habit, I suffered from a week of severe withdrawal syndrome consisting of severe headaches and body aches. I was miserable. You don't want to combine the effects of caffeine withdrawal with the effects of surgery.

Last diet visit: September 3rd.
Class: October 5th.
And then everything is being submitted.
I have united healthcare, and have heard the process moves quickly. But knowing me I will be calling... A LOT! I also know that there's not a weight requirement (restriction?) so I should be okay with that.
I started thinking about WLS a little over a year ago, but never followed through because my insurance didn't cover it. But to be at this point seems so surreal...
I'm 22 years old and weigh 400 pounds. I've never said that to anybody but close family before. I am a single mommy to 2 year old twin girls, who are absolutely positively my "Why". I've always and I mean ALWAYS been the "bigger girl" and would honestly attach myself to anybody who actually showed interest in me. When I was younger being bigger phased me, but eventually I got used to it, and continued to gain confidence in myself. Regardless of my weight, I was/am a good person.
But I'm finally going to gain control of my own life. I'm so so so excited. Bring on October, bring on this 3 week liquid diet! Bring it on. Because nothing... And I mean NOTHING will hold me back from my future any longer!
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My Instagram for bariatric stuff is mashleywls if you'd like to connect there.
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I was wondering about the liquid diet. Good idea not to have a giant liver I guess. Lol
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I never even thought of using Pinterest. What a great idea.
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For those of you who are post-surgery: Have any of you experienced positive changes in your mental health, particularly in regard to needing psych meds?
Right now, I have to take a cocktail for depression and anxiety, and I was wondering if this might get any better.

Thank you all for sharing your stories. My takeaway is that I will stay on my cocktail as long as I need it and that, if weight loss helps, that will be great; and if it doesn't, then I know what medications work and I will continue to take them. I wish you all the best in all aspects of your health.

I so agree with you. I suffered with manic depression for many years and took many different antidepressants to finally arrive at prozac which i took a long time...it quit working so i was on nothing. 2 yrs post sleeve i was diagnosed with bipolar type 2...i think there are 4 types. It is mostly inherited. It took me a yr of therapy and different mood levelers and antidepressants to find my cocktail that works for me and also to embrace it. I also have anxiety and insomnia...which goes along with it all. I am now back on the prozac, which is working along with depokote. I take the smallest dose of valium at bedtime for sleep and anxiety....that is what works for me. Now I only have to see my psych doc every 3 months for refills and follow ups. There is no cure and i do have some bad days when my mind gets stuck. But i no longer fight it cause that only makes it worse....i know as long as i take my meds it does not last very long. I hope you find what works for you. All the regular docs i went to in the past never mentioned i might need a mood leveler to go with my antidepressant. It took seeing a psychiatrist for my proper diagnoses. After hearing my history and family background...he hit the nail on the head. I am so grateful now. I look at it almost as a gift because it answered many questions about my self and my past. So if I had not had my sleeve and had not lost the weight at that time that I had...I don't think I would have the emotional healing that I have today. Awareness is key and you know your own body....and the stigma of mental illness is way outdated. It is by far nothing to be ashamed of....not saying anyone here is....I just will be glad when it is accepted like any disease that can actually e seen....as to look at me you would not know I am disabled. Sent from my SM-G920V using the BariatricPal App

I have three fantastic mutt-dogs myself, so it sounds like we'll be OK after all.

I am also just beginning my journey. I have my first appointment Tuesday 8/16 with my surgeon. I am excited to become a healthier version of myself. What I have found through this site is everyone seems to have the same fears about WLS. It has been comforting to see I am not alone with mine. I wish you well on your journey! I am sure when all is said and done our only regret will be not having it sooner!
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For those of you who are post-surgery: Have any of you experienced positive changes in your mental health, particularly in regard to needing psych meds?
Right now, I have to take a cocktail for depression and anxiety, and I was wondering if this might get any better.

@@Holly5683
HI There!
I am truly sorry to hear about your struggles. I might suggest you are experiencing what happens when you bounce between following the plan and going back to the way you ate and exercised before your surgeries?
I do think the pouch test and following your Bariatric diet can get you back on track to losing again.
I would suggest talking to a therapis to find out why you tend to stop at a certain point and get very clear on why you are doing it in the first place.
This is just my opinion but for me, I became very very selfish for the first time in my life knowing that it would help my family down the road. My whole life I took care of everyone else's needs. I was the breadwinner in a stressful job, I took care of my ailing mother, my children, and my husband long before I took care of myself. The stress of all of that led me to put on weight, then take it off, then put it back on until finally I could not lose a single lb. then the medical issues began and it only got worse and worse until I realized that I would not be here until I was elderly if I didn't do something for my self.
I became very selfish with the support of my family because they saw how sick I was becoming. I could barely function in my high paying job anymore because of the stress and the weight I carried.
I took a package, had surgery 6 months later and here I am. 158lbs and very healthy for the first time in my life.
When I say a complete lifestyle change, that is what it took for me.
You have to figure out what it will take to make this more permanent for you instead of another way to yo you diet. You are young but the older you get, your ability to do so will become a problem and you have already gone the surgery way. It's time to better understand what drives you to go off plan.
Once you do that you will be healthier for you and your fiancé.

Ahhh so I officially met with my surgeon! It's weird because I work along side with him in the operating room! But anyways im excited that ill have more testing....one step closer! I need an ultrasound of my gallbladder because I'd I have any stones at all he will be able to get rid of my gallbladder at time of rny! I hear up to 40% end up back in the OR for gallbladder issues adter wls! I'll need an upper gi scope and psych eval! Then my final testing will be cardiac testing!!! I'll continue my NUT visits as my insurance requires that! Looking at a December date for surgery!!! So excited! This app truly is a blessing!!!! Hope there are plenty more of you at the same timeframe! Let's do this!!!
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