Hammer_Down

The diet should be treated as a prescription and not a suggestion. Plenty of people don't take medications as directed and are fine. Many others don't follow directions and end up with complications or illness. Your stomache has to be empty to perform the surgery. If you eat after your doctor tells you not to, you risk botching the procedure. The preop is typically used to treat enlarged livers. Your liver sits right on top of the stomache and needs to be clipped up out of the way in order to proceed with the sleeve. If you haven't followed the diet laid out by your doctor, you risk your liver obstructing the area required. Your doctor is not asking you follow the diet, but instructing you to. The surgeon wouldn't bother with a preop regime if it wasn't necessary, they are not just trying to make people miserable for entertainment.

I'm 3 weeks post op and have no issues drinking normally. I haven't tried to chug anything because it feels better to just drink normally.

Super low carb is the only diet that ever effectively helped me lose weight preop. Less than 20g of carb per day, no more than 75g of Protein and as much fat as I wanted. I lost 100lbs and got down to mymgoal weight following that. I started adding carbs back into my diet, believing I was metabolically healthy because I was at goal weight. First beer, then bread and before i knew it I had gained 50lbs back. Then I started visiting an old friend and partying at least one night a week. Getting hammered and ordering takeout, plus she basicallly lives on carbs and so eating junk food the whole time. Doing low carb 6 days a week and splurging one day a week helped me pack on the other 50 lbs. Now, 3 weeks post op and I am just starting to reintroduce real foods. I will be avoiding rice, potatoes, breads and beer probably for the rest of my life. Low carb veggies like broccoli, spinach, cauliflower and full fat cuts of meat are my plan. So far I am down 30 lbs in 27 days.

Bear in mind that someone who confesses that they are trying to compromise your success because they are jealous of you is someone you should have limited contact with. If you were trying to give up alcohol and you found out she was slipping it into your glass because she didn't want you to be free of alcohol (perhaps because it would draw attention to her own problem) what would you say? I would confront her directly that you know she isn't happy for you or proud of you, and in fact admitted to trying to sabotage you. I'd inform her that you'll be limiting contact for the time being because that is absolutely not the behaviour of someone who loves you. It sounds as though as long as you are bigger than her, she feels superior to you. I don't keep toxic people around me. I'm not going to disown someone in my family for praying that I will fail in life, but I'm certainly not going to invite poison to my table, either.

I began researching bariatric surgery when a friend made an off the cuff remark about how if she couldn't lose 100lbs by her birthday, she was going to "get the gastric surgery". I was vaguely familiar with all bands and bypasses from the various Hollywood stars who have lost a dramatic amount of weight, but I assumed it was for rich people. I began researching the procedures more and came across sites offering the surgeries in Mexico. Even as a disinterested non-patient I have heard stories of lawsuits about lapbands made of substandard materials, slipping, plus lack of access to a bariatric centre to make the seemingly endless adjustments requiredz From my reading, the bypass had more risk inherently because it is a more involved procedure. I was uncomfortable with the idea of rerouting my intestines because of absorption issues and lifetime commitments to supplements to overcome that. I was a good candidate for a sleeve because my eating issue was always as a volume eater and not a grazer. I also don't have heartburn issues and was BMI 36 going into preop. All of these things contributed to my choosing the sleeve.

My wife and I have already had discussed that our parents will not be brought into our decision making progress. I would supremely pissed if we made an important decision and i found out that my in laws were meddling. I'd be over the top if she sided with her mom after we had decided for ourselves something involving my health. For what it's worth, we are both very close and open with our parents. It's just understood that opening up and sharing our decisions with them does not open those decisions for discussion.

I think the biggest concern would be that if there is weight gain prior to surgery the doctors may be concerned about your commitment to the whole process. Eating habits must change and the surgery alone will not fix weight issues. It's not a magic bullet, we must reform our entire relationship with food for long term success.

Our preop diet through ALM was extremely straightforward: 14 days of preop, 3 days of Clear liquids only, nothing whatsoever after 10PM the night before surgery. Preop: Breakfast: Protein shake (at least 15g of protein) Lunch: small green salad with a Protein Shake Supper: large salad with some protein Before bed: protein shake That was it. 2 salads a day and 3 Protein shakes. It was simple and easy, required no cooking and little food prep and no stress about trying meet certain calories or questions about what you could or could not eat.

I was approved at BMI 36, and my wife was 32. We self paid in Mexico though, I think the BMI cutoff for an insurance covered procedure here is closer to 50.

The surgeon actually cuts through your abdominal wall during the surgery. The muscles need to heal up, hence the prohibition on heavy lifting or straining after surgery. As the nerves start to heal and pain medications are out of your system you can imagine that there will be some pain. Around 2 weeks after my surgery, I was hurting pretty bad to lay in certain positions and sitting up or laying down. This was after 2 weeks with relatively no pain.

I nominate "But I'm a Cheerleader" for all those who want to endorse and thus encourage dangerous behaviour for fear of hurt feelings! (If you haven't seen that movie, it's pretty entertaining.)

I guess I missed the part where anyone was beating anyone up (aside from a purported counsellor calling someone crass names while complaining about the behaviour of others). I see people who are concerned about the OPs risk taking behaviour. I see people who are concerned that many lurkers on this site may read this post and assume that this behaviour is just a slip up, instead of a potential medical emergency. Where are all the personal attacks some people keep claiming are being made? We're adults. If your ego is so inflated that even criticizing a mistake you admit to is damaging to your sense of self, that is your issue. Inability to handle even perceived slights is a hallmark of narcissism.

Trolls are people (or bots) who will post anything, often outrageous, to provoke a negative reaction from most people for the sake of bickering. People who take great pleasure in ruling people up for entertainment. I haven't seen many posts here that meet that definition. I see lots of people who ask for advice when what they want is validation. They ask for opinions when they only want opinions that align with their own. So why not say "I did _______ against my doctor's orders and I just want people to tell me that it's okay not to follow sound medical advice and tell me I am fine, even if it's not true."

In my case, we couldn't consume ANYTHING until we had a second leak test, which happened after our first night on the hospital. We were on IVs to avoid dehydration during that time, and I stayed on mine until that night. Once our leak test came back okay, we were given some fluids to start hydrating on our own. Preop diet wasn't liquids only, it was 14 days of Protein shakes and salads and then 3 days of liquids only, and finally nothing at all after 10pm the night before surgery. We followed it to the letter, no cheats at all because it was imprtabt tonis to get the best chance possible of a successful recovery.

I really upped my Water intake during to try to stave off cravings and hunger early on. Since the day we left the hospital, we've been drinking as much as possible. I've not had any issues with getting 4 bottles of water over the course of the day, especially since we're not eating solids, so there's no schedule for us.

I really struggle to understand this mentality. If you gained 47 lbs in less than 3 months would that be considered normal? This isn't liposuction, and "only" losing almost 50 lbs in 3 months seems incredible. I have friends who have struggled for a year to lose that kind of weight and they are proud of their accomplishments.

Magnesium citrate is a supplement available in the Vitamin aisle. Magnesium acts as a natural stool softener, whereas fiber is a bulking agent in stools. If I take fiber when I am constipated, it's a sure fire way to end up feeling constipated with large BMs that are painful to pass. The fiber in the Protein drinks on my preop led me to research what I could do for relief, since taking senna laxatives never produced the desired effect. At a regular dosage, they do nothing. Add an extra pill or two and I end up in serious trouble. I work as a truck driver, so finding a bathroom last minute is never a good thing.

That must be really tough. Is there no way they could accommodate you with a chair brought into the theatre? Obviously not ideal, but better than being totally left out. I am not so large that I have ever had this happen, but my mother in law is very big. When we go to restaurants together, we often have to specify which table, as the booths are a little small for her in many places. She's been overweight for many years, but I can always see how embarrassed she feels to have to point it out. Try to focus on your path ahead and not the set backs along the way. Easier said than done, I know.

I did. I wasn't given any information about adding spices. Spicy food doesn't give me heartburn, so i jazzed up broth with cayenne pepper and ground pepper. I had surgery in Mexico, and the hotel broth was painfully bland. We bought some spicy ramen cups and just strained the noodles out to enjoy. I'm 3 weeks out now and it didn't cause any issues. I would suggest calling your surgeon if you're feeling unsure, as my experience is just my own.

They only had to stitch me up because the drain incision was bleeding. As I noted in my story, the drain caused me a great deal of discomfort and the doctor who stitched me up theorized that it was likely blocked (there were several large clots in the drain bag) and hence was draining after the tube was removed. After several rounds of bandages, they opted to call a doctor to stitch it closed. I'm 3 weeks post op today, and the stitches look healed enough to come out.

ALM is affiliated with Dr Elias Ortiz. That was my surgeon and my wife's as well. I can't do any comparison, because I only went for surgery once and went through ALM, but I can testify to the world class treatment we received. From start to finish, we were treated with the utmost respect. Our questions were addressed by the medical staff and coordinators, and we receive several emails weekly from their aftercare nurse giving us hints, tips and post op diet instructions. They also have a Facebook group with lots of past and present patients, and access at my fingertips to questions, success stories that are updated daily and people discussing what works for them, and what doesn't. Again, I have no frame of reference to compare these groups or surgeons, but I could not be happier with how my experience went.

That is very rough. I would suggest doing this for yourself, maybe even more so if you are going to be on your own. Either way, this procedure will help boost your self confidence. It is the ultimate gift you can give yourself - a prolonged life and a chance to start over, regardless of what happens with your marriage. I hope this works out for you, whichever direction you want your life to take.

Depending on your financial situation, there is always the option to self pay in Mexico. I went that route and posted my whole experience on the Mexico self pay forum. I was very impressed with the standard of care and the treatment I received. Prices range from low $4000s and that includes shuttles to/from the airport, hotel stay, broth and aftercare plus 2 nights in the hospital. At a BMI of 36 and 32, my wife and I would never have been approved by our regional health authority.

My understanding was that people who suffer from GERD aren't great candidates for sleeve surgery and do better with a bypass. Even people (like myself) who never had chronic heartburn can develop some heartburn post sleeve. If I drink too close to bedtime, I get some mild discomfort (not actual burning in the throat, but some warmness in my chest) but I am not taking anything yet, in the hopes my stomache will naturally start to produce less acid.

I'm looking forward to eggs. Anything savoury with garlic (soups) tastes pretty good, but everything else I see people eating isn't appealing at all. It's a blessing to me! I used to smell food or see food ads and then obsess about eating, now I can't even stand the smell! It's brilliant!