baribetty

One thing that I lost as I gained weight was the ability to have self expression through my fashion choices. I can’t wait to walk into any store and be able to find clothes that fit. I’m only a little over a month out of surgery, so the weight is only beginning to fall off. I’m already excited to be able to wear things that are “me” rather than choose from the few available options.

Sheesh how in the world can you do all that?!? I barely have the energy to walk between bed and bathroom!

I don’t know what to tell you, I would be conflicted too, because you trust both of them... I have a non hormonal, copper IUD and it’s worked out great, if you want to try another method.

While my experience with the IUD hasn’t been as traumatic as yours, I agree with the sentiment that I wouldn’t have one put in again because of how uncomfortable insertion was. However, I chose the iud, because my other option was the nuvaring and uhhh the mechanics of inserting and removing those when you’re 300+ lbs just seemed a bit impossible to me. Also- I just wanted one less worry throughout this process and the iud has given me that.

That said, I plan to keep this sucker until my surgeon says it’s okay for us to try to conceive.

@saygrace have you looked into nuvaring? May be a less troublesome option for you.

i am open to other methods, IUDs freak me out just from hearing stories but I know my mom has one and does well with it so i’m sure i would too. maybe it’s the best option?

For me the sleeve appears to the the right decision. Granted I’m 4.5 months out and I’m way ahead of the avg loss numbers. I was already lactose intolerant so that wasn’t t a concern. I rarely got heartburn prior to my sleeve and think I’ve had maybe 4 flair ups (too many spicy foods). It came down to how much the malabsorption scares the crap out of me and rerouting my insides when I know I’m an ugly scarrer was enough to tip me to sleeve. Going in based on what I needed to loose the avg lbs difference between the options wasn’t significant enough to deal with malabsorption.

I also have 4 friends at different points in post sleeve surgery. One is extremely successful. One is still loosing but doing really well. Another was a band to sleeve revision and is the least successful. Lastly is someone who is fighting regain 2 years out. This gave me a realistic view of what is possible and what is needed to meet goal.

Can I self sabotage? Sure I could and maybe someday I might but I have different tools I didn’t have before. Will they work? Time will tell.

Exactly this. We can’t tell ahead of time what surgery will work for whom. Hopefully one day science will advance enough that we will have better predictors.

I chose the sleeve because I didn’t want the possible nutritional deficiencies that a bypass is more likely than a sleeve to leave you with. I also wasn’t comfortable with the increased risk of other side effects that both DS and RNY have over the sleeve.

I had considered RNY for almost a decade and had never been convinced because of the risks and side effects. As soon as a learned about the sleeve I knew that was something I could get behind.

I was a binge eater. Obese from early on. Snacky slider foods were my jam. As I’ve said I still can’t let Cheez its in my house.

The sleeve has worked wonderfully for me for five years.

I think the people who truly research their options, have open, honest discussions with their doctor, are honest with themselves about making permanent lifestyle changes, and have realistic expectations and goals are the most successful, regardless of which surgery you choose. I chose VSG because I didn't want the problems of malabsorption and I didn't want to deal with dumping syndrome. This is not because I wanted to go back to eating whatever I wanted. I had my gall bladder removed several years ago and experienced dumping with almost everything I ate for about a year afterwards. It was horrible. I also didn't like the idea of switching my anatomy around. I like that with VSG the digestive process is still the same. I also educated myself on the procedure and have realistic expectations of the outcome. And, if I'm being honest, I do like being able to "cheat" on special occasions without worrying about dumping. My restriction keeps me from going overboard and I'm able to resume my regular diet after without going into a downward spiral of bad choices.

I think this is the problem: you won't know if it's the right procedure for you until you had it for a while.
People are absolutely gung-ho about the whole WLS thing, motivated, enthusiastic, unstoppable, indestructible... until this honeymoon phase (that every diet in the past had as well) is over and the darker sides and ho-hums show their faces. The thrill is gone and there you are with maybe a lactose intolerance, pooping issues, adhesions, GERD, diarrhea, malabsorption issues even though you're taking your Vitamins etc. etc. etc.
Was the lap-band the right procedure for me? Well, at first it seemed like it, but after some years it became clear that it wasn't. (However, it was also the only WLS procedure that you could get covered as a young woman back then if you were lucky enough and/or persistent enough with getting on the nerves of your insurance company, that is. Nobody even talked about the DS in these days).
Now I have an MGB - do I know if it's the right procedure? Or would the RNY have been better? No one can tell. I made the decision together with my surgeon. It might be that I will need a different anastomosis later (GERD, reflux, don't ask...) or it might not be.

Yes I am lifting weights and doing resistance training. I also walk on the treadmill with a weighted vest so as I continues to lose , I was still carrying more weight during my workouts.

Same thing happened to me. I’ve found Bariatric Advantage plus Iron to be the easiest to take! It’s still 3 capsules which feels like a lot, but I haven’t had nausea which is great.

Same thing happened to me. I’ve found Bariatric Advantage plus Iron to be the easiest to take! It’s still 3 capsules which feels like a lot, but I haven’t had nausea which is great.

I'm officially 3 months out and everything feels so much easier now! The first month or so was definitely rough.
The struggle:
I still haven't quite hit 800 calories a day and I am supposed to be stepping up to 1000. I am hitting my 90 g Protein goal, but the struggle is on every day to up those calories. I started losing hair about 2 weeks ago. It is a lot. My weight loss is completely inconsistent week to week but going down overall. New NSVs:
I went on The Hulk (Rollercoaster) at Universal Studios . Not a modified seat, a regular seat!! I was able to clip in the seatbelt myself! This is huge for me since last time I rode I was in a modified seat and had to have two guys come press down the chest harness to clip me in. Then I gained another 20 lbs and couldn't ride at all. My social anxiety is starting to go away. I went into a crowded restaurant this weekend and was not freaking out the whole time about taking up too much space or having to walk past people. I adjusted my office chair to move the arm rests in.

How long did Hair loss last for you?

Between 2 1/2 and 3 months post op. It’s really shedding a lot now (3 1/2 months) and I’m kind of freaking out about it.

I'm just about 2 months out and I noticed Saturday that I've pretty much lost all of my upper and lower eyelashes. Ugh. Thus said, some of mine might be thyroid related...but I kind of doubt it.

Me too! Just gotta try to stay positive and hope it rights itself ASAP! xx

It’s really hard to say. I’ve lost 45 pounds in 3 months, and have gone from 18/20w to 14/16 in “regular” sizes.

It's impossible to predict. Because literally every single person reacts differently to WLS. I've dropped 75 lbs since March 2nd. I ordered some compression gear from China, and by the time I got it, less than a month later, it was too big.

I was scared too, but this is so routine. They do these surgeries ALL the time. You will be fine!!!

I have PCOS, and after either bleeding non stop, or not bleeding for a while, I finally had my first normal period in a really long time last week. I am 3 months post op tomorrow. I can feel my body working in a way I haven’t felt in a long time :)

I waited until my first post op appointment, and I am glad that I did. I didn’t have a super rough recovery, but I remember thinking, if I’ not losing weight while I am going through this, it will be torture! It was nice to see the new number at the office, but it still wasn’t as much as I’d hoped. I think it’s easy to get fixated on the scale, so try to focus on how you feel, and being healthy, rather than the number. The weight will come off!

I have PCOS, and after either bleeding non stop, or not bleeding for a while, I finally had my first normal period in a really long time last week. I am 3 months post op tomorrow. I can feel my body working in a way I haven’t felt in a long time :)

I have PCOS, and after either bleeding non stop, or not bleeding for a while, I finally had my first normal period in a really long time last week. I am 3 months post op tomorrow. I can feel my body working in a way I haven’t felt in a long time :)

I think it has to do with alcohol tolerance being lower after surgery, but also a transfer of addiction. If you’ve been addicted to food, and now you can’t eat like you used to, it’s easier to become an alcoholic.