okayestmom

I did have to buy their kit. They did give me a binder for my stomach. My surgery was at their same day surgery outpatient clinic in San Antonio. Nicest most attentive nursing staff I have ever encountered.

Very positive experience. I have had some health issues after, but I am 47 and post menopause from hysterectomy . My thyroid function went back and forth for a bit. I never had an issue drinking or getting enough protein. I did not lose as much as most people in the first 6 months. My exercise started getting worse and I was losing muscle. Things are looking up now though. Thyroid function is in the normal range and I started losing again. Back at the gym, but super sore. Started surgery at 209. Stayed at 180-185 for over 2 months. Now at 175. Waist went from 48 to 38. The only negative thing I can say is the binder with the nutrition info has things in there on the approved list that the surgeon does not want me to eat. Like nuts and cheese. The nutritionist also does not provide a calorie guideline because it is a “life style change”. The group meeting we were in post surgery was filled with people that could not get enough protein or water, so they probably didn’t need a guide. I guess I was just hoping for more specific guidance.

Surgery 6/11/18 down 40 since pre-op. 28 since surgery. 2 lbs away from being overweight rather than obese. It has not been easy sailing though. Still struggling with edema, but it is improving, Thyroid problems, TSH dropped to .03, but T3 and T4 are normal. Lost more muscle than I hoped, but lifting weights and getting steps in on good days. Getting in all protein and water, so I am guessing the muscle loss is related to thyroid issues. Waiting for appointment with endocrinologist. I actually probably eat more than I am supposed to, but have not eaten anything processed (with the exception of restaurant food?) or not on the approved list. I wanted to do some soups, but I have to keep the sodium down. Darn menopause....I am still hoping to reach goal weight around Christmas time.

I had three weight loss questionnaires and an MMPI. The weight loss questionnaires were mainly about who or what I thought was responsible for my obesity.

Self pay- Texas Bariatric Specialists - Dr. Reddy Surgery $8,999 and they repaired my hernia as well, no extra charge! Sleep study $375 Psych Eval $199 EKG $67 Chest X Ray $133.77 Swallow Study $250 Nutrition $50 The rest was meds and labs Yes, other than labs everyone can see now how much insurance jacks up the prices! total $12,900

My EKG was abnormal too. I am another obese person with bradycardia. My resting heart rate dropped to 40 when I started the pre-op diet. It hasn't gone up much since then. my heart rate used to go to 140 when walking briskly, but now I can be out of breath and it is at 125. I guess my body thinks it is starving and is trying to hold on to the fat. This is part of the reason I upped my calories to the 1000-1200 range.

1. Health...already off BP meds, would like to get off CPAP soon, both parents had type 2 diabetes hoping I dodged that bullet... 2. Mobility...getting in and out of my car one leg at at a time like the old days and hiking... 3. Longevity...adding years to your life with decreased risk of illness and healthier lifestyle 4. Active vacations with family... 5. Looks...getting back into my clothes that looked good on me and not having to buy anymore bigger sizes! My Mom had bypass back in the 90's she never reached goal weight, and I realize now she basically followed no rules. She actually drank meat tenderizer before eating so she could eat more (people have died from doing this it burns through your esophagus). She ate whatever, ice cream, Kentucky Fried Chicken, alcohol, carbonated beverages etc. She was always burping and threw up a lot, I thought weight loss surgery was equal to self induced bulimia. It wasn't until I had friends that had the surgery that I realized my Mom was not the weight loss surgery norm. She also got super wrinkly and saggy to the point where people thought she was my Dad's Mom (they were both born in 39). I still thought I might wrinkle up like her, but I was willing to take the risk for 1-3. I have no plastic surgery plans, I am no where near goal yet, but I think if I keep up the strength training I might not get super saggy or wrinkly. I can also eat without burping out loud and stopping when full prevents vomiting. For those that are curious Mom had RNY, I had the sleeve 6 weeks ago.

I do not know one family that uses their benefits for steak and lobster (I just said that because they are not processed). I do know my work kids eat a lot of fast food and processed food. I finished college with my oldest two still in diapers, so I have eaten my fair share of Ramon. My issue was that the kids I work with do not seem to want to eat much of anything except processed food. They can all tell you the secrets of making Ramon better though. You can add cheese, hot dogs, Louisiana hot sauce etc...

Learned something new. I have seen the snap card used at Papa Murphie's take and bake Pizza, but I guess technically that is non-prepared because you have to put it in the oven.

Okay, not my kids, but working in an alternative school K-12 with average 60-70 students and a 98% poverty rate, has raised some eyebrows for me when it comes to nutrition. Last school year we had the district dietitian give classes. The students at my school are not allowed to bring their own lunch and many have never been to a sit down restaurant. About 90% of the students throw away the fruits and vegetables every day (we offer ranch dressing and encourage them to eat them, but no dice). The teachers and principal offer hot chips, cereal bars, cookies, and assorted other processed snacks as rewards for doing school work and behaving appropriately. Treats such as pizza or ice cream are a regular thing for students with good attendance and behavior all week. We have a weekend back pack pack program with some healthy soups (sometimes even organic) and there is usually a few snack items. The students just want the snack items. All they eat is processed food and we wonder why they have ADHD and other issues... The dietitian made them smoothies with fruits and vegetables. I think she got through to a few of the girls, but the boys were either showboating or just didn't get it. All the students were in agreement that the drinks needed more sugar. I was eating a full sized carrot at lunch one day and a middle school boy asked me what it was. I told him and he looked confused and got his baby carrot from his lunch and wanted to know what happened to mine. I guess if he has been to the store at all they skip the produce isle... We got a greenhouse put in over the summer, so these kids are going grow and learn about food. I don't think I can change the food reward culture though... It also does not help that the SNAP card (food stamps) are now accepted at many fast food chains in Texas. I would rather they spent it on steak and lobster from HEB.

I am going to like your post and maybe you can check it?

I would get diarrhea if I drank a whole shake at once. Had to do 1/2 shake at a time. When the diarrhea stopped I got constipated. I repeated the cycle daily until I was down to one bought of diarrhea per day. This stopped a little over 3 weeks out. All is well now, but I still take my benefiber just in case.

I basically napped a lot. My resting heart rate dropped from 60 to 40 during the 2 week pre-op diet. mine was 2 shakes and one meal with 3 oz lean meat and one serving non-starchy vegetables. I was so hungry, I just tried to sleep through the whole thing. But I did survive and I did three weeks of liquid diet after surgery. My first bite of food was delicious! My heart rate is still low. My body is trying to hold onto the fat, I would totally be a concentration camp survivor.

Happy Birthday!

I found out about the hernia from the swallow study, I had it repaired and have not had an issues. Maybe it depends on the type of hernia. Mine was a hiatal hernia. I can breath deeper now, it was putting pressure on my diaphragm. I am glad my Doctor fixed it.

I keep retaining fluid, but like most I weigh myself daily. I only change my ticker if my weight goes down. If it goes back up, I just wait it out until it less than it was again. Maybe that is cheating, but we really are not supposed to weigh ourselves everyday and everyone's weight fluctuates. I do hope the edema resolves itself soon though. My heart is good and they don't know why I am retaining fluid other than the trauma of surgery. Surgery was 4 weeks ago...

I like it! I have a tat on my right ankle as well, only I got it when I was 18 (1988) a long time ago. They told me the color would need to be filled in every 10 years, but it still looks okay I guess. It has no meaning, I was 18 and in the Army and got matching tattoos with a friend that ended up in Germany and we lost track of each other. I have had to cover it for every job I have had (I work with kids) no dresses for me unless I use band aids. Happy Late birthday! Maybe I can cover my TAT with a better one that has a meaning. Maybe a bariatric tattoo guru has the answers!

Simply Delish Jel Dessert, I even like the taste better. I couldn't take all the weird colors coming out of me with the "unlimited sugar free jello" on my diet plan. I know we don't absorb food coloring, but I just felt like that could not be healthy! I also use TruLemon. Propel didn't bother me, but I needed to lower my sodium. I only found the Jello online . Here is a link. https://www.amazon.com/Simply-delish-Natural-Dessert-6-pack/dp/B006OCGSCM/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1530890304&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=simply%2Bdelish%2Bjel&smid=A1V7AQ65OVGQEL&th=1

I agree with taking her to the appointments. I didn't even tell my family about my first appointment, because I was not sure until I met with the surgeon. No one even asked why, the only question I got was "Are you sure this is what you want to do?" The path I was on was only going to lead to more health issues and I was tired of not feeling good. If that is the case with you, maybe share that with her.

Surgery on 6/11/18. Still on clear liquids plus shakes until I get cleared by the Doctor July 6th. My paperwork says 2 shakes per day and 1/2 cup broth, but I am drinking 3 shakes because that is not enough calories to live on. Thank god I don't work in the summer. My iron dropped after surgery, so I am taking supplements. I alternate between diarrhea and constipation. Miralax caused diarrhea so I switched to benifiber. I keep hitting the treadmill and am able to go longer, but I know I am getting weaker. I squatted down to get something and I wasn't sure I was going to make it back up. It doesn't even make sense. Maybe when I can eat some beans or yogurt it will help. Currently getting between 700-800 cal per day 100 of which is from the chewable bariatric supplements/vitamins. I don't sleep well, and take about three 30min. naps per day. Once again, super glad I am not working, because when the gas starts I don't even want to be around me!

Who are you talking about? Your profile says you are a male and have happy father's day notices on your activity.

I did not keep my surgery a secret, so I have heard some feedback on my decision from co-workers and friends. My friends know me well, so no questioning my decision there. Co-workers mostly had questions about the procedure and what it does. Many people told me they did not think I was overweight and seemed surprised when I told them I am in fact obese and it is already starting to cause health problems (BP and sleep apnea). I also advised both my parents had type 2 diabetes and that I am trying to avoid that. I never noticed that much before the surgery, but I am noticing now that so many people are over weight. Maybe this is seen as the new norm. Maybe because some over weight people do not have the health issues associated with obesity they believe everyone should feel as good as they do? I don't know, but the few times I have shared my actual weight with a co-worker they seemed shocked. We all carry our fat in different places and hide it with flattering fat clothes when we can.

This is the same people my friend and her wife used. Cedar Park Dr. Alan Abando and his wife Dr. Nicole Basa. My friends wife had the sleeve done with them as well.

I used https://texasbariatricspecialists.com/ Dr. Reddy performed my surgery in San Antonio. I was self pay, so I utilized there surgical center center in San Antonio. Most of their patients are utilizing insurance and they have a team of people that help get the insurance companies to pay. They do perform surgeries in Austin, Killeen, and San Antonio. They have two clinics in Austin, one south and one north. I picked them because they are a center of excellence. I will say that their pre-op diet and post-op diet appear to be one of the most strict from reading these boards. I didn't really vet that part because my main concern was making it out of surgery without complications. I had the sleeve done 6/11/18. You do have to buy their vitamins and shake stuff once prior to surgery, but they don't really push it. I also liked that they gave very realistic expectations during the initial seminar. I have a friend who had RNY done through BCBS and really liked her surgeon who is also in Austin, he recently took out her gallbladder as well. Dr. Abando, I believe he is in Cedar Park.