JessLess

ALSO... Pilates!

It's really hard for women to bulk up lifting weights. Doing more reps at lower weights pretty much guarantees you'll just firm up and feel and look better.
Lifting weight burns calories more efficiently than cardio and doing both works best provides the best health result like preventing bone loss.

I’m actually going through this Hair loss cycle for the third time in a year and a half. It basically happens anytime your body experiences a traumatic/ hormonal change and in the last 18 months I had a baby, got Covid and then had the sleeve done. Each brought on the hair loss so as an “expert” I’ll tell you that though it’s distressing, for most people it slows and then stops. When you start noticing fuzzies around your hairline you know you’re on the rebound. Good luck!

Not murdering all the people who told me how gross I used to look pre WLS is my only regret. 🙂

@Alex Brecher I'm a lawyer. I'm having my surgery today. Newton Wellesley, MA recommends Premier Protein. Can you sent me the lawsuit so I have something to read?
Thanks!

Not murdering all the people who told me how gross I used to look pre WLS is my only regret. 🙂

I’m a year and a half out. I used to drink whiskey and now even one drink is too much alcohol for me and I get a killer hangover. I started drinking wine, which I didn’t used to like that much, and one glass of wine every week or two is perfect. World’s cheapest date.

My NUT said iceberg lettuce is a waste of space (the little we have been) because there's no nutritional value.

Can you see a gastroenterologist or bariatric surgeon about this? It's just a guess but it might explain your problems.

I fall in to the other category no I haven’t seen anyone in that office after about nine months when I was presented with a cash bill of $200. I wonder if this is a function of whether your insurance company will pay for the visit I was a self pay surgery at a certified center of excellence…
I do think continued follow up appointments are brilliant - well my internist can run my blood work there are some specifics to WLS that certainly must be beixed.

In my opinion WLS is a magic bullet. It is the game changer when it comes to losing excess weight and maintaining the new weight.
We don't always succeed on the first try. Sometimes people need a second try or maybe even a third. Inadequate weight loss after lap band is quite common, revision to bypass also and many patients do quite good after revision. Maybe you want to do a quick medline search about this.
You're now a few years older and more experienced. Maybe you're now being able to handle problematic things in your life differently. You might also be more disciplined now when it comes to certain things. Think about your younger self and compare it to your now-self. I'm sure you're able to handle things way smoother than you did e. g. 10 years ago. The same can be true for this whole weight loss thing.
Of course there is the chance that you might fail again. There is always the chance of failing, doesn't matter if it's weight loss, learning a new language or performing at your job.
If we couldn't make these changes before any WLS at all, why is it possible for so many people after they had WLS? It just is because WLS is the game changer. Lapband is different. It doesn't provide the same hormonal changes a bypass does.
I always cringe when I read or hear this. "Dedicated". "Eliminate". "Avoid". Same with "struggling", "fighting" or "food is the enemy" etc. - being at war is so damn exhausting. Make peace with food. It's easier in the long run.
If you don't white-knuckle things you might discover something interesting: not all lifestyle changes are a struggle or need dedication in the long run. You might indeed discover (or re-discover if you were into sports in younger years) that exercise can be fun and fulfilling. Or that healthier food doesn't taste that bad. Or the opposite around, that this junk food is actually not as tasty as you always thought it is. You might discover, that when you feel more comfortable in your body and with yourself that you don't feel that need to eat in the same strong and overwhelming way. You might notice that you say "No, thanks but I don't want it now" when you get offered French fries or chocolate or whatever and really mean it.
However, there are many people who aren't able to maintain their "new lifestyle". I have no idea what makes or breaks this. I sometimes have thoughts in the back of my head that maybe some people are just lucky in reacting very good to WLS and don't actually need to watch their intake that much. They also don't live in the gym. When you browse around the board you're going to notice that maintenance calorie intake is very different in different people, even though their stats are quite similar.
Nobody can tell if WLS/revision to bypass is making it easy (or less hard) for you or not. I sometimes feel it's like playing the lottery. You won't know to what group of patients you will belong before you got the revision.
Short term weight loss doesn't really bring some benefits (someone correct me if I'm wrong please), however, one doesn't have to get to a normal weight to reap the benefit of weight loss. So many patients feel like "failures" because they don't get to a normal BMI. Yet, when you look at the studies actually not that much patients ever get down to a normal BMI.
And sh*t on "eliminating carbs". Like really take a big dump on it. (Years ago we should eliminate all fats, now it's carbs. I wonder what the future will bring.)

Thanks! My PCP is an internist in the same hospital as my surgeon. Last time I gave blood for each it was like a gallon. I’ll figure out how to get them to work together. 🙂

Yes. Every year after my vsg surgery, I did two things: Full blood test and have a check up visit with my team including a barium swallow to check my sleeve. I was always paranoid I had stretched it. I will probably do the same now with my revision.

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Our support group is virtual too and yes, we have the same problems. I wish we would go back to in person!

After my surgery I see my surgeon every 6 months

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Our support group went to Zoom. I'm glad they did the support group that way but it does lead to the usual Zoom problems. ("Hannah, you're on mute." "Hannah, you're not on mute." "Sorry, you froze..." "CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME?!")

Thanks! I can see going to get weighed/measured but since they don’t have support groups thanks to… COVID19, I think I’ll re-evaluate for next year. 🙂

I still see my surgeon annually, although I know others who switched over to seeing their PCP instead after the first year or two. As long as they know which labs you need and you don't have any complications, it should be OK.

I saw my doctor every 3 mon for the first year, every 6 mon for the last 2 years and now I just had my 3 yr visit ( Oct anniversary) and he changed me to every year. I will keep up with those visits because that is what keeps you on the books as a "current" patient. If there are ever any issues it's easier to get an appointment when you are current. Also, since I do attend the support group, it keeps me in the loop for what changes may have been made. Also, they do keep statistics and I want to be counted in the "successful" group!

Yes. I have telehealth appointment. I like to check in and see how I’m doing because some changes are expected at different year marks (possible regain, etc)
Also I can ask questions I really want the answers to (like do I still have to separate food and drinks, etc.) and discuss if things I’ve noticed are normal.

Another way, they’re all different. I was every three months for the first two years, then went to 4 months because everything was consistently so good. But I’m back to 3 months because since my gall was removed 4 months ago I’m not absorbing Protein well. Sad face. I have blood tests before every appointment but sometimes my GP asks for another in between. She’ll probably send me for one when I see her in a fortnight to check how I’m going with my protein absorption after being on Creon for about 6 weeks.
I’m happy they’re so thorough & want to make sure I’m as healthy as I can be.

I do an annual follow up with our surgeon, originally in his local office primarily staffed by his RN (the practice moved out of the area before either my wife or I had surgery, but they maintained the office and support group to support their local patients) and then via telecon after the RN retired and they closed the office.
I think that it is much more important for the DS and RNY patients as they tend to be subject to more long term issues than sleevers, but I still like to keep up with it, looking at it mostly as keeping him on retainer so that I'm still in the files with current labs. That way, if our PCP has any questions in our care that may be relevant (...is this an issue from the surgery?...) she can call the surgeon and have a chat with him about it.
Nominally, most everything relating to labs, etc. can be done by your PCP, your surgeon may have some additional labs that they prefer to do in addition to what your PCP may normally do for an annual, and they may have ranges that they prefer beyond the basic "normal" range that is flagged on the lab report. For instance, our surgeon prefers that the vit D levels be kept in the upper end or the typical normal range, so his experience with bariatric patients trumps the PCP's more limited experience.

Hi there,

I’m coming up on year 3 after gastric sleeve surgery. I’m very healthy and maintaining within 5 lbs. of goal. I see my physician who recommended my surgery annually. My surgeon scheduled me for an annual Zoom call. Any particular reason I need to do it? I think I will ask my physician if she can add this to the package of things she manages for me (which includes bloodwork.)

My question is do you still see your surgeon annually?

I agree with you that therapy is hugely necessary for so many of us. I think the reason that people don't suggest it is because so many people get offended and upset by the suggestion they see a therapist or even a dietitian. A lot of people ignore the mental reasons that caused them to overeat in the first place. I fully admit I was a sugar addict who ate candy and sweet things to cope with anxiety and depression but I hear people insist over and over that "I just liked to eat".