ShoppGirl

I would put a call into your surgeon and see what he/she thinks. Better safe than sorry.

Make sure when you take your Vitamins that you are not taking them WITH food but rather AFTER food. I used to take them with the sip of my Protein Shake in the morning. If I took it before I got all the shake in my stomach it would come right back up. I also used the ProCare Health one a day. They are reasonable and you can set up auto shop so you don’t really have to think much about it. I got mine one bottle ahead so when I opened a new bottle I just made sure I had received the next one already and I always had.

4 minutes ago, BlondePatriotInCDA said:

Thank you! I asked because Most I've tried I didn't care for..I'll give them a try - thanks again.

Of course. I hope you like them too. They also have single options you can pop into the microwave. They are kinda expensive for one serving so I’ve not tried them yet but they had quite a few options available.

Are you able to fit into a smaller size, maybe. Shopping for. Smaller size and knowing that it’s just a matter of time before you get to shop for more really soon may help (even if it’s a thrift store since they won’t fit for long). Also There is a post about non scale victories that will give you a lot to look forward to. But biggest thing if you haven’t thought agout it already is to think about why you are doing the surgery to start with. A non scale goal of sorts.

8 minutes ago, BlondePatriotInCDA said:

What Keto muffin mix did you end that's "super good"?

It’s Dunkin Hines Keto friendly. Made with almond and coconut flour. I don’t have the package for the muffins but I have the brownies here to try. They are two grams of net carbs, 0 added sugars and 3 grams Protein. It’s kinda high in fat like most keto at 10 grams but has suggestions for ingredient swaps which would reduce that some (I made it the normal way).

8 hours ago, Arabesque said:

Oh, I use scissors to open them 😁 & either pour the contents into other containers or use those clip seals (love my IKEA ones). Some of those zip seals are impossible to open - those teeny tiny tabs you’re supposed to pull to reveal the zip. I had a skin graft on my dominant hand thumb & have reduced sensitivity which makes it harder to grip & yank. My seed mix comes in the worst one & second is the bag of my washing powder pods.

if you mean PODS for the clothes washer, I still have yet to figure out that childproof bag, I just cut it open and dump them into a plastic container the moment I get home from the store. I want to know who has found a trick to opening the cartons of Protein Shakes though. The premiere Protein at least, If you buy the 12 pack it comes in thick cardboard with the flaps glued down with some super ultra magic glue that takes tremendous hand and finger strength to pull apart. I aways think to myself that in a few more years I will truly not be able to do this for myself. Maybe a butter knife would get it started now that I sit here and think about it but of course I’m too frustrated in the moment to think of that.

I found some Keto muffin mix at the store and they are super good so I’m scared to leave them lying around. lol. Has anyone ever put muffins in the freezer. If so, do you just thaw them on counter or in microwave?

I’m thinking I would go to the er too. I know it’s not fun but better safe than sorry. Hopefully they run some test and tell you your fine but they will probably also give you some fluids (if you need them) and help with your Constipation which will get you feeling better sooner anyways. Plus, peace of mind is valuable.

This situation is a catch 22 because no one knows exactly what the insurance requirements are and no one will tell us. The dieticians job is to help you lose weight, period. Whether that’s in your best interest or not is where it gets tricky.

On one hand If you are in a supervised weight loss program (the six month requirement by a lot of insurances) they are trying to see if you can lose the weight on your own before they approve it. So in theory if you lose too much they could deem you not a good candidate for surgery. On the other hand, every pound you lose the heathy way should make you that much more fit for the operation (not if you malnourished though). Plus, if you really can lose it without surgery obviously not putting your body through surgery would be ideal.

if the dieticians way is something you have never tried before and when you try it you feel like you can do it, losing weight without surgery is obviously preferred. BUT, just because the insurance company sees progress and decides that you should be able to lose it based on the trend doesn’t mean they are right (they are not doctors and should not be making these decisions IMO). I know myself I have probably lost 1000 pounds in my life but that’s because I have always lost a few and gained them back but never got near a healthy weight. Whether you have tried everything, including the dieticians way, only you know.

I had sleeve three years ago and my high weight was 235 and I’m taller than you. So I was lower BMI as well. On surgery day I was 220ish and I was fine but I did not start losing until my pre op diet began. During my 6 month supervised diet I did follow the diet they set out for me to the best of my ability BUT the cheat days basically offset my progress so I didn’t really lose anything.

Now I am considering revision and there is not any weight requirements as far as I know but I started at like 245 this time anyways so I’m not as afraid to lose a little. I asked him what I should do and he said to keep my Carbs below 40 for now (I am most likely having the SADI so carbs are gonna be most important post surgery). Well I am losing but less than a pound a week so no one is raising any eyebrows at my loss.

Anyways If I was in your position I would reduce my calories by like 100 at a time and see how I felt after a week adjusting to that. (Mayne you can get to 1200 with the dieticians help and maybe you decide that you want to try it once the dieticians way before you decide). On days like you four hour swim I would ask the doctor their opinion because 1200 calories does not seem enough for that level of activity.

I think if it was me, I would stick to eating healthy choices for now. Try out new, healthy recipes and get used to the food you will need to eat post surgery. I would try to get to the 1200 because they are the dietician but portion wise I would cut my calories slowly to get there and see how my body reacted at each stage. (Just be honest with yourself about whether you really need or just want the calories) if I was really losing more than ever before and it seemed like something I could sustain, I would then re-evaluate whether I should be jumping into major surgery just yet. But if I decided that i couldn’t do it on my own and for sure wanted surgery i would talk to my doctor about how much they would like to see me lose to be fit for surgery.

17 minutes ago, Clueless_girl said:

Ooh i LOVE quiche! I would love to see the recipe for this!

I got it from a bariatric cookbook on kindle so I’m not sure how to link it but it’s basically just a scrambled egg with cheese and veggies and or meat mixed in that you put into a muffin tin and bake. It tastes different that scrambled egg though. If you have kindle it’s called the bite sized bariatric cookbook. If not, mix 4 eggs with 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk. Then mix in 2 cups chopped boccoli and 1 cup shredded cheese bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes in greased mini muffin tins. Having done it once already I think I would pour the egg in first then add the veggies and cheese to the muffin tin so that they would be more even.

12 hours ago, Wellington4321 said:

Your information on the SADi is mostly inaccurate. I had it in 2014 and can eat a horse every day and not gain weight (caveat that you'll need to poop out a horse everyday). There is virtually nothing off limits if I am willing to put up with gas and bloating that eating in excess will cause. I lost about 152lbs over a year or so, and after an initial regain of 25 to 30lbs, I stabilized a few years out. I eat a lot of good quality foods including potatoes but also plenty of ice cream and chocolate. The ice cream, onions, and carbonated drinks all cause gas. I've probably developed some level of tolerance after eating so much of it.

The Sadi is an awesome option from my experience so I would highly recommend you seriously consider it. Also fewer Vitamins and malabsorption issues.

Interesting to hear the different experiences. I am supposed to speak with the dietician this evening to get hers as well. Idk if I can deal with the gas and bloating but I think trying to avoid those things should keep me on track to eat better.

20 minutes ago, BlondePatriotInCDA said:

Wow, what a horrible experience for you! I'm sorry you went through all that. Hopefully you're doing better now.?

Its amazing when you start putting things together despite knowing WLS is life changing - it is in more ways than we can imagine. Thank you for sharing!

Ooh yea. I am doing fine now. Thank you for asking. I haven’t needed any more NSAIDs. I gained my weight back and I’m facing revision to a surgery where even occasional NSAIDS are not okay though so this is on my list of questions to ask about.

I don't think you would be normal if you didn’t worry at least a little about having major surgery. I worried ALOT. I wish I could tell you that you won’t have any pain or much pain but that’s not a promise anyone can make. It’s surgery. What I can assure you is that the doctors and nurses do everything they can to keep you from being in pain. In fact, mine gave me pain meds before i even woke up I guess to try and get ahead of it.

When I was sleeved three years ago I was one of the lucky ones that did not have much pain. I felt like I had done about 1000 crunches but i told them I didn’t need the prescription pain meds when they went to give them to me and I asked for Tylenol instead. Then she said well you’ve already had some so why don’t we wean you off just in case you do have pain without it. She did and I was fine but my point in sharing is just to tell you that they do everything they can to keep you from being in pain.

They also did a nerve block in my stomach which is basically like an epidural. I was sorta surprised to learn this when I couldn’t sit up but the recovery nurse told me so don’t be surprised about that if your dr does them. Also, not sure if you’ve ever had surgery before but in recovery there are nurses that pretty much just sit there and watch you as you are waking up. If you were to wake up in a great deal of pain they should know immediately so they can get you some relief.

i always wake up a few times to them putting my oxygen mask back on me because for some reason l like to take it off when I am waking up. Long story short. I don’t think anyone can promise that you won’t be in pain when you wake up but, you can rest assured that the hospital is the absolute best place to be if you do experience any.

The one thing I have encountered that I didn’t expect was how difficult it is to get pain relief. I have had two female procedures done that they typically have you take like 4 otc NSAIDs before and after but Since I wasn’t allowed to have them I was told it really wasn’t necessary anyways and just to tough it out. I contacted my surgeons office who said I was far enough out I could take the NSAIDs post sleeve on these rare occasion with food and my Omeprazole. I survived without pain relief afterwards but I was just led to believe that drs would be more accommodating than I experienced.

Also I had sciatic pain and panicked a little when it recurred two more times right in a row and my dr did not want to give me any pain meds The third time when it was pretty bad I asked for something and He acted like I was an addict or something and actually told me he couldn’t treat me anymore. This kinda worked out because I like the NP I see now much better but I’ve not had any issues where I need pain meds with her so I guess we shall see what happens if I ever need them again. I understand that doctors have to be careful but I had been his patient for over 5 years and never asked for anything like that before my sleeve. Honestly it was all kinda weird. It did made me worry if I ever had a chronic issue like arthritis or something that you usually treat with NSAIDS what I would do. I guess a pain management clinic would help. Or maybe there are different meds. I honestly don’t know.

I just tried caramel Protein Shake in iced coffee and it is so delicious!!. When I switched to milk instead of creamer I had to add so much Splenda to offset the bitterness that it didn’t really taste like coffee anymore. This way is so much better.

I am three years out and I chewed gum and i forgot and swallowed it. I called the surgeons office and they were like did you swallow it on purpose. I said of course not. She just told me what to watch for and when to go to er. It passed thank god bit I’ve never been so scared in my life. It’s not worth it to me. I haven’t swallowed gum since I was a kid but sure enough I did??

I found it interesting that a friend of a friend who has surgery with my same dr got the same packet as me since I had sleeve and she had bypass. If I had to guess they keep it simple by going by the stricter guidelines for everyone?? The. Again maybe it truly is same for both surgeries. I agree it’s interesting that different doctors do it differnt though.

I second the slip on shoes. I actually just wore my Nike slides to the hosptial with socks to save having to pack a second pair of shoes. I wasn’t making any fashion statements but the hospital is five minutes away and they change you into a gown first thing when you get called back which I knew from prior surgeries. You can slip them on if you need shoes to walk the halls and then wear them home as well. I don’t wear slippers or anything at home so I forgot a few times but I worried about what I may have stepped in and didn’t want to get into my bed (even through the floors looked immaculate) without changing my slipper socks. Some people pack slippers and I thought about buying some but I would make sure they have traction and fit you well since you may be a little dizzy or unsteady. They get you up walking pretty soon

There are quite a few rx options to get you to go. Once you do go I recommend taking a soluble Fiber daily to prevent this from happening again. They sell a generic for benefiber at Walmart and you just mix a spoonful into a drink. You may want to run by your team to see if they agree but it worked for me to prevent Constipation. .

I wasn’t able to take any of them because of my other meds but your team or your pcp may be able to prescribe meds if appropriate to help you. All of Spinozas advice is great but if you find that it isn’t working for you consider reaching out to your team for support. It may be a little easier to do all of her suggestions with the meds suppressing your appetite.

Hello @Roselyn.327795 and welcome. As others suggested there are lots of threads when weight loss stories that you can read and respond to things that you can relate to or questions you have suggestions for, etc. (on a phone or tablet you Just click the little magnifying glass near the top Right corner and search).

My story isa’t a success story YET. I had the sleeve three years ago and I lost a big chunk of weight, but due to number of factors (to include my eventually giving up) I never reached my doctors goal and I regained my weight. I am currently pending revision, though, I hope this time I will have a much better story to share.

Have you had WLS? Are you considering it now? What is your story? Do you know how to fill in your profile? If I remember correctly you have to do that from a computer.

The only thing I can add is that an extra long charging cord came in handy in my hospital (although some say it wasn’t necessary at theirs). Also pajama pants were good to slip on for walks since the hospital gowns open in back. I did see some people with two gowns on (one forwards and one backwards) I’m guessing because they didn’t have any bottoms.

Like @NickelChip, I wore the same thing home i came in. A pair of comfy Track pants and a tee shirt. I just brought fresh underthings. I bought my tablet as well so I could read (download a couple books ahead of time) but a regular book would be better since things do get misplaced and stolen sometimes and you will be separated from your stuff. They put mine in a locker during my surgery and beought it to me once I was in a room.

I also wished I had brought a sleep mask for my surgery. They closed the door and it was dark but I had to leave the bathroom light on so that I could find it. I brought one when I stayed with my husband in the hospital and it was perfect for that same light. I also bright headphones because I played Netflix at night when I couldn’t sleep and I didn’t want to disturb anyone else but the nurse informed me that others couldn’t hear my tv if I wanted to use that.

In terms of toiletries, I brought them all but I wasn’t allowed to shower before I left so maybe just a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant and some baby wipes/ face wipes and dry Shampoo or a hat if your super oily like me. I was told not to bring my meds except for one that they didn’t have at the pharmacy. Kinda makes you wonder why you can’t just bring them all instead of laying two prices but that’s another story.

I did put a pillow in the car that my husband would be picking me up in. Ooh and they should tell you not to wear jewelry or bring cash. They have to inventory everything you bring and they actually thanked me for packing light.

2 hours ago, ms.sss said:

i have heard/read this reasoning many, many times on this forum. im not sure, but i *think* this may be something relevant only to those with bypass (or any other surgery where the pyloric valve is not is use?).

im a sleeve, and the reason i don't drink while i eat is because mixing liquids and solids results in making me feel overly FULL to the point i need to vomit.

i've learned that (starting with an empty stomach) i can have liquids immediately followed by solids, with no issue. But under no circumstance can i have solids immediately followed by liquids (or both at same time)...otherwise, the aforementioned barfing results.

so for ME, i don't need to adhere to the no-drinking-30-mins-before rule , but i definitely need to follow the no-drinking-(at least!)-30-mins-AFTER rule.

YMMV.

good luck! ❤️

Idk because I had the sleeve and that’s what he told me. But then again this was the PA and we discussed a resleeve, bypass and Sadi that day. It’s possible he misspoke?. It sounds like you understand the anatomy a lot better than I do. I didn’t know enough to question it. If I remember I will ask the dr end of this month though cause now I’m curious 🧐

54 minutes ago, funky_monkey800 said:

love the part where you say she’s not like us on the scale everyday! I don’t know if that will ever change either….😭

Thank you!

I think I’m going to give it a try-I found a spot that will ship directly to me so I can administer my own injections.
For those of you looking for updates I will post them here!
😉

I would check with your dr. If your levels are low they just send a script to pharmacy and you self administer them. Im guessing it’s a lot cheaper through insurance. I recommend that you get labs to monitor your levels after doing the injections too because there are side effects of getting too much in your system (some serious). I am anxious to hear if this helps with your energy and or weight.

Congratulations on all your success!!