KathyLev

3 weeks (to get staples & drain removed), monthly for first year, then quarterly for the next 1.5 years, then annually, then I moved out of state.
I was a special case because I started at an exceptionally high weight, so Doc wanted to monitor me much more closely than most.
Gosh, as the years go by I feel like my experience and my Doc's philosophy of weight loss is very out of touch with folks today.
Good luck,
Tek

So loverly of you to do this @BigSue. Great advice.
I did the colour thing back in the 80s when it first gained popularity. I am a winter & still wear predominately black. LOL! It makes it easier to put a practical & workable wardrobe together - things match (tops, bottoms, shoes, scarves, bags) & can be swapped about to switch up an outfit because of knowing the colours that work best on me also complement each other.
It’s interesting how our personal style changes too. Pre surgery I wore a lot of architectural avant garde type clothing. Can’t now cause even though my height hasn’t changed (😉 still short) I don’t have the body to support the clothing anymore. I feel like I’m drowning in fabric & being overwhelmed.
As someone who constantly gained & lost weight, the fear of getting something out to wear & discovering it wouldn’t fit was real & occured every day. Now it doesn’t even enter my mind. Bonus of actually maintaining my weight for more than a week for the first time ever.

Before my surgery , I'd constantly look like I was going to a funeral - I was always in black or really muted colors. You know - black is "slimming" ....LOL Now , I'm in bright prints and colors ,,what a difference Also, every year I'd pack away my summer clothes . I would just panic when it was time to get them out again - I knew I grew out of them. Very rarely did any of them fit. Now I'm reaching into the back of my closet where I saved some of my favorite clothes and I'm actually growing INTO them - instead of OUT of them ! What a great feeling !

Before my surgery , I'd constantly look like I was going to a funeral - I was always in black or really muted colors. You know - black is "slimming" ....LOL Now , I'm in bright prints and colors ,,what a difference Also, every year I'd pack away my summer clothes . I would just panic when it was time to get them out again - I knew I grew out of them. Very rarely did any of them fit. Now I'm reaching into the back of my closet where I saved some of my favorite clothes and I'm actually growing INTO them - instead of OUT of them ! What a great feeling !

I went 2 weeks after the surgery, then 3 months, then 6 months, then 1 year, then once every year after that. My surgeon said I'll do a 1 year follow up until I hit 5 years out, then it's more of on an as needed basis, like if something is wrong or whatever.

I had one at two weeks post op, six weeks then at three months, one coming up at six months, nine months and then I'll have a one year and finally an 18 month. Then a required one time every year after that. Along with the yearly check ups I'll have a nutrient blood draw labs each year.

2 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 1 year, and then annually after that (unless there's an issue). At around five years out, my clinic turns the reins over to our PCPs, unless the person is having issues.

that doesn't sound like dumping syndrome. Dumping syndrome happens within an hour or two after you eat and involves sweating or chills, heart palpitations, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea.
if not gall bladder, it could be Constipation or slow motility, I suppose - which is probably why they're ordering a colonoscopy. It's kind of hard to say until they get in there to have a look. Keep us posted.

When I read your title .......... my mind went to LSD ( the drug !) LOL I think I need more coffee ....🙄

I can really only share what the experience has been like for me, and the positives that have come into my life. I was in a very similar spot as you, both mentally and physically. The doubts and fear doubled, trebled, quadrupled to an infinity even as I was being rolled into the OR for surgery.
I am now six months and two weeks post-op. I can pop off for a 2 mile run if I feel like it. A 10 mile hike. A long yoga session. I am signed up for getting an open-water SCUBA certification. My cholesterol is normal for the first time in my adult life. My mental health has improved. I've also enjoying seeing my physical transformation.
Attaining a high level of fitness remains a strong motivation for me. But eating small portions, managing supplements, timing my Water intake, and tracking food? It has gotten easier and easier. I truly wish you well on your journey, no matter which path you decide to take.

Thank you very much for your reply it will help me decide

Nerves & feeling anxious before surgery isn’t unusual. You are doing something that requires many changes to you physically, psychologically & emotionally. And you don’t have any experience with any of it.
I didn’t have any co morbidities at all before my surgery but I knew they would be in my future simply because I was obese. Being generally in good health bedside surgery puts you in a stronger place for your surgery & recovery so a plus.
The very small portions are only in the beginning during the staged return to eating. As you progress you are able to eat more until you are eating what is a recommended & appropriate serving size. Not those large servings that are two, three or more times we been acclimatised to think of as normal but the portion size we should be eating. Doesn’t mean you won’t ever eat your favourite foods ever again either. In time you work out how much you can eat of that food & how often. Or you may make changes to the ingredients or the cooking method to make it a healthier & more nutritious choice.
We talk about having to do the head work while we are losing. This is the most important step. Working out the why, what, when you eat & changing your relationship with food. Reflecting on what drives you to eat & the food choices you make so you can mange those cravings & work out a way of eating for the future that is sustainable, doesn’t restrict or limit you & allows you to enjoy your life as you want. This is the difference between the surgery and every other diet I’ve been on (& I was almost 54 when I had the surgery & had been on a lot of diets). I’ve never been able to lose weight & maintain it for any length of time like I have after the surgery. Yes, I work on it every day but it doesn’t mean I don’t or can’t enjoy my life or miss out on anything. A lot of it is routine & I look at it as not being on a continuous diet (so many negative connotations) but this is just my way of eating. Like how people who have food allergies or may be vegan or vegetarian eat & the food choices they make.
Ensure you have access to a supportive therapist you can call on if needed & a helpful dietician who listens. This isn’t something you can really do completely on your own.
Best decision I ever made.
All the best whatever you choose to do.

Hi Joe! My surgery is in 4 days. I am 5'6" and at my highest weight, I was 250 pounds, which gave me a BMI of 40.3. Since starting the nutrition program and pre-op liquid diet, I am down to 228 pounds, so a BMI of 36.8. I have high blood pressure, prediabetes, and high cholesterol. Like you, I've dieted countless times. In fact, I was enrolled in the nonsurgical program at my hospital for 7 years, starting when I was 42.
I found it relatively easy to lose up to about 15% of my total body weight, around 40 lbs, by counting calories, exercising religiously, and not letting my guard down for a minute. After that, I would stall. Then the weight would creep back up. My doctor would prescribe meds (including Wegovy for a while, but it's too expensive for longterm use for me), and I'd lose 10 pounds. Then I would stall, followed by regain. Or the nutritionist would suggest a new approach, and I would lose a few pounds again, followed by regain. A little more each time. After 7 years of trying, I was back to my highest weight ever. I feel like I wasted a whole lot of time with nothing to show for it.
And now I'm nearly 50. My blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol all have gotten worse. My feet hurt. My joints ache. I feel older than I am, and I don't want to be old before my time. I know from reading the latest studies in weight loss science that my chance of long term success in reaching and maintaining a healthy weight without the metabolic reset of bariatric surgery is around 5%.
I'm fortunate because I've seen my brother go through sleeve surgery 15 years ago. He lost a huge amount of weight (about half his body weight) and though he has regained a fair amount of that, it's nowhere near where he used to be. His appetite is now what I would call the smaller side of normal. Nobody looks at him having dinner and would guess he had surgery. So I know that the most drastic parts of this (like a liquid diet!) are phases you have to get through to get somewhere better.
I feel nervous, too. I've never had surgery. I worry about complications. I'm hardly ever sick, so I sometimes think what if I'm trading decent health for problems? But realistically, problems are in my future. I've seen it in countless family members. The writing is on the wall. And the surgery is very safe. So for me, the risk is worth it. I've tried on my own long enough to know it isn't going to happen for me without this. And a BMI of 40 might not be as big as some people, but it's big enough to rob me of good health in my future.
I really hope this helps at least give you some things to think about to help you make your decision. Wishing you all the best!

Literally, same!!! I clicked so fast..... lol

When I read your title .......... my mind went to LSD ( the drug !) LOL I think I need more coffee ....🙄

Hahaha! Nothing wrong with being a bit of a silly goose! Proper made me giggle

When I read your title .......... my mind went to LSD ( the drug !) LOL I think I need more coffee ....🙄

I always used diaper rash cream on some of the really sore and open rashes. That really helps ! I also use baby powder for chafing. Good luck !!!!

Um, the toilet seat is painful. That's a weird one hey?

I'm the poster child for Goodwill ! My sizes are changing so fast, I'm always buying ,wearing and re-donating them. I tell myself I'm just "renting" the clothes...LOL The BEST thing that's happened is I'm off ALL of my meds ,no longer pre-diabetes and my last blood pressure was 110/70 . That's unheard of for me So far, those are the best "problems" I'm having !!!!

My band size keeps changing every few weeks! Bras for big boobs are expensive. I'm sure the boobs won't be big for long at this rate but still, it is a funny problem to have. I have no clue why my body has decided that my bra band area is the best place to lose weight post op. 🤣

I am the same with the jeans, feel like I am buying a new pair every fortnight.
I also had to get a new swimsuit within a couple of weeks of starting aqua aerobics as the one I bought a short while ago was holding too much Water.
I also like that I can now sit comfortably on a bus seat and not worry that I am taking up a seat and a half. I am able to get the seat belt on a plane closed without any issues where as a year ago I had to get an extender piece (was mortified).

My toilet seat was moving. What the ....? I had it tightened down because it actually was loose. But even after, it still felt loose. Hmmmm
I figured it out after doing a pee test at the doctor's office. I felt that same movement and thought surely their toilet isn't loose. Turns out it was my loose skin shifting as I sat. OMG. That's a good problem right????? LOL

I'm the poster child for Goodwill ! My sizes are changing so fast, I'm always buying ,wearing and re-donating them. I tell myself I'm just "renting" the clothes...LOL The BEST thing that's happened is I'm off ALL of my meds ,no longer pre-diabetes and my last blood pressure was 110/70 . That's unheard of for me So far, those are the best "problems" I'm having !!!!

High B12 is common after surgery. Mine is always over 1000. In fact, I know vets who swear they feel better if theirs is over 1000. The only time my clinic ever said anything about my high B12 level was when it went over 2000 a few years back. And even then, they just suggested I cut back a bit on my supplement. Otherwise, it's met with a shrug.
weird liver numbers are also pretty common after surgery. Rapid weight loss is hard on livers. My liver numbers didn't settle down until I was a year (or maybe more) out...but they did eventually stabilize (i.e., in the normal range).

P.S. those hemoglobin and MCHC levels are so close to normal that I wouldn't worry about them. Your doctor or surgeon will let you know if they're in issue, but I'm guessing they're probably fine.