Tiffykins

I was released for us to try to conceive 7-8 months post-op. My labs had been fabulous, maintenance for me was a challenge, but due to my husband's career, my age and other factors, we have been actively trying since the end of February. We have not been successful to date. But, we have not lost hope as we just started this entire process. My PCP and surgeon are both in agreement that you need to have your weight stabilized before trying. My hormones were all over the place while losing, my cycle was not extremely regular, I'd go 32 days, then the next month 27 days. It is evening out over time, but I can tell that my body is still adjusting to my drastic loss in such a short amount of time. My surgeon says it on a case by case basis. There's a lot of women that end up pregnant before the standard "18 months", and my surgeon explained that it's not "ideal", it's a manageable situation. I've read several stories on obesityhelp of VSG patients delivering healthy, thriving babies. I had this surgery so we could have improve our chances of getting pregnant and having a less complicated pregnancy/birth. I would want to prepare my body as best I could so that I could give my baby the best environment for growth and development. I've not been in your shoes, but I do know that my husband and I waited over 1.5 years to get pregnant because of my weight. Now, I am more confident in my health, and would not get pregnant at my previous weight. I felt it was dangerous for me and baby. You really have to do what is best for you and your future baby. I don't have any amazing advice for you, but I'll keep you in my thoughts.

I was instructed to eat 4 meals per day that consisted of a minimum of 15 grams of protein. It was tough, and some days I couldn't get it all in. But, as the days and weeks progressed, it became easier. I was able to get 2-4oz of mushies in. I would sometimes have to stretch out the meal to 40 minutes to get my protein goals.

Refried Beans with cheese Mashed potatoes I could have soft, mushed up meats like chicken and tuna salad. eggs (scrambled still doesn't work for me), but egg salad was great. hummus applesauce yogurts without fruit or seeds laughing cow cheese I could have all soft cooked veggies, but avoided anything with a thick skin like corn, and high glycemic index veggies. Green beans were and broccoli florets were fabulous.

Honestly, I had zero guidelines for fats. I did steer clear of most fat free, reduced fat stuff because some fats are vital to our bodies. I hated that the fat free/reduced fat stuff had more sugar, salt and carbs, and that is the main reason I steered clear of them. With the small amounts of food we are consuming, I can't imagine how we could consume too much fat. I could see it if we were eating huge amounts of fatty meats, but most dietary guidelines stress lean meat choices for Protein. Remember, the good fats are essential for our hair, skin, digestion, and good cholesterol. That is how it was all explained to me during my nutrition classes.

Hey Gorgeous, I take my calcium citrate at night. I make sure to take 2 hours after my multi to ensure that all the stuff in my multi doesn't interfere with the absorption of my calcium. I usually take one right before dinner, and 2 right before bed. If I know I'm going to be out in the evening. I take them in the afternoon.

Ohhhh the infamous bowel birth. It's good you've experienced it early out. Good news is that it doesn't really last that long. Once you get mushy/solids, you may experience the opposite.

It's not like hardcore hip hip. It's more like the pop stuff. "Dontcha" by the Pussycat dolls, and other radio pop music. It isn't vulgar, body grinding, pole dancing music. You can also turn the music level down on the menu of the DVD so you don't have music blaring. It's kind of just in the background.

Carbonate needs an acidic environment to be absorbed, and it can cause some rebound heartburn. Citrate form of calcium is recommended to be the best form of calcium for all people not just sleeve patients. My PCP won't even recommend carbonate to his "normal" patients. He thinks Viactiv and Caltrate should all be pulled off the market because it isn't the best calcium option. That's just his opinion. I stick with the citrate because it can be taken with or without food, and since I'm still popping my Prilosec, I need to ensure that my calcium is being absorbed. I didn't realize the chewie Prevacid had carbonate in them. I knew the Pepcid completes have carbonate, but I had no idea that the Prevacid did. I've taken the pepcid complete a couple of times with breakthrough heartburn after a bunch of jalapenos and chipotle ranch sauce, and it worked. I just don't take them as a source of calcium.

Technically, this post is about 4 days early, but I feel good today, and want to attention whore for a few minutes. So, what have learned thus far: ~ I have a normal relationship with food ~ My mind, body and soul are finally starting to sync up in unison ~ I truly do not feel like I'm dieting ~ It's okay to have a bad day ~ Life will go on even if I eat way too many cheesy poofs ~ Food is even more delicious since I actually slow down to eat instead of inhaling my meals ~ I no longer feel like I have to be the funny, loud fat girl for people to like me. They genuinely like me just for me. ~ I had to be willing to let my walls come down to let people in, and let myself out. ~ Not having the mask of obesity to hide behind is a vulnerable position to be in sometimes ~ I love that I turn heads because of how I look, not at because of how huge I am. ~ No one can take away my joy unless I allow it. ~ I'm looking forward to holding our baby (no I'm not pregnant yet) ~ I'm petrified of being a new mother aagain, but I'm excited that I'm not going to have to deal with obesity and pregnancy simultaneously. ~ Life is what I make of it, and right now I'm making up for a lot of lost time that I spent always thinking about food and my next meal, and being miserable because of my weight. John's squadron is holding a joint SF Spring semi-formal ball on May 14th. We're expecting close to 400 people to be in attendance. I went dress shopping this last weekend, and today I finished off the shopping with shoes, accessories and little bolero/shrug for my arms. I'm ecstatic as this is my first formal military event ever, hell it's my first formal event since my high school prom. Least to say, I am so very much in love with my dress, and can not wait to dance the night away in the arms of my love. The obligatory before pic: 270lbs Here's the dress: Completely ignore my hair, I just pulled it back for picture purposes. 123lbs I bought black strappy, open-toe heels with some shiny rhinestones on the toeline. Adorable ! ! ! Life is fabulous. . . If you are a new pre-op, and you think you can't do this, scroll back up, you can if I can. If you're on the journey, and you're wondering if you'll ever get there, you will, don't give up on yourself. If you're contemplating the sleeve, stop thinking, and do it. If you are in a stall, and you are ready to give up, don't let a little speed bump become a road block. The stall will break, and you will be successful. It's not always easy, but it's so worth it, it's worth it all ! ! !

Mister you almost had me pulling out my soapbox LOL ! ! ! I eat lots of yummy stuff in my head. Luckily, I can keep it out of my mouth.

Prilosec and other PPIs typically take a few days to kick in for maximum efficacy. You can take a Zantac or Pepcid for relief once the acid starts, but the other PPIs actually take time to build up in our bodies. I think Nexium is the fastest acting out of all of them.

To be brutally honest, the band totally screwed (I'd use the more vulgar term for screw, but I'll semi-censor here to prevent offending anyone) my stomach tissue. I did nothing wrong, the leak was detected 2 days post revision, I was still in the hospital. So, there wasn't a lot of room for error on my part. I wasn't puking every day, nor did I have a slip or detectable erosion. The common band issues that lead to revision I wasn't really having. I had the normal pb'ing/sliming with some foods, I was in severe pain with my port issue, and the fact that the tubing had been tugging on my band. The scar tissue encased my band and during removal is when the surgeons discovered the damage. They cleaned up and removed the damaged tissue, and proceeded with the sleeve. I passed 2 leak tests, on the 3rd and final leak test, I popped a leak. I had been up walking the halls, laughing/visiting with the nurses, and feeling fabulous. In fact my bags were packed to come home. Do I think I'm just a statistic? Yes, considering I'm my surgeons very first and only leak. I blame the band for the damage it did to my tissue. I could not get an unfill due to my port not only flipping, but migrating in my abdomen. I had several unfill attempts under fluoro and ultrasound. I knew going in that the risk of a leak quadruples with a revision. It was a risk I was willing to take to get the band out of my body. No one could pay me enough to get another band. And, yes, I would do my revision all over again, complications and all. I'm not sure if there is anything I could have done to prevent the leak. Liquids before revisions if you have a slip is a good way to help alleviate any swelling from puking. If your surgeon is experienced with revisions, your risk decreases, if your band has been out for a period of time, your risk decreases. There is no way on God's green Earth would I allow a surgeon to put another band in my body. No way in the world. Keep reading on here, you'll find a lot of revision folks that would never get another band. Future complications with bands increase 10fold once you have band issues.

Oh yeah, once you figure in the cost of fills/unfills for the band, I would be willing to bet that the sleeves ends up right around the same cost if not less expensive.

Even at a size 3 (I hit a size 3 today YAY), shapewear is nowhere near flattering or sexy. Maybe I'm not shopping in the right stores, but anything that sucks my stuff in, and makes me look like I'm stuffed inside a sausage casing isn't gonna be sexy LOL.

Things will definitely continue to change as the months progress. I know longer have to chew meat to mush, or take tiny bites. I chew well obviously and take what I consider normal size bites, smaller than pre-op but not tiny. If I eat slowly, I can get more in. As the months go on, some old habits creep in, and chewing faster, and swallowing faster gets ya. I still eat a lot of mushy foods for meat choices. Deli meat, cheeses, some chili, Beans etc. I will be a year out at the end of next week, and a lot of things have changed for me since the 3-5 month mark. I still can't eat a large amount. No more than 3-5oz of dense meat and 6-8oz of mushy/puree stuff, not simultaneously, but those are my limits. It takes me awhile to eat an entire cup of mushy stuff. The main thing that sucks is that I can eat a lot of chips, crackers, and pretzels. It makes the decision making a little more difficult now that I'm maintaining. I cook at a minimum of 6 nights per week. I'm always in control of how my food is prepared and served. For me, this makes eating much easier. I eat all types of foods when I'm out. Eating out is an experience, and I enjoy every minute of it. I have found what works best, and what is just a waste of time and money. I think everyone is different, and something really clicked for me around the 6 month out mark. It's only gotten better since then, and now I honestly don't have any problems eating. Probably in the last 3-4 months, I've only gotten sick one time because I accidentally took a gulp of tea immediately after eating. I can take a sip or two with a meal with zero issues, but now I can gulp down beverages and it was just out of habit. I paid for it because half my dinner came up.

SF Pudding Greek Yogurt Apple sauce Pear Sauce SF Custards I could have super thinned out Cream of Wheat sweetened with splenda (it wasn't my fave, but it was warm and soothing).

Hip Hop Abs, hip hop abs. . . I swear by those DVDs. My stomach shrunk up significantly, and I absolutely love that they have a "modified" girl that I could follow. I did these DVDs at 250+lbs, and they didn't absolutely kill me or my knees. I just ordered a new set because my set from years ago had worn out. I ordered my new set from ebay for $20. I got the Total Body Burn, Fat burning cardio, and Ab Sculpt. You can also get them on amazon.com new or used. For me, it's the easiest, and most "Fun" dvd Work out, and I've done a bunch of them. I either get bored, or they just suck. The "walk away the pounds" are good ones if you like walking, but I hated just walking after 30 minutes.

You couldn't pay me to have another band. Sorry, but it's true. I had a band for only 8 months, those months sucked the life out of me. The sleeve is truly fabulous, and the lack of maintenance, food restrictions, puking on Water makes the sleeve even better. Seriously, life with the sleeve is so much better than the band. Definitely read all of the threads in the band to sleeve revision sub-forum. Best wishes, and if you have specific questions feel free to post away if you can't find the answers. Sleeves are typically a couple thousand more than bands, but it may be different since you are considered a "revision".

You should be able to contact your coordinator to get some guidance for your specific situation. The sleeve is not about just restriction. They operate on our stomachs not our brains, and if patients aren't willing to changes habits and make better food choices then none of us will lose the desired weight. It's just a fact of weight loss surgery, not just the sleeve. All of the weight loss surgeries can be cheated. Without changing your relationship with food, you won't lose weight, or you're going to be dieting. It's just a fact of weight loss surgery. The basic eating "rules" of the sleeve are no more than 4ounces of mushies at each meal. Most surgeons recommend no more than 3-4 meals per day, no Snacks. Once you get to solids, dense Protein, restriction is usually different, but I'm not sure if your surgeon made any concessions in your stomach size due to you only wanting to lose 30lbs, but most of us experience major restriction with solids. It takes some of us 6+ weeks to be able to eat more than 1oz of chicken breast or ground beef. Very basic sleeve rules are do not drink any liquids for a minimum of 30 minutes after you consume food. If you do drink, it's just liquefying the foods you put in there and flushing them into your intestines. You won't get any satiety in doing this with each meal. Also, try to remember, not all sleeve patients lose hunger. You have Ghrelin still floating around your system as well, so you're going to be hungry. It's not out of the ordinary. Tums/Rolaids are Calcium carbonate and not even recommended with the sleeve. I'm not even going to try to suggest when broccoli or oatmeal is "ok" to add back because I wasn't able to have mushy/puree food for 3.5 weeks once I started my post-op diet. Other people's diets are more strict, and others are more lenient. You're going to have to take care of your new stomach. You'll have to give it some time, and try to not only stay within the guidelines, but really work on your relationship with food. That's what all of us have to do for us to be successful. This probably comes off harsh, and those aren't my intentions. I hope you are able to get some answers from someone. I know that Dr. Almanza does give his coordinators information, and since you paid them, you should be able to get some assistance from someone on his staff. They have several patients that have been able to get help from them post-op, you should be able to get the same courtesy.

Doing all the doctor changing is well worth it to get the sleeve. If you've read my posts, then you know my stand on the band. I'll never recommend it to anyone. You really have to do what's best for you, but believe the stats rolling out with the band last year and this year are not promising for long term success. I'll just out my personal feelings on the band and let you know the facts. 1 in 4 will have to have any surgery to correct, replace, remove or revise with the band. The band has the lowest and slowest weight loss. The band is 2nd in long term complications only next to RNY. You won't fail with the sleeve, don't even let that thought enter your mind. You don't want to be a revision patient at all from band to sleeve. Because you have no idea how much damage that boogar of a band can cause. I started at 270 with the band, lost a total of 7lb before I revised to the sleeve. Revision surgery date I weighed 263 standing 5'2", and today I'm at 122lbs. I have been bouncing in the low 120's for a month now so I'm at maintenance. I essentially lost 140-141lbs in about 10 months with the sleeve alone. If you happen to not reach your goal, you can revise to either RNY or the DS procedure. But, don't even let failure enter your pretty little mind. It won't happen if you don't allow it. If you have any specific questions, feel free to contact me via the private messaging system, or post away here on the forum. We're all here for you.

Ohhhh dear, I slept in sports bras for 3 months, and the girls still headed south. I wore medium impact (they were sucked in pretty tight), and it didn't help mine one single bit. I went from a 40-42D/DD to a tiny 32/34B. Some don't lose their boobs though so you might get lucky. Some people swear that wearing shapers and such help with loose skin. Personally, I believe genetics, age, and how long we've been fat contribute way more to our skin after major weight loss.

Check on corticosteroids with your ortho, they usually do not use the same formulation for the joint remedy injections as what we take orally. They are different than prednisone, or predinisolone.