Tiffykins

YAY YAY, you're gonna do fabulous, and we're saving you a seat on the loser's bench ! ! ! Best wishes, and good thoughts for an uneventful surgery and recovery.

Chandra, congrats on your amazing results thus far. My new growth was coming in before the shedding stopped. I used Folicure Extra care shampoo every day when the shedding first started, and that seemed to help the new growth. I never did take Biotin on a consistent basis. I'd take it when I'd remember it. I lost for about 3-3.5 months, but had new growth coming in around the 2nd month of shedding. I first noticed them around the hairline, you know those little baby hairs around the forehead. That's where the new growth started, and then I noticed it along my part. Hang in there, it'll come back. My hair is still not back to where it was pre-op, and I don't foresee it getting back for at least a year or two.

Congrats on getting your date. I always give the same advice. Stop drinking and eating at the same time now so it isn't so hard to do once you have surgery. Take tiny bites now, and mentally prepare that your bites will be 1/4 of the size we are used to eating. Try to prepare mentally for this life changing surgery even thought we think we're ready, there's always something that surprises us. Enjoy this time. Don't be surprised if you find yourself having "food funerals". I had to remind myself that the post-op diet is just temporary, and at some point, I would be able to have my favorites just in smaller portions. Order some protein samples for post-op. A lot of us experienced changes in our tastes, and things we liked pre-op were horrible post-op. So, don't stock up on big canisters of protein because you may not be able to tolerate them post-op. You're gonna do great.

Ohhh, you're totally right about the sleeve warning you. I still have to carefully watch how much I eat. I can do different little tricks that allow me to get more in, but if I adhere to the 30 minute max meal rule, and Protein first, honestly I have amazing restriction. If I stretch a meal out to 45 minutes, and eat sliders, I can eat a lot more food in one sitting. Last night, I pushed it a bit too far, and I had some discomfort. It was one of those meals that was so fabulous that those last 2 bites were calling my name, and I paid for it. The discomfort lasted about an hour until things moved through some. I have found that I no longer have to take tiny bites and drinks. I can take a normal bite of food, but I still have to chew it really well, not to mush, but chewed well. For me, things have changed significantly the further out I get. I still have zero body hunger. I have a schedule that I try to stick to for my meals. The only time I get off schedule is when I'm out with friends, or out running around. It's not difficult for me to forget to eat. Sometimes, it's 2-3pm before my body signals "hey, idiot, feed me". It's not letting the head win that is more challenging. I have to snack/graze to maintain, and that can set up a lot of triggers. Luckily, so far, I've been able to keep my grazing to healthier options. But, I can see where it could be an issue later on.

It's so true about the slider foods, and the further out I get, the more slider foods get added to the list. All of the "no no" foods are sliders for me now. Rice, Pasta, potatoes, chips, crackers, pretzels, corn nuts (see a trend here), bread, tortillas, sun dried tomato wraps, etc etc etc. They are all super yummy, and while I'm below goal and could handle a few pounds, it wouldn't take too long to gain those pounds. It's a slippery slope, and it definitely gets more difficult to make the best choice once we are further out. I've figured it out for the most part to prevent a huge regain. I can splurge one day then get back the next day. I never get more than a 2-3lb bounce around so for now, I'm just trying to keep stuff balanced enough to maintain. You'll drop those 2lbs in no time chickee, but I agree, those slider foods are so sneaky sneaky.

YAY YAY Lisa, I'm glad your surgeon was able to discuss this openly with you, and that you are able to get what you want. Best wishes and keep us posted.

Many congrats on getting your sleeve, and having a great experience. Keep us posted on your progress, and welcome to the loser's bench. It's a great place to be ! ! !

That's an awesome idea. I didn't even think of that. I bought one of these things just to keep my drinks cold. I found they came in handy when I had to to be on the go, and hated having a watered down drink because the ice melts. Chilled shaker cup - Shop sales, stores & prices at TheFind.com

DS for me was not an option. I know it gives the best weight loss, but it can be cheated just as easy as the other surgeons. I would definitely go with an experienced revision surgeon either way. I'm not sure of your age, but future health issues with a malabsorptive procedure just scared me. Not to mention the Vitamin and supplement regimen that I've read that DS patients have to maintain to prevent deficiencies. The sleeve has been a wonderful tool for me. I have changed my relationship with food. Mentally, I've traded in all the bad habits for good ones. The sleeve doesn't fix all of it, but it definitely helps. Best wishes on your research for a surgeon.

I don't blame you one bit. The hoops that insurance throw at people are all b.s. I'll keep you in my thoughts, and let us know how everything goes.

My stomach rarely makes any noise, and I'm literally never hungry. I think deep down, mentally, that my biggest fear with going off my Prilosec is that I'll be starving. I love not being hungry, I have a schedule for my meals, I am able to sense when I need to eat. Going off the Prilosec may cause hunger, and honestly I eat a lot as it is without hunger, how will it be when my stomach actually growls? Hopefully that makes sense.

Rob, it sounds like you're doing great. On the multi ask if you can maybe crush it up into yogurt or sugar free pudding, or maybe mix it in those soups or shakes. The one thing about a lot of those children vits is they lack a decent amount of iron, and Vitamin D. Keep on working your sleeve.

You look so fabulous! ! ! I've been fighting the "sweet monster" lately as for some reason I have found that sweet stuff goes down pretty stinkin' easy. So, I have to seriously keep myself in check. The sleeve helps, but my brain sometimes wins. Keep up the great work ! ! !

I have a digital scale, and I keep it in my kitchen tucked up underneath my bar. I have read that keeping a digital scale in the bathroom can cause issues because of all the moisture that tends to build up in the bathroom from showering etc. I bought my digital at Wal-Mart for like $30 bucks and it matches my surgeon's scale exactly. My PCP scale weighs me 1-3lbs heavier than my home and surgeon's scale.

If your program includes access to a nutritionist, you will have the meal plan and suggestions set for you. I would rather lean on a medical professional than a business built around the weight loss fad world. I have gone to my nut on more than a dozen occasions over the last year to help tweak my plan that would give me the best results, and suit my lifestyle. I wouldn't do WW again if someone paid me, plus their plan is carb loaded. I hated South beach, and stuck to a modified Atkins during my losing phase. I simply stuck with the initial guidelines of 600-800 calories a day, no more than 30 grams of crabs, and 60+Protein. If you have access to a support group, I think you'll find that can be helpful as well. You can bounce ideas, doubts, concerns off other people that have been through it. Tracking calories, carbs, and protein through myfitnesspal.com did wonders for me. It held me accountable, and on days that I didn't track, I was able to keep things in check because it became the "new norm" for me. I replaced bad habits with good habits, and more than anything that is what the sleeve helps us with. The sleeve doesn't do all the work, but it definitely gives us a big push in the right direction. I know it's tough when others plant those seeds of doubt, but you have to just realize that most of the time opinions are like a$$holes, everyone has one and most are pretty sh*tty.

Inside the little capsules of the generic Prilosec (omeprazole), those little balls are not supposed to be crushed or chewed per my pharmacist. He said that it decreases the efficacy of the drug. They can be opened, and swallowed but not crushed or chewed. I just mentioned that because I wanted to crush mine up before I attempted the entire swallowing thing. My little RX insert advises to take the meds then wait a minimum of 30 minutes before consuming any food or to take it 3 hours after eating. I just pulled out my RX insert (I save all of them in a specific med drawer in my kitchen), and it also states that it can take 7-14 days for the omeprazole to give relief. I wait a solid hour before eating after taking my Omeprazole 20mg once daily. I take it first thing in the morning, and then eat my first meal an hour later. They do make a carafate suspension that may be more tolerable and have better effect due to it being in liquid form. I plan on weaning off slowly as I've been on it for about 10 months. But, I'm going to go to one pill every other day, then one every 2 days and so on. I plan on having an H2 blocker like Zantac or Pepcid on hand to control any breakthrough reflux. I didn't have reflux before surgery, and I'm not willing to have it post-op. I'm not sure if you've read about that med called Zegerid. It's Prilosec and sodium bicarbonate combined to help with reflux. Of course, there are issues with all of the PPIs, but if you aren't getting relief now, maybe your doc can switch things up.

http://www.cigna.com/customer_care/healthcare_professional/coverage_positions/medical/mm_0051_coveragepositioncriteria_bariatric_surgery.pdf

Awww Jerry, you're gonna do great. I found that the Water bottles with a sports cap worked best for me. I didn't ever use a sippy cup and didn't use straws for a few months. You're gonna do fabulous, and I'm scooting over on the loser's bench for you ! ! !

Woohoo to being so close ! ! ! I'm a huge SATC fan, and you'll love it. It's fun to identify with the characters, and kind of live vicariously through them LOL. It's great your bestie will be with you. Best wishes to you and the husband on all your appointments today.

How frustrating ! ! ! I hope the scheduler gets your date moved up a bit more. If not, hang in there, and just prepare as much as you can mentally and physically for your upcoming date.

I just wanted to say that this is fabulous advice, and very motivational. I did adhere to a low carb program for the first 4 months, but now, I am definitely not dieting. I haven't been strict with my eating plan, I only count my calories and protein to ensure that I am hitting my goals for maintenance. Elly, I promise the sleeve does work. You'll have to be positive, and have faith in yourself. Believe me, it wasn't easy to change my mindset after losing and gaining over 400lbs on several different diet attempts and programs over the last decade. The sleeve truly freed me from all of that worry, and self-doubt. Once I saw the results, losing weight, and feeling good, I knew I would succeed. You just have to convince yourself that you can do it. Negativity breeds negativity, so try as hard as you can to push those thoughts out of your mind, and fill yourself with positive affirmations. I even wrote little message on my bathroom mirror to remind me that I was worthy of being healthy, happy, and to be a success with the assistance of the sleeve. I know I had a hard time believing that little portions would satisfy me, that I could actually be successful by just eating smaller amount, that I could actually lose all my excess weight, but once the effects of the sleeve kicked in, I was a true believer. Even now, my sleeve still keeps me in check. Making the best choice is a bit more difficult, but I can honestly tell you that life with the sleeve is pretty effortless, and very rewarding. Don't sell yourself or the sleeve short ! ! !

I've got my fingers crossed for you. I remembered your post when I saw this posted on OH, and had to come find your post so I could share. Keep us posted, and let us know if we can help ! ! !

I have only had a couple of episodes of major constipation. Miralax is fabulous, and I found that when I would eat yogurt and take Probiotics, I became more regular. I go every day now. I think it's because I'm in a different stage, and I drink my normal cup of coffee every morning. The only time I skip a day is when I eat a bunch of cheese and Protein only. My surgeon said no no to laxatives and stool softeners used on a regular basis only because our bodies get used to having the stimulant effect. Also, stool softeners tend to pull the fluids from the rest of your body to soften the stool with more liquids to help it pass. He did say if we had to take a stool softener then to increase our clear liquid intake to compensate for the stool softener usage. I've only had to take Miralax a few times (like 4 -5 times) over the last 11 months. I mix it in some juice or crystal light, and drink it slowly. I also only use a half dose. It may take it a few more hours to work, but I'm not looking to have explosive poops after being constipated.

Cigna is apparently covering VSG. http://www.cigna.com/customer_care/healthcare_professional/coverage_positions/medical/mm_0051_coveragepositioncriteria_bariatric_surgery.pdf