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Hi. Just wanted to introduce myself. I am a 41 years old female residing in southern California. I have been overweight most of my life and am just starting to suffer the consequences to my health. my weight just hit an all time high of 300 lbs. This is my heaviest ever. Not to mention, I was able to pull off being overweight in my twenties and thirties due to having some semblence of fitness despite my size. This is no longer the case. It is high time for a change and I am hopefully starting the first steps of a new life journey. Can't wait to see where this ends up! I am currently enrolled in a bariatric surgery program through my health insurance and with any luck, will be able to have surgery at the end of this 6-8 month "jump through hoops" period. (fingers crossed, although I know it is not guaranteed) I originally was considering the lap band, but with research, I am beginning to lean towards the VGS and that is why I am here, to research, hear testimonies and get a feel for how it has changed lives. I am also interested in anyone who has had hypothyroidism and how this surgery has worked for them. I am severely hypo due to post RAI. I am married, no children and I am self employed. Anyway, that's me! Looking forward to making some new buddies and educating myself!

Hello! Any gardeners out there? Trying to reactivate this thread.

I'm looking into having the lapband surgery next month and am wondering from most of you out there, is it really worth it and will I be happy with the results? I've finally convinced my husband to let me have the surgery. I've lost some weight on my own, but can't seem to get the rest off! It's been 2 years and I'm slowing creeping back up. I need to lose about 80 pounds and have tried everything. The doctor finally said that he would do it. I have hypo thyroid, so my metabolism is very sluggish...I just look at food and gain, if you know what I mean. Will I throw up alot? There are just so many questions. Please advise. Thanks so much, Luisana

I'm three plus years post surgery & still my longest lasting complication is acid. Here's how I manage it: I take an Omeprazole in the morning & a Tums just before bed. Together that allows me to produce less acid & combat the acid my body does produce. Proactive & reactive, if you will. Good luck. You are not alone.

i was hyper and had every sign and symptom except weightloss go figure had to have it removed so now iam hypo and on alot of meds so i think i lose slower then most iam 5 mts out and have only lost 50 lbs.....

You will probably need to reduce your meds as your weight comes down so best see your GP and discuss! Might be you can step down to just the metformin initially which should not cause hypos.

I've had at least 4-5 Thyroxine adjustments since my surgery in March 2016. Been suffering from insomnia ever since. Still have regular, 6 weekly blood tests. 3 months ago, my Endo recommended halving my dose, from 100mcg to 50mcg. I slept OK, but got very blah, no energy, loads of allergies and hay fever and bad headaches, plus my weight loss stopped. I was told that my results were "normal", but I could see the "normal range is quite wide, and I was towards the top of the "normal" range. So, I started on a mixed dose. Worked OK, really well for few weeks, had loads more energy, now I get hyper symptoms again, not as bad as many months ago, but my insomnia got worse again, and I have been getting hot again with racing pulse. I was taking 50mcg for 4 days, then 100mcg for 3 days. Waiting for results from my latest blood test. I may need to take 50mcg for 5-6 days, and 100mcg for 1-2 days. I will know next week. My hypo was created by having RAI mid last year, as I have Graves Disease and was very hyper-thyroid. Been on Thyroxine since January 2016. I have read a lot about other thyroid meds, more natural, NDTs, but at this stage I find them very expensive here, in Australia. Hope this dose adjustment roller-coaster will stop soon, really over it by now. Good luck and best wishes to us all!

To me this is a double edged sword: damn if I do and damn if I don't. When I am experiencing insomnia, if I can't fall asleep till early morning hours, I get hungry .... dinner was at 8pm, and at 2-3am, if still awake, I get hungry, so I need to snack on something. I try to make it healthy, but still, it makes this an extra meal. So, too high a dose of Thyroxine is not good for me, even if it seems I keep losing weight or inches. When I experienced hypo stage, after my med was reduced by 50%, I was hungry lot more, I slept better but my weight stayed the same .... So, no good either I haven't sleep walked, but yes, it is scary stuff. I keep having 6 weekly blood tests, at 9 months post op. I had them done monthly till about 4 months ago. @@shedo82773 I would definitely have blood tests done again, since you said you have been on the same thyroid med dose for years.

Hello all! I am new to this site, but so far i love it! Everyone has such great advice and are so supportive! I am 27 years old, 2 kids and am a nurse at a local hospital. I have been overweight my whole life and been looking into wls for about 5 years. My insurance just changed at work and by the grace of God, WLS is covered!!!!! I am 5'3 and currently 247....Yikes! I am not only having wls to lose weight, but i am doing it because I am way to yound to have the health issues that I do! Just in the past year I have been put on BP meds, and an anti-depressant. My labs showed high LDL and high C-reactive protein. I am too young for this!!! Can't wait until the fall so I can get my surgery date scheduled and get my life back!!

Carol, you're hungry because the band around your stomach does not yet restrict the flow of food from the little pouch at the top to the stomach below yet. As you work toward restriction with adjustments, you will have incremental improvement until you reach your sweet spot. Until then--yes, it is like dieting. But it will be the LAST time you are hungry in the name of weight loss! Wildabeast, can you post a typical day's worth of eating for us? Even if you've tested negative for hypoglycemia, you can be experiencing reactive episodes, and tweaking your intake can make a huge difference. (Oh--and 29 pounds since April, before having restriction? That's a great loss!) Peachpuffabilly--"fills" are adjustments of the band. The band is placed around the stomach to create a pouch. There is tubing to a port that is placed under the surface of the skin. For a period of months after the surgery (and periodically after that), your surgeon will access the port with a needle to inject saline into the tubing, which adjusts the pressure placed on the stomach by the band. This reduces the size of the stoma (hole) between the upper pouch and bottom portion of the stomach, slowing down the rate at which food leaves the pouch (and making you feel satisfied longer). (I hope that made sense!0

Wildabeast, I can't see anything there, other than the saltines, that would cause reactive hypoglycemia. Does your doctor offer any possible explanation? Has s/he suggested you journal your intake on a site such as fitday.com so that you can better assess how you're meeting your nutrient needs? Sometimes, it's helpful to see how many grams of Protein, etc., you're getting, because it can help you tweak things a bit. My doctor recommends 65 grams of protein/day. I have to tell you, I'd be a shaky mess if I stuck to that level--I aim for 100, and then I'm fine (even though I eat very low carb).

I was diagnosed about 4 years ago in my second year of law school. Anxiety attacks, low energy, ridiculously slow metabolism and quite a bit of weight gain in a short time. My endocronologist believes I was probably always a bit hypo, but we never thought to check that ... Turns out in my family, too. My mom was hypo as well (diagnosed around the same age), and had a partial thyroidectomy about 3 years ago. I take 100 mcg/day, and I'm told that my dose may need to be reduced as I shrink, but I'm pretty good about going and getting checked every few months. Just be glad they caught it!

Weigh loss surgery can affect your blood sugar levels. Some individuals experience a condition called reactive hypoglycemia. The symptoms of hypoglycemia are: blurry vision rapid heartbeat sudden mood changes sudden nervousness unexplained fatigue pale skin headache hunger shaking dizziness sweating difficulty sleeping skin tingling trouble thinking clearly or concentrating loss of consciousness If this is the cause, it sounds like you only have a mild version at this point. But it is something to keep an eye on.

In the first couple of months, I had an aversion to anything sweet. If I had a little something with real sugar in it, I was instantly queasy and it tasted terrible. OK, so I have been having terrible cravings for the last couple of days (hormones?) and I had 2 peices of smores candy. It went down OK, tasted pretty good. Then it hit me. First, I nearly passed out and had to lay on the couch for 2 hours. Then the shaking started. My hands were shaking terribly. My best guess is some sort of hypo-glycemic reaction I have never felt anything like it. I ate pure Protein after that - just chicken - and I started to feel better. Lesson learned: just because I can fit it in my stomach, and it tastes good, and it doesn't make me vomit DOES NOT MEAN that it is a free for all and I can eat it. I am not eating enough food to waste even one bite on something that isn't nutritious. Maybe later on, but not now. Living and learning...

I had RNY so I know it is not the same, but I have Graves Disease so I had my thyroid ablated with radiation iodine in 2011 so I have no natural thyroid function and take Synthroid replacement every day. My med did not absorb properly post WLS (and my endocrinologist told me to expect it), so I was hypothyroid for a while and had to up my med. Synthroid can be particular so it would seem reasonable that the balloon could mess with absorption but it would seem odd that you would be enough hypo-thyroid in just 10 days. It could have occurred prior to your surgery and just now revealing itself? Also remember that you have to be consistent with taking your med and eating - i.e. at least an hour after the med, no Calcium within 4 hours of med (or if you do, just do It consistently), etc. Not sure if that helps, but I thought I would throw you what I knew...

I do about as well with Medifast RTD as I do with Isopure, and I went with Ispure only b/c I've read it's not a great idea to have a lot of soy if you have a thyroid condition (I'm hypo). Lactaid has no effect. Thanks for your replies. I am glad that at least I can use Immodium. Thanks again!

No, you don't come on too strong. You are straight forward, and I appreciate that. My first surgeon gave me his rules: Protein shakes for 2 days after a fill, then soft foods, like soft scrambled eggs and sugar free pudding and Jello. Then I can work up to fish and soft veggies. The last doc said nothing but Water for the first day (clear liquids) no milk, then the 2nd day Protein Shakes, and the 3rd day soft foods. Told me I shouldn't be able to eat much, but I can eat an entire 12 in Subway sub (toasted ham and cheese). You are right. I have to get back to basics. I do drink when I eat. I will work on that this week. No more bread, rice or Pasta, either. What about coffee? Can I still have my coffee? The dietician said I had 3 overlapping issues with sugar. She said I may be having dumping syndrome, reactive hypoglycemia, and pre-diabetic hypoglycemia. She said that each of these things can mess up my sugar, but can be controlled. Also, when I had my gallbladder out, I get the Worst case of burping! It doesn't matter what I eat, I burp.

Hi everyone, signing in from Australia. I am having my sleeve done on 15th November, so I will be starting my pre-op diet on 2nd. My worry is that I am a type 2 diabetic on insulin twice a day, along with oral medication. Can anyone give me any ideas on how to juggle the low carb diet with medication? I work full time, so the two weeks pre surgery I will be at work with only my assistant knowing that I am having this procedure. I guess I'm just really worried of hypos in public or throwing my bgl out too far. I don't normally adjust my insulin against my readings, I'm on Novomix 30/70, 25 units am and 28 units pm as well as Jardiamet oral twice a day. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

the body will get sued to whgat you are doing- you must move around and switch the foods and cal intake, or you will not lose, Because of weight loss my dr just reduced my thyroid meds, I am hypo- and losing weigth is always an issue, but time for body change,,, cause I am in the plateou!

I get the heart racing thing once in a while since surgery. I did read something about reactive hypoglycemia that might be my cause. It's supposed to be more common in those that have stomach surgery, especially weight loss surgery. It would make sense since the heart rate increase is usually a little while after I eat and causes many of the symptoms mention here.

not quitting smoking could be really detrimental to your surgery, so i'd honestly at least try to quit. i've seen some surgeries where people didn't stop smoking & it messes with your healing time, your skin as well as other stuff.. it's not pretty. "Smoking does two things in terms of the cardiovascular system that anesthesiologists area concerned about. First, smoking increases the amount of carbon monoxide attached to hemoglobin in the blood. This has the effect of decreasing oxygen supply. Carbon monoxide also makes the heart pump more poorly, also decreasing the amount of oxygen that is delivered to the body. Second, nicotine increases the amount of oxygen that the body needs. So, oxygen supply is being compromised at the same time that more oxygen is being utilized. Smoking obviously also affects the lungs. Among other thigns, smoking causes an increase in the amount of mucus secreted while at the same time decreasing the ability of the lungs to clear these secretions. In addition, smoking causes the small airways in the lungs to be narrowed and more prone to collapse. The end result of these effects are an increased susceptibility to infection, chronic cough and increased chance of pulmonary complications. Lastly, smokers also have increased sensitivity to stimuli and increased bronchial reactivity, increasing the chance for bronchospasm and other life threatening pulmonary processes. This is not just theory. There have been multiple studies confirming that smoking increases the incidence of pulmonary complications after an anesthetic as much as six times. Smoking has been shown to be an independent risk factor for complications ranging from complications of lung function to wound healing to cardiovascular events such as heart attack." source: http://anesthesiolog...es/12012003.php also: Q: What specifically does smoking do to inhibit healing and recovery from surgery? A: Nicotine closes the blood vessels responsible for bringing oxygenated blood to the tissues. In addition to its healing power, oxygen also fights infection and helps to keep tissue alive, as well as being instrumental in delivering important medications like antibiotics. Furthermore, smoking clogs the lungs, and thus increases risk of pulmonary infection such as pneumonia. Q: What are the worst-case scenario consequences of smoking before and after surgery? A: Smoking significantly increases the risk of severe infections, pneumonia, and tissue death. Q: Are there specific surgeries that you will refuse to perform on a smoker? A: Certain procedures which involve a lot of pulling or altering of blood supply would present more risk for a smoker. These procedures include face lifts, tummy tucks, and the use of tissue flaps as in reconstructive surgery. Q: Aside from quitting entirely, how long do you recommend patients avoid smoking before and after surgery? A: Ideally, the patient would quit altogether. However, this is obviously not going to happen with a lot of patients. Generally, it is recommended that a patient avoid smoking for at least 3 weeks before and after surgery. Source: http://plasticsurger.../smoking_PS.htm

I've read some posts about folks dealing with reactive hypoglycemia at about 1 year + out. Im a little over a year out and now struggling with it. Ive read several links explaining what it exactly is. What I'm asking with this post is what are some of your personal remedy foods and emergency Snacks? I could use some ideas. Protein pairing seems to be key.

Is there a list of questions for your first surgeon consult anywhere on here (I'm anal, I know-have another list for the insurance lady)? I realize that some of these may get answered at the initial seminars (been to mine already), but I still have lots of details to ask. I'm hoping the Dr. will cover most of this when I get there. Here's what I have so far, PLEASE help me add to this (going in a few weeks, thanks!): PRE-OP - Pre-Op Diet- how long, what/when? Night before-what/when? - Bowel Prep- or not, what/when? - My Meds.- continue reg. meds, Vitamins, up until when? WHICH BAND (I have a choice) - Realize- Want to see this one filled/crease concern, and the bend back lock - Lap-Band APS or APL- How much fill is in it immediately, and is this all in the port/tube (zero band fill)? See it filled. - Low profile port- Which has? option for me now or later? SURGERY/IN HOSPITAL - When does surgery get scheduled/criteria? Tentative date or wait for insurance approval? - Allergies- Mine-soaps/sheets, adhesive tape (fine with the hypo-allergenic kind), all environmental (asthma) - Anesthesia-preventatives for nausea possible (I get easily nauseated, was given 2 things for nausea by anesthesiologist last surgery)? - Catheter- used? out when? - Oxygen/IV- confirm yes- also? - Clot Preventatives- leg sleeves? meds, other? - Band- Attachment-How-lower stomach folds up and sutured (2-5) on one side? How long until it is secure/fused How can slippage occur? Is it tested during surgery, blue dye or how? - Port (I can chose where) Determine best position, attached how? How long until it is secure/fused? How can flips occur? - CO2- What do you do to minimize gas pains? Remove excess? Is it heated/humidified? Meds after? - Incisions- Confirm 5/locations? Use staples, stitches, glue? Protected with what/coverings? - Complications- should I expect any with my history? - Timing- (Mainly for DH)What is approx. timing/process of surgery (arival, prep, surgery, recovery, etc.) - Pain Meds- after, what, how often, side effects/nausea? - My Meds- Can I take my reg. meds in hospital, when? - Nausea- Meds available immediately after if needed? - Coughing- (some wake up and cough, I have asthma and easily cough) are meds available for this immediately? Can I also take inhaler immediately? - Length of stay- 1 night? What is the criteria for release? - Tests- Barium swallow? X-ray? Urine test? Other? - Expectations- Up and walking when? Shower? etc. HOME/POST-OP - Incisions- What to expect, treat them, buy anything, timing? - Expectations/Instructions- sleeping (propped up?), lifting, work, pain-when to call, etc. - Pain Meds- What, how often? Can I pre-fill Rx? - Other Meds- Nausea/Vomiting (get Rx for Phenergan), Diarrhea/Constipation, Coughing, Gas pains? Get Rx or OK list for OTC, and when it's OK. Call at what point? - My Meds.- If not started in hospital, when is it OK to start regular meds., vitamins? - Card- LB card to carry in wallet available, info. on limitations, loc. of port, surgeon info? - Diet- Phases what/when? Vitamin supplements? What to buy? - Exercise- What, when? LONG TERM - Dr. Visits- What is normal schedule for post-op visits, for what, testing, or only see at fills? - Fills- What is normal schedule/Normal amounts? Criteria? Who does? How are they done- xray, fluroscope, barium swallow, local anesthetic? Unfills the same? - Complications- Fill/restriction issues, Port/Band Pain, When to call? - Support Group- Schedule

So this is VERY serious! Start taking them again asap. Only quit them when you're working with your psych! Dayum!!! Quitting cold turkey can send you into a reactive phase that will literally double you over with bone/muscle pain. It makes all your neurotransmitters get proverbially locked up! In general, it takes almost as long to taper off meds as you've been taking them -- kinda...such as for every month you were taking them, it takes 1 week to 1 month to step down the dose depending on the individual. It's too late now, but honestly this stuff should have been reconciled pre-surg!!!! It's part of why we have so many hoops to jump through and so many doc appts! Your meds in general should only be crushed if they aren't enteric coated or time release. Psych meds need to be switched to non-time release. Think Effexor is one that can easily be changed. In addition to this, what @dreamingsmall said!! Truly magical thinking to think otherwise. ((hugs)) and get some meds into your system asap. Make an appointment with your psych asap and formulate a plan!

It's 20 degrees outside lol I usually walk at the gym.. I put my membership on medical hold and my dr won't give me a note to reactivate it until the 7th (not to bad) I tried walking around the mall but it's always so crowded... Can't wait for warmer weather!