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Thank you. I am going to look into it, either way. The mexico thing is not an option for me at all, I just don't have that kind of money and no options for borrowing it either. I am going to do some calling next week to find out what I would have to do to get this done. As soon as I know what the requirements are I will post it here.

Hello! There are a few items that or OK at fast food restaurants. Also, maybe you can stock up at the grocery store before your return trip. Most delis have a veggie plate with cut up vegetables and a sinlge serving of hummus. Back in the day I used to get a hamburger and salad from McDonalds - throw out the bun and cut the patty onto the salad and eat it. Very low carb and may get you through a bad situation if drive through is the only option. Good luck!

I have been trying to not stop at fast food places since meeting with the dietician for the first time on May 18. For the most part - I've been successful in that. I admit, I have stopped about 5 times during these 3 weeks and have ordered from my favorite take out 3 times. However, that's better than I used to be - I used to stop for fast food every day - for Breakfast and dinner and order take out for lunch every day. So, while I still have a lot of work to do to break my fast food habit, I still count this as a success. On Friday, I'll be leaving for a 15 hour drive (which I am breaking into 2 days) so I can get to Providence to park my car (since it is cheaper there than at my destination) and take a 1 hour train ride to Boston for a week of genealogy research. For the first time ever, I have been thinking about how I will eat during that drive. I spent some time today chopping up some veggies and putting them into ziplock bags for my cooler. I even put some bottles of Water in the freezer which I will then use to keep things cool in my cooler. I also made a batch of those cheese crisps that was posted in the recipe section for the trip (I had to try one - it wasn't bad). I am even planning to take some of my Protein samples with me so I can mix them on the run. I'll stop at gas stations along the way to get more bottles of cold water. While I am in Boston, I do plan to eat out each day - but I have already researched some restaurants that are in the area of my hotel that have healthy foods for not an outrageous price. The trip home will be more difficult - as I'm sure I won't have any veggies left then (and frankly even if I did, they would probably be bad). I realize I could stop at many fast food places and get salads - but I really do not want to do that because it will be too easy right now for me to order stuff I shouldn't be eating. I'm sure I'll figure something out for the return trip. I'm amazed at this change in myself already - and I haven't even gotten to the pre-op diet yet!

Get your protein in first and foremost. Than you need to drink, drink, drink. Watch your calories and get that body moving:)

haha yeah I was waking up in the middle of the night craving chinese food ... and who's ever heard of eating just one piece of pizza!! Good luck on Friday!! I'm on day 6 post op ... good news is that your appetite and cravings simply disappear (or at least mine have). Less good is I'm getting pretty tired of protein shakes already. Am gathering recipes for other full liquid protein rich soups and broths.

Hey, the cardiologist receptionist gave me the idea of Protein 2.0, because she said she was getting sick of the protein shakes. I ordered some and have it on hand for when i get home. How much pain were you in the day of and after the surgery? Not ashamed to admit it, but I'm scared to death. Tried making doc understand he should give me some meds that i could take the night before so I don't back out, but he wouldn't listen. My big issue is I am the fussiest fat guy you will ever meet. There are very few things on the different diet stages I will eat, so I hope i get to regular food quick!

Thanks! I just got back from my first support group meeting. AWESOME! There were two sleeve folks there, and both said they could have went as well. One was three weeks out and the other 10. I suppose it just depends on the individual. I've already sampled several Protein drinks and found that the Jay Robb is one I really like. I'm gonna try to keep with that one after surgery. I'm ready for my journey!

@@Krystyneh thank you so much. I'm definitely considering a more permanent birth control option since pills to me are such a hassle. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App @@Krystyneh thank you so much. I'm definitely considering a more permanent birth control option since pills to me are such a hassle. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hello everyone, I'm just here wondering what the process was for others. I am currently starting my 4th week post op. So far I've lost approximately 16 pounds. For me I guess I feel like maybe this is significantly low... but others tell me not. My question for everyone is when did your weight loss begin to pick up? I'm on solids now, and can barely eat 1 or 2 bites before I'm full. I'm also having trouble getting my water in, just because when I drink it still hurts. The water gets stuck in my esophagus before finally going into my stomach. So most days I'm only getting in 40oz of water. I'm hoping it gets better!! Pre-op I was peeing 6-7 times a day, now I'm lucky if I'm going twice. I hope once I'm fully healed it gets better but it's been rough getting in my protein since I get full so fast. Any thoughts or recommendations are welcomed! Please and thank you.

Day 10 of Pre-Op diet. Have I cheated? Yes......Do I suggest you to cheat? No..... I called my Doctor's office and spoke to the Dietician and told him this is crazy! I wanted to know why there is such a difference in the diets just like you do carbgrl.....why do some people have to go on the liquids for 2 weeks and some people can at least have one high Protein sensible meal a day a long with their Protein shakes (Optifast is what I have to drink 24/7, with SF Jell-O, tea, coffee, diet green tea, anything clear and liquid pretty much). He explained I could go off the liquids or eat the one high protein sensible meal a day and continue with my Optifast shakes. They would still do my surgery, but it makes it difficult on the back-end during recovery and adjusting to the liquids I will be drinking after getting banded and the "puree" I will be doing after the liquids. So basically there are two reasons why the liquids are introduced 2 weeks before the surgery. 1. Like JackyL said: 2. Your ability to adjust to liquids and get in that "mind-set". Let's face it. These protein shakes are going to be our best friends for the rest of our lifes, not just two weeks before surgery. It is now or never to learn that the liquid side of being banded exist and is starting now. It makes it a struggle the entire time during your Pre-op liquid diet if you eat ANYTHING outside of what you are suppose to eat. I hit my brick wall on the 4th day.....cheated on the 6th day, hit the brick wall everyday since then. My surgery is scheduled for April 14th at 9am. Am I ready? I don't know yet....doing a lot of soul searching right now. I am not looking at this to lose weight, I am doing this to get healthy. I quit smoking on March 17th which was a breeze compared to what I am going through right now..but I have committed to myself that I am going to get healthy so I am taking the steps in that diretion. Starting Weight was 244 Current Weight is 238 Goal Weight.....A HEALTHY BMI!:sad:

I'm currently in a research study for the effects of the VSG on type II diabetes. I don't have diabetes myself, which is why they're testing their stuff out on us 'healthier' patients. Anyway, I guess this is one of the first long term studies being done on this topic. All they know is that after a very short period of time following the VSG surgery, diabetes seems to go away even before there is any major weight loss. They don't know why it is, if it's from the removal of the stomach or what. It's pretty interesting. I guess what I'm saying is don't discount the VSG because of diabetes. Chances are, you'll be off your medicine within a month or two following surgery. For me, the VSG was the only option since I wanted something permanent that wasn't a malabsorption surgery. Good Luck!!!

Have you undecided pple - ck'd the sleeve - it's another option and you don't have the absorption issues that you can have from bypass.. It's another opinion For me I am happy with my band - I'm lucky I would say as I got to sweet spot fast and haven't had any issue (thank God and knock wood too ;0)- any wls is a crap shoot on what will be the best choice for you and none of it is the magic cure to our issues with food.. They all require work.. Good Luck to you all. Nancy - so glad you are doing so well with your bypass - I'm happy for you !!! I truly think that for some pple bypass is the answer - I'm not one of those banders who think the band is the only answer - it really is about what works and is the best for the individual person..

GM. well I been doing better for a few hrs doing the day, but when it comes to eat lunch or dinner I over do it. yesterday after over eating I got sick. so I was good for the rest of the day. I hope today I can do better trying for three shakes and Protein, Water. have a great day.

I used some brand from my local grocery store, nothing fancy when it comes to protein powder as long as it was vanilla.

I've been reading a lot about food addiction, and I'm trying to honestly assess myself. I have a huge passion for good food, but I don't eat a lot of junk or processed food. I haven't eaten fast food in probably 2 years. My husband has a candy habit, but I don't eat much of it. I love to cook, but my cooking style tends to be more Mediterranean than homestyle. I'm not much of a baker, so I don't make cakes or Cookies very often. When I get stressed or upset, I tend to cook and eat less than when I'm feeling good. I can get a little obsessive over food, but it tends to be more about individual ingredients. For instance, I'm always looking for new olive oils to try, and over the last few months I've probably bought a dozen types of sea salt. I have 2 lbs of French green lentils in the pantry that I'm excited to try. I'm looking forward to figuring out ways to up the Protein in everything I make post-op. Of course, I didn't get to this weight without over-enjoying a whole lot of great food. In my case, bad knee issues made it very hard to exercise, which just exacerbated the weight gain. But, I know I think about food a lot. I read cookbooks, watch a lot of cooking shows, and search out food blogs. I know that I will face head hunger and the challenges of all the life changes post-op. But how do you tell the difference between food passion and food addiction?

RNY-to-sleeve revisions happen, but it's apparently mostly because of severe reactive hypoglycemia and other really weirdly specific complications. Sleeve-to-RNY is more common in part because the sleeve was eventually conceived as a safer surgery to give people with much higher BMIs, with the intention of converting them to RNY once they lost enough weight that that was a safe option for them. They started doing it as a standalone procedure when many of those patients opted not to come in for the second surgery, being successful with just the sleeve. But sleeve-to-RNY absolutely does happen, still, especially for people who have uncontrolled GERD or who can't lose enough weight with the sleeve alone. In my pre-op testing they found some small lesions in my esophagus, which might have been esophagitis or might have been a small amount of GERD. I went with the sleeve despite that, because I also have arthritis and might need to take ibuprofen and other NSAIDs again, ever, in my life. (Also, I had been taking large amounts of NSAIDs over a long period of time, and they may have been responsible for some of the damage they found.) I can't tell you how that turned out for me, since I'm only a week post-op, but I will say my doctor didn't try to sway me toward RNY at all, and given that I also had a hernia repaired, I'm pretty hopeful that it'll all turn out OK.

So I'm now a little over three weeks since being sleeved. I actually typed this up once before but somehow lost it and was too tired to type again until now. My time in the hospital started off with a glitch and ended with a glitch. At first (after being at the hospital for over 5 hours- also had a vena cava filter put in) my bloodwork showed I had low potassium. If they couldn't get it raised by taking what I call potassium "shots", which were super nasty tasting, then my surgery would have to be post-poned. Yeah...I freaked, but my levels did raise about 40 minutes after the potassium shot- so yay surgery! Everything with surgery went fine. The surgeon said if I hadn't lost the 63 lbs. ahead of time she would've had to have done an open procedure because my liver was still pretty big but thank goodness that didn't happen! I was so happy to wake up alive and with the laproscopic option! My other glitch was one night I woke up with a nurse sitting by my side. Apparently my oxygen levels went really low and I stopped breathing. The nurse had to stay with me as I slept that night since it kept going low- scary! Anyways that led me to staying in the hospital another night and I was supposed to stay a fourth night but they decided to let me go home if I slept with oxygen at home and scheduled some heart tests and a sleep study. Whew- I was glad I could leave the hospital! I was so ready to be home! Finally after a couple days home I got on the scale- oh I so shouldn't have- I had gained 15 lbs!!!!! What... I thought I was supposed to lose weight! So I know it was due to receiving fluids for 4 days and the air they pump into your stomach during surgery but still it was depressing. I've since lost those lbs- thank goodness. Then came the appointments. Had an echocardiagram and bubble tests done on the heart, potassium checked, additional bloodwork done, follow- up with the surgeon and nutritionist, and more bloodwork done to see if I had infection (had some bad stomach pain). All of that came back good. And then I had the oh so fun sleep study last night. Wow- that was an experience! How weird to be hooked up to so many wires and to have someone watch you sleep. The strangest thing was waking up in a pitch dark room while someone was saying my name. Of course I woke up forgetting where I was and I kept looking around trying to see who was calling my name- well duh it was over the intercom. he he . I haven't received results yet but the technician said I definitely didn't have severe sleep apnea and she wasn't even sure I'd be diagnosed with sleep apnea/need a c-pap. Both she and my surgeon guess it may be because of the pain meds why I had issues in the hospital- but of course I won't know for sure until my follow-up with the doc. Whew- well there is my story. Overall things went well. It is definitely an adjustment but I continue to tell myself it will get better and better. I've really enjoyed reading all your stories and NSV's and can't wait to be there with you soon!

I've noticed the same jaw/head/ear pain with my fills, especially if overfilled. It might be a safe thing to get at least a tiny bit taken out. Reason being, the fills actually get tighter later down the road. If you can't chew hard proteins and swallow them without pb'ing, you could do some real damage by keeping the fill.

WOW!! I'm post of 4/17 and I too began the worst 48 hours ever. I cannot eat or drink anything!!! I'm so glad I came across your thread. I started with zofran again today which helped but didn't solve. I'm finishing out 48 hours w/no protein and hardly even water. I was in bathroom much of the night. I'm going to try a cracker in a few mins.

If you are unable to hold liquids down then I would be very concerned and call your surgeon as you can easily become very dehydrated and ill. I also tell people that if they get sick like vomit after they eat or it hurts call their surgeon. Even on my bad days I was always able to drink and get Protein in.

Don't fret about needing surgery. It is a hard pill to swallow, but at least you are actually doing something about your situation. There are people in this forum that waited until they were in their 60s and wish that they could have had it done decades ago. You will do well, and have the rest of your life to live the way you have always wanted to. Your health will greatly improve as well. One thing that I will tell you is if you are a caffeine drinker (coffee, soda, iced tea), let it go now. You will get the withdrawal over with before surgery. You don't need to be going through withdrawal while recovering from surgery. Trust me, you will thank me later. Also, stock your shelves with drinks (zero calorie), protein shakes, soups, etc. now. Get your heavy lifting out of the way. That way you won't need to do this later. Good luck!

Just remember it will be worth it. I'm on day 4 now of liquids and since I haven't cheated, I can tell you it is true the hunger pains do go away. Your head occasionally wants food but my tummy is fine and I don't want for anything. I can tell already I've lost weight. Just get that protein/ fluids in and you will be good!

I am on day 7 of my 14 day pre-op diet. I am allowed four protein shakes a day and clear liquids only. I have lost 13 pounds in 6 days. I am nauseous a lot and really feel awful. Anyone else have this hard of a time with the diet? I have 7 days left! Ugh! Had to take Reglan to get thru my day at work last Friday. Not looking forward to this week! I am a nurse in a pediatricians office and don't sit down all day.

Hi I would recomend you to view a video on you tube called Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy: My Story and Basic Bariatric Information From Erika Jones. In my opinion this video helps you to know the best surgery option for you. Good Luck.

Alive and well... still getting used to eating like a supermodel instead of a food-eating-champion... but I suppose that's to be expected. The losing game is interesting. Lose some... stay the same for a day... gain 2 pounds the next day... stay the same for week... lose 3 pounds... lather, rinse, repeat. Still trying to get the calorie/water/protein combo consistent. For the most part, am getting all the Water and Protein, but have to fight to get my calories to around 1000-1200 per day. Lower than that and I get cranky and my weight-loss stalls. It's difficult, though, to eat healthy with such small portions and still get the calories up. I'm slowly getting better at it, though. I'm already sooooo much better off than I was a month ago that I find it hard to believe. My range-of-motion and moving without fat pains has greatly improved. I just keep asking myself, "why did you wait so long to do this?"