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I’ve started alforex. Had one movement I’m told probably not overflow. Surgeon wants me to stay on liquids til Monday, two Movicol at night, and soft foods Monday. He’s still querying bowel hernia but I’m more comfortable than I was. And a well timed snow day means I don’t have to try work til Monday [emoji41] who’d have thunk constipation could have stunk so much! In every possible way!!

Hi, I️ had my sleeve done on Oct. 11th, 2017. I live in Anchorage.I used to live in Eagle River. I still have not quite figured out how to use this app well. I️ think most of the posts when I query Alaska are old posts. Are you getting excited yet?

Hi All, I'm getting pretty nervous... my surgery is in less than two weeks and I have no one to talk about it really. My partner is the only one that knows and he's so supportive but probably not as interested in the finer details and concerns and querying I have on a daily basis, as the date approaches. So I do feel a little isolated having my concerns go unanswered. I recently had surgery (a week ago) to have all four of my wisdom teeth removed and I had a horrible time with pain relief. Nothing worked and I had to just ride it out. They had me on Tremadol, telling me to up my dosage and it did nothing except constipate me beyond belief. This worries me a lot coming up to what I know is going to a painful recovery and the possibility of being constipated as a reaction to pain medications as well as in pain is just a little too much to handle all on my own. Anyone have anything they can share with me, to try and alleviate some of my concerns?

This may come across as brusque to those with an overly active conscience, but I live my live by the following mantra: I owe nothing to no one. I am not an open book and I owe no one any particular thing, not even the unadulterated truth. Some queries are a bit intrusive. If some random stranger asked about your favorite sex position (missionary, doggy style, etc), would you divulge? If a convicted rapist who arrived home after serving the past 10 years in prison asked for your address, would you divulge? After all, the truth shall set you free! (sarcasm intended)... In essence, my weight loss surgery is no one's business. If not divulging is considered a lie, then call me a liar. After all, it is one lie that has caused me to feel at peace for the past 2.5 years.

Long post alert.... I'm in Birmingham, had my operation in London, St Mary's, Paddington in Feb 2013. Started off at 20st got down to about 11st 8lb but looked too thin and always felt like I had a cold coming, weak and tired all the time. Am now just under 13st got my curves back, and don't feel shattered all the time, I'm in a happy place now. After the op I didn't feel that anything had been done as I had no pain, didn't need painkillers and everyone else that had the op in the ward was doubled up in pain and couldn't leave their beds. At St Mary's they had some funding as the offset was paying dividends due to me for example being on 5 types of blood pressure medication to now only being on 2.5mg water retention tablet every other day as still get slightly swollen ankles. In addition I have 30mg Lansoprazol antacid tablet every day also a centrum multi vitamin am lucky as my GP gives me them on prescription. What are you taking? The whole process for me was very quick was referred by my GP November 2012 got letter for a group presentation New Year Eve as all types of surgery are presented. Then I got an appointment for mid January 2013 where everything was done... X-rays, blood tests, talking to doctor and anethantist. That day was given my surgery date of 8th February. Had to do a pre-surgey diet I opted for low carbs. Loads of people did slim fast, I didn't want to feel deprived. I lost 15lbs in the 2 weeks. Food side was difficult to get my head around initially as someone​ loves food I totally skipped the purée stage and made lentil soups and blended down and had whenever I felt hungry and to keep my protein levels up. Can recommend a book called weight loss surgery for dummies Google it as there is a PDF copy online. I'm at the stage can eat most things but have to stop myself from overindulgence. Often said that your stomach is size of an egg. I queried this and was told for me was bigger as I didn't have as much to lose as some patients. Was glad was told this as I constantly kept seeing and egg and I are more than the size of an egg so thought I had an eating disorder! Over time my pouch has relaxed and stretched a bit, was told it would after your body repairs after the surgery. Meaning that now it has to act as a tool. I can have one food this week and next week can't stand smell. If I get a metallic taste in my mouth I have to get to a toilet... quickly! That's my trigger for throwing up. Has your hair thinned a bit, mine has but took a couple years to recover, I was told to have more protein. Often ask if I regret having done, for me I regret not having it sooner! Did look at having it done private at Dolan Park in Worcester had an appointment saw doctor etc but changed my mind after reading reviews online and getting a hard sales pitch from the assistant, I felt uncomfortable. So went back to see my GP and that time the funding had been approved. One tip though, hold off buying clothes...I found that I'd skip a size and got expensive. I would buy stuff from charity shops, jumble sales, hand me downs from friends etc. I went from size 22/24 have been down to size 10 M&S skirts but now a happy size 14 tend to wear slightly bigger top as don't like a snug fit. Hope info has been of help to you? It's a great journey and I'm learning every day.... Sent from my CUBOT MAX using BariatricPal mobile app

My psych evaluation was very basic, hit all the requirements stated by the surgeon's office and no more than that. It was so basic that the nurse phoned me to query me about it. Because it was my regular therapist, they were willing to approve me in the end.

Not one single solution to the original query: what does a man do to get a pair of jeans to fit well if he has a larger than usual belly and a flat butt.

The query , "How do you feel", is actually a nice thing to say after finding out someone had surgery. Lol. Methinks you just need a little vacation if social pleasantries get you down...

@jwinters19 When you get smaller, the VS leggings and fabletics do a great job. Since you are still in plus sizes and losing... Danskin Compression leggings from Walmart perform very well, fit well and hold everything in. https://www.walmart.com/search/?cat_id=0&facet=clothing_size%3A2XL&query=danskin+compression+leggings&typeahead=danskin+compression#searchProductResult You want high waist and since you are still losing, order down a size from what you wear right now, so they last you longer. They have stretch and snapback so if they have to work a little harder at first it will be okay. I always get high waist leggings for maximum control.

Eh, I felt good enough to ski 2 1/2 weeks post op. I didn't, but I did fly to another country and walk nearly 15 miles a day at a high altitude. Some of us recover quickly. I don't think it's a troll. But, concur on the other point- only your doctor can help with this query.

"For surgery my doctor recommended. Did you have sex last night?" Asking you what kind of surgery you had is terribly rude -- most people do it out of concern, but you really can just say, I had to have a procedure and I'm feeling much better now. Thank you so much for asking. Then change the topic. I have come back with the sex query when people who had no right to ask or know butted into a conversation - when they looked shocked I would explain that my health was just as personal to me as their sex life was to them. My work knew I was having surgery. That's all they knew. Whenever anyone asked, I thanked them for their concern and said it was something my doctor recommended and said I was on the mend. They usually got the hint.

Jamie explained it very well. Think of it like this - let's say a recipe calls for 1 cup of heavy cream, 1 cup of Water, and 1 cup of whipped cream. Volume wise they're all the same (size). But actual weight will be very different. Water is 8.3 oz per cup, whipped cream will be 2 ounces per cup, and the heavy cream will be 8.5 oz per cup. You can check these all at wolframalpha.com, here are the search queries I used: http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=how+many+ounces+is+1+cup+of+heavy+cream http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=how+many+ounces+is+1+cup+of+whipped+cream http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=how+many+ounces+is+1+cup+of+water

Hi all. I'm not going to go into all the drama around here. You all know what's been going on so no need to hash that out. I'm well aware that as I am four years on these boards, I've been around for alot longer than most vets and certainly alot longer than the new folks I've seen come and go. The reason why I stay even with the nonsense going on is noted below. If you want to hear/read at least this vet's thoughts and opinions, feel free to continue with the following: Without pointing fingers, I can see that my suspicions are likely accurate. When people leave, they often do so because they have/are gaining the weight back. I've seen some of my peers (those who were losing as I was losing back in 2013 and 2014) come back here and kudos for them for doing so. To a man (or woman), they are saying they have lost their way, gained the weight back, etc. etc. etc. I've also gained back. I was as low as 115 lbs. and now I hover in the mid to high 130s. Some of my clothes are too tight and that bothers me. I feel bad when I see the scale go in the wrong direction, but I fight it every day and try not to have that number creep up any further. Being on this forum and going through my struggles, helps to keep me accountable. If I leave, I fear that I will cut off the thing that has helped me the most, which is to hold myself up as an example of how this WLS so profoundly changed my whole life. Not everyone has gone through the same metamorphis as I have and I understand that. But to say that my life was horrible when I was obese and immobile and now is normal because I fit anywhere and can walk again, can't even explain it all. I'm happier and more satisfied than I've been in years. I think more of myself in that I take care of me. I work, I exercise, I take joy in my family, heck, I even plunged into the dating world again and somehow managed to find the guy I call MOMD (man of my dreams). He has brought me such joy and happiness and I know we would never have met had I not changed my life. And yes...I dated a number of frogs before finding this prince. So here I am day after day. I don't post as I used to and truthfully, I don't read much in the way of folks asking specific questions about post op things. I'm too far out to really respond to those queries. But for the folks who are interested in maintenance...and living with the disease of obesity even if we are no longer obese, I am here for that. Some days are good, some are not. I try to live by example and not espouse any particular way that others should approach their weight loss journey. We all make this journey our own way and while there are many similarities, we are all different and have to understand that. I've seen so many posters who were my support drift away and while I hope that they are just out there living their lives as successes in terms of their weight loss, I fear that for many of them, they have slipped up and gained the weight back. For those just starting out or fairly new to the process, it's all about losing the weight. For those like me, it's about maintenance. And with any lifestyle change, the maintenance is the hardest part. I've very few peers left on this forum but I stay because if I go, I have none of you to make me accountable. I just hit my four year anniversary. I always posted in prior years, but did not this time but I decided to put this out there and make it my 'anniversary' post. Here's hoping that what I wrote helped someone out there, be they years away from their surgery, or those who are pre-op and everyone in between.

Yes i had the same thing. My cardiologist said false positives are more common among women. I had to go for a coronary heart scan. Everything came back great, and the cardiologist signed my clearance stating the stress test was a false positive. Sent from my SM-G930V using the BariatricPal App I had the exact same thing. They were querying an enlarged ventricle, however my echocardiogram was normal. My technician told me false positives for ekg are more frequent of ladies of a certain "stature" by that i assume she meant overweight! It didnt stop me panicking for a month before the echo though! Sent from my SM-G935F using the BariatricPal App

There is alot of good advice in these forums from people who have had bypass or sleeve. The team at uclh always stress to phone with any queries so I would do that as they will put your mind at ease. X Sent from my SM-G903F using the BariatricPal App

And even more importantly, who is the idiot who thought it would be a good idea to buy? I was canvassing the house looking for a small cooler. I need to be able to transport a couple of meals of refrigerated items from time to time, and I knew we had something somewhere. I queried Mrs. LittleBill through the modern miracle of texting. She replied that she was pretty sure we had a soft sided one down in the laundry room. I found it. It was some sort of corporate gift, as evidenced by the company name proudly emblazoned on the top. And, it looked like it would probably be a serviceable, if not ideal cooler. But then I pulled it off the shelf. Some mental giant designed the thing with two CUP HOLDERS in the top. Now, on the face of it, that might seem like a great idea. Cup holders on your cooler. It evokes images of happy people sitting around on the ground, or even a bench somewhere, quaffing their drinks, which are ready to hand at a convenient location, because their soft sided cooler has cup holders in the top! But let's think about this for just a moment. Soft sided coolers, by definition, are SOFT! They have no real structural rigidity of their own. While they may be very good at containing items, they really aren't designed to HOLD THINGS UP. They can't even hold THEMSELVES up! You have to stuff them FULL of something to get that. But wait! When you stuff your soft sided cooler FULL, where are the cup holders going to go!?!?! Do you make two little holes in your food, ice, and extra drinks? How do you close the thing up? Maybe you wiggle your cup slowly and gently every time you push it into the holder, so whatever is inside is pushed to the sides as the holder extends itself into the interior of the cooler. One thing is for sure. You ain't a gonna put an opened drink into that cup holder while the flap of a lid is open, and then slam it down to close it. :P In the whole scheme of things, this really isn't that important. But I am sitting here with not a whole lot to do at the moment, and I felt like venting my spleen where it concerns the wiz bang brain trusts of the corporate world. On the plus side, I found a rigid Little Playmate that cleaned up real nice. It has no cup holders, but I can make do. What it DOES have, is a bullet hole decal someone put on it years ago. At the least, it will help me establish my redneck credentials without any effort on my part. And the way things are around here, this is as close as I am getting to anything that is described by the term Playmate.

@I'm Changing 4 Me I created a spreadsheet to help me figure out what I wanted. Personally, I contacted each and every one of these companies/doctors. How are you going to know if you like them unless you deal with them directly? I think in reality, you have to go through some kind of coordinator. Do you expect your surgeon to be dealing with email and phone queries all day? (In fact, out of all these doctors, the only one I was in contact with was Dr. Illan - and while he seemed very nice, the wi-fi connection was so bad I have no idea if he actually answered any of my questions). So, while it would be nice to talk to them, it's not always possible. However, in some cases the coordinator will contact the doctor if you have any specific questions. This is far from a full list, but based on this, and other sites, I felt that these were the most consistently well-regarded companies and surgeons. As I've mentioned in other posts, I think the biggest reason for price differences are the reputation of the doctor, the hospital used, and the hotels used. Unless otherwise mentioned, all these doctors are in Tijuana, and these are quotes I got for a Gastric Sleeve (prices may vary depending on your personal health conditions): Bariatric Pal Team MX: Dr. Jalil Illan ($4399) Endo Bariatric (in Piedras Negras): Dr. Alvarez ($8900) Mexico Bariatric Center: Dra. Louisiana Valenzuela ($5500) and Dr. Ismael Cabrera ($4995) Obesity Control Center: Dr. Ariel Ortiz ($6500-$9000) Pompeii Surgical: Dr. Sergio Quinones ($4500) Ponce Bariatric: Dr. jaime ponce de leon ($5000) Tijuana Bariatrics: Dr. Fernando Garcia ($4250) WLSC: Dr. Ramos Kelly ($4870-$7710) Another option seems to be Trinity Medical, also promoted by a pretty active member here, but unfortunately I didn't come across that company until after I had made my decision. In my particular case, I live in Japan so unlike most of you in the US and Canada, I have some pretty long international flights, and my pear-shaped bottom can no longer squeeze into a 17" economy seat. I might have done that one-way, but I definitely did not want to be squeezed in for 14 hours after major abdominal surgery. Knowing that I would have to buy a business class seat on an international flight meant that I couldn't afford the more expensive doctors - so anything over $6000 was out. I did not like the way I was treated with Tijuana Bariatrics - all I got was a form letter "you've been approved - send money" - and all requests to speak to a coordinator or doctor were completely ignored. In the end the surgeons I was most interested in were Dr. Q, Dr. Ponce, and either Dr. Valenzuela or Dr. Cabrera at MBC. What swayed me the most was how well I was treated by the coordinator, and the amount of information they could give me about the operation, hospitals, etc, how many surgeries the doctor does daily (some doctors work out of more than one hospital, so make sure you find out the daily total and not the hospital total), and finally the price. Oh - and whether or not the surgery could be done on a day that was most convenient for me (for some reason it seems like a lot of the doctors will be away or on vacation or are already booked in February). I know in the beginning it seems overwhelming, but the best thing to do is bookmark the sites you like, fill out the forms, and see what happens from there. I started with 3 different companies, but over time I expanded my search a little. That said, the problem is the paradox of choice: the more options we have, the more difficult it becomes to choose. Keep it small for now as you get your feet wet. Ask questions. Do research (other bariatric forums, facebook, etc.) It should get better as you go along. My surgery is less than 6 weeks away, so I can't tell you how it went, but I'm confident enough that I will be treated well. Anyway, I hope this helps.

I am an Indian and I got sleeved on October 18 th. I spoke with my nutritionist today and she said as long as the lentils are puréed it will not pose a problem. Hopefully this helps your query. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@poppys Welcome! Good luck with your surgery and post op recovery. For me, the first 2 weeks post op were the hardest, being on liquids only, hungry and I had really bad reflux. All this is a distant memory now. Reflux is gone! At 6 and 1/2 months post op I see a massive change. I am 4 kg away from my goal weight, and 9 kg away from my stretch goal. Hit my final milestone decade today, under 70 kg, at 69 kg now. If you follow the post op instructions and quickly address any issues or queries you have, with your surgeon, psychologist or dietician, you will be fine. The last 6 months went very quickly for me, hope the same happens for you. Best wishes! PS. I lived in Sydney most of my life, then moved to Queensland

@@Ldyvenus he should not have inquired totally inappropriate and likely illegal make a note of this occurrence in writing/note on a journal. Not saying you need to raise with hr. You could casually mention or not. He query may have come from ignorance of hr and human inclination to ask. You chose a good thing to say based on similarity to procedures and the fact that you didn't say gal bladder in case the gb surgery is something you need in future. Good luck!

I'd query the need for the bowel prep in these circumstances. Contact the Secretary to explain the situation. Good luck! Sent from my SM-G935F using the BariatricPal App

Professor Basil Amorri. He was brilliant. Surgery was about 25 mins. I was in 3 days post op with nausea but I'm not good generally with anaesthetic. I had a query a couple of days ago so I emailed him direct and he responded within 10 mins. The staff on the ward were fantastic. In particular a nurse called Andrea who was ?Russian. I would do it again there tomorrow. Hope you have an equally positive experience. Sent from my SM-G935F using the BariatricPal App

Where is inner surfer girl? She always posts her previous thread which is so well written an calming Nibria56- query " embrace the stall" and see what comes up -- all your questions will be answered Good luck Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Thank you! My plan is to keep fighting to get back to where I was Healthwise pre op in the first instance. Obviously now, I will have to manage the C Diff issue and it's complications. It is a tough infection to cure. The percentages on reoccurrence are quite worrying. Once all that is under control. I need to concentrate on slowing down the weightloss. I am still losing between 5 and 7 lbs a week and only getting in between 300 and 400 calories a day. I need to get my Vitamins, minerals, Iron and nutrient levels sorted out. Once all that is completed, and this could take months to achieve, I then need to get back to my pre op routine. Seeing family, friends, neighbours,attending church etc. It is heartbreaking to be isolated from your family due to illness. Now I have to worry about who I infect with C Diff. On visits, I need to be conscious about using people's loos etc. Beyond that, I plan to develop a good relationship with a GP that has enough knowledge to help me get back to health and to get away from the bariatric system. I may have to pay privately for this care. As I keep saying, I don't live in regret. I live in a fight for my life. I believe that I have had C Diff for nearly eight weeks now and the inflammation, blood and mucous presenting, makes me fear that this situation may become even more serious due to the neglect of the bariatric team in post op care. My GP believes the bariatric team should be dealing with me and the bariatric team wants the GP to do it. Meanwhile, I am in trouble. I live my life deep in my Faith. And because I do, I am told that there is a plan for my life. That plan appears to be perseverance with grace. Ultimately, I plan to consult an NHS healthcare advocate. I am going to ask that my case be looked over to ensure that I get better care and other people don't have to go through all of this. If your query concerns my dislike of my sleeve, I accepted the ultimate responsibility for my mistake weeks ago. We all make mistakes. I made the decision in error. There is no point in dwelling on this as it is irreversible. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App At 2 or 3 mos out, I was eating the same amount of calories and losing the same amount. I didn't have complications. I'm just saying that you're not any different in that area. My calorie rec was between 300 and 500 calories per day. Sent from my SM-G930T using the BariatricPal App I am sorry to hear that. My weightloss has been too rapid and is causing problems due to lack of ingestion of Protein, vitamins, iron and minerals. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Thank you! My plan is to keep fighting to get back to where I was Healthwise pre op in the first instance. Obviously now, I will have to manage the C Diff issue and it's complications. It is a tough infection to cure. The percentages on reoccurrence are quite worrying. Once all that is under control. I need to concentrate on slowing down the weightloss. I am still losing between 5 and 7 lbs a week and only getting in between 300 and 400 calories a day. I need to get my Vitamins, minerals, Iron and nutrient levels sorted out. Once all that is completed, and this could take months to achieve, I then need to get back to my pre op routine. Seeing family, friends, neighbours,attending church etc. It is heartbreaking to be isolated from your family due to illness. Now I have to worry about who I infect with C Diff. On visits, I need to be conscious about using people's loos etc. Beyond that, I plan to develop a good relationship with a GP that has enough knowledge to help me get back to health and to get away from the bariatric system. I may have to pay privately for this care. As I keep saying, I don't live in regret. I live in a fight for my life. I believe that I have had C Diff for nearly eight weeks now and the inflammation, blood and mucous presenting, makes me fear that this situation may become even more serious due to the neglect of the bariatric team in post op care. My GP believes the bariatric team should be dealing with me and the bariatric team wants the GP to do it. Meanwhile, I am in trouble. I live my life deep in my Faith. And because I do, I am told that there is a plan for my life. That plan appears to be perseverance with grace. Ultimately, I plan to consult an NHS healthcare advocate. I am going to ask that my case be looked over to ensure that I get better care and other people don't have to go through all of this. If your query concerns my dislike of my sleeve, I accepted the ultimate responsibility for my mistake weeks ago. We all make mistakes. I made the decision in error. There is no point in dwelling on this as it is irreversible. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App At 2 or 3 mos out, I was eating the same amount of calories and losing the same amount. I didn't have complications. I'm just saying that you're not any different in that area. My calorie rec was between 300 and 500 calories per day. Sent from my SM-G930T using the BariatricPal App