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My experience was pretty much the same; I filled out a questionnaire about my eating habits/challenges, and talked with the counselor for a while about my history with weight loss--what I had tried, why I hadn't been successful. It was very open, honest and not judgemental at all. The counselors who do these appointments have (most likely) dealt quite a bit with WLS patients and know how to make sure you understand the risks and what it means to be sleeved. More than likely, these are all things you've thought about well in advance, and you won't be in for any big shocks. ("What do you MEAN, I can't gorge myself on _____________/smoke three packs per day/drink a liter of whisky/participate in the Iron Man Competition a week after surgery?!" ) It'll go great--just be honest with the counselor and with yourself about your history and your expectations of what this surgery can and can't do for you. Good luck!

At 2 weeks post op, the first thing I see is the Baked potato. A lot of drs are different. We were given specific instructions on how to eat and what to eat. first 2 weeks clear and full liquids, weeks 3 &4, High protein foods Puree'd, nothin gstringly, plenty of fluids, 80 oz.plus Protein shakes, protein up around 60-90. EVERy DAY. No white carbs, no pizza, not even WW bread It took me about 7 months before I was brave enough to eat Pzza topping. Tried WW bread at 6 months, paid dearly for that. 6 hrs stuck. Contact your nutritionist, get suggestions. You are still in the healing stages. You now have a band around the stomach. heal and let the stitches set, walk and learn how to make menus during this time. Not to mention the 5 glasses of wine. I bet that blew you away , not having any solids to soak up that alcohol. Dont get me wrong, I like to splurge as well. I had to fight to get this band and I think that nothing taste as good as thin feels. I am 14 months out, down to a size 6/8 and I did not get here by eating like a normal person. l have had lots of temptations. and some I have given into. You need to get things in order if you are going to make this band help you lose any weight at a steady rate. Take this time slowly, make menus , learn how to eat slowly, lean how to eat good healthy foods. It's a tool, not a miracle. I am at the gym 5x week, walk 4 miles 7 x week , muscle is the name of the game. If you are not moving, you're not losing. Use that energy. Good luck.

Has anybody had surgery with Dr. Huacuz in Tijuana recently? I've heard great things about him, his assistant is super sweet. I had a phone consultation with Dr. Huacuz last week and he was super caring and professional. I might be getting a sleeve in October if I get my passport in time.

I am an RN and also have type 1 diabetes with an insulin pump. I have had an insulin pump for over 5 years and love having one. It is by far the best treatment plan I have utilized in treating my diabetes. I have lost over 120 pounds since getting my band last year in September. What I did to control low blood sugars was to set my temporary basal rate to hardly anything for about an hour. I checked my blood sugar sometimes 15 times per day or more if I needed to. I found my basal needs to have dropped by half and most importantly I am using a night basal rate which is much lower than before. Definitely keep some type of juice around for lows. I also had low blood pressure issues for several weeks to months post op. I found that I really could not tolerate any my blood pressure medications and they needed to be stopped altogether. I would not be discouraged by the postings you read. I have found the band to work as long as you are willing to do what it takes to make it work.

Surgery was Thursda in Juarez with Dr. Rodriguez. There were 3 of us having surgery together, and three support people. (family members) The trip there went off without a hitch. Everything went as planned. I was very nervous. Got to the hospital, and we took turns taking X Rays and doing ekg's. I was the 2nd one to have the surgery, I was very frightned. The staff and the Dr's took time to make sure I felt at ease. Surgery went off without a hitch as well. Came too, very sore and groggy. As soon as I got to my room I had to go potty, walked myself, with a little help from Hubby, to the bathroom and then back to bed. By the end of the day Thursday, I was chewing ice chips. Friday and Saturday I seemed to be more fatiged and had less stamina than the other two, they were walking more than me, and up playing cards. I dozed on and off for the first two days. Which is weird, because I'm high strung and I do not nap. But I did then. By Saturday evening I started really feeling like myself again, mentally and physically. Played cards in the patio area and just felt 'normal'. So much so I couldn't sleep, sat up watching TV half the night and was up showering at 5:30 am, back to the 'old' me. Sunday, again, felt even better! Cab ride back to border was crazy, jeeesh...but uneventful, thankgoodness. Back to airport, in El Paso, where we sat in a restaurant and our support team pigged out and we all played cards. By the way our support peeps, did alot of eating out, outside of the hospital, there was a Mexican food restaurant, steak house, Dennys, Starbucks, a mall....you name it. They ate and drank well! Landed home last night at 8:05. Today is beautiful here in Texas...I feel great. I have to say, I'm not hungry. Not yet, and It didn't bother me at all when they ate in my presence. I'm looking forward to new beginings. I pray everyone's journey is as uneventful as mine. I feel really good so far, and am proud of the decision I made. And all three of us had pretty much the same experience, no complications, no regrets. Everyone is feeling great. Thanks Dr. Rod and staff. Ohhhh Ohhh Ohhhh.. Dr. Elmo is a hoot. I owe him one for sure!!! I was soooo scared to have my drain out. The mere thought of it sent the worst feeling down my body. Well when it was time, he came in and got it all ready and then asked me if I wanted to bite my pillow. I was horrified!!!! OMG, Petrified!!! then....he did it.. I swear! I didn't feel one tiny thing. My husband literally doubled over laughing. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to share my experience so far. Thanks for listening... TT.

I was also sleeved on 9/9! I'm on a 2 week liquid diet and CANNOT wait to move onto the pureed stage already! My incision farthest left is the one that gives me the most pain. According to my surgeon that is the site where they removed the excess stomach so it had to be stretched, hence the soreness. Hope you are doing well!

I had blood work at two weeks post op, have it scheduled for three months six months nine months and one year, then every year after that. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi, I'm scheduled for surgery March 3rd in tijuana and I have my pre op instructions for 7 days prior to surgery, but my question is whether I can take my Allegra that week? I have really bad seasonal allergies and I will be miserable if I cannot take this medicine for the week ????. I also take a multivitamin, a prilosec and a probiotic every day. I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with this?

I had the exact same thing happen to me. I had call my insurance company (Humana) to check my benns and they told me that the doctor that I had chosen was covered. When I got to the doctors apt and was back in the office, the insurance lady told me that my benns had changed Jan 1. I had called Humana on Jan 12 and that is when I was told it was covered. What had happened was that the 2008 plan wasnt in yet so they just told me plan benns for 2007. So as of Jan 1 I have to go to a center of excellence. I tried the whole thing of making them pay because they had told me the wrong thing after when the plan had started. They told me that there were not any exceptions. Even if I had been approved and my surgery was in 2 days from that they would have not paid. I think that it really sucks, but I do know how you feel. I am also having to start the whole thing over again. I went to another simanar that night and had my first apt today. Now on top of everything else my insurance company requires a 6 mont diet prior to submission. That started last week. I was so angry when I found that out I jst cried all night. I was suspose to have my surgery next week with the first doc and now it will be August.

I am always joking when the cat walks on a phone and it dials that they are calling out for pizza! I wanted to make sure you know that even a little splenda or any artificial sweetener is toxic to dogs and cats and can actually kill them. Their livers cannot metabolize it. My dog looks so mournful now at not even being able to taste the shakes! Wonderful first post- welcome to the forum! As with above I want to make sure you know Cheech could die if he has artificial sweetener of any kind- his liver will not metabolize it- this means splenda, nutrsweet, aspatamane and xylitol- absolutely lethal to animals. Here's hoping your date comes soon! I am two weeks post op and love my sleeve. I also do You Tubes if you need some encouragement.

I was wondering if anyone else has problems with anxiety since surgery? I have been banded since Jan 12th and have lost 85 pounds. I have been having a lot of anxiety in the past few months and some weeks it is EVERY day! Today was one of the worst days in a long time. I was in Disneyland and all excited to get into the park and had a mental list of all the things to accomplish before going home at 2pm. Well, at 10am it started. We rode two rides and had to quit. I went full on attack at about 11 and it has been going on with little relief for almost 10 hours. The first 6 hours were MISERABLE. I have an appointment with my regular doctor and hope that he can help, on Thursday. Anyone else have these "issues"?

Since my last fill in early june things were up and down for me... I was losing well 2-3 lbs a week but was suffering from nausea , vomiting and very bad acid reflux. I toughed it out taking 80mg prilosec a day 40 in the am and 40 lat afternoon, it seemed to solve the problem. my next issue was learning to eat with my band being tight - one bite too many and out it came, too big a bit and too fast.. same thing. I now have it under control.. ive lost 73lbs since october for an average of 9.1lbs a month.. i am pretty happy with this. I am now sitting at 209- this is the exact point i got to 6-7 years ago when i did atkins,,i hit 209 and couldnt go any farther, so while i am feeling great, excited about my loss i am getting very nervous that i will stall out here again and not go any further. my ultimate goal of 150 puts me at still over weight, 140 and i will be considered normal. But right now i just want to get below 200 - this is my nemesis...i dont think i have been below 200 since i was a teenager.

My surgery is scheduled for August 15th and I would love to talk with others who have been through the process. Bottom line, I am wanting to know what to expect a couple of days after the procedures, a week, 2 weeks, etc. Will I be hunger? In pain? The surgery is on Friday and my doctor told me if I felt like it I could return to work (desk job) on Tuesday. Is that realistic?:biggrin:

X2 on the climbing my kids were 20 months and 3 yrs when I was at that stage. I did pick them up a few times after about 3 weeks and was ok. Spent a lot of time with them climbing on me

One week from today I have surgery and today was my preop - with the exception of 2 spoonfuls of pb butter and 2 broccoli florets I've been excellent on the liquid diet. So I was hoping for a big number today .... 3 pounds ish - that's it!! I was totally jaded and thought "great ~is this a thing of signs to come"- trust me I have weight to loose - felling a little salty - been on preop for 9 days - been on ketogenic diet during medical supervised and lost 6 lbs total Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Liquids for 6 weeks, you are a champ! Why are they making you wait almost another month? How are dealing with the new date? Hang in there!

Right after surgery, the most important requirements are Protein, Vitamins and fluids. It is probably not possible to take your blender with you to work to mix up your Protein shakes, so explore using premixed Protein drinks. Vitamins will have to be spaced throughout the day and you will probably find it very difficult to swallow for a few months. I used pill splitters and pill crushers. But you might want to explore some of the other types of vitamins other than in pill form. Many people lug around large bottles of fluids (Water, Crystal Light, sugar free gator-aid etc.) all day to achieve their Fluid requirements. Meals are secondary because your body will be converting your stored fat into the energy that drives your body - thus you lose weight. Anyways the volume of your meals are ridiculously small in the beginning. I was driving a few days after surgery but your doctor will not permit you to drive if you are still taking narcotic pain medicine. After I left the recovery room I refused all pain medicine for that reason. I didn't really feel much pain. Of course I was walking all the time before and right after surgery which really helps loosen things up making the process almost painless. Also I have a very high pain threshold. You will be giving yourself blood thinner medicine by injection after you leave the hospital. This is to prevent blood clots from forming. I hated this. But it was for only a week or two. You will probably do this at home. You will bruise very very easily. You should not sit in a sitting position for more than 1 hour at a time. It means that you should get up and walk around every now and then during the day. This is to prevent blood clots from forming during the first 6 weeks after surgery. You need to do the incentive spirometer 6 times per day for the first 2 weeks after surgery. You will need to wear TED hose until your activity returns back to normal. Also you will probably wear your binder for at least 2 weeks after surgery.

Is there such a thing as too much cheese? I'm sure there is and it probably isn't a good thing to be eating mainly one food. I fell in love with and seem to crave Laughing Cow and similar spreadable cheeses on top of Wheat Thins. It goes down easily for me and satisfies me. I typically eat about six crackers for breakfast. Some unsweetened apple sauce and cottage cheese for lunch. A Blue Bell round cheese disk or Quest bar for a snack and focus on some sort of protein for dinner. I feel like I am constantly eating. I am 7 weeks out, down 45 since pre-op (10 days before surgery) 35 since surgery. BMI of 39 before surgery, 35 now. Anyone else get stuck in a rut with food? Should I try to add more variety or continue to eat what I can? When I asked my surgeon he said he wants me to drink one or two protein shakes a day. I struggle with nausea and protein shakes, no matter the brand or flavor, turn my stomach.

I had to have a three month weight record from my Nutrionist and well as the Surgical office as per the Aetna requirements. I gave her a copy of my meal food log every month for her review. I found out later that she submitted the log to Aetna with the other paper work for approval.

I was sleeved in January of '12. I've had ups and downs but nothing that you could point to and say it's related to the sleeve. Normally I'm active. I teach yoga for plus sizes, work, etc. In the summer of '16 (as far as I can guess a time) I began to feel fatigue. It was easy to become frustrated, I would forget small things. I had to get prescription glasses in August. I had at least three "colds" from October to January. January 24th I was admitted to the hospital from the ER due to excessive abdomen and chest pain, fever, headache & nausea. They found I had an enlarged spleen, a "blockage" in my intestinal tract, and of most concern my red and white blood cell counts are really low. I was depleted in magnesium, Iron, B Vitamins and potassium. I hadn't even noticed but my left leg which had been slightly bigger than my right for over a year now is now, minimally closer to 4" in diameter larger in the calf, more on the thigh. I've had test after test after test, the results are still coming in. I've been in the hospital a week and I'm feeling better than when I was admitted to be certain. That's not really saying much unfortunately. My question is not to ask anyone to diagnose me. I do wonder if anyone else has experienced these symptoms. What it was, etc. Mention to my doctor that someone else with the sleeve experienced x,y,z, etc. Thank you for your time! Sent from my A0001 using the BariatricPal App

i had my gallbladder out last year when I had my band removed. I am almost 2 weeks post op for vsg. I thought gallbladder surgery was a breeze. I havent had any problems with any foods since having my gallbladder removed. I think you will do great! Good luck!

My surgeon said that most people will experience some hair loss after surgery. The reason a person might lose hair is that after you're sleeved, your body goes into a kind of "controlled starvation" mode. Your body starts to make decisions as to what it is going to prioritize. You want your body to focus on maintaining muscle mass and to focus on burning fat. Hair growth and maintenance isn't realy that high on your body's list of priorities when you're starving. Of course you don't feel like you're starving because your new stomach is so tiny, and that's the idea. That said, I have experienced no hair loss yet at 3 weeks post-op. I take two multi-vitamins as directed, get plenty of protein and biotin, and avoid harsh shampoo. You might consider looking into a cleansing conditioner to use the gentlest possible products on your hair.

I did mine a few weeks ago and I felt exactly the same way.. Not too nervous, just an unknown. The doctor I went to relaxed me instantly. There was a written questionaire, very simple questions to I suppose gauge your relationship with food, your body image and if you have impulse issues, or issues with depression or addiction (other than food). Alot of the questions are repetitive but asked in a different way. The "interview" was a history of my weight issues as well as getting info on my support system. He stressed the importance of asking questions either to him/surgeon or using the boards. He felt these forums were essential to working through the process. Don't worry, its' pretty quick and painless.

N I'm 5 weeks out .......I have me some cranberry n hi c orange mixed ready to drink......

I took phentermine for about 3 months December 2006 - February 2007. The first 6 weeks or so was awesome! I lost about 25 pounds, even during the holidays. Then during the first week of February, I was hospitalized with "stroke-like symptoms" - slurred speech, confusion, lack of concentration - all listed side effects of phentermine. I spent 5 days in the hospital before they figured out the phentermine is what was causing it and ruled out anything else. Scared my husband and son to death. So if you can take it to help with weight loss prior to surgery, lucky you! You will definitely have a good jump start once your band is in place. Just be careful and if you start having any symptoms, go to your dr. immediately!!! Good luck!