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How long after VSG were you able to bend over and pick something off the floor without pain? I have a special needs dog and debating sending her to the dog sitter. I don't want to send her bc then I will be worried about her & its an extra expense. But, I also don't want to add the burden on my caregiver. Thanks!

I don't know how it feels to jump through all of those hoops bc I was self pay... But I'd do it all over again in a flash! I'm loving my life post sleeve .. I will be exactly 2 months out on wednesday!!!

Awesome job! Keep up the hard work! I'd discourage the biggest looser bc you can google how horridly they treat the contestants. Make them exercise with injuries & they dehydrate themselves before weigh in so they don't get cut. I think that a good personal trainer that is local to you can be of help. They may be persuaded to take you on probono. I also would look into some Of the freebie fitness routines on youtube/ on demand & have your dr say if they're appropriate for you? Good luck! allons-y

So my plan WAS to get in with my normal medical system (Baylor Scott and White) and had a referral and an appointment with the psych appointment with a provider for the ADHD consult. I had called for pricing so I could budget several weeks before the appointment, they called me back and refused to leave a voicemail. I forgot about it until a few days before my appointment so I call again. They tell me they will get back to me but it's only a few days before my appointment(why not just tell me how much the stupid appointment will be with my insurance?), they don't get back to me but call several times to reschedule my appointment the day of because the provider won't be in the office. I get it. I call a couple of days later to reschedule, the lady who can schedule this type of appointment will call me because she isn't available (why all receptionists can't schedule this type of appointment is beyond me--I ama vet receptionist and human medicine boggles my mind). They finally call me back almost a week later-I work and can't answer my phone, they ask me to call back. I'm frustrated and over it. At this point several weeks past the initial appointment time has lapsed and that appointment had been about 2 months out. The great internet gods have been listening to my conversations because I get an ad for Cerebral. They have a sale, $30 the first month, $85/mo thereafter. Includes 1 session per month and the meeting (telehealth) with a provider to go over concerns and see if medication is an option. So I said, screw it and joined Cerebral to try it out. The telehealth visit with the prescriber wasn't terrible, not great either--don't go into it looking for the same thing you would get with an in person visit/testing etc. All of that said (sorry for being long winded) here is my take on Cerebral. I have not had my monthly meeting with the "Care Counselor" for the once a month check in but I can see why they are being looked into by the DEA-the provider basically went over a list of questions and asked about my symptoms. If you are specifically looking for stimulants you could easily guide the conversation to those. I specifically asked for non-stims as I was incredibly worried about addiction, especially after surgery. I do know as of May 9th they would not submit any new stim prescriptions. It wasn't terrible, as someone that after many online quizzes, joining adhd facebook groups, research through all the interwebz and finding myself relieved that I was not a lazy piece of crap and that I was not alone...there were many times I was crying or almost crying in relief finding out things I did were part of adhd symptoms(job hopping was a huge one). I will check in with my provider in a month to do a status check and see how things are going. I plan on only using Cerebral for a few months and if things are going really well I am planning on reaching out to my PCP to see if she is comfortable taking over my care and prescription since I very much love my PCP. If she isn't, then I still plan on getting in with an in person psych--just probably not BS&W. Lemme know if you have any questions! So far the Strattera has not given me a lot bad of side effects, no nausea I can speak of but I do get very sleepy later in the day and I do find my appetite has waned a bit as well. Focus seems better but I am unsure of that being a placebo effect vs actual effect-there is some talk on the forums/groups that some people get some early on benefits that fade until it starts to build up in the system 4-8 weeks later. Sorry if that got super long, let me know if you have anymore questions!

One of the things we hear people who don't understand obesity of weight loss surgery say (or we are afraid to hear them say) is that it's "the easy way out." Pre-op I could list a whole bunch of reasons why this isn't the easy way out. Why it's actually really, really hard - just as hard, if not harder, than losing weight the traditional way. But now, admittedly only two months out, I'm not so sure. And that's a good thing! Now, I should preface this by saying that I realize many people have had complications and for many people every day or some days post-op are a struggle - I don't want to try and negate their lived experiences. But I do want to talk for a minute about my experience, which I suspect is more common than we admit. I have been obese or morbidly obese pretty much my whole life. I dieted and exercised, yada, yada, yada, but the weight always came back. We all know the drill or we wouldn't be here. But I am nothing if not pragmatic, so when I started doing research about WLS and about weight loss in general, and read the statistics for long-term success in people who hadn't had surgery (Spoiler Alert! They're low!), getting sleeved just seemed like a no-brainer. Two years of hoop-jumping later, I went into surgery. I was very well read on the subject, knew all the worst case scenarios to expect, knew what the recovery would look like, etc. But my surgery and recovery were super easy. I was on to purees almost right away. Soft solids by week two. Anything but raw veggies at week 4. Anything and everything at week 6. I have yet to be made sick by any food. I get in all my Water, Vitamins and 90g of Protein (on a vegetarian (almost vegan) diet!) every day without trouble. I was lifting heavy in the gym at week 5. My recovery has been stupendous! ...And easy. Now, I know I came into this with some one major advantage: I love, and always have loved, healthy food. Even before surgery, if given the choice between pizza Hut or a black bean and quinoa salad with avocado dressing, I'd say bring on the quinoa (all six servings of it). And now I have become one of those people who doesn't cheat. Ever. Not a single piece of chocolate or a taste of potatoes. But this hasn't been hard for me, because I didn't have to give up every food I love. In fact, I got to keep about 80% of them. My problem pre-sleeve was really volume, which now is no problem at all. But even so, I gotta say, looking back at the last two and half months (if we include the pre-op diet), this has been easy-peasy. Way easier than starving myself and being so effing hungry all the time. Easier than hating myself for not being motivated to get to the gym. Easier than staying fat. But why should that be a bad thing? So what if it's been (relatively) easy? The only reason we think weight loss should be a struggle, is because we look at obesity as a moral failing, instead of a biological one, and thus as weight loss as the penance one must serve before one is rewarded with thinness. Well, I'm calling BS on that. Obesity is a medical problem; WLS is a medical solution. It should be easier than the alternative. That's the point. Maybe it hasn't been as easy for everyone else as it has been for me (like I said, I know I've been very, very lucky in some respects), but it's gotta be easier (barring major complications) than all the alternatives or we wouldn't have chosen it. So, let's stop apologizing and making excuses. Yes, this is the easy (or at least easier) way out. And that's a good thing.

Did anyone resume the bc pill after surgery? Did this help at all with staying regular? My doc says that I can resume taking my pill 3 weeks after surgery. So I have another week to go. I was on my period during surgery and that totally sucked.

Wow, I started burping tonight......I am so excited that I don't have that rumbling torture in my stomach and agony of trying to burp but I can't bc I was swollen from surgery. Oh and I go full liquids now.....butternut squash Soup for dinner. Sitting lovely as can be!

My blood sugars are great. I had a really high a1c of 9.4 at my last check up before surgery, I'll have another checkup in a month or so and my BS's range 100-130, that is great for me! I loved so many things that I don't care for anymore and that makes me happy! As far as getting too low, u really have to adjust ur insulin to fit your doctors plan. Ask ur doctor, he/she will help u adjust ur meds. I'm also off of my cholesterol meds and lisonopropil . I never thought this would happen to me, and it did! My sugar dropped a few times and during the liquid stages I drank orange juice but that made me vomit, so i had glucose tablets and those always worked. I hope they approve the sleeve for you. I was going for the band at first and so glad I didn't after all my research.

I was just there, left today. The water goes through a purify system inside the hospital. The ice is made from the same water. However I'm not giving a 100% guarantee, this was what my husband told me that one of the nurses told him!! The ice was very good, and I'm not sick from it... I really wouldn't worry about that at all bc I'm sure the water is clean. On another note, everyone there is absolutely wonderful and you will have excellent care! Good luck!

I CANNOT relate - I LOVE to clean! Cleaning for me is therapuetic - you can see the results of your labor. As DH says, I'm the only woman he knows for whom a whiff of bleach is an aphrodesiac! Saturday mornings without a bucket and cleaners and a vacuum and rubber gloves is just not the same! Spring cleaning - washing walls and ceilings and windows ... something to look forward to! OTOH - I (along with my best girlfriend) built a cabin in a remote area (no power tools) building scaffolding, digging the foundation using shovels (no equipment), etc etc... it took a long time doing it on weekends and holidays, but the end result of a 2 bedroom cabin was so worth it. A great getaway - no electricity, just a woodstove for cooking and heat, spring fed running water, and complete isolation - miles away from civilization accessed only by hiking in for a few hours.(or by snowmobile in winter)...wonderful! Too bad I have since moved 2000 miles away, and had to leave it behind. Oh well...it was a great experience and taught me all about the mechanics of building which has come in very useful as the house DH and I own now needed complete renovation when we bought it (that was part of the appeal of buying it - to redo it) - we have gutted and rebuilt it ourselves - no contractors or tradespeople. I will put my skills at using power tools, swinging a sledgehammer, wiring a house or drywalling against anyone!

As crAzy as this sounds, i have heard of this.... Its called fecal transplant. They prefer to use a spouse or other close relative for obvious infectious disease reasons.... I have a friend pursuing this, not bc she is heavy but she has a host of GI issues!

Kempner, TX but working out of the Killeen office with the Texas Bariatric Specialist group. Sleeved December 2018 and had revision to Roux-en-x-y gastric bypass on October 7th, 2020 per GERD/Acid reflux issues causing damage to my vocal chords and creating a cancer risk. Lost 20 more lbs since revision and am happy with results as I was only able to get to 173 with sleeve and now I am 8 bs from goal weight ( Now weighing 153) and finally within reach. I have had no complication and no longer any problems with GERD or reflux and am very happy thus far.

Get another opinion for sure. That sounds like bs.

I am a mother of 3~ 7 years, 4 years, 2 years. I am worried how I am going to take care of them post op. My mom and husband will be home the first week after surgery. I'm just worried bc my 2 younger ones are momma boys and are always on me and climbing in our bed at night. I had C sections with my last 2 and it was tuff recoveries but I had a lot of help then, sorry for going on and on this is just something that I'm having major anxiety over.

Ok so last week was my two week check up and I was having issues keeping everything down water is the worst it hurts me so bad well she let me go on to puree hoping more solid would help me Bc some cases it does she told me to give purée a week and if still having issues call and they would order me barium swallow well I called today to do so Bc I'm vomiting all the time she wants me to come to er where I had surgery and stay for a couple days she's asked how much I drink and I'm lucky if I can finish a bottle of water that with throwing up as well so she said I'm just irritating it if it is narrow and I prob have swelling so she said they would prob keep me a few days to get me hydrated and sealing to go down anyone else have this issue I'm almost 4 weeks out

Thank u all. I unfortunately am really scared to actually drink anything lol bc I hate the idea of discomfort! It's just not getting easier and I just wish I could gulp! Taking it one step at a time!

I didn't have it to begin with. I had a hole in my diaphragm and my stomach was slipping up into that hole and twisting cutting off all blood flow to my stomach. (Form of hiatial hernia). When my stomach would come back down it stretched more and more causing what appeared to be an extra stomach. My surgeon didn't know that until getting in there. He said he wanted to cut that part out but was afraid the insurance would see it as a partial bs and decline the claim so he used it as a wrap. My surgery was very complicated and took about 5 hrs to do.

I changed jobs shortly after my wife had her surgery so we now have a different insurance company...BC/BS of Alabama. My wife tells me there have been a lot of horror stories on here about BC/BS. Does anyone have any info advice on getting approved with them? My boss had gastric bypass with them and I plan to talk with him more tomorrow about this.

I love G Danes, but since Im a student, and only feed high quality food, I cant afford to feed them. Petri is my baby, she is now 9 mnths old and when shes around 3 Im gonna breed her, assuming I find a suitable stud. I drove 8 hrs for her, but got a great deal, 1,000..in houston pups sell for 1200-1500. I train peoples dogs for them when I have time and I swear I will end up with like 13 or so! haha, seriously though, if you are allergic to dog kisses..and I am sorry for that, you could get a pig!! I had one, a pot bellied pig named waldo, I had to put him down bc of a respiratory infection but for 3 years, he was and to this day has been the best pet ever! He walked on a leash, sat, heeled and laid down with hand signals. He also knew to wipe his feet when he came inside and housetrained himself in 2 days. When it was his bed time, I d tell him to go to bed, and hed oink upstairs to his kennel in my closet bury under the blanket and then close the door. He was also like having a boyfriend..he farted and burped, but he ate my cooking and I never had to fake a headache!!

Yep, I agree with everyone else - sounds like migraine to me too. The best OTC med I've used for them is Exedrin Migraine - here's the problem, Exedrin is part of the ANCID group of medications which lap bandsters are supposed to avoid. They're hard on the stomach and so are hard on your esophagus and the band. My doctor said taking these meds OCCASIONALLY is OK, you just have to watch how frequently they're used. When I feel a migraine coming on, if I take the Exedrin Migraine quickly enough I can avoid the headache or (more often) extremely suppress it so it isn't as painful or doesn't last as long. With a bad headache, I too have to retreat to a darkened room and lie PERFECTLY still, sometimes for as much as 12 - 24 hours. And then, as if it wasn't bad enough to lose one day to a migraine, I get what I call a 'phantom or shadow headache' the next day. It's not really a headache, but my head doesn't feel quite right, almost like a hangover, but not. I know - how vague and unhelpful can I be here? Sorry. I'm not sure of the chemical make-up of BC powder so I'm not sure if it's an ANCID or not, but you should find out before you start using it. I HAVE heard from several people that BC Powder works well for migraines, but they also say you have to be careful when you take it or you can inhale a bit of the powder as you pour it on your tongue. It makes you cough like crazy and gives you a scratchy throat when it happens. Just a heads-up on taking BCP. Sorry you're having headaches - migraine or not. You really should see a doctor just to be sure there isn't something else going on there.

BC of California paid for my surgery. Reading the posts it appears that they have a good rep for doing so... Hope that helps!

I cheated a bit too I drink a lot of coffee but it did become an issue bc it's a diuretic and I needed to drink even more Water. Sent from my SM-G930T using the BariatricPal App

Try these. They are a lifesaver. Cut in half with regular beef or chicken broth Bc they are spicy.

Ugg. So sorry for your moms BS comment. Not cool. Not ok. You deserve better. You are human and therefore worthy of feeling beautiful and good about yourself at any size. I've long been sick of hearing comments from people that link beauty, worthiness and self-worth to body size.

I started on a stationary bike for cardio. I found it helpful to start there bc the seat carried my body weight, not my knees, ankles, and legs. I did that for two months and then crossed over to the elliptical ( half time on bike/ half the time on the elliptical). I now do one hour a day in the elliptical, and I'm trying to cross over to running/ jogging now. I'm twenty years older than you, do maybe you don't have to worry about your knees snd ankles hurting like I did when I first started out. I also do every other day a weight circuit for arms followed by he next day a weight circuit for legs.... Don't really know if I'm doing that "The right way," but I seen improvements! Good luck and GET MOVING!!!