Hello all! This is the first time I have posted BUT I have been lurking for months and months. I had VSG June 28, 2011. I weighed 264.4 on the day of surgery and am down to 205. I have never regreted having the surgery! I am going for my 3 month follow-up on Friday and I have few things I want to talk to the doctor about and would like to pass it by you and see if you have the answers or can think of other questions I need to ask.

Should I get flu shot?

hair Loss...I am losing my hair by the handfuls! I know this is common but it is freaking me out!

Should I have a medical alert braclet? Should it have something on it about stomach tubes being placed?

Thanks in advance for any help you may give me.

Congrats on you loss that's amazing! I always get a flu shot!!

You are doing great! Our starting weights are very similar. I had my 6 week follow up today and am feeling fantastic. Can't wait to get down where you are now!! Onederland is so close for you! Yay!

I never thought of the medic alert bracelet - that is a great question! I'd love to know what your doc says!

Keep up the great work!!

Jen

PS - I never get a flu shot

I just asked my Surgeon about the flu shot last week and he suggested skipping it this year. I ordered a med alert bracelet before my surgery and I haven't taken it off since I got home from the hospital. It reads, "VSG - No Blind NG Tube".

Hope that helps,

Shell

You have lost a huge amount! I was sleeved in early April and not even close to your numbers! I'm still happy with how I'm doing and the upside is that I have lost very little hair. Yours will come back. From what I've read here you'll start seeing some new growth as a New Year's present.

We are to carry a medic alert card in our wallet (per our program ) with our license and, if you want, wear a tag on ourselves. I learned with a bad fall and broken collar bone, it's necessary. The alert has my surgeon's actual cell phone number and he answers 24/7 or calls back fast. The ER I was taken to was refusing me any narcotic pain meds. When I was saying I could not take large quantities of nsaids ( for 6 to 8 days it would have been a lot of pills ) they were rolling their eyes. My entire right side was a hemotoma, turning black as we watched it or break, but they still refused any narcotic pain meds. So you don't know what you are going to come up against out there and it helps to have a notice in your wallet. It won't change their minds if they decide that you have jacked yourself up to get 6 days of pain meds but you never know what it might keep them from doing if you are not conscious.

I should add this was my first ER experience. I hope it's my last. But my knees are shot and tripping has become a way of life for me.

I asked all those questions. You should ask them no matter how many responses you get becauase the doctors are so different.

I started losing my hair during my 3rd month and it was like I was have Chemo or something. Scary! It has just slowed down at about 9 months and I am totally socked I am not bald. I dont even have bald spots (I made my hubby check frequently). I think I even see some regrowth. My Dr. said it is normal hang on it WILL stop. I started taking a GNC supplement called B-Beautiful I am not really sure it is doing anything but its been 2 months and my hair isnt falling out any more at all. Also I was told to stop using Panteen shampoo and that made a big difference on the amount of hair falling out.

I was also given a card for my wallet and told not to get a bracelet it was not needed.

Flu shot- you should be good to go but I would ask what they recommend. I had one last year only weeks before my surgery as per my surgeon.

Blessings,

Wow, that's amazing. Rock it!

Way to go girl on your weight loss! Thanks for the question about the medic alert information, I never thought about that before. I'm going to ask my Dr. about that.

As for the Flu shot, I plan on getting it because I work in a hospital with pregnant women and my mom is on Chemo. I rather take the chance of getting sick then getting someone else sick. Just my thought.

I can answer the flu shot question; they gave me mine in the hospital the day after surgery! My doctor told me with flu season approaching new WLS patients need to be protected as much as possible. Any illness, especially the flu is taxing on the body and dehydration for WLS patients is a big no no.