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Hi @Jordan Flake, minus the depression I had all the same issues. Every single one has improved in the 3 months since my surgery. I don't think anyone can tell you which, if any, side effects you may have after surgery because we are all so different. You just need to weigh the pros and cons and go with what you are most comfortable with. Good luck with everything!

I am very happy to be here and have enjoyed reading this site over the past few weeks. I would love to get down some of my thoughts and hear any feedback anyone has for me. I tend to write essays so I apologize for the length. I am scheduled to meet with a surgeon in two weeks. I also have the psych eval and nutritionist appointment as well as some medical tests that day. The hospital is almost two hours away so I'm packing as much as I can into each trip. I have bcbs fep so still have the 3 months supervised program which has not started. I weigh 278 and have been around this weight or higher (highest around 300) for at least 10 years. I am 35, normal weight as a young child but as soon as I hit puberty quickly became obese. I am not saying it is all genetic, but I know that is part of it. My parents and brother all suffered with obesity or morbid obesity. My brother had gastric bypass surgery several years ago, and to make a long story short he had complications, and died two years after the surgery at age 30. This was not from the surgery but was medically fragile since the surgery. My parents blame the surgery although I do not. They have made it clear that they would be very, very upset if I chose bariatric surgery. Despite this, I have considered this for years. I try to base most of my major decisions on good data. I know that long term weight loss in significant amounts (like, 100 lbs) is quite statistically improbable. I have successfully kept 20-30 lbs (back and forth in this range) off for 6 years. Despite that I am concerned about my health. I have high blood pressure and take three medications to maintain this. I am in the prediabetic range for blood sugar. I see my dad with worsening neuropathy from diabetes type 2 despite really hard work on a very low carb diet. My paternal grandpa lost 3 of his limbs from this disease before he died. Despite being fairly young my knees are starting to hurt when using stairs. I worry that I won't have very long ahead of me. I honestly have come to terms with how I look and while being thinner would be nice, that is not a major motivation for me. Sickness and early death from health consequences of morbid obesity terrifies me. I work full time as a clinical psychologist at a Veterans Affairs. The work is my passion and I would not want to do anything else. However it can be very stressful. It is also very cognitively and emotionally demanding and therefore exhausting while being super sendentary. My salary also supports my family (son and sahd husband). I have recurrent major depression. I am doing very well, taking medication and when needed connect back with therapy. I always live with the fear of depression relapse due to fear not being able to keep up at work and how hard the last one was on me and my family (4 years ago). Fears: will such low amounts of calories allow me to have sufficient cognitive energy to do my job well? Will the mood effects bring on another episode of depression? Should I hide having surgery to my parents, which feels dishonest, or tell them the truth and live with their anger and fear of losing their only remaining child? Will I be able to regularly engage in moderate exercise which honestly I haven't done since my early 20's? If you made it to the end, thank you. I don't expect answers to the above questions but feels good to tell them to people who might relate. Any thoughts welcome. Any experiences of going through this while maintaining a demanding job are appreciated.

I started walking after my WLS and it helps. I walk if I get hungry or if I get upset or I cant stand anyone at work or whatever. Not only does it help make me healthier but it helps take my mind off from things.

They have them at single in single bottle form for about $3.99. Sometimes they'll be on sale. I've tried Alpine Punch and I couldn't finish it. To me, it has a really weird, bitter aftertaste that made my mouth feel chalky. I'd suggest going and getting a single bottle and seeing if you like it!

Hello everyone, I'm five months out after 17 years of banding. I am SO GLAD I made the switch. I won't bore you with my band and band revision journey. I will focus on how amazing having a sleeve is. It's the surgery I hoped I was getting 17 years ago! With the sleeve, I can drink my protein in the morning. No waiting hours for the mucus cap to dissolve. I can actually drink a good bit of water. I do not throw up. I only did once and that's because I ate too fast. Like it was said above, I don't feel like I'm being choked with food sitting at my esophagus. I am able to eat healthy foods (meat, salad, veggies). My head is in a better place because I had a wonderful two months or so of having NO interest in food. It gave me a great start/ restart. To answer some questions from above, I had my band removed first and then was sleeved 7 weeks later. I did gain weight in that time, but it wasn't a ton- five pounds? I thought it would be more, but I hadn't been feeling much restriction for years so... At first I was upset about the two procedures and thought about going with RNY because my surgeon would have done that it one. But, I found the waiting time fine and I'm glad I didn't do so much at once. I have no pain in the port area. The band removal surgery was very easy. I was in and out of the hospital in four hours with very little pain. If you have questions, just ask!

AWESOME!!! Man, you are kind of tall. LOL Great Job

Look up 3 week stall. It is VERY VERY common. Just keep doing what you need to do and you will start losing again. Focus on how you are feeling and your measurements. The scale will move again just stay the course.

Well, compared to how I was a year ago, I see myself not dead in 15 years.. that's a plus I assume.

It is hard to be judged. The exam Is to Also evaluate if you can stick to a plan? Are your goals realistic? I did not have the psychological exam as I self paid but oddly perform them routinely in my practice. Stella

I am sitting in the Ft Lauderdale airport waiting for our flight home, and thought I would update you. The cruise was wonderful. I ate within my soft foods stage without any trouble at all. Small portions because at 26 days out I'm still only eating about 1/2 cup total at a meal. I didn't even need to ever with the restaurant manager, as it was very easy to stay within my limits. I am excited to get home and get on the scale...I know I lost wait on the cruise because my jeans are too big, and they fit before the cruise. Also did a ton of walking and stairs onboard and at port. I'm feeling pretty good about how it's going . Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App