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Hi all, my name is Carrielee and I am 31 years old. I have battled being overweight / obesity since I was a young child and I’ve finally gotten the courage to taking the steps toward a healthier self. At 31, I’m 5 feet tall and weigh 278 pounds, at a BMI of 54.29, it’s time to do this. I suffer from a myriad of weight related health conditions and fear an early death if I don’t take control of my weight and health. I suffer from acid reflux, hypertension, high cholesterol, Type II diabetes, arthritis, limited mobility, chest pain/angina, sleep apnea, liver disease...I’m slowly killing myself and I’m tired of it. Any tips for a first consult with a WLS surgeon? My appointment is on April 25.

short-term use of PPIs is supposedly fine. People used to get on them and stay on them for years and years because it was thought until fairly recently that they were safe. *That* is what is risky. When I had my surgery seven years ago, some surgeons (including mine) kept their patients on the PPIs for the entire first year. Now it's usually 3-6 months. chronic constipation is an issue for a lot of WLS patients. It's a combination of the high-protein diet and some of the supplements many of us take (namely, calcium and iron). Many people take a capful of Miralax every morning to keep on top of it, but if you're into natural remedies, a few prunes may due the trick.

Sounds like you are in a stall... Which is very very common and you will have more stalls along your journey. Just keep at it.

Hey everyone, Hope you're all doing well! So, I kind of just need to vent for a bit. I know everyone's experience is different and only my Doctor and Surgeon can give medical insight, but I'm hoping someone may have been in a similar situation as I am. So, before I could schedule a surgery date I had to do all the tests. The last step (which I now wish was the first step), was my blood panel. All results came back good, except the blood panel. The results returned showing that my Vitamin D, B12 and folic acid are all low. Easy enough to fix with a supplement. It also showed the my cholesterol was low, so my Doctor said to make sure I am eating healthy fats (avocados, nuts, fish, etc). *Possible TMI --> She also wants me to get an intravaginal ultrasound as she found heightened testosterone levels and yeast in my urine. Ultimately, she wants to rule out PCOS (which was ruled out in my teens, but that was roughly 20 years ago) But then she went on to explain that my A1C test (blood sugar test that shows my average over 3 months) was at a 10, while normal is 5.6 or less. With this number, it constitutes as Type 2 Diabetes. Because I have never had issues with this before, she is requesting that I wear a glucose monitoring device (in arm) for 2 weeks and begin a weekly injection called Trulicity. Apparently Trulicity will help lower my blood sugar levels, but also could bring on weight loss as it decreases overall appetite. She is hoping to see improvements in the next 3 months, but until then will not issue the clearance. I understand it is important for me to be healthy as my body will need all it can to heal post-surgery, but I am truly discouraged. 1. I'm angry at myself that I let things get this bad. 2. I'm worried that all my other tests will become null and void, since I'm fairly certain they are only valid for 6 months. Most were done in March and with having to wait at least 3 months - it's really cutting it close. 3. Has anyone been in a similar situation? If my numbers don't come down, does that mean surgery is out of the question? I appreciate the listening ears and any input or advice! Thank you and hope everyone has a wonderful Easter weekend.

Ask a lot of questions about your health issues and what could change after have a written list so you don’t forget to ask, I had my surgery 4/8 researched for 5 years and finally started the journey in October 2021 I had a lot of questions

Okay breathe. You’re not expected to know it all at the very beginning. Have you met with your dietician yet? Have you met with a therapist yet? They should be a great source of information, guidance & support. Ask for as many appointments as you need. If your sister has been approved she is further along in the process so you can’t compare yourself. Remember it’s not a race. We’re all different physiologically & psychologically. We may have similar experiences but they won’t be totally identical. No wonder you get hungry if you’re starving yourself. And then the emotional torment is likely drinking head hunger & cravings as you consciously or sub consciously are looking to food to try to comfort you. If you want to start making changes start slowly by making only one to two changes to your diet at a time. Reduce portion sizes, reduce your sugar intake, increase your vegetable intake, try some different cooking styles, try some new recipes, reduce your caffeine intake or reduce how many takeaways/fast food you eat. You’ll be on your pre surgery diet before you know it & that’s a whole different ball game. Once you have surgery things will be different - you physically won’t be able to eat the volume of food you used to eat & you will be on a restricted staged return to eating solid food. & your hunger & interest in food may be greatly reduced. The learning about food nutrition, our own personal needs, what drives us to eat, etc, takes time. In fact you’ll continue to learn. Almost three years out & I still discover new things about my eating & what I need to be healthy.

Thank you guys! I appreciate you all listening and helping. I promise I won't hold anyone to any "medical advice" 😉 Just to make sure I'm clear, if I found alternative approaches from pharmaceuticals that came in vegan capsules, those should in theory dissolve in my intestines as opposed to the collagen based capsules which won't? I have been and do follow my team's orders. I got COVID on month 3 and it has caused me no end of grief. I was totally killing all my goals then after COVID it's been one dang thing after another. First I've got some stomach pain which they think is ulcers but no examination or other labs have determined that for sure. Now I'm severely constipated and have had a fecal impaction. I'm trying to avoid anything with a side effect of constipation, which Omeprazole is one. I'm otherwise following everything they say. I'm just looking for options and I feel like my team isn't really listening to me.

omeprazole is for stomach acid, its a proven drug. your all natural stuff are typically not recommended by a actual doctor because they are not prescribing stuff like that. I know nothing about the differences in capsules. Some are delayed release like my omprezole. Ive been on ompreazole for a while so had my dad. No dementia. But everything has a possible side affect. I mean you can literally take anything you want. doctors are there to tell you whats best to take per what they know that is scientifically proven, Natural meds and holistic stuff is not their area of expertise... Maybe you can find one of those types of holistic doctors and speak to them

Don't weigh yourself right now. Just follow the process and the weight will drop off. Just because you CAN eat something doesn't mean you SHOULD. Watch your portion sizes.

I honestly don't care about being skinny or losing the weight anymore. I brainwash myself and now I see how wrong I was. Once fully healed I plan on gradually stretching my stomach back to a more normal size.. worst decision of my life.