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Hey!! You got this! you´ve lost 80 lbs, that´s something big!!! You are doing great; remember we are here for the long run. The most important thing is that you are better than 1 year ago, and that 1 year from now, you´ll be even better. My surgeon told me yesterday in my follow up app that if I continue to be consistent and that I keep learning and "listening" to my tool (gastric sleeve) we are good. So, look on all the weight/inches off, the saggy clothes, all the NSV we´ve experience in only 5 months, YOU/WE are doing great!

Mounjaro (semaglutide) is a medication that is approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and it is currently being studied for its potential use as a weight loss medication. The medication is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, which means that it mimics the effects of a hormone that helps to regulate blood sugar levels. It is not yet approved by FDA as a weight loss medication and its use in weight loss is still under research. The studies that have been done on semaglutide for weight loss have shown promising results, with people losing a significant amount of weight and reducing their risk of obesity-related health problems. However, it's important to note that everyone's experience with weight loss surgery and medications is different and it's important to work closely with your healthcare provider to determine the best treatment plan for you. It's also important to note that weight loss surgery is not a magic solution, it's a tool and it's important to follow the recommendations of your surgeon and dietitian, to maintain a healthy diet, adequate protein intake, and regular physical activity. It's also important to keep in mind that weight loss is not linear, sometimes we may experience Plateau, and even weight regain, it's important to work with your healthcare provider to evaluate the reasons and address them.

It's not uncommon for people who have experienced emotional trauma to have additional challenges or changes in their emotional and mental health after a significant physical change such as gastric surgery. It's possible that weight loss surgery may trigger the reemergence of memories or feelings that were previously repressed. Also, the surgery may affect the way the body processes and stores nutrients which in turn can affect the way the brain functions and can lead to changes in mood and mental state. It's important to note that every individual's experience is unique and it's hard to generalize. It's important to have a open communication with your healthcare team, and also to have a good support system in place before and after surgery. It's also important to be aware that the post-surgery period can be an emotional rollercoaster, with a lot of changes happening both physically and emotionally. It's important to be mindful of that and not to be too hard on yourself, and seek help if needed.

Surgery went well. Some pain in the larger 4mm incision where he put in the stapler but Tylenol and some IV pain meds and I’m ok. Heading home now (1 overnight) have a timer set for every 15min for my Fluid. A bit scared I’ll burst my pouch (I can be a worrier) but so far so good. Gonna miss taking big slugs of Water but not going to miss the GERD.

"journey" "new me" "and then life happened" "back to old habits" "a tool" I can't stand these anymore.

Well, I'm back! I have a new surgery date of 01/06/2023! My baby boy is amazing though! 14 months old now and perfect in every way so things happen for a reason!

I had the Loop DS (which is a little different) January 23 2020 (right before the Covid crap storm). From what I remember... I didn't poop a whole lot the first two or three weeks since I was on liquids and then puree and barely ate anything so from my own experience maybe your plane ride will be fairly normal. I did have overactive bowels once I hit stage 3, but hell, when I hit stage 4 I actually got constipation issues (and then learned it was because I was taking too much iron. Went from taking 3 multi's with iron to 2 and then finally down to 1 multi with iron. My family actually tends to hyper absorb iron and I forgot about that so... I actually don't need as much of it and still test in the normal range. Smack dab in the middle of normal at that). They probably won't warn you, but there is the rare chance it'll happen to you too so... 1. I vomited old blood after my surgery. It hurt like hell, but only happened 4 times so... not too bad, I guess. And, 2. Any surgery with malabsorption has a 3% chance of you developing either a wheat allergy or Celiac Disease (I got the wheat allergy). Also, when you do get put onto general diet try to avoid fatty foods because they will likely cause stomach issues (at least they did to me earlier on. And still kinda do that to me now). And if you wait too long to eat your stomach may decide to empty everything in your bowels (I can't be the only one who had this surgery that this happens to. Also, I'm not joking). It's incredibly annoying, but if I have constipation issues I know how to solve it lol. Problem is though that you will be in and out of the bathroom for a few HOURS because your stomach will not settle and my surgeon warned not to take imodium because it can cause bowel blockage and with this surgery you REALLY don't want that. So you'd be stuck at home. Best thing to avoid this is have something like a granola bar next to your bed so you can eat if your stomach wakes you up (mine does. but I'm stupid and ignore it sometimes because I'm tired and I pay for it later... bright side, if you can call it that lol, is that after the day spent in the bathroom you'll drop 2-4 pounds and no, I'm not joking. You really go that much. Or I do, at least. TMI, sorry). Also, regarding needing to be around a bathroom... not necessarily, but make sure you know where it IS. If you need to go then you will get a rumbling in your tummy and you will know when you need to rush to the bathroom. So make sure you do know where it is just in case. Also, the thing they say about never trusting a fart? Don't gamble because you might lose lol (I'd say 80% of the time it's an okay gamble, but the other 20% could be embarrassing if you were in public). Again, sorry for the TMI, but I figure it's info that you'd probably need to know. I'm happy with the surgery I chose, btw and have no regrets (other than wishing I hadn't had to take a med for my Trigeminal Neuralgia that made me gain 18 pounds back and even if I lost half of that since I switched meds I still can't lose the other 9 pounds for the life of me. But really that's not the surgery's fault, it's just my stupid ass TN that decided it was going to crap on my happy parade and send me into absolute agony and force me to take meds that make me gain weight... and yes, I'm still upset about it since the flare is still going on 7 months later and even if it's mostly under control now it's a progressive disorder and I REALLY don't want to have brain surgery AGAIN! Sorry. Rant over). Anyway, I wish you the best and hope everything goes well for you!

VSG is actually stage one of the DS. Years ago many surgeons did the DS in two stages (first, the sleeved stomach, then a few months later, the bypassed small intestine). Some patients did really well just with stage 1, so they started offering the sleeved stomach as a standalone surgery. Ta da! The VSG was born! so yes - lots of DS'ers had their DS done in two stages (esp those who had it done several years ago), and there are definitely people who've revised from VSG to DS. It's a more straightforward surgery than going from VSG to RNY, since you're already halfway to the DS when you have a VSG.

Have you tried a bariatric therapist? Getting to the root of my disordered eating habits was critical for me to reach goal and maintain. Are you tracking every crumb you eat? I know that sounds critical, but it isn't meant to be....I genuinely thought I was eating a LOT less than I was until I started measuring and tracking absolutely every calorie that went into my body. Yes, it's a hellish pain in the ass. And sadly, it's necessary. You have lost 215 pounds. That is a HUGE accomplishment! I'm crazy proud of you and you should be, too. Sometimes when your body loses a metric feck ton of weight in a short period of time....a starvation defense mechanism kicks in and it plateaus for a while. Be patient and stick to good lifelong habits, a good balanced diet. If you're tracking, measuring and mindfully watching what and why you eat....you'll get there. Hang in there!

I just had the sleeve to ds revision a week ago and it was amazingly better than my original sleeve recovery. All major pain was gone in about 3 days and I was going for walks day 5. I think it’s a case by case thing. I do have to sleep propped up by pillows but it’s because of this darn acid reflux. That’s probably the worst part but totally manageable with Pepcid. Good luck guys!