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Summer 2022...I started researching, or should I say, obsessing over all things VSG. I was watching YT and researching doctors. In Nov I had a consultation with Dr Lee from Birmingham, AL. I decided to go with self pay. As far as health goes I have high blood pressure. I was informed I needed to submit my labs and clearance from my PCP. I was unaware of how fast I could have the surgery done. I have not set a date because my PCP told me my insurance would cover the procedure. I was referred to Dr Copperwheat in Georgia. I have my seminar with him tomorrow. I honestly don't want to go through the rigorous process with Medicaid but I can keep my 10995 in my pockets!! Sent from my SM-N986U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hello, I also used to use MyFitnessPal but since surgery moved to Baritastic and it has been working well, since I concentrate on the protein and liquid the most. It will take some getting used to once I start tracking other things when in Maintenace, but I love the weight logging feature.

Did the drink also contain artificial sweeteners specifically sugar alcohols (xylitol, maltitol, erythritol, etc. - those that end in ‘ol’)? These are renown for causing nausea, diarrhoea, bloating & other digestive problems. Many find after surgery, they can’t tolerate these sweeteners after surgery. Of course your tummy can be sensitive & fussy in the first couple of months after surgery (like a petulant two year old). A food or drink you can eat/drink one day causes you problems the next: tummy says no, not today. Doesn’t mean you won’t ever be able to have that food or drink. Give it a week or two & try them again. I remember easily eating a soft well cooked carrot one day but the next up it came. Tried it the next week & all was fine, never had an issue again.

I got mine 100% covered with medicaid, it's absolutely worth the wait! I waited 5mos but did VSG classes w Kaiser during that time & became as educated about the subject as possible. Wishing you all the luck in the world!

You really won't know your level of restriction until you get to actual chewable food. Everything before just shoots though the pouch/sleeve as it's intended too, in order not to stress the new plumbing (yet). Good luck, Tek

You can eat more because you no longer have a Pyloric valve between your sleeve and your intestines, so your food doesn't stop in your sleeve but goes directly into your intestines. So, effective restriction is probably a bit less. Which is why you should measure your food for each meal and stop when you complete the meal or get that no-more feeling, whichever comes first. We can't rely on just restriction to do the trick because for most people restriction declines with time. We need to build the right habits. It's easier when restriction is tight and weight loss is some positive reinforcement. It's harder later when trying to get back on track, but it can still be done. We just need to rely on portion control more and the positive weight loss reinforcement takes a bit longer. As for motivation, what was it to get surgery? Has that changed? Good luck, Tek

Hair loss is probably the number one distressing appearance-related side effect of rapid weight loss (honourable mentions to loose skin, of course). Most, if not all, of us suffer from it. Some suffer more than others. Like the others above, I want to offer re-assurance that its mostly temporary. Little chicken hairs will start to sprout up and then in a year or two those chicken hairs will be down to your shoulders. Im my case (and some others I have read), it actually came back thicker...but i think this is also due to the fact that my overall health is better than it was before. BUT, in the meantime, here are few couple tips to get you through this annoying stage (choose what you feel comfortable with...or none at all ) 1) cut your hair shorter (i did a pixie cut at 3 months). the carpets of hair accumulating on the floor and catching in the shower drain will appear less. shorter hair theoretically will weigh less, so it will be less likely to pull down flat against your scalp and show larger swatches of said scalp. and when the chicken hairs start coming in they are less noticeable and blend in better with the rest of your shorter hair and not look so thin on the ends. 2) keep your hair clean. greasy hair will flatten and mat against your scalp which will show more of it (BUT don't shampoo too much...and that's for everyone, not just those losing their hair!) 3) I think I see what looks like a braid in your hair in one of the pics above? if you can, maybe save the braids for later as the style will pull on the hair you have and possibly come out at an even faster rate. 4) there are these hair fibre "powders" that you can buy that temporarily camouflages the scalp. its basically hair coloured powder that you sprinkle on your hair to give the appearance of fullness until you wash it out later. Best results on darker hair with enough existing hair for the fibres to adhere too. 5) and for the truly brave, there is SMP (scalp micro pigmentation)..its a process whereby a tech tattoos hundreds (thousands?) of tiny little dots on your scalp to mimic hair follicles and create the illusion of fuller hair. I had this done last year because I have had the same side part in my hair since I was like 8 years old, and as the years have gone by its was noticeably thinner in that section. Full disclosure: it effing hurts. but I'm happy with the results, lol. 6) and lastly, at least for me, vitamins, creams, lotions did nothing to stop or slow down the hair loss. i know lots of folks have sworn by some or all of these methods, so ymmv. Good Luck, and hang it there! ❤️ P.s. sorry this was so long.

We have practically the exact same starting stats!! (Same height, but i was just 1 lbs shy of you at 235 😉) To answer your questions (and note that this pertains to my experience and may or may not be yours), no, i have not experienced and “serious” long-term or permanent health issues. I’m 3 years, 8 mnths post. My energy came back and then some by 1 month; the hair that started falling out at 3 months already started growing back about 6 months; my last set of labs done in March this year say im the picture of health. And i have maintained below goal weight since reaching it at 7 months post-op over 3 years ago. I do have a couple of slightly annoying changes due to the surgery/weight loss though, but nothing i can’t deal with, nor anything that would make me regret having it done: 1) i am gassy/have mild acid reflux now, lol..but im on medication that keeps it at bay and i adjust my lifestyle to accommodate it: go to sleep on empty stomach, take lactose pills before consuming dairy, etc.. 2) i am a lot weaker than i used to be..in terms of strength like lifting heavy things or opening jar lids. I figure i just need to build back more muscle, but im lazy i guess. Plus there’s always someone around to carry or open things for me anyway Lololololzzz. There are those out there that do experience some serious issues, but I don’t believe its the norm. You won’t know how YOU will fare until you do. Good Luck! ❤️

As @catwoman7 said some of those changes you mentioned are just temporary. Like hair loss usually persists for about 3 months & your hormones settle once you’ve lost most of your weight (oestrogen is stored in fat so as you lose all the excess oestrogen is released into blood stream). Large weight regain can occur because of complacency & people slipping back into old eating habits. It can occur because how they were eating wasn’t sustainable &/or was too restrictive. It didn’t allow them to live their life as they wanted & hindered them doing what they enjoyed. Or they didn’t do the head work to understand & learn to manage their old eating behaviours & what drove them to eat. All things the surgery doesn’t do anything about. But it does give you the time to explore these factors. Also remember the average weight loss at about the three year mark is 60% of the weight that had to be lost. This can include the bounce back ‘resettling’ weight gain, complacency & adjusting to a more flexible eating plan. Or it could just be the weight your body is happier at. Sure there is always a chance to develop an issue that has to be monitored but it’s rare. Comparatively, there are very few complications from weight loss surgery. Some of the issues may not have anything to do with the surgery. I have a protein malabsorption issue. Not from my 3 yr old sleeve but from my gall being removed last year. (Malabsorption issues are very rare with sleeve.) I have low BP. I had a genetic predisposition before surgery now it’s all the time because of my lower weight not the surgery. Gerd is probably the highest risk after sleeve - about 15-20% I believe. But it can be managed or treated by a revision to bypass. Some issues may be revealed because you likely are being monitored medically more closely now then before or your weight & associated comorbidities may have been masking what were pre existing conditions. You’ll likely read & hear about people with problems because they they post to seek help & support. They don’t often post about what the cause was or the remedy. In comparison, people tend not to post or talk about their successes. I know many people who’ve had the surgery. No one has experienced long term or developed new issues because of the surgery. A couple regained most of their weight because they went back to their old eating habits. Certainly the benefits far outweigh any temporary side effects or the very rare problem.

mine came back at five months out. I wish it never had...