Oregondaisy

I brought in a stool sample (yuck) and I am pretty sure I had the results within a couple days. I live in a small town and I'm sure it had to be sent somewhere. If you live in a big city, you could possibly get the results sooner.

They do blood tests to check your levels. Testing for vitamin D is very common but you have to ask to have your calcium levels or b12 checked.

It was my doctor that told me once you have H Pylori, you have to do the stool sample or breath test because a blood test would show up positive again.

I had symptoms. That's why I was tested. I had severe pain on my right side that radiated into my back. The ulcer was in the Duodenum, not my stomach. Most ulcers are caused by H Pylori. They used to think stress caused ulcers. I had it way before I was ever sleeved.

I'm having a lot of trouble staying on track. Things went haywire during the holidays and I can't seem to stay on track for more than a few days now. I'm trying very hard to make it to the gym most mornings. Honestly, I am so tired of worrying about regain, but I know if I don't, I'll just keep regaining. I'm 60 years old, and I've been worrying about my weight my entire life. I am ready to relax, but I know exactly what would happen if I did.

Once you test positive for H Pylori, you will always test positive for H Pylori. The only way you can test for it after you've tested positive, is through a stool sample.

I'm on 10,000 a day. Most people are vit. D deficient. I was told to take vit B when I had surgery, so I took a B complex every day. Now I am told my B Vitamins are way too high and to stop all B vitamins.

I had the band for 2 1/2 years, and I've had the sleeve for nearly 4 years. There is no comparison between band and sleeve. If you go to forums, then scroll down, you'll find the forum for band to sleeve revisions. There are a lot of stories of people who hated their band and are so happy with their sleeves now. I can eat anything I want, just smaller portions than other people. There are no foods that I can't eat, unlike trying to eat with the band.

Is it possible that you're coming down with the flu? There are usually body aches when you have the flu. Please know that things will get so much better. I am going to be 4 years out and most of the time, I don't even think about being sleeved or what I can or can't eat. I can eat anything I want. Maybe I can't eat as much of something as I want, but I can eat more later. Usually, if I think I am going to have more of something later, I don't even want it later. I eat very normally, just smaller portions than other people. It's going to get easier over time, and you'll be really happy that you're so much thinner.

I've never had much luck with the pouch test. I lose weight, but I gain back exactly what I lost as soon as I go back to solid food. It's hard to have so much willpower when there are so many good things that I love to eat.

don't take more than 500 mg of calcium at once because we can only absorb 500 mg at a time. Take calcium citrate not calcium carbonate. Don't take calcium within 2 hours of your PPI or acid reducer. Also separate calcium and Iron by 2 hours. That's all I can think of right now!

I must have missed all those unfriendly threads people are talking about. I guess it's because once I start reading something I don't like, I click on the next interesting topic.

I have this whole entire season on my DVR. I keep saying I need to have a Grey's Marathon. I think I watched the first one when it came on and got mad again because of the plane crash. I'll watch it soon. I can't take it anymore. I have to know what's going on.

My snacking at night can consist of anything anyone else is eating, or if it's just me, I always have a 100 calorie pack of chocolate dusted almonds. Then later I might want a carb smart fudsicle, a sf chocolate, a sf pudding, the list goes on. I try to limit it to one snack after dinner, but it's bad if someone else has brought junk food into the house.

If I got stuck in a foreign country, please let it be Greece! I grew up on Greek food and I would never tired of it.

Maintenance has become more difficult for me the farther I am out. It takes A LOT of willpower now. It's easy to graze on good healthy food, and think you're doing good. ' Calories add up fast!

I am really lucky that the only plastics I've needed was a face lift. The rest of my skin pretty much looks like any other 60 year old lady. I've been exercising with weights for about 7 years though. I am not sure if that has anything to do with my skin. I know it helped me recover faster though because I was in good shape.

I depends on what kind of food it is. I can easily eat an 8oz yogurt, but I can only eat 3 oz of steak.

Get rid of that band!! I had the band for 2 1/2 years, and I've had the sleeve now for 3 1/2 years now. There is no comparison. Just go and read all the band to sleeve revision stories and you'll find everyone is so much happier to be rid of the band and get sleeved. The sleeve works like the band was supposed to. I can eat anything I want, just smaller portions. If you choose a good surgeon who has done revision surgeries, there aren't high statistics for complications. Complications do happen, but they are rare.

Yeah, I moved over hear after I turned 60 in October. I was in the 50's group since I was sleeved almost 4 years ago. It bums me out that I've gained a little back, but I'm still thrilled to look as I do at 60. I don't have to dress like an old frumpy lady because the plus sized clothes are usually not very cute.

Isn't that nuts that they bleep that out. It's not even a bad word. It's not even a swear word. There are some 4 letter words that I see no reason to use on the board, but some it just seems childish to **** it out. if my husband's name was D I C K and I wrote D**k, I'd never be able to use his name!

Thank you Mason and Cheri. The reason I do stay here is the support here is so valuable. It not only helps me to share my battles , but I do want new people to know the honeymoon does not last forever. It takes a lot of willpower when you get to maintenance, and people need to know the sleeve is not going to do all the work. The sleeve is a very big help though. The reason I've been able to hold it to only a 10 lb gain is I am so seldom hungry. If I got a control on head hunger, I would have this problem licked. With cravings and head hunger, it's not the sleeve that's going to help. It's good old fashioned willpower.

I don't lose weight if I have a lot of carbs. I will eat some carbs, and don't eliminate them completely. I eliminate bread , and other white carbs like potatoes and noodles. But I will eat a sweet potato. I eat Greek yogurt Dannon light and fit and it has 8 carbs. The carbs I eat are from veggies and sometimes a little bit of fruit. My main problem is snacking at night.

wonder which word they bleeped out. You will have to leave a space in between the letters so we can see how you want to dress!

I've been very open and honest in another thread about weight gain. I think it's called Weight Gained Since Surgery. There is also a Back on Track Thread. It's a battle for me for 2 reasons. One is that I can eat such bigger portions than I could when I was first sleeved. I try not to, but of course, it's hard to stop when it tastes good. Another is, I am a grazer, in the evenings. I want to have little Snacks all evening long. I am able to keep it to only 10 lbs gained back, but it's a battle. When I was fat, I didn't have a man in my life. Now I do, and he's one that can eat whatever he wants and does not gain any weight. It takes a lot more willpower and control than it did when I was early out and was so full all the time, I didn't even want to look at food. I'll be 4 years out in April and I have never stopped posting. It's comforting to me to come here and complain to people who understand, that I am still fighting this food battle . It's not because I am hungry. I am one of the people whose hunger has never returned. It's because food tastes so good and I still love to eat.