educationrulz

I hate to hear that you are having these problems. The weight loss is great but I'm sure it's hard to enjoy when you're struggling to eat on a regular basis. I also take Prevacid and it's the only thing that consistently works for me. But, if I try to cut back on it I have the same symptoms you're having. I agree with Tiff that if you are alternating or just not taking your PPI daily this could be the problem. It only takes two days without it for me to start struggling and 2 days on it for the problems to clear up. It might take longer for others. Or, you might need to try a totally different PPI until you find the right one. I think acid could definitely be your primary problem even though it seems like your acid problem was resolved. But, I"m not sure about the vomitting thing..that could be a different issue. Do you find that you can eat more at certain times of the day? This is a big issue for me and I have to be mindful that as the day progresses, the looser my sleeve gets and the more I can eat. For others, it's the opposite. But, if I'm nervous or stressed it doesn't matter what time of the day it is - a few bites is my limit. I would imagine that a date situation could cause this type of problem, especially if I'm already self-conscious about how my date would view my eating habits. I think you should call or schedule a follow up with your surgeon , or PCP if your surgeon is out of state, and get some clarity on what is going on, a recommendation for a PPI regimen if needed, and any followup testing that may be necessary to see if there is a physical problem causing these issues. I hope things improve for you soon. Please let us know how you are doing.

I'm a firm believer that looking good in clothes at any size is all about taking the time to choose what flatters your body. If you've ever come across that perfect pair of pants, or watched an episode of "What Not to Wear", you know what I mean. I certainly don't believe that hiding behind super baggy clothes is flattering. faith, I think it's great that you're embracing your ability to look good in clothes that you previously shied away from. Just wait until your weight REALLY starts to drop. You are going to be out of control - and I mean that in a good way! Just watch your wallet because it's more addictive the smaller you get. I'm in Misses sizes after about 20 years in the women's section and I don't even know how to act. I had to turn to Goodwill or risk going broke. I refuse to live in two or three outfits when I am starting to look so HOT! ...can't believe I'm starting to thing that way about myself. Anyway, I've had to turn to Goodwill to keep my finances somewhat in order. I have found that preop, my go-to piece of clothing was the Worthington dress pants line from JCPenney. I could pick up any pair in my size and they fit perfectly. When I put those pants on, I felt so put together and classy looking. I wore them to work religiously and rarely had to Iron them if I took them out of the dryer as soon as it stopped and hung them up. They concealed my abdomen and somehow made my flatish butt look good. If anyone is looking for a good pair of trousers, try these. http://www2.jcpenney...tId=70656|71640 Some comfortable shapewear doesn't hurt either...

If you're willing to invest the time and if necessary, some extra money, you can get a very realistic looking wig. I say go for it. I've been doing fine with the basic $25 - $30 models, but I'm thinking about investing in a more expensive one in the near future - maybe one of the high quality lace front kind. The minute my hair started shedding - at 5 months- I immediately ran out and got a wig. I don't intend to be stressed about it everyday and wonder if someone's looking at how thin it's getting. I have very thick hair but I don't want the stress of styling it every day to make the shedding worse. I know wigs aren't for everyone, but I suggest that people who are seriously thinning at least try one for a few days, maybe over the weekend or something. You might find yourself getting used to it and those few months of waiting for your hair follicles to rebound won't seem so bad.

I don't do a lot of food and calorie tracking, so I'm not sure about that aspect of things. I have found that increasing my Protein intake helps get me through a stall. I've done this with Protein drinks and food sources. I'm sure this helps by decreasing the number of carbs because you can only take in so much. I also found at least once that upping my calories (once I was able to eat a decent amount of food) seemed to boost my weight loss. You'll probably have to experiment with this a little. As long as your extra calories come from healthy food sources, I don't see how you can go wrong.

They will still be able to size you regardless of the shape of your breasts. Take what they give as an approximate anyway. They may give you what is your correct size but bras vary and sometimes you have to experiment within a size range. I still highly recommend getting fitted until you become a bra eficianado and can adjust your size as needed. Even then, getting sized every now and then is a good idea. It's sad how many women are walking around out there in poor fitting bras. I often wonder when was the last time they took a good look at themselves in the mirror. We have to look critically at ourselves every now and then to be sure everything is in it's place. I can't stand to see a woman walking around with a bra that's clearly too small for her breasts. Do they think people can't see that through the clothes? DUH! We can see it! If it looks like there are two little triangles of material in the middle of their breastusses, then they are OUT OF ORDER! :thumbs_down: But, I'm not crude enough to say these things. I just think it and hope that some friend or relative of theirs will break it to them gently one day. I didn't want to keep buying bras as I shrink but I recognize the importance of a good fitting bra. I am SOOO much more comfortable in the right size and my tops fit like a glove in the right bra. No pulling or tugging, etc.I have found a brand and style that I adore so I keep buying two here and there as I go down and replacing them when they get loose. I think I"m on my third size down since surgery. I make sure to search around and find them on sale at Macy's and Penneys and it hasn't been too bad. I'm currently in love with Vanity Fair's Beautiful Benefits line. As a breast reduction person, I can truly say that it does not feel like an underwire bra. I like to go to JCPenney's to get fitted. Those ladies are serious there... I agree with the OP about feeling out of place and overwhelmed in the Misses section. After all, it's been 20 years since I shopped there and I can't even remember it cuz it was so brief. The last few times I've gone to Macy's I felt like I was on overload with all the different sections and choices. It's totally crazy to have that many clothes to choose from. I'm used to dealing with a few racks in the women's section depending on what I'm looking for. But, that said, it's really empowering and fun to be able to have such options. I'm totally going to enjoy the ride. :bolt:

Great story. Glad you had a good experience. I would definitely have gone to Dr. Aceves if my insurance had not paid. Congratulations!

Stop talking about it to people until after your surgery is done and you start feeling better. The time close to surgery is very stressful with just the thoughts in your own head. You don't need other people's crap and hangups added to your own stress. You probably won't want to talk about it right after surgery either. Take this time for yourself and leave others out of it until you're ready to handle what they might say. Congrats on your surgery date!

My preop diet was two weeks of low/no carb meals. I was allowed protein shakes, diet sodas, and all the meats and cheeses I wanted. I did NOT count calories. I started a half a week early because I needed to loose a few pounds to get back down to my consult weight so my surgery wouldn't be cancelled. I lost 15 pounds in 2.5 weeks eating like this and my surgeon said my liver looked good at surgery.

I'm excited to be giving my 6 month surgery update. There were times when I didn't think I could do this, but it gets easier every day and every month. I feel pretty much like a normal person now. I eat whatever I want (within reason) and my sleeve keeps me in line. I am thankful for that control. I still have occasional moments of pity for myself when I can't eat a big meal or a large serving of something. But, I'm always able to put it in perspective when I remind myself of the positive life changes I've had post op. I can now move around with much less knee pain than I was having. I can't remember the last time I got short of breath doing a normal activity like WALKING up some stairs. I have gone from a size 22W to a 16 Misses. Since I had to buy a suit in a size 14 this past weekend, I guess I'll officially be in that size soon. WOW! Now that's results. It feels so good to go to the "regular" clothing section and pull something off the rack. Shopping for clothes is so much less stressful than it was a few months ago. I wasn't exercising much until around the 5 month mark. I'm getting a regular exercise schedule going now. I can tell that it is keeping the weight loss more steady and will hopefully help me firm up some. I seem to go through small stages of loose, wrinkly looking skin to smooth skin. This mostly happens on my thighs and a little on the upper arms. Overall, I'm doing pretty good with not having too much flabby skin. My hair was fine until recently and I thought I might get off without hair loss. But, right around the 5 month mark, it started shedding real bad. At least I was anticipating that it might happen so I wasn't totally shocked. I immediately started wearing wigs and am currently enjoying trying out some new styles and colors that I would not have been brave enough to try with my own hair. I thought that Thanksgiving and Christmas would be awful in terms of not being able to eat, but it was barely a blip on the radar. I ate a little of everything I wanted to eat with no problems. As usual, I stopped when I got my full signal and tasted a little more later when I was ready or hungry. The biggest thing I have to monitor with eating these days is that my sleeve handles different volumes depending on the time of day. In the morning, I can barely eat anything at all. I've taken to drinking a protein shake for breakfast instead of trying to eat because it was getting frustrating to feel stuffed after 3 or 4 bites. At lunch time, I can take in a little more depending on my stress level and how busy I am that day. When I'm stressed or rushed, I can't get down too much. If I'm able to take my time, I can eat about 1/2 - 3/4 cup of food at lunch. I don't like to linger over my food too long, but sometimes I have to just nibble on it while I work (after my official lunch time is over) or I would never get in a decent amount of real food protein. Evening or dinner time is when I can eat what seems like a normal amount of food. I can easily do a cup of food for dinner most nights. Sometimes it freaks me out a little to eat that much, but I have to remind myself of how little I've actually eaten all day. So, it all balances out. I'm always careful to not stuff myself at dinner just because I can eat more at that time. I still listen to my full signals and stop when I feel it. Like many other sleevers, I have found it way too easy to take in junk food so I have to really watch myself with that. I am able to drink soda with no problem. I just can't gulp them the way I used to and the way I can water. Sodas have always been a problem area for me but I luckily acclimmated myself to diet sodas on my preop diet, so that's mostly what I drink. I occasionally have a regular soda but in general they seem too sweet for me to drink more than a little of. The diet sodas don't seem to be having a negative impact on my weight loss or stretching my stomach. I started experimenting slowly with diet sodas around 4 months and am used to them now. It takes me a long time to drink a normal amount of soda and I rarely finish whatever I have ordered/bought so I don't worry about taking in too much. I was able to go back to regular caffeinated tea about a month or so after surgery and haven't had any problems with that either. I do drink regular sweet tea when I drink it. I don't drink a lot of it the way I used to, I guess because it's too sweet. But it still tastes good (better than soda) so I don't stress about it since I'm drinking a small amount compared to before surgery. Like many other WLS patients, I struggled with whether to tell people about my surgery. I decided to tell them so that I wouldn't feel like I was being deceitful about how I lost weight. I know that's not the best decision for everyone, but it's the best choice for me. I also decided that I wasn't going to talk about the surgery I had or give out any other info. I know that some people are too invasive/nosy/insensitive with their questions and I didn't want to have to deal with that. I can just imagine someone asking me how much of stomach I let the doctor cut out, how many times I've thrown up, or how many times a week I poop. I'm sure some of you have dealt with that BS. My strategy of telling people that I'm not giving out any details about my surgery, including what kind of surgery I had, has been extremely successful. The minute I tell people that I'm not telling what kind of surgery I had or that I'm not giving out any details, I generally don't get any other questions. I mean not one more question after that. On the maybe two occasions that someone tried to push it a little further I just looked at them blankly and smiled and let them figure out why I wasn't talking anymore. They got the message REAL fast. It's kind of funny sometimes. I tend to tell friends or closer acquaintances that it makes me uncomfortable to talk about it and they respect that immediately without feeling like I"m shutting them out. Maybe this strategy will work for someone else. I think in time I may be more open about the surgery, but I'm not ready right now. Overall, this was the best health decision I could have ever made for myself. I hope that other people who are on the fence about it can benefit from this blog and from other people's blogs. Feel free to post any questions. I don't sign on as often as I used to, so if I don't respond it's because I haven't been online in a while. But I will respond to all questions as soon as I see them. Best wishes to everyone. :cheer2:

Thanks Prolific. Sleevless4now, you will be placed on a special diet after your surgery. All doctors have some variations in their diets, but most follow a typical pattern from clear liquid to full liquid to puree/soft to regular foods. I've been on a regular diet since about 8 weeks postop. I had to wait a little longer for some foods likes nuts and watermelon. It really wasn't that bad with my particular doctor's diet. I posted my postop diet under my blog if you want to view it. As far as follow up visits, I went at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, 3 months, 6 months. After that, I thinks it's once a year. Feel free to send me any other questions.

I tried something edgy and wild like this with my hair recently - in a blond no less. Oh, did I mention mine is a WIG! I'm shedding right now so that's the best I can do. I don't even want to look at my hair right now. But, I'm definitely going to get me a cute cut when the shedding calms down. This looks GREAT on you! Work it girl!

Mythreechildren, I'm curious as to why YOU never mentioned going to another doctor - at least for an opinion. That's an obvious reaction just based on the follow up posts alone. What's the attachment to this doctor who all but said "choose a different surgery or go somewhere else"? I don't know of any modern day insurance that doesn't pay for second opinions or the option to switch docs. So, even if there isn't another bariatric surgeon in the state who could do the surgery, your insurance should also allow you to go out of state. I can't wait to hear what you decided to do mythreechildren...Please give us an update.

I had a hernia repair and it was EXTREMELY painful! I woke up from surgery with a raging hot poker sensation in my chest/esophagus area. I had such a hard time swallowing even liquids that I had a mild case of dehydration. That was the pits! I think I started seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in week 3 post op. It continued to subside gradually and went away entirely by the 5th week. I had to keep something to drink in my hand almost at all times. I would even drive with a gatorade bottle in my hand to remind myself to sip, sip, sip. I've heard of some with hernia repair who had lots of pain and others who had no pain. Maybe it has something to do with the surgeon's technique. The strangest thing to me (and my doctor) is that my reflux is WAY worse than it ever was preop, and the hernia repair is supposed to help with that. Preop I was diagnosed with reflux but I had never thought of myself as having it because I didn't have the typical symptoms. Now, if I stop my prevacid, by day 2 without it I have trouble swallowing and eating and a painful, burning sensation in my chest. So, I know the hernia repair had to be done with the sleeve surgery, but I can't say it's been a positive outcome for me. Luckily the benefits of the sleeve surgery far out the initial postop pain and the new reflux issues.

I think this is a great way to present it for those who chose to tell that they had surgery. Only an idiot would argue with the logic of being able to cure your diabetes and get off meds or insulin. (I hope I didn't just call anyone's friend or loved one an idiot.) In terms of health, I was very motivated to lose weight so that I will hopefully not need knee replacement surgery. My knees were definitely getting so bad that I would probably be facing that in another 10 years. I can tell a world of difference after 6 months of constant weight loss.

I've only just started experiencing this in the past few weeks. It's not as extreme as some people seem to deal with. What I've noticed mostly is that when others around me are fanning and saying it's burning up, I feel just right like it's the perfect temperature. I agree that next summer might actually be bearable here in Hotlanta.

Thanks guys! Coops it looks like you didn't have as much to loose so I'm sure that has something to do with the difference. Keep at it and it will come off eventually.

Thanks for getting this thread pinned LilMissDiva. It's my favorite read and I'm sure others feel the same way! GO NSVs!!! :cheer2:

Vanity Fair Beautiful Benefits! I can't even feel the underwire and that's saying alot from someone who had a breast reduction. They feel good, look pretty, and make your tops fit nicely. If you buy the right size it will smooth out the back fat too. I order online from JCPenney and try to catch them on sale. As a bra officionado (sp?), I can honestly say this is the BEST bra I've ever worn.

I recently gave away a bunch of clothes that were the smallest size I've worn in a LONG time - like 20 years. I didn't sweat it one bit as I put them in bags and sent them on their merry way. Good riddance and on to smaller sizes! Yeah!!!

This is great to hear from a veteran sleever. I feel like I have really hit my stride at 6 months out so I can only imagine how great I'll feel in 6 more months. I talked to my nurse case manager yesterday who told me she had the sleeve four years ago - when they were bigger than they usually are these days. She said she has had no problem maintaining her weight loss and still has about the same stomach capacity that she had at 6 months out. These kind of stories keep me going and confirm my decision to get the sleeve. Congratulations on your success and keep us updated every now and then on how you're doing.

Yes, stop taking it now. I'm a strictly ibuprofen gal but I switched to Tylenol when needed two weeks before surgery. You will be able to take it after surgery at a certain point. I can't remember when I was cleared for it postop, but it wasn't long at all.

All I can say is thank goodness for Goodwill. I would NEVER have imagined myself buying secondhand clothes before this surgery, but it's a necessity now in order for me to maintain a decent, professional wardrobe. I'm not a snob about clothes - I couldn't tell you a thing about designer labels - but I did have hangups about secondhand clothes. Now, it's my saving grace. I try to go when I have time to pick over what's there and examine everything closely. The smaller I get, the easier it is to find nice stuff there - just like in the regular store. I usually find 2 or 3 nice pairs of pants. It's easier to find inexpensive shirts in regular stores so I don't worry about those as much. But finding inexpensive dress pants is hard to do. I've also had some luck with WalMart even though it's not as cheap as Goodwill. I'm getting over my hangups about giving away all of my big clothes too. I gave tons of stuff to goodwill and a friend and her family right before Christmas. I was so cleansing to pass that stuff on without thinking that I might need it back if I regain my weight. Been there, done that. Now, I'm looking foward to another trip to goodwill when I hit a solid size 14. How funny is that to be looking foward to a goodwill shopping spree. I'm such a cheap date.

Thanks for the positive feedback everyone. Sorry I didn't see this post in time to send you my 18s Christie, but you're probably out of those by now anyway. I'm in a loose 16 and some 14s now. Life is good!

Well, I'm a little past my 3 month mark and can definitely say that I am glad I had this surgery done. It wasn't easy to say that early on when I was struggling with getting fluid in, learning how to slowly feed my sleeve, and adjusting to a life of smaller portions. I can't say I'm 100% there, but I'm making good progress. I still get irritated sometimes when I'm really hungry and have something really good to eat and then I sit down and can only manage to eat a tiny bit. One thing about the sleeve is that you can't always predict how much food it will allow you to eat before it revolts. Sometimes I can eat what seems like a decent amount. Other times, I can only eat a few mouthfuls. My sleeve tends to be very tight in the morning and loosens as the day progresses. Dinner is the time I'm most likely to get in a decent amount of food and protein. I'm still relying on my protein supplements to maintain my muscle mass (Isopure RTD and Jay Robb powder shake mix - both are whey protein isolate). Despite the volume changes with my sleeve, I am doing a good job of listening to my full signals and not trying to push it past the limit. I usually stop eating before I am truly full because getting to full can sometimes lead to vomiting if you take in even a tiny bit more. So, when I get that little twinge in my stomach or an uncomfortable sensation in my chest, I know it's time to stop. Sometimes, I can let things settle and eat a little more if I've only taken a few bites. If I've already eaten what seems like a normal amount for me, then I stop when I get that sensation. Early on, eating too fast led to vomiting more than eating too much. As time progresses, I'm finding that I can eat at a slightly more normal pace even though I'm still eating a fraction of what I used to. It all just takes some getting used to. To date, I've lost a total of 61 pounds, including 15 pounds preop. I see improvements physically because I no longer have back or hip pain. Most people I interact with everyday only started noticing my weight loss recently. I think they kind of knew something was different but weren't sure or didn't want to say anything. Now, it's quite obvious. I've gone from a size 22W to 18W or 18 Misses. My 18s are starting to get loose on me now. The change in my clothing size has been the most exciting aspect of things for me and what keeps me most motivated. I would probably be another size smaller if I was exercising the way I'm supposed to be, but I just haven't been able to get that together. My schedule has been so crazy and unpredictable the past couple of months that I can't even piece together a consistent workout routine. So, I do some Pilates when I am willing and able but I have definitely got to work on that aspect of things. Overall, it's been a VERY interesting experience. I wouldn't recommend it for everyone because you have to be patient and attentive to your body for this to be successful. You won't be able to eat regular food overnight, you won't lose the weight overnight, and you won't feel like yourself overnight. But all of those things will come in time. I'm looking forward to more positive changes down the road physically and mentally as I continue to adjust to my new stomach and my new body.

I MADE IT!!! I MADE IT!!! As of Jan. 1, I am 193 lbs! It's been about 20 years since I weighed less than 200 lbs. It's amazing! I feel so great about making this major goal. I'm still weighing myself about once a month or so, and I really have to remind myself to do it now. I've been so excited with my shrinking clothes size that I don't even think about the scale anymore. But, this was an important scale victory and I'm glad I made it. The most exciting thing is knowing that the weight won't be coming back the way it did on my past diets. :amen: