Rootman

Sorry if I offend but I find that Christians are one of the most close minded people in the world - and I AM one! I was reminded of this verse before I had my WLS: Mark 9:43 "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:" While being obese it certainly is not prohibiting us from eternal life it IS keeping us from living a longer healthier life and certainly from enjoying the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon us. So if being obese is severely hindering you from a happy, active, responsible, healthy life then CUT IT OFF! Literally!

Me neither, I keep the same diet and sometimes even go NEGATIVE on the net calories.

Ahaa! I found it, it goes by a few names and one of them is SILs: http://www.covidien....port/pages.aspx Better double check with your doc to make sure that's what they are meaning, maybe he just means you'll get high class "star" treatment

Woot! Cute chick alert!

WooHoo! Congrats! Keep it comin' off!

Yeah, seems like I would always have the smallest attendant on the planet pushing my fat a$$ down the hall in a chair or gurney too. It must be a cinch for them now. Yeah, mine used to be as big as a tent and I still had a breeze in the back! It was embarrassing having to wait while they fetched the "special" gowns for me. I always hated this, I had a stress test last sumer, they had to put the cuff on my forearm because they couldn't find the jumbo cuff - and I KNOW it doesn't work right there. Makes me wonder if the entire test was even remotely correct using it there. Great NSV's - keep 'em comin'!

Yes, although I think it was named something like Spider or something. It is just an updated surgical tool that uses one incision in the abdomen that all the tools enter - the cutter, the camera, the gas jet, the lights and manipulator, instead of 4 or 5 incisions they just use the one and the tools spread out from this central incision to inside the body - like the legs of a spider. Like everything I would assume they charge more because it's new and "better".

Only like EVERY DAY! I guess it's natural for most of us, for some of use we've struggled with weight for DECADES and the fact that it might be OVER for us is hard to accept. The fact is that you CAN FAIL too - but I would think it would really take an effort to bypass the pouches limits, whereas before it just happens naturally. I HOPE this is my FINAL and COMPLETE lifelong solution.

I am not sure but it was at least 2 or 3 months out. I used to slug a can of soda in 5 minutes, the first couple post-op took me an hour to down, now it takes me 20 -30 minutes and I actually ENJOY it more because I stop and actually taste it rather then let it slide down the hatch.

Been drinking 2 or 3 cans a week for months and have still managed to lose 160 pounds. IMHO, they cause no issues at all, all the talk about bubbles stretching the sleeve are just nonsense. Now, the other excuse of triggering sweet cravings MIGHT be valid. If you can handle it and don't suddenly want to pig out on sweets than go for it - IN MODERATION. Most colas / sodas are pretty acidic and may cause some tummy upset although I drink a bit of diet Canada Dry Ginger Ale and it settles my stomach pretty well, MOM used to give it to us when we had upset tummies as kids. And again IANAD.

Your old belt now goes 1 1/2 times around your waist.

Mine started to come off in 10 days or so. It largly depends on how much you perspire and how oily your skin is.

As of today I'm down to 215 pounds from 375 - 160 pounds lost. When I started out I was asked to select a goal weight and chose 180 pounds, according to the BMI charts right in the middle for a 6' male, the range was between 160 and 190. I am starting to look gaunt, size LARGE shirts are fitting loosely and my size 36 pants are baggy. I can't picture losing another 35 pounds. I have been VERY fortunate up till now and my skin has pretty much snapped back, although I've noticed in the last few weeks I am really starting to sag and pucker all over the place. I just got a new security badge for work and was actually startled by the picture on it, I look thin and frail, my cheek bones are very visible and my eyes seem sunken. I don't look healthy in the pic. So should I stop now or go for goal regardless? Have any of you actually chosen to NOT make goal for the same reason? I know the BMI charts are not always accurate.

Right now you should be fine without ANY Vitamins, especially if you started taking them pre-op, you've got enough stored away or can do without for a month or better. I'd stay off them till tummy feels more co-operative, you just had him sliced and diced up pretty good and he's feeling kinda blue right now, he'll settle down and co-operate pretty soon.

As the previous posters stated YES it's pretty normal. After about 3 months you'll be able to eat more, six and you'll be able to eat a fair amount. You pretty much traumatized you poor little stomach and they cut off more than they left behind, he's feeling kinda blue and your entire metabolism is going haywire trying to cope with the lack of calories. It will heal and you will be able to eat. Again as previously stated, just stay hydrated and good old H2O is the best way to get it. Take the drinks if you want but wa-wa is best.

The staples are titanium which is an inert metal that is pretty rare to be allergic to, then again so is gold. You may HAVE TO determine if you are allergic to it before proceeding, the staples are permanent and never removed. Perhaps they can do sutures only? You will have to ask. http://www.melisa.org/titanium-allergy.php

Hurray! We are all proud and stand in admiration of you - with just a bit of jealousy and envy!

Honda GL1800 here! Not much riding lately with the gawd awful heat we've had all summer! Looking forward to cooler fall rides. My riding jacket is 3X and I swim in it despite having all the straps pulled as tight as possible. Once I actually grabbed my wifes coat and had BOTH sleeves on before I realized it was her MEDIUM jacket! That was a few months and a few pounds ago too.

Getting "certified" material from your doctor to your insurance company is going to be your only avenue - unless you elect to go the self pay route. Do you have any co-morbidities? High blood pressure? Diabetes or pre-diabetes? I would NOT keep gaining weight just to qualify. And I suggest the following reluctantly - think about self pay. I was lucky in that I have insurance but did not want to go through all the crap they make you go through and wait-wait-wait. A woman where I work inspired by my rapid weigh loss started down the insurance path over 6 months ago, she is STILL getting the run around despite the fact she has JUMPED on everything they have asked her, doctors visits, psych eval, you name it - she did it immediately. Then they "lost" her information and she had to resubmit and get the doctors to resubmit it all over again. It is really a racket. I had the cash, made the contacts and was sleeved in about a month - it would of been sooner but I had to get a renewed passport first. Medical Tourism is not for everyone but it worked for me.

Welcome to the wonderful world of advice! There is a LOT of MIS / DIS and just plain WRONG information being pushed out there - including by doctors. And a LOT simply forget to give out information, and a LOT of patients simply don't read all the advice materials supplied to them either. That's what's great about forums like this, you can typically get the RIGHT info by asking questions. A comment on a remark a few posts up: YES, it can take a few DAYS to build up the effect that PPI's have but not a few weeks. My guess is the occasional poppers who "Take as needed" simply get over their acid condition naturally by the time the pop a pill and they attribute the effects to the capsule. ALSO: a great tip my doc gave me, rely on the old fashioned remedy for upset / acidic stomach that pregnant women have used for hundreds of years - CRACKERS. Yes, the good old saltines, just a few will adsorb the excess acid and get you over an "acid trip" till your next meal. A few a day won't kill your diet and the carbs and calorie are minimal.

No but my resting heart rate has dropped significantly, was typically in the 90's, now it's in the 60's. Are you hydrating enough? Exercising? Perhaps you are just getting better fit cardio wise? What does the doc say?

Yeah, it royally sucks! I'm glad I'll never have to do THAT again! The LAST day was the worst, I was sleeved last December and I didn't want to chance flying in e day of surgery and be late because of weather so I flew in a day early. I sat in a hotel room, stomach churning and rumbling screaming FEED ME - FEED ME! A local pizza chain was bombarding the local stations with commercials, seems like 3 or 4 times an hour the same 5 cheese and 2 bacon pizza ad came on - damn it looked good! I nearly caved and ordered one, but I stuck it out. I wouldn't want my colon to be packed with pizza post-op, had a "hard" enough time as it was.

Yep, same for dogs too! Especially when they insist on sniffing your incision - ouch!

You're still here and posting so I would say no harm no foul. Just give the tummy plenty of time to heal and don't stark eating too much too soon - or you'll regret it - don't ask me how I know.

WooHoo! Good for you girl! I too like the expression. I think I sat it in the dictionary under the definition of "OMG!"