Foxbins

I flew Southwest and he met me as I left baggage claim.

I know it's hard, but just be patient. You are not done, your body is just catching up with the changes you have made. If it bothers you to see the number on the scale stay the same, stay off. If not, keep checking but if it doesn't move, just say to yourself, "maybe tomorrow" and keep to your plan. Protein, water, and vitamins!

I haven't been mistaken for someone else, although I would be tickled if I were, but I have not been recognized by a co-worker. I had lost about 50 lbs and she had not seen me for a few months. I said hello and she gave me a funny sort of smile and nod. I heard later that she asked someone who I was.

Yes you can eat those things but only occasionally. Protein first forever! I find that pasta makes me feel horrible so I have given up on that, but I have eaten pickles and pizza and I love hot chocolate (you can make it with protein powder if you're careful).

Anything that chews to mush is also a slider--chips, candy, for some people bread--it doesn't give you a feeling of restriction so you can eat loads of it. Sliders are usually calorically but not nutritionally dense. They go from your stomach into your small intestine like the rest of your food and drink.

Congratulations! You must be so happy and proud of your hard work!

I had my surgery 14 months ago and have lost 94 lbs, more than I had ever hoped. I am thrilled to be slender and for the most part maintaining my weight loss is easy. However, I was reminded today that surgery was on my stomach, not my brain. Pre-op, I loved sweet things. pancakes, donuts, cinnamon rolls for Breakfast and chocolate, ice cream, and cakes for dessert after lunch AND dinner to say nothing of TV Snacks. Post-op, I avoided carbs until I reached goal. I tried a few bites of Desserts then but they tasted too sweet and not as good as I remembered so I didn't pursue eating them. Yesterday I saw on a website that Cold Stone Creamery was having a BOGO sale with a coupon, which I promptly printed out. I was on my way to the store to get my ice cream treat when it hit me--I don't like ice cream anymore. It makes my sleeve feel funny and me feel queasy when I eat it. Why in the world was I driving to get something that was going to make me feel bad? Because that is what I did pre-op. I eat when I am anxious, especially sweets, and I have just signed a contract to have lots of work done on my kitchen (plus, there is a raccoon in the crawl space, but that's another tale). I was going to get ice cream because that was how I dealt with anxiety before my surgery. Once I realized what I was doing, I didn't need the ice cream anymore. I called a friend and told her how worried I was about making the wrong decorating decisions and she offered to help--poof! Anxiety gone. Does this strike a chord with anybody else or am I just a little loony?

I'm 14 months out and live in sweaters and my fleece jacket. Immediately post-op I think I was freezing due to metabolic changes induced by surgery, but now I think I'm cold because I've lost all my "insulation." My feet and hands are always freezing and the car heater is usually on high all the time.

You can lose as much weight with the sleeve as with bypass. Because you are a big guy, it will take time for the weight to come off and that time will help you learn new eating habits. Bypass malabsorption only lasts for 18-24 months and bypass patients who have relied on malabsorption to lose their weight are up the proverbial creek, plus they have malnutrition issues forever. There's a guy on Obesity Help who has lost 350 lbs with the sleeve. I think your surgeon gave you very good advice in recommending VSG. However, I am a strong advocate in people getting the surgery they think is right for them and if you feel that you would do better with a bypass, talk to your surgeon again.

The nutritionist I spoke to said no gum, ever. When I asked why, she said I might swallow it and become obstructed. I haven't swallowed gum in more than 50 years and figured I wasn't about to start now, so I discarded her advice and chew it occasionally. As for the straw, my surgeon never forbade them so I have used them since 4 days post-op. I burped constantly whether I used a straw or not and the straw helped me to take tiny sips in the early days.

I'm 14 months post-op and my weight loss went like this: January-17 lbs February-8 lbs March-9 lbs April-8.5 lbs May-4 lbs (still don't know what happened--same calories and activity as April) June-9 lbs July-6 lbs August-8 lbs September-3.5 lbs (started to add carbs) October-6.5 November-5 lbs Dec and January--I had reached my goal of 150 on Nov 15 and was attempting to maintain. Had gallbladder surgery Nov 30 and facelift Jan 4. Lost 12 more pounds over the two months, now maintaining at 138. Hope this helps!

I didn't have heartburn before surgery. I took a PPI for seven months post-op and then stopped; I'm 14 months out now and have had heartburn twice since, both times eating too close to bedtime.

Mine took 2 1/2 hours including a large hiatal hernia repair.

I am 14 months post-op and still not hungry; I think loss of hunger is an individual thing and some people lose it forever and some never lose it and many are in-between somewhere. I began eating beef at about 2 months post-op, as I could not eat chicken (it's still iffy even now) and have never had any ill effects, but all surgeon's plans seem to be different and if you have been testing the boundaries, maybe stick to fish, seafood, and poultry for a while. You do have to pick protein over crap calories in order to succeed at this.

I'm 14 months post-op and my labs (done last week) are excellent--all in the normal range or above. I take a multi-vitamin, B-12, and calcium but I took the multi and calcium before surgery. I pay attention to what I eat and don't consume a lot of empty calories.

I have found that I react to alcohol the same way I did before I was sleeved. I was a big partyer when I was younger and now one or two drinks is plenty; as Indymom noted, alcohol is empty calories. I have no idea how long it takes to leave my system but I don't wake up with a hangover after one or two screwdrivers.

Your parent or guardian will have to sign a consent to your surgery and accompany you no matter where you have it. If you go outside the US, you pay out of pocket. My surgery was done by Dr. Aceves in Mexicali, Mexico but I don't know if he operates on adolescents. You will probably have to contact each surgeon you are interested in and ask them directly.

It's possible to "eat around" any WLS. With the sleeve, what tends to happen is that people either drink excess calories, eat food that chews to mush (so no feeling of restriction and a way to pack in a lot of junk calories) or "graze" all day long. Developing good habits right after surgery--journaling your food and tracking calories, weighing yourself every day and cutting back if there's a gain, eating dense Protein first--will help you achieve success and maintain weight loss.

You are wearing a hospital gown with nothing underneath. One of the incisions is very close to where your bra fits in between your breasts and a bra would get in the way of that incision. Your tummy is cleaned with an antiseptic before surgery and undies might get in the way. You can put them back on right after surgery if you want.

It's called Band over Bypass. The surgeon doesn't take down the bypass (too bad, because her malabsorption is gone now) but the band restricts the amount of food she can eat, which she apparently didn't learn with the bypass. I agree, she should have chosen a different procedure...but if she had a distal bypass to begin with, I don't know if a biliopancreatic diversion would have helped all that much. Probably she should spend some money on some nutrition counseling so she doesn't eat around the band, too.

I am a psychologist and I think the most important thing for you to do is to find a therapist with whom you feel comfortable, respect, and trust not to steer you wrong or drag out your sessions to make more money. I can't tell you how long therapy might last because it depends on how easily you can identify and modify your maladaptive behaviors. I do encourage you to find a therapist who uses cognitive-behavioral techniques as they will be most efficient in helping you change your feelings about food. Asking in your support group or your surgeon's office is a good place to get a few names. Good Luck!

My surgeon never prohibited straws and I have used them from day 4 post-op--this is one of those things where surgeons have different opinions. I have never suffered any ill effects from using a straw. The eating and drinking at the same time I can't do and I'm 14 months out. I can take a sip while I am eating but I can't drink a mouthful of liquid and then eat some solid food--it just makes me feel ill.

I told my PCP 3 days before leaving for Mexico. She was initially supportive, as she knew I was obese and yet did not meet criteria for WLS under my insurance plan. She freaked out a bit when I told her it was to be done in Mexico, but agreed to order my post-op labs and found me a support group nearby. She's been great overall despite having reservationa about a Mexican surgeon.

I went to a lap-band seminar when I was first starting to look at WLS surgery too. There was a woman there who had lost 100+ pounds and I was very impressed. Then I came home and read the statistics on the lap-band manufacturer's website--a complication rate of 30%?? Something called "productive burping" and "getting stuck" and slipped bands? Plus the surgeon wanted to charge $300 for each fill or unfill. I figured out pretty quick that I wanted something permanent, one surgery, few complications, and little follow-up. I found VSG, and thought, "What has my stomach ever done for me except clamor to be fed and never feel full?" So I changed my mind. It's been 14 months and I am happier than I ever dreamed.

I don't think you aspirated any seeds but maybe some acid? It would irritate the bronchi and give the symptoms you are experiencing. Have you had a fever?