PdxMan

I was told multi-vitamin, Calcium with Vit D and a sublingual B12. I added a probiotic to aid digestion and Biotin to cover the myth of hair loss prevention. For me, the only thing biotin did is when my hair did grow back, it was thicker than it ever had been ... and all over my body, too! Never been hairier in my life. I did lost about 40% of my hair in months 6 through 9, but like I said, it all came back ... and then some. Early out, I had issues and took Milk of Magnesia for about 2 weeks or so. About a month or so out, I started with prunes daily. Did that for about a year and I occasionally have them as I think they are yummy. Once you get your nutrition balanced, you shouldn't need anything to keep things moving. I was given a patch during surgery for nausea, and had it for a few days, so never had an issue there. Ulcer prevention ... I had terrible reflux pre-surgery but have had no issues post. Cross that bridge when you come to it if your stomach is feeling especially acidic.

The first month is fun as it seems the weight seems to melt off. Just be sure to be getting your Protein in as you want to try to minimize your muscle loss, for sure. You body isn't going to be picky only selecting your fat reserves for energy. Congrats on getting sleeved and welcome to the loser's bench!

I can only speak for myself and for me, I knew that if I didn't lose the weight, I was going to die. I was pre-diabetic and my Dr was going to put me on all kinds of medications for my weight related issues (high blood pressure, cholesterol ...) These were going to ravage my body as I continued my lifestyle of abusing food. I had been successful on many diets in the years past, but I was not successful at maintaining that lifestyle. I abused food on many levels. Food was a reward and a crutch. I would plan my next meal while eating my current meal. Snacks (meals to other people) were just a staple part of my day. If I continued like this, my two young children would not have much of a father even if I was able to be kept alive through the miracles of medicine. Afterall, how many morbidly obese old people do you see? I had to make a permanent change. The way my head can spin things, I could easily negotiate myself and my doctor into removing a band so I could go back to abusing food. Comparing the complications and long term issues between sleeve and bypass, I preferred the sleeve. NothingUpMySleeve, you say the long term data is rough ... hmmm ... how much history do you believe to be enough? There was enough to convince me, but everyone has different. Remember, the sleeve has been around for over 20 years. Myself, I am coming up on two and half years and I have absolutely no regrets. I was self-pay ($10,400 in Las Vegas) and it has been worth every penny of it. I am able to do things I never have been able to do before. The restriction is still excellent and I can eat anything and everything I want, just smaller quantities. I, too, was fearful this wouldn't work as I think most people have those moments. We have struggled with every other attempt, so why wouldn't this be different? Because 85% of your stomach is removed ... that's why. Early out, you don't have a choice but to be compliant. In this time, I faced a lot of my demons with food as I could no longer abuse food the way I used to. When depressed, I couldn't get the same satisfaction as I did before. Sure, there was a bit of mourning that occurred, but I had to find other ways of coping. Mostly, this has changed to dealing with my issues in life more head-on, which, has been one of the hidden blessings of this journey. I would like to think I am a better person today inside as well as being a slimmer person outside. But, as I mention, this is a life altering decision. The risks are there. But don't we take risks everyday? Over 49,000 people die each year in car accidents, so, should I stay away from all cars? Sure, accidents happen ... people do die ... but the mortality rate is so low, it was a risk I was willing to take because I knew without the surgery, my time here was limited anyway.

Might I suggest Eggface for ideas? http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/

You can always use the search functions to filter down the crapload to a dingle-berry load. How do you normally use BariatricPal? From an Android, iOS type mobile device or from a web browser? Each has search capabilities. Throw in your search term, Sex, and you should be able to find lots of shares related to it.

OK, so I went for duration on my first day instead of the 30 seconds per position I had been doing. In order, 15 second break in between. Regular plank: 120 seconds Right side: 30 seconds Left side: 60 seconds My right side plank has always been more difficult. Obviously, I am weaker there which I attribute directly to my surgery and I have noticed this in other aspects of my life, so I definitely need to focus there. Thanks GG for giving me this challenge. I need it.

Wow ... Do I really want to get married? Do I really want to get divorced? Do I really want to spend $XX thousand dollars on a new home? These and many more life altering decisions can ultimately only be answered by yourself. I think it is very unfair to yourself to put it out on an internet forum like this. Now, I understand the need to just put it out there so you can read it to help you mull it over, but take everyone's response with a grain of salt. I needed to take responsibility for my morbidly obese life and I had to make the decision to make a fundamental change with my relationship with food. I turned to the sleeve to get help to do this. I made this decision. At some point in this journey, it has been my experience from reading the boards for 3 years, that almost everyone at some point has the, "OMG, WTF did I just do to my body! This is an irreversible procedure and my life is RUINED!!" The quickest way for me to get out of this stinking thinking was to remember that this was MY decision to make a change in my life and I was committed to see this through. If a person has the ability to blame someone or something else for their predicament, then I believe it will be even more so to climb out of the abyss of self-pity. Only you know your history. Only you know your demons as it relates to whether or not you abused food. Don't let anyone else make this decision for you. Talk to your doctors and even a therapist if you are struggling with this decision. Guess what answer an alcoholic would receive if they walked into a bar and asked if they should have a drink? You'll get the same kind of answers here. Of course we all think VSG is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but we all have arrived at this decision on our own, and so must you. Good luck. Keep reading and asking questions. PM me if you have a direct question.

Well, let's think about this for a second. The scale said you were up 4 pounds. From when? The previous day? I'm guessing you are a daily weigher, so let's go with that. Up 4 pounds from the previous day. So, you have to consume 3,500 calories more than you burn to gain 1 pound of fat. 4 pounds of fat then would be 14,000 calories. So, my question to you is, do you think you ate 14,000 calories MORE than you burned? Especially after doing a 5K? Do you really think you gained 4 pounds of FAT? Or is what the scale says the ONLY thing that matters to you? The bottom line is the scale is a demon which is going to lie to us. It will lie to you even more the more often you weigh. What does it measure? Fat? Water? Muscle? What are you wanting to lose? Fat? Water? Muscle? There are many reasons why you weigh more one day to the next. Nobody here is going to be able to pinpoint it down to one thing for you. You just need to stay away from the scale, keep doing the right thing (follow all the guidelines) and track everything that goes into your mouth. If you do this, surely you know there is no way that you are gaining fat and I know for me, that was the bottom line. I would be happy as pigs in shitted if I could gain 20 pounds of muscle right now.

Oh, sure, I'm in.

6 weeks out I was eating Soups, soups and more soups. I make them all from scratch, so I could make them with great nutrition. Turkey chili, ham, lentil, veggie and chicken veggie were my staple ones, though. I also ate canned tuna blended with a little ranch. I would put half a teaspoon on a piece of extra sharp cheddar which was delicious. I didn't try salads until about 4 months out and I moved slowly with those starting with just iceberg and then would add a few leaves of romain until it was all romain, then I would do the same thing adding spinach, then progressed to adding kale. It was about the 6 month mark when I could pretty much eat anything. I adopted a manner of eating which I still use today. I take a small bite, put my utensil down and chew well. I evaluate how that bite made me feel before taking another. If I felt the least bit queasy, I would not take another. That was a signal to me that my body was not ready and would try to re-introduce that item at a later date. I think too many people just jump right back in thinking, "Well, my doctor cleared me for this food, so I should be able to eat it, right?" You are responsible for your own journey and no two people are the same. For me, adopting this new manner of eating has reaped benefits far and wide. I don't want to eat like I did before and this not only helped me with the re-introduction of foods, but with a healthier method of eating which my children are now seeing. There is a lot of value in that alone.

OK, I have been doing the planking thing as part of my physical therapy, but not doing it for as long as I can, rather, 30 seconds as shown here, but then rotating to each side. If I am feeling brave and balanced while on a side, I raise an arm and foot, but again, I only hold for 30 seconds, but that is enough! Whew!

Welcome to the wonderful world of ketosis. This is a result of rapid weight loss and is very normal. Until you get your calories up a bit, this will continue. While in ketosis, your body secretes acetone which tastes like, well, metallic is a good likeness, for sure. Quite normal. How far out are you?

My first year post, I took a probiotic daily, but not for this reason. With the altered stomach, I felt my digestive system could use the help until it figured this whole new stomach out. I took them along with my Vitamins, Biotin and Calcium regimen. I also ate prunes daily, too, and everything moved wonderfully for me. I think you can find natural alternatives through balanced nutrition if things aren't moving along so well. I believe it is just one of those ways your body communicates to you that it is needing something you aren't giving it. Find what works for you.

I have a desk job. I had my surgery on a Friday (outpatient), flew home to Portland on Monday from Las Vegas (Baby!) and was back to work 3/4 on Wednesday. Back full time the following Monday. So, it all depends on the person and how well they recover from surgeries.

Congrats on 3 years. Having been here for awhile myself, I have enjoyed your insight over the years. Thanks for sharing your journey with us.

Good to see you ActingNurse and happy to hear you are doing well. I know you and I didn't necessarily see eye to eye in your early days and I am glad we were able to get past that. I hope you stick around and share your experience with others. Your journey and experience will be valuable to others. Congrats!

Is a trip south of the border an option? You are in Chico, right? Grab a cheap flight down to San Diego, rent a car and head south into Tijuana for a 6 month supply. Probably be the cheapest route overall. Also, many drug companies have programs for financially challenged folks. Also take a look at other government programs available for you. Do a search in the GoogleVerse for Prescription Assistance Program in California.

So, your surgeon should have told you that they pump a lot of IV fluids in you during the surgery. It can take well over a week for it all to clear, so it is quite common to even appear to have GAINED weight that first week. But you have to know that weight is not fat, but rather fluids. Now, here's the thing. Next week, you will probably lose all of the fluids and so then: WOW!! I JUST LOST 20 POUNDS IN ONE WEEK!!! THIS SLEEVE IS AWESOME! I'M GOING TO BE AT GOAL IN ABOUT A MONTH! I have bad news for you. You aren't Again, it just fluids and now you will be in the phase where the weight you lose is fat and lean muscle (be sure to be getting your Protein in!!) This is where the foot hits the pavement, so be sure to be diligent in following your guidelines. At about the 3 to 4 week point, you may hit a stall. This is totally normal. Search the site regarding the 3rd week stall. You will have many stalls on your journey and this is expected and normal. So, the good news is that you are completely normal and experiencing everything you are supposed to. Just wait until you start losing the fat and all the hormones start on your system. Go over to the powder Room for lots of threads on that fun! Good luck and keep posting and reading!

When any thread gets a response, it immediately gets displayed as the top thread in that forum. If a certain thread hasn't had a response in awhile, other threads with more activity will be placed above that thread. When she posts on this thread, it gets *bumped* to the top making it more visible.

You are doing nothing wrong. Why do you think you are doing something wrong? Have you searched the forums for stall? This is quite normal and means your body knows how to go into starvation mode. It is a good thing. But you need to do your own research and understand these things. Each person is different. Don't get discouraged, just keep following the guidelines and you will begin to lose again. A lot of times, people get down and begin to sabotage themselves and go back to old habits. Don't let this happen to you, but again, do your research. Don't hijack someone else's thread. The OP is looking for stories of complications, not people who don't understand why they are in a stall.

Hello Ronda and welcome. What you are experiencing is quite common. Search around the forum for the 3 week stall or you can create your own thread, but let's try to keep this thread focused on the original poster's topic. Thanks!

Malabsorption is a complication of RnY, not sleeve. I am a sleever over 2 years out, so I cannot speak to the malabsorption issue as I have never experienced it. I have my labs done every 6 months and they have always been great. Strictures occur with sleeves when the opening to the stomach is too narrow. This can occur if the surgeon does not use a bougie or uses too small of a bougie when stapling the stomach. To say it happens a lot, though, is quite the over statement. When I was researching the sleeve 3 years ago, the incidence rate was below 2% and I can only hope they have improved on those numbers ... So, let's say 15 people out of 1,000 ... I wouldn't say it "happens a lot".

Also wanted to add, that there is also a LOT of incorrect information given when one participant of one type of bariatric procedure discusses details of another procedure. My advice would be to reap the information they relate about their OWN experience, not what they have been told by someone else. It is always very easy to find studies to support any side of the point of discussion.

I was sleeved with a hiatal hernia repair almost 2 and a half years ago and had no complications, as I believe most people don't. In each of the forums, you can find a sub-forum that has threads from folks who have had complications. You can read a whole history from many folks. Just be mindful of the overall statistics for each procedure. While you may be blown away and frightened by the stories in these forums, know that people, like myself, seldom post their stories about how smooth everything went. It's like at a restaurant. People will always complain about what went wrong but seldom make note of great experiences. Just know that during your research, Banders are going to say their surgery is the greatest because of X ... Y ... Z. Sleevers believe their choice was superior because of J ... K ... L while RnY folk know their choice was the best because of H ... I ... J. Each has passionate reasons and stories, so try to stay objective. Good luck with your research and decision. HERE is a link to that sub-forum for Gastric Sleeve: http://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/429-gastric-sleeve-surgery-complications-support-group/

He just broke out another can of peanuts. I'm not kidding. 11:55am