FloraBama Girl

I have the sleeve and the reflux has reached a point I am getting a bypass revision. Having to save for self pay.

My acid reflux got so much worse with the sleeve. If I miss a dose of Nexium I end up in the ER. As soon as I have enough money I am getting revision surgery to a bypass. This is suppose to improve or eliminate the acid. Have you been seen by a GI doctor? Mine said the sleeve was causing my problem and keep taking the medicine. The only think about that is I just heard long term use of those type medicines can cause kidney disease. You need to get seen, erosion is serious.

I wished I had known the sleeve would make acid reflux worse. I would have done RNY if I had known this information. Now I feel like I need to get revision surgery to get relief.

I had surgery in August 2011 and was losing until August 2012. I had been unemployed in 2012 until late August 2012. I was 185 when I went to work and got up to 220 six months after starting the job. I have been at 220 no matter what I do. I guess I can be thankful I have not gained back all the weight. The only thing that depresses me so much is that weight I gained makes me feel and look like I did at the highest weight of 269. I have to wear the same clothes then now. That is so discouraging. I tracked my food and worked out 3 days a week for a period for 12 weeks starting in January of this year and gained 2 pounds. I have been unemployed since January but thankfully I am going back to work on Monday July 13th. I have been of liquid Protein this prior week to try to feel my work clothes are not as tight. I have not weighed because that just depresses me. I will try to stay on the high protein for the next week get back to how I did feel in that August of 2012. I wish everyone success and good health and for us with the demons on our back to conquer them.

Thanks for that share. I was a normal weight child before I started school. My first grade teacher would not let me leave the lunchroom until I finished my food. She would leave me alone sometimes until the bell rang to go home. I didn't know how to tell my mother and started gaining weight to not get left in the lunchroom. I gained 30 pounds that year and that is a lot for a little kid. I remained the biggest kid in the class until after the sixth grade. I got my beloved horse and she helped me slim down. It was after my dad died in 1992 that my weight problems started again. I was the apple of his eye and it devastated me. In August 2011 I had gastric sleeve surgery. I started at 269 and had lost to 185 in August 2012. I was out of work from January 2012 to August. I think going back to work that August contributed to my current weight of 220. I have been out of work again since the end of December and can't get this weight off no matter what I do. I am starting back to work this Monday July 13 and I am terrified this is going to cause more weight gain. I have done nothing but Protein and a couple of cantaloupe slices this week and lost 3 pounds. My injuries from a car accident and chronic anemia (it is genetic, not Iron low) prevents me exercising enough to help add muscle and burn some fat. Sorry I got off topic but I needed to rant.

Okay time for my story. My sleeve was done in Aug 2011. In Jan 12 I lost my job and was doing great and had lost weight from 269 to 185. When I finally went back to work in Aug 2012 I have gained back to 220 and feel just a fat as I was at 269. Before surgery I had never had love handles and still had a waist at any weight. In Jan of this year, I started logging my 1000 calories on Fitness Pal and started doing some weight training and pliates. I follow this for 12 weeks and gained 2 pounds and it did not appear to reduce my stomach which is my demon. Talk about a kick in the teeth. Since WLS surgery I have had shoulder and knee surgeries and struggle with most exercises. The best muscle builders are lunges and planks which are killers for my shoulder and knees. My knee pain does let me walk enough and high interval training does work with my chronic anemia. Today I started on high Protein again and will see where this goes. I can't I say am all that happy with my sleeve. This is my rant for today and good luck to everyone.

Hope you all are doing well after your surgery. Best wishes to you.

Sugar Free Tropical Popsicles is what helped me through it. They add to your water total too. Find a shake that you actually like, l like Pure Protein pre-made and powder. Chicken broth is good when you want something hot. It does get easier, good luck to you. Steph

Being anemic all my life I have always been cold. Since surgery it got worse and I too am wearing socks, jackets, sweaters, gloves, blankets.... You get the picture? Every now and then a hotflash surfaces, then I feel like I will internally combust. LOL. God help us women.

Welcome to Vertical Sleeve Talk. I wish you well and congratulate you on chosing to improve your health. There s so much information and support here. My anniversary for 1 year is coming up on August 24. I am down 82lbs. For my experience with the surgery, it was virtually painless. I was up walking the ward as soon as I got back to my room. The only challenge I experience at first was finding the right amount of food my pouch could handle. It let me know when I had crossed the line. I have only gone from 220 in November to 188 now. Losing our insurance then I lost my job in January put me in a couple of stalls. I realized I had not been eating properly so I started a 5 day pouch test I found on Living well after WLS. It allows you to break the carb cycle and get back to high Protein. I had been stuck at 194 for months. Since starting this test I have lost 7 lbs already. So the important things I think are getting up and moving after surgery. Listen to your body after you get home. Get your daily protein and Water limits. Exercise at least 3 days a week. Take your Vitamins. Sorry for rambling, Stephanie

Finally broke a stall and dealing with swelling and down 2 pounds to 189. Doing a 5 day pouch test seems to have helped me break the stall. Really frustrating when excess fluid puts you over 200 again. Thought that number was long gone.

I found them at Walmart. They were at the far left end of the produce counter where there is refrigeration. I made the French Dip Cupcakes from Emily Bites recipe this week and I and the hubby loved them. 1 filled me up and 3 filled the hubby up. Has anyone found Au Jus gravy in a jar? It calls for the Au Jus in this recipe but I had to get the powder package kind. I thickened it up with a bit of cornstarch and use the rest of it (package made 3 cups of gravy) for dipping sauce. They were even better heated up the next day. Also I baked the first wonton in the muffin pan at 350 for about 5 minutes before putting in the first layer. That kept the first wonton from getting soggy of the bottom. Can't wait to try the taco cupcakes.

This is from the Prevention Flat Belly Diet book. They call it Sassy Water and it is very refreshing. 2 liters or about 8 1/2 cups water 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger 1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced 1 medium lemon, thinly sliced 12 small spearmint leaves Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher and let the flavors blend overnight. I think I will make up a batch for Saturday.

Hey Sweet Home Alabama Group, I was wondering if any else is anxious to see the football season to start. My weekends are so dead without a game to watch. My withdrawal was so bad yesterday, I watched the BCS champioship game again. One matter who you root for we welcome all posts.

I started out with the bariatric surgery team at Celebration Hospital. It was taking so long to get any appointments for meeting with people I needed for the pre-op insurance approval that I wasn't going to make it to surgery before my insurance ran out. I remembered a previous call with a person that recommended the program at Flagler Hospital. I didn't start the approval process with Flagler until July 14, 2011. Melissa Smith is the best person to get you in the program. I feel in love with Melissa and everyone else I meet in the program. They fast-tracked me to surgery which was done on August 24,2011. My appointment with the Celebration dietitian was going to be on August 22. I felt like a number with the Celebration program and a close friend with the other program. I am an example where the change was not because of the surgeon but the program itself. It was the best decision I ever made.

I am a litle blown away with your emotional shopping trip. What a feeling that was for you. You look so beautiful in that dress and probably everything else you are wearing. Have a great time on your trip. Sounds like a trip of a lifetime.

Hello fellow August sleevers, I have lost 76 lbs and down to 191. I was stuck at 200 for the longest time. I am back to losing 1 -2 pounds a weeks and I am just fine with that. Wow, I never knew having an overweight BMI of 30 would excite me so much but I can't be listed as morbid obese ever again! This site has helped me when the going got rough. Being out of work since January has caused a lot of stress on me and I think that is what caused the stall. Can't wait to hit the 100 pounds goal.. Hope I will be getting close to that goal by my birthday on August 21. It has been so hot here in Orlando Florida, it is 80 degrees by 7:00am which limits outside activities. So stay cool everyone and we will check in again next month. Congrats to all of you who have hit or passed your goal weight.

I tried Buffalo Chicken Bites and Mini Meatloaf Muffins from Emily Bites website. Both were very good and even my husband liked them. These recipes makes several servings for meals so it makes it easy to have a quick and ready protein serving without any more cooking or preparation. Go to www.emilybites.com for these recipes and many more.

I made the Mini Meatloaf Muffins off of the Emily Bites website. The only thing I changed was to use Chili sauce instead of ketchup. They were so good I couldn't believe it. One is filling is eating with other veggies, two are great without anything else. They refrigerated good and heated up great too. I think they would freeze fine also. The recipes makes 12 good size 'muffins'. It has grated carrots in the recipe so you kids would get a little veg out of it. Check out Emily Bites for a lot of more recipes. The website is www.emilybites.com .

I love spicy food, the only thing bad right now is just about everything gives me gastric reflux. If I take Zegerid it keeps the acid down. Being without a job makes it hard to try to pay $30 for 22 days worth of treatment of Zegerid. I try what we have on hand but it just doesn't work like the Z stuff. Had an job interview today that went pretty good so maybe I will be employed again soon. Having insurance would be so great again. Sorry for the venting.

If you like nuts and can eat them, then there is a protein bar called Rockin' Roll Nutty Peanut. You can get them on Amazon. If you like Payday candy bars, these tast like them with less sugar taste.