Brother J

What a blessing. The sleeve alone didn't get you this far. Super effort.

Super dee duper. What a milestone. You give me hope for my goal.

I too am thirsty. I find it difficult to drink enough water although I mostly drink Medifast shakes which are about 80% water.. Dark yellow urine is a sign of not drinking enough water. At 5 weeks postop, I still have a lot to learn and that is why this forum is so helpful to me. My old habits haven't gone away just because I had surgery!

I had clear liquids for 24 hours then full liquids which helped a lot. Surgeons differ on nearly everything as evidenced by forum postings. If in doubt, follow orders. I paid my surgeon $5000 for his expertise, so I followed it.

Haven't tried veggie smoothies. Sounds good. Will look up Vitamix. Thanks for the ideas. Had VSG. 1 month ago. Mostly drinking Medifast shakes plus extra protein from skim milk and Prostat 65. Just limited mushie for now. Weight falling off. Too heavy to weigh on normal scale. Will see surgeon at end of month and I hope his scale works.

Felt pretty tired for about weeks, then new metabolism kicked in. I'm 57 with multiple medical problems and the extra energy is an awsome early benefit. For me, spacing out my shakes and smoothies is necessary to boost my energy. Let's celebrate!

I researched carefully and didn't want absorbtion problems with bypass. Aso, hunger is a big issue for me and sleeve seemed better for that. Bypass people more prone to terrible pains from stretching surgical site after losing fat in the omentum which is inside the abdomen. NO FOLEY CATH FOR ME!

I researched carefully and didn't want absorbtion problems with bypass. Aso, hunger is a big issue for me and sleeve seemed better for that. Bypass people more prone to terrible pains from stretching surgical site after losing fat in the omentum which is inside the abdomen. NO FOLEY CATH FOR ME!

Milk is still the best way to get calcium and a great protein source.

I had surgery December. I cut my insulin use in half. I am superobese and am super insulin resistant. As I lose more fat, I'm sure my insulin use will steadily decrease. Not matter what, watch your blood sugars closely and get help from your healthcare provider in regulation insulin and other diabetes medications.

My BCBS did not pay for WLS. It could be the type of plan I purchased. You'd think paying about $9600 a year for insurance, it would include WLS.

I took pills whole from day one. I spread them out and took my time. it was a little difficult at first.

It is correct, insurance companies generally pay usual or customary fees instead of what is billed. I paid cash for my surgery and the hospital told me charges were $33,000. I dickered and finally paid about $12,000. The surgeon wouldn't dicker and I'm sure I paid more than what insurance would pay the surgeon. Since I have so many health problems, I was very picky about hospital and surgeon but it did cost a lot. If I didn't have so many problems from my obesity, I definitely would consider a foreign surgeon and location.

It is correct, insurance companies generally pay usual or customary fees instead of what is billed. I paid cash for my surgery and the hospital told me charges were $33,000. I dickered and finally paid about $12,000. The surgeon wouldn't dicker and I'm sure I paid more than what insurance would pay the surgeon. Since I have so many health problems, I was very picky about hospital and surgeon but it did cost a lot. If I didn't have so many problems from my obesity, I definitely would consider a foreign surgeon and location.

Your cardiologist will have to "clear" you for surgery but with your new plumbing, you are likely better able to tolerate surgery than before you heart attack. I had a heart attack 3 years ago struggled to lose weight and am a diabetic. My cardiologist felt that I was an acceptable risk for surgery and I had my VSG done December 15. I am already benefitting from the procedure. You have had a real interesting journey and, like me, have to work closely with your medical team to chose your next step. Good luck.

Your cardiologist will have to "clear" you for surgery but with your new plumbing, you are likely better able to tolerate surgery than before you heart attack. I had a heart attack 3 years ago struggled to lose weight and am a diabetic. My cardiologist felt that I was an acceptable risk for surgery and I had my VSG done December 15. I am already benefitting from the procedure. You have had a real interesting journey and, like me, have to work closely with your medical team to chose your next step. Good luck.

Many excellent observations and recommendations in these comments. I think we all have to make reading nutrition labels a priority in order to get the protein we require and control carbohydrates which are often the tasty part of our intake. I like the idea of making my own yoghurt. Thanks.

I too sleep great on bipap and the noise is soothing! It would be nice to not bother with it but I've got a lot of weight to lose and am in no hurry to wean off bipap. I expect many of us will be able to stop treatment as we reach a normal weight. If not, I'm ok. With it.

I had sleeve surgery December 15 and am still amazed I did it. It is a drastic measure to be sure but I have damaged my body severely and waited a long time until I was sure the sleeve procedure was for me. 3 weeks out, I am comforted that I have another chance to get my life back. I'm 57 and started out around 500 lbs at 6 feet 1 inch which makes me super obese. The weight is dropping fast and hunger pains are fleeting. No regrets except I waited so long to do it.