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Hey Laurabr1. Looks like we have a lot of things in common. I'm 5'3 too and my highest weight was 283 (though first consul at the doctor was 279). And like you my surgery will be July 24th! Personally, I'm so excited for the surgery already though I do fear the recovery. You have no idea how many times I've thought "I must be crazy to be choosing to remove part of my stomache permanently and forever change myself... there is no going back!! Why can't I just try harder to diet and exercise?" Well I have been trying to diet and exercise for the past 3 months now ever since my first WLS seminar. I cut out soft drinks, coffee and started a low carb/low fat diet. I haven't followed it always but I have definitely been eating better. Two weeks ago I also started replacing Breakfast with a shake to get ready for the liquid diet. I have managed to lose a bit of weight, now down to around 266... but I have been stuck at around 265-268 for over a month!! I just cannot break the number and this is how I know I really need this surgery. I need a better tool and I know I don't have enough will power and strength to do this on my own. Most importantly I have been miserable and hungry all the time and I don't want to have this feeling anymore. I feel really confident this will be the right choice for me at the end but I know it's scary and it's hard to imagine it right now. I'll be thinking of you as we head to surgery together! Good luck to you. Let's hope we both have an easy surgery and easier recovery.

I had to do extra tests becaues my EKG and heart rate were abnormal so I totally know how frustrated you feel. I was really pissed off and after that wore off scared that there was something wrong with my heart. All turned out well after all so I hope the same happens for you and it's nothing in the end.

Thank you HappyCamper. I think we will be facing the same thing with my son. He had several more seizures last night so looks like he's just going to be one of those kids with seizures and hopefully we'll be as lucky as your daughter and he'll outgrow his in a few years. Right now the surgery is still on. Husband is adamant I do it. I'm very thankful for him. Thank you everyone for the kind words.

Amazing story! I am so happy you can finally have your surgery and really live your life. You're truly deserving. I'm headed for surgery a few days before you. Good luck and keep us updated.

Hmm. It has 35 g of carbs though. Even more than their regular protein drinks I think.

I haven't had my surgery yet but I've had laproscopic surgery to remove my gallbladder. I had 4 small incision points. One 1-inch one at the belly button, a 1/2-inch in the middle of the chest and two pin-pont ones. It's been over a year and I honestly have trouble finding them so I'm really not worried about this surgery either. You can see the belly button one but then you would have to have your face right up there and no ones doing that except my husband.

I want to wear trendy clothes like tights or jeggings with a long shirt and tall boots!! I want to be able to paint my toes without trying to contort into an uncomfortable position where I still can't see them too well. I want to go to the beach or pool in a bathing suit and not have to pretend to myself that I'm just not in the mood for swimming.

Congrats to you. Thank you for sharing your story.

I wanted a lap-band first because it is less invasive and reversible if something goes wrong. My doctor recommended the sleeve though. He says the band is too high maintenance. Apparently they don't last forever like the sleeve and a lot of people have complications. In the end what did it for me is that people on the sleeve lose a lot more weight than the band. If I was going to have a major surgery, endure pain, burden my family, miss work and use all my insurance I better get my money's worth.

Hello! I didn't have my surgery yet but I want to be prepared. I know I may not be able to avoid baggy, loose skin but I still want to try my hardest. So if anyone can give me ideas for exercises, videos, machines, etc that have worked for them I'd love to know. I'm worried about my tummy, thighs and arms. Probably arms the most cause I want to wear tank tops then thighs so I can wear a swimsuit. Thanks.

Added a few folks I'm datchka

The vitamins should all be liquid or chewable. The only pill I will have to take is the ulcer one for 6 months. They will give you liquid pain reliever because it's safer than pill form where it can cause a blockage in your new stomach. She also said if you have to take pills they can't be thicker than a pencil. Anything bigger and you either have to grind it to a powder or if it's a capsule break it open.

Good luck to you It only took my insurance a week to approve. Don't hesitate to call after the week to check the status either.

Just gonna edit my post. I was given a few Vitamin samples by my doctor so i decided to be a guinea pig if anyone is interested in Opurity, Bariatric Advantage or Celebrate. These were recommended because they are specifically for WLS. Multivitamin: Opurity BYPASS-Optimized Multi (Orange Berry): This was a HUGE tablet which is no surprise as it's 1x a day and includes all the B12 and Iron you need. I made the mistake of popping it all into my mouth. It was chalky and powdery and had a slight tartness which I did not enjoy. I don't think I can handle these and I'm dissapointed because it's price and 1x a day attribute was really appealing. Celebrate Multi Complete Chewable (Orange and Forrest Berry): 2x a day and therefore smaller than Opurity. I liked the Orange flavor much better though the berry wasn't bad. It was a little tart (which I liked here) and close to a candy like a sweet tart. The Orange was harder though and less chalky and powderty. Closer to a Flintstones. My favorite of all the Vitamins actually. Bariatric Advantage Complete Multi Formula (Orange): It was ok.. Still too powdery and chalky to my tastes. Not interested in this brand at all as it doesn't have b12 or iron and it's still 2x a day. calcium citrate (all of these have Vitamin D included): Opurity (Orange): It tasted similar to BA multivitamin to me. Medium chalky/powder. It was better than their multivitamin but it's 4x a day. Celebrate (Cherry Tart and Berries & Cream): The better of the calciums. The Cherry had a nice tartness and was the most candy-like. It was still medium chalky/powder but the taste made up for it. Berries & Cream was the softest of all chewables. It broke apart and melted really quickly. It was the most powdery but since it dissolved the fastest I actually prefer it. 3x/day BA (chocolate, Wild Cherry and Cinnamon): My least favorite of all the chewables. These were all horrible. The chocolate was the worst, it felt like putting dry chocolate milk powder in my mouth. Wild Cherry was hard but powdery and slightly tart. Similar to Opurity to me. Cinnamon tastes EXACTLY like a Big Red but in powder form. Almost leaves your mouth refreshed but it's not for me. To be honest I'm not won over by anything though Celebrate brand was better by far for me. I think I'm just going to try Centrum Complete and add sublingual B12 and Biotin. I thought I was going to take separate biotin anyway because I don't want hair loss. I'm not sure about the Calcium yet, I'm going to ask my doctor for other options. I also noticed a lot of people taking the gummy vitamins and they are really tempting however my doctor says those are dangerous because they can cause a blockage. The percentage of values seems pretty random too with some at 50% and some at 200%. There is no iron in them or enough B12.

I took some photos from the booklet my clinic gave me. Hope it works. The 'easiest' Multivitamin is Opurity bypass-optimized multi-chewable. You only take one a day. About $30 for 3/month supply. I didn't love the taste but if I must, I must. Gonna try Celebrate tomorrow but that's 2x a day. Bariatric Advantage requires you to add b12 and Iron. Yes flintstones is on there but they dont recommend it. They just said its better than nothing For calcium, Opurity is 4x a day, Celebrate and Bariatric advantage only 3. The least was Bariatric Advantage Calcium Crystals Drink Mix 2x a day but with so many drinks and mixes I think I prefer a chewable lol Feel free to message if that was confusing! Opurity is www.unjury.com Celebrate is www.celebratevitamins.com BA is www.bariatricadvantage.com

Also remember you can add unflavored protein powder to liquids without enough protein like soups, sf pudding, tea, coffee, cream of wheat, etc

I really do love my hospital/clinic/surgeon. They really care that we do our best and understand everything. Today I went to a pre-op seminar with 9 other people (none of whom were getting lapband, lol). It's the 2nd seminar and they went over nutrition in greater detail. They gave us free packets of Protein mixes to try like unjury, Bariatric Advantage and Beneprotein. I'm going to try some out this week and see how it goes. I still plan to rely on Premier shake for the pre-op diet but I'm going to pick up beneprotein. Its a flavorless powder that I will add to Soups because I know I will be having tons of those! they also gave us free samples of some Vitamin brands. The Multivitamins, Calcium and Iron. Man the Opurity Multivitamin was really not great and that's the one I had wanted. Again, will try a different brand tomorrow.

I thought at that stage you can have 4oz, 6 times a day. You should be drinking Water and other non-calorie drinks in between. Reading other posts on here hunger is not unusual but most of it is head hunger. Hopefully someone with more experience can be more insightful

Same with others on here. My surgery is in 20 days and it's all I ever think about anymore. I try to imagine what it will be like and what I should eat and what I should have to be prepared. Mostly I think about all the weight I will lose and the day I get to shop for new clothes. If I think too hard I start getting giddy and anxious. Haha 24th can't come fast enough. Hurryyyyyyy!!

Hey shellbell. I haven't had my surgery yet but I also have a very strong fear of throwing up. I have managed to not throw up for 20 years and don't look forward to breaking that streak. I'm still willing to go through the surgery because I'm really tired of being heavy and uncomfortable everyday of my life. A chance of a minor inconvenience is worth a lifetime of confidence and happiness. From reading the site doesn't seem like a lot of people throw up and most of it is right after surgery Good luck!

Chewing gum makes you swallow air which can make you bloaty and sick. Same reason you don't use a straw

I'm about to order some samples myself from Unjury and Syntrax Nectar. I should try some unflavored ones too and add them to soups to see if it changes it too much. Right now I'm trying some Atkins shake in the morning instead of breakfast. It doesn't have enough calories or protein to replace all my meals for the liquid diet but I'm trying it to get used to protein shakes.

You're not alone. I had to do a stress test too because my heart rate is always elevated. Passed it just fine. I went with the drug option for my stress test instead of the treadmill. You have to get your heart rate to 160. The nurse told me if I'm out of shape that I may run out of breath till I get to 160 and then I'd have to reschedule it to do the drugs so I went with the safe bet. It was a really scary feeling to just lie there and feel like your heart is about to beat out of your chest but I tried to stay calm and it was over really quickly.

Hey Deb! Welcome. I enjoyed reading your story as a lot of what you wrote resonated with my feelings about myself as well. I can't wait for my surgery in 23 days and join you. Good luck on your journey! I know you'll do fantastic.

Hey everyone! Just joined the boards like 2 days ago and I have been enjoying myself so much reading everything. If anything it is making me even more giddy and impatient for my surgery on July 24th. I'm so excited to begin my new life already. Every single day I think about my upcoming surgery and the future. Time needs to move faster already!! I think the thing I am looking most forward to is buying a whole new wardrobe. I trully hate shopping and have always just bought anything that fits me rather than something fashionable. Oh yes and I am a 31-year old mom to a 19-month. Only a few months ago I saw my highest weight to date at 283lbs. Scary stuff. I've been able to come down a bit to 266lbs but I'm hoping to lose another 10-15 before the surgery. It has been a long road since I decided to have surgery and finally getting a set date. There were times I thought I wouldn't be able to do it when the doctor's ordered me to take more tests. Luckily everything turned out fine. I'm also very grateful to have this new job with an amazing health plan. My final bill will be a big $0. There is no other way my broke ass would have been able to afford even a few hundred dollars! Also for my wonderful husband for supporting my decision. I'm most concerned about: - This head hunger I've been reading about. I already think about food way too much. I eat when I'm not hungry.. I even munch on things when I'm full because food is so good. I hope I have the strength to make it through the pre-op liquid diet and the post-op liquid diet. I'll just keep telling myself that it's temporary and to take it day by day. - Being able to control my food choices once I start solids again. It's really tough in my job with our catered lunches and weekly deliveries of Snacks. There is literally food and snacks every 20 feet here. But most of all carbs... ahh I could eat Pasta and bread all day. Thank you all for reading. I look forward to get to know all of you and be here for a long time. Feel free to keep in touch especially those having the surgery close to my date. Oh and if anyone has suggestions for which Protein drinks they liked the best I'd love to know. Right now I'm thinking of just doing Atkins shakes for the 2-week pre-op and then unjury or bariatricadvantage mixes after as those were recommended by my doctor.