barbi1281

I'm mixed and I've lost a ton. I take Biotin religiously and I use Nioxin... seems like a lost cause but I keep trying. Right now I wear my hair curly because it hides the thinning more... but I also have a stock of wigs and I joke around with coworkers about wanting to switch it up when I wear them (they don't know that I had surgery). Sometimes the hair loss gets me down, but then I remind myself that it's a small price to pay for where I am now.

I had less to lose so RNY seemed to dramatic for me. As well I was (that's another story) lactose intolerant and dumping supposedly feels similar to how I feel when I have milk and to be frank - I hate that feeling . It's horrible and I feel like death and I didn't want to chance that happening. Lastly, I already had several vitamin issues and didn't want to make them worse. I've also read that's easier to stretch a RNY pouch than it is to stretch the sleeve - I don't know the data on this but I have read it a few places and I do know of two people who've stretched their RNY pouches - one gained back all the weight and the other didn't.

I'll have to try the Body Fortress Chocolate or the Chocolate Peanut Butter... I have their strawberry and their vanilla and I struggle constantly with getting my protein but if I can make hot cocoa that might be the boost I need

At 194, my BMI was 38... that's how much I weighed when I made this decision... I'm 5'0. When I made my decision, I was 30 with bad reflux, sleep apnea, degenerative joint disease, prediabetic, prehyperlipidemic, hypothyroid and my asthma was one of the worst cases my doctor had ever seen. I had just updated my living will and my life insurance and I was so sick that I couldn't go outside without a mask and I had to carry a portable nebulizer and an epipen EVERYWHERE. Oh and I forgot to mention that I have two children who stared in fear every time I couldn't breathe which was just about every day - sometimes multiple times per day. I tried exercise, low cal, low carb, WW, fad diets, and Phentermine and I couldn't lose weight - my thyroid HATES me with a passion. This was my last resort, so yep... I had surgery to lose just 80 pounds and TO KEEP IT OFF. It's been almost 3 months and I've lost about 45 pounds. I can breathe and I don't live every day in fear of dying. I can play with my kids again and I even do hard cardio without breathing trouble. I couldn't have done that without this... that's why people do this at 180 pounds.

I had nearly 80 to lose when I started... and I'm hypothyroid so it felt unattainable considering that I NEVER lose consistently and I ALWAYS lose SLOW! But here I am... Two months out... 37 pounds down and happier with this decision than anything I've ever done since finishing college! I just wanted to come on and share my progress pics since today is my surgiversary! Here you go and if my undies offend you I'm sorry... they just show progress very well . Top row pics were taken the night before surgery - bottom row were an hour ago.

Thanks!

My primary care doctor said that surgery was pretty much the only way I was going to lose weight and keep it off since I am hypothyroid. My surgeon said I'd lose a bit slower than most people. To counter that I keep my calories really low and he thinks that's a good idea. By keeping my calories between 500-700 and my Protein up I average about 3lbs/week (overall - not every week).

Thanks everyone! I feel great which is most important

I'm thinking of purchasing a Fitbit... do you own one? If so, what do you think of it? Would you buy it again?

I agree that you should wait. I know I definitely am not taking in enough nutrients for one, let alone two, yet and I'm about as far out as you. I know it's hard when you want one so bad and the husband is on you too (my husband is really on me right now - we miscarried right before surgery). I keep telling my husband that we have to wait because as much as it hurts to wait, it'd hurt more to lose another because my body can't sustain a pregnancy or to give birth to an unhealthy baby. The time really will pass before you know it and right now just concentrate on making a healthy nest for your baby to grow :-)

@Noonie - have you done a sleep study? Even though my asthma was so severe it was deadly, it didn't qualify - nor did my other lengthy list of comorbidities but I was an evil snorer and my doc sent me for a sleep study... just so happened I had sleep apnea after all and never knew. Either way, keep fighting. I was at the point of suing for bad faith denial... to me this was life or death.

I have Cigna and they're pretty quick but they're also pretty quick to claim they didn't get something even though they did. If they deny you and you know you should have been approved or they say they didn't get something STAY ON THEM! I called multiple times a day and that was the only reason I had my approval in a timely manner (meaning 2 denials and nearly 2 and a half weeks after first submission). My surgeon said Cigna is one of the worst to deal with and it would have taken way longer if I wouldn't have been such a thorn. Just don't let them get you down or make you give up no matter what...

As your surgeon again but if they say no, you should be fine. I was supposed to do a liquid diet but I struggled with it due to migraine problems. In the end I was pretty much taken off of it and my surgery was textbook. It all depends on your body (low bmi vs high bmi), your health, and your surgeon. My cousin just had the same surgery and was on a 2-3 week liquid only diet and followed to the tee and still had problems with her liver being to hard (she used to be a heavy drinker so I'm sure that played a part) but they were able to do her surgery regardless - just took longer. Don't worry :-)

I was sleeved 10/16... I eat pretty randomly so bare with me . Today I had a half of a double tall skinny peppermint mocha from Starbucks on my way to work. Mid-morning snack I'm currently having peppered turkey breast from the deli. For lunch I'm having 1-2 oz of deli chicken, a mini babybel light, and a triscuit (yes one). I will get home late tonight because I have an appointment after work so before I leave work at around 3:30/4 I'm going to have a sugarfree tapioca pudding mixed with unflavored Protein powder. I probably won't eat dinner tonight because of my late night - I'll most likely go home and drink a Protein shake. As for ideas... my usual go to lunch is deli meat and cheese on a triscuit (I call it the bariatric sandwich ) or deli meat smeared with laughing cow light and no triscuit - sometimes I microwave it for a change. Dinner, I eat whatever I serve my family - I just get only a taste of the sides and fill up on meat first.

I am selective about who I tell and I feel that this is my right and that no one is entitled to know every detail of my life unless I'm comfortable sharing it. There is nothing wrong with you assuming the same right. I agree that you can't untell someone and I'm glad I didn't tell everyone because I know how hard this is and if I decide that I'm going to tell someone, I am going to tell them the whole thing including how hard the process was and this is (and I seriously may strangle someone who tells me it's easy). Prior to my surgery though, the smallest group of people knew because I'd made my decision and I didn't need anyone's judgments one way or the other.

I don't have PCOS and I haven't but I used to have EVIL periods when I had my copper IUD so here's my advice for what it's worth . For the cramping - a heating pad is your best friend! I always felt like there was an evil gnome stabbing me in the uterus and heavy heat on my abdomen always helped. I also didn't mess with tampons because (1) they did nothing for catching my heavy flow and (2) I always felt like my cramps were worse when they were in. I use Always Inifinity and I swear I love those things... If you think it's too heavy for that, there's nothing wrong with trying Tena or Depends pads - they're made to catch heavier/faster flow (urine) and after a year long bad period of cough variant asthma testing my bladder, I can tell you they really do work. Good luck and periods do get better... your's is probably just wonky since it was out of commission for so long... and even when they don't you learn better of how to manage them. Hugs.

I'm a coffee drinker and I take one 40 mg Protonix daily. I've had NO problems with reflux or any acid since I've been on it. Little warning though - if you get drug tested at work it gives a false THC reading