MyGastricSleeveLife

I think it really depends on the condition of the machine. A lot of brand new treadmills & ellipticals are over $1000 depending on brand and features. Used ones can be a lot cheaper and can be just as good if they're in good condition. I'm not sure what you've looked into, but you might want to consider something like this - http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_10051_33820_-1?Ntt=elliptical&Ntk=All - especially if you're fairly new to an elliptical. I bought one of these a few years ago and liked it because I could also use it as a bike and sit when I got tired of standing. I was about 300 lbs at the time. I could only do a few minutes at a time with the elliptical part of it. I ended up giving it to a friend because I didn't use it enough. Now that I've had surgery & have lost some weight, I'd kind of like either a treadmill or one of these again, but haven't spent the money yet.

I've seen some of the USB ones too. I kind of worry with that or even with the Road ID subscription if EMS would really take the time to call a number or plug it into the computer before starting to help someone. I think those things are good for information after the fact, like on the way to the hospital or something, but I'm not sure it would help right away. Of course, I'm sure EMS personnel are trained to look for that and call or plug it in, but I wonder how much that would matter in an extreme critical situation. Personally I like that they can have the info they need right on hand as soon as they look at my bracelet. However, I think whatever someone uses is great as long as it's something instead of nothing. :-)

I was self-pay. I'm in Austin, TX. My surgeon quoted $14,500 for self-pay, which is for surgery, one night in the hospital, and a year of followup visits. Some of my pre-op testing went through insurance. I financed my surgery, so there was an extra fee for using financing & they paid for my blood work, so it ended up at $15,100 total. Most US doctors who do the sleeve are anywhere from $10k - $20k from what I've seen so far - with the average being around $15k.

What stage are you in now? My surgeon says we should be between 800-1000 calories a day during our "losing phase" & then 1200-1500 in maintenance depending on our activity level. I'm 5-1/2 weeks out now & I set my goal for 850 on MFP. I normally get between 650-950 depending on the day and my exercise (usually have a little more if I exercise more). I know every doctor is different though. I've seen some who say it shouldn't be more than 800 & others that say it should be 1200. The more important thing is getting in all your protein & fluids and not stressing too much over the actual calories as long as you feel okay.

http://mygastricsleevelife.blogspot.com/2012/06/my-thoughts-about-food.html

I just started sessions with my personal trainer this week (I'm 5 weeks out too). He said that I shouldn't really be concerned with how many calories I'm burning, but should pay attention to the activities I'm doing and slowly & carefully work on strengthening my core again. He said I should make sure I do 45 minutes of continuous movement per day either at the gym or home (since I like swimming at home too). He is being really careful not to overwork my core since my abdominal muscles are still healing, so when I've worked out with him, he has had me do arm and leg work for the most part on the machines instead of free weights since free weights make us use more of the core muscles. Today he had me do a few things on the machines that were really working my arms, but because of the way he had me sitting it passively worked my core too, but it wasn't a major core workout. I know everyone is different, but there's no way I could do 45 minutes on the elliptical (if I was trying to get in the 45 minutes of movement that he talked about), so I think I would do a combination of treadmill, elliptical, bike & other things. I also make sure I take a Water bottle filled with a Protein drink with me to the gym and sip from it so I don't get too weak while working out. Just make sure whatever you do, you listen to your body and don't overdo it and push too much. I really wouldn't worry about how many calories you're burning right away though.

You might want to consider looking at Lauren's Hope instead if you want to put more information on your bracelet. I like some of the ones on N-Style too, but the only allow 3 lines and not many characters per line, so I couldn't put any contact info on mine from N-Style. However, Lauren's Hope has a lot of options and their plaques allow more lines. I actually thought about buying a new plaque from Lauren's Hope that would hook to my rubber bracelet I got from N-Style since it can have more lines on it. I ended up ordering one from Road ID yesterday, but I also like the rubber bracelet or other ones if I would like something more dressy sometimes. I do like the idea that many of the plaques are interchangeable with different bracelets so if someone wanted to spend the money on different bracelets they could keep changing their plaque from one to another.

For the first few weeks after surgery, I had to have room temperature water or even a little warmer. I also had to mix it with crystal light or Unjury Strawberry Sorbet, because I couldn't handle just plain water. I also used Unjury Chicken Soup or broth to get my fluids in. It is VERY important that you get as many fluids in as you can throughout the day to avoid being back in the hospital with dehydration! You might not be able to get 64 ounces right away, but you definitely need more than 16!! Remember that everything you have - broth, popsicles, jello, crystal light, Isopure or other clear protein drinks - all count toward your goal for fluids. Even if you just take a small sip every few minutes you should be able to get in more than 16 ounces through the day. Some people do struggle more than others at the beginning, but it is really important to try to increase it as much as you can each day to avoid dehydration!

http://mygastricsleevelife.blogspot.com/2012/06/importance-of-medical-alert-id-bracelet.html

Everyone is different, so it's hard to say. I was 5 weeks out on Monday & got a surge of energy that hasn't gone away yet. I'm finally feeling better than my old self especially since it's easier to do things without the added weight (I've lost 33 lbs since pre-op). I guess it depends on how much energy you want. I was okay to do things by week 2 or 3, but still did things slowly and still took one or two naps and went to bed early until just this week.

I weigh every morning when I get up, after I go to the bathroom. I actually use it to get to learn more about my body and learn my body's fluctuations based on fluid consumption, what I eat, and other factors, like my period or if I slept well or if I'm stressed. I don't stress over the number on the scale since I use it as a learning tool. However, if you stress over it then it's better to stay away from it longer!

Here is a great article on the Lauren's Hope site that I listed above that explains more about the blind NG tubes too - http://blog.laurenshope.com/medical-id-jewelry-blog/bid/50075/3-Reasons-Why-Gastric-Bypass-Patients-Should-Wear-a-Medical-Alert - it's about bypass patients, but applies to us too.

NSAIDs are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - like ibuprofen. Some surgeons say we aren't supposed to have them after surgery because they can cause issues in the stomach. An NG tube is a nasogastric tube that goes through the nose into the stomach - basically a feeding tube. A "blind" one is one that is put in without them looking at all at what they're doing really, and this can cause an issue for our smaller stomachs because it can cause a problem in the stomach lining/staple line and could potentially puncture the stomach if they shove it in too far or too fast. It was actually on my discharge papers from the hospital as something to make sure is NEVER done after sleeve surgery.Therefore, it is something that would be important to be on a medic alert bracelet.

Every doctor is different. Mine says no NSAIDs for life after surgery on his paperwork. I asked him about it and he said that an "occasional" ibuprofen would be okay if necessary, but basically he says "no" to them. He said there are some that aren't as harsh on the stomach if someone truly needed them, but as a basic rule he says no. However, I do understand that some doctors don't care about it. Since it is something my doctor would rather have us stay away from, I think it's important for me to have on my ID bracelet just in case. In one thread I saw before about ID bracelets someone pointed out tthat most EMS people would not be giving NSAIDs by mouth anyway in an accident situation & that's where my surgeon says they can cause problems. Again, it's more just for my own peace of mind based on my surgeon's rules.

LOL! I ordered my first one when I started my pre-op diet & it got here right before surgery, but I left it at home until after surgery. My friend who I mentioned above got hers from http://www.laurenshope.com/ & she was able to fit a lot of information on it too, but she said she has to dress up for work & wanted something fancier so hers was just over $100 and is really nice. I don't need anything fancy & don't have a lot to spend anyway. The one I got before was from http://www.n-styleid.com/medical-id-alert-bracelets/rubber-bracelets.html and was about $35 with shipping, but it didn't have enough room for all that info. Depending on which option you go for on the Road ID site theirs are even cheaper!

And what happens when the obese people lose weight - are they then asked to leave the gym because they were successful?!?!?!? Just plain dumb idea to me!

It can take a week or two to lose all the fluid & swelling weight from the hospital. I wouldn't worry too much. Everyone is different & some bodies need more time to adjust after surgery. Just keep following your plan. If you haven't already, pick a day of the week & start doing measurements too because sometimes the scale doesn't move but inches drop!

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about 2 years ago. My numbers weren't horrible, but I was on metformin 500 mg in the morning and 1000 mg in the evening. I stopped my metformin during my pre-op diet since it was so few calories & was told not to start it again after surgery, but to keep checking my levels. I'm 5-1/2 weeks out now and am down 33 lbs from my high weight before my pre-op diet and 21 lbs from surgery. My sugar levels have been awesome since surgery. My fasting level is still about 110 instead of below 100, but it's not bad enough to be on medication. My after food numbers are around 110-120 consistently. I have a friend who had metformin and insulin. She is still not completely off her insulin, but she said she's taking about 1/4 of what she had before. She's hoping as she loses more weight she'll be able to come off completely. She's only 4 weeks out now.

I think it's more just temporary. I'm 5-1/2 weeks out now & I can do colder stuff now.

Ditto - I do both. Even my trainer at the gym says its important to do both for weight loss and just to be healthy even after you're at goal weight.

You should definitely be fine then!! I only have 10-15 minutes between classes & that's hard sometimes depending on where the buildings are!

I went back to school a couple years ago. I just got my Associates this past semester at the community college and am starting at the university in the fall. Luckily, I'm not taking classes this summer, so it was the perfect time for me to do the surgery & get healthier before fall classes, especially since I'll be walking a lot more at the university than I was a the community college! Anyway, I honestly think you'll be okay. However, don't be afraid to take it slowly! Maybe see if they have some kind of medical exception you can be on that makes it okay if you're a few minutes late to class - or spread out your classes a little more so you don't have to rush from one to the other. Quite honestly, the first 3-4 weeks are the roughest to get through after surgery. Some people bounce back quickly & some take longer. I was at about 1/2 my "normal" speed until week 3 even though I could gradually be more active than before. Those first few weeks you're going to be extremely tired also as your body tries to deal with major surgery and with the low calories you'll be consuming. I often took 2 naps and went to bed early at the beginning 2-3 weeks. Now I'm 5 weeks out & I'm feeling great & am just starting to be able to only do one nap or no naps. I am almost 37 years old & have a family too & I don't know how that compares to younger college students, although I will say that my bariatric coordinator at the hospital said that he has seen younger women without kids have more issues with pain after surgery than women who have had children & are a little older. That being said, it really is different for everyone. Just listen to your body and don't overdo it. I would really look into a medical stipulation or spread your classes out if you can though.

Nope. Just the sleeve. I've heard that weight loss is slower sometimes with those who have revisions, but the same things apply as far as following the plan. :-)

I'm doing great, but I can say what I've read. People who end up gaining back do not follow the diet plan. Most either progress too fast at the beginning, use slider foods, or start eating more as time goes by (or a combination of those things). The sleeve will not stretch back to the size it was before like stretching that can occur with other types of Bariatric surgeries, but it will stretch a little bit over time. My surgeon explained that just because you CAN physically eat more after it stretches some does not mean you HAVE to eat more. From what I've read, I don't think the weight regain is as drastic for the sleeve as other surgeries. However, it is still possible to regain weight if you don't fully change your life and fall back to old habits. Even though we can't eat a ton of pizza anymore, if we eat a little pizza (or other junk) consistently we can regain & ultimately "fail" at the surgery.

Just thought I'd mention now - I did do some crunches yesterday, but took it slow. I'm 5 weeks out now. My large incision definitely was a little sore. Today I had my first training session with a personal trainer at the gym since before my pre-op diet. My trainer said he'd take things slow on my core for a while to give those muscles time to heal more. He's going to do more with my arms and legs and more on passive machines than free weights for at least a few weeks, he said. Then, we can start building the core again & do more full-body workouts. He said it's important to take things slowly and make sure you don't hurt the core as its healing. He has trained some other bariatric clients in the past also, so I trust he knows what he's doing - although I'm sure you'd get different opinions from different people about how to progress.