cindymg

Mine is a traveling job, and doctor didn't want me lifting anything over 20 lbs for a month. So I took 4 weeks off. Fortunate to work for a large company with good benefits. Took a week of sick time, then 3 weeks of fully-paid medical leave. And, because my next project hasn't started yet, I have been home an additional 2 weeks, "working." Looks like I'll be here another 2-3 weeks. Actually I'm a little bored, but trying to enjoy it because once I am back on a travel schedule, it's 4-5 days a week travel -- and exhausting!

Sleeved May 15. Down 30 lbs at last week's 6 week checkup. Height: 5'11" Pre-op weight: 258 Current weight: 228 Goal weight: 175

I'm on United Health Care too. Went through the 6 month wait, but honestly I needed that time to get all of the pre-op stuff done (psych eval, upper GI, etc). And I needed to get my life/job organized so I could take a month off. Plus, most importantly, I needed to make sure I was doing the right thing. Gave me a chance to read about 10 books about weight loss surgery, and talk to other WLS patients. When I went into surgery I new exactly what I was doing and what to expect. That said, once your doctor submits, call UHC with a tentative surgery date. That speeds things along. Got the approval in about 10 days. And they were very nice, assigned me a nurse practitioner for follow up etc. A note of caution: I had to delay my surgery for about 10 days for a work commitment. My doctor told me that UHC tried to cancel my surgery saying I had waited too long. Mind you, there was no time limit stated in the approval letter, so he was able to do the surgery, but I guess he had to really battle with them. So, make sure they don't try that with you! By the way, just got the bill for the surgery --$44,000. My part is $250 and that's my co-pay for the hospital stay. I'm happy!

Apple here. 6 weeks out and down 30 lbs! Hooray! And hurry the hell up! I have 50 more to lose. Lost in my face and neck first. Then my boobs went. Next the thighs and butt. But the stomach NEVER goes!!!

The pre and post ops diets generally don't contain enough fat which is why your hair falls out. Fish Oil, 2500 mg a day keeps my hair in place. Plus Biotin and Revita shampoo and conditioner. If you can't take the BIG fish oil capsules, go for Coromega gel packs. Avail at Vitamin Shoppe, GNC, Walgreens.

Magnesium helps with leg cramps. I take Calcium w/ Magnesium which keeps them away. Also, my chiropractor sent me GNC for a supplement that contains quinine. It's called, funny enough, "Leg Cramps" and is produced by Hyland. It's like 6 dollars. You can also get it at Walgreen's and WalMart.

My hair has been thinning for several years, so I take 2,500 mg Fish Oil every day, and 5 mg of Biotin. Since my sleeve surgery six weeks ago, I have switched to 2 MegaRed Krill oil capsules as they are smaller and easier to swallow. My hairdresser also turned me onto Revita shampoo and conditioner. It's expensive, but worth every cent as it had stemmed the hairloss. Can purchase on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=is_s_ss_i_1_6?k=revita+shampoo&sprefix=Revita. The Revita conditioner has really made the difference in helping my hair to regrow. As a person with fine hair, I have always used conditioner lightly under the belief that it weighs down the hair. But the Revita conditioner actually makes my hair thicker the more I use. It's available on Amazon also. Finally, Revita makes a minoxidil serum, and an eyelash growth stimulator that I haven't tried yet. So far I haven't lost any hair as a result of the surgery. Fingers crossed!

When the fear of where you are going is less than the pain of where you are, then you'll make a change. If you are not ABSOLUTELY convinced that this is the right path, DO NOT PROCEED. Wait until you are. For me, losing 85% of my stomach was better than losing my feet. After years of badly-controlled diabetes (caused by my out of control eating), I was headed right down the path towards peripheral neuropathy, and in a few years, amputation. 5 weeks after surgery, down 30+ lbs, blood sugar normal, blood pressure normal. AND I finally have a chance for a "normal" life. Truth is though, as bad as my diabetes was, i was frankly just tired of being the fattest one in the room. Tired of diet failure after diet failure. Tired of my weight always being either on the way down, or on the way up (usually up). So I can't eat baskets of chips and salsa anymore, so what? I don't have to wear big girl clothes anymore. What a trade-off!

Abso-freakin'-lutely !

Hi ecteacher. Don't know if your question was to me, but I couldn't do the puréed foods. The woman I am buying my shakes/smoothies and soups from does puréed soups that have wonderful flavor. I just couldn't handle the texture. So I stayed on smoothies and added some cooked chicken-veggies to the puréed soups for about a week. Then I went directly to soft foods (soups, cottage cheese, eggs, etc). Today is my five week anniversary, and I am branching out to real food, like meatballs, turkey w/mashed potatoes. But, things I used to eat sometimes upset my little tummy, so I go back to soups and smoothies. Hope this helps.

I used the orange flavor and mixed it with COLD Water and Orange Crystal Light individual packets. It tastes a bit like liquid Vitamins, but it gave me a nice lift as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack.

Hi Willycq: I am in Sauganash, north of you. I was sleeved 5/15/2013 by Dr. Lutfi at St. Joseph's. Highly recommend. We have an awesome support group. I have had a great experience -- no complications, no nausea, no pain. If I didn't have 5 little belly scars and the inability to eat very much, I might think it never happened. Also, found a great, local sleever, a prof chef who has started her own company making pre-op shakes and broths, and post-op smoothies, purees, and Soups. She's kept me going with her wonderful, filling shakes and soups. If you want her contact info let me know. Feel free to contact me if I can help in anyway.

I almost chickened out before my surgery -- in fact I kept joking about changing my mind right up until they wheeled me in. But I kept in mind the answer I got when I asked the prior patients "if they had any regrets?" I thought they would answer something like, "I miss being able to down baskets of chips & salsa, and drink beer with my friends." Instead, each of them (independently) said, "my only regret is that I didn't do this sooner." Now I know what they mean. I wasted so much of my life eating baskets of chips & salsa, feeling like crap, depressed most of the time. Now my life is completely changed! I no longer live to eat, now I eat to live. And I don't have to be depressed about my weight anymore. I don't have to embark on another diet wondering how long can I stay on this one, and how long before I gain the weight back. If only I'd done this sooner ( oh yeah, this operation wasn't around sooner!). Hang in there, it does get better.

Sleeved on May 15. Down about 30 pounds. Just going by my clothes, as I refuse to buy a scale. I obsess over the number on the scale and tie my self-worth to it (am I speaking for anyone else out there?). Weighing only at the doctor's office.

My surgeon told me I could change my mind right up to the point where they knocked me out. I joked about it, but didn't chicken out and am SOOOOOO glad I went ahead. Honestly, I expected every possible complication, lots of pain and every side effect. And I have had none of that. A little pain when I coughed while in the hospital, but after the first night really no pain after that. No nausea, no vomiting, no heartburn, no constipation ( a little diarrhea which passed quickly). If I didn't have five small cuts on my tummy, and the inability to eat more than a little bit at a time, I might think the sleeve had never happened. Just sayin' . . . don't expect the worst. Expect the best, because it could very well happen. Good luck!

I was sleeved May 15, 2013. Best decision I ever made, by the way. Learned about Fish Oil quite by accident. Several years ago my doctor put me on Fish Oil because I couldn't take statin drugs. After a few months I noticed that my hair stopped "shedding" and grew thicker. The post-op diet doesn't contain any fat, that's the reason for the hair loss.

Take Fish Oil. 1200-2500mg Omega 3's a day. Stops the hair loss. Whole Foods has a liquid form that can be added to Protein Shakes.

Take Fish Oil. 1200-2500 Omega 3's a day. It stops the hair loss.

Hi, have you been successful in forming a Chicago Area Sleeve group? If yes, I would like to join. Just had my surgery last week.