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An update. Below is a studio picture from the dance studio I work out at. I'm the second over from the right next to the pregnant lady. I started at 280, 9 months later (as of today) I am 177. What a journey this has been! I'm not done yet. I have a formal event I need a full length dress for, I can find things in my size and I'm not the biggest size! Hopefully the picture will show.

Kindle OMG you look incredible!! Fantastic work!

Definitely more aches and pains now. Probably because I'm more active. My hips mainly, so much so that I'm in physical therapy. I'm told I strained my left hip because my glutes don't fire properly due to years of inactivity and working a desk job. I've had to cut back on Zumba until it gets better. My ribs used to hurt laying on them at night but this has gone away. Sometimes if my knees rest against each other when I sleep its a bit tender and it wakes me up. Also - sitting on hard surfaces is nearly impossible. Even soft surfaces for more than an hour is a challenge. My PT explained to me that my bones, muscles, tendons, etc. are hauling a different body around than it was a year ago and it might take a while for everything to adjust to less weight, even though its a good thing.

I'm 8.5 months out too and struggle with some old habits. It scares me. Mine are in the form of desire to eat at night and sweets on occasion. I tend to "relax" a bit too much on the weekends, which has stopped my loss at 99 lbs. I know it's head hunger. I crave popcorn now and talk myself out of it - a food I never ate or gave a second thought before surgery.

I used Dr. Ariel Ortiz at OCC last December, not one single regret. Fantastic experience all the way around. I would not hesitate to recommend OCC.

While I've had several NSVs, nothing was more meaningful than this one. I started at a dance studio last year 2 months before I had surgery, and returned a few months post surgery. Last month I participated in the filming of a promo video for the studio. It can be found on YouTube by searching ShakeItLatinStyle PreRoll. The studio is in Mill Creek WA. I've attached the link, I'm not shown much but I'm wearing a purple tank top - short hair in the back corner. The very idea that I am actually LIVING life instead of watching from the sidelines is great accomplishment!

Look on Amazon Local for fitness packages, anything from Crossfit, Zumba, Boot Camp, Martial Arts, Barre, etc. I found the dance studio I go to on Amazon Local. I purchased a 10 class package for $30 and it got me going for not a lot of money and no commitment until I was sure I liked the new activity.

I'm with Kindle, I'm also an Ariel Ortiz/OCC patient. My primary care doc did bloodwork in April, and had an upper GI in May. My insurance has covered all, even though there is a specific exclusion for weight loss surgery or anything having to do with WLS. I've had no problems getting follow up care. I've been met with some judgment in the medical community (or I think anyway), but not been chastised or denied care. Not. One. Single. Regret. Go for it!

You look great! I get the dancing thing - have a newfound love for dance myself and never saw that coming! (Zumba)

These bars are incredibly good! Just sayin'

Ariel Ortiz at OCC is fantastic. I had great care, have had a great loss and no complications. With Dr. O. and his team, you will be very impressed with your results. Good luck!

I also had my surgery in Mexico - back in December. My surgeon told me I had scar tissue in my esophagas from acid reflux, it was silent reflux because I didn't know I had it. 5 months later I was still relying on the PPI, so I scheduled an appt. with a GI doc. Once he heard I had my surgery in Mexico, he ordered an uppper GI and a very thorough ultrasound series on my entire mid section. My doc said while he had seen patients with a lapband and bypass, he had never seen a patient with a sleeve. Below are his findings: Acid Reflux supposedly on the mild side (doesn't feel mild to me when it wakes me from a dead sleep) - no hernia (had a tiny one repaired during surgery) No Celiac Disease (he tested me because I had wheat allergies as a child) Mild Gastris Biopsies turned up NO Barretts or precancerous cells. What a relief. Ultrasound revealed gallstones. I haven't had an attack yet. I suppose I'll have it removed by the end of this year given that I've already met my deductible for the year. Makes sense. I am still relying on my PPI daily, twice a day in fact. As long as I can control with meds, a PPI is better than the Diabetes I was most certainly going to get. I suppose it's a trade off. I'd be lying if I didn't say that there is a nagging worry at the back of my mind, what if the PPI quits working one day? Then what? The insurance issue - my insurance picked up the tab for the testing, or for a major part of it anyway. I still had a pretty hefty bill. I wasn't sure they would cover any of it given that my policy has an exclusion for WLS or complications from WLS. In case you were wondering.

I couldn't keep fluids down for five days. I had a second procedure after my sleeve to clear out scar tissue from my esophagas caused by acid reflux and fix a tiny hernia. The scar tissue and surgery trauma was causing me a lot of swelling, which meant nothing could pass through even Fluid. The problem for me was the PPI (antacid). i had my surgery in Mexico, there they give you a small capsule filled with granules with instructions to add them to a drink, but they don't dissolve. When those granules hit my stomach, they would come right back up. I had nausea for all five days too. The surgeon finally had me take a liquid antacid (Ryopan, but Galviscon worked once I got home) and then I could finally keep fluids down. I know how you feel - I was terrified and having serious buyers remorse, like what have I done to myself? I can't even drink! I had surgery Monday and finally kept fluid down starting Saturday morning. The best dilluted apple juice I'd had in my entire life Hang in there, it gets better I promise.

At my 4 month mark mine went up from a reliable 142-144 up to 169. My number had been in the 140s for years. I wondered about it too - seems so odd. I'd been eating more eggs than I used to, thought maybe this was the culprit.

I'm 7.5 months post op. I seem to be around 850 - 1000 calories per day. My appetite is increasing and frankly it freaks me out a little. I try to stay around 800 calories but struggle to stay that low. I couldn't lose at 1100 calories a day last year pre-surgery, so nearing that mark again makes me fear my weight loss will stop (which it has as I'm stalled right now). I'm also on lite exercise right now because of a hip injury that I'm utilizing physical therapy for. I had to stop Zumba and C25K for the time being. I may try adding a little fat to my diet to see if it helps the hunger. Just a little - like full fat dairy, nuts in a controlled portion or some avocado.

Is it hot/humid where you are? The heat makes me retain a little. When we hit a cooling spell the scale drops a little for me.

I totally sympathize. My Quest bars, natural almonds, occasional raspberries and greek yogurt disappear regularly. It would be ok if someone would just TELL me when they take the last one so I don't plan on something being there, then scramble to find a replacement when I think it's there. I still buy chips and ice cream on occasion (those foods are not triggers for me) for my family. I watch my husband and daughter hide the chips from one another and they each accuse the other of eating them all. I quit buying chips recently, I'm like seriously people? You're arguing over POTATOES?

Seven months out and I still can't sleep on my stomach. Acid comes up if I sleep on my stomach, without fail.

I felt the same way. When you get on the loser's bench the guilt will dissipate because you will realize that this is worth EVERY penny and then some. I really beat myself up over the fact that I needed surgery to lose weight. Looking back, I wish I'd not been so hard on myself.

At 4 months out I had similar issues - lower pulse (in the low 50s), lower blood pressure, and dizzy spells. I had an ekg and everything was fine. My heart rate is now in the 60s and normal blood pressure 7.5 months out. I do, however, get dizzy sometimes when I stand. All my bloodwork was fine back in April but I do wonder what the dizzy spells are from.

I had my sleeve 12/16/13. I started taking a food based organic multi vitamin with iron about 6 weeks ago. The brand is Supernutrition SimplyOne. I can't remember where I heard that food based vitamins were better. I paid $14.00 for a month supply. I take calcium chews (2 per day not the recommended 3 because they are expensive). The vitamin is a large-ish tablet but I have no problems getting it down, sort of has a alfalfa type smell so the smell is not offensive. I like the fact that I get my entire dose in one pill.

I buy a brand called Kiava from an on line company based out of Utah. They run about $34. Very supportive, the XXL fit me when I was in a 42D. I'm probably in an XL now. Great colors and a cute strappy design in the back, looks great with a tank top.

If the boyfriend isn't on board, dump the boyfriend and claim your life/health. It will pay off in spades.

If I had it to do over, knowing what I know now about my pre-existing acid problem, I would have had the bypass.

This totally made me giggle! I live in WA. My husband and I have had discussions about how the changes in the law will encourage non-users to pick up the habit. With the introduction of edibles, I think the stigma is significantly less and we'll see more soccer moms and folks who wouldn't ordinarly use try them out. I've never smoked anything in my life and wouldn't know where to begin, but if I had an inclination edibles would be the way to go! I work in downtown Seattle. I can't tell you how alarming it is to be down at Pike Place at lunch and see people partake discreetly outside in the parks and such. I never picked up the MJ habit, sole reason being that I really didn't need something that made me want to eat!