Kindle

I might be in a stall right now. I only weigh once/week. 2 weeks ago I was at 184# and last week I was 187#. I'm not too concerned with the gain because I know what a difference hydration status can make. I weigh tomorrow, so we'll see if it was a fluke or if I'm officially stalled. I'm battling a 3rd relapse of C. Diff diarrhea so actually weight loss is at the bottom of my priorities right now. The antibiotics make me feel like shit so I'm Just trying to stay hydrated until I see the gastroenterologist on Tuesday.

Your description of going into hibernation mode and avoiding social situations made me grin. That's pretty much me before and after surgery. I rarely talk about my problems or look for support from others anyways. My parents and sister call me about once a week to see how I'm doing, but it's not like I share my "innermost secrets" with them or anyone. I talk about my progress with my partner at work, but in more of a "matter of fact" , making conversation manner. It hasn't been all smooth sailing, but I really haven't had any major emotional breakdowns since surgery (no more than preop, anyways) I guess this is just how I've learned to cope with life after being heartbroken by ex-boyfriends and let down by girlfriends in the past. Being alone is better than being hurt. As for socializing, I deal with stupid people at work all day long, and it's exhausting to restrain myself from not speaking my mind. So at the end of the day or on the weekend, I don't even want to be around the people I DO like. Yes, I am a bitter, cynical, unfeeling bitch

Ditto.

My surgeon had me on 40mg Omeprazole for 2 months. I didn't want to stop "cold turkey", so I started taking 20mg at that point. I'm currently having diarrhea issues because of a colon infection, so my surgeon suggested stopping the PPI for now to try and normalize my system. Been off for 5 days and haven't experienced any acid problems so far.

I had a really hard time with everything being too sweet, too (still do). I ended up eating a lot of soup that I added the Unjury unflavored powder to. Diluted, strained cream soups at first, and then most any soup (without noodles). Split pea soup and bean soups actually have a lot of protein even without the added powder. I still have soup nearly everyday. Warm stuff goes down better than cold, and I try to double up my protein and liquid intake however I can.

I am exactly the same way. I'm 10 weeks out I am SO sick of sweet. Even tomato soup tastes too sweet to me. As for Greek yogurt, I'm eating just plain because all the flavors are too sweet. I started drinking a big cup of Unjury chicken soup for breakfast because I can't stand the sweet protein shakes anymore. Unfortunately plain water is hard for me to drink now, so I have to have something mixed in. I make everything 1/2 strength and dilute G2, vitamin Water, and juices with water because they are all too sweet. I'm actually a big fan of V8 juice these days.

LOL. 20 years ago (way pre sleeve) I went drinking with friends on St Patricks Day. Someone decided they needed to buy a new headboard so we ended up at a furniture store. I ended up buying a whole new living room set! The next day I panicked because I couldn't even remember exactly what it looked like. Luckily When it was delivered I discovered I have pretty good taste when I'm drunk. I still have the end tables and lamps.

I definitely loved sweets before surgery...ice cream, Reese's, chocolate cake, cheesecake, cookies, etc....in mass quantities! Post op I have no desire for sweets. In fact, everything tastes too sweet to me. I have to dilute my protein shakes, G2 and juice because they are way too sweet. my first taste of tomato soup was even too sweet... Had to add some hot sauce to make it bearable. I had one bite of a cookie on Valentines day and had to spit it out. I'm only 2 1/2 months out, so things may change, but for now I have NO cravings for sweets.

Could you ask your coordinator to provide the specific law that backs up her statement? From everything I've read, it's up to the individual states to decide if they will require that their policies cover WLS. I can't imagine how over 2 dozen states (that are not covering WLS) are actually doing so illegally.

I'm a vet tech, so on my feet all day and sometime wrestling critters. Took 1 week off, worked 1/2 days for a week, then full time at 2 weeks post op. Limited my lifting to no more than 20 pounds until week 3.

Take control of your own life and your own decisions and go self pay. Despite paying thousands of dollars for insurance for myself every year, they would not cover WLS. I saved my $$$ and had my VSG done in December. Not having to go through all the stupid insurance requirements made for a very relaxing and easy process.

Just contact your surgeon and find out how they deal with it.

I went with Dr. Ortiz and OCC. In my decision, I really ended up going with what I thought was the best surgical "team". At OCC, I got great care and personal attention from the entire staff....the nutritionist, the office manager, the nurses, Dr. Jimenez (the cardiologist who does all the preop stuff) and Dr. So ( the followup doctor who does the barium swallow fluoroscopy and removes your drain). Both Dr. Ortiz and Dr. Martinez perform the sleeve surgery as a team. And yes, Dr. Ortiz has a "celebrity" status, and I did find him quite arrogant, but that doesn't mean he's not an excellent surgeon. They only do 5 surgeries/day and their complication rate (less than 0.1%) is monitored and verified by the US Surgical Review Corporation. As for followup, of course you are not going to get the hands on personal attention like you would from a local surgeon. A serious complication would probably send you to the ER and looking for a local surgeon. But OCC does send you weekly email surveys and indicate that you should contact them by phone if you are having any issues. The nutritionist has answered my questions promptly. I actually ended up with a Clostridial infection in my colon 5 weeks after surgery from antibiotics I had to take for a tooth infection. Dr. So from OCC was really good about corresponding with my PCP to come up with a treatment plan that would be compatible with my new sleeve. Of course I can only give you one side of the argument, and I'm sure Dr. Alvarez has a lot of happy patients as well. Just keep doing your research and choose the surgeon and facility that you feel most comfortable with.

When was your flight scheduled for? Sometimes they will let you pay a fee and reschedule, even with a "non-transferable/non-refundable" ticket. And when did you book it? Some flight insurance policies can be added after the fact, as long as it's a certain time period before your travel. Then they may cover your ticket price if a doctor says you can't travel. I've only purchased the travel insurance once (despite flying dozens of other times) and that was for my trip for my sleeve surgery. Turns out it was a good gamble because my original flight was cancelled and I had to rebook and pay for an extra hotel night in San Diego. The insurance picked up the tab for those added expenses. Sure hope they figure out what's wrong and you are feeling better soon. EDIT Sorry, just saw your surgery was scheduled for Monday. Probably too late for travel insurance.

I had an anti nausea IV injection preop (I warned the anesthesiologist I've woken up very nauseous from surgery in the past) and I had major double vision once it kicked in. Didn't need any anti nausea Meds post op so didn't experience vision issues.

Sleeved 12/20/13 HW 238 SW 216 CW 185 (but weekly weigh in is tomorrow)

If he thinks it's an ulcer, why isn't he prescribing something like sucralfate to help it heal? I agree with the other posters that you should consult with someone else ASAP. Even if it is "just" an ulcer, it can perforate and then you are in real trouble.

So sorry you are still having issues. I was on flagyl for a Clostridial infection 3 out of the last 4 weeks, which was extremely irritating to my stomach. Didn't have the nausea you do but could barely eat or drink anything. Some good protein suggestions that I tried were puréed split pea soup, puréed bean soup, edamame, and peanut butter as well as Unjury chicken broth. Many days I only managed 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, a piece of string cheese and 40 oz. dilute propel zero or G2. Some things a holistic- minded friend of mine suggested to help heal my GI track were aloe Vera juice, digestive enzymes (which may help your intolerances), and super high powered , multi strain probiotic...The kind you find in the refrigerated section of a good whole food store, not the off the shelf acidophilus stuff. I'm taking Garden of Life Raw Probiotics Colon Care 2x/day. It's got 50 billion CFU of 33 probiotic strains along with a digestive enzyme blend. Good luck to you.

How are you doing with your nausea/intolerances these days?

I had a really hard time, too. I certainly didn't get 60g/64oz. every day for even the first month. I mixed up the protein shake flavors, drinkable yogurts, and added unflavored protein powder to dilute, strained cream soups (broccoli, spinach, mushroom, shrimp, celery, asparagus) and broths. Had to drink from the time I got up till the time I went to bed just to come close. Warm stuff like soups and herbal tea went down easier than the cold shakes and vitamin waters. It actually got harder to drink enough once I got to puréed and then soft foods because I would get so full I couldn't drink for hours. I just took it really slow and made fluids my priority, only eating one solid thing/day until just this week when I've been able to take in more without feeling uncomfortable. No doubt Dr. Ortiz makes a tight sleeve!

We 45 year olds are such chickens! . I was not going to tell my parents because I knew they would be sick with worry. Not to mention having to explain the going to Mexico thing. When I told my sister (who went to Mexico with me) that I wasn't going to tell them she agreed at first, knowing how they'd react. But she called me a couple days later and convinced me to tell them. She said, as a mother, herself, she would be very hurt if one of her kids didn't feel they could talk to her about something like this. And we both knew how pissed they would be when they found out afterwards. So I told them once I paid my deposit and bought plane tickets. Of course they freaked and asked tons of questions, trying to figure out why I needed to do this. I shared my research on the procedure as well as my choice of surgeons. They ended up being very supportive and very thankful that I told them. Now My mom "brags" to her friends about what a great experience I've had so far. My dad even confided in me that my mom wishes she had done something like this when she was younger. It's so hard to know what to do, but in my case, my parents were rock stars!

My doc had us on Omeprazole 40mg daily mandatory 2 months. Even with that I would feel "hungry" early on and liquid Maalox helped. I'm two weeks past the recommended two months of Omeprazole, but I'm still taking the OTC 20mg Prilosec to "wean" myself off the PPI. Prilosec, Zantac, Prevacid, Maalox, Rolaids, etc, could all potentially help with your "hunger pains". As for the lightheaded ness, are you getting enough fluids? I was super lightheaded and dizzy when I was getting dehydrated.

Catnapped, not sure what the purpose of your original post was, but if it was in reference to some posters not getting a response, then I have to agree with sassy pants. I used to come on here everyday while researching my decision to have surgery. I searched and read and asked questions every day. Even immediately after surgery, I was obsessed with checking the forums. I responded to a lot of posts with my advice and experiences. But then it got old with the same old posts.... "Three week stall"...."gained weight during surgery"..."preop diet sucks "..."can't get my Protein in"..."craving carbs". I realize each person making these posts feels they may be alone or the only one with these issues, but a simple search of the topics and responses would reveal a lot of answers without starting a whole new thread. I don't even bother reading these posts anymore much less respond to them because the answers have already been posted dozens of times. I think we are all on here for support, and the search feature could probably reveal a lot more answers to everyone's concerns if it were used. Even reviving an older revalent thread can sometimes be more helpful than starting a new one that may get overlooked.

Unfortunately, that's the story of my life. I fall asleep just fine but then wake up and can't go back to sleep. But I had those issues preop, too. It could partly to be due to your hormones being so whacked initially after surgery. I started drinking "sleepy time extra" tea at bedtime and that has helped. And adds another 8- 12oz fluid for the day!

I didn't need any pain Meds postop and I drove myself home from the airport (5 hours) 3 days after surgery and every day since.