Kindle

Good for you. I was thrilled that I never got sick either. No pain, no nausea. 2 1/2 years out and I've never puked. be thankful.

I LOVE those kinds of weekends....the best ever! And kudos to you for spending it on a young Arab. "Peppy Spooky Idiots" should be their actual breed name We ran into a cinnamon colored black bear last weekend. The horses and dogs and us and him all just had a stare down about 50ft apart on the trail before he finally sauntered off. It's always nice when moments like that don't turn into a sh it show!

Well I guarantee your weight gain is from Coke and wine and whatever other empty calories you are consuming, not from the steroids. Once I was maintaining below goal I have stopped any regains immediately if I pop even 1 pound above my bounce range. 2 things have worked for me.... 1) full on preop liquid protein "preop" diet. Three protein shakes/day and unlimited leafy green veggies. At least 80g protein and 100oz water. Usually only takes a few days of this to drop several pounds and to curb any carb cravings that have taken hold. Or 2) go back to just protein and veggies. Still the same protein/water goals but my overall calories are higher and it may take a couple weeks to drop a few pounds. If you cut out all refined carbs (including Coke, alcohol, pasta, bread, rice, etc) and just go back to the same basics that helped you lose during those first 6-12 months you WILL lose those 40 pounds. It may take several months, but isnt that why we had surgery? To lose weight and keep it off? And remember You've got your sleeve forever. Let your sleeve do what it does (portion control) and you do what you need to do (make smart choices) and it will work.

I love frozen fruit in the summer....blueberries, watermelon, honeydew, oranges and peaches. I keep a good stock in the freezer and grab a handful or couple chunks at least once/day. Don't really give much thought to the calories or sugar and certainly don't feel guilty about eating them or see them as a substitute for something else. It's just something tasty and refreshing.

So what and how much are you eating compared to when you were losing weight? That's what you really need to look at. steroids don't magically make you gain weight on their own. I've been on both prednisone and methylprednisolone for cervical stenosis and pinched nerves since my VSG 2 1/2 years ago and did not gain any weight because I still made myself eat on plan. Basically steroids cause weight gain because of 1) Fluid retention, which can partially be controlled with a low sodium/high potassium diet; 2) increased appetite, which you need to still keep in check with mindful eating. Track and measure every bite if you have to. and 3) decreased activity due to pain or doctor ordered restrictions. But in the end, weight loss and gain has to do what you put in your mouth, not necessarily how much you excercise. Go back to basics. Lots of Water and Protein. Watch your carb and sodium intake very carefully. Try resetting yourself with a week or two of Protein shakes only or try the 5 day pouch test.

I travelled to and from Mexico alone. I planned on being there alone but my sister decided to come down' too. I met her in TJ day of my surgery. She was with me preop but went back to the hotel postop. she came back the next morning and we had a great time shopping and sightseeing for the next 2 days. I would have been fine by myself because the OCC and Marriot staff were there to accommodate all my needs, but since I only see my sister 1-2 times/year it was nice to have her there. The biggest thing traveling alone postop was having someone else lift my carryon bag on to the TSA belt and into the overhead bin for me. I had to unpack it before lifting it into my truck alone once I got to the parking lot.

I never had any hairloss. Never took Biotin or used special hair products. Basically just exceeded Protein goals (60-80g/day) and took a whole food based Multivitamin. But really, There's nothing you can do to prevent it. If it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen. Hairloss is just your body's reaction to the stress of surgery. But remember, mental stress can do the same thing, so worrying about it may just make it happen. I never fretted about it because 1) there's nothing I could do about it anyways, 2) it's just temporary, and 3) I was actually looking forward to shaving my head and wearing funky hats. But instead my hair is longer and thicker than it's ever been.

I use milk for flavors like chocolate, vanilla, banana, cake batter and strawberry. I couldn't do lactose for the first 4 months so I used lactaid. I use Water for the Syntrax nectars like grape, Apple, lemonade, cherry, peach, etc. I use twice as much liquid as the instructions call for. This cuts down the thickness and the sweetness.

5'5" Started preop diet December 4, 2013 and had VSG December 20, 2013. December 2013 - 238# March 2014 - 199# June 2014 - 160# September 2014 - 140# December 2014 - 138# No support group other than online forums.

Like James, I never feel alone because I always have myself. And I'm the coolest person I know. I've been single for almost 20 years and wouldn't have it any other way. I never have to compromise on what to do over holidays (or any other day for that matter). No Inlaws, no office parties, no going places I don't particularly want to go to, etc. I get to do whatever I want to do. Tomorrow I'm going kayaking and hanging out on the river with my dog, Sunday I'll go horseback riding, and Monday I may go to the parade and craft show or I may just hang out at home or I may go horseback riding again. Depends on what I Feel like when I wake up that morning. For me, being single means freedom, flexibility and lots of self indulgence . As for holidays in general, I don't have fond feelings for too many of them. My brother died on the 4th of July, his birthday was the day before Halloween, my first serious boyfriend broke up with me on Valentine's Day, my grandma died on New Years Eve, two good friends died just before Christmas, Easter was the last holiday I spent with my best friend before his suicide, and one of my dogs was killed on Labor Day. So for me, I don't really make a big deal out of any of the holidays.....there's not many left to Celebrate anyways.

I couldn't tolerate artificial sweeteners at all postop. I just used real sugar, monk fruit, and honey. Also drank diluted fruit juices and regular sports drinks. Used regular Torani syrups to flavor plain Greek yogurt and protein shakes. None of this impeded my weight loss, but of course I wasn't going gangbusters on high calorie Starbucks drinks or fruit smoothies, either. Besides the real thing, I will use stevia when cooking, and some of my protein supplements do contain stevia and/or erythritol.

Kayaking on Saturday. Fireworks Saturday night. Horseback riding on Sunday. Craft fair, Parade, tubing and more fireworks on Monday (if I can stay awake that long).

Your PCP is an arrogant prick. Find a new one. The only followup I ever needed was bloodwork at 3, 6, and 12 months and then annually. My PCP has done all of that. My OB/Gyn even offered to do it, so you may check with yours. Perhaps they arent as ignorant as your PCP.

All Protein shakes are too thick and sweet to me. You need the fluids anyways, why not dilute the premier 50/50 with milk. thats what I did. Gave me 22oz of Fluid and 38g of protein and I took at least a couple hours to drink it. I also like Syntrax nectar protein powders. But those, too I use twice as much Water as instructed so they aren't so sweet. Another life saver for me was adding unflavored Protein powder to broths and pureed cream Soups. A great break from all the sweet shakes.

Nope. It wouldn't have made any difference to my insurance company. That's why I went with the best surgeon I could find. He just happened to be in Mexico. His credentials, experience, staff, facility, and complication rate were far superior to any of the 8 bariatric surgeons I looked at within 200 miles of my home.

So glad to see you! Come out and play.....I've missed you.

If you've got the savings then I say use it. I used all my savings for my surgery and put my plane tickets on a 0% credit card I paid off in two months with my tax return. This was the cheapest way to do it...no interest or fees. If other expenses came up later I could have used credit at that point, but why pay interest if you don't have to? JFYI, that savings was earmarked for a down payment on a new truck but I have no regrets with using it for surgery. Driving my skinny butt around in my 17 year old rust bucket is totally worth it!

@RJ'S/beginning @@Madam Reverie

Get more protein. Drink more water. Eat more calories. And most important, S.O.T.F.S !!!!!!

I know I'm late to the party, but I like the 18 months to post but anyone can read scenario. BTW, I miss madamreverie but couldn't even find her in the member list to tag...am I spelling it wrong?

4 surgical incisions and 1 drain hole

You definitely will not qualify for insurance. More than likely you won't find a reputable surgeon in the US that would do it period. Your best bet is probably to look at going to Mexico. But personally, I would never consider taking the surgical risks and complications including leaks, abcesses, internal bleeding, strictures, twisting, GERD, and even death for just 2 BMI points. Have you looked at the Obera or other balloon options? Non surgical, reversible and specifically made for low bmi patients.

I was primarily concerned with complications that occur within weeks (or at max a few months) of surgery like leaks, abscesses, and strictures. What types of complications are you anticipating 10-20 years down the line? Vitamin Deficiencies, GERD or ulcers are the only ones I'm really aware of, and those are all fairly manageable without huge costs. The worst case scenario of any of them are so unlikely, I didn't even register it in my pros and cons. Health issues from obesity are much much much more likely to occur.

You need to read your insurance policy carefully. Mine specifically states it will not cover any WLS including any complications from a WLS unless the procedure is a necessary, emergency life saving procedure. So to me that means being rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery cause you are bleeding out or dumping stomach contents into your abdomen. But it wouldn't cover CTs, X-rays, bloodwork, ultrasounds, scopes, stents, feeding tubes, antibiotics, Pic lines, hospital stays, etc. that are part of diagnosing and treating a leak or abcess. Fortunately I had an easy, complication free recovery and haven't needed any care other than followup bloodwork.....which insurance will not pay for. As for a separate complication insurance policy to cover stuff once you returned home say, up to six months postop, I couldn't find any decent policies. The medical tourism policies covered things like death, dismemberment, some coverage while still in the other country and shipping your body back to the states, etc. The coverage offered for actual medical expenses related to surgical complications once home was minimal....like $20,000 at most, which is a drop in the bucket for any serious complications. IMO the cost of the policy did not justify the minimal pay out if I needed it. This was over two years ago, so maybe things have changed, but like with any policy, make sure you read the fine print!

I weighed the same on day 11 as surgery day. Didn't weigh again until 6 weeks out, just starting soft foods and I was down 17 pounds. Your journey will be a lot less stressful if you don't worry about the scale for the first couple months.