AvaFern

Do your hot flashes happen after you eat? I get hot flashes from sugar. If I eat something that has too much sugar, it's like I imagine menopause to be. I get sweaty, my heart beats fast, and I get super hot. 20 minutes later, I'm back to normal. Also, weirdly enough around midnight everynight I get hot for about a half hour, then go back to normal.

Did your doctor at least give you UTI antibiotics? My urethra hates me and I get UTI's a few times a year. As a point of possibly TMI, I have had 2 UTI's in the last month. One of them I didn't even need the test because there was blood in the urine, but the test came back positive, the second time earlier this week, the test was negative, but within 24 hours of taking antibiotics, my symptoms had started to clear up. A UTI test doesn't always pick up the problem so maybe ask your doctor to give you some antibiotics and see if it helps clear it up. Also, you can take those AZO tablets at the drug store. They turn your urine orange, which is weird, but they do help relieve some of the symptoms. Oh and a heating pad between my legs does wonders for the urgency and burning feeling. Past that, I have not had any issues with Protein shakes causing that sort of problem, at least to my knowledge. Hope you feel better!

I've been on Depo Provera my entire adult life. I have been both fat and thin multiple times during that time, so unlike some claims that it makes you gain weight, this is inaccurate. I never have a time of the month, so no cramps. I am a big fan of depo, not because you never have to worry about your time of the month, but also because you only have to remember it once every 3 months.

I didn't have surgery in Mexico, but I felt like death for pretty much the entire week after surgery. I stayed inside, in bed, with the AC on and the lights off. If someone had made me walk around outside for sight seeing purposes I would have been completely miserable. Not only does it feel uncomfortable to walk, but for me I was so completely exhausted that I actually walked on a treadmill for 10 minutes at a time the first few days after surgery, then went right back to bed. I think it was less the surgery itself that was an issue and more the fatigue from not being able to eat anything, combined with the anesthesia. Like Jamie said, everyone is different, but I can tell you there is no way I would have wanted to do anything remotely requiring me to be out of bed functioning like a normal person a few days after surgery. I had a hard enough time just sitting at my desk and typing reports that first week.

Still 126, blah. Happy Monday!

I had my procedures done in Florida. The cost breakdown was: Breast lift & augment: $8K Abdominoplasty: $12K Brachioplasty: $8k Groin incision thigh lift: $7k Posterior body lift with auto augmentation: $8k Lipo to 3 areas: $1800 each area= $5400 Total cost of the fab new me: $48,400.00

Google "cutting weight". Wrestlers and fighters regularly drop significant weight for a weigh-in. You can't do it often, but if you only need to lose a few pounds and the surgery matters to you, cutting weight is the way to get the number you need.

How far out are you? If you're cleared for all food then technically you are not medically restricted in what you eat. If you're only a few weeks out, the 9 grain bread that I sometimes have has seeds, so you'd want to avoid that for awhile. Past that, the sleeve is nice because whatever you want to eat, you can. Is any form of bread and Pasta something that is going to contribute to weight loss? No, but if you can eat it in moderation, then go for it. I eat bread on a sandwich probably 2-4 times a week and pasta maybe every few months. My sleeve likes to barf a lot and pasta doesn't tend to go over very well. I track my calories in MyFitnessPal, so if I have a sandwich with bread, I know that I just eat less later during the day. Likewise if I eat a cookie, the same applies. Take small bites at first until you find what your stomach will tolerate.

To me that sounds like barfing waiting to happen, however I can see plenty of people ordering that. I doubt though for many it is something that is anything other than a once or twice a year kind of treat, so I shalt not judge. I will let them enjoy their 3,000 calorie heart attack on a bun and then hope no one says anything to me the once or twice a year I order a milkshake or a dessert I shouldn't be eating.

I use depo and I have for the past 12 years or so. I like it because I have to remember it once every 3 months, it completely eliminates a time of the month, and knock on wood, it is supposed to be very effective. The downsides are that people say it makes them gain weight, which is inaccurate because you only gain weight if you eat more. If anything it causes more hunger, although I have personally been on it when I was fat and when I was thin and I don't notice a different. It can also be difficult to get off of depo because you end up with irregular cycles for awhile. Getting pregnant afterward can also take up to a year. I like it because I never have a period, which is SO fantastic.

I am 21 months out and if I eat too much, if I don't barf, I burp. It's really sexy, lol. I've learned to burp with my mouth closed but every once in awhile I'll realize I did it around people. Fortunately either they are very polite or they don't notice, but yes, the burping for me has never completely gone away. It is much less though than it used to be.

@@caleksa I had the posterior part of the body lift done at the end of March (abdominoplasty was done last August). I am now almost 3 months post-op and I still have a 3 inch hole in my back. It started with wound separation at the midline, then that had partially healed when I got a giant abscess in the middle of the right side of my incision. Now I get to pack a whopping hole twice a day and bandage it and I can imagine the scar is going to be a delight. I didn't take pain meds after the first 3 days because I'm afraid I'll like them too much, however I can appreciate that it takes awhile to heal. I'm glad I didn't have the full circumferential lift done at the same time because it was hard enough to move and walk with only half done each surgery. Ultimately, everyone heals in their own way, so there's nothing wrong with the fact that you're still sore. My brachioplasty hurt for months and every once in awhile if someone grabs my arm the wrong way it hurts. At almost 3 months post-op I can still feel the stretching of the skin on my back and sometimes I move wrong and it hurts. My first two surgeries were easy- minimal pain, minor complications, however my last surgery has been a total pain in the butt...literally, lol. You will heal..it just takes time. Hope you feel better soon!

Miralax doesn't work for me either. At a month out you should be cleared to use Ex-lax. I didn't have any issues after my sleeve surgery but after all three of my plastics procedures I was a bit stopped up, so to speak. Ex-lax fixed the problem in about 6 hours, while Miralax and Dulcolax didn't do jack.

I will admit, at first that sounded gross, however when I thought about it more, it sounds awesome. I love sweets and most of the good kind make me sick, so a fruit ice cream sounds super. Thanks for the tip!

You look fantastic! P.S. We have the same phone and case, lol.

As a point of reference, I had my surgery at Baptist Downtown in Jacksonville, FL. They offer a financing program depending upon your credit for partial payment and the remainder is paid in cash or credit. My total fee for the procedure was 20K, which given they bill almost twice that to someone who has insurance, seemed like a somewhat fair price for a very reputable (if a total jerk) surgeon at an established hospital. I had zero complications and while I really disliked my surgeon, he did a perfect job, so I have no significant complaints. I'm 21 months post-op and have been maintaining below goal for a little over 2 months.

You look fantastic! Awesome job!

MyFitnessPal!

My verdict on Quest chips is a giant yuck. I tried the cheddar and it was like chewing on cardboard. I also don't tend to like their Protein bars which really seems to put me in a minority of people.

I'm 21 months out from surgery and I am very happy with my decision. I was self-pay so the only pre-op diet I had was a liquid diet the week before surgery. The first few weeks after surgery are miserable. You feel like you ruined your life. Then things slowly start to get better. You lose weight, you can eat normal food, and you can live a normal life, except now you actually get to enjoy it. The misery is worth it in the end.

I feel the same way although I have learned to appreciate the feeling. There are days where it would be really nice to go out with the guy I'm dating and eat like a normal person, however he just assumes I eat next to nothing because I'm thin not because I physically cannot chow down like the pig I was before. I have found that I enjoy going to tapas style places where you get a little tiny plate that has a ton of flavor. I think if I wanted to cook things at home I might try making little plates of recipes because it not only lets you be creative with flavors but you don't waste as much. So far though I kind of stink at cooking in small portions. I wouldn't trade my sleeve for anything, but there are days where I mourn the loss of food a little bit.

@@*Lexie* To answer your question, I am 21 months out from surgery. Oddly enough, I didn't have a big problem with barfing until about 10 months out and it has been pretty much puke-ville for the past 11 months. I have found that if I eat slowly, I am not nervous when I eat (as an example, when I'm out on a date, I'm so nervous that I might throw up that my stomach gets all aggravated and then I get sick), and if I stick to the majority of foods I know are mostly safe I'm ok. I have tried eggs lately and it seems most of my issues come from eggs, certain types of dairy like whole milk, cream, or butter, and any form of fried food or oil. Dense meats also don't tend to sit very well but if I eat slowly, sometimes they are cooperative. I don't really mind the issue because it keeps me thin. I can't eat anything too horrible for me and I can't eat too much of anything. Since sometimes food doesn't come spewing back up I know I don't have stricture- I just have a really irritable little B of a sleeve. I like her, lol, despite the barfing, she has done good things for me.

I am a way cheaper eater post-op than before. As an example, today I had 2/3 cup granola, from a box that lasts me about a week, whereas before I'd have eaten the whole box with some milk in 2 days. I had a granola bar for a snack and the box lasts me a little over a week, while before it would have been lucky to see lasting 3 days. We got Panera for lunch where I got the pick 2...I got a cup of French onion Soup, scooped out all the cheese and then ate about half a cup of the broth, leaving the onions in the bottom, and a half steak sandwich. I had the half a cup of soup for lunch a few hours ago and now I'm slowly working my way through the half sandwich, which I will probably eat about a half of that before I get tired of it and throw it out. Later tonight I'll probably split part of an oatmeal cookie during a movie with a friend, and maybe have a handful of smartpuffs. My total cost for the day is under $15, whereas before surgery that entire Panera pick 2 would have been just my lunch, I'd have also eaten a full dinner, and I'd have had a few Cookies instead of a few bites of one. Surgery saved me a ton in grocery bills and in eating out expenses.

I hit my goal of 129 in April and I modified my personal goal to 119. I've pretty much stayed the exact same weight of 126 for weeks now so I'm not exactly making great progress toward 119. I feel like I do better at maintaining when I am at least partially oriented toward loss, so the lower goal weight helps me stay focused.

Lol, I'm so going to use your mindset every time my stomach makes me puke. It's still working- SCORE!