bikrchk

Yes. They'll ask what meds you're taking and will be concerned with your health as it relates to how folks respond to anesthesia. They'll want to know your history if you've ever been under before so they can give you the safest surgery. I'd been diagnosed with asthma and it was not well controlled so they sent me to a pulmonologist who ruled out asthma as the cause of my breathing problems. Once I had my EGD it was clear that reflux, not asthma was causing my chronic cough. This was easily treated with a PPI and hernia correction during my sleeve procedure. All very good things!

Just make and maintain the habit of exercise. I'm somewhat limited myself in what I can do, (hip displasia). 5 days per week, I'm up at 4:30 am before work to spend 45-60 minutes on my stationary bike and follow up with some floor work\strength training. It doesn't have to be super hard, (and won't be once you are fit). There are days I don't "feel" like it. I do it anyway. I may not train as hard as I would on a good day, but I do SOMETHING for 45 min. For me the habit is the most important thing. It got me to goal and has helped me maintain so far!

I don't miss shopping in plus size stores I don't miss wheezing my way up the stairs I don't miss being the fattest person in room I don't miss not being able to paint my toenails I don't miss the guilt from having over eaten. Again. I don't miss being obsessed with food! I don't miss being "invisible"

Yes, vanity sizing is a thing, but at 202? Sounds like European sizing. Ever shop at Chico's? 0, 1 2 and 3 is all they have. Just goes to show you can't even really go by clothing sizes anymore, (but I bet those zero's feel great)!

" I appreciate your taking an interest in my health, but my Dr. and I have decided that this is the best way to help me resolve my weight related health problems and maintain a healthy weight long term". I'm asking for your support, but if I can't have it, I'll settle for your silence.

http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html Lots of recipes for all stages of WLS.

I started at a BMI of 37 and I got that a lot. I'd say, thank you for the compliment, (that's what they think it is, you know), and thank you for your concern, but my Dr and I have decided that this is the best course of action to help me work on my weight related health problems. We've decided that the risks of surgery are less than the risks of my continuing a life of obesity and that I need this procedure to prolong my life.

Check your blood pressure, laying down, sitting and standing. Dehydration can lead to low BP which can cause what you're experiencing. More fluids adding some G2 into the mix can help. It IS a strange experience for sure, particularly for one who was previously on 3 meds for high BP that were not completely controlling it! I had to set an alarm to drink at night for the first couple of weeks. You should see your doc if you can't improve it with more fluids quickly.

I waited until my first post op appointment with my surgeon. About a week and 1/2 as it got moved up so I could return to work early. Best thing I could have done for myself... to start out NOT focused on the scale. Since then I've weighed once per week, every week, and no more. Do yourself a favor and focus on your habits. Set measurable goals you can control like exercise x minutes per day, get x protein per day or 64 oz of water per day. You'll find that your body is going to do what it's going to do it its own time. When you stall, and you will stall, you want to be focused on something other than the scale. When you get to maintenance, if your main motivation has been watching that number go down you'll have lost your main motivator. Try to focus on something else and you'll enjoy the journey more!

I used to take Miralax daily pre-op, (for years). Post op, I discovered if I take a daily probiotic I don't need anything else. Get a good multi-strain one. I use the Vitamin Shoppe brand Ultimate 10 Probiotic, (13 billion) capsules. It took about a month to get things "normalized". It was either too fast or too slow in the beginning, but today, no more issues!

As I understand it, (and I'm NOT a medical professional) the primary reason for the pre-op diet is to shrink the liver to provide the surgeon more room to work and give you the safest surgery possible. That said, they all seem to have different requirements. Mine said "lose 10 pounds" before your pre-op appointment. I was lower BMI (37) to begin with. They didn't put me on a liquid diet to do it. I did it on Quest Protein bars and a light, high protein dinner. 13 pounds came off. No problem. I then had full liquids the last 5 days before surgery which, by that time, was not a big deal. I can do any "diet" for 5 days. As for hating the Protein drinks... This may sound harsh, but you need to find a way to get them down. If it's a problem now, it will be worse after surgery when your stomach is swollen and your tastes are all screwed up. You need to commit to your after care BEFORE you have surgery. Read http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/backontracktogether/discussion/4491168/THERES-NO-CRYING-IN-BASEBALL-Wise-words-about-WLS/. It's a great reminder of what we sign up for when we let them cut out our stomach or rearrange out guts. As far as product suggestions, I second the nectar products. They have an Iced tea you can add lemon juice to that will help de-sweeten it. It was my go to for months post op. I also enjoy a scoop of chocolate whey in my coffee. I actually PREFER protein'd coffee to regular coffee now.

Are you getting your prescribed vitamins, water and protein grams? Are you advancing your diet as directed, (even if you do't particularly "feel" like it? If you're not getting proper hydration and nutrition, you'll feel like crap and heal slower. Your doc can prescribe nausea meds including a skin patch which is nice since you don't have to swallow something else. Feeling emotional is normal at this stage. As your body releases fat rapidly, it's also releasing hormones and toxins stored there. It gets better. The best medicine is to move more. That will build muscles that increase metabolism and release endorphins to help you feel better naturally. If you're getting everything you need and still feel like crap, see your doc. Vitamin deficiency can be a real problem post-op, even if you're taking supplements as directed. Some folks just don't absorb correctly and need a shot to get over the hump.

5 days per week I spend 50-60 minutes on my stationary bike followed by 2 or 3 sets of 10 regular push ups and 60+ crunches. I wear a heart rate monitor and it usually registers a 400-450 calorie burn these days. Used to be 600+ calories, before I got fit :-/

See your PCP. Some insurance requires documentation over time of the skin break down to get approval for plastics.

The internal titanium staples sealing the stomach pouch its self are yours for life. They are not detectable by a metal detector. They used surgical glue to close my external incisions, so no stitches or staples there. The glue fell off after several weeks. As far as "complete" healing... I think it was about 2 months before I felt totally "normal". About the time I was release from most dietary restrictions.

I lost nothing the whole time I was on purees. Your body is adjusting. Keep doing what you're supposed to be doing and it will come off!

No question, this is a crazy journey you are about to embark on. That said, I have a 90% sleeve. They tell me my doc does a smaller than average pouch and I. Am. Fine. You'll find your "new normal" post-op. The first month was hard while my stomach was swollen. I ate with a baby spoon and struggled to get my fluids and Protein in, but worked my way up to 75+g per day and 64oz of Water. At 3 months I could eat about 2 oz of moist meat. At 6 months no more than 4oz. Today, I'm satisfied on 4oz of most food... 1/2 cup of chili, 1 Chipolte taco, 1 egg with a slice of cheese on it. I used to struggle with "dieting". Today, I eat what I like how I like it in very small quantities. I cannot over eat because it makes me physically ill. I choose protein first 95% of the time. I eat carbs. :-o, yes, CARBS! I exercise 5 days per week, (yes, this is a new habit for me) and an active body needs carbs to function. I work the things I want, (chocolate) into my day around the things I need, (protein). For me, the key has been to move my body, get my protein and never, ever over eat. The rest has kind of taken care of its self. This has been the best gift EVER, to be free from an obsession with food!

Assuming you're getting 7-8 hours of sleep at night, could be vitamin deficiency, could be dehydration or lack of protein\carbs. Yes, an active body needs carbs! I'd start with 1/2 a protein bar before and 1/2 after the workout and increasing water consumption. If you heavily restrict carbs in your diet, add some complex carbs. If you're still tired get your blood checked.

I didn't lose hair, (or didn't lose enough to tell). I've always had thick hair, (a lot per square inch) and have been coloring for years. Mostly adding color covering gray with a few foils for highlights. Based on what I've read here, it's kind of a crapshoot. I took biotin and fishoil in addition to my other supplements, and have gotten 75+g of protein, (1/2 from food, 1/2 from whey) from the start. Others have done all the right stuff and lose hair. I CAN say it did GREAT things for my fingernails! Best advice... follow your team's instructions and hope for the best. If hair loss happens, it is temporary and will grow back.

I second the clear (like isopure) or water mix products like Nectar. I also lost my taste for chocolate and vanilla milk based protein products for the first couple months post op. By the time it came back, I was onto Quest bars. I also add a scoop of chocolate whey to my coffee these days to start my day with a protein boost. There are also protein "shots" available. I think they're nasty and they have like 45g of protein which is wasting half of it as you can only absorb 20-25 at a time, but half a "shot" twice a day would get you on your way to what you need. You can also mix the shot into water or Popsicle or jello. Me, I'd MISS my protein'd coffee!

I think most do. The doc needs to check for any "surprises", hiatial hernias, ulcers, polyps, etc to make sure you have a safe procedure. During my EGD they found a hiatial hernia and some scarring form reflux, (I did not have heart burn) which was fixed during my sleeve procedure. As a result I was put on a PPI even before surgery which cured my "asthma", which obviously wasn't asthma but a condition called "silent reflux" which can cause chronic coughing. I'm ever so grateful for that requirement!

At 9 months out I'd reached well inside that ever elusive "healthy BMI zone". My friends, (all are now larger than me but many not by much), were telling me to "stop" in no uncertain terms, (is 145 pounds at 5'6" too skinny???). My favorite jeans\pants were all size 4 which was smaller than I ever imagined so I decided to enter maintenance and adjust my goal up to 145. I lived there for 3 months, actually creeping down a bit weight wise until I recently decided that it was in me to go ahead and finish my original journey to 135 pounds, (an even 100 pound loss and still in the middle of healthy for my height). So damn the opinions of others who are not my Dr., I'm going for it! A few less calories, a few more protein grams, a few more minutes on my bike and a few more push ups... I WILL get to my goal! And so can you!

A little of both. I had to use 1 week of sick time before STD kicked in so I used that, then the STD.

I second the Syntrax Nectar products! Many of the fruit flavors mix well with water and I found them easier to get down than the milky ones for the first month or 2 post op. Just don't go out and buy a boatload pre-op! When you find one you like, get enough for your pre-op requirements and maybe your first week post-op. MANY of us experience a "taste change" after surgery and you don't need to invest in buckets of stuff you may not like later!

I use a Garmin ViVo Fit. It's battery is good for 1 year, (changed like a watch battery), and you can use it with their heart rate strap for workouts. It does the pedometer thing like all the trackers and basic sleep movement tracking as well. It also has a "move bar" which is a little line that turns red when you've been sitting for too long. Just a reminder to get up and take a short walk regularly. It synchs with Garmin Connect, (their cloud) which can also push info to MFP for exercise tracking and calorie calculation. Mine has helped me during the loss phase, but even more in maintenance so I know how many calories to add based on my activity level to maintain. It looks like a basic watch with a time display. I never take mine off!