VSGAnn2014

And you're talking to us (who aren't doctors) instead of an M.D. who specializes in these issues because ....? Seriously, I have no idea what would cause this or what the best treatment for it would be. Never even heard of any WLS patient with this problem before. But if you google "enlarged spleen" you'll find plenty to freak you out. In other words, it could be due to any number of things -- which you'll surely need further testing to find out about. IMHO, you should be consulting with a hematologist. Good luck.

I'm glad you brought up the subject. It is a legitimate thread. However, sex is a very hot topic and gets people all riled up. That's no wonder, since sex is connected to pleasure, pain, regret, disease, power, judgment, taboos, legality, fear, curiosity, violence, children, love, money, even careers. You name it, sex probably affects it -- positively and/or negatively. I sincerely hope you figure out what is best for YOU. Very best!

@@dlappjr ... I loved your recipe a few days ago -- of smoked salmon, eggs and gruyere. Will try that this weekend.

What a great capper to this story and thread. Very best to you, @@BritAbroad . Go get 'em.

@ ... I thought the ankle weights were a bit too obvious / visible. Otherwise, I've had done what needed to be done. I hope everyone understands I was actually pre-approved for WLS. With my Medicare and Medicare supplemental policies I needed only a BMI of 35 and 3 comorbidities, which I truly did have. But I was still paranoid that, because I was dieting in the two months prior to my surgeon's liver-shrinking pre-op diet (instead of binging for two months on last suppers) that some bizarre, last-minute regulatory re-interpretation of my insurance policies could possibly be made that would deny me access to surgery because my BMI was no longer 35 on the day of surgery. I intended to control what I could control.

I don't know. I could never get a straight answer on that from my bariatric insurance coordinators. She did tell me, however, that the surgeon might refuse to operate on me if I "lost too much weight." Apparently, based on others' answers here on similar threads, no two insurance companies decide about this in the same way. In fact, Medicare doesn't even do things the same way in different states. And remember that "Blue Cross Blue Shield" or "Humana" or "Mutual of Omaha" all have a bazillion policies with different coverage and different rules, so what someone says about their insurance brand that's the same brand as your insurance brand is no assurance that your particular policy resembles in any way their policy. The best answer for you is that it only matters what YOUR insurance policy and YOUR surgeon will permit. So you need to find out. Don't guess. And those little half-pound weights aren't expensive. They come as part of a weight belt set. Oh yeah, nobody looks in your bra when you weigh in.

Well ... popcorn is one of the famous "slider foods." It's not dense Protein, but air-filled starchy carbohydrate that, despite its popped crunchiness, is already very well pre-digested by the cooking process. I'm sure you ate your popcorn as slowly as you could. And the thing about pre-digested, highly processed slider foods is that they sliiiiide swiftly right down through the stomach through the pyloric valve (at the bottom of your stomach) into the first part of your small intestine (the duodenum). Slider foods just don't challenge your new sleeve's restriction. You eat it, it stays in the stomach a short time, it slides down, and your stomach has more room for ... more popcorn. This is why popcorn isn't a great idea during the weight loss phases. So onward and downward -- the good way, not the slider way.

And here's some more whining from me. Some of the themes on this thread underscore why I said the other day on another thread that I don't give a f**K about the butthurt newbies. I'm here primarily to learn about how to deal with my changing WLS challenges (through loss, maintenance, and God knows what's next) and to be in community with other WLS patients who understand what this journey is really about. That doesn't mean I don't care about newbies -- far from it. And I do offer advice and support. But it's easy to tell the diff between those who are having a rough day and need a leg up and those who will never, ever have a good day. Those guys are so boooooooooring and a complete waste of my keystrokes. It would also be a waste of time for @@gowalking to try and rescue her friend's MIL or for @@Ashlegal to try to convince her co-worker that she had wasted her perfectly good sleeve due to her own ignorance and irresponsibility. We really, really, really cannot fix stupid.

Yup, I did. My "official" weigh-in had me a hair under BMI 40. (I needed to weigh 240 for a BMI of 40, and I weighed 139.5.) That was about two months before my surgery. I also had three co-morbidities (arthritis, stress incontinence, lower back pain). But I was really raring to go, so I started losing weight on my own. I lost 10 pounds before my surgeon put me on his official pre-op, two-week diet. So after the first weigh-in every time I weighed after that (at the nutritionist, the exercise consultant, the surgeon's office) I stuffed little half-pound weights in my pockets and bra and underwear. I was not ABOUT to get disqualified because I was a precocious weight loser and wanted to work hard early on.

Oh, yes! So much better than the Church Lady do. BTW, I had a Church Lady do, too. But I went the other way -- long. It's pretty hawt, actually.

You need a therapist's approval for plastic surgery?

I agree that you should clarify with your own program what is permitted. In my experience and observation, cheeses of all kinds are typically allowed during Month One. Not guaranteeing it's permitted on all programs. So ask your NUT / bariatric nurse or P.A. P.S. I've eaten full-fat cheese since Week Two post-op. Have never had a problem.

Jeez. Eat something. If you burp, you burp. Do you want to be successful or not? The only way you'll get there is by doing what you're supposed to do. If you gotta cry, then cry. But do it. Or don't. Your choice.

I'm gradually getting over being irritated by a couple of things that obviously prevent some WLS patients from achieving good results, even temporary ones: 1. They're not smart enough to qualify for WLS. I mean that literally, as in below average intelligence. TL;dr They're dumb. 2. They're not sufficiently motivated to change their ways, i.e., they take little to no responsibility for the situation they're in or what they need to do to get better. Tl;dr They're lazy. I see many people on this board who suffer from both these shortcomings. They don't have a clue about how to find out how many calories, Protein grams, other nutrients are in food. They either don't have or don't bother to use basic online research skills to find out. And even if you tell them, they can't remember what they've learned. No matter how many clues, cues, tips you offer they just don't get it and/or can't retain it or can't be bothered to apply the information. With regard to why psychologist screening didn't catch these people -- a lot of them had no psychological screening. They went to surgeons who would perform WLS on a duck if the duck paid them. (I'm in a mood.) EDIT: P.S. Yes, there are other reasons some people don't have success with WLS -- complications, medications that retard their weight loss / maintenance, mental health issues, lack of familial support, tough life situations that they simply can't overcome, etc. But the two issues listed above are intake variables that the entire medical community should be screening for very effectively. And they're not.

Actually, there are also two other concerns re alcohol and WLS patients: 3. Rapid intoxication - due to the reduction (after WLS) of enzymes that metabolize alcohol Here's a short piece written for a lay audience on this topic: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/74384.php 4. Risk of transfer addiction (from food to alcohol) -- low odds (probably around 3-4% for those who don't already suffer from alcohol abuse or addiction issues), but a possibility nonetheless. The deal about transfer addictions is that when we are stopped from using Substance X that we've abused in the past to reduce our stress or anxiety we may transfer our addiction to Substance / Activity Y and/or Z. Doesn't mean that we will, but that we may.

I just had to click on this thread to learn what "used protein" was and why anyone would buy it.

If you'd actually read this whole thread you might have posted a different message. Or maybe not.

Didn't have a pain pump. Didn't need one. Didn't know there was one. They'll control your pain via an IV when you're in the hospital and via pain pills / liquids when you go home. Honestly, most people don't have terrible pain from this operation. Yes, some suffer. But most don't. I took hydrocodone twice after I came home. (And spent only one night in the hospital.)

Would it help to know that so many others have had the same reaction at your point after surgery -- who a few months down the road are over the moon with all the positive changes in their lives? Think transition / adaptation / transformation. It's how we get from where we didn't want to be to where we want to be. In the meantime, you've far enough post-op that you should be getting more and more exercise. Walking is amazing. If you don't have great walking shoes, get some. If you don't have cold weather walking gear, get some -- a hat, some gloves, some waterproof, windproof jacket and maybe even some pants. And get out there. Oh, and listen to good music on your cell phone while you walk.

50 pounds lost is no small victory! That's awesome. I love your positive attitude.

Love it! Right after surgery @@Tyler H did 8-mile bike rides, and @OutsideInsideMatch got a mani/pedi. Point is, you both attacked your lives with gusto. Love it.

Lifelong. And 60 mg. Protein is not "high." Neither is the Fluid requirement of 64 ounces "high." That's just a healthy nutritional recommendation. Once again -- it's only hard to get down early on. It won't be hard later on as you continue to heal.

Early on, I had trouble with tuna. Sleeved loved salmon, though. Don't worry -- chicken McNuggets isn't the worst thing in the world to avoid. And you'll be able to eat it later. That's how it works -- it may not go down well the first time, so avoid it for a few weeks and try it again.

In your shoes, I'd be careful of getting between your friend and his surgeon's recommendations. FYI, I just looked back at my My Fitness Pal food records and see that on Day 21 I first ate Wendy's beef chili. Just sayin'.

They give you SUGAR in emergency situations? If so, I need a medical alert bracelet that says DARK chocolate, PLEASE!