JCP

I had my surgery in 2014 and things have gone very well. I do have some issues with skin on my arms but it's not significant and I can hide with sleeves. However, my neck is another story. It's the only part of my body that really is driving me nuts. I'm very self-conscious about it. I am in Houston. Has anyone had a neck lift procedure in Texas? It looks like is 7-12K which I think is pretty high. I've thought about Mexico. I am not planning on having any other plastic surgery.

If you have any choice, please don't do that. This is very serious surgery.

Happened to me. Hit a plateau hard. Then the loss started again just like before. Expect some weird behavior from your body as it adapts. Don't worry! It's just a temporary thing! Focus on rest, hydration, nutrition, and walking. ????

We all were where you are. But I disagree with a lot of what has been said. This is based on my experience. You will only be able to eat small portions and you will eat nutritious food because you will feel like crap energy-wise if you don't. Your relationship with food is going to completely change. I have heard of people failing but honestly I don't see how. I was a huge binge eater. Food soothed me. I loved the rush of eating something that tasted good. Well guess what, that flew out the window after my surgery. In addition to the restriction, my sense of taste changed so much that many things, even water, tasted horrible! The taste bud issue slowly disappeared for me after about 3 months but by then, my behaviors were totally changed out of necessity. This surgery was a miracle for me. I pray everyone is as happy with their outcome as I am. God bless and best wishes!

Rest rest rest! You cannot get enough rest and sleep in the beginning! Make sure you get up and do your walk and take your liquids but the rest of the time, my guidance is to rest and let your body recover.

It really varies by person. For two weeks my pain was pretty significant. I took liquid hydrocodone with tylenol. I went back to work two weeks out and took liquid tylenol. (Desk job.) At that point my pain was getting up, bending over, etc. At thirty days, the pain left. I didn't enjoy that aspect at all but at no time was it unbearable for me and it was very worth it. I'd do it over again in a heartbeat. Don't let it scare you away!

I am just under two years out. Yes you can eat pop corn and chips but I strongly urge you to be very careful. Foods like this basically vaporize when you chew them so your restriction does not limit how much of them you eat as with dense foods like protein.

I had pain for one month, then it just basically disappeared. All I had after that was some tenderness.

Sure did. I used to love water. After surgery it made me gag for months. I am out almost two years now. I like it again but struggle to drink enough. It fills me up very quickly. I have to focus on constant tiny sips. It's still hard for me.

I am almost two years out. I nibble on raw veggies at parties etc but do not fix them for myself. My restriction does not accommodate roughage well. I still concentrate of protein and maybe a few bites of soft cooked veggies. Just works best for me.

Poor thing. Expect that your emotions are going to freak out on you. Mine did. It was nuts. I think your body just goes into shock over this huge change. I was not expecting it but it did level out and did not take a long time. My guidance is to cut yourself a whole lot of slack for the first month. It's a big adjustment but I promise you will feel better soon.

During this stage, I ate marinara with cottage cheese (microwaved to melt the cheese) as well as refried beans with cheese (also melted). I also ate poached eggs. They all worked fine for me.

Those symptoms are spot on. I have all of them. Sept will be my two year anniversary. I was hospitalized last month for a week with dangerously low iron levels. I am feeling bad again and going back for more lab work. I was referred to a hematologist. He said I will be coming in weekly. I hope he is able to help me. I love my weight loss but need to get healthy.

I'm just going to tell you that fear is ok but don't let it stop you. You are almost there. This surgery saved my life and it will yours also. You will be miserable for a couple of weeks but then the changes really kick in. I promise, you are going to do great. God bless and believe in yourself.

It has helped me cook healthier for my husband and me. I cook lean protein and a vegetable. I eat out of a small plate for myself and my husband eats on a normal dinner plate. He eats less than he did before my surgery. I think we are just both more aware.

GP is ignorant about obesity and WLS. Ditch him. There are supportive docs out there. He is not one of them.

It is pain from surgery. By now you know it is significant. For about 30 days after surgery, I was miserable. I am 1.5 years out now and am so thankful I had the opportunity for surgery. It saved me. I am 58.

If you can lose the weight without the surgery, do it. If you cannot, get the surgery. Yes, it's expensive and fairly painful. But it forces you to adhere to a strict diet. You will lose the weight. That said, surgery is a risk. So is obesity. Do what you need to do to be healthy for you and your family.

What a testimonial. So happy for you!

At church this week, a guy told me if I lose anymore weight, I'm going to dry up and blow away. Plus, I wore heels.

I did not see any other discussions on this so have created one here. Now that I have been on this journey for going on two years, it's crossed my mind that perhaps I might want to switch gears and look for a way to work for a physician, group, or program, etc., to try and support others on this path. Has anyone else given any thought to this or looked into it? Or does anyone work in this field currently? I have no relevant experience. It's just an idea. I am interested to hear others' thoughts.

I had it also. I think I might have had a small tear somewhere. It felt like a stitch pulling. It was pretty bad. One day I woke up and it was gone with only a lingering soreness/tenderness sensation. I think that was about a month out. This was at the main incision and it was bad enough to bring tears to my eyes. No pain after that.

I am 15 months out and I still have trouble with salad. I love it but it is just so filling and no protein. So I generally skip it.

Best thing about eating out: one meal lasts me a week now!

I like Premier protein in vanilla. I get it at walmart.