efierke

I had 10 days of Bariatric Advantage shakes with up to 2 cups of low carb veggies/day. I cheated a couple of times: 1 - eating more veggies than I was supposed to on 1 or 2 occassions 2 - about a half-ounce of mixed nuts, twice.

Pickles - I was allowed 2 cups of very-low-carb vegetables per day and dill pickles (and occassionally even just pickle juice) made all the difference in the world. I still wanted to kill everyone I met though.

When all else fails, call your surgeon. If there's no redness/swelling/odor/discharge around the incision site you're likely ok. At 1 week out I still had all my steri-strips and bandages over my incision sites. Do you have a drain? That may make your incisions feel a little funny, if the drain sponge is running underneath them.

I didn't have frequent migraines (2-4x/year) but I did have frequent headaches (1-2x/week). Since the surgery I've had, I think, maybe 2 headaches, both minor. And I'm almost 8 weeks out. No migraines in that time.

Everyone is a little different. I remember being wheeled into the OR, the nurses present asked me a couple of questions, and then the next thing I knew I was waking up in PACU. For me it was like turning off a light switch. I didn't get sleepy and drift off. One moment I was awake and in the OR, the next moment I was in recovery. From my experience with this surgery and with previous surgeries, the hard part is the waking up - you mind will be desperate to wake up long before your body will cooperate. you'll be groggy and you'll be hurting, but it will all pass.

Remember - your surgeon isn't just "punishing you" for your sugars being high, even though it may feel that way at times. There have been multiple studies done, but high blood sugars put you at higher risk for infection and you will definitely heal a lot slower. A1C is a look at the past 3 months. I agree with what someone else said - if you've made all those changes and your sugars are still in the 200 range, you need to see an endocrinologist.

Not true actually - B12 is absorbed almost exclusively by the stomach, as is alcohol. My understanding of calcium citrate vs carbonate is that there isn't enough acid production to break down the carbonate enough for your body to absorb it properly. Calcium citrate is a much more bioavailable form that doesn't require as much acid to break down.

Tuna/chicken salad, chili (run through a blender it's still tasty). the WW smart ones Entrees, once you're allowed them, are quite good. When I'm coming up for a recipe or looking at nutrution labels I aim for 10 calories / gram of Protein. I don't hit that with everything I eat, but with most things. Yogurt is your new friend - fat free low sugar yogurt is packed with protein. I've also taken a piece of turkey sausage (get the leaner stuff) and fried that up with a scrambled egg. kinda like a "Breakfast bowl" but actually edible

Why pay extra for something that's advertised as VLCD when you can just drink Protein powder shakes? Really, Syntrax and Isopure are pretty tasty. Sure, if you have some VLCD shakes you need to use up, go for it, but at least while you're on clears I think most of them are going to be off limits.

I would add some benefiber (or other clear fiber) to your diet and maybe some miralax or sennekot. Miralax is probably the most gentle option, but it will take a few days to work. From what I've noticed so far, your bowels will never be the same again, but you will approach something normal. I go about once every other day at 1 month postop

Catheters really aren't bad - maybe I was lucky, but I didn't even feel any pain when they pulled it out. A little pain the first time I peed without it, but not much, and none after that. Compared to the pain of standing up and walking - the catheter is honestly a blessing, especially when you consider that you'll be getting a LOT of IV fluids during and after surgery.

My surgeon's standard is 3 weeks, but he and I agreed that 4 weeks was better for me (night shift Nurse at a busy hospital). If the surgeon is saying 4 and the PA is saying 6 - split the difference and go with 5? you're going to be at minimal risk for re-injury at that point, but you're still likely to get tired easily. That's going to take a while to change.

yeah - that honestly doesn't seem like a good idea. the reason the band has fallen out of favor is due to erosions, embedding, and food intolerance. Seems like you'd get the same thing with the minimizer ring. I also am unable to find any evidence that the minimizer ring has FDA approval. Not a big deal if you're not in the US. But if you're in the US and considering Medical Tourism for your surgery, getting something that lacks FDA approval is setting yourself up for a load of trouble if you ever have any complications.

You're certainly going to lose some muscle mass, but it doesn't have to be a lot - keep up with your protein intake (80 grams a day can be harder than you think when you're "just not hungry") and start gentle exercises as soon as your surgeon clears you (emphasis on GENTLE)

Good luck. For me the preop diet almost broke me. Yes, when i woke up from surgery I was in pain, and there were days in that first week that I definitely asked myself "was this really worth it" but the pre-op diet, emotionally speaking, was far worse.

Talk with your surgeon - My *surgeon* required 1 class/month for 6 months, and that included weight/bp checks and turning in a food log. That filled the 6 month requirement for my insurance, and I felt a lot more prepared going into the surgery. I also believe that it is a requirement under the Bariatric Centers of Excellence program (if not required, it's definitely a good idea). The surgeon's office or hospital should also have an insurance coordinator for elective surgeries that can help you with the requirements.

My surgeon's protocol is 2 weeks and you can go back with restrictions (lifting, pushing/pulling, etc). 3 weeks, go back with no restrictions. I actually requested an additional week so was off for 4 (am a night shift RN and really didn't want to risk re-injury). At 2 weeks, there was no way I could go back. no pain, but still tired very easily and had trouble thinking clearly at times. This is my first night back after just over 4 weeks and am doing ok.

I flew, with my surgeon's blessing, 2 weeks after surgery (short flight to see my family). He had no problem with me flying and simply reminded me to follow my weight restrictions. I could see there being issues if you were flying in something unpressurized, but that's not most people. Probably wouldn't get on a plane right after eating / with a full stomach, but that's more just because you and your stomach are still getting to know one another again.

Keeping up with your Vitamins and Protein intake will reduce the hair loss but not stop it completely from my understanding. nothing wrong with getting more than your recommended amount of protein however. Would also suggest adding some Avocado or other source of "good fat" if you're able - that would likely help

Do you have any fever? Drainage or odor from the incision sites? Some people have a bit of a reaction to the sutures or the surgical glue that causes itching/redness, but if it's not going away or you have the issues above, then you could have a little bit of an infection. How long ago was your surgery?

In the month prior to my initial consult with my surgeon, he took out 17 bands and placed 1. Yes, they're reversible, yes it's quick surgery. But from my conversations with him, the complication rate (erosions, slippage, inability to eat, etc) + the food intolerance + the lack of weight loss = the band is falling out of favor and may not even be done for much longer.

I had Fentanyl in my PCA right after surgery and went home with a prescription for oxycodone. I took it once after I got home and that's it. Your PCA right after surgery isn't going to be enough to turn you into an addict and if you don't need the oxycodone (or lortab, or codiene, etc) when you're home, then don't take it.

Not saying that gastric sleeve is out of the question for a teen, but with a BMI of only 37.2, unless your parents are willing to take you down to Mexico for it, or you already have diabetes or other issues, there's almost no chance that you're going to get approved.

No EGD for me - but it's really surgeon's discretion. Did have an H-Pylori test right before my surgery, and another CBC. If you have a history of hernia, ulcers, or severe reflux, they're going to pretty much require one. Just be glad it's not a colonoscopy.

Urgent care isn't going to be able to deal with a DVT, and that's almost definitely what this is. They'll simply send you to the ER. yes, ERs suck, but that's where you need to be. Pack an overnight bag.