JamieLogical

I was on prescribed Omeprazole for 2 month post op. As soon as I went off it, I started having acid issues, so I now take the over-the-counter dose twice a day. I'm just over 6 months post-op.

Seems about right. I measured all my soft foods into little 2 oz. plastic containers. That helped keep me from accidentally overeating and making myself VERY uncomfortable.

I was pretty exhausted and run-down feeling until I was back to solid foods. That was when I was finally able to get my calories up to a level that could sustain me. For me, that was about 6 weeks post-op.

I didn't withdraw any money from my retirement, I borrowed against it. My retirement is through TIAA-CREF and they have a lending program where you can borrow up to 50% of your total balance and you're essentially paying back yourself with interest. So, instead of that money sitting in your main "pot" and earning returns like your retirement normally does, that money gets moved to a special separate account that you pay back into and the "return" on investment you get is just the interest rate on the loan. Ugh, I hope that makes some sort of sense. Anyway, I didn't have to pay any fees for early withdrawal or any taxes, because I took out a loan, not the actual money.

For sure, if plastic surgery isn't an option in the near future, then shapewear is a great alternative. It will help keep things tight and tucked in under most clothing, so that no one will even notice your loose skin. Hopefully, you will someday be able to afford plastics, though. I borrowed against my retirement for mine and went to Mexico to save money. Still working on paying it off, but it was SO worth it!

@@WL WARRIOR Is plastic surgery not on your radar at all? I had plastics after losing 90 pounds back in 2011 and it did wonders for my body image. I went on to regain most of the weight I'd lost, thus my need for VSG, but that's a whole other story. I would still very much recommend plastics for people post weight-loss, as it is a wonderful thing to do for yourself. Luckily, my tummy tuck has held up extremely well through my weight regain, and now that I am losing the weight again post-sleeve, I even have definition in my abs! Will be posting some new progress pics next week to show them off.

A consult with a surgeon or even just an information session might address some of your concerns. I'll try to answer the questions I can. Will I be sick a lot afterwards?-throw up sick... There's no way to know in advance. I haven't thrown up once since my surgery 6 months ago. But some people have serious problems with nausea and vomiting. A woman who had her surgery the same day as me with the same surgeon was throwing up for MONTHS after surgery. So there is a real possibility, though I think it is fairly uncommon. I definitely had some moments of serious discomfort. It's a challenge to learn how your new stomach works and how much food you can safely eat without reaching the point of discomfort. It's a process and it gets easier over time. I am now over 6 months out and rarely have issues. Will I only lose in the beginning and then the weight stop? That's entirely up to you. If you stick to the plan (Protein first, getting all your Water, exercising, eating the right foods) then you will continue to lose. I have been a slow, but consistent loser. Will I have a lot of lose saggy skin? Maybe? Saggy or loose skin seems to depend a lot on age and genetics. There are a few things you can do to try to lessen the problem. Make sure you stay well hydrated. Moisturize daily. Do strength training to "fill in" loose areas with muscle where the fat used to be. And supplement with Vitamin C and Beef Gelatin. But in the grand scheme of things, what is a little loose skin compared to your health? Will I have hair loss? Probably. Most people lose at least some hair. Some people lose a LOT of hair. I started losing my hair about 3.5 months post-op, but it never got so bad that anyone besides me would notice. The hair loss slowed around 5 months post-op and now, at a little over 6 months post-op, I have lots of new hair growing back in. Again, this is a pretty trivial mater when the alternative is staying fat and risking your long-term health. Will I look older? I've seen this go either way. Some people actually look a lot younger post weight-loss. I think it's due to just taking more care in their overall appearance with their make-up and hair and what style clothing they wear. If you end up with a lot of sagging skin in your face and neck or a very thin face, it might make you look older.

Really goes to show that we should not base our whole concept of success and self-image around a number on a scale. Body composition makes a huge difference. My loss has been SLOW over the past two months, but I have started running and strength training. I have gotten more compliments in the past week or two on my weight loss than I have in the past 6 months, even though I've lost close to 50 pounds in the last 6 months and only a couple of pounds in the past few weeks.

It probably will not go away on its own. That subcutaneous fat is impossible to "target", so unless you can get your entire body fat percentage significantly lower, it will hang on there forever. Do you know what your current body fat percentage is? You don't want to get dangerously low. Surgery is probably the only way you are going to really get rid of it. Even if you do get rid of some more of the fat, the skin will remain a problem.

Everyone loses at their own pace, though I know that can be incredibly frustrating. I lost just under 15 pounds my first month and have only lost about 6 pounds per month since my third month out. Stick to the plan and you WILL lose, even if it's not as fast as you would like. Make sure you are getting Protein first and meeting your daily requirements of protein and Water. Also, you should be walking for exercise at 3 weeks out and you can slowly start increasing your intensity and move on to other activities as you are cleared to by your surgeon. There are some big advantages to slow loss once you get past the "diet mentality". Remember, your sleeve is for life. Unlike a diet, you will never be "done" with your sleeve. So there really is no need to lose the weight quickly or force any sorts of deadlines on yourself. In the mean time, slow loss means less stress on your body/skin, not having to replace your clothes as quickly, and not having to answer so many prying questions about your weight loss.

I followed it 100% except one day, in place of my green salad with calorie free dressing for dinner, I had part of a scrambled egg with a little Breakfast sausage mixed in. My 15 day pre-op diet was as follows: 3 Protein shakes a day (150 calories each) 1 green salad with calorie-free dressing sugar-free popsicles and Jello So I was eating a whopping 450 calories a day and I was supposed to keep up my exercise throughout. The exercise only made it about 5-6 days in. I was literally passing out at work by that point. Only eating 450 calories a day and burning 600+ through exercise while also working for a living was simply not sustainable.

Sounds like you are doing way better than I was at 12 days post-op! I never had problems showering before I started my pre-op diet, but once I was on that and then post-op, I was exhausted feeling all the time and it was a real challenge! Glad you are already feeling so good! Good luck on your first day back to work!

The pre-op diet can be pretty challenging, especially in the first few days. Hang in there and keep your eye on the prize. You have a long and potentially difficult road ahead, but it will be worth it in the end.

Hey, if you don't mind being bald and sick all the time, feel free to give up protein.....

I came to ask the same question as Elode. I was prescribed 40mg of Omeprazole immediately post-op and instructed to take it every day for the first 2 months.

I was allowed to swallow normal vitamin-sized pills at 7 days post-op. I was allowed to keep taking my tiny birth control pills straight through my surgery date. Ask your surgeon's office. This is the sort of question where you will get different answers from different surgeons and you should follow YOUR specific directions.

The 1,976,453 other posts on these forums about the "week 3 stall" would indicate that it's pretty common.....

Is there a reason you don't want a transfusion? I had one after one of my previous surgeries and it was THE BEST! I went from feeling like death warmed over to feeling fantastic!

Here's a link to that thread I mentioned earlier: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/334874-whats-your-opinion-of-low-fat/

The logistics of traveling always stress me out, but I wasn't at all worried about the surgery itself. I'm sure you'll be well taken care of. June is still a ways off, so you have plenty of time to prepare. Just don't drive yourself crazy with over-preparation. I bought a whole bunch of stuff I never actually ended up using!

I have both a treadmill and recumbent bike. Immediate post op, I just walked on the treadmill, as inspected. But once I was cleared to do more exercise, I started alternating between the two.

Do read labels. Read the full labels. There was a topic on this the other day and I read the labels for my reduced fat string cheese versus full fat and my Dannon Light & Fit greek yogurt versus the Oikos full fat and in both cases, the low fat option was better in EVERY way. So I discourage blanket ruled like "always choose full fat over low fat". That being said, a little fat is good for you! My general rule is just to make sure whatever I'm eating has more grams of Protein than fat. When choosing meats, yogurts, Protein Bars, cheeses.... I always check to make sure the total protein is higher than the total fat and that rule serves me well. And when it comes to condiments or things I only consume in tiny quantities anyway, I don't worry about fat. Mayo, butter, etc. When you are eating less than a teaspoon of something, even it it's full fat, there really aren't that many fat grams. But definitely read the labels! Blanket rules are never a good idea.

Those ARE pricey, but I LOVE their "Will it blend?" videos!

@@grandmasandy You will have restriction. Don't worry. A lot of people don't feel restriction when they are in the liquid phases. Once you move onto purees and soft foods, you WILL feel restriction. Also, remember that the surgery itself can do temporary damage to the nerves in your stomach so you may not FEEL full even though you are. That will heal up.

Congrats on your decision. That's always a huge step and it's when things start feeling really real! Do you have your date yet? I just wanted to mention that OCC (Dr. Ariel Ortiz) does have a nutritionist on staff that you meet with in person and can correspond with via email and phone before and after your surgery. I'm 6 months out and still emailing back and forth with the nutritionist.