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LOL. I love your post mostly because I have related to it my whole life. In 2003 my OB/GYN finally said to me, Deb you have been suffering with endometriosis since you were in your early 20's. Clearly you don't intent to have more children have you considered a hysterectomy. I immediately signed up and it was the best surgery I ever had. Then about 7 years of pure bliss later I became peri menopausal and life as I knew if for 7 years changed again. Hot flashes and mood swings galore. It is now 2016 and the hot flashes and mood swings are still here driving me nuts. Last week I was watching an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I was balling like a big old baby over a show I have seen no less than 10 times. About 6 months ago I sat my husband down and said Honey, I love you and I want to apologize for all the crazy mood swings that I have laid at your feet. He says to me, I don't really feel like you do that. I said, I am apologizing in advance! LOL......you can just feel it. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but PMS and I had it very bad, is nothing compared to menopausal mood swings and the million hot flashes, soaked pajamas.....the list goes on and on. WTF, does the fun for us women ever end? I pray that it does soon! LOL

I am nearly 2 years post op and I am still here almost every day. I am at goal since March of this year. The road to getting to goal was so much easier than maintaining it in my opinion. Mostly because watching that scale move provided me with more incentive to keep forging forward. That being said, I am beginning to learn new ways to remain motivating to keep my weight where it is. For the next year at least it will be gifting myself plastics along the way. If I maintain, I get to have work done. In terms of advice given out by folks that have yet to experience WLS or are just a few months out. You have to take it with a grain of salt. We were all there once and as for me, I focused only on what my medical team provided and then assessed what I read on line. I asked lots of questions, and shared my learnings. For me the one thing that frustrates me like crazy is when some newly post op is looking for permission to do exactly what they shouldn't and another newbie gives them permission. It isn't helping anyone and in fact a bit of tough love can shake you into reality. It is my biggest pet peeve and about the only thing I will get seriously peeved about. If you are looking for permission to do something you know you shouldn't do or if you are the one handing out the permission you can be assured I won't keep my mouth shut. It isn't doing anyone any good and let's be honest we don't need to be coddled, we need to be told the straight skinny. Someone asked me about whether or not Brachioplasty is painful. If you read all the BS from the docs on real self, they will tell you that their is discomfort and you will be back to work in a week or less. They don't tell you it hurts like you just slammed both your arms on a hot stove and held it there for about an hour. They burn like hell. They don't tell you that as soon as you do any activity the swelling increases and you can feel your arms bulge and they don't tell you that there is a ton of itching or tickling in your arms as the nerves begin to heal. Guess what, ask me and I will tell you what I know based on my experiences.....you will get the real deal whether you like it or not. I say this as I sit here with two ice packs tucked under each arm pit almost all day long for the last 12 days. LOL!

Welcome and congratulations! I too switched from sleeve to bypass because I suffered from severe reflux. I am 22 months post op and have been at goal since March of this year. That 6 months will go by super fast and is a great opportunity to change behaviors and set yourself up for success. Trust me, getting a handle on it early will certainly make for a better long term result. Best of luck to you!

YAY! Congratulations and welcome! I am a bypass patient as well. 22 months post op and have been at goal since March of this year. Feel free to reach out with questions. For now, take care of yourself and sip sip sip like crazy. The more Clear liquids the better you will feel.

I will say it took me a long time following bypass before I could chew shrimp well enough to actually tolerate it. It was one of those foods I put off until 3 or 4 months post op. Fish, no problem......I also was not released for regular food until week 6 post op and then it was soft regular foods. I do eat left overs all the time, I think I would go broke otherwise. I usually choose to warm them gently either using the microwave at 50% power and stirring many times in between or I warm them in a pan and use broth or some other sauce to ensure they are not dry. I even do that now 22 months post op.

I did not have surgery in Mexico so my response is based on your initial post completely. I would have to be 100% comfortable going into this, afterall your are a person who has very specific needs. If you are not getting the answers you need, I would not proceed. This is major surgery and you have to know that you are being cared for appropriately. Now I know there are many on this site who have had their WLS done in Mexico and have had no problems. But in your situation it sounds like you are not getting the attention you need to make yourself comfortable. I would not proceed unless I felt 100% comfortable that they were looking at me, my current health issues and gave me a plan for surgery and post surgery care. In my experience the surgeon is only one part of the process. As soon as the surgery is over, others have to care for you because the surgeon is off on the next case. I had surgery at a Bariatric center of excellence. I went through a 9 month process and met with nutritionists, physcologists, Bariatric nurses, a Bariatrician who helped me decide which surgery to have. 3 weeks before my actual surgery I finally met my surgeon, the next time I saw him was in pre op, the last time I saw him was in post op for a quick minute. I have never seen him again, it was the bariatricians that take over care and are most important in the process as far as I am concerned. They sure as heck better know my case and take care of me. It does not sound like you are being critical.

I would love it! The best part is I am free at whatever time works for anyone else. I am still home recovering from plastics and back surgeries. When Alex brought chat back I would go there several times a day and no one was ever in there so I gave up. I am IN!

Take it from someone who knows exactly what you are going through. I was terrified when after 9 glorious month post RNY and on a great path to getting to goal I was told I needed a 3 level cervical fusion. There would be no more treadmill, no elliptical, no cardio or any sort for many months to come. I was terrified that I would not reach my goal and knew that I would have to do it with diet and diet alone. It is so easy to simply walk into the kitchen and eat crap like Fritos or Cheez it's or ........and trust me, I did it. Then I realized that I did not want to head down that path. So I was so careful to log every morsel good or bad and held myself accountable to it. I kept working at it and the weight either stayed the same or slowly, very slowly began to come off again. Then having the spinal fusion caused a bigger back problem and back to surgery I went in November. That surgery did not help at all so now we are at Christmas and I am still unable to exercise. They decided to look at my left shoulder and low and behold I have bone on bone AC joint and a 50% tear in my rotator cuff. Back to surgery I go in February. I simply learned that I had to find other things to do besides eat our of boredom. I promise you can get to goal with diet alone, I did. I work hard at it every single day and in March I made it to my ultimate goal. You can do this, you just have to decide that you can and track your food intake. The shoulder will get better I promise. I had my surgery on February 12th of this year and just finished rehab with it last week Thursday. The shoulder is not a fun operation but if you work hard and get your Protein you will be back at it again soon. I really hope you feel better soon!

The one suggestion I would make is try drinking room temp Water as opposed to cold water. For some reason it really does go down better. My stomach even now, nearly two years post op prefers room temperature water and I can drink a lot of it. YOu are right, water really is so much better that the Powerade. If room temp water don't work try even a cup of warm water to start, as the day progresses and your tummy warms up, it then allows you to drink colder beverages. I am not sure why this is but if you read on here it is pretty common.

I developed a habit of drinking an entire bottle of room temp Water first thing in the am. I hold that bottle in my hand and drink and drink until it is gone. Then I will typically grab another that gets me through until lunch so by noon I have a good 48 oz. in me. I never get dehydrated that way and to your point I don't get that nauseated feeling that comes with dehydration. It is one of the successful habits I created a few months after having bypass and I carry it with me. I will say that while traveling, I don't do as well so I have to be mindful.

Not a sleeve girl but I originally wanted one. I ended up with bypass because I had severe gerd and it was a better option for me personally. No regret ever, not for one second. I have a whole new life where food does not revolve around it. Don't get me wrong, I love food. I choose to really savor every morsel and I don't eat crap anymore because it actually tastes gross. pizza, oh yes. I do eat a lovely thin crust piece of pizza about once a month and I love that I can and I love that I am satisfied with that one piece. No regrets other than regretting I did not do it sooner. Live is full again!

Fruit has never caused a single episode of dumping and I eat it every single day several times a day. I am addicted to fruit. LOL! I eat berries of any kind, watermelon, bananas, grapes, apples, peaches, pineapple, cherries (my personal favorite) I will say I don't tolerate the skins on fruits like apples and pears so I peel them. I am not sure why almost 2 years post op but that is my only fruit issue. Fruit rocks! Don't be afraid you should do just fine. Try it in small amounts one fruit at a time.

@@BananaGal One day this week I will be taking my 2 week post op pics and will post them for you to see without the compression garment. The bruises are going down as is the swelling and they really do look fantastic. I am ready to start burning all my cover up sweaters, jackets, shrugs......I am sure you get it. I feel like I want to go sleeveless forever! Even in the winter HAHAHAHA

YAY! I always love to see someone like you who clearly had a easy couple of first days and shares it. My experience was identical to yours so I know there are a lot of us out there. I am happy to hear you are home and recovering nicely. I hope that things continue to move forward at a nice even pace and you will be reaping the rewards just as quickly. I honestly never struggled having this surgery. I simply followed doctors orders and tried my hardest to get all my fluids in. The trick is staying well hydrated in the first several weeks. If you can do that, you will be in great shape. Best of luck to you and keep us posted on your progress. I am excited for this new wonderful life you just began!

@@CLN.BK This is just my opinion so take it for what it's worth. First I would say you will have no problem reaching your weight goal if you follow the plan your doctor provides. I personally do not believe in setting a goal that requires me to get to a certain place by a certain time. For me that can be demotivating and with this type of weight loss, your body requires breaks along the way making hitting a time sensitive goal very challenging. Instead I set myself up for mini goals along the way and that motivates me to keep going. My first goal was getting from 310 to 250, the next goal I set was hitting 100 lb loss overall, the next one was hitting onederland and that was super exciting for me. Then as I got closer to where I wanted to be, I would set mini goals and reward myself with new bras, or a new smaller sized jeans. Somewhere along the line I finally believed I could actually get to my 165 goal which is an ideal weight for me. Once you hit your goal you reassess how you feel in this new body. My motivation now is plastics. The longer I remain within 5 lbs of my goal the better and that means I stabilized. Once you stabilize you can treat your self to a procedure that makes you feel better about yourself. 10 days ago, I had my first plastics. I had an arm lift.

@@Loudy227 If forgot to also say that I would have this Brachioplasty again in a heart beat even with all the itching. My arms look great! The skin sans rash looks like it is 20 again, there is not a drop of cellulite anywhere and they are getting even thinner by the day. I can actually see my bicep. My plastic surgeon told there is a tiny girl under all this loose skin. It's fun when people call you tiny for a change.

@@Loudy227 I hit my goal in March and have been maintaining within a 3 pound swing ever since. My arms look great. For some reason I am having a terrible time with itching and it was at its worst last night. I have a lot of allergies to adhesives and I have a bad feeling that I am allergic to the one use. So, my arms are pretty red today, still slightly swollen and I do have little bumps all over the arm. I have been taking Benadryl every 4 hours but it is not helping at all. I think I am going to call them today and see if I can use calamine lotion or something because it is near impossible to not itch it.

I follow a high Protein, lower carb diet. It is very well balance and has been since I came home from the hospital. The carbs I do eat are focused on vegetables and fruits primarily and now that I am in maintenance i also have some whole grains in my diet. My nut does not believe in eating your protein first but taught me to have 2 bites of protein for every one bite of fruits and vegetables. So far it is working for me.

I am glad things are starting to turn around for you. Everyday it should get a little better. Congratulations on making it through and getting home.

Welcome! You look fantastic!

There are many apps you can put on your phone or iPad that will remind when it is time to take your medications. You can also buy a pill box with different times of day on it. You fill it once a week and when you see that you missed a dose, you know it. I keep mine right out in the living room so if I take a break or watch tv, I cannot miss it.

Welcome to how WLS works. You have done fantastic! Your body cannot keep up that pace every day, it is simply not good for you and it needs time to reset. As you get closer and closer to your goal it will really slow down and you will have to be diligent about what you eat. The last 30lbs was like pure torture but I promise if you stick to the eating plan and move your body they will come off. Fret not, you are doing fantastic! Keep up the good work!

@@Daenerys Targaryen Congratulations & I LOVE your handle. Cannot wait for the next season of Game of Thrones. I decided to read all the books while I wait for next summer. I hope you heal fast and are on the road to losing!

Honestly I needed someone the first day home and after that I was fine. It all depends on how you handle pain. Sometimes people curl up and won't get out of bed but that is the absolute worse thing you can do after this type of surgery. The best thing you can do is get up and walk as much as you can while sip sip sipping liquids. The sooner you get to appropriate amounts of fluids you will begin to feel much better. Once you walk, the pain from the gas they use begins to leave your body and fluids get all the toxins out. You then start to feel very good. I was in the hospital 2 nights, went home on liquid Vicodin on a wed. By Friday morning I was off all pain killers. For me, this surgery there was more discomfort than there was pain and it was all from the gas.

The truth is, it all depends on how much you have to lose, your age, whether or not you exercise while losing, how fast you lose..... In all honestly unless you are under the age of 25 and have little weight to lose you are bound to have loose skin somewhere. In my opinion, the loose skin is better than all the fat, the scars are better than the loose skin. It is also very rare to have your insurance cover actual body countouring surgery which is what most of us need after losing so much weight. Sometimes they will cover a panni removal if you have a history of getting infections there but even that is not too common. I had my first first plastic surgery a week ago Thursday. It cost 5950.00 out of my own pocket plus the cost of medicines, ice packs, etc. I had an arm lift. It was the best money I have ever spent. Having had a lot of loose skin after 150lb loss for the last year or so, i prefer it over all that fat that made me sick and miserable. You just have to decide what is more important. Your health or some loose skin that you may be able to do something about in the coming years.