Proud2BMe

When you lose, yes. However, some people get depressed or were already suffering from depression before the surgery. If you follow the program then most people get a boost in confidence when they see the weight falling off.

Many years ago a co-worker of mine had gastric bypass. She was going to be out of the office for several weeks. About 2 weeks after her surgery we were notified she passed away. She developed a serious infection and did not notify her doctor or even go to the ER until it was too late. The last time I saw her was literally her last day at work. She was extremely excited and bubbly and was even jumping up and down at one point just thinking about how this would change her life. It was very sad.

Most places don't offer free samples anymore. However, you are free to contact companies directly and ask. Many companies now sell individual packets you can try that are far cheaper than buying the larger containers.

I haven't looked into prices yet. I'm about to start. I know my insurance company doesn't cover plastic surgery, so I've been taking my time since I'll be paying out of pocket. Prices do range very widely. I encourage you not to make a decision entirely just on price, because plastics is really NOT an area where you want to skimp. I don't know how you feel about traveling for plastics, but there are EXCELLENT options in Mexico for very reasonable prices with incredibly skilled surgeons. There are also specific areas of the US where some surgeons offer very competitive pricing, but still have excellent results. I went to Mexico for my plastics (tummy tuck and breast lift with augmentation) and will be going back for a thigh lift in September. Originally I started looking into Mexico purely for the cost savings (it's about 1/2 to 1/3 the cost of the US), but I actually realized that going to Mexico gave me much more control over my decision. Where I live in the US, there are only about three practicing plastic surgeons who could/would do the kind of work I needed. That's not a whole lot to choose from. By being open to the idea of traveling, I really had my pick of surgeons. I also learned about the much better aftercare provided with medical tourism. If you have plastics in the US, you are discharged back to your house to fend for yourself the day after surgery or, in some cases, even the day OF surgery. Most surgeons abroad are affiliated with recovery houses or aftercare facilities where you can receive 24/7 support and assistance for days and even weeks post-op. So ultimately, even if surgery in Mexico cost exactly the same as it does in my home town, I would choose to travel for my plastics. My experience with my first round of plastics was so great. I can't imagine what it would have been like if I had been here in the US and I had to fend for myself or my husband had to take off of work to try to care for me. I was helpless as a newborn those first couple of days after my tummy tuck. Literally couldn't even use the bathroom myself! I went to Tijuana for my sleeve. However, I am currently too scared to even consider going there for plastics due to the thought of traveling while in so much pain. So how was your experience coming home? What was the plane trip like?

I went to one surgeon who told me that I needed to be within 15 lbs of my goal weight before he would even consider doing skin removal. I'm going to do better and go below goal by maybe 5 lbs.

I went to Tijuana. My experience was great. I would do it again in a heart beat. No complications. The real pain from the surgery. Just felt like I was punched in the stomach. Taking the drain out two days later was the most painful experience.

A lot of it depends on how health you are going in to surgery. The sleeve has the least complications. You will likely be fine.

Cut your hair short. This will minimize your noticing hair shedding when you wash your hair. Otherwise, nothing will really help. I don't even think Biotin helps because hair shedding for bariatric patients is caused by hormones and the stress of losing weight. When your weight stabilizes it will grow back.

Rogain causes hair loss when you first use it. I would discontinue use of Rogain as it is not meant for hair shedding from weight loss. Hair shedding is temporary. It is caused by hormones and stress from losing weight. When your body weight stabilizes the hair will begin to regrow. Make sure you are getting enough Protein daily.

The only way to beat carb addiction is to stop eating them. After you go through withdrawals your body will stop craving them. However, if you allow yourself to eat carbs again the cravings will return. When you cut them out you will notice you start craving other things likes nuts and Peanut Butter for example. I cringe when I read posts from people here who talk about eating Cereal for Breakfast or mashed potatoes or baked potatoes. Feel so bad for them. Our bodies turn that into pure sugar. One potato is equal to one cup of sugar.

Probably just a stall. In the future when you are eating regular food make sure to watch your carb intake because too many carbs will sabotage your weight loss.

You don't have to buy Protein shakes from doctors. They say that to make you buy their overpriced stuff. Body Fortress from Walmart will do just fine and it's only like $17 something a container.

Well, pickles are considered a "free food" for diabetics. The only issue is the sodium.

Sorry, but if you are wanting insurance to pay for it then you have no choice but to follow their timeline and plan. Otherwise, you can self pay and get it done rather immediately and without having to jump through so many hoops. You can self pay in the States or out of the country, like Mexico. I had mine in Tijuana and it was great.

Usually by day 3 or 4 the side effects should be clearing up. Give it a couple of days and you should be feeling more normal.

Well, at this point you don't need to be sucking on ice. You should be sipping on actual Water all day long. Take a sip literally every couple of minutes. Moisturize during this process or your hands and lips will suffer. As time passes you will reach the point where you will be able to drink as normal. I'm almost a full year out and I could chug an entire bottle of water if I wanted to. But at your stage I was forced to just take baby sips.

It's the period right after surgery where the weight just drops off fast and naturally. You cold eat crap and would still lose weight. It's not permanent. You will eventually hit stalls and your weight loss with slow and then stop. When it ends you will have to work to lose the remaining weight.

My pro-op diet was different. It was as follows: Week 1 -All the Water and sugar-free drinks you want -All the broth you want -All the sugar-free Jello you want -All the sugar-free popsicles you want -Breakfast and lunch is a Protein shake -dinner is unbreaded, lean meat on a bed of greens Week 2 The same as week 1 except Dinner is now replaced with a protein shake. I did not cheat on my pre-op diet as I was serious about the surgery. Also, since I was self-pay there was more incentive for me to succeed. (I've noticed that many people who fail have their surgery paid through insurance.)

The surgery is a breeze. You should be good to go a couple of days later. You might have someone keep him for a couple of days and then get help when he needs to be lifted. Otherwise you will be fine. A lot of people are expecting this debilitating surgery when it's not like that at all. Very easy and in most places now it's being done as an out patient procedure instead of a hospital stay.

If you do it right then you will have large weight losses right after surgery. Plus, the bigger you are the more weight you will lose. I lost over a 100 lbs in the first 6 months after my surgery. Now, I'm not even a full year out and have lost a total of 176 lbs. The problem with the people on the show is that most of them do not follow the diet and just eat whatever they want. They show them eating crap they should not be eating after the surgery. So it's no shocker when they end up losing so very little. The past one I watched with "Betty Jo" was a joke. She was celebrating her success when it was obvious she was still dangerously obese and then got pregnant on top of it. Sad.

Nothing is 100% going to work. You can fail even with gastric bypass. I would ask him to show you the statistics on his so-called 50% failure. If he can't produce any then feel free to ignore his opinion.

lol....rule of thumb. If it went down then you are in the clear. I never freaked out over accidentally swallowing gum but I was scared to take my huge honking fish pills forever after surgery. I just recently had the courage to take them and I still get nervous with each one.

It's a sign you aren't getting enough liquids. Increase your Water intake.

If you were going to die you would have most likely died on the operating table. That's when the risk for death is at it's highest. You made it. Relax. The longer you go out from the day of your surgery the more you will be able to eat. As far as complications, there's not that many associated with the sleeve. It's by far the safest of the current surgeries. If by chance a complication does develop it normally develops within the first 3 months. I think you will be fine. Just relax.

OMG, Do not listen to your NUT! I think she might be nuts for even suggesting that you eat that stuff! Drinking 3 Protein shakes a day will put you at about 900 calories alone. So if you need to increase your calories just incorporate Protein Shakes for now.