smpgastric

UPDATE: I have gone thru 6 sessions of laser hair removal with a 'Duet (II) Light Sheer' (In Offce Hair Removal Machine). Best model available and got a great price going thru Groupon. LITERALLY no more hair growth on my upper lip and chin! I have learned that not all laser hair removal machines are created equal. (Never use an IPL for hair removal its painful and never works ESPECIALLY if you have pcos). Now that I'm done with laser hair removal going to start using my 4% hydroquinone cream for my remaining melasma. Will update in a few months!

Worry not! I had my surgery on Dec. 23 (2014) and spent the holiday recovering in a different city than my family with a few college friends checking in on me. I was SO scared and nervous. Now 10 months later and 80 pounds lighter it was the best decision I ever made. Be strong.. you've got this! You're going to do great!

Update: I purchased a 6 treatment Groupon laser hair removal package ($104) using a LightSheer Duet Diode laser and it worked like a charm! I am only on treatment 4 and I have seen a huge difference! If your going to go laser find a place with the Duet!

Congratulations! Enjoy the journey! Best desicion I've ever made. Sleeved 12/22/14 down 62 pounds:) I wish you much success!!!!!!!

I use cetaphil for my body and hyaluronic acid and a oil of olay moisturizer for my face. Hyaluronic acid holds 1000 times its weight in water (seriously locking in moisture.) 1) Wash face with a gental cleanser 2) pat dry (but not too much you will need your face to be damp) 3) Apply hyaluronic acid to lock in the moisture/water on your face. 4) Apply moisturizer 5) Apply sunscreen You can get hyaluronic acid on Amazon for $10-20. Some people buy a formula infused with vitamin c as well.

Get back to the basics! We have all been blessed with the opportunity to have surgery but remember that millions of people have lost 100+ 200+ 300+ pounds with no surgery at all! Weight loss is always doable! Is your diet sugar free? Low carb high protein? How much do you exercise every week? What is your water intake? Make a plan, work the plan. You can do it!!!!!

When it comes to laser hair removal not all lasers are created equally. An IPL will do very little for hair removal. LightSheer's Duet 800 nm diode laser is considered the best the industry has to offer.

I had problems loosing weight right up until the surgery (to shrink my liver). My dietitian put me on a 1000 calorie diet for 4 days. And then an all liquid diet for 2 weeks. Non fat milk and protein powder 3 times a day. In between only green tea, water, Powerade ZERO and a little coffee if I had to have some sweetener only stevia blend. I lost 17 lbs. (Of course check with your Dr. If this is OK for you first.) Hope this helps.

@loss78. Yes I do I had a sleeve done Dec 23 with Dr. Katkhouda and I've lost 50 lbs in 7 weeks. If you have any questions feel free to ask. Good luck with everything:)

If you have not found a surgeon and you are in so cal, I would suggest finding out if USC Keck takes your insurance. It is a world class facility and Dr. Katkhouda is one of the best in the country. His department knows everything about getting you approved. Check if you will be covered for the initial appointment and then schedule. There website and phone number are http://www.surgery.usc.edu/uppergi-general/bariatric.html and 323.442.6868. Hope this helps.

Thank you for your replies and encouragement.

I'm 7 weeks post op and every time I eat my stomach hurts. The food I prepare tastes great (following all Dr.s guidelines on what and how much to eat) its just a few minutes after the food reaches my stomach i experience pain. At this point I just avoid food as much as I can. I'm probably not getting enough protein but I just can't do it anymore. I don't enjoy any of the foods I used to love (the healthy ones). Has anyone experienced this and will it last forever?

I had surgery 5 weeks ago and my goal weight is 110lbs (I'm 5'3"). People are telling me that's way too thin. I'm reaching for this goal because my surgeon said I will definitely gain back some weight in about a year. So why not maintain 110 as long as possible then next year maybe I'm 120/125. As long as your labs and your doctor says your healthy I say keep going.

If you want to get an idea of how it will look first my suggestion is get an inexpensive wig and live with it a little at home or you can get a digital haircut. There are several websites that offer this one I like is http://www.instyle.com/instyle/makeover/ It allows you to choose styles and color. Whatever you decide will be the right desicion. Good luck and have fun:)

I have the same problem because of hormones I also have some melasma on my upper lip. I am 15 days post op so i havent noticed any real change yet. My dermatologist said the only real treatment for this is electrolysis and a prescription strength bleaching agent for the melasma (only to be used on that small area). The one I was prescribed was Glytone with 4% hydroquinone. I plan to start electrolysis in a couple of months but in the mean time I just shave. Some women frown upon this but it is the number one way women remove facial hair globally. Also if you do have melasma which many women do with hormonal imbalances, I learned a great makeup trick you buy a salmon or orange colored LIP PENCIL and apply it on the darkened area and smudge it in a little bit at first it will look like you have a bunch of orange on your face but your not done yet, THEN you put your concealer on. It works for me and many women on YouTube (where I learned). Hope this helps.