Champ715

I was prescribed liquid hydrocodone but it made me so itchy that I stopped taking it after day 1. I tried children's liquid tylenol but it was so sweet that it made me gag. I couldn't swallow a regular tylenol pill that early on so I ran out of options for pain reliever. I didn't take anything past day 1 at home and the pain was manageable. It felt excruciating when I tried to stand up or sit down but all in all it was manageable without pain meds.

I have been using the patch Vitamins from Patch MD and I love them. I had my bloodwork done last Friday and everything was great except low levels of Vitamin B12. My mom and dad both have had low b12 levels their entire lives so maybe it's a hereditary thing. The doctor put me on a b12 regimen of 500mg per day but everything else looked good.

Hi all, I have been using the patch MD Multivitamin for the last five months. I had routine blood work done last Friday and my doctor just called to tell me that everything looks good except my Vitamin B12. My B12 was low so she wants me to start a 500mg daily regimen. It's odd because the Patch MD multivitamin claims to have 1000mcg of B12, which is 16,667% of the daily value. Perhaps it really doesn't have that much or maybe it's just not absorbed through the skin. Anyway, I just wanted to give an update since I've seen a lot of people ask about the Patches. This is the one I've been using http://www.patchmd.com/MultiVitamin-Plus-Topical-Patch.html

I wouldn't say the patch actually helps with nausea but it certainly doesn't cause nausea like a Vitamin capsule or tablet might. I went with the Patches because the chewables were absolutely making me gag and get nauseous. Even when I was able to progress to the tablets, they're all too big for me to swallow. The patches have been a great alternative for me.

You put a new patch on each day. I've been using them for 5 months. I had lab work done last week and the only thing that was low as my B12. My doctor suggested taking an additional 500mg of B12 each day. Other than that, everything else looked good.

I'm 5 months out and can still only eat about 2 ounces in one sitting. if I waited 30 minutes to an hour, I could eat more but that's all I can handle in one sitting. I can't even imagine being able to hold 4 ounces at once.

I had surgery on 9/30/15 and saw my nutritionist on 10/14/15 then not again until April 2016 (six month follow up). After the April visit, I don't have to see her again at all. I'll just have a yearly follow up with my surgeon. I have done labs with my primary care physician and had them sent to the surgeon's office.

It depends on your insurance requirements. I had both UHC and BCBS AL during my 6 months and they both required that I did not LOSE any weight during the six month period. I gained maybe three pounds and was approved. If you are able to lose weight by dieting and exercise, the insurance company uses that to justify not approving your surgery. They think if you can lose weight with traditional means then you don't need a surgical solution. Other companies want to see you lose (and not gain) to show that you are committed to the lifestyle change. It all depends on your insurance providers requirements.

I wasn't prescribed a PPI at all and never took them. I haven't had any issues.

I've had really good luck at Belk with their 180 day return policy. I just bought some shirts the other day and I got one size L and one size M. I figure the Large will be too big in less than 180 days so I'll just return it and still have the medium.

I also started at 5'0 and 204 lbs. My surgery date was 9/30/15 and I've lost 46lbs so far. The first 20 flew off then it slowed down a lot. I have been losing around 1 to 1.5 lbs per week since December. I stalled for about 3 weeks in November but ever since then it's been a steady (but slow) loss. Stalls are completely normal. They allow your body to adjust to what it's been through. Just hang in there and stick to your program and I promise you'll see an overall downward trend. Good job!

I can see a difference, even in the same pants. Get new clothes when YOU want to get new clothes Congratulations on your success and progress!

I have never suffered from depression but I have had anxiety issues since high school (11 years ago). I have been medicated for anxiety as well as seen by a therapist regularly for a period of 1 1/2 years. None of these things were held against me in the approval process. I should also note that I was not required to have a psychological analysis pre-op. My anxiety issues were all well documented in the 3 years of medical records I had to provide so I'm sure the insurance company noticed.

I used to feel the same way but it went away once I finally got up the courage to actually go. The first few times I went, I did something easy (the treadmill) so I wouldn't make a fool of myself. I noticed that nobody was looking at me. Nobody was staring or laughing or even glancing. Everyone around me was so wrapped up in their own workout that they weren't paying attention. I started working out with weights and machines recently and it's the same way. I was super intimidated by all the really fit and cut people working out on the machines or free weights but they don't pay attention to anyone either. Almost all of them are watching themselves in the mirror to check their form, etc. so they aren't going to be looking around at other people. Now I go four times per week and I feel like I fit in with everyone else. I've also never paid much attention to anyone else there. It's all in your head

I had surgery on 9/30 and started my 6 month supervised diet in march 2015. I had UHC at the time and bariatric surgery was covered. I ended up changing employers and switching to BCBS AL halfway through but UHC did cover it last year. Maybe they changed it this year but I would call them just to be sure. Also check with your employer. It may be an employer exclusion, rather than a provider exclusion.

Every carrier is so different. Some people are saying that they were required to lose weight on the 6 month diet, others are saying they were required not to gain. I started with United Health Care then switched to BCBS AL right in the middle. Both companies told me that I could not drop below a BMI of 40 at any point during the 6 month supervised diet. Their reasoning was that if I was able to lose weight with diet and exercise, then I did not need a surgical solution. Other companies want to see you lose weight to show that you are committed to the lifestyle change. With such a difference in companies and carriers, it's best to call your insurance provider directly or speak to the insurance coordinator at your surgeon's office.

My doctor sent me home with a liquid hydrocodone but it made me really itchy so I stopped taking it after day two. I tried some liquid tylenol but it was so sweet that it made me gag so I didn't have any pain medicine whatsoever after the second day.

Both my surgeon and nutritionist recommended a 1-2 pound loss per week. I started at a lower BMI though so maybe that's why. I'm at 160 as of today and both my nutritionist and surgeon said the loss would slow down once I got to a more "stable" weight so maybe that's why they set a lower loss goal for me.

I had vsg on 9/30/15 and have been working with a personal trainer for one month now. Every week we have tried a handstand but I just haven't been able to hold myself up. Yesterday I was finally able to hold myself up! I did 7 of these bad boys. Now to work on actually staying up there for more than 3 seconds I've lost 44 lbs since surgery. I've had times when I consider myself a "slow loser" but I try to keep everything in perspective. I've lost inches, gained muscle, and gained endurance that I never had before. I say all this to say, you are stronger than you think you are. Don't get discouraged with "slow" progress. You are awesome and can do amazing things. Even if you can't do those things RIGHT NOW, just be patient. I couldn't do that handstand four weeks ago but it was always there waiting for me. Whatever you want from life, take it. You got this!

Hi everyone! I just wanted to share something awesome I found on Amazon. It's a tiny black scale that is small enough to fit in your purse (or pocket, if you're a man) so you can carry it around with you. I bought two, one for my office and one for home. It's perfect to measure out your portion sizes. I take it with me every time I go to a restaurant and it's so helpful to know exactly how much I'm eating (and of course to prevent me from overeating). It's been a lifesaver so I just wanted to share with everyone. It's only $8.32 and you can find it here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012N1NAA?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00

Awesome!!! I'm 4 months post op and have lost 42 total so you're light years ahead of me! Not that it's a competition but that's an awesome accomplishment! You're the first person I've seen on here who is 5'0 too. Everyone else is so tall haha

Are you asking what kind of workout to do to make your thighs smaller or to make the cellulite go away? Unfortunately, I don't think any type of exercise is going to diminish cellulite. I noticed some stretch marks right above my hips a few weeks ago. I've been applying lotion to the area twice per day and I notice a difference. Unfortunately, nothing really makes those go away permanently (except maybe some sort of plastic surgery).

I was told I had to have bare nails. It had something to do with oxygen levels. Apparently your nails can turn a blue color if you're low on oxygen.

My surgeon told me I could go back within 2-3 days if I felt up to it. My surgery was on a Wednesday and I went back to work the following Tuesday. I worked half days that first week just because I had no energy. By week 2 I was feeling back to normal. I've never heard of taking 4-6 weeks off.

I never had bad acne but I usually had at least one small zit somewhere on my face, usually around my chin. I'm 4 months post op and just got my first zit yesterday. My fiance and my parents both noticed that my face had cleared up a lot post surgery. I recently changed my makeup foundation so that's probably what caused this little one to pop up yesterday.