Kimberly Bouche-Perez

Hi, Thank you for sharing. I feel the same way. Funny thing is my son and daughter-in-law just bought me 2 new bra's from Victoria's Secret. Trust me it's worth the money cause if you wash it in the ink and air dry, they last for 2 - 3 years. Anyway, I needed one caue the 3 they bought me in October 2013 were weay to biug. I went from a 44 D (I thought that as my size) befre my surgery to a 38 DDD just 6 months after my GB. They are just to big now. I have always said when I was heavy that my boob were rented cause I never had bigger then a B when I was a teenager. I think I missed a few payments cause MY BOOBS GOT REPOSESSED, lol. No really. They are gone and what is left is sagging. Makes me feel very self concous. My thighs look like chicken legs. They are very thin and the skin above the knee looks like candle wax. My husband who has been so supported of all of this, cqan NOT even look at my legs. I did not do all this work just to cover my legs in the summer. my bat wings are not as bad as they once were, hopefully exercise the right kind will help? I was very LUCKY to get approved after 3 denials for a tummy tuck. I had it on 3/20/15. She only took of 1 1/2 - 2 lbs of skins, to my surprise. I Thought it was more. I am still swollen and have to wear a binder. I am going to the plastic surgeon in the morning and I am hoping I can get the ok to do some light exercise. I can't beleieve this is me saying I want to exercise, lol So sorry I just went on a rant. Do I like how I look, not right now. Am I happy I did the GB 22 months ago. YES Would I do it again? Even with ALL the complications????? YES YES YES So everyone has a diffrent experience. I hope I didn't scare anyone. I just wanted to say to the person who started this topic. I hear ya and I am right there with ya. Keep up with the updates. Good Luck everyone

I am so SORRY you mom thought about herself with your surgery. It is tough cause you don't want to fail, again like so many diets have failed. I told a few people I thought were my friends only to hear horrible responces. Things from 'your not that fat' to 'you will just gain it back' and even 'your taking the easy way out'. It is our body' our story. But people will alway feel it is there business to put their 2 cents in. I was lucky I had my entire family support. But I did not tell my youngest boy (he was 20 at the time) untill I had a surgery date. Because he once thought it was the easy ay out. Since then, he has been one f my biggest defenders when someone will say that it's the easy way out. He has seen with his own eyes that it is not. I know you are upset with your mom and I do not blame you one bit. When cooler heads prvaile, you need to have a talk about bounderies. you will feel so much better. She is probally stuck in her ways, but maybe just maybe she might think before she speaks next time. Good luck hun

22 months out and still use Miralax on a daily basis. I actually have a percription for it cause it is expensive. I am also on morphine on a daily basis for stage 4 endometriousis. So that is a huge problem as well.

Hi it i great meeting people from MA. I kins wish I still lived in Lynn cause there seem to be more support groups back home. I live in Northmpton now. It is about 7 miles south of UMASS Amherst. It's like Marblehead. I am 22 months out and i did loose a lot of hair. it wa my fault cause I did not take vitamins very seriously. I learned my lesson. Maybe the next time I go back home to visit my mom and dad and sister, we could all meet up and swap stories. Good luck

I'm 22 months out and I thought I was the only one going through this. I am gonna call my dr. in the morning and ask about b12. I am sick nd tired of loosing my train of thought or forgetting why I got up and walked in another room. I'm only 42, so hopefully it's not early dimenta. Thank you for posting this. Maybe this b12 could be a game changer.

I'm 22 months out. I have had a few stalls. My last stall was around xmas of 2014. I seemed to be stuck at 180 for about 6 weeks. Then right after New Years, the weight just started to fall off. I am now 139. I did however have a tummy tuck on 3/20/15. Still recovering from that. The plastic surgeon said she onlt took off about 1 1/2 to 2 lbs. I was so swollen that I didn't get on the scale until a week ago (so 3 weeks after surgery. Day of surgery I was 153. S In 3 weeks I had lost another 13 lbs. I am still having problems eating. It seems if I go for the 3 bite I end up throwing up. It seems an old eating disorder has come back. My Dr. said thi does happen to about 10% of WLS. Also for some reason a lot of people start drinking to much or go to drugs. So PLEASE do not get discouraged!!!! I do find that the 5 day restart works!!! Basically you go back to day one of surgery. So check that out. Let us know the updates. This site is WONDERFUL for support!!!!! Good Luck

My hubby calles it 'chernobul' as in the nucleor (sorry about the spelling), lol. 22 months out and STILL have bad gas. I blamed it on our kitty's until one day I had a really bad "release" and I felt so guilty I fest up. My hubby just looked at me and laughed. "that's YOU" , lol I got use to running to the bathroom cause you never knew if it was air or something else, lol. I actually had about 3 accidents in the night since the surgery. Embarresing but what can you do. I keep Fabris (the clothing and air freshener) handy. Now that winter i over I can now open a window, lol

I am so happy your feeling better. I will NEVER forget my one and only dumping experience. It was 3 months in, I was having a problem with even fluids so I was still on soft things. I just wanted to chew something. So I made a piece of toast. With some spry no calorie butter. One bite is all it took. Really, just one bite. Between throwing up, feeling like I was having a heart attact, the bathrrom run. I really felt like I was having a heart attack. So I just curled up on the couch and just cried. It really hurt that bad. It lasted about 4 or 5 hours. I even caught my self swearing that if the pain would just stop I would never eat bred again. It took me about 7 or 8 months before I tried toast again. They told me once I had the dumping once I would be extra careful. ANd yeah I am. Good Luck

Your doing great. This stall sometimes happens hen you finally get ride of ALL of the fluids from staying in the hospital. Be careful with the protein shake. Some of them have over 300 calories each and if you are having a few of those PLUS food, that might be one of the problems. Good luck, keep coming back for support

Try the 5 day restart. It works great. DO NOT get discoraged. Do try to keep a food journel, the my fitness pal has a great one. When I was 3 months in I was still having problems drinking. Your insulin might be slowing you down as well as other meds. A lot of meds have a weight gain in the fine print. But infortunitly, (excuse my spelling) fruits are OUT. My Dr. won't let me hve them cause they have to much sugar. Also, no salads cause they take up to much room in your new pouch. Give the 5 day restart a try, try the myfitnesspal. Keep up with updates for more support. GOOD LUCK!

I live in MA and I BMC Healthnet. It took about 4-5 weeks to get approval. Got it 4/19/13 and my surgery wa on 6/25/13 cause the surgeon was booked. Hope this help. GOOD LUCK

My insurance did. I live in MA and I have BMC Healthnet and Masshealth. My PCP gave me the script for UNJURY. It is expensive. $2 a serving. I called my insurance company and asked if they covered it. To my surprise they did. I just had to go to a certain pharmacy, they even delivered it. Just call your insurance company. They probably do cover it. Best of luck to you

Hi, when I went to my first group in Septemebr of 2012, both me and my PCP decided to get the band. Well after meeting several people in the group (there wa almost 50 people there is was the first groiup seminar) and hearing there horror stories about the band (I did NOT meet not 1 person who was happy witht the band) I very quickly changed my mine. This is how they explained the diffrence ion that first group. Gastric Bypass you will loose between 70-80% of weight Sleeve around 60% Lap Band was only MOST 30% Since my insurance has a clause of Once in a LIFETIME weight loss surgery, I decided that I wanted to go big or go home. I chose the gastric bypas surgery. I knew it was more invasive but I just didn't want the band just to have it removed down the road and then, that was it. This website is great!!!! I found it just over a week ago and it's great. Just do research with ALL the surgery's. Choose what i right for YOU! I wanted thiis weight gone. I did what was right for me. However, I am grateful that I DID NOT choose the band. All I have heard is problems with GERD and slippage. In fact a lot of doctor's are not even doing it anymore cuase of the complications. I think and this is MY opinion. If you want to loose more then 50 lbs then the band is not right for you. The diffrence between the sleeve and the bypass is the bypass your new stomach is the size of an egg verses the size of a bananna. The sleeve does not change the metobolic (excuse the spelling) rate in which food is digested. There have been a lot of sucess with BOTH surgery's. Again you have to choose what is right for YOU. Talk to your doctor and discuss this. If you need a eight loss buddy let me know and I will give you my email. Good luck Kim

I took Phen Fen before it was taken off the market. I thought it was GREAT. I lost 45 lbs in 1 months. I would be even painting the doors of my apt. at 2 in the mroning cause of the energy burst. It was just speed. I lost lmost 100 lbs and I was 230 when I started. Well guess what, they took it off the market and I gained it all back plus some. Crushed me. I had gastic bypass 22 months ago and have never looked back. I really don't think that the drugs work cause s soon as you get off of them, BOOM the weight comes back on. My opinion. Find something that will work for YOU and then once you get the tool (either the band, sleeve or gastric) everything will fall in place. Good Luck

I too, keep hearing, "you have such a pretty face, why don't you just 'try' to loose some weight, it's just will power" I also heard when I told the few people I told about the uregery: "you are taking the easy way out" "you will just gain it back" The best one of all was, "Your gonna die on the table" Well needles to say, I didn't, lol But I do agree with you on that weight is not just what you put in your mouth but why. I now have the "problem" that I am too skinny, or at least that's what the DR is saying My eating disorder has now showed it's ugly head, once again. i am in theropy and working on it. You should keep up with the theropy. It really does WORK. Just find one tht is right for YOU. One thing that me and my theropist find amazing is that the Phyc never asked me if I had ever had an eating disorder? My theropist asked me this when we first started cause she was amazed that even with a HUGE eating disporder I still got surgery. I just tiold her, "well, they never aked the quetion and I wasn't gonna bring it up cause I wanted the surgery so bad" Maybe they should ask this so you can start to get help BEFORE the suegery. Keep up with it, you will be amazed how quicly the wieght startes going off once you have the surgery. I saw that you are having the band, so it will be a little slower. BUT YOU WILL DO IT1111 I am proud of YOU! Keep up with post

I use to say that my ddd were rented, lol. Well I must have been late on a few payments caue they have been repoed, lol They are jsut little bumps now As far as my butt, I noticed a few months ago that when I was in the tub, my but was KILLING me. Were didi it go??????? When I shave my legs on the ide of the tub, I have to do one leg at a time and get up cause, holy heck, it relly does feel like someone is tring to shove a pole up there. I have the chicken legs ith a lot of loose skin I just had a tummy tuck on 3/21//15. Still very swollen but it is looking great. I wish my insurance wiould help with the boobs and my leg but no go I think I am gonna start a booby jar. I don't want big ones, just the ones that I had, lol As soon as I can I will be in squat hell. But I need some cushion back. Plus maybe it will put muscle in my legs so they won't look like what I am having for suppa, lol Keep up the great work everyone

I hear you on the extra skin. I just had a tummy tuck on 3/21/15. Still a bit swollen but happy with it. My insurnce covered it. But my thighs make me sick!!! They are so skinny and the excess skin looks like melting wax. My insurance won't help me with this. In a few weeks I can work out again and probally will go crazy with squats. I lost 162 lbs. I am 5'7" was 301 and now 138 or 139 depending on the day. My husband and doctor's say I amd one of the 10% who go the other way and loose to much. They want me to gain 10 lbs. I just can't. In fact I have a hard time with even getting more then 600 calories in in a day. I am addicted to the number. I was not lways heavy. It just creeped up the past 8 years. I was about 130 when I graduated high school in 1990. So I meet almost my goal to be the same as in HS. But I do NOT like how my body looks at all. I can cover it in pants or long horts but I did NOT loose all this weight just to cover up now. I am happy you found the right kind of measurment thingy. Keep up with the updates I love the support and hearing other story's.

Yeah the protein shakes are definitly NOT a snake. they contain between 250 and 300 calories with some of them. I was required to see a nutritionist every month (for 9 months actually). I learned a lot and you will too. A HUGE help to me wa 'Marie Calender' meals. The turkey w/stuffing is ONLY 325 calories takes incredible!!!!! Even has GRAVY! The steak and pot/w gravy (and mushroooms but I just took them out) is 300 calories. There are few more just CHECK THE CALORIES!!! Cause some of them do have around 600 calories so be careful. I live in MA and we have a chain called Stop & Shp. The meals are around $4 a piece. BUT, I would stock up when they would have a 5 for $10 sale. One time they even had a sale where they were 5/$10 and if you spent $25 on that product you would get $15 back instntly. So you would be paying around $.75 a piece!!!!! I lost 35 lbs just by eating them. And you DO get full. So if you ate 2 of them and a protein shake (just to get ue to them and keep up you r protein) you are talking 800 calorie for 3 healthy meals and then have a nack that ia no more then 125 calories. BOOM you now have only had 925 caalroies. In a DAY. Stay away from 'fat free' or 'surger free' they have more calories and the faat free is more surger. I am here for a buddy if you need me. Keep upo the post. Good luck

Hi everyone. I am so Happy I found this website a week ago!!!! I am from Lynn, but now for the past 10 years now, I have lived in Northampton, MA. About 7 miles away from UMASS AMherst. I would love to join this support group. I had mmy surgery on 6/25/13 at Baystate Hospital in Springfield, MA. Bad experience with thia hospital. I haad Dr. Kuhn. I found him to be little ion the mean side. I have BMC and Mashealth. So here were my requirements: 3 group meetings 6 NUT meetings, and she was tough. Her nick name was the nutrition natzi, lol 2 visits with the lab doctor 2 phyic visits 1 sleep clinic 2 meetings with Dr. Kuhn (WL Doctor) I started with a huge seminar on 9/23/12. I got the 3 group mmeetings out of the way quickly. By November I had all 3 done. I had my frist appt. with the lab Docotr the day hurricane Sandy hit. It was October 29, 2012. My appt. was the last one that day (1:00 p.m.) Cause they closed the hospital after that appt. I will never forget it cause when I went in I was 264 (down from 301 earlier in that year). But my weight to start was 264. We were told in the beggining that the weight from the seminar was the weight which we could NOT gain from. So I got ion the scaale and I was 262.4. I started crying. Because the rules at Baystate nd the insurance ere as such: If you gained from your started weight, your surgery would be an additional 6 months post poned. That was your warning. Secound time you gained weight you were suspended for a year and the doctor had the right to "suggest" you go elsewere. So needless to say when I saw the 4 ounce weight gain, I cried. The nurse looked at me and said that the doctor might refuse me. So when I went into her office I was till crying. She came in and asked me why was I crying. I told her I didn't want to get kicked out. She told me scales vary from one office to the next and that I had to worry bout the scale in Dr. Kuns office. She said she would change my weight to the 264.4 but that was IT. No more weight gain, period. I aslo had to quit smoking as well. I did that on October 23, 2012. I did have lot of breakdowns cause they expect you to loose weight AND quit smoking, not easy but |I did it. They told me "the story" abut how a woman was actually getting preped for surgery, she smelled of smoke. So they gave her a drug test. It came back poitive for nicotine. They post poned her surgery for 3 months. They said she a actually in her hiospital gown. I thought this was nuts, but I did as they required and quit. I had to meet with the NUT once a month and she was tough. I finally jumped through ALL the hoops and in March of 2013 I meet Dr. Kuhn. He tried to talk me into the sleeve, bt I wanted the gastic bypass. My insurance has a once in a lifetime policy. So I wanted the one that would give me the best results. Lucky my husband was there cause he almost talked me into it. I got upset and my husband looked at me and asked what did I want. I told him the GB. He looked at the doctor and said, "if that's what she wants and you can do it, that's whaat she should get". I am so glad he was there. SO I got the bypass. I got approveed in April. He was so far behind I got a 66/25/13 date. I was in the hospital for 4 days. It took 2 months before I could even drink 12 oz of water. It is 22 months out and I still have a problem eating. I had always had an eeating disorder and now it has showed it's ugly head , again. I am in theropy, but \i am grateful that |I found this site. I would love to talk to people who have walked in my shoes. I have lost a few friend who I guess wern't true friends caue of this. I would love to find anyone in my area to maybe go for walks with on the bike path. Thanks for taking the time to read this long story. I am not a VIP so my email is kimerick2008@gmail.com. I am looking forward to heaqring from you all. Everyone keep up the great work!!!!!!1 Thanks again, Kim

Hi, I am looking for someone in the greater Springfield, MA are to be a weight lose buddy. I had gastric bypass on 6\25\13. I just had my tummy tuck on 3\21\15. Down 162 lbs. I would love someone who has gone through this to talk to. I look forward to hearing from you.

Hi my name is Kim. I had my bypass on 6/25/13 so I am 22 months in. I was 301 and I amd 5'7". I am niow 139. I just had my tummy tuck 4 weeks agio tiday. (3/21/15). So I am niw recovering from that. I would LOVE a buddy!!!!!!! My 'friends' that I had BEFORE surgery, most got very jealous. Said I took the easy way out. Being I amd now the thinnest one. I hear all the time, "You are TOO THIN" "YOU LOOK LIKE YOUR SICK" "When will you STOP loosing weight?" "Eat soimething" So I would love to talk to someone who is in the same shoes. My email is kimerick2008@gmail.com I am NOT a VIP so I guess we can't talk through thias website. I just found thia site 1 week ago. I wish I found it sooner. If anyone wants someone to talk to, I am HERE!!!! Look forwrd to hearing from you guys. Kim

I amj so sorry h that your are going through this. Sometimes, you need to, just sometimes, exagarate the poain a bit. I do NOT men flat out lie. what I am saying is you need to have in your doctor's history, how bad the bnd is hurting you. How you feel. So when the insurance company person who goes through hundreds of these a day, look at it and can say. "well this person ha been back and forth the there pcp.many complaints and complications with the band. It will be cheaper for us to revise then for her to keep going back and forth to the doctor's plus meds". This is how they think. I had to jumo through many mnay hopes not for bypass but for my tummy tuck I got 4 weeks ago, today. I was denied 3 times. Then I got a hold of paper work with HOW to be approved. Tjhye changed it from 12 months post op to 18 months... Done 3 viits to your pcp with skin issues. I had complained for over 1 year about the skin rashes but never had made an appt. just for that. So Done Then I needed to hhave the plastic surgeon write a letter and pictures of the skin. AND my pcp had to write a letter. Done Done and Done. It took 7 weeks and I got approved. Just don't give up!!!!

I had the exact same problem! Still having problems 22 months in. Just know, even though it is very hard right now. In the end it WILL be worth it. Even though I am still having problems, I would do it again. Kimerick2008@gmail.com if you want a surgery buddy. I would LOVE the support! I still really need it. I found this website a week ago. So happy I did. Just wish I found it sooner. Good luck and I hope I hear from you. Kim

I had the bypass. Because my insurance has a 'one lifetime weight loss surgery' clause. So glad I did! Especially since I wanted the lap band and just heard HORROR story's about it. I found this website a week ago. So I am so happy I did the bypass. Complications and all. Best decision I EVER made!

Unjury is GREAT!!!!!!! 50 grams of protein per serving, plus milk. My insurance pays for it, in the form of prescription. Cause it is $2.00 a packet, single serving. My doctor had to write a letter but my PCP is great with that. I am ' too thin' as well according to my wls doctor. I am 5'7", 139. I just had a tummy tuck on 3\21\15. 22 months after surgery. I should be a few lbs lighter as the days pass cause I am still very swollen. I DO look very skinny with nothing on but I can hide that in clothes. I do want to get some. Muscles back and I know I will as soon as I can work out again. Good luck, keep me posted.