Barry W

I am still pre-op, but I believe that hair loss and brittle skin are linked to insufficient Protein - you can address that with careful attention to nutrition, which generally means complying with what the dietary guidelines. I also see a lot of problems with constipation reported, but hydration is the other thing they harp on, plus you can take a liquid or water-dissolving laxative, or drink prune juice prophyllatically the first few days until you get your rythym established - my guy said once you are going, usually you keep going. I also think Vitamins are going to be important, but you can take liquid Multivitamins or use patch Multivitamin, and watch the Vitamin content of your liquids and semisolids. So.... I have not been through it, but I believe that with careful attention to nutrition and hydration you can avoid the worst of the common issues.

Yep, certain comorbidities, like diabetes and sleep apnea, lower the qualification threshold, typically to BMI=35.

Re the extent of removal, I am not a bariatric surgeon, but my guy is about as qualified as they come - he didn't give a percentage, but he said prior to surgery, your stomach is about the size of a football, or cantelope, and after the sleeve procedure, it's about the size of a banana. Hard to assign a percentage, but I am sure that more than 50% of the volume is removed, I would guess 80% or greater.

If you have good reason to believe this is really an exceptional bariatric surgeon, I would give extra leeway. But, if they are just *a* bariatric surgeon, and if you are upset by interacting with them, I'd find someone else. You don't need to be best friends, but you need to be on good working terms with each other and you need to trust them.

Must be nice to be allowed veggies and fruit on your pre-op! I have seen that some people need to be on all liquids - that would be tough! My pre-op diet is two weeks of: - Calorie counting, 1200 calories total for men, and 1000 calories total for women, which means the "real meal" has to be modest and quite low in carbs and fat - 3 meal replacement shakes (I actually am using 2 and replacing Breakfast and lunch) - 1 "real meal" per day of lean meat and veggies - 1 piece of fruit - 1/2 cup of fat-free milk or nonfat/low-sugar yogurt - while not required, we are allowed to eat as many veggies as we want - I often eat a whole 12oz bag of veggies as part of my dinner, and snack on raw baby carrots - there are almost no calories in veggies, and lots of Vitamins and Fiber

I have been feeling fine on my pre-op diet. I am using Meal Replacement shakes, which have about 1/3 the RDA of Vitamins and minerals in addition to the 20g of Protein and a little healthy fat. I am also taking a daily Multivitamin, and making sure I get a variety of generous portions of low-cal veggies and a piece of varying fruit each day. I am avoiding carbs and doing light exercise.

900 is pretty tight. I used the Slim-Fast High Protein Advanced Nutrition shakes. One each for Breakfast and lunch was only 360 calories. The protein helps to stave off hunger. For dinner, have a pre-portioned green salad with chicken or fish, or a frozen dinner that is mainly lean meat and veggies, and around 400 calories. Then you can still have a piece of fruit and some baby carrots or celery for Snacks (the last 150 calories). Stay away from carbs and it will help to control cravings. If you get hungry, have a cup of tea, or just wait. In an hour or so, that will probably pass.

North coast of MA, right up near the NH border

You will be okay. Try to get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day. Hope all goes smoothly for you.

I was surprised at first too, but the intestine can both absorb Water from and secrete water into its contents. I guess that after your body absorbs what it can in nutrients from yogurt or Protein shake and then absorbs the water too, there is still something solid left to poop with .

Make sure you are drinking plenty of Water, tea, etc. Hard stool is normally dry stool, and laxatives work I believe by making your intestine secrete more water into the waste.

I tend to be more on the talkie side (for better and for worse), and so far have told people I consider to be on my side in life... among family, friends and coworkers. They have all been supportive. Of course if/when I start losing a lot of weight, I am sure that people will notice and ask how I did it. I will probably come clean but if the person isn't a friend just say I had weight loss surgery and keep the discussion short.. will cross that bridge when I come to it.

I can understand your frustration. Perhaps you can also try contacting others in your area who have had weight loss surgery to see if another company offering insurance there has less stringent requirements, and see if you can switch insurance?

You gotta reel it in and get control of that. Don't sabotage yourself! I know there can be a tendency to want to eat all kinds of things since a restricted diet is ahead, but you know what? If you're anything like me, you've already been eating all kinds of things, for years, that's how we got here! Now is when it has to stop... P.S. I think the mental attitude is most important, but physically speaking, you want to strictly minimize sugar and carbohydrates and drink your Protein shakes to help control cravings.

I saw the surgeon in a group setting prior to being a candidate, I think twice. Once I was a candidate, I saw him one-on-one, and got further info about what I needed to do, what to expect, and a chance to ask questions. He made a simple physical examination and asked me a few questions about my health, then I sat with the admin and signed a medical records release so I could obtain short term medical leave at my work, and yes, got a surgical date, in my case a little more than 3 weeks out from that visit. This is a very personal decision as it will be a big change, But for me it's a change I know I need to make - I am mainly looking to head off the serious health consequences of obesity, but also want to look and feel better, be able to enjoy more activities like biking and kayaking. I can almost feel the wind in my hair now!

Congratulations! I hope all goes smoothly during and following your procedure :-)

Hi Bella - like you, I am still pre-surgery, in fact I am also on February 29th! I am laying in a good deal of my chosen Slim-Fast High Protein Advanced Nutrition shakes, in various flavors. Also have some boxes of low sodium/low fat chicken broth, vegetable broth, cream of tomato, black bean, carrot-ginger and butternut squash Soup. Also have some prune juice (for constipation), Ginger-Aid tea (for nausea), and some liquid anti-acid/anti gas medicine. Plus some nice hot tea sachets, bottled unsweetened iced tea, spring Water, carrot juice and unsweetened apple sauce. The day before surgery, plan to get some fat-free milk, lowfat smooth greek yogurt, lite pudding and jellos. Finally I have a pill crusher, and have some Multivitamin Patches on order. For taking to the hospital, have some fresh magazines, sweatpants, t-shirts and PJ-pants.

You might try some ginger tea for nausea, like the Ginger Aid from Traditional Medicinals http://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/products/ginger-aid/

For easy to find tea, I really like the following varieties from Twinings: Darjeeling, Earl Grey, Green, and Green with Jasmine.

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I'm banned from all of the above. I am a little surprised by that, but you need to work with the advice of your doctors and nutritional advisors.

Whole fruits are different than other sources of sugar. Not because it's fructose, but because first, most fruits have only a modest dose of sugar, AND because they have significant soluble Fiber, which slows the absorption of sugars into the bloodstream, greatly reducing hyperglycemia and hyperinsulemia. On top of that, whole fruits have lots of healthy Vitamins and other healthy phytochemicals. Two other healthy sources of carbs that have healthy nutrients and soluble fiber are legumes - like chickpeas, black Beans and kidney beans, and unsweetnened oatmeal. Beyond the above, I'd be very conservative about eating sugars and starches. Your cravings for carbs will diminish within a few weeks as you cut them out.

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I had gained some weight during my application process for the sleeve gastrectomy, because I was on the borderline of 40 BMI with the weight criteria and wanted to be sure I was accepted. Turned out I have sleep apnea as well, so I was already beyond the lower threshold of 35 BMI with comorbidities - yay! (or something like that). So when I got the call they said they would accept me but they wanted me to lose 10lb first. After 2 weeks of reduced eating with little change on the scale, I got impatient and shifted to the pre-op diet early. Have lost 20lb now, and met with the surgeon, Daniel Jones this week. He gave me a surgical date - Feb 29th! I am excited but also a little nervous about this, but not to the point of questioning the decision. I need to do this. Have failed on too many diets and my weight overall kept going up, not down. Heading into my late 50s and am prediabetic and have various other signs that my body would be a lot happier if it were 100lb or more lighter. Here goes nothing!

Good luck to all - hope your procedures go smoothly.