nearperfectmess

Congratulations! That's amazing. We went to a pool party last weekend and I had a massive amount of panic the morning of - my 2XL swim trunks looked massive and wouldn't even stay up with the ties. For sh**s and giggles I grabbed a pair of my partner's L swim trunks...and they fit - like REALLY well. And no belly hangover! One of my favorite NSVs so far.

With a pre-op A1C of 6.3, fingers crossed as your body gets used to things, and it'll go down into normal territory. I wasn't expecting to come off of mine completely, but I have. Here's hoping they're able to get you off a good portion of those meds!

Congratulations! The little victories all add up!

You can do it! I, too, questioned why I had done it the first few weeks after, but IT GETS BETTER. Trust. I'm 7 weeks out today and starting to feel more normal. The soft/pureed food stages are the hardest, but it's a great time to get creative. I've tried to think of it as an adventure instead of a hindrance. We've all been through it here. And if you can't get the advice/answers you need on here, contact your surgeon's office to see if they can connect you with someone who can help you through it. You're stronger than sausage!

I work in a hospital where Starbucks is on the first floor! It is so accessible, so I was always spending a small fortune to get Frappucinos w/ espresso shots and a bagel with lite cream cheese & a toffee doodle cookie. Every single day. I'll be glad I can't do that anymore! Right?! We have a Starbucks on campus at my hospital as well, and I don't even have the desire to go most of the time. And I've started putting my weekly Sbux fund into my savings account. I figured I'll buy myself something shiny and pretty once I hit goal with all of the savings!

I fancied myself a coffee addict, but now, at 7 weeks out, I can't even drink a full cup. I bought a tall iced coffee from Starbucks this morning and maaaaybe got through 1/3 of it. My tolerance has gone way down. In a weird way, I can't say I miss it. I don't have to leave 10-15 minutes earlier to hit Starbucks, nor do I have that $15-30 a week hitting my bank account. Besides, they just upped my fluids from 64oz to 80oz+ and boy, do I feel like I'm drowning just with that much Fluid.

I've been having the same issue. No blood pressure meds, but a lot of dizziness (especially upon standing). My NP last week said to increase Water to 80oz+ of fluids a day. Protein I haven't had a problem with (nor vitamins/iron). The 80 oz is very tough though - especially at work when I'm basically talking to people for 8.5 hours straight.

My major pain diminished after a few days, but I did have quite a lot of tenderness, achy-ness for about 2-3 weeks, particularly when sleeping (I'm a side sleeper and that was a no-go for a few weeks) and bending to pick up anything. I still do notice what can only be described as a weird pulling sensation on the side where my stomach is - I was told this was normal as my new stomach heals, but to keep an eye out for any major pain associate with the area. The best advice I have for you is to keep walking - I know it sounds counter intuitive when you're feeling achy, but it really does help, and you'll feel better quicker!

Echoing what was said above. I am 6 weeks out today (time has flown by!) and any expectations I had for myself post-surgery were completely off. I realize they don't tell you too much of what to expect after surgery, so as not to create expectations based off of others. Everyone really is different in this case. My mother also had surgery (awhile back) and it took her months to lose what I've lost in 6 weeks (which is BEYOND what I would've expected - I feel like I'm losing too fast). The biggest things are your Protein and keeping hydrated. I was told 64 oz of Water, but my blood pressure kept dropping, so now they have me on 80oz+ (which is a PAIN in the tuchus). And don't forget those vitamins! Stalls are to be expected. Some weeks you'll lose nothing, some you'll lose a bunch. Keep at it and you'll see it's worth it!

Hi Gabby, As someone who works with medical insurances daily here in AZ (Phx), my experience is is that most that will cover the procedure may cover the removal if and only if there is documentation of skin issues/concerns (rashes, etc.) by your medical provider(s). I have yet to see a single one that would approve it without those stipulations. If you haven't seen your provider(s) recently, and have these issues, make sure to document and take pictures, if possible. Any leverage you have going in will help. Good luck and welcome to AZ. I'm fairly new here myself (from NYC).

Baby food was nixed by my NUT as well. The primary reason being protein - it doesn't give you nearly enough for the amount you should be consuming after surgery. I picked up a small jar of chicken baby food at the store the other day and it only had 2 grams of protein. I'd have to eat 31 of them to get my required protein in for the day.

Hey there! I just had surgery 6 weeks ago (tomorrow! WOO!), and at my 2 week post-op was taken off of my insulin. I was on daily Levemir and mealtime Novolog and both are now no more. My last A1C was 5.7 (down from over 9 about 6 months ago). No pills, nada. (I was on Metformin, and then Glipizide prior). I'm absolutely shocked. I've been testing my sugars at least twice a day because I'm still kinda in awe of what this has done for me, but my sugars have not gone above 100 in 4 weeks now, and I'm averaging around 89-90. My endo said I don't have to test EVERY day, but I'm nervous at least while I add various foods and things back in. So far, so good.

Those are my favorite as well! Once you're able to add fruit in, no sugar added frozen fruit + Premier Protein + Magic Bullet/Blender is the BEST.

I started to get super nervous the days leading into surgery. And this was after being pretty gung-ho through the whole 4 month process. But the day of surgery I was READY. I kept hearing stories of people saying "Oh, it's not that bad, etc", but now that I'm about 6 weeks out (tomorrow!), I can say - it was worth it and I should've told myself to calm down. The first few weeks will be a little rough with transitioning through the food stages, but if I can give any advise - try your best to make sure you have your protein powders and things like that ready so that it can make the transitions smoother. And I didn't start trying protein shakes until AFTER surgery - I bought a lot of bad ones before settling on the ones I like the best. If you can, try some out and see what you like!

Ugh. The struggle is REAL. I'm 6 weeks post-op, down 48 lbs and this is the part they did NOT tell me about. Right now, my surgeon and NP's directions are "more Water and Colace", and that's it. No added Fiber or anything at the moment. Well...it's not working so well. It's basically like birthing a b**t baby every 4 days or so. I'm having gas like nobody's business (sweet, sweet release. My poor significant other). Is it bad that I'm missing the liquid diet when things moved a lot easier?

Oddly, the first decaf Americano w/skim and Splenda was one of those fantastic little victories in the last few weeks (I was taking my first victory lap at the giant mall near my house while I was on my disability/leave and was told I could have decaf after the first week of Gatorade only). I can't believe I'm sharing it, but I had to take a picture at the time to send to my partner. It's amazing looking at my face then, 1 week post-op, and today, almost 6 weeks.

Hey there! I know it's a little bit of a hike uptown, but when I say Mayo Clinic was worth it, Mayo Clinic was WORTH IT. I had a friend that went to one of the other centers, and was banded VERY quickly (about 1 month between his consultation and the actual band being placed). Mayo really prepares you for everything you need not only prior to surgery, but post surgery. And even if you don't go to Mayo, they have a bariatric support group every third Saturday of the month at the main hospital that is worth going to. I'm happy to answer any questions! I did a lot of searching before settling here. And I didn't have a PCP - they actually set you up with an all day slew of appointments - one of which is someone in their primary care department (who I saw twice during the process). I know insurance factors in heavily in terms of how long it'll take for you to have surgery, but I had my first appointment in November and had surgery in March (almost 6 weeks!). Quicker than I anticipated, but that was because I was expecting the worst with insurance.

A lot of it is NUT/Surgeon specific, too. My NUT said they normally suggest decaf until at least after 4-6 weeks (the "normal" healing time). The suggestion is decaf as much as possible thereafter, but she said, "We're realistic, we know most people aren't going to completely give it up. We suggest if you're going to drink coffee, drink just as much Water as you've had coffee, so as not to dehydrate, etc." I was/am a coffee addict, but I have found in the almost 6 weeks since surgery, those cravings have gone WAAAAAAY down. I had about 4 oz of coffee this morning (Monday...'twas needed) and was done. I'll sometimes go 4, 5 days without any. You may find your need/want of it goes down. It also goes back to mindfulness - "Do I NEED this coffee? Or do I just want it because it's what I'm used to?"

That's over a pound a day! That's great. I had my 5-week post op yesterday and they said it's pretty normal to only see 4-5 lbs a week to begin with, so it sounds like you're ahead of the game. And like everyone's said, everyone is different. Keep up the good work!

Great advice! Regardless of what that scale says, nothing beats putting on something that used to be tight and realizing that it now looks like a tent. (Well, there is the panic afterward of buying or not buying new clothes!) I donated 2 large bag's worth of clothes this past weekend, and that was probably the most satisfying thing after these last 5 weeks. I've hit my first stall, but I'm down at least one-two shirt sizes and down 6-8 inches with pants - those are the measures that count the most, if you ask me.

It's really hard to say what any "average" weight loss may be. My goal for myself was 40 lbs lost by the time I went on vacation in July. Well, I'm 5 weeks post-op tomorrow and I'm down 44.2 lbs today since surgery (I lost 28 prior to). And I only just started adding exercise on this past weekend (I mean, I've walked A LOT as they instructed). I'm struggling with the exercise, but that's probably because I want to do too much too fast to combat the skin sagging and such. I have to step back and realize the 30 mins on the treadmill/bike/elliptical is good and it'll get easier to add more over time. Listen to you body and you'll be fine. My Mom had it done as well, and she said she lost VERY slowly at first, but it all added up. I'm actually worried that I'm losing too much, too fast. (And that I'm going to panic when the first major stall happens).

@@Debbie915 I second the Unjury! I'm 4 weeks post-op now and the unflavored unjury has been great (well...as great as you can get when you're dealing with Protein powder). My favorite is the protein pudding I make - a box of sugar free Jell-O Pudding (I'm partial to vanilla, but any of the SF flavors will work), one packet of unflavored Unjury powder and two cups of Fairlife Skim Milk (for the extra protein). Each 1/2 cup serving is 11.75 grams of protein. It's a nice change when you get sick of greek yogurt or other things and want something smooth. The Unjury chicken soup flavor is surprisingly decent, as well, if you want something that will just stand on it's own.

@@Donegirl4life - CONGRATS on your weight loss so far! I completely agree - the scale can be very addictive. My team did tell me for the first couple of phases of the diet, I should be weighing myself close to daily - just to make sure I don't have any unusual losses/gains. Today I'm 4 weeks and 2 days post op and down 41lbs. I'm absolutely shocked. My goal in my head was to be down 40lbs by the time I went on vacation in July. I guess I have to reassess all of that. I'm trying SO hard not to buy any clothes. I'm down from a 48/50 pant to a 42 already. My donate pile is HUGE. I did have to buy a few polos because I just couldn't hide the fact that the old ones were starting to look massive on me. But I'm buying cheaply (yay Old Navy & JCPenney sales) so that I don't cry when they eventually have to be donated in another month or so. pureed food stage is over, and I'm onto the "Meatball"/Ground meat stage. A little easier, but I find that I'm not getting in as much as I thought I would by this point. My guidelines say about 4oz at this point, but I'm lucky if I can get 3 oz in. And I got sick for the first time in 4 weeks the other day - on cod! I got about 1 oz in before the pouch said "NOPE". Strange because it was steamed simply with lemon and the tiniest bit of reduced fat spread. Ah well, I'll try it again when I get to the next stage and see how it goes. I hope all of the March surgery guys/gals are doing well! I already feel like a new man, and can't wait to hear how y'all are doing.

Hey all! Glad to hear everyone is getting through okay! I just had my 2 week Post-Op today and my surgeon was shocked at my progress. I'm down 26.2 lbs in two weeks. He said his hope for me was 30 lbs in 30 days, so I'm "blowing way past that" - his words. I'm still not seeing it, but everyone else keeps saying "Oh my god, I can see it in your face", etc. It hasn't been without it's difficulties, of course. I was on a week of Gatorade/Powerade/Fruit juice, and that was pretty easy (no thought process, no hunger, etc). I'm now on the pureed food stage for 3 weeks - and this stage SUCKS. I'm not a big fan of Protein shakes (I've tried a LOT of them over the last week - the Premier Protein 30g vanilla is so far my favorite, if a little sweet), and I've had some difficulty getting in all of my protein. We've blended a lot of chicken, moist turkey meatloaf and even lamb (verdict: very tasty, but...it's pureed). I've had a ton of tuna fish w/fat free dressings (italian, balsamic). I'm just starting to get a little sick of all of the pureed, but I'm staying positive and looking forward to the next stage: what my NUT calls the "Meatball Stage" - the Ground Stage. I don't have a lot of actual hunger. I think it's all eye/mind hunger. And when I'm really jonesing for it, I remember - "You're down TWENTY SIX POUNDS in two weeks! Keep it up!" Also, so far, no dumping/vomiting/etc. I, too, want to drink faster than I should, but have to keep yelling at myself to take small(er) sips. It's tough when you're thirsty! Keep up the good work everyone! I love hearing everyone's stories.