Wheetsin

Definitely liquids. Think of it this way. People have gone 70+ days without food and survived. You're going to go a week or so, max, without water.

Why do total strangers think other people want their unsolicited opinion on personal or private matters? I will never understand that. No matter how much I personally disagree with someone, it is not my place to try and change their minds - or in any way impact their emotional state about their decision. If she disagrees, a simple "Oh, good for you" is a harmless enough way to keep your gob shut. About it being easy -- you know, I don't have VSG, I have an AGB. I would LOVE for someone to walk into the bathroom while I'm in the middle of chucking up a thick saliva rainbow, after 45 minutes of feeling like someone was running their nails down my spine, and tell me I took the easy way out. It wasn't easy to elect to have my first surgery. There's nothing easy about it. I've never understood the "easy way" mentality, really. Is it "hard" to diet? Is it any "harder" than having to limit your portions, your foods, and exercise? (And aren't we all doing that?) Are you somehow special because you did it on your own, and are going to have to do it again when the weight comes back? I can't even pretend to understand that sentiment. People who follow that logic should walk my 80 mile roudtrip commute to work, because imma take the easy way out and drive. You know what else is unnatural? Curves. Truly. Mediocre workout, ridiculous "rituals"... I went there for a few months and they actually wanted people to play spin the bottle, and you give your spinnee a compliment about their body. Umm what? And no thanks, I don't want to ring a bell when I lose every 10 lbs. And I really, really don't want you to trace my foot and stick it on the window every time I lose 12". Can I have my dignity back please?

Please read, and take to heart, the response I just posted to your 2lb gain in the other forum. Please. You're freaking out over your body doing exactly what it's supposed to do. 30 lbs in 30 days in not a healthy goal. That's a pound a day. You do realize that even IF you can manage an average 30 day loss of 30 pounds, you CANNOT main it, right?

STOP STOP STOP for a second, take a deep breath, and step away from the scale. Please. Away. Very important point to make here. The scale does NOT measure only fat. The scale weighs EVERYTHING. Because the scale goes down, does not mean you have lost fat. And because the scale goes up, does not mean you have gained fat. The scale is weight, period. Seriously, this is exactly why scales are simply a bad idea as a tool to track fat loss. They suck major monkey butts. Let's put it this simplified way. A pound of body fat is about 3500 calories. If you think you've gained two pounds of fat (because you're not going to post freaked out if you've gained 2 pounds of Water, or muscle, or poop, or whatever... ok maybe for two pounds of poop) - have you eaten 7000 calories more than what your body requires since last Monday? Have you eaten 7000 calories since last monday, period? Hell, have you eaten 7000 calories since having surgery? To put it in perspective, 7000 calories is about 14 quarter pounders with cheese, or about 8 pints of your typical vanilla ice cream, or about 8.5 sticks of butter. You're probably retaining water. It's extremely common to retain water around weeks 3 - 4 of any weightloss. It's also common to come back around month 2 or 3. It's a long process I've explained here before, so the short version -- your body just dumped a ton of fluids trying to make up for the sudden drop in eating and/or loss. Your body's next effort is going to be to try and put those fluids back. Hence most people who "diet" will have large losses during the first week or two, and "stalls" or gains for a week or two after. You will not gain fat because you don't eat vegetables. If that were the case, all the carnivores would be obese.

It sounds like you are starting to mourn the loss of your friend (food). And may be having a little pity party because you want things you can't have. I know it's easier said than done, but don't let it get you down. Focus on the long term of what you're gaining. Are your friends not supportive, or do they not know about your VSG? You could also try to find things on the menu that meet your restrictions. E.g. if you take the onions out of french onion soup, it's broth. Same for any broth-based soup, or even au jus. Chef Neil - wow, sounds like you have been to some extremely inflexible places. I don't ever ask for special deals - the price is the price and if I'm not willing to pay it, then I don't order it (that's just my take, I know others feel differently -- heck, a friend of mine likes to whip out her "I've had bariatric surgery" card and asks if they will discount her meal... usually they do not...) And I prefer not to order off the kid's menu because those are some of the least healthy foods around, usually. But I've never had a hard time ordering an appetizer, or a kid's meal when I have gotten one. If they won't sell you less soup at a lower price than what's on the menu, why not just get the regular soup and have leftovers? You're able to eat a grilled cheese sandwich less than two weeks post-op? What does your post-op food stage plan look like? (I'm researching VSG and haven't seen a post-op plan that moves that quickly -- I'm interested in knowing more).

My surgeon charges $12K for self-pay patients.

I would do what it took to get the procedure I wanted/felt was best for me. If my insurance did not cover the procedure I had decided on, then I would not get it just because it was covered. If it was loan or nothing or bypass, I'd go loan (gah, I'm a fiscal nut and actually kinda struggled with something that sounded like advocating debt... but in the long run I think it would be the right thing to do... and what's debt compared to health - mental and physical...).

The brain is slow to change with some things. I never actually hit my goal, but I got close. Some of the things I remember: -- Walking past a window, or mirror, and thinking I was seeing someone else's reflection because it wasn't the "fat me" that still exists (and yet, doesn't exist at the same time) in my brain. Or seeing myself in a picture, and being like "Who's that chubby girl who looks like really fat me... oh that's me..." -- Buying clothes based on size, but looking at them and thinking There's no way it's going to fit..., only to have it fit. -- Being out with a girlfriend and getting really sick & tired of this guy who kept staring at me. I just knew he was doing it in a negative/mocking/disgusted way. I was getting ready to go say something (not nice) to him when she reminded me, "You're not that girl anymore. OF COURSE he's staring at you, you're a cute, tall, redhead." It will take a while for your brain to relearn yourself. Ever made a drastic change to your hair, and it takes a while to get used to it? Same idea. VIsually, you will need to relearn you. Physically, you will need to relearn you (how many of us dreaded or avoided situations like movie theaters or restaurants that had chairs w/ arms because we knew we wouldn't fit comfortably, if at all). Capability-wise, you will need to relearn you. The first time I climbed four flights of stairs and was on my way down the hallway before I realized -- I'm not breathing heavy!...

Cathy - ask your surgeon if clear liquid Protein is OK. "New Whey" makes a protein bullet drink that are clear, IIRC. I don't know how it tastes. My parents (have both had WLS) add them to Crystal Light to thin them out - they are pretty thick. There is also a protein Water that Kellog makes, which I believe is clear. The fatigue is not uncommon. You are eating a LOT fewer calories. You are also missing the sugar spikes you likely had before. It's also part of heling -- it takes a lot of energy to heal, and your body will prioritize healing itself over giving you an energized feeling. It will get better. Ironically, sometimes taking that walk that seems so impossible can help you feel more energetic (but it certainly isn't a guarantee). It is important to walk though, even just a little bit around the house.

ASBGirl - you might just want to hop in the shower, seriously. It will clean you off, and if you're already irritated, it will be a lot more soothing. You can also use those extension/grabber tongs to hold TP for you, so that you don't have to twist or bend nearly as much. Source: have been on one or more WLS boards for 6+ years, and have heard just about everything.

Ahhh, "ketosis breath." It will get better but as long as you're actively in ketosis it probably won't ever truly go away. That probably sounds really weird, but parsley can sometimes help. I know you can't eat it, but chewing it & swishing it around your mouth is what matters -- not whether or not you swallow it. When you can increase your Water intake, that should help too. I have a high pain tolerance and wonder what the VSG post-op experience would be like. I had virtually no pain with my AGB except for the day or two before I realized that supporting my stomach/pannus when I walked made a world of difference. GB removal was more painful initially - as in, I was in pain when I woke up, but wasn't with my AGB. GB removal was overall easier healing (didn't have my port/port incision to deal with). Before that it was just hanging and (I suspect) pulling on my suture areas. I literally cupped my arm under my pannus and supported the weight that way, and it was like night & day. Is your pain constant, or only during certain movements? Where areyou feeling it the most? (incisions, internal, etc.) Maybe we can help. I had itchiness due mostly to an allergc reaction to the dressings. Hint: don't try "solarcane" or other topical anesthetic sprays thinking it will help, it WILL NOT. I got some relief with Benadryl cream.

SomethingClever - in case you miss it in my signature, let me say up front that I don't have VSG. I am considering (very seriously) VSG as a revision to my current AGB, which has slipped. Pre-op I weighed in the neighborhood of 385. I'd guess a little more, because that was when I was weighed at my initial consultation. The hoops took several weeks, so it's entirely possible my actual day of surgery weight was higher. For me having had a restrictive procedure and now considering another restrictive procedure is all about the restrictive. I do not want a malabsorptive procedure right now, nor did I back then. Maybe if I were older, or had comorbidities, or were in a "lose weight or die soon" situation (not that that's separate from comorbidities, but it has much more urgency), I would consider a malabsorptive procedure -- but not until then. Between RNY or DS I would pick DS, even though I wouldn't want it. I know a few DSers and it has actually worsened their eating habits. Don't get me wrong, they've lost a lot of weight, but they are not eating healthy. "If I want a Krispy Kreme, I have it, and just have really stinky poo afterward." DSers are also a population a bit "known" in the online WLS communities for being excited about carbon packs for their underwear. That's not a joke. A dear friend of mine had RNY around 2004. As she put it a few years ago, "I'm just now starting to see the consequences of living with this thing long term." With any procedure, you're going to (I won't say NEED but I will say do best with) supplements... Vitamins, Protein, Calcium, B12 complex, etc. I used to add in a few more but those are the staples. As for being able to lose without DS... like I said, I was about 385 when I had my AGB surgery. That was March 2006. I found out February 2008 I was pregnant. Early 2008 was my lowest post-op at around 210. That's a loss of about 175 lbs... still about 30 from my goal, but enough that I was tickled pink. Point being - my stats and yours sound comparable. I think my pre-op BMI was around 56, and I was in the super morbidly obese" category, nearing the point where I wasn't going to be able to buy clothes in stores. While I didn't hit goal, I'm pretty sure I would have if I hadn't gained during pregnancy/slipped. I have maintained this weight for about 2 years now, which I could NEVER do before surgery. I believe it's entirely possible to lose significant weight with a restrictive procedure, because I did it. And I suspect weightloss with VSG is a bit "easier" than with AGB. ("Easy" isn't the word I want, but I can't come up with the right one.)

Your body tends to keep a store of things in your liver in case you ever need it. When your body first senses that it's being deprived, especially if it's being deprived of sugar, it tells your liver to release its stores. This is what accounts for the huge weightlosses dieters (or anyone who makes a big change in their diet) see in the first 1 - 2 weeks of their new eating habits. Once these stores are released and used up, the body is able to go into a catabolic (fat burning) mode, which is why there's sometimes little or even no loss for a bit after that initial drop. It's not a "stall" -- it's just your body adjusting. Your body is striving for equilibrium. After an initial loss of stores, it's going to say "Woah doggy!" and slam on the brakes. For about the first 2 - 4 weeks you're losing weight, it's going to be about half Water, sugar stores, and other fluid-type reserves -- and about half fat. Just remember - it's not physically possible to, in a healthy way, maintain the type of loss long term that you're going to see up front. You will have ebs & flows.

Can you do maltitol or sorbitol? Those are the "usual" sugar substitutes. Jello and popsicles are... slightly more appetizing Water. I don't see any reason you couldn't do ice chips instead, with a bit of dissolved sugar or simple syrup if they want something with some calories (not as important as water -- you can go without food a LOT longer than you can go without water.

I have naturally low potassium. Once upon a time I followed the induction phase of the Atkins diet (no more than 20 gm carbs a day, and only from specific sources) for about 20 months. I HAD to keep up with a potassium supplement, because as you can imagine - there aren't many potassium rich foods that are low carb. When I'm in the thralls of a deficiency, I don't get your symptoms, but I get the WORST leg cramps. During one of the more severe attacks, both of my thigh muscles completely seized up. I tried to "knead" them, but couldn't - so DH (a pretty strong guy) tried and couldn't. Wow, talk about hurt. But more to the point - did she say anything to you about taking a supplement? Potassium supplements can be chewed or dissolved, they have virtually no taste. They just make your mouth a little dry. You do have to be careful with them, like all good things -- too much will kill you. Now, let's see if we can find some ways that you can get down unapproved foods. I'm assuming you can eat pureed foods... Bananas - you can puree them into a Protein drink, or yogurt - or you can blend them with milk or Water into a paste, freeze lightly, and get a decent "frozen yogurt" consistency treat. Be sure to use well-ripened bananas (yellow with significant brown). Underripe bananas are too high in starch, and hard to digest, and won't give the same consistency at all. Leafy green veggies - have you heard of Spirulina? It's an algae that's doing great things for people's health. One serving has about 6% of your daily potassium (K) requirements. It comes in a powder form, and the one I have is a really, really fine powder (finer than sugar granules). I stir 2 - 3 servings into a small cup of applejuice. I don't want to say for sure that it's fine to take on your restricted diet, but maybe call your surgeon and ask. Ounce for ounce, it's one of the better, higher quality. non-pill K supplements I've been able to find (you can get it in pill, powder, granules, liquid...) Unless you're on sugar free liquids, you might also want to look into "Green Machine" by Naked juice. It has spirulina, broccoli, wheat grass, etc. Decent K, and lots of other good things. Trust me, it tastes better than it looks. Split pea soup, thinned with chicken broth, with a pinch of bacon salt... and a dap of yellow mustard taken on the spoon as you eat it. Mmmmmmm... Nuts - you can blend a tablespoon of Peanut Butter into a Protein Drink. I do this with my magic bullet. There are a few small chunks at the bottom, but you could strain those out. HTH

I don't own a scale right now. I threw it away. I know my weight through recent doctor's visits. It doesn't bother me to know what I weigh. There are just much, much better measures of changing fat levels. scales are to weightloss what wide spectrum antibiotics to a virus: used with good intention, but ineffective and ultimately more likely to do harm. I suspect I will buy a scale if I ever get to something resembling a goal weight. Pounds have a way of sneaking up on me and if I start going back up I'd like to know before some of the more overt indicators become obvious. But I know enough to take anything the scale tells me with a large grain of salt. HTH

By the way, I don't know if you saw it but there is a forum on the board dedicated to bnad -> sleeve revisions: Band to sleeve revisions

I have a band. Here's my take, but let me preface by saying that I'm not drawing a tit-for-tat comparison between the two (I don't have VSG, so I couldn't if I wanted to). In other words, if I say "I like that the band can X," that doesn't mean the VSG cannot. What I like(d) about the band: I really like the concept behind a removable tool, versus an irreversible procedure. The band doesn't work, take it out. An irreversible procedure doesn't work, what then? The overriding idea of reversibility was (and still is) very appealing. I also really like that restriction can be adjusted. There were times when I needed to have fill removed (e.g. when I was pregnant and had to chug the glucose drink first thing in the morning -- there's no way I could drink that much that quickly in the morning when I had good restriction) and I liked having that flexibility. I liked that I could eat whatever I wanted, just less of it. I really liked the weightloss I saw with my band. I liked that all of my body was remaining intact. What I dislike(d) about the band: my restriction was not constant. For example, I have more restriction near my period, when it's humid out, and when I've flown in a plane than other times. Overtime I developed "windows" when I could comfortably eat (generally not before 11 and not after 6), which I could easily adapt to - but the windows also changed about 3 times since I've had surgery (early 2006). I have virtually no confidence in the band as a long-term solution. I know too many people who are at an advanced post-op stage (5+ years out) who have had slips or other complications, including me. I don't like the pain that comes when something is stuck (but I do like that once it's out, you're golden). What I like (so far, as a researcher) about VSG: I like that, like the band, it's a restrictive option. At this point in my life I would not consider a malabsorptive option. I like that it seems like restriction will be more reliable. Again, I don't have VSG so I don't know how this would work out for me. I like the idea that it's once & done. I never minded after care for fills/unfills, but I did doubt the longevity of the band. Having automatic longevity would be nice (and scary at the same time). What I don't like (so far) about VSG: I don't like the increased complications that revision patients have (I've been quoted stats in the area of 3x - 4x). I don't like that when something goes wrong, it has a higher chance of being significant -- a higher degree of criticality. E.g. a staple line leak/sepsis versus a flipped port. I know some people develop a mild version of RNY's dumping syndrome. It doesn't seem that common, but I didn't think it happened with VSG & apparently it can - don't like that. I don't like that I'm voluntarily excising, permanently, the majority of my stomach. I am struggling with this a bit. But I'm objective as hell, so of course I see at least two sides to it. Side 1 = What if something goes wrong, then what? Side 2 = If something goes wrong, so what? Is it something the other 90% of your stomach would have been able to fix, anyway? All that aside, I've submitted for insurance approval on a VSG revision. For me, it boils down to a couple easy facts: Due to the severity of my slip & likely scarring/adhesions/etc. my surgeon is not considering me a candidate for re-banding. Even if he were, my confidence in keeping a 2nd band long term is virtually none. Re-banders just don't stay that way very long. I do not want a malabsorptive procedure. With banding not being an option, and my reservations about some of the other procedures out there, that kinda just leaves two choices: VSG or nothing. I have no confidence in my ability to maintain my weightloss, or lose more, on a long term basis, by myself. I have maintained for going on 3 years, but I still have some help from my (slipped) band. I do not trust myself to truly do it alone. That kinda just leaves VSG. I wanted the band. I chose the band. It didn't work for me. This is my 2nd choice. It doesn't feel great to me to have to go with choice #2, but it sure beats the heck out of the alternative. HTH

My EKG was the same way. A little side room with a recliner. The anesthesiologist even came in during my EKG and was looking in my mouth and asking me questions as I sat there, reclined, with my shirt pulled up under my chin. I consider it this way: a lot of those same people are going to see me layed out nekkid on a surgical table, girl parts and all. That makes me not so shy about a fat, pale abdomen. I have no idea about urine testing for ADD meds. I'm not on any prescriptions, but I've never heard of having to provide a urine sample to get a rx filled. Maybe it's something specific to the medication?

You know, I just typed out a long long long long recipe list with everything from high Protein Soups to mock lasagna to mushy safe chinese food to high proten, low carb mushy-safe pizza. Here's the shorter version of my post: Most of the WLS recipe books out there are just compilations of recipes people post on messageboards. Yes, people them copy these recipes & publish them. I can recreate the recipes later if you're interested.

Well - keep in mind that what you experienced isn't everyone's experience. Which is good, because it sounds like you had an awful experience - both with the band, and with your surgeon and preparation. I think that saying sweet spot = adapting to feeling hunger all the time is too broad of a generalization. I was banded in 2006 and can easily count on two hands the number of times I've felt hungry since. It was very immediate for me. Shortly after returing to work (I took 1 week off) I found I had to put a reminder in my calendar to go eat something. And my friends were constantly annoyed when we'd go out, because I would forget other people actually get hungry (they still do, because even though I'm slipped, I still have some restriction and I still do not feel hungry, even on days like today where I've yet to eat). I never had a true sweet spot because my body fluctuated too much with restriction, but I did have a spot at which I could feel unbelievably full on about 1/4 C of food, most of the time. That was sweet enough for me. If I had to guess why, I would guess the band is maybe somehow stimulating the vagus nerve in a way that quite literally blocks hunger. Most people I know who are long term out still have some hunger, but it's not rare to lose the huinger sensation. I don't know if there's anything in the placement of the band that would impact Ghrelin production (I asked the surgeons at one of the Allergan conferences but they didn't know for sure - I don't think it has ever been studied). It's unusual that you had daily pain. Were you ever diagnosed with a disconnected tube? If you don't mind me asking, why can't you eat sweets or dessert? Are you one of the few who experience some degree of dumping?

What do you feel is your roadblock? With my AGB, I made the observation once that I had become a bit "complacent" about my weight. That I was no where near goal, but at the same time, was a "normal" kind of fat, and noticed that I had falled into a sort of "it's good enough" mentality - even though it really wasn't, I was still obese by about 30 lbs. A lot of people find a fear of failure kicking in as they near goal. (Same reason a lot of people hang on to their fat clothes) Are they just extra hard to get off, and your fight has puttered out? What's your stinking thinking telling you?

Ah, I like it when others' personalities can make me look graceful. Have you contacted your surgeon to see if pushing out a month or so would be possible? I know some could accomodate it, and others are booked months in advance.

Wow, there's really interesting diversity evident in the way insurance companies are handling things. I think it's also another sign of the times, so to speak. QueenBeeFla - that's ridiculous about your maternity copay - required or not, that's inappropriate. When I had DD (2008) I had two copays - my inpatient for when I was admitted to L&D, and then my daughter's inpatient copay effective the day she was born. I asked when I was admitted if I could go ahead and pay for both copays right then. They told me claims had to be filed through insurance first. I know that's bogus.

Depends on whether you get your PTO in a lump sum, or of it's accrued over time. How long until you find out whether or not your time has been approved? If they approve it, then no problem. If they don't, then see everyone's suggestions above for help with your Plan B. Playing devil's advocate, as as someone who is more blunt than what the general public generally appreciates, maybe he was just "kidding"? I don't mean kidding as in you think it's funny, but kidding as in he thought he was being witty.