kmorri

@@CRMHYPO65 Hi! I'm located in Middleburg. Who was your surgeon? Uchal and was done at St. Vincent's in riverside on May 16th.

I tried the lemon lime and thought they were terrible! I could only take a couple of sips and poured the rest out....I can't even compare them to anything as I don't think I've ever tasted anything quite as bad.....yuck! is all I can think to say.

@jenjenp No mine was through my insurance. Just be careful rushing it too much, make sure you take enough time to educate yourself on all the post-op requirements. You don't want to be early post-op and be wondering what you're suppose to eat. Make sure you have a plan and understand it. Good luck to you!!!

@@Little Bee....The post-op eating plan is not a "diet"...........it is a prescription. Not following it, is like not taking a prescribed medicine that will allow you to get better. You just had more than half of your stomach removed. Unfortunately you can't see the trauma to your stomach on the outside....the little skin incisions on your abdomen my look pretty good but the huge staple line you have on the inside is raw and needs a long time to heal. The complications that eating solid foods too soon are very very serious up to and including life threatening. I suggest you contact your surgical team and discuss what you've eaten with them so proper follow-up can be done. I also suggest that you look up a few YouTube videos of the actual gastric sleeve surgery and watch them....this will help you have a very clear picture of what was just done to your insides and hopefully help you understand it needs time to heal. I truly hope for the best for you. Please contact your surgical team.

My first visit was March 15th. During the visit I was weighed and the surgeon asked about my eating habits, and past weight loss attempts. He also asked which surgery I thought I wanted. I told him the sleeve because I felt like portion control was my biggest issue. He agreed that it was the best option for me. After that visit I was scheduled for all the other required stuff....psych visit, NUT visit, pre-op testing....once all of that was done I had one more follow-up visit with the surgeon and my surgery was scheduled for May 16th....so it took a total of about 2 months. I felt like it all went well and pretty quick compared to others who have the required supervised weight loss visits they have to do. I wish you luck!!! Kathy

Good luck on your upcoming surgery. My surgery was back on May 16th. You'll do great. My suggestion for now is to really study your post-op diet directions and start putting a plan together for that....don't wait until you get to each stage to wonder what you'll eat......don't go crazy stocking up on Protein drinks or powders.....you may not like the brand after surgery. Remember that you'll be eating very very small amounts, you don't need 10 or 20 cans of Soup...hahaha If you don't have any ice trays buy a couple. When I opened a can of soup and pureed it, I poured the rest in an ice tray and froze it. Once frozen put the little cubes in a freezer bag. Two to three cubes are perfect for a meal..Progresso Lite Soups are great for this! ..and after you move on to regular food the frozen soup is perfect for seasoning when roasting meats. Please feel free to message me with any questions you have and I'll do my best to help support you. Thanks, Kathy

@@evette305 I don't use any Protein shakes, and haven't since I was about 4 weeks post-op. I hate all of them. I get all my protein from the food I eat,.

I'm doing great! Never felt better. I haven't had any issues and feel like I'm doing well with my weight loss. I'm a little more than half way to my goal at almost 57 pounds lost.....(that includes what I lost during the two weeks pre-op).

Hi I'm 56 years old and my surgery was just this past May 16th so I'm less than 3 months post op. I feel like I've done really well so far. I've lost a little over 56 pounds (this includes the weight I lost during my 2 week pre-op diet) and am now officially more than half way to my goal weight! You'll do great! This is the best thing I've ever done for myself!

@@cassandramarie93 I thought of one more thing......tell everyone you know that you've quit! When I first started the quit process I told myself I wasn't going to tell anyone I knew, but then I realized I was doing that because I didn't want anyone to know if I failed......So as soon as I figured that out I told everyone I knew....plus I put a big announcement on Facebook....so everyone helped to hold me accountable.....so my advice is to not keep it quite!!! Good luck!!

I think asking about a payment plan is the best option............I am by no means an expert, but I always thought post dating a check was not legal......but that could just be something my parents taught me when I was growing up. The hospital I used just asked for "some" of the money during my pre-op testing....I gave them $500, and they billed me for the rest after the surgery. I had to pay a total of $1800.

I quit about 8 years ago after smoking most of my life....and I'm 56 years old so that's a long time!! My husband and I both quit at the same time and both did it cold turkey! One thing that was a great incentive was the amount of money we were saving.....even years after sometimes we'll go through the cigarette check out lane at the grocery store just to see what the price of our old brand is........It's crazy how much money we've saved by getting rid of those things!! I wish you all the luck in the world! It's not easy but it is sooooooo worth it in the end. Just think about all the improvements you're making in your health....stopping smoking, and weight loss...Wow! Rock Star!!!

Like other's have said, yes I'd have the surgery again....but now knowing the information above, I'd make sure the new surgeon has all your records including the operative report from the first try....that way he'll have all the information he needs to determine if he'll be able to work around whatever issues were encountered during the first try. It's important for the new surgeon to know what the cause was for the failed surgery.....incorrect placement of the ports to me as an untrained person just sounds like there had to have been something else......why were they not placed correctly?....Hopefully, the operative report will make things clear to the new surgeon. Please keep us informed on how it goes and good luck!

I think it's easy......just be nice. And by "be nice" I don't mean give permission for dangerous or unhealthy behavior, because that's just as bad, if not worse than just being flat our rude.. When someone asks can they eat something that is clearly not something they should be eating early in the post-op stage, and someone responds with..."sure, eat whatever you want".....that's just as bad as responding with "are you stupid? didn't you read your post-op orders?" It's easy to be nice and give appropriate information at the same time. Will people take it the wrong way from time to time, yes.....I learned a long time ago if someone "perceives" me a certain way .....that's not their problem, it's mine! In order to interact with different people it's important to be able to change your communication style to one that is best received by the receiver....If I read a post and think to myself "how stupid is that!" I know I need to just go on to the next post......So yes being nice is easy, but if you read a post and you don't think you can be helpful without being condescending, snippy, or inappropriate....don't respond to that one. This is a wonderful forum. I've appreciated having a place where I can communicate with folks who have been through the same surgery and changes as I have......I will continue to come here for that.

I said I was having a hiatal hernia repair which was true......and the good thing is the pre and post-op diets for a hiatal hernia surgery are the same as WLS...........So as far as now with my continued weight loss I say, "well I'm eating less and moving more"...........which is also true!...if they need a little more I go back to reminding them that I got a good kick start with weight loss with the diet for my hiatal hernia repair. Good luck with how ever you decide to handle it.

I use MIO flavor enhancers....I like the lemonade flavor best but they have several...I didn't like Crystal Lite...but MIO is really good to me.....I have a 24oz sports bottle that I drink between 3 and 4 a day......Also, you may find it easier to use a straw....I know most say no straws after sleeve but trust me it won't kill you and in fact may make it much easier for you to get your Fluid in......also try it at different temps.....ice cold, cool, room temp, warm....... I've also heard folks say using the little shot glass size red solo cups helps them they are 2oz each....one lady said she would fill four of them and sit them by her chair and drink them while watching TV...once she drank the four she would refill them and do it again... I hope this helps! Good luck!!

Being scared is normal......and I suggest not torturing yourself by reading all the horror stories.....yes there are risks but the risks that come along with remaining obese are much worse!! Now I'll give you a positive story....My surgery was 5/16/16, that was on a Monday, the following Monday I was back at work. I never took any pain medication once I was released from the hospital. The first 4 or 5 days it was difficult to drink enough but everyday got better....you just have to keep sipping.....I feel completely normal now the only difference is I eat a lot less.......and I'm a lot smaller!! This surgery is the BEST thing I've ever done for myself!!! I am already half way to my goal! I've lost 56 pounds and have 56 more to go....Pictures say more than words... This is my before photo at 252 pounds And this one was taken today at 196 pounds

I'm finding I am craving SALT more than sugar. One would thing that after five years, I would have a handle on this ,but I find that "Craving" is different from hunger (which I do NOT have). The one thing that helps me from woofing down an entire bag of Lays is to eat some salty cheese, such as Feta. Any other suggestions???? I tried these the other day and they're pretty good! https://www.amazon.com/Quest-Nutrition-Protein-Variety-Including/dp/B00WSZHLE8/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1470012865&sr=8-3&keywords=quest+chips+protein

Half way to goal pictures!!! This is my "before" taken Easter Sunday 2016 at 252lbs This one was take July 6th at 202lbs And this one was taken today July 31st at 196lbs

Yes maybe you're not far enough out.....I'm about 2 and half months out.....but I can't eat a whole chicken breast either....so I weigh it and can eat about 3oz......2.5 to 3oz of any meat is about all I can eat. good luck to you!

I am able to get all my Protein from real food, which is what my surgeon and my NUT want.....In order to do it here's a sample day's worth of food..... Breakfast - 1/2 flatbread = 4.5g protein scrambled egg = 6 g turkey sausage = 7g protein morning snack - Greek Yogurt = 12 g protein lunch - 2 oz Low sodium turkey breast = 13g protein 1/2 of flatbread = 4.5g protein 1/2/ serving of cheddar cheese = 4 g protein afternoon snack = 1oz dry roasted peanuts 7g protein dinner - 3 oz chicken breast = 18g protein 1/2 serving of cheddar cheese = 4g protein evening snack - 1 oz raw almonds = 6g protein So 86 grams of protein and 991 calories.......I didn't list the veggies but there is such a small amount it's not worth listing....for example at dinner I may have a bite of green Beans or summer squash...

Yes it's normal.....but don't be surprised if before the two weeks is up you end up with constipation.....Just stick to your plan and drink plenty of Fluid. good luck on your upcoming surgery.