SeaShells82

I would personally hold off on stocking up on protein shakes before surgery. I was fine with Premier shakes before my sleeve but afterwards the smell and taste made me gag. I'm 7 months out now and still don't like them. Sometimes taste can be affected by surgery and I wouldn't want you to be stuck with a stockpile of shakes you don't like anymore.

If the partial/non-existent answers are coming to emails, I would suggest calling them to get the information you need. I would also hold off on any "relatively irrelevant" questions so that they can prioritize getting back to you on the important stuff. I like to keep an open note on my phone to jot down a running list of stuff to go over with my surgeon's office at each appointment. If it's something I need to know right away, I'll send them a message, but if it's something I'm just curious about or can wait until my next appointment, I save it. The other thing that might be causing problems is if you're asking multiple questions in 1 email that need to be answered by different people/departments within the surgeon's office. I would recommend sending emails to the specific people you need to answer each question, and not lumping them into 1 since it's easy to get lost in the office shuffle that way. Good luck!

It really varies. Some weeks I lose 4 lbs, some I barely lose 1, and there have been (very frustrating) weeks where the scale doesn't budge at all. I'm 7 months out from surgery now and my overall average has been 3 lbs/week.

I've had a SMALL glass of champagne twice since surgery (7 months now). The first time was at about 4 months and I couldn't do more than 2 sips without feeling uncomfortable so I stopped. I tried it again a few days ago and was able to sip the whole glass (about 1.5 ounces of champagne) without any difficulty. It's not something I plan on making a regular habit of but it's nice to be able to participate in toasts at special occasions [emoji4]

You might want to track the sodium levels in your foods/protein shakes in addition to monitoring your protein intake. If you're accidentally getting too much sodium that could be causing your blood pressure to rise. Also make sure you're taking your blood pressure at the same time each day - 2 BP readings really can't be compared if 1 was taken first thing in the morning and the other was taken after a workout session. Most people are told to check their BP once in the morning and again before bed.

I made the decision to be honest about how I was losing weight - in part to help educate people that this is NOT the "easy way". I've only gotten crap 2 times when I've told people about getting sleeved and after I shot back with "that's like telling me I cheated at skydiving by using a parachute", they both shut up and started listening to the science behind my choice.

I use a straw all the time.

There is no way to completely eliminate pain following a major surgery. It's a huge trauma to the body and the goal of post-surgery pain medication is to help bring pain down to tolerable levels. Additionally, with the current opioid/addiction issues so many areas in the country are grappling with, there has been a move across the board to decrease the amount of narcotics being prescribed for everyone. 21 years ago, prescribers used a very different set of standards to decide what pain meds to give and in what doses.

I had my gallbladder out about 3 months after my sleeve. Overall, I felt the recovery was easier than after the sleeve but I did have problems with nausea that lingered for about a month afterwards. I hadn't had nausea (beyond the first week) with my sleeve so it wasn't pleasant but my doctor prescribed Zofran which really helped. I entered a stall shortly after my gallbladder surgery and gained/lost the same 3 pounds for about a month. I hadn't had a big stall since shortly after my sleeve though so I might have just been due for one and it was just a coincidence it happened right after the gallbladder surgery. Best of luck! Gallbladder pain sucks. You'll feel so much better once it's out!

It's not a routine part of the pre-op workup. If for some reason you end up needing an MRI in the future though, some facilities have "open" models which are much less claustrophobia inducing - and your Doctor could also prescribe medication to take prior to the test to help with anxiety.

I've never heard this and would seriously question the insurance company about this policy if it turns out to be true. Laparoscopic surgeries are generally much safer than open approaches and the risks for post-op complications would be significant. Insurance companies are in the business of managing risks so it wouldn't make sense for them to cover an open surgery but not a laparoscopic one.

I haven't enjoyed bread/carbs post-surgery like I did before my sleeve. It makes me feel bloated and it just doesn't taste as good either. My head still misses it but I'm learning to ignore it.

It's the fluids. Stay off the scale for the first month. You'll drive yourself nuts watching the scale go up and down seemingly at random while your body adjusts. Even after the first month there is sometimes no rhyme or reason to it. Congrats on surgery!

I needed to have my gallbladder removed about 3 months after my sleeve for the same reason. I wasn't thrilled with having to go in for another surgery but the gallbladder was done outpatient and I felt like the recovery went better than when I had my sleeve. Good luck! Gallbladder pain is no fun!!

Why did your feeding tubes fail? It's extremely unusual for someone to have an NGT long term and it's no wonder you're experiencing nasal pain. The cramping you're experiencing could be related to an intolerance to the brand/formula of tube feeding you're using. I would recommend discussing your symptoms with your nutritionist (the company that provides you with the TF will have one for you to consult with) so they can make sure your formula is appropriate. Beyond that, you might want to talk to your doctor to discuss going back on TPN for a bit until your stomach issues settle down. I'm also assuming you've sought out second/third opinions?

My vitamin D level was 10 before surgery and they didn't postpone it. Just increased the vitamin D supplement I was already going to start post-op.

Different insurance plans and practices require different hoops so everyone's answer will probably be different. My supervised diet consisted of 3 months of appointments at my doctor's office where I had my weight recorded and then met with a nutritionist for a 30 min group class. That was it but I have Cigna so different hoops [emoji4]

RN too and I was sent home on a 14 day course of Lovenox after my sleeve. It was standard for my surgery center. Funny how different each practice is!

Totally normal and it will pass! I remember having a breakdown driving by a Golden Corral restaurant a few days after surgery. I'd never been to one before, never wanted to go to one before, but the fact that there were people inside who could enjoy a buffet while I was stuck sipping liquids was just too much for me to handle at that moment. It's funny when I think about it now but at the time I was a wreck! The sensitivity to smells goes away too. Hang in there. It really does get better [emoji4]

The lovenox injections aren't difficult to administer and your nurses at the hospital will teach you how to do it. If you're nervous, ask them to watch you while you give yourself a shot in the hospital. That way you get to practice but still have someone there to help if you need reassurance. Good luck!

OMG your stomach looks amazing! Congratulations!! Gives me hope for when I get to goal [emoji4]

It depends on when you're cleared to eat regular foods. I was on a soft diet for 6 weeks after surgery so I wasn't allowed to have salad.

Every practice has a different psych eval process but in general, they're just trying to make sure you understand the lifestyle changes that will be required to be successful after surgery and have support systems in place to help you. Mine was a 1-on-1 interview with the psychologist - took about 30 minutes and it was really just a conversation. It wasn't scary at all. After the appointment I had to do an online assessment which took a bit longer as I think it had over 100 questions (many of them were the same question just asked in a different way though). My practice told me upfront what to expect - you might want to call your surgeon's office and ask for an overview.

Even if your surgeon is able to do the letter of necessity for insurance and bypass your PCP I would still encourage you to find a new provider. Post-op, it'll be important to have someone who knows how to manage WLS patients and a physician who "doesn't agree with surgery" sounds misinformed and behind the times. Best of luck!

Also sip water constantly to make sure it's not dehydration. That can often mimic hunger (plus it's good practice for after surgery)