NikkiCL

Hi! I smoke marijuana daily. I'm also a productive and use it mainly at night for anxiety. I was sleeved on December 20th. I used marijuana 5 days after my surgery. I didn't use it before that because I just didn't feel like it lol. I really didn't feel like doing much. Also my incisions were sore and I didn't want to risk coughing. The pain medications that are prescribed after surgery take care of the pain relief/sleep. I used those for about a week because I didn't want to be on them too long, I'd prefer something more natural. I was less tolerable for a day or two after because since I smoke so frequently, even going 5 days without marijuana effects my tolerance. But my tolerance is back to normal now. I truly don't get the munchies much. I'm struggling to get enough calories in right now because I never feel hungry. Even if I did get the munchies, I can only eat 4 tablespoons at a time before I'm satisfied, so it's not like I'd be bingeing on an entire bag of Cheetos or something haha. I used to have a bad habit of smoking marijuana and bingeing on junk food. Now I smoke marijuana and exercise (just walking for now until my surgeon clears me for more intense workouts.) It's all about changing habits. Good luck to you! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hey guys so this is my first post. I had my sleeve done one week ago on December 20th. It's been quite a journey. I'm 25 and I have been overweight my entire life. It really got bad when I got put on antidepressants when I was 12 (I have anxiety/depression & bipolar disorder.) I tried many different antidepressants and it seems like each and every one increased my appetite. But I was such an anxious and depressed wreck without medication that it just wasn't possible for me to function without it. When I was in middle and high school my mom and I would diet a lot. I was on nutri-system, weight watchers, and many others but I never lost much and I would become discouraged and quit. At times I was resentful of my mom because she was always encouraging me to eat healthy and nagged me when I didn't. My mom has dieted her entire life and struggled with weight issues herself. About 7 or so years ago they told me I was prediabetic and I was put on metformin. I was also put on Byetta and I lost about 30 pounds. I was getting ready to do the lap-band surgery and was doing everything I needed to do to get it when my insurance informed us that they had told us wrong and I wasn't approved for the surgery. I guess I became hopeless and gave up on dieting. In a way though I was also relieved because I don't think I was truly ready for such a big change. Since then I've basically been steadily gaining weight. I've been in college (just graduated) and until recently I haven't really restricted my eating at all. I would eat however much of whatever I wanted all the time and often to the point of being miserably full. I've definitely eaten an entire pizza to myself more than once. I ate when I was happy, when I was sad, when I was celebrating, when I was heartbroken, etc. I knew I was unhealthy and I was ashamed but I guess I tried not to think about it much. In October something just clicked and I knew I couldn't go on like this anymore. I knew I had to do something if I wanted to live a long life, have a healthy pregnancy & have kids someday, play with my kids someday, etc. Losing weight, dieting, and exercising just always seemed pointless because I knew I'd never lose enough to become healthy. I felt I was just too far gone. But I realized that having surgery could help me lose weight and get me to a more manageable weight so that I could exercise and diet and do all the things I always thought were pointless before. I had really good insurance this year, better than ever before and my out of picked price would only be $1000. The price of my insurance is going up at the end of the year and I have no idea what type of insurance I'll have after the new year so if I wanted to get the surgery it had to be before December 31. I attended a seminar and the lady in charge of insurance and the surgeon assured me they'd work with me and I'd be able to get it by the end of the year. I was so ecstatic I burst into tears. A lot of unforeseen complications came up however. My Iron was very low and I needed at least 2 iron infusions. My surgeon got fired. My EGD had irregular results and I had to see a specialist. It seemed like getting the surgery by the end of the year was going to be impossible. But everything fell into place. I was approved by my insurance and they scheduled my surgery for the 28th. Then they moved it up to the 20th. The surgery went well. Waking up was kind of brutal. I was very nauseous and miserable. I had been fasting since midnight the night before and I couldn't have anything to drink until the next day. I was in quite a bit of pain AND SO THIRSTY. Its funny because the most painful parts were things I didn't expect. For example, my incisions didn't hurt much but my back hurt like crazy from the hospital bed. And since I've been home from the hospital the most painful thing I've experienced was my severe constipation (sorry for the TMI but it was the worst). I've been so happy that I was able to get the surgery in time that I haven't experienced much sadness or regret like I've read about most people experiencing for a period after surgery. Today has been the hardest day. I'm still on only liquids for another week until I move onto puréed foods. Today my dad made French fries and I started bawling. I wanted French fries soooooooooo badly. It's been tough watching as my family ate Christmas dinner while I eat Protein shakes and broth. I know it's worth it but sometimes it's so hard. I'm so happy to be where I am and I'm so excited to see and feel my body changing but I know it will be a tough journey which is why I signed up for this website. Also I am off my metformin which I am beyond thrilled about! Anyways, that's been my journey so far. Thanks for reading and I can't wait to hear back from some people! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

BubblesOhSoSleeved that's another reason I was upset about what my surgeon did. In the orientation, in the packet I got, and during discussions with my surgeon, they talked a lot about absolutely no nicotine a month before surgery, and if you do test positive for nicotine the day of surgery, they will cancel your surgery, etc. They never once talked about marijuana, so I assumed it wasn't an issue. Not only that, but on all of the hundreds of papers I had to fill out (such as medical history questionnaires from the surgeon, dietician, and social worker) I was completely honest about my marijuana use because I figured it's always best to be honest with your surgeon, and also that way if there was a problem with my marijuana usage or anything else they would talk to me about it. They didn't, so I figured that meant it was okay. Then an entire month after that, only a month before surgery, my surgeon told me if I tested positive for marijuana she wouldn't do the surgery on me. Not only that but she got a total attitude with me, as if I had tried to pull one over on her or trick her or something, even though I had been honest the entire time. I was very upset with the entire situation. I would've had no problem getting clean if only I had known in time. If anyone had bothered reading the papers I spent hours filling out, they would've been able to tell me a lot sooner that it was a deal breaker. Grr it still makes me mad but oh well, I got the surgery and that's all that matters! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

That's awesome! Great job! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'm in the exact same position. My best friend is getting married in April and I have absolutely no idea what dress size to order! And I have to order it by the end of January. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

HeatherMe2017 Thanks so much! Good luck to you. It's a big challenge but definitely worth it. Good luck and I can't wait to hear how it goes! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Sorry this is a bit old, I hope it's in time to help. When I had my EGD the anesthesiologist asked me if I use marijuana and I was honest and told him yes. He told my surgeon and she told me she'd test me the morning of surgery, and if I was positive she wouldn't do the surgery. I found out she doesn't always drug test but because I told the anesthesiologist I did use marijuana, she would test me for it. This was a month before my surgery. I weighed over 300 pounds and smoke pretty much daily. Marijuana is stored in the fat cells. There was no way I could do that (although I tried). I tested myself before and was still positive. I had to substitute urine because I wasn't going to let something out of my control stop me from getting a surgery I desperately needed and that I had done everything required of me for months. Not only that but I have bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression, and ADD, and marijuana helps me with those. I'm on a couple different medications but consider marijuana one of my medicines. If I lived somewhere it was legal I'd definitely be able to have a medical marijuana card. Anyways, my surgeon didn't end up testing me after all that! As for the munchies, I'm not gonna lie, sometimes I get them. But since the beginning of November I've lost 40 pounds(half of that time I was smoking daily.) My surgery was the 20th and I've lost 15 pounds since. I've started smoking again since the surgery as well. It's all about changing habits and not giving into temptation. I had to get out of the habit of snacking all the time, and that included times when I was high. If I feel like I have the munchies I ask myself if I'm really hungry and if I'm not I will tell myself "you're not hungry, you're just in the habit of eating.) I freeze zero calorie lemonade and eat that if I'm really feeling deprived. And I drink lots and lots of water! Sometimes I eat when I'm high but that's because it's dinner time. And I only eat the amount I'm supposed to. Please no judgmental comments. I'm not saying that I was right or that anyone else should do what I did. But I did do what I had to do to get the surgery and I'm not sorry! Anyways..based on other responses I'm thinking it just depends on the surgeon! Also, it depends on when your surgery is, how much you weigh, your metabolism, and how frequently you use marijuana. If you do have to get tested you might be able to get clean in time. You can google how long it'll take to get it out of your system to get an idea of how much time you need. Good luck to you! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

You are DEFINITELY not alone!! My surgery was the 20th and every time I see a pizza commercial I want to cry! It looks soooooo good. I am also so tired of Soup, Protein shakes, and Water. I am counting the seconds until I can move on to puréed foods! Good luck with everything! You can do it! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Great job! You look amazing and your journey and transformation are an inspiration! I'm sorry you had such difficult complications but I'm so glad you're better now! Good luck! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Thanks so much for your reply and support. Congratulations on your surgery and your success! And congratulations on being in onederland! I am so excited to finally be on my way to getting there! Good luck to you! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

SpiritedOne thanks so much for your support! I am counting the days till I'm done with the liquid stage! Good luck to you as well! Mylighthouse Thanks for sharing! It's nice to know there are other people who have gone through the same things regarding the antidepressants/bipolar meds. Thanks so much for your support it truly means a lot! Snoozy33 thanks for your reply! Yesterday was the first day I was completely off of my pain meds and without being too graphic I definitely got rid of my constipation! I feel much better now! Good luck to you as well! NOLAgirl-inTN thanks for your support! Congratulations to you as well on the surgery! We just have to remember that the back pain, dry mouth, etc are temporary and they are definitely worth it to get healthy. At least that's what I keep telling myself! Good luck on your journey! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Nikosmama06 thanks so much for sharing! I am not considering the sleeve .. I just got it done a week ago but this post was really good for me to read because today is the first day I've experienced the sleever's remorse I've heard so much about. My dad made French fries and I wanted them so badly I cried! Since then I've had a couple of "oh god what have I done..this is permanent" moments. I know I did the best thing for my health but I was still feeling a bit depressed about it. But your post gave me hope! I strongly believe that in a few months when I'm not restricted to only liquids and I'm seeing the changes in my body I will be saying the same exact things about it being the best decision I've ever made! Thanks again and I wish you continued luck on your journey! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Infinitestrength oh my gosh I can't imagine being on vacation so soon after surgery! How did you do that?! I can imagine it'd be beyond difficult to be on vacation and not get to eat anything. I've always binged on vacation (obviously won't be able to do that anymore) so I can understand how tough that would be! You are one strong person! Good luck to you and thanks for sharing! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Thanks sunschick13! I definitely would've cried with pizza too! I have another week to go before the purée diet but I can't wait! Hopefully the week goes by fast. Thanks so much for your reply and good luck to as well! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Thank you so much. It really means a lot to hear from someone going through the same thing. Good luck to you as well! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

For me it just clicked one day. I was 25 years old and over 300 pounds. I didn't fit on all the rides at amusement parks, I was always afraid of not fitting in booths, I was winded and sweaty after a flight of stairs, I had even broken toilet seats. I just knew I had to do something if I wanted to have kids someday and be around when my kids have kids. I had to do something if I wanted to be alive to care for my parents when they're old. I had to do something if I didn't want to have a heart attack in 5-10 years. So I began my journey to become healthier and I just got sleeved a week ago! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App