Berry78

It IS really important to have follow-up care, routinely, after surgery. This is handled by a bariatric program if you live close enough. If you go a distance to get surgery or move away, your primary care doc can do it. Some family docs don't like taking on bariatric patients, so you'll want to have the discussion with yours to see how he/she feels. My primary doc likes referring patients for bariatrics. She was nervous about Mexico, but did everything she could to help, not hinder. I should mention she is my NEW primary doc. My last one was going to do everything she could to stop me. Bye bye doc! If you want to think about Mexico, I highly recommend getting a nonstop flight to San Diego the day before your surgery is scheduled. It is about a 6 hour flight from BWI, I don't know where you'd be flying out of (PA is a big state!). You would need a passport, and that takes several weeks to come in (about 6 if you don't put a rush on it). That is the first thing to do if you decide to go that route. There are no hoops by going to Mexico. But, it also means you have to educate yourself. You'll receive a diet plan to follow, but everything else is pretty much up to you. I attend my local bariatric support group meetings and get my vitamin panels through my primary physician. I have a GI doctor that I can see if problems pop up down the road. During the initial healing period, if I had a bariatric-related emergency, I knew where my closest hospital that had a bariatric program was located. (An hour away). (Obviously if it were life/death, go to the nearest ER.) If you went to Florida or Michigan, you'd need all these things to be in place too.. not just Mexico. I live in Cumberland, MD. Don't know how close I am to you, but just know you aren't alone...

Surgeons do use bougies of slightly different sizes, but ultimately it's not enough to make a huge difference. One sleever may get full on 3 oz, and the next one can eat 8oz.. but either way, it's much less than the 32-64oz that a typical stomach can hold.

You know what? I found an interesting graph that looks like heart disease started ballooning from 1900 until 1980, then it started going back down. So whatever we did prior to 1900 must have been the best thing ever, right? ... Possibly, but it's hard to tell because before 1900, the life expectancy was only like 38 years old. People didn't live long enough to develop heart disease. What is more interesting is why we are living longer now, but heart disease started declining in 1980... Check out that last graph...

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-body-fat/body-fat-tied-to-heart-risks-in-normal-weight-adults-idUSBRE98P12820130926 Some amount of body fat is good for women, but too much is... too much.

Here is a neat website. You can click on different foods and see how consumption has changed over time. Keep in mind the US population has almost doubled since 1960. (It was 179m, and is now 308m). So only numbers that more than double are significant. And any decrease is really significant! Lol. http://www.indexmundi.com/agriculture/?country=us&commodity=butter&graph=domestic-consumption

So funny!! I can see it now.. "Have you lost weight?" "No" ... ... I have GOT to try that too!

Much like a certain part of the male anatomy, stomachs vary in both length and width. The bougie only controls the width of the sleeve, there is no way to diminish the length. What you are experiencing is the natural consequence of having a long stomach/sleeve. But, whether you start out with a sleeve with a higher capacity, or you develop more capacity over time, the end result is the same. Calories count, so you have to either restrict portion sizes of calorically-dense foods, or you have to eat foods that are not calorie dense (or a combination of the two). So, for me, it means I measure my fats and carbs, and don't have to measure my non-starchy veggies.

Bypass is strictly no nsaids. Sleeve is more flexible, but like someone said above, ok for acute issues, but for chronic ones, an alternative should be found.

At 6 months postop I had 1 glass of wine. Wobbly legs! Had to hold onto my hubby it was so bad! "Few drinks"? Asking to pass out, if you ask me!

Congrats on making goal! Personal question.. what size jeans are you in? I'm trying to figure out my scale-goal... and want to wear a size 6 or 8.

208. Didn't quite make goal, but got close! I'm happy

If they are talking about an internal hernia (Petersen's defect), then yes. Basically a loop of the intestines can move out of place and get trapped (pinched off) by the other intestines. If it is pinched, food has trouble moving through, and if it is tight enough, that loop of intestine can lose its blood supply. (If that were currently happening, you'd likely be laying on the floor screaming in pain). They may be talking about something else, but it's all similar. Intestines are like a squishy hose, and if the hose gets a kink in it, problems happen.

My MIL had drains stay in for 6 weeks because the output wouldn't decrease. Eventually they had to come out, regardless. She didn't form a seroma either, and I personally think it's because the drain itself was causing the fluid after a while. Take out the drain, and the body stops producing so much. The problem is there is no real way to prove that theory, so you pull them and keep your fingers crossed. Sounds like you are doing great!

I did a bit of research, and I found out some interesting stuff. Ok, so reasons you could have trouble urinating: Dehydration... not enough going in results in decreased out-put. Main sign to watch out for is small quantities of concentrated urine (we should all be on vitamins and our urine can be bright yellow from that). Kidney stone.. severe pain under a rib, blood in the urine, possible fever, needing to pee frequently and small amounts. Constipation: Yep! Hard stool in the intestine can pinch off the urethra, making it hard to pee! For women (particularly ones that have had children): weak pelvic floor muscles that allow the uterus or rectum to move out of their normal position, possibly putting pressure on the urethra. (This is likely my problem.. I've had 4 kids). UTI: infection in the bladder or kidneys. Blood in the urine, urgency, pain, frequency, decreased output, possible fever Stricture in urethra: more often seen in men. scar tissue can form because of swelling, injury, or infection in the past. Kidney disease: doc can determine with blood tests

Lovelies.. let me put your minds at ease. The average loss for the first month is about 15-20lbs. Sure, there are some that lose 40, and some lose 5 or 10.. but the majority of us lose between 15 and 20. The second month is usually less. Averages 10-15. I am 7 months postop (tomorrow!) and have lost almost 100lbs. I started out 150lbs overweight, so I'm 2/3 to goal. My first month I lost 17lbs, second month 13lbs.. for a total of 30lbs (not including preop losses). This is a very average amount. Surgery is great, but it really doesn't make us lose weight any faster than we could have before surgery on a very restricted diet. If you went on a 800 calorie diet preop, your losses would be the same as 800 calories postop. The difference is how possible it is to eat only 800 calories for an extended period of time. Most of us take a year or more to make goal weight. Could you have eaten 800 calories a day for a year without surgery? Didn't think so... (I'm eating 1100 give or take, and have been for most of the time.. so 800 wasn't even in the cards for me postop! Lol!).

Thank you. I had some treatment on them 18 years ago, but my surgeon died 2 days after doing the surgery, so I got no aftercare. When I was evaluated again a few years ago they wanted me to wear compression pantyhose. I've lost almost 100lbs now so it's getting closer! Just have to find a doc I trust. (Last one said he thought my case would be a challenge. No thanks!).

Have you considered Mexico? I went with Dr. Illan, and had a good experience. You probably have the same chances of complications wherever you go, but if Mexico is cheaper then you have that buffer. (I live in Maryland).

Congrats, Bella, on escaping from your food demons. Good for you May we all be as successful.

Has there been any discussion of tube feeding or tpn? Definitely ask the doctor that is treating her now. Has she had any mris, ct scans, barium swallows.. anything other than the endoscopy? Edited to add.. Bariatric docs may be hard to come by, but a GI doc should take her insurance. Switch types of doctors.

Lol. This wasn't my experience. Isopure or death.. give me death! (But not death by isopure! Please NOOOO!) But, as with everything, your mileage may vary, and so it's worth a shot..

Ok so you said the surgeon has done all tests. What tests, specifically, have been performed? Does your Mom have her gallbladder still? Problems with a gallbladder can create these symptoms. What sort of hospital have you been using? Is it a little community one or a big, renowned, teaching one? Bigger hospitals may have more knowledge/resources. If her surgeon isn't actively helping, then it may be time to take her to the nearest hospital that has a big bariatric program. Get some fresh eyes on the case. There is a different kind of nutrition that she should be on. TPN.. it goes into the vein. Or they could try her on tube feeding. If you tell us what state you live in, we may be able to point you to a good hospital.

Probably on average every 3 hours. It was never set in stone, and I regained hunger pretty early, so my belly would usually remind me to eat. I would drink all the way up until a few minutes before eating, but couldn't drink for an hour or two after. So I'd eat, wait a couple hours, drink 8oz, then eat again. First thing in the morning I never felt like eating, so I'd just drink until about noon. Coffee, milk, coconut water, maybe a spinach smoothie. Maybe water with a squirt of lemon. Occasionally it would be 6pm and I'd only eaten my cottage cheese. Oops! Squeeze in what I could and call it a day. Try harder next time.

Have you tried just a regular cup of milk? Fruit tends to be really acidic. Milk is a buffer and can be soothing. If milk works, then stay in the dairy isle... yogurt, cottage cheese, soft cheeses.. work your way up that ladder. If dairy doesn't work, then try beans. Soy milk, thin refried beans, split pea soup, lentil soup, tofu.. The meat ladder: homemade broth, gently poached white fish, tuna with mayo, chicken thigh. Just keep on trying.. start with more liquidy foods and work your way up. Fruit doesn't have protein, and if you can't stand protein shakes then you need to find food with protein that you can tolerate.

I came across an interesting article. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/11385044/Fast-running-is-as-deadly-as-sitting-on-couch-scientists-find.html Y'all are right! Slower is better!