Berry78

Linda, you need to go and update your profile with your surgery date. You are still listed as preop, that's why you can't post in the veteran's forum.

I think you have a right to be worried. It sounds like she is developing some very dangerous habits. Try to get her family doctor involved. She should go in for a checkup that includes a urine test (to check for dehydration), as well as bloodwork that tests for vitamin deficiencies. If the doctor finds things wrong, then it is medical advice she is exposed to, rather than a nagging husband I'm 3 months postop, and eat/drink ALL THE TIME.. and my bloodwork just came back . Deficient in vit. D and A. A!!!! You know.. carrots! Craziness. You did right, looking around for help. [Pat on the back]..

Have you seen Dr. Matthew Weiner's youtube videos? He explains why surgery works when diet and exercise don't (after a point). Who is to say you wouldn't be one of the lucky 5% that CAN "keep it off"? You haven't tried! But, are you a numbers man? (You are a dude, right?) Surgery= 95% chance of no complications 85% chance of losing and keeping off more than 120lbs for 5 years 85% chance of minimizing future health problems (high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, sleep apnea, joint pain) No surgery= 100% chance of no complications 5% chance of losing and keeping off more than 120lbs for 5 years 5% chance of minimizing future health problems. If you really feel strongly about the "one last try".. go ahead! You are young and can afford the time spent. The surgery will be there waiting for you if you need it. A year or two won't make a difference in the big picture. You'll know it is time for surgery when you are continuing to work hard but the weight refuses to budge for months or starts going back up.. or you notice the work becomes "too hard", and you just can't do it anymore. Say you drop 80lbs and hit that wall. Please, please, please, hurry and get the procedure before gaining it all back! The surgery will be safer, and your recovery easier when you are at a lower weight. Your surgeon should be happy to hold off on your procedure until you are ready, so don't let that appointment worry you. Your MIND has to be in the right place, or it's not the right thing to do at this moment. Everyone gets cold feet before surgery.. just try and figure out whether this is normal nerves, or something really worth exploring.

Woo hoo! So exciting when we see changes! It's funny, I was noticing my mini-panni seems larger, but I guess it is because of the loosening skin, allowing it to hang more. At the same time there is some puckering at the bottom too. Does your face seem to keep changing? Mine seemed to change during the first 20lbs, then stopped.

[Hugs] I'm so sorry to hear about this. Praying that this latest procedure turns the tide for you...

Keep in mind the need for a passport. It can take a while for that to arrive. As long as you can get surgery on or before August 1st, then you will be eating normal foods during your trip. So I'd recommend that as your cuttoff. How long have you been thinking about the surgery? If you just started thinking about it yesterday, then you may need more time to process and learn about it. (There is a ton to learn when going the Mexico route since there aren't all the classes, etc. that docs in the US require.) I spent 2 months learning about wls before going under the knife. That was the right amount of time for me.

At some point you have to wonder, if it's such a great solution, why a surgeon would phase out a procedure that is relatively quick and easy...an absolute cash cow... I respect your desire for the vegan lifestyle. Since you are still in the deciding phase, take a year to go vegan. You can still eat enough to meet your requirements, you can see how the lifestyle suits you... and if you steer clear of sugar and white flour, you'll find you drop a ton of weight. A year isn't so long, and by the end of it, you'll likely have a better idea of what you should do.

The surgery shouldn't take 3-4 hours in the hands of an experienced surgeon. Maybe he is adding in time for the prep and recovery? Your surgeon should have performed hundreds of these procedures (total, of any age patients). If he hasn't performed very many, and plans to have her under anesthesia for several hours, I'd be asking more questions. My surgeon has performed thousands and had me under for less than an hour. It doesn't take thousands to be experienced, but hundreds would be good.

It would be helpful to post what you are eating with quantities, types and duration of exercise, etc.

Congrats on your procedure! That roommate sounds like a nightmare. But I guess if that's the worst of it, you are doing well! Lol.

I had several inserts that were recommended by my PCP, chiropractor, and a podiatrist. All three sets were miserable! Tried Dr. Scholl's (foot scanning machine thingy) from Walmart, and have been happy since. Lol. Sometimes less is more. Keep in mind, my feet aren't yours, so my solution may not work for you. I have noticed my need for special footwear has decreased, but I'm not holding my breath that it will go away all together.

I use Pepsid complete. It's an H2 blocker instead of ppi. Maybe try something like that for a bit and see if you notice a difference. Sometimes we need acid control for 6 months or longer.

Looks like you found one. I originally read an article in National Geographic (pretty sure), but can't find it just now...

Of course contacting Doc is always a good idea when there is a question. I'm not hearing stricture, but that's just me. Increasing the acid could help the body in its digestion. Could make things worse. Don't know for sure, that's why I said experiment. Facebro... glad to hear ground beef works. It does better for me as well.

If I were to be relying on staples, long term, to hold my stomach tigether, I wouldnt have had the surgery. Open wounds in the body heal over with scar tissue (which is as strong or stronger than the original). The staples are just there to do the job temporarily. They stay forever, but after the first 6 months (or however long), their presence is incidental. My surgeon also used stitches to reinforce the staple line, but those stitches are disolving over time. In stomach plication or endoscopic sleeve, no scar tissue can form because there is no open wound. The sutures have to do the job forever.

Just to clarify, food restriction can mean two different things. 1. The actual quantity of food you are able to eat. This restriction gradually eases over a couple years, but you will never be able to eat as much as you did preop. (It is usually stated that you'll be able to eat a cup of food long term.. but depending on what it is, I can do that already! 12 weeks post op) 2. The dietary restriction during the first 8 weeks post op that says you can't just eat anything. Once you are 9 weeks post op, according to most surgeons, you are released to eat whatever you want. Not everything will necessarily agree with you, but you are allowed to try. I was talking about restriction #2. It is awful nice when you are released to try anything, because going to restaurants and joining the family or friends at mealtime is so important for our psychological well-being. Do we have to be "on a diet" forever? Yes, most of us do. But the occasional bite of something off-diet is also part of living a full life.

Acidic foods also cause me trouble. I suspect it's to do with our messed-up acid post op. Are you still on an acid reducer? The dairy issues may be a lactose intolerance. Have you tried Lactaid or Fairlife milk? Steak and chicken are notorious, but mostly because they are so dense and heavy. Do you also have trouble with something like meatballs or chicken pot pie? And if you ARE still on an acid reducer, maybe that's why the dense protein is being a PITA. It takes acid to break that stuff down. Experiment, experiment, experiment. Add diced tomatoes and salt to your raw hamburger before forming the patty, and only eat 1-2oz at a sitting.. maybe you can retrain your tummy. Don't try plain steak or a chicken breast until you are eating ground meat without a problem.

It is a shame she put so much weight on so quickly I did the same thing (unintentionally) when I stopped working to stay home with the kids. 100lbs in a year... and I didn't even really realize it! It's possible she didn't do it on purpose.. or maybe she did. But either way, even 210lbs is still obese, assuming she is of an average height. My daughter is about 195lbs, 5'5. She doesn't qualify for the surgery, but her metabolism is absolutely busted. I see my exact behaviors and patterns repeating themselves, and if she gets to the point that she wants the surgery, I will pay to send her to Mexico if she doesn't qualify here. Right now, it's about me, and my success.. and I'm learning the skills to be successful long term, and trying to teach the kids that there is another way of being. Too early to tell how successful I'll be.

Other than a ride home from the hospital, you probably won't need assistance. Just stock up on a variety of approved liquids for the first few days home, and you'll be set. Clean your house and do the shopping right before the procedure.

It isn't a bad idea if beef and chicken don't agree with you. I hate labels though, because there may be a perfectly digestible dish that has bacon bits in it, and suddenly you can't have it because it contains pork. Of course, for people with religious preferences, etc.. those food restrictions are important identity-makers. But it sounds like steering clear of non-digestible foods will be born from physical comfort, rather than spiritual comfort. Thus.. no real reason for the label Sorry to hear about you hating to eat.. does it hurt? I enjoy eating as much as I ever did, maybe more so (things taste better).

Glad things have normalized for you! Surgery is very traumatic, both physically and psychologically, and everyone goes through some strangeness, me thinks How much weight have you lost so far?

It was my understanding that they would need $500 to do the repair. It's kinda tricky since you don't want to bring a lot of cash, but you don't know whether you'll need the repair or not. You could bring a cashier's check, then if you don't get the procedure, you bring the cashier's check back home with you and redeposit it. Talk with your coordinator about it, and I'm sure there is a good solution...

How many calories a day do you think you were eating before talking to the surgeon? That should help steer you towards a good calorie count. It sounds like you are doing right, increasing your calories to stop from losing too quickly. Good luck!

Yes, absolutely normal! You aren't doing anything wrong. These "stalls" are part of the journey, and they will happen here and there. Sometimes the scale will also go up by a few pounds. It's just the weight shifting around, and doesn't mean anything. It's all part of the process. No worries, and congrats on the surgery!

Sorry, but hair loss is a known, temporary, side effect of the surgery. Mostly there isn't anything that can be done about it, though someone will probably get on and mention some potion that their hairdresser recommends. Might work, I dunno. But in general, the hair loss happens from 3-8 months, then stops, and starts growing back in by 12 months post op. I started losing my hair during the preop diet, so I'm sitting here at 2.5 months post op with visibly thinned hair. Don't know what I'm looking at when my "real" hair loss starts!