Born in Missouri

💩 happens.

It's been a couple of days since your last post. Are you still having painful Constipation?

What changes, if any, have helped?

Hypertension is a valid co-morbidity. sleep apnea is another.

Here is UnitedHealthCare's bariatric surgery policies to give you an example:

https://www.obesitycoverage.com/united-healthcares-criteria-for-weight-loss-surgery-coverage/

Your problem is nothing to trigger skedaddling as far as I'm concerned. Good on you for creating this topic!

Do you take any meds that might be contributing to your Constipation? Here, for example, are some meds that trigger constipation: https://www.goodrx.com/blog/the-big-8-constipation-causing-medications/

https://www.medicinenet.com/constipation/article.htm#what_is_constipation

Dietwise, you sound like you're doing the right things. Do you have any food allergies by chance?

Which surgery did you have?

How much weight did you initially lose before you starting regaining?

How do you handle stress?

Do you hate exercising?

Do you have a bariatric buddy to spend face-to-face time with?

113lbs in 10 months.

@AlteredReality. What a beautiful user pic. You should be a poster patient to inspire those on the fence about the benefits of gastric bypass. I'm still behind you in terms of weight lost, but I am losing. I am so proud of myself.

Well, d'oh. I now see that you live in Australia. Do I feel like an idiot!

I still suggest you ask a pharmacist, just not one HERE (in the US)!😀

Try asking a PharmD. Pharmacists, like my daughter, study for 5 years in addition to a year of residency. My sons, medical doctors, know very little about meds compared to her. If you have a specific medication to ask about, pharmacists are often able to look up information about absorption. Don't forget to mention your surgery since your surgery may be significant in terms of what parts of your digestive system are affected. Many "Schools of Pharmacy" also run Medication Helplines that you can call for information such as this. Where do you live? I might be able to provide you with a helpline number to call.

I'd have more faith in BP's pouch reset program if it didn't seem so conflated with buying products from their store. It makes me wonder whether it's the person or the products sold that matter more.

On 1/30/2019 at 10:38 PM, Harborgurl said:

Im scheduled for Feb 15th. Paperwork was submitted yesterday and received approval within 24 hours. BCBS.

See? For all those out there who think they'll have to wait forever for a decision, Harborgurl got an even faster turnaround than 3 days. The weekend messed me up. Paperwork in on Friday, approval granted on Monday. Primary contacted on Tuesday. I, of course, was the last to know!!

Our @Matt Z is, unfortunately, very knowledgeable about this complication.

"The Band had become totally encapsulated in scar tissue, it took my surgeon and her team more than 3 times longer to remove the band than what's normal. My 3-4 hour surgery, lasted over 6 hours. Who knows what would have happened if I didn't revise.
The band is gone.
My insides have been rearranged.
And I'm working my way down to my goal.
One day at a time. "

--https://www.bariatricpal.com/profile/120901-matt-z/

Insurance companies tend to tell people submitting their documentation that it can take weeks for approval (they told me up to six weeks). My approval ended up taking only THREE business days. In fact, I was sitting in my primary's office and she just nonchalantly said, "Oh, did you know UnitedHealthCare approved your surgery?"

I guess UHC decided to let my primary before me!

So when UHC eventually called, I said, "Oh, that's old news. "

5 hours ago, GettinSkinnywithit said:

Hydration hasn't been too bad, but during the move to the new home it was a challenge and I did get light headed a few times. I certainly got all my steps in carrying boxes (the lighter ones) into the moving truck, out of the moving truck, etc! Fishing? I wish, it was 40* this morning - - WAY too cold for fishing!

Thank you for the update. It sounds like the changes in your life (moving, bypass) are going well. Things will only get better. I enjoy hearing about people who have passions. Fishing is a good one.

My father died when I was 12 years old so I don't have a long list of memories; however, going fishing with my father is one that stands out as special. We had a bare-bones pontoon boat and I remember my daddy reminding my brother and I to make sure that we didn't all stand on the same side of the boat. Sure enough, my brother, who was less serious about fishing than I was, was goofing off throwing orange peels in the Water and pacing from one side of the boat to the other. That's when IT happened. The boat tilted and my daddy's tackle box slipped right into the lake. Not the future Eagle Scout's finest hour. Anyway, fishing with my father was a special memory. Sorry for the boring read.

4 hours ago, GettinSkinnywithit said:

Hi friend - yes all is well! I'm past the two month mark, over the regret and adjusting well. Currently down 50 lbs and clicking every day!

Great! I love when people return to share their good news. Were your hydration issues a problem? I know it was touch-and-go for a while. I'm so glad that you decided to have your surgery. Have you been fishing since? (I notice you live in Florida so you're not encased in an ice cube like some of us in the Mid-West.)

There was a time when I was lucky to get 250 calories per day, let alone even a fourth of the required Protein or Fluid. As bad as that sounds, the main concern for me is -- and continues to be-- ANXIETY. If I'm feeling unduly stressed that is worse for me than missing calories, protein, or fluids. When I'm feeling calm and happy with myself, the rest eventually falls into place. My appetite returns, I'm able to handle drinking more...

For me, it all boils down to nurturing my mind and taking care of my emotional needs first. My physical needs are secondary... Understanding that it takes weeks to months to really get in trouble or become malnourished in a significant way also helps me to relax. I'm also not overly regimented when it comes to my supplements. If I miss a dose here or there, I don't beat up myself over it.

Of course, it would great if I ate the right combination of everything my body needs at the right time, took my supplements faithfully... but the best lesson I've learned since my surgery, is to be kinder and more forgiving to myself. No more feeling like a failure for dropping the ball on occasion.

I know that there are people on this forum who are very dedicated to every daily detail in their lives since their surgeries. I can't live like that. Perhaps if I pushed myself, I could compete with that mindset, but it just doesn't work for me. I don't even like thinking about weight loss anymore, which is why I find myself coming here less and less.

My reason for posting my "lazy ways" manifesto is not to call attention to myself for being so "irresponsibly" lax about things, but to let others who may be stressing out their days with what they're eating, what they're not eating, etc. to try taking a page out of my book and slow down. Just let your days unfold without making too many demands on yourself. You'll ultimately be happier, and you'll lose the weight as well.

I'm okay with anyone calling me out for filling up the heads of others with my lazy, undisciplined ways.

Perhaps I should have posted a separate thread to share my below 200lbs news. My intent was not to steal any of your thunder, Matt, particularly since you lost 170lbs while I've only lost 100lbs to get to my 199.4. I have another 50-70lbs to lose to reach my goal.

Congrats, again, Mr. Handsome.

This is a timely post for me. I also use a CPAP, but I haven't been compliant since my bypass. Now I'm starting to wonder if I should contact my doctor about recalculating my pressure before I try using it again.

I'm sorry you had to experience what you did, but your rant possibly helped out someone else from going through something similar. THANK YOU!!!

@Matt Z

I can't believe it. I got on the scale this morning (after going to the bathroom, OF COURSE!) and I also weigh 199.4!

Is that crazy or what?!

Love your pics, Matt. Are you a good dancer? I couldn't help but to think of Jim Carrey when I saw you in your green suit. "Smokin'"!!!!

At 200.2lbs I'm almost there. I can almost feel it happening, but I can't quite get my weight to go below that 200lb milestone. Soon, hopefully.

Congrats, Matty.

The bypass is working great for me. Lost 100lbs (over 7 stone) in 6 months. I've never experienced dumping and my bowels are more efficient than ever. As for the malnutrition, it would take months to reach any significant levels of malnutrition. I take my Vitamins when I remember (no need to stress out about missing a few pills here and there). Do the best you can, and the weight just "comes off". My high blood pressure, slightly rising blood glucose levels, borderline high cholesterol and other conditions disappeared almost immediately after surgery). I honestly don't recognize the person I once was anymore. I fit in "normal" size clothes.

Whichever surgery you choose, don't EVER worry that you picked the "wrong one". Both procedures have pros and cons and you'll do great on either choice. I can only speak about my success with the bypass.

Good luck to you.

Simple, but true. Attribution here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2018/10/22/what-happens-after-bariatric-surgery-makes-a-big-difference/#7fa2c4ec29b1

"What Happens After Bariatric Surgery Makes A Big Difference"

On 1/20/2019 at 11:43 PM, counrtygirl said:

Oh excuse me Missouri-Lee’s Summit I accidentally put 3013 but meant to put 2013 but keep smart comments to yourself.

I couldn't resist, countrygirl. It was such a cheap shot to pick on such an easy-to-make typo. Shame on me!

I lived most of my life in the city until my widowed mother remarried a bachelor farmer with 1000 acres in SE Kansas. I loved living in the country. My stepfather raised steers and had a lot of land set aside as HIGH GRASS PRAIRIE full of native wildflowers, blackberries, etc. He passed away two years ago, age 92. I loved him dearly. (He still has two older sisters living, btw. How many 92 year olds have older siblings? One is 97, the other 96).

Back to your user name. Is it misspelled because someone else signed up as COUNTRYGIRL or was COUNRTYGIRL a typo? I won't be able to sleep ever again until I find out.

BTW, my father grew up in Tennessee. We spent every summer there. In Spring City near Chattanooga.

I don't know what got into me. I've been writing irrelevant blabber with no rhyme or reason. Being it's 3:30am, perhaps sleep is in order.

2 hours ago, counrtygirl said:

I’m bypass would never have considered band & my surgeon said in 3013 they were considering taking them off market due to slippage.

Being that's 994 years from now, there's plenty of time to re-consider all your options. (And here I thought I was the master of typos. Thanks for the laugh, counrtygirl. Wait is your user name a typo, too... or was "countrygirl" already taken?)