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I took chewable children's tylenol for the first week. It gets expensive considering you have to take like 4 to get an adult dose, but it was worth it for me. I HATE the taste of the liquid. Had no trouble with it. Also, my doc said small pills were ok almost immediately post op. Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

From what you're saying, the persons you are referring to are having REVISION, meaning they've already had 1 WLS. It's not uncommon to revise a WLS due to severe GERD issues. Most frequent I see is sleeve to bypass. They would likely repair the hernia at the same time. The hernia itself would probably not necessitate a revision, but combined with GERD, it's a stronger "selling point" for the insurance to cover the revision.

I had surgery on a Tuesday and was back to work on Monday. I had some serious fatigue when I did return to work and took frequent breaks, one of which I actually fell asleep. So, be prepared that your energy might be low if you return to work after only 1 week. It's possible, but if I had to do it again, I'd take 2 weeks.

This is YOUR JOURNEY. Go down your path as you see fit. I only told my husband and a handful of trusted friends. I still haven't told my children or my parents. It's not that I'm embarrassed or ashamed. Having this surgery was a personal decision and I intend to keep it as private as I can. That being said, be prepared that you may have to field questions from concerned loved ones who notice you are not eating very much. Recently, my children took my husband aside and asked if I was sick.

I can't stand protein water. It's too thick, too sweet, and leaves a weird aftertaste/coating in my mouth. A friend of mine told me to freeze it and eat it like a frozen treat/ice cubes. It helped a little and I did it once during post op liquid phase, but since I have other options I didn't feel like I needed to do it again. After surgery, I couldn't stand the Premier Protein RTD shakes anymore. They were too thick and too sweet. I switched back to Unjury powder. They're still sweet, but not overpoweringly sweet. I mix them as thin or thick as I like them and I can add in other ingredients for variety. Been a lifesaver to be able to meet my protein goals. *If I'm REALLY tired of sweet, I also keep Unjury Chicken Soup flavor on hand and do it as a lunch or mid-day snack.

I second Matt's statement and add that most bariatric patients I've interacted with complain of discomfort with carbonated beverages. I gave up carbonated beverages years ago when I had the lap band and just got used to not having them, so it wasn't too hard to give up for the sleeve. That being said, a few weeks ago I had a sip of (mostly flat) root beer. I was on vacation and went to an old fashioned food stand that makes their own. It was delicious and I had no problems with the sip.

I switched to Unjury brand. The unflavored can be added to whatever you like. *I routinely put a little extra in my greek yogurt to make it "super yogurt". When I was still on liquid diet, I'd make "protein jello" or pudding with extra protein with it (SF, of course). Unjury also has a chicken soup flavored one. It's a little high in sodium, but when you've just had enough of the sweet protein drinks, it's very satisfying. Caution: putting Unjury in liquids >140 degrees makes it sort of curdle. So, I wouldn't cook with it or put it in extra hot water/milk. The hot water dispenser out of the company coffee maker seemed just perfect. If I was at home, I would temp check before adding the Unjury.

I agree with Matt's words of caution. There is some evidence that the sleeve procedure can make pre-existing reflux worse and/or cause reflux in patients who never had issues with it before. I have had reflux issues off and on throughout my life. During my pre-op process, my doctor really investigated and we reached the conclusion that my reflux issues were situational. Meaning, it had to do with my diet and my obese status in general. Together we decided to proceed with the sleeve, that my risk for intractable GERD was relatively low. I didn't have any reflux issues in my pre-op period, including the pre-op diet. BUT about 4 weeks after sleeve surgery I started getting episodes of mild heartburn. Having had experience with this (and being a nurse myself), I immediately started taking Nexium because it had worked well for me in the past. As long as I take it, I have no issues.

I have BCBS of Michigan and my recent sleeve surgery was my 2nd bariatric procedure under the same insurance plan. The first being lap band in 2005. I haven't read the actual language of the policy, but when I went for my initial consult the doctor's staff came in prepared with it all printed out. They told me that the insurance required a 6 month medically supervised diet. It's also possible that there were BMI requirements. What I've seen is that they set a threshold for minimum BMI with and without co-morbid conditions. All other pre-operative tests seemed very routine to prove medical necessity and/or to make sure you were healthy enough to go through surgery: blood work, upper GI, psych testing, sleep study, chest x-ray, cardiac clearance, etc. both times the doctor's insurance staff asked me to write a letter about why I needed the surgery. Basically, I just explained my struggles with weight loss and tried to show that without it I would have more health problems. By the way, doing this really helped me put things into perspective and I learned that I seem to have a "set point" where my weight keeps landing. Both times, I got approved right away. Honestly, I had more trouble with insurance when I had the lap band removed in 2009. They denied and I had to go through a really messy appeals process that took so long the doctor/hospital started threatening me with collection.

Rachibabe-I'm sorry you feel this way. #1, I'd say that if you're having discomfort drinking or eating, talk to your doctor and/or nutritionist. #2-I know I'm not "living the dream". I feel like my entire life revolves around food. Planning my meals, planning when to eat, how much to eat, monitoring my macro-nutrients. Let's not even go there about doing this when you're traveling! I still have the occasional lump going down if I swallow a drink or a bite that's too big. I've had episodes of unexplained slime/foamies that are best described as torture. I lay awake at night worrying myself to death that the bit of heartburn or indigestion I had will develop into something worse. I struggle to meet my protein goals every day. Fortunately, I have found shakes that I like. You aren't the only one who has struggles. We all kind of struggle in our own way. Tell your doctor how you're feeling. Try some protein water (I don't like it, but others swear by it).

1) Did you suffer from GERD before surgery? I had GERD off and on before being sleeved. When I had a flare up, it could be bad, but fortunately it was rare. As I investigated, inquired, and prepared for surgery, my doctors agreed that my GERD was "situational". Meaning, that it flared when I was stressed, when I ate a large (usually unhealthy) meal or when I ate the wrong type of foods. Eating lots of of bread or carbs usually gave me heartburn. Fried foods also gave me heartburn and I would wake in the night with indigestion. Thankfully, the doctors felt that I would be at a very small risk of having this issue post op, especially since I wouldn't be eating a lot of carbs or fried food. 2) If you do now, how often a week? And how would you rate it from 1-10 (10 being the worst) I get mild heartburn maybe 3 or 4 days a week. If I had to rate it, in comparison with what I had before (described above), I would rate it a 1. It's mildly annoying. 3) What do you do to treat it, and does it help alleviate the symptoms completely? I take Nexium every evening on an empty stomach. It is very effective and I only occasionally have break-through heartburn 3-4 days a week. It's always in the late afternoon when I'm commuting home, probably when the medication is starting to wear off a little. It goes away if I suck on a peppermint. 4) How far out are you from post-op? I am on the plus side of 2 months (surgery date 4/10/18)

I started using Bio-oil about a month ago after reading positive reviews on this forum. My scars are fading nicely. I also use it on my hips, thighs, and arms to help reduce that shrunken, Shar Pei, appearance. Cannot testify about it's effectiveness on that, but my skin has never felt so soft and velvety.

I started using Bio-oil about a month ago after reading positive reviews on this forum. My scars are fading nicely. I also use it on my hips, thighs, and arms to help reduce that shrunken, Shar Pei, appearance. Cannot testify about it's effectiveness on that, but my skin has never felt so soft and velvety.

Compulsive eating of non-nutritive items is indeed PICA. Eating ice has it's own "brand name" of pica called: pagophagia. I have seen it in individuals who are chronically anemic. However, as a nurse I am not qualified to diagnose and I do try to stay away from offering medical advice on these support boards. I ALWAYS defer to the poster's doctor. That is why I didn't address it in my original post. I would hope that since sleevin7 is already scheduled for surgery that the doctor and psychologist are aware of the "old habit".

I agree with everything AshAsh1 said and I whole-heartedly wish someone had given the little gem about protein shakes about a year ago. During my entire pre-op I tried going back to what worked during my Lap Band process, including shakes. I won't go so far as to say they've become my enemy, but I did get very tired of them. At 2 months out I'm still not able to eat enough protein, I feel I have to supplement. So, during the work week, I start my day with one because it's easy to sip/drink on my way to work. Had to change the brand and type from RTD to powder just to be able to tolerate them.

I wish you the best of luck and add that I think you're very brave. I'm still not confident enough to take normal vitamins. Normal being those giant horse-pill kind you swallow. Last week I learned that I can take a Tylenol caplet without discomfort, but for vitamins I still do SF gummies.

I'd say if it's something you want to try, go for it. I also caution you. I had a similar experience with social gathering having casing weiners (I know, not healthiest choice, but I don't make it a habit). I chewed very well, but the casing didn't go through my sleeve well. Brats usually have casings. Be careful. Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Once you settle into Florida, find a primary care physician. He or she will either take on the responsibility of monitoring you or refer you out.

Surgery 4/10/18 HW: 295 CW: 252 Slow start out of the gate. Surgery was complicated by adhesions from band and I was overmedicated recovery unit. Been on solid foods for a few weeks. I have to be careful with bread, but I don't eat a lot of it anyway. I do OK on my plan, but have had a few episodes of uncomfortable slime/foamies. Sometimes I can figure out the cause, sometimes I can't. Discovered last week that traveling can be a challenge, but I do the best I can. My weight loss is going much slower than I'd like. I'm told that it's because of my previous bariatric surgery/lap band. Guess the body has "been there/done that" kind of attitude. Happy I'm losing inches. Am down 2 pant sizes. Glad my energy is back. Started off on MD Patches, but developed sensitivity to the adhesive. Don't like the chalky chewables and the soft-chews are kind of expensive. I can take small pills, but the larger vitamin size caplets can be uncomfortable. Currently taking SF gummy supplements, which seem to work and I consider them my treat for the day. My skin is looking great. Not much hair loss. I notice a little extra in my brush, otherwise I seem to have that in check.

I start my day with a protein shake. I have an hour commute to work, so I sip it while on my way to work. I have recently sworn off the RTD ones in lieu of powdered. They're more versatile. I have several variations, so I don't get bored. On the weekends I change it up for variety. I will either scramble a egg or make oatmeal (not instant or quick oats: either old fashioned or steel-cut). For lunch I'll often have left overs from the night before. But if I don't have any that interest me, I'll start with some sort of protein. I always have hard boiled egg, tuna, and cheese on hand so I have one of those with fruit or veggies. Just got some hummus, so I'll probably start doing hummus with raw veggies like carrots, peppers, cucumbers.

I am 7 weeks post op. I often get 1 hiccup when I've reached "full" at end of a meal. But last night I had full blown hiccups for about 30 min. Not sure exactly what caused it. I was also suffering from slime, so I may have eaten a little too much, or didn't chew well enough. Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

I was in surgery an hour and a half. Surgeon said the scar tissue really made him earn his pay. Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Had the band in 2005, out in 2009. Sleeved 4/10/18. The recovery for the sleeve was much harder. Not sure if it was because I was a little older or what. I do know that my surgeon said that there was a lot of scar tissue from the band. That might have made recovery harder, they did more work in there. I am more restricted with the sleeve than I was with the band. I couldn't tolerate fills with the band, so never really had a lot of restriction. With the sleeve, I am noticing food intolerance that I never had with the band. Bread is not my friend with the sleeve. I can eat it, but must be committed to the consequences (it hurts and takes up a lot of room needed for proteins). One REALLY good thing about the sleeve is that I have very little appetite. At this point, I eat to live a happier life rather than living to eat.

I'm a fan of Unjury, but I don't think I'd try to put it in Crystal Light. I tried the jello recipe on the Unjury site and it's tolerable, but I don't think I'd stand in line for it. Unflavored Unjury is best when mixed with milk-based products. I put a tablespoon or so in my greek yogurt to get an extra protein kick. If you're looking for something clear, Premier Protein makes clear protein supplement drinks. I haven't tried them, but others on this site speak highly of them. I bought the Isopure from GNC but they leave a weird dry-feeling in my mouth that I just can't tolerate. For me, if I'm tired of milk based protein supplements, I keep Unjury Chicken flavored on hand. I like it because it's a nice change from the sweetness of most protein shakes and it is warm/soothing. Warning: it is high in sodium.

I am a manager also, and my staff likely would have been supportive, but I didn't feel like my personal health and my decisions on how I manage my health was any of their business. So, aside from a couple of close work associates and my boss, I haven't told my co-workers. I also haven't told anyone in my family. Only my husband knows. It's not that I'm hiding it, it's only that this was a very personal decision for me and I didn't need their opinions. I suppose as time goes by, if anyone asks, I'll answer truthfully. But at this time, it's my personal journey.