kaylee50

Do you have a "theme song" for your weight loss journey? My teenage nieces are big on this, and to be fair so was I -- except back in the day we made mix tapes, not playlists! So I am going to create a playlist from all your theme songs to power me through this unique period in my life. Thanks for sharing!! Mine is Defying Gravity from Wicked, not just because of the whole gravity / weight thing. What really sold it was the first line: "Something has changed within me..." 😂 I'm like, YES, literally, my stomach.

Maybe distraction will work. Do you have Netflix or Prime? As a fellow busy professional (not an RN, but also go-go-go all day), I was at a loss being home all day with nothing to do. So I tried to distract myself by watching tv. I binged Jack Ryan (10/10, loved it!), finally watched Stranger Things (very cool), and tried to get into k-drama (really tried, but maybe I’m just not cool enough). I hear Wednesday (Addams Family remake) is amazing. Just stay away from food shows! LOL

During my pre-op research phase I really got into reading studies published online (pub med or other reliable sources), mainly looking for the expected weight loss trajectory if I went through with it. You can Google your specific procedure and find many such articles. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33042006/ - Timing of Maximal Weight Reduction Following Bariatric Surgery (China), N = 409, compares various surgical outcomes by type of surgery, gender, starting BMI, and other factors https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34768441/ - Long-Term Weight Outcomes after Bariatric Surgery (Saudi Arabia), N = only 91, but check out figure 3. I like that they measure by excess weight lost, not total weight loss. Older studies only refer to total weight loss which is meaningless because everyone starts at a different weight. Here's a chapter from a 2020 textbook about weight regain after bariatric surgery: https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/74559 - Great summary of the medical literature, if you are curious about the stats for weight regain after RNY and also want to know what doctors will recommend for you (structured physical activity, tracking diet, re-operation, etc.). Spoiler alert: you are far from alone in this! For RNY, at 2 years, 17.1% regained > 15% of their 1-year post-op weight lost, but it's TWL not EWL. That study was large, N = 1426. Hope this helps. Currently, I am post-op and obsessing about whether my EWL % is on par with successful outcomes in the medical literature for my procedure (Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty). But that's a whole 'nother Oprah.

I still struggle with the need to drink water during meals, at about 8 weeks post-op. I allow myself small sips, no more than if the food was well-sauced. Question for everyone: what about when you eat hearty soup? Does that count as liquid with the meal? I am in CA, so it is just now starting to get cold enough for a [small] warm cup of soup to soothe the soul!

Is it an option to call your surgeon / team and request a consultation? I know it has been 4 years for you, but my team said they would see me back for a free consult even years from now if ever needed. This is a good business strategy, so you go with the same team if you need a repeat procedure. After all, these weight loss surgeons pay a lot of money for advertising. I have often wondered what their cost-per-lead is, when I see their ads online and on TV...but I digress.

Welcome, RDC. What procedure(s) did you undergo? What was your starting weight, lowest weight, and thus, what percentage are you talking about when you say you gained back 20 pounds? If you lost 200 and regained 10%, it is a very different scenario from losing a total of 25 and regaining 20. Most people on this board are extremely knowledgeable and willing to help, but you have to give the basic information for their responses to be helpful.

UGH I am in a stall, too! I am so bummed because I finally got back into the 160s, for the first time since 2016...then nothing lost in two weeks. But I am trying to stay optimistic and sticking to the program. What's funny is I decided to search for "stall" here on these board, thinking I would pull up a few dozen threads. No, there were 17,501 results. That made me feel a little better!

Oh gosh, I totally get what you’re saying. I have seen celebrities after WLS looking gaunt and, I admit, I am one of those who thinks “they looked better fat.” But then I think about the Dragonball Z meme “This isn’t even my final form!” 😁 I hope if I look gaunt, it’s only temporary. I know many people have WLS for their health, not their appearance. That was my primary motivation. I want to be strong enough to play with my future grandchildren. Whatever weight gets me there, that’s my goal.

Hi, RoyalAdpi — just wondering how your ESG went. Hope everything went smoothly. I am halfway to my goal weight at 5 weeks post-procedure. Keep us posted!

Congratulations! And I agree 100%. The best part is I was able to return to vigorous exercise in a little over a week. Exercise makes me feel good; I am one of those that needs it to stay on track. Keep us posted on your progress!

There is an Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty Forum here, though the posts are few and far between. My theory is because the recovery is so quick and relatively easy, no one really posts too many questions. It is not yet covered by insurance (even though FDA approved and has been around for years), so most ESG folks are cash-pay patients. But it is an excellent alternative to VSG, especially for folks with starting BMI <40. There are a lot more ESG posts on Instagram, YouTube, and other social media.

Oh, wow! My local Costco has those. Thank you for the suggestion!

Did you stop or reduce any of your hypertension meds? My doctor took me off one (a calcium channel blocker) which serves to limit my heartrate. I noticed when doing cardio that my HR goes all the way up to Zone 5 now, which was nearly impossible for me before. VO2Max also dropped, for the same reason. But OMG how happy am I that I am down to just one BP med? VERY. Edited to add: Exactly how "crazy" does your HR go? Because my primary told me my higher HR is what normal hearts do in response to the stimulus (cardio exercise, caffeine, etc.). You should check with your primary doc just in case.

I am interested in this as well! We went to see Black Adam last weekend (so good!) and I brought carrot sticks just to have something to chew on, in case I was tempted by the giant bucket of popcorn my family was having. Well, I was definitely tempted because of the environment and habit. So I was glad I brought something. But the carrot sticks were just unsatisfactory. It had the crunchy mouthfeel, but I think it also needs to be something salty next time.

I think it is wonderful that kcuster 83 is teflon. We should all hope to be this way. Why give rude people our time or attention? Haters gonna hate. 😉

This, right here. Yes!

My nutritional plan has "moderate" carbs, but I am nevertheless in deep maroon keto at three weeks post-op. I was curious, so I bought some keto sticks (cheap ones, $8 at Walmart). I think the low calories we consume, even if they include carbs, just aren't enough to cover what we burn daily. So the body starts using fat for fuel. If I can help this process along by eating less carbs, that's what I plan to do!

It's only been about 3 weeks for me, but the swelling in my hands and feet has really gone down. It's inflammation from early arthritis. To my utter delight, I was able to wear my late mother's favorite ring today! I got a little teary-eyed when I realized it fit again. (And now I am getting a little teary-eyed just typing this...sorry.)

I did not feel hungry at all the first few days. It was a struggle just to get enough liquids and protein shakes. I started feeling what I thought was hunger in week 2, because in the past I always interpreted tummy rumbling as a hunger signal. But thankfully, I learned it was actually just digestive / gas bubbles in my new tiny stomach which still had swelling at that time. (I mean, I tried to eat something but threw up. I was just misreading that feeling as a hunger signal.) My team put me on a PPI to control stomach acid, which worked wonders to get rid of that feeling. I also sucked on some lemon sugar-free lozenges for mild sore throat after the procedure, which helped as well. They stopped all my meds, including for pre-diabetes, so I did not get low blood sugar. Maybe ask your team about it if hypoglycemia is a concern? Overall, I had a really easy recovery. I was back at work day 3 after my procedure. No pain whatsoever except occasional gas. The only thing I had difficulty with was the no caffeine rule during the first two weeks. Best of luck to you on Monday!!

This is the second post I have seen re: lack of post-op follow-up from a clinic in Mexico. I don't care what country they are in, this is unacceptable. They advertise for patients in other locations, so they should have a system in place for follow-up with traveling patients. Here's my suggestion: locate the clinic's account on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or however you located this surgeon (perhaps it was a referral network based here). Then use the power of social media to make sure they contact you -- or at least inform other potential patients that they are post-op deadbeats. Post about the problems you are having, their failure to follow-up, and tag/link them. Use the most popular hashtags for your procedure (the more the better), so that others who look up this procedure will know to avoid them. If nothing else, you will be doing a public service. If it is a US-based physician or business that referred you, contact them (be persistent!) until they start helping you get a hold of the Mexico clinic. If they don't help, and they earned a referral fee***, start preservation of evidence linking the referral source to the deadbeat clinic (marketing emails, screenshots of call logs on your phone, and print & save as PDF their website pages linking to the clinic). Then consult a lawyer. Vigorously advocate for your own health. You are not helpless. Lastly, pull up your health insurance plan or policy, and find out if there is an exclusion for the treatment you need now (some policies exclude treatment for consequences of cosmetic surgery and non-emergency procedures overseas). If no exclusion, make an appointment with an in-network GI or bariatric specialist, and get the help you need. I hope it is nothing -- or something easily fixed. I am rooting for you! ***Edit: You probably cannot tell; this will come out in discovery later on. But assume they get a fee, because this is standard in most professions. Even YouTubers get a cut from Amazon if you click on product links. Sorry for the long ranty post. As a professional and a business owner, this really frosts me!

As SpartanMaker pointed out, the medical criteria recommendations have changed. The original article is here: https://www.soard.org/article/S1550-7289(22)00641-4/fulltext. Depending on the specifics of your metabolic disease, you might qualify in the near future. If you are of Asian descent, BMI ≥25 suggests clinical obesity, and individuals with BMI ≥27.5 could soon be offered surgery as well. But it may take some time before the insurance companies adopt these recommendations. In the meantime, you will likely have to pay out of pocket. If you are willing to pay cash, you should look at other options first. My starting BMI was also <35, so I would not have qualified even if I wanted surgery. I opted for less invasive ESG (endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty -- do look it up on Google, Instagram, YouTube, etc.). It is still pretty drastic, but it is far less risky, effective, and with quick recovery. I have had people ask me "Why?" in that tone (you know the one!) because I did not look fat, I carried it well. I did it for many of the health reasons the ASMBS cites in that article, and which you mention regarding your own health. Bottom line...I want to live! I want to be around to play with my grandchildren someday. I am only 50, but I could see the writing on the wall (or rather, the life expectancy charts...). Maybe if you phrase it that way to your wife, she will appreciate that you are doing this for your family. And if you choose a less risky procedure, she may get on board. Best of luck to you!

My guess is OP's plan has no in-network bariatric surgeons. So she went out-of-network for the surgery and immediate follow-up, but all visits after 6 months must be either approved for continued out-of-network care or with in-network doctors. I think the most important question for you to ask is who your surgeon recommends for your follow-up from this point forward. I am sure they've had other patients in your insurance situation. Who do they recommend you see now? Or is there paperwork they can file to get pre-auth for further follow-up? Congrats on 77 lbs so far! You are going to get so much kudos when they see you for this visit.

I had a different sleeve procedure (ESG), but had the same fears. I thought I was feeling hunger. So I talked to my team about it, expecting the lecture. But they told me something that really opened my eyes: I have for decades interpreted every little stomach gurgle as a hunger signal. (This was part of my problem that led to my weight gain.) Time to stop and think about it first. Is this really hunger, or could it be thirst, gas, another sort of discomfort? I mean, like you I am only weeks out, so there is really no way this could be real hunger. I was told see if it responds to a sip of water. See if a sip of protein shake helps. Change position (sit/stand/turn over if in bed) to see if that makes it go away. Try a lozenge -- I had some sugar-free lemon Ricola drops because of the sore throat typical after an endoscopy. Bingo! That worked wonders! I don't know if it's an oral fixation thing, but a tiny lozenge does the trick. Here's how I know I am not really hungry: if I am working on a work project, I can go all day without feeling hunger. I am one of those that has to set a reminder to eat on my phone. So that feeling I was interpreting as hunger was something else. ("I'm not saying it was aliens, but it could have been aliens." 😁)

My team says "no peeking at the presents before Christmas morning!" Christmas comes once a week, and the present is my weight on the scale first thing in the morning without clothes. It's a self-control thing, which does indeed drive me crazy some days. But I find it easier to think of in these terms. Have you been tracking your measurements? Neck circumference, chest, under chest / bra line for women, abs, belly button, hips, biceps (measure both), and thighs (again, both). Get a good quality tape measure (retractable or app based). Some weeks the scale does not move, but the tape measure does.