Fred in Pa

From the Wall Street Journal… https://www.wsj.com/articles/europe-is-probing-whether-ozempic-use-raises-risk-of-suicidal-thoughts-8c82533e

Thank you… I went to Dr and was given antibiotics. I must have ingested a bacteria. Feel much better after three days on the antibiotic.

Hello all, I’m one year, two months out from surgery (SADI-S) and had my first case of a stomach flu this past Saturday. Bad diarrhea, and felt bad for two days, aches, cramps, etc… typical noro type virus. My issue is while the icky, sick feelings went away, the diarrhea has stayed. This is my first stomach flu since surgery and I’m wondering if the recovery time is longer because of my different plumbing? I don’t want to be an alarmist and run to the doctor if the recovery time is longer for bariatric patients? Maybe just takes longer to reestablish the Flora in the gut? I have tried modifying my diet as best I can along with Imodium A.D., but I just can’t firm things up, LOL. Any advice or experience would be very helpful. Thanks in advance.

I was just approved by AETNA for the SADI-S procedure. I wanted to post this because AETNA has just recognized the SADI as an approved procedure. Before Dec 5, 2022, it was considered experimental and I was concerned it would not get covered. AETNA uses a "Clinical Policy Bulletin" to explain the requirements for surgery if your plan has bariatric surgery included. It really helped clarify what I needed to do with my team. Here is the link to the most current bulletin: https://www.aetna.com/cpb/medical/data/100_199/0157.html I hope this helps.

I wish you all the best. The SADI is the best of two surgeries. I am down to 195 and feel great! I am off ALL MEDS. No more diabetes, no more high BP, mood swings gone. I’m exercising, and my body and joints are starting to recover from carrying the weight for so long. Feel free to ask any questions about Aetna or the surgery. Good luck in your journey!

First and foremost, if you are religious person, pray. Pray for God to deliver you from the situation, and to give you the strength to face these most difficult times. Second, try to find some quiet time and meditate. Go back to your time pre-surgery in your mind. Try to evoke the feelings you felt and the reason for getting the surgery…try to put yourself in your body, how you felt all the emotions and the feelings. Then live each day after the surgery again, thinking about how good you felt with losing the weight. Try to reclaim the positive feelings and the motivation you had to be that new person. Find that place again…live in it…let it be a part of you. Third, find distractions. Exercise, walk, hobbies, etc. Find anything to get you away from the biscuits. Fourth, don’t buy them! Walk past them. Buy something more healthy to snack on. Finally, know that you are not alone, there will be ups and downs in your journey. Weakness and strength will come and go…come here often…ask for help…ask for support… ask for motivation and don’t forget the most important thing, PRAY.

High B and Folate can be a sign of poor methylation. Your GP should check your homocysteine levels. This is especially true if you have the MTHFR gene mutation.

Let your new life begin! Congratulations on your decision and surgery!

Let your new life begin! Congratulations on your decision and surgery!

I’m eight months out and take it on occasion without issue. I use the gel liquid caps and make sure to take it with food

First off, congratulations on the weight you’ve lost so far! You should be proud. I am about seven months past surgery and I’ve hit my goal. As others have said, weight loss is very slow. I’ve only drifted down a pound or two in the last 2 to 3 weeks. It’s important to realize that you are still losing weight, so you are still working towards your goal. Some things you can do is take a look at how clean are your calories? Are you eating good, healthy food? Eating right keeps your body in-tune in all areas…keeps all the systems working harmoniously. Makes you feel good and keeps your MIND on track. Another thing you can do is look at your exercise. Keeping muscle is important as it burns the fat and cardio will help you in your daily calorie reduction. It doesn’t take much to energize your body to help burn even more calories. And above all else remember, slow loss is still a loss!!

I’m just the opposite. Before surgery corn was a big no go…after surgery in small quantities, I have no issues with it. But I am eating it with just light dressing and with protein. I make a chicken and corn taco using lettuce leaves and light dressing. Or have it on the side with white butter.

Same here…always cold…and I’m worried about heating oil costs! Yesterday was a really cool day here in Pennsylvania. High was only 60° and I had to mow the yard. I was bundled up like Randy on A Christmas Story! 😆 I don’t enjoy being cold, but every time I am, it makes me smile, knowing that I am thin and healthier. I no longer sweat at the drop of a hat. So embrace the big chilly!!!

One year ago today, at 2:00pm, I had my initial phone interview from my bariatric program. I had enough and took the step. I was always dead-set against surgery and prayed daily for God to help me. I awoke one day at peace on the surgery and made the call. I weighed 329lbs. ONE. YEAR. TO. THE. DAY I wake to this blessing! 199.8 on the scale. God works in mysterious ways but, in this case, no mystery...just Gods Grace! Oct 1 will be 7 months to the day of my surgery

Doctors…. As I get older, my opinion on doctors has changed quite a bit. Going through taking care of two parents and all their medical needs has shown me quite a bit. At the end of my fathers life, I came to the conclusion and can sum it up in a very easy statement. ” A Doctor graduating at the bottom of their class is still a Doctor.” Both of my parents were of the generation the doctors were on a pedestals . As their journeys towards end of life progressed, it became very very apparent to them that they are not. Bad diagnosis, bad care, wrong medication‘s, not listening to patient feedback on and on. I can’t give horror stories on the amount of bullshit that came from doctors mouths. Doctors now tend to be not very thorough and have blinders on. Gone are the days where they treated a patient as a whole person looking at all results and all the conditions. You need to be your own advocate, and do what is right for you. I’m not saying there aren’t good doctors out there, but they are becoming harder and harder to find. And we MUST question and research and push back…or find another Doctor. like any other profession, do you need to seek out the best and discard the worst. You are right to be skeptical, and have the right to find a Doctor who aligns with your thinking and care.

There is a lot of good information above and, as you’ll see, see it varies. My doctor gave me several. For me, the first one was based on getting out of the “obese”category of BMI, that was 240 pounds. The second, which I just hit, was getting out of the “overweight” category of BMI which was 200 pounds. The last I think is 187 pounds based on healthy weight. You’ll find yourself gravitating towards weights that you may have hit in the past as you lose, but you’ll know what to strive for as you start getting closer to them on the scale. I do suggest setting several as you go down rather than one large, low weight. It helps to hit the mini goals as you go.

I had the SADI-S…it’s been 7 months. Right after surgery my bowels were in turmoil as expected. Diarrhea, constipation. Before surgery I had IBS. Once things settle down my BMs are much more consistent. Most likely because my diet is consistent. As Wellington states above, you can control and use your diet to control your bowel movements. Get out of line with your diet and you get out of line with the results. Yes, there is more flatulence and odor, but it is an acceptable trade-off for what I have gained. Don’t let the small things get in the way of a life-changing decision that can save your life.

NickelChip, Thank you for that follow up study. Taking ibuprofen for 30 days would be significant. It also refers to taking a defined daily dose which I’m sure is the prescribed amount over 24 hours, again, a significant amount. I feel confident that taking some ibuprofen for some muscle pain after a long day in the yard or for a terribly bad headache will not be detrimental to my health. I hope these studies as evidence provide comfort to others as well who have occasional pain and are deeply concerned about damaging their body.

I’m just about seven months out, and I take it on occasion, but only when needed for short periods of time. I also use liquid gel and take it with food. I’m currently recovering from kidney stones from taking my calcium supplements (that’s a whole other story) and took a few. Tylenol just didn’t do anything for me and the Oxy they prescribed loops me out and constipate me. Here’s an interesting study I found https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33353863/ It’s from 2020 but they didn’t find any correlation to issues. I’m not sure if there are more recent studies, but I tend to think, in my opinion only, that it is overhyped, and they are simply airing on the side of caution, which makes sense. Since every persons system and surgery behave differently, it would be too hard to tell who could tolerate and who couldn’t. If someone then shows up with an ulcer, and their doctor didn’t warn them, lawsuits could happen. Again, just my opinion.

Congratulations! You are truly an inspiration for the long-term success, and look fantastic! Here’s to another 10 and to a long, prosperous and healthy life! Cheers!

Congratulations! You are truly an inspiration for the long-term success, and look fantastic! Here’s to another 10 and to a long, prosperous and healthy life! Cheers!

Bariatric Advantage High ADEK Chewable Multivitamin - High Potency Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K Supplement for Bariatric Surgery Patients

There is a new lawsuit out, claiming that these medication‘s may cause gastroparesis, which is paralysis of the stomach.

You have to be the squeaky wheel for sure. I chased my patient navigator almost daily for appts, tests, etc.

I use cannelloni beans and light mayo with my tuna. I crush the beans and mix with mayo and tuna packet. You can then use lettuce boats or lettuce wraps. Some of the tuna creation packets even have some various flavors that help change the taste a bit.