Tiffykins

I am ordering the Lemon Calcet chewables. I got my free sample and loved them. I've tried the Caltrate petites, wasn't impressed with the burping up pill taste. I tried a couple of the liquid calciums by NSI (i think), and I choked them down, but just don't have it in me to do it anymore. Here's the link for a free sample of the lemon chews: Calcet Creamy Bites I received my sample about 10 days after ordering, and they sent me 2 samples. They reminded me (tastewise) like Yellow starbursts. Also remember with calcium, you have to time it around your other meds for maximum absorption.

Residual gas rumbling around in there? That's really the only thing I could think. Plus, the stomach is probably trying to figure out what the heck we've done to it. It does go away.

Yeppers, I had a band, it destroyed my stomach tissue, had a flipped port from early on that caused the tubing to pull on my stomach. The band was and is a nightmare. Statistically, it has the slowest and lowest weight loss. Have your friend check out the complication forum on lapbandtalk.com The complications are on the rise for the band. I don't regret the decision to have my band. It taught me a lot about myself and my eating habits. Check out the Failed Weight loss forum on obesityhelp.com And don't believe all the "well you didn't work your band" replies from the people who are content with their bands. I worked my band until it started literally ripping apart my stomach tissue. There are many of us on the boards that had to have our bands removed due to complications. Susan Annak4 Oregondaisy Myself 3636millie Shontel Fabby50 There's a few more but those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. My mom has a band. She has had it since Nov 2007, and she has only lost 75pounds. She's gone through numerous fills and unfills, and she pukes 2-4 times a week. Some days she can eat solid food, other days it all gets stuck then she has to go back on liquids. Of course, she just thinks this is normal. She has about 35-40 pounds to lose, and she's been stalled for 15 months. Plus, she does moderate exercise. If you friend is okay with slow weight loss, and the countless long term complications such as erosion, slippage, food getting stuck, sliming, productive burping, and esophageal dialation, the list goes on and on. The sleeve has a higher risk for complications within the first 6 weeks. With the band even the manufacturer and the FDA can't guarantee that the band will last more than 5 years.

Vent away, that's what we're here for. . . I honestly get so frustrated with all the insurance denials I hear about. I've read about people layering clothing, and strapping ankle weights on under their jeans just so they could meet the weight requirements. RIDICULOUS the hoops people have to jump through.

I concur 100% with Chancie. It's just a speed bump, don't let it become a roadblock. You'll have to figure out why you've slipped back into bad habits. Get rid of all the temptation foods in the house, and if you have to go back to super basics and detox your body. We're all here for you, and if you need anything, feel free to contact me via private message as well.

Congrats ! ! ! Best wishes for an uneventful surgery and recovery.

Thank you all so very much. The nurse called me this morning to advise me that the surgeon is probably going to get me on the OR roster tomorrow or Wednesday, and I need to start fasting tonight at 10pm. I go in at 10am tomorrow to meet the surgeon, and determine the next course of action. I honestly appreciate everyone's well wishes and prayers. I'm pretty anxious about another surgery, but I know God is on my side and I have all of you cheering me on. I'll update when I can. I am feeling somewhat better today, but I'm super weak and exhausted.

Norma, you are looking great ! ! !

That's excellent news ! ! ! You should post this on the main finance forum (if you haven't already) for those self-pays out there.

Glad to hear you are doing well. Congrats on your loss thus far ! ! !

I didn't have any anxiety or depression pre-op, but I will admit that I went through some "mourning" post-op. It wasn't so much the food I missed, it was that everything in my life revolved around food. We celebrated with food, when we grieve food was a big participant, when we were bored food filled that void. See where I'm going? It was a tough pill to swallow to say the least, but it did pass. My mindset went from "live to eat" to "eat to live". Good luck on Thursday ! ! !

I agree with everything Chancie wrote. I didn't struggle too much with head hunger until much later in the game. The one thing that keeps me out of the fridge is knowing that just a few days of giving in to temptation could find me on the gaining side. I worked my butt off to get to goal, and I refuse to blow it just because I want some nutter butters. I did the same thing that Chancie has done at the buffet. 2 weeks ago, I went out to lunch with my girlfriends. They chose a bayou/cajun buffet. O M G everything smelled so fabulous, looked great. I got a sampling of almost everything. Once I sat down, and started eating. The only thing that tasted remotely good was the salad and hunter's stew. I tried to eat the mashed potatoes, the sausage link, the Beans, the bread, and none of really tasted "right". I paid 11 bucks for a small salad and 1 cup of hunter's stew LOL. But, I was totally satisfied with what I ate, and was "full". That old saying "my eyes are bigger than my stomach" is definitely true these days. Except now it's my "head" is bigger than my stomach. It seems like me being super strict with myself for the first 4 months has really "reprogrammed" my mind as to what to eat. It does get better hang in there ! ! !

Due to complications I had with anesthesia back in June, I am actually asking my surgeon tomorrow if he'll consider using an epidural on me for my gallbladder removal surgery that I'm having. I had one when I had my c-section. It wore off quickly, and I was up and walking within a couple of hours.

I edited my post to add a bunch of links from 2-3 year out patients.

I've never read about anyone regaining all of their weight back. There are some stories on OH where a few patients gain back 5-10lbs, but not all of their weight loss. I'm not sure if you've seen these links, but here are several 2 and 3 year patient stories that may help. Diligence-is-always-required Stalls-Happen Update-from-a-2-Year-Post-Op-VSGer 2-year-surgiversary-and-feeling Two-and-one-half-years-post-op TWO-YEARS-YALL Just-Passed-My-2-Year-Surgiversary questions-for-post-ops-2-years-out-or-more 2-years-out-food-amount-info anyone-2-years-out Happy-2-year-anniversary-to-me 2-years-post-op-TODAY 2-5-Years-After-a-VSG Everday-life-at-2-5-years-out 2-1-2-year-update Has-it-really-been-2-years 2-1-2-year-update Two-Year-Surgiversary 2-year-update-portrait-of-a-heavyweight-a-bit-late Two-year-surgiversary 2-and-1-2-years-later 2-years-since-my-surgery-any-advice-on-face-lift 2-year-post-op-pics Two-Years-Before-amp-After-Pic 2-year-update-portrait-of-a-heavyweight-a-bit-late Thought-you-might-enjoy-an-update-with-a-few-pics Busybusymom-is-back-2-years-post-op TWO-YEARS-BABY Any-old-timers-still-lurking-the-boards Three and a half years after Vertical Gastrectomy My Story A quick 2 year and 3 year VSG update Third Year Surgiversay Not always easy but always worth it Very Discouraged 3 years out Remember any of the WLS can be sabotaged by our eating habits, and lifestyle. It's a choice to make it work. I'm not implying that you have to diet for the rest of your life, but you do have to use the sleeve as a tool. For me, having surgery was the only way that I could get my habits in check, and change my relationship with food.

Today is your day Deb and thinoneday ! ! ! I may have missed a couple others, but I want you all to know I'm thinking and praying for an uneventful surgery and recovery. Take care of yourselves, walk, sip, walk, sip, and update us when you can ! ! ! I can't wait to hear how you are all doing.

Chandra, I dealt with the "force feeding" thing, and it totally grossed me out. For me, I had a hard time finding anything that tasted decent since my tastebuds changed so significantly. It did get to the point when I stuck to eating the same things over and over until I just couldn't tolerate the monotony. I missed food as well, not the taste of it, but the sheer joy in eating. So, you are not alone. As for the sour stomach, I ate a lot of yogurt, and greek yogurt, plus took Probiotics and all of that seemed to help. I was super stressed during my recovery, and think that caused some of my issues. I had an emotional stomach pre-op and it only got worse post-op. Anything could set it off. John and I having minced words, my kiddo being a brat, or my family drama would send my stomach into a tailspin. I'll tell you that all I did was let go of the stress and it helped. I walked away from a situtation if I knew it was going to lead to an argument. I would leave the house if I felt cooped up. I had a lot of anxiety anytime something felt "wrong" or if I had to go back in to the surgeon. I was constantly worried they'd find something bad. The first 4 months for me were the toughest, but little by little things got better. My response probably didn't help much, but know that you are not alone in how you are feeling.

I had a sinking feeling that my gallbladder was the culprit in all of this. I was hoping it was something simple like the Wellbutrin, but of course not, it requires that I have another surgery. I went to the ER on Thursday night. Got a bag of fluids, 2 percocets, and a diagnosis of a UTI. The idiot doctor didn't even do an abdominal exam. Anyways, on Friday, I called my bariatric nurse, and he got me in for a GB ultrasound, and abdominal CT. The u/s revealed a gallbladder full of stones. I was told that the surgeon would be informed, and hopefully they will get me in soon for surgery. I left feeling pretty defeated. I'm back on a liquid diet, bland as it can be. Every sip, swallow, hurts. My surgeon, bless his heart, called me this morning (Saturday) and told me to come in on Tuesday at 10am. He's hoping to get me on the OR roster sometime this week. As much as I don't want to endure another surgery, I can't handle hurting like this constantly. Not to mention the horrendous gas that has started since all of this. Thank you all for your prayers and good thoughts. I'll try to keep everyone posted.

I hope someone else can chime in with their experience. I can't recall feeling this way pre-op except right before they put me in the stand-by room for the OR. I asked for some iv valium and that helped immensely. I did try to focus on all the positives that would come my way post-op. Anything negative that came into my mind, I turned it into a positive.

The protocol for my surgeon on patients without complications is full labs at 3 and 12 months post-op.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh that just sounds horrific. I hope it all heals up quickly, and sending you some good thoughts ! ! !

I am sorry that he made those insensitive comments. I would be upset as well. Changing surgeons always scares me, but it's something that I know I will have to face because my surgeon is military. He is deployed right now, so I have to see the surgeon (Dr. Riley) that assisted him on my revision. I think very highly of both of them. Dr. Riley is phenomenal, and took care of me while I was hospitalized in July. He'll also be the one performing my GB removal surgery sometime this next week. I always have to mentally prepare myself that one day Dr. Michel (primary surgeon) will get orders to go somewhere else or my husband will get orders and we'll have to leave. As for follow-up care, if you want to change, I would find a surgeon that has performed VSGs. My follow up has been a little more extensive due to complications. I had labs done at 3, 7, and will have 12 month labs pulled in June. We've discussed him doing an endoscopy at my 1 year follow up, but I'm not sure if we'll actually follow through on that one. Once I pass the 1 year mark, my PCM will order my labs, and the only reason I'll have to f/u with the surgeon is if I have a sleeve related issue.

Thank you all so very much.

You would have to discuss what complications would be covered by your insurance. I know some people who have had complications that were self-pay, and some of the hospital bills were covered under their insurance. It all depends on how they code the bill. If your insurance company excludes weight loss surgery, then more than likely they will not cover a secondary surgery to fix a complication that followed an excluded service. Also, since you are paying cash find out from the surgeon if any complications would be covered under his follow up care plan.