Tiffykins

Congrats Judy ! ! ! Keep it up, and I'm really proud of you for getting back on track. . .

Hey Samie, and welcome to VST. We live in NW Florida panhandle near between Pensacola and Panama City. I'm a band to sleeve revision patient, and I'll be honest, the sleeve is so fabulous. I made it to goal in less than 7 months, and couldn't be happier. I had complications with my band, gained weight with it, and was just downright miserable. My mom and younger brother have the band. My mom has had hers for 2 years, does the sliming, pb'ing practically daily and pukes a couple times a week, and she just thinks it's normal. My younger brother has done fabulous and had great success (100 pounds loss in 5 months), but has only had it since May 2009. My mom has only lost 60% of her EW, and of course that's a successful band per the stats. But, I wouldn't trade my quality of life for hers to have another band. Keep us posted on your journey, ask any questions that you may have, we'll all be here for you.

Thank you bunches, and yes, I go through that every time I shop. Recently, I was holding up some slacks, and the associate said 'ma'am, those are not going to fit you'. I said " oh I know, I was just browsing" She said "try these, and handed me a size 10" I just laughed at her, and said "those won't work just yet" I bought the 12s and they are too big. I still have to return them, and go back for the 10s. It is a total mind-f***, some days I just can't wrap my head around all of it.

I won't scream at you, but no more cheats this early out. Let your baby tummy heal up properly. Just for future reference, I am almost 7 months out, and can eat 3 small pot stickers at TGI Fridays. Glad you are getting in your Protein, do you want me to mail those samples I have to you now? I still have them and can probably get them out in the mail next week. They're just cluttering up my junk drawer, and they don't expire until mid-2010.

Woohooo I've been impatiently waiting to hear your update, and I am so glad you are sitting with us on the loser's bench ! ! ! The gas is killer, but it will pass. broth was my best friend for awhile. Keep truckin' along ! ! !

That's so wonderful. You did great through the holidays. I understand about the "creeper" food coming back up. It's not a normal vomitting episode, it's just such a weird sensation. Hope you have a good New Year ! ! !

Hey Jessica, and welcome to VST. Congrats on getting approval, and you'll love the sleeve. As for Proteins, I would only order samples pre-op because even if you like it pre-op, post-op your tastebuds may change and you may not be able to tolerate any of them. If you go to the Food/Recipe sharing forum there are lots of threads dedicated to just Protein, and where to find sample packs for you to try out. I went through 22 different brand, flavors before finding one I could tolerate. So, don't get frustrated, it's a process of elimination and everyone is different. Best wishes, and keep us posted on your progress.

You look amazing Donna ! ! ! Looks like y'all had a wonderful Christmas.

YAY that's great results ! ! !

So very happy to hear you got some relief. Take care of yourself, and keep us posted.

I'm glad to hear you are home and recovering. I know how painful PT can be just with my 2 knee surgeriers it was torture. Keep on trucking Norma, and keep us posted.

panniculectomy (you can Google that word and get the full details on the procedure) - removal of the pannis (tummy flap) I don't believe this procedure will take care of the muscle repair like a tummy tuck would. Most insurance companies required documentation of infections, boils, rashes, and so forth to get coverage for this type of surgery.

Thought I'd hop in chat for a bit tonight if anyone else is interested ! ! !

Hey Gary, welcome to VST. Congrats on getting your date ! ! ! I am sure plenty of Dr. A's patients will pipe in here, and share their experiences. You'll be in great hands, and I hear their service is top notch. Best wishes, and keep us posted.

Wonderful news Anne. I hope your recovery continues to go well, and we'll be watching for updates. Rest when you can.

I had a UTI in mid-July. It was seriously my first one in my entire life. They prescribed Levaquin and I had to increase my fluid intake. I never took cranberry supplements. I definitely bring this up with your surgeon and ask if you can incorporate cranberry juice or supplements into your post-op regimen to help prevent a UTI early out.

This has been my experience as well. I've received more positive than negative. The only time I was irritated by a similar situation was at Chili's and the server kept insisting on asking if " the food okay, you aren't eating much yada yada". I had only lost a small portion of weight so I was still obese. I'm sure it shocked her that I only ate about 2oz of the chili I had ordered. I just finally told her that everything was fine, and there wasn't a problem with the chili. I bowl on a military spouse's club bowling league, and they have watched me drop an additional 50ishlbs in the last 4.5 months, and they all know I've had surgery. They know of my complications, and 3 of them have asked how the process works with our insurance so they can look into the surgery for themselves. I have found most overweight/obese people either want information or they want to say that I took the easy way out. Well, if it's so easy to lose the excess weight on our own, why are they still fat? And, yes that's usually my response. I'm blunt, and honest, I won't sugarcoat it for them if they want to try to negate the seriousness of this or any other WLS. I also attend a monthly luncheon, and I eat whatever is on the menu. I also use portion control, but I've learned to break my food up and move it to the outer edge of the plate to make it appear that I've actually eaten more than I have. If you make the plate look a little messy, it's pretty deceitful. If someone asks, I tell the truth. But, I've also found many people don't ask or question my food intake. They're all too busy worrying about themselves to really notice how much I'm eating.

Thank you all so much. I meet with my surgeon mid-January for a full chem 12, cbc, lipid panel, thryoid and TSH, folic acid, b12, Vitamin D, and vit D3. My bloodwork earlier this month was normal, but it was just a chem 12 and cbc. I am hoping to maintain with upping my working out, strength training, and turning this fatty/flabbiness to muscle mass. So, that should help maintain. I'm still technically Overweight by the BMI calculator, but for me to get to "normal" I would have to lose another 14lbs. I really don't want to be that small so I really want to maintain. I'll be updating my blog with my progress. I don't want to clog up the boards with boring posts.

Congrats Anne, post an update when you are able, and I'll be thinking about you today as you begin this amazing journey.

Hey Carla, and welcome to VST. Everything you're feeling is completely normal. Good luck on the pre-op diet, and I'll be happy to hear about your progress. This surgery is literally the best thing I could of ever done for myself. I'm happier, healthier, and more active than I have ever been in my life. Best wishes and keep us posted.

Demand to be seen. If you are physically thirsty, yet can't drink I would almost guarantee you are dehydrated.

Ohhhhhhh Lisa, I am so very sorry to hear this. Unfortunately, I don't know anything about the specifics on H-Pylori. But, you are in my prayers.

Oh Shontel, I'll be praying for you. I hope they are able to get you some relief.

Yes like a smooth egg salad, or have you ever had/seen like potted meat, or devil's ham(that stuff makes my skin crawl, but my dad ate it all the time)? No chunks, the mini-food processor I picked up at Wal-Mart for $8 was a good thing during this time. I wasn't patient enough to fork mush everything, and I was a bit paranoid about eating anything with chunks. It was not very enjoyable because it is pureed meat, but I ate it for the protein and a change in my menu early out.

I can eat all of it now without any issue. I'm actually making cabbage rolls on New Year's day. I eat the inside of spring and egg rolls all the time. Coleslaw is a favorite, and I love pickles now. It was a temporary thing, and I definitely eat hot peppers now. Jalepeno poppers (you know those little fried thingies with cheddar cheese and jalepeno pieces), yeppers, I chow down on those. I also love, love banana peppers, and those pepperocino peppers at italian places. So, really once you get a couple of months under your belt, and you start incorporating regular foods, you can truly have anything desire. I just had to introduce things slowly, and only tried something new a couple times a week.