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I'm also 5' and will have surgery march 13. I currently weigh around 180 and have my pre op on Wednesday. I wonder if our rate of losing weight is bc of our height?

I'm feeling pretty good! I've been sleeping a lot better at home than I did in the hospital. No nausea, just pain in my stomach when I get up from sitting or laying down. Only been talking Tylenol 3 & Prilosec since I've been home bc that was what I was sent home with. Which surgery did you have? I had the sleeve. The only day I thought I may have regretted my decision was on Friday bc I was in so much pain and so nauseous. I'm very happy I made the decision today. I also start full liquids today!

I am also always thirsty and can drink with ease. It worried me that I can bc others can't... Good app for water counting intake?

I'll be there the week before! From BC..

Fed 23rd here! How are you feeling? You're a day ahead of me hope you're well. Any feelings of regret/depression ?

My BCBS only required 3 months of weigh-ins, but mine is through the Fed employee coverage...I did all mine, 2/22/16, 3/21/16, and 4/22/16...no probs with approval. Am hoping you have the same outcome, best of luck! Sent from my SM-G928V using the BariatricPal App

The broth makes me want to throw up as well. I'm 17 days post and I don't even eat bc of the smell. And I feel as if I'm going to regurgitate.

Dr. Ortiz from the OCC? I'll be there at the same time. I'm from BC.

Hi! I started at same BMI as you and self funded in Mexico too! My surgery date was 1/27 so I'm about 4 weeks out. I am so happy with my decision, I have healed quickly and feel great. I decided to go with wls surgery bc I felt like I spent my whole life gaining weight and then obsessively dieting, losing some weight and then immediately gaining it back. Plus I was constantly hungry and obsessed with food. For me the surgery was about losing weight and keeping it off. I have lost 24 lbs so far and although the scale hasn't moved in a week it hasn't gone up either. I love that I can eat small amounts and not feel full. I look forward to reaching my goal weight and being able to enjoy food in moderation. Feel free to dm if you want a friend! I love talking about my experience and am open to any questions.

Thank you so much for the advice and motivation! I have went back to basics like liquid mostly. I contacted my Nutritionist and she advised me to quit the gym for now as long as I had 10,000 steps in a day.... ONCE AGAIN.... THE SCALE HAS MOVED... YAY !!! Down 5 lbs in 3 days, but I also started Miralax and my Period finally came as well.. ( sorry if tmi ) I am scared to do any carbs right now, bc I used to be a carbs person... btw congratulations on your journey!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I can TOTALLY relate! Our story to a T only we had TTC for 5 years and I wasn't about to get back on bc after surgery since it had taken so long to balance out. Needless to say, I got pregnant 5 months after surgery however, nothing could have gone better. I did learn that OBs and midwives know nothing of bariatrics when they tried to tell me I could not have a natural birth because I was "high risk" I did my homework and went prepared with a plan and suggested they seek advice from the bariatrics dept. I upped my caloric intake by grazing through the day on additional healthy snacks and I'm convinced had a healthier pregnancy than I would have had I NOT had surgery. Everything went swimmingly and we had an unmediated birth just two days before my due date and I walked out of that hospital 4 hours with my baby girl she's 10 months now. I gained 17lbs during my pregnancy and it was all gone 2 days after. I went right back to losing with breastfeeding after labor. I realize my situation wasn't the ideal timing but it worked perfectly for us. I pray you have no issues getting pregnant when it's right for you! Best of luck!!!!

I didn't even think about asking my surgeon when I could get on birth control pot-op... ooops! He is SUPER hardcore about the whole, "No getting pregnant within 2 years of surgery" that it scared me and after about 6 weeks of healing post-op I went and got the Nexplanon arm implant so I wouldn't have to worry about remembering to take any pills or anything. I guess it is different though with the birth control pills, you want to make sure your stomach is healed enough and can properly break it down to be effective! But if you have ever considered the arm implant BC, I recommend it only because it lasts up to 3 years, and it really wasn't bad getting it put in! I bruised a bit afterwards, but that is normal for me! I am liking it so far.

Has anyone cheated on their eating plans? Today makes one full week that I've been sleeved and I'm starting to feel like me again. I enter the full liquid phase today. During the past week, I've not been able to get in my liquids or Protein bc it just hurt too bad to drink anything, but yesterday I got in 30 grams of protein, and about 40 oz of Water. This morning I drank a 14oz bottle of water in about an hour (makes me hopeful.) I don't EVER eat fish, but MY BODY CRAVVVVED IT TODAY! So I bought a piece and chewed it to toothpaste consistency. Ive eaten about eight nibbles in four hours and I don't feel horrible (literally nor figuratively, lol) just wondering if anyone has skipped any phases and still been ok?

The question is not about losing weight - it's about keeping the weight off. I think everyone on this site has had plenty of experience in losing weight, but the fact is, most of us cannot keep the weight off permanently. If you try to lose weight through exercise and diet alone (diet is more effective) you have a less than 5% chance (in some studies it is less than 1% chance) of keeping the weight off permanently, whereas permanent weight loss is much higher (at least 85%) after bariatric surgery. Here are some reasons why bariatric surgery works (in comparison to diet and exercise): VSG/GP - removes the part of your stomach which produces the hunger hormone gherlin. Although some form of hunger will come back eventually for most bariatric patients, not having to deal with real hunger issues as you lose weight is very helpful in the first year after surgery. Also, removing this part of the stomach seems to have an impact on bile production and other hormones, which almost always positively affects other metabolic conditions like diabetes. Diabetes often goes into remission, and people have a reduction in meds for cholesterol or high blood pressure, etc. These improvements are not necessarily due to the weight loss (as first thought), but due to the surgery itself. Your metabolic rate will change as well. Trying to lose weight through diet and exercise alone can actually screw up your metabolism - look at what happened to the "Biggest Loser" contestants that they studied recently - their metabolisms (even for the ones who kept the weight off) were much worse after losing weight than before they started. Your body has a "set-point" that it likes to stay at. Basically, it likes where it is and will fight you tooth and nail to stay where it is. So if you start eating less, your metabolism will slow down so you don't lose weight. If you start exercising more, your metabolism will slow down so you don't lose weight. This is built into our bodies to prevent us from starving when times are lean; unfortunately most of us never really have to worry about not having food available to us 24 hours a day, so we are always well-fed. Weight loss surgery is not a quick fix. Basically, it takes away all the handicaps your body has set against you for losing weight. So you get about 1-2 years where you can diet and exercise AND lose weight AND keep it off without fighting your body every step of the way. But if you want to be successful, you still have to eat well and exercise. If you go back to your old habits, you will gain back the weight. The surgery acts like a 'reprieve', giving you a real chance to lose and keep the weight off. This surgery (especially sleeve) is not any worse than having your appendix or gall bladder removed. All you are doing is decreasing the size of your stomach with additional metabolic effects. I've learned a lot about this from many different resources, both online and in books. Unfortunately I can't find all of the resources online (I may not have bookmarked them all), but here are a few links: Why You Shouldn't Exercise to Lose Weight Why Weight Loss Surgery Works When Diets Don't Bariatric Surgery Misconceptions The Mechanism of Weight Loss After Bariatric Surgery Mechanisms Responsible for Excess Weight Loss After Bariatric Surgery (this link just takes you to the abstract and resources, but the resources are very good, plus you can read the full article if you like) ___________________________________________________________________________________ Walter - when all is said and done, it's up to you. If you are not ready for the surgery, maybe you should wait. In the end, it should be something you do because you want to do it, and because you know it's the best option for you. If you can't say yes to either of those, then maybe you should talk to your doctor about other options.

Hi Everyone. Ok, this is a sort of continuation from a post I made a while ago. Dec 19th I was diagnosed with 3 large kidney stones in the left kidney. Had these lasered and whilst they were doing that they found 3 more, also large ones... I had an op on Dec 23 and although they removed the first 3 due to damage they had to leave the other 3 in with a stent to help with draining until I can go back in to have them removed as well. (Got about a 4 month wait so i'm told!) Knock on from this is that I'm on oral morphine for pain control and I believe the constant hammering of pain killers is now causing other intestinal problems, as in a potential ulcer. I have no appetite and when I do eat I bring half of it back up regardless if its soup or solid food and there is a non stop feeling of nausea. I suppose my question to everyone is, have any of you gone through something similar and how did you deal with it and how did it end? Many thanks for reading Martin

I know how you feel. I wanted to quit during my preoperative diet bc I wanted to eat food but I stuck with it. Your emotions will be all over the place but know your not alone. My bypass was this past Valentines day

I totally understand what you mean!! Food was my drug for so long it's very hard for me bc I went through so much depression and stress that I turned to food so that's always been my go to so now trying to end that addition is only through help of God. I have tried salmon twice and it didn't work at all. Sometimes if something has a lot of seasoning on it I can't eat it. Chicken hasn't really bothered me as long as it's not dry. But I almost have to eat it shredded like and yes it takes me forever to eat! And that's been really hard for me bc I'm use to hurrying and eating and taking big bites and big drinks of drink so it's definitely hard learning to eat again. I have tried too many veggies yet. I have been eating eggs and tuna and chicken and I love the grilled fish from Caption ds knock on wood every time I have went it hasn't been dry and it's so easy to eat. I found Pinterest to be the best at finding recipes that are good for us. Some are still kinda crazy and they say they are for us and you read the ingredients and you are like no way that's healthy lol but they are some really good healthy ones on there. I fixed cauliflower crust grilled chicken pizza last night it was actually pretty good. I got this amazing sauce from sams yesterday that has nothing in it and it's so good I'll have to get you the name of it! I'm so glad you replied to my post it really helps having someone else to talk to that's going through the same!

First, don't worry about your BMI. You can lose 50 pounds and still be approved. The insurance company looks at your weight over time. Your doctor's recommendation includes your highest weight and your highest BMI. It's a HUGE misconception that losing weight before the surgery will cost you the insurance's approval. On the contrary, you are actually put on a liquid diet 2 weeks prior and are encouraged to lose as much as you possibly can. Second, your psych evaluation is no big deal. The psychologist just wants to make sure that you are committed, supported, and are ready for these life changes. The psych os there to point out to you that the surgery is just a step. It will not solve your problems and if you are not ready to make life changes, than you won't be successful. Don't stress out. It's not worth it. If your doctor already agreed to doing the surgery, than everything else should be treated like you going down a check list. And literally, that's what you should do. It takes a full month for you to get all your approvals and check ups, depending on your insurance company's requirements. I know a friend of mine had to complete a sleep study and I didnt. While I had to join a pre-op support group and she didn't... so every company is different. As annoying as it may be, embrace it. BC every step you make takes you one step closer to the end result. Good luck.

I feel like I swallow gallons of air every time I take a sip, bc its just that much gas in my chest and esophagus area, but then again everything i drink is ice cold. Im going to try room temperature to see how that goes down. I sleeved 2/15

I am in the pre-op stages and right now I am waiting on an appointment to see the surgeon to book the surgery. I am VERY nervous. I am questioning my self everyday. "Is this right for me?" "Am I making the right decision?" I ask my husband everyday if I should do this. I know I am doing this for myself and my health, but I change my mind everyday. I qualify for the surgery, I have a BMI of 40. I joined weight watchers on 1/4/17 and lost 14 lbs, which makes me think I can do it on my own. My problem is I like salt and I like to snack when I am watching TV and relaxing. Also some questions I have are about excess skin, dinner prep for family, budgeting for the pre and post op food hair loss and social gatherings. 1. I am nervous about the excess skin. Where it will be and how much of it will have. I don't have money for cosmetic surgery and I heard it is more painful then the sleeve surgery. 2. I have a 4 1/2 year old and a husband, and with me not eating to or able to eat. I feel I won't be motivated enough to cook for my family or even healthy bc I will want to get their dinner finished quickly. 3. I don't have money for the shakes I have to get. The pre and post op diet is very expensive and I don't know how I can manage this? 4. My husband and I enjoy the occasional night out. And we have go to a lot of social gatherings; friends bday dinners, weddings, etc. How do ppl manage going out and enjoying the food they love every now and then? And when can you go out and actually eat like that again. I know it will never be the same but I guess it's just something I am thinking about. Please no negative comments. Like I said I am very nervous and i have lots of questions. Thank you all in advance.

I've never had a baby, but I'm used to having a big belly, lol. I was feeling super full earlier bc I had drank a lot of liquids, but I peed it out and felt relieved as well. I still carry my big belly around though, lol

I am going to post my original post and then add to it! PLEASE READ Hey All! I had a huge change today in regards to my health. From my original post I was in the ER on 2/13 and I was told I had a iliac obstruction. The hospital told me that I would be admitted and if within 48 hours it has not moved they would cut it out. I waited until in the am and still no X-ray. I was getting annoyed and called everyone I could call. Finally someone from the administrative staff came to my room. I was told that I needed more X-rays. I was pissed beyond belief and refused them. I signed out AMA. I headed back to my hospital Cleveland Clinic Weston. There I was brought in immediately and given fluids and pain meds. I did end up doing another X-ray by my surgeons request. So I just had my X-ray and will be updated later tonight. I will keep everyone updated! Oh one last thing. Each time I had them put in an IV my site would swell and hurt. They tried 3x and all failed. So when I was complaining about pain I wasn't even getting it was because all the meds were stuck there and I wasn't getting the meds. Uggggg I made it to the Cleveland Clinic after checking out AMA and ended up checking out AMA as well from Cleveland Clinic. I am beginning to think I am losing my mind. While at CC (cleveland clinic) I did a colonoscopy prep as my dr said I was completely impacted. Also all pain meds were taken away as the dr said it's only making it worse. When I saw my surgeon he told me that he would make sure I was well and he would do anything to help me. Well yesterday one of the fellows came in and said oh we are going to keep you until Sunday to make sure then you can go home. I was so pissed I left AMA. Does anyone think I'm crazy? Don't you think he should of did surgery to look inside to find out what's going on? Now about an hour ago I called CC Bc my pain is back in full force and I have not had a BM on my own as of yet. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got a week worth of shots, twice a day bc my grandmother passed away from blood clot to her lungs so I told my Dr it has always been a fear of mines. So idk if he gave them bc I needed them or to calm me down

It's Thursday. I'm going to call again tomorrow to ask if I can start taking them, bc simply getting dressed and driving to church this morning nearly took me out!

Hey, sorry you still feel bad. I've been on BC like 2 years before I had my surgery. I suffered from really bad PMS. The meds that my gyno has me on is good. It does take your body about 3 months to become "regular" you also have to remember that you're ingesting a lot less calories so that could be what's giving you that lethargic feeling. Hope your feel better soon!