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I had tried everything.. Camomile tea, melatonin 10 mgs, zoplicon.. you name it. I would be sleepy enough to be miserable but not enough to fall asleep. I would then increase the dose, not sleep all night and end up going to work like a zombie. After the surgery, I can sleep for 12 hours and still be hugging my pillow when it's time to get up. I don't take any sleeping aides and I have not added anything to my routine apart from the weight loss process. After having to go through years of no sleep of 3-4 hours maximum, I now wonder how anyone can be grumpy through out the day with 8+ hours of sleep every night. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I would like to meet more members that had the DS or revision from RNY to DS. I am in Arizona and my doctor has been outstanding from the beginning to the end. I had my revision 12/29 ; preoperative testing on 12/17 then postoperative testing 12/30 to check for leaks . The radiologist said he did a wonderful job on my surgery especially since I had a ton of scar tissue. I want to get meal ideas and chat with more people. Also they say there was no good Duodenal switch doctors in Arizona which wasn't true there was a lady the travel outside of AZ to come here for her surgery. Good luck to your weight loss journey and your decision

I found a website to help you get an incentive to lose weight. It's called dietbetter.com. I heard about it on the Today show website. You join or start games by betting a certain amount of money that you'll lose 4% of your body weight in 4 weeks or 10% in 6 months. The bets start as low as $10 and go up to over $100! I joined a game on April 1st with a bet of $25 that I will lose 4% in 4 weeks. So far I've lost just over 5lbs since April 1st. and i have about 1.8 lbs to go until April 29th. (which i know i can lose!) If you meet your goals you win a portion of the pot! It's a great way to make yourself accountable for losing weight and get rewarded for your efforts too!

Thank You Lynneanne. My physician and I are working on getting all the data together. Part of the difficulty I have at the moment is that I am living in Australia as an ex-pat, and my records are in the U.S. I have gotten part of them and working getting the rest of them sent via e-mail over. We plan to submit the request with research backing up the request, along with the data that I have of my lab work previously which demonstrates improvement with weight loss. I am just hoping they will accept the VLCD weight loss program that I did for over nine months, even though it is out of the two year period they request.

Welcome Melissa! You've done a great job on your weight loss so far! Congratulations and welcome. Where do you live in KY?

Does anyone know how far back bariatric Dr's will look at medical history? I met with a nut about a year ago and have been through 4 weight loss programs since 2008. I already was diagnosed with sleep Apnea so I feel like all I need to do now it see a psychologist, but not sure if they will accept me seeing the nut a year ago? Anyone else? Thanks Jen Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I have been at goal for several months now. I am 14 months post. I still have excellent restriction and can not see myself overeating at this point or anytime soon. The sleeve is different from the band and RnY. The stomach is smaller and you really can't stretch it back to a point where you can overeat. You still have to make good decisions, of course. I could eat a bowl of ice cream 5x a day. If I make bad decisions, I will have problems with weight loss for sure, but for me, one aspect of this journey was being able to examine my relationship with food. Everything has changed with the sleeve and that includes my thinking. Good luck!

Wow amazing loss in so quick a time!

Congrats on your loss and recovery. I am also 14m out and was lurking and praying for you as you went through that nightmare during the first few months. It's so great to see how well you've done. I remember your wife was going through a lot as well. I hope she is well also. Maintenance is a one day at a time process as well. You look great. Keep it up!

Need to get the word out about the Sleeve!! http://www.webmd.com/diet/weight-loss-surgery/news/20110321/study-poor-results-from-lap-band-surgery

...Other Than Obsessively Weigh Yourself! Meditate Exercise Learn a new craft Practice an old craft Walk a dog Volunteer with a charity Plant little seed kits Organize your sock drawer Make fun of bad movies Write thank-you notes to all your friends/support team Listen to audiobooks Take an online free course somewhere like Coursera Dust shelves Reorganize your library Sing (even if you do it badly) Dye your hair Get a mani/pedi (regardless of your gender) Write 500 words a day Read a Great Book you've always meant to read Read a totally trashy book you'd NEVER admit you read Put all your CDs and DVDs into folders and recycle the cases Start a blog Watch a TV show you'd never considered watching Make your holiday list ANYTHING other than the scale! (Suggestions welcome! )

My sis sent me this and being a Columbus native, I really enjoyed it (grew up in Worthington, DH and I graduated from OSU, and we lived in Highland Lakes up north before moving to Pittsburgh). Enjoy... You know you're from Columbus (Ohio) when: The fact that the German Village Oktoberfest is in September (and not in German Village...) seems perfectly normal. You beam with pride that we're the hometown of Wendy's, White Castle, Rax Roast Beef, Bob Evans and & Donato's. But you wonder why we're the 8th fattest city in America. You remember very vividly City Center & Northland. You know how to pronounce Scioto and Olentangy. You go to The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield just to see and be seen, and you've been rained on there at least once. You see nothing unusual about a street being called East North Broadway. You live in the suburbs but your backyard was actually a cornfield last year. That complex on the corner with the CVS, Blockbuster and Kroger? That was a cornfield last year, too! As you lament the loss of all those cornfields, you see the infinite wisdom of Dublin City Council, who spent over $60,000 on a field of 10' concrete corn ears. You know all of the 4 seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter and Construction. You drive 3 hours to see Red White & Boom for 15 minutes...and 4 hours back. But you live 12 minutes away. You know what a real buckeye is and have a recipe for the candy ones. You take it for granted that screaming "O-H"...anytime, anywhere...will get a reply from a stranger saying "I-O"! You don't consider it terribly strange that The Dispatch covers national and international news in a page or two...but requires 6 pages for sports (and 3 of those just for the Buckeyes). You consider going to the Zoo in winter VERY normal...and we're talking real winter...ice and snow and stuff...not just the month of December. And you stopped noticing Jack Hanna's lisp years ago. You have a Buckeye necklace. You think 45 degree weather is justification enough to go through the car wash! You call it pop. Soda is for weirdos. You get chills when you hear Carmen Ohio. You know that Wyandot Lake is NOT a body of Water, and Mad River Mountain is not really a mountain. You say Kroger's...although proper english would be Kroger. You can see a building downtown...but you can't get there due to 500 million one-way streets! You consider this weather pretty much normal: Monday: 30 degrees Tuesday: 70 degrees Wednesday: 45 degrees and humid Thursday: -10 wind chill Friday: 80 degrees and sunny You take it as a matter of fact that if you don't like the weather today...stick around, it'll change! Though there's not a snowball's chance...the guys like to pretend that all those Victoria's Secret models actually live here, just because the company's based here. One out of every 5 cars has something Buckeye on it. You remember Flippo and Luci's Toy Shop Your big Christmas event as a kid was seeing the window decorations and visiting Santa at Downtown Lazarus You were surprised that there is ANOTHER Hoover Dam in the country You know full well that people drive 10 mph with the first dusting of snow and 65 mph with 2 feet of snow You've never even stopped to question the fact that a bunch of businesses close down on every OSU football game day. You know what The Hospital Curve is You think the standard protocol for a tornado warning is...to grab lawn chairs and head for the front porch. You drive down 670 with your windows open to smell the fresh bread from the Wonder Bread factory and the cinnamon rolls from the Kroger bakery You think there's nothing strange about the city of Westerville being Northeast of Columbus You're fully confident that the word Columbus should always be followed by Ohio

Try not to worry about the weight loss right now. Stay off the scale. You need to concentrate on relaxing and getting well. Your body is fighting illness AND healing from major surgery. You no doubt have lots of inflammation and are retaining fluid too. Even people not ill usually stall around 3 weeks post-op. Binge watch some netflix, do crossword puzzles, anything to keep your mind occupied. I hope you get the medical issues resolved and then can continue your journey. Good luck.

If I'm vain about anything, it's my hair. It's thick and I can stand to lose a little. But the lackluster/dryness of it is worrisome. I've been taking Biotin 5000 since before surgery. I'm starting to shed at 9 weeks. But, my nails are the strongest they've ever been. It definitly had a good effect on my nails. I've been through the shedding before with both my pregnancies. It comes back and I have plenty to spare but I'm just hoping it's not more severe. It's just "frizzy" and dry. It definitly wasn't dry after pregnancy. And my skin has never been dry. I'll look for the oil. My skin is soooo dry, especially in the looser areas.

During my second month ost-op, my fingernails started to break off in little pieces. Also, my skin got very dry and itchy. I started taking Biotin 10,000 mg and a hair, skin, and nails (with gelatin) supplement. With every other shower, I exfoliate every part of me that I can reach and then rub Sweet Almond Oil all over. My nails responded very well, and my skin has healed and feels as soft as a baby. Hair is a different story. During a mid-March visit with my bariatric physician, she told me that it is my turn to start watching the shower drain for falling hair. I have noticed more individual hairs on the furniture and about the house, but haven't seen a clump yet. My boyfriend is very supportive and aware that losing hair is given part of this process, although the volume is different for everybody. He told me that if falling hair reduces me to tears, he would just hold me tighter. For right now, my hair is softer than it has ever been.

Fantastic post! 40lbs loss (the sidebar in your profile says) is significant. I posted somewhere else - four people told me Friday I look ‘healthy’ which is a lovely way to note the weight loss without being personal - “have you lost weight?” Is very intrusive! It is really hard to get a mental picture of my size now - seems you are the same @Miss Topaz - but our other halves seem to have a better idea of it than us! Keep up the good work, my friend

I'm not really resentful.. the attention is sometimes a little weird for me.. I've always dressed well, worked out.. and done my makeup and hair.. but I actually feel pretty. I've always been told I had a good personality.. I don't really blame anyone.. I'm superficial at times myself.

Okay, this list is what Dr. Aceves' office sends out. Other doctors may have other suggestions. Suggested items to bring to the hospital: Some items you may want to consider taking to the hospital with you: Pajamas, the nurses and doctors will be checking your incisions so you might be more comfortable in your own pajamas than the hospital gowns, however, hospital gowns are provided if you prefer. Non skid slippers, thongs, or slip on shoes of some sort. The hospital floors are very clean and waxed, so you'll want non-skid. It will be sore to bend over so you won't want to tie shoe laces so slip on shoes are easier. A favorite robe, many times it is comforting to have a favorite robe. Computer - if you have a laptop you are welcome to bring it. The hospital and hotel are set up with wireless internet connection. Any of Dr. Aceves' staff can give you the password at the hospital. You do not need a password in the hotel. Cell phone - Most cell phones work well in the hospital, if your phone does not work most of the staff will loan you their phone. The electrical system is the same in Mexico as the US so you do not need a converter for your hair dryer, computer, or cell phone charger. Shampoo - this is provided by the hospital but many prefer their own brands so they prefer to bring their own. Book or other reading material. You will not likely feel like reading the day of surgery but you might the day after surgery. Loose fitting clothing to wear coming home. You will likely feel a bit bloated after surgery so bring a sweat suit or something very loose fitting and comfortable for your ride home from the hospital. I do not suggest bringing much cash with you. Unless you want to do a little shopping the day before your surgery there is no need for much cash. You will want to purchase dinner the night before surgery and $25.00 per person will cover that easily, less for most restaurants. If you want to have access to cash then credit cards are a safer alternative. You will not need to convert US dollars to pesos, you can use US dollars for your companion in the hospital cafeteria and all businesses around Mexicali if you choose to do a little shopping. Good luck to you on your upcoming surgery! Grocery list for post op diet: Just as a suggestion you might want to do a bit of grocery shopping before you have surgery so that when you come home you will not need to go to the store, you will be able to rest and relax. Some ideas are: Broth, chicken, Beef, Vegetable, or they have new products out (new to me) that are Chinese soup broths in a carton that you simply heat. It would give you a bit of variety. Popsicles that are Water based, sugar free, and a variety of flavors. Ramon Noodles. While the noodles are not acceptable during the clear phase of the post op diet there is a packet of dry broth mix that many seem to like, it has a bit more kick than regular broth, I am told. Propel water, you can purchase this as bottled water or you can purchase individual packets of this product and put it in water and mix. The reason this product is good is because many are used to a high carbohydrate diet and when your body is used to many carbs, especially white carbs such as flour, Pasta, rice, potatoes, sugar; your pancreas tends to put out a bit too much insulin because of the carb load. When you remove carbs from your diet it can potentially be a drastic change and your pancreas is still putting out a bit too much insulin during the post op diet. This can cause low blood sugar, your stomach might feel nauseated, you might begin to perspire, feel like you are trembling. This does not happen to everyone but it does seem to happen more to older folks or those used to very high white carb diets. Propel water has a very small amount of sugar in it. Just enough to bring your blood sugar up but not enough to cause large blood sugar spikes. Sugar Free Gatorade, it is a new product that is low carb but it has some electrolytes that are beneficial during the post op stage. Water, you need to get about 64oz of fluids in daily. Your broth and Popsicles count toward your 64oz of fluids daily. The key is to sip, sip, sip all day long. The first few days you may find that you cannot get your full 64oz of fluids in, try as hard as you can. You do not want to become dehydrated. If you enjoy tap water that is fine, if you don't then perhaps try bottled water and see if that goes down. Crystal Lite, Sugar Free Hawaiian Punch, pretty much any sugar free water flavorings are fine during the post op diet. Protein products, during days 1-5 you'll need a clear Protein product such as Isopure clear bottled protein liquid or unjury. You can find Isopure at General Nutrition Stores or a variety of Health food stores. Unjury must be ordered on line in advance of your surgery, /smallwww.unjury.com. They have an unflavored product that is nice because when you are done with clears it is versatile and you can add it to Jello, cooking, smoothies, etc. Please note, this is a whey protein product. All whey protein products have one issue in common and that is that they don't heat easily. If you add any whey protein product to a hot liquid it will clump. The key is to add it to a cold liquid and heat slowly, then it will not turn into lumps. A good source of protein products after the clear liquid phase (you can use these with water instead of milk starting day #5, and with milk starting day #11) can be purchased reasonably at: www.netrition.com Some excellent products are: Matrix 5.0 by Syntrax [Syntrax Matrix 5.0 Protein Powder The more popular flavors are chocolate and Cookies & Cream. You can spice up the Chocolate with Da Vinci Sugar Free Syrups: Netrition's Da Vinci Prices Another very popular protein product if you like Chocolate and Peanut Butter is Whey Gourmet, Choco/Peanut butter: PVL Whey Gourmet I suggest the above because you'll need to consume about 60-80gms of protein after surgery. During the post op diet this can be difficult to do. Adding protein supplements can make this much easier. You'll want to track your protein intake in the beginning and a few free, on line sites you can do that are: www.thedailyplate.com www.sparkpeople.com www.fitday.com Just see which format you prefer of the above. 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Okay so, I called insurance in November 2012 and again for the 5th consecutive year I was told NO we do not cover weight loss surgery or anything to do with weight loss period. so my DH and I decided we would pay out of pocket. I'm excited and am getting surgery in 8 days, guess what.... now my insurance will cover, BUT I have 6-8 months of hoops to jump through to see if I qualify. My Husband says lets just get it done he doesnt want to fight with the insurance, and so sweet he says to me, you have waited so long and worked really hard you've earned just getting it done, we've saved the money and theres no guarantee that the ins. will pay any way. I won't lie, I don't want to wait, but I worry now if I pay for it out of pocket, if in the future there is a problem leak, slip etc... will my ins refuse coverage cause I didn't get it through them? I'm curios if anyone here paid for their band and didn't wait for insurance and still have them help later if there was a medical emergency or complication with the band? Or do I bite the bullet and atleast try to go through my insurance even if it means waiting another 6-8 months? I know it's my decision and in the end only I will know for sure what I should do, but I need opinions from people with experience, PLEASE help me out what do think/know? Thanks for help!

I, too, did well, and honor everyone else who struggled with all the bountiful food. I lost 6 pounds over the holiday but must confess it was because I was a little too tight and got a little unfill yesterday. I am still happy for the loss, though. Now we have to face all the Christmas goodies!!!!! Mimi

I can't seem to see the tickers so was curious. If you are comfortable what was your high weight, surgery weight and weight two months out? It seems like many lose about forty by two months. Is the loss much higher for higher bmi patients, I'm starting around 30 bmi by surgery date? Thanks!

ok- the hunger thing.:tt2: It is driving me freakin' crazy too. Not a craving for cr*p-food head hunger---a real gnawing, stomach churning feed-me-now hunger! (I exercise, eat plenty of Protein,low low carbs, plenty of Water etc etc) I am INSANELY jealous of bandsters who say they don't get hungry. What? Are you kidding me????? The only time I am satiated for more than 3 hours is after my evening meal. After dinner, I don't have any desire to eat again til the next morning.(Praise the Lord!) And yes, I am hungry in the morning. And yes, I do have some restriction. So Tangerine dreams, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!!!! I just had my 3rd fill, (I was banded mid December 2007) and was on 2 month weight plateau until this last fill. They told me I had lost 3 pounds. Woo Hoo.:glare: Well, it is about freakin time because have been dieting since the surgery!!!!!!. To me, the BEST part of the band is that that with the fills, if I mind my p's and q's, I will not regain what I typically have always done in the past. The WORST part of the band is that I am STILL HUNGRY! Short of drugs, I don't know if that part will ever end. Or at least, that is what it feels like to me. Even though "they" told me that one good thing about the band was that it band stops hunger. :icon_bs:HA! HA! HA! HA!........ NOT!!! The weird thing is that I am not eating any less now than I have for the last two months. Nothing has changed. Will the weight loss continue? I sure hope so. One pound a week ain't great, but it is better than stalling. And, I have halved my Blood pressure meds and anti-inflammatories! So that is good too-especially for an almost 59 year old post-menopausal woman with creaky joints.

I would keep all of your WW records, including the actual food log journals. I have heard of Dr's offices literally faxing the whole 6 months of journals. To be on the safe side, I would also schedule a monthly appointment with your PC Dr to discuss your weight loss efforts and get a monthly weigh in. Sometimes these insurance companies can be super tricky and if you miss one thing, you get to do it all over again. I have Anthem BCBS as well, but I have a national plan that did not require a formal weight program. Good luck to you!

I am scheduled for surgery this Wednesday I'm anxious to lose the weight but afraid of the strict diet restrictions anybody that's had this surgery can you give me any advice and how hard is it to comply with the new food restrictions like my pre-op liquid diet for a week and right now I'm starving

Well 2 guys who worked at the site where I had mine done both said they went hog wild the EVENING before their surgery and they lived to tell about it. Nachos, buffalo wings and tequila shots, YIKES! They said they got real sick but didn't define it exactly and I was reluctant to listen to the gory details as my own post-op tummy wasn't up to hearing about it. I would be very concerned about post-op constipation too, having your gut packed with waste when anesthesia sometimes hangs up the colon might be pretty painful. Whatever you do fess up to it and take the consequences. Better safe than sorry. BTW: I was on liquid diet for 10 days, just wanted to make it as easy as possible and wanted to jump start the weight loss.