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Three days out there is absolutely no way I would have been able to sit in a typical university chair/desk for 8 hours and gain anything meaningful from the classes I was attending. Set aside the pain that you may or may not be in at that point--everyone is different and while I was still experiencing a good deal of pain at three days post op, not everyone does. Honestly, my biggest issue was that I could not sit upright completely without a dull aching pain in/around the large incision where she removed my stomach. I had to be slightly reclined at all times to keep that pain away. Three days post op your ONLY concern should be getting in enough liquids to not dehydrate. For me, this required me to set a timer and take a TINY sip of water every five minutes from a 30ml cup I refilled every 15 minutes. Can you concentrate on the material being presented if you are constantly checking a clock to see if you should be drinking? Can you not be a distraction to your fellow students while doing this? There may also be a lot of things you aren't considering involved in attending classes. How far is the walk from the parking lot? Can you walk that distance post-op? I am a triathlete who regularly ran 10+ miles at a time pre-op. Three days post-op I could walk to the end of my 200ft driveway and back before I felt like I needed a rest. Are there stairs to get to your classroom, or inside the classroom itself? Can you navigate stairs three days-post op? Maybe...I struggled. How heavy are the materials you need to bring to class plus the bag you carry them in? If you have to bring books and a laptop to class, you may be WAY over your 5-10lb lifting weight. You mentioned in-hospital practicals too, which I assume means lifting or moving patients and equipment. I was given a 5-10lb weight lifting limit for 6 weeks. I'm a university professor and I know that many of the books I use for my research and teaching weigh more than that. I have had to ask my wife to bring them to me and put them in my lap. How many breaks do you get throughout the day? I was exhausted for the first two weeks, requiring at least two, and sometimes three 45min-hour naps a day, on top of sleeping 12 hours a day. This is pretty normal, given that your body has just been through a huge trauma and is healing itself. If you aren't getting proper rest, your healing will be slowed and honestly, how much good are you getting out of the classes you are attending if you are exhausted and/or falling asleep during class? If you are at the stage of treating patients (again, I assume based on in-hospital practicals), you can make critical mistakes if you are that tired. Critical mistakes can kill people. I will also add, as a university professor who has seen so many students get sick/have surgery/miss a lot of class for one reason or another, those students RARELY do as well as the other students in the class, no matter how hard they try or how many accommodations are made in terms of assignment or exam extensions, make up exams, etc. There is a considerable body of educational literature that suggests there is simply something about doing things at the same time as the rest of your class that makes students perform better. I see it time and time again--those who take make up exams do not perform as well as they otherwise would have done. I wish you the best of luck with your surgery and the difficult decision you have to make. Personally, I would not do it mid-semester, even as a faculty member.

Hey all of my sleevers! I figured this group has the freshest memory on healing and wanted to ask a question. I was suppose to be having surgery 8/10 and it was moved three weeks out. I’m freaking out because I start school in two weeks. For those who have had the sleeve, is it doable to be back in classes three days later? I go to classes for 8 hours a day and would have to be present three days post op and have two hospital clinicals a week that would start when I’m two weeks post op. In your experience am I being realistic to continue on with the date given? Thank you!

Hi guys, I got my sleeve surgery in November of 2019, I took two pregnancy tests today (8/4/21) and I’m 99% sure I’m pregnant. Haven’t verified with the doctors and it would be my first baby. I’m nervous as far as how much food I’m able to eat, I can obviously eat a bit more but still not a lot. I’m worried as far as what vitamins I should take to be sure I have a healthy pregnancy and keep this baby strong. Any advice would be amazing, thank you.

if you're into architecture, Chicago is world famous for early 20th century architecture. The Chicago Architectural Foundation has TONS of walking, bus, and boat tours. We've been on several - they've all been excellent. Art Institute is great if you're into art; Field Museum is great if you're into natural history. We also do a lot of just walking around when we're in Chicago (I live two hours from there, so we do weekends there several times a year). the Drake is pretty far north in the Loop - north of Loyola. The area around the Loyola campus is nice. But go beyond that and walk down Michigan Ave - so much there. we've been to so many restaurants, but I can't think of any one particular one to recommend - you'll stumble upon tons just walking around. We usually try to hit ethnic places, usually. Scoot over to some of the other streets that parallel Michigan Ave - there are lots of restaurants over there as well. You could always pick some cuisine and do a search on that. We've been to Colombian places, Argentine places, Turkish places, Middle Eastern places, Cajun places, pizza places, delis, so many.....they really have everything there. P.S. there's a Nutella Cafe on Michigan Ave. Might want to avoid that one! (it's great but...Nutella - you'll gain 10 lbs just walking in the door!)

I'm so sorry for your loss. I don't think we ever are prepared to lose a parent, and nobody really talks about how hard it is. I lost my mom in 2019 and was devastated. It sounds like you are re-focusing and looking for healthy outlets. After my mom died, I joined a crossfit gym, and honestly, it helped so much with my anxiety. I am terrible at it, but I love it. For an hour every morning, the only thing I can do is focus on getting through the workout. It's nice to have an hour every day where your brain is so occupied with something that you can't think about anything else. And then when it's over, you feel a sense of accomplishment. Also, the people at my gym are really friendly and encouraging, so I've made a few friends, too. You might have some luck making friends at your gym. I move a lot with my job, it's so hard to make new friends as an adult. Running clubs are another good way to meet like-minded people. In the last place I lived, I joined a martial arts gym, and made some really good friends there. (I join a lot of gyms, but I'm still fat, lol. I'm getting the sleeve later this month...you can't outrun a bad diet!). Just thought I'd offer some suggestions for meeting people. Life can be really hard to navigate. You've got this! This quote helped me put things in perspective after my mom died: "Life is amazing. And then it’s awful. And then it’s amazing again. And in between the amazing and awful it’s ordinary and mundane and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary. That’s just living - heartbreaking, soul-healing, amazing, awful, ordinary life, and it’s breathtakingly beautiful!" Take care and keep us posted how you're doing. You can do it! Sent from my SM-N976V using BariatricPal mobile app

-get rid of that stinkin' cpap machine -run a sub 10 min mile -do real pushups -be under the weight limit on my kid's trampoline so I can jump with him -go horseback riding -have more energy! Sent from my SM-N976V using BariatricPal mobile app

I would say yes and no. Yes, because no one in the US would take a plus size woman and no because there is a lot to know when doing such surgery and a lot of information you find out after the fact. I did a tummy tuck at 265 pounds. Make sure you notify your doctor of what you are planning to do because you will need your bloodwork and x-rays in order for Dr. Bernardo to operate on you. Potassium and iron is always an issue so you might want to start taking it a month in advance your surgery. All bloodwork must be within a month of the surgery. My total package was $5500 in Mexico City. It does not include Food or any outside excursion. You will need at least 3 tall bottles of water each day. So make sure you buy them the day you arrive. You will need to drink water with your medication and also stay hydrated. And you will also need to walk 15 minutes at least three times for the day to avoid blood clots. Change at least $150 US to Mexico currency. So you don’t have to worry about figuring out the exchange rate. Are use it to buy my water the tip the hotel stuff, and my pick up and drop off attendance. If you have any leave over you can change it at the airport back to US currency. You don’t have to tip I just choose to. Make sure to use Google translate. No one, I mean no one speaks English. I didn’t get the results I wanted all around but his work was still pretty good. I think he did the best he can. And he also let me know that he could not take out anymore fat due to guidelines. He also gave me a little extra Lipo that I did not pay for. So that was a plus for me. He will tell you what to expect not in details but you will get an idea. Make sure to bring a small spray bottle of vinegar with you & dilute with water to spread the area after you take showers to avoid infection. Details - first you need to buy the vitamins and minerals they tell you to buy. You have to spend at least 8 to 10 days before traveling back. The hotel of their choice is not bad at all. But warning, stay away from the hotel food. Uber is dirt cheap. First when you arrived at the airport, You will be confused as hell but Raul, Will be holding a sign with your name on it. He is very helpful and speak very good English. Except for in the end when he made me lift my walker to put in the trunk by myself. He will take you straight to your consultation with Dr. Bernardo. Make sure you have your questions handy. I mean any questions. After your consultation you will be taken to your hotel. He will write you a few prescriptions that you will take with you for the next day. The next day you will need to shower in the morning. And leave everything inside your hotel room including jewelry headpiece such as wigs & make sure you’re not wearing any earrings or nail polish at all. Bring your prescriptions, your payment (cash only) and your ID along with your prescription that the doctor wrote. Also your compression garment. Make sure you have two compression garment and it has a crotch hole and booty hole. It’s hard to takeoff and put back on. Bring free flowing dresses, they’re easy to put on and takeoff. The lady Pamela will pick you up The day of your surgery. You will give her the money for the prescription that’s in your quote and she will take the down payment from you. She lied and told me that I will get a email receipt but it never happened. In other words they don’t give receipts. I guess they don’t leave paper trails. You will also sign a bunch of papers, meaning that if you die, they are not responsible. So take pictures of what you’re signing because they will rush you. It’s also not in a hospital (your surgery) but in a medical facility across the street from the hospital. After all this transaction you will be taken into your recovery room. Strip down and feet covered along with your head and whatever else needs to be done. You will be taken to the surgery table. Don’t expect them to tell you when you will be knocked out. I just woke up and thank God I was alive. You will be taken to a recovery holding room before you go to your actual recovery room where you will spend the night. You will have round the clock nurses. Some are very sweet and others are just downright inexperience and clumsy. I told the nurse that released me that my drainage tube stopped working and she ignored me. After I was released from the recovery room I went back to my hotel room. Please I beg you make sure you bring someone with you. Depression will set in big time. I struggle so bad on my own. I had no one to help me after my tummy tuck. It was the worst experience ever. It’s worse than a C-section. They say a doctor is supposed to see you throughout the week days. Well no one came until the weekend. And if I didn’t cry and beg for a doctor to come I would not get a doctor until the following Monday. So I went a few days after my surgery without seeing a doctor and no one checked up on me. After the doctor came she realized that my complaint to the nurse during My release was accurate. The drainage tube was not working. Dr Alejandra is very sweet & knowledgeable but appears impatient. She made sure to be on schedule and see me every day and answered all my questions. After I came back to the US, I had hell with heeling and still do. Maybe it’s just my skin and blood type. I don’t know. Don’t waste your time texting or contacting either the surgeon or the doctor. Once you’re home you’re on your own. So make sure you’ll have reliable help. No one is going to coach you or prepare you for the after facts. You will literally be on your own. No matter how much research you do, everyone experience is different and no one can prepare you for this. Overall I would give my experience a 4 out of a 10.

I haven't had surgery yet...but I would kill to lose 19 pounds in 6 weeks...just sayin! [emoji846] Sent from my SM-N976V using BariatricPal mobile app

I am about six weeks post op. I've lost a total of 30 pounds since I began the process in March of this year. I have lost 19 pounds in six weeks and was told by my surgeon that I have not lost enough weight. I am 48 years old, post hysterectomy, and struggle to do my very best, but the scales don't move. I have resorted to putting up the scales, because at this point I have lost any motivation. I will keep doing my best to eat right but I am over it. My doctor told me that when I come back, 09/24, I should be down at least 20 more pounds. How in the world? I drink protein shakes, I put protein powder in my drinks, I drink water.....I am even exercising. What more can I do? I am at my wits end.

I have an entire list. - Go off all my meds (BP meds, hormone meds, etc.) - Maybe lose my CPAP. - Fit in a kayak. - Run a sub-10 mile. - Do a pull-up. - Go back to being able to ride horses. - No more seatbelt extenders on airplanes. - No more sitting down gingerly to see if the chair will hold me. - Increased mobility (palms on floor) - No more "we'd like a table, not a booth, please" There's more but that's the big stuff.

One day at a time. Sometimes one meal at a time. Or congratulating yourself on walking past the candy bars at the market check out. I have kept that 45 pounds off 10 years out. So it is 145 pounds gone ! I went to Target this weekend because I noticed my "new" XL blouses for work that I got last year at maybe minus 35 pounds of the 45 were slipping off my shoulders. I bought two tops in size "L" - THAT hasn't happened in 40 years. It is not always easy. My weight goes between 172 and 176 now. I have had to learn that THAT is normal. If I get to that 176 - I stop and look at what did I eat , drink .... do or not do..... the last two days... It is usually that i ate a meal out. Even salad. Everyone uses added salt. I do not - the salt in salad dressings, or prepared items is a lot for me. An order of Panda Express veggies and chicken (and only eating half or less) will add pounds for days due to the salt and msg. I am careful, but not crazed. I weigh myself daily or every other day. I plan meals and snacks as I work full time and need to have a few meals ready for full days. Figure yourself out then make a plan. YOU CAN DO THIS !

Ok…so i have an odd experience on this topic: Years ago (2005 if I remember correctly), i had a breast reduction, and i lost practically all sensation in my nipples. One side was more affected than the other. It was even a very rare event for my nipples to get erect/hard (sorry, that may have been a little graphic, but its all in the name of info sharing! Lol) Anyhoo, fast forward to my breast lift in 2019 and a few weeks after surgery, I suddenly got sensation back. Totally weird. Now, just a slight breeze can blow and you can totally see my nips under my shirt. I don’t know if this is a normal thing, but there you go.

I knew surgery was the only choice for me when my younger sister gave birth to her second daughter in February 2019. I was 389 pounds and my health had only been declining as the years passed. When I first held my niece I was hit with the realization that if I didn't do something then I wouldn't be around to watch her grow up. It broke my heart. I was only 31 at the time (I just turned 34 last month) and I was absolutely sure that I'd be dead before I turned 40 if things didn't change. I'd done numerous diets over the years and nothing worked so surgery was really the only option for me if I wanted to be around to watch her grow up as I'd been able to watch her sister grow up. It's one of the best decisions that I ever made for myself. And, since I made that choice, and made that change, my sister has given me my first nephew and my brother gave me another niece. I get to watch all three of my nieces (ages 12, 2, and 17 months) and my nephew (age 9 months) grow up without having to worry that I'm not going to be around for them. My family has always been my strength and has always helped pull me through the worst times of my life and the idea of not being around to watch the youngest family members grow up into these amazing and complex little people were what pushed me into making the choice for surgery. I'm grateful every day that I made that choice.

I took 4 weeks after my sleeve. I am a healthcare worker and have to lift patients. So the 10# lifting restriction kept me from returning to work. It was ok going back at 4 weeks but I am a quick healer. I just had gall bladder removed one week ago and am hoping I can get back in 4 weeks again.

I cut a Quest chocolate chip cookie protein bar into 5-6 pieces and cook it in the oven at 350 degrees for around 7-10 minutes. I eat it warm or put in a ziploc for later. Tastes enough like a cookie to get over the craving but helps to get in protein.

I count total weight loss. Heaviest weight was at 1st consult with surgeon 10/31/20.

I don't think I had a cookie until I was something like 8 months out. And since I developed a wheat allergy after my surgery it was a gluten free cookie, which made me iffy on if I would like it but I've tried several gluten free cookies in the 10 months since I first tried one and I've liked them all. I maybe have 2 cookies a week (i.e 2 days a week I'll eat one cookie, unless it's the wafer cookies, then I eat 2). Personally, if you really can't avoid the cookie craving so early on maybe try buying a protein cookie. Then at least it'd be worth it and you'd get protein out of it.

Thanks everyone for the kind comments. I really appreciate it! Quick stats: Started 280. Now 195.5 this morning, 5’8”, currently fitting into size 10/12 pants and medium/large shirts. Today was my 3 month post op visit with my surgeon. This morning I weighed 195.5 and weighed in at 199 on the doctor’s scale. Not bad! I plan to ask my dietician about weight swings during the day. I can’t be the only one that weighs themself in the morning and evening..right? Does anyone else have 3-5 lb weight swings? I went in today with two concerns: I feel like I’m losing sooo slow and my hair is falling out like crazy. I went through surgical menopause when I was 31, so I already have very thin hair to begin with and I feel like I am pulling clumps out in the shower everyday. Regarding losing so slow, the doctor reminded me my BMI day of surgery was 34 not 50+. Losing 10 lbs a month the first three months is totally normal. He told me MY normal is 5 pound loss per month. He saw my confused expression and said that I’ve been obese most of my life, so my bones are denser than thin folks because I needed the stronger structure to carry the weight. I don’t have much fat to lose as someone going in with a higher BMI so I need to give myself some slack. I asked him what his goal for me is and he said a BMI of 27 which for me is 178. My goal is 160-165. He told me I will get to my goal and may even exceed it but warned me after a few years I will gain some weight back. If I can keep a 27 BMI or lower I will be successful for life. It’s hard to wrap my head around that I have about 20 pounds until his goal already. No wonder I have only been losing 1 pound a week lately. It’s all normal and I just need to accept that. I get caught up in others who are losing 3-5 pounds a week. I need to remind myself I don’t know where they started. It makes sense for a higher BMI to drop weight quicker as they have more to lose. It’s a good lesson for us all. Don’t compare! Regarding the hair, Dr told me to start taking 50 mg of zinc sulfate everyday in addition to my biotin. I’m going to pick some up today and report back next month. I know it will grow back eventually but it’s so depressing to see the hair fall out. Moving on- I can eat pretty much whatever I want if I follow some rules. Red meat in small portions and chew it to death and then rest my stomach. My stomach doesn’t care for it much but we’re trying to come to an agreement because I like steak I allow myself to taste desserts on occasion. It’s not often but I won’t eat a full serving again. My last post I talked about vacation and I did eat a full serving and was so sick afterwards. Never again. I began weighing my food again. Turns out I wasn’t serving myself enough. Crazy! I was trying not to eat too much! It works because I felt my restriction during dinner last night. I was able to get 3oz of chicken and a few baby carrots but that was it. I had been eating my full meals lately and worried it was slowing down my weight loss because I still wanted more. I was under eating! My advice don’t slack on weighing and measuring your food! Oh funny thing my nose starts running when I am full. I thought it was allergies but nope every single time I am “done” my nose (right nostril to be exact) starts running. I must admit I am not doing so hot on using my elliptical. I haven’t been on it in two weeks. I am talking 20 min walks every night. Saturday I deep cleaned my entire house and it took me 3 hours. I only stopped for water and my watch told me I hit my goal for the day. I will count it. This is awful but I really don’t have much time. I’m slammed at work and can’t get into a groove to get on that dang machine. It’s in my house and I work from home so I feel like I have no excuse. Ugh. I had to goto the dept store and get a work outfit last weekend. Would you believe I needed a 10?! I couldn’t believe it. Still don’t actually. Last topic because this is long! This is all mental but I can’t shake it. I see myself in the mirror but I don’t recognize her. I study my face for a long time and I don’t see me. I see someone who is older than I used to be and has different features. To be fair I am (almost) 40 and losing weight has caused some wrinkles. I can’t describe it. Does anyone understand?

I am at three weeks post-op. This morning I worked my extremely sedentary desk job from home for three hours. I’m tired and planning a nap this afternoon. Saturday I took a walk (1.3 miles) and ended up puking in my driveway because it was too much too soon (note: I’m a triathlete who commonly runs 10+ miles at a time in season). Every person is different and every day is different. If you have flexibility in your job, ask for it. If you don’t, I’d ask for the max off, just so they know “worst case scenario”. good luck with your surgery!

I lost my gall bladder after rapid weight loss, and I can no longer digest fats properly meaning I have chronic diarrhea. Stats differ but I’ve read that one in 10 people have severe problems like mine after losing their gall bladder. Nobody even told me that there was a high risk of losing my gall bladder with rapid weight loss. I have difficulty leaving the house. I feel doctors gloss over the possible problems of losing your gall bladder. Turns out, I did need mine.

I went back to work 10 days after surgery BUT I work from home and have a desk job. Physically I was fine it was the mental fog that got me.

Hi, I'm 10 days out from surgery and I'm on the soft food stage for the next month. I was wondering if it's okay to use seasoning on foods? Like salt pepper, garlic powder etc. I just realized this morning how terrible eggs taste without seasoning 😂

You gain water weight from the IV fluids they give you in the hospital. It takes several days to lose that water weight (my surgeon said avoid the scale for the first 7-10 days, so that's what I'd suggest). Try not to stress yourself out, the few extra pounds after surgery is 100% normal!

I tend to toss in the compost. Part of it is to teach myself I don’t have to clear my plate. I eat till I feel full and stop. I don’t keep trying, I don’t continue it later. I would say around 5-10% of what I track in Baritastic I don’t actually consume. Sometimes I adjust my numbers, usually I just leave it. I figure that margin of error offsets any measurements that may be off.

I'm so excited and just have to share the news that insurance has approved surgery! I have been going through all of the motions since January and am so excited! A little about me: I'm 46, mother of two kids (10 & 7), and I teach 6th grade. I had medullary thryoid cancer and my thyroid was removed in 2008. Even though my thyroid hormone levels are within range, weight has been a problem ever since the removal of my thyroid. Have I mentioned that I am SO EXCITED?!?