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Just wanted to introduce myself and be a part of the support group. I was sleeved Friday 3/10/17 and now 3 days Post-op. I haven't lost any weight yet, hoping it's because of inflammation or water retention or something. Looking forward to sharing my journey.

The reason why bariatric Vitamins are not popular here is frankly, because we do not need them. Be cautious of whatever your NUT is trying to sell you, IF she is selling to you, I wasn't clear on that. All we need are basic multivites, Calcium, and some are told to take B12. I get mine from costco - 250 vitamins for about 10 or 12 dollars. That is the most economical way to buy them. We do not malabsorb so unless you are already deficient in something there is just no reason to spend that kind of money.

Yes you are correct. The group decided not to meet in May due to Memorial day. Hope to see you there. email me if you like timsax @ yahoo.com Tim DOB 10/04/06 435/375/250 Dr. Alberto Aceves

Yes I did the same thing but for 10 days....it is to avoid emboli risk !!

I quit 10 years ago using Chantix. I smoked the normal amount for the first 2 weeks, got down to one final cigarette and have never picked up one again. It was a little hard at first to break a 30 year smoking habit but not as hard as I anticipated. There is no real reason to use the patches as well since the Chantix blocks the nicotine receptors in the brain.

That's right, from here on out, it is straight ahead no looking back. My goal I want so bad to meet this year, to be able to wear one of those sexy Santa Suits Christmas night for my wonderful husband that has beent here for me since I decided to go through with this. I owe it to him, and most of all, I owe it to myself to see myself smaller and in something sexy for the first time since I was 19 yrs. old.

I totally agree with u....... I didn't do so good on preop.... I cheated a lot................. It was hard for me............. Girl just breath cause in the end u will look great..... I've lost 10 pounds so far..........

So, I'm 2+ years out and had what I suspect was a gallbladder episode a few nights ago. Woke up projectile vomiting 5 hours after a rich meal. (Rich in good fat, salmon, olive oil, etc) I palpated around and nothing hurt to the touch. Problem was over as quick as it started. Went back to bed felt okay the next day, (minor soreness probably to be expected). Went and got checked the next day at the PCP's office, (my surgeon moved and the bariatric program kind of fell apart so no support there) and the nurse practitioner was like, yeah, could be, but since it was the first episode probably don't need an ultrasound. Try cutting some fat out of your diet. Okay... So I've done that, and do feel better, however, I've lost a little weight already. I don't really NEED to lose at this point, but 10 pounds would be okay. No more though. So I've been maintaining my weight on a certain calorie level (1300-1500) mostly supported by full fat dairy and "good" fats in nuts, avocado, salmon, olive oil, etc. I've gone back to logging so I can keep track of the fat, (I WAS eating a lot, I think), but now, keeping it below 30% (around 40g per day which doesn't seem that low to me), I struggle to get 1000 calories per day, (even when I eat 5-6 small meals per day). I have an exercise habit, stationary bike at home, nothing extreme, that burns 400-500 per day. What am I going to look like in 2 months? Should I be concerned?

I am three weeks post sleeve and doing well except for acid reflux issues every morning. Going slow with the protein shakes in the morning around 8. Then doing water till 11. Eat a cream soup around 12. About 4-5 oz. then back on water around 1 till 330. Having food processed items around 430. Last night was 4oz chicken breast processed. Ate about half. Then back on fluids again around 530 till around 9. Shake again around 930. Bed at 10. But the mornings are horrible with the reflux. Anyone having this issue?

My gym is starting a biggest loser compitition and at that time I will be 4 weeks post op. It involves a personal trainer for 10 weeks (2 days a week). Right now I walk 30 mins a day and would love to add more. I plan on asking my doctor when I will be able to do something like this, but I wondered when all of you started lifting weights? Thank you for any input!

I was sleeved on 3/19/13,, doing ok but not losing as fast as you .. you are doing great but i am happy with my slow loss ,,, its better than not losing...LOL. I do walk but have to start doing other exercising... Not a big fan of working out at all.

So I have a cold sore (my post-op has been comical, I got my period 9 days early to coincide with basically getting home from the hospital, both of my daughters had wicked colds, one daughter came down with a flu bug today, and now the cold sore). I have suffered with cold sore since I was about 10 years old. About 8 years ago I finally started taking Valtrex at the onset of a cold sore. Well, my insurance changed this year and suddenly 20 Valtrex pills were costing about $200 out of pocket. So my dr. wrote a script for something similar but cheaper. The only thing is I have never taken them (just have them for when a cold sore hits). But as I read the label it says take 1 pill 5x a day. No way... too scary. I don't even want to try taking 5 pills today. I guess I will just use OTC abreva or something topical to help. Darn!!!

had gastric bypass DS loop and my gallbladder removed on March 11th 2019. Since then I have gone from 297.7 down to 242. Total of 55.7 lbs. in 3 months and 13 days. But I’m the last 39 days I have only lost 10 lbs. is this a plateau? Is this still good since I have not gained any weight back? I’m feeling better in the last 2 weeks FINALLY.... I had surgery complications and medication changes and problems that caused extra pain and some minor depression, so recovery took longer than “usual” patients. I think? I don’t know how long other people take to get out and about, start regularly exercising (just walking and some 2 pound weights) But the slow down in weight loss worries me. Also, I have a HUGE fear of stretching my stomach back out. Every time I eat I get scared my stomach is stretching at the staples. I would love some feedback of your experiences, ideas, your suggestions, possibly re-assurance that I’m doing ok?? Also, I love to eat fruit, and I try to limit myself to 2 a day, but I worry about sugars... what do you all do? Thanks! Claire

My surgeon & NUT have told me not to drink 10 minutes before, during, and up to 30 minutes after eating. I made the mistake of not listening, & the feeling was AWFUL! I will definitely be following the rules from now on. My problem is that once I am completely healed, I do like a little spiciness now and then. Will I ever be able to eat and drink together again? Whenever it may be? In 6 months or even a year? I have always been a big drinker. Any info would be appreciated! Thanks!

see these are the results that i tell people that are possiable... wow... u all have just rev'd my motor again... i was on 8 now im on 10...lol

i add half a banana to mine and it seems to be no problem. i put it in a blender though. also, try adding a little bit of pudding. it makes the shake taste SO much better. what kind of Protein are you using at the moment? i would suggest going to walmart, getting jillian michaels whey protein. you get a tub for 10 bucks and its pretty good. do you add Water or milk when you mix it? heres what we do jillian michaels vanilla whey protein + ice + milk + pudding + half a banana = some good stuff!

Habeas Fascismus: The Terrorists Win By Michael I Niman ArtVoice (etc.) 10/5/06 Last week was one that will go down in infamy as one of the most important and shameful weeks in western history. While future Americans might not be allowed to freely discuss such subversive topics as history, school children in other countries will learn what happened in the last week of September, 2006. A mere five years after a band of razor wielding two-bit terrorists declared war on America by destroying the World Trade Center, both houses of the US Congress finished their job and voted to end all pretenses of democracy and begin the transition to an imperial form of governance backed by state terror. Habeas Corpus: 1215-2006 On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of last week, while most Americans were busy discussing the possibilities of the new football season, the US Senate and Congress voted on and passed the Military Commissions Act of 2006. Of course, unless you’re reading The Christian Science Monitor or Al Jazeerah, you probably weren’t even privy to the proper name of the bill that ended our 791 year-old British-American legal tradition of Habeas Corpus – the foundation of all human rights legislation since before the Magna Carta. Habeas Corpus, which is Latin for “you may have the body,” is, according to the US Supreme Court, “the fundamental instrument for safeguarding individual freedom against arbitrary and lawless state action.” It is the basic requirement, formerly at least rhetorically respected, by almost every legal system on earth, that states that people who are arrested must be charged with a crime, and eventually have their day in court to defend themselves. The British Parliament adopted Habeas Corpus as the law of the land across the empire in 1679, while historians trace the first appearance of Habeas Corpus in British law to 1215. The Military Commissions Act of 2006 ends all of that, placing the United States at the bottom of the dung heap when it comes to legal protections of the most basic of human rights – the right not to be “disappeared” by one’s own government. On the subject of disappearances, it seems all references to The Military Commissions Act of 2006 were preemptively disappeared before the bill was voted on. Talk about obfuscation – according to a Lexis/Nexis database search of all major US newspapers, only five articles mentioned the bill by name, and of the five, only two mentioned it before it was voted on. Quisling Genuflection to Fascism Bill of 2006 The rest of the US press, according to another Lexis/Nexis search, made up euphemistically loaded names for the bill, such as The Detainee Bill, Interrogation Legislation, or the Terror Bill, as if this law would only affect “terrorists.” Of course, all this confusion made it quite difficult to locate a copy of the actual bill before it was voted on, and to locate a roll call for the vote after it was passed. It shouldn’t require a sleuth to find out something as simple as the name of the bill that essentially ends our pretenses toward democracy. In any event, I’ll join the rest of the press corps and rename the bill for my own purposes as well, hereon in calling it the Quisling Genuflection to Fascism Bill of 2006, which I’ll simply gloss as the “Quisling Act.” According to the New York Times, the Quisling Act (s3930) creates an undefined category of people called “enemy combatants,” a designation which can be arbitrarily doled out by the Bush administration or their minions. According to The Times, once designated as an enemy combatant, a person can be subjected “to arrest and indefinite detention with no hope of appeal.” The bill strips the legislative branch of government of any oversight over disappearances ordained by an imperial presidency. According to The Times, All Mr. Bush would have to do to lock anyone up forever is to declare him [sic.] an illegal combatant . . .” With the elimination of Habeas Corpus, the Times points out, the disappeared “would lose the basic right to challenge their imprisonment.” And while in prison, the Quisling Act allows for the disappeared to be tortured and gives the Bush administration the legal authority to decide what does and does not constitute torture, while drawing the line only at rape, murder, waterboarding and a few other of the more vile acts American interrogators have recently been accused of. Of course, if someone else, say the “democratic” government of Iraq, waterboards a prisoner, the Quisling Act states that any testimony obtained can be used as evidence in American courts. The bill doesn’t specifically mention beating detainees with pikes, stretching them on racks, or feeding them to lions – so the ultimate determination as to whether those forms of interrogation would be prohibited lies with the imperial president. A Law to Negate the Rule of Law The Quisling Act brings the US into uncharted legal territory. It essence, it is a law to negate the rule of law. According to legal scholars, the Bush administration can designate US citizens as enemy combatants using purposely vague guidelines under which someone can be disappeared for lending an undefined sort of material aid to a group or person unilaterally determined by the Bush administration to fall under the “terrorism” rubric. The Bush administration can also determine someone to be an enemy combatant for “purposefully and materially supporting hostilities against the United States.” Of course, this term is not defined. And if you are disappeared for allegedly providing such support, you will not have the right to argue that you didn’t. It gets worse. Recent laws have attempted to define terrorism in corporate friendly terms so that anyone protesting against commercial activities could be designated a terrorist. Utah, for example, passed a “commercial terrorism” bill that identified anyone picketing a business with the intent of discouraging people from entering it, as engaging in terrorism. Under this law, for instance, the now celebrated 1960 sit-in at a segregated North Carolina Woolworth’s lunch counter would be considered terrorism. If that law and the new Quisling Act were in place in 1960, the four black civil rights heroes who demanded their right to be served lunch along with white patrons would have simply been disappeared off to gulags. A federal court struck down Utah’s law in 2001 and many people are certain that the Supreme Court will strike down the Quisling Act. But, in case you haven’t noticed, the courts are a changing. The Supreme Court has nine members. Four of them, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and Bush appointees Chief Justice John Roberts and Samuel Alito, have already shown themselves to line up with the Bush junta even when this meant undermining the rule of law. One more Bush appointee, and this could happen if the Republicans retain control of the Senate, and the Supreme Court could swing to becoming a 5-4 rubber stamp for whatever insanity the Bush administration sends their way. Predictive Assassination So lets go back and revisit what constitutes a terrorist supporter – someone who, under the laws passed this week, can be disappeared into a system of secret Gulags. Journalist Robert Parry points out that in a recent speech given by George W. Bush in the lead-up to the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, he blamed the Russian revolution and the rise of the Nazis on the fact that no one took out Lenin when he first stated publishing pamphlets on communism, or Hitler, when he first started writing about Nazism. Hence, it appears, Bush is now advocating preemptive strikes against speech – what Parry calls, the end of free speech and free thought. According to Parry, Bush’s fantasy of “wiping out some future Lenin or Hitler would require killing or imprisoning anyone who wrote about political change in a way that rulers considered objectionable at that time.” Such “predictive assassination,” Parry argues, might kill, along with a Hitler or a Lenin, a Mandela or a Jefferson. And if you’re wondering who the new targets for predictive assassination might be, you don’t have to look too far. In the same September 5 th speech (available at whitehouse.gov), Bush warns that intelligence evidence shows “al Qaeda intends to [launch], in [bin Laden’s] words, ‘a media campaign to create a wedge between the American people and their government.’" Bush goes on to explain that such a campaign would paint the War on Terror as causing financial losses and casualties, ultimately, with the aim of – and he explains that these are bin Laden’s words – "creating pressure from the American people on the American government to stop their campaign against Afghanistan." Duck and Cover Get it. It’s the free press, reporting ridiculous notions about the costs of war, and perhaps its ineffectiveness at making us safer from anything, that are out there supporting hostilities against the United States by spreading what Bush deems as al Qaeda propaganda – or more accurately, by reporting the news of the day. How much more clear does the writing on the wall have to be? Why were we supposed to think it was a joke when Bush, early in his judicially imposed presidency, said that things would be a lot easier if this was a dictatorship, as long as he was the dictator. The Quisling Act isn’t about locking up terrorists. We’ve always done that. It’s about locking up innocent people. People who can’t be convicted of a crime because there’s no evidence that they committed a crime. This is the only new class of people who will be detained under this new law – people who were never, nor would they likely ever be, convicted of a crime. This is a bill about locking up innocent people and terrorizing the population by holding the threat of disappearance and torture over our heads. The Senate approved the Quisling Act 65-34, with 12 Democrats joining in with an almost unanimous pack of Republicans. The Congress approved it 250-170, with 34 Democrats supporting the Republican mob.

Hi Zoelifechick, I have Dr. Halmi too. I went into Potomac on July 19th and was discharged on the 21st. First two days were Pure D MISERY but today is a new day and I'm feeling a little more normal every day. Today I went out for a nice long walk. I did make one HUGE MISTAKE. They send you home with what I call a narcotic ball. You have a bag with a plastic ball filled with pain medicine with the tubes running from the bag thru the tubes and steadily into your belly. Well the directions were to wait untill the ball deflates then slowly pull out the tubes which should be in a couple of days. I didn't realize there's two layers to the ball so when the outer layer was completely deflated I pulled out the tubes (don't worry that part doesn't hurt). My curious 16 year old inspected the ball , stabbed it with a knife and a large amount of pain medication was in the center of the ball. There had to be at least 2-3 more days of pain meds in that ball. You can't put the tubes back in once you've pulled them out. Needless to say after about 10 hours the pain monster kicked my butt. Fortunately they send you home with a precription for liquid hydrocodone so the pain monster subsided and all is well. Lesson: DON'T PULL OUT THE STOMACH TUBES UNTIL THE WHOLE BAG IS COMPLETELY DEFLATED!!!!!! On a good note Dr. Halmi was fantastic, I also recieved visits from Dr. Nain, The P.A. Amia, and the other P.A. Renaldo. The repaired my hiatal hernia, removed the lapband and revised it with the Gastric Sleeve. From the 19th to today I'm 14 pounds down. I'm not getting too happy because most of that was from the liquids completely emptying my colon. Now all the pounds from this day forward will be fat . Good Luck Zoelifechick, you have a great Bariatric team. Keep me posted.

I was banded on the same day as u and I've lost 19 since surg and 25 total! I think you are doing awsome, i wish I were 10 more lbs along! lol increase your calories, that helped me when I was at a stall! congrats on your awsome progress and keep up the good work! amy

hello, I was banded jan. 7, 2011..... My 1st visit to doctor was 1st wk in Oct. and I was approved within 10 days! I was so overwelmed and thought wow i must relly need it... lol ! As I spoke to staff at doctors office I realized time of approval is based on insurance. If you are wondering how long it would take for approval speak with insurance person at doctor's office. I waited until jan because I had to give notice at work to take leave. Good Luck!

Hi, Rahnava... I too was sleeved by Dr. Garcia..Surgery day was April 27.. So far I've lost 55.3 lbs post op, but I lost 16 lbs pre op..for a total of 71 lbs. I completely understand about the 5-6 lb weight gain during TOM. I'm currently going through it right now and its' so frustrating, but even if we're smaller and at our goals this would still happen..I see it as one of the woe's of being a woman.. You'll break out of the 60's I'm sure of it.. I was stuck for about 3 wks at 300 lbs and within 2 days... i literally dropped 4.5 lbs. I upped my workouts and spent more time outside sweating and I believe that helped a lot... I agree with Lauranbob... 60lbs in 6months is awesome! Sure we'd like for it to be more, but I've found that we all lose differently.. I've read on here where some have lost 100 lbs by month 4 but that clearly isn't in the cards for me.. As long as we're losing that's what's important, right? My goal is to lose 9-10 lbs a month. Anything extra is just icing on the cake... Sometimes I've exceeded that and other times like this month I have not.. I've only lost 7.8 lbs for July, but it's 7.8 lbs less on me than before. I have about 100 lbs to loose myself. So I figured 9-10 lbs in a month in a 10 month period is feasible. I don't think I'm reaching for the stars with that amount... We can do this!! Set backs..stall's or whatever you call them are bound to happen.. But as long as we're following the plan we can't lose... Stay encouraged, okay?

Catfish is the one we have to catch. He takes what ever I do and adds 10 miles on it just to show off I remember the first time I went 5 miles, I was so proud of myself, and once you get the first 5 miles down the rest is a piece of cake. I just set a goal of every time I went to go 10 percent farther. You will be amazed how quickly it adds up.

You know the song....Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air... That is my life's theme song lately. Well, every time I eat I get severe chest pain from trapped air. My nutritionist, surgeon and family doctor say it's all related to me swallowing air when I eat or drink. I had hiatal hernia repair with my VSG. My decision was not an easy one to make. I was always the "Fat, Fluffy, Happy, Woman" but then I began having "female" pain. I have had several procedures but unable to have a hysterectomy because of my weight. So my GYN gave me a proposal....if I lose 100 pounds....hysterectomy. Then I got to thinking - I've always wanted to be able to: 1. buy clothes in Walmart 2. not be worried about fitting in theatre seats, airplane seats, etc... 3. wanted to find my soulmate So God opened this door of opportunity...and I jumped in. I googled local bariatric surgeons and did alot of research. Being a nurse, I try to be very thorough. So after three months of research, I chose Dr. Nick Nicholson of Dallas, Texas. He and his colleagues had me tested for hiatal hernia - which I had. So not only did I have a VSG, I also had a "paraesophageal hernia repair with or without mesh" My highest weight was 400 pounds August of 2010. My surgery was 03/04/2014 with weight of 345 pounds. Today, my weight is 312 pounds. I have not lost anything in 10 days. My new life consists of measuring everything, weighing everything, counting everything....food, Water and exercise. I feel absolutely great - with exception of 10 day stall. So I continue to sink the lyrics of Jordin Sparks in hopes of being able to eat & breath pain free.

In case any of you wondered what to expect. Of course I wasn't going to see my surgeon, he's too busy/important (I will see him Wednesday), but I saw his nurse and then one of the resident surgeons who I hate to say, did not instill confidence whatsoever. The nurse went over everything, was able to answer all my silly questions. Assured me the doctor will do the surgery and not the resident. Actually she herself had a gastric bypass 10 years ago, and gave me some tips (the usual ones we find here on this forum). She had me sign some more papers. She didn't have the gallbladder removal, so she went back in the computer and found that, and added it. ugh. The document did list that it was a laparoscopic sleeve with 5 incisions, or (possibly open) don't recall the exact wording. She said that is on every surgery "just in case". Not like they can wake you up if they run into a problem. I was okay with that. She gave me a pre op and post op instructions 2 pager (again, the typical stuff their nutritionist gave me months ago) I asked her about washing with hibiclens the morning of. She said that isn't necessary. To shower as usual in the morning. She said they do tell patients to wear clean clothes after showering in the morning to the hospital. (not worn before). She went into detail how the operating room staff will be putting something on my body to sanitize. I'm been dreading the dye drink leak test, but the nurse said they no longer do that. I was surprised to hear that. Maybe they check it another way, forgot to ask her that. After the nurse left, one of the resident surgeons came in. He just had it all wrong. Wanted to schedule me for surgery (I was scheduled a month ago (scheduled this Wednesday). Told me the wrong surgeon's name. (another doctor in the practice). So he went on to say, that there are three resident surgeons that the bariatric surgeons work with and one of them will be with my doctor during my procedure. I truly hope it isn't him. Then off to my anesthesia pre-op. This department was running about 30 min. late. ugh. He just wanted to know all of the clearances I had, if I had any list of issues, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, a slew of things. He determined I was healthy, checked my neck range of motion,, looked in my mouth, down my throat visually. Discussed the general anesthesia protocols. I asked him how long the surgery may take as how long I'd be under. He asked what doctor I was having, and when I responded, he said, OH, one hour, he's the best. I was happy to hear that. I brought up my surgeon thick eyeglasses. He laughed and told me the surgeon eye sight is fine, besides, he said my stomach is going to be on the best high definition gigantic screen in the OR. Funny, I know what laparoscopic is, but I didn't really think about the monitor it displays on. He did say all bariatric patients go to this one area for recovery, because so many obese patients have undiagnosed sleep apnea, so they need more nurses monitoring them while coming out of anesthesia. then I was sent to the lab for one more surgical test - a blood type screen test. then I came home and put most my Post-op stuff in one place, rather than squired away in between my families food. (see photo) I think I'm ready!!!!