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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 LOVE questions. Please feel free to ask. So you are lucky that your surgery is so fast. I had to wait 6 months for mine because I had to go through 6 months of monitored diet and nutritional visits before my insurance would cover it. All the tests that you are having are normal. I had 6 nutritional visits, psych eval, Gastric eval, cardio eval, pulmonary eval, and medical clearance from my primary doctor. I am glad that it took 6 months because I really learned alot from the nutritionist. I already had my sleep study because I have sleep apnea so I didn't need that one. I'm hoping that soon I will be done with the CPAP because I am getting so tired of it. I've been using it for 4 years now. My husband said that he doesn't hear me snoring anymore so I will need to have another sleep study to see if I can come off of the machine. Today I went for my 4th fill. I think I have hit the 'sweet spot' but we will see in a couple of days. You really can't tell on liquids. Which is what you have to be on for 24 hours after your fills. Anyway they said that I have lost 49% of my body weight. They want you to lose 50% in the first year and I am only a little over 5 months in so they said I was well above the curve. I have 45 lbs to go before I am out of the obese area. The doctor said my goal weight is anywhere between 185 and lower. So I am very excited at the moment. I have been under 200 since I was pregnant with my son 22 years ago. Please let me know how your journey is going. And as I said, ask questions. I love answering them. And what I can't answer I will do my best to find the answer for you.

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!

Just be patient, you will lose the weight. You just had surgery and your body is still swollen and full of alot of Fluid and air. It really is amazing how quickly the weight comes off!

My name is Synthia McClure I had my surgery on December 30, 2014. My surgeon was Dr. Paul Macik Northside bariatrics. My begging weight was 288lbs. I am in my third week and have lost 28 lbs. My problem is learning how to get my protein in. I am still only able to eat blended food, but I can only take about four spoons before I am full. I make a protein-shake and can only drink about 4oz. I only get about 8oz o water. I have been walking about a mile everyday. I need to get a schedule of how and what to eat to get the protein,

Thanks so much Sherry, wait till you lose weight my Mom says it looks like i totally shrunk ..LOL good luck girl let me know if there is anything i can help you with.

I just turned 35 on December 7 I had my sleeve on December 5 my husband was really unsupportive but we have to do what we can to feel better about ourselves And become healthier people for our families. If your insurance is approving you and you can do it,do it if your husband Doesn't want to miss work he will find a ride. Sometimes we just have to do what we can and work with what we got. When you have lost all the weight you will not regret it.

Nana, fear is nothing more than - not knowing what lies ahead - . Read this forum, gain the information....apply it to your recovery and you will be aware of what to expect and how to deal with it. Nothing to fear. Relax, you will do just fine.

It's weird how this fits in or not with our families. I mean like some of the girls wondering how to tell or what even to tell younger children. So I've struggled for ever and have lost tons of weight so my little family is used to me being different and not eating with them. My husband gets his ear talked off (even more than I do here) about my sleeve and continuing tweaks to my intake... See but it's so different for me because I am the only one in my family that is fat.. It's a foreign concept to all of them, I would of assumed that if your husband was battling.... The bulge for lack of a better word he would be more helpful and interested in what you are doing and want to do it along side! I think it would be nice to have a partner truly understand and chose a healthy change also.

I had my surgery on October 25th and I have lost 14 pounds. I feel your pain and I am also very frustrated. I have been walking a lot and people have commented that I have lost weight. I expected to lose much more by now but there isn't much I can do about it. We have gotten through the most difficult part (well, I still have 5 days until I can eat but you're there!) so we need to follow through and know that this WILL work if we follow the plan. Hang in there

So BCBS requires six months of recorded weight. This is my second month. I had no other appointments with my surgeon this month and was told I didn't need an appointment to be weighed. So I drove the 40 minutes to his office this morning, took time off of work, only to be told that the insurance changed. They now require you to be seen by the doctor every time you need your weight recorded. There were no doctors in the office until 1:00 pm today so they could not squeeze me in. Now I'm taking more time off of work to go back on Monday. It would have been nice if they called. Oh well, I just wanted to give those with BCBS coverage the information in case they want to give their doctor a call and schedule any needed weigh ins. Have a good day all!!

I am curious becaue I have BCBS of Alabama. I have my final pre-op appt.tomorrow. I went to see my PCP once a month for 6 month to get weighed. The patient navigator at my surgeon's office is conerned that my PCP did not include detailed notes about our discussions regarding weight - they jut recorded my weight and blood pressure. Some of the appt. notes included discussion of diet and exercise and some did not. I will be so upset if they decline me over this.

That was so me also! And I fretted over food being so sad thinking of my fav plate at Olive Garden that I will never be able to eat again! But I got sleeved yesterday and trust me it all goes out the window and in comes some new ones.... You will be fine! You will lose weight! You won't accept anything less than being healthy!! Pre op weight 246, surgery weight 224, Goal 160, surgery 2/6/13

Oh, yeah, that was on my iist of worries, probably near the top. So far, I've found the sleeve allows ME to be in control. I always had willpower, but my body had more power to make me eat than my brain had to stop it. Now, I feel like I have some balance. If you learn new habits and follow the rules, the weight does come off. Before surgery I suffered if I ate below 1500 calories a day. Now I eat about 600-700 and I'm fine. And, it's not a ridiculous worry - it's very valid, based on our years of experience. Best of luck to you!

I have a 10cc band with a 3cc fill. I have no restriction. I can't wait until I get there. When were you banded and have you lost weight?

Thank goodness everyone survived that crash! Amazing. My doctor's office has a strict policy, you must lose the required weight before surgery or no surgery. No gaining weight either. So I really think it is the doctor who will decide. Each doctor has different requirements.

I led a very sedentary life for about 15 years before surgery (which directly explains my massive weight gain during that period). Today, I do at least one hour of some sort of exercise every day, and while I wouldn't go so far as to say I LOVE it, it has just become part of daily life that I just DO. Like breathing. Or getting dressed every day. With that said, I do hate weight training which is why I only do it for about 20-30 minutes 1 or 2 times a week (a necessary evil though, to maintain/build muscle mass. Boo.) I do find that I prefer going to classes. Something about being around others makes it less boring. I enjoy Zumba and Hot Yoga. I started going to a Cardio Pump class which is ok (but is basically weight training disguised as aerobics) so I don't think I'll last long there. I have gone to a few Spinning classes, which I like so far, but I can't keep up with the rest of the class yet so I am working on it. When I can find someone to go with me, I'll go climbing/bouldering at a gym nearby, but partners are hard to find, and climbing/bouldering can get expensive! I also do a lot of walking, which I thought would bore me out of my mind, but turned out to be my favourite form of exercise. I put on my headphones and just head out the door and come back an hour later. The time just flies by it seems...which is a good sign In short, find something that you like to do, you will more likely stick to it and make it part of your everyday life. Try out different things until you find the activities that work for you. And it doesn't have to be just going to a gym or classes...you could join a sport team, take up running/hiking, swimming...the options are endless. Good Luck!

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.

@qhein Thank you. The band seems to have given so many people problems @@aqua The vomiting almost came naturally. I knew i had issues when i was puking clear slime in my sleep. It just started happening. I couldnt help it. I have gained about 60 lbs in two years. Some of that is muscle, since i weight train heavy weights 3-5 times a week. But at least 3/4 is fat. So i've gained the same as you, but for an added year. You're getting sleeved june 5? I go for my endoscopy that day. Then get sleeve two weeks later. We should keep in touch. We'll be getting sleeved around the same time.

Well, this is what I know and would do. I work with a girl who is 3 years from her original banding, she did lose 90% of her weight but she lost it not the healthiest way. She was constantly allowing her band to be to tight and she would vomit and spit up frequently. 3 weeks ago she started having abdominal pain and it had come to the point she could hardly tolerate any solid foods and only small amounts of liquids. She had a fluro exam and it reveled that her band had slipped and her stomach pouch had pulled through the band and was ganging over the band. When she would eat, the food would go into the pouch that was hanging over the band and the pain would come from the stomach trying to push the food back up through the band. I understand this exam is expensive but if your band has slipped there are more serious consequences. Maybe the hospital will allow you to make payments on the procedure. I am not going to lecture you on what you eat or why this has happened because it sounds to me like you are beating yourself up enough. I hope you can get the help you need and can get your head in the right place so you can lose the weight you desire to lose. Good luck.

This is my first post on this website and I hope I'm doing this correctly. Okay here is my story. Please don't judge. I've had the lap band for approximately 5 years. I originally lost 50 pounds and have subsequently gained 50 pounds. On Tuesday I started getting a dull ache in my stomach. While my 8 year old got sick that day with the stomach flu, I really don't think this is the pain I'm feeling. It feels centered around my port. And it travels down my stomach. I have a very large pannus. I do throw up often because I don't eat properly. We don't have insurance and barely make it. I made an appt to have a fluroscopy to check things out but the idea of the $250 was too much. I thought perhaps it would go away. It hasn't gone away and its painful. Does anyone know if this could be a slippage or possibly erosion? Has anyone else had these symptoms? Additional information is that yes I can eat and drink just fine. I had been constipated for a few days but then things "got moving" so I don't think its constipation. I did start trying to cut back on carbs and sugar and wondered if my body was in shock. My solution? Start eating crap again for the last 2 days which hasn't changed things either. I know I'm not the model LapBand citizen and haven't been for many years. Does anyone know what could be going on with this stomach pain? Any thoughts? (please don't be too critical of me because I do it to myself every day). Thank you, Michelle

My guess is that you are eating eating too few calories for the exercise you are expending or you are gaining muscle and although you aren't losing atm you are getting smaller because a pound of muscle is smaller than a pound of fat.

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. The Daily Plate has a weight graph, daily you put your weight in and it is satisfying to see the numbers go down! ReplyReply AllMove...800 calls-personairlineAlaska airlines mile...AlmanzaBaby Wesleyboard stuff to savedance callendargas pricesjoanjokesNikirecipesrenter phone numberresume Go to Previous message | Go to Next message | Back to Messages Select Message EncodingASCII (ASCII)Greek (ISO-8859-7)Greek (Windows-1253)Latin-10 (ISO-8859-16)Latin-3 (ISO-8859-3)Latin-6 (ISO-8859-10)Latin-7 (ISO-8859-13)Latin-8 (ISO-8859-14)Latin-9 (ISO-8859-15)W. European (850)W. European (CP858)W. European (HPROMAN8)W. European (MACROMAN8)W. 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