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Can you tell me what setting you go into to post the weight loss ticker??? NEVER MIND! LOL! I figured it out!

Hi, I am going for my first seminar 4 days after my 62nd birthday. Can anyone in this age group tell me about your surgery and if age is an issue? I am healthy except for issues caused by my excess weight (knee pain, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, fatty liver).

Hello, I am in the early stages of going through this process. I have Tricare Prime and just received my refferal letter from them. I also just attended my first dietary counseling session and she actually told me not to loose any weight because I am right at 40% BMI. But I also have severe arthritis in both knees and asthma and am well over 100lbs over weight so I think I am safe. I have a physical Aug 12; Seminar the 16th, and surgeon visit the 19th.... How long will this whole process take before I can get a surgery date?

I had my one week post-op appointment today. I got rid of the drain. It was strange because I have had this sore spot on my left side that has been bothering me at night. Today when the doctor removed my drain (from the right side mind you) I felt it immediately in my sore spot on my left side. I don't know if the drain actually reached over that far or if my nerve endings are misfiring but it sure felt good to get rid of it. My doctor is pretty liberal with food and such. He let me move into soft foods today which was awesome. I made my husband take me to McCormick and Schmicks for some Sockeye Salmon (to die for!). I couldn't eat much but those few bites were delicious. He told me I could move to whatever I want next week but to still stay clear of doughy or dense bread and dense meats. I am glad he isn't one that makes you wait weeks before eating. On the way home I realized how happy I am. Truly happy. I have not felt that about myself in a long time. My weight has always been the ball and chain that constrained me. Not any more!

Still kind of freaking out I used to be heavy 170-180 and felt real good about myself even at my all time high before this (229 in 1998 I was ok with it) I wore short skirts and low cut tops and people (guys) responded as such Now I just want to go to work and return home put on my pj’s and eat away from people. I know it’s bad and I need help i want my old life back..before cancer but know that won't happen ever I thought about this for a long time ( have been going to NYC since last summer) I am ok with the risks, I know it’s not a magic treatment and I know that I will have to exercise and eat the new way for life and I am ok with it … after cancer I know all about the new normal and while I don’t always like it I understand and can accept it… I am not lazy (no matter what the docs think) I have been working very hard for years and was thrilled when Dr. Stiles (at nyu) told me she believed me and that there was help and hope to lose weight. I have been through 8 surgeries in the last six years I had 5 surgeries for a anal fistula in addition to the colon resection I had a port (hated it) in my chest and I was never so scared before a surgery. I also have very bad neuropothy in my hands and feet from the chemo and until feb of this year when I found a pain management doc I wouldn’t even have though of doing this as every moment of every day was a nightmare When I finally decided to have this surgery I felt so calm and happy that I was taking charge of my life Then once I got the approval paper and went for the pretest I am driving myself nuts The problem is other than two friends who support my decision to have the surgery no one else knows…I won’t even tell my brother (normal one) and sister in law who live with me as honestly they are not supportive at all of any health issues I have (I could talk for days about what they didn’t do but the best example of how they act is ever day during chemo I worked but left early to come home and have a nape at around 4 pm every night they woke me up at 7:30pm so I could make/serve/clean up dinner for my disabled brother and take care of my dog…when I was craping my brains out (wonder if I can say that here?) and food tasted like I was licking a metal pole I had to get up and cook so they are not going to help when I have this little surgery. I wish my mom was alive so I could talk to her about it. I know it’s all in my head. I know if I call and cancel the surgery the minute I put the phone down I will regret my actions and will beat myself up for the next year about chickening out , I have a history of making snap decisions and regretting them once I do… I have spent a lot of time and money on this and I real want to change my life so why as I so scared? Thanks for listening sorry for the rambling

Good Morning Everyone im from NYC....Finally .... I was 232months ago....when i heard the doctor say u need the surgery to better your health i was concern..so did a few research...and here iam ..in the process i was trying to loose weight and so i did to 215. stood on that weight now since the 10days liquid, iam down 196 as we speak...it hasn't been easy, but in life nothing is easy. So iam relax woke up so early but hey ...Drinking all the Water i cant now...i did pretty Good?what u guys think..???? Sent from my Z987 using the BariatricPal App

How are you feeling? How was your surgery? I am 2 days pre-op and just curious....I was told you have to walk for a few weeks first but I am not too sure. Congratulations on your weight loss so far!!!!!!!!!!!!

I feel awesome! The liquid diet gives you the strength of 10 men-LOL. Weight is still coming off pretty regular although I feel soft and flabby, would like to work in some exercise soon. I stopped taking pain meds afert 5 days, I walked a lot at the hospital and believe that really helped my recovery. I go to the doc tomorrow to find out what the deal is on the exercise-I'll post answers here.

Stick to 1100 cals to continue losing weight.

Well I am 19 years old and a soon to be college student. I have struggled with my weight for most if not all of my life. I have never been thin, always overweight. When I was younger like elementary/middle school age my weight really affected me mentally and socially. I used to get picked on all of the time. It wasn't until my freshman year of highschool that I became confident and comfortable in who I was, and the way I looked. I have tried diet after diet after diet and they just don't work, or I am just not motivated enough to follow through. It wasn't until I was diagnosed with PCOS (poly cystic ovarian syndrome) in the 8th grade that i saw my weight was an issue medically. With this syndrome comes many things.....diabetes being one of them. I have type 2 diabetes that is now controlled with medication, but i still worry about things like my eye sight and my feet and legs. Anyway......I am wanting to get this surgery so that I can get rid of all this weight and become a healthier woman. What I want in life is to become a wife/mother. I know that as long as I have this weight on that it will be extremly hard if not imposible for me to have children. I have my first appointment with my Dr. on October 4th. If anyone has any advice, I would love to hear it! Thanks <3

First off you don't want to push the issue of "feasting" . The idea of this surgery is to help him loose weight and not make him eat. After his surgery, it is really important to follow the doctors rules and regulations. I don't think you want to be the reason if he has a leak or other type of problem because you felt he should "enjoy" thanksgiving. It's not about the food, it's about family (new way of thinking now). As long as he is with his family that should be all that matters. If he is just starting on mushies that week, then mushies is what he'll have (the doctor will give him a plan to follow). But follow the doctors advise. . .that is most important for his health. However, again, the choice is yours. . . Good luck

I refuse to be "tied down" to my scales. I am pre op and right now I am weighing myself every morning just to make sure I havent gained any..I have a son that lives in the next own over who will come over often I have told him by the time I get home from hospital I want him to hide the scales and when he comes to visit I will weigh myself.....If I do what I am supposed to do its going to come off. It didnt all come on in a day and its surely not coming off in a day I dont want to have the roller coaster ride of the ups and downs after the surgery, you usually gain a little right after from what Ive read and Im not going to let the scales control my life....well thats the plan anyway...LOL

I love hearing this! Before you know it, you will be in the normal weight BMI and then the celebration continues.....

I had this, and never really lost my hunger. It's why I'm only down 67 pounds instead of 100 at 8 months out. I got a wake up call when I didn't lose weight at all for several months and I had to start being much stricter. I weigh and track everything I put in my mouth, I don't eat gluten or processed foods, I drink at least 70 oz. of water daily, I eat sugar once in a blue moon (usually a piece of dark chocolate) and I exercise like a fiend. All to make up for those months when the weight should have been falling off of me but I was eating whatever I wanted. It's definitely not too late for you at 2.5 months out. Just go back to your plan, eat slowly, track your calories, and don't chase fullness. We should only be eating until we're satisfied, if we eat to fullness we've already eaten too much. You got this!

Congratulations .. You won't regret it... I am 59 with grown kids and a very supportive husband.... I too was diabetic ... What type are you? I was type 2 with an A1C of 10 WITH taking metformin, gliberide (specific) and byetta shots twice a day.... I was going to have to start insulin, if i did not have the surgery....well, they had me stop all my diabetic medicine 3 days before surgery... I had surgery and they started monitoring my blood sugar... It rose as high as 300 (they gave me insulin shots) then started coming down... I spent 1 night in the hospital...by the time we drove home next morning (90 minute drive) my blood sugar was around 200.... stayed OFF diabetic meds and checked blood sugar 3 times a day...wrote them down to show doctor on follow up appointment at 10 days post-op....numbers were between 150 & 200... now at 7 weeks post-op, i check once every 3 days and they are 98 - 120..... my diabetes is GONE!!!!! besides losing weight ... I am no longer a diabetic! i feel amazing... Welcome to the group of sleevers and you will love this site.... Use the search button for anything and always know that there are many people (at all different stages of this process) that will support you with your decision... Sorry so long .... I am just so happy to have wonderful people helping/guiding me, that i wanted to make sure you knew we are here for you...

Reporting in that I had a great day today. Stuck with my meal plan and had a really good workout at the gym. Thanks again to everyone who provided words of encouragement. It was just what I needed! I'm still getting used to talking about weight loss and being honest when I have a bad day. I usually just suffer in silence because I'm so mad at myself and embarassed. Just about all of my friends and family members are thin and it's impossible to talk to someone who thinks having 10 pounds to lose is a big deal. I have to say I'm actually looking forward to my psych consult. Pretty sure it is going to be more helpful than I think.

If your surgery is July 18, you should be right around my surgery weight (232) by then. I have been low-carbing and exercising. I mean really low carb, under 30 a day. I go swimming for 45 minutes twice a week and run for 30 minutes 3 times a week. I am 56, post-menopausal, and have hypothyroidism, so you should be able to do AT LEAST as well as I have, and I expect you'd do better. I had a knee injury that restricted movement in May and the scale showed it--only 4 lbs for the month. Good luck, and Aruba is beautiful! Go diving or snorkeling!

It's really frustrating. Both sides of my family base EVERYTHING on food, and none of it is good for you! Going to family events, or heck, even just stopping by my mom's house to visit turned into a really frustrating experience for me in the beginning. I remember making this huge Thanksgiving spread for my family at just four months post op and hardly eating any of it and while it's true that I wasn't really hungry it's still difficult mentally to adjust. One time we were home with family and everyone was shouting out their choices for restaurants and all I could think was, "Does nobody here care that I can't eat ANYTHING at that restaurant right now?" And yes, I got plenty mad. It's hard. You're giving up a lot when you choose this surgery and you're so new to the sleeve that you're not even on a normal diet yet. Later, you WILL be able to choose to eat those foods if you really want to, but in moderation. And you might be surprised to find that some of them don't taste nearly as good as you remember, anyway. Food is more than just sustenance for a lot of us. It's family. It's social. It's fitting in with the people around you. When you find yourself unable to participate in activities you used to take for granted (like eating birthday cake or enjoying pot roast with your family) it's not easy. Hang in there. It really does get better. MUCH better. Because as you shed this weight you're going to start realizing that food has been controlling you. You're going to feel better and look better and you're going to find that it affects other areas of your life, too. And yes, with time that stomach will heal and you can eat a more normal diet. But in the meantime, it's a great time to work on those food issues we all have that made us big in the first place. Are you really hungry or do you just want to eat? Good luck, and come back here to vent any time. We all understand this and experience it, too. ~Cheri

Greetings everyone! I just wanted to share my experience. I was banded first time in 2006 with a 4cc band. Everything went well aside from sliming, food getting stuck & vomiting. I figured this was just the price to pay to finally be able to lose weight once & for all. I lost 50 lbs (not quite goal) but I was so happy to lose weight successfully. At my lowest weight I started having horrible reflux at night. I would wake up choking on burning stomach acid (sorry for the gross factor). It was not only painful, but scary. Apparently my band had slipped. From what I understand this is common for the 4cc band. So the process of removal of fluid over months began until I had no restriction. The hope was the the band would correct itself which it did not. The decision was a new band. I got a 10cc band a little over a year ago and have since gained all of my weight back!!! I can't begin to tell you how discouraging this has been. I know that it isn't totally the band to blame because as my disappointment in my new band grew I stopped exercising and ate "bad" foods. Since may 2009 I have had several fills. At one point I was too restricted and could barely keep anything down. For some reason I cannot find the sweet spot with this new band like I did with the old one. I go in for yet another fill and I am going to talk to dr. about a sleeve. My insurance has been very good about everything so far, but we know how insurance companies are ;0. I know that there isn't a perfect surgery, but from what I can tell the sleeve offers the benefits of a band yet without complications of bypass (which I would never consider). Thanks for listening!!:thumbup:

Welcome to the forums! Very excited for you! One recommendation -- dont stock up on the Protein powder just yet. Most of us will have our tastes change a bit after the surgery. So for now, buy some samples and try them after surgery. Once you find your fav brand, you can buy those in large quantities. I wish you a safe surgery, speedy recovery and great weight loss!!!!

First, stop reading (before you drive yourself nuts), you have all the information you need and you'll have an opportunity to ask questions at the seminar, and if your having surgery in the US more than likely your surgeon has a staff of support people available for you, pre and post surgery. Then come back to this form and only read the ones that are for a specific question you have. I highly suggest you look at a website I found reading post on this form. Kelly is an amazing, funny, and most impressive; honest person about weight loss. She brings up all the things we all feel, but think we are the only ones dealing with such issues. I too have done a ton of reading, and was asking the same questions as you. After reading several of Coffeys articles, my life makes so much more sense. Bad choices, bad habits, yup, I'm the only one who put the food physically in my mouth, but now I'm learning so much more. Go over and cruise her site www.strongcoffey.com I too have the same concerns as you. I know and know of people who have had some form of WLS,only to either not lose the weight, or gain it back. But I have a most critical eye, I saw, first hand these people over eating, eating everything in site, not "choosing" nourishing food, but eating and drinking crap! Surgery is only a tool. We have to learn the rest. This is what I am currently working on. My insurance doesn't cover WLS (bastards!) but I do believe things happen for a reason. So, I am taking this time to work on me. To learn how to handle situations better, how to see them coming and be prepared to ensure I'm taking care of me first and foremost. Please, be honest with yourself. Ask the tough questions, write them out, discuss them with your support person. What ARE YOU going to do differently once you have WLS? More importantly, what are you currently doing to start the process now? For me, I have started exercising. No excuses. I have arthritis in both feet and ankles. No longer an excuse. I am using free weights and a rebounder (mini trampoline). I listen to NPR while I bounce. Music disrupted my rhythm I am eating better. No processed food, none nada. I eat when I'm hungry. I eat fresh food and cook it myself. I allow myself 1 teaspoon of sugar in my one cup morning decafe coffee. Otherwise only Water for drinking and no other sugar. My body doesn't like grains. I try to avoid them. I pack my lunch and have healthly Snacks available when needed. Sure there is still not so healthly food in my house. But there will always be unhealthly food (to me) available everywhere I go. Its learning how to handle and react around those foods that are my goal. My family doesn't have to follow my eating "rules". But at dinner time, we all sit down to a meal that is designed around my plan. Tonight it was 4oz of Cod, with a big helping of steamed zucchini with a touch of olive oil and a dusting of parmesean cheese. I would already be on the surgery table had my insurance approved it. But I now see I need this time to process my decisions and make healtly choices to set myself up for sucess once I do have WLS. I am looking into Medical Tourism for my surgery. My insurance will cover consuling and working with a nutritionist, so I have started the journey before "hitting the table". I'm sure others will answer your post. Good luck on your journey....

Hello. I'm new to the site. I'm 21years old and I'm from California. I've struggled with my weight all my life. I've been researching about gastric bypass for the last few years. I need to get healthy or my life is just going to keep going down hill. I'm still young & I know that there's still a chance for me to turn my life around. I really want to get the surgery but I'm scared that I won't be able to. I don't have any insurance & my family is dirt poor. Do I have any options that could help me? Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you

I've actually found compliance over the first 7.5 months post-op to be quite easy. I don't really understand the thought process for people who are non-compliant right out of the gate. I'm not judging, I really just lack an ability to understand where they are in their life/thought process that allows them to do that. That being said, I worry a ton about maintenance. Being non-compliant there i can TOTALLY get my head around. I think everyone of us who had this surgery had dieted over and over and over. We probably all had some level success, but we pretty much all failed at maintenance - that's why we are here. So, to me, it's the old demons. I always failed in the past, why will this be any different? I am almost almost 30 lbs below my original goal weight and if I'm honest with myself, part of why is that I am so worried about transitioning into maintenance (and partly because I can, so hey, why not). As a last thought, I also wonder if you ever get to a point that you feel "safe". If you maintain for 5 years, will you start to believe you will not regain? 7 years? 10 years?

This is the best decision I could of made for my self personally and for my health. I was first looking at the lap band but then realized that the lap band was only a temporary decision and would need surgery again to have it removed and I didn't like the refill stuff. I also had an old friend that I ran into that had the band 2 years previous and she was still way over weight. So I wanted something that was permanent. Now I have it and love it! The sleeve rules! I hope you will join us on the BIG LOSER'S BENCH!

Today was a much better day as far as eating goes. I haven't had any soda, and only one carby snack. Not a bad start. I have been trying to keep busy, to quell my urge to snack out of boredom. I am down 2 lbs this morning, which Im pretty sure is water weight.