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Anyone from Essex ? banded 23/11/12 could do with some one from uk to be a buddy , stuggling weight not shifting , feeling fed up !

things went well with the surgery (9/10). i was in and out quickly. they did find that my liver was way larger than normal, so they took a biopsy. came back and i have early fibrosis/non alcoholic steatohepatitis (fatty liver disease) that could lead to cirrhosis if i dont get/keep the weight off. in the hospital overnight, couldn't sleep. was on an 8 minute dilaudid pain pump, which i thank heaven for. just don't let them take out your IV/pain pump til they are actually ready to walk you out the door, especially if you have a long way to get home. i had mine out too long and got very agitated because the dr took 2.5h to write my discharge orders... i felt horrible and then started running a fever and my blood pressure and heart rate (things i don't have issues with) skyrocketed. the nurse had a horrified look on her face when she took them right before i left. on the ride home, every bump was horrible. i just wanted my own bed. and it felt like years before my husband got home from the pharmacy with my pain meds. other than that just poking and prodding. went home the next day, pain for about a day and a half, only gave my oxycodone. phenergan did not touch the nausea, so they called in some zofran. if you have nausea, DEMAND the zofran. much more effective. turned out to have been pain mainly from the nausea from pain meds. i was fine w just zofran the 2 or 3 days after that, then i felt just fine. within the week, i actually felt GOOD. weird. i did have one night where i laid in bed and felt like there was electricity going through my body. i couldn't sleep and was just restless. it was horrible. i think it was related to an anti nausea patch they gave me to put behind my ear? not sure, but i stopped using it and it hasn't happened since. so far, down 25 lbs and 25 inches. mostly in my arms, legs, and face. coming off slowly on the abdomen, which is where i carry everything. was initially scheduled for 3 weeks off work. i feel good. was cleared for soft food, sex, and exercise today, THANK GOD. walking wasn't cutting it. i did get approved for another 2 weeks off of work though. i want to be less exhausted from healing. my sleeve doesn't hurt. it cramps a little in the am when i am empty and haven't taken my prilosec, but other than that, no pain. no nausea otherwise. i think i am eating too quickly bc i am overly full when i am done. take the time to listen to your body. eat super small bites VERY SLOWLY and you'll avoid getting too full, which feels gross and can make you cough out the extra. it's really not fun. matrix mint cookie protein and i are bffs. the best flavor! and not too thick. so glad i did it! best decision i have ever made! questions? lol

I have the same question - did the same thing. Here's what I'm thinking. I was sent home with an antacid pill to take twice a day, and the birth control pill is way smaller than that, so it's probably okay to start back taking. I'm six days post-op and am doing good with no nausea finally. I think I'll take the BC pill at a different time than when I take the prescription that I came home with to avoid having too much to digest at once. Would love to hear any advice from others. Good Luck!

Hi. What an achievement 90 lbs.! Great job. I can't speak as someone with long-term experience as my sleeve surgery was 12/28/17; however, I do have sugar cravings at times. I notice the cravings tend to strike when I haven't eaten yet (when I should have already eaten) and when I'm not getting my protein in bc I'm not eating on a regular basis. So focusing on reaching 80-90 grams of protein daily may help you if you are not already doing that and eating meals every 3-4 hours. I also find if I busy my mind with an activity like a jigsaw puzzle, my cravings subside. Brushing my teeth after meals and following that an hour later with drinking water helps me too. About exercise being a challenge bc of pain and fatigue issues: I really relate to that. I often think I'd be losing significantly more if I didn't have these "issues." It's tough too bc these are invisible disabilities and are often misunderstood. The pain and fatigue issues I have existed before I was overweight and I'm sure the excess weight hasn't helped. If you'd ever like to message about it, I'm here. You know what you need to do. You've got this! [emoji259]

I was told almost the same thing, and my doc asked me to consider GB, but I had no intention of getting my plumbing rearranged! What my doc was quoting are averages of various reports on the weight loss of however-many individuals. I think averages are total BS anyway, they don't tell you anything. My doc did admit that anyone can certainly "beat the averages" with a good diet and exercise. Don't let that discourage you from moving forward if this is the procedure you want to pursue, Good luck to you and don't give up!

Interesting bc I find artificial sweeteners too sweet! My nutritionist and I have an understanding... Eat tasty food that is nutritious and REAL. I focus on using purer ingredients when I can. For instance, I'd rather get jam that has seeds in it and its ingredient list is fruit!...rather than a less caloric and/or sugary 'jam' that has 10 ingredients. That's just an example. I focus on about 80 carbs a day, >50 protein, and <30 grams fat. I do not obsess over this though and find when I focus on protein and veggies the numbers even out. And i have dark chocolate almost every day too! So my suggestion is to find a nut who can help you figure out a plan that works for you. Eat real food and listen to your new stomach...good days and bad days will be had but overall focusing on quality is def working for me (but may not be the key for you). Good luck!

U should call ur surgeon....bc I dont kno about vomiting but I kno when I get the stuck feeling im full and I need to stop eating it takes me 2 hours to eat mashed potatoes wit a baby spoon and the whole spoon isnt even full I have to take breaks and everything

I'm 4 days post op and I have the largest most painful incision to the right of my belly button. This is where they fed multiple instruments through. Im wearing a binding waist sincher that I got at the hospital and that seems to help.

Speaking as someone with a ph.d., you know what the difference was between those of us who graduated, and those who quit? Those of us who graduated didn't quit. Really. That was it. Persistence. We put up with whatever BS, jumped through whatever hoops, dealt with inevitable delays and were like stubborn MULES that were NOT going to quit until we had it. The ones that quit lost patience. I don't think I was always intelligence, ability, or anything intellectual. Persistence. Same thing that made you keep at it until you hit weight/fitness goals. How many guys like you quit on the weight a long time ago? But not you, right? My first 3 years were no problem. Due to health, pregnancy, unsupportive spouse issues my last year took me four years. Persistence. Good luck. You will do great.

Okay, now I'm totally worried bc my BMI has waivers from 34-42 over the past two years granted I was taking phentermine and tompax during this time. I wonder if insurance will deny me?

Sorry, can't answer that question but wanted to say welcome anyway. I have BC/BS of California, and they refused to pay. Good luck to you.

I don't know how it feels to jump through all of those hoops bc I was self pay... But I'd do it all over again in a flash! I'm loving my life post sleeve .. I will be exactly 2 months out on wednesday!!!

So my plan WAS to get in with my normal medical system (Baylor Scott and White) and had a referral and an appointment with the psych appointment with a provider for the ADHD consult. I had called for pricing so I could budget several weeks before the appointment, they called me back and refused to leave a voicemail. I forgot about it until a few days before my appointment so I call again. They tell me they will get back to me but it's only a few days before my appointment(why not just tell me how much the stupid appointment will be with my insurance?), they don't get back to me but call several times to reschedule my appointment the day of because the provider won't be in the office. I get it. I call a couple of days later to reschedule, the lady who can schedule this type of appointment will call me because she isn't available (why all receptionists can't schedule this type of appointment is beyond me--I ama vet receptionist and human medicine boggles my mind). They finally call me back almost a week later-I work and can't answer my phone, they ask me to call back. I'm frustrated and over it. At this point several weeks past the initial appointment time has lapsed and that appointment had been about 2 months out. The great internet gods have been listening to my conversations because I get an ad for Cerebral. They have a sale, $30 the first month, $85/mo thereafter. Includes 1 session per month and the meeting (telehealth) with a provider to go over concerns and see if medication is an option. So I said, screw it and joined Cerebral to try it out. The telehealth visit with the prescriber wasn't terrible, not great either--don't go into it looking for the same thing you would get with an in person visit/testing etc. All of that said (sorry for being long winded) here is my take on Cerebral. I have not had my monthly meeting with the "Care Counselor" for the once a month check in but I can see why they are being looked into by the DEA-the provider basically went over a list of questions and asked about my symptoms. If you are specifically looking for stimulants you could easily guide the conversation to those. I specifically asked for non-stims as I was incredibly worried about addiction, especially after surgery. I do know as of May 9th they would not submit any new stim prescriptions. It wasn't terrible, as someone that after many online quizzes, joining adhd facebook groups, research through all the interwebz and finding myself relieved that I was not a lazy piece of crap and that I was not alone...there were many times I was crying or almost crying in relief finding out things I did were part of adhd symptoms(job hopping was a huge one). I will check in with my provider in a month to do a status check and see how things are going. I plan on only using Cerebral for a few months and if things are going really well I am planning on reaching out to my PCP to see if she is comfortable taking over my care and prescription since I very much love my PCP. If she isn't, then I still plan on getting in with an in person psych--just probably not BS&W. Lemme know if you have any questions! So far the Strattera has not given me a lot bad of side effects, no nausea I can speak of but I do get very sleepy later in the day and I do find my appetite has waned a bit as well. Focus seems better but I am unsure of that being a placebo effect vs actual effect-there is some talk on the forums/groups that some people get some early on benefits that fade until it starts to build up in the system 4-8 weeks later. Sorry if that got super long, let me know if you have anymore questions!

Aw, husbands rock! Mine has been great. Some things I've found to be really helpful/supportive are: -"I'm proud of you" -"what can I do for you?" - taking on family meal plans/making sure he and the kid are fed - especially during preop when I was starving and not up to cooking for them and post op liquid/purée times. - stepping up by taking days off to handle things I normally do. My sick days have been used up with surgery and appointments. He has been handling pediatrician appts, cable guy, etc -complimenting, but not to the cloying/overboard level, which would make me feel like he didn't love me as much before. Just the right level ???? - being willing to overhaul the eating of our household - getting the crap out of the house! You'll be amazing, I'm sure. Best of luck to your wife!!

I'll be going on vacation with some old friends and it "coincidentally" is planned for when my doctor allows alcohol. So my question is, what should I drink that will be less likely to make me sick?! I WILL be having one drink or at least most of one. I've heard to stay away from margaritas/mixed drinks Bc of the sugar making people feel sick. I've heard wine gives heartburn. I've heard beer or any liquor mixed with soda just hurts. So what does that leave me to try?!

I haven't been able to get on this website for about 3 weeks due to computer issues, and then family illness. Thankfully, that's all taken care of now! It's hard to believe that 2 months ago I had a life-changing, mind-blowing experience with the realization of getting my sleeve. After years of major struggles with the lap-band, and 2 years spent searching for a Doctor who would even consider seeing me, God opened the door for me at Dr. Kaler's office. Dr. Kaler had no hesitation in telling me, "Yes, I can do your revision". I remember sitting in his exam room with tears in my eyes, thinking "Finally, someone who can help me". The sense of relief that this ordeal was finally over was surreal. After years of struggling with the band, the sliming, the sticking, the not being able to eat out in front of anyone other than my DH, my mother's comments of "Oh honey, I just wish there was something that could be done for you", my revision was done in one surgery. The changes that have occurred in my life since have been amazing. No more sticking, no more sliming, eating out with friends, feeling like I'm 15 years younger, the energy, the ability to get out and move, the improved numbers from my bloodwork, actually enjoy life has been such a blessing. As of this morning, I am down 42lbs, and 3 dress sizes. I still struggle with my eyes being WAAAAYY bigger than my sleeve. I suspect this will be a challenge for quite a long time. But it's always surprising to me how much is left on my plate. My DH has enjoyed my leftovers many times and isn't complaining. To have the ability to eat without the expectation that it's going to be a painful experience, has made me realize that I have taken eating for granted. I no longer do that. I know truly enjoy my food, more as a true pleasure, and I'm focusing on making sure that those meals are well worth the effort. I'm learning new recipes, experiencing new foods, and focus on eating whole, healthy, fresh foods. And it's such a great time of the year to do this. With the Farmer's Markets that are open now, my vegetable garden, learning to can and freeze fresh fruits and vegetables, purchasing grass fed beef, free-range chicken, and the most recent addition to our little farm - a Devon pig, who will be filling our freezer this fall, our food quality has increased by leaps and bounds. No more pre-processed food, no more white carbs, a significant reduction in gluten in our lives has made a tremendous difference in not just my, but my DH's life. I never would have made these changes in our life had it not been for the sleeve. I'm eating pretty much anything I want, just in drastically smaller quantities, and the only thing I haven't tried yet is a salad. For some reason, that's the one thing that looms in my mind as the "The Big One". I'm sure it's just in my head that way, but I still see a Salad and think, "One day I'll be able to eat that and really enjoy it", but I haven't tried one yet. I'm not big on restaurant salads, but prefer to buy my own ingredients and make them at home. That way I can control what goes in to it. I will always encourage those who are thinking about getting the lapband toward the sleeve, and I will support those who want a revision by sharing my experience. Just as so many of the folks on this wonderful website have done for me.

It's finally here. ... I have made it through the pre op . I'm shocked and amazed but now I'm so nervous. .. any last minute reminders? I love the Fed back here

Hi @lauraellen80. I'm having gastric bypass. I too have been having too many food funerals as you call them ????. I am looking forward to eating right and getting energy!! My weight has held me back from a lot of things and it's only getting worse so something has got to give. I exercise and only a few pounds comes off. My biggest struggle is remembering to eat and when I do eat I'm so hungry I don't make the best choices. I haven't tried any of the shakes yet, bc my dr wants me to wait until I have my date to start. My BMI is 43.0 and my insurance requires a minimum of 40.0 to be eligible, so he doesn't have me on a plan yet. But once I get my date I will be using them! My husband had bypass a year ago in December and has lost 160 pounds. He's a new man! And I'm hoping we can support each other in this journey so that we are both successful at it. Waiting is terrible, although it's only been 2 days since my last dr appt. but I'm hoping to hear soon. The anticipation and worry if not getting approved is killing me. Although I meet all requirements there's always that "what if"

I have been going to my doctor since May '07 and getting weighed and my blood pressure taken. July's weight was skipped somehow but my blood pressure was recorded - I had to start the 6 month evaluation all over at that point. I might have seen my doctor 2 or 3 times in this time period but it's been primarily done by the nurse. I've recently read this may be a problem.Please let me know if you've been rejected or accepted with these issues?? BC/BS Illinois Thanks! Misty

I have been pretty adamant that I was not going to throw up. For one, my tummy is still so sore that it hurts to laugh or cough or anything so I knew throwing up would be painful. Secondly, I have all of you wonderful people to learn from. I told my husband that I have read over and over again how people eat to much or drink to much and get sick and that I would avoid that at all costs because I knew from your mistakes what not to do. Yep...that is true, but clearly not enough for me. I woke up early this morning (my first day home alone bc my hubby went back to work today) and I went downstairs to make me some coffee with Protein. As I was making it I had this really empty nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach and I had a sudden urge for something to drink. I felt like if I didn't drink something right then I would be sick. So, I grabbed a bottle of Water and proceeded, stupidly I might add, drink the water as if I were a normal person. Ha. I took probably two regular size drinks instead of "sips" and I paid for it. Within a minute I was standing over the sink regurgitating. I realize this isn't the most glamorous post, but I felt like it was a good lesson learned for a Monday morning. If there was any question in my mind as to whethe or not my surgeon actually cut me, I got my answer this morning. Happy Monday!

Don't forget that when your weight loss stalls, your still losing inches. It's your body adjusting to lbs lost and inches lost.... I liked losing inches more bc it was rewarding to buy new clothes and the clothes I really loved... The rest will come off, hang in there and Celebrate the loss you have already. That's an accomplishment... Also you may be retaining Water due to TOM....

Hi! I had my revision from band to sleeve June 6th, and yes, I had to good through the whole process again. I have BS of Califirnia. Good luck! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

It's really strange bc shrimp and crab go down but when I drink water it feels like its right up on my throat and I am about to choke. It even comes up. I know I am dehydrated. I have been able to only drink 16oz of water a day for the last 3 days. I have to fall asleep propped up so liquid doesn't come up in my throat and choke me.

With BC/BS IL, they use your original BMI before the 6 month non-surgical program.

Someone help me!! My NUT won't allow me to eat a tablespoon of coconut oil to help me go..... I take 4 tablespoons Fiber daily, I take magnesium citrate, I drink 100-120oz Water a day, I eat two yogurts a day, I have 1oz fiber food a day with dinner (all my NUT allows at this point) and i liter had the mkst excruciating poop of my life. My pouch hurt for three days bc i couldn't poop and then I pooped a the biggest I have ever done....and now one day later I have more impacted Stool. I am trying fleet enemas and the nasty ole glove and finger but I can't take going through this again. The pain is horrific.