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Agree with others - check with your doctor as it could be a number of issues. I had them so bad my foot would curl under itself. Added a magnesium supplement and drink an electrolyte drink a couple times a week and am much better.

I know this is an old thread but I live in Lonsdale. I use to live in Lakeville and even though Mayo is a long drive it is well worth going to the Bariatric program there. I am getting a revision August 29th. I am pretty use to driving to Mayo because my little cousins live out there and I pick them up occasionally. I had my sleeve done with Fairview and I did not like the nutrition program there. Funny story when I first started my whole journey back in 2017 I went with Park Nicollet first, and with their program you first see some sort of therapist. She denied me for any surgery and told me I had a eating disorder and I needed to do the Emily program for 12 months!!!!!! I went home crying! There was NO WAY I had an eating disorder! So I made an appointment with Fairview's Bariatric program a week after that and got my sleeve done. Couple months after that I got a piece of mail saying that provider is no longer employed with Park Nicollet.

Still super sick, but my stall finally broke!!!! 18 days.....ugh. But at least that's a bright spot in my day. My daughter is starting to get better but my husband and I are miserably sick. My 2 cats are trying to "take care" of us. It's so cute!!! Milo will be 3 in Sept and Asher is 4 1/2 months old. No working out for me for a while, which is driving me nuts. I love my workouts. But I can barely make it across the apartment without feeling sick. Ugh...

Hello mu July buddies, had my gastric sleeve surgery was July 21st. I was absolutely sick with nausea the last week of liquid diet prior to surgery. The 21st came and I was happy to just get nausea meds. Surgery went well. I woke up in such gas pain on my chest it hurt so bad. It was rough. Day 1 after surgery super sucked. Then next day was continuing to get worse. So I stayed in hospital another night. By the next day pain in my chest subsided so I was ready to come home but then my blood work came back and my potassium levels were critically low so I had to literally chew potassium pills to bring it up to be discharged. I had to do it twice just to leave the hospital it was so gross. It was like I was chewing white sand. Gaggable really, but I got my levels up and came home. Doing better everyday. But it is definitely a process. My wounds are still sore mostly right side (dr said thats where they pulled out my stomach so pretty tender. Just wanted to give a update. And let people know Im here for questions and support

Agreed! My doctor said the same as well, I'm taking a multi, calcium & B12(once a week) up until 2 days prior to surgery.

We have local stores that will watch you walk and suggest shoes based on your foot and gait. For me, Brooks Glycerin were the best for me based on how my foot strikes the ground (Supination). I have very turned out feet when I stand naturally and to compensate I tend to roll my weight to the outer edge of my foot following a heel strike. Also, look at the mileage rating on the shoe. Most shoes should be replaced around 300-400 miles of wear. If you track steps 10000 steps is about 4.5 to 5 miles depending on your gait. If you hit that six days a week, you are putting 27-30 miles on your shoes each week, so they would need to be replaced every 10 - 15 weeks.

I'm scheduled for Aug. 2nd. My Birthday is next week and our state fair is a week and a half after surgery. So I 100% feel your pain there. I've decided I wasn't going to let that get to me though because I know it will all be worth it "sacrificing" all the delicious food for this next chapter of my life. My pre-teen daughter had a group of friends over this past weekend and decided to order in pizza, I made sure to order enough that they would eat every last bite and no leftovers sitting out. Cake is gonna look like sugar-free popsicles this year and as far as the state fair I think I'll be ok. I'm not really craving sweets or any "bad" food really... I'd honestly really like some grilled chicken or something other than what I'm continuously eating in the last week. This has been such a mind game. But thankfully I have my daughter to help me laugh it off and humor my way out of and food-loss depression I may have.

I have two main go-to foods in this past year. First, I meal prep a tamarind based vegetable soup. Loaded with all kinds of vegetables. Low calorie, nutritious. Then when I reheat a bowl, I will sometimes add protein to it. Like you, it is mainly seafood but sometimes I add beef or pork. One of my favorite ways to eat fish is airfried. I will eat that on the side with my soup. My second go to I make every week is a greek yogurt dip (high protein type) that varies with ingredients but usually with dill, parsley, cucumbers, garlic, red onions, pickle juice...etc. I eat it with air popped rice crackers. My snacks are almost always fresh fruit. Plums, strawberries, cherries... Etc.

I buy a tub of pulled white meat rotisserie chicken at walmart almost every week, it lasts quite a while when it's being portioned out two ounces at a time, and you can do so much with it. I eat a lot of spinach salads, with 2 oz of chicken, 1/4 of an ounce of walnuts or pumpkin seeds, and a handful of blueberries or other low glycemic fruit. Toss it in half a serving of salad dressing (I am hooked on poppyseed which is kind of sugary but I don't use that much and it's encouraging me to eat all those veggies, so I just factor it in). I literally ate one of these salads for all 3 meals the other day, which I know isn't great but it's healthy, tasty, and the numbers work out right. I also make "pizza melts" which are a low carb tortilla with mozzarella, turkey pepperoni, and whatever "pizza topping" veggies I have on hand (olives, onions, peppers, tomatoes, etc). I heat it on my george forman grill and then dip the pieces into pizza sauce. If you use the La Banderita street tacos the whole thing ends up being about 200 calories (with 1/2 serving of mozzarella and 1/2 serving of turkey pepperoni). They're very filling. One of my favorite dinners recently is cubed boneless/skinless chicken thighs cooked in the air fryer, which gives them a nice crust on the outside and makes it taste like takeout Chinese without the breading, and then add some sauteed broccoli and some green onion, with just enough teriyaki sauce to cover it (usually about half the amount the bottle says is a serving.). No rice, just broccoli and chicken. I usually sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

I had super bad constipation with my sleeve back in 2018! I had three horrible hemorrhoids! and yes like others said its worse than having the actual surgery. I would wake up and scream at my fiance that I needed to go to the ER, but he would tell me to relax and put cream on for me. I went to a rectal doctor once and they prescribed me pain medication and told me the next day the inflammation should go down and that I had a chance of it coming back which it did. Calcium chews is what made me constipated. I switched to pills.

I had a very long timeline. LOL. I started orientation in January 2020, started a 10 week class March 2020 (which got cancelled) Classes resumed July 2020 (online). Finished my classes in August 2020 but had to wait because my A1C levels were still too high with a retest in January 2021. Again levels too high, August 2021 my levels were good so I was referred to the surgeon. Had orientation with the Bariatric clinic in October 2021 and met with surgeon November 2021. Appointment with Internal medicine was December 2021 and meeting with Psychologist January 2022. It took a couple of weeks for them to schedule me due to having to take care of patients who got their surgery cancelled and needed rescheduled. I got my surgery date late February 2022 for surgery April 2022.

I didn’t feel hunger for more than a year so I ate to a routine because I wanted to ensure I got in all the nutrients I needed. I didn’t want to rely in shakes, vitamins or supplements. Doing this didn’t affect my weight loss at all and it helped me refocus how I looked at food. Three years out & I still have times I’m not hungry. Actually been going through a hungry but not hungry stage for a good month now. I’m not eating all my usual portions &/or dropping snacks (I snack to add to my protein &/or calories). I always try to be close to my protein goal though during these times so eat protein first & will reduce vegetables, etc. If I’m not hungry at lunch I’ll have a high protein yoghurt which isn’t as heavy to digest as meat. I should explain I’m a do I need this next bite or want it eater. So I don’t eat until I feel full but until I’ve had enough & don’t need anymore. I don’t feel too full to eat but more I don’t want to eat but I know I have to have something. I also still eat slowly - like a tub of yoghurt takes about 45-60mins. As @The Greater Fool said it comes down to habits & these were the ones I established which carry me through.

You can develop gallstones for many reasons including high cholesterol, menopause, high bilirubin levels, diabetes, losing weight quickly. For many of us, losing weight also releases extra cholesterol into our bloodstream causing our levels to temporarily rise. Some also have gallstones before surgery which were never picked up. I had to have my gallbladder removed 25 months after my surgery. I had high bilirubin levels, am menopausal, & saw my cholesterol go up while I was losing & of course had lost weight. I had one stone which was discovered about 6 months after surgery during a liver scan. We don’t know how long it had been there. The stone never caused me a problem until one night & oh boy! I was maintaining when my gall was removed. After it was removed I stopped absorbing protein as well as I had been - it can happen. My nails became weak, started losing hair again, things were taking longer to heal, etc. & my three monthly blood test showed why. I had to up my protein intake (from 50-60g to 60-70g) which did result in a small gain of 2kgs in a month but I’ve maintained that for a good 7 months. (Also upped my HRT meds at the exact same time so both contributed to the gain.) I was also prescribed Creons, pancreatic enzymes, to help with protein absorption.

I had to get another blood draw and they told me I was lacking in potassium and my blood pressure was super low. I was also recommended to drink a bottle of Gatorade Zero as well. Right after surgery every time I would shower the steam would make me want to faint/vomit and standing up in general was an absolute nightmare. I am about 4 weeks post-op and am still struggling to eat anything besides greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and tuna lol. My starting weight was 278 and now I am down to 241. It is very exciting! Keep up the great work.

I am glad I am not the only one! I would watch any cooking show that Netflix or Hulu had to offer haha. Now that I am almost 4 weeks post-op I don't feel the urge. I do still find it hard that what I used to be able to eat, I can now only eat a quarter of it at a time. It's definitely a mind trick.

OK, you're smart, you work it out. Why do you think your goals are your goals? Your medical team getting it's jollies at your expense, or do they believe they serve an honest purpose? What purpose might that be? [Snark not intended] Let's consider some facts: 60g of Protein is considered a healthy amount of protein for non-ops and post-ops alike. Same with minerals and vitamins that are often supplemented to ensure minimum values, op and non-op alike. Similarly for liquids, again for op and non-op alike. Missing these goals one day, or even a few, may not impact overall heath in the long-run. But missing them too frequently for too long may be a different story. So, knowing these facts you should be able to make your choice. Were it me, I wouldn't fret about the occasional lapse. But that's me. But, knowing these facts, when I'm ill I can't even force myself to eat for days or weeks at a time, which has caused problems to compound. It comes down to the habits you choose to build. Under normal circumstances I push myself to eat even when I don't feel like it as preparation for those times when I simply can't. Your mileage may vary. Good luck, Tek

Very good to hear you're feeling better! Just remember you've had major surgery and even though your feeling on the mend 1 week out is not the time to push your limits. Still take it easy for 2-3 more weeks minimum.

I managed mine in just over 3 months. My insurance demanded a 6 months medically supervised diet, but I had that proven via two different paths of two different programs in the previous 12 months, so they had no gripe there. They also wanted 5 years of proven morbid obesity and and I had that proven medically and with pictures so again, they were beaten. All that remained were all the tests proving I could live through the procedure, which I managed quicker than usual, since I made frequent calls pestering for any appointment cancellations. When the doc's office submitted for approval Friday afternoon, I was surprised to learn I was already approved Monday morning. My surgery, originally scheduled for 4 weeks later was 2 weeks later. I suspect a lot has changed in the subsequent years. Good Luck, Tek

My insurance covered nothing. Also I work in the school system so once the decision was made I was anxious to get my surgery done as close to the beginning of summer as possible so I would have the summer to heal and miss as little work as possible. I am taking on a new position in the 2022-2023 School Year and was told that frequent absences would not be good. I'm leaving a situation where I was part of a team and easily covered, to a position where I am alone and have to have a substitute. I saw my surgeon for the first time on April 29, 2022. He explained the sleeve and the bypass and ask if I had a preference. I had done some research of my own and wanted the gastric bypass RNY. He agreed that was the best choice for my case with my co-morbidities. I was given the tests that I would need to take but he used a lot of my existing tests because I was self pay and I already had a Psychologist that was ready and willing to write a letter, so I didn't have to wait for that. I went back May 27th with all my clearances and tests done and he made it my pre-opp appointment, knowing I was anxious to get it done soon. We scheduled my surgery for June 7,2022. I went in on June 7, 2022 and had a routine surgery with no hiccups. I was released from the hospital June 9, 2022. Follow- up with my surgeons PA (Just as awesome) was a week later and I saw the dietician then to. I talked to the dietician 5 weeks after that and she checked to see how I was progressing into soft food. I will get to start slowly adding solid food on August 4th but I will hold off until the weekend in case it doesn't go well. My next appointment with the PA and the dietician is in the office on September 15. I was able to return to light duty on July 11th. No heavy lifting but lots of walking (4000-7000 steps a day). I actually ran a couple times and didn't die!!! I hope this helped😊

I know you mentioned that you don't see your team for a month yet, but are you able to call or email your program nutritionist or dietitian? I'm still a few weeks out from surgery but we were told to reach out if we had any issues at any point. They stressed hydration and of course protein needed to be met to help our body heal. I would agree with @ShoppGirl that an occasional substitution would probably be ok , but they probably would want you to stick to the plan as much as you are able. After you talk to them they might be able to suggest a modification that might better suit your needs if you are having issues, like smaller portions more often or adding a supplement to help meet the nutritional needs, while not making you feel like you are forcing food down. Good luck! Let us know how you are doing!

Mine was pretty fast, shorter than I expected for insurance - from what I am hearing from my friends who went through this already. My insurance did not have any weight loss or education requirements. I met the criteria of BMI which was enough to move forward. My first class, informational & weigh-in was May 16th 2022. I was put on a 3 month program - since I didn't have insurance requirements, that is the shortest duration the program I am in does (mainly because of medical clearance testing & scheduling). In June I had 2 virtual zoom classes (they were spaced about every two weeks) My second one I was the only person on her schedule - so I got a private class with the nutritionist. It is normally a group class it just worked out that way. If I was in a 6 month program or longer - they would have covered the same information - they just would have been more classes of a shorter duration. During June I was able to schedule my psych evaluation, PT evaluation, upper endoscopy, labs and cardiac clearance. Unfortunately there was a miscommunication about wanting an echo done along with my cardiac appointment - so I had to go back for that on July 1st. My final weigh-in and class was July 7th. Unfortunately they had not reviewed and signed off on my cardiac echo yet, so I couldn't schedule my surgical consult appointment that day, as planned. A few days later they called and were able to get me in on July 21st. The surgeons do their own scheduling - so I was able to schedule directly with her, and her first available opening was August 16th I have an 8 day liquid fast starting the 8th... and a covid test on the 13th yet. So from first appointment to surgery day will be exactly 3 months to the day. I got very lucky with scheduling to get everything in as quickly as I did. I had the flexibility of taking what ever was available (I am not working) and I asked to be put on cancelation lists for anything that scheduled out further than June 30th and was lucky to have get called for availability. I was in a little of a time crunch because I have driving restrictions, my program and hospital are about an our away and my husband was trying to be at as many appointments as he could. He is a teacher so he is off for the summer - so we were trying to get the surgery done before he starts back to school. He actually starts back in-service on the 15th but thankfully school is willing to work with him and he shouldn't miss anything more than possibly the morning of the 16th (if I am scheduled first possibly not even that).

My insurance (Highmark Blue-shield, I am in Pennsylvania) has no program specific requirements for education/classes or pre-op weight-loss requirement. My program put me on a 3 month schedule - the shortest duration they offer… because of getting pre-op clearances. I had the intro meeting plus three classes where we went over their program material & requirements. My first intro class was May 16th. Classes were spaced about every two weeks. I had two in June and a final appointment and weigh in on July 7th (my program required I not gain weight after my initial weigh-in). I managed to get all my pre-op testing in fairly quickly, but it was not all reviewed and signed off on by the July 7th class, so I had to wait a few more days to schedule to meet the surgeon. First available appointment to meet the surgeon was July 21st. She scheduled me for her first available surgery for August 16th, 2022. So my whole program from first appointment to surgery will be exactly 3 months … that is not typical from what I understand. Most of the people in my intro class were on 6 month schedules or longer, which was dictated by their insurance.

So this question really depends if you have insurance. Typically with insurance most have to do like 6 months of supervised weight loss attempts and such. I had no insurance.. So i saw my surgeon for the first time on December 14th. This is where he ordered all the testing like EKG, Chest Xray, Bloodwork, psychological exam. I did the testing pretty quickly. The psychological exam took 2-3 months to book. There were no openings before that so that was on March 1st. One of my test came back abnormal which was the EKG. So i had to visit my cardiologist to get clearance for surgery. This is when they ordered a nuclear stress test. after that i was cleared for surgery. Once everything came back normal my surgery was scheduled for 3 weeks later. So if it wasnt for that stupid psyc exam i could have had the surgery months ago.

Good morning July 2022 Peeps. Sounds like there's a lot of the group doing well. Hope to hear from the ones that just had surgery in the last couple days. I am at 10 days post-op. After losing 12.5 lbs in the first week, I stalled out for a couple days. Instead of losing my normal 2-4 lbs, I lost 0.0 and 0.4. This was a bit frustrating since I am only taking in about 500 calories per day. But it is what it is. From what I read, this is how this is going to go. I am happy that my plateau or whatever, may have been a small one and this morning I showed a 2.2 lbs loss. For those that believe a person shouldn't weigh themselves daily, I normally don't, but I wanted to record my first 4 weeks in a journal on my laptop.

When my spouse and I were getting serious about walking Post-op and after a fair chunk of research, we chose New Balance. We found them very comfortable. My wife chooses them to this day. They are typically reasonably priced. After I established to myself that binge running was going to be a thing in my life, I eventually changed to Nike Free, which has much less support, but still more than you'd expect. It felt close to running barefoot. They aren't cheap, and now are harder to find. When I was doing 90+ mile weeks, I went through a pair about every 6 weeks. Even though I can't run any longer, I still buy Nike Free exclusively because they are so light. They last a lot longer now. Good luck, Tek