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What is a challenge? Are those the "10 pounds by Thanksgiving" lines in the signatures? How do you join one?

I am having the exact same issue. I have posted like crazy in the thread called Dumping that is trending. I am also 3 weeks out and as soon as I started purées my morning consists of cramps, chills, sweating and toilet. Sometimes 10 minS, sometimes an hour I was just screened for bacterial infection, negative, so they’re thinking lactose intolerance. What did you do to work through it? I have to be back at work on Monday and I am developing some very negative feelings about the bathroom and eating in general. Today I only got in 250 calories because I was so focus on water, Gatorade zero, and pedialyte. I’m really just hitting a mental wall. I’ve had 3 or 4 imodiums today and they don’t seem to do anything.

I am ashamed to say I must have had like 10 last suppers. For about 2 weeks before banding I went and ate a huge plate at like every one of my favorite resturants.

hello. i have geisinger health plan and have my very first appt with dr huseini on the 22nd at geisinger in danville. does anyone know if geisinger still has a 6 month program? i've been trying for over 6 yrs to lose weight, i wish they wouldn't put me through another 6 months after i've decided to get VSG done. my BMI is 39 and i have no serious medical conditions. gaining another 10 lbs or so won't be difficult for me to get to a BMI of 40, but i am afraid that if i do lose maybe 10 lbs on this 6 mo program and the BMI gets knocked down to a 37 or something, i will DEFINITELY won't be a candidate for the surgery, but only be 80 lbs overweight, instead of 90..... can anyone help? please, any info would be great re: insurance, the dr. and the pre-op process. thanks, NEPA peops!

You have take drink fluids!! do you have protein drinks? I had trouble with food and was very nauseated, dehydrated from feeling so weak I did not drink. When I would eat solid food it hurt bad. Then I started waking up with acid the worst I have ever known and had always had it before. Called Dr. and they put me on new med. The solid food still was a problem nausea and pain. Called and they wanted to send me for a scope. I have a long history with my gastro Dr. and called and wanted a consultation first. I had started taking my Librax which is a smooth muscle relaxer for IBS and it was helping. My Dr. told me I had made the right choice. I had Surgery April 10, 2013 and I am just now starting to eat a little solid food. Fighting with my old self of eating too fast and too much seems to be the problem now. Food will not stay down when you do not take care of your new self. I hope you call your Dr. and get some help. Good Luck!!

Hello My friends! I had my lapband removal and sleeve revision done on Monday around noon. I have been home since yesterday afternoon and sadly am not one of you who has been pain free. I was hoping I was going to be pretty "ok" especially since I have a high pain tolerance, am younger and felt like I really prepared myself. I feel like absolute death! Sometimes it hurts to sip, hurts to breath, hurts to move, hurts to just be.... I know this will all pass, but I am just discouraged with the amount of pain I am in. I was sent home with liquid Hydrocodone and am allowed to take 10 ml every 6 hours... I have been using gas X pills as well. They seems to help (a little) when first taken, but definitely only about 1-2 hours long out of the 6 hour time frame. Hope everyone is well. Just focusing on getting myself better

Hi! I have a referal to Dr Martin, no insurance, public system. Has anyone been banded under this system in PA Hospital Brisbane? I have soooooo many questions, although they are lovely when I phone no one can give me even a ball park figure for waiting time.I have a letter saying I am on a waiting list, but have not been categorized yet, My referal was faxed to them 01/10/08, the letter recieved from PA is dated 13/10/08. I have'nt had my 1st consultation yet either? and no appointment date yet. After the 1st consultation how long do you wait to be banded?:thumbup: The other questions tha maybe someone can answer: Is there any doctors that will do the op on a payment plan, I really don't mind paying, just have'nt got that amount of money up front. I don't even care if I have to go interstate or O/S. I have a very strong family history of diabetes melitis (father, all his siblings and my Grandmother died in a diabetic coma) Obesity, my mother is over 200kg and in a nursing home, unable to look after herself. My BMI is 41.35.:thumbup: If anyone has any advice/help/suggestions I would love to hear them. Thanks everyone, Debra

I was sleeved 12/10 and all I did was burping the first week. I never passed gas until a week or a week in a half postop.

When I went to the doc they wighted me only in my underwear, cause they use special type of scales that measure fat,muscle and water-based on low electrical current(you dont feel it:-) So maybe gaining 10 pounds is another option, truly said if I wasnt BMI over 40 when I went for the first consultation and that could stop me from having the surgery I would happily gain that 10 pounds. Ask about the policy first and then decide if gaining is necessary:-) Best of luck to you

I have a 12 & 10 year old. I was totally honest with them. My 12 year old seemed ok with it. First thing out of my 10 year olds mouth was no you are fine how you are. Then followed up by you could die. It was really hard helping him get an ok attitude about it. But I'm 7 days post op & doing great now. Days 1-5 were no picnic, hospitalized most of the time due to problems. That was hard on both kids. Just glad to be doing good now. Great to see my kids feel like mommy is ok again.

8 and 10 year olds are hard to predict. It really varies. What they watch on TV and personality type might help you address this. You know your kids. Last emergency what happened? Do they panic, revert? Want answers, get in the internet? Read? Pull out their art supplies? http://www.aboutoperations.co.uk/explaining-hospital-stay-to-children.html I am a little different than most when it comes to children, I think because my Mother started taking seizures when I was 9 years old and I was pretty much a beta mom after that. My philosophy is your kids are tougher than you think, BUT you can still ease a situation and find a medium between protection (to sooth your worries) and buffering it too much (what I call the process of letting them know what is going on). As a kid, I began to get extremely anxious as I was coddled or talked to in an overy simplstic manner, mostly because I think I linked it back to the way I was treated in regards to my Mom and her care. One more thing, I would highly suggest you not promise everything will be ok. If you must promise, promise that you are folllowing all the doctors advise and rules, that they will be taken good care of while you are gone, and they will be kept updated. Also spell out what they can do, so they can own the situation. Let them help prepare your food, pack your clothes, and make a list of responsibilities while you are away and recovering, something they can see, that they can see they are contributing. Good luck. I only had rabbits...

Anyone what percent chance u have to get a hernia after surgery? 10 days post op...had my post op appt and they said everything looks great...but I still have a little pain...am I just being paranoid?

Trader Joes I am trying out Protein drinks before I am sleeved 10/22. I picked up 2 cans of prepared protein drinks at a trader Joes and liked them. The chocolate has 35 grams of protein, 170 calories and 4 grams of carbs. The vanilla has 21 grams of protein, 4 grams of Fiber,and 110 calories. I don't know how it will taste to me after surgery bit now it is good.

I was sleeved on April 13, 2016. I'm about 4-5 days out. I also have not had a BM but my doc told me it could take around 7-10 days. She gave me a prescription for stool softener. I really haven't eaten much at all since my surgery. No solids what so ever. Just a few sips of Protein shakes and carnation instant Breakfast. Also some Water and decaf tea. Drinking is still painful. I had a hernia repair also during my sleeve surgery, so I'm guessing that's why . I still have tons of air through out my body which is giving upper back and shoulder pain Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Up at 7:30 and started my day. Worked around the house before going to Zumba at 9:30. Didn’t have time to eat at home so did it while I drove to class. The last time I didn’t eat before class I almost passed out. Don’t want that to happen again. B/9:15- 2 Spc K Grab N Go (100 Cal ea.) 9:30-10:30 Zumba class Snack/11:15 Protein Shack (Peanut Butter) L/1:15 Hotdog w/bun, mustard, ketchup and pickle relish. (Had a doctor’s appt. at 11:45-12:45, so lunch was late) D/5:40 (not hunger yet and going to do another Zumba at 6:30) On the way to class had a Spc K Grab N Go D/8:00pm Take out/Mx-shrimp burrito (huge one), ate half. Lettuce, tomatos, shrimp, salsa, white sauce and a side of radishes (4). Now at 9:10 I have acid reflux. Zumba class was great! Water/Drinks(8oz): lllllll (56oz today :redface:) Had a stressful day w/the kids. Just the usual—not getting along. But I’m proud of myself for not turning to food to escape the issue. I will try to remember to weigh in and measure this weekend. Last weigh in into my log book was 5/5: #: 204 BMI: 39 Neck: 14.5” Chest: Above 40”/At 44”/Below 39” Arms (left/right): High 13”/12.75”, Elbow 10.5”/10.5”, Wrist 6.25”/6.25” Waist: 39” Hips: 3” below 48”, 7” below 49” Thigh: 27”/27.5” Knee: 15.75”/16” Calf: 17.5”/17”

I am wondering about calories and the breakdown of such and weight loss. I was banded July 22. I have lost about 28 lbs plus 10 before for a total of 38 lbs or so. Great,.....not complaining about that. Probably due to 2 weeks of liquids. Since I went on food I have not lost a single thing. I am playing with the same 5 lbs, either up or down. It has been so damn muggy here I may have some fluid retention some days, but not really too bad. I logged my food onto fitday.com and I am in the 700 to 850 calories a day. Some time I wonder if my fat content is too high due to cheese. I drink all my water every day and do exercise to an exercise tape or do 1 hour of walking at varied speeds. I am so frustrated. I am getting a fill next week. Hopefully this helps. What is your calorie count for the day. I am following amounts of 3 oz meat..some fat free milk, etc... Would 2 tbs of regular cream cheese on 4 fat free triscuits sabotage my day.....Your thoughts

I was banded on 5/19, so three weeks since surgery for me. Down about 20 lbs since surgery, which seems really quick. Ironically the last 7 lbs have been since I started eating food again (albeit soft food) and increased my calories. I also started exercising more vigorously (elliptical only for now) so that's probably what has kept me losing. Definitely have the same issue with a stitch sticking out from the port incision. I cut it down but yeah, it does not appear to be "dissolving" and it's a bit itchy. But the incision is healing so I just have to not touch it. And yes, it does seem indented somehow when I suck in my stomach. The other incisions look like they'll disappear without any scar but the port incision I doubt will do that, and the indent seems like it's probably not going to go away. My doc said they all look normal, so I take his word for it. Jillsko, sorry to hear about the clot, but it sounds like it's not going to adversely affect your health, so that's good. If there's one thing I've learned from this site, it's that no two people heal or lose weight the same way or at the same rate - there are just too many individual factors involved. Keep the faith and follow your doc's orders and you'll be fine I'm sure. Great to be post-band though, eh? Especially lately as I've ramped up my exercise and gotten back on real food, and as my healing has continued, I'm feeling just really thankful and really glad I did this. I am excited for the destination, but I am working hard to keep it in the day and to concentrate on the journey.:tongue2:

The easiest way for me to break down the surgeries for you is: RNY and DS both malabsorptive. DS is the most complicated, and most drastic with a true switch in how your body metabolizes food, fat, calories. High fat intake is necessary, and the Vitamin regimen is on average of 20-30 Vitamins per day, and this is not an exaggeration. RNY had too many long term complications, and far too many people looking for revisions due to stoma or pouch stretching and high incidence regain. DS was a no go for me. You could not pay me to have that surgery. Sorry, but the malabsorptive rate on DS is far too much for me to accept. I know it's a great surgery for some, but honestly I figured if I couldn't lose and maintain with a restrictive only procedure then I didn't need to be having WLS to begin with. All of the others you've listed are, would not be an option for me, nor did I do tons of research on them. The mini GB is a waste of money. So many people have revised to the full GB because of lack of weight loss. RNY with ring or band is just wasteful and most end up revising, most good surgeons won't In my blog, you'll find my reasons for choosing VSG over RNY for my revision. Google : DS long term complications and vitamin regimen Check out obesityhelp.com and look at the revision board, and RNY board so you can get a good view of other people's experiences. I know more people with complications with RNY and DS than I care to count. Also for me, I found great comfort in doing research on gastrectomies performed for stomach cancer and ulcer patients. Gastrectomies have been performed for over 30 years, and I found a lot of people living very full, healthy, with either most or all of their stomachs gone. The sleeve has actually been performed as the first stage of the DS for around 20 years. It was actually started as the first step for patients with BMIs over 60 as a safety precaution to get them down to a safer weight to either revise to DS or RNY later after losing some weight. The techniques have now been standardized after the first studies came out showing a higher incidence of slight regain (10-20% bounce back) was seen when bigger bougies were used in the stand alone procedures. When the standard size dropped from 50-60fr to 32-40fr bougies, the numbers for complications, weight regain, hunger returning, all decreased. The bougie is the measuring tool they slide down your throat that the surgeon uses to guide the stapler while dissecting the fundus away from the "sleeved" portion of the stomach. The VSG became a noted successful stand alone procedure when those same super morbidly obese patients didn't need the 2nd stage surgery to DS or RNY. Results were that good, that they started offering to lower end BMI patients, and it's since gained in popularity. New research results will be out next summer from 2 of the pioneers of VSG. Dr. Cirangle and Dr. Jossart. I could seriously go on and go on. And don't want to overwhelm you. I think being informed is great, but make sure you get the good, bad and long term ugly on all of the options. The vitamin regimen, and personal friends in real life I have that have dealt with RNY kept me from having it. Neither the DS or RNY fit my lifestyle, and I wasn't willing to have a surgery that would not last a lifetime since I had already had one that failed me miserably.

I didn't weigh myself until 10 days after surgery because I knew I was full of IV fluids. 10 days post-op I was down 5 lbs and by the end of the first month I was down 17. Be patient!

I had lost 17lbs preop.... Got home from hospital and had put 12 of them back on. It took a few days but then they all came off plus some. I'm now officially down 30lbs (17lbs preop and 13lbs since surgery). I am 10 days post op. Hang in there, it will come off.

I had surgery on 12/22and initially lost 10 lbs - now for 4 day nothing and today up 1/2 lb. I am eating all of my protien and drinking like a fish .... Has this happened to anyone and is there a happy ending???

Hi Gigi, sounds like you are doing great. I went in for my first fill about a week before I was scheduled to because I had no restriction and was having to exert much self control. That was about 10 days ago, now I am going back this week because I am not feeling it is right yet. I can't wait, it is hard, relying on will power. Thanks for getting in touch--doing this is so much easier with support. I am so glad I found this website--having this procedure was one of the best decisions of my life. Hope you are feeling the same way. Talk to you again-Aunt Em

The past couple of days I've worn my same 'large' clothes and they're obviously bigger on me. Today I wore a shirt that is very 'curve' hugging and still no comments. I'm not expecting any comments really. I don't need them. I think it's just funny my co-workers notice diddly squat. About 10 years ago I lost over 100 lbs and no one said a word. This was at another office. One day I said something to someone about losing weight and she said, "You haven't lost any weight" and I about fell off my chair. I was shocked. So the next day I brought in a photo of the entire department that we had taken about a year before and she nearly screamed out in shock. She said, "I never saw you that way! You've lost a TON of weight!" It was very weird. She ran around showing it to everyone and the comments didn't stop after that. People couldn't believe I'd been THAT fat. It was complimentary and offensive all at the same time. LOL I think I'll have to go away on vacation for a few weeks around here befor anyone notices. As long as I notice though - who cares!

I was banded on 4/28/09 by Dr. Harrison at Lehigh Valley Hospital. I had absolutely no pain after surgery, or gas as many others had. No pain meds since surgery. I am 19 days out 16.5 lbs down and my incisions are healed with minor scarring which is diminishing everyday. I have my first fill coming on 6/11/09 and I am eating just about anything I want after chewing,chewing,chewing,(just not in any great portions). I find myself getting full fast and just stop and save what is left for another meal. Dr. Harrison is great IMHO. He takes time to explain everything to you and is always there if you have questions. Thanks for changing my life!