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Yesterday I saw had a series of appointments that left me mentally exhausted, mildly depressed and angry to the point I have decided to take the rest of the week off from work because I just do not have the energy to deal with anyone right now. My morning started off with a visit to the counselor. As usual she was a delight to talk to and after we played catch up (I hadnt seen her in a year+) she told me she would contact the psych so I could get cleared and we planned to touch base next month. I then headed to the surgeon's office which had been moved due to flooding. The small cramped temporary office was uncomfortable and the staff seemed as cranky as the patients who now had a longer wait time because there was only 2 exam rooms. My appointment with the vascular surgeon to discuss the placing of the filter to prevent clots was cancelled without explanation. I saw the nutrionist who always gives me the impression she wishes she was fishing or something. She weighed me (i lost 1 whole pound) and then began to tell me what was good and bad about my food diary. Although she is encouraging, I always feel like she is talking to me like I am a food idiot. Next was this nurses practioner who I had seen at support meetings. I had never seen her before and if I never see her again I would be fine. She had the skinny girl snobby attitude thing about her and after a while I completely shut down because she was such a b*tch. I also checked with the office manager about my sleep study follow up explaining I had left because I was told via phone I had mild sleep apnea and I would probably be treated after surgery. Well that was not in the report sent to the doctor and according to them I would need to be treated at least 2 weeks prior to surgery. My next appt date with the sleep study people..11/24. Yeah November. At that point, the wind was fully let out of my sails, and I was too angry to think, let alone reschedule my appointment with the surgeon who said he wanted me to return in 6 more weeks. I told the secretary I would call her back since its really no point in returning until after I see the sleep people since I do not have the time to take off from work and I have grown very tired of paying all of these co-pays and spending all this time running around to be no closer than I was a month ago. As I walked over to the hospital to get the thyroid ultrasound also suggested by the surgeon, I thought about throwing my hands up and trying to either lose weight on my own or just accept who I am as I am. Because my self esteem has been taking more of a beating going through this process than it had ever before. But I went anyway and 10 minutes later was told my the xray tech that I DID have an enlarged thyroid and nodes on each side. WHAT!!!! I have been hearing for years that I should have my thryoid checked by different doctors only to have my PCP dismiss it as me just having "a fat neck". My level of discouragement instantly shot up another 100 points and I left the hospital with my head hung low, my disappointment level even higher and the realization this will definitely delay my surgery even more because now I will have to be treated for the thyroid. When I got home later, I read my horoscope and it was weird. It suggested I finish painting. It went into detail saying..you picked the color, you got the paint, you prepared the house, now get to painting and finish. I saw the message between the lines and realized despite the delays this will cause, I can not quit at this point but instead use this additional time to really get my mind right and to change the habits I continue to struggle with. While having the date now pushed out probably until Dec at this point (which actually coincides with my original desires to do it around Christmas) is disappointing, I will keep doing God is directing me to do since I always believed this is His will and not mine and things will work out based on that.

I am 3 weeks Post-Op, and am excited to eat some soft foods.. but am feeling sluggish, and tired... Do I need more portein? I getting about 50-60 g a day.. but, maybe not as early as I need it. It seems like about 10 am I cannot stay awake. I have not had any Protein yet, I usually get some about this time... Or could my blood sugar be too low?

Well, having someone to encourage you when you want to quit is super important. My hubby had the surgery 3 weeks before me and has not had the stalls that I had. But, he kept me positive and reminded me about my progress. I've been working out since 3 weeks after surgery. I have gradually increased the intensity and added some things. I started out walking. I then added zumba. I then added body pump. I then did aqua aerobics. Now, I have a routine: Monday morning: run 3 miles Monday night: zumba for 1 hour Tuesday morning: walk 3 miles Tuesday night: body pump for 1 hour Wednesday morning: run 5-8 miles Thursday morning: walk 3 miles Thursday night: body pump for 1 hour Friday morning: run 5-10 miles (eventually this will be more as I am training for a half marathon) Sat & Sun rest days but still very active Walking, hiking, etc Food: I can pretty much eat whatever I want in limited quantities. I eat 800 to 1200 calories a day...sometimes more. I literally eat every 3 to 4 hours. I have 3 main meals and 3 Snacks.

I hate shopping for this reason. When I was plus sized I was a 22 across the board, some brands fit a bit snugger than others but I was still a 22 and a 1X on top, I could go into any of the very limited options we had for plus size clothing and buy a 22 without having to try it on. Now when I go in a store I have to take 10-14 into the dressing room with me. Right now I currently have 2 pairs of 14 dress pants (one fits perfectly, one is huge) and 3 pair of size 12 dress pants (2 fit perfect, one is snug) 2 pairs of size 14 jeans (one fits perfect, one is large), 3 pairs of size 12s (2 are huge and 1 fits okay but sags in the butt) and 1 pair of size 10s that fit perfect unless out of the dryer. I bought them at Sear, Boscovs, Dress Barn, American Eagle and Marshalls and all fit completely differently. So far I've found dress barn to have the best fit to my measurements. I can wear small or medium tops or XL in juniors and Im a size 12 dress.

I just got the Isopure variety pack yesterday and omg the aftertaste and smell is horrible. Still 10 more bottles to go through. At least the sales guy at GNC is hot so I have motivation to finish drinking the protein bottles quick! ????

Hello, I'm new to this site. I wanted to know if someone else is having the same issue as me or if it's normal. I had the gastric bypass done April 30, 2019 at the time of the surgery I was 287 lbs. I am now 4 weeks out and I am at 269, I've lost only 18 lbs and 1 to 2 inches. Are 18 lbs good? I see post of other patients that have lost a lot more, I know everyone is different I just want to know if others have lost that amount or close to that amount 4 weeks post op.

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?

This thread was just what I needed I was begining to think that BGH (Buffalo General Hospital) was the only choice in Buffalo. I just got off the phone with a friend that had a bypass done with Dr. Caruana and she could not speak for Dr Vilianco but said the staff there was amazing. Unfortunately they close at noon on Friday so I will have to wait till Monday to call them. I was extremely put off by BGHs lack of compassion, I understand being backed up but I was basically thrust into voicemail twice to leave a name and address to mail a application package to when I called for information. I had to call a different number and get a different person to get though and get permission to pick up a package. I went in person and they had to make sloppy photocopies of the forms while I waited ten minutes. They did not even put that package in the mail till a full week after I had called, it took 10 days to receive from the time I left the voice mail and in reading the cover letter they warn "don't call us we will call you" and it takes "two to six months for a first appointment". No thank you, I will find a practice that is more interested in my business than that. If they are that "backed up" they should be hiring additional staff. I look forward to calling and meeting with a the staff at Synergy Bariatrics.

15 pounds. All within the first like 10 days.

The hospital billed my insurance like $64k for my surgery - the kicker is that insurance actually only paid $4000 - they write off the rest - makes no sense - but I guess that's the way it goes.. I'm not a big risk taker either so I understand ... My commercial has been delayed until 10/1 - the others who are in it couldn't make it last week

I was type two diabetic...was on the verge of taking insulin...no amount of drugs could help me....no matter all the tweaking...and i had high blood pressure..since 12/2/14 i had my sleeve done..today am a size 10...am soo happy and am not taking any med and my diabetes is under control without any meds...But all this took work i now have permanent Resident status at the gym...i go 7 days a week..no matter the weather...I am now looking forward to the next 6 weeks before i go back to my doctor to see where my body will be...This was the second best thing i ever did in my life..and its totally changing my life...

So, Friday, I spent the day at Cedar Point here in NE Ohio with my wife. We got there at about 10 AM, and we ended up leaving at 10:30 PM. In that time, I managed to ride almost every roller coaster that they had in the park. Only one of them was I completely too big for. Sure, some of the safety bars and harnesses were a little on the tighter side, even for their larger riders areas, but six months ago, I wouldn't have been able to ride anything. I had a blast with my wife, and as of today, my BMI is now enough under 40 that it no longer rounds up to 40.

I am 1 month post op. I was feeling really good from day 10 to day 20. then I started having a lot of soreness in my lower stomach. I have called the surgeon and he says that I most likely pulled something but that he thinks it will heal in a few days. It has been 9 days and I am still very sore all along my lower stomach. Has anyone experienced this? I am seeing the dr on Thursday for a fill but wanted to get some opinions from other bandsters about this experience prior to my visit

Its ok. It will be worth it. It was the best decision I made. I am 10 days post op and have lost 15 lbs so far. I feel great. I am very conscious about what I put in my body now. I feel I look better. I am getting compliments!

I have been using it daily. I feel good and I am losing weight pretty steadily. I will be 10 weeks out tomorrow. I use it every morning in my 32oz of decaf tea. I get my Protein and my liquids. I don't feel hungry either. I think (and it is just MY opinion) that if it wasn't giving my body what it needed I would not feel as good as I do. I have energy and I sleep really well and wake up pretty good too. Once I'm awake I get up no more lying around for hours dozing. I use the GENEPRO every morning and I drink a RTD premiere Protein shake for lunch every day. I then usually do protein filled meal for dinner with my family. My doc said I can start adding veggies but once I eat my protein I am pretty full. And I listen to my bent been sick yet and I hope that continues!

By the first day of summer my goals are to: 1. RUN two 5ks (I already am scheduled, but as of this moment I still can't run long enough to run the full 5k.) 2. Start training for my super sprint Triathlon that will be in August. 3. Get into Onederland! I have just over 19 lbs. to go. pam

I was banded on Friday the 13th. I have had hardly any pain. But I think that was becauseI was told to walk 10 minutes every hourI was a wake and make sure one of those walks are outside. Trust me thats a tough one when its 113 out here. I also do my breathing every hour. I amnow staying onmyown and I feel good. I had lost 17 lbs pre op. 6 lbs since friday. So yes it is very worth it. I would not have been able to losethat weight without it.

for side protein I use Greek Vanilla yogurt (15 grams of protein tastes great goes down smooth) and for others I use the Atkins bars. I try to find the ones with lower calories but with higher protein. I just had a peanut butter bar one that had 19 grams of protein, 1 gram of sugar...but has 220 cals...based on what I've ate for the day I was able to fit it in.

Ok i have just gotten back from the hospital and although i knew which way it was gonna go (pushing me down gastric bypass route) i still held out some hope that i may be able to get banded. The surgeon was an absolute dickhead!!! Didnt listen to anything i had to say...was going on about the advantages of gastric bypass...(yeah right being on supplements for the rest of my life) i was sitting there thinking you fool!! I told him the whole story...blah blah, but he didnt really seem to want to listen. To top it all off, my appointment was for 16.15. But the hospital had a fire alarm...by the time i got back in he waiting room it was already 16:15 and there were three people before me, i didnt end up going to see him untill 5:30pm. The other ladies were in there between 30-50 mins. I was in and out of their in 10 minutes!! Throughout me sitting in the waiting room and through teh consultation the fire alarm was STILL going on. I swear i can still hear it ringing in my ears!! He then told me that i cant book and full assessment, until i go home and "think about it". Like i haven't been for the last four years!!!! What an EEEEDDDIOTTT!!!:thumbup::cursing: Bascially unless my bmi is the fourtys they are not going to do it, so the NHS can go F**K themselves (and to think, money is taken out of my pay packet every month and i cant even get a service what i have literally paid for) !!! As i have said before whether it be paid for by the NHS or by me i will get banded. I will self pay, i tell you there is no money to much i wont pay to get my health back into check. Ok so im a lil pissed off when i come out of the hospital, i really shouldn't of been as deep down i knew what they would say. I picked my mum up from the airport today and she has no idea about my surgery plans. When i get to my mums house, she asks where did i go. I was in two minds about telling her the truth, but i said to myself if she asks i will tell her. In my head im thinking here it goes....!! "where did you go" me: "i went to see an nhs consultant about weight loss surgery" Mum: "What? weight loss surgery" me: "yes" Mum: "NO, NO, NO,!!!! So they can cut your stomach?? Dont even think about it" Me: "No actually, they don't do it as open surgery!! Do you even know what kind of weight loss surgery i want? It called a gastric band, do you know what that is??" Mum: No! Me: " Well you shouldn't start shouting if you don't know what it is that im talking about!" At this point i just want to burst into tears, but i hold them back walk away and take some deep breathes. I just find it really sad that the one person that i would really like supporting me is totally against the idea. The only person who i know i have 100% from is my sister, she has really been my rock throughout this, and really don't know what i would do without her. I was able to vent to her and she made me feel so much better. I know it may sound wrong but that was another reason i wanted to tell as few people about the procedure as possible. I will be self paying and going to Belgium for the procedure and i will not be telling my mother that im going or having the procedure done. I really dont think that she understands the extent of how this excess weight is making me so unhappy. I'm normally and bright and happy person but i have felt so down today, i feel everyone is against me except my sister. I really do thank god for forums like this because is it of such support to me. Anwyays to cut a long story short i will be self paying and having surgery on sept 1st. I have always done everything for everybody else, its time i started thinking about myself for once. If people cant accept my decision then that is their problem NOT MINE!! Im doing this for ME and nobody else, for once in my life im doing something for ME. and as the loreal adverts say......"BECAUSE IM WORTH IT"!! Lapband here i come!!!

Every now and then I get a PM asking me how I have lost so much weight so fast and what do I do for exercise. Let me tell you honestly I have lost a significant amount of weight just by simply doing things that I couldn't do for a very long time. Things that most people do daily. When I was 488lbs I could hardly stay on my feet for 10 minutes at a time without sever muscle cramps in the back of my legs. I couldn't even walk the grocery store with my Wife. I used to sit in the car and wait for her to do it and then I would get out and help her load the car. We would get home and carry the groceries into the house and I would have to sit and catch my breath, rest my legs before helping her put stuff away. It was no way for a 45 year old man to live. So to say I lost a lot of weight with no exercise is not completely accurate but the exercise I was getting is stuff that some folks may take for granted and I never will again. At my heaviest everything but sitting and lying down was a task. I was a home body as much as possible and even going out to a movie was a task. I even reached a sad point where taking a shower was a real chore but I did it every day because not taking one is just unacceptable not mention gross. So as my journey has progressed so has my physical activity but yet I am still having a problem getting in actual exercise and sometimes just a simple walk is hard to get in. Last week I committed to 10 hours of cardio and came up way short not even reaching half. This week same thing I committed to 10 hours of cardio and I didn't get the walk in yesterday. Today I am going and this time no excuses. Exercise needs to become a daily task just like taking a shower is a daily task.... So far my weight loss has not really started to slow down but I am starting to see the signs that it might. I figure as I am inching closer to goal it will only get more difficult/slow. My initial goal that I was shooting for was to weigh 220lbs. That would still put me into the obese BMI but I can accept 220. I am on track to hitting my goal of 250 for Christmas which I set last Christmas. Starting to wonder if 199 is possible. Excess skin is really becoming noticeable but there is not much I can do about that. Insurance is not going to cover plastic surgery. So you choose to live with the excess skin or be fat. I'll take the loose skin just as long as I don't start having problems. Anyway if you read this far then thank you. I hope your day is going well and that your scale is being friendly to you!

So....I just need to put in my 2 cents here....SO WHAT she ate ONE freakin egg!!!! I am sure she probably did no damage to her band....I read a lot on this website, and it seems to me that everyone's rules are quite different. I remember reading about someone who ate a Protein bar a couple days after her surgery....and I was thinking....Oh my, how can she eat that?? But her surgeon ok'd it. But I kept my comments to myself.... The only question Amanda asked was, "Did anyone else cheat early? So to answer your question Amanda....No I did not, I was strictly on liquids for 10 days....I really wasn't feeling hungry during that time. For future, maybe you can try a Protein shake....those help fill me up! Good luck to you!!:biggrin:

The effects of gastric sleeve surgery are: restricts food intake controls hunger Following gastric sleeve surgery, food continues to move through the digestive system naturally, from the time it enters the stomach to the time it is released into the small intestine through the pyloric valve. The difference is that after surgery the amount of food that can be eaten at any one time is greatly reduced. The surgery also helps to control hunger, because the upper portion of the stomach that produces the hunger stimulating hormone Ghrelin is removed during surgery. I've gone through the Kaiser Options 12 week pre-op program with the intention of having weight loss surgery, after many years of yo-yo dieting and always gaining back the weight. I'm 56 and I needed to do something very proactive to give me longevity and a more active lifestyle. I got really tired of being sedentary! Tired of needing a belt extender on an airplane, tired of never sitting in a booth in a restaurant! In the 12 week program, we were expected to lose 10% before being eligible for surgery and put on a restricted calorie diet, mine started at 1400-1700 calories for six weeks, then 1200-1400 for the next six weeks, and after that 1200, which is ongoing while I wait for surgery. The post op information indicates that the dietary restrictions after surgery, once fully healed, are to eat mostly Protein, then fruits & veggies, then carbs. The new stomach pouch can only hold about 3-4 ounces in the beginning, so this is not much food, but you feel FULL after eating very little, and the stomach is no longer "stretchy". You have to supplement with protein about 80-100 grams per day. This means for most people supplementing with Protein shakes between meals and then meals with high protein as a main component. I can envision having some carbs after surgery, but this will not be my mainstay. I have lost a good amount of weight even now at 1200 calories and 30 minutes a day of walking and some resistance work and strength training. I take Vitamins everyday and drink at least 64 oz of liquid daily. Mostly, if you feel better having some carbs in your life, you would be better to switch out to whole grains. I do this by having whole grain crackers, reduced fat triscuit and wheat thins, whole grain bread, brown rice (learned to love this) and whole wheat english muffins, Pasta, etc. Even tortilla chips are whole grain, so I can have my chips and salsa and still lose weight. In the big scheme, you can't do things the old way. You have to eat healthy and do the work, by monitoring your intake, and drinking Fluid and getting excercise. The sleeve is a tool not a simple fix. I'm going for it.

I am 7 months post-sleeve and for the past 2 weeks, I've had issues with my vision. I've always had fantastic vision and only used light Rx glasses for when my eyes get tired from working on the computer. I'm talking 20/10 vision. Suddenly every day my vision is getting worse. Up close and far away. Everything is blurry, I'm having to squint as I drive and as I type. So... I went to an optometrist over the weekend, thinking, maybe I'm just getting older and these years of working on the computer are catching up with me. The doctor did his tests and said my vision had definitely gotten "worse" since my last visit (about 2 years ago). My left eye is 20/20 with a little help and my right is 20/40. He decided to dilate my eyes and noticed a "freckle" on my retina on my right eye that wasn't there before. That was the one and only thing he could find that was off, he told me that I need to see an Ophthalmologist for further testing because he "has no idea what's going on" VERY REASSURING lol. He also informed me that my new glasses won't fix whatever underlying cause is making my vision so bad so quickly. I have an appointment next Tuesday to see the Ophthalmologist...so we'll see what is really going on. Just wondering if anyone had anything similar happen with their eyes and what the cause was. It could be completely unrelated to the surgery...so I'm just curious Hope you're all doing fabulous!!!!

I was banded 10/31/13 and was very sucessful at first!i to date have lost a little over 30 lbs. i am eating much less but not in the green zone. I am working out 5 days a week with at least 1-2 miles of cardio and some weights. I am beyond frustrated.i have not lost weight since the begining of january! Please help any advise

I had a 10 liquid diet before surg and 5 days afterwards. They are people here that were required to lose weight before surgery. Hopefully they will respond to us. good luck, edie