Search the Community

Roja, my dr just said for me to drink liquids on sunday but nothing after midnight. But im going to do some drinks anyway and no red meat this week. i seen on youtube of a girl that suffered lots of pain and didn't know why after a couple of days she vomited which she said it could of been stool that was possibly trapped. once she threw it up she was fine. its important to follow the diets before and after so we keep our suffering to a minimum. i am excited for both of us. what hospital r u having ur surgery?

i'm only a few days away from being a month out. i am able to eat and drink without any problems. i've been doing quite well since surgery and have been pain free since about a week after surgery. until now. i've had a normal day.... it's been like any other day for me. i did do some house cleaning, but nothing to major and i took breaks when i felt like i was getting to tired since i know my body is still healing. i finished my house cleaning about 4 hrs ago. however, i just ate a piece of small cheese and about 2-3 mins later, i started to feel this "new" pain. it's on my right side, right under my right breast at the incision site. i dont think that it's the food no agreeing with me - i know that feeling and it's not it. i'm not sure what this is. i'm not in enough pain to call my doctor or go to the ER, but it's uncomfortable. does anyone have an idea of what this could be? i just find it strange that it started within a few mins of eating something small. the piece of cheese was less than 1 oz.

Well I started going to the gym and I mean within 24 hours I seen a big decrease in blood sugar levels normally I am around 95 now Im in the 70's. basically I do at least thirty minutes aerobic including swimming. Im just starting out with the gym I hope to eventually go 5 days a week. mainly bicycle machine for 20 minutes then the elliptical machine for only 3 minutes my legs still need a lot of work. Then 4 laps in the pool which is roughly 15 minutes. I am in no rush with exercising because this is part of my lifetime lifestyle change. Basically Ill have some carbs and Protein before I workout then a Protein shake with some carbs for recovery. then almost 1 1/2 hours later I eat protein and veggies. I am still getting this routine down. Are there others just starting out at the gym with any good feedback is very appreciated. Thanks.

help help i accidently posted a new thread about 4 times 60 years young, 2 yrs PO, GOAL please delete 3 of them thanx kathy

So I just joined a "health facility." My physical fitness level is non-existent so I'm anxious to see how this turns out. The only form of exercise that I truly enjoy is cycling (real bikes not stationary) or swimming (in lakes not chlorinated pools). But because I'm from the Great White North (Canada) where we have winter for like 6 months a year, cycling is limited, as is swimming in lakes. The gym I joined is a little pricey, but it comes with a personal trainer which I really think I need as I don't do well with "doing it yourself" initiatives - especially when it comes to personal life matters. Given the fact that I work full-time, have 3 kids (ages 6, 4 & 3) and my husband works out of town M-F, I'll be happy to get in 2 weekday lunch hour sessions, and 1 weekend session when hubby is home. My first session is on Wednesday! Deep breath, "I can do this"...should be interesting!

I think at some point we have all had the "what have I done" thought but it is by far the best decision I have ever made for myself. The weight loss is slow for me, but I can tell you that I don't think about food like I used to and I feel ten thousand times better than I did pre-surgery. I am 48 lbs lighter and for the first time in years, I am actually looking forward to getting out my summer clothes from last year and not worrying about not being able to fit in them! Good luck .....the first week will be hard but you will get thru it.

mine was in the US and my surgery was at 12 noon and required an overnight stay in the hospital. I am one week post op tomorrow and I feel FANTASTIC! I can't wait until I can see the results....I already feel different!

I'm excited today because I attended my first information meeting about bariatric surgery at Kiaser. It was informative however I must say a lot of the information I knew because I been researching on this every time a question pops up in my mind. I go tomorrow to my body analysis appointment where they take a picture and weight you prior to beginning the 12 week options program. I can't believe this is all about to get in motion. As a requirement I have to loose 10% of body weight prior to surgery (29lbs) I actually think that will be the most weight I ever lost. Well just wanted to share my journey so far.

Good Luck! It was my original surgery date (and date I wanted for months and months) my surgeon is taking a much needed vacation (I am guessing he he) so I am letting him do that to be completely refreshed when he comes back to me in two weeks!

Lolz I'm in the beginning still. I have to do 3 nutrition, 2 support groups, a psych eval and labs I have my first nut on the 27th

Hi everyone. I had my gastric sleeve surgery on Wednesday, 12/19/12. I came home from the hospital on Friday, 12/21/12. So far, I am still on liquids but I feel soooo full all the time. It's really uncomfortable. I have to force myself to get my Water and Protein in. I am doing my best. My follow-up appointment isn't until 01/03/13 due to the holidays. I live in Cleveland, Ohio and had my surgery done at the Cleveland Clinic. My diet is "self-advancing." So, basically, I have some guidelines and I move along as I feel I am able. I am supposed to stay with liquids for 1-2 weeks and then move on to pureed foods for another 1-2 weeks and then on to soft foods. I really enjoy reading about the menu/food options on this forum because they offer more detail than my guidelines do. Thank you, in advance, for that. So, just a couple of questions... Did anyone else here have surgery on 12/19/12? Did anyone else have surgery at the Cleveland Clinic? Did anyone else experience this fullness I am having? If so, how long does it last? Also, I have a blog where I have been writing about my journey leading up to surgery. Feel free to check it out if you would like... losercoop.blogspot.com Merry Christmas everyone!

I can only speak from my own experience. The band works very well. There is no way I would have been able to stick to a diet long enough to take off the weight I have so far with the band (and keep it off). I had my mind made up about the band and was determined to get it and change my life and the way I felt about myself. The only anxiety I had was toward surgery in general. I have had 3 other surgeries and the general anesthesia really messes with me. I was not looking forward to that, but knew it would only be a temporary thing. There are enough things in life that cause stress and are out of our control. I try not to stress myself out or lose sleep over the things I do have control over. I chose to be banded and that is a positive thing for me, not a stress. Good luck to you on this journey.

Well I've been stalling the last couple of weeks, and was a little dissappointed to have missed my march 5th goal, by a whopping 7lb! However upped my Protein again, and today I finally got to onderland, and even if I sound a little self absorbed, it feels sooo good, and I am a little proud of self for getting there. Next Mini goal is 195lb, which is simply "overweight", well I never thought I'd be so excited by the prospect of being overweight, but it sounds so much better than being clinicaly obese, and on the road to morbidly obese, which is where I was until 5th January. I LOVE MY SLEEVE!!!!!!!!

Try GasX and do more walking I had my sleeve 3-4-13 and it's still hard to drink water try a baby slippy cup it's help with the air you take in when drinking...Good luck with your new life!!

When I made my ticker, I put in the highest weight I have been, which was at the end of last year. Which was when, I started doing Zumba twice a week and eating lower carbs. In February, I saw my doctor to start my diet/weight monitoring (insurance requirement) and he recommended a reduce calorie diet. Then in March, I started a 6 week course with a Nutritionist (again, part of the insurance requirement) and it just ended last week. SO, long story short, I have lost weight REALLY trying with exercise, reduce calorie/carb intake, and tips/counseling from a Nutritionist. I have done this many times before, but as with everyone else, my weight loss is not sustainable.

I am excited to say, I am approved for surgery! I really thought BCBSNJ (Direct 10) would write back asking for the full 6 months of diet/nutrition physician counseling since I only did 3 months and corresponding 6 week nutrition class. Of course, I sent them every weight history I could find in a nice little spreadsheet with what diet I was on for each date. Plus a copy of the CURVES diet and their whole exercise schedule for the 2006 year. I am so shocked and surprised! My surgery date is scheduled for 07/06/09 (since I have so much going on in the month of June). I cannot wait!!!!!!! :smile:

I've been lurking on the forums for a few weeks, learning lots, and now I finally feel like I can join in. I went for my consult today, set up appts. with the nutritionist and psychologist over the next two weeks, and the doctor's office (Kelly Clinch in Kirkland, WA) is pushing through my insurance approval so that I can beat the cut off date of August 1, when he and loads of other doctors suddenly become "out of network". So, fingers crossed that the approval happens poste-haste, and I get this party started. About me: I'm good at losing weight, bad at keeping it off. I lost 54 lbs. about 18 mos. ago but it came back on as soon as I got lazy and started eating the same amounts that my 6'3" husband does! I bike commute year round, make jewelry, and read books like they're going out of style. I can't wait to get started on this journey and have high hopes that it will turn into the "lifestyle" that the last weight loss effort was touted as being. Cheers!

Yeah, I grew up on the cool side, near Portland. Love the green, can't deal with the rain. I've been to St. Francis Hospital several times--Dr. Srikanth's office is in the attached medical building, and I've simply gone ahead and gotten my testing done there--so while I haven't yet been inpatient at the hospital, I've seen a fair bit of the complex. I have been extremely impressed by the general attitudes I've observed of other staff and how they interact with patients. Also, it's scrupulously clean, and doesn't feel crowded, either in the public areas or the exam and testing areas. The pre-op testing, almost all of which I've done over there, was handled extremely quickly and efficiently, with an eye to making it convenient for me to get multiple tests done in a very short period of time to reduce travel. I don't think I'm getting any special courtesies because I'm self-pay, either. So far everybody's been very professional and very, very nice. This might sound a little weird to notice or care about, but every time I've walked into the lobby of the hospital, it feels sunny (even on a rainy day) and airy and spacious. The people going back and forth carrying out their business are friendly, smiling, and all of them seem to genuinely enjoy their jobs. It makes me feel confident that I'm in good hands, not only with my surgeon, but that my care team will be kind and professional and knowledgeable. I'm scheduled to spend one night in the hospital, and then I will be staying in Federal Way for a week before my post-op release to travel back home. My husband will be going with me and staying there throughout. I may end up doing a second night in the hospital, but the stay is really supposed to be brief, since the surgery is going to be done laparascopically. One last thing I picked up on and thought was extremely encouraging, is that with all of the testing that I underwent, several of the people doing them commented that they thought Dr. Srikanth was actually a little over-cautious in his battery of required tests, compared to the other surgeons who do the same surgeries at St. Francis. They were off-hand remarks, made when I'd hand them my order sheet for a particular test. Frankly, I don't think there's such a thing as being too cautious about my pre-op health, when the results of it are going to be such a life-changing event. I don't think that caution counts negatively against Dr. Srikanth at all, and in fact makes me worry less about complications both short-term and long-term. I'm considering blogging about the whole experience--I'll have nothing but time on my hands post-op, and I'll have a laptop and internet access, and I won't be able to walk, walk, walk all day long, that's for sure.

Hi All, In Nov of 2009 I attended a lap band seminar and was able to sign up for an appointment in January of 2010. Due to several issues on both the office and my schedule the appointment got pushed back to March of 2010. After a 3 hour wait in the office I was finally seen by the surgeon, he looked at the forms I filled out and seemed to imply I had not tried enough dieting because I only had one listing in the form. The surgeon then proceeded in a very demeaning way to say that I was not a good candidate for lap band and that I would only loose 50 lbs and be stuck unable to get any further weight loss surgery. Now my BMI is over 65, and mostly has been and prior to a couple of years ago I was not unhappy with my weight. But recently I find I cannot move well, getting more and more tired. I have sleep apnea and a varicose issue in my lower legs. I have what I call permanent pregnant woman's back and my lungs are scarred from chronic bronchitis and a bought of pneumonia. I hate the thought of trying fad diets to only have my weight yoyo which even I know is not healthy. Needless to say I was very upset. Now I have spoke with other Lap Band patients who were as heavy or heavier than me and they have lost well over 150 lbs each. If I were to loose 150 lbs that would alleviate a great many of my issues. I have a couple of new Dr's names but due to the rejection I got the first time I tried I am hesitant about trying again. Has anyone been through this???

And why don't you go out? Today am almost 4 week out, and I went to a BBQ at my chair's. I had my pureed lunch b4 going, and sipped water all mt time there. I felt good, and many friends talked to me about my weight loss. It was quite good time. next week am going to a brown bag lunch with friends in a park. you can always find something fun to do with your friends. Think positively

Hello! I have a question? I am on puréed proteins for a week. I had my surgery on March 3rd. When I eat I am never getting that really full feeling like I thought I would get. I just get a tightness feeling right in the middle of my cheat when I am done with food. Does that mean you are full? Thanks everyone!

I am taking the Bariactric fusion chewables in berry flavor. They have everything you need in one big vitamin. I take them 3 times a day.

HAD MY SLEEVE- 12-27- 3 DAYS POST-OP- The surgery was at 1:30pm on tuesday- I remember being wheeled into the operating room- it was cold- the nurse introduced me to the staff...like was I supposed to remember their names...was there a quiz later???? Well, after that I was out like a light remember waking up as they were moving me from recovery to my room. Lots of chest pains- thought I was having a heart attack- they gave me nitro pills under my tongue and dilauden for pain. Really bad the 1st three days- heavy acid and pain, everywhere- couldn't stay in the bed- slept in the chair for 2 nights. got more x-rays- too swollen liquid not going down- xray doctor concerned. my doctor- not. finally this morning I got steroids for the swelling- by 2pm felt like a new person. Why couldn't I have gotten them yesterday? went home at 5pm with dilauden, vicodin, zocor, lavaxor?- daily blood thinner injection. and 2 things for acid reflux. some nurses were great- others were ok- some were downright idiots- I thought there were too many nurses with degrees- how they found these few morons I don't know- i.e. bariatric floor- she gives me a straw and tells me to take big gulps so the pressure of the Water will flow through- are you kidding me???? or one tells me to lie flat on my stomach to push out the gas (incisions and all!). and fyi I didn't ask for anything...stayed very low key. So far- best day I have had. Very supportive family- came home to crystal light, broth and diet Jello all lined up for me and all of my medicines in a daily pill box. After going through this I don't know if I would recommend it yet- will keep u updated/

It shouldn't, what does your insurance say? Mine said that I should be on a diet that would allow me to lose 1-2 lbs a week.

Hi Rhonda, Welcome to LBT! I would get clarification. I don't know for sure about your particular insurance company but a lot of companies will require you to lose 10 percent of your EXCESS body weight. For example, if you are 100 pounds overweight you would need to lose 10 pounds. I think most of us have yo-yo dieted in the past. We get the weight off somehow, but end up putting it all back on. This scenario is a little different in that if you lose the weight and have surgery while you are at the insurance companies target goal, you will not gain the weight back and will continue to lose. I lost 15 pounds during my two week liquid Protein diet prior to surgery. There is no way I could have done that long term, but it got me to where I needed to be for surgery. Good luck to you!