Search the Community

I have PCOS and my periods were irregular. MY cycle was 6-8 weeks. After surgery, I had my period for like two weeks in the first month. Now I'm spotting but I I have minimal PMS symptoms. I'm about 10 weeks post op.

I had VSG 3/25/19. I lost 15 pounds in first couple of weeks but not an ounce since. I am getting over 60g of protein, drinking my water and walking. Getting frustrated. Is this common?

ok... I have been at this whole process for 15 months. No way I thought I would be where I am today. Started out at 340... now struggling to maintain 154. Dont want to be any smaller... dont want to look sickly. I was textbook case. No real issues except the mourning of food... I have followed the plan to a T. Not to say I didnt try no no things to see if my new pouch could handle it... 9 times out of 10 it couldn't... but work this new tool that you have and you will be successful.

I was sleeved 10/2. I was 230 at high weight, 222 day of surgery. I'm "only" down to 194 today. I've stalled 3 times, for 12+ days each time. I'd kill to have lost as much as you did. And btw, I stick to the plan very tightly. Don't compare yourself to people who have different amounts to lose, who are younger, who are male, etc. you're doing just fine as long as you're following your plan.

I didn't get a chance to read all the replies yet but I can tell the OP that you are not alone. Losing weight is easy..keeping it off now that's hard. My story is simple and I've told it here many times so I apologize to those reading it for the umteenth time. In 2003 I was 393lbs and I was at an all time low mentally and physically. A couple of friends from work bought me an Atkins book and begged me to read it. I agreed and the 3 of us set off on our journey supporting one another. We all lost weight. In 19 months I went from 393 to 220 just low carbing. I felt great and I was on top of the world. Then suddenly out of nowhere it seemed I let my guard down and I gained all my weight back plus another 90+lbs. In just over 10 years time I went from 393 to 220 back up to 488!! Today, I was 207. I am very much afraid of history repeating itself regardless of the tool and new lifestyle change. I spent a lot of energy angry and hating myself for what I did. It took me a very long time to make peace with it. On the flip side I have become obsessed about losing weight and what is sad is I am not satisfied with where I am at. I am proud of what I've accomplished but not satisfied if that makes sense. Sometimes my attitude plain sucks and I say big deal I am 12lbs lighter then I was in 2003 and look what I had to go through to get here. Still beats the alternative though. You will hear mixed opinions in regards to weighing in daily. I am a 'pro weigh in daily' advocate. Lifestyle change/tool does not matter unless you know exactly where you are on the scale. I can weigh myself and be up 2 pounds one day or I can wait a whole week to weigh in and find out I am up 5. 2 comes off quicker than 5 and that scale keeps me accountable. It is a tool just like my band. I wish you the best and hope you hit that goal and maintain it.

Sleeved Thursday ~10:30 am. Spent Friday absolutely miserable and unable to wake up even to go to the bathroom or start sipping my Water. Woke up sometime in the middle of the night Saturday completely different, and by noon I was home. The surgeon's requirements were two days for sleeve, and that turned out perfectly. On Friday, I really didn't think there was even a remote chance that I would be able to stay the minimum. So it does get better pretty rapidly.

$300 fee is nothing. Drs do have costs associated with submitting your case to insurance company. People like me, who required 3 full submissions and 2 peer to peer appointments cost more than easier patients/insurance companies so the fees balance out. My first surgeon had a $2500 "lifestyle management fee" that had to be paid in advance of the surgery being scheduled. And that was on top of all the other costs that insurance was covering 100%. Supposedly that was to cover support groups/classes and the doctor coming out to visit you in cases of extreme need, but considering we lived 50 miles away and the support programs were all during business hours we would never have used any. Plus, if we coukd afford $5000 we wouldnt be on medical. The surgeon also refused to work with us on the fee. The surgeon who did my sleeve (and who i recommend if in CA) is Dr. Richard Nguyen of Lifetime Surgical. He charges $300 and i didnt find out until after I paid it that that fee also includes the bariatric diet food for the 2 weeks preop. That makes the portion that goes to them more like $150-200. I find that very reasonable for all they did. HW 385 SW 359 CW 344 Sleeved 10/5/16

I was talking with my hubby this weekend and we started listing all of the NSV's Ive experienced so far and the list was so long that I thought Id share with everyone and hopefully encourage some...here goes. 1. sleep apnea - GONE 2. Planters faciitis - GONE 3. Night sweats - GONE 4. Can tie my shoes without cutting of my air supply 5. Allergies to makeup - GONE 6. Can paint my own toes now 7. No more excessive sweating just to get ready in the morning 8. Can go shopping for hours without my feet and back killing me 9. Have TONS of energy 10. I get up early now, even on the weekends! 11. No more seatbelt extender on airplanes 12. After the 3 months of hairloss, its finally subsiding (Im at 6 months now) 13. Eczema - GONE 14. Swollen ankles - GONE 15. Need to get my rings resized 16. Can finally shop in non-plus sized clothes and even wear some meduims!!! 17. Had to buy smaller panties (shhhh) 18. Can wear high heels again 19. Look forward to naughty time with the hubby!!! 20. Today alone Ive been called 'skinny mini' 3 times so far. I am FAR from skinny but its still nice to hear. Im sure there are more but 20 is a pretty good number so far. I love my teeny tiny tummy! Have a great day

Another menstrual question, after surgery did your flow pick up ALOT? I used to bleed for maybe a full day and half of a night. Not even enough for 3 tampons, and now it's constant and very bright in color, should I be concerned? I have been anemic since surgery also SW: 324 DOSW: 322 CW: 315 surgery date-7/10/13 Sent from my iPhone using VST

I had a VBG in 98 .....I'm 2 weeks out of my revision to RNY ....... Yeah, that is a combo of not chewing and the food choices. It is 100% too soon for solids like that. You r still swollen inside. I did that "foaming and / vomiting" for 10 years! It was so bad I would opt not to eat for a week at a time. So, let your tummy heal. Be mindful of bites and I believe always take a test bite and wait, see how you feel, you'll usually know. Once this happens, I recommend a soft or liquid diet for a day minimum so it heals and your pouch is not inflamed. My two cents.

I was banded August 12th, and I've lost 40 lbs since this whole process started. I lost 20 before surgery and 20 since surgery. Today I had my first fill and it was a breeze... I'm feeling restriction (just a little) and I have a 10 cc band. I'm wearing a size 12/14 pants and 14 tops, I feel GREAT and I love stepping in the shower in the morning and noticing so many inches disappearing...I LOVE my band so far. Great work everyone let's keep the losing trend going....:biggrin: PW 252 CW 212 GW 150 Class Reunion is October 24th of this year and my next goal is to be at 200 for the reunion... :mad:!

Three years ago this time I was in the operating room and my friendship with Leonida, my band, was starting. During the first year I lost 52 kilos, which is something between 100 and 110 lbs, if I am not wrong.. During the second year I started losing part of my strong motivation and,by the end of the second year and the beginning of the third, I had gained back 10 kilos. Bariatric Pal is helping me come back on track, your approach to weight loss connected to wls is a bit different and many of the suggestions I have read here are becoming part of my life and behaviour. Thanks to all of you!!!

I dnt understand what is that? I have my next fill in 10 days so will ask. I've been havin bad headaches, neck pain n chest pains so dnt know whether it's related,, I can eat normal but do get that blockage pain if I eat to quick n wrong food but been eatin the right foods.. Jus feel so unwell with the headaches neck pain n chest pains

I stayed just one night which is the minimum for sleeve patients with my surgeon and was released when the doc was making her rounds first thing in the morning. Had to wait till paperwork was done and left the hospital around 10:00.

It depends on your insurance. My policy has an in-network out of pocket maximum of $2000 per year. By the time the surgery came around (September 28), I had already spent $600 over the previous almost 10 months in co-pays and a couple of other items that my PCP asked me to do (abdominal ultrasound, chest x-ray, etc.). So, I had to pay about $1400 for everything. (The hospital submitted their claim to insurance first, so that money went to them. Insurance covered everything else at 100%.) My doctor didn't have any "doctor fees." My parents had bariatric surgery over the past few years in Alabama, and their surgeon charged a $300 administrative fee per patient. I personally think that is kind of dirty, but apparently a lot of them do it.

I have been re-admitted back in the hospital last Friday due to complications. Soooo after I had been on an IV most of the week I thought for sure I lost 10+ pounds. Got on the scale and gained 3-4 pounds Wth???

If you are hungry every 30 mins, you need fill. If your doctor won't do it, you need to find someone who will. The band is supposed to help you lose weight, and you should NOT be relying on 'self-control' to get you there. I have 6.5 ccs in a 10 cc band. And let me just tell you, even 1/2 a cc can make a huge difference. Every single person is different. Some people need a max fill level to get that proper restriction. To be honest with you, I think your doctor and his staff are not being supportive in making you successful with your band. You need to have a heart to heart with them, or try to find somewhere else to go for that support. Working out is a VERY SMALL part of your success. Your eating is a large part of it, and right now, your tool is not helping you like it should because your doctor is being unsupportive.

Brian, thanks for the offer but I must confess that I actually like many of the products. But you don't need to be out $300. If you ordered within the last 30 days you can get a full refund on up to 10 boxes as long as not more than one packet has been used in the box. If it's more than 30 days, sell it all on ebay! I did that once. You usually get back at least half your money selling it on ebay.

So glad I am not alone! Lost 10 Within 1st week and now nothing! No movement what so ever! SD7/18

So I guess this post is really just so I can get some fustration out. Maybe to just get it off my mind for the time being. Let me first start off by saying 44 pounds in 4 months and 19 days I was pretty happy with that up until a few weeks ago.. My daughters great aunt came down from Maryland for a family outing a few week ago, The last time I saw this women I weighed at least 290-300 pounds that was a year ago right I had my sugery at 284. So 44 pounds Ive worked my ass off to lose and she says to me " Well You dont look like youve lost any weight at all".At That Moment My whole world came crashing down around me like some crazy horror movie, and it took everything I had not to burst into a frantic hysterical outburst of tears and pity.( okay well I sorta did when I got home, But i didnt infront of her). Now Im not new to the whole its a slow weight loss, it doesnt happen over night talks. I know this, The reason I opted for lapband was because Im still young and Im hoping when I finally get to where I want to be I might not need drastic amounts of cosmetic surgery, I wanted it to be slow and steady I dont want tons of nasty hanging skin everywhere( I know it will happen anyways, but I have my fingers crossed) I know Im not alone, I know there are a lot of people going through this right now and maybe Im crazy or F'd Up? But the past few weeks my self esteem has bottomed out, for a while I wasnt weighing myself because when the scale didnt move I would get upset so i stopped but lately its become some crazy obsession everytime I see a scale I have to get on it. I stand in front of the mirror and just stare at myself thinking " gross" I look at my arms and stomach and almost cry. I had a fill almost a month ago and ive dropped those last 12 pound and part of me was like " hell yeah amazing job" and the other part of me just thought " oh wow is that all, not good enough" It just seems like Im picking myself apart and because I cant see a change I just get even more depressed. ( I take pictures so I mean I see the change, I just have this image burned in my brain of myself) I see the pictures I see the change but its just not registering? Its hard to find people to talk to about this because all of my friends and family, they dont know the first thing when it comes to something like WLS, I try to explain that its just not registering with me yet, and I get the " You're so crazy, you look amazing and you're doing so great just shut up" Its nice to hear those things, dont get me wrong but its not really what I want to hear if that makes any sense at all. Maybe Im just Broken this week. I attached 2 pictures one is from 4 weeks out and the other is 20 weeks out.. * really loud scream on the inside* So anyone been through this, going through this, any uplifting advice? Sincerly, Bonkers!

great! it is so nice to see others starting the journey . i just recently made the call & had my consultation with my dr/surgeon. im also 5'4 lol weight seems to show more on us short gals doesnt it im a momma of 3 girls all older 15-16-20 hoping my surgery will be in september of this year !! my goals -- 130 by daughters graduation in 2014 walk into victoria secret and be able to buy ANYTHING cause it fits buy a cute pair of harley davidson jeans wear a cute belt and have it show wear the dress i was married in again !! (( its a size 10-12 )) own a cute bra not from a plus size store!

Not all sleeve patients do well on this, especially when their doctors want them on clears. The person you are responding to has a post op diet of 10 days of Clear Liquids, 10 days of full liquids, and then 10 days of soft foods. BTW, Melonie... when did you have your sleeve? How much have you lost?

Had my surgery at 10am yesterday and am in ghe most pain I've ever been in. Stayed last night and was up every hour needing more morphine. Was able to walk last night and this afternoon but it was very hard and started some bleeding when I coughed. Haven't drank anything but ice chips, and liquid Vicodin. Everything I drink,even the smallest about, sends my stomach into a cramp fest that hurts so bad. Can hardly sleep because pain meds do not last. Just had a dose of the liquid Vicodin a half hour ago and the pain is already back I'm terrified about going home because have no recliner or propped up bed to lay in comfortably. Plus have 2 large dogs and my bathroom is in the other side of the house. Sorry for venting but just in so much pain. Starting weight 321- sleeve date 07/10/13 Sent from my iPhone using VST

Learning I love to hike in winter. Still searching for missing person. I've logged 36 miles plus in less than a week! I've gained 3 lbs but whatever. I'm hiking some stiff terrain and my clothing and hiking wear is adding all of 10 lbs.

So funny. I experienced the exact opposite. I used to wake up in the morning hungry and the first thing I would do is make coffee and eat something. Now, one month post-op, when I wake up I'm not hungry at all and not interested in eating for the first few hours. Unfortunately, I'm always hungry at night. Around 9:00 or 10:00 pm I just feel like I really want something and usually wind up drinking a protein shake or eating some soft cheese. I really want to break this habit tho because late night eating was something I did a lot before surgery and I know it's a bad habit.