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I ended up needing 5 blood transfusions and 2 units of plasma so my story isn't typical. But I was not prepared for the pain. I have a high tolerance. I have several piercings and a tattoo. I was in the hospital five days and then used pain meds for a week at home. I went home with a drain and staples. I think it's like child birth in that your body eventually blocks out the memory of pain because the result is greater than the pain. The gas is the worst! On a scale of 1-10. For me it was probably an 8 or 9 at times! Jess...Surgiversary 9/19/12

It's been 10 weeks since my surgery. I've lost a few pounds (I weighed 221.6 at the time of surgery and I weigh 209.2 right now), but I'm eating way too much. I'm also making poor food choices. As a rule, I do fine during the day, but in the evening is when I falter. I had fill #1 on 6/12 (.5). I had to go back 2 weeks later and have .25 cc's removed as I was pb'ing too much. Then my second fill date was 7/9. When I went in I just knew the scales would either show I'd gained (horrors!) or that I hadn't lost anything! Actually, they showed an almost 7 pound loss! I had weighed on my scales at home before I left and typically, they run 4-5 pounds lighter than Dr. Schmitt's do. However, that day they were 6.3 pounds heavier! I even told the nurse I didn't think that was right. So I came home and ordered some new scales. When those came, they read almost identical to my old scales, so I feel certain those at the doc's office are wrong. I don't feel any restriction right now, but hope that changes as the month goes on (which I've read does happen). I'm eating like a horse and making poor food choices, at least at night. My next fill date isn't until August 7th; not soon enough if I don't tighten up! :help:

Hi, I lost right at 10 lbs my first week too but now this morning - first day of week 2 I've only lost a half a pound so I assume the loss will be slowing down now. @stephanie2393 - my date is 7/7 too! Lara

I understand your pain. I had the surgery over 10 years ago and had similar reactions. To this day if I eat or drink just a very little bit too much I get sick. This was one of the worst decisions I have ever made. I would recommend to everyone not to have this operation. Want to lose weight? Eat less and exercise. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

On the troll meter, this rates 1/10....Try again, Tiki when you have some decent material.

Started full liquids and purees on day 3, soft foods day 10, solid foods day 21. It is crazy how all of our instructions are so different.

Me too! My date is 10/11/12 - next week, already! The way I'm trying to "unscare" myself is this rationalization- the odds of the same horror story happening again (sorry for the people who do have complications, of course!) are slim. So....why keep "going there". In reality, as far as obesity related deaths, etc. I just found out I have severe sleep apnea (I thought it was harmones-menopause, etc. And asthma/allergies) I could die or have a stroke anygiven night! So..... I need to try to be excited not terrified (a fine line separates)! Good luck, everyone!

Looking for a woman in Bensalem are who has been through weight loss surgery to share experience with and perhaps something more. I am 51 years old and live with my 10 pound killer Chihuahua Barkley. Hate being single and having a partner would make things so much easier. You must love going to the beach though. My favorite place. Thank you John

I got rid of all my old clothes. I do not plan on going back. I can wear a size 4 now. However, I will not expect to stay that size. So I will keep the siz 8 to 10. I lost enough in case I gain the 20 pound average at year three. I am 26 months out.

I haven't tried Dr. Pepper 10. Hadn't really even thought of it, so thank you!

OP I will address the copay. You likely should not be paying any copay for your 6 week visit. You should be in your post-op day period. Any care that is within the post-op period is considered part of the fee for the surgery. The surgeon should not be charging you a co-pay and should not be billing insurance, nor should the insurance pay for visits during the post-op period. Any major surgery should have a post-op period. It will vary depending on the surgery. The insurance companies use fairly standard guidelines. I think for the sleeve it is 90 days. (If you have a visit with the same surgeon for an issue not related to the surgeon a copay would apply.) The surgery fee is a global fee. I would check with the office and your insurance to verify if you will even have the $50 copay. If not, I would reschedule with the NP/PA. I would not use your PCP for the follow-up. Use your surgeon's practice for follow-up. The surgeon and his staff have the experience with bariatrics, your PCP not so much. If the NP/PA has a question or concern then the surgeon is right there to ask or maybe even pop in the room. If you plan on doing any future follow-ups or if you do have complications and need to go back then your bariatric record is all complete and at your surgeon's office. When I did my follow-ups I also saw the dietician. I would think that your bariatric PA/NP is going to be better versed in the nutritional aspects for a bariatric patient than your PCP will be. (Assuming you don't see a dietician separately). Can you tell that I pay health insurance for a living? 10 years ago I tore my ACL. I used a very good surgeon. He had awful bedside manners but is a great surgeon. I did not mind seeing his PA. His PA was able to spend much more time with me, he was easier to ask questions and gave more detailed answers than the surgeon. I was paying the surgeon for his OR skills. Yes, I paid the higher $40 specialist copay for his PA. But I got more bang for my buck with the PA for the follow-up visits than I would have with the surgeon. I view picking a surgeon as two fold: I am picking his skills as a surgeon and I am picking his program. That program includes his pre-op diet, pre-op testing, post-op diet, post op care and his staff. Like you I was 1 hour 15 minutes from my surgeon's office. I quit an orthopedic doctor's office over his front office staff- they never returned phone calls, never passed messages to the surgeon and let me run out of refills on my medicines even when I started calling for a refill 1.5 weeks before. My PCP recommended him for my husband and I would not let him use that practice. The staff is a very important part of the program. Don't shortchange the NP/PA that your surgeon picked. There is a reason they employ that person. Presumably they trust them for a reason. Like I said if the $50 copay is one of your big sticking points you should verify that you will even owe it for this visit. Maybeing have the visit free will make the drive worth it to you.

I have a high respect for NPs and PAs. My mother went to a good doctor that got so busy with patients thay HAD to see the Dr. He never had time to spend with them. Therefore th NP found the cancer in my mother. I was a nurse for many years. I know nurse practioners are very thorough and schedule 20-30 per patient where a doc only schedules 10 min. and can be dounle booked.

Is anyone going to be in TJ, Mexico on the 19th getting their sleeve? I am! Super excited. My parents are doing it as well, and I couldn't be any more happier than I am right now. Although I am a tad bit nervous--it's only two weeks away! I'm still waiting on my passport, and I'm hoping it comes in this week. Surgery buddies?

Everyone has given excellent advice. Just one more thought. I also have Hashimotos disease. Are you being really careful to take your meds on an empty stomach and waiting an hour to eat? I was diagnosed waaayy back in the 70's and I had a fantastic doctor. He really spent time with me helping me understand the disease (i was around 10 years old, pretty young.) Every time I've slacked off and forget about the empty stomach, I've easily gained 5 pounds literally overnite. With Hashimotos disease what little your thyroid produces your body can be allergic to. So if your meds aren't working right, you can throw your body into chaos quickly. Your TSH's won't show up as off because by the time your blood work is taken, your body could have righted itself again.

My dr didn't want me to have the glucose drink, because high sugars make me go to the bathroom within 10-15 mins!! They had me do a regular glocuse serium screen... Didn't eat or drink anything just took blood... but found out now that I can hardle eat/drink I am hypoglycemic (not diabiates)... if I don't have some type of sugar... then I am constantly dizzy, about to faint. Most OBGYN don't have much knowledge on pregnancy and WLS... I would suggest they recommend a high risk dr to see so he/she can advice them what needs to be done. My OBGYN recommended a high risk dr when I was 10 weeks pregnant.... HE was very helpful, and sent over information to my normal OBGYN and what needs to be done. I see my dr now every 3-4 weeks with ultrasounds. (10 months post op/ 20 weeks pregnant)

Very nice plopez! Let er rip! Hahaha! Thanks you guys for keeping me upbeat. I have had some small gas pain in the left shoulder area, but right now I'm struggling more with the 10 lbs of Water weight gain from the IV fluuds. My skin feels foreign to me and I think it is also messing with my vision...it could also be residual from the steroids they had me on. Anyway, don't feel quite like myself yet. I'm glad to hear you two are doing well. Plopez, I am dreaming of those mashed potatoes....

I got a big drink bottle and subtly marked every 100ml on it. It's hard to remember to sip every 5 minutes, so if I haven't drink it all in an hour I'll try to make it up in the next hour, or I'll chug it down on the hour. Fluids go through your stomach easily, and on my Clear and Nourishing Fluids stage I never felt full at all. My dietician says that you can drink 130-150ml at a time (the size of your stomach now) as long as you leave enough time for your stomach to digest it. I tend to leave 10 minutes. So if you think about it that way you can really get quite a lot of Water down if you concentrate on it for an hour. But then again you can also get a lot of Soup down as well.

You need to take a deep breath, and take every day as it comes. In the beginning post-surgery you have swelling that helps you to feel restriction without having any fill in the band. Will you NEED a fill at some point? Maybe, maybe not. But it's really not worth worrying over it now! You're only what, 10 days past surgery? You have a long time before you have to think about needing a fill!

I share your pain. Lol I'm 5'5 243..... Did my Atkins 2 weeks and lost 10 lbs up to yesterday....I had my lapband yesterday and I'm doing great. This is an awesome forum. Welcome!!!!

you can get ketones test strips for like 10$ from Walgreen, If you are curious if you are in ketosis.

I was sleeved on 12/19/09 and I am hungry. well, i don't know if it is hunger, but the empty feeling I see some of you write about. I just finished sipping 1 cup of broth over 1 hour and it was delicious. Now, about 15 minutes out, i feel like I didn't have anything. but, i think I am feeling that because my tongue doesn'[t feel like it had any food on it... I think a lot of it for me may be texture. since liquids have no texture, it may be fooling me into thinking I am hungry. Not sure. Anyway, with the exception of the broth, I am just sticking to the regiment my doc stuck me on. The broth may be a bit more than what I was supposed to drink in an hour, but I am just going to get one with the regiment and talk to the doc about it on Wed. I already committed to this surgery and I need/want to make it work. gotta get my head on straight....

I'm four months out and just started eating cereal with milk on occasion. I try to get at least 10-15 grams of protein at breakfast, and cereal just didn't fit with that plan until now. I eat Kashi Go Lean which has 13 grams of protein per cup (though I usually only have 1/2-2/3 cup at a time with the same amount of skim milk). I let it sit for a few minutes so it is not so crunchy. It is also good when added to non-fat, vanilla or plain greek yogurt.

Wow, that stinks! Have you tried prilosec or another PPI? Maybe your surgeon can help you? I've never had that issue but I certainly feel for you! I'm sure you will get better over time but I sense your frustration that at 10 weeks you're still having problems. Good luck!

It does get easier, I had my surgery on 10/15 and I am finally getting my energy back. I am eating the soft foods now, get to start introducing more foods next week.

First of all, 10 pounds/month is outstanding, if not excessive weight loss. relax and enjoy the ride...you are just at the very beginning of a lifetime of change. But in any case, You should be drinking 1/2 your body weight in ounces for optimal weight loss. So for you, that's 95oz. Water is required for the biochemical process of fat metabolism. Without enough, that fat is going nowhere. Besides the fluids, you should shoot for 60-80g Protein. It will help with weight loss, maintaining muscle mass and maybe even hair loss down the line. Also, what is your calorie intake? A lot of new patients aren't getting enough calories and that can cause stalls as well. Good luck....you got this!