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Hi I'm scheduled to get the Sleeve 5/6/15. I have two-year old twins and wanted to know how quickly you were able to get back to normal after the sleeve. My BMI is right at 40 so I don't have a tremendous amount of weight to lose so I'm hoping I can get back to normal in a couple days, just no lifting. I plan to go back to work in a week. Anyone please, how much downtime did you experience? Thanks, Nerkerle

I told my wife and daughter I was planing to get weight loss surgery in Mexico and my daughter stopped talking to me and my wife said I was taken the ease way out and I was going to fail. How can I get them to support me. I'm a over the road truck driver 6' 4" and 355 lbs.BMI 44.4. I have an enlarge hart, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. With all the changes happening in the trucking industry I my not be able to keep my job or at lease be able to get hired if I loose my currant job. They don't understand.

Holla bandmates! I hope this finds you nice and cool in the perspective areas in which you reside, cause it is HOT in the midwest for sure. They are canceling the fireworks around here and nearby cities, please be careful it is indeed dry, I expect to see tumbleweeds roll across the prairie anytime now. I've had a little excitement today. First I had my first BM today, I know I can hear the applause coming from you through cyber world! Next, had a little "tiff" with someone because he thinks the United States started going downhill when they gave women the right to vote, no wonder I have a headache. I believe the headaches are being brought on by my cold turkey dismissal of Diet Mountain Dew, not to fret as I have found a not only suitable replacement but a Fabulous one: Crystal Light Wild Strawberry (energy) it has some caffeine it in and my headache subsided quickly and it does taste like strawberry, I don't know how Wild it is, but it works for me. Today I had about 25 oz of Chocolate protein drink, I prefer vanilla, but the Chocolate Malt wasn't bad and change is good. I also had a cup of Kroger brand "Carb smart" tropical yogurt. The Carb smart brand is more the consistency of pudding and you don't have to stir it up and of course there are less carbs, and as an added bonus you can get 10 for $4! I also had about 16 oz of water and who knows how much CL lemonade. I also walked 1.3 miles and I took my time. I'm an early riser so that's when I walk, this may change however to when it's dinner time. Although I'm not too tempted with food at this time, I'm sure it's right around the corner. I've decided when I fix dinner, I will either walk, go to Zumba, the gym, bird watch, underwater basket weave, anything not to be around when the table is set. The boys can then put the food away, etc. so it's done and over with upon my return. The thing I'm missing is a glass of wine, I put my CL in a wine glass but I would like to have a glass in the evening, or a bottle of tequila, same thing. I hope whomever's reading understands and "gets" my humor, laughing burns more calories than not laughing, it's a fact! My pain level is at a 1, still a little sore but feels like I just did like maybe 20 crunches after not doing any ever. I have an appointment for my first fill Thursday, however, after posting my concerns and reading the forum regarding your first fill, 9 days after surgery seems very fast and I can't locate another that has had a fill that early in the game. My conclusion is when they called to schedule it they said "fill" when what they probably meant was "Post-Op" visit. Either way I am not afraid, I am excited and welcome each and every step of my yellow brick road. I reference that because like the "Good Witch" says: "You've had the power all along" and what a true statement. We have had the power, we just needed the perfect tools-and by gosh we finally have the tools that we may tap into that power, not only for now, but forever. Thank you bandmates for being candid, honest, and sharing your stuff to inform, enlighten, and sometimes make us laugh or cry with each other. Until tomorrow, Onward and Upward, and as always Lo & Behold! .....Velvet

Started my pre-op diet Tuesday, that puts me on day 3... Work is tough (everyone eats at their desks), their food smells sooooooo good! I keep reminding myself that surgery is not an option if I don't keep with it... it's currently working... My husband (the stay at home parent) has had the kids eating dinner before I get home, also a help but I'm not a sweets kinda girl... no no, I got this way on wonderful carbs!!!! All of these sweet protien shakes are going to be the death of me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Where are the protien powders flavored pizza or french bread.... come on protien powder people, your totally missing a market here!!! On the upside I'm down 7.3 lbs, what??? I told my husband it was just Water weight, I shouldn't expect this for the remaining time.. He responded with but you have been drinking water.... humm I'll explain later. I've yet to talk to my sister about all of this (she is a little anal (sorry but she is!) and 5'0, 98 lbs, marathon runner) she doesn't understand! I made it facebook oficial today (guess she knows now)... I decided instead of hiding it from people (whats the point they know I'm fat, 474 is not unnoticable!) I would tell everyone... I'm banking if someone sees me put something in my mouth that I shouldn't they will slap my hand or at the very least I will get some awesome prayer warriors on my side through this... My highschool Ag teacher (from 10 years ago) likes my status, I always knew I liked her! My husband and I have a combined total of 3 kids under age 7 in our house! The 7 year old is my husbands and yes, he lives with us (he is a handful, kidney transplant @ 5 years old patient that has had it tough, and his mom wasn't tough enough to handle it) I have a 5 year old, mouthy, sassy, sweet daughter, and we have a 2 year old, I'm finding my place in this world, son. 7 is not my biggest fan, he feels I "stole" his dad from him @ age 3 and still holds a grudge to this day. 5 is my questions kid... why are you drinking that, when are you going to be skinny, why do you think your hungry... etc! She is driving me nuts!!! I can normally handle the questions but today I'm apparently more moody than I thought! 2 is so happy that I gave him a cracker! I love 2 the most today! My husband had dinner with the kids then went out (he is a bit of a local celebrity and had an appearance) leaving me here with the kids.... alone.... asking me questions.... 7 and 5 are not close in age but are close in maturity... we have fought over disney or disney jr, saltines or goldfish (dude, 7, you can't have salt anyway) juice or water... then tears when they found out it was water because mommy is NOT going to open the fridge and tempt things! Oh and best yet, dad didn't give us any desert... you've had dinner and crackers, weren't the crackers desert??? I'll have to admit my kids are normally good, desert can be an apple and they will love you forever, but I'm 474 lbs, apparently I have ZERO will power... these kids are making this harder than I thought it would be! 2 just opened the fridge himself and got his own juice pouch... apparently now 5 and 7 think he is a genius... I've yet to start excercising... I need to get on it... I have a recombent (is that right?) bike that sits next to the back door... maybe once the kids are in bed (they think it is a toy, and that i should be able to "ride" the bike with them in my lap- funny story, I don't have a lap- it goes south quickly). I think I have drank (protien shaked) my sanity away already... fair notice, this woman is crazy!!!

Hi, I was wondering if anyone could give advice regarding how having WLS affected your kids? I have a 3yo girl and 5mo old boy. I'm having gastric bypass later this month. I wonder about what to tell my 3yo. I wonder about how they will handle the surgery itself and not seeing them for 2+ days. I wonder about how the first few weeks will affect them as they watch me recover from surgery and the changes I will be going through. And I wonder about how this will affect them down the road psychologically, watching me eat different from everyone else and hearing me talk about it as they grow up. Any advice from those who have gone through this with young kids would be greatly appreciated!

Getting ready for the surgery and looking for some thoughts on what to tell the kids. They are both under 5 and I don't want them to know too much, but I think they need to know why I don't feel good and why they can't jump on daddy's tummy. Any thoughts? How long did parents wait before lifting up their kids, especially babies?

Greetings! I have my surgery scheduled for 2/14/13. It's me, my wife, a 2 yo, and a 6 yo. My closest family is almost 12 hours out and my hospital is 90 minutes away. My plan was to get a hotel room the night before surgery with whole family. Report to surgery the next day and keep them in the area. They would either visit me in the hospital, hang out around the town, or be in the hotel until I'm cleared to go home. Does this sound reasonable? I know most patients spend one night in the hospital, but what's the typical policy towards kids in recovery? Should I put my sister on plane to help out? I'm afraid my wife is going to be overwelmed with the kids, but she wants to be by my side at the same time. Any advise would be welcomed. Thanks!

Well, I've never blogged before so I hope I'm doing this right. This life altering decision to have the lapband procedure is a step in the right direction. I feel a sense of pride in myself for doing this for me. I am a wife and mother of 2 boys. Our oldest is 8 and the youngest is almost 3. Like most women, I don't usually take time for me, or do things just for me. But I've thought about this for a long time and this is something I want to do for ME. Of course my family to. I have a long line of family history health problems. My dad died of Heart Disease at 54. My grand parents all died of either Heart Disease or Cancer. I'm (soon to be) 40 y/o, 252 at last weigh in, and 5'5. I am so unhappy with my weight, appearance, and lack of energy. I work for a major retail store, in the Womens Clothing Department. So, I am reminded daily of the nice clothes that I can't buy and wear because they don't come in my size. I'm tired of that life. I want to change that. And I want to do what I need to do to ensure that I will be here to watch my boys grow up and have families of their own. And I want to grow old with my husband : ) This is the start of making that happen. My insurance company will pay for the procedure if I fit the 6 guidelines required. I have to follow the 6 month diet/exercise with my doctor, and then I was told that I need to be checked for sleep apnea. That would be a health condition to help me qualify for the procedure. So December was my month #1. I'm starting my month #4? I honestly feel lost in this. I had a consult with the doctor who will be doing the Lapband for me, he agreed with my family doctor that I need this done. But didn't really go into any other details with me. I was told to call their office the first part of May, and say that I am ready for the final steps. Maybe they feel if I get to that point, then I a serious about this and then they will give me more info. I only found out by reading this forum about some of the doctors and clearances that will be required. If you've made it this far in reading this, thank you! I hope I can meet some new friends who know how I'm feeling and what I'm going through.

Hello all, I am new to this forum but I think it is great to have something like this where we can communicate and get advice from one another! I had my VSG surgery on April 4th, 2022. So that means as of today I am 16 days post op. So far things are going alright. I am a little worried about my 2 incisions on my left side since the liquid bandage has come off and they are still open. They crust over, but any movement or showering makes them open back up. I think they are slowly healing(one of the incisions is the one where they pulled my stomach through), went to the doctor today and he said they were fine. But of course when I returned home the scabs had come off and it was back open! Any thoughts on this? Other than that it’s been fine. Going through a lot of emotions realizing I can’t eat like I used to and just realizing how much I relied on food was hard for me. But with the support of my husband and family I am doing better. My main reason for getting the sleeve is because I was diagnosed with PCOS. Me and my husband have been trying to conceive for about 2.5/ 3yrs now. I finally went to the doctor and was told I had PCOS about 2years ago. I went through the ringer with them putting me on birth control, hormones etc. until I found a blog that said none of that helped PCOS but those things were just a band aid solution. I tried losing weight and managed to lose 40lbs, which all came back within 2 months. And I started noticing how no matter what I did or what I ate the weight just kept coming. I went through a bout of depression about not being able to have kids, and that is when I decided to look into weight loss surgery. I heard that it can reverse PCOS symptoms and works almost 95% of the time. When I attended the seminar the doctors also said it worked a lot for people with PCOS. So I am excited to see where this journey takes me. I am doing this to be healthy but a big chunk of me really hopes I can get pregnant a year from now as well. I am only 23 (turning 24 on April 30th!) so I have a lot of life left to live and love to give lol and it’d be great if I could start a family. Any success stories?? Or anybody out there like me with PCOS?? Thanks for reading I know it’s long lol. [I am 5’7 and weighed 410lbs going into this. After the 2 week liquid diet I was down to 397lbs. After surgery I was 399lbs. As of today I am 373lbs. So that’s 37lbs from the beginning and 26lbs post surgery.]

Losing weight after WLS is a lot easier when you don’t have any off-limits foods around. Ideally, you clean your kitchen before surgery, and restock it with healthy foods to make weight loss a no-brainer. Unfortunately, we don’t all live in a healthy-food-bubble. We may have children who demand normal kid foods like mac and cheese, packaged chips and Cookies, and other high-calorie, low-nutrient fare that’s not really on your WLS diet. Or you may be in charge of cooking for family members who won’t touch the lean Proteins and plain veggies you eat. So, that means you can’t clear your kitchen of all forbidden foods, and you may even need to have close contact with those foods when you make your children’s lunches or serve your family dinner. How do you cope? One of my strategies is to always make sure I have a healthy alternative around for me. So, if the kids want ice cream, I can have yogurt or a frozen banana. If they want burgers, I can have a turkey burger on lettuce. The other thing I do is try to keep healthy foods way more visible and accessible than the junk. I try to keep Snacks like nuts and canned fruit in front of snacks like chips and cookies in the pantry. I also make sure fruits and veggies are super easy to eat – I keep some washed and cut in the fridge so if I opt for mindless munching, I’ll grab them instead of whatever unhealthy alternatives there are, like crackers with jam. How do you deal with the tempting and off-limits foods that you can’t get out of your life?

I am considering Gastric Sleeve surgery and just learned how long before I can lift heavy things - 6 weeks. I have twin one-year-olds so the thought of waiting that long to lift them breaks my heart - not to mention, I do most of the caretaking in the family so it's weird to think about not lifting them. What are some other experiences and any advice? Should I worry about their development during those 6 weeks? I know this surgery will be better for them/us in the long run than any "harm" those 6 weeks of not picking them up can bring. But just nervous. Thanks

My sleeve surgery is scheduled for Aug 18th. I'm a single mom of a 6 year old and want to teach him to have good eating habits and a healthy relationship with food. I know my body does not do well with carbs... I gain weight just looking at them - lol. So, my doctor's and NUT's post-op orders for high protein/low carb eating was not a surprise and something I know I needed to do, even if I didn't have surgery. Paleo has piqued my interest since a girl friend suggested it several years a go. I was just a bit confused by it for some reason - possibly the simplicity. Anyway, the other day, I came across a Groupon offer for a meal planning site (emeals.com) that makes planning, shopping and cooking very simple, affordable, and seemingly fool proof. They have a variety of different eating styles/plans to choose from and Paleo was one of them. This prompted me to read about it yet again and it seems compatible with the VSG post-op way of eating. Of course, I'll be eating much smaller portions than the recipes I'm sure, but that's just lunch the next day. :-) Because I plan to continue supplementing my protein intake with my Unjury shakes, I plan to modify it to include dairy. Another factor is that, while I wish to teach my son good eating habits, I don't want him to feel he is being punished or "missing out" while his favorite food is cheeseburgers and fries. I already limit his fries (teaching him moderation instead of forcing denial - what my mom did), and while I've been adjusting what I eat in preparation for surgery, I've been slowly decreasing his sugar intake as well. So, I don't plan to have the foods neither of us should eat in the house, but I also don't plan to be super strict on what he's "not allowed" to eat. I hope in time he will simply choose to eat better, ultimately, isn't that the best we can do for our kids? So, I'm hoping to hear from other post WLS peers who choose or have considered Paleo. (P.S. I'm also planning to incorporate HCG injections to discourage muscle loss and encourage adipose fat loss. I will NOT be following any of the HCG diet protocols. ...but that's another topic I'll post soon in another forum category.)

Five years ago today my divorce was finalized. It was the end of a rough process. It isn’t easy separating your life from someone who you had been with for 21 years and had four children with. It also means that even though we are divorced, we will be seeing each other during every major life event in our children’s life. With that reality in mind, I had a couple of goals when I went into this process five years ago… #1 – Kids Make sure they always know that I love them, they are not at fault and I will always have their back. Also never work to separate them from their mother, and to never disparage my ex in front of the kids. I never wanted my kids to think they had to choose between us. #2 – Get out with as much dignity as possible I wanted out with as little public embarrassment, and with as little financial cost as possible. But I also knew that my ex was going to have a harder time than I would getting started again. So for the last five years I have been paying her alimony. I made my final payment last month. I understand some men (and women) get caught in some very bad situations because of sudden job loss and alimony can become inherently unfair. But in my case I thought it was important to supplement my ex’s income to help her maintain her dignity as she began a new chapter in her life. I didn’t want my kids to think I threw her to the curb to fend for herself. The financial entanglements with my ex have now ended,and I wish her the best. I hope the kids see their parents as people who had their differences and could no longer live together, but never stopped loving and looking out for them. We will always be your parents, we love you and we have your back, always. All that said I think I have met my goals. I recently looked at my blood work from six years ago and what it is now. Six years ago I saw a person who was going downhill rapidly. This year's is nearly perfect. Thanks to WLS my health has never been better. My attorney told me, if you want to get revenge in a divorce, live a happy life. If she is miserable because of it, that is on her. If she isn't, well you have a happy life.

Holla fellow bandmates! Welcome to my Day 5, so glad you could make it. Today is a great day, I have minimal discomfort and if I HAD to I most certainly could go to work tomorrow. The past 6 days seem a jumble in my mind. I remember driving to the hospital, I remember the liquid courage before surgery. I remember the post-op and the nurse combing my hair back into a ponytail. I remember slightly more than that until Thursday. I went to the grocery store and over did it, I had a bad night that 2nd night and paid for it with not being able to get comfortable. I took it easy on Friday, went outlet shopping yesterday, and today I went to Walmart for about 1 1/2 hours. (doesn't everybody?) I also spent around $60, it always seems to end up being around $60 no matter how good my intentions are, no matter what I need to replenish or just get for the hell of it. I've been trying to familiarize myself with this site and it is slow going. I don't know if it's just me not being able to navigate around it so easy, or if it just has too much stuff to delve into at once. I do know this on my short time here, if you have a question about anything, and I mean ANYTHING, chances are someone here has been there, done that, and has the tattoo to prove it. I guess that's the point isn't it? It's a great thing to be able to cyber gather with "like" people not only finding people close to us, but in the same state, country, and yes, all over the world, simply amazing to be able to share our stories, our lives, our hopes and dreams, the good and the bad, when we know better, we should do better! Thank you bandmates that have come before us, went through trials and tribulation, pain and agony, laughter and tears so that we may find comfort in your defeat as well as rejoice in your accomplishments, again we thank you! I have yet to have anything but water, crystal light, coffee, and vanilla protein since Tuesday. I may get a little crazy tonight and splurge on some chicken broth, I'm edgy like that don't you know! If I sound redundant in my writings it's because I never reread or edit my posts before I hit the publish button. This may be obvious to some of you because I can only imagine all my grammatical errors, and for those I will just apologize across the board right now, please forgive me. I don't even know if anyone reads my "blog". I know at least 4 people have because you have commented and I received a notification telling me. I had my surgery Tuesday, June 26, 2012 and I am scheduled for my first fill July 5, 2012 That makes my first fill just 9 days after my band placement and hernia repair, I can tell you are dazzled by my mathematical abilities from that difficult equation. Looking through this site, it sounds like that's a tad bit early. Today was the first day I got an actual hunger pain, no worries I splashed it into oblivion with protein. I noticed some of you all didn't get filled for a few weeks, up to a few months. Everyone's different, no truer statement. Have I mentioned that through this I have still had to prepare meals for my 2 teenage boys? Well, I have and I do. Just because I have a road to go down doesn't mean I have to drag them through the pot holes with me. Sure, I could have sent them out for fast food everyday but that's an oxymoron kind of, don't you think? "Mom had the twisty tie surgery to lose weight, so we have to eat out so in a decade or so we can do the same thing!" Uh, I don't freaking think so! I pre-made some lean BBQ chicken, roast and potatoes, and had lean turkey and ham on hand for sandwiches so they wouldn't starve, teenage boys are always starving! Today I actually cooked (over the stove mind you) for the first time since my banding. What's for supper? So glad you asked! I made spaghetti, I nixed the garlic bread because like the rest of the country I don't want to turn my oven on because it's freaking too HOT! Tonight was the first time in a long time I didn't eat while cooking. You guys know what I mean, I used to call it "tasting" but the truth is I was eating, and eating a lot. I may not serve myself a plate, so to speak, at dinner time, twisting my mind into thinking "I don't even eat dinner!" I know the truth, I ate dinner whilst cooking it, and during that process I'm sure it would be equivalent to seconds and sometimes thirds. Well anyway I went passed that first hurdle. I cooked the lean ground beef and drained it, then I took a small tidbit and put it in my mouth. This is especially strange because I loathe beef. I chewed and chewed then I spit it into the trash. Real sexy and ladylike huh? Needless to say, ground beef still tastes like crap and I didn't even attempt that with the penne, nor the sauce I'm just not ready to test the water nor gamble regarding food at this time. Onward and Upward Bandmates, come from a place of gratitude instead of entitlement. Lo & Behold...