Welcome to:

Debbie
Pearl
Stacy
Geri

Thanks for sharing your stories!
:flowerforyou:

Hello all, another Debbie here. So glad to see this group here and that both Bypass and Sleeve patients post here because I'm not sure which one I will be having. Like another Debbie posted earlier, I just started my 6 month wait that my insurance requires. I had decided on the sleeve, but when I went for my 3-4 hour consult with variety of staff they told me my insurance only allows the sleeve procedure for patients with over 50 BMI. I have 100# to lose, and would need to be 150# overweight to qualify for the sleeve then. Well, I'm not gaining weight, so now I'm looking at the Bypass unless my insurance requirements change.

Looking forward to meeting everyone and learning more about your successes!! :flowerforyou:

Yes. Welcome to:

Debbie
Pearl
Stacy
Geri

I had bypass surgery last Dec. So I am coming up on my 1 yr. Feel free to friend me and ask me any questions. Best of luck!

Thanks,
Kerri

Hello WLS group.

My name is Anita and my gastric sleeve surgery is scheduled for February 7th. I started my pre-op process on November 1 at 300#s and I am down to 278 following the pre-op diet my surgeon recommends. I have finished all of my testing except an endoscopy on January 4th and it looks like I am good to go. I've tested several brands of protein drinks and stocked up on my favorite. I started walking every evening (the puppies are certainly happier). I am taking my multivitamins and calcium. My hope is that by improving my lifestyle a little bit at a time before surgery I won't have too much trouble adjusting after the surgery.

In 2008 I looked into lap band surgery and chickened out before my first visit with the surgeon. Not sure why, but I guess I just wasn't ready. I am definitely ready now.

I am glad that I found this group and would appreciate any advice about preparing for surgery.

Anita

It sounds like you have a great plan. The more you get into your new routine, the easier the teansition will be after surgery. I have known a few people who did not do that, and it made the transition much harder. The only other thing I might add, since you didn't mention it, is to start logging all of your food here on MFP. Logging everything, every day, has been very important for me.

Good luck!

My name is Stephanie and I had RNY 10 years ago tomorrow. I have had nothing but complications and have had a total of 11 surgeries as a result of the initial RNY. I started at 300 and got down to 160. I was put on steroids and regained weight. I got back down to 190 and then have regained weight again. I dislike steroids!! I have been off the steroids long enough for me to start losing again. I am currently at 225. I need to get back in the routine of exercising, drinking more water, and getting in all my protein. My problem is that I would rather drink all day than eat anything solid. I end up eating something and it is usually full of fat.

Stephanie E

My name is Debbie, I am 49 and live in France. I am off to Prague in 4 weeks time to have gastric plication surgery with Dr Hruby. I am currently 217lbs and want to lose 65 lbs as I am determined not to be fat & 50

HI ALL,

I'VE BEEN OFF THE BOARDS MORE THAN ON THEM FOR A QUITE AWHILE SO I'M RE INTRODUCEING MYSELF AND WAVING HELLO TO OUR NEWER WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY MEMBERS. NEXT MONTH MAKES FOUR YEARS POST OP FOR ME. I'VE GONE FROM "OBESE" TO "NORMAL" AND HOLDING. I'M BETTER OFF THAN I WAS BUT I'M NOT YET WHERE I WANT TO BE. THEREFORE I ***** MOAN WHINE AND COMPLAIN BECAUSE I'M NEVER SATISFIED, LOL.

MY BODY FIGHTS WEIGHT LOSS NOW JUST AS HARD AS IT DID BEFORE RNY. METABOLIC ISSUES, CHRONIC STEROID USE AND OTHER FAT FINDING HEALTH ISSUES PISS ME OFF DAILY. STILL, I GOT THE FAT OFF AND I'M GOING TO KEEP IT OFF. I CAN'T CONTROL SUDDEN WEIGHT GAIN BUT I CAN STAY ON TOP OF THE ISSUE.

TODAY I'M ABOUT TEN ABOVE MY LOWEST WEIGHT AND I SHOULD BE FIVE BELOW THAT NUMBER. I KNOW IT SOUNDS LIKE NOTHING FOR SO MANY OF YOU, BUT FOR ME IT IS STILL A STRUGGLE. MY TOTAL WEIGHT LOST BOUNCES BETWEEN MID 130 LBS & UPPER 140 LBS. I WANT THAT NUMBER STABLE AT 150-155 LBS LOST.

THIS TAKES LIFETIME COMMITMENT. AS A WLS GROUP WE ALL KNOW IT. NICE IF IT EVER GOT EASIER. NONETHELESS, WE CAN EACH FIND OUR WAY WITH SUPPORT FROM ONE ANOTHER.


MSW - I'M NOT SHOUTING AT YOU I'M JUST HARD OF SEEING ;-)

Hello,
I am 7 weeks post op and had gastric sleeve done November 13th. To date I am down 51 pounds and have been at a stall for a week. It is nice to see that there is a group out there that you can relate to. It has been a blessed process!!!!!!

Hi my name is Stacy I had my vertical sleeve surgery October 24th 2012...
I was thin most of my life, but let myself go a few years after my kids were born.
I lost weight again, a few years later on a fad diet but put the weight back on when
I quit the diet. That was when I packed on the weight to a whopping 296pounds!
I began getting very sick with migraines lasting 6months+ at a time I felt crippled.
One of my doctors reffered me to a nutrition class at kaiser, it was a 12week course
And I learned how to read labels and count the important items for weight loss.
:happy: Im so thankful for everything I learned during the classes and was given
The name of my surgeon. A few weeks later I was in surgery and as of February
2012 I've lost a total of 84 pounds!! Im still recovering from surgery- but i dont
regret it at all. I have 65pounds left to go..... Im going to the gym and I know it
will take time.

HI Stacy:

I'm new to the site . . . just joined today. Congrats on your surgery and weight loss. Your story interested me because you mentioned Kaiser as your insurance company. Did they require you to lose weight before they approved your surgery? I had to go through a six-month (that turned into really eight-month) pre-op program. Once I had my final visit with my surgeon, they denied the request and said I have to lose 12 pounds and then resubmit. Just wondered if you had to deal with that too. Thanks.

Peace,
Carlygirl412

Hello, Sue here!

I had a gastric plication in Dec 2011 which is very similar to a gastric sleeve. The difference is the stomach is not cut. It is, instead, folded into a "taco" and then double sutured. The result is instant portion control--and it has been the best money I ever spent! (BTW, this procedure is not yet available in the US though it is currently undergoing clinical trials here--I went to Mexico.)

My insurance would have payed 100% for a band, but when I learned about the plication, I decided to spend my own money and have that done instead. I am a retired nurse and did not like the idea of a foreign device residing in my body.

Until the plication, I had spent a lifetime (62 years) working to control my weight. I successfully followed an Atkins diet plan for 30 years, along with 4-5 times per week aerobic exercise. Slowly, I gained weight when I: 1. stopped following Atkin's diet, 2. experienced intense arthritis pain and had a hip replacement 3. experienced age-related decline in metabolism and 4. retired from my nursing career to care for my dying husband. All of these factors together resulted in a 40 lb weight gain on my small 5'3" frame.

My hip replacement hurt so much I could not be on my feet for even an hour. My hypertension medication was doubled.

As a result of my WLS, I lost nearly 30 lbs in the first 6 weeks and stabilized to a weight that has not varied by 2 lbs over the last year--despite a cruise to Alaska! The pain in my operative hip disappeared like magic and I got my mobility back. My hypertension medicine was cut in half. I discarded most of my boring senior wardrobe. I am no longer preoccupied with thoughts about food and my weight.

I remain too heavy for my height at 172 lbs on small 5'3" frame and am still over a BMI of 30. However, the original problem of carrying too much weight on my hip replacement and resulting limitation in my mobility was solved with the procedure. Now, it is time to clean up my nutritional act! One of the unanticipated complications of the WLS is I can eat anything I want and all I want--it is physically self-limiting and very satisfying. Though this is psychologically-freeing, I have become complacent about the food I eat and am over-calorie-ing.

I decided to lose the "next 10" and this app was well-recommended. It helps to keep me focused on my goals: better food choices and awareness of calories, rather than food volume. After all, I need to keep in mind that WLS is my best tool for controlling my weight, but I have the choice to use it wisely or become complacent and careless.