@Keith Harris I can't really give you a straight answer because I don't know what you look like—your height, your build, all that stuff. Honestly? It sounds like you might be dealing with some body dysmorphia where even after losing weight, you still feel heavy when you look in the mirror, which is a really tough place to be. Please don't spiral or feel hopeless about eating; just try to enjoy your food, maybe just watch the portions a bit. I’m probably not the best person to give advice since I haven't personally gone through this, but please know you aren't alone. If things ever feel too heavy to carry, talking to a therapist is always an option. Reaching out for help isn't a failure, it's just taking care of yourself.
Honestly, I don't even know what to say—everything is moving so fast! I just got ahold of the guy last week, and I’m already set to get everything finished up with him this week. :-)
Ladies, thank you so much for the support 👍 Honestly, yesterday was just one of those absolute trash days, and I basically had a total meltdown the second I walked through my front door. Things are already looking up a bit today though 😁 There’s really no point in throwing in the towel now—I mean, what else am I supposed to do? As if there were some magical, smarter alternative out there!
Anyway, Dr. Nikolić is scheduled to run an ultrasound and a gastroscopy tomorrow (yay!), and hopefully by next week, I'll at least have my blood work and psychological testing on the books. Fingers crossed I can get all of that wrapped up by the start of June 🙄
Hey vividorca45, I can tell you know exactly which sister I’m talking about 😁😁
Thanks for the sympathy, though it wasn't quite that dramatic 😁 Regarding Miroševićka, she usually seems fine, but it feels like she just hit her breaking point today. I didn't call earlier because Dr. Nikolić told me there was no need to reach out and that he would handle sending me over. Then today, he tells me—tell them I sent you! It's pretty obvious the communication between them has totally fallen apart. Honestly, she didn't seem to be having a great day herself, so I get it... if someone had told me to call and schedule an appointment, I obviously would have. The issue is just that they tell you one thing, and then the reality is completely different. But whatever.
I've been stressing out a bit, so I think I'm going to give her another call. I need to explain that if I don't get my hormone bloodwork done next week, we probably won't be able to move forward for another two months—which definitely isn't the "urgent" situation my medical records claim it is! I'm calling her tomorrow, so wish me luck 😁 If I catch her at a good time, I'm hoping she'll squeeze me in 😁
Step by step. But if I'm forced to wait until the end of September, I'm honestly just going to give up and try doing this on my own for the hundredth time.
Since there isn't much info on this forum about the intragastric balloon, I decided to share my experience here. Hopefully, this helps someone out, because I struggled to find any decent details myself!
I saw Dr. Nikolić, who is actually a great guy. The office is absolutely slammed, but he works incredibly hard and gets things done. I waited over two hours past my appointment time, but honestly, I didn't mind too much since it clearly wasn't his fault.
The initial consultation was just a chat (medical history, weight, blah blah) and some measurements to calculate my BMI. Then they sent me to see the endocrinologist, whose clinic is only open on Wednesday afternoons. She basically turned me away, even though he marked my case as URGENT. She just snapped at me, saying he can't just send patients her way whenever he feels like it, etc. I’ve heard she’s supposed to be sweet and quiet, but personally, I don't buy it. I didn't push back, so she just brushed me off. If I had stood my ground, I probably would have gotten somewhere, so my advice to everyone is: STAND YOUR GROUND WITH HER. I’ve heard rumors that her whole vibe is pushing away the polite people and catering to the rude ones, so keep that in mind. She wouldn't even talk to me properly. She promised to call me next week, but she made that same promise to others I know and never called. We'll see. From what I understand, hormone tests need to be done on day 7 of your cycle. Based on my timing, that's another month and a half away, plus three weeks waiting for results. So, that "URGENT" note from Nikolić turns into a 2.5 to 3-month wait. GREAT. 😢
Then I tried calling the psychologist, but they're on vacation and told me to call back after the 20th. Hebao, what a joke. And all of this is supposedly "urgent." I wonder what would happen if it wasn't.
p.s. Nikolić is awesome. However, there's a nurse on his floor who is totally unprofessional and refuses to provide the paperwork needed for insurance reimbursement (I didn't argue because I was completely drained after being there for 2.5 hours). As for their refusal to even take appointments for the fall—I won't even go there. They told me, "Call us in August." By August, they'll probably tell me they have an opening in 2030. Don't they have a calendar for September or something?
Bottom line: I'm not exactly thrilled, aside from Nikolić, who is fine. As for everything else... I know how the American healthcare system can be, but man, they really exceeded my lowest expectations today. 😁
Robert Jackson2 said:Where to buy it? Honestly, I have no clue... wouldn't you rather just make a batch yourself?
Man, that would be amazing, but...! 🙂
First off, there isn't really a good spot to go picking, and I want to make sure everything is actually healthy. (I've heard picking stuff near the highways isn't great because of all the smog and pollution, and since I live in Chicago, I'd much prefer something from the countryside 🙂 ) Plus, I honestly don't have the time to deal with it myself. 😁
But hey, if someone is making stuff at home, organic and healthy, I really value that and would love to buy some! 🙂
boldfox8 said:Of course I can help... frequent urination is often one of the earliest signs of an infection in the kidneys, the ureters, or perhaps the bladder.
I see you mentioned you're waiting on your blood work results, so if you feel comfortable sharing them here on the forum, maybe we could all offer some thoughts.
Well, I have to go back in about 10 days to get my creatinine levels checked again... On the blood work I had done 15 days ago, the only thing slightly off was my red blood cell count being a bit over the limit; everything else fell right within the normal range, including my creatinine levels. So, I'm honestly surprised they didn't ask me to do another urinalysis to see if protein shows up again instead of blood, but hey, it is what it is... I'll wait to see what the doctor says after this next round of tests, then I'll let everyone know how things turned out. 🙂
boldfox8 said:Regarding the Ca-Oxa... I suppose it might be some sort of sediment or crystals in the kidneys or urinary tract rather than actual stones, so it probably isn't an immediate danger, though I guess the presence of protein in the urine could potentially point toward some early-stage kidney issues or perhaps some other underlying concerns.
Hey, can kidney problems actually cause you to have to pee all the time?
Jerry Booth10 said:No, a urine culture is done by simply urinating into a container, but it has to be a sterile one. You can pick those up at any local pharmacy; they absolutely have to be sterile so you don't end up picking up random bacteria from everyday surfaces or objects. It's not a complicated process and won't cost you much. Just ask your primary care physician for a referral for a urine culture, grab a sterile cup, and take it to wherever your doctor directs you—not every local clinic has an on-site lab capable of performing a culture.
Well, I've done all these tests using those sterile containers before...
The real issue is that whenever I ask my doctor about anything, his response is always that everything looks normal and there's nothing to worry about. 😁 He basically gives me a reflex answer saying I'm fine, regardless of those results I posted above... Whatever, I'll just wait and see what they say after this blood work comes back, and then I'll decide my next move... Thanks for the help anyway. 👍
Jerry Booth10 said:Given that you're showing protein and bacteria in your urine, you're likely looking at an infection in your bladder or urethra. My advice would be to get a urine culture. That will pinpoint the exact strain of bacteria you're dealing with and indicate which antibiotic will actually clear it. Frequent urination is a classic sign of inflammation, often accompanied by burning during or at the end of urination. While your kidneys seem to be functioning fine based on what you've said, if there is indeed a bacterial infection, you need to resolve it before it migrates to the kidneys. A urine culture is the most reliable way to confirm that.
I went through this too—did a urine test once and had protein show up just like yours. But then I went back the very next day for another analysis and it was completely gone...
What's actually bothering me more is this Calcium Oxalate thing; my results show it's pretty high... And this frequent bathroom trips thing has been going on for quite a while now. It isn't constant, just happens every now and then, and I've never actually felt any burning sensation...
If it were an actual infection, I'd assume there would be higher white blood cell counts... But my doctor keeps insisting everything is totally fine, so I'm honestly at a loss for what to do. I guess I'll just wait and see what happens when I get my blood creatinine levels checked again...
By the way, does a urine culture involve having a catheter inserted?😁
I’ve been dealing with this constant urge to pee—honestly, it feels like every five minutes. I went to see my doctor, and he ordered some blood work and a urinalysis to figure out what's going on... My bloodwork actually looked pretty solid, though my red blood cell count was just a tiny bit higher than the standard range; everything else was totally fine. On top of the basics, they checked my creatinine, urea, and a few other things, and all those levels fell right within the normal limits. My doctor made this funny comment, though—he said that just like you don't want bad blood, you don't necessarily want "too much" good blood 😁, implying it might be too thick or something like that... whatever that means...
As for the urine results, in that bottom section (I think it's labeled "structure" or something), it showed a leukocyte count of 1-2 and mentioned a lot of calcium oxalate... He told me everything looked perfectly fine. When I pushed him on the oxalate thing, asking if that was a problem, he just brushed it off, saying it’s normal and that there has to be *something* in urine. Then he told me to come back and redo the urinalysis in about ten days...
When I went back for the follow-up, the results showed 0.1 protein in my urine. That same bottom section still had 1-2 leukocytes, a little mucus, some bacteria, and once again, it noted a high amount of calcium oxalate...
After looking at all of that, he just repeated that everything was okay and suggested I come back in another ten days to check my blood creatinine levels again.
So, who’s the crazy one here? Who’s confused, and who’s actually making sense?😁
Just to add some context, I had an abdominal and kidney ultrasound done about three months ago, and according to the conclusions on that report, everything looked completely normal.
A friend of mine grabbed coffee with me just two days ago and she felt totally fine—no nausea at all! It doesn't mean you're definitely going to have the same experience; everyone reacts differently!
I’ve got a date with Nikolić on Wednesday, followed by an appointment with my endocrinologist later that day. YAY! So, when should I actually go in for the hormone blood work? Should I do it the next day, or just squeeze it in the same day?
I actually have a friend who went through this too. For her, the balloon placement was a breeze—no nausea, no pain, nothing. It took about two weeks to transition back to liquids, and then she moved on to soft foods, but she didn't run into any major issues. It’s pretty clear that everyone reacts differently!
I’m also a big supporter of the balloon approach because it’s the least invasive option. Think of it as a tool to help us jumpstart a healthier lifestyle. Honestly, if I had to do it again, I would! To me, cutting half the stomach away seems way more intense, whereas the balloon feels much gentler on the body. One thing people don't really talk about is that things like gastric resection can lead to osteoporosis in the long run (it's been documented right here in the USA, so look it up), and you might still face certain nutrient deficiencies despite taking vitamins.
Hey Scott Perez57, I'm curious—what kind of medications or vitamins are necessary for people with the balloon? And does Nikolić require you to drop 10 pounds before the procedure to prove you're "serious," similar to how Bešlin handles the band? Or is it different?