In 3 days I will reach my 6 month post op...well...24 weeks post op depending on how you calculate post op weeks...technically I guess my 6 month post op would be on July 30th. Well, you get the idea. I calculate by weeks and not actual months.It

I wanted to take the time to talk about the "complications" I have had. These were my personal struggles. These issues were not serious, but I never talked about them and I figure it might help someone out there going through the same thing.

My first issue was I had difficulty reaching above 600 calories in the first couple of months which slowed down my weight loss. I was never hungry and attribute a lot of that to the fact that I was barely getting any carbs. A high protein/low carb diet creates feelings of fullness because of ketosis. I eventually upped my calories by adding in a little bit more carbs and higher fat food like avocados.

My second issue developed when I went on vacation a few months ago. So I guess I was about 4 months post op. I started to have this tightness in my chest everytime I ate something. It started as only a little pain with very dense foods. Over the course of a week it became worse. Anything I drank or ate caused a sharp pain in my chest and esophagus area. It felt as if something was getting stuck there. It was very painful. Even liquids started to hurt. This pain slowly over the course of the week moved from my chest area down to my intestinal area. I was away from home at the time and had a check in appointment with my surgeon the day I got back from my vacation so I didn't go to the er or urgent care...although the pain was bad enough where I thought about it. When I got home, the surgeon found absolutely nothing wrong with me. I would say it took about 2 weeks, but the pain did eventually go away. What I concluded by looking on the internet and what I was feeling was that I possibly had a twisted intestine. That is what it felt like to me...like it started off with maybe a dense food being stuck in my esophagus area which caused me to eat barely anything. Maybe because my intestine was so empty...it was easier to twist...It literally felt like there was a kink down there and when the food would try to pass it was painful...I could feel the exact moment it was moving through that painful area. I guess it does happen and it just has to work itself out. I don't know what caused it, but I do know that it did pass.

My 3rd issue is diarrhea. It has only happened a couple of times so it took me awhile to realize what was causing it. It seems every time I eat/drink something easily digestable with a high sugar content such as a milk shake...it causes cramps, a general feeling of sickness, and almost immediate diarrhea. My conclusion is I think my digestion is working over time??? I have read some posts about other people going through the same thing. Some have had to have his or her gall bladder removed. I just think I will stay away from things such as milk shakes.

I hope this helps someone out there.

All in all, I have had a few things that weren't perfect, but nothing serious. It all worked itself out eventually.