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I'm about 80 hours post surgery following a repair on Petersen's hernia. Had a CT scan Monday which showed abnormalities (60% or more of these hernias don't show in ct). So op was diagnostic and therapeutic both. They found most of my bowel had migrated through a hole in Petersen's area. Was lucky it had not caused more problems- have had intermittent stomach pain for six months. Anyway - reason for posting: don't ignore abdo pain after rny surgery. Weightloss can cause holes in membrane that encloses bowel. If this trapped bowel becomes strangulated (loses blood supply) can result in bowel resection - bits cut off - colostomy or even septicemia and death. They don't show on x-ray, often not on CT either. The bowel slips in and out of the holes making symptoms intermittent. So, abdo pain especially when accompanied by bloating or vomiting needs to be reported to bariatric team. Normal docs won't have a clue. A&e docs told me I had ibs in January. I'm glad I had my surgery, glad I'm a healthy weight, but my tendency to assume I'm ok and not make a fuss could have had dire consequences.

I asked my surgeon how many patients don't make it out of surgery. He said EVERYONE makes it out of surgery! They are not going to operate on someone who is too much of a risk or medically compromised. And I have the greatest respect for the anesthesiologists who keep us appropriately sedated during the procedure. Share your fears and concerns with everyone connected with your process. They will ally your fears. They understand. I also realized that all the hoops you must jump through are building confidence for both you and your surgeon that there will be a good outcome - they want success as much as you do. Every clearance you get just boosts the confidence level. Perhaps you can talk to a therapist about it, or perhaps they would prescribe something to help you relax if it is truly debilitating. You don't want to get in the way of your own journey.

The fear is normal. But I always asked myself, “would you rather die because of your obesity or do you want to die on the table trying to save your life?” yes that may see morbid or weird, but that’s what I asked myself. I took my chances twice and came out on the better side. You too will come out of this on the right side. Good luck

My incision pain went away around 4.5 weeks. The largest incision where the surgeon worked from was the one that lasted so long; like yours. i didn’t use a binder. But if you feel like it’ll help you, go for it

Im 6 days post op and Im wearing mine everywhere. To bed, when I wake up, I literally have it on at all times. My left side is the main side the work was done on and I can tell a major difference in pain when I don't have it on. Ive linked this previous but this is one I bought, LOVE IT! Its thicker in width and length so it covers the entire area pretty well. Several sizes. https://www.amazon.com/BraceAbility-Bariatric-Abdominal-Compression-Circumference/dp/B00QLYZ1DK/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1533334829&sr=8-3&keywords=braceability%2B3x&th=1

Thank you bajan can’t wait for puréed food on Monday super excited

Bananas I took on within a week. So easy to chew into something resembling free fluid, they are my favorites snack now. Avocados at puree stage (2 weeks) and blueberries soon after. Brie from some foods on, no issues. The only one in your list that sort of troubled me was edamame. I had a barley/pearl cous cous edamame steamer bag and it didn't sit great, when I threw it up the edamame was fibrous and probably contributed to the sticking. Cucumber and capsicum are fine, I just need to chew them very well. Soft cheese is a life saver. Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using BariatricPal mobile app

I haven't had surgery yet, but after my second pregnancy my once thick and beautiful hair started disappearing. Look for hairstylists that can match a "topper" to the hair you have and bead it in. It's way less invasive than a wig and it makes me feel like it's my hair. Best yet, no one knows I don't have hair. So, that out of the way...this surgery will change our lives! There's many options for thin hair. Not so many that work for getting and staying thin! You can do it! Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

No, you're not the only one. There's a pretty good explanation, too. I did a little research: Researchers at the University Hospitals of Leicester looked at the relationship between taste, smell, and appetite among 103 patients who’d undergone gastric bypass surgery between 2000 and 2011. Nearly half of the patients polled reported their sense of smell changed following weight loss surgery and 73 percent noticed changes in the way food tasted. Topping the list for patients experiencing taste changes is increased sensitivity to sweet foods and sour foods. Reduced tolerance and cravings for sweets and fast foods are common changes are reported by many patients. Some patients may become so sensitized that even Protein Shakes and powders taste overly sweet and are difficult to tolerate. (Some tips that may help include thoroughly chilling the Protein shakes to improve taste.) Food aversions usually develop immediately following surgery and may lessen or disappear over time. In studies, animal Proteins top this list with patients steering clear of chicken, steak, ground beef, lamb and cured meats like bacon, sausage, and ham. eggs, dairy products including ice cream, cheese and milk and starches such as rice, Pasta or bread also ranked high on the list of disliked foods. Interestingly, very few patients reported aversions to fruits or vegetables. Some patients even report loving veggies like broccoli or cauliflower even more. Patients may feel turned off to foods for a variety of reasons including smell, appearance, texture or consistency. Sometimes a change in preparation method can help improve tolerance. Simple adjustments like stewing meat instead of baking or grilling and poaching eggs instead of frying may prevent the often-reported feeling of food “sticking” on the way down. While the exact cause is unknown, many experts believe sensory changes occur as a result of fluctuating hormones in the gut and their effects on the central nervous system. This gut-brain axis as it’s known and its relationship to bariatric surgery is a subject of much research and speculation. In a nutshell, the nervous system relays countless transmissions about your hunger, satiety, and cravings each day between your GI tract and your brain. Because the carriers of these messages are affected by changes in weight and the removal of a portion of the stomach, it is highly likely they have an impact on taste, smell, gratification and other sensory perceptions. Leptin and ghrelin are hormones that are known to have a prominent role in the relationship between hunger and satiety. Ghrelin also plays a role in determining how much of what we eat is burned for fuel versus stored as fat. Weight loss alone results in an increase in ghrelin, which explains why we tend to feel hungry as soon as we restrict calories and begin to shed pounds. Surgically induced weight loss, however, in which a portion of the stomach is removed or bypassed, reduces the production of ghrelin while restricting the volume of food consumed. This unique combination explains, at least in part, why bariatric patients are able to eat less but not feel hungrier as a result. Leptin also plays an important role in telling your body when you are full and how calories are stored. It is believed that weight loss improves the body’s sensitivity to the messages leptin delivers to the gut and brain. This, in turn, may result in greater food satisfaction with smaller quantities and less flavor intensity.

It is common, but ask if you can get a head start and start shrinking your liver ahead of time. If you follow the less rigorous preop diet (shake for meals 1&2, protein vegetables meal 3) for longer ahead of surgery, you can get a running start instead if being miserable all at once, My surgeon did not require preop diet, my liver was fine, he was comfortable either way but I put myself in one anyway. Just for like a week I think. As always consult your physician first. VSG2017 HW 249 SW 238 CW 167