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Ok, breath. You just had a pretty major surgery. You’re going through a lot of physical, psychological & emotional changes & it takes time to sort them all out & work out what you’re doing. So feeling a little anxious is quite common. Yes, you can add additional protein powder to your shakes. You can add it to soups & broths too. Walking is the best exercise to begin as it doesn’t strain or overly tax your healing & recovering body. Remember you should limit your lifting, pulling, & reaching fir a few weeks while healing. Plus it helps with avoiding clots & with getting rid of any lingering surgical gas. Some activity is good but listen to your body as to how much you can do. Start with around your house inside &/or out a few times a day. Yes, you can go outside. (Funny they think fresh air is bad but they wander around your house with cigarette smoke over their clothes, in their hair & on their skin.) You don’t have any open wounds. The wounds are quite small usually each less than inch long & they’re covered anyway. Yes, bruising, swelling, tenderness, etc. around the wound sites is common. If it persists or gets worse contact your surgeon. Some people do have more discomfort after surgery & have trouble getting up & down to begin. Think of all the abdominal muscles that got poked, prodded & stretched (the gas alone stretches your tummy out) during the surgery. Some say sleeping in a recliner or propped up in bed helps. Others say binders help support the abdominal region. Sugar free popsicles contain artificial sweeteners which continue to feed your desire for sweet plus some can cause side effects like bloating, diarrhoea, etc. Water, shakes, soups/broths, herbal or green teas, milk, yoghurt drinks, etc. all contribute to your fluid intake. Mix it up for variety. Does your family really need to be there? I live alone & looked after myself without any issues after my both my sleeve & gall removal surgeries. Maybe it’s time to say thank you but I can manage okay alone now but I’ll call if I need help with anything.

Thanks not a ton of activities because i work so much. But on my days off i like to go bike riding. I am off tomorrow and plan on going. Hoping to ride around 20 miles or so. as for the diet i mainly eat meats, eggs, and for sweets i enjoy the quest peanut butter cups. They taste like reeses.

Thank you SO much! I have been overwhelmed and always overthinking! And I am telling them tomorrow morning that I have it from here. It’s added on the stress while I continue to change and adapt fully to this new lifestyle. And you are 100% about the smoke being on them while telling me not to leave the house!!!😆 Thank you so much! Everything you said makes sense!!!

I have an arthritic back and a bum knee so walking long distances is difficult for me without a rollator or cane. This is how I get my exercise when I'm not at the YMCA pool. "Alinker" walking tricycles are powered by our feet, not pedals or motor. I try to do at least a mile or more daily--on pavement, not gravel! My cat often runs with me around my neighborhood and my friend's little dog sometimes runs with her or rides in her basket. I’ve had mine for almost two years. I got mine before I started my weight loss journey even though I was well over the recommended weight limit. At first I could only go about 50 feet and my heart would be pounding and I’d be short of breath. There is a steep learning curve. In the beginning they are NOT EASY to ride. but people with Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Rheumatoid Arthritis, amputations & paralysis can use them successfully. I decided so can I! Now I can go 2 1/2 miles at one time but usually go about a mile. I tend to run rather than walk on the level but it's hard work to go up hills! I can go up moderate rises, but if the hill is steep I stand up and walk it or get off and push it. It gets easier with practice. I rode two miles today including a couple of hills. It’s a lot of fun, especially when my cat runs with me. My friend and I are planning to run a 5k next spring with the trikes. I haven't traveled with mine yet but my friend has. She rides hers right up to the jetway at airports and gate-checks it. Alinkers are mobility devices and are permitted anywhere wheelchairs can go. Unfortunately, they are expensive, about $2600 in the US, but they do have a rent-to-own and crowdfunding programs. Sometimes used ones can be found on eBay and elsewhere. A good 2-wheel bicycle is expensive, too, and electric ones are even more pricey. For more information visit the website at alinker.com and Alinker on YouTube. They have a member-only Facebook page also.

Hi! I am a nurse, in the hospital I work I did care for surgical Sleeve and RNY patients. I would say the most common description of the pain I have been told is “gas pain” which is alleviated by walking and with pain medicine. Of all the surgical patients I’ve cared for I’ve found Bariatric patients to be the most motivated to move after surgery and the pain is uncomfortable but not intolerable (I’ve not had a bariatric patient in tears from their pain if that helps you feel less anxious!). I used to be one of those people who saw bariatric surgery as “the easy way” until I cared for bariatric patients. Then I learned it is so much more than a surgery and it leads to life changes that improve quality of life.

I'm new here as well. Scheduled for Sept 20th.

I somehow missed this thread when it was first started. I just found it and enjoyed reading everyone's NSVs! I have a lot of similar ones, but here are a few of mine: I used to have to keep the steering wheel in my car raised to make room for my belly, and it blocked my view of the clock and temperature. Now I can put it low enough to see the whole dashboard. The other day, I climbed 12 flights of stairs like it was nothing. Didn't even have to stop for a break. Amazing how easy it is without carrying a whole extra person! I used to leave a lot of extra time when going to work, meetings, etc. because walking to another building or up stairs would leave me sweaty. I used to carry around a fan and small towel so I could cool off/dry off after getting sweaty. I also liked to be super early to meetings to make sure I wouldn't have to squeeze behind someone to get to a chair. Now I can just get there on time like a normal person and not worry about any of that. I was taking a walk recently (which is crazy in itself -- I never used to just go outside and take a walk!) and I had to move off the road while a car passed, and I tripped and fell in the grass. When I was 300+ pounds, a fall like that would have hurt and it would have been hard to get up. This time, I just jumped right back up like it was nothing. I no longer dread meeting people in person for the first time as I used to when I knew they would think less of me once they found out how fat I was.

I love these lists! I’m still 52 lbs from goal, but so far I have a whole list: 1. Not feeling like I have to rush home to get into pajamas because it’s the only thing that doesn’t feel like it’s strangling me. Bras just fit better when you arent as fat, who knew. 2. Chairs! Chairs with arms! Flimsy looking chairs! Patio chairs! 3. So much variety in clothes, and I can wear styles I like instead of huge frumpy cardigans over everything. I can thrift now, and shop in pretty much any store. 4. I feel like I have energy and interest in doing things again. I don’t just want to hide out at home and eat all weekend long. 5. Not being terrified of running into someone I knew 10+ years ago in public because of how fat I’d gotten. 6. I can go up the stairs and not die. I can exercise and not feel like I might die. Amazing. 7. I wore a pair of shorts yesterday and they weren’t Bermuda length! And my thighs didn’t start a small fire. 8. I like my facial features so much better now. My eyes look bigger, my jawline actually exists, and I look more like myself. 9. At my heaviest my arms stuck out weird because of the fat, and my legs were always at a weird angle because of fat as well. I can rest my arms by my sides and stand with my feet together.

1. Went to a baseball game and easily fit into the stadium seat without bruising my hips. Never used to stand up and cheer because, by the end of the game, it hurt too much. 2. Now instead of wondering if something makes me look fat, I have to wonder if it will stay up or if it's time to go in the donate pile. Went through 3 pairs of jeans the other day...oh the struggle 3. Bought a large t-shirt as my gauge for my next size... you know thinking I'd be into maybe in a couple of months. It fit! Like I can go out in public in it FIT! 4. Having so much more energy!!

I had surgery almost 10 months ago. Hubby is just eatting better