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Your body is adjusting, you have to be patient.

I am a 70 years old woman with a staple line leak. Surgery done 1987.leak discovered October 2014 but no doctor warned me about organs failure it had done to me. September 2023 took CT scan show staple leak still there. Now I am waiting for an EDG procedure in Nov, 2023 to find the leak. When will they correct the problem. Stomach problems, Heart problems, Lung problems, SOB on Oxygen, many conditions.

I’ve had my hair coloured every 4 weeks for years before & after my surgery (gotta hide that grey) & continued my usual drying/styling routine. Don’t believe it affected how much hair I lost. The hair you lose during the usual 3+/- months is have that you were already going to shed. You’re just shedding it more quickly. The only thing I would worry about is bleach as it is more harsh on your hair. I remember having streaks many years ago & I shed more hair than usual. So I wouldn’t want to increase the hair loss by doing that again. Plus the anaesthetic can make the texture of your hair change & make it feel drier.

I use heat (blow dryer and straightener) every time I style my hair. The only issue I'm having is the normal shedding. My hair looks and feels healthy. I do use good quality hair products. I stopped dyeing my hair 7 years ago and embraced the grey in my mid-thirties.

weight gain is really common if you let bad habits sneak back in. Happens to a lot of people. Most people don't gain everything back, but it's not uncommon to gain 30, 40, or 50 lbs. You can lose it again, but it's definitely more challenging than the first time around!

Thanks everyone! I haven't exercised in about 1 month so I have to get back into that. I'm sure it will help. I'm incredibly happy with my weight loss, I just really want to get to goal. Mostly because I want to prove to myself that I can do it. I have loss large amounts of weight in the past (pre-surgery) only to get 20 ish pounds to goal and fall off the wagon so now that I'm close to that point... I'm afraid of a repeat. Although I keep telling myself that this time is different.

I had lymphoedema because of my weight and I also had major problems when walking. I would be so out of breath and my heart would hammer in my chest. I was classed as disabled. I relied on a stick. Housework was difficult, It would take a week to clean my home, a room at a time. I ironed a shirt and sat down, panting. Now since surgery I am super active, can clean the house in an afternoon. I can walk miles without stopping to rest. My lymphoedema was in my arms and legs, I was very embarrassed about the size of them. Although I do not have the most beautiful ankles now, I would say they pass. My arms have a great deal of loose empty skin. At my age, I am wondering if I should have corrective surgery or not. I have been on 3 overseas holidays in very hot climates since surgery. My ankles and calves have never swelled and they always did before, especially on the plane journey. Its good not to wear the ugly socks. Good luck with your decision making

Also, hate to tell you @summerseeker, what friends & I call Sahara dessert mouth or Egyptian mummy mouth, is a common affliction of women once we pass a certain age. Sigh! Oh no, I can not be getting old. Inside I am only 21 Lols

It resolved my severe gerd and silent reflux.

Ok, not to sound too harsh here, but your surgeon is being stupid. In this one (and only this one) thing, ignore him. There's nothing wrong with shakes. And you should be eating 4-5 times per day, 3 hours apart. I do 3 meals and 2 snacks. For my snacks, I do things like colby jack cheese cubes and pepperoni slices. Or pepper jack cheese sticks and salami (or roast beef) slices (sandwich meat). I tend to make my own protein shakes in the morning, mostly because I've never been big on breakfast foods, so making a protein shake works well for me. I get my protein shakes from Arbonne (so so many vitamins in it, 20g of protein, mixes well, not grainy, and really yummy flavors). I'll put in 16oz of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 2 scoops of whatever protein shake I'm doing that day, 2 tbsp of avocado (no flavor, makes the shake creamy, added healthy fat), 1 tbsp mct oil, 1 tsp black seed oil, 2 tbsp "triple seeds" (flax, chia, and hemp seeds), 1 scoop Arbonne protein boost (10mg protein), 2 scoops Arbonne probiotic fiber booster, 2-3 tbsp Jordan's skinny syrup (whatever flavor I want to add, it has no calories, no carbs, no sugar), sometimes I add frozen fruit (depending on the flavor shake I'm doing), a few icecubes, blend, and YUMMY!!!!! When eating meals, you want to make sure they are protein first, then veggies, then carbs. Too much protein isn't good for you. That's why, in general, you need between 60-80g protein. I tend to be in the 80-90 range on heavy work out days, and 60-70 on rest days. If I know I can't get my veggies in, I drink my greens. I get the Arbonne super greens powder (blend of 36 fruits and veggies), and I make sure to add the Arbonne GutHealth (digestive enzymes with pre and pro biotics). Drinking greens is a good way to supplement getting in your fruits and veggies without adding all the extra calories, carbs, and sugar. But it's not meant to completely replace eating veggies. It just helps if you're struggling to get them in, or if you really don't like to eat them all that much. You stomach is much smaller than it used to be, so you need to eat more often. I tend to get protein in 2 of my meals and both snacks. The 3rd meal usually has more veggies (I love salad, so I've been known to have a salad for a meal and have very little protein in it) but with my shake, my snacks, and 1 other meal, I get the protein I need. I like to add veggies to my salad (green peppers, olives, cucumbers, shredded carrots, etc) so I try to balance my needs with protein and veggies that way (and drinking a greens drink at least 3-4x per week). I drink A LOT of water (84oz typically per day) and that actually helps with hunger. So does drinking tea (I love green tea, black tea, white tea, oolong tea, and yerba mate tea). It's true that protein helps you feel full longer, but you can't fill up on just protein. Your body needs a variety of foods, vitamins, nutrients, and minerals to be balanced and healthy.