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Hey guys, How is everyone coping with life after being sleeved? I am doing a lot better than I was a few weeks ago but I still have a long way to go! My surgical wound that would not heal had to be packed by the nurses for a month. I'm 10 weeks post op and it has finally closed but it seemed to take forever! The head hunger is very up and down for me and torturous at times.... but I am starting to learn new things about myself when it happens. I am still very much navigating my way through dealing with it, I have good days and bad days depending on what's going on in my life. Depression is definitely a thing for me, I am very up and down. I have suffered with it on and off my whole life and at times I feel so lost. I am snappy with my poor hubbie and I am forever apologising to him. I have times where I feel as though I am crawling around on my hands and knees in the dark searching for the light switch that never seems to appear. I am distant at times even from my family but I don't want to be alone, probably because I don't wanna sit with my thoughts because I can't deal with them. I notice that when I am feeling low the obsessive food thoughts creep in to torture me. I am starting to look into getting some therapy for this, it may help. Anyway enough about me tell me about how you are doing! How much weight have you lost, how are you coping with your new lifestyle and please show us some progress pics! xx

So update-spoke with a surgeon today who recommended what I have been thinking--hernia repair and do the bypass. I had worries about lack of iron absorption with the bypass but I found out today because I am having to use so much famotidine I basically have very little to zero acid which is necessary for absorption so famotidine is REALLY unsustainable. Also found out on fluoroscopy, my sleeve is not dilated, but I have a kink at the top, which he said is not helping the reflux on top of the hernia. So now I need all the prayers, warm vibes and well wishes that my insurance can do the right thing and not make this a huge pain in the ass to the point I give up and go to Mexico. Also-just to get my ducks in a row--anyone SUCCESSFULLY fight and get a revision covered for use of medical need not weight loss where it normally wouldn't be covered? I'm not gonna lie, I'm not hopeful. Also, does anyone have experience with and can recommend the best Mexico center for sleeve to bypass with hernia repair? Just so I have plan B. Thanks for any insight or help anyone can give!! Sent from my SM-S908U using BariatricPal mobile app

agreed. if they called it a custard, i may have tried it, ha!

I traveled 3 weeks post op, went to 3 different parks (walked a ton) and went on rollercoasters LOL. I had the energy and felt totally fine. Also, my husband did all the super crazy rollercoasters so that helped. If your surgeon is okay with it, see how you feel after surgery? I was totally okay a week post op and back to work even. Just make sure you go prepared with your snacks because I had to eat every 2 hours and you know how park food is, so that was a struggle.

Did your team give you portion size recommendations and guidance around number of meals & snacks if any a day? If not ask for some as you will find them helpful. The next advice is to stick to those recommendations. Are you eating slowly? It takes at least 20 minutes for the message to get through that you’ve had enough. If you eat too quickly you will get over full & be uncomfortable & you’ll really know it when your restriction kicks in! Take small bites, use small cutlery (teaspoons, cocktail forks, baby cutlery, etc.), put the cutlery down between bites, sit back from the table & wait a couple of minutes. Then ask yourself do you need the next bite or just want it. If you just want it put the cutlery down again. Personally I aimed not to feel full but to feel like I had enough & didn’t need more. As @SpartanMaker said it takes time to learn the difference between your real hunger and your full cues. Before eating take a moment to think about why you’re eating? Are you bored, emotional (sad, angry, frustrated, stressed, anxious, etc.)? Are you eating out of habit (like because you’re watching tv, a movie, it’s an old snack time,…)? Sneezing, hiccups, runny nose can be full cues for many. If you’re craving a specific food, flavour or texture that’s not real hunger. I get restless with real hunger as if something is wrong. It usually takes time to realise I’m actually hungry and then I can logically understand why I would really be hungry - missed a meal, didn’t eat much at a previous meal, etc. It takes time to understand all this, what your signals are, and what strategies to manage it all works for you. Give yourself grace while you’re working it out.

I agree, Check with your surgeon. I had low energy too and low blood pressure with several weeks. There’s no way I could walk around Disneyland. I couldn’t stroll around the local shopping centre for 30 minutes. Can you postpone your trip? I know your son is probably vey excited but he won’t enjoy it if you’re not at your full strength. Congratulations on getting your surgery approval.

Right after surgery, I would always get super light headed after a shower; I still do sometimes when its early in the morning or I have to do wash my hair (which means longer shower). I usually take super hot showers, but I had to stop after surgery, because it exacerbated it. I usually would lay down for awhile after and would have some low sugar apple juice on hand to drink. This helped me a lot!

Just based on what you've written, this really wouldn't be either Reactive Hypoglycemia or Dumping Syndrome since both of those would be reactions to what you've eaten, not external stimuli. There is a chance that an already low blood sugar level prior to your shower or exercise is pushed even further down due to rising body temperature. This isn't a common reaction, but it's not completely unheard of either. If you don't have a blood glucose monitor, it may be a good idea to invest in one. Were I you, I'd track my blood sugar before eating, after eating, before exercise or a shower, and then at the point where your blood sugar feels like it's crashed. It would also be advisable to note exactly what you ate and the time of ingestion. This should help you uncover what's going on. I suspect it may have more to do what what you've eaten vs. temperature, but you really won't know without some data. Best of luck.

@Judes76 this is on no way a small feat. I have Bipolar Depression and it took over a decade find the right meds just to get me into intensive therapy (IOP Program) and then bariatric surgery to really get my life back. The IOP program got me out of the house. It started with just one day I went to a crochet group that meets at the library. I had been locked inside my house for so many years I developed tremendous social anxiety and it’s was possibly the scariest thing I have ever done. It took me weeks to work up to it but I did it and it went well. The ladies weren’t caddy or judging me for anything. They were only there to talk about crochet and excited for me that I was learning. I have been at that group meeting every week since aside from being sick or something. I have added other craft groups as well to my agenda and now since surgery I also do group fitness classes at my community center. It’s is amazing to be out of the house and at these fitness groups. Sometimes the women will exchange text numbers if you want too so you can let them know as little or as much as you want but you can tell them you won’t be there if you want. In the past I wouldn’t want to exchange numbers with anyone because I was thinking ahead of the times when I would fall off the face of the Earth and I didn’t want to disappoint them but my therapist taught me that sometimes being accountable to others is enough to pull through a milder depression and it has worked for me. I didn’t share with them anything about my mental health in the beginning, but after about a year, I started slipping small hints and eventually told a couple of them about my mental health. They all know about my surgery and they are some of my biggest cheerleaders. That’s another thing I learned through therapy is that for me trying to do big things like that on my own and keeping the secret just doesn’t work. Everyone’s different but I strongly encourage you to get involved in something at your local library and look into fitness programs at the community center or the library if you want to continue having positive experiences outside of the house. The ones at my community center are very reasonable and we don’t have any at the library but we used to so you might and they should be free Congratulations on your HUGE steps so far and keep it going!! The endorphins from activity are amazing and my depression has lessened tremendously because of this. Also, consider an in person support group if you team has one and keep posting here. The good and the bad (if that comes up). Don’t be embarrassed as all of us have been there if you have an off week. Better to get it out in the open and figure a way to get back on track than to feel bad about it and let it spin out of control. There are so many people here eager to help. You’ve got this!! 💜

First and foremost, I'm not going to preach abstinence, we are all adults and can make our own decisions. For me, apparently, I'm not an adult enough to be responsible. I've let alcohol take over, I drink daily and I've gained weight back. My spiral started around 4 years ago and has progressed steadily. Until recently, I was in control. I could drink and be ok. I would get drunk and know what happened the next day. Now however, I will get drunk and can't remember a thing. The next day I have massive brain fog, can't concentrate, can't orate correctly, I feel like crap, have the shakes etc. To be clear, I never leave my house and drive. I worry however that it could come to that. My weight is making my back problem even more painful. My clothes are tight, I'm depressed, and it's just awful. I feel like it's groundhogs day every day. I say I'm going to stop and I last a few days and then I slip back. However today I've made a decision to stop drinking entirely. I'm done. I'm not drinking ever again. I clearly can't control my self. I'm an addict with food and now alcohol. Much like food did, booze will ruin my life if I continue. I'm going to join AA and clean my life up yet again. Writing this is a first step for me. I'm not looking for pity, or to be chastised. I need to be self shamed and admit what I am. I'm an alcoholic. However, I can change this, I will change this. I will be healthier soon, it will be hard but I'm going to get there. So please, be careful with alcohol. We all spent a lot of time and money to say nothing of the physical and mental pain we've been through, don't throw it away. Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using BariatricPal mobile app