buchannon

I was sleeved over 2 years ago and it has been amazing for me. About a week ago I think I ate too much and am experiencing something I've never felt before. I wouldn't call it pain, but I have a very uncomfortable "pressure" on my left side below my navel. It feels kind of like gas but more achey than that. After it first happened last week I went on a liquid diet for a couple days and after it didn't get better, went to the doc. It sounded like a classic case of Diverticulitis and I got some antibiotics.

After a few days I started feeling better, then last night I had a few sushi rolls and walnuts and it kicked back up again. Has anyone else experienced this?

Sorry per your profile you don't know when you were born, or how old you are, wt at surgery when you had your surgery????

I used to have this info and a ticker filled out, not sure where it all went though...

December 10th, 2012 (2 years ago) I'd be laying in my recovery room in Mexico after the surgery that would change my life. I'm feeling great and maintaining a good ~190lbs (I still weigh every week). My main concerns now are trying to eat healthier and not drink as much alcohol, as well as deal with situations involving group meals being awkward (work events, dates, etc.)

I'll keep this short, but I just wanted to pop on this board and mention something.

I've always loved a little kick to my eats, but about a year post-op it hit me that I ONLY desire to eat foods which are spicy. Mexican, Thai food, and everything in between! Last time I had pizza it was pepperoni with jalapenos, I then showed it in red peppers, then even put Sriracha on it!

Any one else feel an affinity for spicy food post-op? I wonder why this is.. (definitely not pregnant)

if u don't mind me asking what were your starting stats and ur ending?

Should be all in my tracker in my signature, but I bounced between 200-300 lbs my whole life.

BEt you beating the girls off with a stick! You look great!!!

Actually, I play for the other team. But yes, the new found attention from the fellas is pretty nice!

One more "before" picture that a friend just dug up, wow! (mmm margaritas though)

I was a complete oddball and waited until I was one year post-op to drink any alcohol, and I've so far only tried wine.

Wow this makes me feel like an alcoholic! I have a couple drinks a day and feel great with it (usually whiskey but I'm not too picky). I can drink beer (especially lighter stuff like bud and PBR) but it takes me forever to suck down an IPA now, which is my favorite.

Oh and see you are from Denver...what part? We are out in Centennial, I do love living in CO!

Yep, Colorado is nice. I'm downtown / capitol hill area here. Get ready for the winter! One of my only two complaints about doing this is being cold all the time (the other is for it to be hard to drink beer)!

Thanks all for the compliments!

Could you share how you toned up?

I have always been into cardio, but recently started swimming. I think this does a good job of general toning. You can't really tell from the pictures, but I do have looser skin and such still. Not everything (anything) on there is hard.

Wow, I can't believe it's already been a year!!

What a life changing event! I would recommend what I did to anyone in the same situation as I was 100% (has problems with Portion Control but still relatively active). I no longer live to eat and for the first time in my life I feel comfortable with myself and how I look. I stopped weighing every week as I've maintained a 180lbs for the last handful of months straight.

Shameless shirtless pic included:

I exercise quite a bit and found that my body needs the fuel carbs provide.

This --^

I had to move this weekend and found this. I was weighing once a week to keep up with my progress. My actual surgery was in December so the beginning is a little misleading.

I realize I have changed as well after losing weight. It'd be hard (impossible) not to. It's like this whole new world has opened up to me and I want to experience it rather than try to be the same person I was.

playing devil's advocate here....and hear me out.....does getting compliments now automatically imply some kind of criticism of before?

Yes, because no compliments were given before. I see it like I just inherited a big lump of money and everyone knows and is acting differently around me. Not necessarily a bad thing, but just curious how things change.

I've lost a ton of weight. Everyone tells me I look like a completely different person. I feel happy and I think a lot of "being treated differently by people" has to do with my attitude and not completely with my looks.

However....

I find it mildly depressing how different the world has become just because I'm not a fatass any more. Acquaintances I haven't seen or heard from in years are suddenly talking to me again. People I have never talked to at work are friendly and make the initiative to converse with me.

I'm not complaining, I just find it.... a tad sad I guess.

Any one else experience this?

Hi Buchannon,

Are you still losing?

Bookleen

Yeah pretty slowly now, but still losing some. I originally wanted to get to 170, but I just got under 190 and am feeling pretty good where I'm at. We'll see what happens...

I eat a couple Protein bars every day. I'm not sure what else I'd eat if I didn't have them... lol

I usually go to Sam's Club and stock up on a couple different types. The lady asked "how's business going" last time I was there with 4 huge boxes of different Protein bars.

What kellyw74 said, get on a PPI. I originally thought I wasn't going to need one, then just tried what my doc gave me (Protonix 1x a day) and now I feel awful when I don't take it. It helps curve appetite (could be in my head) and makes me have 0 acid issues.

I recently forget them on a weekend trip and was suffering pretty badly. You never know how much you need something until it's gone, eh? Thank god for tums...

It's hard to find a good metric to decide what you "should" weigh. I'm at the point where I feel like I'm living/eating healthfully and I'm just going to see where I level out at.

I have my medical marijuana card and enjoy smoking up some days. The problem being... the munchies.

I can literally go from "I really don't want to eat any more tonight" to "I need to eat EVERYTHING" in about 15 minutes after smoking. I have been sleeved for a while and am restricted by volume, but some times I'll still eat so much where it feels uncomfortable. I hate this and wish I had more self control (even if it's the same amount I have when I'm sober).

Obviously the right answer here is to quit smoking, but I'm wondering if anyone else on this board has tricks they use in situations like this?

Thanks guys - soo glad I got it done!

Weighed in last week at 187! I think the last time I weighed under 190 I was in grade/middle school. Holy crap! I feel great!! I originally wanted to get to around 170, but everyone is telling me I look "normal" where I'm at. I still feel like I have some to lose but am not actively trying to lose weight any more.

Sleeve for the win!

Before and after pics

Went to the doc and he said he didn't think this had anything to do with my sleeve. I guess a copule weeks of diarrhea is somewhat "normal". He said if it lasts more than a month or if there is blood or anything in the stool it's cause to freak out, but I'm probably just going through a phase. I'm also only going to the bathroom a couple times a day vs 10+ times a day, which is another cause for concern.

Anyway - crisis diverted!

I am 6 months out, Pasta is fine. I made a dr. appointment that happens in a couple days, hopefully it will go away on its own.

I made some Pasta salad a couple weeks ago and must not have washed the veggies well enough or something. I ate some of it and have been having some diarrhea issues ever since. I threw away the rest of the pasta salad hoping that the issue would go away in a few days, but it hasn't.

My friends are telling me to go to the doc, which makes sense, but I'm worried that my sleeve could have something to do with the issue. I'm not in pain or anything, I just feel very dehydrated and tired (and sick of having spontaneous BM breaks).

Has anyone experienced something like this post-op?

I went though Ready 4 a Change myself judy is great i had it done aug 2007 and we still talk like it was yesterday. i have the 4cc band and my aunt has the 10cc band and wishes she would have gotten the 4cc band like me, im not sure why i got the 4 and she got the 10 and went to the same dr. all i can say is to listen to dr zapata and what he recommends will be right for you, everyone is different and what good for somelse may not be for you. oh i went you go to mexico BRING SOMEONE WITH YOU i had to go alone because my family didnt support me going to mexico and my husband had to say with the kids and my aunt just had plastic surgery. i was really hard and painful without help. i hope everything goes well for you. good luck!!!

Ahh I forgot all about this post. I ended up going with the sleeve (through Dr. Zapata) about 5 months ago and am SO HAPPY I went with that over the band. I know some people are successful with the band but it definitely wasn't right for me. Anyway - things are going amazingly, I only have about 10-15 more lbs to lose to get to my goal.