Mews

Mine were normal but I had three periods in six weeks. My nurse said it was a combination of all the hormones being released and the fact I had major surgery. When in doubt, get in touch with you doc.

As one of the people who have had complications I can empathize with your concerns. Yes complications do happen but they only occur in 1% of the surgeries. My knee replacement two years ago was more dangerous and had a higher mortality rate but it didn't stop me from doing it. Think of it this way: what would your quality of life be without the surgery? Is it worth it to get rid of any comorbidities you have now? Do you want to be active and healthy for your kids for years down the road? Yes, any surgery has its risks, especially major surgery like this. But sometimes you have to take those risks to get your life back.

Don't worry if you can't eat 1/4 cup of food. Your stomach is still swollen from the surgery. My NUT told me not to worry about protein for the first month or do. Instead focus on your fluid intake. If you can't get in all the protein don't fret. If you're still getting nauseous then fall back to liquids for a bit. Remember you are still healing.

Wow! That's amazing. I'm two months out and I've only lost 23lbs since surgery (37lbs in total). Grats!

Just start off with a short period and add like 30 seconds each day you do it. This way it's a gradual change and will be easier to tolerate. When I had my knee replacement surgery this is what the physical therapist did with the bike and it worked like a charm.

I'm sorry things went so rough. You have my sympathies on that end. In the long term it is probably for the best. I believe that no one should ever settle. I think there is too much emphasis on getting married and having kids while your young. Take the time to find someone who stimulates you both mentally and physically. I think that's one of the reasons why my marriage has lasted so long: I knew what I wanted and when I found it I've never let go.

My NUT is a bit different, wanting to go up to 800-1000 calories a day but she is also more forgiving when it comes to carbs. Some days it is hard for me to get in that amount of calories but if I don't I tend to drag all day the next day. I'm losing slower than most but my energy levels have been good, which is important to me as I have a high stress job. I agree with Pennie that short term goals are good but don't get mad at yourself if you don't hit that goal. Our bodies can be very finicky. I thought I was on a good pace for weight loss but I've only lost three pounds in the past three weeks, which is rather frustrating. At the very least, though, I'm still losing and that's better than what I was doing before the surgery.

I've been happily married to my best friend for almost 11 years. Yes we have our problems but we've been able to work through them. When I was in college, I was originally engaged to another guy who I thought was the "love of my life." He was a great guy, really cared for me, etc. but our sex life sucked. He had performance issues. Instead of trying to do something about it, he just stopped having sex with me. We became friends rather than boyfriend/girlfriend, and I started to look at other guys to meet my needs. That's when I knew I couldn't keep the relationship going. No matter how hard I tried, he was not willing to do anything to help our relationship. It broke my heart (and definitely his) when I ended it, but it worked out for the best. In your case, what I would suggest is having a sit down with him and explain to him what is going on. He NEEDS to know ASAP. Maybe he would be willing to change his ways if he knew how you really felt. Sometimes guys need a good slap in the face to get a point across. If he's not willing to change then you have to seriously think about whether or not you want to spend your life with this person. If not, is it fair to either of you? No. I could recommend couples counseling but if he's not willing to change then there is nothing you can do to salvage the relationship.

Those first few weeks of post-op are hell. If you're having problems with nausea, move back down to clear liquids for a bit. Maybe your stomach is not ready yet for anything heavier. I will say that at eight weeks out I'm finally starting to feel normal. My recovery has been a little longer due to various issues and complications post-op. I can tell you that once you start eating "real" food again you'll feel so much better. Just hang in there.

It happens to me under those same circumstances as well. Not sure why it occurs though.

Just make sure you bring your CPAP machine with you to the surgery. While you're under anesthesia, the anesthesiologist will control your breathing. When you're in recovery, though, you'll need your CPAP as there is a risk of not waking up when you stop breathing. It's rare but it's better to be safe than sorry.

I'm almost eight weeks out and I can eat spicy food without any problems. I did tried fried food but that didn't sit too well in my stomach.

I was eating tomato soup when I was on full liquids without much of a problem.

I had some time to kill today between doctors' appointments so I decided to treat myself to some Starbucks coffee. I'm seven weeks out and haven't had coffee since surgery. Now pre-op I LOVED Starbucks. Today though I literally could not stomach it. I think I drank about 1/2 of a tall and that was over the period of about 90 minutes. My stomach just did not like it. Anybody else have issues with coffee post-op? I'm hoping this will pass as I love my coffee.

Try sticking with clear fluids for a day or two. I found that warm water, tea, and the like were easier to keep down than cold. If you're really in a lot of pain, give your doc a call.

You know, I don't think my doctor mentioned a time period when I could have alcohol. He just said start off small and try doing it at home first because the way your body will react to it will be different than pre-op. I'm not a big drinker so this isn't an issue for me. However, this time of year for me is very stressful (end of semester grading) and it's usually the time when I do pull out the vodka. I'm a bit hesitant as my stomach is having a few issues with certain foods and I'm not sure if I really want to test it just yet. LOL

I'm very outspoken about the surgery so if people ask I just tell them I had it and therefore only eat small portions. Sometimes a friend, coworker, or waiter will be a bit surprised when they see how little I eat but I just laugh. I say "yep that's it" and leave it at that. For choices, I try to stick to soups, chili, or an appetizer (if I can find a healthy one...you'd be amazed how UNhealthy most of them are). If those aren't an option I just order an entree and take the leftovers home with me if I can. For traveling, I almost always have cheese sticks or Protein bars/shakes with me. If I get caught in a pinch I get Wendy's chili or a hamburger without the bun.

Have you had a sleep study done? Sleep apnea is considered a co-morbidity. I know that helped to push me to get insurance coverage even though I have a much higher BMI.

Ironically I was just talking about this with a friend of mine who is a therapist. Yes, it's technically considered an eating disorder. I think Jimmy has got it right though: if you continue to do it and it becomes an unconscious habit then that is a problem.

I sort of chug now. I used to be able to down 20oz in a minute. Now I can down about 4-6oz pretty quickly if necessary. I do try to sip more than anything else but old habits are hard to break.

I'm seven weeks out and I noticed that my depression has acted up for most of this post-op period. Do you have depression or just anxiety? Mine is tied to depression so I get the double whammy. From what I've been reading it seems to be a common problem after surgery.

I agree. Make sure you get your pain meds. Don't suffer needlessly. With the gas, get up and walk if you can as that supposedly helps to get rid of the gas in your body. The gurgling noises? I'm 7 weeks out and still have them. My husband says that my belly sounds like a bucolic symphony at night. LOL

That was my regiment as well. It is a bit rough, especially the long stretch of Clear Liquids, but you'll get through it. It also makes eating solid foods all that more enjoyable.

I fourth the idea of bloodwork. Also, maybe add some healthy carbs to your diet to give you a bit of a boost in the meantime. I know that once I added them to my diet I haven't been dragging along as badly. I just though about this too: you said that you're under a lot of stress. Maybe you have symptoms of depression? I've had chronic depression for a while now and I know it sometimes manifests itself by making me very tired, groggy, and cranky. If the bloodwork comes out clear, this may be something to look into.

My doctor never said anything about detaching the spleen. That's interesting...so interesting that I looked it up. There is indeed a ligament that attaches the spleen to the greater curvature of the stomach and it does contain blood vessels. I haven't heard anybody have internal bleeding issues from this. I would suspect that they cauterize the ligament when they detach it. If you're still concerned about it talk to your doc some more.