Marie from Michigan

I asked this same question of the Exercise Physiologist just before surgery. I was particularly worried about "bat wings." He said to add arm toning exercising in my exercise plan at about 3 months post op. He said the most important thing was to drink extra fluids. He explained that the skin is an organ that requires Water to maintain elasticity. The more water, the better the skin can recover from the excess stretching. I am now 18 weeks post op. Yes, I have "bat wings" and they are getting worse as I am losing more weight. I also have very saggy skin on my upper thighs. Stomach is not so bad as of yet, but I have another 60 pounds to lose. I have started the arm toning exercises 5 times a week, but honestly haven't seen any change. I do try to drink a minimum of 64 oz of water each day but its hard even at my stage. I have taken to wearing 3/4 sleeve shirts even in the hot weather because they look better. I suspect that might continue forever. My insurance doesn't cover plastic surgery unless is it deemed medically neccessary so I don't see that in my future. I will add that I am in my mid-50s. I also lost weight in my 30's and I did not have the saggy skin at that time. I think the younger you are the better. It also probably doesn't help that I have now lost this same amount of weight twice in one lifetime.

For some reason, I have NEVER been able to lose weight while on vacation. It doesn't matter if I drive or fly. I will always come home the same weight as when I left (or have gained a few pounds). Before surgery I always thought that I was eating more food than I thought and just not paying attention. After surgery I keep daily journals and I know my calories are 900-1000 each day, my exercise is up, and the scale just doesn't move.

The information from my Doctor's office says to wait a minimum of 15 months before pregnancy and then only after consultation with the Doctor concerning your specific situation.

At 16 weeks post-op, I "go" about every other day. I have constipation issues which I never had prior to surgery. Sometimes I take a stool softener and have also taken Milk of Magnesia a couple of times at my Doctor's suggestion. I really focus on getting my Proteins in first which I think contributes to the problem. I find when I eat some vegetables or fruit with every meal that I have less of a problem. And, I also had "D" for the first couple of weeks until I went on mushy foods.

Honestly, I wouldn't care if my Mom said that. She is in her 70"s and always feels the need to explain herself to total strangers. I just smile. I do find, however, that it works best to tell the waitstaff when you order that you are taking some home. For example, we ate out yesterday at Red Lobster. I ordered the baked flounder with brocolli and a baked potato. When I ordered I told the waitress that I planned to take the baked potato home and please to box it up right away. She brought it out in a "to go" container and my Mom took it home with her for lunch today. I find that if you tell them upfront that you are taking some of the meal with you, it stops later questions about whether your meal was satisfactory. Also, in the summer heat I routinely take a small cooler with frozen Water bottles with me when I go out to eat. I am concerned about leaving leftovers in a hot car and I always stop at the mall or somewhere on my way home.

I am 4 months out. I was allowed to eat mashed potatoes and baked potatoes during the "mushy" phase. I tried both, but they didn't work. Too heavy and they hurt my stomach. I could eat low fat Ritz crackers (one serving of 4 crackers). They tasted like heaven to me! I ate those every day for three weeks. But then I stopped because I realized they were a slider food for me. To this day I still can't eat potatoes, bread, rice, oatmeal or any kind of cereal. I have tried the high protein tortillas but even they don't work.

I have a similar story. I started at 270 lbs. My surgery date was April 12 and I weighed 254. This morning I was 205. My goal is to be less than 200 pounds by Labor Day.

The day I started "mushies" at two weeks after surgery, I stopped losing weight. The stall lasted for 9 days, which is comparatively short. I am like Greg in that I will stay the same weight down to the ounce for 3 or 4 days and then lose a pound a day for three days. Like others have said, its like stairsteps. I do weigh daily and always have, even when I was gaining weight! However, you can't let the scale determine your behavior. Stick to the plan and the weight will come off. I have a friend who says she "rewards" herself with a treat when the scale is down. The problem is she also eats to comfort herself when the scale is not to her liking. A dangerous pattern. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..... Marie

Congrats!! Hopefully, I am right behind you. I have 6 more pounds before I go to One-der-land. My goal is to get there before Labor Day. I too need to concentrate more on exercise. Keep up the great work.

My doctor advised me to switch to decaf coffe with 2 extra strength Tylenol. I did that for the first 4 days of my pre-op diet and it worked just fine. Never really had a headache and I was a 5-6 cup a day coffee drinker. I am still drinking 3-4 cups of decaf a day.

Don't panic yet. I am glad you are getting it checked out right away. Let us know what the Cardiologist says. My first EKG was such that I had to do a stress test and an echocardiogram. Came through both just fine. No issues.

I eat too fast as well. When I realize it, I take a bite, put down my fork and chew 30 times before swallowing. Repeat, repeat. This approach really slows me down. Oftentimes, however, I don't realize it until the food is gone and I have an ache.

Another early pill popper here. I was given my regular prescriptions for high blood pressure in pill form still in the hospital. When I returned home, I found after surgery that I couldn't do the chewable vitamins. I called the Office and was told to try to swallow the big huge vitamin I had been taking before the surgery. I did and it went down fine. Right after surgery, I had to take each pill one at a time, but now I can take the big old handful just like I used to (I am four months post-op).

Adri's experience mirrors mine exactly. But in addition, I also hiccup. The worst I have had is the phlegmy stuff. I have so much liquid in my mouth that it just gushes out. I have to get to a bathroom fast! I have never vomited up any food though. It never happens to me at home only in restaurants. I think its a combination of eating too much food too quickly without chewing enough. I also think that when out I talk while I am eating and swallow more air. I just excuse myself to the restroom for a few minutes. Just the act of walking a bit also seems to help. I will have to say its NOT PLEASANT and I am learning to associate overeating with pain. I don't think that's such a bad thing....

The major reason I decided to have WLS was that my Type 2 diabetes was no longer under control using oral meds only and I didn't want to start on insulin. My surgeon cut my dose of Metforim from 2000 daily to 1000 the day I started the two week pre-op diet. The day before surgery I stopped taking it all together. At that point I was still taking 30 mg of Actos. At my 2 week post op appointment I was told to switch to 15 mg per day. My morning blood glucose readings have gone from 180-190 prior to surgery to 100-105 today. At 4 months post-op I am still taking the 15 mg of Actos, but my PCP predicted we would stop that after my Sept appointment. I am off from ALL high blood pressure medications as of last week. I am thrilled with the improvements to my health!!

Like many others, I had no real pain after surgery. My first memory waking up was pain in my left shoulder. Thanks to this board I now realize that was gas pain from the CO2 they inject into your abdomen during surgery, but no one at the hospital told me that. The worst part for me was insomnia the first night after surgery. I would think I slept for hours and the clock moved 3 minutes. I swear it was the longest night of my life. I also had intense thirst. No Water allowed, but they did give me ice chips which helped a lot. The first time I got up to walk (which was about 4 hours after surgery) I was pretty weak and shaky. I held on to the railings in the hall way for dear life. When I got up to walk the morning after surgery I was pretty nauseous. The nurse suggested that it might be due to the IV pain medication. I stopped "pressing the button" immediately since I really wasn't feeling any pain anyway and the sickness went away. The surgery itself was actually not as bad as I expected. What I didn't expect was how difficult it would be to drink the Protein shakes and water afterwards. It was a real struggle for me and I didn't meet my Doctor's minimums for several days. Shakes I had liked during the pre-op stage I couldn't tolerate after surgery so it was a scramble to try new and different things. I tried water at every temp before finding that bottled water at room temperature worked the best. I could only tolerate bottled water for about 3 weeks, even though I had always drank tap water prior. I wish you all the best with your surgery. Please don't back out at this stage. Just do a lot of reading and be well prepared. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Marie

Glad you had such a great report, Nancy! It currently is hard to switch Doctors. It sounds like you found a winner right off!

Hi Chatty: Sometimes I do sneeze when I eat. I find that if I eat too fast or too much I will start sneezing, burping, hiccuping, or my nose runs. Sometimes it all happens at once! It happens particularly when I am eating out and talking a lot during the meal. Maybe it has something to do with getting too much air in my stomach?

Wishing you all the best for your surgery and recovery! I hope you do really well with no complications. I was pretty much in the same boat as you. I had lost weight so many times but had never been able to keep it off. This time feels very different to me though. I am 14 weeks out and have lost 60 pounds. I have progressed to the point that I can try to eat any foods that I wish. I eat about 800 calories a day and struggle to get in 70 grams of protein. I always eat my protein first and then a couple of bits of a vegetable or fruit. My "snacks" are string cheese, almonds (100 calorie packets), turkey jerky, and frozen yogurt bars. I eat about 3/4 cup of food or about 5-6 ounces of dense protein and I am STUFFED. Like Thanksgiving full stuffed. I have no desire to eat for several hours. I have never felt this way before on any diet. I stop drinking fluids 15 minutes before I eat and then don't start them again for an hour after. I have read that this helps you to feel full longer. I go to a support group with about 30 other sleevers. It seems like some people don't lose as much weight as they would have liked but there is no one in the group who has gained any weight back. If the worst that happens is that I remain at my current weight I would be happy even though I am only half way to my goal. I am SO GLAD that I had this surgery

I think you avoided the worst of the gas pain! The pain in my left shoulder was the first thing I remember waking up from surgery. It was intense for about 3 days and lingered for about a week. I had some of the "other" gas as well about day 5 or so. I also had lots of gassy noises coming from my stomach. Still do, actually! Marie

Your letter is perfect! When I was in your situation I ate a lot of sugar free popsicles. Not a lot of "crunch" too them, but at least there was some chewing. Take heart...I am 14 weeks out and those days seem like a distant memory. Sheila - All the best with your surgery today! Marie

Too funny! Your post reminded me so much of myself prior to surgery. I had to delay my surgery date for nearly a month. First I was traveling for work, then I had a planned vacation. My surgeon then left on vacation the day I got back! So I had to wait for him to return. I was so READY to have this surgery and start a new life. I DESPERATELY wanted my relationship with food to change. And it has!!! I am 14 weeks post-op and have lost 59 pounds. I have had no significant complications and am very happy with my sleeve. I hope the time goes quickly for you! Marie

Don't be too quick to count out McDonalds! My kids LOVE McDonalds and usually order the apples and milk with their happy meals so nutritionally it isn't that bad. We still go about once a month and I just eat the hamburger patty/ketchup/pickle/cheese/onion from a small cheeseburger. I have also done the McDonalds Breakfast ordering an egg mcmuffin and just eating the egg/ham/cheese. We typically pick Wendy's for fast food as I LOVE their chili. I order a small chili and I can nearly finish it all at 14 weeks post op. At first I could only eat about 1/2 of it. I spent years "dieting" where certain foods were off limits for me. When I went for my first surgeon's appt I ask him if there were certain foods I couldn't eat. He said he couldn't tell me that up front but that there might be some foods that my stomach won't tolerate after surgery . He said most people after surgery can eat any foods, just in very small quanities. So far that has been pretty true for me. I have completely lost my appetite for fried foods. They just look nasty to me. chicken breast, a dieter's staple, seems too dry and dense. I order a lot of broiled fish in restaurants. I eat very few carbs, but have tried a "bite" of a number of foods including birthday cake and fudge. The birthday cake was fine, the fudge not so good. I won't try that again. But I love that I can try anything I want. I lost over 50 pounds before my kids, ages 6 and 9, seemed to notice. I think they thought that I would be skinny as soon as I got home from the hospital and were disappointed! All the best on your journey! Marie

I was sleeved 1:30pm on a Tuesday afternoon and was released from the hospital exactly 48 hours later. Two nights in hospital which I expected. I know of some who stay three nights.

I have the same problem, but mine is at work. This morning I got involved in a project and realized that it was noon and I had only had 1 small cup of decaff coffee all morning. Yikes! I am way behind now on my fluids. I try to set my alarm on my phone to remind me to eat or drink, but I don't always remember to set the alarm. On weekends, I tend to be with other people so then I eat when they eat and it works pretty well. I will watch this thread for suggestions. I know its very important to eat three regular meals a day and get in all the fluids. I am going to try to do better!