Wanderlustingmama

On 3/11/2019 at 10:30 AM, ren0318 said:

I'm scheduled for Sleeve to Bypass revision in two weeks due to GERD, and I don't feel peace about the surgery, nor I'm I feeling gung-ho about starting the liver shrink on Thursday, or going through all the post-op food steps and watching every single thing I put in my mouth.....I'm 5 years post Sleeve and I'm at goal weight. I just don't think I want this surgery. With my sleeve I don't have to take a steady stream of Vitamins nor do I have to think of maybe never eating Ice cream again due to dumping...

I also don't want the big bill from my medical deductible that the surgery will leave me paying.....I probably sound like a big baby....Sigh....the thought of surgery again is just not appealing to me right now....but Dr. says I can't keep taking the GERD meds, as they can cause harm to my kidneys....What's a girl to do?

I guess I'm just venting....

I feel like I could have written this myself! Aside from the being at goal part 🤦‍♀️ but I WAS nearly at one point and would not be considering a revision for weight loss reasons but the GERD that hasn’t let up in the past almost 7 years.... taking the meds this long can’t be good.

I get it. There isn’t a whole lot of motivation like there is going into your first surgery.

Wishing you lots of luck... keep us updated with what happens. I’m having my revision May 30th.

2 hours ago, edpsych78 said:

Dumping triggers for me have been unpredictable. I’m walking a fine line between low blood sugar that makes me pass out and too much that causes dumping. I can eat pudding one day (not sugar free) and be fine, but have dumping eating exactly the same thing tomorrow. I have noticed that simple sugars in combination with simple carbs or full fat dairy almost always trigger me. But applesauce, fruits, and sugar paired with 1% dairy is different. I also can’t consume sugary things that are more liquid in consistency. For example, a handful of dry Cereal is fine, but even with skim milk on it I’ll dump. I think it’s so individualized that you just have to see what works and learn through experience sometimes.

I will say that I’m so glad not to have reflux any more.

That’s interesting and also sounds awful. A lot of trial and error involved in trying to figure out your triggers.

Liquidy sugary things were also my undoing. I could nibble on a muffin or piece of birthday cake and be fine (not a great choice but... life) but if I had a sugary coffee/beverage I would get sick right away.

On 3/11/2019 at 1:06 PM, robynsch said:

I am a little nervous as well about having another surgery, but my acid reflux is highly manageable. I dont have any type of dumping syndrome, but my dr. Said that I didn't have any problem with the first surgery so I shouldn't have any problem after the bypass

Sent from my SM-G930V using BariatricPal mobile app

Sounds like we have a lot in common. Do you have a surgery date?

12 hours ago, edpsych78 said:

I had a sleeve done just over 5 years ago. I lost a lot of weight very quickly and managed to keep it off. However, I had ongoing issues with gastritis, GERD, and GI motility. At the beginning of 2019 those issues got much worse. I ended up being hospitalized because I couldn’t eat or drink and was in terrible pain. I had a great bariatric surgeon who was persistent in figuring out what was happening. He determined that my sleeve was not functioning, everything I ate stayed in my stomach and esophagus for way too long. After trying several non-surgical interventions we ended up having to convert to a bypass 4 weeks ago.

The conversion to bypass has been a completely different recovery than when I had my sleeve. I never had dumping with the sleeve, and I learned the signs of being full easily. After the bypass, I don’t have any sensation of fullness until I suddenly have terrible stabbing pain under my left collarbone. I also have experienced both the “slimeys” and dumping multiple times. Dumping syndrome is no joke. I’ll immediately start to feel flushed, weak, intense nausea, and within 10 minutes have diarrhea. The only relief is to lie down for a couple of hours until the weakness and nausea pass. I never vomited after my sleeve, but following the bypass my stomach will randomly reject something, even if I’ve eaten it successfully before, and I’ll vomit it all back up.

The positive side of the conversion is that I have no reflux at all anymore. After living with terrible GERD for decades, even after my sleeve, that’s a huge relief. It has been a struggle to try to stop losing weight after this surgery, because I’m way under my target weight. The only advice I’d give to you is expect that this will be an entirely new journey, and some of the things that worked after your sleeve won’t work this time around. Be patient with yourself and follow your diet restrictions. With bypass it’s been even more important to get my Protein and liquids in. Don’t worry about food for a while, that will come in time.

Not going to lie, this is a big fear. Aside from the reflux I’ve felt good all along. Kind of (really) nervous about tempting fate here by getting another surgery.

That being said, I reacted pretty badly to sugar until I built up a resistance over time (stupid) but it definitely felt like what people explained when they described dumping syndrome.

I’m also having a revision from sleeve to bypass at the end of May. I originally got a referral to my surgeon because of reflux (I’ve been on a ppi since the day of surgery... 7 years ago!) but as he works with a bariatric clinic he insisted I go through the clinic’s program even though he has warned me numerous times that I won’t lose much weight (ouch!)

I haven’t found a whole lot online about weight loss success after revision especially from people that had some regain after their sleeve.

Im motivated to get off the meds but knowing that it would help me with this regain would be extra motivating!

It's normal to be hungry when you're still on liquids!! Don't despair, once you're on solids you'll then really start to feel your restriction.

Take a chill pill, let your bodies heal.

*sigh* I can't speak for everyone but nowhere in my research did I find that a hamburger (bun or not) was a good nutritional choice. With all due respect why did you go through all if this only to continue abusing your body?

I just don't get it.

Anyways, the hunger will get better. I'm almost 5 months out, down almost 80 lbs. I still get hungry, eat a healthy and small meal and I'm over it. This is real life... Hunger and all.

Thanks for sharing Just a quick thought from me - I saw something on one of my good Friends FB Walls the other day.

It simply said: "When I see something to eat I know I shouldn't have, I tell myself 'I DON'T eat that instead of I CAN'T'"

It's a positive declaration rather than a negative connotation. I've been doing that and meaning it. It really works.

I totally agree with that. I find it kind of helps me to be a food snob. Exactly what your friend said, I DON'T eat "xyz" puts the onus on ourselves, and a bit of a power feeling. Plus let's admit, we're all have a bit of a rebellious side to us. Merely the thought of I CAN'T eat that, or you SHOULDN'T eat that almost makes me say.."ya wanna bet?!"

Interesting about the triggers. I haven't really figured out what mine are yet.

I'm in the same boat. I don't know why it's happening either. I track my cycles and when I ovulate I stall and then my period comes and I drop. Bodies can be so weird!!

Surgery May 15th

Starting weight: 292 lbs

Current weight: 222lbs

Down an even 70!

Congrats to all my fellow May sleevers

All good advice.

My angle is I try to be a food snob! Might not work for everyone but whenever I see someone eating/drinking something I "can't" have I try to turn my (inner) thoughts into something along the lines of "Ugh, I don't drink diet coke/coke/beer. It does nothing for my body and I won't put that crap inside my teeny tiny stomach".

Space is at a premium in this sleeve of mine.... I TRY to make every bite count and at the end of the day soda never got us anywhere good.

That being said I too get bored of Water.... especially when at a restaurant I'd love to order a diet coke.. but I don't. You're breaking the habit.. don't feel bad that the temptation is still there. It'll lessen over time

I try to "sneak" veggies into my diet at every opportunity.

I too am a big advocate of a balanced diet. So many people are doling out diet advice, especially telling people all about the evils of CARBS. What many people fail to realize is that fruits & veg ARE carbs. Starches, well that's just a different story

I find Soups a good way to get in a good veg/protein ratio. If I'm making meatloaf or any sort of casseroles I make sure to always add a good amount of chopped up veg. Zucchini is perfect because it really cooks down and is pretty gentle on our guts.

Have you ever tried a green smoothie? My favourite is 2 cups raw/organic baby spinach leafs, 1 banana (even better if it's really ripe and frozen!) with about a cup of non-fat milk. Blitz it in the blender and drink it up! There are tons of recipes out there for green smoothies (green monsters) and I'm sure you could even find a way to sneak in an extra serving of Protein in there via your favourite supplement.

I think once you're cleared for it and you really want to eat cereal then you should just go for it! There are plenty of healthy cereals out there these days. I thought I'd miss it but I just don't. I can fit so little food in my stomach these days that I'm just really picky about what I put in it.

That being said if I found myself craving it, I'd go for it. Once in a while I sneak a couple of my son's cheerios but for a meal it just doesn't have enough nutrients in it.

Oh, and to answer your question I was probably about 6 weeks out before I tried cereal again (if oatmeal counts then it was sooner)

I try to focus on clean-eating for sure. It's about an 80/20 approach because of the limits with sugar. I don't have a sugar sensitivity but for instance my Protein Shake I wouldn't really consider "clean". Plus, where I live it's hard to find a lot of organic products (dairy, eggs, meat etc)

You deserve all the happiness in the world. 90lbs is nothing to sneeze at.

I was sleeved 5 days after you and have lost 66lbs so you saying your 90 isn't very good is kind of insulting... just another perspective.

Be proud of your accomplishments... no shame in that

I don't think in only 3 weeks you'd really be feeling the effects of B12 deficiency unless you were already deficient pre-op. I imagine the feeling is unnerving do definitely get yourself to a doctor.

Distract yourself. Once you're on solids it'll get better (did for me). I mean, everyone has cravings sometimes but once your on full solids it'll be easier to find healthy and creative ways to solve your cravings!

I had mad pickle cravings and I'm not going to lie... I did drink some pickle juice but the heartburn I had that night was enough to make me wait until I was back on a "normal" diet.

During the hardest parts during recovery if I couldn't do something to distract myself I'd just take a nap (when possible) and usually you'll wake up over it.

I went to CVS and both the Women's One A Day gummies. I take 4 a day and then calcium chews I bought from Bariatric Advantage. I hope that is good enough. Hey it's better than nothing right?

Regarding the Celebrate I just started taking them a few days ago. I'm living in the Middle East and there are no chewable Bariatric supplements here so I ordered a 90 day supply online. The first few days they made me like rush to the sink because I need to vomit sick. It was over as fast as it happened though.

I spent a lot of money on them and honestly I'm getting desperate to find something I can take. So, I read more carefully and on the multi-vits it says to take one in the am and one in the pm (I only take the mv and Calcium plus). No wonder I was sick.

Today I tried seperating them more and I wasn't sick. Sure I was chewing on Vitamins 1/2 the day but at least I didn't get sick. I also personally don't find the taste bad at all. I have the strawberry pineapple multi and strawberrycreme calcium.

Every time I try on a pair of pants that are too big I just have to share by showing my husband how I can pull my pants off without unbuttoning them. He doesn't mind!!