BriarRose

The first three weeks - I won't be coy here.... were really really hard. Having bones sawed off, and replaced and drilled into place is really painful; at any weight. However, once I got to being able to move around more - once the 34 staples were removed after just over 2 weeks; I was able to start moving around more. I totally gave up on the narcotics by the end of week two. I couldn't hold them down well, and the only thing I could eat was.... basically toast with a bit of jam. I finally at about the middle of week three could start walking a bit outside instead of around my dining room table - and progressed from taking 300 steps a day to over 1000 in that third week. At week 6 I am now able to walk for about 10 minutes with a cane, twice a day, and am able to take care of myself, the house, a flock of chickens (less any heavy lifting), the dog, parrot and reptiles. I weigh basically almost half of what I did at my heaviest. With this surgery,.... right before it, I was very limited in my ability to walk. I had gained 8 pounds from my lowest. After surgery at week 2 I was up another few pounds - Surgeon told me this is normal from how much IV fluids I was getting to keep me going. I am frankly eating A LOT of healthy foods right now. On dr's and nutritionist suggestion to build back muscle, nerve and bone loss. I am told that in another couple weeks I will start to lose the weight again. I am not worried, and I can hang with the process. I am walking about 4,000 to 5000 steps a day - over what I should be for my age and where I am post op.

I eat rice "backwards" ... Most dishes have the rice as the base of the dish. I put the vegetables, and protein at the bottom or as the majority of my meal, and then sprinkle the rice on top .... I can add as much or as little as I desire, but this way, I see the rice .... and I have some, just not as the majority of my plate/meal. I do this in many different cuisines !

A dozen years since my sleeve. Maintaining my weight... I am now 67 years old. I have been bone on bone on both knees for years. I finally had the first knee replacement. Let me tell you.... this is no joke. I am very stoic and don't get crazy about anything. The level of pain in the first few weeks was epic. However the thing that has me totally entranced is that I am now in Physical Therapy doing my rehabilitation. And getting stronger for the second knee replacement that I will get in late Spring... After 4 grueling sessions; I am walking, moving well, and have almost 100% function in my surgical knee. I can't get over the comments from the PT and surgeon - About how my "normal" weight allowed me to do so well. My weight is still high. I know that. But I am comfortable where I am, and this is where I have been for a few years, and is my lowest adult weight ever. HECK. NORMAL WEIGHT ? No one is commenting on me being super obese, or needing to lose weight. Instead the focus is on strength and eating well, and getting stronger . What a huge difference.

Call your doctor. Like immediately. This should not be happening. Not with the kind of pain you are experiencing. You are very much post surgical and need medical advice.

Maintaining my weight between 160 and 164. Happily so. Will be getting my knee replacements this coming winter !! Newest odd thing that happened ? My weight has been stable for many months - and I am thrilled at being comfortable in my skin ( in all of it's lovely looseness ) - I noted my bras not fitting well. Decided to go in and have a proper fitting. I have been wearing a 40 D - was measured at between a 36 and 38 DD - Huh ? Really ? Tried on said correct sizes depending on brand. And They fit beautifully. Even at 67 years old our bodies change is such strange and unexpected ways, even years after losing the weight !

I hate to say this, but 1800 calories a day is too much unless you are doing really strenuous exercising. I can maintain my 150 plus pound weight loss at about 1000 to 1200 calories a day, and I currently weight about 160, I am 67 years old and have had no skin removal. My doctors feel that if I did, I would be around 145 to 150. But I need new knees and there is no way I am going to have more elective surgery. But If I eat 1800 calories a day, I gain weight. Fast. Like in a couple days. And yes, there IS more restriction in eating chicken, and fish and other meats. I eat more cheese and dairy than I probably should. But it works for me. I also eat eggs. I make sure at least 2 meals a day have a simple protein like eggs, or chicken or fish, and the occasional beef meal. I happen not to eat shellfish or pork. If I have oatmeal for breakfast, I make sure to have a yogurt for a midmorning snack. I eat few processed carbs and keep my pasta, rice or bread to very very low amounts. Protein, vegetables, fresh fruits. This morning I am having my coffee then, fresh watermelon and scrambled eggs with some shredded cheese. Get back to basics and re check with your doctor or nutritionist about calories. Frankly I rarely if ever count calories; but I know what I am eating and what I can eat to maintain my weight loss. Best of luck and healthy eating to you !

Went to Orthopedic surgery consult to start on knee replacements. (I am 67 and bone on bone - both knees...) Had my sleeve a dozen years. Doctor is going through issues ... my asthma, chronic lung issues.... he asks if I have any questions.. I ask about my weight. He looks at me like I have said "my third knee" and says "Your weight is fine for your age...why are you asking?" oops. Old Habits....

The first time I did this; I had NO idea what to do or what to look at or what size I was. I almost walked out feeling too overwhelmed at the choices and having ZERO idea what all the descriptions of jeans were and what size I might wear. I finally asked a sales person. I explained how much weight I had lost and that I was literally LOST in the store. I was in my late 50's and had NO IDEA what to look at. She was so kind and eyed me up and gave me one size 18 jean and a few 16s and told me to try on the 18 first. It was big. I cried. BEST DAY EVER ! I had also worn a 26/28 jean... MORE SUCESS TO FOLLOW !! Best of Everything to you !

I would suggest that looking for very small steps is the answer and expecting much back slide and angst. Depression and anxiety can go hand in hand. An antidepressant medication can be extremely helpful in situations such as these, and there ARE weight neutral meds that can really help. I highly suggest doing both medications for at least 6 months to a year AND counseling. The combination of the two are the MOST helpful. Medication will help her brain chemistry to allow her to see through the fog of depression. Also expect some hard days as her body adjusts to medication - perhaps even up to 6 weeks, but the change will be there.

This is so hard. Please encourage your daughter to go to a doctor. There are many VERY good docs who will accept medi-caid. And there are very good mental health clinics that will do so also. You might try calling the Department of Mental Health in your state/county and getting some referrals for her. My heart goes out to you and to her. Hopefully this is a time and place that will develop into a new time and a new place for her and for you.

These are wonderful wonderful happenings all around !!!

I am a 67 year old woman. I had surgery over a dozen years ago, and quite frankly... I have a lot of sagging, baggy, skin. And I am dammed proud of it. I have had to have enough surgeries in my lifetime that I am not going to put myself through any plastic surgery. I am lucky enough that my belly doesn't really hang, and I am not physically challenged from any hanging skin. Do I look like "saggy baggy the elephant" naked ? Yep. Do i still wear sleeveless shirts that show my hanging skin on my upper arms ? Yes I do. I wear shorts that cover the drooping skin on my thighs. But once, a long time ago, I was visiting a National Park and saw an older woman in hiking shorts, and a tank top. She was tanned and looked so healthy... and I realized that she had saggy skin, and had lost a LOT of weight. I was very obese. I looked at that woman and knew what I wanted to be when I was old (well.... at 30 something, 60 something looked really old !) and you know what ? I AM that woman. Whoever she was/is. She was a silent inspiration to my eventual weight loss. Now, when I am walking a trail in that same National Park, I recall her influence and thank her.

Those are pretty over whelming diagnoses. I would start with one of your doctors and ask for advice, and for an appointment with a nutritionist who is knowledgable about people who have had a gastric sleeve. Your nutritional needs have changed as your diagnoses have caused havoc on your body. The Hashimotos especially. You probably need to have a CBC and have levels taken for vitamins and minerals and keep track of your where your Thyroid levels are at. Then come up with a plan that you feel comfortable with. I am more than a dozen years out and had significant regain, and then have re-lost my gains and more. I too had some medical issues to overcome, and still do. But I made the re-losing at MY OWN pace. Which was comparatively SLOW to losing after surgery. I took a few years to lose the first 45 pounds I had put on, and then look another couple years to get where I am now. But I took long breaks after losing each 10 pounds at first to make sure I could maintain that loss. I purposely stopped losing and did maintenance for a few months. Then made a goal of losing another 10. Then did the same thing. The last year or so my goals were even smaller. Because it WAS harder. But I am at a healthy place and myself and my doctors are very pleased. I have to have blood work done every few months to make sure I am maintaining certain values, so there is that. But I work with my GP who has been wonderfully supportive.

Not worrying about chairs ! Not being the fattest human in the room . Not feeling like people are watching what I put on my plate at a gathering. Being able to sit in the back seat of a car and not worrying about the seatbelt not fitting !!! All absolutely true !!!

Please talk to your family doctor or a mental health professional (licensed therapist, psychologist or psychiatrist) After and during weight loss and after surgery our bodies can take a beating and we think we are doing ourselves such a great and healthy thing... and then we feel like crap. Have I had this ? Not depression, but I had panic attacks start after a year after surgery. NOT FUN. Still have them. Take meds for that. I am also a mental health professional and I think that folks who have WLS or undergo dieting or major life changes should all consult their doctors about mental health changes that can come up with all these changes happening to our bodies. Have you had blood levels drawn ? vitamin and mineral numbers done ? A FULL blood panel including all your thyroid counts and numbers ? Please do that too. Rapid weight loss can throw our hormones and our physiological balance way out of whack. And our brains are part of our bodies. Hence, our brain chemistry can change and BAM - Depression, Bi-Polar and all sorts of stuff can come up. Talk to your doctor, get a referral for Psych consult. IF you feel like you might hurt yourself or start drinking/using drugs get yourself to a mental health professional right away !