Griselda

Okay, I've been reading about everyone's almost inevitable hair loss and how there is really nothing we can do to prevent it. I have also read (online and at other places) that sometimes the trauma of the anesthesia/surgery causes the hair to go into resting phase or whatever. It made sense to me and I accepted that as fact, then I started thinking, wait, I had tonsils out and gallbladder out and they had to put me under to remove a kidney stone and all told about 8 surgeries in my life and my hair never fell out with any of them? So, does this mean mine won't or is there something else at play here? Could it be that we just aren't getting enough nutrients at first?

I have had back issues since way before the surgery and wanted to make sure I could still take some of the stuff that I found the most helpful for the pain. I take tramadol (pain) and flexeril (muscle relaxer) when it gets bad, although it is much better since I have lost weight. It is true that your body shifts a big when you lose or gain weight, like when I was pregnant, my back pain was terrible. Do ask them what is safe for you to take, but my surgeon told me there was no problem with tramadol or flexeril. I never found tylenol did anything much for any kind of pain.

I hate sugar free, but have been able to tolerate a blend of stevia/sugar (like that crystal light pure), otherwise, I do unsweetened or regular sugar. I do have skim milk. Personally, I don't think sugar free is essential to success, I think it sets you up to want things way too sweet and to get used to having those overly sweet things.

This is really getting to me too. My problem with wigs is that none of them seem to fit my huge head. I could only really have the confidence to wear one if it looked just like my own hair, I wouldn't want anyone at work to question if I had a wig on. I have started to use dermmatch, and it does really help it look normal, I hate to have to use it, but at least that is a good option. I so wish I had a good face for baldness. Sinead looks great now she has gone back to shaving her head, if I could get away with that, I would do it. I'm hoping it at least stops falling out.

I had that problem to the extreme and had to go to the ER after NOTHING worked. I was terrified I had an obstruction or something awful. I eventually got things moving again with some RX stuff, but since then have made sure to put some miralax in with my protein shakes. Haven't had issues since. Good luck, I know it is very uncomfortable!

This is driving me crazy too. KellyL and I had our sleeves the same day and I am going to get my hair cut tomorrow because I feel like I am having permanently bad hair days. My hair used to be quite thick and now it is probably on par with many normal women who do not have gobs of hair, and I would be ok if I knew it was going to stop at this point, but I am still seeing the handfuls of hair. I like the idea of brushing hair outside, it is depressing to see all the hair on the floor, sink, bed, etc. My hair texture has also changed. It is no longer wavy, but stick straight and feels a lot 'greasier' than it used to be. Probably because I don't have as much hair to suck up all the scalp oils or whatever. Here's hoping I can come back around January and talk about how it stopped falling out and I noticed some new growth. Otherwise, I am super happy with my sleeve and my loss. 75 pounds!! I am super excited!

I know what you mean. My father died a few months before I had my surgery and I wish he could have seen me go through with it and finally start to lose weight. I know he was very concerned about me and my weight and although his health was not the best, it was still completely unexpected when he died. I tell myself I am partly doing all of this for him and I know in some way, he knows that and is happy to see me go through this journey. I cherish that my mother is still alive and has been able to see me go through this transformation.

I'm a Kelly girl too! I'm down 60 pounds and I feel great. Haven't been on here too much lately, just busy living life and having a great time!! I can't believe I am actually losing weight. I love Dr. Kelly, it's the best gift I gave myself.

Your stomach is still producing enough acid for a full size stomach, that is why you have the omeprazole. The 'gurgling' you describe lasted about 4 weeks for me, it was an odd feeling, but normal. I took the pills whole.

I'm hoping for someone more experienced to chime in. I'm 3 1/2 months out and have lost about 50 lbs, but still have the acanthosis. It might be slightly better, but nothing astounding.

You look stunning!!! Excellent!!

Although thrush should be ruled out, for me it was caused by eating basically only liquids for so long. Solid foods help keep the tongue from getting coated as you are chewing them, etc. Once I started back on solids, it went away.

I was on 2000 mg of metformin, Victoza, and Glyburide and still had fasting sugars of 140, with highs of 260 or so. I took myself off all of those when I did my pre-op (for me all liquids) diet while carefully monitoring my blood sugar, which was excellent during that time. After surgery I never went back to any of the diabetes meds and still check my blood sugars and they have been normal. I just got back my A1C results which are at 6% down from 8.5% a few months prior to surgery. My blood pressure is also down and I am off three blood pressure meds. I am thrilled with those results and the weight loss!

In looking at all the before/after pics, everyone looks so much younger in their after pics. This wasn't always my experience in looking at before/after pics on other WLS forums and maybe other WLS procedures. I see very few people looking 'ill' or 'old'. I don't know if we are just all so damn cute or what it is. I think the after clothing styles are also younger as we get more confident in our bodies. Keep posting those pics!! I love seeing the changes!!

Glad you are being released!! Did he indicate what you could have eaten that would have caused this problem? I hope you start feeling much better once you redo your food stages.

Please update us as soon as you can. How frightening for you, but a relief you are at the hospital in good hands. I'll be thinking of you!

Brian, this is great!! Here's to the rest of your life!!!

OMFG!! You look fantastic!!!!

I see a difference but I know what you mean about the pant sizes. I guess because most of my pants have a stretch waist and since our tummies are somewhat moldable into pants, I wasn't really noticing a difference for a bit. It just seemed like, yeah, I'm still wearing the same ones, I have finally gotten to where I am wearing a few I wasn't able to wear. I think when you carry a lot of upper body weight, it just seems to be slower. You are doing great!!

Could be the carb withdrawal, hormones or just plain not reaching for something foody to deal with a stressor like possibly you used to. (I don't know if that is your situation, but I would certainly use sweets as a sort of quick fix or stress buster).

I can kind of relate, but only in that I felt so good right after surgery that it was easy to forget I had had surgery. Maybe she was just doing things you do automatically, hungry, heat up the hot pocket, sit and eat it, wow, weird I can't seem to eat much of it, Crap, I just remembered most of my stomach is missing!! I never did anything like that but I know that at first I would still cook a pretty large portion of something and then realize, duh, I can't eat all that!!

I've been worried about this same thing. Right after being sleeved, it was a bit of diarrhea, then once I got into solids, I was going every two or three days, no problems. Then it got to 7 days with nothing, I took all manner of things and finally went. Then it went another 7 days, I took mineral oil, enema, glycerin suppositories, stool softeners, miralax, and nothing. I went to urgent care because I was really worried that nothing was working. They said they thought I had a bowel obstruction or ileus or something since they didn't hear bowel sounds. They sent me to the ER for xrays and diagnoses. They said they didn't see an obstruction, they gave me lactulose and sent me home. Hours later, I had some relief, but not that much. Went to follow up with my doctor this Monday. She told me to take a dulcolax suppository that night and to take 2 stool softeners each night and miralax each morning for two weeks. Well, the first night (after dulcolax) I went and felt much better, I went the next morning so I thought this was 'behind me' pardon the pun. But again I feel bloated, don't feel like I have to go but can't, just feel like I should go. I am still doing the miralax and stool softeners, drinking lots of liquids, I eat a lot of fruits, vegs and protein and I also add benefiber and stopped taking iron. I don't take any opiods or anything else. I am not sure what else to do. Pre-op I went at least twice a day. I obviously didn't expect to be like that, but twice a week would be nice.

As I read your experience it took me back to when I was there a few months ago! Great stuff. I was also on my period and paranoid without the panties during the op and I remember desperately telling one of the OR nurses that I needed a pad, I needed a pad (they had fashioned one for me out of some sort of bedpad but it had gotten lost in one of the shifts from one trolley to another trolley to the OR table). She just kept saying "don't worry about it" and I don't know what happened, because when I woke up, I don't remember thinking about it again, so maybe it had stopped like yours. I really would love to return and taste some of the food and have more of the experience as a bystander.

It could be that you are just now at a point that your body is dealing with the lack of nutrition. At first, you had several reserves/stores of vitamins, minerals, etc. in your body and you were probably also somewhat under pain meds, anesthesia and just plain excitement of what you have done. If you can get to a general practitioner have them check your vitamin levels to see if you have started to have any issues that way. You probably are just eating more because your body is begging for some help. I wouldn't worry too much about that, concentrate on only eating when you are hungry, and in getting the best possible foods in your body you can. Also, you've been through a lot, it's only a bit more than 2 weeks and you had a revision, give yourself a break and catch up on rest/sleep, etc. If your pain is such that you can't be relieved with otc pain meds, then do get with a doctor to make sure you don't need something stronger. Baby yourself, you deserve it!!