Peony

I apologize in advance for the lengthy nature of this post, but I'm feeling quite desperate and would appreciate any help that this community can offer... Back in September of 2006, I had the Lap-Band surgery. Things went well from a weight loss standpoint, but like many people on this forum I was constantly having issues with vomiting, undigested food remaining in my stomach/esophagus, etc. In June of 2011, I decided to have my band removed and (because I was terrified of regaining the weight) I paid to have the VSG procedure. After about 2 months of just being on liquids and soft foods, I thought I was doing well with my sleeve, but I'm back in the same position of vomiting after virtually every meal, even if I only have a few bites. I've also taken to overeating/binging strictly with the intent of purging. I've started seeing a psychiatrist because I was concerned that the "bad habit" I had developed while I still had my band had actually turned into a psychological issue and I'm also seeing a therapist to deal with the "underlying issues" of my eating problems. The trouble is, I don't feel like anything the therapist has to say is resonating with me and I don't "feel" like I'm engaging in these eating behaviors to intentionally cause harm to myself. I honestly believe that I need to be taught how to eat. Obviously, my relationship with food was never "normal" because I was overweight to begin with, but now I am constantly worried about causing a leak in my sleeve, disrupting the ulcers in my esophagus (from excessive vomiting with the band), and impacting my health overall. My electrolytes are a bit out of whack and my cholesterol is high -- both factors my primary doctor attributes to the constant purging. If anyone has found any literature or other support resources about "learning how to eat" after VSG or gastric bypass, I would greatly appreciate the recommendations. Many thanks!

Hello All! And congratulations on our anniversary month! Please be warned in advance that my post is about some "bathroom topics" so feel free to stop reading if your easily grossed out. I was aware that constipation was a likely issue for "sleevers," but I have had the exact opposite problem -- and frankly -- have not had a normal bowel movement since the surgery. I'm very, very careful about sugars and fats, and I've eliminated lactose from my diet all together because of the horrible reaction. Yet I'm still in the bathroom multiple times a day with water-based diarrhea. Food and certain medications come out in the bowl as though they were not digested at all! What is going on in my stomach?! GI says it's IBS (apparently IBS is the new black!) and that I should take a fiber supplement. I can't live like this! I'm at "goal." I was a band to sleeve convert. I'm nearly 5'10" and currently 126 lbs., and wasting (no pun intended) away each day. This condition is affecting my work, personal life, fitness routine, etc. I'm so exhausted all the time, and the physicians that I've seen seem to write me off because the choice that I made to have the sleeve. Any information, similar symptomology, or guidance you all could offer would be most appreciated. Many thanks and wishing you the best!

I'm recently single and I know that I'm going to start dating again fairly soon. My ex-boyfriend knew everything about my surgery and understood the fact that I couldn't eat like a "normal" person, but I'm worried about how to justify my lack of food consumption to someone new. I know that I can push for non-food-related dates, but food is such a big part of our culture, I feel like I'm going to have to sit down for a meal sooner or later! How are others dealing with this? I'd much rather keep my sleeve and weight loss private. Thank you!

Thank you to all for the suggestions and the support. I'm going to follow-up with my surgeon to see about getting a stronger PPI and check into any physical/anatomical issues that I may be experiencing. I totally agree that I should be seeing a nutritionist (who is well-versed in bariatric surgeries!) rather than a therapist. In fact, I'm planning on "breaking up" with my therapist tomorrow. :-) As I mentioned in my initial post, this doesn't feel like an emotional issue. I feel like I'm physically unwell, unable to eat, and struggling to give my body the nutrients that it needs just to function. I also agree with the suggestion that I should try to "start over" with my band. I'm certain that my esophagus is swollen and irritated from the constant vomiting, so giving that time to heal and return to normal is definitely a good idea! I've been putting off seeing my surgeon, because he is very, very focused on weight loss -- more so than wellness, in my opinion. He suggests that my goal weight should be 125 lbs. even though I am 5'10" and currently, I weigh 145 lbs. I feel so discouraged when I see him, because I think to myself "I'm barely able to eat anything, I throw up the majority of my food, and I exercise regularly. What else do I have to do to reach goal?!" I feel like I'm failing him, me, and the process overall. I think these feelings have prevented me from seeking help sooner. Again, thank you for all of the support and responses. I'll be sure to check in once I make some progress.

Thank you so much for the response! I do have an Rx for a PPI, but I've told my doctor that I don't think it's strong enough -- after reading about your experience I'm definitely going to push harder on this. I think that if I was able to eat a reasonable, healthy amount of food I would be less inclined to binge. By the end of the day I feel so desperate and "starving" (even though I don't have hunger pangs) I'm willing to do anything to get food into my body. Again, thank you for your response and support. I'll be following up with my surgeon this week.

This is helpful, I came on the forum today to look for information about stalls/plateaus, so the timing of this was great! :-) I have about 20 lbs. left to go and I'm definitely struggling. My weight has been virtually unchanged for the last three weeks. I think it's definitely time to add some additional workouts to the mix and also document (more closely) what I'm eating. I know that the closer you get to your goal weight, the harder it can become to lose. I'm hoping to be able to welcome 2012 at my goal weight.

I had my surgery just two weeks ago and so far I'm very happy with the results. According to my surgeon's post-op guidelines, I was allowed to start incorporating mushy foods yesterday, but the truth is I couldn't do it! I have several concerns; 1. I don't want to regain the weight that I have lost, 2. I had so many complications with my (now removed) Lap-Band, I don't want to do anything to jeopardize my sleeve; 3. I'm worried that I don't know "how" to eat -- how to know when my body is full, how much I should be eating, etc. As I mentioned above, it's only been two weeks, so I'm sure some of these things will get better with time. I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced or is experiencing any of the same feelings -- and if you have any suggestions for coping.

Like so many "sleevers" I'm very grateful for my surgery. After struggling with my Lap-Band for years, I was so happy to have another surgical option to help me keep the weight off and continue living a healthy lifestyle. I'm now 6-weeks post-op and, though I certainly don't regret my surgery, I'm struggling with the changes that my body is going through. Forgive me for being blunt, but I don't know what to do about all of the diarrhea that I've been having! After two days of not having diarrhea, I ended up in the hospital with a partial blockage in my colon. I feel like I can't win either way! I can't put my finger on what's causing the issues with my bowels; I've cut out artificial sweeteners, added fiber, subtracted fiber, and various other combinations -- the only thing that works is returning to clear liquids. Of course, this is not a long-term solution. Honestly, the diarrhea wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't accompanied by major bloating and hideously loud bowel sounds! It sounds like there's a bathtub in my stomach that's trying to empty through a straw. I'm doing everything that my surgeon has instructed: taking my antacids, staying hydrated, being mindful of the types of sugars used in my supplements. It's just so hard to stay hydrated when the fluids that you're putting into your body come out faster than you can consume them! At this point I'm just feeling very discouraged and alienated by these symptoms. When I had my surgery, I was prepared to have to deal with people asking me why I'm not eating much or scrutinizing what I do (or don't eat) what I wasn't prepared for was the constant worry of embarrassing bowel sounds and the risk of having an accident in public! I don't want this post to discourage anyone who is considering having the "sleeve" or any other type of WLS procedure. Frankly, I just needed to vent and get some of these feelings out. If anyone has any recommendations or has had a similar experience, I would be very thankful to hear about it. More importantly, does this get better?

I had surgery about six weeks ago and I'm battling constant diarrhea. Almost every time I use the bathroom I have some type of diarrhea or loose stool. This is something that I'm trying to get under control and figure out how to make more manageable. I'll be talking to my surgeon about it again at my appointment this week. There were two days where I didn't have a BM and then I ended up in the hospital with a partial blockage in my colon. I had excruciating pain in my left ribs (where the band of my bra hits) radiating up into my left shoulder. I was very nauseous and throwing up bile prior to being admitted. I really dislike constantly being bloated and having diarrhea, but I guess it's better than the alternative... Best of luck to you in your healing.

I'm almost three weeks post-op and I'm appalled at the amount of diarrhea that I'm having. I've been on "mushy" foods for a few days now and I'm very careful about what I eat (e.g. I run from lactose!). I've heard the adage "liquid in, liquid out," so I know this isn't totally abnormal. I'm just trying to see if there's anything I can be doing to easy the diarrhea. Also wondering how others cope with this while at work. I'm afraid to return to the office because these bouts are so frequent. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you!

Thank you all so much for your responses!!! It's so embarrassing and I'm so grateful to have your input. I see my surgeon tomorrow for my regular post-op appointment, so I'll ask him then. In the meantime, I'll try to get some fiber to help "bind" my stool. Thanks again!

Thank you so much for the advice, Kelly. I'm progressing slowly and trying to "listen" to my stomach with every bite. I knew that I would eventually have to take the first step, or bite, as it were, but I was just so apprehensive. Also, thank you for the warning about hitting a bit of a weight loss plateau. I've been at the same weight for a few days now and I'm trying not to panic. :-) Appreciate the information and support!

Congratulations, Anne! I had my band to sleeve revision surgery on June 30 and I'm amazed to read about how many people have had issues with scar tissue! My surgery was supposed to be two hours, but ended up being five hours because of the amount of scar tissue that I had in my abdomen! I had no idea that this was a common problem! I also had problems with a dilated Lap-band "pouch" and ulcers. I'm so glad to hear that everyone is doing so well with the sleeve! I was at the doctor on June 23 for my final pre-op appointment, and since then I have lost about 12.5 lbs. Definitely very happy with this decision. :-)

Thanks, KellyL and Rev Me Up, I think you're right about the "hunger" being acid. I started taking it right after surgery, but I think it took a few days to "kick in." Feeling much less hungry now, both physiologically and psychologically. I'm ten days out from my surgery and I'm feeling much better. KellyL, to answer your question, my surgeon was Dr. Cirangle, out of San Francisco, CA. Thank you for the suggestions and the positive feedback.

For the last five days now I am the happy "owner" of a gastric sleeve! My surgeon said that my revision was one of the most complicated surgeries that he has ever completed. My abdomen was full of scar tissue from my Lap-Band surgery (which he also completed) nearly five years ago and my stomach "pouch" that was created by my band was totally distended/dilated. My surgery was supposed to be about 2 hours and it ended up being just over 5 hours! Considering how terrible I have been feeling for the last two years or so, I'm not surprised that I had so many issues, but I never believed it would be anything quite like what the doctor found. It just goes to show you that no matter your age of health (I'm 25, 5'10" and 160lbs.!!!) there can be complications. Despite all of the difficulties in surgery, I'm grateful that I'm now feeling well. I only spent one night in the hospital and I have virtually no pain. I haven't taken any Vicodin the last two days! Right now I'm focusing on staying hydrated, reaching my Protein goals, and staying active. The only thing that I'm a bit worried about is that I do still "feel" hungry. Not "head hunger" per say, but the actual sensation of being empty and needing to eat. I keep to a schedule so I know that I get all of my protein, and I drink zero calories fluids throughout the day. I'm just wondering if anyone else has the physical sensation of hunger? Maybe I'm just misinterpreting my body's signals? Any guidance, advice, or thoughts would be much appreciated. Thank you!

Hi KauaiLulu, I'm a patient of Dr. Cirangle as well. I had my Lap-Band surgery with him nearly five years ago, and this Thursday I'm going to have the VSG with him as well. I hope you're doing well!

I'm so glad to see you post and to hear that you are doing well and feeling good! It's great news that you're healthy and extra exciting that you've already lost 8 lbs. Phenomenal!!! I'm going in for surgery on June 30 (less than a week!) and I feel so much better after reading about how well your recovery is going. Keep taking good care!

Best of luck to you with your surgery!!! I really appreciate your post, as I'm in a similar boat -- I'm having my Lap-Band removed and having the VSG even though my BMI is currently "normal." My surgery is two weeks from today and I just can't wait to get it over with. Please let us know how you're feeling during your recovery. Best wishes!