dominique

Do you know if you have kidney stones or gallstones? I had a gallstone attack about 2 1/2 weeks post op. The surgery hid the syptoms. Thankfully the urgent care professionals saw the gallstones in x-ray and knew what I was going through. They provided 3 more days of pain medication.

I can park in tighter spaces (a problem in LA) because I can squeeze out better!

I had a sleeve gastrectomy done Dec. 2011. My highest weight pre-op was 238 (I had co-morbidities). I lost 42 pounds in 4 months (from 228 - 186) and then stalled forever. Then I started gaining weight back. I got a hiatal hernia last year. The doctor said why not fix that and change you to a full gastric. My 2nd surgery was 11-20-14. I did NOT want another surgery but I'm glad now because it is working MUCH better. I am now 165 pounds. BUT, I am now having walking/balance/gait/hip problems. When I walk it feels like my legs are flopping around. I also am having tingling in my left calf and left foot. I don't have as much cushion on my bum and it seems like sitting for long times affect me more (I have an office job). Is anyone else experiencing something like this? What did you do about it? How long were you like this? It has been about 3 weeks. I can only wear flats because of it.

My blood tests have all been great. So no problems there (i.e. with zinc deficiency, etc.). The neurologist is scheduling me for an electromyography (EMG - a nerve test) and an MRI. My physical exam showed weakness in the right toe and right heel. That is why my right foot is flopping down. I have numbness and tingling in my outer left calf and top of my left foot. This could be indicative of muscular dystrophy. Particularly Udd distal myopathy. I'm 55 years young and of European descent so it is possible. But it could just be a pinched nerve, etc. We have to determine if the problem is in the nerves or in the muscles. Thank you all for encouraging me to look into this further and not assume it was just because of weight loss. I guess we need to continue to be aware of our bodies as we journey on this path to better health. I'll keep you posted in case anyone else encounters this situation.

I misheard my doc on the phone. He said he was referring me to a "neurologist" not "therapist". It was in his email. I ordered a cushion for work. Can I just say that everything aches too? This must be the opposite of "growing pains"! I haven't heard back on my labs yet. Thanks for the input!

Had sleeve surgery December 2011 at 51 years old. Then I had a hiatal hernia and had surgery for that and a gastric bypass November 2014 at age 54. I just turned 55. I wish I had done this sooner. Society's attitude kept me from doing this earlier. But better late than never! I REALLY did not want the second surgery, but am SOOO glad I did! My highest weight was 238 pounds with comorbidities. I am now 165. My blood sugar is normal and my HBP is gone. Cholesterol is still a little high.

As for core strengthening, I just started yoga. I love it!

I called my doc. They are going to do specific blood tests tomorrow (like Vit B1). They are recommending me to a physical therapist. Hmm, they didn't mention an xray or mri or anything. I did move recently and I may have injured myself. By full gastric I meant Gastric Bypass. I call it that because the first surgery was sleeve and it explains which surgery I'm talking about. Such as "when I had my sleeve surgery....when I had my full gastric...". I wasn't thinking when I typed it.

Before I was sleeved on 12-19-11, I loved water and would gulp it down. After I was sleeved, I hated just plain water. I did not like the taste and it hurt my stomach. I had to put something in it like Crystal Light. It was as if I needed something to buffer it because the water was too harsh. Who knew? But now I can drink just plain water. So don't give up. Drinking water will get better.

Three weeks ago I went to the urgent care center because of difficulty urinating, low back pain and a bad smell in my urine. It smelled like rotten eggs and strong sulpher (like matches). Turns out I had a urinary tract infection. I wasn't hydrating enough and I knew it. I was working a lot of hours because of the annual audit and health care accreditation and wasn't taking care of my health. Furthermore, I wasn't going to the bathroom when I needed to because of being so busy. The doctor said that contributed to my infection. Weight-loss surgery can contribute to UTIs because of the hydration problem. It turns out I had crystals in my urine also. These are indicative of kidney stones. I now have an appointment with a urologist and have to schedule an ultrasound to check for kidney stones. So remember to HYDRATE! I know it sounds silly, but I now have a kitchen timer at my desk to remember to drink and go to the bathroom.

Great job favordone!! I too flew recently. I bent over to stow my personal bag under the seat in front of me. When I sat back up, I realized I didn't have to struggle to get the bag under. I always thought I had problems because of the tight seating. But I realized it was my weight. Yay me and my sleeve!

What is BMR?

1. I confess that I've been at around 185 from 238 for about 2 months and am getting used to it and feel like this is the best I can be. 2. I confess that I only exercise about once every 2 weeks. 3. I confess that I eat when I am bored. 4. I confess that I actually get hungry. 5. I confess that I weigh daily, but I want to because I want to experience everything about my VSG journey. 6. I confess that I eat slider foods. Ice cream in my fav. 7. I confess that I should treat myself and my body better.

I was sleeved on 12/19/11. I've lost 54 pounds in total since before the surgery. I started out at 238 and am now 184. My progess too has slowed way down. I've tried upping my exercise, upping my calories, taking fish oil, taking sea kelp-nothing seems to make a difference. I go between 184-186. It's been this was for about 1 1/2 months. I too prefer drinking anything but water. I used to LOVE water. But it seems too harsh. My sleeve likes beef more than chicken. I still use protein drinks. So I guess I'll just wait and see how the next few weeks go.

I work at a school. We just had a fire drill. It is my job to grab the emergency kit (in a backpack). At the last fire drill I could not pull it over my shoulders. Today I noticed that some people had their backpack on. I thought, why not try? IT FIT! I'm down 50 pounds since December. YAY me! !

I was the same way! My daughter kept asking me if I was okay. I think I just needed quiet time to recuperate. I told everyone about the surgery so that wasn't it. I could tell I was withdrawn too. I felt better after about 3 weeks. I'm 6 months out now.

I have Aetna ***. I was in the hospital 3 days. My deductible was $500 per day. That covered surgery, anesthesiology, the room, everything. My total was $1500 for everything. I couldn't believe it was so cheap! I would say call Aetna to find out if that is the case for your insurance. My insurance is getting ready to change. If I had this done later, it would have been $3000.

At 4 months out I still chew everything well. It has become routine. Last night I was at a cocktail party where an appetizer was served on a flat-bottomed Chinese spoon. I realized everyone else was gobbling the entire spoonful, but I was eating mine 1/3 at a time!

Sorry so long. My boyfriend is a hoarder. We’ve been a couple for over 8 years. I used to live with him and my grown daughter in a 2-bedroom 2-bath apartment. The hoarding was getting out of control. It was the only thing we fought about. Then we got bedbugs in February 2012. For about a month I tried to get him to clean up. He would not throw anything away, bag it up and store it, or clean it. I threatened to move out and he still didn’t do anything. So I found another apartment for my daughter and me. I started packing, which took up a lot of time because of working full-time. We moved 3-24-12. Then I was unpacking and arranging, sometimes until 10 pm to midnight. My boyfriend found a place for his car and stuff, but not a place to live. So I worry about him because he is 73 and homeless. I cannot get him to get a place to live. He is a janitor and is sleeping on a couch in a doctor’s office he cleans. He baths at my house. I wash his clothes. I provide breakfast. He finds his own lunch and dinner. Yesterday I contacted his family and am waiting to hear from them. He is holding me emotionally hostage because of this. I quit exercising. I was so tired. I was so swamped I could not eat properly and ate a lot of carbs. On-sale Easter candy and I became reacquainted. I still managed to get my protein through protein drinks, but it was hard to remember liquids. I was able to keep up with supplements because I can now take pills, so I just added them to my morning and evening medications. I only had one day to rest during this entire time. Yesterday was the first time I was able to breathe. Today I am taking stock of what has been happening with my health. This was my first time of being tested by stress since being sleeved 12-19-11. I realize I have been using comfort foods to help me get through everything. I weighed 199 on 3-9-12. Today I weigh 191. I’ve only lost 8 pounds since 3-9-12, almost 7 weeks. Ordinarily I would have lost 14-16 pounds in that time. I have been an emotional and physical mess. This whole situation is completely insane to me. I’m not sleeping well. I’ve been drinking coffee and Red bull to keep up my energy. I started back exercising yesterday. I’ve learned that I can slide back into my old habits despite being sleeved. I’m trying to get back to the basics to get back on track. That means good carbs, counting calories, exercising, and getting in all my protein and liquids. If anyone has any input I would appreciate it.