EnigmaInKY

I know this has come up on the forum previously but I feel the need to post this...maybe for my mental health? I'm sort of kidding... I admit to not being the most patient person ever. I have been known to be a little anal retentive and somewhat irritated if something isn't being done exactly as I would have (perfectly) done it. Since my surgery, however, I seem to be very easily irritated. And anger? Oh boy, I've never angered so quickly in my life - and to the point of irrational rage. I was at a public event yesterday and someone slammed in to me, dumping hot nacho cheese and chili on my clothes and my husband's hands. She looked at her clothes to ensure nothing go on her then went on her way. No apology, no nothing. As I stomped off to the restroom facilities, I could feel my pulse pounding. I was grinding my teeth. My face was red. I felt like a bull; I've no doubt I looked like one. No kidding, I felt if I had run into her I'd have pummeled her to the floor. (In fact I did pass her an hour later and stared her down...waiting, hoping...) I'm an alpha female, for sure, but I've never been overly aggressive like this. Any suggestions from folks out there who may be riding the same emotional and/or hormonal roller coaster?

Kulita - Yes, that's what I'm getting at. My irrational anger (and yes, rage) is over the stupidest things. My temper is hair trigger. I see it happening. I feel it happening. I can't seem to stop it. I'm working on it though...

Hi all - I'm in Lexington and was sleeved on 12/21 by Dr. Weiss (Bluegrass Bariatrics). Knock on wood, I've had absolutely zero complications and have lost 60 lbs total, 13 of which were pre-op. I'm feeling really great physically although I do seem to be much more easily irritated by minor annoyances since surgery. I'm working on that....hopefully my body and hormones are as well. Tiffy - I'm also on MyFitnessPal and will add you.

I was back at my desk job after two weeks. I did pretty well during the day but when I would get home from work, I was absolutely beat. It was like my body would crash as soon as it knew it could. I finally turned the corner in terms of having more stamina at the end of week 3. Hindsight: I definitely would not have wanted to go back after just one week. That second week at home was critical to my feeling more energetic and acclimating to my new world.

My doctor fixed my hietal hernia at the same time as my VSG surgery. Similar situation for a friend of mine and for many others I've read about on this board. I was sleeved exactly 10 weeks ago and have had heartburn only twice, the second time actually today. See what your surgeon says about correct of a hernia, which is most likely the source of your GERD. Good luck!

Steel, I'd be interested in hearing more about the game plan that helped you be successful. I've been concerned about my low caloric intake. I (average about 800 per day, and often times I limit it to that even if I'm hungry. What I'm finding is that I've already had several stalls and my weight loss at 8 weeks post op is not at the rate I'd have expected. I want to make the most of these first six months, you know? What did your diet and exercise plan look like? If you have any journaling examples of both that you could send me, I'd be happy to provide my email address. Thanks for any insight you can provide!

I've been talking about potato skins (and all things appetizer) since the week of my surgery. The past two weeks the object of my desire has been a chocolate brownie with chocolate frosting. Guess what my lovely husband did for Valentine's Day, when I am 8 weeks post-op? I came home from work to a three course meal! 6:30pm Appetizer: One small potato skin containing cheese, bacon and green onion. 8:30pm Dinner: 2.5 oz of filet mignon and one large onion ring I was absolutely stuffed. No more food, I said! But when, at 10:30pm, he mentioned the dessert options, I suddenly was unstuffed. 10:30pm Dessert: One small chocolate covered strawberry and two bites of a chocolate brownie with chocolate frosting I went to bed completely sated. I suppose this is what it's like to savor one's food in normal sized portions...? I awoke this morning with no obsessive thoughts about what my food choices would be for the day - or worse, what I wouldn't be having. The What-Food-Am-I-Missing-Out-On Monster was quiet. I got back on plan today without a single negative thought or regret. Bonus? I weighed this morning and found that I didn't negatively impact my progress. In fact, I lost 2/10 of a pound. Love my man! He knew what I needed and what I could handle. There will be a life where I can enjoy food again; I can see it now. Very empowering night for me!

Coco, I've been swinging up and down, back and forth...any way the wind blows, it seems. I'm mostly on an even keel but when I swing, I really swing. Like, hyperventilating crying. I've given it a lot of thought and am convinced that my biggest problem is I'm still trying to figure out show to deal with stress and high emotion situations. Old Me would have dived right into my comfort foods and been done with it. Now when I'm upset or feeling down, I have nothing to turn to. Ridiculous, of course, as I have the most incredibly supportive husband and a lovely life, but that's the food addict in me talking. I'm not as well equipped as I'd hoped to be to deal with life without my food crutches. Some folks don't struggle, as you've seen. Others are completely depressed. Some are in the middle like me - finding there way through the ups and downs. The bottom line is everyone is different and will react differently post surgery. The best advice I can give (at the wise old age of 8 weeks post-op) is to set yourself up for a successful life without the food crutch. Find another outlet. Find several. Good luck!

Sadly, I weighed this morning and promised myself I wouldn't again until at least Monday. I admit it was tempting though...

...an adult sized bowel movement. Seriously. That can not be overrated, especially if one was hyper-regular in that department as I was pre-op. Can I get an amen?

KC - Maybe once a week I experience a 'happy night' like this one; I miss the days of thoughtless, carefree movements (I'm about 6.5 weeks post-op.) My point is this - - don't worry. Some bloating, some less than satisfactory bathroom time? No big deal if it means we're going to have a long life, feel better and look better!

It's a cold and snowy day here. My husband works nights and is sleeping. It's quiet. There's not much to do. You get the picture... I pulled out a couple of favorite cookbooks to write down ingredients on my grocery list. I continued browsing and came across 'monkey bread'. If you're not familiar with it, it's simple matter of canned biscuits, cinnamon, sugar and butter. Oh my gosh. Just seeing that recipe, I could imagine myself sitting there eating as much of it as I wanted. Just chowing down. A binge. That led my mind toward other foods that I'd really like to binge on. It seems my mind is absolutely wrapped around food (or lack thereof) today. Anybody out there that can empathize?

My surgery was on December 21, about six weeks ago. In the first month I lost approximately 35 lbs. In the last two weeks, nothing. I know from reading posts on this forum and from chatting with the nutritionist at my surgeon's office that this is expected. Logically, I get it. Doesn't make it much easier, but I get it. How did you get over the hump and start losing again? Any tips or tricks to help my body get through this would be most appreciated. Thanks!

EnigmaInKY

Spot on! I struggled so badly with this first full period post-op because I couldn't turn to food. Nor can I turn to it for any other frustration, mood or celebration. So yeah, I've also been doing a lot of things that I previously wouldn't have focused on.

Karissa - I can empathize on breathing obstructions as well. The shower has become a claustrophobic, panic-inducing experience for me. While it's not critical to my job, it's critical to being a clean, decent-smelling human being. I've taken to showering only when I know my husband is at home, which is another thing I hope to be working on soon (once meds kick in to shore me up, so to speak.) I so hope you find some peace and relief soon, especially in light of your vocation. Stay in touch, ok?

Karissa - I wouldn't say my full blown panic attacks have gotten worse but my anxiety about having a panic attack is ever-present and very high. It's especially high at night - my husband works third shift and I find myself trying to constantly keep my mind and hands occupied so I don't think about what could happen. We moved to a new city (away from my family) just before the surgery so I don't even know anyone in our neighborhood to turn to if I truly do panic and bolt from the house. The what-if's are the root of a big panic attack for me these days so, again, I try not to let the what-if's spiral out of control. I take a couple of different medications, Celexa being one, but only one med dosage has been increased to address the increased anxiety I'm experiencing since surgery. My hope is that once all the hormones calm down, I'll calm down. You know? Stick with the meds. They take some time to on-board and level out.

I also have dealt with panic disorder for well over 20 years. A set dosage of my medication managed it nicely prior to surgery. Since surgery, I find that I don't want to be left alone and feel less stable....meaning, I'm afraid I'll have a low blood sugar moment (I've had two or three episodes) and not have any help. I finally called my doc and he's upped my meds for a while. My hope is that I'll get this under control as I become more comfortable with my diet, particularly as I'm only a little over five weeks post-op now. Another thing I've noticed - or I should say my husband has - is that I'm more irritable at my time of the month. I've always been draggy and tired but never a roller coaster of emotions. I'm pretty even keeled. Or was. Now I apparently am easily irritated, to the point where my husband quietly asked the other night, "Is it almost time for your period to be over?" Bless his heart.

A good alternative is Spark People (http://sparkpeople.com/) Good food, activity and Fluid tracker, good support, good articles and general information...can't beat it. And...if you have a FitBit (I expect mine to be delivered this weekend), you can set it up to sync with the Spark People site. I'm really hoping that will help me get my activity in gear. I'm approximately 5 weeks out and struggling with that! (Don't know what FitBit is? Check it out here: http://www.fitbit.com/.)

Today I'm officially four weeks post-op. I feel blessed to be able to say that I'm down about approximately 35 lbs (22 since my surgery on December 21.) I've been complication-free (knock on wood) and able to tolerate any foods I've graduated to so far. I even quickly learned my full signs so have not vomited even once. According to my surgeon's plan, today I graduate to lean ground beef. My husband and I celebrated with a simple lunch at Chili's. I got a 'slider' plate - removed the buns and ate 1.5 small patties. I was absolutely stuff...and thrilled. I'm not posting this to gloat. Those first two weeks I struggled with tears, dilated eyes from anesthesia and a deep mourning for food. It was hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when I'd been drinking or slurping my nutrition for two weeks. And now, just two short weeks since then, it feels like ancient history. It DOES get better.

On Day 1 (12/21) I thought, "What have I done?" Day 4, Christmas Day, was rough - tears, etc. - but I got through that. It's been exactly one week since my surgery and I'm doing really well. Incisions are healing nicely, Vitamins are going down well, Protein targets are being hit almost every day...couldn't ask for more, right? Then why am I still in tears at random times and filled with regret? I want to get some potato skins at happy hour with my husband. I want to eat a real dinner with him. I want a Coke on ice. I am filled with regret over what I have done to my body (i.e. removing the majority of my stomach), especially knowing I lost 13 lbs on the low carb, high protein diet I did for two weeks prior to the surgery. I am kicking myself thinking that even though I was in a gown and they were ready for surgery when they did that weigh in, I should have called it off and just continued down the weight loss path myself. Again, I'm filled with regret, even though I am doing very well by all standards. I didn't get it. I didn't get how the nutrition changes could help me lose weight yet still feel fulfilled. I didn't get until now that my caloric intake will always be extremely low. I'm terrified for what this means for the rest of my life. Anyone else feeling like this?

I'm Day 15 post-op, my green light to move to my surgeon's 'stage 3' - limited soft foods. I've been planning for this for a week and knew exactly what my options were. However, my initial concerns about my ability to eat a large amount of Soup in one sitting have carried over into the soft foods arena. I put 1/4 cup of refried Beans in a low-carb multigrain tortilla. I ate about half of that and was full. Ok, no problem, I expected that. But two hours later I pan seared 4 oz of tilapia and ate all of it - no breaks, no stops, no concerns. I felt full when finished but never did I feel like I had gone overboard. Less than two hours later I ate a pudding cup - no breaks, no stops, no concerns. Again, I felt full. Anyone else experience that? It's now two hours later and I almost feel like I could eat a bit of soft cheese to feel full again. What gives??

I just wanted to thank all of you for your posts. No tears in 48 hours - lawd, it's a miracle! At the end of this week I can move to soft foods, allowing me to add eggs, low carb tortillas, cottage cheese and soft veggies, among other things. While I'll still have to rely on at least one protein shake a day, I can see light at the end of the tunnel. Yes!

So awesome to wake up to more posts about this. Thank you, everyone, for taking time to post. You can't imagine how much it helped my spirits last night. In fact, my husband and I played Yahtzee with the TV in the background and I thoroughly enjoyed it - something we used to do along with a mixed drink and some Snacks. The posts since I went to bed last night have also given me an extra umph this morning. Today is my family Christmas. Mom is making her awesome chili and potato Soup. I'm taking my awesome post-op cream of chicken soup and chocolate/vanilla pudding. : ) This is Day 8 since my surgery so my family should see some noticeable changes in my figure!

Steel - Thank you so much. Your post is exactly what I needed to hear tonight. (My husband thanks you too...)