AZDesertRose76

Basically, here's the story. I have very severe bipolar disorder that is well controlled on medications. I see a therapist every two weeks. I've been noticing some more dramatic changes in my mood recently, and I want to know if anybody else who has bipolar disorder has the same problem. I'd like to ask if people needed medication adjustments post-op or how they managed the mood changes. I've been cycling between hypomanic and extremely tired but not actually depressed. I go on high speed for thirty hours or so and then crash for a couple of days, and it's annoying. I'm on disability because of my mental health problems, but I recently completed a course in medical transcription and I'd like to look for work, but I can't work with my body and mind doing this hyper-for-a-day-and-a-half, crash-for-two-days bit. Has anybody else been through something like this? Should I call my psychiatrist and tell her about it? I'm not sure what to do.

So I checked my weight for the first time in a while. I have officially lost 75 pounds since surgery, and 102 since I started trying to lose weight! I am stoked! Just thought I'd share. I'm happy with my weight loss, even though I've lost slower than some due to one of my medications making life difficult on that front. I'm going to have to buy jeans soon because I do not own a single pair of ankle length jeans that fit right. (I live in Florida, so it's just now starting to cool off enough for full length jeans. I've been in capris and shorts for months because it's just been too warm for long trousers.) I think I may be able to buy size 20 jeans, because the size 22 capris I have are starting to get loose on me, and the size 24s are almost unwearable because they're so huge in the waist on me. I'll post again when my clothing size starts with a one and not a two. I doubt I'll ever get below a size 12, because I never really have been, even in my early 20s when I was thin. I'd actually be pretty happy with a 14, but to see size 12 again would be really awesome. Have a good one, y'all.

I'm down 60 pounds since surgery and 87 altogether. I'm not losing as fast as some, but I take a medication (Abilify) that is probably slowing things down. I go to the gym pretty much every other day, and I feel SOOOO much better than I did before surgery. My back rarely bothers me now, although I have several herniated disks in my lumbar region. Thanks for reminding me to check in!

So I haven't weight trained since my VSG on January 8, because I didn't want to do it until I'd gotten clearance at my three-month post-op checkup, which was last week. (I've been swimming and walking for exercise since surgery, but no weight training.) I got clearance from my surgeon to resume weight training last week, so I went to the YMCA (where I work out) today. The YMCA has a computer system called ActivTrax that will generate weight-training workouts for you so you don't work the same muscles all the time or get bored, and I wanted to have a trainer re-evaluate my ActivTrax weight stats before I just went back at it willy-nilly. I did the re-evaluation today, and I am right where I was before surgery. The last time I weight trained must have been December sometime, but I guess the swimming helped keep my muscles strong, because the trainer didn't have to adjust any of my weight levels. I can pick right back up where I left off. I am so happy I haven't lost any strength. I love weight training (cardio bores me but I do it anyway), and I am just tickled pink that I can still do what I was doing pre-op. YAY!

i m in Jacksonville Florida I should be having my surgery in late June early july at memorial hospital ? Cool. I had mine done at St. Vincent's Southside (used to be St. Luke's). Best wishes on your journey!

Thanks! It's 8:30 pm my time, so I can't really call my psychiatrist now, but I'll phone her in the morning and see what she has to say.

How does one get the password for the mental health subforum? I have a question regarding my mental health issues that I wanted to ask the community there, but it's password protected. Basically, here's the story. I have very severe bipolar disorder that is well controlled on medications. I see a therapist every two weeks. I've been noticing some more dramatic changes in my mood recently, and I want to know if anybody else who has bipolar disorder has the same problem. I'd like to ask if people needed medication adjustments post-op or how they managed the mood changes. I've been cycling between hypomanic and extremely tired but not actually depressed. I go on high speed for thirty hours or so and then crash for a couple of days, and it's annoying. I'm on disability because of my mental health problems, but I recently completed a course in medical transcription and I'd like to look for work, but I can't work with my body and mind doing this hyper-for-a-day-and-a-half, crash-for-two-days bit.

I'm about two months out, and I absolutely do NOT regret having the surgery. I've also been lucky not to have any complications at all. It's been remarkably smooth sailing for me. Sometimes when I compare myself to other patients (generally a bad idea), I feel like I'm not losing fast enough, but I look at it this way: If I lose a little slower, my skin has a chance to bounce back and maybe I won't have a bunch of excess tummy skin at goal weight. (I expect to have some excess skin, but I'm hoping for not a huge amount. ) Fact is, I feel better. I'm off my blood pressure medication, I'm off the arthritis medication because my joints feel better, people around me are noticing that I've lost weight. (One of my neighbors commented on it today, in fact, in a nice way.) I've got some really cute spring clothes that I can wear again just waiting in the closet for the weather to be warm enough, which looks like it's going to happen next week. The only thing I'm wishing for right now is clearance from my surgeon to weight train like I used to. For whatever goofy reason in my head, I like weight training better than cardio. (I DO the cardio; I just don't enjoy it as much as the weight training.) Right now, I'm still not supposed to lift more than 30 lbs to keep from herniating my incision sites. Anyway, add me to the resounding chorus of "no regrets."

Colds can definitely hose up your senses of taste and smell. I haven't noticed this yet myself, but a lot of the people in my bariatric support group have mentioned their tastes in food changing after surgery, so that might also be a culprit. Is it a metallic taste in your mouth? That could be a result of being in ketosis, which is generally good for weight loss but does leave a funky taste in one's mouth. I hope you get over the cold soon. Best wishes!

I don't enjoy taking my Vitamins either, but I make myself do it because I DO NOT WANT to end up deficient in anything. I'm only two months out; I've got to have bloodwork run before my three-month followup appointment to make sure I'm not deficient. I second the recommendation for the sublingual B12 tablets. I get a cherry-flavored one from Wal-Mart and it's not bad. What I really hate is crushing my Calcium tablets so I can take them. The resulting powder tastes like chalk. Best wishes!

I've been really lucky not to have many problems with this, although that may be because my gallbladder has been gone since 2001, and so constipation is not a big problem for me. When I have had trouble with it, Colace helps. (A lot of drugstores/pharmacies/grocery stores/etc. have a store brand that is just fine and less expensive than the name brand. I use the Publix [grocery store in the southeast US] store brand myself.)

I'm also in Jacksonville. I was sleeved on January 8, 2014. There's actually a dedicated Jacksonville area thread somewhere in this part of the forum, but I can't find it right now.

That's odd. The hospital I used let my mom sit with me in the preop room and let her give me a hug before they wheeled me out to the operating suite. I'm sorry they won't let you have your daughter with you.

Thank you for the quick response. You're very welcome.

I didn't have a drain at all, but I did have to do a swallow test to make sure there were no leaks before they'd let me drink anything. That first sip of water after the swallow test was positively ambrosial, let me tell ya. Today is day four post op, and I feel pretty good. Still some pain but the pain meds have it under control. I was allowed to go to full liquids as of yesterday, so I had some butternut squash soup yesterday and that went down really well. I may have some more here in a bit, because it was both tasty and easy to tolerate.

Well, my surgery got delayed because my insurance company is good but slow. I got my sleeve on Wednesday, January 8th, I'm just now trying full liquids today after Clear Liquids on Thursday and Friday. I think I'm doing well. I'm tired and sore, but that is to be expected. Best wishes to the rest of the Jacksonville area people!

Yes, I did the leak test early Thursday morning and went home from the hospital Thursday afternoon. I had to wait to go home until I could urinate enough to make the nurses happy. I did have the patch behind my ear but no drain. I'm not a stomach sleeper, but I miss sleeping on my side. I really can't do that right now, but once I'm healed up a little more, I should be able to sleep on my side again. I haven't slept more than four or five hours at a stretch yet; normally I sleep at least eight, but if I have to get my rest in naps for now, that's fine. I hope you're having a good one, too. Thanks for the well-wishes.

I'm a bit loopy from the pain meds; my surgeon put me on liquid Dilaudid, because I'm allergic to hydrocodone (Lortab, Vicodin) and oxycodone (Percocet, Tylox). I certainly wouldn't dare drive until I'm off the pain meds. I'm not usually nauseated. I woke up this morning with a touch of nausea, but I just sat still until it went away. The medication does feel okay going down because it's liquid; it doesn't taste great but it doesn't taste horrible either. What really tastes horrible is one of my regular meds; it's too big to swallow whole, so I have to crush it and it makes a bitter tasting powder. Yuk! (It's Wellbutrin, for the curious.)

I had my sleeve done on Wednesday (8 January) and came home on Thursday, after my leak test and after sipping liquids and proving to the nurses I could urinate on my own. (Sorry for the TMI.) I'm still pretty sore. Taking my pain meds every four hours as prescribed. I've been walking as much as I can stand to; my mom walks with me around the cul-de-sac my parents live on, although I don't walk very fast yet. I haven't been hungry, but I've eaten a little Jell-O and some applesauce to carry certain medications that I can't swallow whole. I feel pretty good, all things considered. I hope everybody else has as easy a time as I'm having so far.

I'm two days post-op now. The pain to me feels like not-too-bad menstrual cramps, just in the upper abdominal area instead of the lower abdomen. Nope, no underwear. They put a Foley catheter in me at first, and they wouldn't discharge me until I urinated on my own, but I was able to get to the toilet with minimal help. The trick to getting up is to go slowly and use your legs and arms to help lift your body. Try not to use your abs or back, because they will protest.

Thanks!! Good luck to you too!

I have my surgery date, January 8 at St. Vincent's Southside (formerly St. Luke's and half the city still calls it that). I'm both excited and nervous. My mom gave me a lovely Ninja blender for Christmas for making protein shakes. I had been making do with an immersion blender she gave me years ago when she upgraded to a nicer one, which is how I have half my kitchen implements. I start my preop diet in the morning. Best of luck to everybody, and I hope y'all had a good Christmas if you celebrate it.

The last thing I was told by my coordinator was that I might get a November surgery date, but if they don't get a move on with a date, there won't be much left of November to do it. So I may still have my sleeve done in December as originally planned. Actually, on reflection, I think I'd rather be still on a liquid diet from surgery at Thanksgiving than be on the preop diet at that point, so I'm sort of hoping for a 27 November surgery, but we shall see.

Hi, y'all. New to the forum, but also in Jacksonville. I'm pre-op, looking at possibly a December surgery date (not set yet), and Dr. Uchal will be my surgeon. I've met him a couple of times, once at the seminar at St. Vincent's and once at one of the support group meetings where they did "Ask the Surgeon" and he was the surgeon in question, and then also at my initial consult. Nice to see so many Jacksonville people around.

Hi, I'm new around here. My name is Nora and I'm 37 years old with one daughter in college. I am single and have no pets at the moment; I live by myself for the first time in my life, and it's great! I am going to school to be a medical transcriptionist. I've always had to fight my weight, but in recent years, it's just gotten ridiculous and I'm tired of it. I shouldn't feel this old (physically) yet, so I decided to go for the sleeve. (I didn't want RNY because I take naproxen for arthritis, and I didn't want to have to give it up forever, and I didn't want the band because I'm not comfortable with the concept of something being left inside my body that doesn't absolutely need to be there.) I miss having pets, though; once I'm finished with my transcription school and working, I plan to go to the animal shelter and adopt a cat. (I live in a high-rise apartment building, so I don't want to get a dog because there's no place in the apartment for it to run around, and also I am more of a cat person than a dog person, although I don't dislike dogs by any stretch.) Anyway, that's me. Glad to be here.