diddle106

Congrats on your weight loss!!! I'm at nine weeks and thinking the same that maybe I made a mistake. Wish I could fast forward to nine months and actually enjoy my descision. I'm so happy for u. Yes weight loss is a huge reason we all choice this surgery, but in essence we all are hoping to be happier, weither happier with ourselves, or happier because we can enjoy life more, and u have achieved this happiness, congratulations!!!

Hi all, my name is Jessica from Knoxville TN. I had my RNY on 1/9/12, so I am nine weeks out. I started my journey in June of 2011 and weighed 205 with horrible diabetes, acid reflex, and high cholesterol. I had lost weight on my preop diet and went into surgery weighing 190. I mainly made the decision for wls to help with the diabetes, all my doctors were telling me I would be dead in 5 years if I didn't do something. Well still have the diabetes, even though it's better controlled, it sucks. I thought being fairly young 28 at time of surgery and not too heavy, I would breeze through recovery. Of course not the case. I was perfectly fine at three weeks out, but then went down hill from there. I started getting horrible headaches, my blood pressure dropped dangerously low, my muscles hurt and ached all over, my body wasn't absorbing my antidepressant (cymbalta, so withdrawal symptoms), I couldn't get out of bed I was so weak and depressed. I spent another week in the hospital week 7, to help all my symptoms. I originally took 8 weeks off of work ( I'm a restaurant manager, on my feet all day). But I had to take an additional week due to being so weak from laying in hospital for a week. I have thrown up every meal since being in the hospital, i know i need to slow down and take smaller bites, but i get so hungry. Anyone else hungry this soon out? I am now down to 161 so a 43 pound loss from my heaviest. Not so bad i guess. Wow I hope I haven't bored anyone, just want to give you a glimpse of my journey, and to let you all know I'm here for you and if I can help in any way let me know. Hopefully when I have questions u all can help. Take care and thanks for reading.

I did not take pictures or measurements but now I wished I had. Everyone keeps saying I don't look like the same person, wish I could see that.

I am headed back to work today. I'm so nervous! I am a restaurant manager and so I'm on my feet 90 percent of my day. I have been off of work for 9 weeks now, and not sure my body will last for 10 hours on my feet. I feel like as soon as I walk into the building a 200 pound weight is about to go back on my shoulders and I'll be overwhelmed with catching back up. I hate anxiety! Well any thoughts or advice on how to get through would be nice. Ok wish me luck!

So my first two days back to work were a success. Maybe not up to my boss's standards but success is me making it through with no major medical issues. I found its a bit harder to get my fluids and protein in. Well I guess when you sit home on your ass for 9 weeks and all you have to accomplish each day is to hit a goal of fluids and protein it really isn't that hard. Lol. I will need to make a better plan for this. I am drinking decaf coffee, do u know if that counts towards fluids? I'll have to research that. I am off already today so that's nice. I work Thursday and then off again on Friday. So it's kinda broken up for me this week which is nice. Went to doctors appointment today, lost another three pounds. I only have 23 pounds left till goal. I pray I Hit it. Defiantly going to gym with husband today and then will take our little girl swimming in pool when we are done with our workout. I just have to make it a daily thing. So when they said preop to practice taking small bites and eating slow, I now wish I listened. For some reason I'm having a hard time getting this concept down. Hope all is well.

Well day one went ok. Decided about five minutes after being there that I'm just not going to get caught up on nine weeks of work all in one day. So after that it was a bit less stressful. Everyone was excited to have me back which was nice, but I don't think I can get used to the comments and compliments. It's hard to accept them sometimes. I just wish people would not speak about how I look, just ask how I feel. I think because I did this more for health reasons (hopefully to come off insulin for my diabetes) and it was never about the way I looked, it's hard to accept the comments/compliments about my looks. Does that make sence at all? But anyways day one, success.

Do you like this surgeon/ group better than your last? How long of a process do u think it will be? Best of luck! Oh yes u asked how I was feeling, well I'm doing ok except for my horrible headache, think I can blame it on withdrawal symptoms from coming off of my cymbalta. Hopefully it won't last too long. Besides that I'm doing ok. Thanks for asking!!!

Txsmama, You mentioned doing it for your kids, how old? I know what you mean. I have a little girl, she will be three in April. My daughter has a physical disability and so she needs help to crawl through the play land at McDonald's. One of my goals is to be able to fit so I can help her make it all the way through. Just the added energy to be able to keep up with her is another goal for me. Goodluck on your journey and your right your kids need you to be healthy so stay focused, you will do awesome!!!

I started a food journal when I started my preop diet. I would record all the medicine I took, what my blood sugar was and how much insulin I took, how many ounces of liquids and how many grams of protein I had. Some days are better than others with recording, but it did help with taking it to my follow up visits so they can see where maybe I can improve. I spent the last week in the hospital and so I wanted to start back at journaling today, but I only got breakfast and lunch. I'll do better tomarrow. That's all I can do is try. No need to beat yourself up if you slack on recording, just try harder the next day. I swear by the blender bottles. I drink crystal light out of them. I can't since my surgery drink plain water, it just comes back up. Weird I know. But they are awesome to sip out of.

I used before and right after, and occasional now, the EAS carbadvantage. You can get them at Walgreens, Walmart, and sam's club. I found they are cheaper at Walmart than Walgreens and then even cheaper in bulk at sam's club. I love the ready to drink vs powder because I always thought that the powder was gritty. These are smooth and taste good. Vanilla and chocolate. I also bought a "flavorless" protein at vitamin shoppe. I did put it in jello and what not but it does change the flavor completely. Hope this helps!

First, welcome to the group!!! I'm not sure I'm best suited to answer your question, but I'm always willing to give my opinion or my experience. When I first made my descision I choose the sleeve, but when I got to the surgeon, that all changed. Well first my insurance didn't cover the sleeve, so that was out of the question, 2nd, I was doing the surgery to help with my diabetes, and I found out that the RNY does a better job with that then the sleeve, also I had reflex and it is completely cured now. Well I think so, because I'm still on nexium, so not sure. After researching RNY and all the positive feed back, there was no question I was sold. With the option of the sleeve out of the question and just the descision of whether to get RNY or not it was an easy one. But with u having to choose, my best advice is to look at as many websites for both and then decide. What scares you about RNY? Well I'm sure I wasn't much help but hopefully someone else will come along and be able to help. Good luck!!

Yes my stomache talked for the first three weeks, I swore u could hear it across the room. Omg my farts were horrible, stunk like something died in me, but I'm happy to report that my gas is gone, and if I do fart now, I know I'm not killing anyone LOL!!! I think around week five it let up. My doctor wanted us to walk, but wanted us to wait till follow up to do anymore. Im short so the eleptical always makes me have to stretch, so that's a tough call. Call your team to double check if u don't want to wait. So I have this forum on my iPhone and I just went to setting- profile- and then clicked where your photo would go and it prompted me to add picture? Sorry if that's no help.

Wish I had your husband! LOL.. I go back to work today, so my husband let me buy a few new shirts, but they were buy one get one free at old navy, I got 10 shirts for like $40. Not bad. I love shellfish and I'm so so on fish. I like salmon, but scared to try it. I was thinking of trying it at work tonight, that way if I get sick on it, at least I didn't pay for it. LOL. Well I hope you enjoy your eliptical and weights. Defiantly start as soon as u can. I haven't really gotten to exercise and I have saggy skin everywhere it's gross. You are young so you should just tone right up. Didn't make it to the gym today because of my headache, but defiantly tomarrow. Have a good day.

Toe, Good luck on your journey! Do make sure you follow your preop diet, it's there for a reason. Take all the meds they will give u in hospital, why suffer? And get up and move ASAP, it helps work the air out. Hope all goes well, keep us updated and ask questions if any arise.

Dear trynagain, Hang in there, you will feel better. are u moving around or laying a lot? Moving around helps with the trapped air, that's what causes most of the pain you experience. Do u have like maybe a runners cramp feeling on your left side? This is normal for its where most of the work in your belly was done. Take it easy, two weeks after a major surgery isn't long. I hope you get to feeling a bit better. Keep us posted on your progress.

You seem to be worrying about missing the surgery, because this is obviously something that you want really bad. That's good, u will need that motivation to make sure you do everything right. I wish u luck and a speedy recovery.

Thank u. I was on a liquid diet for longer than I really needed to be. I found it easier to just grab a protein shake and call it a meal than having to cook. I'm the culinary manager at the restaurant I work for, but go figure I never took to cooking at home. I have to mention I also went to PA for three weeks to spend time with my mom while I was off work, and its hard to cook when it's someone else's kitchen/ groceries. I probably did a liquid diet for a total of six weeks. I am now eating low sugar oatmeal for breakfast, lunch meat, cheese, miracle whip rolled up for lunch and then whatever for dinner that my husband makes, but I've not kept dinner down for 4 days now. I defently can't do chicken, and shrimp is a bit rough. Fatty foods don't bother me and high carbs don't either, trying to keep sugar low though. I was able to eat honey BBQ baby back ribs last night. They were good and hopefully the leftovers will be too. I am now feeling better. We are in the process of changing by antidepressant from cymbalta to Effexor, (time release medicine doesn't work with our surgery. You think someone would of changed it before the surgery.) so I'm experiencing a bit of headache from the withdrawals of the cymbalta. I haven't been able to exercise at all since week three because of all my complications. I'm hoping to go back to the gym on Monday. Any suggestions on a workout plan? Need motivation to go!