Defying Gravity

I'm 5 and a half years out also. I take pamiprexole for the GERD which is terrible otherwise. I also can't lie down within a couple hours of consuming anything except water or I wake up choking on stomach acid. My doctor said this is not normal and offered to sever some nerve but that freaked me out so I just deal with it. I also hate the stomach talking ALL THE TIME. People at work think I'm always hungry and it's beyond embarrassing. Even when it's not growling, it's just gurgling or sounds gross and I am sure people don't know what's happening in there but are too polite to ask. I also have very bad insulin resistance so I regained some weight but intermittent fasting is helping with that. Other than those things, I feel like I did pre-surgery, lol. Sometimes I regret the surgery but most of the time I'm glad I did it. It's definitely a lifestyle change that most people do not understand. Eating healthy and watching myself is fine and easy to do but some of the other little things I mentioned make it frustrating at times. They're not a huge deal though.

Even though this is an old conversation: thanks for sharing everyone, it helps me. I feel like the stomach noises are getting worse but maybe I'm just more aware of them now that I'm working in an office and before I did freelance work from home. I'm many years post op and the noises are so embarrassing. I usually pretend they aren't happening but sometimes it's hard not to be embarrassed. I worry people think I'm belching with my mouth closed or something or sometimes the sounds are just so weird that I don't know what people even think about it, haha. I haven't figured out any pattern or rhyme or reason and my doctor's office said that there could be tons of reasons and they didn't seem to concerned about investigating it. It helps to know that I'm not the only one though!

I do not remember exactly because I'm years post-op but I do find it odd. I'm pretty sure I was told to hit my protein as well; however, perhaps they were saying that because they did not want you to exceed your caloric intake trying to hit your protein goals? That's the only reason I can think they would give you that advice. If I recall correctly, at 1 week you are still on clear fluids and even a protein shake is too thick... I agree, it's weird though.

Hey guys! I have new insurance after having to do 2 years on medi-cal but my bariatric surgeon is not covered under my PPO so I can't go ask him this question, unfortunately. I just ordered the celebrate complete multivitain with iron. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VTD7E8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I just realized from the label that it has 500mg of b-12 in it. Has anyone spoken to their doctor about this supplement and do they still have to take their b-12 on the side? If no one knows, I will go ask my primary but I'd rather check here first. Thanks!

Ah, yeah that makes sense. The lapband actually really messed me up but once I healed from my sleeve, I was fine.

I think you mean the bypass. The lapband is laparoscopic and outpatient - removing part of the stomach is a bigger surgery.

You can do this! I was excited for mine because my body rejected the lapband. But it’s still a huge surgery which is always scary. Just focus on your goals and the bigger picture. You’re taking a step forward to a better future. best wishes to you!

I realize this is an old topic but it’s came up for me when I was searching for calcium info. I just read that calcium carbonate doesn’t work as well post bariatric surgery because it can block some of the absorption of vitamin b (because of our low stomach acid production). Just wanted to add that for anyone else who comes across this question wanting to know!

I don't know why but the bypass freaked me out! I didn't even want to consider it, even though the sleeve is permanent. Best of wishes to you - I honestly think that it's the best decision I ever made. I say, whatever you instinctively feel more comfortable with is probably the best choice, though I encourage you to ask around as much as possible because there's nothing to truly prepare you for the surgery, so it's best to be excited about it and feel informed going in.

Congrats and hope that you're doing well! The best advice from me is to follow your doctor's post-op plan to the letter. I lost most of my weight in 4 months and all I did was do exactly what they told me to do, literally. That means with food introduction, supplements and everything! Best of wishes to you!

Well, I found out something that I can't believe I didn't know. Do you weigh yourself at home? Because I found out last month that I was not supposed to. I stopped and have continued losing. It's not like the first month of course, but still pretty good. Some vets at my support group said that when they weighed themselves even once a week, they would get onto these plateaus where they wouldn't lose for months. They started only weighing in at their appointments and never had another one. It's psychological I guess, because when you are weighing yourself or measuring yourself even, you tend to focus on your successes and failures, both of which can get in the way. I was told you can get complacent if you see yourself doing well, or you can get frustrated if you stay the same or don't lose. So it just affects people emotionally which does make a difference. Not something I'd ever thought of before.

Oh was writing that when you responded, so I didn't see that you HAVE spoken to your doctor...

Have you spoken with your doctor about this? I mean, I don't know your situation, but sometimes family doesn't really know what's best. As for the blood sugar drops, I'd talk to your endocrinologist as well. Maybe eating some fruit would help before your workout? My family has been saying that I need to eat more too. They are glad I'm losing and want me to keep doing it but they think I'm going to be malnourished or something. My bariatric doc says things are going well and to keep doing what I'm doing. My family doesn't understand anything that is going on with my sleeve, so I take their concerns with a grain of salt, though I do like to acknowledge to them that I understand where they are coming from. What do you think about it? Intuitively, do you agree with them? You and your doctor know what's best.

Chips or crackers. I have an aversion to sweets now but I have to prevent myself from getting any chips or crackers or I'll just go through them! Sounds like I'm not alone here! (Unless I use avacado or something and then I get really full)

I wanted to just say something really quick, because I hope this is helpful to others, but it's an amazing tool. Yes, it's very hard to do, if not harder than the band. But you've already worked so hard with the band and if it is not helpful for you, why press on through the struggles and constant frustration? Losing weight is hard regardless and the band is a lot of work. But the sleeve is too, just in different ways. It's much more restricting and traumatizing to the body, but at the same time, it's worth it (IMHO), to be working really hard at it and succeeding than putting yourself through the pain of fighting against your band. It's a massive benefit, but also only a tool, just like the band is.

I haven't read the responses yet, but I wanted to tell you that I failed with the band too and was worried about the same thing. For 3 years I tried to make it work. At one point I was down 48 pounds because I was doing insanity videos daily and keeping a strict food log. Well, it took me 2 years. I went up and down and up and down. I have PCOS which gives me an insulin resistance. After extreme stress, I ended up gaining it all back. By the time of my surgery, I was almost the same weight as when I went in for the band in 2010. So I understand that fear, totally. That being said, yes, your hunger will go away. But not the head hunger. The feeling of being hungry doesn't go away on its own. I didn't realize this when I had the sleeve. So, there's lots of reasons for that. It could be gas, that makes you feel hungry and your stomach growls a LOT the first month, but digestive enzymes and a good probiotic help that. Then there's also the Protein shakes and Water consumption that can affect that. Finally, if you are still hungry, it's probably just head hunger. There's nothing you can do about that but distract yourself from the thought of food. I had a hard time with head hunger for a little while. For 3 weeks or so (not right away), after my surgery, I would think I was starving to death of hunger around 7 or 8 PM. Then I stopped thinking about it, distracted myself any way that I could, and did not let anything go into my body but water or a shake if I HAD to. Then it went away and now food doesn't even really enter my mind anymore. So, my best advice based on my struggles and failures is to really, really consider what might be causing your head hunger. For me, it was because I would begin to unwind around that time and my mind would relax and I'd want to just mindlessly nibble. So I found other ways to relax. If you can find the reason that you eat, if it's emotional or not, and think you can control it, you WILL find great success with the sleeve. I weigh in today for the first time in about 3 weeks at the doc. But so far I'm at 2 months and lost over 40 pounds. Hopefully I was helpful... ? I just realized I might not have really answered your question. About the doctor, I say that you should see if he has groups you can attend and get more information on him and find out how reputable he is. I would do that regardless, because it's a major surgery. If he doesn't offer support after the surgery in the form of support groups, regular post-operative visits, classes, etc. I would also think hard about the doctor. But the real thing it boils down to is whether or not you are ready for this and I would strongly advise you to not let him pressure you. Feel free to contact me if you want to talk more or anything, I'm happy to just lend an ear any time.

I had a job interview with a big client the day before my sleeve. I told her that I would be taking 2 weeks off from my work. She really wanted me to start working immediately, but said she could wait. Before I know it, she's on the phone with me asking when I'll be back. I said I didn't know because I'd heard many things about recovery times. She asked me flat out, "What, are you getting a tummy tuck?" I was so embarrassed (hell, it's like asking a flat chested girl if she's getting a boob job. Presumptuous and insulting!) I said no and she told me that she'd had one and ended up in the hospital and had been out for a week from work. I was really uncomfortable talking about it, because I have a habit of keeping work and health completely seperate. I don't really like to tell people about it unless I know they are considering it or they've had it also. Mostly because people assume it's the easy way out (It's actually harder!) or it's like telling them that I'm enormous. It just makes me uncomfortable. Do you discuss it openly at work, with friends, acqaintances, etc? Or do you prefer to keep it under wraps? I'm fine talking about it with family and friends, but I really prefer not to discuss it at all.

I like your outlook Brant, thanks for adding. I think you're right. I get uncomfortable sometimes but shouldn't.

I am sorry to hear you feel this way. Believe me, I understand. I gained all of my weight about 8 months after I got together with my boyfriend and developed agorophobia and social anxiety. We've been together for 9 years as of this coming Valentine's Day, and for a year I wouldn't go anywhere with him, and if I did, I was a mess. I was also paranoid about him leaving me. So I can relate to your feelings and I can also say that you can get through this and thrive. Please realize that you're doing the right things already. Please, speak to a psyachiatrist AND a psychologist if you can, for right now. The psychiatrist can only prescribe meds. The psychologist will help you to deal with the emotional issues, and how you treat yourself. Remember that the surgery can lead to major depression also, but it sounds like this may be beyond that, and they can help you. It's best to get ones that work together as a team. Your husband sounds really supportive. Being open with him about your fears is good, but also telling him how he can help you will help HIM. Men like to fix things and get frustrated when they don't know how. Even if it's just a matter of, "I'll be ok, I just need to work through this on my own" will help your relationship. But updating him on your progress with therapy or meds will make a big difference too so that he doesn't feel like you're pushing him away. You are doing the right thing with your surgery and weight loss goals - you've taken the first steps! You'll get through this. Also, I honestly was only trying to relate to you, I did not mean to make this post about me at all. I hope that it didn't come off that way. If you want to talk, PM me any time. I log in once a day. My thoughts are with you and I send you all the positive energy that I can.

My doctor told me to absolutely tell them if I have any issues like this. You might be having "dumping syndrome"... Do you have any idea what triggered it? If you had something "new" to eat, maybe your body is overreacting. I would call the doctor either way. If it is a bug, at least you'll have peace of mind that it's nothing to do with your body. Absolutely drink more Water, and Emergen-C has 1,000 mg of Vit C in it, and when I was an athlete we were told at meets to drink it because it hydrates faster. Also another tip on hydration: Cold water absorbs faster. Hope that I was able to help somewhat.... I'd at least call your doc and ask if you should take an anti-diarrhea OTC.

@HealthyNewMe Agreed. I was saying that too, but it might not have been clear.

I agree Janet, I was told when I had diabetes (reversed it with the lap-band though) to keep a food diary. Well, it was soooo hard to do before with just paper and stuff (this was in 2008). So when I got on nutrisystem last year (I did it for almost a year) I used their iphone app to record stuff and got HOOKED. When I quit nutrisystem, I was so used to it that I can't really live without one now. The control freak in me loves knowing exactly what and how much of every little thing is going into my body.