Postop

These are natural thoughts. You might be angry when people look at your differently and/or say you're too thin. I certainly get that. [Esp. since the DS kind of redistributes the fat around your body on many of us.] I never had much of a bust before so that hasn't changed for me. But I have no butt. And very think skin on my arms, etc. (It does make it easy to draw blood which is a good thing. They never have trouble seeing my veins, lol.) My face is also very thin. Little fat there anymore. We're all different, but many often have a different fat distribution on their bodies. As for clothes, many use thrift shops or heavily discounted outlets during the heavy weight loss phase. It's true you won't be able to wear the clothes you have now (possibly some of the shoes -- I went down a full size and couldn't.) Regarding recognizing yourself in the mirror: most don't. They still think they look big. I've found it often depends how long you've been big right before you have surgery. For instance, I'd lost a lot of weight in the mid-90s (ah, Fen-Phen ) and kept it off till the early 2000s. Then I got really big again. So it was only about 5 years that I had it back on before I had the DS. Therefore, when I had the DS and the weight came off, I saw it right away and knew what I looked like. Still do. Others I know were big for 10, 20 years. They seem to have a much harder time realizing what they look like now, post DS. Just a theory I've floated around, but often seems to fit. Friends and family: it's hard to say. I told no one except my immediate family and physicians. Still haven't. It's a personal choice and certainly not one for everyone.

I eat sauce and meat and sausage. The Pasta is just too filling.

I drank a shake everyday for the first year. I couldn't eat enough Protein and my surgeons said to do it so I got enough. Haven't really had one since.

"...So, I am a little worried about making the right choice the first time, as opposed to having to potentially gain weight back and have a revision surgery...." You know what they say, "Think twice, cut once." So it's good you're thinking. As for vits/minerals: I take 40+ each day. Most of us leave ADEK's behind after a year or so and supplement with individual pills/capsules. Many DSers never even start with them. It depends on your surgical and nutritional team. The DS is many more supplements, blood tests, Protein, etc., than GB. They're constantly tweaked/added/subtracted after your bloods are done. It's something you must commit to for life. BTW, start keeping your bloods and all other test results now. It's important to have the pre-op test results so you can compare them to your postop ones. Get a big binder.

I never used protein powder. Have you tried the premade protein drinks like Muscle Milk and Myoplex? I used to buy the 4 packs of those. Maybe they'd agree with you and they're very easy to use.

Congrats! I wish they'd done my gb when they did my DS. I had to have it done 3 years post DS.

Hello.

I didn't do size changes, but in addition to pics and weight I did do measurements.

You'll need to try a lot of different things. Are you lactose intolerant? Have you tried a probiotic? Also, as time goes by you'll learn what to eat and when -- to try and reduce the emissions (esp. in public). For the bathroom, there a lot of things people use: scented candle different sprays Poo-Pourri It's a lot of trial and error.

You've gotten some good advice. All I can add is once you've had your DS, you'll be able to eat all the protein you want. So hunger won't be a problem.

I wanted to wear shirts tucked in. I do. I wanted to wear tons of bright colors and vertical stripes. I do.

Unfortunately, yours isn't the only case of this of which I've heard.

I know a surgeon who does it. His name is Rubino and he's at Weill Cornell in NYC. Maybe you can find some of his patients online.

I know Dr. K doesn't have it on his website, but I'd definitely call or email him. He responds pretty quickly.

Hi, One of the best DS surgeons (I'll be using him when I move back to CA). is Ara Keshishian. I don't know if he takes BC, but I'd sure make the call.

I go about 4x a year. There are many hospitals around that have them so I like to go to a different one every time. I also like online support.

I'm an other, too. I don't drink caffeine at all. The last time I had some was probably in soda many, many years ago.

You're welcome. Maybe I'll see you there sometime.

Glad to hear it's a bit better. Here's the support group link.

They meet on a Mon. & Thur. Have you called Sharon?

Sorry to hear what's been going on. Have you thought about going to the support group meeting at Lenox Hill? There's often a SIPS patient or two there. Maybe they could help you out. .

Yes, it's why we have bloods done so often. Some do it yearly, some every 6 mos. That way you can catch issues and tweak your vitamins/minerals, Iron, etc.

Please keep a close eye on your bloods. You're very new to the DS and as the years go by the supplements generally increase. Yep, same for me. I take two chewables multivitamins a day, though, and the calcium. I had a DS. I'm always a bit confused when I read about the tons of Vitamins people are taking - I really don't take tons of vitamins at all. I was originally going to have the sleeve as well. I opted for the DS in the last month of my 6 month supervised diet, because I was concerned about keeping weight off. I had surgery on October first, and I honestly feel great. Good luck to you, no matter what you choose to do, and congratulations on your decision to take charge of your health.

Very common. I was only one of a few DSers I know who didn't have taste changes (with me it's only been salt). Several people I know spoke of things just tasting "eh" where once they loved them. I'd say most I know keep many of those taste changes. Some can go back to liking things they now find distasteful, but if I think back to all the posts I've read over the years, I still know people who won't drink coffee when they once loved it. Wish I could give a more definitive answer, but it seems to be a very personalized thing.

I can't answer re: the staples. I do know I had them and stitches. I didn't have a drain. Some surgeons use it, others don't. Some have you wear a binder (mine didn't) others don't. Some put you in ICU (mine didn't). Just depends on the surgeon. As for the Protein. It was hard for me, but YMMV. The rule of thumb is 30 grams in 30 days, 60 grams in 60 days, etc. I couldn't make that for anything. I was at 50 grams at 6 mos. and that was drinking at least 1 Protein shake a day. Then things loosened up and I was able to eat more. But everyone is different. You might be able to eat a lot. But if you can, don't fret. Just ensure it's protein and you'll be OK. I didn't love Protein shakes but I drank them. I liked Muscle Milk and Myoplex the best. They came in premade 4 packs. I never used powder. BTW, I looked at the ingredients of the Pure Protein Shake. They are low sugar so that's good. They're very high protein. While that's good in a protein kind of way; when things are very high protein, they're often very dense. Give it a try postop, and see if you can live with it. The Vitamins are a lot. I won't lie. Certainly in the beginning there were many fewer than I take now. It's all based on your blood work. That's why it's so important to do it annually or semi-annually (depending on your doctor's preference). Concerning chewables, we only used them in the very beginning. We then moved on to Centrum. Might I suggest a Dexa bone density scan before you have the DS? That way you have a good baseline. Also, keep all your bloods from preop on. That way you can watch trends and be your own best advocate. (I have them all and it's helped me). If you PM me your email addy, I can send you the docs. my surgeons and bariatric team distribute to new patients. Might give you some more ideas.