InfiniteButterfly

I had an inner-ear thing before, and OMG it was unpleasant. But it was an almost constant thing...every time I stood up, sat down, laid down. My doctor referred me to an ENT, and I had my inner ear crystals vibrated back into place (that was the layman's explanation...he gave it to me in a lot of medical terms as well which I couldn't remember if you paid me). I would have guessed low blood sugar, as what you're describing sounds a lot like what hubby describes when he has a hypoglycemic incident, but definitely check with your doctor to be sure. There are so many things it could be that it's worth getting checked out.

I would talk to your doctor about the hair falling out. I don't have any experience with that, so can't offer advice. As for the Vitamins, maybe try a different brand or flavor? I have Centrum chewables currently (ugh, they are terrible tasting!), but there are a lot of different brands and flavors out there. My NUT told me only a multi-vitamin, b-12 and calcium as far as vitamins necessary, but didn't break it down further than that. Are you tracking your food? That will help you know if you're getting enough of what you need. I'm using MyFItnessPal (I was using Sparkpeople, but it doesn't seem as bariatric-friendly, considering none of the Protein mixes seem to be listed there). I'm only on the liquids portion of post-surgery, and I have little to no desire for the shakes (water suits me just fine most of the time) and I only take in enough of the rest to meet my protein goal for the day. Tracking your food may also help with #2...seeing if there's any commonality in what's a pain trigger.

My surgery weight was 285, and I'm 274 today (I was sleeved May 15). I haven't been able to walk a whole lot (pretty intense pain. I seriously overdid things my second day home and I've been struggling to get steps in since then...but I watch my Fitbit and just try to get more steps than the previous day, which is working). I've been on Proteins since Day 5, and it takes me forever to get one of the shakes down, but I came close to my Protein goals yesterday, and I'm hoping to hit it today. I have very little interest in food, which is good, and very little interest in the Protein drinks (other than knowing that I'll likely heal faster if my body has something other than Water or juice to work with). I did discover that I appear to be lactose intolerant post-surgery (I've swung back and forth on my lactose tolerancy...I was intolerant during each of my pregnancies, but post-partum, I was fine, so I don't know if it's temporary or permanent. I hope temporary. I would miss cheese) No new clothes yet. I have a couple of boxes of smaller clothes to go through before I think about buying new (but I'm saving up rewards points at Old Navy for a little spree, probably at the end of summer. I don't know if I'll need more clothes before then due to the sheer mass of smaller things I have tucked away)

I'm at 7 days, and I must be very lucky, because even with the pain and difficulty I'm having getting out and walking, I haven't had any regrets or the slightest bit of remorse. I feel like this is the best thing that's happened to me in a very long time. My only regret is my partner is not coping with it nearly so well (he has all the regret and remorse)

Good luck!

I am going to have to borrow this exercise. It sounds like something that would help me immensely.

I'm sorry for all of the complications you're having. I hope you feel better soon.

I'm six days post-op, and will hopefully be cleared for puree when I see my doctor next Tuesday. Although honestly, I'm not minding the full liquids too much. The clear liquids? Those I was getting a little tired of and I was glad to add some protein in, but my stomach hasn't wanted a whole lot other than water or juice anyway, so that makes it easier.

@@Heather_Feather I really love the stuff I got from Chike (samples are available on their website) and Syntrax Nectar. They're not as thick as the protein shakes I was drinking pre-surgery, and they come in a ton of flavors, so you may be able to find something you like better. Chike also makes a coffee protein beverage...OMG it's good.

I was doing Flintstones, but ended up ordering Centrum Chewables from Amazon. I have sublingual b-12 and calcium citrate chewables as well. My doctor had be begin all of them the same day I started my Protein liquids. I looked into liquid Vitamins at my local store, but it seemed really expensive for a tiny bottle. I'll have to check them out online, it sounds like a much better bargain.

@@moonlitestarbrite Has your friend gone on the Starbucks website and played with their nutrition calculator? It's not hard to knock quite a few calories off of some of their coffees (if it's something your friend really wants as an occasional treat). When I was pre-op, I rewarded myself with a grande nonfat nowhip green tea frappucino (no sweetener) once a week IF I hit my step goal for the week. It was only 210 calories, and I made sure to walk more on those days to offset the calories. I don't know if something like this would help her. Starbucks does have healthier choices, you just have to be willing to make the healthier choice.

@@cbcatlover to me, flat pop isn't worth it (not that the carbonation and accompanying pain is either)

@@Monarch1966 : I just got my nectar today...a sample pack from MyBariatricPal.com (10/$19.99), which wasn't too bad. I had strawberry mousse for lunch today. I mixed it in Water, and it was thin but really tasted good. The other Protein shakes I had were so thick, I can't even stomach the thought of them, but the Nectar ones are quite good, full flavor, little to no aftertaste (that I noticed), and thin texture. It was like drinking kool-aid almost. My NUT recommended Isopure as well, but also mentioned it tended to be kind of pricey. I haven't bought any yet to try it...it's not at my local grocery store, so if I'm not ordering online, I stick with what they sell.

The Color Run, Aug. 9, Erie, Pa I can't wait to heal a bit more and start doing the C25k to prepare for it (although I know it's not timed, and I can walk it if I want)

While I do have both a dog and a cat, most of my animals are a bit more cold-blooded. In addition to the dog and cat (and chinchillas), I have 10 cornsnakes, two boas, two geckos and a bearded dragon. Although in fairness, one of the geckos and the beardie belong to my daughter (but she's 10, so I help a bit with them) Pictured are Maya (dog), Boo (cat), Cupid (hypo Honduran boa), and Toothless (pastel bearded dragon)

I used some Body Fortress (muscle building shakes) during my pre-op phase. I haven't tried them post-op yet. They have the necessary protein and low sugar/carbs that you want. The only thing my NUT warned was to be careful of the extra things you're getting (creatine, taurine, etc) and be aware what you're putting into your body. The chocolate peanut butter is quite tasty though

Seeing some of these posts really make me appreciate my NUT all the more. She's really well-informed, actually had answers to all of the questions I asked, and was well-informed about the different choices I could make. She never pushed any particular brand of Protein shake on me, rather gave me a list of all of them she was aware of and their websites (the list already had them sorted by protein and sugar), and her advice was always to get small samples and try a lot of different things. (and her advice on bananas? If you want one, have one. Make sure it's a serving, which is approximately 1/2 a medium banana, and make sure to have protein with it. And that counts as your carb, so don't eat other carbs with it)

Just got my Chike coffee flavor, and OMG it's good! (although beware if you're supposed to avoid caffeine. I got the okay for a small amount of caffeine because I'm prone to migraines and my GP suggested it to help control them). I have a sample pack coming today with the rest of their flavors, as well as the Sytrax sample pack. Looking forward to finding something other than the Nature's Bounty I was using pre-surgery. I can't tolerate them at all post-surgery. Nor, apparently, anything with milk.

Bananas were one of the first things that I was warned about when I started my 6-month pre-surgery. It's easy to get in the mindset that because it's fruit, it's good for you and not pay attention to the sugars and carbs (I know I wasn't...it was nothing to eat a banana a day.) My plan eventually allows for 1/2 banana, as long as the Protein is first or comes with (I ate PB-smeared banana halves during the pre-diet). That said, it my NUT said no, I would go with what she said, at least at first. Until I know my body and tolerances better, I'm following her allowances to the letter.