glitter eyes

In the beginning nothing appealed to me either. Food was disgusting and I only ate and drank to meet my nutritional goals. I even had to brush my teeth after eating or drinking protein shakes to get the taste out of my mouth. However, for most of us your taste comes back (sometimes differently) and your appetite will even out. I am almost 10 months post op and can tolerate almost any type of food and things taste more normal now... Some days that's not a good thing. Good luck.

@@Bluesea71 I agree with your comment. I too have not always been heavy. About 10 years ago I weighed 155. Today I weigh 152. However, like you I feel this time with WLS surgery my body composition is less muscle and more flab/skin than before. Last time I lost weight on my own I didn't even exercise or watch my nutritional intake closely. This time with WLS I watch my nutritional intake everyday, get my protein, fluids, and exercise every day. Who knows, maybe it's an age factor. I am now 43 and things aren't the same as when I was 33. LOL

My face has never been dry. However, my husbands face gets very dry and flaky. I brought him some pure organic Rose hip oil and 100% pure Argan oil. He puts it on at night and alternates them. His dryness went away quickly. You could also use a drop or two mixed into your daily moisturizer. Both of these oils are very light and absorb fairly quickly. I also use them on my hands and neck and my neck seems to be looking a little younger (I am 43) As for the fluids; a lot of us WLS patients can not tolerate plain water. I am one of them. Keep trying different type zero calorie water like vitamin water or propel. Or you can try adding flavor drops to your water. It took me forever to find something to drink that I love. For me it's peach flavored propel. Good luck!

I was very fatigued the first four weeks post op. I attempt to get all my fluids and Protein in, but it was a challenge and some days I was unable to meet my goals. I just made sure I listened to my body and got plenty of naps. I also made sure when I was awake to walk frequently. Being able to meet your nutritional and Fluid goals become easier as your body heals. It just takes time. Remember you are not only recovering from a major surgery, but are learning how to eat and drink with your new tummy. That in itself is exhausting. Good luck and everyday gets just a little easier.

I think it is normal for some people. I was in pain too. I was unable to sleep in my bed for two weeks. Then, once I got in my bed I couldn't sleep on my side until three weeks post op. I made sure I took my pain meds around the clock. I set a timer and made sure I went for a walk every hour. One of the best things that helped me was a small travel pillow that I used to brace against the painful part of my stomach. I used it when I got up and down, when I walked. Hang in there it will get better. One day you will go to stand up and realize all the pain is gone and its smooth sailing. Good luck!!

You are right everyone is different. Pain was my biggest fear too. I am a true wimp. My pain while in the hospital was probably a 2/10 while sleeping or sitting. It went up to a 5-6/10 when walking. Each day gets better. I just took my pain meds. I took off four weeks, but I have an active job- I could have went back at three weeks but was enjoying the time off. Lots of luck to you. It will be fine

My pain in that area lingered for a few weeks. If I can remember correctly it just magically disappeared at the end of two weeks. Hang in there and congrats on your surgery!!

Yes- I have a difficult time too. It's a challenge. I have yet to find a sports bra that actually keeps them from jiggling. I am so worried about how horrible they look when I run. The taping sounds like a good idea. What kind of tape do you use, does it hold up while working out?? Guess when we resort to tape we must be desperate. I am buying tape today.

I work in a large hospital and at least ten of my coworkers have had WLS. It is actually nice because we support each other. Also, the rest of our co workers have been very supportive too.

I work in healthcare and since you say your children are well behaved it should not be a problem. Also, in today's healthcare environment the patient is the customer and we strive to provide an excellent customer experience. It usually becomes a problem if the children are very rowdy, loud, and disruptive. Also, since you will not have to get any testing done, or medication that would impair your ability to supervise your children, then the doctor's office should not have a problem with it. Good luck!!

I no longer have to be constrained by my weight. I can run, jump, hike, run stairs, camp, etc.... I basically feel I can do absolutely anything I want to do!! It is a wonderful feeling of freedom to live life to the fullest. I have abandoned my girly girl persona that I used to excuse the fact I was too overweight to enjoy outdoor activities. These days I am proud of my strong legs, endurance, sweat and my workout clothes!! I also put me first!! After all, I am important.

I have recently added fruit and veggies to my diet on a daily basis. I am almost 10 months out and 10 pounds from goal. I feel so much better eating the fruit and veggies, but that's just me. It has not stalled my weight loss at all. I just make sure that I get my daily protein goals then add the fruit and veggies.

It would have been nice to be able to do it on my own without the surgery. However, I approached my WLS with the attitude that everyone needs help with something and I needed it to help me lose weight. Try not to beat yourself up that this is the "easy way out". There are plenty of people who seek medical attention for things they can't fix on their own and no one judges them. People use washing machines instead of hand washing clothes. Drive cars instead of walking, the list can go on... I think if you hold your head high and act proud of your decision it makes it harder for people to make catty comments. I have only had one person ask me if I thought it was too extreme and why didn't I just exercise. I just replied that this was something me and my doctor felt was best for me and I do not question their healthcare decisions so don't question mine. That shut them up!! Congratulations on your decision to take back your health!! WLS is a fabulous tool for the path to health. Best decision I have ever made and I make no excuses for it!!!

@CowgirlJane. Sorry you had this happen, especially on vacation. Who knows about that hypertension- lets just hope its from the heat!! I would think that since you have been a normal weight for the last few years that your chance of developing hypertension would be about the same as if you had never been overweight. Take care of yourself. Hope the rest of your trip is fun filled and uneventful health wise. Keep us posted.

I was told at pre op no makeup. However, I wore very light makeup and some waterproof mascara and very light natural looking eyeshadow. When I woke up nothing was smeared and I looked fine. I was also told no nailpolish, which I understand because it can interfere with the oxygen saturation monitoring. The VERY first thing I did when I got to my room was sit in the chair and painted my nails. Guess I am vain and shallow, but I am the Assistant Director of Nursing at the hospital that I had my surgery and I knew I would have tons of visits from coworkers so I didn't want to look like a hag

After surgery my mouth was as dry as a desert. I took Biotene mouthwash with me to the hospital to swish my mouth out with and since it is a moisturizing mouthwash that helped a lot. I continued to use it at home for the first week right before bed because my mouth would get so dry at night. I remember being very thirsty the first week because it was difficult to get enough fluids in. I just kept sipping and by the end of the first week the dry mouth and thirst began to diminish. Congrats on your surgery and welcome to the wonderful post op life!!

When I started puréed foods I just did tiny little bits ( I used a baby spoon for several weeks ) and took time between each bite. I think going slowly is the key. Also, just add one food at a time so you can identify if anything doesn't agree with you. It's like feeding a newborn. Good luck!!

@TWJ. I had that pain in my chest too when I was early post op. I had to sip really really slow. As a matter of fact, the first two weeks I poured my liquids into a medicine cup and made two or three sips from that. It slowed me down and made my sips smaller. That helped with the pain in the chest. Also, I experimented with different temperatures and for me cold did better, some people do better with warm or hot. In addition, plain water hurt more than flavored water. It does get better as time passes. I can now drink four gulps at a time. I am nine months post op. Hang in there- it gets so much easier as time passes. You can do it

I started in a size 22 pants and tight 3X shirts. Now nine months post op I wear a size 6 pants and a medium top!!!

Cold temperatures work best for me too. I haven't been able to tolerate plain water post op ( I am nine months post op) so I drink propel zero calorie water and that goes down much easier for me. You can just experiment with different types water and temperatures to find what works best for you.

I was one of the lucky ones who didn't have any gas pain. I did have abdominal pain. I am a wimp and took it very easy for three weeks, Slept in a chair for two weeks and took every last drop of my pain meds. That being said, it was worth every second and the pain was not debilitating. I walked a ton, starting with waking from the recovery room stretcher into my room. Good luck!!

I think it must vary from person to person and their basic body shape. I am in the same boat that you are. I have always carried my weight in my belly/midsection. As I lost weight my arms,hands,legs,feet became so tiny. However, my fatty stomach was clinging on to dear life. So it was very disproportioned in the beginning. Now that I am close to goal (12 pounds) it has evened out a lot and doesn't look so out of place. However, it still remains a problem area and will require a tummy tuck for it to match the rest of me!! Hang it there it should even out as time passes. Good luck and congrats on your awesome weight loss.

@@kay1117 It is probably a good idea to get measured. However, there was no way I was letting anyone measure my 43 year old, post weight loss, saggy boob self!! I just tried on a gazillion sizes and styles until I figured out what worked for me. Plus, right after I lost the bulk of my weight I was very uncomfortable in the clothing retail environment. I felt like a fraud shopping in the "normal" section. However, now I prance right in and grab my size 6-8 stuff!!

@@kay1117 I agree with you. Those comments about my husband are the only WLS comments that get to me. I try to overlook people's insensitivity and blame it on the sad fact that maybe they have never been loved unconditionally by a man. I always just smile and tell them my husband has been happy for the 27 years we have been together and then I ask them how long they have been with their man and is he happy.

I am a big fan of raw juicing. That being said, I have never lost ANY weight doing raw juicing. I am ten months post op having the gastric sleeve and it had changed my life. I am down 119 pounds and only 12 from my goal weight. Also, I quit raw juicing while I was trying to lose the biggest portion of my weight because I did not want the extra calories and carbs. I just started implementing raw juice back into my diet. I log all my food so I am careful to juice foods low in carbs and count my juice intake into my daily allowances. I know a lot of people are against the raw juicing because of the fiber lost because you do not get all the pulp. I save all my pulp and add it to soups, smoothies, muffins, protein pancakes, etc. It is good that you are researching your options so you can do what is best for yourself. Also, if you want to try and lose the weight on your own that is also an option. All I can do is speak from my own experience and say that I wish I had done my gastric sleeve sooner. It has been an amazing adventure and I love how great I feel. Good luck in your decision. There is a lot of helpful information on this forum.