Djmohr

chicken has to be very moist. Don't overcook it and make sure there is some type of gravy or sauce. Cut it very small and chew it like crazy, as time goes by it will go easier. It is common though for chicken and eggs to be somewhat rough those first several months to a year. I eat chicken all the time but if it is even slightly dry I get that same stuck feeling. I prefer fish and shrimp and beef these days. I still struggle with pork unless it is pork tenderloin or ground pork.

@@Anghelys Garcia I have learned two things that help with this kind of swelling. 1. Compression absolutely is the number 1 help. Without it, I swear you can feel your body swell 2. Ice. I packed my arms in ice all day and night for the first 3 weeks. After about 3 weeks the swelling improved enough to stop icing but I am still wearing my compression garments for most of the day. I do take them off for a little while (a couple hours), then I want them back on because I feel them start to swell. Lastly......it takes quite a while before your weight comes back to normal. You would think having all that skin and fat removed you would actually lose but it is not true. My doc told me it will take 6 months to a year before all the swelling subsides. She took off close to 5lbs in fat and skin from my arms and I weight the same as I did before surgery 7 weeks later. My measurements are different but I weight the same. Try not to get so hung up on the number, focus on how you feel, stick to your plan and the rest will happen.

@@Dee755 They are actually compression garments for your upper arms. You can get them at most medical supply stores. They will even measure you so you get the perfect size. They are not cheap but had I not had Brachioplasty I would have purchased a pair to deal with my very flabby arms. Now I don't have to, in fact I am wearing a sleeveless top today outside for the 2nd time in probably 30 years.

@@Brenda Sherwood I had my surgery in Delafield Wi, very close to my home. I had it done in the morning, it took about 5 hours and I went home around 4pm that day. My plastic surgeon is a perfectionist and ensures a fully contoured result so that is why it took longer, she had to work hard on my left arm and she wanted them perfectly the same. I am glad that I had only the Brachioplasty done at first by itself. Just looking on real self, I think I got a much better result and had I had it done with another procedure, I would be afraid it would have been more rushed to get through surgery in 6 hours. My Brachioplasty cost 5950.00 and that included my original compression garments which I was given 3 and the BioCorneum silicone creme I have to put on twice per day for 12 weeks. My husband and I thought that was very reasonable compared to others but we loved the surgeon and that is why we moved forward with her. I personally would not look for a deal but make sure you are very comfortable with your surgeon. I was lucky enough to find someone who had a 5 out of 5 star rating with her patients and she was reasonable. Next I am having a Abdominalplasty and breast lift with augmentation and that will cost 17,500 which includes one night in the hospital. Probably 8 weeks from now.

@@greeneyedgrrl24 First, 27lbs is excellent in that time frame. I would question my doctor if they are expecting you to lose a lb a day. That is not realistic and I am shocked to hear that. After the first month or two, most people average between 5 to 10lbs per month. Some months you lose less (I had months where I was stalled the whole month) That being said. 3 shakes a day on top of the real food may be the problem. Once you are able to eat Protein, you should be able to reduce those shakes some. I am a bypass patient so take it for what it's worth but for the first few months I averaged between 400 and 600 calories per day. Then I stalled and was told to add more calories through protein and good carbs like veggies and fruit. I upped my calories to 700 minimum and no more than 900. I stayed there until I was near goal. I learned that if I had more than 1000 calories I would stall, if I had more than 1200 calories I would gain. Anything betwee 900 and 1100 I would lose weight. Once I hit my ultimate goal, I slowly (very slowly) began to increase my calorie over the last 6 months. I now am able to eat between 1300 and 1400. If I go beyond 1400 I gain. Also, I don't know how tall you are but 120 protein grams seems like a lot. I am 5'10" and my goal is no more than 70 which is 1 gram for every 1 inch I am tall. I use Myfitnesspal to track what I eat daily and it helps me understand where I am to my protein, calories and carb goals. When you are early on it isn't usually necessary to worry about calories but that assumes you are barely able to eat anything. Like for most it is 1/4C to 1/2cup, 3 times per day. Realistically when you are eating so little, counting calories isn't necessary but as time goes by you will be able to eat more and then it is important to know where you are. Hopefully this gives you some food for thought. Or at least the ability to ask your surgeon or nut about losing a pound a day or even your 120 gram protein. I am sure that some sleeve folks can also provide some insights.

@@Anghelys Garcia You are going to think I am crazy but I started using Young Living Essential oils 2 days after my Brachioplasty. I started diffusing stress away oil with a bit of lemon grass oil. I started using them because I was having horrific hot flashes and I was waiting for my oils to arrive when I had surgery. I started using progessence plus oil of hot flashes by putting a few drops on my forearms and neck. I went from having over 50+ hot flashes per day to none! I swear it! I honestly was not a believer and thought I would be wasting my money but I was desperate to deal with those flashes and I did not want to take any more medications. I have worked hard not to have to take medicines. Now I use them for everything. I get severe migraines where I usually have to give myself a shot in the leg to reduce them. Well, I started using lavender and peppermint when I felt a headache coming on and 3 out of 4 migraines were relieved without medication. That never happens for me. Seriously took away my stress, left me less emotional and I feel great. Of course I still had some surgical pain but it was tolerable. I also started diffusing grapefruit oil which is supposed to deal with hunger which I really had a lot of while recuperating from this surgery. I think the wounds are so big that your body simply needs more Protein and calories in general to heal properly. I am not convinced I had the right solution because I found myself still having cravings for stuff that I really shouldn't have. Try not to worry so much about gaining your weight back. If you gain a few, simply go back to the plan when you are feeling better. I gained 3lbs over a period of 6 weeks and lost them in 2 days. Just make sure it is protein based calories you are adding for the most part and you should be fine. I hope you start to feel better soon. I personally have had more surgeries in my life that I have fingers and most of them major surgeries: 6 spine including 2 spinal fusions, an open gallbladder, hysterectomy....you get the picture. This particular surgery was brutal mostly because the incisions are so big and your body swells so bad. I was not expecting it and in talking to other that have had it, the swelling shocked them as well. For me that burning and itching sensation was the worst. I had a 3 level cervical fusion a year ago and I swear the pain was not nearly as bad. LOL

Congratulations! You have to remember that your body actually needs more Protein to heal so don't be so hard on yourself. The emotions are normal as well and whoever said plastics wasn't painful is full of it. I had Brachioplasty 7 weeks ago and I had a lot of pain, I also had an allergy to the glue which made my arms burn like these were set on fire for over 3 weeks. My next surgery is a breast lift with augmentation and Abdominalplasty and as much as I cannot wait, I am not looking forward to the pain and swelling associated with it. I hope you feel much better soon. Just be kind to yourself and remember your body is burning calories just healing.

I am so sorry you are having this complication. Is this the same surgeon that did your surgery? If so, just to be safe I would get a second opinion. So he is suggesting a reversal? Do they know why this is happening to you? I hope things get resolved very soon for you. This is quite scary.

So I can speak to the Brachioplasty as I had mine done 7 weeks ago but I will also answer your question about puffy pubic area because my surgeon and I talked about this specifically. When she examined me for my Abdominalplasty she actually molds your body to show you how things will look. One of the things I was worried about was that puffy loose skin there. It will be pulled tight and flat just like the rest of my tummy. I would definately ask your surgeon that specific question but I made it clear that I want that to go away. As for the arms. I had mine done 7 weeks ago and they are absolutely fabulous. My Brachioplasty took a lot longer than she initially thought but she took her time and made sure they were well contoured using a laser liposuction before removing just the skin. Some doctors will just cut off the fat and skin and sew you up. Personally doing the lipo first seems to be the better procedure. Because she does this, I had no arm drains whatsoever. Then I was put in a compression garment that looked like a bolero jacket. That was miserable because it was too small. So they ordered just sleeves for me and I got them about 3 days later, I wore those for the first 4 weeks and noticed they were rubbing on the underarm incisions. So, I went to my local health equipment supply store to see if I could find just individual sleeves so I did not worry about them being connected. I purchased a pair of compression sleeves that are used for women who have their lymph nodes removed following breast cancer surgery. They are expensive. 75.00 each but the best money I spent! My doc believes the longer you wear compression the better outcome for the arms because they do swell for along time. I am 7 weeks post op and mine are still swelling everyday. I wear the compression daily for most of the day and then will take them off for a little while. I honestly don't mind wearing these sleeves and they have better compression than the sleeves that were ordered for my via my plastic surgeon. I have noticed my incisions are healing better and there is less pain in the incisions because swelling is being kept to a minimum which is why they have you wear them in the first place. In terms of recovery for the arms. I did have a complication, it turned out I was allergic to the surgical adhesive so for the first 3 weeks I was in a lot of pain due to burning and itching. It felt like I had laid both arms on top of the stove and left them there. It about drove me insane with itching as well but there really was nothing we could do about it because the adhesive was holding everything together. I took prescription Benadryl for 3 weeks straight every 6 hours and packed my arms in ice, literally to help with the burning. I slept with ice packs on. To say the least the first 3 weeks were rough but as soon as the mesh covering with all the surgical glue on it was removed, the itching and burning stopped within hours. I was so happy! Not if they itch its mild and because they are healing. I definately underestimated the pain involved but have a feeling from talking to others most of my pain was the burning from the allergy. Next is my tummy and breasts and Like you, have no idea what I will do about clothing because I have to believe the swelling will go on a long while. I guess it will be yoga pants for me.....plus I am having a breast lift and adding a small implant to give me my fullness back. so my tops will definately fit differently. LOL. I guess I will cross that bridge when I come to it.

Yup.....it is that patch. I had the same thing during my Brachioplasty and had forgotten they put one of those on me. I took it off on day 4 post op and within 24 hours my vision was back. Incidentally, pain meds can cause some of that as well.

The biggest issue is not to allow yourself to get dehydrated. So as someone else said, you have to sip sip sip all day. The swelling will go down and things will get better.

Honestly I have not felt like a failure having WLS. I have a metabolic disease that required surgery to resolve. Obesity is a disease and the practice of yo yo dieting only makes it worse. Once you get the point of acceptance you can move forward. I would also say in my opinion fat acceptance is great until to reach the point where all that weight starts doing real long term damage to your body. It is naive to think you can get through life without long term damage that will ultimately make life much more difficult. I have said this no less than a thousand times since surgery. The only thing I regret is waiting too long to have the surgery. Carrying around 150 extra pounds damaged my spine, my joints and my kidneys. This damage is irreparable. Having WLS is one of the best decisions I have made but it is important to be very ready because you will work very hard to get there. Best of luck to you!

@@LipstickLady Exactly! What the heck is that but it certainly makes that uncomfortable feeling go away. LOL! I just tell hubby I am excercising my turkey waddle!

@@crissyboo My surgery was approved hours after they had it in hand. Same insurance, just push your doctors office to get it in there quickly. Best of luck!

If you are already struggling with gerd, bypass cures it. I had a severe case of gerd where I coughed everyday for over a year. I was on the max dose of Nexium and no where to go if I had the sleeve and it was an issue so I decided to go bypass. I have not had gerd or even a simple case of heartburn. I can eat things I never could before. Reflux was the reason I chose bypass and I am so thankful I did. I did not want to go through this twice.

LOL, I gained 13! It is 100% normal and will resolve quickly. Congratulations!

I started with a phone call to my insurance company and asked specifically what the process was. They were extremely helpful and sent me via email a list of the qualifications and process. That is how I found out I had to use a Bariatric center of excellence for the surgery and they also provided me with a list of those. Just give them a call.

Yes....pay close attention to that feeling because it is definately too far. I used to get a hicburp and then I knew I was at capacity. I no longer get that but I get that terrible feeling in my chest and I know it is time to stop and in some cases...too far. Most of the time that happens when I eat too fast and my brain has not yet figured out that I am full until it is too late. It is the one rule I have always struggled with.

Hi There! The ring thing for me was a big deal. My hubby was very good to me in that department and I was terrified I would lose my wedding and anniversary rings. So, when they became too loose, I started with spacers because I still had quite a bit of weight to lose. I wore the spacers until they actually broke. I was still about 30lbs from goal but decided to get them sized anyway. They are a tiny bit loose now but totally fine. I noticed if I drop down another 3 to 5 lbs then they really get loose and that is below my goal anyway. It is funny you mention arm spanks. LOL. I had very large bat wings and had a Brachioplasty 7 weeks ago today. So now I am wearing compression sleeves and I have thought a few times, why didn't I wear these to help compress my arms when they were huge. Now, my arms are awesome! Like brand new, I think they look 20 years younger than the rest of me. LOL.

I am not a revision but I had a very severe case of Gerd. I literally coughed non stop for over a year before my bypass. I was on the strongest and the maximum dose of Nexium for a very long time. The surgeon told me that had I gone with the sleeve and had trouble which was very likely that they would have no way to treat it given how bad my gerd was. I had RNY and they had me continue Nexium for 30 days and then had me stop. I have never had a single episode of gerd nor even basic heart burn. I can eat foods like green pepper that I never could before. RNY cured my Gerd along with many other comorbities.

Congratulations! And welcome! There are quite a few of you having surgery in September and October. It is going to be a busy few months!

I use my instant pot about every other day! It is the best kitchen appliance I have purchased in a long time. The only thing I have noticed can get stringy if you cook it whole is chicken breasts. I have learned to chop it into smaller pieces and Cook for less time. I also do an instant release instead of letting those types of meats sit in the cooker while it naturally releases. My absolute favorite thing I have cooked in there was beef stew. It was very tender, not stringy at all. I cooked the meat first and it was fall apart tender at a 30 minute mark. I then added my carrots, mushrooms in larger chunks, let it go another 10 minutes. I threw in some frozen peas for 3 minutes and my goodness it was delicious. I made baked potato for my husband but I just ate the stew. I made stuffed cabbage rolls in there for dinner yesterday. YUM! Stuffed peppers are fantastic as well. Just go onto Pinterest and look up instant pot recipes. You can make almost any recipe Bariatric friendly.

Yay! Congratulations! No trick or treat candy for you! LOL!

Congratulations! Glad you are doing well. Stay up on your fluids so you keep feeling well. It is the number 1 priority..... Also it is perfectly normal to gain weight while in the hospital. It is all the fluids they pumped into you. It will go away in the next few days. Best of luck to you!

Also.....not getting your fluids and protein in can cause a stall......but it really is very normal.