Djmohr

I have to say I am not at all surprised by this. I have found in the last 15 months that none of my doctors with the exception of my nephrologist understand anything about Bariatric surgery and life after. In fact it really is rather frightening. I moved states about 6 months ago and because I have had multiple spine surgeries in the past 6 months I have had to find a whole new team of doctors here. They simply don't get how to even manage our nutritional data. I have a list of the tests that need to be performed and I have to be an advocate for myself otherwise I will end up with malnourishment issues. My Thiamine was too low. I had to know that I needed the test and call my new doctor to have her order a recheck. My Bariatric team stopped my b12 because I had huge stores built up. I now have to call the new doc and have her order the recheck. If I don't stay on top of it, they won't even order the right tests. Same is true of my pain specialist, neurosurgeon and ortho guy. It is crazy how under educated these doctors are about our care. I am supposed to have shoulder surgery in February. I got a call telling me to stop all NSAIDs and Vitamin supplements now. I said, ah NSAIDs is not a problem but I cannot stop all my Vitamins now. Now keep in mind this medical team are all in the same system and have access to my records. Scary that they simply have no clue and in some cases don't seem to care to learn. At least my PCP really is trying to learn and will order any thing I ask for.

You really only need the chewable a for a short amount of time, until the swelling goes down. I will say there were a few pills I had to take after surgery that I had to crush and use liquid to go down. It was awful! You are already struggling to swallow liquid of any kind and when it tastes like that, it simply caused me to gag. I personally would use the chewables

I use Spanx and it works great for that.

@@tany1157, This really is about the anxiety of such a big change. Having weight loss surgery really is more head than anything else. The surgery helps you manage portion size especially for the sleeve. What you put into it is all up to you. You will be able to eat some of your favorite foods again, the reality is you may not want to and if you do it should be once in a while not daily. You will do fine, just let yourself get through this surgery. Try not to think about everything you will never have again because it simply isn't true.

Those first weeks are really rough, I cannot imagine what it would be like had I not been ready. It sounds like mentally that may be part of your challenge. Also I agree with James, I was still on full liquids in week 3, puréed from weeks 4 through 7. Week 8 was the first time I was allowed solid soft foods. You must give your new stomach time to heal before eating solids. I would guess your pouch is pushing back hard. If I were you, I would try going back to full liquids for a couple weeks. If you start throwing that up, call your surgeon, that is not normal. The only time I ever throw up is if I over indulge in something I shouldn't have. I can really eat pretty much anything I want in small quantities. That does not mean I should. You are also having some symptoms of depression. I think you need to remind yourself why you had this surgery in the first place. Focus on the goals you were searching for (keep your eye on the prize). I would also suggest speaking with a therapist that specializes in WLS. Best of luck to you, I hope things get better for you soon.

I am tally use a generic brand from Walgreens that also includes a laxative. A stool softener is not strong enough for me, even now 15 months post op. Mine is Walgreens branded: Stool Softener Plus

I am 15 months post op. For me the biggest losses were in the first 4 months, then everything slows down but remains consistent with stalls every 4 to 6 weeks. The longest stall for me was 28 days.

I have not but I am very curious about why they are performing an open bypass? I do understand if you don't want to share.

Here's to never looking at that 3 before your weight again! Congratulations!

I had a full RNY and I am one of those people who still after 15 months struggle to go. If I am lucky I go every 3 days and I take 3 doses of stool softener with a laxative in it. I eat lots of vegetables and fruits so this is not the issue, it is simply the way it is. It can be very frustrating. I will say that first 2 weeks after surgery while on a clear liquid diet I had the opposite issue and was afraid to leave home because of it. As soon as I started drinking Protein shakes and eating lots of protein that changed.

I think some folks simply forget that in most cases gastric bypass and RNY are one in the same. People not in the WLS world have no idea what RNY is but they do understand gastric bypass at a high level.

Keep trying bananas every few weeks or a month or so. They no longer bother me and I can now eat a whole one. I will say the carbs on a banana are much higher so I don't eat them regularly, just once in a while but I love them.

For me this has been one of the biggest surprises of all! I went through this process to get healthy, it was never about getting thin. Well, I got healthy very fast. Then it became about losing the weight and getting to goal. I am currently 1lb overweight and 10lbs from my ideal weight although I would argue that I am literally Boney in places and I have a lot of loose skin after losing 135lbs. If I don't lose another pound I would be happy where I am, knowing some day soon I will have several pounds of loose skin removed. Now, I cannot believe I am saying this but I love clothes! I can shop wherever I want and normal sizes fit me! I wish I would win the lottery so I could have a giant closet full of beautiful clothes that were meant for me. Shoes too! They never mattered, now they do. I am currently holding off assuming I have another 10lbs to go and I am in between a size 12 and a size 10. If I have all this excess skin removed I would likely be a size 8. I own two pair of jeans that are becoming too big fast. Several pairs of yoga pants which I wear all the time. 2 long sleeve tops for winter, a couple of sweater dresses. A couple of tanks and a couple of sweaters that are too big but I can still wear them over my tanks. That is literally my whole closet. My husband hangs my pjs in there when he does laundry just to make it look better. LOL! I have purged so many times in the last year! It is the best part.

I have thought about this one a lot. The only thing I truly miss is being able to eat a delicious incredible cheeseburger. I just cannot do it, I have had a bite and they don't taste the same, they also hurt when I do. I miss a good cheeseburger and I do not like them without the bun. There is a burger to bun ratio and I was very picky about them before. LOL I also miss my ass! I have none and I truly mean none. It hurts to sit anywhere for even a few minutes. I have coccyx pillows at home in my car. I take it to movies but everywhere else I am in very severe pain when sitting. I don't miss having a fat ass but I do miss some of my padding. I definitely don't miss so many things it is hard to list. I don't miss shopping for clothes in plus size stores and the way that I felt while trying them on. I despised clothes shopping and would avoid it like the plague. I now absolutely love clothes shopping! I wish we could win the lottery so I could buy a ginormous closet and fill it with clothes and shoes and handbags for me! I never thought these things would ever matter for me but they do and I love it! I don't miss trying to cram my fat chubby body into a booth and feeling the embarrassment when I don't fit. Now there is so much room between me and the table it is crazy! I secretly will find the tightest spaces and sit in them just to see if I fit and I have yet to find one that I don't fit in. It's like a big test for me! LOL! I don't miss having to ask for a darn seat extender and getting that crappy look from the flight attendant who was stick thin. It was embarrassing and I felt like everyone was staring at me when they handed it to me. I also felt like post of them never tried to be discreet about it. I don't miss watching football and realizing I was heavier than most of those guys. Now I am proud to say I am too skinny to make a good football player. (Isn't this silly!) I don't miss getting sick with severe reflux every time I ate and walking the floors in the middle of the night with severe distress. I don't miss having to take my blood sugar multiple times a day and the medications that go along with diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and severe Gerd. This list truly could go on and on!

Yes, the sugar in banana can definitely cause you to dump. If you are getting leg cramps the first question would be are you getting at least 48oz. Of Water? If you are then a potassium supplement should help. If you are not getting your fluids this will cause cramps as well as other problems.

I am guessing you just had surgery within the last couple of weeks. The reality is you simply cannot get it all in until the swelling goes down. You just do the best you can. The good news is, your body has stores of these nutritional elements so if you are not meeting your Protein goals the first several weeks it is no big deal. The most important thing is keeping your fluids up and it sounds like you are doing that, then just do what you can with the rest of your liquids. This is the priority: 1. Water/liquids - 48 to 64 oz will keep you hydrated 2. Protein - minimum of 1 gram for every inch you are tall (it will take a few weeks to begin to meet this daily) 3. Vitamins - these too can come a few weeks later, you have stores in your body 4. Exercise - work your way up by starting with walking until you are cleared You are already doing great with liquids, now just start sipping that protein. By the way, it is best icy cold. Good luck!

Sorry that you learned that lesson the hard way. I am wondering about some of the responses here only because I want to make sure I don't have misinformation. I have always been told one of the rules was nothing to drink 30 minutes before and after for life. The before is simply because that little bit of Fluid can actually make you feel full and therefore you may not eat a proper meal. The after however is really critical because it can flush what you have just eaten and you will be hungry again very shortly. Then you eat and gain weight. It is not really about it making you sick although that can detonated happen. Do I have this wrong? I have been told this one is for life, and sometimes I miss sipping while I eat. I have literally followed this rule religiously since surgery although once when I ate something really salty I had to take a quick sip.

@@Daisee68 Hugs! And more hugs! Hopefully this will pass soon.

@@VDB, I am so very sorry that you are going through this and for such a long period of time. Although my husband and I have not been intimate for a very very long time due to mostly my health issues, we do find other ways to simply just touch. (I have a very bad back and he is terrified he will hurt me) We find other ways to feel intimate with one another. Holding hands, caressing one another and just simply being best friends. I will say, I think I miss sex more than he. Especially since I have lost so much weight. I remember how there was no way I wanted to be intimate when I was 135lbs heavier. He on the other hand is morbidly obese and I believe that is impacting his libido. It sounds like you are a very patient man and your wife is very very lucky to have you. Hopefully she does appreciate you. The reality is, you have to take care of yourself. That means you have to get out and take some time to help yourself get healthy too, both in a physical sense as well as mental sense. Maybe a gym membership where you leave the house a few times a week? That would give you some time to yourself and begin to break in the idea of some alone time for you. Your wife needs to understand that you have to remain healthy if she wants you to be present for her as well. Have you talked to her about your feelings regarding touch? Or is that not something you can approach with her? I know that is easier said than done but you have to start somewhere. It is time for you to be a little selfish. You have spent a lot of time giving, now it is time to give back to yourself. I wish you the best of luck and I really hope things get better.

I am with @@Daisee68 on this, it is likely dehydration. I would start there and if you are for sure getting all your fluids then follow up with your doctor. Zofran or Metoclamprimide work great for me. I hope you feel better soon!

Lately I have been resolving that issue with Bariatricpal hot chocolate. It is 80 or 90 calories, it has great Protein and really gets rid of my sweet tooth. You can get them in the BariatricPal Store. They are expensive but really worth it. Even my husband who is not watching his weight (even though he needs to), loves them. There are so many favors to pick from. Right now I am having a mocha hot chocolate.

Dumping happens when you have had gastric bypass and you eat too much sugar or fat. Your body cannot process those items. I have also had mild cases when I eat too fast. You get the sweats, your heart starts racing, stomach cramps, you can either vomit or get the diarrhea or sometimes when it is really bad, you get them both. I have only ever had mild versions but it can be very uncomfortable and depending how severe can ruin your day. What happened? What did you eat and what were your symptoms?

I am guessing the answer is no but I will ask anyway. Many of the hoops jumping are negated by going through a Bariatric center of excellence. And honestly the best after care comes from programs like that. Most insurance companies require we use them in order for them to approve. My insurance company was able to provide me with the closest Bariatric center of excellence. These people typically know exactly what hoops you have to jump through and in my case, they did most of the jumping for me. Definitely for the paperwork. I might suggest calling your insurance and asking them if they can provide you with this info. Incidentally these centers have hospitals that are set up for them and once you are approved typically move very quickly. Also I personally have had exceptional after care for the past 15 months and let's be honest after having Bariatric surgery there are very few general doctors who know how to treat us. Good luck to you! I hope you get in soon!

Congratulations! I remember being excited but to your point the next goal is staring you right in the face. I have been stuck just 1lb short of reaching a normal weight and BMI for two weeks now jumping back and forth between 175 and 176. I have decided I will get there when I get there. I am a daily weigher and had to stay off the scales now for the last week in the hopes I won't smash it! LOL! It is glass and this week annoying! I keep telling myself it doesn't matter that I have done great and look great and those last 10 lbs really don't matter but so far that isn't working. Apparently they matter more than I thought they would.

I have verticle ridges on my nails that have definitely gotten worse following my surgery however this is a symptom of psoriasis. I have psoriatic arthritis. Since surgery that disease has definitely not improved, it has flared but this is a disease that is very severe for me and difficult to get back into remission. I am working hard with my dermatologist to get it back into remission. Do you have psoriasis? It might be flaring if you do, and even if you never had the nail ridges before, they can flare at any time.