SuzeMuze

Depending on the surgery type, malabsorption is a concern that will vary. I had RnY, so it's a very real possibility. I remember seeing all of the Vitamins I'd have to take for the rest of my life and wondered how I could make it all "work". But, it's been very easy once it just becomes part of your new life. Dumping, too, is something that's very individual. Some folks here get it with the tiniest bite of sugar, and some can eat anything they want with no ill effects. I'm very grateful that I've never dumped either...but then again, I'm too afraid of it happening to have tried anything that could cause it

Ohhhh my... this is another one of those times where I feel the need to chime in and say it's a conversation/question to have with your NUT! Here on the forums you'll see all kinds of opinions and advice but every single one of us is different- my NUT told me something different than anything that's been said here so far. I was told (among other things) it DOES matter how much and what you eat- if you eat too much fat and/or carbs it can slow your weight loss down significantly, which I believe from experience. Additionally, exercising like crazy doesn't "earn" you those calories back- in fact, too much exercising can also slow your weight loss down. No one will know you better than your NUT through this process- please trust his/her judgement to find the exact amounts that will be your personal "magic formula".

Welcome (back) rocklandcountry! I'm always up for a chat- feel free to message me anytime

@@tphillips124 There's a very easy answer to this question. Call your surgeon/NUT. That's what they're there for. Each of us can put down what we were told & what we take, but it may not be what's right for you. And this forum is for us folks to share our experiences and our opinions...not give medical advice. The poster just before me takes Iron and Vitamin D...I don't. That's what's right for them, but not for me. Trust your surgical team- they know you better than any of us & know what's best.

@@Jaghomer I think it's very brave of you to write your feelings here, in a public forum. I can't speak for everyone, but I think seeing your fears/faults in writing is very powerful and motivating. We're all rooting for you to get back on track- you can do it!

Is it just me or is that a bit confusing? I'm thinking this means that the plan does not cover any obesity treatment for those who do not have "clinically severe obesity". A BMI over 40 or between 35-39.9 with comorbidities is defined as clinically severe obesity. So I definitely meet this requirement with a BMI of about 52. I'm also thinking that the last part about treatments that are peer reviewed and scientifically shown to be safe and effective means that the 5 procedures covered in the Cigna bariatric surgery coverage policy are all covered (gastric Bypass, gastric banding, RNY, vertical banded gastroplasty and BPD/DS for those with BMI over 50). I don't have Cigna, but for what it's worth, what "peer reviewed" meant in my case (because I was initially denied over a screw up concerning who was documenting what as far as my diet went) was that the case needed to go beyond a simple stamp of approval and be reviewed by actual doctors to determine whether my case was actually appropriate to move forward. "Peer review" in my case was just another way of saying someone is actually going to look at my paperwork and decide whether the treatment was going to be fair and effective.

There's another side to this too, I think. I had a co-worker come to me just yesterday rather timidly, saying she wasn't sure how to say it or if she even should, but she thought I'd looked like I lost weight & wanted to compliment me, but thought she might embarrass me. Granted, when I do get compliments, I've realized that I have to learn how to accept them- I'm not someone who's used to being the center of attention, and when I am, I shuffle my feet and am not sure of what to say other than a mumbled, "Thanks." Now, some people do open their yaps before their brain is switched to the "on" position, but there are folks out there too who want to compliment us, but aren't sure how. And it's not necessarily an unintentional slam that we looked like crap before...but they really care about us & are proud of us. Sometimes it just comes out wrong.

Good luck, Zedqueen- we'll be looking to hear how your'e doing!

Wow, how fortunate for you if the WLS "produced the weight loss & you were only along for the ride"! I wish I could say that my journey was effortless like yours. Truth be told, this is the hardest damned thing I've ever done, and way more work than I'd ever thought. (though I don't regret anything for a second!) I feel that if I didn't "diet", the surgery wouldn't' be nearly as successful. I never once looked at WLS as the "fix" for my weight problems, but rather as a tool to help ME do the work.

I chose Gastric Bypass for one reason only- I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes on Valentine's Day, 2013 (nice, huh?). After tons of research, it appeared to me that the bypass had the highest rate of managing/reversing diabetes, since exercise, changing my diet & diabetes meds were helping, but not enough. Don't get me wrong- the weight loss has been a fantastic "side effect" but I'm ecstatic to say that my blood sugars haven't gone above 100 since my surgery. I'm off all of my diabetes meds. Every. Single. One.

Congratulations on your start to a new, healthier you! I'm glad you were able to get everything sorted & remain on track! Keep us posted on how you're doing

RnY- everything chewable. I'd be afraid that even with crushing them, they'd "scratch" on the way down and/or make anything I tried to mix them with taste horrid.

Welcome, Katie Maybee! BP Forums are a great place to read all kinds of opinions, thoughts, questions and advice- take some time to comb through the different chat categories & I'm sure you'll find loads of helpful advice and individual experiences with practically every question you could think of. Best of luck to you!

I told my family, my boss, and a couple of close friends right away. Initially I too thought I wasn't going to tell anyone because I didn't want to be judged. But after a lot of soul searching I came to the realization that for me, doing that would be admitting that I carry the same stigma about bariatric surgery that so many others do. Rather than not telling people, I'm ok with it, because through educating folks, I'm possibly removing those stigma one person at a time, rather than letting it flourish through my silence. Who knows... maybe someone close to me is considering it and is afraid to talk about it- I could be of great help! Honestly, I haven't had anyone ask me what I've been doing, or how much I've lost.... just that I look great. I'll take that

@@shellbell79 My surgeon discourages drinking anything 30 minutes before to 30 minutes after a meal. The thought behind this is having liquid in your belly before food will fill up the space with zero nutrients, leaving even less room for food. No liquid during or right after a meal because it will "wash out" any food you've eaten, making the amount of nutrients you absorb even less. Makes total sense to me, so I follow it.

@ I'm very fortunate to be able to say that I've never had the experience of dumping, but the fear of getting sick outweighs my desire to have the sugar again, and to be perfectly honest, my cravings for sweet stuff are nowhere near what they used to be. From what I understand, it's the sugar that causes the dumping, not the actual item- dumping can happen from lots of kinds of sugar, not necessarily just candy/cake/whatnot. I've listened to folks who've told me they dump on Pasta, bread, and fruit juices! If you look around the forum here, you'll see all kinds of stories of people's experiences with dumping, & that fear is of anything that has sugar- not one food item specifically. What I have experienced (and I don't know if there's an official name for it) is a stabbing pain right at the base of my breastbone. The best information I could find is that it's caused by food blocking the itty bitty stoma (opening to your new itty bitty stomach pouch). For me, it happens when food is too dry (like meat) or doughy (like breads). It's absolutely horrible, and what's worse is that trying to wash it down with a drink of Water doesn't help at all. Top it off with an inability to throw everything up (Sorry if this is TMI) and it's an overall miserable time for me. But, similar to dumping, I remember every single food that made me feel that way (since I can't seem to group them by nutritional content), and I won't touch it again for a loooong time.

@@bellabloom <Big Applause> Well said!

@@Annek2014 @@1NaturalLoser BIG HUGS to you both! I'm glad my words were of help to you! I always try to keep it clear that my experiences are just that... mine. I'll go out on a limb here and say that I bet every single one of us has had something happen (or not happen) that made us scared, depressed, or feel like giving up. I had that happen myself this week with a single bite of a birthday cake- no icing, just an itty bitty part of the pointy end in the middle. Know what happened? Nothing. I tried it because of a weird curiosity of what dumping felt like. I had to stop right there cause that same curiosity would drive me to wonder what would happen if I had a second bite? A third? Even I'm not that curious! We've all taken a huge step toward a better, healthier life and deserve to be applauded at every stage! Even though I, too, am not losing weight as fast as I'd like, I do my best to remind myself I didn't gain all this weight in 2.5 months... I certainly can't lose it all that quickly! Keep your chin up, and always feel free to message me personally if you need a pep talk

@@bellabloom While there is a lot of your post that I'd link arms with you and cheer "Go get 'em!" for, I have to respectfully disagree concerning "starvation mode". I think that the term may not be entirely accurate, but the condition to some extent exists. Our bodies were meant to hold onto the fat we have- particularly us women. When we suddenly slash our calories to a fraction of what they were, I believe our bodies do switch into "panic mode"- hence our stalls/hair loss/dry skin/feeling cold as our bodies readjust periodically. You're right in that countries without adequate food have people that indeed starve- but that's not the goal here, I don't think. Those folks in countries where they can't eat properly sure do lose weight...with the heartbreaking and deadly side effects of malnutrition. IMO, that's not a desirable side effect of losing weight. I, too have talked with folks who were told to "eat more to lose more", but invariably these folks were starving themselves and stalling out and/or not exercising properly. Where I think the problem perhaps lies is the spin that the media puts on diet fads and giving the "one size fits all" approach. I'll do what's right for me, and you'll do the same. Having those courageous conversations with our surgical staff about underlying food issues or nutritional recommendations is key in my opinion to finding out what will work for us. Just as I wouldn't caution anyone to eat more to lose weight, I also personally would never tell anyone to eat less than what they were guided to eat by their NUT/surgeon. I'm no doctor, and have no certification to make dietary recommendations to anyone. I might not understand what someone else's doctor is saying, but that's none of my business. I trust my doctor to know what's right for me.

One of the easiest things to say, but hardest to do is not compare ourselves to others who had bariatric surgery at the same time we did. I'm about 9 weeks post op myself, and have come to terms with the following, which hopefully may help you: 1. Everyone loses weight differently. To hold someone else's success as our standard is dooming yourself to failure...frustration...and a higher level of recidivism back to your old eating habits. 2. From my own conversations with my surgeon/NUT...folks also lose weight relatively in proportion to how overweight they were to begin with. I was 242 pounds at 5'6"...and yet I was told I "wasn't that big". I'd love to lose weight faster too, but every person I've talked to has said the heavier you initially are, the faster the weight will initially come off. I believe it. 3. Take a good, close look at your diet. Find out your surgeon's recommendations for Protein, carbs, fat and total calories. I thought I was doing well enough until my first post op NUT visit where I found out I was expected to have only 30-50 grams of carbs a day. (increasing at about a year post-op) As someone who doesn't care for meat or dairy products, it's not leaving me with many choices. Add to that the disappointing discovery that my Vitamins (which we'll be taking for the rest of our lives) total 15 grams of carbs a day, it's really hard some days to keep my ingested carbs next to nothing. 4. Exercise is a horrible/beautiful thing. The hardest part is actually getting my butt up and getting started. I'm miserable and complaining in my head for a good 20 minutes on the treadmill, resenting every average weight yet lazy person I can think of But once you cross that "hump", walking can become addictive, especially if you use a step tracker or something like a FitBit or Jawbone. There are a number of step counter free apps for Smartphones out there, and before I got my FitBit, I used one to set daily goals for myself. I actually feel guilty and angry/determined if it gets to be dinner time and I haven't met my goal. Seeing those numbers turn green with a smiley face is very motivating to me. (As are a really good pair of walking shoes). Long story short, exercise will help with weight loss... seriously. 5. Your body has just gone through major surgery about 3 weeks ago- be gentle with it You'll still be healing for weeks yet, as your body tries to figure out what you just did and start letting go of the extra pounds instead of clicking into "starvation mode". 6. You've lost 13 pounds?? That's fantastic! That's 13 pounds less to carry around, and maybe 13 pounds more than you'd have lost trying another unsuccessful diet. I'd be a big old hypocrite if I said I never compared myself to other folks who also had surgery in October. But I don't know their stories, just my own. I'll get there when I'm destined to get there. And I'll be thrilled

I'm no doctor, but from discussions and my own research, here is my answer to that question. Our bodies utilize Protein for many things, among them muscle mass and the health of your skin, hair and nails. Regardless of how much or how little protein intake we have initially, it will seem like "nothing's happening". This is because your body takes a while to adapt to the shock you're putting it through from having bariatric surgery. One of the most common potential side effects is hair thinning/hair loss due to inadequate protein intake. The average life cycle of a new human hair is approximately 3 months. So... the hair you had on the day of your surgery will begin to naturally fall out at around 3 months, with new hair taking its place (though this is a constant process). Now then... your body will use that protein for "essential" functions first like burning calories to survive, trying to maintain muscle mass, and keeping organ function proper. Your body doesn't consider the health of your skin, hair and nails to be "essential" and therefore will not send protein that route. Hence... its' common for low protein intake bariatric patients to experience a level of hair loss- more noticeable in some than in others. Aside from your hair/skin/nails, as mentioned before, protein is essential to maintaining and gaining muscle mass, and burning fat. Your body sees its fat as "emergency storage" and will try to hold on to it, burning the stored Proteins in your muscles instead. Again, the effects wouldn't be noticeable right away, but bariatric patients who consistently don't have an adequate protein intake may experience a loss of muscle mass, which could result in a person who may be of average weight by scale numbers but still have a disproportionately high ratio of body fat. My surgeon/NUT stresses protein intake above all else! They also reassure that muscle weighs more than fat, and the scale is the worst indicator of weight loss success. As we exercise and keep our protein up, our body can increase its muscle size- explaining why the numbers may not be going down as fast as you'd like but you're dropping dress sizes. Just my 2 cents

Interesting.... because it was my actual surgeon who recommended the baby oil to get the leftover glue off. For what it's worth, I certainly didn't do it arbitrarily- I asked at a post op appointment after the incisions were checked, since fuzz-covered incisions certainly didn't seem very wise or sterile to have either. Ah well, surgeons are different.

When I was fresh out of surgery and had trouble getting Protein in, I relied somewhat on the "New Whey" protein shots. They're 42 grams of protein in a little over 4 ounces. Two words of caution about them though. First, 42 grams is too much protein in one sitting- your body simply can't process much more than 30 grams at a time and will just pass through the rest. If you choose to drink one, I would drink an ounce an hour. Another reason why I'd drink an ounce an hour is (to me) they taste awful regardless of the flavor they claimed to be. If I use them now, I'll try to psych myself into thinking it's a test tube shot from college...take a swig & have an immediate chaser of Crystal Light....wait an hour and repeat

Things I never thought I'd say...but I did recently: "No, seriously... I don't want a bite." "One more size and it's goodbye Lane Bryant!" "I don't want to watch TV... I want to get on the treadmill." "Wait, let me look up the nutrition facts on MFP!" "I don't want a Coke Zero, thanks. Water's fine." "How much Protein does that have?" "I want a salad for dinner tonight." That moment when you realize your WLS must be working: ...when your own mother jokingly tells you you look terrible & you need to get new clothes. ...when you bend over and fall out of your bra. ...when someone you haven't seen in a while asks a mutual friend if you've been sick because you look so different. ...when your old favorite pair of leggings makes you look like D. van Dyke in Mary Poppins during the carousel scene (when he yanked his pants onto his hips to mimic a penguin) because the crotch hangs so low now. ...when you don't hear that "shh, shh, shh" sound when you wear pantyhose under a dress. ...when you see collarbones/neck hollows and hip bones you haven't seen or felt in years. ...when someone's arms reach all the way around you when they hug you.

I had neuropathy in my lower legs as well for a number of years- it was bad enough that it progressed to entrapped nerves & scored me no less than 9 surgeries to alleviate them. That was my wake-up call that something was really wrong, and also the biggest indicator that I was a diabetic & didn't know it. Medications got my sugars under control (sort of), but now my sugar has been in the 90's consistently since RnY surgery, and I haven't had a bit of neuropathy pain. I'm no doctor, nor can I say this will happen to you, but it might be encouraging that getting my blood sugar finally where it was supposed to be worked like magic.