Daisee68

@@meganliz0824 Interesting theory! That makes a lot of sense!

The stomach sounds are annoying but normal. I am only just now getting used to it. I recall the first 3 to 5 days being the worst, so hang in there all of you! It will be worth it! I promise!

Yes @RuralNurse. Thank you so much for that! I am going to have to change med or dose or something on my Brintellix as I am being laid off on the 31st and am currently paying $600 per month for the Brintellix. (Well I had already met my out of pocket so I wasn't paying that myself but as the deductible starts over 1/1, I just cannot justify the cost.) My dr put me on 15 mg which isn't an option, so I am getting 10mg pill and 5 mg pill each day which is why I am having to pay so much. UGH! It has really helped me but surely my dr can find something that will work as well (though I don't know how wise it is to change this drug as such a stressful time in life. Oh well!) Anyway, really appreciate your sharing your knowledge!

Agree with @@Pinkgirl1234 as far as drs being busy. They are focusing on getting people in before year end. Things may be totally different after 1/1..

I would say you need to change things up. Get more protein in (I am female, 5' 10" and get at least 80g per day and as much as 100g some days).

Oh yes I definitely said that and frankly for quite sometime after but at 6 months post-op, I am so glad I did it!!

I am 6 months post-op and yep have the same issue as well as not going very often. So very strange.

@@seaniepoohbear - There are A LOT of surgeons in the DFW area. Which dr are you seeing? I can certainly recommend my surgeon, Colleen Kennedy (and her partner Julie Kilgore who I have also seen). They are downtown Dallas near Baylor but also operate in Rockwall and Plano. There are too many good surgeons in DFW area to deal with an office you don't like. I think there is a thread on here somewhere about DFW doctors. I will see if I can find it and post the link.

Congrats on your loss thus far. Great work! How much more do you feel you need to lose? (Your weight is not shown in your info.) Are you getting in your Protein? Are you tracking your food intake? Are you getting in your fluids?

Promise it gets better! Congrats to you for recognizing it as an addiction. Strongly recommend counseling to deal with that addiction battle as you work through it.

Great attitude @pink22. I am trying to do the same. My surgeon told me at first visit she would like to see me under 200 but I would have to work hard for that. 6 1/2 months post-op, I am only 13 pounds from that goal. Luckily at 5' 10", I carry my weight well. I like the idea of getting to a "normal" BMI, but I am not focused on it just yet. Now when I get closer, I wonder if my mind will change but for now, I just want to become healthy and lose enough to get plastic surgery on various body parts! Oh ok, and small enough to stay off my meds...

Well not exactly the same thing, but I can tell you that I had to up my depression med (Brintellix) and my Synthroid after surgery because it just wasn't absorbing correctly (though I did have bypass). Any chance of trying a different anxiety med maybe that is more weight neutral? If not, you could always give it a try and just see how it goes. Great job on the loss by the way! Keep up the great work!

Here is a link to some pureed recipes. My favorite was Ricotta Bake. http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html I ate a lot of Soups, fat free refried Beans, pimento cheese (southern thing if you haven't heard of it), yogurt (with Protein powder added), sugar free pudding snack (with Protein Powder added).

Completely common. It is the excess fluids they gave you and swelling. May take up around 7-10 days for that to calm down and loss to start showing (not to mention your body is trying to catch up from the quick 30 pounds you lost). Try to stay off the scale the first week.

No but when you say at one time, are you saying you can gulp down 24 ounces in fairly short order (i.e. minutes?). if so, not sure it will stretch out your sleeve but not sure it is wise either. Are you tracking your food? Getting in your Protein? Had a change in exercise?

Chapstick, ear plugs, heating pad, easy slip on shoes (or slippers) to wear for your walks and Gas-X.

I had a lot of vomiting and nausea in the beginning. My team told me that each time I vomited to go back to fluids for 24-48 hours and let everything settle down before attempting food again. I know your team said no Protein drinks but if you are struggling with food, I would think a Protein Drink at this point would be acceptable and may help you get through a few days while your system calms down a little. If no protein drink, maybe at least milk? Fairlife has more protein than most. That might help.

I'm sorry I don't have any suggestions! Is the med helping the pain though? (I hope I hope!)

Ditto. Huge part of my diet. I guess I don't know it loss would have gone faster but not sure I would have wanted it to. I'm quite happy with the 10 to 12 pounds loss per month.

Yep I could easily (and did often) eat a large pizza and some wings while drinking a soda. At 6 months post-op, I have been afraid to try it except once for fear of it being a binge food. When I did eat it that once, it was a fancy place and a type I wouldn't normally order and ate toppings of one piece and maybe half of another piece with the crust.

I am also able to take Tylenol and do. I miss Advil somedays but I think it as more of a habit than anything. For joint pain, you may be able to get prescription for topical anti-inflammatory such as Voltaren Gel. Because it doesn't process through your stomach, it should be fine (at least my rheumatologist said it was!) Also, you can rely on ice and heat a lot. If it is too bad, a pain mgmt. dr should be able to help.

To be honest, I did regret it several times over the first 3 months. I remember someone posting this same question when I was probably 5ish weeks out and I answered that yes I regretted it. Having said that, at 107 pounds down and off diabetes meds (right out of the hospital) and my stricture being fixed, I absolutely do not regret it. I still question sometimes if I did the right thing (always wondering if I will be able to maintain the loss) but not regret. Even having lost my job last week and facing unknown unemployment, I still have been able to NOT run to food for comfort is the biggest victory of all. I do have my days that are a little more rough than others but not at all as I felt when I responded that first time 5 months ago. As you have read, the fears are normal. Just keep working the program. Come here and learn and vent and cheer on others and be cheered on by others. And to me, most important - don't stop meeting with your nutritionist or counselor!

The first 3 days of the pre-op diet are the hardest. After that it gets a little easier. You will lose those 4 pounds easily in 2 weeks so don't fret. Don't let it throw you off track! Just keep your eye on the prize!! You got this!!

Well you can see the answers are all over the board. I certainly wouldn't have been able to go at 4 days post-op just out of exhaustion and post-op pain. Having said that, there seem to be a lot of people who went back to work in less than a week and I just simply cannot imagine how. Wait and see how you feel that morning and then beg off if you need to. If you do feel up to it, be prepared to only stay a short time and to come home and rest a lot afterwards. The smells of the food may make you nauseous. Take anti-nausea med with you (usually prescribed by your dr such as Zofran). Take Water and keep sipping the whole time. Best of luck with your surgery!

First, congrats on your loss thus far! Great job! I haven't had the replacement surgery but my dad did a few years back. He too went to a rehab for about a week and while he was mad at me for making him go, he was able to say afterward that he was very glad he went. He also was not hungry. I would suggest contacting your bariatric surgeon and NUT and touching base with them to help you have a plan. Know that you will need to focus on Protein and fluids just like you did after your bariatric surgery. You don't want to get dehydrated! Have some ready to drink Protein shakes like Premier Protein at hand (and chilled) so you can at least get those in during the first week. I think I would also contact someone at the hospital (not sure who) about your food needs while staying there. Maybe you can take your favorite Protein drinks with you that they can refrigerate for you? Good luck! I know it is a rough surgery but I have also heard so many afterwards so how grateful they are that they had it done!