Cervidae

You are definitely not alone. I'm 7 weeks post-op today, have had no complications or pain, healing super well, and down 38 pounds. Yet, I'm so emotional that I'm barely functioning. I cry at commercials and have started extremely stupid arguments with my poor sweet boyfriend, who is just at a loss for how to deal with me. I'm not usually a very outwardly emotional person (there's always a lot going on under the surface) but since surgery I've been downright explosive with a million different random emotions. It's a hormone thing! Our bodies are slowly healing and righting themselves, and the delicate balances of hormones and chemicals in our brains are completely off kilter right now. I'm told it gets better, and I'm inclined to believe the experiences of others, but in the meantime I'm kinda nuts.

Had my RNY 7 weeks ago today, down 38 pounds, feeling wonderful (besides getting tired easily, but that is to be expected). I regret nothing! I hope you have the luck that I have had.

Awww, I'm sorry. I had similar things happen to me pre-op, and even though I knew it wasn't the end of the world or the end of my hard work, it still completely devastated me as well. I'm not exactly a weepy kind of person but I wrote the time wrong for my last nutrition appointment before scheduling surgery and had to reschedule, and I cried for a good 20 minutes because I was so frustrated and disappointed. It's an awful feeling. I can tell you now from the other side of things that a month feels like an eternity, but when all is said and done, you'll get to the same destination after all your hard work. Keep your chin up, keep working to be happy and healthy, and sooner than you think this will all just be a memory and you will be losing weight and feeling fabulous and healthy.

This sounds great! I'm about two months out too, and I'm getting pretty sick of my shakes as well. I might leave out the graham crackers, though, as grains don't really agree with me. Thank you for the recipe.

So, so many people who are completely ignorant about the surgery and its effects seem to think that it's just a fancy way of shrinking your stomach. I guess it doesn't ever occur to them that there may be WAY more to it and that no sane person would voluntarily rearrange their guts it that were the only thing we get out of it. I usually tell people to look it up or if I have time and the patience, I explain to them myself about the hormone changes, and how EVERYTHING in our bodies is controlled by hormones. Also, the whole "most people gain the weight back" thing is untrue and it bugs me how people think this is a magic cure that fixes everything, and if your weight fluctuates like a normal body does, you've somehow failed. Of course the only WLS patients they notice are the ones who gain weight back... all the other ones keep it off and don't go parading their struggles and hard work up and down the street because it's no one's business. What all these comments by people boils down to is simply ignorance about the surgery and misinformation. The best cure for ignorance is to educate people and give them some perspective. Good luck with everything! I had my RNY 7 weeks ago, and I'm down 38 pounds. If you ever want to chat or have any questions I may be able to answer, feel free to message me anytime.

I lost soooo slowly for several weeks after surgery, and now I'm losing at least one pound a day. No idea how long that is going to last but I'm not complaining! Anyway, it's very common to lose very slowly or to stall. Eventually your body will catch up. Just keep up with your water, protein, and vitamins, and you'll be perfectly fine in the end.

Gorgeous before and gorgeous after, but congrats! You're doing great.

During my liquid phase, I was allowed anything that would be liquid at room temp or warmer, which included popsicles and pudding. So I would often make sugar-free, fat-free pudding with a Protein shake instead of milk, and add in a scoop of Protein Powder. It would give me something to slowly eat over the course of the day and had over 50 grams of protein, so I was basically getting all the protein I needed just from my pudding, which also tasted delicious and felt very soothing to my pouch. Another thing I would occasionally do is mix a scoop of unjury chicken Soup flavored protein powder into low sodium chicken broth and sip on that. It was also very high protein, especially if I got chicken or beef broth with has 16g of protein in 32 ounces just by itself. Adding the powder was just icing on the protein cake. Hope this helps!

@@Jcbuck you could just copy and paste it into an email and send it to yourself. I do that all the time.

Sorry you have all these struggles, and that your family is being so monumentally insensitive and mean. The fact is, while they can be as supportive as possible, they will never truly know exactly what you're going through, exactly how hard you have worked to get here, and how much you are having to endure right now. The only solace I can offer is to tell you that it WILL get better. It will only get easier from here on out, physically. Emotionally... well, that's what we are all here for. No one understands the pain and struggles of an alcoholic the way another alcoholic does, and the same is true for us. Right now, everything sucks and hurts and feels really difficult. But where you are now is a place you've worked so, so hard to get, and no one can take that away from you. People who have not experienced obesity and wls have NO idea just how hard the struggle is, just how much you've had to sacrifice in the name of your health and well-being. Soon, you'll be feeling as well as you did before surgery, and then you'll be feeling better than that, and then better than that... We're here for you. Take care of yourself, take your pain meds when you need them, rest when you need to, stop walking and sit down when you are too tired or in too much pain to continue. This is not a race and pushing yourself because of the pressure your family is putting on you will only hurt you. Everything will be so, so much better soon. Take care.

I'm getting to that point as well. I've always completely adored the cold, but here in upstate NY it's been in the 40s for a couple days, and even with the heat cranked up, a thick hoodie, thermal leggings, and a heavy comforter, I'm still FREEZING! What works to warm me up a little is taking a short, hot shower. It warms your core up which in turn helps to keep the rest of you with sufficient blood flow and thus stay warmer. Still, I'm about 90 pounds down from last summer when I began this journey, but I'm still significantly overweight, yet I still get cold so easily now. Stay warm!

You're very welcome. Good luck to all of you. I'm still on soft foods until the end of this month. Take care.

what stage of food are you in? I may have some suggestions.

So many of the terrible foods that got us to our high weights are not only basically poisonous to our bodies, but also highly addictive. It's not silly or odd at all the be thinking/anxious about the great changes you will have to go through to be healthy after surgery. A lot of people choose to forgo these foods forever, if they can, because of their addictive and damaging nature. While I will probably be doing that (my resolution is to never eat Pasta again if I can help it) there will come a time after you have healed completely that the RARE treat wont kill you. Is it a good idea to just never eat these foods again? Probably. Is it the only choice you have forever? No, not by any means. You seem like a strong woman who has been through absolute hell and made it out kicking and fighting. These worries are normal, and it would be odd if you didn't think about these things. But you've worked so hard to get here, and I have this strong feeling that the things that have harmed you in terms of your food habits and weight aren't going to beat you any more than cancer or any of the other monsters you have already fought with and emerged from, victorious. Another piece of good news is once you've done the pre-op diet, had surgery, and spent a couple weeks unable to eat any of the bad stuff, your body will no longer crave it the way it does now. I sometimes miss some of my old comfort foods (like ramen noodles and mac and cheese) but the strength of my cravings pales compared to the joy I feel as I melt and my health issues reverse. I wouldn't trade these 36 pounds I've lost so far since surgery for all the ramen and mac and cheese in the world, and now I have the tools to say no to the food that once held me hostage physically, mentally, and emotionally. We're glad you're here, and we will be here to support you, commiserate, and Celebrate with you every step of the way. I wish you the best of luck! Feel free to message me or friend me any time. Abby

I would probably stick to the pro-op diet while healing, since it's what your body needs anyway, Protein and low sugar. But it's a good idea to ask your surgeon about it. Hope you get better soon!

For the liquid phase: -Protein powder of your choice (I like Body Fortress). -ready-to-drink Protein shakes (optional, but useful. I like Premier Protein and Met RX RTD 51). -low sodium broth, whatever flavors you like. -cream Soups (which you can make with low fat milk and strain any pieces out of. I got unjury chicken Soup flavored Protein Powder and would put a scoop of it in my milky cream of chicken soup for a protein packed, soothing drink). -some people like crystal light powders or similar products. But I hate them because I hate the taste of sugar Water. But there are a lot of sugar free options that might work well for you if you do like them. -sugar-free popsicles. For the puree phase: -canned chicken (it's softer than cooked chicken and easier to puree, I found. I like the chicken from Trader Joe's. Sooo good). -cottage cheese (I ate a lot of this because it's easy on the stomach and has a lot of protein in it. I'm in the soft foods stage now and I still eat cottage cheese daily. If you can find a low fat option, that would be very useful to you. It tastes MUCH better pureed, if you're one of those people who hate the consistency of it, like I am). -canned or from a pouch - tuna, salmon. -sugar free or low sugar applesauce (you can toss a scoop of protein powder in it). -sugar-free fat-free pudding (Jello makes a TON of sugar-free fat-free options. I would often make mine with a Protein shake instead of milk AND put a scoop of protein powder in it and eat it in little tiny bites throughout the day when I had a hard time eating anything more than a bite at a time, and that will most likely be a feeling you will have as well). -part skim mozzarella (purees really well, surprisingly, and has a really good amount of protein even for just like 2 ounces. easy to throw into your meals in small amounts for a lot of added protein). -yogurt. For solid (but soft) food phase: -eggs. -soft, low fat cheese (mozzarella sticks work well for me). -chicken/turkey cooked in a crock pot so it is VERY soft (eat these really slowly. some people find they can't tolerate meat unless it's pureed). -more cottage cheese. -any fish or seafood. -tofu (if you have insulin resistance or PCOS - DO NOT EAT THIS as soy is terrible for women with these problems). -Beans (cooked well). -part skim ricotta. -oatmeal (cooked very soft with low fat or skim milk. Watch the sugar content if you buy flavored oatmeal. I like the Quaker Oats Weight Control Oatmeal because it's low fat and low sugar but has a higher protein content). -cream of rice or cream of wheat. -veggies (here's something that is on my food list from my surgeon, but I honestly can't get in all the protein I need yet and don't have room for veggies yet. But if you can fit them in, try to. Stay away from raw, fibrous veggies, seeds, and skins. Try for cooked fresh veggies that are very soft or canned veggies). -fruits (similar to veggies here for me. Just no room for them. But if you can, try for ripe, soft fruit. Stay away from skins, seeds. Also avoid citrus fruits because they can irritate your stomach lining, grapes, and berries because they are way too high in sugar content). Hope this helps.

I am nowhere near brave enough for this... I do, however, greatly admire you and everyone else able to do this! This is really awesome!

I'm sorry I can't offer you any suggestions but I just had to say... "doesn't agree with" the surgery? Lol! That's like a doctor "not agreeing with" giving insulin to a type 2 diabetic. Sometimes I'm kind of floored by the opinions of medical "professionals" and how they are allowed to enter the professional medical workplace and should NEVER be there. Anyway, I have PCOS as well. Super not-fun, I know. :/ I hope you find a good OBGYN! Sorry again that I can't be any help. Also, just be prepared, there's a chance you might lose a little slower than some people you have encountered here due to your PCOS. I'm 7 weeks post-op on Monday and I've lost 33 pounds. That's still quite normal and a decent amount but some people lose that in like 3 weeks. Losing that quickly does not usually happen for PCOS people, unfortunately, but there are always exceptions! Just be prepared. Good luck!

Welcome aboard! You're in the right place for support. I had my bypass 7 weeks ago Monday. Feel free to friend me or message me anytime.

you've lost over half the weight I have and I'm 7 weeks post op. I'm a little jealous! but yes, that nausea when you drink is unfortunately normal and will eventually go away. Right now your stomach has new incisions and has been through a HUGE trauma. As you heal, you will tolerate things much, much better. Take care, keep your chin up. Feel better!

I haven't but my surgeon's office makes it standard to have your gallbladder out at the same time as the bypass/sleeve/etc, and I know a lot of people out of my office who have had hernial repairs at the same time. Everyone seems to come out of it okay. I had my RNY almost 7 weeks ago and my gallbladder out last summer. Good luck!

I have not told many people either. Now, 6 weeks post op and about 30 pounds down, if anyone in my life notices I tell them I've been exercising and being very careful with food. Which I was doing anyway before surgery, only now I'm actually losing weight. XD You have no responsibility to tell anyone you don't want to tell. It's no one's business besides yours and your significant other, and even then, it's WAY more about you. You do what you feel is the right thing and everyone else can either support you or learn to deal with the fact that it's not their body and not their choice. :-)

Welcome! I'm 23 and had my RNY 6 and a half weeks ago. Feel free to friend me/message me anytime.

If you say no and he continues to be touchy feely, you need to smack that down now. By continuing that behavior after you've told him to stop, he's showing you he has no respect for you and has no problem pushing intimacy on you without your permission. If he's truly your friend, he will listen to you when you tell him to knock it off OR ELSE.