Nymea

I had my surgery on 16th July 2016 and went into a stall a couple of weeks ago. I found I was obsessing so much about it I had to do something radical. So I stopped stepping on the scale, I stopped obsessively counting everything I put in my mouth and scouring the internet for stall busting ideas. Instead I decided to focus on living instead of losing weight. I haven't stepped on the scales in 11 days so I have no idea what they say now. I do know I am happier and more relaxed, and that my clothes seem to have gotten much looser over these last 2 weeks - so I would say that is a win regardless of what the scales might or might not say. I have decided not to step on the scales until my next surgeon's appointment just to make sure I don't go back to obsessing. There are far better things to focus my time and attention on than what the scales say.

I have been rather sad the last few days as I realise how many things I can't eat now. I know that is the point of the surgery and it was the only way to get all the weight off in the long run but even so I feel rather sad that I can't enjoy a little something at Christmas or on my birthday. I seem to dump at even a sniff of fat or sugar which pretty much eliminates anything "fun" to have.

If you research it, vegetables have protein in them as well ... some of them in quite decent amounts. So please don't write off vegetables as unimportant.

My doc told me not to drink protein shakes once I am on full diet. Just eat a balanced healthy diet.

So I am at the end of week 4 post op and I noticed a couple of days ago a sudden change in my ability to eat things. Food is going down easier as long as I take my time and chew it well and less things are coming back up. I have been able to broaden my range of food significantly in the last couple of days from basically not tolerating anything but soup consistency to being able to manage a tiny bit of chicken breast and salad. I think that maybe internal swelling has finally settled down, combined with being much more careful about how I chew, mouthful size and rests between bites. I hope this gives hope to those of you who are still only a few days out from surgery and struggling.

Hello everyone I am pre - op and have quite a few fears and concerns. I was wondering what fears others had and thought it might be good to share a little. My biggest fear is not losing weight. I know it is unrealistic given the nature of bypass surgery, but I think that I have tried and failed at so many diets I can't quite believe this one will make the difference. Naturally I am a little concerned about the actual surgery, but I spent 20 years as a theater nurse so I know how the surgery goes and that the risks are less than flying, so I am less worried about that `than afterwards. I know my blood pressure drops dramatically when I have an anaesthetic and that can be a worry if they can't keep it high enough to feed my brain with oxygen. I also have terrible post anaesthetic nausea and vomiting which I am not looking forward to ... although I do know there are ways of giving anaesthetics which minimise that. I am not particularly worried about post-op pain. It is something that will pass and hospitals have plenty of ways of helping with pain. I am not worried about needles .. I have been on insulin for about 30 years now so I am used to them. I am a bit worried about blood sugar control in the first weeks post op though. There is a chance I may not get off insulin completely because I have been on it so long and blood sugar problems are one of the main causes of me giving up on diets in the past. When my sugar is high I am starving hungry and nothing fills the space and when my sugars are too low I have to eat whether I want to or not.

Good luck to you both. The best advice I can give you is to take each minute as it comes and know that this is the worst it is going to be .. it only gets better from now on.

When I tried egg the first mouthful came back up and I felt so bad I remained on clear fluids the rest of that day. I am nearly ready to try egg again since I can eat much better now than back then, but egg seems to be a challenging food for some.

I have the same problem and despite the best efforts of the anaesthetist and my specialist I still vomited for 3 days solid then intermittently for the next 4 days. I had no negative effects on my pouch though. I do still get nausea most days .. especially in the mornings. My doc assures me that will settle down with time.

I was on Lantus 40 pre op plus Humalog with meals. They stopped my humalog after surgery and cut my Lantus down by half because of too many lows. I have been very slowly adjusting it downwards (2 units /day each week) and am at the stage now where I think I am safe to stop it all together. I will watch my sugars closely for a while until I know exactly how each food affects me but I am hoping that I wont be on any insulin after this week.

I am almost 4 weeks out and still feeling drained. Not quite as bad as the first 2 weeks, but if I push myself I get cold to the core and the only way to warm up is to go to bed and sleep. I have had several friends tell it it lasts a good couple of months so I am just biding my time.

I am in my 4th week post RNY ... I burp a lot too .. often when my stomach is empty first thing in the morning. Once I have eaten it seems to settle down a bit. Also tea makes it really bad especially if I have it on an empty stomach. I guess it is our system adjusting to the new way of life.

Good luck for your surgery. Don't forget to come back and tell us how you are getting along once you are recovered enough to be online

I left hospital after 6 days the same weight as I started then over the next couple of weeks the weight just fell off. Be patient and it will happen.

Can I reassure anyone who is nervous about the actual surgery and dying ... I have been an OR nurse for over 20 years and virtually no one dies during an operation (we don't like it because there is too much paperwork). In fact you are safer during the op than in the week or two afterwards. The biggest risks with this surgery are infection and blood clots. You can control blood clots to a certain extent by co-operating with the nurses and physios by getting up and moving as soon as they permit you to and wearing the stockings or compression sleeves they give you. For infection make sure your nutrition status is strong before surgery because that will help your immune system battle any bugs. In addition follow your surgeon's instructions with regard to dressings etc. Also if you notice any swelling/pain/hotness/redness report it straight away. Occasionally something unexpected happens, but you are more likely to die in a car accident on the way to the hospital than as a result of the actual surgery.

Dawn is right and it is why I was asking specifically for products available in Australia. We have such a limited range available ... I think we get the rejects the rest of the world won't buy.

Hi Dawn Yes my surgery went well ... it is still early days but I seem to be doing okay. Still taking each day and each meal as it comes but that is normal for RNY especially in the early days.

Hi Minihaha .. I am wondering how you got on with the surgeon? Did he agree to do RNY? My surgeon agreed to do RNY straight out of the gate because of a hiatus hernia and GERD. He told me that it was the best and safest option for me in the circumstances. You are correct that we do a lot less RNY in Australia, but they are still done for those who need them. Fingers crossed you will get yours.

Thank you for all your responses. I am 3 weeks post op now and have lost 6 kg since my surgery .. 11 kg all together including pre op diet. Yet in the back of my mind is still the fear that I will be the one who doesn't lose much at all. I am a nurse and I know that it is biologically impossible to not lose weight on my current calorie intake ( average of about 600 cals a day) ... but the nagging doubts still linger. I suppose it comes from always failing in the past. I would lose 5 - 10 kg and then stall and eventually it would creep back on. This time my stomach simply won't allow me to over eat ... at least not yet so I know I will lose more ... but I am afraid I won't.

That is one fear I have ... that telling people might have them watching and waiting to see if I fail. Especially those who are overweight themselves and made negative remarks previously about WLS. I figure if I have already lost weight and they ask me about it they can't watch for failure since I would have already succeeded.

Well I am 3 weeks post op now and still on insulin ... I am taking half the daily dose I used to but still need it or my sugars go up even if I eat and drink nothing. I do find that I don't need the fast acting insulin with meals because I don't eat enough to affect my sugars significantly.

I also want to add that it is very much your own choice who to tell what and when. However, I would suggest not saying much to anyone other than those who need to know ... until after your surgery. It is going to be hard enough as it is without naysayers trying to convince you not to do it. Once it is already done and they realise they can't talk you out of it they may be far more interested in your results.

I read an article the other day that said exactly the same thing. It explained that when we plateau our bodies are actually burning fat stores and converting them to glycogen which needs water for storage ... and this amounts to about 10 pounds in weight. So when you seem to get stuck take comfort in the knowledge that this is when you are losing fat. The quick weight loss you have early on is just the release of glycogen and water as your body panics and sends all its resources to giving you energy.

I am only 3 weeks out but it seems to me that I take two steps forward and one or one and a half back ... what I could do yesterday I can't today, what I could eat yesterday won't stay down today. Like you I am wondering how long this is going to last and afraid this is going to be my life from now on

I only told close family and one friend prior to surgery because I didn't want negative stories and comments making the decision any harder than it was. I am only 3 weeks post and although I have lost 5 kg it isn't that noticeable yet, plus I am not going out much at the moment so I don't have to deal with it. Additionally, I had a hiatus hernia that needed a repair at the same time, so I told a couple of people who knew I was having surgery that I was having the hernia repair and left it at that. If anyone asks about what I am eating who doesn't know ... I just tell them it is because of the hernia repair.