katie09/21/2016

I'm not even a week out from my surgery, so I know it's only early days, but I'm struggling mentally and could really use some support or advice? Waking up from surgery was so much tougher than I expected. I envy all you folks who breezed through recovery! I'm planning on going to a support group as soon as I am feeling physically up to it. In the meantime, would love to hear from anyone who has been there, done that?? I'm completely ok with the food restrictions, it's just my hospital stay was tough & chaotic - instead of restful. Now I have my kiddos to look after & im a weepy, nauseous mess! Please tell me it gets better?? Sent from my iPod touch using the BariatricPal App

I'm not here to fight either. I'm like the least confrontational person you will ever meet! And I don't think people are here to attack me - I am not paranoid & I don't need prayers for my wayward soul...I'm simply pointing out how some of the attitudes can come across and how this in turn is NOT helpful to anyone. If my grandmother, mother or aunt spoke in terms of telling people they are full of crap just for the sake of it I would sound them out too. I am a mother too & I'm probably not as young as you think (33). But I get what you are saying here. It's ok for the leaders to make mistakes - and its ok to be humble and say "yeah ok, that was a pretty poor move" or "I get where you are coming from". I witnessed a perfect example of this on another post today with one of your named warriors & I have much respect for this person and I learnt something from it. I think your posts add a lot to the forums & my original bee in the bonnet wasn't really directed at you. So I am not sure if we can see eye to eye on this, or if it's agree to disagree - either way your hug is much appreciated and well received - thankyou Sent from my iPod touch using the BariatricPal App

I get it from Walmart or Safeway. It's usually near the Vitamin Water & sports drinks Sent from my iPod touch using the BariatricPal App

Yep. The fight and struggle is real - I am living that. That's why it's unhelpful to see people cutting into others for no reason. I see repeat offenders and I realize I'm probably going to get lynched off the forums just because I spoke up about something I think is distasteful (HOW DARE I!). I Have tons of respect for some of the "warrior" names listed: I see strength and humility in those people & I enjoy reading their posts. I get so fed up with the people who just are nasty for the sake of being nasty. There are elements on the forums are proving to be a reflection of society: it's a "shut up you fat b*tch, be seen and not heard while us thinner and wiser souls have the floor and dictate the terms". That's what this is coming across to me as. I'm bracing for the attack now - all because I pointed out it's not helpful to tell someone their surgeon is "full of crap". Maybe I can come back when I'm thinner and I will be "allowed" to speak up? Scary journey indeed. Sent from my iPod touch using the BariatricPal App

You joined one month ago. This is a COMMUNITY of HELP. Maybe we get snarky trying to save lives with people here and sending them to ER visits. YOu tell me one other place you can go for help. NOWHERE. I can barely reach my surgeons nurse in the past three years. I know when to go to the ER. I am older and have pushed past the BS with my surgeon, but a 20 year old does not have my experience. Disrepctful is NOT OUR AGENDA. We are leaders, not nurseries for infants. Give me. Break, I am so offended. Saving lives by telling people their doctors/surgeons are "full of crap" over Vitamins for hair loss?? Ummmm no. You can try and put me in my place with your "I am a leader" speech but the leaders and people I respect in here don't rip people apart for sharing their experience or surgeons advice. I'm not going to let you steamroll me because I pointed out something that is basically a sh*t move and being rude for no reason. Yes, I only joined the community a month ago and I'm still earning my stripes I guess, but just because you are older and have more time in here doesn't give you a free pass to be rude to someone who is sharing information. ITS NOT HELPFUL. But please, let move aside and you continue "saving lives" with your snarkiness. PEACE Sent from my iPod touch using the BariatricPal App

I'm probably going to get strung up and whipped for this comment but I'm going to risk life & limb here regardless.... I have a lot of respect for the veteran weightloss folk. You guys are very inspiring & some of you have been beyond helpful. I like seeing the banter & joking and I am in no way easy offended by anything. What I don't like and I don't respect is the way some people just cut others to pieces in such a disrespectful way. It's one thing to advise bluntly that eating a taco or a pork chop is a bad idea (*tacogate*) - that's fair. It's really not necessary tell someone that their doctor or surgeon or whatever is full of crap when sharing information on this public forum - perhaps those things that didn't work for you might work for someone else? It's really sh*tty to see people treating other people like that. I've had enough of that as a fat person. So, letting the whipping begin.... Sent from my iPod touch using the BariatricPal App

Why no zinc? I've never heard that Sent from my iPod touch using the BariatricPal App

OH NO!!! NO!!!!! Oh yes lol. Pregnant taste buds are a thing of wonder & disgust!! I promise I don't do this in my non-pregnant state. (Vegemite is difficult & expensive to source in the USA ) Sent from my iPod touch using the BariatricPal App

I ate pickles dipped in vegemite when I was pregnant my husband said he had major regrets in marrying an Australian during that time. I can't wait to get off restrictions and dive into the pickle jar one day (slowly and carefully of course!). Some really great snack ideas in this thread! Sent from my iPod touch using the BariatricPal App

Congratulations on your success! This is very inspiring Sent from my iPod touch using the BariatricPal App

I drink them, but mixed with Water. So half bai, half water/ice. My nausea was so bad in the days after surgery and the watermelon one was the only thing I could get down besides pedialyte. I was sleeved on 9/21. It takes me an entire day & night to get through a bottle. I basically use it to flavor water - I hate crystalite it's tastes like sh*t to me. The ones I get are only 5 calories per serving 1 gram of sugar. The only thing about these that might not be "acceptable" is that some of them contain a small amount of caffeine. Sent from my iPod touch using the BariatricPal App

I'm actually in the USA every surgeons plan is completely different. There are 4 surgeons who work out if the center I go to & they all have slightly different ideas on nutrition! Sent from my iPod touch using the BariatricPal App

Thanks for your support! My nausea has pretty much disappeared (thankfully!!) I'm going ok, recovery is a bit trickier than I expected but not bad considering most of my guts were chopped out Sent from my iPod touch using the BariatricPal App

1 - 2 ounces of plain Greek yoghurt is included in my 2 weeks post-op "full liquid" diet. Even with this in my plan I'm so over the liquid stage so I understand what you are feeling. I would say always follow your surgeons advice - especially if you only have one day before you check in. Sent from my iPod touch using the BariatricPal App

I got mine 20 minutes before my surgery started! I asked to run into the bathroom one last time before surgery and...SURPRISE! It was annoying but the staff didn't even blink I guess it's pretty common. If you have ever had a baby they give you basically the same underwear/pads as you get post baby. Doesn't have any impact on the surgery at all it just wasn't fun afterwards because I did not come out of surgery feeling well at all & it was just another thing I had to deal with...I was feeling very sorry for myself on many fronts! lol but honestly it was fine Sent from my iPod touch using the BariatricPal App

I had a cold the week before my surgery & I just pushed fluids & Vitamin c with zinc like crazy!! It cleared up a couple days before surgery so I was good to go, but I really feel like it made my recovery a tiny bit harder because I was so run down. Sent from my iPod touch using the BariatricPal App

I went through this a little bit with family members. I just would re-direct the conversation to the cold hard facts about obesity. Anytime someone tried to scare me with worries about surgery I would just say "yeah but that's not as concerning as me getting diabetes or worse if I remain obese". The most vocal objectors in my family were surprisingly obese themselves! Now I've survived surgery (almost 2 weeks post op) they are making very passive aggressive remarks about how it's shallow to go through surgery just to look better never mind all the health benefits.... It's drives me crazy! I am getting to the point where I'm not even going to allow the objectors to speak to me about it Sent from my iPod touch using the BariatricPal App

Advice/reassurance needed My surgery experience to date has been a bit rocky. I had really bad problems with nausea but that's all passed and I've been feeling pretty decent all things considered. Well today I kind of really took a massive step backwards. I'm still on full liquids but I'm having probs with having to run to the bathroom (initially I was constipated and now it's the opposite problem!) - so there's that. Did anyone else have this problem? Of more concern is fainting. I blacked out once completely tonight for no apparent reason (I'm not dehydrated). It caught me off guard the first time it happened and now basically every time I stand up I feel like I'm going to pass out. I'm thinking it might be low blood pressure? My husband is heading home now & we are going to check back in with the hospital where I had the surgery (as per my discharge instructions) but in the meantime if anyone can shed any light or relate to what's going on with me I would appreciate so much hearing from you!! Sent from my iPod touch using the BariatricPal App

I am at the same stage as you post op and I was soooo sick of the premier Protein shakes too! My NUT suggested shamrock farms rockin refuel (the lower sugar one) it is 30g protein per bottle - I like vanilla (I add a pinch of cinnamon too). I get these at Safeway & Walmart they are in the fridge near the milk (they come cold). My NUT also gave the option of Slimfast - but you have to make sure it's the lower carb 20grams protein per bottle, there are a couple different versions of the premade so I have to check the label every time as some of the other versions are not so great as far as keeping low carb. I love the strawberry one and the vanilla is ok too. I now rotate the Premier Protein, shamrock farms & slimfast (I'm still in liquids) and this has helped me a lot. I do have an unflavored Protein powder also, but I can't take in much volume so the premixed shakes are more economical at this time because I can put them back in the fridge. Putting the protein powder once it's mixed in Water or milk back in the fridge just doesn't work for me (it's yucky). Sent from my iPod touch using the BariatricPal App

I am 33 years old & I had my surgery (sleeve) last week. (5'9.5 tall ) starting weight was 271 and I just weighed in this morning at 209 (I had to do many months of pre-op weightloss, most of my weightloss to date has been pre-surgery) Sent from my iPod touch using the BariatricPal App

I think it's lovely that you are trying to help your friend. I'm envious - I don't have any friends who are close enough to me or my children to take the time to help with anything. This may or may not be relevant, but I grew up with parents who had extremely healthy strict eating habits & a very active family (we were at sports every day of the week). To this day, my mom has never even been through a drive thru or never had a sip of soda. Around the time I was maybe 12, I started to resent the strict food routine and I would overeat any junk food I could get my hands on at school through my friends and I started to gain weight quickly because I had never really eaten that sort of food my body just went "wtf?" And I gained weight FAST. My parents had no idea what was going on & I'm close to both of them so this is not resentful. They were just so strictly healthy they didn't consider for a moment that I would get my hands on rubbish! I went on to develop an eating disorder for the remainder of high school (starving myself) so things kind of swung back the other way. I'm not in any way offering criticism, I just know that as a tween and then teen who had eating disorders (overeating and then the opposite) we can hide the behavior extremely well from our parents & loved ones. This might be worth considering alongside all the physical and hormonal investigations? I hope you can all get to the bottom of things. This young lady sounds like she has wonderful support so I am sure you will all figure it out. Goodluck Sent from my iPod touch using the BariatricPal App THIS! I have a good friend (raised in Australia but has been in Texas a long time) who was raised by very strict parents, as far as eating goes. They NEVER allowed treats at all. Not even birthday cake. No Christmas Cookies. Nothing. She tells a hilarious story, that when she was 18 she "bought a box of Lucky Charms and never looked back!" Now this friend has never had a weight problem at all, she is tall, skinny, and gorgeous. BUT you better believe she did not raise her kids that way. She has 3 boys. She taught them healthy eating but also let them cut loose a little bit. Kids eat at school, eat at friends' homes, go out for fast food with friends, etc. This girl could very well just be going through a normal pre-puberty growth spurt, or it could be something else???? This is so funny because I was raised in Australia too but have lived in Arizona for a long time!!! I have 3 boys also haha and I'm raising them to have a different relationship with food than what I was taught: eat healthy, but cut loose a little. I love that lucky charms story!! Haha Sent from my iPod touch using the BariatricPal App

Very excited to jump on the scales this morning and see that I have lost 60 pounds!! I never thought I would reach 60 pounds gone...!!! 7 of those pounds have come off since my surgery last Wednesday & the remainder has been lost since I started my pre-op weightloss in January this year (2016). My stats are: 5'9 (.5) tall, SW: 271 pounds (Jan 2016) CW: 211 pounds. I can't wait to break through the 200 pound mark, it's been awhile since I've seen a 1 at the beginning of my weight....I hope it happens soon! Sent from my iPod touch using the BariatricPal App

Well done on your weightloss! It feels good to see the scale going in the right direction. Yes, I agree that the surgery (and the whole process) is completely worth it!! Sent from my iPod touch using the BariatricPal App

I am a stay at home mom of 3 boys - 9,5 and 2 years old (and we homeschool). I had my surgery one week ago today and it's been hard but it's not terrible! we planned and prepped meals and activities in advance so I don't have to do to much other than supervise. It's just been a week of an upside down routine for the kids and me being tired, nauseous and sore. my house looks awful: dishes and the floors haven't been mopped or vacuumed all week but the kids & I survived. Sent from my iPod touch using the BariatricPal App

I think it's lovely that you are trying to help your friend. I'm envious - I don't have any friends who are close enough to me or my children to take the time to help with anything. This may or may not be relevant, but I grew up with parents who had extremely healthy strict eating habits & a very active family (we were at sports every day of the week). To this day, my mom has never even been through a drive thru or never had a sip of soda. Around the time I was maybe 12, I started to resent the strict food routine and I would overeat any junk food I could get my hands on at school through my friends and I started to gain weight quickly because I had never really eaten that sort of food my body just went "wtf?" And I gained weight FAST. My parents had no idea what was going on & I'm close to both of them so this is not resentful. They were just so strictly healthy they didn't consider for a moment that I would get my hands on rubbish! I went on to develop an eating disorder for the remainder of high school (starving myself) so things kind of swung back the other way. I'm not in any way offering criticism, I just know that as a tween and then teen who had eating disorders (overeating and then the opposite) we can hide the behavior extremely well from our parents & loved ones. This might be worth considering alongside all the physical and hormonal investigations? I hope you can all get to the bottom of things. This young lady sounds like she has wonderful support so I am sure you will all figure it out. Goodluck Sent from my iPod touch using the BariatricPal App