Berry78

Sore how? Do you mean your abdominal wall, or internally? The main thing this early out is to 100% follow your diet, and get up and keep moving every couple hours. Just walking around the house is ok, if that's all you can do. Hope you start feeling better soon!

I also went on vacation 3 months postop, and it was perfect! I was able to hike up a (LITTLE) mountain, and keep going for about 5 miles. I felt as strong as I was preop.. but that took the whole 3 months getting there. 8 weeks postop would have been a different story. So.. barring complications... I expect you'll be fine Once Caveat.. blood clots are a risk for the first 6 months postop, so please take precautions during extensive travel by car or plane. (Movement, compression stockings, etc.).

At least 4 bathroom trips a day is a good rule of thumb.. that's really not many! Once when you wake up, once at bedtime, and just twice all day. Once a day means she wakes up and pees, but doesn't go again until the next morning. That is VERY concerning, no matter how big her bladder is.

Bone broth has protein in it, regular doesn't. If you make it at home, just simmer meat and bones in a big pot for 4-8 hours (I like using a pack of chicken legs.. cheap and simple. I add about a teaspoon of salt, pepper to taste, and a tablespoon of italian seasoning). You can save the meat in the freezer for use in a month or so... I had trouble finding commercial bone broth, but it ended up being in the organic food section at my local grocery store.

Today is my 4 month surgiversary too! I'm down 66lbs! You're beating me! Lol! Congrats to us!!!!

Water and electrolyes.. check out how much sodium, potassium, and magnesium you are receiving through your diet. It may take a bit of research, looking at the nutritional content of each of your foods.. (google helps, since potassium and magnesium usually aren't on the labels). Check out your prescriptions.. maybe your needs have changed. At the very least, you should put a call in to your primary care doctor so they can draw some labs and check things over...

Congrats on your surgery! Definitely keep an eye on your seeping wound. By 3 days out I don't think I had any drainage. Just keep your team informed. See if you are allowed to crush any of your pills. Whole pills of any size are the pits for a few weeks. Drinking is a full time job, and until you are meeting your fluid goals, try and stay out of the heat. Moses just needs extra, shorter jaunts. This first week, if you find protein fills you up, preventing you from getting in your liquids, then cut back a bit on the protein. Fluids are more important than protein this early out. By the second week, protein will be easier. I loved bone broth for week 1, as it was fluid and protein.

I never could see my swelling ,though it was there.. so I'll hazard a guess that it can take a couple months. I figure the skin where you see the scars gives a little idea of how things are healing on the inside, and I still had some scabbing 3-4 weeks out. By 8 weeks postop my skin seemed pretty well healed... so I figure your swelling should be much better in another month.

Says something about what I'm escaping, don't it?! Lol!

When the pets have dull coats, first you look for worms, (which I'll assume isn't the problem here ) then we look at adding oil. But hard to guess based on what you've told so far... there are plenty of other nutrients that may be lacking other than protein and vitamins...

Awww, come on guys, I escape my bitchy household into the relative tranquility of BP, and I get this? Sigh...

Take your time, try and make sure the air is out of your mouth as you swallow. Your tongue will move the liquid around, forcing air out of your mouth through your nose. It sounds complicated, but it is pretty straight forward if you let the liquid sit in your mouth for a moment. The other source of air is bubbles in your blended or shaken thick liquids. And of course, straws can potentially be a source of air too, depending on how they are used. The main thing is to just take little drinks. "Sipping" is kinda a misnomer because most people slurp in air as they "sip" a hot beverage (for example).. you don't want to do THAT! lol.

When we go on these super-restricted diets, many of the nutrients that we take for granted are removed from our diets. It's easy to think.. hey, I'm getting my protein, water, and vitamins.. I'm good! Things like sodium, potassium, and magnesium aren't IN vitamins, and from what you are saying, aren't in a large quantity in the shakes. Good to know, thank you! Once I went on a regular diet, I ran my normal daily intake through a recipe nutrient calculator (actually several, with varying results.. which to believe?!) and was really surprised by some of the deficiencies. This tells me what to add to my diet to make up for those things. Vitamin E is a bugger.. mostly found in sunflower seeds, potassium is low.. have to add low sodium v8 or coconut water, and sodium is low, so my nuts/seeds are salted. The added salt helps with iodine consumption, especially for those that don't eat seafood regularly. The interesting thing is how MUCH food we can consume for relatively few calories, when you leave out added sugars, oils, and grains. (Grains aren't inherently bad, but they truly are low on the nutrition hierarchy, and should be reserved for maintenance for most of us).

OutsideMatchesInside hit the nail on the head with her new post. We keep seeing regain threads popping up like dandelions in my lawn (I actually love them, so don't do anything to eradicate them .. therefore there are a TON). Anyhoo.. since there aren't many threads with successful people telling their long term successes.. (and the few that we do see, basically say the same thing, "Stick to the program").. that how else are we to respond, even without having been there, done that?

I had a gnawing sensation within the first week. At first it was acid, increased my acid reducers, and that went away. Acid hunger felt similar to real hunger, but I could tell a difference. But by a month postop, I could feel actual hunger. Now, at 4 months postop, if I go 4-5 hours without eating, I get an empty pit, but as soon as I eat, I'm good. (I can eat anything and feel satisfied, so it's real hunger, not head hunger/craving).

I used my weight day of surgery to determine which chart to follow. 10 days: I lost a pound less than expected 6 weeks: I landed within range 3 months: I lost 3 pounds more than expected I am consuming lots of healthy calories (1200-1300/day), and don't exercise to speak of...

In sleeves, they remove a large section of stomach completely from the body. It's gone, no reattachment possible. This doesn't bother me, personally.

Are you sure? Man, lilacs sound yummy right now! lol! Actually, I love this! Thanks!

If we are to believe the set-point theory, then this is true pre-op. It SHOULDN'T be true post-op, if the surgery does, indeed, reset our set-points, as seems to be the case with the rats. You've read the study on bariatric rats, right? Obese rats have the surgery, lose to normal weights (on a restricted diet), then when fed free-choice again, they maintain their losses, and continue being normal rats. The difference between rats and people is the rats don't have emotional issues or head hunger. They eat when they're hungry (and they were fed healthy rat-chow, not doughnuts!), stop when they're full. Our new set points may not be "normal weight". There is good reason to believe it is something higher than that (like retaining 30% of excess weight). But the losses to that point should be relatively easy and straightforward, and relatively easily maintained. We just have to eat like the rats.

Keep in mind, everyone gets cold feet the last few weeks, so what you are feeling is normal nerves. BUT there are people that get the surgery and regret it long term, so use this time to weigh all your options. Option 1. Get the surgery as planned. 2. If you are a candidate, go with a sleeve instead.. fewer complications (but if they do happen, they'll be just as expensive as the bypass ones). 3. Cancel the surgery, with the understanding that you may reschedule when you are comfortable. 4. Reschedule the surgery for January. 5. Have the surgery in Mexico, and that would leave quite a bit of money in your bank account to help with any complications. (I went to Mexico with Dr. Illan, and have no problem recommending that option to others. It was a very good experience.. and Dr. Illan is willing to help with any future issues, you just have to be able to fly down for the care). Complications from surgery would be expensive, but so are complications from morbid obesity. Diet and exercise programs are a bargain, so if you haven't tried them, that may be a great thing to do if you choose options 3 or 4.

When this question pops up, I tell people, "you're right!" Diet and exercise WILL drop the pounds, and if you keep it up, they will stay off. Period. It really IS as simple as that. BUT, for a myriad of reasons, some people just can't diet and exercise and stick with it long term. Dr. Matthew Weiner (bariatric surgeon in Michigan with a helpful youtube channel) feels it is to do with the "set-point theory". When obese people cut calories, their bodies rebel by decreasing the metabolism and increasing hunger to the point that the person just can't stay on his/her diet anymore, and begins eating more, and gaining back. According to him, there ARE those lucky few that seem to be able to diet and exercise, and keep it off without undue hardship, but it's only 5-10% of the population. The surgery supposedly "resets" the set-point, so now the body feels that it "should" be 100lbs lighter than it currently is. So now the body decreases hunger, increases metabolism, and helps you along. It's like the difference between paddling a canoe upstream and down. Both ways are possible, it's just MUCH, MUCH easier to go with the flow! But, what I tell people.. if you haven't tried and failed enough diets to know the truth of these statements, and how they impact you, then please, DON'T get the surgery! Go and find a diet that you feel will do good things for you, and try wholeheartedly to drop the weight. The surgery will still be here if you end up changing your mind. The surgery really should be a last resort. Complications are rare, but real (and can be severe), so you need to be 100% certain this is your only option.

Absolutely! There are several here on the board. Ultimately, the weight you'll lose will partly be up to your personal metabolism, and partly your lifestyle choices.

good luck!!!!

Umm.. good question, and I honestly don't know where I got the number, but the average person goes 6-8 times a day, so 4 being a minimum isn't unreasonable. Apparently gwbicster's doc concurs. Google it yourself and see what you turn up...

Jiminy said in her other post that she was only peeing once or twice a day. The minimum should be 4 times a day, so ayanna.. if you are also only going a couple times a day, you should also talk to your doc. I just assumed you are going frequently enough, just having decreased output. Of course, when in doubt, always contact your doctor. My MIL has a UTI right now, out of the blue, and I'm sure it's from not drinking enough for the hot weather. (Causing dehydration, causing concentrated urine, allowing the bacteria to take hold). Drink, Drink, Drink.. and if you're still not peeing, get to the doc.