KateBruin

I was told decaf because it can cause dehydration. I haven’t had caffeine as I’m only 2 weeks post bypass but I had it every day post sleeve after a month or two. I just make sure to increase fluids to compensate and keep a closer eye on my urine output and color. I had severe GERD, which is why I had bypass so I’m being careful about caffeine and acidic drinks this time. I’d rather feel good overall than rely on caffeine...for now.

I am allowed absolutely no NSAIDS because I had bypass 2 weeks ago but I was allowed them post sleeve after a short period of healing. Surgeon said I can try Mobic/meloxicam in about 6 months but will have to watch closely for ulcers. Bypass was a difficult decision since I rely on Mobic for my ankylosing spondylitis (similar to RA). Hopefully once I restart humira I’ll be okay. Tylenol is a big thumbs down.

So I hate cardio. I have popcorn lung and my lower lobes trap air. I was fit and extremely athletic till my mid 20s when I started gaining from seroquel. Fast forward to 2017 and 267 lbs, I joined a HIIT gym like orange theory or Barry’s. Post sleeve I did it 10x a week. I started off as the fattest, most out of shape and had to modify. Lost 105 lbs, 40 of them from workout alone. I got a hernia repair and decided to switch focus to core so I started barre 5x a week, Pilates 3x and HIIT 1-2x. Then I tore my shoulder and now I just got bypass and will have the other shoulder soon. That’s my long way of saying it might be easier to start in a structured class like orange theory, training mate if you’re in LA (the best!!), F45 or something along those lines. Meet with the trainer before and explain your limitations. Screw anyone who judges you. Anyone who judges someone trying to better themselves is awful and can kick rocks. No matter my weight I always admire the extremely heavy or in LA just the overweight people in workouts or at the gym. Basically I don’t do cardio except the intervals of rowing, ski erg, and quick reps of some exercises. Everyone be kind to yourselves. We all have to start somewhere!

As a patient you are extremely vulnerable. You rely on staff for nearly everything immediately post op. Many, many patients and family members have trouble advocating for themselves or a loved one. It doesn’t make her story a lie. I had a nurse force me to wet me bed when I could not walk after breaking my back but was past the catheter stage. There are bad nurses. Lazy nurses, racist nurses. Please report her. Go to the state RN board if you need to. She has no right interacting with patients until she gets further sensitivity training.

Toast was a difficult thing to stomach after my sleeve. I still on purée after bypass but I suspect bread will still be difficult. You kind of got a double whammy with bread and the high fat in ham plus having to break down veggies. That’s a lot for your poor stomach at once. Give it another try in a couple weeks.

Sorry for the repeat tale of coughing up medicine. I swear the days blur together and I can never remember what I’ve written here. I blame the obscenely low calories I’m on.

I think I remember reading the overall rate is 95% but the 3 surgeons at cedars have a 90% rate so I did appreciate getting a statistic that is more applicable for me since I’m in his specific hands. I’m not sure if I mentioned it but I did have one episode where I coughed up a little bit of 10 capsules I swallowed and that was disgusting. It takes about an hour for me to get them down so I probably swallowed them too fast. I’m supposed to open them all but I just can’t. I still burp and hiccup but apart from that one episode haven’t felt or tasted any acid and I haven’t vomited at all in almost 2 weeks post op. Only lost a few lbs but while I’m disappointed I remind myself I didn’t get it for weight loss and I can lose my steroid weight in the gym when I’m better.

My surgeon actually said I had something like this that didn’t show up on any scans or tests preop/in the year and a half between surgeries. He said there was some big mass/lump type thing right above or below my esophagus. I forget as it was a drain removal appointment so I was focused on that. No real GERD at all post op. I hiccup and burp and today I coughed up a little medicine but I take 12 capsules a night so I guess it was bound to happen.

I celebrated yogurt like it was my favorite food in the world. What I decided to do was get low fat plain Greek yogurt and I blend in half a banana for sweetener and frozen fruit so I make my own naturally sweetened yogurt as I despise the artificially flavored yogurts.

I had no vision problems on the patch but once I removed it I went through “withdrawal” and had to steal my mom’s reading glasses! I kept feeling earthquakes too. So weird as I’ve had the patch several other times and never had this rebound effect.

Finally lost a little fluid but I am still retaining. It’s a no pants party in my house cause pants make my sensitive skin feel worse and my incisions still hurt. I’m usually healed by now so I’m guessing it’s autoimmune related. Weighed myself...I actually forget what I was at surgery (205ish) but I’m officially out of the 200s and at 199. I got the surgery for GERD so my doctor didn’t expect me to lose much but I do need to get down to about 150-160. Dying for some real food. I’ve snuck a slice of cheese here and there. I take all my meds as small pills or capsules. Lots of googling told me capsules dissolve with just water so they don’t need a ton of stomach acid. I tried opening them into apple sauce and basically wanted to die. So I just take 12 capsules and a pill or two over the course of about an hour. I coughed up some of the capsule today and it was disgusting but otherwise it’s a success. GERD is essentially gone. I hiccup quite a bit and that’s a mild symptom but no real acid except some of one of my pills earlier.

Anyone who shares my date (April 4) lose weight yet? I gained 4 lbs in swelling a fluid retention. Stupid scale. Today I’m getting plain Greek yogurt from TJs and frozen fruit to blend in. I can’t stand the low calorie, pre mixed fruit yogurts. I thank pain meds for helping me think outside of the box!

Ughhhh even though I start the next phase today (yay yogurt!!!) I’m in that darkness where I’m depressed and regret my decision, thinking I’ve screwed myself over for life. Hopefully it passes soon.

Same insurance. Approved within 24 hours of submission! I had basically every test under the sun done to see if there was another cause apart from the high pressure sleeve.

I’m a week out from surgery. I had severe reflux before. Not once since! I hiccup a bit and get chest gas pain but it could still be leftover from surgery. I’ve had a few times where I thought acid would come up but it hasn’t! I’m in the deep depression phase where I regret my surgery but in my heart of hearts I don’t even though I’m depressed and feeling low. I am taking 1x a day Prevacid for a month but even before surgery meds did nothing.

Yes but the general rule is less then 20 cc/mL in 24 hours then it’s ready. Some people have them for a few days, some for weeks or month. Mine is still putting out too much liquid but I’m hoping if I cry he’ll remove it. Every day it’s in is another risk of infection. Plus, the bandage is somewhat difficult to take off yourself so you’d need someone who isn’t squeamish. I’ve been to urgent care twice at $30 a pop just to have it changed. Praying it’s out today. Supposed to be yesterday but no one called me back. If it isn’t out today I’ll cry.

Good luck!! I was converted technically yesterday/Thursday. My mom wouldn’t drive me. I had an amazing Lyft driver who made me laugh at 5 am and no sleep because I was anxious and super amped up. I pretty much feel like I’m dying because this hospital is super weird about pain meds but the broth, tea, and SF sorbet I had was all amazing. So proud of you for doing it despite support from your husband. It’s so hard!

I brought protein water powder but they add protein shakes to my clear liquids diet maybe tomorrow?Protein powder adds a thickness that I can’t stand in anything unless it’s hot or something like yogurt. I hope you didn’t buy too much of all that stuff. It’s really weird how tastes change after surgery. After my sleeve I started loving very high cacao dark chocolate and started to hate foods and drinks I loved. It’s extremely common. Which water protein powder do you use? I got two from vitamin shoppe the other day but haven’t tried them yet. She said the brand dissolves well except the chocolate and vanilla. I got basically fruity pebbles and strawberry-banana

My surgeon has to put a drain in in about 50% of his patients. No drain was needed for my sleeve but I have a drain from bypass. I can’t feel it at all and I’m a little worried to sleep but I can’t seem to sleep anyway. It did leak twice from the skin insertion site. They loaded it up with padding and I can see it’s starting to bleed through. The heparin has caused a boatload if bruising from every incision, plus the spot I dropped a glass jar on the other day and part of my leg that I had waxed Wednesday. TL:DR I have a drain and it’s weird but no biggie except potentially sleeping and it’s leaked.

I had a panic attack last night and almost rescheduled. But, I’m about 8 hours out and *knocks on wood* doing amazing except the gas pain. Holy cow is it bad. Much worse than the sleeve’s gas. Working on a suuuuper yummy dinner of diet sorbet, tea, diet cranberry juice, orange jello (WHY?!) and broth that tastes like heaven. They’re not giving me enough pain medication but I expected it at Cedars Sinai. Hopefully I go home tomorrow. To anyone who is my surgery twin, how are you? If you can’t sleep, feel free to PM me!

Surgery is in less than 7 hours and I’m so nervous I could vomit. It’s funny the surgery doesn’t scare me as much as my mom shunning me because of it and I’m scared of the horrible back pain I get in hospital beds. Can’t decide if I should just stay awake or nap for 2 hours.

I lost 105 with my sleeve and I’ll say my joints started to feel much better. I wasn’t huge but I was obese. Guess I am again since I gained 40 on steroids and BMI is 31/32. The humira reduces a lot of my inflammation but I’m going 4 weeks without it and without mobic. Funny when I lost weight I ended up with injuries from my heavy workouts. Facing my second shoulder repair in 8 weeks or so once I heal from today’s sleeve. EEEP!! It’s in 7 hours!!

Forgot to say ask for a Benzo to relax you. I can’t really get an iud as I’ve had stage 0 cancer and my cervix is all kinds of chopped up but I’ve had friends who can get through it with a benzo and/or a low dose opioid like Vicodin or Tylenol 3. It’s not fun if your cervix is sensitive or you’ve never given birth. You’ll feel crampy and awful for a bit. *hugs*

My doctor made a very strong point to stop for several months while everything heals. I have ankylosing spondylitis and hashis so I need it for my joints (humira too). Humira I’ll have to give up for a month total so I can heal without infection. I’m willing to suffer a little to make sure I don’t get an ulcer. I need a second shoulder repair 8 or so weeks after my sleeve to bypass but I’d rather be in pain that have an ulcer (wine is life 😆). I suffered for years not realizing my pain was autoimmune arthritis so I’m hoping I can manage it with Tylenol, lidocaine patches, topical NSAIDS. They’re much safer and approved by my surgeon (check them out! I get pennsaid that is brand name but there’s generic versions). I’ll end up in more pain after my next shoulder reconstruction without mobic/meloxicam but I survived one of the most demanding degrees at UCLA and law school pre diagnosis (not bragging!) so I hope I can do it again. I can handle shoulder and joint pain via PT but not a damn ulcer!

PB2 is amazing! I make a shake with PB2, honey, strawberries, banana, double scoop of whey, almond milk and Greek yogurt. So much protein and vitamins and then I freeze it to be “ice cream”