MrsGamgee
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Everything posted by MrsGamgee
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1 week out and really thirsty... odd?
MrsGamgee replied to Jebc's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
I agree with Frustr8... it could be a side effect of your meds. Whatever it is, yay you for being able to get your water in easily! I hope it continues! I initially had an easy time with my fluids, but when I moved up to soft foods, suddenly water began to taste kind of icky and unappetizing, and now I have to be extra diligent to get all my fluids in. That said, I have found that for me, diet iced tea goes down easier. Go figure. -
Oh the places you'll go!
MrsGamgee replied to justmetj's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
My travel bucket list is enormous (I want to track my family tree through the UK and Scandinavia, and I want to go on a photo safari in Kenya... just to name a couple). But one experience that really confirmed my decision about getting surgery was a couple of years ago my hubs and I went to Fan Expo (think: Comic Con) and there is a lot of standing in lines to meet celebrities. I had to stand in a non-moving line on concrete for four hours to get Nathan Fillion's autograph, and the impact on my joints was immense. I was in AGONY!! It became abundantly clear that before I went to another geek-heaven event like that, I had to lose some weight, let alone any real travel experiences that may involve walking/standing. -
Voice Change?
MrsGamgee replied to Mary Sarah Smith's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
Wow... that's really interesting! Something else to watch/listen for I guess. I'm currently surprised about the appearance of my ankles (cankles no more!). I've lost an inch on my neck in the last month, I wonder if my voice will change. *shrugs* -
Favorite Appliance
MrsGamgee replied to Deegirl31's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
My blender for my protein shakes and to puree things like soups (in the early days), and my kitchen scale are things that I use daily. Slow cooker gets used often for soups, stews, and cooking meats to a tender consistency (think pulled pork, chicken, etc). Before my surgery, I read many people talk about stocking up on their 4oz food storage containers, but I didn't get it until after. I use them daily to portion out my prepped food. I have a dozen of them and they're always being used. And I'm planning on saving up for an air fryer. I can see that being super useful in the future. -
How long do I have to take Actigall/Ursodiol?
MrsGamgee replied to justmetj's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I'm on Ursodiol for 6 months, as well as pantaloc (for stomach acid). I'll be glad when I'm done with them because my current pill schedule (balancing Rxs with vitamins, etc) is getting a bit out of control. -
dumping syndrome...
MrsGamgee replied to johnedwin's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I had what I think was an episode of dumping syndrome a little over a week ago (4.5-5 weeks post op). It wasn't sugar, but really bad scheduling on my part... I was late with my mid morning protein shake and then ate lunch (roasted red pepper soup with unflavoured protein powder) a half hour later. Within 15 minutes my heart was racing, I was dizzy and had to lay down, nauseated, and many trips to the toilet. Learned that I have to give my body time to process everything I consume. -
Just when I thought I had no more questions - clear liquids question!!
MrsGamgee replied to KarenLR75's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Mine too... nothing red. -
I'm clinging to that promise that things will get better too... it has for countless others, it will for me (and you!) too. I've been dealing with similar situations with regards to eating, pain, and the added bonus of vomiting. It basically comes down to me eating too fast, taking too big of bites, and not chewing enough. There's also the possibility that your body just isn't ready for whatever it was you were eating. If you are having problems with meats or whatever, going back to fluids/full fluids/purees for a few meals can help. Are all your follow ups with just your surgeon? That seems odd to me, but it may attributable to the differences between the US and Canadian systems. I will only see my surgeon (a decent guy and great surgeon, but definitely not in this because he's a people person) if something needs to be fixed. I see my assigned nurse and my dietician, both of whom are much more personable and helpful when it comes to explaining things and answering my questions. Surgeons are the big picture guys, the support staff are there to walk through the day to day stuff. Hang in there! I know you don't want to hear it, but it will get better. Trust the process and listen to your body. You aren't alone.
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You know the basics... but we all need that kick in the pants every once in a while. Track everything you put in your mouth. Drink your water. Walk. Practice mindfulness... not just with food, but with your thoughts, with your activity, with your relationships. Good on you for catching the bump in the road early and getting on top of it!
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Anyone get surgery without "needing" it?
MrsGamgee replied to Ryanasaurus's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
I've been obese pretty much my whole adult life. I would give just about anything to go back to before I developed co-morbidities and have the surgery then. It could have saved me so much physical and emotional pain, not to mention the $$ spent on prescriptions, weight loss programs, and plus size clothes. And apnea and reflux are 'small' problems, the way pre-diabetes is a 'small' problem. They lead to the big baddies, quicker than you can blink. -
A year and a half ago I put a moratorium on buying anything but the barest of essential clothes because I was working toward surgery. As a stay at home mom, I basically live in jeans, yoga pants, leggings, and tshirts, so it's not like I'm a major shopper. I also had a closet full of my fat, fatter, fattest clothes to work my way through so I thought I'd be okay for the first while after surgery. Now, 6 weeks post op, I'm feeling a little frustrated with my wardrobe. Most of it is tired/worn and baggy, and looks terrible. I caved yesterday and went bra shopping (ugh!) because the situation was getting absurd. I'm not excited about shopping for new clothes, because all I see is a waste of money as the clothes I get will only fit me for a few months, and that just feels so wasteful. One saving grace has been a friend who's similar in size to where I am now, so she's leant me a few things to help me get through the summer. Maybe in the fall I'll feel more into shopping for clothes. We'll see then.
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What Food Is Your Kryptonite?
MrsGamgee replied to MrsGamgee's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
Chocolate is something I'm surprised I don't really enjoy any longer. My regular breakfast is (and was for over a year before surgery) chocolate berry overnight refrigerator oats. I bump up the protein with protein powder and chia seeds (all 100% ok'd by my RD, and helps with my regularity), but I don't enjoy the taste as much any more. And I thought I was craving some chocolate the other day so I made some sugar free/fat free chocolate pudding for the wee-lings and had a few bites... it tasted like paste. I see something chocolatey and it looks great, but I'm beginning to understand that my body doesn't like it any more. I've also been craving cabbage... raw cabbage, shredded and dressed with olive oil, lime juice, chili powder and cumin (what I've always put on tacos rather than lettuce). I'm hesitant to try it, so I've had some sautéed cabbage that's gone down okay. Good tip about the chicken thighs over chicken breasts... -
What Food Is Your Kryptonite?
MrsGamgee replied to MrsGamgee's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
I've only had one go round with dumping syndrome so far, thankfully, and it was triggered by eating too soon after having a protein shake. No fun! Otherwise, I haven't been drawn to surgary stuff yet. It's a beast I hope I don't have to face soon. -
What Food Is Your Kryptonite?
MrsGamgee replied to MrsGamgee's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
lol... I think fried okra would have given me the foamies long before surgery! Never could tolerate okra at all. -
What Food Is Your Kryptonite?
MrsGamgee replied to MrsGamgee's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
I can foresee popcorn being a problem for me down the road, as I REALLY miss it. I'm going to have to keep it out of the house. -
I'm almost 6 weeks post op, and I'm still dealing with itchiness. And not just around my incisions, but everywhere I have stretch marks (stomach, boobs, arms, legs). Some days it drives me insane. I'm using boatloads of lotion (hypoallergenic) but it doesn't always help.
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Realizing just how fat I was...and still am
MrsGamgee replied to MikeIL's topic in Gastric Bypass Surgery Forums
I hear you. I'm not a month and a half post op yet, but today looking in the mirror was hard. I had been noticing some changes in my chin and neck, but today all I could see was my big round face. We all have good days and bad days. Try to hang on to those major victories you've achieved when you're feeling down. -
Well, long time no see.
It's been a rough couple of weeks. I should have been expecting the other shoe to drop after having it so easy for the first three weeks post op. I was getting my water and protein easily, had no pain, nausea, or vomiting.
But as soon as the soft foods really started in earnest I started having problems. Pain, foamies, slimeys, vomiting galore. There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason to it. Something that I ate easily yesterday causes pain and vomiting after the first bite today. Sometimes it's my pills, other times they go down easy. I just don't get it.
I'm trying to stay positive. I know this is a season in my life, and things will eventually even out. I'm just so tired of being afraid to eat, not knowing what kind of response my body will have. I'm mostly hitting my protein target, thanks in large part to protein shakes (which I hate, but look at as medicine). I missed my water targets by a lot over the weekend, due mostly to feeling awful, which I know is a terrible cycle... throw up, don't feel like drinking anything, get dehydrated, get constipated, feel like crap, repeat.
The three-week stall is also still here. I thought I had busted through it, but I've been bouncing between 216-219 for the last two and a half weeks, which is a contributing factor to my mood and frustration level. And add in wee-lings who are going crazy with end of the school year insanity, friends with busy schedules who I haven't been able to see in weeks, and I'm an unhappy girl.
Things will turn around. I know they will. Just not feeling it at this moment.
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Thanks @FluffyChix! I know the stall will break, it has to eventually given I'm only consuming 700ish calories a day and I am trying to be active every day. I confess it's hard to be motivated to go for a walk though when I feel like crap.
Cold water seems to be better for me right now... icy anything makes my tummy happy. It's when my water gets to room temp that it is harder to get down. But I am committed to getting my water in. It's so funny, before surgery I never had a problem with water. Today I decided that I won't count my 'other fluids' as part of my water total... they have to be over and above my target.
I'm looking forward to lowering my reliance on the shakes. I really don't like them. I got clearance with my RD to cut back on them, provided I can hit at least 80g of protein without them. But I haven't been able to manage that just yet. I'm hoping in the next few weeks, provided I can get real foods to go down and stay down.
Thanks for the encouragement!
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FluffyChix reacted to this
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80 grams without protein shakes at your stage feels very ambitious IMHO? Are you sure she didn't mean 80g including protein drinks and food sources?
We all heal so uniquely!
Don't rush advancing. I know it's hard not to, but your tum will heal easier if you just listen to it and what it will and won't allow for the day.
Gosh I so get the motivation of the scale!!! ((hugs)) With one reading I can determine my mood for the day. LOL. Then I wait a bit and have a nice poop.
haha Mood restored. I'm ever just one solid poop away from a good mood. hehe
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She was pretty clear... I asked about cutting back on them last week and I'm guessing she wanted to encourage me to continue with the protein shakes without actually saying so. Making it my decision. I have 2 shakes a day, plus some protein powder in my breakfast, so I'm hoping to maybe drop one shake a day in a couple of weeks. I'm really not into the lack of satisfaction they provide for the calories they take up in my daily totals.
I *know* that this is just a step on the road. I need to put on my big girl undies and deal with it. And I need to really learn to listen to my body and not push too far too fast.
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FluffyChix reacted to this
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I'm right there with you... just over a month post op and I've lost a fair bit of hair already. Started when I was in hospital. I can't pull my hair up/back in front any longer. If it continues at this rate, I'll likely shave my head next month. I've done it before, and I think I look okay bald.
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I'm suffering from a bit of PLOM (poor little ol' me) disease today. Recovery from surgery has been going really well. I'm getting my fluids and protein in without issue. I'm well into soft foods and enjoying the variety I'm able to have now. The only thing I really miss is crunchy veg... but I'll get there soon enough. What's getting me down today is stupid really. I caught a cold last week. And as per my usual with a head/chest cold, the final phase is always the lingering cough. Seriously, it's killing me. I haven't had pain in my stomach since a couple of days post op. Now though, it's back. Not near my incisions, but above and below. My poor abdominal muscles which were traumatized by surgery are now taking a beating every time I cough. I try to brace my belly with a pillow when I feel the cough coming on, but it doesn't really help. I know it's just a cold, and it will pass in a few days. I'm whining... I just want to be able to do some walking again without triggering a coughing fit. I want my belly to stop aching. Sent from my SM-G960W using BariatricPal mobile app
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Day 6: What depletes my energy? My expectations. I expect things to happen a certain way, and then things don't happen that way at all. I need to lower my expectations.
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Hi Libby and welcome to the boards! I think you might be looking for one of the June surgery threads. This particular thread is a challenge thread (we commit to certain goals each month and cheer each other on). You absolutely are more than welcome to hang out with us and participate in our June challenges (see Cheesburgh's post above), but if you are looking for more general RNY/Bypass discussions you might want to check the Gastric Bypass board or the General WLS Discussion board. Best of luck with your journey! Hope it all goes smoothly for you!
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I've considered writing it many times. I told myself I would wait until after they had both passed. Grandma passed a number of years ago and Grandpa passed away last fall. I guess the time has come.
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Day 4 - whoops... missed this one entirely. Spent the day in bed trying to get rid of this wretched cough. Day 5 - worries? Biggest one right now is that my hubs has a job interview happening in less than 10 minutes. We *really really REALLY* need him to get a new job, but I'm not sure that this is the right option. Add to that, my hubs is on the spectrum (aspergers), and he doesn't always do well in interviews. At least my cough is improving now, and I woke up this morning to a 3.4lb weighloss. B-side: Time machine question... I would want to be a fly on the wall throughout my grandparents' courtship/love story. It's a long rambling story that involves a young man lying about his age to get into the army during WWII, a Dear John letter, an Irish woman named Molly, and her father with a gun, D-day and the Liberation of Holland, my grandmother going to visit my grandfather when he came home from the war and then writing to her family a month later asking them to send her clothes because she got married.
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Crossing my fingers and praying real hard that things get back to normal for you! Sent from my SM-G960W using BariatricPal mobile app
