Creekimp13

The shoulder pain can be referred pain from your diaphragm. This can be particularly true if you had a hernia repaired. Shoulder pain is not necessarily gas.

I was miserable the entire pre-op diet. Was worse than my recovery from surgery, in my opinion. I truly hate the way ketosis makes me feel...my brain doesn't work. I feel cloudy and impaired...to the degree I feel unsafe to drive. I feel like I'm trying to think through a wad of cotton, it's awful. I do think the hunger urgency lessens around day 3....but for me, it was still incredibly awful. (I hope your experience is better!) All of this said....this is a temporary thing! The hoops have been jumped through, and you are almost there:) And that's something to celebrate. Best wishes on your upcoming surgery:)

I have a swim shirt and I love it because I burn super easy on my shoulders and chest and it's the ultimate sun screen. Mine is like the swimtee mentioned above. I've never seen the jacket ones! Something else I really like....is body make up. I get Sally Hansen airbrush leg makeup. I use it on my legs and my arms and shoulders. It makes me look tan without being orange, and provides a lot of coverage for scars, old stretchmarks, weird skin areas like the underside of upper arms...lol You can swim in it for about an hour without it coming off. You scrub it off at the end of the day with soap....it is not an artificial tanner product, so it won't leave you with weird dirty looking knees and ankles. The color looks tremendously natural. I love it. I also like the "slimsuit" brand of swim suits....they have more support built in to kinda sculpt me into the best lines possible.

Sue, I wish I knew who to call in Tennessee, but I don't. I'm sorry. My group is affiliated with a research university and they do their homework. They have a few therapists that they have vetted and recommend to follow up with surgery patients. In addition to doing counseling appointments, our therapists also provide leadership for our support group meetings. It's kinda cool to see your therapist in the framework of working with several people you know going through the process. I know mine has heard a hundred bariatric surgery horror stories, success stories, has heard people just like me struggling through the process of making lifelong peace with food. If you're trying to find a therapist on your own, I'd suggest looking for someone with experience treating disordered eating, cross over addiction and food addiction. Find someone who can help you identify eating triggers associated with unmet needs. (they're usually linked). Those needs need to be addressed to ensure the habits don't backslide. Looks like the University of Tennessee has a bariatric center. It might be worth calling them and seeing if they have someone vetted who they work with....who is good....maybe you could do video visits? You are dead right that it's hard to find the RIGHT therapist for this niche. But I can't recommend it enough. Best wishes.

Not to giggle at something serious....but this is the best thing I've read today. Enjoyed the smirk.

3.5 years out...I can eat about a cup at a time (and sometimes less) if it's a fibrous food that doesn't slide. If it's a slider, I can eat more...comfortably. Had about a cup and a half of thinned oatmeal this morning with pecans and blueberries...no problem. Last night I was eating steak and brocolli...and gave up at 3/4 of a cup. If you're drinking with meals you will be able to eat a lot more than if you don't....which is one of the reasons we are told not to drink with meals.

I gained nearly 50 pounds on paroxetine in my 30s. It was awful.

Coco wheats were one of my most favorite things to eat post op. I still love them. Most people don't know how rich in iron they are. Good stuff for people who avoid meat.

I can't fathom your pain. Please make sure someone knows that you might need help with fluids. Make sure others close to you understand your medical needs so they can help you remember to drink, or take you to the doctor if needed for IV. I know it's impossible right now, but you need to keep up with what's necessary for your health. Let someone help you. I am so very sorry.

I'm not a huge fan of spray on tans. Maybe it's the way my skin cells shed, or maybe i don't exfoliate enough, or just have weird dry skin? I don't know. But when I get a spray on tan, I look Orange for a little while...then my skin sheds a little and I look weirdly speckled. I don't care for it. I also don't like the smell of the spray tan, particularly after a shower or swimming. However...since I'm a white vampire, sometimes it's nice to have a little color. I use Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs Makeup (in Medium) It's just makeup for your legs (arms, bust, whatever you need)....but it looks much more like a real tan to me. It sets up well and doesn't get on your clothes. (If I wear white, I do dust it with a little translucent powder, but i'm not sure it's necessary) You can swim in it for an hour or two. It scubs off with warm water, soap and a washcloth...but you do have to scrub a little. I actually like wearing sleeveless again cause of this stuff. It really does look nice on legs. Another cool thing about Leg makeup...it reduces the look of scars, freckles, stretchmarks, veins Being opaque, I bet it's a decent sunscreen, too.

I think sometimes it makes other people insecure about their own weight when someone near them loses. Sort of this realization....omg, she's lost weight. Am I the fattest person in the room now? omg...she's nearly my size...and she looks really good....does she look better than me? I think this is particularly true among younger single people, but it can also be an issue with middle aged farts and beyond. No feeling worse...than when your friend has been feeling insecure about her weight/wrinkles/hairloss/age related woes/etc.....and her freaking husband notices you've lost weight. Ugh. "Damn, your friend looks good!" He doesn't mean to be an asshat...but it's a knife in both of your hearts and you just feel rotten about it.

Folks, PLEASE check the education credentials of the person giving you nutrition advice. In some states, there is absolutley zero education required to call oneself "a nutritionist" and give people dietary consultations. Many bariatric groups will use lay-trained staff to push a particular doctor's dietary approach. Don't use these people. They are unqualified and it's dangerous. Nutrition is complex and individual and it's a SCIENCE. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/dietitian-vs-nutritionist#nutritionist Check the laws in your state: https://theana.org/advocate Ask to see the credentials of the people treating you at appointments.

Indeed! Good luck at your appointment:)

Impossible to say. They're all different. They might measure you, take pix, weight. They will talk about your history with diets. They will talk about your comorbidities. They will talk about your surgical options. They will all have a different list of what they require. The good ones will require you see a therapist, a dietician, and attend a support group meeting. They will offer access to things like exercise classes and healthy cooking classes geared to bariatric patients. You'll likely need a lot of medical tests. Blood panel, upper GI, chest xrays, ekg, presurgical stuff. Typically, you get a date after you do all or most of your prereqs. Wishing you the best.

I wear a fitbit and really like their food tracking app. You can do custom stuff that it saves...so if you have a recipe or something that you make often..it's there. I also like watching my sleep and steps.

When you say that you don't have period anymore, what do you mean? Are you truly postmenopausal? (have not had a period in over a year) Average age of true menopause is about 51 (in the US, at least). I'm 49 and I'm all over the place skipping periods, then starting up again with a vengeance. This perimenopause thing is the pits. LOL. I absolutely get crazy hungry and crave everything right before my period is due. And my weight will often tick up 3 pounds and make me nervous. But it'll come right down after I get my period because, weirdly, when I have my period my appetite plummets. Evolutionary biologists believe this whole phenominon of binging before menstruating might have been a defense mechanism against predators smelling blood. Menstrual apes will stick around home and roam less, eat less....and will eat a lot beforehand so they don't have to forage as much. Keeps them downwind of the cheetahs maybe? Heck if I know, but it's an interesting theory as to why we get the muchies. Keep in mind that estrogen is stored in fat...and a big weight loss will cause elevation in estrogen. So, the weight loss itself could be causing hormonal symptoms like you're describing. You might not need HRT, but it's not a bad idea to see what your doctor recommends. But yep...you're not the only one who is a bottomless pit right before menstruation. (or what your body percieves is going to be menstruation) Best wishes!

See a bariatric therapist. What you are going through is pretty common. Two years out, a lot of the real mental/emotional work happens. You've fixed your body, now you need to fix your brain to maintain. Identifying your triggers and coming up with alternate ways to get what you need (and fix what you're using food to medicate)....is essential for maintenance. Least it was for me. Don't panic. There is time to figure this out, but you need to take baby steps toward doing it today. Don't go into a denial spiral and ignore your hard work coming undone. A lot of folks do that...when therapy could have really helped keep them on track. Wishing you the very best.

I think it should be noted that a mile could be a lot different for someone who is 250 pounds overweight vs someone 80 pounds overweight. Age, comorbidities, fitness before surgery would all figure in. Best person to ask is your doc:) Best wishes!

I literally walked over a mile in the halls of the hospital within 6 hours of my surgery. I was wearing my fitbit and this is an accurate number. Nurses were totally ok with it. They told me to take it slow and rest when I needed to...and I did. My bestie came to the hospital and walked with me and we talked, time got away from us as it always does...and before I realized it, I realized I'd walked a mile. I had an exceptionally easy time after surgery compared to most people. Very little pain. Zero nausea. Woke up ready to sip sip sip and go for a walk.

I had to do two weeks of liquid diet. On day 3 I was so hungry I could have gnawed my leg off. Miserable, horrible, awful experience. That said...it does shrink your liver, which makes your surgery safer (more room for your surgeon to work) This, too, shall pass. But I feel your pain. Stick with it. A day at a time.

Flank pain can be a sign of worsening dehydration. Make sure you're hydrating well. Mention it to your doctor if it doesn't improve.

I hate "weightloss journey" too. I don't mind if anyone says it....it's my personal hang up, too. It's just so cheesily coined from My 600 Pound Life or something. My eye twitches over it. It's really not a bad term or anything...it just feels overused and cliche and makes me grit my teeth a little. I picture two dogs and a cat on a log with a bear or something. I have issues. LOL.

This isn't my clinc's plan, but it's solid advice from a solid authority. Mayo Clinic is one of the best hospitals in the US. This is just an overview, but it's got some of the specifics you're looking for. (I know it's for bypass, not sleeve....but right after surgery, the advice is virtually identical) https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/gastric-bypass-surgery/in-depth/gastric-bypass-diet/art-20048472

It's all about the sugar. If you can get the reduced sugar juices (Ocean Spray has a line of 5 calorie a cup cranberry mixed juice drinks)...they're actually pretty good and were on my approved list. I drink V-8 juice because my plan has a fiber requirement and it's got low calories, decent fiber, and lots of biodiversity. 50 calories for a cup of tomato, beets, carrots, celery, spinach, parsley, lettuce and watercress...2g protien, 2g dietary fiber. Really not a bad deal. The big problem with fruit juice is that it's a sugar bomb with few benefits. The sugar will give you rebound hunger (when your pancrease goes...OMG, there's an insane amount of sugar coming in! Quick, pump out a TON of insulin! And the insulin eats up the sugar and you're left with high blood insulin levels that stimulate...guess what? Hunger. For more sugar. Our bodies are assholes, essentially...lol) Avoid full sugar drinks. Even if it's natural sugar. Natural sugar is actually more bioavailable and gets sucked up faster causing big blood sugar shifts that cause the above mentioned issue. Whole fruit is good. With whole fruit, the fiber slows the sugar uptake, the fiber provides media to grow good gut bugs, the phytonutrients from fruits are good....but the sugar bomb is not. If your brother has a way to make you low calorie juice drinks (carrots, ginger, spinach, a splash of 5 calorie cranberry drink, cinnamon) and the end result is under 50 calories......I think this would probably be ok once in a while. If it's going to have full sugar juice in it (even fresh squeezed) you should probably avoid it.

Fat is the last safe prejudice...people are stupid casual about insensitive fat remarks. And yep, as thinner people now...we get an earful of that from people who would have filtered around us when we were heavier. It's messed up and sad. I've heard some awful remarks about fat people from people I would have otherwise said were typically very kind. It's shocking and disheartening. The problem with how unkindly this was said...is that it's probably a truthful observation clinically. Cross over or transfer addiction is very real. Most bariatric clinics don't meaningfully address this component of obesity. They don't provide enough support to address the core issues of how folks ended up obese to begin with. They want to cure the symptom (the obese body) without understanding the whole illness. In my opinion, that's a huge mistake.