Lynnlovesthebeach

I used a binder with my RNY. They gave it to me in the hospital. It makes it easier to get up from a chair and walk because you don't have to use your hands to support your belly those first few days. I guess it would depend on where you carry your weight too. Being a pear shape, I had belly fat. They are actually comforting. Now here's the funny thing. I saved it in case I might need it again some day not realizing I was never going to be that size again. I just had a lower body lift and they also gave me a binder at the hospital. I thought , great, now I have 2 so I can switch them out until I get my drains out and can use my compression garment. No, couldn't do...I'm 1/2 the size I was back then! I threw it away! Good luck with your journey.

So you have lost 30 lbs in 6 weeks. That sounds like a lot to me. You are still in the healing stage and your body is trying to adjust to this new way of life. All I can really say is take a deep breath, continue to follow your plan and trust the process! It works but not overnight! Just think about where you will be 6 months or a year from now. I think you'll be surprised if you just trust your team and follow their guidance . Good luck!

@Pandemonium, you said exactly what I was thinking! Fairlife milk is great for diluting protein shakes so they aren't too sweet also. Fairlife also makes a couple of different protein shakes that are delicious. I like the "Fairlife Nutrition Plan," chocolate or vanilla, available at Sam's Club or BJs. They also make Fairlife "Core Power" shakes in more flavors, available at Walmart and some convience stores. I find the core power to be too sweet and I'm an ex sugar addict!

You may be hunched over a little but probably not long. The incisions are very small. I had nerve blocks on both sides of my abdomen and wasn't hunched over...at least I didn't think so. I also never had any pain ever! I'm making up for it though with my lower body lift and brachioplasty I had 4 wks ago...hunched over for a week, burning pain in incisions. The arms are the worst! By the way, the GB is going to fix your A1C. Is the surgeon going to delay because of that? Sounds like you are pretty well prepared.

I always use the crystal light or store brand flavorings in my water if I'm not in the mood for plain water. I can drink a lot more that way. One of my favorites has been cherry lime but it is becoming harder to find these days so I'm now using Walmart brand cherry.

I don't think the people that work in the offices realize that once we have made a decision to go this route we want it TODAY! When I got approved and we were discussing dates I picked mid September and her response was "Oh, he is on vacation until Oct 9." How dare him! He is out having fun while I'm stressing about waiting 2 more weeks for surgery! So I took Oct 9. I figured he would be well rested and ready to get back to work! All worked out fine! Keep on top of them...you really have to be your own advocate!

You shouldn't need a shower chair. If you don't have a recliner to use for a few days you may need the wedge. All the other suggestions given already are pretty accurate. The only thing I would add is a kitchen scale to weigh your food when you get to that stage. For me weighing and measuring my food is still an important tool!

I've done WW off and on for most of the last 20 yrs but never reached my goal. I would get to a certain point and then start regaining, get discouraged and quit. Then of course I'd gain the weight back because I was depressed and felt like a failure. Of course I'd gain back more than I lost, the typical yo-yo dieter! When I attended my bariatric seminar I had also recently gone back to WW. I decided to continue it while in the "pre-op" stage, incorporating "bariatric" guidelines I got during my nutrition counseling period. I gave up sugar, stopped all soda and bubbly drinks and started tracking on My Fitness Pal to keep track of my macros in addition to tracking on the WW app. I considered that practicing for my post op life. From my seminar to surgery was about 4 months. I lost about 30 lbs in that time period. I still continued WW after surgery because I figured by then I had paid them so much money in my lifetime that I was going to finally reach my goal and get my "lifetime" status! And I did it! I liked the idea of a weekly "official" documented weight and the support of the people who had become good friends and my support system. Now, I attend meetings for free. The main reason I continue is it keeps me accountable and on track. My bariatric program support group only meets once a month, before Covid, and is now virtual and I felt I needed more than that. WW is weekly, also currently virtual but starting to reopen the studios. Bariatric surgery is a tool and WW is a tool. I see no problem with having all the tools available. I am happy with the path I have chosen and now have started the plastic surgery stage of my journey. Good luck with your continued success!

Gosh it seems like she should of told you there was a weight loss requirement at your first visit so you had 6 months to work on it! I had to do 3 months of nutrition "education" but there was no weight loss requirement. I did lose though, don't remember how much. The 2 protein shakes and one "healthy" meal is what I had to do pre-op and it works great. In the 2 weeks I lost 9 lbs.

I used hydrocortisone cream on mine for a couple of days and the redness and itching went away.

My lack of hunger feeling only lasted for a month. Now, when I feel hunger it doesn't take much to satisfy it. I rarely have that "I'm so hungry I could eat the whole kitchen feeling." I'm almost 2 yrs out from RNY GB and that rumbling sound for me is peristalsis in my bowel! My abdomen has gotten so flat sometimes I can actually feel gas bubbles moving through it and can predict when it leaves the body (sorry if TMI!) Now that I think about it, the gas bubbles kind of feel like when you feel a baby move early in pregnancy!

I had nerve blocks on both sides of my abdomen with my surgery. They were supposed to last 3 days. I never had any pain at all. Actually, my RNY is probably the easiest surgery I've ever had.

Happy surgiversary! Congratulations on your amazing results! You have every right to be proud of yourself!

Twism44, we were just a day apart in our surgeries. Hard to believe its almost 2 yrs already! Congratulations on your success and hoping you have continued success to get that last 25 lbs off. I feel this has been one of my best decisions and has changed my life in so many ways. Keep up the good work and you will get where you want to be!

You know you are a bariatric person when it’s your birthday and your brother says, “I’m going to take you to Texas Roadhouse for your birthday. I’m going to buy you a $20 steak and watch you eat 50 cents worth of it!” Happened last week.

At my last followup visit with my surgeon I had lost 103% of my excess body weight. He was so impressed. I have lost 53% of my highest recorded weight from 5 yrs ago. I did the diet roller coaster for yrs before having my RNY gastric bypass. WLS works if you do the work! It truly is a lifestyle change.

I'm thankful that I'm now 3 weeks post plastic surgery...lower body lift and brachioplasty and my arms finally have stopped hurting! I'm thankful that I get my last 2 abdominal drains out on Friday...if they don't take them out at the dr's office, I'll take them out at home when they "accidentally" fall out!!

I had that right after my bypass too. Actually, I had some bowel movements that were completely white! Very strange looking. My surgeon said it was because things were moving through my bowel so quickly no bile was mixing in to give it color and that it wouldn't last long. He was right.

That's exactly why I told no one before I had the surgery. I made my own decision with no one else giving me their opinion! My brother is the only family member that lives close and a few days before I had surgery I told him, after he agreed to give me a ride to the hospital! He was very supportive. Do your research, make the decision you feel is right for you and disregard opinions of people that have no voice in your decision! By the way, I checked into surgery about 3 yrs prior and after going to the seminar decided at that time I wasn't ready. Three yrs later I was more than ready! One of my best decisions ever! Good luck with whatever you decide!

I've always wanted to earn back my nickname from my younger days-"Little Bit!" I think I'm there now!

It sure is! I lost 9 lbs on my pre-op diet and gained all 9 lbs back with less than 24 hrs in the hospital. I asked my doctor about it and he said they give their patients extra fluid so you don't get dehydrated when you go home. It took me about a week to lose it.

I work in a large hospital so I see some of the same people on a daily basis but don't really know them...in the elevator, security at the front door, cafeteria etc. When those people started asking how I was losing so much weight my go to answer was always, "A lot of hard work!" Eventually they get used to it and stop asking.

I've had 3 surgeries in the last 2 yrs and it didn't matter what I packed I didn't need anything other than my phone and a long charger. My current surgery, I'm 9 days post -op from my first round of plastic surgery, I took comfortable jammies to wear home because I didn't want to wear them into the hospital. The hospital provided everything I needed. I only spent one night for my RNY and hip replacement but 2 nights for my plastics which consisted of brachioplasty, and 360 lower body lift- butt lift with fat transfer, abdominoplasty (I didn't need muscle tightening), panniculectomy and monsplasty.

Most laparoscopic surgery is done robotically in major medical centers. It’s actually better. I’ve had robotic gallbladder removal, RNY gastric bypass and hip replacement. The surgeon controls the robotic instruments.

You could not have the upper body done with an epidural. If they did one that high you wouldn’t breathe.