AZhiker

Leg pain can also be a blood clot. Has your doctor considered an ultrasound?

I used to be addicted to Diet Coke. I mean, you would think there was actually cocaine in it, the way I was driven to seek the dopamine release it gave me. I would even dream about it. Once I quit, it took 3 full years before my car stopped trying to drive itself through the McDonald's drive-thru for a large size, dollar Diet Coke. The addiction is real! Anyway, for me this weight loss journey meant learning to live in a new and healthier way - for life. I had surgery for my health, so it made no sense to continue habits that were not healthy - not when I paid so much money for the surgery and made such sacrifices to lose the weight. That meant getting rid of the stuff that was not conducive to a healthy lifestyle, soda included. Any kind of soda is terrible on your teeth, bad for your surgical site, and even diet sodas can trigger insulin release that results in fat storage - not fat breakdown. Soda is also listed in the medical literature as one factor in the development of Fatty Liver Disease. I had fatty liver, and WLS gave me back a new, nonfatty one. So why in the world would I feed it soda again??? There are more than a few studies that show diet soda drinkers actually gain more weight than people who drink regular soda. Anyway, I'm not trying to preach at anyone, but just asking folks to consider choosing the best and healthiest options for your new life, rather than flirting with foods and drinks that perhaps tripped you up in the first place, and that can hinder your long term success.

I has HH repair at same time as bypass, No issues and glad it got done all at the same time. I did have an ulcer later on, but that was not related to the HH

Well, GERD is nothing to mess around with, as it can lead to cancer of the esophagus. If it were me, I'd just go for the bypass and get the HH fixed at the same time. That's what I had done, and can't be happier. My GERD resulted in a Barretts polyp - very high cancer risk. Since the surgery I have had no GERD issues, and subsequent exams and biopsies have shown that the Barretts is completely resolved. Personally, I think it is riskier to keep going under the knife, trying to fix things bit by bit.

Yup, I got an ulcer in the first year. I don't smoke, don't drink alcohol at all, no caffeine at that time, so soda - absolutely no risk factors, but there it was. Doc thinks maybe one of the stitches didn't heal well and caused a spot for irritation, Anyway, a couple of months on omeprazole and that was done. Never had a problem since. I drink small bits of decaf coffee now, but not much. No alcohol, no soda. I also developed blood clots in my legs about 10 days out. Again, no risk factors except obesity, major surgery and varicose veins. I was out of bed walking the halls within a few hours after surgery and doing 10,000 steps a day by day 7. 3 months on a blood thinner that that was done. However, I developed phlebitis in those darn veins again just a couple of weeks ago. So I think I just need to have the veins taken care of with an ablation.

And you may well find that you will not need a lot of your meds after surgery, including antidepressants. Did you know that most of your body's serotonin and dopamine are actually made in the gut? The gut biome is extremely important in regulation of so many functions, and all that is going to change. You are going to lose all that stored estrogen that is hiding in fatty tissue, and your gut biome is going to get an overhaul as you eat healthier foods.

I agree. Although I can eat as much as I want, I cannot eat nearly the volume that I did before - it is impossible and if I do overfill, I am very uncomfortable for several hours. I used to put away several large plates of food at a family dinner or holiday meal. Now, one small plate is enough, and I usually leave food on that. It's so strange, but you can be eating along, and all of a sudden you know that one more bite is too much. Like, I will be literally sick if I eat one more bite. Never had that before. I don't know where all that food went, but it sure doesn't work that way anymore.

Yup, you are detoxing from all the crap you have been eating, and your body is shifting into ketosis.

All I can say is that I am 2 years post bypass. I lost 100% of my excess weight in 7 months, am keeping it off, and am not deficient in vitamins or minerals. The restriction is much less now than it was a year ago. I focus on whole, plant based foods which allow a tremendous amount of volume. I can eat basically as much as I want, and control weight by monitoring the grains, nuts, nut butters, and seeds. Those are the most caloric dense foods I eat, and it is easy to tweak caloric intake up or down by adjusting those. I think the people you know who have had bypass and are vitamin deficient are the exception to the rule. Are they taking their supplements? The malabsorption part of bypass gradually goes away, but bypassers are still supposed to be taking their vitamins unless directed otherwise. You do not see all the other bypassers out there who are doing fine, look great, and are not deficient. I had bad GERD, so bypass was my only real option. But I would have chosen it anyway. This is major surgery and I only wanted to do it once, and get all the weight off once and for all.

Funny thing, but as a former coffee addict, after surgery it tasted like mud! I couldn't stand it. I avoided all caffeine and acidic drinks after surgery to avoid ulcers (I got one anyway), and after two years it started to smell/taste good again. So now I drink only decaf, with unsweetened soy milk, and only with a meal - not on an empty stomach. And not every day. So far, no more stomach problems 2 years out. So you may be surprised and not even like it post op.

Way to go, girl! Congratulations! It truly is amazing to get your life back!

I would plan for some good walking shoes. You need to keep moving to avoid blood clots and to start into a healthy lifestyle plan. My doc wanted 10,000 steps a day, and I worked up to that in the first week. Naps and massage are great, but keep yourself moving inbetween or you could have complications.

Good for you! But don't think you have to "sell" it to anyone. If you want to say you are on a medically supervised diet, that is fine. If you want to tell people that you are having surgery, that is fine, too. But you don't have to give rationalizations or try to make them understand why this is so important and how the surgery works - because they won't understand, and basically they won't care. Seeing you actually lose the weight may even make some of them jealous and even more mean. Believe me, the day will come when you will NOT be the biggest person in the room - someone else will fill that spot and that will really upset the apple cart. All the overweight people who make fun of you now (because they secretly are happy that YOU are the fat one, and not them) will have to start wondering what everyone is thinking about THEM! Bottom line - say what you feel is the right thing, but keep it short and simple. Be prepared for everyone's opinion, but be prepared to brush them off. You don't have to answer to any of them. This is YOUR life, YOUR decision, YOUR health, and YOUR success. So glad your spouse is on board and supportive. That really means a lot.

It might be interesting to see what your lab levels are at this point. You could ask your PCP to order labs (you'll probably have to give her/him the list).

I usually also add a tablespoon or so of ground flaxseed.

Woo Hoo! Look at that waistline! Your arms hang down straighter and your knees are almost touching! Great job!

You can get half of your daily protein requirements in if you use milk and add yogurt and protein powder.

My doc said I had to wait 8 weeks. My standard "recipe" is milk (or milk substitute), some yogurt, a scoop of protein powder, a good handful of dark greens like kale or spinach, some berries, and half a banana. I also add 2 TB of frozen prickly pear juice with is super high in antioxidants.

Never. They are sugar and processed carbs - the kind of food that got me in trouble in the first place. My "sweet fix" are a couple of frozen Medjool dates.

Patrick Chiasson for me, too. Can't say enough good things about him.

I think it has to do with metabolism issues. All of a sudden your body has gone from a comfortable and cozy 3,000, 4,000, 5,000, 10,000? calorie pleasure ride to crashing down to 400-600 calories. The body just says, "Hey, this is for the birds! I am literally starving to death. I better hang on to every last pound I've got!" But eventually, it has to give in to the deficit and the weight comes off. This is just my own fabrication of the process, but in the end, the caloric deficit will result in weight loss. Plus, the surgery resets a lot of hormonal loops that decrease appetite, increase sensations of fulness, etc. This is a HUGE adjustment and it just takes some time to get past it. When you see really rapid gains (like 2 pounds in a day) that is water weight. It could be from salt in the diet, increased carbs, hormones, or any number of things, but it's not fat. Likewise when you lose several pounds in a day, that is also water weight. You may weigh daily, but track on your charts weekly, on the same day at the same time. That will be more accurate than the daily fluctuations. Hang in there. If you have not lost weight in almost 2 weeks, then you are nearly at the end of the stall! It's just around the corner!

That makes a lot more sense!

I have had loose, frequent stools ever since my surgery. I will occasionally take Imodium in the morning if I know I am going to be in a situation where I might not have easy access to a restroom for a while. I carry an "emergency kit" when I go hiking, and there have been times that I have needed it. There has always been a lot of gas as well. This is the only down side so far to my surgery. I'm hoping it will improve as time goes on. I'll be asking my NP about it next month at my 2 year follow up.

Are you sure you don't mean Imodium?

I'm really surprised you weren't scoped pre-op. But anyway, there is nothing to it. A little IV is the worst of it. You take a very sweet nap, wake up, and go to breakfast. Really. I work in the GI department of our hospital and it really is not a big deal. The procedure is very short, but you wake up feeling great. The thing is it's really the only way to know if there is an ulcer, and you do want to know this. You don't want an ulcer to go on and get worse. They are treatable, but it's always better to find out sooner than later.