WinterFish

Hi there - Quick question. How long did you keep visiting your surgeon post op? I love my surgeon so I’m happy to stay with her as long as she’ll have me lol. Due to coronavirus my upcoming 6 month post op appt was rescheduled. I was going to ask then, because when my mom asked me this question I realized I didn’t really have an answer. Just curious what everyone else’s experience has been.

I’ll try and keep this as brief as possible. Sorry if I rant on and on. As I went from 240 lbs to 390 lbs between 2009-2019 I slowly hid myself away from friends and family. The truth is I was in denial about how bad things were getting and I was embarrassed. I was ashamed of how I couldn’t keep up with my friends just walking around the city or fitting into booths at restaurants for family milestones. I was out of breath walking into work from the parking lot. I felt like if I could avoid these things in front of other people, if other people couldn’t confirm how limited I had become, it somehow made it less true. I have missed SO many adventures and huge important events in my loved ones lives simply because I was physically unable. This hurts my heart. In 2018 I ditched a good friend’s bachelorette weekend out of town because I was so anxious about how I wouldn’t be able to keep up with everyone. Like literally I could not walk around and I felt ridiculous going to clubs with girls wearing their best outfits and me in an oversized T-shirt. By that point I couldn’t stand for 5 mins without my lower back screaming. Our friendship has not been the same since. I have always thought that was the turning point in our friendship. Now fast forward to late 2019. I happened to be invited to another good friend’s bachelorette weekend. This is a friend I met in college and we were so close we lived together for a couple of years. This is also when my depression/weight gain really got bad. I did my best to hide it, but I’m sure it was obvious. Over the last 7 years I have make excuses to avoid meeting up with her because she is so active. I even prayed she wouldn’t ask me to be a bridesmaid. How sad is that? I really didn’t think I could make it through the dress shopping bit. Pre-surgery I was 390 lbs and a size 26. This friend has run the NYC marathon and I was at least 220 lbs heavier than any other girl in her friend circle. When I was invited on the bachelorette weekend I immediately thought of ways to get out of it. I told one of the maids of honor that I didn’t think it would be a good idea since it was still early after surgery and I wasn’t sure how I’d feel. Well it’s been almost 5 months and I’ve been so lucky to have zero complications. My mobility is much better too. I am also sober by choice. I was never a big drinker anyways. I partied pretty hard as a teen so by the time I got to college I was somewhat past that phase. It doesn’t make me feel good and now with a sleeve I feel like alcohol serves me no purpose. Anyways what I am looking for is real honest advice. I feel immense guilt over declining this invite. I have thought about how I would feel if I was my friend. I could see how she would be upset or disappointed. Am I wrong to not go? I don’t drink and I’m trying so hard to stick to my diet. I know if I really wanted to I could make it work. I don’t want people to tell me what I want to hear. I guess I just want someone to say they understand what I’m saying and feeling. I don’t have anyone in my family or friends that are even overweight. I feel like no one can relate. Has anyone else been through this? Did things get better as you lost weight?

Woke up with a sore throat and a little congestion. All the over the counter medicines seem to be NSAIDs. Can anyone recommend a brand or type to help with sore throat and cold symptoms? My surgeon’s office suggested Simply Saline nasal spray. Never tried it, but will see if that makes any difference. As always, thanks for any advice!

@AngieBear @jg7979 I appreciate your responses more than you know. I figure I’m honest with myself so why not be honest out loud to my loved ones. I’m going to try and push out of my confront zone. It’s 2020 and I just turned 30. No better time to start than now I suppose!

@arrivan Thank you for sharing with me. I really identify with muscling through the mental stuff. The worst part is that this is so not me. I was always the outgoing and spontaneous adventurer. I know I’ll get back to that place because that’s the real me. I just don’t feel I’m there yet. My friends are good people and you’re right, I have faith that the patient ones will be waiting on the other side of this hill for me.

@Sandra Nuelken Thank you for sharing your experience. Not missing out anymore or holding myself back are part of what I’m most excited about on this journey. I’ve been trying to be more open and honest with people even if it’s not always comfortable. It helps to know I’m not alone.

@AngieBear I’ve thought about it, but I don’t know if I’m ready to. It feels a bit humiliating. I almost didn’t tell anyone about having surgery. I already feel pitied. I have no reason to believe she would be anything but supportive though.

Hi all, I’m 43 days out from my sleeve. I’ve lost 32lbs. I’m glad my weight is moving in the right direction, but I’m a little surprised at the slow pace. I lost 20 lbs in the first 10 days then stalled for over a week. Lost about 8 pounds over the next 2 weeks. Now it’s taken a lot of effort to get the last few pounds to come off. My surgeon told me everything was fine and my body needed time to catch up with the weight loss. I’m ok with that. I just assumed that starting at 390 lbs (5’8) a little bit more weight would have come off by now. My sleep has been a little off since coming back to work, but I walk as much as I can at work and try to walk for 30 mins at home. I still have a lot of lower back pain so I do what I can. I have noticed a little difference with the 30 lbs off though! Anyway, I’ve been following my nutritionists plan however after 6 weeks it is very vague concerning calories, carbs, fat, and sugar. All I know is to hit at least 60g protein and 64 oz of water. Beyond that I don’t know if I’m not eating correctly. I’ve reached out to her for advice, but in the meantime was curious what your limits are for daily calories, carbs, fat, and sugars. I like clear lines to follow lol some days I feel like I haven’t eaten enough or maybe I’m eating too much? I appreciate any input!

Hi all, I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis/Hypothyroidism. Growing up I had hair that could be considered fine, but it was pretty full. I wouldn't say it was thick just average. When I began gaining weight in college I noticed my hair started to thin out. I have noticed it steadily getting thinner and thinner much to my dismay. I have tried shampoos and vitamins, but I believe the weight and hormonal issues are the cause. I've read about hair thinning after anesthesia 3 months post-op. It seems like people have had different experiences with re-growth. My question is, has anyone experienced hair re-growth long term after losing a significant amount of weight when their hair was thinning pre-op?

Unfortunately my nutritionist went out on maternity leave and her replacement's schedule has still not been finalized. When I do finally get an appointment I will report back!

Thank you everyone for the responses. It helps me to keep things in perspective and know I’m not alone.

Hi all, I’m 11 days out from my sleeve surgery and down about 30 lbs. My post-op diet is full liquids (water, clear broths, jello, protein shakes, yogurt) for 3 weeks until I can move on to thin purées. As someone who doesn’t have a sweet tooth, I struggled with all the sweet flavors of the protein shakes and yogurt at first. I have broth at dinner time to fill my salty craving and that more or less does the trick. After the first week I felt like I mostly got over that hump. Now I feel at a point where I really have no appetite at all. I had a bad day and barely got in any water or protein. I almost forgot to eat or drink. The next day I tried to stay on schedule and forced myself through the motions. I didn’t feel full or uncomfortable getting the yogurt and protein down. I know how important it is to get in my 64 oz of liquid and 60g of protein so I’ve made that priory #1. I guess my question is, do you “eat”/drink even when you don’t feel like it? I’m still getting used to the new feeling of everything and tuning into my body and it’s cues. I’m assuming since I’m still so early out that I just have to follow schedule until my body catches up. Did anyone else experience this? Having disordered eating for so long has kind of made me forget how normal people nourish themselves. I just want to get to a place where I don’t always have to be so conscious when and what I’m eating. I used to constantly think about my next meal. I feel like not much has changed.

Everyone told me to walk and I didn’t burp or pass gas once.... I was so frustrated. I actually found taking deep breaths (in through your nose out through your mouth) to help me. It calmed me down and soothed my belly a little. Also, warm tea helped. The nurse told me it helps to open things up on the inside or something along those lines. I loved the ice chips but the cool water bothered my stomach.

You’ll get through it! The nauseous and gas pains were so intense for me the first 2 days I didn’t think I had the strength to handle it. Try and focus on taking deep breaths. Sounds lame, but it helped me. It will get a little bit better day by day.

Today marks 3 weeks until my VSG! I’ve been very excited. I am frantically cleaning and prepping my apartment so that I can come home and focus on me and my health. I have my pre-op appointment with my surgeon in 2 days. I have to bring my FMLA/STD paperwork for my job and they asked me to bring a completed consent form (acknowledging the type of surgery and risks etc). What are some questions you asked before your surgery? I’d love some input. I would hate to have overlooked something. I want to take advantage of my time with the doctor. What was something you asked or wished you asked before surgery?

How did your mental health change after surgery? My weight definitely piled on when I went to college. When I moved home and then out on my own it got even worse. I was depressed and in denial that I was suffering from said depression and anxiety. I used food to cope and developed a lot of bad habits. I have declined plans to stay home and binge eat and I have also flaked on plans because I literally did not have nice enough clothes that fit me where I would feel comfortable going out with friends for a night. I have missed countless events and milestones in loved one’s lives because I have reached a point where I am in physical pain when I walk or stand too long. I’m embarrassed and ashamed that I let myself get to this point, but I’m moving forward to getting my life back. The number one thing I am excited for after surgery is getting healthy enough that I won’t have to worry that there are only booths at a restaurant or that if I go out I might have to stand and not sit. Has anyone noticed positive changes in their social life in this regard?

Thank you all for sharing. I’m sort of in a whirlwind of emotions at the moment. My surgery is coming up on September 30th and I’ve done a lot of “head work” to prepare. I’ve finally acknowledged exactly what my issues are so now it’s time for the action to follow.

I should probably clarify that I believe I suffered from depression before my weight issues. The dynamics of my social, romantic, and familial relationships have always influenced my mental health the most.

Hello! I found these forums yesterday while I was anxiously awaiting for my insurance to approve my surgery. I'm so glad I found such a great wealth of information and support here so I wanted to share that as of this morning my insurance, Excellus BCBS, approved my gastric sleeve surgery! I haven't spoken to the surgery scheduler since I've heard, but my tentative date is 9/30/19. I have so many emotions; excited, anxious, nervous, motivated... I'm just glad to be moving forward towards getting my life back or starting a brand new one. I'm looking forward to following all of your stories and sharing my own.

Best wishes to you!