Arabesque

Remember it takes around 6 - 8 weeks to be fully healed so still experiencing some discomfort, spasms, cramping, etc. isn’t uncommon. However, if the pain requires medication, is increasing in frequency or intensity, contact your surgeon or go to your nearest medical centre to be sure everything is okay. Or just contact them to check.

I wonder if the joint pain could be from your muscles, tendons & skeleton readjusting to a your new posture & other odd twinges and spasms. They had changed to support your larger body before & then they have to adjust again. I remember upper back pain about 2/3 to my goal and it took a while to stop slouching (had to consciously sit or stand straighter if I noticed I was slouching) & my body learnt how to stand upright again. As for the ‘phantom’ gall like pain, I don’t know. Maybe request an ultra sound to check your kidneys, liver & bile ducts just to be sure. My energy isn’t great. Always better in the morning than the afternoon. I seem to go, go, go then stop now, can’t do anything g more. Though that is pretty much how Gilbert’s is so I put it down to that & my low blood pressure more than my sleeve and I was a lot like that before my sleeve. Would push through then - didn’t want anyone to think I was lazy because I was fat! No I listen to my body. Apparently Gilbert’s is more common than people realise. What’s your bilirubin levels like. High levels are a sign of it. It is genetic so does any one in your family have it? Congratulations on your weight loss. Yay! Don’t worry about what weight you end up at. (I know easier said than done.) Remember that weight will be the weight your body is happiest at & is easier to maintain.

I don’t know how I got through puree stage without them honestly. They were one of the very few things I actually could tolerate to eat.

I have the saggy empty upper boobies but the bottom of them are still full. Was an 18E now a 10E but all the cups have gathers in the upper part of the cup. So in my late 50s I have to stuff my bras with tissues fir the first time. LOL!! Chicken fillets don’t help with that upper breast emptiness unfortunately - wrong shape. Comparatively though I think they’re still on the larger size on my body much like I was before surgery. Smaller body and smaller boobs but still bigger boobs than average for my body size.

Sounds like you had a very positive appointment all round @MrsFitz & you have a supportive team around you too. Yay! Don’t worry about the difference in your weight doctor to doctor or clinic to clinic. It happens all the time. Remember too you’re likely naked, haven’t eaten or drunk and peed & pooped when you weigh yourself at home. You go to the doctor’s & you’ve had breakfast maybe lunch too, drunk some fluids, are dressed so no wonder you weigh more. I looked at it as they have their records & I have mine. If I lose 5 kgs it shows on my scales as a 5kg loss & it will show on theirs as a 5kg loss too. Winning either way!

I was allowed instant oats from purée (traditional oats, so more coarse than the instant, were allowed a couple of months later). I made them with more milk than they advise (extra protein) & ate them hot. Of course it took two or three days to eat a recommended serve of the oats in the beginning and I’d just reheat them & add a little more milk the next days. After a month or so on traditional oats I’d add blueberries. Besides vegetables & fruit, the oats were the other carb I ate but only three or four times a week. Now I add two big spoons of yoghurt, a spoon of mixed seeds, a scoop of collagen (vital proteins dissolves really well), cranberries & blueberries. Still made with lots of milk and still eaten hot. Only use about 1/2 - 2/3 of the recommended serve of the raw oats. I always have leftovers but I eat them for an afternoon snack.

Absolutely wonderful @NickelChip. Lots of big wins for you. Congratulations.

Oh my gracious. I remember there were a lot of issues with the earlier meshes they used for various surgeries years ago which must be what you’re experiencing. Let’s hope it’s an easy remedy. PS - the second lap smear was still inconclusive. It didn’t pick up cervical cells at all so still no idea. So decided after a conversation with the surgeon on Tuesday to progress with a hysterectomy just in case and also if it is nothing untoward it likely will still continue to grow & then may cause issues in the future. Surgery is in three weeks Monday. Have a few events so I put it off until after them.

Yep, I agree with asking your surgeon & then discussing your options to manage your intake with your dietician based upon what the surgeon says as @NickelChip suggested. Not everyone who has their gall removed has issues with eating fat. As i’ve shared before, my aunt does (she describes it as feeling liverish if she eats something too fatty) but my sister-in-law & I don’t have an issue. I think I have an issue processing it in so far it doesn’t make me sick instead it maybe raising my cholesterol. Or the creons I take (which slow the passage of waste through my intestines so more nutrients are absorbed so it takes longer for the excess to be pooped out) is contributing. Maybe the type of fat (good fats vs bad fats) or added fats (like in fried foods) or naturally occurring fats (like in dairy) also play a role or has to be considered. Who knows. I’m just musing.

I agree with @catwoman7’s suggestion for some anti nausea meds. Hope a replacement surgeon is engaged soon. So frustrating. I went through a phase when I found water too heavy to drink.I relied more on green tea & flattened sparkling water & not solely plain water then. Is that how you would describe how you feel before the nausea starts? On the days you struggle with water are you able to drink other flavoured or unflavoured fluids? Were you are big drinker of sweet drinks before you had surgery like sodas? Could there be an underlying craving for sweet drinks again which is why flavoured unsweetened drinks seem tart to you now?? Our brains can work against us sometimes. There are odd days when I don’t get all my fluids in. Life gets busy sometimes or the opportunities to drink more than a few sips at times during the day ate rare. I don’t mind too much when it’s just odd days because I know I’ll reach my goal (or drink even more) the next day & will be back on track again. (Same with protein goals too.)

I agree it can be a handy skill to have. I don’t get out my machine anymore but do still do buttons, touch up hems & darn. (Have a little hole in my ‘around the house’ cardigan I’m darning tomorrow.) if I want pants or dresses shortened I go to professionals all the time now as it’s too hard to get the length right when you live alone plus I prefer to get a more professional finish than my less skilled finishing. Being short I frequently need things shortened - sigh!

I used to crave carbs. Could easily eat a loaf of bread if I let myself. Thank goodness I don’t experience that anymore & didn’t post surgery. One blessing of menopause.

Can you get them altered? Wouldn’t be all that difficult - straight seams. If you’re not someone who sews though it will cost some money. Might be worth an inquiry to see how much. The drop in clothing size is frustrating. I barely had a chance to wear any of the smaller clothes I’d kept from the past. Either missed the window (seasonally) or barely got them out to wear when they became too big. Sigh! I bought some new expensive clothes when I thought I had stabilised which became too big within a couple of months. When your smaller the weight loss to drop a size is much smaller than when your larger.

Oh yes, be careful & stick to your portion recommendations. (They may be smaller when you begin purées - mine was 1/4 - 1/3 cup then). Remember to sip, sip, sip, and wait between sips & when you begin more solid foods (from purées) to eat slowly. Besides all the cut nerves you have lots of stitches & sutures holding everything together inside. It takes 6 - 8 weeks to fully heal so don’t expect to get any signals until after then. Or the signals you at get are distorted or different to what you know. Full signals can be sneezes, runny nose, hiccups, etc. Your restriction is like a tightness across your upper chest. You may want to thump or rub your chest to relieve it (it doesn’t help lol!) Try not to eat until you are full though. It takes at least 20 minutes for the full message to get through so by the time it does it’s easy to have already eaten more than you need & are over full. Try to work out when you’ve had enough. Five years out I still ask myself do I need this next bite or do I just want it - big difference between need. & want. Hope your recovery continues to go smoothly.

Oh it does. What a beautiful analogy @GreenTealael. The lunch is always very well done but it is such a mix of emotions as it deals with the loss of children. There’s a memorial slide show which is heartbreaking & a video with parents, grandparents & siblings talking about their loss. It is balanced with great MCs, entertainment & live auctions (men get so competitive 😁) and raffles drawn. Wha does your t shirt say! A walk up. You would have hit your steps in. Lol! Is this your baby leaving home?

Went to the annual gala fundraising lunch for the charity my friend is a director of yesterday. This is the same dress I wore to my friend’s daughter’s formal wedding last year. I had the hem shortened so I could wear it more often & for day events. Still love it & am glad I’ll have more chances to wear it now than as a long dress. Everyone was wearing very bright floral dresses at the lunch. It was so much colour and vibrancy it was verging on too much for my dark soul. 🤣🤣🤣 We’ve been having a warm snap so it was a lovely spring like day despite it being winter. I still took & wore my overcoat! It was black of course.LOL!

I was sent home with a stronger med for constipation. I didn’t take it. Can’t recall when I started on the coloxyl. I think it was pretty much after that but I only took it (1 tablet) if I hadn’t been for three days. Five years out & I only take it if I need it which may be once one week then no need for a couple of weeks. It is good to keep on top of the constipation but you don’t want to become too reliant on it. Gotta keep your systems working as much on their own as possible. I’m presuming you need to keep things pretty soft after bypass or SADI more so than sleeve simply as you don’t want to strain your intestines at least until you are more healed.

I had to start to keep a list of what I wanted to discuss with my GP & what scripts I needed on my phone because I always forgot something. Love the notes app. Took three appointments to remember to ask for a referral to a dermatologist until I started writing a list. Ugh! Damn menopause mind tricks & general aging. 😁

Sometimes you don’t have any symptoms for you to discover you have gall stones which may be why you had your gall removed unexpectedly - they only found the problem during your surgery. I found out I had a gallstone 9 months post sleeve. No symptoms then at 25 months post sleeve I had my first attack (the pain is horrendous!) and my surgeon removed my gall. The gall regulates the stomach acid entering your tummy. It can take a little while for the body to compensate for it not being there and the extra acid can cause some smelly diarrhoea. My surgeon said to let him know if it continued for more than a month. It didn’t though every now & again I might have an attack of this sort of diarrhoea (my sister-in-law does too but my aunt doesn’t). Some people struggle with fatty food after gall surgery. This is a more common malabsorption issue. Me, I got the more rare protein malabsorption. Also have issues absorbing some meds (notably my HRT). I think I have the fat one as well & is why my cholesterol has been slowly increasing - waah! Out of curiosity, why couldn’t you have the latte? I wasn’t told I couldn’t have anything after my surgery.

Only being able to eat small portions is very normal & to be expected especially only being 3 months out. Remember how small your tummy is now. Your stomach is also still tight from the surgery but it does soften over time & becomes a little more flexible as so you slowly will be able to eat more than you can in the initial period. Initially I was eating 1/4 - 1/3 cup from purée & was barely eating a cup of food at 6 months but by years two or three I was eating pretty much an appropriate portion of food for e.g, about 3ozs of meat & a cup of vegetables. Most fast food & chain restaurants servings are hugely bigger (like 2, 3 or more times larger) than what is an actual recommended portion size so leftovers are expected. If eating out, order an appetiser or ask to share a main with someone else. And ask to take leftovers home. I always had left overs in my fridge from unfinished meals. Actually I still do - right now I have left over rolled oats from breakfast (I’ll eat it as an afternoon snack) and some leftover beef cheeks & vegetables from last night’s dinner. Usually it’s because I’m not all that hungry or simply have had enough. The reason behind eating slowly is for us to learn to be more conscious of actually eating & to consider whether we really need the next bite or just wanting the next bite or mindlessly shovelling food into our mouths. Also it takes at least 20 minutes for the message you are full to register. If you eat quickly you can easily eat to excess & way past being full and not eating only what you need. I also love my microwave if food gets too cold. Constipation is common. It becomes less common once you’re close to your final weight & when you’re eating a more balanced diet and larger portions. Add a non swelling soluble fibre and keep on top of the constipation by taking an over the counter medication. I’d take coloxyl if I got to day 3 without movement. And as @learn2cook suggested, speaking with a therapist (your bariatric team should be able to recommend someone with experience in disordered eating if you need) can be very helpful. All the best.

Welcome & congratulations on your decision to have sleeve surgery. Can’t help with your denture question. After surgery , many of us experience a temporary change to our tastebuds & sense of smell meaning that some foods (including shakes & drinks) taste &/or smell awful. For me things became too sweet & some textures became off putting (like the shakes were too grainy for me after surgery). It can persist for a couple of months. Moral is have a couple of samples of different brands & flavours on hand. Also some develop a temporary sensitivity to lactose so you may have to find a plant based protein shake. I started driving short distances during the second week. But your surgeon will advise what they recommend for you.. I didn’t return to work until week 5 (I struggled with low blood pressure & energy & had a shorter concentration span for a little while) but I know people who were back at work after a week. A friend took 3 weeks. It really depends on how you recover. Generally I felt okay for basic chores around the house & short trips to the shops in the second week. Pain was gone by day 4 except for a little general discomfort if I did a little too much or moved too quickly. I lived alone and I was fine by myself though I didn’t have any health issues which may have meant I required any assistance. I slept easily on my side & could get up & down easily (just slowly & carefully). Write down your questions or things you may want to confirm from our stories as you think of them so you have them ready to raise with your surgeon. It’s easy to forget somethings.

Yes the pouch reset is a lie. You can’t reset your tummy. It’s working as it should. It doesn’t control you deciding to eat. What you need is to reset your head (thinking). Start reintroducing the behaviours you followed when you were nearing your stabilised weight. You can start by introducing just one or two changes every week or two (small changes are easier to accept, adopt & adapt to). For example: start by tracking your food to see what you’re actually eating (nutrients, calories), how much you’re eating ( portion size) and how often. Then ensure your meeting your protein & fluid goals. Then introduce reviewing portion sizes. Then maybe drop a snack or two. If you’ve let your activity slide start reintroducing something even walking at first. You’re on your way because you want to get back on track. May be see a therapist to discuss how you can avoid reverting back to your pre surgery eating behaviours again - can’t hurt. All the best.

Some do take something every day others don’t. Depends on your needs. I took, a stool softener (coloxyl) if I got to a third day without any movement. Some swear by that smooth move tea but any over the counter medication will help. Add a non swelling fibre like Benefibre every day too. Ensure you're getting your fluids in. Do t expect to go every day the first couple of month. You are consuming very little so have little to poop. Do try to keep on top of it though to avoid it becoming chronic, painful & needing extra strong medication or other intervention to break it.

I completely agree with what everyone has said so far. I will add, there are many people on this forum who hesitated & deferred their surgery for many reasons (influence of family or friends, own fear & doubt, etc.) all say after they do have surgery, they wish they had done it the first time. I hate people, who have never had the surgery, say it’s the easy way out & that they care about you. If they cared about you & your health they would support you wanting to do something to benefit & improve your health. And, importantly, it’s not easy. You have to watch every thing you eat & doing some form of activity is recommended but unlike any usual weight loss diet & exercise program you have to do a lot of head work. The head is where many of the issues that drive excessive eating (addictions, emotional issues, etc.) originate. The psychological aspect of the surgical program is great & a vital aspect of continued success. I can’t stress this enough. The other thing is that the programs get you to examine & change how & what you eat which any traditional diet doesn’t. It’s why traditional diets fail - we all go back to eating the same way we always did. However, the whole process does get easier as you progress and get to the point of maintaining your lower weight. Many of your new learned eating behaviours & food choices become imbedded and second nature. New habits are formed. Less liked foods become favourites. You’ll discover & enjoy new cooking styles & ingredients. You’ll learn what you can & can’t eat to maintain your weight & how much & how often of some other things you can eat (like those old favourites). And you work out a way to eat that is sustainable and doesn’t feel like you are missing out or punishing yourself like a traditional diet does. If you decide to explore the surgical option again, maybe don’t tell anyone until you are completely certain about your decision and won’t be swayed by people who don’t understand or respect your opinions, intelligence, decision making abilities & have never walked in your shoes through your life. All the best which ever path you chose.

Hey @MrsFitz, I’m a little confused. Sleeve does reduce hunger hormones - where it is produced in the tummy is in the section of the tummy that is removed. Unfortunately, hunger hormones are also produced in the brain which can compensate which is why hunger comes back in varying degrees for both sleeve & bypass.