kc892020

So its been a week and one day since my surgery and I haven't had any kind of bowel movement yet. I left a message with the surgeon but haven't heard anything back. I'm kind of freaking out. Is this normal?

OK so this may sound like a super dumb question and I apologize. How many minutes do you usually space between sips of plain water during an hour? I was told that it didn't matter as long as I tolerated water without pain, but I've been drinking so much water per hour I'm afraid I'm going to expand my pouch. My mouth has been so dry and my urine (sorry for TMI) hasn't been clear and the surgeon says it's because instead of 64 oz I should be aiming for 100 oz. Ugh. This is so frustrating. I'm so paranoid I'm going to wreck my pouch but at the same time dehydration is no fun.

My surgeon today told me to take Miralax. Fingers crossed!

Wow, I was not aware of that study. It's a good thing to know. Fingers crossed someday I'll have enough for PS. Good luck to you!

Wow I had no idea a topic on bowel movements would cause so much attention. Thank you to all who took the time to reply. I went to my first follow-up appointment and the surgeon told me to start with Miralax (like I did for the bowel prep) to begin the "initial flush," then to switch to fiber gummies and take those with my supplements. I appreciate everyone's responses, thank you once again. This has been such an overwhelming initial two weeks. I start pureed foods next week which I was told would also help with the bowels as well.

Thank you all for taking the time to reply to my inquiry. Your answers were all very helpful and I appreciate it!

Wow, you look wonderful! Congrats on all your successes!

Ok so I'm almost four days post-op and I'm still the same weight I was the day of surgery. This may sound like a dumb question, but when does the weight actually start coming off? I'm doing everything I'm instructed and given that I'm only on liquids it doesn't make any sense to me. As always, any help is appreciated!

Thank you to all who replied! It was the IV fluids, you were all right. I weighed myself today and I FINALLY lost! I'm ecstatic. I haven't been under 300 pounds since 2013.

Thank you all for taking the time to reply! I once again appreciate all the love and support from this community. I just got to keep staying positive. I need to keep reminding myself that I went through all this for several good reasons and I just need to keep looking forward to seeing the results. Thank you all again!

I can't believe it's already come and gone. When I woke up the pain was so bad I was starting to seriously regret going through this. I'm still in pain but its manageable. I feel like the first two weeks are going to be the toughest. Between all the timings of when and what to sip on and getting used to the supplements, etc. I just pray I can get through it.

Hi everyone! My surgery is this Monday and I'm already panicking for down the road. Does anyone have any recommendations for recipe sites, cookbooks, anything to help when all the "phases" are over? Any help is appreciated. Thank you!

Oh gosh, I was on Byetta too...I actually passed out while on that medication during a presentation. Talk about embarrassing! Lol it's funny, for the first it's going to be a GOOD thing to be on the loser's bench! We've got this!

Thank you! Will do.

In the words of my doctors, the keyword is "compliance." As long as we're compliant with what our new lifestyle requires, we should be ok. Even if we're not completely cured of it, at least we can look forward to alleviating many of our symptoms!

Thank you so much for the kind words, and it's nice to meet a fellow Ohioan. I wish you the very best of luck and success as well! Ugh, I remember Victoza. I was on that at one point, then they switched me to Trulicity, which I've been off of since August. Metformin is a brutal drug if you're on it long term like I've been, so I can't wait to get off that too. Take care! Good luck!

I was told the same too. Based on my own personal research that included countless journal articles and talking to both doctors and fellow PCOS patients, it sounds like as long you stay compliant, it will eliminate it. However, there are the precious few exceptions. Remember, thin people can get PCOS too. While most symptoms of PCOS are heightened by obesity, some can linger despite weight loss. My endo./ob-gyn informed me that some times, patients still have to take spironolactone and progesterone. It will just be in smaller doses. But the insulin resistant medication/s (i.e., Metformin) you will no longer need. Everything is determined by your post-op blood work. Make sure to keep abreast of your hormone panels and follow up with whoever is treating you for PCOS. Especially with rapid weight loss, your hormones will be changing at a constant rate until you've reached your goal weight and are at satiety. I hope that helped some! Good luck with everything. Love from a fellow "cyst-er."

I was told to not forget medical devices like a c-pap/bi-pap machines or asthma inhalers if you're on them. I go in Monday...ah! I can't believe after six LONG months of prep it's finally here. The best of luck to you! :-D You'll do great!

Anyone near Youngstown, Ohio? I'm looking for someone else post-op (since I will be post-op VERY soon) to hang out with. If something develops, great! If not, doesn't matter, friends are always great to have. It will be nice to find someone who can help me cope with the post-op experience, etc. Thanks!

Hi everyone! So I got my date (yay!). My surgery is scheduled for the 13th. Only one week from Monday! Since getting my date I've noticed I've been a little on edge and emotional. I've been particularly sensitive about my appearance. I think I'm nervous about everything: being able to get through recovery, sticking with all these changes for the rest of my life, how I'm going to look after surgery, etc... Has anyone else experienced this? I'm not normally like this, but lately, it's been a problem.

Thank you for your kind words. I appreciate it!

Thank you, I appreciate the kind words of support! I really appreciate it.

So I've really been struggling with staying positive lately. I know this may sound juvenile, but I feel like I'm losing my friends! It seems like in the beginning when I first decided to go through with this, the support and encouragement were overwhelming. But now that I'm so close to surgery, it appears people's attitudes have drastically shifted. I've pretty much lost all my fellow heavy friends, thinking I've somehow "abandoned" them just because my eating habits have changed and I'm going through this. My lighter friends are just weirded out by the whole process and can't believe I'm actually serious about going through this. Both groups have stated that WLS changes peoples personalities because they can't eat for pleasure anymore, they "become eternally cranky and mean," and my friends all claim I'm "too nice to go through this." These things are very hurtful to me, especially since I've known so many of my friends for years and years. Then I get scared and think...what if they're right? Will I become that person? Anyways, I'm not feeling very happy lately. I need to stay positive, but dealing with all this has been hard as hell.

That's awesome you're able to do that. I think what's sad is that in my area, we used to have a lot of non-food related activities to do such as multiple bowling alleys, glow in the dark putt putt and places to take fun classes like painting, etc. A lot of those places closed and were (gasps!) replaced by places to eat. It's crazy! It' no wonder how so much of America struggles with their weight. We need to establish AND ENCOURAGE more non-food related activities. I also think it's sad that, according to a recent article I read, America is becoming more and more solitary and secluded. People just don't go out and do things with each other like they used to. They'd rather order fast food and stay in to watch streaming channels. Lol, obviously nothing wrong with streaming channels but it's sad it seems society isn't giving people other options. Have you ever noticed hardly anyone has any hobbies anymore? There's also a lot of studies correlating lack of socializing to increased mental and physical health problems. Anyways....thank you for your reply!

Hello my fellow ladies! I have another question. It's a bit uncomfortable but I am just curious. As we all know, it's inevitable that breasts are going to (for lack of better term) "shrink" after surgery. This has been bothering me a bit as shopping for bras and finding decent tops has always been a challenge for me, regardless of my size. I just have weird shaped breasts I guess, lol. Anyways, I wanted to ask what helped those of you who already had the surgery? Are there specific brands or types of bras that worked best for you? How about plastics or silicone prosthesis? I know they make "breast vests," which are a mere hair of the cost of implants. How about breast lifts? Anyways, I just wanted to ask what worked best. I know it's down the road for me but I like getting ideas beforehand. 🙂 Thank you!