TheAngryMeow

My second time posting. I can’t believe I was there and now here. My mind is blown! I am about a year and a half post op and down over 150lbs!

I am hoping someone else can shed light or maybe give me some ideas/an avenue to explore. I had my GB in February of 2020. It has been nearly a year and a half of ups and downs. Roller coasters, a lot of insight and enlightenment. It has been HARD. Like, really, really hard. I am sick nearly every day. Some days, I could eat 2 slices of pizza with no issue (that's RARE and just an example) but other days I can eat 1/4 cup of oatmeal and water and puke violently. I've noticed meat is almost always a no-go. Red meat, especially. In any variation (ground, steak, etc). I usually only crave carbs anymore and I'm constantly thirsty. Let me just make clear just exactly how sick I am, though: Waking up, nothing on my stomach- throwing up within 10 minutes of waking up. Driving to work, start dumping after having 100 calorie nut bar or cereal for breakfast. Even water, occasionally. Having the urge to go to the bathroom, nothing happens. Multiple times a day. Then, one day, I run to the toilet rocking back and forth hoping for the good lord to take me out of my misery since it feels like I'm giving birth in my intestines. Holding a trash can in front of me because my mouth is watering with anticipation of puking. The dumping is INTENSE. Like, I don't wanna live it's so miserable (FYI- I am NOT suicidal!). My heart races, my whole body tenses and gets super hot. I feel like I'm dying. Like, actually dying. I am just overwhelmed because when this first started, I went to the ER, did a CT, EGD, Biopsy, Blood work....Everything was unremarkable. They wanted me to get a gastric emptying study done, but I feel like I'm going around and around. I KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that this is related to the GB. No questions. I also will have severe pain in my RUQ (right upper quadrant) that shoots to my shoulder. Gallbladder was out in 2018. It is starting to affect my school, work and personal life. GI doctors are limited in this area so I am at a loss. They don't want to do anything else and I am so frustrated. I take Linzess for IBS-C that my weight loss doctor prescribed. I need an alternative. Can anyone give any input? Any similar experiences?

Agreed. This should absolutely be consulted with PCP or physician related to surgery. Depending on how far you are out. These are also signs of dumping, have you eaten anything that could be triggering that? People on here give great advice, but medical advice related to your overall health should always be followed up with a licensed professional. Best of luck.

That was my biggest concern, also. What's gonna happen if I put in all this effort, only to regain my weight and then some? I'm roughly a year and a half post-op. Can't say that I've been perfect along the way, but I have certainly not given up and I am still losing weight. That being said, I think the regaining is the furthest thing from my mind right now. I still get sick eating the wrong foods...So I guess my new question/anxiety is- will I feel sick forever? The weight is gone, but that doesn't mean it went peacefully. Many, long nights, I spent over a trash can after eating something that "didn't agree with me". And still learning, to this day. As far as the pre-op diet goes, I figured that would be my downfall, too. While I can't recommend what I did (sneaking in some crackers here and there), I CAN tell you that it is best to keep it interesting. Think of ANYTHING liquid. My typical food was a protein shake from Glucerna (the hunger smart ones seem to be the best tasting IMO). I absolutely LOATHE protein drinks. There is also one by shamrock farms that is under 200 calories and tastes like a melted shake to me. You could look into that as well. I found that I could palate campbells fat free broccoli cheddar soup thinned with some fat free milk and then strained to get all the broccoli pieces out. It sucked the first week and a half, but by day 12, you really don't care. You are just so excited to get on that operating table (side note- I was f**king TERRIFIED the day of). Suffice to say, keep the diet simple and interesting. Change it up, as much as possible. Jell-o, soups, drinks, etc etc. Don't start thinking about the failure now...That's a terrible mindset. This absolutely, 100%, needs to be a commitment of the heart, mind AND stomach. You aren't doing this for now. You are doing this for your future. When you think back to a miserable time (like when I couldn't buckle my seatbelt in a friends car), all of that "can I do this forever?" crap just fades away. Realize you made a huge decision that is going to be life-altering. Accept it and press forward and maintain a positive outlook that you will succeed and be healthy. Sending good vibes your way!

I finally showed my before and after photos on facebook. I was very, very scared. I had told a lot of people - but some didn't know. I had never EVER showed a full body picture like that. From the side at that! Anyways, on the left: I was a miserable 369lbs. SUPER unhealthy, probably headed to death. I doubt very seriously I could make it past 400. My body would probably just give out. I was already struggling to breathe doing simple tasks/walking up stairs. ANYWHO, the right was a shot taken by my beautiful momsicle on Mother's Day just last weekend. Ignore my "suns in the eyes" face. I am over 120lbs lost from February 27th, 2020 to now. I finally am under 250lbs and I am just floored. Of course, I won't lie. It's been a struggle. Currently, my biggest challenge has and still is - dumping. In the beginning, for the first 8 months, I threw up every. single. day. I realized ice cream, fried foods, steak - out of the question. Buffets were a waste. Most every meal I got out, was a waste. It made people feel bad at first because I would stop eating after 3 bites. I had to constantly remind people that I didn't mind if they ate! I got accepted into nursing school and reverted back to some old habits. Sugary coffees (which made me dump like HELL), chicken nuggets, fries...Anything I could stuff in my mouth "on the go". I would pay the price, but I wasn't puking after every single meal. So I thought I was in the clear. Earlier this year, I started to have tremendous abdominal pain. Spasms that took my breath away. After numerous tests, it was concluded that I had severe IBS with constipation and diarrhea. After talking to my NP at the weight loss place, we decided to try more plant-based alternatives. I'll admit, I was skeptical and very upset because this girl LOVES a nice juicy steak! But, I have noticed my symptoms are near non-existence when I eat beans, (wild) rice, whole grains, some fruits, and almost any veggie. I take it light with caffeine as that is a trigger, but I do still consume some. Suffice to say, this has been the hardest battle I have ever fought in my entire life. I continue to fight it. I continue to struggle with choices about food. I've learned to not limit myself completely. If I want a cookie, I'll eat half. I don't starve myself. I just don't overindulge like I used to. It seems to be working as I have lost a ton of weight. I plateau, but it's going. I just want to be an advocate for anyone considering the surgery and will answer ANY questions! I want to also be your cheerleader if you have already had the surgery. I can't promise it won't be hard, but I will promise it will be worth it to look at yourself in the mirror and have self-esteem again! I am actually OK with people taking full body pictures now! Insane! I am waiting for my weight to be stable to get skin surgery, but baby steps! #AMA

Jami.1992 - Did you have any reconstructive surgery?

December 2019 (Left) May 2021 (Right) -120lbs+ Still going. Still fighting. Gastric bypass patient.

This. I was delivering flowers for a friends business and got into her ford escape and the stearing wheel was IN my gut. I could not buckle my seatbelt at the max length. I also was working with a client in home health and could not buckle my seat belt and the client kept asking what the alarm was. 😔 That was a HUGE wake up call. The BREAKING POINT/TIPPING POINT was when I saw a photo of myself from the side. Massive arms, huge stomach, and 3 chins. See photo of before and after. My tipping point photo is on the left.

I just wanted to chime in because I am an EXPERIENCED DUMPER! This is not a title I hold proudly, by the way. I still dump sometimes for no reason at all. It has been the worst thing about this surgery, by far. They do say that gastric bypass has the most chance for dumping, but it most certainly can happen for sleeve patients, too. I am post bypass, but I still have to fight dumping nearly every day. Caffeine is a big trigger, sweets, fried anything and of course meat products. I wasn't told until after I had the surgery that a lot of gastric bypass patients cannot consume meat. This decision should not be taken lightly. I wish I could be this super supporter of WLS, but it's certainly not for everyone. Talk to your doctor, please. Ask a TON of questions. Bring a notepad of everything you wanna know. Ask about things that happen to the small percent of people, because you could be that person. Like me. I promise the result will be worth it, but sometimes people don't want to pay the price of pain. ALSO - I don't vomit like I normally do. Because my stomach is so small, I usually regurgitate and food just falls out. OR if I have to "vomit" really hard, I have to cough to make my stomach push up enough to empty it. I usually blow blood vessels in my eyes because of how hard I need to cough. GOOD LUCK!

Just curious how much everyone lost during their pre-op diet? I'm on a two week liquid diet and have lost 11 pounds and still have 4 days to go. Just wondering if I'm on the right track. As always, Thanks in advance! ❤️

Day of surgery weight was 345. I am currently 293. It's coming off terribly slow, but I have not been exercising much as I should due to gyms being closed down in NC. It's coming off, but very very slowly!

So my surgery was 2/25. I started on the day of surgery at 345. I am now down to 306. I feel a little discouraged almost 10 weeks in and having lost only about 40lbs. I am slowly, SLOWWWLLLYY losing weight. I do not feel very thirsty ever, and initally I was not very hungry. But now I do get hungry. I don't even feel that much different.

I swear I'm not marketing anything, I just had this amazing idea. Maybe it's not so amazing, I'd just love feedback because this is something I'm struggling with. Tuesday will be 3 weeks since my surgery. I've struggled keeping things down and knowing when I'm "full". I noticed there is nothing that is 3-4oz (the size of my stomach) on the shelves. Lots of waste. Especially like frozen food that's healthy and convenient. Would any of you ever be interested in frozen meals that are approx. The size of your stomach that would be healthy, delicious and convenient? I'm just curious if I'm onto something or if there would even be a market for this? Delete if not allowed, but I'm so intrigued.

Girl, were you given some intel on me? I had my RNY on 2/25. Had my period, THAT day and thought all the weight I lost had to do with that as well. I've only lost about 10lbs since my surgery and I feel that is because I went to regular food so quickly. The broth and protein drinks were literally making me vomit. So I tried applesauce and pudding, which seemed to go down ok. Then it was other soft food like macaroni and cheese chewed up real good. I can only eat a little bit, maybe a couple ounces. But I feel like it has hindered my weight loss for some reason? Even though I doubt I am even creeping up on 1000 calories a day. I don't wanna overdo it myself, still learning though. I have had some pretty significant pain when I eat too much. Or drink too big a gulp. So slow and steady wins the race, right? Go slow, I know I can only walk/do something physical for so long before I need to take a break. I get tired easily and my incisions are still healing. I also am ready for some real foods, especially salad and grilled chicken! I see my surgeon on Monday and I am afraid to tell him that I have already progressed to some solid foods. I feel like he is going to be mad. Ugh.

It will pass. I'm a week out from surgery. The spasms will go away with time. Don't push it, but stick to what they tell you to do. I regret pushing it, and had a miserable time throwing up for several days. Don't feel bad about taking pain meds. I personally took it 3 times while in the hospital and straight up told them Tylenol is a joke. Since I've been home, I may have taken it 5-6 times. I'm now done with it. Give your body a rest. Good luck! 👍

How did you do?! Praying!

Same here! I see my doctor next Monday and I'm hoping by then that the incision in my belly button will stop hurting. I'm only 6 days post op though, so I'm not too too worried. Also get cramps with really cold stuff or big sips. They only last a few seconds though. Feels like it's going in sideways. I imagine when everything is properly healed, it will go away.

I am so sorry this is happening. I know by day 3 I was regretting it because of the terrible nausea and spasms and low grade fever. I was almost going back to the ER, but it had snowed and I couldn't get down. Eventually the nausea subsided and I could sleep, which had eluded me for days. It DOES get better, I promise. Some people, unfortunately, are going to suffer more than others. But I don't think it's a mistake at all. Definitely call your surgeon or go back if you cannot get anything down. As others suggested, clear liquids are best. Try to avoid sugar and anything with a lot of fat at all costs. I've been drinking bone broth, zero Gatorade, and then Glucerna in between. As tolerated. But only you know what your body can handle. Don't push it. I wish you the best of luck!

I had my surgery on Tuesday. Day one was ok, day two - terrible, TERRIBLE nausea. Threw up 3 times. Finally got home and threw up some more. Called my doctor and they said to come into the ER. I told them I didn't want to be admitted and wanted to wait it out. Now my temp has been hovering in the low 99s. Today, I got a wave of nausea over me. I have phenergan suppositories which usually work wonders, but this nausea is not going away. Slowly sipping on Gatorade zero and water. Took my temp and it's 100.0 - not sure what's going on or if I should just go back to the hospital. I know I'm kinda asking for medical advice, but mostly just seeing if you guys experienced this 3 days post op from RNY. Thanks, Dianna

Day 3 post-op. Pain is mostly gone. Biggest pain is spitting up stuff and blowing a bloody nose (probably from Heparin). Feels like my throat constantly has something in it. Going through tissues like crazy. Still afraid to drink too much and get sick, but I'm doing pretty well actually. Incisions hurt when I move too much, but it's not bad. Still haven't gone to the bathroom, but will try again. I suffered from terrible nausea and throwing up on Wednesday night to the point where they wanted me to come back in. But I refused. I just wanted my bed. Glad I made the right decision. Gotta keep pushing through all of this.

So tomorrow is the big day. Bright and early. The pre-surgery drinks are likely more terrible than the surgery itself. Just a hunch. I just had to swallow two of them within 10 minutes. 🤢 I also spent 10 minutes taking before photos because I couldn't decide if I should pose without clothing (yes, seriously). I have literally gone between nervous and excited like 25307372 times. Pumped. Ready. LETS DO THIS. 💪

So this day 2 post op. Doing a lot better pain wise then I thought I would. Initial pain was gas, that moved into my shoulders last night. Could barely sleep between the gas shoulder pain, the constant peeing from IV fluids and getting woken up for vitals. So ready to go home. But I have been walking around the hallways, Doing really well. Lots of burps, no toots yet though. Around 8:30 am this morning, my nurse came in to give me pain meds. As I went to lift the pill to my mouth, I got a wave of nausea flow over me. I started dry heaving. She had to waste my pain med and give me something for nausea, twice. I finally got my pain med down and Dr came in right after. I was to be discharged around 10am, but now it's going to be 1pm to make sure I don't get sick anymore. All in all the experience has been really good. Ready to be in my own bed though. On my own heating pad.

You've got this! Keep pushing. 💪

You're the day after me! Let us know how you do! I go in at 8am tomorrow.

Definitely call and bug them. I was in the same boat. I pestered EVERYONE. I called their aunts and uncles and distant cousins to get ahold of ANYONE who would give me an answer. Good luck! 👍