The Greater Fool

I must be an aberration because while my portion size has increased from where it was 17 years ago past the 2 month mark, not by much. The video doc above claims that folks will be back up to a plate of food at 5 years, but I have found that is not the case with me. I take his point that pre-op, we were able to eat 2 plates. I could probably have done more, what with being a binge eater. I can't eat a normal plate of food, even now. If it's a 5" plate, I won't leave as much, but there is still usually left over food. I don't think this is necessarily attributable to anything I did, at least purposely. I also don't have much of an appetite either. I can't see how anything I did could have had an impact all these years later. I'm just wierd. Tek

Congratulations! Get ready for the thrill ride of your life. All the scary stuff is setup at the beginning of the ride, then comes the fun and exciting stuff. Enjoy! Tek

I take complete credit for this information. After all, I suggested MsMocie share her knowledge. Your welcome Tek

Welcome to the forums. Take a breath. You have a lot on your mind, We have time to get to know you, and you us. 6 months before I had my RNY I rejected the very concept out of hand. I believed that if I really wanted to I could lose my extra (1/4 ton) weight. Know thyself. 🙄 I didn't have the same sort of issues you have. I wasn't diabetic. Heck, I wasn't anything. I had a couple issues I wasn't aware of, but most of my comorbidities were in the near future. Your choice to have WLS is all about you. Not everyone you thought would support you will. Your heavy friends will feel like when you lose weight you will abandon them. Or judge them. This is their problem not yours. You may lose friends because of your choice. Don't let them guilt you about doing something for yourself. When we get the technology to switch lives, then maybe they can have a say, but until then, no way. Your life is hard right now. You have it within your grasp to change this. You just need to reach out... If you choose WLS, life will get harder before it gets easier. The first 6 weeks will be challenging in ways you can't imagine. You will get through it. Then it will get better, in some ways quickly. Then as things progress, you will find you are feeling better. You are looking better. You are doing better. Month after month. Keep up your therapy, it will help you process things. Good luck, Tek

You'd think we would have learned that nothing diet-wise is forever. "I'll never eat this food, that I love, again." Yeah, that's gonna happen. "All things in moderation. Including moderation." (Oscar Wilde, probably) But, we have to put off certain food exploration as long as we can. Learning that we can eat that little candy bar, or we can drink 1/2 that chocolate shake, are things we don't need to know in week 5. Learning to eat around our surgeries is the beginning of a long, hard road filled with "wanting to get back on track" It's funny, though. "It was nice to add a little something different that wasn't just protein and veggies." Protein and veggies where heaven for me. My "perfect" meals where generally protein and vegies. You were excited to add brown rice. Yuck. We are all built so differently. It's amazing our surgeries work for so many people with such differences. Keep up the good work, Tek

Hello and welcome to the forums. Neck pain could be related to them moving you around on the table while you were sleeping. Give your Doc a call get his opinion on the incision pains. Good luck, Tek

You are in a weight loss phase, yes? In weight loss phase one needs to lower calories [calories in] and/or increase activity and/or exercise [calories out]. You want [calories in] to be less than [calories out] to lose weight When you reach your goal, you're plan will likely change to approximate [calories in] = [calories out]. You will have to learn where this balance is for you, but it won't be what you are eating now, unless you want to lose weight forever. So, don't eat 1200 calories now unless it's on your plan. 👍 It's been so long since I read anything on set point theory, but it may be worth the time to read about 'starvation mode'. I'll bet MsMockle has the info off the top of her head. I'm old and have no memory. Good Luck Tek

Back when I was very active on a couple other message boards, someone did a poll on people's age when they had their wls. The groups were 20-29, on up to 90's. The 90s and 80s were empty, but 70s had a couple, and 60s was many people. They may look at your health a bit more, but it's mostly up to you. Good luck Tek

You've apparently done reading on this subject so I doubt there is much I can contribute on "damaging metabolism" and "set point" theory. With or without WLS we need a minimum number of calories to support a healthy body. 800-1000, or even 1200 calories as a daily norm seems low, except the most extraordinarily sedentary life styles. Health.gov puts average healthy calorie intake generally [age/lifestyle breakdown at site] for women (5'4", 124lbs) to be 1600-2400 calories and for men (5'10", 154lbs) 2000-3000 calories. An RNY or DS patient, who absorbs fewer calories than we eat would need some amount higher than the averages above. Of course, the calories not absorbed would at best be a WAG (Wild Arse Guess). Now, honestly the Health.gov calorie requirements seem high to me, but who am I to argue with Health.gov. Good luck Tek

No surgeries. Yeah, the worst is the unknown. I've had more surgeries than I can count, so I'll take you through it. First, do what they tell you to do. It probably won't end the world if you're a few minutes off, but try to stick to the instructions. Things vary by surgeon and surgery, so I won't get into any specifics. If I hit on something your surgeon didn't mention, don't vex. For WLS, they may have you on a special diet, possibly liquid, for weeks before. This is because they want you lose weight to shrink organs and give them room to move about in there; They will likely turn off the last time you can eat or drink. This is because they'd prefer your stomach and upper intestines empty; You will be asked to show up at the hospital on the day of the surgery. They find it difficult to operate if you're not there, so it's best to show up; They will have you gown, setup your IV, maybe give you something to relax you. Now is when you start waiting. Once I was old enough to read, I started bringing books. Cell phone might work, but some hospitals are testy about cell phones; Eventually, the Doc will come in and say hi and talk about things. My Doc made sure he asked everyone 2 questions: "You know you can die?" and "Do you want to continue?" Yours will do it slightly differently; More waiting; The Anesthesiologist will make an appearance. The order of Doc & Anesthesiologist may be reversed. The Anesthesiologist will talk about things like smoking, what issues you may have had in the past, and whatever else tweaks his/her fancy; More waiting. How the book going? A Nurse will come in, get rid of anyone waiting with you, then wheel you into the OR. It's cold. They'll scoot you onto the operating table. Everyone is doing something but you. You're just laying their; Soon enough, everyone settles into starting positions, the starting gun fires, and we're off. Your Anesthesiologist will ask you to count backwards from 10. Or the alphabet, or whatever this Doc does; OK, 10, 9, 8... You sleep through all the exciting stuff; You become aware that you are more or less awake. Someone will notice and come over to check on you. You're doing fine. The get you more awake, eventually your whoever can come in to sit with you. They'll bring your book, but you really don't have the focus to do much of anything; You're Doc told you if you are going home today or not. Back for mine, it was a 3 day thing. Nowadays, you might have an overnight stay, maybe not. I don't know if you're going home. Pay attention. It's hard, so don't worry about it. If you're going home, they'll get you stable and awake, give you instructions; More waiting; They'll come in and tell you to get dressed; More waiting; Ooh, going home paperwork! More waiting; You could have gone home hours ago, why are you still here? And out the door you go! After a bit more waiting; If you're not going home, they'll get you stable and move you to your room; This is mostly wating; If you get a magic button (for pain) push it. They may want you to drink (or not); They may give you food if the docs want's you to have it. (Mine wanted me to have puree, but I had 3 days to go); Enjoy the rest; You're now on the way home. Enjoy the ride; Good Luck and enjoy Tek

Welcome to the forums. The simplest thing to do is return to your plan. It helped before, it can help again. Others will be along with other options. Good luck, Tek

To your point about people asking inappropriate questions, I would probably be a smart ass, which I know, I know, is terribly out of character: "How much have you lost?" "Looks like I might lose another friend that doesn't seem to understand not to ask inappropriate questions." But, to the question you want us to answer: While dealing with things that are better, like back, hip, knee, ankle, foot pain from carrying around an extra 1/4 ton of weight. Reduced Fatty Liver disease. Blood Pressure. Sleep Apnea, Reflux. But more other worldly were all the things I gained that I didn't realize I was missing, like DisneyWorld, walking, running, marathons, kayaking, horseback riding. Tek

I had a bunch of this sort of thing pre-op. Post-op, while I had pounds of extra skin, no irritations or the like. Pre-op it came down to yeast infections. Got a cream and that was that. Post-op, if it's right at the paints waist line, you may be pulling the waist cinch a bit firm to compensate for the loose flesh. If it's itchy or in some other way unfomfortable you might want to make mention of it with your PCP. Good luck Tek

Welcome to the forums. There are brilliant folks around here that can help provide you all the information on these. I am not one of these. I'm here to say welcome, which I satisfied in the first sentence. The rest is just pleasant chit-chat. Good Luck, Tek

I would do anything to avoid an injection. I guess I'm out of the loop as I thought an Iron infusion is an IV affair. At any rate, I avoid such thing as they leave me with a huge bruise. No thanks, if I can avoid it. Regular iron plugs me right up. Not a desirable result. My Doc recommends Slow-FE. Slow-FE is a time released iron, so gentle on the stomach and bowels, no constipation issues. In spite of the fact that Slow-FE is time released, it works well enough to keep my iron up. Good luck, Tek

Welcome to the forums. That's a good tip. Thanks and good luck Tek

Welcome to the forums. Congratulations on your progress toward getting your WLS. Many, dare I say most WLS folks had health issues as part of their consideration for having surgery. It is not at all unusual. Surgeries have complications. Living has complications. As with all things, you need to do the math to determine which is the riskier option: WLS or no WLS, that is the question. Nearly the last thing my Doc said to me before wheeling me into surgery was "You know you can die from this surgery? Do you want to continue?" I had already done the math. I was gonna be immobile and a burden to everyone around me within 5 years. Even death on the table was preferable. I spoke with my spouse and parents about it and we were all on the same page. I don't want to spoil the ending of the story, but I didn't die. Since the surgery many of my health issues self-resolved. I'm on fewer meds now than I was pre-op. I've done things I never imagined I would do. Since you're well into satisfying your requirement it seems like you did the math. Good luck Tek

Welcome to the forums. WLS Research: Continue your research on WLS surgeries. Read journals. You might consider participating on message boards like https://www.bariatricpal.com/. Pay attention to the different WLS types. Different folks have had different surgeries for different reasons with different success and failures. The BIG Decision: The decision to get WLS is a big one. Having our plumbing rearranged is the very definition of 'drastic.' It's a 'last resort' for some folks. For others its recognized as the solution right away. Some realize that WLS is not for them. Many of us question our choice several times. It seems like you've been successful with diet and exercise only to have it fail for one reason or another. WLS may help. Pain: My RNY was done 'open' meaning the Doc made a big incision and got a good view of my innards. They took out most of my Gaul bladder, fixed a hernia. I had a magic button that helped make the pain go away. With those new fangled laparoscopic surgeries the pain thing is quite different. But, it is still there. It's not fun. BUT, it's also only a week or so. One thing I always say to myself when I have to deal with something unpleasant: "It's only a day. I can do anything for a day." I always use day. You know, one day at a time. Future: As you learn more about WLS and start asking questions we will learn more about you and your specific issues. Then we will be able to share our experiences and help you understand how WLS may or may not help. The future is where all the cool stuff happens. Good luck Tek

I've been looking and simply can't find any posts by anyone that claims 110% compliance, or even 100% compliance. I wonder if you can provide a source. Such [false] claims reveal much about you. Since honesty = ego, anything else would be a waste of time. It's not worth banging my head against this wall. Tek

There are all sorts of protein drinks that can help you continue following plan. Every time someone says protein drinks are hard the good folks here pull out options I never would have contemplated. Let them work their magic on you. [ETA: I misread 'skip the puree' as 'skip to the puree' stage. You have even more varieties on the puree stage. You can puree any protein you like (along with the seasonings/sauces) and you can make it as thin or thick as you like. Folks here are brilliant at all of this, let them help] As Pandemonium says: Do not go off plan. Talk to your Doc and if the plan needs changing, it's something you do together. Then stick with what you decide. Losing weight without surgery was hard. So hard we all failed at doing it. WLS is also hard. It's just hard differently. Both do share one feature, it can be easier to quit. Don't quit. Here you've encountered an issue but you're not asking us how to solve your protein problem. You're asking how to abandon your plan. Give it a chance. The folks here will give you protein ideas that are amazing. You have the best minds on your side to help you solve your problem. Give them a chance. Our biggest challenge in this whole exercise is to get our thinking right. Good luck, Tek

Dumping Syndrome occurs when undigested sugars and fats are 'dumped' into the intestines. When this occurs we experience palpations, sweats, cramps, feeling full, gas, gastric distress, and diarrhea. I apologize to any other resulting symptoms if I failed to mention, it is a mere oversight with nothing personal and no intention to offend. Non-Ops: ANYONE can get dumping syndrome. Anyone with a working pyloric valve is generally unlikely to get dumping syndrome because it is the pyloric valves' job as gatekeeper from the stomach to the intestines to keep undigested food digesting in the stomach. My non-op wife got it once. She was not happy. Bypass (RNY): 20-50% (Mayo says 85%) of Bypass (RNY) patients experience dumping because they do not have a functioning pyloric valve between their stomach (now a pouch) and their intestines. In fact, it's called Gastric Bypass because the pyloric valve and a bit of the small intestines are bypassed. No gatekeeper means food and drink go pretty much directly to the intestines, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Good news is some sources say after 2 years only 15% of patients still get dumping syndrome. I'm lucky, I guess. Lap Band: Lap Band folks don't have much of a chance for dumping because lurking below the band there is a normal stomach and all the associated plumbing. Sleeve: Team sleeve have a sleeve which is remarkably similar to the 'pouch' of RNY folks. Unlike the RNY folks at the bottom of the sleeve is a working pyloric valve. However, if one over eats or over drinks, and follows up by over drinking the food can be pushed through. However the sleeve also reduces volume. So, it's more than possible that dumping in sleeve patients may be greater than with non-ops, however sources simply don't want to put a number on it. None of the statistics really matter. You either dump or don't dump. Once you have your answer for you, statistics don't matter. As in most matters we need to work with the hand we are dealt, which most of us do with beauty and grace, or like me, handsome and clumsy. Good Luck, Tek

Good news. Learning and following your plan is probably the best thing you can do that will carry you through to success. It would be hard to eat enough sugar or fat in the first couple months to get you to dumping, but continue your vigilance. You may never find out if you dump simply by working your plan. Not that working your plan is simple, just that it is a simple principle. Keep up the good work. Good luck, Tek

What does your plan say? When you are at an eating (chewing) stage it would probably be OK, aside from the fact grapes have a fair amount of sugar. Be sure to chew extremely well, because the skins may ball up and plug things. Good luck. Tek

Welcome to the forums. You might want to post over on either of these forums:POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums There are zillions of people here that have experienced what you have. Good Luck Tek

It's been so long ago I don't remember. Also, at the time we lived in Las Vegas, so a 'vacation' was sorta like it is for you: Stick your head up and pick something. My first couple attempts at eating out didn't go so well. It usually involved a quick trip to a restroom or other, closer, out of sight area I could deal with things. This had the effect of causing me anxiety about eating in public so the anxiety itself was likely to cause an issue. Further, I tend to get involved in conversations, which I know is hard to believe based on how withdrawn I am here. Focusing on conversation cause me to not pay enough attention to eating, again creating issues. Bottom line, while I am generally able to eat out, the anxiety is still dialed up so I only do it with my wife, and because she is disabled and mostly home bound, rarely. So, tip: # 1, focus on what your doing. # 2: Don't worry about eating off plan. All the now built in stuff is still in effect: Portion size, protein, doing all this is nearly automatic now. When you get home and back to plan, it will balance out; # 3: Vacations are active affairs and now you are able to partake more. This may stoke your appetite. I would listen and perhaps eat a snack or two when the urge strikes. You're on vacation, you're more active, it's OK. # 4: Don't let your new biology and habits take the joy out of your vacation. Allow it to enhance your joy. Beat it into submission if you must. # 5: it will balance out. When vacation is over, back to plan. Enjoy your vacation. Tek