VSGJen

I definitely have some lingering pressure discomfort when I eat or drink still and I am a bit over 4 months out. I don't know exactly how to describe it, but it sounds sort of like what you are referring to. I never had this before, but now when I eat I just have more gas produced and when I start to get full it just feels like I have to burp more. My husband noticed it first that when I am nearing my 'full' I put my hand on my chest and it reminds me to sort of burp the pressure out-not loud burps, just little covert ones. I was really nervous about this at first, but as long as things trend better as you heal, you should be fine!

I had my surgery on March 31st and I have gas after eating and it's actually become something that I consciously burp to relieve still but it also lets me know when I am getting full. I know that I have heard some people have gas out one end or the other, so I am glad it's just burps 😉. It has been getting better since surgery and since you are so new out of surgery your stomach is really sensitive and is just reacting to everything you are putting in there at least it was that way for me too. I took to journaling symptoms, like gassy stuff or things that maybe made me more or less nauseous. It's a good way to track if/how things are changing or improving over time.

I would say that if you are really concerned just ask your surgeon or the office they have answered every question out there so they should be able to help. But a few days after my surgery, I felt what I thought was a weird lump under my biggest incision (where they removed the stomach) and it really freaked me out. I thought I had a hernia or something and had that dull pain which did sometimes become sharper when I stood. For me, it ended up being where the muscle was healing together. It went away after about a month but was getting better during that time. My surgeon's office said that it's something to be concerned about if it is getting worse.

Hey, so I looked at your info on your profile and we are virtually identical when it comes to the stats. I had my surgery 3/31 and am down 45 pounds as of yesterday. Started at 260 at 5'6", lost 25 pre-surgery, and 20 pounds after. The reason it's interesting to me is that our journey to those very similar loss numbers sounds very different. I had a 3-4 week stall after losing 13 pounds the week after surgery, then nothing for 3.5-4 weeks. It sounds like that stall was just as frustrating as your 2 pound loss a week. I think it just goes to show that our bodies all process loss differently, but we kind of end up in the same place. I think your body is just a 'low and steady' situation whereas I will have those 'melt off phases' but they certainly don't last forever and I have long periods of stalls. It doesn't sound like you are doing anything wrong, it's just not what you thought it would be pre-surgery which I DEFINITELY went through. It took me a long time, and I'm still working on it, to be ok with how things were going because ultimately it's not something that I can force. The thing that worked for me was tracking macros (fat, carbs, and protein specifically) and total calories. It just helps ground me and remind me that I'm doing what I need, and things will be on track. Hope this helps and hang in there! ❤️

Man, this brought up a lot for me. I grew up and had SnackWells in the pantry and SlimFast under the counter at all times. My mom was an 80s diet aficionado. Anything and everything that was diet was her life. I was slim after puberty, but was made fun of a lot as a kid for being overweight. After college, mental illness took its toll and so did some of the medication I was on- especially on my scale. I finally decided to get weight loss surgery last year after 10 years of trying to get rid of the extreme weight gain that had occurred on my meds. Before surgery it was a huge topic of conversation with my mom about diets and weight and what she was trying next. It was exhausting. I found a lot of grace and support from body positivity advocates and I really started drawing some hard boundaries with what I will and won't talk about with my mom. She still talks about her body negatively and I just either don't engage if I don't have the emotional fortitude, or I will counter with something positive if I can. I have learned over the last few years that you can love your body and still work on things that you want to change. All the things muala94 mentioned, mobility, stamina, feeling freer and not necessarily getting that sense of freedom from food are things that I was looking for, but I really wanted to stop hating my body for doing nothing more than existing in the way that it did. During the pandemic it felt safe to pursue this surgery because I didn't have to tell anyone. I didn't have to explain myself or say what happened or have all of these conversations about someone's opinion of my body- positive or negative. I could just do the work and figure it out for myself. I dread some of my family mentioning it in the future. I don't want to be congratulated for what they saw was a deficiency. I don't see my body that way. I don't want to have people tell me that they feel better about what my body looks like now, because it is still mine and I feel protective over what it was when it was bigger. What I am trying to get at it, I really get the feeling when you say that you don't want to hear any more spewing of derision from people about a body that deserved to be loved then and now. Boundaries really helped me. It takes time. My mother is very stubborn and I have been pushing against her 'helpful' commentary my whole life. I imagine it will be that was forever. But what worked for me was telling her very bluntly that she can help in the way she is asked. She can support me, ask me how I am feeling, go for walks, or we can just sit enjoy each others company. Unsolicited advice isn't welcome. I will no longer have conversations about my weight or food or the morality of a Snickers. It isn't an easy process especially when some parents see independence or boundaries as an insult or as a jab at their control as parental figures. I hope your therapist can help you navigate the process, and hopefully if your family is open to working through this with you so you can all get to a better place together. Oh, and if you watch Shrill, I found a lot of Aidy Bryant's character dealing with her mom about food and weight a really good example of trying to have these tough conversations.

I have had some new and confusing tummy upset with plain water that I never had before so I've been experimenting. I really like the Tazo teas and if you make a 1:1 sweet orange and passion it tastes a little sweet with none of the gross sugar free flavor. It's even better iced.

Wow, this was actually a discussion point with my nurse post-op. I was on a two week liquid diet and hadn't had a BM since 4 days prior to surgery on a Wednesday, still nothing by that Sunday. Miralax did the trick to get things going. I was really worried but didn't feel bloated or constipated, so I wasn't too worried. It was another 5 days and had my first 'unassisted' BM. I think we're all different, especially after surgery, so just try to stay hydrated and be patient. And of course call you Dr's office if you're really worried.

I had a rough-ish recovery. Anesthesia made me so nauseous I was throwing up (dry heaving for the first 12 hours). It was not pleasant. I also had a bladder that decided to sleep in after anesthesia so I had an extra night with a catheter. I am actually grateful now that they kept me longer because I needed extra care. Just be kind to how your body reacts and take it slow. Good Luck!!

Hey, I don’t want to sound like a know-it-all because I don’t, but you mentioned Advil above and everything I’ve read and from my surgeon said stay away from anything that’s not acetaminophen. (I think due to a blood thinning affect). It had me worried so I thought I’d just mention it. You know what’s best for you so feel free to ignore me. Good luck with your continued recovery!

I also had a hard time with nausea throwing up for a full 2 days but at least I had IV fluids. I also had to have a urinary catheter because I couldn’t urinate. I asked for a stronger anti nausea med and it helped immensely. It’s awful throwing up after surgery. I hope you feel better soon.

I’m just on my 3rd day of recovery and I had to be hospitalized an extra day because my bladder just did not want to cooperate. My nausea was the worst. You’ll never guess that dry heaving on stomach that just got cut in half is very pleasant. I finally got some stronger anti nausea meds and could get discharged. What a doozy, but eventually stating to feel better.

I juuuust squeaked into March. I got approved yesterday for the 31st. I had to lose 10% of by total weight before my insurance would approve so I've been doing the weight loss program since July of last year. I am READY!

The nutritionist said that it's a no for at least 3-4 months, but the reason they gave is that it's makes it too hard to get all your fluids in since there is caffeine which is a diuretic. That being said, I hate that I have to give up coffee and am attempting to switch to decaf and tea. It's been....difficult.