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Hi all, three weeks post-op here and everything food-wise seems to be going fine. I also anticipated crazy hormones, but I didn't expect it to manifest as depression. I mean, we ramp up for months or years for this surgery, we finally get it, the weight is coming off, and ... the blues set in? That's my experience the past two weeks. My family is noticing it more and more and starting to worry. I'm on Effexor XR for anxiety and mild depression and have been for years. Could it be the XR isn't absorbing correctly with my sleeve? I haven't had any withdrawal symptoms so I assumed there were no issues. Anyone else very BLAH after surgery? I'm hoping things improve when I return to work next week.

What are some things you plan on rewarding yourself with as you hit your weight-loss goals? (Or health/fitness goals, etc.) I can only come up with a few: -new leggings -new Fitbit band (old one getting too big!) -new workout shoes

One of the major reasons I had VSG was to get off my diabetes meds. I haven't taken any since immediately post-op. Yay! Now I have the opposite problem. My fasting glucose yesterday was 71, which is approaching the danger zone. I'm shaky every morning and I can't exercise or I feel like absolute garbage. Three "meals" per day isn't an option - I have to snack or my levels tank. At only 6 weeks out, I'm not eating any carb-heavy foods or anything not on my plan, and I take in the appropriate number of calories for this stage. All water and protein goals met 99% of the time. It's too early to have "reactive hypoglycemia," so they're sending me to an endocrinologist to figure out why this is happening. They also suggested I eat some yogurt before bed and before exercising (I'm only taking the dogs for walks around the neighborhood at this point) and that actually seemed to help. Their reasoning is that it contains both protein and carbs. Anyone else have this issue? Is it our bodies trying to adjust to the new normal? Is it too few calories for too long a period? I had grand plans of taking up hiking with my Life Scout son, but at this rate I'll never be able to go anywhere I can't get medical attention.

Dealing with this now. My BP was very well managed with one med before surgery but I had one high-ish reading when I saw my GP a week post-op. She's young and very inexperienced and wants me to continue taking the meds. But I kept getting dizzy so I stopped taking them. I had them take my BP at the dentist's office last week and it was something like 100/64, so ... going to ask my son's pediatrician's office to take it when he has an appointment tomorrow. (I'm pretty sure they'll do that?) I'm off all diabetes meds, but still on cholesterol. I've had no labs since surgery on Feb. 3.

See, I was expecting mood swings! This is more pervasive. I'm not upset, not all over the place, not having more anxiety. Just down. So looking forward to being able to exercise more (darn deep stitch is still sore).

You may be on to something there about that particular coping strategy being gone. I've not really battled depression since my daughter was little (post-partum) so this was a surprise. I think it also centers around not being able to sit with my family at the dinner table and partake with them - one of my favorite ways to connect. I know this is temporary and that I'll eventually be able to enjoy meals with them (just in much smaller portions) plus spring is coming. Getting outside is one of my MAJOR coping mechanisms. I always say gardening is my therapy. I hope you find something to lift you out of this, too.

This has been an incredibly helpful thread. I suspect most of us have had similar experiences to some degree. When I divorced 7 years ago I lost a LOT of friends who I considered family, so that prepared me for this journey. I actually had to cut out my mother and brother, the former because she loves to sabotage, and the latter because he weighs 400+ pounds and doesn't want to hear about how I'm doing. It'll be interesting to see how co-workers (and my uber-body-conscious athlete boss) react when I return to work. All this to say that there's nothing wrong with healthy boundaries. You can still love your family and friends, but you DO NOT have to tolerate their BS or feel responsible for their issues and hang-ups. Love them from a distance and decide later if you want to let them back in.

Yep, what Jaelzion said. I found that at first I couldn't tolerate cold water - it would make my stomach do that weird crampy thing. Try room temp and warm water and see if that goes down any easier. As for swallowing, that's probably normal swelling from the surgery. I'm sure your team will keep an eye on it to make sure it resolves in a few days/weeks. Best of luck to you!

Yep it does suck bigtime, no getting around it! I was on an all-liquid diet for two weeks, protein shakes and clear liquids only but I will say this: It absolutely helps prepare you for your new way of eating and thinking. I'm really glad I went through it because it brought up issues I didn't realize existed and I had to tackle them BEFORE entering the operating room. If you can get through the pre-op diet, you can do anything!

No, I don't think they ever mentioned a timeframe, just portion size, but I do take my time. If 2 TB is feeling like a lot (and it depends on what I'm eating - 2 TB of cottage cheese takes much longer and fills me up way more than 2 TB of cream soup or yogurt), I'll slow down in between bites, but I don't think I've ever still been sitting there after a half-hour and thinking I need more. I do have hunger (I think?) but it feels way different now. It's like a rolling cramp almost. And the weirdest part is that it's no longer connected to my brain, if that makes any sense (and I hope it stays that way!!!).

Oh, ugh, sorry this happened to you. But yay for getting through it? I hear you about not thinking that tiny portion is nearly enough - it's weird adjusting to this new tummy. My docs seems to have a super conservative approach as I'm just now allowed to have cream soup and pureed beans, etc. Saturday I can start pureed meats and veggies. Sometimes I can eat two TB of cottage cheese and other times I get 3/4 of the way through and I have to push away from the table. I haven't had the foamies yet or thrown up (though I came really close with a nasty vitamin chew) but I'm sure there will be some "Oh, snap" moments! I think the moral of the story is that we're going to have a lot of trial and error these next few months.

I saw these and wondered if we could pretend it was liquid Nutella 🤣 Any chalky aftertaste like the blueberry and oats?

No, but my surgeon also does that surgery and it was an option (and still is if sleeve fails). I guess it's rather new and NOT the same thing as the DS.

Tomorrow will be 2 weeks post-op and a follow-up with the bariatric team. Purees are coming! Today I saw my GP about my glucose and BP. She confirmed no more diabetes meds (YAY!!!!!) but then she said something odd. She noted that my numbers are excellent on this full liquid diet, but we'd see how I do when my diet "progresses." Now, she's young and clearly still developing her bedside manner (she's awkward) but she insinuated that my diabetes would probably come back and I'd have to go back on meds once I'm on solid food. I guess I thought most docs (even GPs) would know that bariatric surgery has a high likelihood of "curing" diabetes immediately post-op, especially as our weight goes down. Mine was mild to begin with and almost controlled through diet alone. I kinda feel like she threw a bucket of cold water on me. (Getting rid of diabetes was one of my top reasons for surgery.) ANYWAY, I told her I'm consuming about 400-ish calories per day on the FL diet. And I know (I KNOW, I KNOW) we're supposed to concentrate on water and protein at this point, but I'm curious what everyone else's average per day is. Eventually I think we top out around 600-800 with 1,000-1,200 max, but anyone else willing to share where they are in the beginning stages?

I agree with LoveSimcha, it sounds like you're extremely swollen and nothing is getting through - totally understandable if you've been vomiting for days. Your team may have some solutions for inflammation and nausea, otherwise you may end up back in the hospital getting IV fluids.

There are lots of bariatric cookbooks, but I find tons of stuff on Pinterest and Instagram.

Working from home

I've been WFH since the pandemic hit, so I can get away with this, but I've been buying Lane Bryant sports bras off Poshmark in slightly smaller sizes. At some point I'll have to invest in some underwires, but today is not that day, lol.

I did powerlifting a couple years ago and LOVED it. After I drop a good amount of weight I plan to incorporate lifting again - you're an inspiration! Great work!

Can I ask what your hunger feels like now? I'm still trying to figure out what each new sensation means and nothing feels like it used to.

I'm sorry you're both having such a hard time - it DOES get better. Eventually you wake up one day and you've turned a corner. For me it was Day 5. Every day since then there have been noticeable improvements. Just get through the next few days, follow your surgeon's instructions, and do the best you can.

I'm so glad y'all brought this up - how on earth do you figure out what feeling means what?! I have no idea if I'm full or not. Today I had a Tbs of greek yogurt twice today and I really couldn't tell you if it made me full. I *think* hunger feels like a wave of a stomach cramp (though the signal definitely does not get to my head). I know when I need to slow down on liquids, but it mostly feels like gas followed by a painful burp. I get all sorts of random pains or gurgles or squeezes - often when I'm not drinking or eating anything. But other than hunger, nothing feels like it used to or makes much sense at this point. I do know anything other than FairLife CorePower is so sweet it makes me want to hurl.

I hear you. Has your bariatric team been able to provide any solutions? Mine was the 3rd and the first 4 days were HELL, but Day 5 I seemed to turn a corner. I hope you're able to get some relief soon.

It's been an adventure, for sure! Feeling a little better each day, BUT also running into "interesting" issues each day, too. My first vitamin got stuck yesterday and took over an hour to dissolve, so today I opened the capsule into orange Gatorade Zero (don't do that!). This evening I ordered soft chews and will try again in a month. The pain from the "deep stitch" has been a lot. I guess not everyone has this, but it's an internal stitch that, if a bit tight, pulls and can cause you to feel like you're being stabbed by a hot knife. Eventually the stitch dissolves and the weird dimple in your abdomen disappears and relief is immediate. BUT it's been a little fun/interesting to see and smell all the food my family is making and eating and there's ZERO hunger. I usually take a giant whiff and that's enough to satisfy. I've heard that hunger eventually returns, but right now there's nothing. Weird but cool. How are you? Is it as cold in Colorado as it is in Nebraska?

Yes, they tell me it will eventually dissolve, though I posted about it in a Facebook group and many said they felt it "pop" followed by immediate relief. Yay, but EWW?! Please keep us updated on your hernia repair!