S@ssen@ch

I had very mixed emotions when it came to ridding myself of that stack of clothing in the corner of my closet. I was so happy to be shrinking out of them, but felt very attached to them. Not because I feared gaining the weight, but they were a part of me that was now in my past, most of them were comfortable and had memories associated. Plus, I find that I actually prefer to wear my clothes a little big. Having room in them feels much better than barely being able to breathe! When I started getting comments about how my clothes look like they're about to fall off, I packed them up! One of my colleagues offered to take them to a local women's shelter where they need professional clothing for the residents to perform a job search. So, once I knew my clothes were going to a good cause, it was easier to part with them. I now have another stack growing in my closet. Will be taking them to the women's shelter again next week. I agree with others, don't fall into the trap of saving them "just in case". Wrong thinking, for sure.

My surgeon did not put me on anything immediately post-op, but around week 3 I started getting heartburn. So, I put myself on Nexium. It had worked for me in the past and it worked for me for this. I took the Nexium for 4 months straight when I missed a dose and noticed return of the heartburn. I was concerned about some of the long term effects of PPI use, so I decided that I would like to try to stay off of PPI's on a long term basis. I'm willing to accept temporary rounds of treatment, but I really wanted to try. So, I took Pepcid complete as needed until I had done enough research to find alternatives. I added some natural GERD remedies to my daily routine and you'd be surprised at how effective they are. I'm not noticing the nighttime reflux like before and I might have a little break through heartburn once in a while, easily treated with DGL. Otherwise I'm good.

I use Unjury powders and a regular shaker bottle. I have bought so many brands that I forget which ones. My current "go to" shaker is the one that came with an Unjury sample pack I bought. It's the right size and it doesn't leak (highly important). I was never told to use a sipper lid and no none said anything about avoiding foam. My shakes aren't terribly foamy, even if I use a blender stick to blend in fruit. I just drink it out of the shaker, which has a flip top. If that's what you mean by a sipper lid, then I guess I am using one. In my interpretation, sipper lids are the kind you use with toddlers.

My hair is baby fine and it's been thin ever since I had my kids. It started falling out about 3 months post-op and although it has slowed, it's still coming out. I can now see my scalp. I suppose it's not obvious to others, but I notice and I don't like it! Currently, my hair is just a little past my shoulders and as much as I like putting it up, I'm getting tired of teasing it to hide the thinning scalp. Just made an appointment to have it cut on Saturday and will probably take it up to chin length. I'm not brave enough for a pixie, but the style I have in mind is close.

I'm not sure you can totally prevent it. It seems to be on a case by case basis. Telogen Effluvium is hair loss after surgery or metabolic distress, both of which occur with a weight loss surgery. I strongly recommend you look it up. There are strategies that some of us employ to help reduce the risk and maybe mitigate extreme hair loss, but I'm not sure how effective they are. I began losing larger than usual amounts of hair at about 3 months post op and now at 4 months, it seems to be slowing down. I ALWAYS got my protein requirements and I have ALWAYS taken vitamins/minerals (including biotin supplements) to reduce. I second the promotion of Unjury and it's products. I did not take the Opurity line. I tried so many others that once I found something that didn't make me nauseated, I was afraid to try another.

Totally get the heat issue. I'm in Texas. We were over 100 degrees for a couple weeks in July, it was certainly hard to motivate myself to walk in THAT. I walk in the underground parking garage at my office and although it can get a little hot/muggy when the temperature outside is in the mid to upper 90's, the lowest floor is actually pretty comfortable (and mostlyempty). I like the idea someone else had above about walking in the mall. It's free other than the transportation to/from and it will get you out of the house.

I drink a lot of tea, mostly green and herbals. I start my day with it and drink into the afternoon. I do not add sweetener. Many of the herbals are naturally sweet. Since I prefer loose tea, I can make my own blends. I also second the Hint waters. I discovered them by accident while traveling and am now a huge fan. There is no sugar. They are "infused" with fruit. They don't have a strong flavor, but just a "hint" of the fruit. Love them! **I also really dislike the Crystal Light. I even tried the ones sweetened with stevia, the "pure" line, but I just can't tolerate them on a regular basis. I'm not one for artificial sweeteners, period. So, I tend to avoid them.

I have been a daily tea drinker for years and consider myself a bit of an aficionado. I generally do not drink high caffeine teas and NEVER drink black tea (the kind in iced tea). I prefer green teas and herbal teas, but also drink some specialty teas such as Oolong and Pu'erh. I LOVE teas and often drink them medicinally. In the hospital, I drank a Pu'erh & chrysanthemum tea, but the nurses wouldn't let me have it hot hot. It was luke warm at best. Pu'erh & chrysanthemum is good for digestion and bloating, so I put some in my overnight bag because I figured it might help with tummy distress in my immediate post operative state. When I got home, I continued to drink the Pu'erh & chrysanthemum but also began drinking ginger tea. Ginger is also good for tummy troubles. I did not drink it very hot for about a week or so. Not because it caused pain or distress, but I figured that the surgical site in my tummy really wasn't up to extremes.

It's normal to have second (and 3rd, and 4th) thoughts as you approach surgery time. I had doubts all the way up to the time I was on the surgery table and they were putting the mask over my face. As others have said, focus on the reasons why you decided to take this journey and the positives. In my experience, the negatives pass and fade.

Mine started around 3 month mark. I was really starting to get worried about the hair loss. I mean, my hair is already fine and thin. I really can't stand to lose too much without it being kind of noticeable. In the last couple of days, I've noticed less and less coming out after I wash. I'm hoping I've seen the worst of it, I can kind of see my scalp!

This is YOUR journey, not anyone else's. Tell as much as or as little as you feel comfortable telling others. I'm 15+ weeks out. I have only told a handful of those in my "inner circle". Not even my family knows. If anyone comments about my weight loss or asks me how I'm doing it, I can answer honestly: I am trying to make healthier choices. I'm being more active. Etc. If they ask me specifics, I give them generalities of what I do. I focus on protein and reduce (but not eliminate) carbs. Fortunately, I'm losing slow enough that no one pushes for any more than what I answer and I'm fine with that.

@fluffy562 Totally understand the crazy 40's where your body betrays you. I'm 47 and really started noticing changes a few years ago. Regarding whether to tell or not, only you can decide on how private you want to be with this. Personally, I'm a very private person. It took me a year to decide for sure that I wanted to do this. So, when I did, I felt like this was my personal business and not anyone else's. My husband knows and a few close friends and colleagues. I did not tell my parents or my MIL. I did not tell my siblings. I did not tell my children. To this day, none of my family knows. I kept this to myself, not out of embarrassment or shame or because I wanted to hide it, but because I didn't see the need to involve others in such a personal decision. My children are out of the house (either on their own or at least away for college). So, there was no one to witness the immediate post-op process except my husband and dogs. I've seen my kids and my family and I've even gone out for business dinners. From my experience, people notice that you're not eating a lot and may ask if you're OK. Those questions are easy to answer. I have honestly changed my diet and I am being more mindful of what I eat. I suppose at some point I'll tell. If someone is bold enough to ask me whether I've had surgery, I typically answer honestly. I have nothing to hide. I just prefer privacy.

@dreamingofasleeve From what I read, it is normal to have some reservations and fear pre-op. In the weeks leading up to my surgery, I know I was certainly questioning myself every step of the way, even up to the surgery itself. As they were strapping me to the operating table, I was crying. And, just like Matt, I can say that I'm glad I did it now. That was not always the case. I went through a similar experience as Matt with Lap Band, but I had my band out long ago and lived without my tool for about 8 years before realizing that I needed help. Since I got sleeved, I've gone through what I call a food "mourning" period where I think about what I've done and what the ramifications are to my relationship with food. There was a certain pleasure in eating and for me, it was linked to socialization and love. I have had to come to grips with that and change. I think I will always struggle with it, a little bit. Today, food is fuel. Yes, I still derive a certain amount of pleasure in it, but I don't eat for pleasure. Today, I eat to live. I don't live to eat. My advice to you is to do a little bit of soul searching. Bariatric surgery of any kind is not the end all/be all. YOU need to examine how much you are willing to adapt and change in order to reach your goals. Any weight loss surgery is a tool, a powerful one, but a tool just the same. Good luck!

I weigh myself once a week. Same day of the week, every week, same time of day, same attire. In my opinion, weighing daily only increases your risk for anxiety. We normally have daily fluctuations based upon a lot of various factors, including water retention and what we ate vs what we eliminated. I'm a "slow and steady wins the race" kind of gal. I didn't gain this weight in a short amount of time and I don't expect to lose it fast. As long as I'm losing, I'm happy. AND, I'm developing better health habits that I can maintain over a lifetime.

I saved 1 pair of pants at my largest size for the same reason Jess9395 did. I want to be able to show myself how far I've come. As of this week, I'm down 2 pants sizes. I'm purging as I go. Gave them all to a friend who works at a women's shelter. Haven't had to buy much so far, because I have that "I will wear this again someday" section of the closet. As of yesterday, my "I will wear this again someday" section is mostly empty. So, a clothes shopping trip is in my foreseeable future I say, get over that fear that you will re-gain. Get rid of the clothes and keep moving forward!

I have had GERD off and on for my entire life. It seems to have "flare ups" depending on my diet, my weight, and my stress level. My doctor was comfortable doing the sleeve because he said my GERD was "situational" and the risk was low. I wouldn't put much faith in the psych consult's opinion on what procedure you should have. Their job is to make sure you're mentally stable to handle bariatric surgery. Have a serious talk with your surgeon, weigh the pros and cons of the procedures, and decide TOGETHER which one is best for you. Just a little info on my own terrible psych consult experience: My psych consult tried to dissuade me from the sleeve saying "I don't know if intractable GERD is worth the weight loss" and several other snide comments about obesity and bariatric surgery. The whole psych consult experience was a nightmare. She had me feeling worse about myself than I did walking in and had me convinced my 26 year marriage was completely dysfunctional. There is no guarantee that with a history of GERD, that you will or will not develop it after sleeve. Some scientific studies say that there is a greater incidence of it with the sleeeve and other say it's negligible. For example: I have a friend who had Barrett's esophagus from GERD. Had the sleeve and has had NO recurrence of GERD. Me, who seemed to have only occasional or "situational" GERD before the sleeve am developing a mild case of GERD.

@Creekimp13 You do what you gotta do for you, but I for one can tell you that I truly enjoy your posts. They're informative, insightful, and sometimes brutally honest. A trait that can be thoroughly lacking sometimes. I can appreciate that your personal needs have changed and I will probably get there myself at one point. I wish you the best.

I had reflux with the LapBand, but it mostly resolved once I had the band removed. I had occasional flare-ups and with the last one I had EGD that showed possible "sliding hernia". All went away after a round of Dexilant. When investigating into another bariatric surgery, my doctor and I had a talk about it. I told the doctor I really did not want to go RNY route. I did not like the malabsorption aspect of it. We came to the conclusion that my GERD was situational, meaning it was related to stress, diet, and overall obesity. Doctor felt it was safe to proceed. About 4 weeks after my sleeve surgery, I started getting heartburn. Started Nexium right away, which took care of the heartburn nicely. Then, a couple weeks ago I noticed that I am waking up with a sore throat. Self-diagnosed return of the reflux, so I am now propping myself up at night. Before I get a bunch of "talk to your doctor" comments, it's not bad enough that I feel I need to and I will at my next f/u visit. But, my theory is that the "sliding hernia" that may have been there didn't rear its ugly head during surgery and therefore wasn't addressed. So, I'm hoping that with time and weight loss this will resolve or at least stay very minimal. Really do not want ANOTHER bariatric surgery. I think my insurance would revolt.

The answer to how a doctor should tell a patient they need to lose weight would be entirely dependent upon the patient (the recipient of the info). Their reaction will be based on past experience, their mental health status, and their personality. In a perfect scenario, the doctor would have had a good relationship with the patient and they can have an honest, productive discussion. But, we live in the real world where patients are often part of the assembly line of healthcare. So, the doctor wouldn't know the patient well enough to know how best to approach with the patient in front of them. In my opinion, there is no perfect way to approach the subject. And I agree with anonbaribabe (above) that doctors are obligated to educate their patients about their health, the risks involved, and their options to treat. My advice, take the approach of being informative and try to be empathetic. You won't win them all, but you'll win some. Besides, your conscience can be clear that you did the best you could. In my own personal experience, I didn't like being told I was overweight. It's not like I didn't KNOW, it just stings to have someone else point it out to me and it was a blow to my self esteem. At my worst, I was guilty of avoiding doctors primarily for that reason. I didn't really want to face it.

I made the switch from regular yogurt to greek yogurt years ago. Now, regular yogurt is just too sweet and runny for me. Of the greek yogurt brands on the market, by far my favorite is Fage. I like the taste and texture, plus I can add as much or as little of that little section of sweetened fruit as I like. Meaning, I'm in control and not at the mercy of the manufacturer in terms of sweetness and flavor. Lately, I've switched over to Skyr. To me, I can't tell the difference between it and greek yogurt. The brand I prefer is Siggi's. It's low in sugar and carbs and still packs the same protein kick. In fact, I'd say that it's LESS SWEET than Fage I usually beef it up a little with: 1TBSP granola, 1TBSP Unjury unflavored, and 1tsp chia seed. It gives me some crunch and texture, plus I get a little protein boost from the unjury. Sometimes I eat it for breakfast, others I eat it as an afternoon snack.

I feel like I've been on some sort of "trial run" of vitamins since my surgery because they seem to cause such severe nausea that I can't function well. Thankfully, no vomiting, but I just feel like cr*p after I take some of them. You didn't list your meds, but it could be as simple as your vitamins causing the nausea. Heartburn: sleeved patients have a higher incidence of heartburn. I started getting it about 3 or 4 weeks post op. I take Nexium and that seems to keep it controlled. Talk to your doctor about both issues.

I came home from hospital with Tramadol prescription, but never used it. For a day or 2 I took chewable children's Tylenol. That's it. I returned to work day 5. Not sure I'd do that again, but not because of pain, because of fatigue. My energy was very low, I had to take frequent breaks, and I actually fell asleep during a lunch break for 1 1/2 hour.

After an episode of the foamies, I felt better and sat down to talk with friends. All of a sudden, a mouthful of foam came up (mid sentence). It was weird, it was embarrassing, and I'm glad it has NOT happened again. No weird dreams. My skin has never been softer. Then again, I have been using the bio-oil almost daily (which I HIGHLY recommend. It's great stuff). I'm losing a little extra hair these days, but not enough to be concerned about.

My kids approached my husband. He told them that I was on another diet. I've been on a lot of them, so they really didn't question it. FYI: My kids are adults and out of the house. So, it's not like they're seeing me every day. Also, it's not that I'm hiding the fact that I had surgery, I just didn't feel the need to include them in my journey to better myself. I see myself confiding in them at some point, but right now I'm relatively early in this journey and I'm still learning how to eat properly. Last week we went out to dinner with friends of ours to a new restaurant. I ordered the best I could considering everything was fried and picked at my food until I was finished. No one said anything to me at the time, but one of the men asked my husband the next day because they thought I didn't like my food. Again, my husband's response was one that I was on a special diet (which I am). I reiterate: this is YOUR JOURNEY. You set the rules on who is on that journey with you. I'm happy being on this journey with only a few trusted people. I'm a private person by nature and I don't feel the need to involve others. These forums are my source of support even if I am more of a lurker than a contributor. I haven't outright lied to anyone. I AM on a different diet than I was before. I AM watching what I eat and making healthier choices. I AM eating slower to be mindful of my body's reaction to the food I eat.