solman

TL;DR What skin care products and procedures should I use in the months after surgery to avoid having huge amounts of excess skin that may compel me to get plastic surgery? I'm a large man who had Gastric Bypass Surgery 20 days ago. Everything is going better than I hoped, both in terms of weight loss and tolerating food. That said, I use a mental picture of myself in a couple of years to motivate me, and that mental picture is incompatible with the images of people with massive excess skin that I have seen. I'd feel compelled to seek out plastic surgery in that case (and given my weight history and the amount I am losing, it would appear that I have a higher than average chance of ending up in that situation). What products and procedures does this forum recommend to reduce the likelihood of having significant excess skin when my weight loss is complete? I'm currently under the impression that in addition to the aggressive strength training that I already planed, I should use Retinol and Hyaluronic Acid Topically, aggressively exfoliate, and ingest collagen and vitamin C and perhaps CoQ10. Are there significant changes I should make to this list or products that the forum has found to be effective? Thanks!

Your body may want salt. I've been drinking Morimoto's Miso Soup since six days out (a slight violation because of the seaweed and things in the soup). Its 45 calories, 8 fluid ounces of water and 5 grams of protein, and it totally satisfies my salt cravings.

Since my surgery was recent, I still lack a good sense of perspective. But I will say that I began the process twice over the preceding six years before finally completing it three weeks ago. I feel very strongly that I have a very positive frame of mind now, and that it gives me a MUCH higher chance of success than I would have had the previous two times. While I've surely lost something by waiting six years, the improved attitude and likelihood of success seems worth it to me.

At 23 and just 40 BMI, I'd seriously question whether it makes sense purely from a health perspective. Also, quite a few people are successful with diet and exercise changes in that situation. That said, if the social consequences are extreme (as I'd imagine they are at that age), I could understand somebody deciding that the surgery was the right choice for them. [I lost my gall bladder a few years ago, long before my surgery. Got sent home from the emergency room three times with extreme pain and was told it was heart burn each time. The fourth time they decided I needed an emergency cholecystectomy, and operated immediately. When, I recently visited the emergency room due to bright orange drainage from my main gastric bypass incision (turned out not to be something to worry about) and they asked me for feedback, I was sure to remind them about repeatedly missing my exploding gall bladder.]

I found a yogurt drink called "Pillars" which I like. It contain probiotics and has no fat. The 32 ounce version has 15 grams of protein and 70 calories per 8 ounces, and is thin, so it goes down very easily. I find it is easier to get protein in my body through this drink than via any other method. It's not very sweet because of the low sugar, but I like the taste of the mixed berry and strawberry banana versions.

I'm in this boat. The literature is clear that patients with the same surgery can experience very different ADHD drug absorption (from other patients and from themselves pre-surgery) after surgery. It is almost certainly necessary for you and your psychiatrist to carefully observe the effects of the drugs and adjust as needed (especially since your own absorption may change in the aftermath of your surgery). I was taking Adderall XR before surgery. We've decided to put me on Vyvanse, which I'm in the process of gradually ramping up now. Because Vyvanse becomes active after it is in the blood, strange and unexpected changes in absorption should be more tolerable. But we are concerned that it could be absorbed and become active so late that it is ineffective in the morning and/or interferes with my sleep. It is way too early for me to answer these questions. Another thing we considered is dermal Methylphenidate. This would avoid my gastrointestinal system altogether. We may yet wind up there. Apparently there are dermal Adderall studies going on, so this may be an option in future years.