kcuster83

Hello and welcome to the family! Good luck on your journey!

To say it frankly... it's bullsh*t! 😁

I was instructed to take chewables the day I was home from the hospital. I couldn't, i tried tons of different brands and flavors (even liquid) and wasted so much money. They are all horrible. Horrible texture and even worse taste. You think they could figure this out! I worked with my team but they were not very concerned about it that early on. At my 2 week follow up the surgeon allowed me to start pills and/or capsules as long as I could handle them. Luckily I had no issues so I have been on capsules since 2 weeks after surgery.

I don't think it is weird either way. Everyone has reasons for wanting to share or not wanting to share. To each their own!

Walmart "Equate" brand protein shakes are about the most disgusting thing ever! That is all.....

Didn't even think of that, people are lame. haha

I don't know your stats, as far as height for the weight and medical issues but I would definitely hold off and see what happens with the meds and getting your hormones balanced. It really hurts nothing to hold off for a few months and see how it works out.

I love this thread! LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! Everyone's story is the same but yet SO different. I have been obese my entire life, even a fat kid. I literally NEVER remember seeing "100 something" on the scale. I was 250+ lbs in middle school. I did some extreme **** as a teenager, starved, salad with fresh veggies and no dressing and water only.. the list goes on. My mother basically threatened to have me admitted because of my extreme obsession with trying to loose weight in an unhealthy manor. Gave up...again... got fatter. Young adult into future adult: Lost over 100 lbs multiple times but could NEVER keep it off! In high school is when WLS became known and my best friends dad was upwards of 800 lbs and he was the first person I knew to have it. I don't know what procedure he had, or if there was even options back then. Anyway, he had MAJOR complications and in about 2 years was wasted away to around 100 lbs and in a wheel chair. Almost died but pulled through and from there I don't know because I lost touch with this friend when she became a drug addict. Anytime anyone ever mentioned WLS that is all I could think about.. was him and how it just about killed him! Now grown adult: It came up a few times, by myself or other people and I always convinced myself I don't need surgery I KNOW HOW TO LOOSE WEIGHT! I know how to eat healthy. I know what to do, I have done it, too many times actually. Then 2 years ago, I broke my record breaking 400 lbs! I was depressed, hated myself, hated doing anything, hated seeing people I knew.. just hated everything really. Thru those 2 year till I made my decision I was actually trying to convince myself to have it and always talked myself out with the same reasoning... "I know how to do it and have done it.. so just DO IT AGAIN and stick with it".. we all know how that ends! About a year ago I was at my doctors office and during conversation he asked me if I had ever considered WLS. I told him everything I just told you. Plus, he has been my doctor for about 15 years, so he has seen it! My weight fluctuating from 250 to over 400 lbs... constant struggle. He explained his side of things to me, never once said things like "you need it" or anything else like that. Just provided information. I left that appointment and couldn't stop thinking about it. At this point in my life I knew a few other people who had WLS surgery, the problem now is that only 1 of them were successful! So then that gave me doubts, because that was really my only issue. Loosing the weight wasn't the problem, keeping it off was ALL the problem. But then, I started paying attention, to what they did, how they ate and I realized it is because they don't try. I suddenly convinced myself! (KINDA) I researched WL surgeons in my area, found an amazing team and called them up. They said I just need to verify my insurance will cover WLS and that they will cover it at their hospital. They did, I had my first appointment. i still wasn't sure, but I decided "what do I have to loose to just do the classes" so I did... honestly most of it I already knew. But i did learn a lot more about the "surgery" itself and life after surgery. But, what actually "convinced me" is health. My family history is the worse! Literally. Everything. My mom has EVERYTHING, half or more of my family is diabetic. High blood pressure, heart problems, liver problems...EVERYTHING! Even cancer runs ramped in my family. I was 400 lbs and had MINOR high blood pressure and GERD (which may or may not have been weight related) and that was it. No other problems, but I kept imagining waking up one day and BOOM! Diabetes.... or heart attack... My mother was 55 and looked 70 and in the worse health you could imagine. On more pills than I could count... I just always saw that being my future and HAD to STOP IT. Or, at least do what I COULD to try to stop it! So.. I did it.. ashamed... and told VERY few people... (like 5 people) I think for me I didn't want people to know I had WLS and then fail at it.. then everyone knows... etc. NO REGRETS! BEST DECISION I EVER MADE FOR MYSELF! I WISH I WOULD HAVE DONE IT 15 YEARS AGO!!!! Within 3 months, off ALL meds GERD is gone... Blood pressure is actually TOO LOW at times! the NSV are off the charts, I can't even begin to list them all. Sorry for my crazy long post, but I was excited about this tread and wanted to throw out all of the details of my reasoning and thoughts!

May have overdone it like you mentioned. Take it easy for the next few days until you see your Doctor and see if it gets better. I hope you feel better.

What? Why? lol I am sorry, what are you doing and talking about? To keep warm or something?

I love this post! I have a love/hate relationship with my old pictures. I really did not realize how big I was in the day to day until I saw pictures of myself. I knew my weight, but honestly didn't see such a HUGE person in the mirror. But always saw it in pictures, it was strange. Now, I see skinn(ier) in pictures but still see fat me in the mirror. I however love looking back at pictures because it "wows me". In 6 months I have lost 112 lbs and 143 since the start of my process. To look at pictures from last Christmas is amazing to me, that I can (or anyone) have such a drastic change in 10 months! Some people change so much I hardly recognize them in the "after" photo whereas others look the exact same but smaller. I was worried about this, I didn't want to not "look like me", if that makes sense. But then i saw a recent picture of me and my best friend that she posted on FB and I was like.. shiiitttt I don't look like me BUT oddly enough the smaller I get the more I look like my little brother who was the ONLY skinny person in my entire family and passed away in June. Then I thought it was my mind messing with me but then suddenly another friend and 2 family members commented on the picture stating how much I look like my brother now. I wanted to look like me, but if I have to change, I am 100% MORE THAN OK with me looking like my brother. ❤️

Yesterday I was laying in bed. On my back flat and suddenly realized my boobs are higher than my stomach!!! I really think this is the first time EVER! I have always had small boobs, and now deflated small boobs so this is really saying something! hahaha I didn't see my stomach! Even when I inflated or pushed it up my boobs were still higher! WOOHOO Also... hip bones..like real hip bones sticking out like skinny folk. Only when I am laying on my side cause all the skin lays on the bed.. but I WILL TAKE IT!

I use Unjury in my rotation too. I love the strawberry and I actually mix it with around 10 oz of the crystal light lemonade and have a strawberry lemonade. IT IS DELICIOUS! I use more lemonade to thin it out so it doesn't even have the shake thickness. Doesn't even taste like a shake, just like I am drinking a strawberry lemonade drink with bonus protein!

I had bypass but I had them for a few days in my esophagus. I had esophagus "trimming and stretching" done to repair damage from years of GERD. So my surgeon said it was normal for what he did. Not sure about the abdomen but it seems like it would make sense. He just cut off your stomach and it is probably a little mad about it.

15 lbs a week?!?!? NO WAY! Ask your surgeon about that, no way they would agree with loosing 15 lbs a week.

Hello! Yes, people take collagen PO. I don't know if they do it day 1 or wait a little bit. Someone else might know, as I don't take it. Or, you could always double check with your team to see what they say about it. I can't imagine it being an issue. I wouldn't stock up on too much pre-op because sometimes people taste change drastically (temporarily or permanently). I used to LOVE the chocolate peanut butter premier protein shakes pre-op and I can't stand them now. They taste like pure chemicals to me. Otherwise I haven't noticed huge changes, that was the big one I noticed. Yes, you can you flavor packets (crystal light) in your water. I was even given it in the hospital. But, I couldn't handle it the first few days. They were too "intense" for me and the super strong citrus flavoring was harsh. I have always thought they are a little intense for me (even before surgery) so I always use more water or less of the flavor than recommended and it is good for me. I am huge water drinker (pre and post op) so I have no problem drinking plain water and usually prefer it. Some people struggle with it post-op and try it at different temperatures until they find what works best for them. Good luck on your surgery, GETTING CLOSE!!

OHHH ok, Well they are rude. You just need to be happy with yourself and it seems like you are so YOU GO GIRL! I don't know why people always find it necessary to comment on peoples bodies. Regardless if they are fit, slim or fat... someone always has something to say!

Yeaaaa.. I thought it was just me. After talking to a few other people who had Bypass, it seems like a thing. I know someone who had bypass 3 years ago and hasn't vomited since. like @Arabesque mentioned, I have had a single bite of steak come up one time, from likely not chewing enough. Within minutes of swallowing the bite I was sick and at a restaurant, so went to the bathroom and just stood over the toilet like drooling and gagging,, then PLOP a tiny piece of steak and no joke I FELT PERFECT IMMEDIATELY! IT WAS CRAZY WEIRD. Otherwise just "foamies" 1 other time.

I never had a butt, so yea.... haha BUT! The last little bit I did lose doesn't seem to effect me too much. Mostly sitting on the toilet seat it kind of grinds into my butt bones and isn't comfortable. I will say the way my skin dropped I actually look like I have more of a butt now than I ever did. (in clothes! hahah)

WOW! How rude and unprofessional! I probably would have walked out and maybe voiced my opinion about how I felt about his pig headedness! (Depends on my mood that day) Like everyone else, find a new surgeon if at all possible. Sorry you had to deal with that. I will say he is likely an amazing surgeon though. I have noticed through my life and thru having a few surgeries that it seems like the better doctor/surgeon has more arrogance and cockiness about them. Worst bed side manor ever but excellent at surgery itself. My WLS surgeon was awkward. haha Very nice, and definitely nothing like you experienced. I really like him but my only complaint was that my surgery took almost 3 hours longer than expected and no one updated my spouse! She had to hunt down people to find out what was going on and why I was taking so long. (No complications, but ended up having a way bigger hernia than the scans showed and I had damage to my esophagus that needed to be repaired from years of GERD. Everything piled up and just took longer than expected) PS! Don't let anyone discourage you! You do you, what is right for you and what you need to do! Don't give up!

I specifically asked my surgeon if my pre-op testing was also to check all my vitamin levels. He said no, they used to but ultimately it is pointless. If post-op blood shows deficiencies it ultimately doesn't matter when it started it only matters that we get it regulated now once we found the problem. I have always been slightly low on iron, so my multi vitamin has some iron and I seem to do fine with it. He just said since I knew I was already low in iron, it may get worse and I may switch to iron infusions. 3 month blood work was good though so we will see what happens at 1 yr blood work.

I don't think I experienced this at all? Or maybe I was too fat to notice? haha I only had gas pains in my chest and shoulder for a few days but my abdomen always seemed normal feeling to me.

Nothing. Not to be a **** head. But, for literally 4-5 months I read everything you could imagine. Read back for years on this forum and another one. Asked so many questions, talked to people who had WLS. Read every article I could find, even watched a few Utube videos. I was so prepared. I wanted to know every single thing that MIGHT go wrong. Any side effect, changes that may or may not occur. Literally everything, good or bad. So, nothing really surprised me although I will say I had about the smoothest recovery you could imagine. Which I am so grateful for!

You usually don't need to fast for A1C testing. Also, 7.1 really isn't horribly high. Considered controlled for a diabetic but it would be considered high for someone who is not diabetic. To make yourself comfortable, I say it doesn't hurt to ask. Although. I am sure you will hear from them anyway if there is concern with your blood work.

What is "skinny fat" What does that even mean?