Jeanniebug

Thank you! I say that it looks like I've been perforated. LOL!

Dang... That could've killed you! I'm glad you got treated!

I ended up with an interesting set of scars. There are five going across my abdomen and one at my diaphragm.

Like most other people have said... Can I lose the weight on my own? Yes! Can I keep it off? No! I agree, surgery should be a last resort. It's a drastic step. From what I've heard, there is a pretty long waitlist for getting the surgery through NHS. So, you will probably have plenty of time to try to lose the weight on your own. And I would try, if I were you. Go to the appointments, but try to do it on your own, at the same time. Even if you decide to have the surgery, the lower your weight is when you're on the table, the safer you'll be.

I had robot assisted RnY gastric bypass. *shrug*

Yep. I had diarrhea for the duration of my liquid and puree phases. Once I started on soft and solids, it improved. Some of the colors were interesting, for sure. I never had nausea and I was able to get in all of my water. Hang in there. This too shall pass. It might pass like a kidney stone, but it will pass.

I'm sorry you're going through all this. I had pretty severe anxiety before surgery. But, it eventually got under control and then I was able to get off my meds (citalopram and buspar). A few months later, I had my surgery. My surgery was on a Tuesday. The following Saturday, I had the worst panic attack that I'd had in years. Once again, I started taking the buspar. My anxiety is currently well controlled. Have you tried changing your meds? It could be that the medication that you used to take, isn't working anymore. It helps me to remember that anxiety is a lie. It's a false alarm. The anxiety comes from the stories that we tell ourselves, surrounding the trigger. My therapist and I have been working on me becoming an observer, rather than a judger. It's easier said than done, but it does seem to be helping.

My first stall began at 2 weeks post op and lasted nearly a month. Hang in there, it'll break eventually.

I'm not sure how common it is, but I know that a lot of sleeve patients have to get a revision to bypass, due to reflux.

My team allows the use of Aspercreme.

That's when I had surgery and I can pretty much eat whatever I want. Is he in contact with his surgeon's office? He might need IV nutrition if he can't eat or drink.

You'll get used to it. I was having the same issue with my ribs and that problem is mostly gone now.

Welcome!

My team instructed me to start vitamins at 3 weeks post op. The chewable vitamins with iron didn't really upset my tummy, they just don't taste that great. I recently (at about 4 months post op) switched to the one-a-day capsule that Bariatric Pal sells. I've had no issue with them at all.

Welcome! I guess it really depends on your definition of "working out". When you're only getting in 500 calories a day, your body won't be able to tolerate any kind of intense activity. You'll stop losing weight because your body will start holding on to every calorie it possibly can. A few months after surgery, when you're able to start eating more and can take in more calories, then you can start thinking about doing what I would consider a "work out". Walking is encouraged at all stages, but not running. Later on, yes, you'll definitely want to work out. But, not right away. You need to give your body time to heal and adjust.

I'm not really struggling with people mentioning my weight - thankfully all of my feedback has been positive. However, I am struggling with the food addiction portion of the program. For a few days, I was feeling more restriction than I had been and I was forcing myself to finish my portion - even though I was full. The Clean Plate Club rules were kicking in - hard. I talked to my therapist and have turned that around. It's definitely a mental game. And you don't have to see anyone you don't want to. If your parents are being stupid, stop seeing them. And I would recommend therapy, if you aren't already seeing someone. It really does help.

I ate a lot of refried beans, egg salad, ricotta bake, very softly-scrambled eggs, and chicken salad. Mostly it was refried beans and egg salad. I'm 4.5 months out and I still eat soft-scrambled eggs almost every day - it's my preferred breakfast.

Before surgery, I tried every diet in the book. And, frankly, I suggest everyone else do the same. This surgery is going to change your life. It isn't without risk. This is a drastic step and there are no take-backs. There are a lot of lifestyle changes that you will have to go through, post surgery. It's far from easy. If you think that you can lose the weight without surgery, I highly recommend that you do that. I failed every diet that I tried. Surgery was my last resort.

Which is why I don't watch it.

I was on clear liquids until I had a bowel movement (which took a few days). And then I was on 2 weeks of full liquids. So, my liquid stage was more than 2 weeks. Then I had 2 weeks of pureed, 2 weeks of soft, then on to solid. So, I was 6 weeks + before eating regular food.

Oh my gosh... That's awful! I'd probably be a bit apprehensive, too...

I don't watch the news, so haven't heard about the kidnapping. Was it from a bariatric surgery center?

My 3-week stall happened at 2 weeks and lasted for almost a month. Hang in there. And I agree, eating less than 500 calories PLUS exercising sounds like a great way to make your body hang onto every calorie it can get.

At 4.5 months post op, I'm really starting to feel the food issues. I can now eat a larger amount of food, I can tolerate pretty much everything, and my hunger has returned. Now, the real work begins... I knew that I was going to have a problem, so I started therapy a couple of months before my surgery. I think it's helping.

From what I understand, hormones are stored in fat. When we lose weight, those hormones go into our blood. So, things that may have stopped functioning the way they were supposed to - because of the weight - begin functioning again.