kukuiokalani
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Everything posted by kukuiokalani
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tomorrow morning, i am getting my excess tummy skin removed and my boobs reduced and lifted. i had rny gastric bypass in september 2022 and lost more than 200 pounds, highest weight 410, and my weight has been stable at 190. i saved up enough money to get plastic surgery in tijuana, mexico, and my work, school, and holidays lined up to get it done! im getting 360 lower body lift, tummy tuck with fleur de lys, and breast reduction and lift. i also want to get an arm lift and inner thigh lift sometime in the future. im nervous for my surgery tomorrow morning, but i’m confident in my decision to have plastic surgery now, and trust my surgeon and medical team. ive done everything i can think of to best prepare for surgery and make sure it’s as successful as possible: i have SO MANY medical supplies; i’ve been taking SO MANY vitamins and iron to make sure my hemoglobin levels are high enough; i’ve had iv infusions of iron, vitamin c, and ozonized (definitely not the correct term) 120 ccs of my blood and pumped it back in; i’ve done too much research; and i’ve saved up thousands of dollars and dragged myself all the way to mexico and tomorrow’s the day! ill update as i drag myself through yet another surgery and recovery! 😅 i also will take any recommendations for healing, post-op recovery, pain management, and expectations. ~kukui
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My Gastric Bypass Complications (1-2 months post-op)
kukuiokalani posted a topic in Gastric Bypass Surgery Forums
Hi all, I am writing this for the >1% of gastric bypass patients who have the unusual complications that I had and, like me, couldn't find any information about it online to ease your mind. I had my gastric bypass surgery on September 7, 2022. I chose gastric bypass over the gastric sleeve specifically after months of research because of the higher rate of successful weight loss, particularly in women. My first week post-op went great, but after day 8 or 9 when I tried progressing my food intake from full-liquids to pureed foods I began vomiting and feeling really nauseous at every meal. I let my surgeon and dietitian know immediately and stepped my food intake back down to full-liquids. Pretty soon, I couldn't even take in full-liquids and was limited to hydrating fluids and chicken broth. I could keep down hydrating fluids and broth about 80% of the time, full-liquids 50% of the time, and everything else came back up. My surgeon was very responsive and had me get an endoscopy. Under general anesthesia, the endoscopy explored my new stomach pouch and roux limb connections that make up my new tummy system. Typically, gastric bypasses can result in constriction of the connection between the stomach pouch and roux limb, and my gastroenterologist was prepared to use a balloon to inflate the area to ease that restriction. In my case, however, that area looked fine, but further down the roux limb there was a stricture that was almost impassable for the narrow scope. This is what was causing my problem. I had an external compression on my roux limb that was making it impossible for anything more viscous than water to pass through. My layman's understanding of what had happened is that my surgeon brought my small intestine / roux limb up to meet my new stomach pouch through the transverse mesocolon. This involved cutting a hole through the transverse mesocolon to put the roux limb through and then stitching it up a little on either side to make sure nothing else will slip through the hole and cause a hernia. Apparently, this is typically sufficient and there is space enough in the hole in the mesocolon for scar tissue to form but still allow the roux limb to operate appropriately. Not in my case! xD My body and over-active immune system saw a hole and decided that hole must. be. fixed! The scar tissue that formed to close the hole closed tight enough on the roux limb and it was tight enough that barely anything could get through. I had a second laparoscopic surgery on October 12, 2022 to remove the scar tissue and loosen the compression on the roux limb. My surgeon decided to remove the small stitches on either side of the hole in the transverse mesocolon to reduce the chance that any new scar tissue will close the hole up as completely again. Immediately after this second laparoscopic surgery, I felt tons better! I stayed overnight in the hospital and was put straight on full-liquids, which I was barely tolerating before! The reason I am writing all of this out is because, in the month-long interim between surgeries, I couldn't find anything in my online research to figure out what was wrong, or what I could try, or what the next steps looked like, or how long, or why this was happening. I went for more than a month on little to no substantial nutrition, and I found so little information on what to expect or how long I would have to live like this. I even looked in these forums to see if anyone had asked about symptoms that are similar to mine and I didn't find very much information. So, I'm writing about my experience and using as many of the keywords I can think of that I've been searching for over the past two months! So! If you had gastric bypass and you start experiencing nausea and vomiting after what seems like typical food progression, please speak to your surgeon. It could be an internal stricture of the roux limb or the connecting bits, or in my case an external compression of some sort. From the very few resources I could find online, my type of external compression of transverse mesocolon on the roux limb seemed to occur in 0.9% of gastric bypass patients and it seems to happen within the first month. My surgeon pretty much immediately knew what was wrong, and her PA said she had seen it before, but not often, and it was new for my insurance caseworker. The inability to eat made it very difficult to complete normal daily tasks like my job, housework, walking the dog, etc. I wasn't in pain, I just couldn't get enough energy to do anything! My doctors moved quickly to get me back in for surgery, but it still took 4-5 weeks from starting to vomit at each meal to waking up from my second surgery feeling much better. I am so thankful that my surgeon was able to fix what was wrong with the scar tissue compressing around the roux limb; it made a world of difference! I'm not out of the woods quite yet, however. Six days after the surgery to repair the hole in the transverse mesocolon, I had a bad food day and nothing stayed down. I immediately reached out to my surgeon's office and today went in for an upper GI in which I intake contrast dye while a doctor observes how it flows through my new gastrointestinal system with an X-ray. That doctor said it looks like the connection between my stomach pouch and roux limb looks stenosed now. I am grateful that they found something and that there is an explanation for why everything I put in my mouth makes me nauseous and that there's a reason why I don't want to eat anything. I will be having another endoscopy in the following couple of weeks and, as ever, I am hopeful that this will be the last surgery that I need for my gastric bypass.- 9 replies
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My Plastic Surgery Journey
kukuiokalani replied to kukuiokalani's topic in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
It was definitely the whole airport / plane / going home transport that did a number on my drains. I got the left side caught on an armrest and then the wheelchair before I even got thru airport security... basically, I was given two jump ropes which were tethered to my legs and my clumsy ass rolled nat 1's and did my best to do away with them. xD My advice for the trip home would be definitely get wheelchair support to and from the gate, like you have set up. Once the flight is underway, I let a flight attendant know that I had requested wheelchair support at my destination, and they checked to make sure it would be there when I arrived. I also recommend keeping your medicines with you. Since you have your carry-on it likely won't be a problem. For me, by the end of the plane ride it had been about 12 hours since I had my last pain med and I was crying cuz along with the general surgery pains, my drains were coming out and the stitches from the drains were ripping away from my leg. You should be able to board the plane among one of the first groups since you just had surgery. Take advantage of that and get yourself situated before everyone else crowds onboard. Also, if you need to put your carry-on up in the luggage compartment, ask a flight attendant to help you lift it. -
My Plastic Surgery Journey
kukuiokalani replied to kukuiokalani's topic in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
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My Plastic Surgery Journey
kukuiokalani replied to kukuiokalani's topic in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Okay - I have a one month update! This has been a difficult month! I had my surgeries on December 15, 2023, and I got a tummy tuck with fleur-de-lys, 360 liposuction, Brazilian butt lift, breast lift / reduction with implants, and arm lift for both arms. It was a lot! I spent the first week recovering in Tijuana in the recovery house, and then flew home to Seattle on Dec. 21. I had two drains, one on either side on my groin area. The plane ride introduced the first main issue I had. The left-side drain got yanked in transit and by the time I got home it had come out. The right-side drain wasn't far behind it; it had come so far out that I accidentally tripped on it on 12/22 and that one came out as well. Now I was drainless but still had a TON of excess fluid with no easy place to drain from. So, all that excess fluid escaped out of the easiest places possible - basically all my nicely sewn up tummy along my fleur-de-lys stitches! I went to the ER; I was so scared that first night - I thought any small movement, my belly was gonna split open and spill my intestines on the ER floor, and of course I also had a cough and every coughing fit made me very scared. The ER doctor dressed my wounds that had opened up and reassured me that my belly wasn't going to split open. The next business day, I scheduled an appointment with a plastic surgeon and wound care in my doctor's office. Basically, my wounds were: Left breast: two large wounds along the vertical incision line; one wound at the T-junction under my breast (this one becomes important later) Abdomen: an 1-inch-long split along the fleur-de-lys line above my belly button; split near the bottom of my belly button Lower abdomen: 2-inch long by 2-inch wide by 1-inch deep triangular hole at the T-junction where the fleur-de-lys incision meets the tummy tuck; 2-inch long seam opening along my groin / right hip Various small wounds on my arms, tummy, and hips My back healed perfectly! I met with the plastic surgeon and he recommended ways of dressing everything until I could be seen by wound care on January 5. In the meantime, I had developed an abscess behind one of my wisdom teeth and had to have them pulled. I scheduled that for January 5 also because I'm a glutton for punishment, but I opted for just laughing gas cuz I needed to be clear-headed for my wound care appointment after. Remember that T-junction left breast wound? Well, that started to open up wider and wider in the week leading up to wisdom teeth / wound care day. It was leaking a ton of fluid, and I could see something black inside the wound, which I initially thought was some form of necrosis. January 5 came, the dentist yanked my three wisdom teeth, and me and my designated driver headed over to wound care. Well, wound care was just as stumped as I was because it felt plasticky and they could shine light through it. They had never seen it before at wound care, but turns out my left implant was deciding to be an explant... and needed to be taken out. 😞Wound care patched me up great and sent me over to my plastic surgeon to discuss the implant. Because I had literally had my wisdom teeth out that day, they couldn't do the surgery to take out my implant until the following week. I was really sad and went through all the stages of grief, including bargaining, with the plastic surgeon. I asked what my options were for saving the implant and he said it looks like it has to come out. I said "Looks like, so there's a chance it can stay in?" Nope. I also asked about my options for removing the right-side implant in the same surgery so there's at least symmetry. He said that because the right-side isn't infected or splitting open, insurance won't cover the right implant removal. This was the first time I stopped crying and grinned up at him, "So I have a week to get the right side infected, yeah?" 🤣 Nope, again. The plan was to just get both breasts (and literally EVERYTHING ELSE) healed, and address the asymmetry later. I got my left implant removed on January 11. While I was under, my plastic surgeon also removed a ton of exposed stitches from my various wounds that allowed them to heal up so much faster. My implant was small, just 285 cc's, and while there is a visible difference in my boob sizes, it's not too bad for now. I'm going to decide later whether I want to re-implant the left side or explant the right. So that's my very long one-month update! It's been a crazy wild ride. Oh!!!! I also don't regret it! Other than the whole left-breast-implant-loss-thing, that is. I feel amazing in my body; in fact, I was just telling my therapist that I finally feel like I exist in my body for the first time in my whole life! They excised about 18 pounds of excess skin in all, and I am still a little swollen and losing water and wearing my stage 2 fajas. I'm so happy I had these surgeries! With as much as I had done, it went about as well as can be expected, and one loss in what like ten surgeries? I'll take those odds. 😉 ~Kukui -
My Plastic Surgery is Tomorrow Morning 12/15/2023!
kukuiokalani posted a topic in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
tomorrow morning, i am getting my excess tummy skin removed and my boobs reduced and lifted. i had rny gastric bypass in september 2022 and lost more than 200 pounds, highest weight 410, and my weight has been stable at 190. i saved up enough money to get plastic surgery in tijuana, mexico, and my work, school, and holidays lined up to get it done! im getting 360 lower body lift, tummy tuck with fleur de lys, and breast reduction and lift. i also want to get an arm lift and inner thigh lift sometime in the future. im nervous for my surgery tomorrow morning, but i’m confident in my decision to have plastic surgery now, and trust my surgeon and medical team. ive done everything i can think of to best prepare for surgery and make sure it’s as successful as possible: i have SO MANY medical supplies; i’ve been taking SO MANY vitamins and iron to make sure my hemoglobin levels are high enough; i’ve had iv infusions of iron, vitamin c, and ozonized (definitely not the correct term) 120 ccs of my blood and pumped it back in; i’ve done too much research; and i’ve saved up thousands of dollars and dragged myself all the way to mexico and tomorrow’s the day! ill update as i drag myself through yet another surgery and recovery! 😅 i also will take any recommendations for healing, post-op recovery, pain management, and expectations. ~kukui- 10 replies
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- tummy tuck
- lower body lift
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My Plastic Surgery is Tomorrow Morning 12/15/2023!
kukuiokalani replied to kukuiokalani's topic in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
my surgery was through health & wellness bazaar and they have their own recovery house so that was all taken care of. i got lucky tho cuz everyone was booking surgeries over christmas break and i got the last room they had available! -
My Plastic Surgery is Tomorrow Morning 12/15/2023!
kukuiokalani replied to kukuiokalani's topic in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
thank you for the facebook recommendation! i’m part of a weight loss support group through my hospital but they’re all in a significantly different age bracket than me so i’m always looking for groups with similar current life experiences to mine! good luck on your surgery next month! ill be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. 🥰 i was a tiny bit worried that one year was too soon but i was so ready to do it now. surgery is complete! i requested to have an arm list at the last moment and they said if i’m still in a good state at the end of everything else then yes. THEY DID IT! it took about seven hours cuz i had tons of skin. they removed about five pounds from my back, ten pounds from my tummy, and six pounds from my arms! i feel great right now, but i’m sure that’s the pain meds talking lol. the cost was approximately $19,000 and that’s for tummy tuck with fleur-de-lis, lower body lift, 360 liposuction, BBL, breast lift and reduction and small implants, and arm lift. the price also includes pickup and drop off from san diego airport, a day exploring tijuana pre-op, lodging in the w hospital the day before and day after surgery, and then five days in their recovery home where i’ll have prepared meals and 24 hour access to a care team, medicine, and doctors. very much worth the price! and i went to multiple plastic surgeons in my area in the us and they were all $60k+ and i would go home day of! o.O i paid 1/3 of the price with significantly more care! -
My Plastic Surgery Journey
kukuiokalani replied to kukuiokalani's topic in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
two hours post op! -
My Plastic Surgery Journey
kukuiokalani replied to kukuiokalani's topic in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
thank youuuu! i crack up laughing at the monkeys too! xD surgery is complete! i requested to have an arm list at the last moment and they said if i’m still in a good state at the end of everything else then yes. THEY DID IT! it took about seven hours cuz i had tons of skin. they removed about five pounds from my back, ten pounds from my tummy, and six pounds from my arms! i feel great right now, but i’m sure that’s the pain meds talking lol. the cost was approximately $19,000 and that’s for tummy tuck with fleur-de-lis, lower body lift, 360 liposuction, BBL, breast lift and reduction and small implants, and arm lift. the price also includes pickup and drop off from san diego airport, a day exploring tijuana pre-op, lodging in the w hospital the day before and day after surgery, and then five days in their recovery home where i’ll have prepared meals and 24 hour access to a care team, medicine, and doctors. very much worth the price! and i went to multiple plastic surgeons in my area in the us and they were all $60k+ and i would go home day of! o.O i paid 1/3 of the price with significantly more care! -
September surgery buddies!!
kukuiokalani replied to Slwhurst's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Yesterday was my one year roux-en-y gastric bypass surgery anniversary and as of today I am officially in onederland! 199.8 lbs! highest: 410 lbs | surgery: 355 lbs | current: 199.8 lbs (1 year post-op) | goal: 185 lbs I had my one-year appointment with my surgeon today. We discussed my progress, and how my restriction is doing. I have some recurring nausea and vomiting that happens about every other week or so. My surgery a year ago had a rare-ish complication (occurs in less than 0.9% of rny patients). My roux limb, the piece of small intestine that now connects to my stomach pouch, became severely constricted by scar tissue, and I had a second laparoscopic surgery to fix that. I've since had three upper endoscopies to widen my stomach pouch because I still have semi-regular bouts of vomiting. My stomach pouch also has an ulcer which may be a cause for the vomiting. I have another endoscopy scheduled for next week, and my surgeon and I discussed my options: treat the ulcer with strong bouts of Prilosec, or if that doesn't work have another laparoscopic surgery to cut out the ulcer and reconnect the roux limb to the now even smaller stomach pouch My surgeon also put in a referral to a plastic surgeon so I can start seeing my skin removal surgery options. I doubt I will ever be able to afford the surgery in the U.S., but I would certainly feel better having surgery here than in Mexico or Thailand. My current stats are: Exercise: 20-30 mins cardio and 45 mins strength training each day, 6 days per week Hydration: 80-100 ounces of water/iced tea per day (my fave drink is Starbucks peach green iced tea) Food: 80-100 ounces of protein; 1000-1200 calories per day (I don't track my calories closely) I love strength training! I'm starting to see a ton of muscle definition in my legs, shoulders, back, and arms. I also recently attended a convention and walked more than 15,000 steps each day and it was TONS easier to walk around downtown Seattle than it's ever been in my life. I'm so excited to be below 200 pounds - I haven't been below 200 pounds since I was in middle school! I hope you all are doing well! Keep up all your hard work! -
September surgery buddies!!
kukuiokalani replied to Slwhurst's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
happy one year anniversary fellow september 2022 surgery friends! my surgery was september 7, 2022 so my one year anniversary this coming week. i went back and found this picture - i panicked minutes before my surgery because i hadn't taken any before pictures and took this just before i went to get prepped, surgery weight 355 lbs. and i took this one today, 206 lbs ☺️ highest weight: 410 | surgery weight: 355 | current weight: 206 | goal weight: 185 gastric bypass surgery was the best decision i ever made i wish you all healthy reflections as we reach our one year milestones! -kukui 😊❤️ -
September surgery buddies!!
kukuiokalani replied to Slwhurst's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I don’t track my calories too closely because I was developing unhealthy restriction habits when I was tracking. While 1000 calories isn’t my forever, I also started with a lot more to lose than most people (410 lbs to 210 lbs currently) and it’s still a reasonable calorie intake for my current weight/exercise level. Also, more important than calories is keeping my Protein ratio high; my 1000 calories hovers somewhere around 60% protein, 20% fat, 20% carbs. Just keep in touch with your dietitian. As far as exercise is concerned, I split my workouts into 20 min cardio + 25ish min core training or yoga in the morning, and 10 min warmup + 45 min strength training in the afternoon and once a week I skip the lifting and swim laps for 45 min instead. Strength training is my happy place. -
September surgery buddies!!
kukuiokalani replied to Slwhurst's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Great job hitting your goals! I'm working on finding some non-scale victories to keep me motivated because the stalls are getting longer and longer, but progress is happening albeit slowly. I think my calorie count is around the 800-1000 mark, too, and I think that's where I'll be pretty permanently. Congrats on 155! That's amazing! I can't believe we're at the one year mark. Also, we seem to be scooping up some of the 2023 September surgery folks since this post isn't dated. To the new people, welcome! If you have any questions, let us know. We've all had our surgeries in September 2022 and while we don't post as often anymore, folks pop in every couple months to update / celebrate / commiserate. Best of luck to new and old September weight loss comrades! -
Let's Collect Some Data!
kukuiokalani replied to ms.sss's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
1. Basics: Female, 35, 5’7”, Hawaiian, RNY 2. Pre-op weight lost: 40 lbs 3. Day of weight: 355 lbs 4. 1 month post-op: 321 lbs 5. 3 months post-op: 284.8 lbs 6. 6 months post-op: 250 lbs 7. 12 months post-op: 199.8 lbs -
September surgery buddies!!
kukuiokalani replied to Slwhurst's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Hi! I'm so happy your year has been such a success! And how exciting for your daughter! It's awesome that she could see how your journey has gone, especially in that first month or two post-op. My surgery was on September 7, 2022, and I am kicking my butt trying to get to below 200 pounds by my one year RNY anniversary - I've got 10 pounds to go! I have lost 200 pounds since my highest weight in November 2021, and 145 pounds since surgery 11 months ago. Highest Weight: 410 | Surgery Weight: 355 | Current Weight: 210 | Goal Weight: 185 Physical Health: I am weight lifting 5 days per week, and my cardio is spin cycling or swimming 4-5 days per week. I'm currently a size 12, medium/large, down from size 28, 5x - I haven't been a size 12 since 6th grade! I am still not used to walking into a store and easily finding clothes that fit me. For decades, I have only been able to shop at plus-size clothing stores like Lane Bryant, and my options are so vast now! Also my hair is growing back and getting healthier again. My last blood test showed I was low on folate, so I'm taking that which has the benefit of helping with constipation, too. Recent realizations: collar bones and ribcage are things that I have turns out?? Mental Health: I don't track my food anymore because I started noticing some unhealthy food restriction patterns starting when I was closely tracking it. I have also asked for help from my support people. Just yesterday I asked my mom to remind me that, no matter what I said, today is going to be a rest day and she helped hold me to that today. She also offered to hold onto my scale for a bit which I took her up on so I can keep my weight loss progression mentally healthy. That said, I have been off my depression and anxiety medication for about five months now and I'm finding that my mental health has been thriving lately. Excess Skin: Because I've lived at 300-400 pounds for 20+ years, I have a ton of extra skin and I have started looking into excess skin surgery options for my belly, arms, and breasts. I am saving money wherever I can to try and save up for skin removal surgery. I will never be able to afford surgery in the US, but I've been researching options abroad like in Mexico, Colombia, and Thailand. Right now I use compression garments to hold my tummy skin in place while I exercise or basically just exist because chafing is a real problem. I have really bad skin to begin with and I don't need to add in chafing and skin infections just for fun. I hope you guys are doing great as we all come up on our one year anniversaries! Let's keep supporting each other and sharing in our various successes and struggles! -
September surgery buddies!!
kukuiokalani replied to Slwhurst's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
hw 410 sw 355 cw 228 gw 185 may update time! i just got back from a month and a half long trip to peru (iykyk)! first off - i fit in the plane seats! i lost about 30 lbs while i was in peru and i feel amazing. my hair has seemed to have finally stopped falling out and i’ve got tons of inch-long whispies of new hair growth coming back in. food-wise, my stomach-pouch has DEFINITELY started letting me feel my restriction. i read somewhere that it might take six months for nerve endings to grow back in the tummy pouch and man i can really feel it. i can probably eat around 1/2 to 3/4 cups of food at a time and i have a very obvious cutoff. i have to be more careful with my hydration intake now, too. until recently, i haven’t really needed to wait very long after eating to resume drinking water, but now i have to wait 15ish minutes or i get nauseous or throw up. i just started going back to the gym after being gone for a month and a half. i think i lost quite a bit of muscle while i was on vacation, but i’m working on building my strength back up. :) i have a very active home life; i have a farm with a dozen goats, and two dozen chickens, and four herding dogs, and a large vegetable garden to manage, and fields to till and seed. it’s been busy! i feel great and feel like all my hard work is paying off. :) i’m currently a size 14 / large, and i own zero clothes that fit. yesterday, i sorted through all my clothes that don’t fit and they’re in the wash right now so i can donate them to a secondhand store. i hope you guys are doing well! i really felt tons different once i passed the six-months post-op mark, and i’m curious if that’s been your experiences as well. :) -
Before and After Pics
kukuiokalani replied to Roserie's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
eight months pre-op vs eight months post-op rny! i’m so proud of my progress and i’m more confident now than i’ve ever been in my life! i’m traveling around peru right now and i’ve been able to hike and climb stairs and fit in the airplane seats - none of which i could do before! :) HW 410 SW 355 CW 235 GW whatever i end up at healthily :) -
Weirdest None-Scale-Victory - I'll go first
kukuiokalani replied to chiquitatummy's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
not a weird non-scale victory but a huge non-scale victory nonetheless i fit in airplane seats :D i’ve been STRESSING about this upcoming trip cuz i couldn’t afford first class seats or to buy the seat next to me and ive never fit in plane seats before. i kept googling ‘can size 16 fit in plane seats’ and i measured the seat width on my couch and sat between two boxes of the seat width but none of that eased my extreme anxiety that i wouldn’t fit in the seat. :( but i fit :D and i didn’t even need a seatbelt extender - another first! i’m on the plane right now flying over southern oregon and i’m so endlessly relieved that the only thing i was worried about was completely a nonissue 😊❤️ -
September surgery buddies!!
kukuiokalani replied to Slwhurst's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
as of today, i have officially lost 100 pounds since my gastric bypass in september 2022! i still have 65 pounds to go and 50 pound until onederland, but im feeling so optimistic right now! i am going to be traveling next month and ive been worrying about fitting in the airplane seats, but i think im good.. hopefully anyway. im wearing a size 16 pants and somewhere between a large and xlarge tops. nothing i own fits anymore! xD my tummy system has turned a corner within the past month. i no longer feel nauseous when i try and eat anything, and im able to eat thin toasted breads, and raw vegetables finally. as far as exercise is concerned, my legs are getting stronk and my upper body is so far behind. im still losing hair.. i have a full hairbrush of hair lost everyday.. im surprised i have any left. o.O i hope you guys are doing well! ❤️ -
milk of magnesia is the only thing that has worked for me. i am nearly five months post-op and i tried miralax, magnesia tablets, metamucil, and exlax. the only thing that was effective was the exlax but you can’t take that very often cuz it can cause lazy bowel where your intestines don’t move your food unless prompted by a laxative. i started taking milk of magnesia last week and it works great! :D i take 30 mL every two days and that has been very beneficial. i also have the phillips cherry flavor and it kind of tastes like cherry flavored detergent or washing liquid; it’s not the best tasting thing but bearable lol
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What you wished you would have packed for your hospital stay....
kukuiokalani replied to PNWgrandma's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
i packed super light - literally just ID, phone and charger and the loose clothes i came in with. i didn’t even bring a bag just put it all in my pocket. id probably bring chapstick if i did it again. -
September surgery buddies!!
kukuiokalani replied to Slwhurst's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
oof my hair is falling out, too ive lost a ton of weight post-op, and ive been stalled the past week or so because my period has finally come back (yay? o.O), and ive caught a cold (double yay xD). im not struggling super hard eating anything in particular, but sometimes nothing sounds good or goes down easily. i struggled early on with various complications and strictures, but i haven't needed an endoscopy to widen my stomach pouch connection since the end of november! i think im finally out of the woods! i try sooo hard to hit my daily protein goals but it's difficult. my dietitian has me aiming for 80 g of protein daily and i am regularly hitting somewhere between 60-80 g of protein which ends up being around 700-900 calories. ive definitely become more of a savory over sweet person post-op - i completely forgot about sweets this christmas! xD so far ive lost about 120 lbs (85 lbs post-op) and 48 inches overall. i got new workout clothes for christmas because nothing fits anymore! xD ive gone from 5x to 2x clothes, and a tight size 28 pants to a loose 18-20! im trying so hard - this cold really has me frustrated because i want to work out and keep up my progress, but i have to stay home for now and not get sicker or get anyone else sick. -
Before and After Pics
kukuiokalani replied to Roserie's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
dec 2021, 403 lbs jul 2022, 365 lbs, 2 months pre-op dec 2022, 270 lbs, 3 months post-op -
Weirdest None-Scale-Victory - I'll go first
kukuiokalani replied to chiquitatummy's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
my strangest non-scale victory so far is.. i can feel my bones! xD it feels weird but like i feel my shoulders and hip and knees when i’m laying down cuz all the fat padding i was used to is going away. :)