Fred in Pa

My advice is the get the “extended release” ER. It’s easier on the bowels. I has IBS before surgery so could never tolerate it for long periods. It’s an older med with verifiable track record. I’d try it way before the injectable stuff.

Because addiction isn’t cured…it’s always there and always will be. The strength of its grip can vary, but it’s never gone. Addiction is also sneaky…you may think it’s gone until you gain back weight and wonder how that happened. Then ask about “pouch resets”, or injectable drugs. Make sense? There is no alternative, you just need to accept it and deal with it as best you can. Find support and explore the reasons. Again, I believe this is THE biggest issue people miss in this journey and what leads to most failures.

I’m so sorry you’re going through all this… I had straight diarrhea for a couple weeks until my body recovered from the shock of surgery. Remember, your body has gone through a lot, and is adjusting to the changes of your new digestive track. And along with the other issues you’re having it is quite stressful. Give it some time and just concentrate on getting better.

Hi YaYa! I too am a Grand Parent and made the same decision based on wanting to live long for them. It sounds like you are in the right frame of mind to get this done. Everyone crosses the line and makes that final decision. Congrats! Going into this with depression will be a little harder, in my opinion, because most of this journey is mental. My best advice to you is to make sure you have a counselor or therapist to touch base with. Does your team provide you with this? if not, make sure to ask them. My own journey has uncovered some eating issues that I’m dealing with, and I am working through the reasons and finding it very insightful. It’s amazing how things get connected in your mind. You are correct on the mobility as you lose weight it will get better. Heck just washing myself in the shower is easier, I have more room! LOL. There will be ups and downs. You can always check in here to find someone who has been through the same issues. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, you are not alone. Your motivation is key, find strength in that… make it your prime focus. If a doubt creeps in, look towards your son and grandbabies, and remember that long life you will have!

About one week for me… it gets a little better each day. Walking helps, I couldn’t walk too far so I would take several short walks in my neighborhood. I used narcotics for about two days then switched to Tylenol. It’s important to take the regiment every four hours. I actually split my four hour dose and took it every two hours to keep it in my system consistently. I, too, rode the recliner for about four days before making it into bed. Hang in there! It gets better! Welcome to the other side!

Too dramatic and shallow? HECK NO! You are physically just now recovering from major surgery, and all its psychological complications, just to be dealt a punch in the gut from your husband. I can’t even imagine what I’d feel if my spouse said something like this but I’m sure I would have a similar reaction. It’s going to be really hard to do this for yourself when, in your heart, you were also considering your husband’s input. But you have to try to put yourself into the picture. Your health, your body, your mind….YOURS. At the same time, you need to work this out with your hubs. Maybe some counseling to reconcile and understand the differences in both of your feelings. This may be a sort of a reset on your relationship. Once you come to grips on that reset it will help you to focus on to yourself a bit more. You also need to give yourself a break and maybe take a short breather while you mentally sort all of this out. Take it one step at a time and do the best you can as you work through the issues. I wish you all the best, and will say a prayer for you and your husband.

One thing you can try is tracking calories. Find a BMR calculator online and determine your current calorie requirement. Then use a calorie log for everything you eat in a day. You should be able to determine from this your daily calorie deficit. This should give you a good idea of how much weight you could possibly be losing in a week. It is going to vary depending on stalls, water weight, etc.. 3500 calories is 1 pound. So if your deficit is 500 cal per day, you would lose 1 pound a week. I’m sure it’s more than that but that’s a nice round number to see the math.

Isn’t that the beauty of this website? People can voice varying opinions and have civil discussions. I thought about posting a more lengthy discussion on my position, but can sum it up in a simple sentence, you can’t compromise with addiction. To add, no one is perfect and, like I said, it is a constant struggle with failures along the way. A.constant.struggle. Finally, yes, yes, yes…a deep dive into the issues is required like any other addiction. It’s only through the introspection and observation that one can determine the reasons and hopefully find solutions.

I agree with Tomo, this sounds completely normal. I had the cramping, spasm, and had to take it real slow at first. Your new pouch is adjusting and the rest of your system is recovering. You may also find that it’s the temperature of the food. Some do better with hot, some do better with cold, some do better with room temperature, it’s just finding out what’s right for your body. At first, I could only tolerate slightly warm, anything cool or cold made the cramps worse. Gradually, I could tolerate all temperatures.

I am a firm believer that food addiction is just like most others. With that in mind, having a slice of pizza is like “It’s just one little shot of tequila” for an alcoholic. One leads to two…and so one. I am also a firm believer that this is the main reason people gain back weight or completely fail after Bariatric surgery. It’s a constant struggle. Keeping that perspective, one slice of pizza is not worth it. I’m not perfect and will fail at times but keeping the above perspective helps to ensure I will be successful in the long run. If I tell myself that one slice is fine, I will soon convince myself that so is two.

You are not alone! I had my surgery on March 1, so I’m just a few weeks ahead of you and my appetite has also returned. Please do not be too hard on yourself, because that anxiety is what drains your confidence and willpower. I have found that the exercising is what creates the hunger and deep hunger creates the cravings. So before I exercise, I have a protein portion. A shake or high protein yogurt. I also do the same right after…fill your pouch. Try to keep it full with good food and protein. I have also felt that if I properly hydrate, the cravings are fewer…so make sure you are drinking a lot before, during, and after your exercise. Good luck and hang in there, you are not alone! PS: I, too, had a slice of pizza last week and had the same mental reactions. It wasn’t worth it.

I was sitting on my concrete patio, putting together some patio furniture. The next morning my butt was really, really sore and I couldn’t figure out why. Then it hit me, BONY BUTT!

Glad you are home and everything is well. It will take a while for your body to settle down after surgery. Don’t feel bad if you miss your targets in the first weeks, just try to maintain a schedule as best you can and listen to your body. Get lots of rest and take it slow. You got this!

It’s a great feeling right? Congrats!

The best advice I can give it to determine your BMR. This is the calories you need to sustain your current weight and conditions. There are calculators online to help you determine your BMR. From there I would log everything you eat, drink, take for a day or two to see if your calorie intake is above your BMR if so, cut back. There are also calculators that tell you your BMR and what calories you should be consuming for a specific weight loss per week. I think a lot of people regain weight or have trouble losing that last 10 pounds because they get comfortable and start grazing. Portions trend up a bit and before you know it, you gain back a little. So, rather than trying a reset, liquid diet, any kind of diet, Id work on getting control of calories in or increasing exercise. Good luck!

The first thing you need to do is call your insurance company and determine your bariatric benefits and ask for them to be sent to you in writing. At the same time, ask for their policy paper on bariatric surgery. Most insurance companies have the requirements written in detail. Ask for them to be sent to you in writing as well. This policy paper should detail the requirements to be met for a revision. As far as the SADI-S, it is what my doctor recommended. Like you describe what “should” happen, my doctor listened to all of my issues, and explained all the procedures and recommended the SADI. Going in, I was thinking just a sleeve, but with my various metabolic issues the SADI made more sense. If you stay with your current doctor, demand that he review the pros and cons of each revision as it relates to your specific issues. You will also find a lot of information here in this forum from others who have gone through each procedure. Read, read, read! Good luck to you! Keep us posted on your progress.

I know it’s just a silly BMI number but it’s a small goal I had in my mind. Every doctor visit, going back and reading notes, showed my weight, and then the term “obese” based on my BMI. Today I weighed 239, which puts my BMI at “overweight” instead of obese. I realize that the BMI numbers can be misleading but it will be nice on my next Dr. Visit to point out and make sure “overweight” is logged.

Congrats to your brother on taking this step! My statistics are very similar to yours. I’m just a couple months ahead. Everything you talk about is typical and I went through it myself even the overdoing it on the walk. Take it slow. To let you know what might be in the store, I no longer take insulin, I no longer take BP meds, sleep apnea gone, IBS gone, 60lbs gone (90 total). And that’s just in 2.5 months. You got this! Keep us posted on your progress.

The liquid diet is the hardest part. The first few days are the toughest but your body should adjust, most people lose about 10 pounds average so that is a motivational. I wish you all the best on your surgery. There is a lot of good people here to help you with any issues, problems or questions.

The first month was quite the roller coaster in respect to bowels. I used Dulcolax and Metamucil. I went from constipation to diarrhea to somewhat normal. Give it some time.

Thank you all for the support!👍

I take collagen for skin and joints. High protein with lack of fats have my joints really hurting.

It sounds to me like you are severely dehydrated. Did they give you fluids in the hospital? About two weeks after my surgery, I developed metabolic ketoacidosis, high heart rate and was admitted. They gave me what they called a banana bag of fluids and nutrients. Severe dehydration can cause your high heart rate, vomiting, and diarrhea. Your high heart rate can also be atrial flutter brought on by dehydration. I had that, and the heart rate that is approximately double normal is a key symptom. As Jeanniebug points out, you should also be checked for blood clots and a CT scan for leakage. I was checked for both while admitted.They thought they saw a small clot, and I was placed on blood thinners as a precaution. Please get with your team ASAP and get this checked. Your team should have someone on call from their answering service. Mine did, and I was admitted on a Saturday. Be persistent. Consider the ER if required. Lastly, don’t worry about stool color as you go through a rainbow until your system settles and you get into a normal routine.

Stalls…stall…stalls! UGH, isn’t it frustrating!? Its amazing how much that little number on the scale can affect your mood for the day when you see it not moving, it is truly a bad-mood-maker. i’m not sure if it really helps but I just try to change things up a little bit, mix my meals differently, change up my exercise routine, etc. At least it makes me feel like I’m doing something. Sure enough the scale starts moving eventually. Like others here have said, stick to the plan, monitor your intake, eat clean, etc. Hang in there, stay determined!

Welcome! A Truly inspirational story. The bariatric surgery is just a small part of what you have done. All of those changes took courage and a great deal of determination. You made the right choices, are doing the hard work, and are seeing the positive results. congratulations!