BabySpoons

Anyone familiar with Red Light Therapy? It claims to help tighten skin, increase Collagen production, repair cells and improve overall appearance of skin. Planet Fitness has a machine called Total Body Enhancement that claims to do all that. Just wondered if anyone here has tried it and saw any kind of noticeable improvements from using it? And if so... if it's worth paying extra for that level of membership. Seems a bit gimmicky to me. Also, I'm wondering if Infrared Saunas are OK to use? I have free access to one and this is different from a dry or steam sauna like I used in the past. It heats you up from the inside out. Somehow that doesn't sound safe after surgery, no matter how much I hydrate. It also touts multiple benefits. I've contacted my Bariatric team for advice and have yet to hear back from them. Seems this newer technology is a big question mark.

Better thanks! It's kind of hit and miss. I'm not nauseous with every meal and did backtrack a bit to soft food phase for a time. Slowly trying new things but playing it safe with the food choices and pretty careful not to try anything different while away from home. I'm guessing all the nerves that were cut during surgery are growing back and coming alive again. So I'm feeling what I couldn't before. I'm actually glad for that restriction. It's what I signed up for. And I think I've come to accept the nausea when it happens as part of the healing process along with teaching me to slow down, take smaller bites and stop before reaching fullness. I hope the best for everyone here and if need be, contact your doctor and see if anti-nausea meds can help if unable to keep anything down or blacking out. That's not normal.

I'm assuming you meant chia seeds. I have a few bags in my freezer that I'm contemplating using again post-surgery. Asked my NUT if it was OK at 5 weeks and she approved. When I asked her if they should be used dry or soaked she said dry. By the look on her face, I think she was guessing. LOL The only time I used them dry was when I had bad acid reflux. The dry seeds would soak up the excess acid in my stomach for almost instant relief. But you have to be careful as these will soak up to 10 times their amount of weight in liquid. It actually caused a death when someone downed a bunch dry without drinking enough water to fully swallow them all and the seeds expanded in their throat. Yikes!! Indian runners used them back in the day to run long distances, having to carry very little water. But dry in pouches. Hmmm... Many many articles online listing its benefits. Alot don't say whether to consume dry or soaked. Just 2T a day. That would definitely skew measurements. I'm wondering, will this help us in our quest to stay hydrated longer? If taken dry, will the expansion stretch our new small stomach or pull much needed moisture from us? What say you?

I remember wanting that smooth flawless skin when I was a teen. I had to live with it till I sought treatment in my 20's. And yes, I remember the smell being not so good. I'm glad that you found something for your daughter that is working for her. I never stuck with it like I should have, Now I'm counting on my WLS to see results. Fingers crossed

But I want to believe that my facial/neck skin will snap back as if I was just like a teenage girl.... hahaaha! Nah... I'm a realist. And glad to hear that the needling is working for you. I still haven't heard back from my Bariatric team on the safety of using the infrared sauna or the RLT at 7 weeks. 🤔

I moisturized and exfoliated till the cows came home but it didn't get rid of it. The only thing that seemed to help was suntanning. But I stopped that years ago. I developed a bad skin picking obsession too. That trapped hair follicle always had a plug of pure white keratin surrounding it. If only we could bottle it and sell it. xD A skin doctor confirmed what I had and prescribed some sort of hydroxy acid but even that was only minimally helpful and a pain in the ass to use consistently. It was easier to just go lay out in the sun. My Mama had it and called it chicken skin so I know it's hereditary. She also had the most beautiful skin besides the bumps which most people really don't notice except for the one who has it. Whenever I took her into the doctor, the nurses would always comment on how great her skin looked for her age. It healed quickly too after surgeries etc. That was one of the reasons I put off having WLS for so long. I knew a few people who have had it and thought they didn't look well. Maybe they weren't taking their vitamins??? But then again, if people knew you as overweight, then see you thin, they immediately think you must be sick. But I know that losing weight can cause fat loss in the face. Kinda like what some people are now calling Ozempic face. My GP also has a skin clinic. So when she approved my decision for WLS she told me if I needed help with botox etc I would know where to go. I'm trying to stay optimistic in that my skin won't fail me now and it will snap back for me without plastics or fillers and that those tiny bumps will somehow save me. LOL But in the end, I had my surgery to hopefully heal my body of comorbidities. That trumps everything else.

Same here. Just last weekend in fact. I knew that Pillaris was good for something. LOL And nice to know the anti-aging effects of having it are still at work for you. I'd like to think we are still producing the excess Keratin. Just not to the extent that it creates those crazy bumps.

Maybe I'm wrong but shouldn't the hospital supply anything we need as in toiletries? We pay them so damn much anyway. We shouldn't have to be lugging all our stuff from home. Unless you are going to Mexico and/or uninsured. On the flip side, I have seen a hospital bill once that showed I was charged $25 for a band aid. So, might depend on if your deductible is met for the year to decide what to take.

That's a big deal. I'm hoping for the same kind of results when and if I ever take a cruise

So since we aren't producing the excess Keratin anymore, how has that affected your skin after 2 years? Besides curing the Pillaris. Since extra keratin helped preserve moisture in the skin and prevented wrinkles etc. Are we exchanging the bumps for looking older?

That's funny. I thought I got the wrong surgery. A sleeve instead of a gastric bypass. Reason being, at my first follow up, I told the doc my incision on right side was still painful. He said it was normal because that's where they remove the stomach at. I'm like wait..... didn't you give me a bypass??? After I got home, I was a bit paranoid about it. Even the nurse mentioned sleeve so I went so far as to check with my insurance and doctor's notes to make sure I got the correct procedure. I guess the sleeve is performed more often nowadays so my Bariatric team assumed till they looked closer at my notes. Geez, what a faux pas.

All I've done since surgery is walking. 5-10 minutes, starting out, to help prevent blood clots. Second week I increased my time to 15 then progressively increased it to 30. 7 weeks out I shoot for 5xs a week. I don't push myself to power walk. Just leisurely. Now that the weather is nice, I walk outside instead of on my treadmill. I really enjoy the sunshine. Also, I try to drink/eat protein as soon as I'm done. The "Golden Hour" is within 45-60 minutes immediately after exercise when your muscles absorb nutrients more so than any other time of the day. Eventually I want to start weights and buy a Rogue air bike.

Not to me but my Bariatric workbook says to call your surgeon if incisions are open and /or draining.

Sure sounds like an allergic reaction to something, but I'm no doctor. Any recent changes to laundry detergent? Heat rash? Or maybe the fat you are losing is releasing stored toxins through the skin. Hope it clears for you.

First week post op is not a very good indicator of weight loss surgery success. I knew I would be swollen up with IV fluids and inflammation, so I avoided weighing until my first follow up with the doc. I used to be a slave to the scale for many years. When I became morbidly obese I never looked at one. Until I attempted another diet of course. So now... although I wonder if I'm missing the thrill 0f watching the pounds drop off daily during this honeymoon phase, I only weigh once a week. I'm just trying to preserve my sanity. LOL

My surgery was April 3rd and for 5 weeks I was only sick once during week one. Everything was so good and I've had same thoughts that I've read some others here express.... did I even get the surgery? I feel no restriction. No nausea. No hunger. No problems. Too good to be true. Week five I was put on normal/rest of life food plan. I'm now feeling hard restriction. Which is ok except for the nausea. That's hard to deal with. I went back to soft foods for a bit and got sick again today with a breakfast I've had more times than I can count. 1 soft scrambled egg and 1/4 C of cooked spinach. The uncertainty of what's doable to eat and what isn't every day is starting to stress me. I understand it's trial and error at this point but I'm almost afraid to eat now. Next step...I might need to go back to full liquid if need be. Hopefully this won't hinder my progress. I figure how can it hurt to allow more healing time for my tummy?

That's so worth smiling about. I can't wait till swelling in my feet and ankles is completely gone and find out what shoe size I will eventually end up with.

I wasn't expecting dry mouth from hell, so agree with lip balm, mouth spray for that. I told the nurses, and they brought me ice chips. Said it was caused from all the anesthesia. I took very little to the hospital. Wore same clothes home. Took my phone and didn't even use it till drive home. I slept most of the time while there. Walking is the best thing you can do for exercise starting out and it's free. I bought a Garmin GPS watch to map out my routes, track my distance, heartrate etc. It even has an emergency call option if you're out somewhere and go down. It will pinpoint your location. There are a bazillion types of watches to choose from in all price ranges and options. Great for tracking your progress.

When I was in my 20's I knew a ton of people who did just that, including me. I did insane amounts of cardio and heavy weights to offset my love of food/carbs. Bad thing was, as I got older, I decreased the exercise but not the amount of food. I would say that working out will definitely allow more carbs in your eating plan. How much? YMMV

I know all insurance companies differ but my first step was contacting mine to make sure I was covered and how much coverage I had. Secondly, which doctors are listed as in network. If you go to one that is not, you will be paying more out of pocket. When I decided on which Bariatric team to go with, I called them directly and asked if I needed my GP's referral first before my initial consultation. They said no, so I was set up with my first appointment with them. Since it was out of town, they would set up all my follow up appointments for nutritionist, surgeon, psychologist and nurse, all on the same day to cut down on my driving miles. What's nice about having a team that specifically does Bariatric surgeries is they made all my post-op appointments for me including any testing that I needed done locally. Also they submitted everything to insurance for me and any pre-authorizations needed. I didn't need to even think about it. It's stressful enough to initially make the decision to have the surgery without the added worry of having to figure out all of the process. Good luck and hope it all will get sorted out for you soon.

I overcame my fear and went to a family graduation party last night that involved a ton of food and alcohol. I didn't test anything except Arby's roast beef, no bun and a small bit of potato salad since I knew I stomach mashed potatoes pretty well. All good. My fam kept offering me alcohol and I kept turning it down while I sipped my water. No way was I going to try it then attempt to drive home. I had a good time and glad I went. Baby steps

One of the last things I was required to do before surgery was a blood draw from my GP to test for nicotine etc.. If you have gotten all your medical clearances as well then I can't see it being much longer for them to submit everything to insurance. I was approved in a week's time and surgery 2 weeks after that. I had fun with the psychiatrist. Last time I saw her and she told me I was cleared, I asked,,, "So you're telling me I'm normal and not crazy?" She laughed and said, " You're definitely not crazy. Normal is questionable. " I'm glad she got my sense of humor. LOL

Thank you for this topic Lindsay! It motivated me to scrub and clean my soaking tub. instead of taking showers I'm gonna start using it again as soon as I'm cleared by doctor for baths. 🛁 Not sure when that is. Never thought to ask before.

Ditto... I want to know if it gets better down the road for us or are we all destined for vomit bags and Depends. LOL