BabySpoons

Also love how you got the name babyspoons 😍

It gets better. I dealt with most everything you mentioned during my first year after WLS. Some more than others. Still deal with occasional nausea and unstable appetite. Persistent pain should be checked out though.
Before WLS, I ran across DR V. He doesn't sugarcoat anything and drops the F bomb a lot which made me chuckle. But... he made perfect sense to me, and his truth directed me towards having the surgery despite his warnings and statistics. Watching it again he mentions using baby spoons so I'm pretty sure that's where I picked up my name here. LOL
Pitfall #2 is my favorite. Not embracing the honeymoon phase which coincides with Pitfall #5- Believing I will never be hungry again. #6- "It's not gone forever...it's gone for now." (hunger/weight)
I'll just leave this here... GL and hope you start feeling better soon. {{hugs}}

Hello everyone,
8 months ago, I had a gastric bypass surgery, and I've lost -32 kg since then. However, I take zero pleasure in drinking or eating. I painfully feel the journey of the food I ingest to my stomach. Everything makes me burp, whether it's food or drink, even a small sip of Water. I also have flatulence. My appetite is very unstable: one day I eat well, the next I can't swallow more than 3 bites. I experience nausea and random cramps. My stomach frequently gurgles, which makes me uncomfortable in public. I feel very uncomfortable at restaurants. Have other people experienced these symptoms, and do they ease with time? These symptoms appeared rather late for me, which worries me even more. I wonder how I will cope with this for life?

i think it all depends on how much actual fat you still have left when you get plastics. even if you reach "goal weight" you may still be carrying subcutaneous fat along with the excess skin.
i've read of folks on here who have dropped 10, 20, 30 lbs after plastics, so it has been done. me, I lost a grand total of 400g (i.e., 0.88 lb), so basically nothing....BUT it made a huge difference visually, so...

Hahahaa! Just buy yourself a box of small Ziplock freezer bags. I am not a big spend hours in the kitchen cooking kind of person so making extra ensures many hours saved. My dinner tonight is from something I froze at Christmas. Quick and easy peasy.

Great points. I don't have a lot of extra skin, so this doesn't really apply. I'd say, if I removed all that I have 2 or 3 lbs max. At my 1 year mark, in May, they will do a body composition test; so I'll know more then as to my muscle mass. My last test in November, I was right where they wanted me and hadn't lost any muscle since my 3 months test. I definitely don't have much fat left, just a bit on my thighs. This is why I'm concerned. My goal was 140. I've gotten down to 135, and bounced back to 136-137. I was concerned because I lost 4 lbs in a week after I started upping my calories to stop losing. Maybe my body was excited for the increase and lost more fat 🤷‍♀️

I've seen people here have plastic surgery who only lose weight in the single digits of pounds. Think any more than that might be the exception - maybe for people who started out biggest?

Hahahaa! Just buy yourself a box of small Ziplock freezer bags. I am not a big spend hours in the kitchen cooking kind of person so making extra ensures many hours saved. My dinner tonight is from something I froze at Christmas. Quick and easy peasy.

If it feels like it’s not right to you it couldn’t hurt to call and run it past the surgeon. I know alot of us don’t want to be annoying or a bother but they are getting paid and awful lot for the surgery and post op care is part of that service you are paying for. They should be able to tell you what to watch for.

I followed a recipe to make Soup tonight. It came from a bariatric cookbook so I wasn't really thinking about quantity being an issue. At least not until I was done and went to dish out a serving. This recipe said it made 8 cups of soup. I was able to eat 1/4 cup. At the current rate, that means I will be eating this soup until the sun explodes.
Did anyone else struggle with cooking early on? It feels like such a waste of time to make a single, tiny serving, and yet, between difficulties eating reheated/dried out food and being overwhelmed by accidentally making 32 servings of soup, I really wish food would just magically appear on tiny plates in my kitchen.

Oh yes. food for weeks. I still cook more than I need but I do it on purpose now because I love having leftovers. Simply freeze the leftovers/excess for easy meals on another day. Just bag it up in appropriate serving sizes. (I love zip lock bags.) My freezer is filled with single serves of Soups, bolognese, savoury mince, steak, chops, savoury egg muffins, … chicken, beef, lamb & pork. Don’t feel like cooking? Just defrost a meal & all I have to cook or prep are vegetables or salad if needed. Bonus you only have to cook dinner from scratch a couple of times a week.
Found it very useful for work lunches too. Popped one of my frozen meals in my bag & reheated it at work. Easy.

An IUD is known to cause spotting and irregular bleeding but if you used it before WLS with no problems, I would agree that it's probably a release of estrogen and hormonal changes due to surgery. But it seems excessive. I would make sure you are getting enough Iron or risk becoming anemic.
I wouldn't be too quick to have an Ablation either. Unless you are done having children. If so, then you would be taking care of two issues at once with no longer needing contraception and hopefully end the bleeding.
I was told by my OB GYN that I needed an Ablation a few years back but for different reasons. I had an ultrasound that showed a golf ball size fibroid tumor that was causing major bleeding. I was so desperate for it to stop that I scheduled the surgery. But after going home and reading up on the procedure, I quickly found others online who had avoided it by Water fasting. Those that had the same size tumor said it took 40 days for their bodies to rid themselves of it. So I called and cancelled the surgery. Doc didn't argue with me. Said give it a try and then we can re-access.
I don't think she thought I could do it, but I did. When I went back for a follow up, the gal doing the ultrasound found no trace of it. I told her my story and she was shocked and amazed. The body is capable of some pretty amazing things if we let it.
I said all that to say this.... I'm not advocating you water fast. Especially after WLS. But I would have a thorough exam to justify the need, if at all for an Ablation. But before even that, take out the IUD. Stop the hormones/meds. Take Iron if needed and let your body cleanse itself.
GL!!
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I bought Polysorbate 80 which is an emulsifier and causes oil to mix with Water. But I ended up not using it because I decided I didn't want to clog my water pipes up with a bunch of oil. I used Teal's Hemp Epsom salts soak a few times but that was more for sore muscles and bones.
My Pilaris Keratosis is completely gone now along with my dry skin. I attribute it to the WLS since I've had it since a small child. I still moisturize Using castor oil now. It has many benefits.

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.

Soaking in a tub can dehydrate your skin (I work in dermatology), it can remove natural skin oils. Adding oils - they float so don't penetrate as you soak. So if you're not allergic try making your soak an oatmeal soak. It dissolves and mixes with the Water opposed to sitting on it and can help with dry skin. Baking soda can help as well can help detox and balance the skins pH when you add to essential oils and helps bond to the oils.

I know I have been active on here for a while now, and probably made far too many posts for someone who hasn't even had surgery yet, but today I put down my deposit payment for my gastric bypass surgery with Spire Gatwick in the UK, for the 14/05/24.
It officially feels real! Until now, I had so many anxieties as to whether or not it would happen in case I couldn't find the money, or get approved for a loan etc, so it just feels like so much relief now that it is all finalised and I know it is gonna happen.
I have my 1st dietetic consultation & my pre-op assessment on 05/04/24, and then my 2nd lot of pre-op bloods on 13/05/24.
I am trying to log it all in my bariatric surgery journal which I am finding really useful!
I guess I just wanted to post to just express how happy I feel right now, to people who I know will understand ❤️

I quit wearing rings a long time ago for the same reasons and had one cut off by a local jeweler after it started cutting off circulation.
Recently started wearing them again. I like wearing rings on all my fingers. Sometimes even on my thumb. If a ring doesn't fit on one finger, try putting it on another. Although a wedding ring on your thumb may look a bit odd @ChunkCat. LOL

I can't believe it. I got on the scale this morning and it was 244.5 lbs. I've officially lost half of the weight towards my goal! I'm down 76 lbs since my highest weight and 63 lbs since surgery. And I'm not even 5 months out! I really didn't think it would happen this quickly. And weirdly enough, I feel smaller now than when I was this weight before. Weight distribution is a funny thing.
Here's a pic of me pre-op at about 312 lbs, and two pics of me from today! I have so much more energy and mobility now. I'm so grateful to myself for having this surgery despite my fears and concerns. It has been SO worth it! Big thank yous to all of you guys for supporting me as I go through this, I really value this forum and everyone who posts here! ❤️

I just spent the past six days on business half way across the country. Flying didn't require a seat belt extension - and on the return flight, I was in a middle seat without issue.
The best though, was a couple of days ago when I got into an Uber and asked the driver if he could move the front seat forward. He apologized and said, "I'm sorry. I had a heavy person and he had to put the seat all the way back." He could never have known that 6 months and 85lbs ago it's very likely that I would have been that guy in the front seat.

To be honest, early on I had lots of problems with nausea and vomiting eating normal solid foods when it was allowed for me. I stayed on liquids and soft foods maybe longer than most. But it was easier for me. I figured my tummy just needed more time to heal and really had no reason to force it just because I could have it.
So, I prioritized getting my Protein and liquids in first in the form of shakes, milk, yogurt, Soups etc. I've said it here before, that you are better off staying hydrated if eating solid foods is keeping you from that, timewise. (30-minute rule) I simply preferred that to feeling nauseous and figured I had the rest of my life to eat solid foods.
Becoming dehydrated can cause stalls and Constipation. I also have trouble drinking plain Water but found if I add Crystal Light I tend to drink more in a day., I also take a stool softener twice a day since WLS, recommended by my surgeon. Of course, like everyone else here said, periodic stalls are normal. Long term you have to question what you are doing.
Now at almost a year post op, I can pretty much eat and drink as needed. I just came off a stall and since I'm nearing goal weight, those last few pounds are coming off slower. I don't weigh myself as often so as not to get discouraged. But I'm pretty damn happy with where I am.
Try to get those liquids in... it's important. GL

To be honest, early on I had lots of problems with nausea and vomiting eating normal solid foods when it was allowed for me. I stayed on liquids and soft foods maybe longer than most. But it was easier for me. I figured my tummy just needed more time to heal and really had no reason to force it just because I could have it.
So, I prioritized getting my Protein and liquids in first in the form of shakes, milk, yogurt, Soups etc. I've said it here before, that you are better off staying hydrated if eating solid foods is keeping you from that, timewise. (30-minute rule) I simply preferred that to feeling nauseous and figured I had the rest of my life to eat solid foods.
Becoming dehydrated can cause stalls and Constipation. I also have trouble drinking plain Water but found if I add Crystal Light I tend to drink more in a day., I also take a stool softener twice a day since WLS, recommended by my surgeon. Of course, like everyone else here said, periodic stalls are normal. Long term you have to question what you are doing.
Now at almost a year post op, I can pretty much eat and drink as needed. I just came off a stall and since I'm nearing goal weight, those last few pounds are coming off slower. I don't weigh myself as often so as not to get discouraged. But I'm pretty damn happy with where I am.
Try to get those liquids in... it's important. GL

I read that Gastric Bypass patients can no longer use nicotine because of possible risk of stomach ulcers but that Sleeve patients didn't run the same risks. I never really understood this. But I stopped because I didn't want to risk my surgery getting canceled.
Can you expound on this???

Victory? I don't know if this technically qualifies as a victory but, my butt and tailbone hurts from lack of fat padding to sit on!
Ahhh and horror of horrors I had an xray..and could see the outline shadow of all my loose skin.. Not a pretty victory..but one the less. Add to those two..sitting lower in the car...I feel like a kid driving my parents car! 😜

Being able to fit in the rollercoaster seats…they have that bar that clicks down….yea…not having to worry about the person sitting next to me flying out because it has to stick out so far to accommodate me 🙃

This morning I received a green jacket I found on Ebay last week. When I held it up, I thought "This is a child's jacket!!" I checked the label and saw that the size was indeed Large, but then I said to myself, "Yeah, a large child, maybe." But I thought I should at least try it on to see if there was any way I could keep it in case I lost another 60 pounds. Then the magic happened. I put it on and it fit! I couldn't believe it. We really do have warped visions of ourselves, don't we? I really did think I was at least 60 pounds beyond what the jacket would fit. Mind blown.