ChunkCat

Oh no... I am cold by nature already, my weight never seemed to impact it. The doctor seems to think it is a thyroid thing, I think my thermostat is just damaged. LOL But if I get even colder after this surgery I'll have to start buying long underwear!! 😂 My partner runs hot and keeps the house at about 70 all year round and is STILL hot, so I wear layers all year round. Except for socks, I HATE socks. But I might have to get over that and start wearing socks and slippers.... If it makes the summers more bearable though it isn't a bad deal, I don't cope with heat well at all. I got heat stroke a few times and they say once that happens your internal thermostat is never the same. Plus I take meds that make me sensitive to the heat and the sun so I wear long sleeves year round. It sounds like this will continue indefinitely... Good to know for future shopping!

Funny fact: I'm in the middle of my pre-op diet but all I can think about is that tart. 😂 It's beautiful and looks like something I'd make, even if I can't eat it for another year. LOL

I hear a lot of good things about Genepro, so that's what I ordered. I haven't tried it yet though, I'm on the pre-surgery diet and it only allows two brands of protein shakes, so I'll post after surgery to let you know how the Genepro is!

I've always had this issue with corn. I expect it'll be the same post surgery. I think each of us has food that our bodies in particular don't digest well for whatever reason...

Mine was a class with other people. Took about 90 minutes, went over pre-op diet, post surgery food stages, and long term diet. It was easygoing. The dietician asked if any of us felt we needed individualized help with diet planning and a few people asked for private sessions but I didn't. I am pretty knowledgeable about nutrition and understand the stages and such. I have another session right before surgery (if they ever get it scheduled) to go over the first few weeks of the diet. And then I have another class before we transition to soft foods... It seems this practice prefers classes for most of their nutrition info. Though I have the dietitian's email if I have any questions or need a private session, so that's nice. I have found most dietitians/nutritionists to be pretty business-like and a little abrupt in their manner, so your experience sounds pretty normal.

LOL No worries, I think a lot of us are impatient and just want things to get a move on! But in truth, they do, even if it seems slow. Time will pass before you know it and you'll be on your way... Finding things to manage that anxiety will help a lot, I find writing out all the stuff in my head helps. For some reason seeing it on paper makes it less intense and eases the pressure in my mind and I can logically think through things. I wish you the best of luck!! ❤️

No, the cardiologist was the surgeon's requirement! I am having a duodenal switch and will be under longer so he wanted to make sure everything was fine pre-surgery. Every doctor has different requirements. Sounds like you are part of the way through your requirements, you just have to stop sabotaging yourself! Have you seen a therapist about this? Head game is very important with these surgeries, that head game will make you or break you. It's good to have someone to talk it all out with and that support will be very important during your surgery and weight loss, so it is something you might want to look into!

It took me two months to get all my requirements done so we could submit to insurance. Insurance approved it within a week! It really depends on your insurer and what you need to do to be cleared for surgery. My longest wait was to see the cardiologist, they were booked out 6 weeks. But I know some have had much longer waits so I consider myself lucky. I'm scheduled for surgery Nov. 1st, my first appt with the surgeon was August 3rd. Good luck with losing your last 5 lbs!!

I'm feeling good! A little nervous but that's to be expected. I've finished one week of my pre-op diet, two weeks to go!! I will say though, if you are prone at all to leg cramps and have to do a pre-op diet, make sure you have an electrolyte mix on hand. I got wicked charlie horse cramps in both legs about 48 hours into my diet. Thankfully I had anticipated this and had an electrolyte powder that's low carb on hand and as long as I drink some every night the potassium and magnesium in it have held the cramps at bay!

Thank you!! I'll message you my Discord or whatever you prefer, it would be nice to have a fellow DSer to talk to through this! 8 weeks in, so you are returning to "normal" food now. That's great progress, congrats on getting this far!

I had the same side effects listed above. It radically changed my tastebuds. But since my weight isn't from binging/overeating junk the med didn't cause weight loss. I took a pretty high dose of it for migraines for several years... I think you'd be better served by tracking your food and activity for a few weeks to see if your patterns have changed. Even a regular 300 calorie difference can result in steady weight gain. Also, some go on GLP 1 meds to help with regain but their side effect profile isn't exactly kind either... Dealing with regain can be very frustrating!! I hope you find a good solution... 💚

This is good to know! I've been a little worried about it too. I'm having a DS in less than 3 weeks and there aren't many around to talk to!

Congrats on hitting Onederland Beanito!!

Yay! Here's mine for all the weight/health related stuff. https://instagram.com/shrinkingmytiara My other account is pretty much solid cat photos. 😂

That's wonderful Jill! You are already in Onederland! I hope the rest of this process continues to go well for you and it is a straight shot to your goal weight!

Wow, what great success, you look fantastic! And I'm sure having all that pain gone is a huge relief. I think everyone worries about regain. The sad fact is there is a level of vigilance that it seems will always be there because obesity is such a sneaky disease. But I've noticed those a few years out seem to be more at ease with the process and while watchful, are not quite as anxious about it as time goes on and they maintain for longer. Still, I think some anxiety about it will always be there...

Woohoo!! Congrats on hitting Onederland! You are doing a great job, that's amazing progress for 6 months!

Awww, that is such a bummer! I hope the tests show something useful!!

Female hormones can make your gums more sensitive. My doctor told me sometimes pregnant women have this issue because of the increase in hormones. I had this happen when I was taking progesterone, but I wouldn't be surprised if estrogen can do it too. Also I have bleeding, pale gums when I'm iron deficient. So something to watch for...

I really like creamer in my oatmeal, so I feel like vanilla protein powder would work! I'd mix half a scoop of powder with 1/4 cup of cold water, then stir it into the oatmeal once it has been cooked. You don't want to heat protein powder very much or it'll denature the protein and it'll clump and be gross. But stirred in after the oatmeal cooks should be fine...

My doctor's offices all ask if you've had a positive test within 10 days. Past that they don't care. Given the CDC's recommendations I don't think you'll have any issues at all. Your immune system should be over it well before your surgery date!

Oh, I just remembered an article I read about hyperallergenic foods. It was about a clear whey protein water sold in New Zealand. It cited several cases of extreme reactions to small amounts of the beverage in children known to have a dairy allergy. It seems that in concentrating proteins into drinks we've created a new class of "hyperallergenic" foods that may send some people's immune systems into overdrive. The interesting part is that their reactions were much more dramatic to the protein water than to actual cow's milk because the protein was so concentrated in the protein water. So I guess it is possible you are developing a dairy allergy and it is showing up when you drink the shake because it is much more concentrated than any other source you are ingesting whey from? Something to think about anyway... Here's the article: https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2010/12/22/Hyperallergenic-functional-foods-raise-protein-concerns

Oh that's no fun... I've heard of people having various issues from too much biotin. It is why not everyone advises supplementing it. I think it is unlikely to be the shakes, mostly because a true allergy comes from reactions to a protein IIRC? For the shakes that protein would be in the whey. That means you'd react to ALL whey, which means essentially all cow's dairy products. It is possible to develop an adult true allergy to a protein, but they are rare... However, we can develop intolerances to things and it is possible some additive in the shake is doing it. The reaction you are describing sounds like eczema, it causes that textured skin feeling and sometimes pigment changes. I have a friend that gets it every time she eats cheese! But if it is hives taking benadryl should help noticeably. I'd quit the biotin, give it a week or two for everything to calm down, then try the shake again. If the rash shows up from drinking it again you should go be tested for a dairy allergy by an allergist. I'm not a doctor, but that's what I'd do...

Congrats on finding out what was wrong and having it treated! I hope you can progress normally now and have no further issues. Yay for being on target with your weight loss!! That has got to feel really good despite the challenges you've been having.

ejm, did you have a DS done? I have read that in rare circumstances low protein levels or excessive weight loss can cause the small intestinal portion of the DS to have to be reversed. Have you spoken to your surgeon about the extra weight loss? Have you had your vitamin levels checked lately to make sure you aren't deficient in anything? It might be worth an appointment with the surgeon to talk about your concerns... I wouldn't cut out fat so much as just make sure your fat is coming from a heart healthy source. DS patients have malabsorption of fats which is part of what leads to their better weight loss/maintenance outcomes. But some DS patients find they need to eat more fat or calories to maintain a healthy weight, and things like nuts and avocadoes can help with that. sweetsmith78, I'm sorry you felt scrutinized. I have generally found people on this site to be quite kind and helpful. It is hard to know what to say to someone experiencing excess weight loss when most of us here don't have that issue or anything even close to it. Which procedure did you have? Have you talked to your surgeon about the extreme weight loss? I would think focusing on calorie dense food might help. Full fat yogurt, milk, and cheese. Maybe adding MCT oil to your coffee? Protein shakes with peanut butter added, in fact, anything with nut butters added. And adding more nuts and avocadoes to your diet, as they are good sources of healthy fats. For most of us fat is where we start to gain calories back (or sugar, but I generally don't tell people to eat sugar LOL). I'm sorry you are losing so much weight, it must be very distressing after having surgery to treat the opposite issue! My sister sits in the 90s/100lb range and when under stress she really fights to keep her weight up. She hasn't had any surgery, she was just born that way. She uses meal replacement shakes and fats to help with that. Good luck to you both with finding answers and viable solutions to this!