ChunkCat

Dollar Tree finds are so fun! I wish I liked salmon, mini packets would be handy for snacks! It may not be the best place for electrolyte waters though as stated above, check and see if they have sugar in them. I have some that don't but they were pretty pricey and not from the dollar store. Who knows though, you never know what brand you are going to find at Dollar Tree, sometimes you luck out! As for protein, it is the same thing, check the sugar, cheaper formulas often use sugar to sweeten and that will ruin your low carb efforts. Also check the protein source. If I recall correctly bariatric patients tend to do best on whey protein isolate or whey hydrolysate because they are gentler on the stomach and absorb better. Plus they should be lactose free, lactose intolerance is common after surgery as your stomach heals...

I feel you! Being in this situation is no fun. I don't have a surgery date yet, I didn't like the first surgeon I saw so I go see a new one on August 3rd. Hopefully one that will answer my questions and think a little outside the box. I'd talk it out with the surgeon (or his nurse/PA) a little more to understand his thought process. He sees more patients than you or I do, he should know what the risk of GERD is vs the risk of not absorbing your meds. I think I read about 30% of sleeve patients get new or worsened GERD/gastritis from the surgery?? That means there is a 70% chance you won't have that issue. For those that have it, it seems very frustrating, but I haven't seen any data on how many sleeve revisions are from GERD. I wish my meds (and autoimmune disease) were flexible enough to give me 3-6 months to figure out new dosing strategies, but they aren't. If I go into a med induced depression flare I will lose the benefit of the surgery because I won't be able to function well enough to make good food and get exercise. Not everyone has depression that severe though. I think a lot of patients have some flexibility there and can afford to play around with their meds to find a new combo. I will be fine with handling some tweaking to the dose, but I don't have the option of another med combo. Everyone is different though and it is worth talking it out with the doctor until you feel sure about your choice!

It could be acanthosis, but it could also be eczema. That can flare with stress and surgery is definitely stress! Heat can make it moody too. I wondered if your decreased fat absorption was causing the dry skin too... If you are prone to acne you might ask the derm about tretinoin. It helps with it a lot, though it also can make your skin drier and more sensitive and you have to be VERY diligent with sunscreen daily.

Oh no!! I don't get why people have to be that way. It is a personal choice and has nothing to do with her! I am so glad you are past that stage... Here's to smooth sailing going forward!

Following. I haven't had surgery yet so I can't say, but I am considering the sleeve in part because I take very important psych meds that I can't afford to have malabsorbed and mine don't come in a liquid formulation. I also have a history of GERD and am on a PPI already. I talked with my psych nurse about the meds and she said the ones with the best chance of absorbing are the sleevers, she rarely has to do more than a tweak here or there. But she's had patients with bypass and DS who have had issues with passing their meds without them breaking down, so some have had to go to liquid forms which can be more challenging depending on what med you are on. I can only metabolize about 25% of psych meds so I already have a limited pool. I don't want to limit it further, it took too much effort to find a combo that works! So I'll definitely be asking the next surgeon about this...

Congrats on getting cleared!! They sure do put us through a lot of hoops. I'm not looking forward to the psych eval, I have a history of depression and PTSD and new doctors always want to dig at it a bit. It's annoying. But I just remember it is for a good cause and in general everyone on these teams want their patients to succeed and have everything be optimal for them to do that!

Yeah, as you lose weight you release estrogen, which can cause irregular bleeding. If you ever had irregular bleeding or irregular ovulation before, this is probably compounding it. That said, I agree you should talk to your gyn about it. Any irregular bleeding should be closely monitored to ensure it's the weight loss that's doing it and not something else. They can do an ultrasound to see what your lining thickness looks like and if there is any reason to be concerned.

No, albuterol is not a steroid, it doesn't really take down inflammation, it just helps to open your airways. A steroid inhaler is different!

I gain weight on steroids, every time. It makes cravings so intense and all I can stomach for days after I take them is ice cream. LOL It is weird and annoying. I know I'm not the only one that gets cravings on steroids. That said, if I needed them, I'd still take them. I'm prone to bronchitis and immune compromised. We never want it to turn into pneumonia so I end up on steroids for it each time. I think my weight gain averages about 10 lbs per round, which is frustrating but not worth risking my health for in the long term. But that's just me, everyone will have their own opinion and experiences. Have they tried giving you an inhaler for the bronchitis? You can get a steroid inhaler. I don't gain weight or have cravings with that. And they are really effective!

Also, this goes without saying, but congratulations on your 10 years of remission! That is a fantastic milestone!

I'm in the process of getting approved and had uterine cancer last year. My oncologist is on board and feels the weight loss will actually reduce my chances of recurrence. I didn't do chemo/radiation though because I was diagnosed so young. I do however have an autoimmune disease that has caused ulcerations of the small intestines and colon in the past. I'm stable on a biologic currently but that may not always be the case and off medications the ulcerations will probably come back. I saw a surgeon and was surprised he advised I get a DS with my history. My GI is not in favor of this plan. I think the sleeve would be a lot safer, so I have an appointment with a second surgeon to see if we can go that route, even if it may not result in as much weight loss as the DS. I also have a family history of cancer of the colon and small intestines and for me being able to have full imaging studies is important as I age, which will be much more complicated with the surgeries that affect the small intestines.

Yay for no more leg cramps!! (and for less constipation!!) I have like 5 different sugar free electrolyte powders around because I'm crazy prone to having low potassium and waking up screaming in pain isn't my favorite way to wake up. 😂 I wondered if bariatric patients could take Miralax, I find it much kinder than some other meds/methods. If you ever have to have a colonoscopy definitely ask them for the Miralax prep! It just tastes like whatever you mix it into...

Yeah, I have to do all the standard things like 6 months of supervised weight loss visits, nutritionists, psych, etc... I just thought the weight clause was particularly cruel. I'll be taking @summerseeker advice and putting heavy things in my pockets. LOL I can't even tell what stage my cycle is in to make sure I go in with the period bloat (hysterectomy) so that's super annoying. @SleeveToBypass2023 I don't get an option about which insurance plan we have, this is through my partner's workplace. It costs too much to go with someone else. But I'm glad you didn't have to fight as hard to get your surgeries, BCBS was good when we had them! @New To This23 That sounds like a nightmare! I am so sorry you are going through that! I am worried about this scenario because my body is given to weird spurts of weight gain that have nothing to do with what I'm eating or how I'm exercising. I did 18 months with a nutritionist and lost 10 lbs, which was really due to the Ozempic I started. LOL I've never been able to lose more than 15-20 lbs, my body is just wicked stubborn. I will keep my fingers and toes crossed that you make that weigh in with room to spare!! Keep us posted!

I'm so sorry you are going through this! Complications after surgery are so frustrating and discouraging... One thing to remember, anesthesia can cause depression after surgery. It doesn't last forever, but it can really depress your mood and have you feeling low. So remember to give yourself some grace during this period. You just had major surgery and your body is fighting off an infection, snuggle up on the couch with your feet up, hydrate well, and only get up for short walks to keep your circulation up. After I had a hysterectomy for cancer I really didn't understand what "go slowly" was until my body fought back and I ended up with a bladder infection from the catheter. When they say slow they mean SLOW! One thing that really helped me was someone on a forum saying "You only heal ONCE!" That really hit home for me. You only heal from this surgery once, so be sure to lavish as much care on yourself as you would your best friend. It seems like forever now but you'll be through this soon! ❤️

I'm not surprised, I feel like sometimes practitioners auto-pilot their responses instead of thinking them through for the individual! I hope the Ozempic wears off quickly so your lows stop. I get awful lows (and stomach pains) from Metformin so I can sympathize, hypoglycemia that is medication induced can be so miserable. I really don't know how non-diabetics take Ozempic for weight loss, you'd think they'd be battling the hypoglycemia all the time! But every body is different... Hope you feel better soon! I'll have to remember this for my surgery and talk with the doctor ahead of time because I'm on Ozempic and it keeps my A1C in the 5s...

Thanks. I've been on 6-7 different plans in the last 10 years and sadly have come to the same conclusion. They both don't want you to be overweight, but also want you to stay overweight because they make it impossible to qualify for anything that would help you lose the weight? It makes no sense at all. Their requirements for weight loss meds are absurd too.

CIGNA and they are so mean. Every medical thing I've had to have since we changed insurance they have fought us on. Like today I was in the GI's office because they won't cover my reflux meds---because our plan doesn't cover ANY reflux meds. Why? No clue. It is supposed to be a nice plan, we certainly pay enough for it! But they have been nothing but a hassle at every turn for the past year, it is so stressful.

Are you a type 2 diabetic on medication? If so you may need to talk to your doctor about changing your dose or stopping your meds. This can often happen after surgery pretty quickly. Are you still in the hospital? If so they should be able to help with this...