SecretAgentDD

Thanks everyone for the replies. I do absolutely think my skeleton is adjusting itself! I can tell when I am walking that things have definitely shifted and my balance has changed. I hadn’t considered this before, but it does feel almost like my bones are adjusting themselves. I do have a check-in with my surgeon soon and will go over what I’m experiencing. We’ll see what she says. I’ve also added in a small banana into my morning routine. I think both the carbs and the potassium are helping. I was sometimes getting leg cramps, which can be a sign on dehydration or lack of potassium. I'm really good at watching my protein, but not as good at making sure I’m getting much for carbs. I’m doing better this week with it. I do think my total carbs were wayyyy too low.

Hi All...having some strange post surgery happenings and wondering what is normal. Let me first say that I do walk pretty briskly for an hour 5 days per week and I also swim laps 5 times per week for an hour. So, I am getting A LOT of quality movement on top of general stretching, etc. I am about 9 weeks post op for VSG and everything is SORE. My knees are killing me, my back, my legs, my arms..you get my point. Weeks 4-6 I was insanely tired and that has gotten better but now I have this new problem. I don't know if it's just because I'm existing in this calorie deficit or what. (?) I'm at about 900 calories per day and have been told to keep it there until I hit goal. I am getting about 80 grams of protein per day. I am very good about taking my vitamins. On top of the multi-vitamin, I take calcium, magnesium, tryptophan (for sleep), stool softener, ursodiol (gall bladder). Where I am not doing quite as well is water. Some days I am good with water, but I'd say about 50-60 oz of water might be my usual intake. I have a job where I drive a lot and I am not near a bathroom, so that's a problem I have to be careful about. There is still room for improvement there and I acknowledge it. I am working on it! Is this achy/sore feeling normal? Has anyone else encountered this? I'm not against asking my surgeon's office, but they have not been overly helpful with my questions in the past. It feels like I get dismissed by them and that has been very frustrating. I keep getting told "well you're not our normal patient" and then I feel like I am left to figure this all out on my own. It's lonely and frustrating. I'd like to do something to not be so sore, but this has been going on for about two weeks. Any thoughts?

Nice job! This must feel good wonderful.

I’m not allowed to eat any tortillas for three months. I know it sounds dramatic but it’s driving me insane! I love the tiny zero carb ones and they were always in the house prior to surgery. I felt like it made portion control a cinch.

Hi all. Im 7 weeks post op as of today. I’m curious if anyone has hired an independent bariatric dietician… in other words, someone outside of your surgeon’s office to support you? I am not really satisfied with the level of support that I am getting from my surgeon’s office. I’d like at least a weekly or bi-weekly check in with someone and to discuss goals and things I can work towards. When I asked my surgeon’s office at my last follow up appointment if I was where I should be weight loss wise, I didn’t really get much of an answer. I asked where I should be at my three month follow-up and she couldn’t find her chart. So I never got an answer. I live in an area where I haven’t been able to find any support groups locally. I’ve located someone online with a wealth of experience in working with bariatric patients and is a certified dietitian. She works primarily online with patients. I am hesitant to move forward based on the price. Just curious if anyone has had luck with this or has any thoughts about it? I haven’t decided against it, just hesitant due to cost.

Awesome. Thanks! I will check that out. I’ve used the Lose it! app for years. It works fine for me. I’ve got it customized with all my recipes and such.

Hi all. I am six weeks post-op from VSG and met with my doctor's team today. I have lost 22 pounds since surgery, which the team is very happy with. There was no concern about my progress at all and they said due to my weight on surgery date being 231, that I should put my expectations at 170 for my final maintenance goal. I was asked the usual questions and asked if I am hungry between meals and I said yes. I am finding myself hungry about 2.5 hours after (some) meals. When I said I was getting hungry, I was told it was gastritis, not hunger. I said "do they feel the same?" because it sure feels like hunger to me. It's my stomach making noises, and feeling hungry in my actual stomach. It's not head-hunger because I KNOW what that is. I do understand that eating can get rid of gastritis discomfort just like it can obviously make you feel like you are no longer hungry. I do acknowledge that it's possible this is gastritis, but wondering if it really is. (?) Per my doctor's orders: My current meals are 1 oz protein and 2 tbsp veg or fruit for 3 meals per day. Absolutely No Snacks are allowed. Today I was told I can move down to just one protein shake per day. Up until today, the only "snacks" that I was permitted were protein shakes. I am trying to follow the rules here, but got home and I feel so confused and even though I asked questions in the office, I have all kinds of things swirling in my head. I want to be successful, but feeling a little lost here. I know everyone's program is a little different, but wondering about the following: 1. How the heck do we know this is gastritis and NOT hunger? And, if it was hunger, do we just ignore it? (They have increased my PPI medications for now to see if it solves the "gastritis". ) If it's hunger and the increase in acid reducing medications doesn't help, am I just living with being hungry all the time? (YES I am seriously asking this because I honestly don't know what the expectation is). Unfortunately I am not one of the lucky ones who lost their feelings of hunger. I have not had any heartburn at all. 2. I don't know if any of this matters, but I swim laps pretty intensely 5 days per week for 1-1.5 hours. I suspect that part of the reason I am feeling hungry is due to the swimming. I could be wrong, but curious if anyone else thinks it has something to do with it. Prior to surgery, I was always hungrier on days that I swim. 3. My protein goal is 80 grams per day. With one single shake @ 33 grams of protein and a total of 3 oz of protein during the day with 6 tbsp of veggies, how am I supposed to meet this protein goal? My calculations tell me it's not possible. I'm still early as I just transitioned today to "regular diet" from soft diet. So, I am still trying to figure things out and how everything will work moving forward. Your kind replies are appreciated.

I can confirm I have burping. LOL. That's the only one I have. BUT...I have always burped a lot, pre and post surgery.

I put benefiber in 1-2 beverages per day and take one stool softener at night. It seems to have cured the issues that I initially had. I haven't had any issues getting enough liquid since day one, but I think if you were having that issue, you can take more than 1 softener. This was doctor recommended out of the hospital. I ignored her initially and thought I could get by without the protocol. I was wrong wrong wrong.

The best thing I can do to overcome this crap feeling is take a walk or do something creative. You’ve got to find some way to distract yourself. It’s ok to acknowledge and feel the grief, but you’ve got to take yourself out of the situation and find a healthier habit. Practice some self love by making a caring choice to redirect yourself. I don’t mean to come off as dismissive here because I KNOW it sucks. You have to find a way to navigate this and manage these cravings and feelings moving forward by putting healthy habits in place. You’re worth the effort and care. ❤️

I feel this!! I too have had weird moments/days where I’m in mourning for how things used to be. It’s those days where I have to pull out my list of things I can do that are caring behaviors instead of eating. Sometimes I can pull myself out the funk in a few hours, other times it’s a day of just mentally feeling crappy and sad. Things aren’t how they used to be, and they won’t ever be that way again. That road was a path of disordered eating and pain. I never want to go back to those feelings again either. I try to remind myself of that pain and I’d rather mourn the food and move forward with my life.

I’m only 2.5 weeks out. So, I’m not super helpful… but is there anything in particular that you’re struggling with?

How’s everyone in the July group doing so far? I think I’m 16 days out as of today. My surgery went well and recovery has been quite swift. I’m cleared to swim and do non vigorous exercises. Yay! I loved to swim laps prior to surgery, so I’m pretty thrilled to be back at the pool. It feels so good to move and my mobility has already gotten better! I feel pretty good overall. I have weird days where I’m honestly just angry. Some of that is frustration with eating 1/4 cup meals of food. I just need to work through that and acknowledge my feelings. My journaling pen has also been getting a workout. I’m also a little frustrated with how much physical hunger I feel as well. I’m learning to deal with it and find other things to occupy my time instead of eating or thinking about eating/cooking/etc. I wanted to note here that I spent a lot of time worrying before the surgery about the outcome, or “what if I feel like crap?” Well, the reality is that I felt like crap for about 3-4 days because of gas and fluid. But, then it was over and I felt ok pretty quick. Don’t waste your time dwelling on that stuff. Get your fluids, your walks and your protein. I recommend Unjury chicken soup protein if you’re having problems getting your shakes down. Do what you’re supposed to do and in time you’ll thank yourself for taking care of yourself. Sometimes what gets me through the negative thoughts is that these first few weeks are temporary and meant to retrain your stomach and your brain to make healthy choices. The weeks after surgery WILL pass quickly and you will come out the other side AND BE OK. Use the time to put some healthy routines in your pocket involving self-care, exercise, hydration, walking and protein. I’m excited to see where this journey will take me.

Wow!! Congrats. You look great, and I’m sure you feel great too! This is a big accomplishment and you have a lot to be proud of.

You look great. You must also feel great! Congratulations on a job well done.

Thanks everyone. I’m actually feeling great today. I feel human again.

I’m 48 hours post op. I’m shocked at the amount that my belly has grown. My incisions look fine, no infection. But my belly is so full of gas or fluid. When can I expect it to vacate? My organs just feel like they are sloshing around in there, which just feels so weird. I weighed myself, up 14 pounds of fluid/swelling. I’m not paranoid about the number,just did it out of curiosity. I know it will come back down, it’s just annoying feeling like I’m carrying around an inter tube on my belly.

It’s getting better slowly. I still feel pretty bloated, but everything seems to be getting better each day. When I take deep breaths, I can still tell there’s gas in there because it still feels like things are moving around in there a lot when I expand my lungs. Here’s to hoping tomorrow shows more progress on that issue!

Thanks for the thoughtful responses. No, I was not warned or given advice that my insides would feel quite like this. I’m not sure that anyone can really prepare you for how weird it feels when your inflamed organs are bumping around inside of you. I was given no protocol other than walking and using a spirometer, both of which I’ve been doing religiously. So thank you again to those who responded kindly and let me know how long to expect it to continue. I certainly hope that no one was making assumptions that I didn’t follow protocol or read what instructions I was given by my physician.

I’m now five days post op. Days 2 and 3 sucked, but I feel ok now. I’m only on Tylenol and celebrex. I’m walking about 7 times per day. One walk is a long walk. Each day gets better. The fluids and gas are starting to leave my body (finally)! I feel ok mentally. I can do this. I’m remembering why I said yes in the first place. I’m prioritizing my health. There’s going to be challenges, but I can do this. I’m far stronger than sometimes I give myself credit for.

Hi all. I’m two days post-op. I came home yesterday. I’m not gonna lie…this is difficult. Navigating all of the medications they sent home, trying to walk every two hours, using the breathing spirometer, and trying to get enough liquid and protein is no joke. The core power shakes that I like are too thick and make me feel gross. I know this is temporary, but man I am not loving life right now. I never knew that room temperature water was such a turn-off for me, but it is. Oh well, thanks for the vent. I’ve gotta finish my broth and go on a walk. Good luck to everyone today.

I’ve got a list from my surgeon to bring to the hospital, plus what I’ve noted from other bariatric patients. List includes: ID card and insurance, comfortable clothes, shoes that are good for walking, socks, a heating pad, phone and charger, book, dry mouth spray, water flavor packets, lotion, and lip balm.

I was just thinking about one of your earlier posts and wondering how you were doing. Glad to hear you’re experiencing success!

Oh! That’s an interesting situation! I guess either way is good!