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Christa, Firstly, just about NOTHING is TMI for most of the people around here :confused:. And dark pee is a sign of dehydration. Please do your best to get that color up. You will be peeing alot at first, but your body really will get used to it and you'll go less. Not as little as you are now, but less than the feeling of getting up to go right after you sat down, lol. I was dehydrated once a few years back when I had a bad kidney infection. They used 2 or 3 bags of Fluid on me when I went to the ER. My mom said she literally watched the color come back into my face. Be nice to your kidneys!!

@ Hi Jake, We are all here to help each other. The thing I had to learn is that everyone is different. The speed of recovery from surgery and what we can eat and when. And right after surgery is very different from where I am today at 8 weeks post-op and I'm guessing it will change again and again. The band seemed different. I was eating most things pretty soon as long as I chewed like crazy. Like the band surgery, I had no real hunger for weeks. Someone told me, the sleeve (and all WLS) allows us to hit the pause button while we figure out how to make serious life style changes. Eventually that honeymoon is over, just like the band. I say this for me, cuz this is my last chance to get it together. With the sleeve I was on mushies longer than most cuz I kept vomiting. When I could eat mushies I did measure out a small amount but it turned out to be too much. Realized too late. Also if I went too fast I'd vomit and believe me it didn't feel like I was eating fast. So to answer your question, no I didn't seem to have any clues that I had eaten too much or fast. ((but some sleevers do) I kept having a band mentality, thinking I would know immediately. So I had to learn, to eat a very small amount slowly, just a few tiny spoonfuls and then wait. It was a while before i could eat 4 oz and even now I can't eat 4 oz of chicken at one sitting. I have to be careful about introducing new foods. There are some in my January group that are eating salads and all foods. The only vegetable I can eat is steamed broccoli and steamed squash. Still no raw fruit. I also can't eat Protein and vegetables at one sitting. I have to eat the protein, then wait 30-40 minutes and eat cooked vegetables. I expect at some point that will change when the swelling from surgery is gone. Also I have been told that it can take 2, even 3 months for the sleeve to heal completely. The band healing is much faster. Today I feel real hunger. With the band I could get satiated when hungry with a small amount but it always hurt so bad. The sleeve at 8 weeks does not hurt at all. If I feel real hunger I eat 2 oz of chicken (I weighed it initially but now I know what 2oz is) and slowly eat it. Within 10 minutes I am no longer hungry for hours. At first I could only eat 1/2 cooked egg taking 30 minutes to eat the egg and then I wouldn't be hungry for hours. Now I can eat one egg. My Doc and NUT told me that eventually I will be able to eat more and then to plan on 3 meals with Snacks. But for now, they told me to eat when I have real hunger. Keep track of protein etc. And get the fluids in. Doc said I probably had more swelling than some (the vomiting didn't help) which is why my tiny little tummy couldn't hold more than a few tablespoons. Having said all this, the sleeve is much easier than the band and it doesn't hurt. What they don't tell you with the band is that after surgery, when all is healed, the band has far more complications than bypass, sleeve and RYN. Because a foreign object is in your body can erode, slip, break, etc. The sleeve once it is healed has very few complication risks. Now no one told me that when I got the band. I am SO glad my band is gone. No more tightness and pain in my stomach, no more port moving around tugging at me. Do you feel that freedom from the band too? Probably TMI, but there you have it. Best to you!

Hi all, here is my Journey so far. I was one of the lucky ones (NOT) who had a JP Drain. I hope my story helps others. So far, so good - no regrets at all!! June 2017: My ins just dropped the numerous lengthy requirements and is allowing sleeves. I jumped on it, and was able to navigate thru the list quickly. Start to finish took me about 2 months. Do Ins companies really think we haven't tried every program out there prior to considering major surgery??? Stupid! They no longer require 6 months of Dr administered weight loss program, but my Dr watched me for a few months, and submitted it just to make sure I would not run into any problems. I was approved 10 days after submission. I hate having to jump thru hoops, but the savings was worth it. Altho, I would have paid out of pocket if denied. Check off the requirements, and you should be fine. Most Drs have a good relationship with the ins claim reps. My daily (boring but working) pre op intake is: coffee with a splash of Premier Protein banana or caramel , then the rest of the Premier Protein Shake for Breakfast, at 10am I have 2 C of chicken broth, at Noon I have 2 C chicken broth + another Premier Protein shake, at 2pm I have 1 sf Jello cup, at 6ish I have 2 C chicken broth (appetizer ) and another Carmel Premier Protein shake, 8pm snack another sf jello cup. I don't really like any other flavors of broth or I would have those. My shakes have to be under 200 calories, high protein (these are 30g) and as low sugar as you can find (1g). Premier is handy, pre made, and I like the flavors (Caramel, Banana, and strawberry Cream are my favorites). I SWEAR I have not had any headaches, and my energy level is really good (just fall asleep earlier which helps me not dwell on food). Aug 25/2017: Surgery day and I couldn't be more excited!! My surgery went well except that I needed a JP drain that will remain in for about a week. I was up walking 2 laps of my floor that night. The nurse said she had never seen anyone do as well as me. She said my positive and excited attitude surely helped! My pain never got above 2 or 3 and I needed very little pain meds. 3 ice chips made me nauseous, so I did not eat or drink anything the first night. I do have to give myself shots in the stomach of Lovenox (blood thinner) to prevent blood clots for 2 weeks. Aug 26: Got discharged this afternoon after my upper GI and chest xray came back ok. Was able to keep down 4oz of liquid before I left the hospital. I'm off the pain meds now, and don't even feel the need for Tylenol. The Lovenox shots are not as scary as I thought they would be. The trick is to freeze the area for 10 minutes before you give yourself the shot, and put the ice back on right after you are done (the after affect feels like a wasp sting). Now I just need the gas to pass (pun intended). All said and done, I feel great for what I've been through, and lost 12 pounds pre op. I will keep up with updates. Thank you for all the support and info. This Forum is great, and I hope to pay it forward. Aug 28: Ok, so to continue my journey, I am 4 days post op and my drain is still working over time Im not concerned, but can't go back to work until its removed. After having little to no pain, this morning I noticed pain on my right side - like a stabbing pain. I have to hold my stomach when I walk for any relief. Seeing as most of my stomach was sliced off, I am assuming that now that the swelling is going down, some of this is "normal". Its definitely NOT gas pains. I don't like taking the liquid pain meds so am taking tylenol only. liquids are going down no problem. Energy level is up, and I'm looking forward to Protein Shakes on Friday. Update: Dr said my drain most likely moved which is causing the pain. Its pretty intense. Good thing is they will be removing it on Thursday. Bad thing is I will be living with the pain and have to take the liquid pain meds until then...a small price to pay I've discovered a love for tropical flavored sugar free popsicles !!! Aug 29: Having a good night and a great hair day so I'm psyched! Lol. My incisions are dissolvable stitches with a rubber cement waterproof type paint over them. The stuff just flakes off when healed. Easy peasy. I SERIOUSLY think I could have returned to work tomorrow if not for the JP drain. All bodily functions working perfectly, and no hunger pains. BUT I know that even tho I feel good, my body is still recovering from major surgery, so I am working from home Thurs and Fri and returning full time the day after Labor Day = 10 days post op. Knowing that there is still swelling and fluid retention from my hospital stay, Im staying off the scale until my post op appointment. I have ankles again!! August 31: Got my JP drain out today (yes, it hurt), but as soon as it was removed, the pain went away!! I feel like a million bucks Sept 1: Diet additions today!! I get to have protein shakes again, yogurt, milk, and cream soups. Still not feeling hungry and am down 18lbs. Had half a protein shake for breakfast, yogurt with sugar free cheesecake pudding mix stirred in for lunch, broth and a half glass of milk for dinner and sugar free jello with sugar free whipped topping for dessert. I heard that some are lactose intolerant after surgery, but I had no issues with anything I ate. I'm paranoid of gaining anything back, so am kind of afraid to eat. I will have to watch that. Having cabin fever so decided to venture out for the first time since surgery. I have a tendency to feel good and over do it, so wanted to be careful. Took a quick trip to the store, and then for a well deserved pedicure. Heaven. Energy level is still up. Since my boyfriend took good care of me, I decided a date night was in order and we went out. Challenging to say the least. How do you go into a bar without ordering a drink?? Pre planning helps. THIS IS A NO JUDGEMENT ZONE!!! I ordered a tall glass of water with lots of e and 1 small shot of vodka. Then I added Crystal Light cranberry to it that I brought along. Nursed it for 2 hours and did not even finish it. I have read others say alcohol hit them quicker after surgery (no noticeable change for me) and I KNOW that its not allowed (this soon or in some minds at all), but I am human. I gave up diet coke for Gods sake Next challenge coming up = lunch with friends in the liquid stage. I am mentally preparing already. Eat before, and take my Crystal Light. Since I am keeping my surgery secret, the only viable option is to say Im having a little tummy issue. Stay tuned. Sept 2: More milestones accomplished today! Ride my motorcycle - check, go boating - check Sept 3: Lunch with my man and his mom.....First I had to reassure my fiance that he could eat in front of me, and I would be ok. He was considerate enough to make sure that it was ok to plan lunch with his mom. Sweet man. I had a protein shake for breakfast and some vitamin water. We chose a restaurant where I knew they had soup on the menu. I told my future mother in law that I had been having stomach issues, and was changing my eating habits. I am not telling people I'm on a diet, or that I had surgery because history has shown that when you do say these things, people watch what you eat, or fill your ears with "helpful" tips etc. I'm not having it. So I ordered water and a cup of soup. Ate the broth and inconspicuously covered my cup with my napkin and handed it to the server first chance I could. Mission accomplished! You can go out to eat when in the liquid stage. Sept 4: Family bbq planned today.......Again, I will eat before we go. My fiance and I came up with a plan. We will both take plates and put food on them, he will then eat his plate of food, and then mine. Oh the games we play....Again, sweet man! I really don't care what anyone thinks, or surmises, this is my Journey and I will do it my way. 2 more weeks til I can eat real food The bbq was great. Truly a testament to the fact that it isn't the food, it's the company. I drank a shake for breakfast and then had some Greek yogurt before we left. Packed some So Be Life Water (my new staple). My brother in law tried to tempt me with Sangaria and grilled pineapple and I simply told him that I was trying very hard to eliminate sugar from my life plan and I was feeling GREAT so I must be doing something right. My fiance and I carried thru with our plan, and as we went thru the food line, he put on my plate half of what he wanted and then ate everything on both plates. Nobody said a word!! Not even my brother in law who notices, and comments on everything. That night we hit one of the last post op milestones Sex 10 days post op is just as fantastic as pre op. Yay! Sorry for the TMI, but this is a question that others are wondering about. Sept 6: Planning our road trip evac for hurricane Irma. I am packing protein shakes, cream soup packets, SoBe Water, crystal light packets, cottage cheese, yogurt and sugar free pudding mix for my yogurt. Wish us luck! Sept 12: The past week has been hell thanks to Hurricane Irma. Prepping 2 houses and 4 days of travel thru 3 states.....Boy, if I ever needed comfort food, or wanted to garbage up, it was now. But I stayed true to my plan by packing a cooler, and was never hungry! Sept 14: I am now in the puree stage and happy to be "chewing" kind of. I still love my sugar free popsicles. I have been switching it up with egg salad, tuna salad and lots of soups. I am surprised that I do not have any hunger pangs. So far I have not had any issues keeping food down. Watching my fiance eat the foods I used to eat does not bother me because I am so looking forward being thinner and healthier. So far I am down 24 pounds in 1 month (that includes my pre op diet week). Yay!

Hi All, Just Sharing. I had my first appointment with the plastic surgeon concerning my belly. I am running 3 miles a day X 5 days a week. I battle a chronic rash. I actually thought it was all cleared up only to find it is still there. I guess it makes sense that I wouldn't know since I've had 3 C-sections and have no feeling around the scar area. All the more reason to loose the skin! Anyway, about 10 days till I find out yes or no. Now it is the waiting game. Planning on a bladder sling at the same time. Since loosing all this weight I can't sneeze without peeing! Hope this isn't tmi! Fingers crossed!

Oh, I should probably add that my surgeon really wanted me to have the gastric bypass when I went through the pre-op for the lap band, I'm still torn on whether or not I should have listened to him as I was afraid of how invasive bypass surgery is/was and turned to the lap band because the sleeve wasn't being approved in 2010 by my insurance company. I did learn a lot from having the lap band such as eating healthier and smaller portions. Unfortunately I only lost about 35 pounds and then gained almost 50 pounds back when I quit having band filled due to constant vomiting and a constant stuck feeling in my chest. Sorry if TMI but it was not a good feeling & I'd rather you know about it.

My advice: Scrub that colon clean. That's what I'm planning to do after you suggested it a while back. I'd want my bowels as tidy as possible because with an RnY they Will be monkeying with them more. And #2 (maybe TMI) in my case I have both a cystocele and a rectocele, don't want anything,caught in a pocket and fossilizing down there. So the cleaner and happier bowel for me. Swoosh! Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi!! I have had two fills, my latest was two weeks ago Friday. I was pretty tight, I actually threw up ( tmi sorry) twice .. I have not lost in the last week but I didn't over eat calorically I'm very careful.

Im just starting out with my WLS journey and figure I'll post some info in case it's helpful to anyone else, since everyone else's stories and posts have been very helpful to me. I just left my first appointment with the surgeon. When I was first considering WLS I wanted the sleeve since it's less "severe" than the bypass, but once I started doing more research I didn't think I would be a good candidate due to my heartburn and reflux. After speaking with my doctor today he said that my reflux isn't bad enough to rule out the sleeve (it's well controlled with medication and diet changes and I never suffered with it until I gained all this weight) but that he would be fine doing either procedure. He wanted me to pick a procedure today (I can change my mind later) so I went with the sleeve. The difference in projected weight loss between the two comes out to be about 15 pounds for me (175 with RNY and 190 with sleeve). Both of those numbers are kind of disappointing to me, as I would like to be closer to 130-140, but I am confident that once I get going with the weight loss that I'll be able to increase my activity to help me lose even more. I'm not sure if that's realistic or not. Does anyone regret going with the sleeve instead of the bypass? A little background on me: I'm 33, 5'2.5", and currently weigh 281.3 pounds with a BMI of 50.6 (just high enough to get out of the 6 month supervised diet required by BCBS of MI). My highest weight that I know of was 288 the other day. Not sure where the 7 pounds went because I didn't change anything yet. The surgeon wants me to lose 15 pounds before surgery which seems very doable. I also have to get medical clearance and a letter of necessity from my PCP, psych evaluation, exercise evaluation, and (TMI) see my gyno since I haven't had a period since new years eve (not pregnant, just good old PCOS). I met with the NUT today and then made all of my appointments in my car before I left the office. I hope to have everything completed by the 31st, which is the date of my exercise evaluation. The surgeon said that I could possibly have surgery at the end of June, which would be awesome.

Not trying to ask tmi but are you able to have bowel movements? With this band it requires crazy efforts and taking fleet everyday. Thank you in advance, Amy

I am a week post op today!! I'm down 14 lbs since surgery and 55 lbs total. I had my post appointment yesterday and got cleared for stage two diet. YUMMY APPLESAUCE. haha. Anyways my doctor wants me to take a stool softener but I wanted to see when everyone else had their first poop after surgery. I don't feel bloated or blocked. Sorry for the TMI. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I think the thing that makes me look at vitamins differently is my two pregnancies. I had bad levels my first one and was so constipated (tmi) from iron supplements I started having contractions.. my second pregnancy I took one that was food based and noticed a dramatic difference. The main difference is vitamins and minerals that are manufactured vs made in nature. And the prenatals are cheaper than the bariatric vitamins my Dr recommend. But any vitamin is better than no vitamin. My mom had bypass 5 years ago and hasn't taken anything in a year and is now dealing with iron infusions and b 12 shots :/

Maybe TMI territory here, but have you gone to the bathroom? That is what did it for me. I lost about 6 pounds right after surgery, but as soon as I got on solid foods, I jumped up a couple. It is an interesting ride the first few weeks, I think. Good luck!

I had my TT on Thursday the 20th... I feel ur pain with the BM thing. I was ok with the surgery pain, but the gas/bloating pain moving around was horrible. Plus I hadn't went in 3 days because of the anesthesia. I took some milk of magnesia and was in relief in about 6 hours. It was recommended by my PS nurse. I apologize for the TMI, I hope this helps others.

My recovery has been ok, lots of gas! (TMI) so I have been doing a lot of walking and taking gas x strips. Just wondering are you suppose to be this gasy and when does it go away? And im starting to be hungry more than I thought I would, I would never eat nothing that would land me back in the hospital, but any ideas of what to try? Chkn broth is gettin boring.LOL

TMI .....I pooped, it almost killed me dead but I pooped.......anyone else poop yet

oh my, never heard of that! congrats on your first fill! let me know if all goes ok. i still can't burp or if i do it is so tiny i have to wonder if that is a burp. lol i still have a horrible pain when eating at least one meal every single day since my fill on April 1st, the joke was on me! i t feels like some one is stabbing me and can last from 10 minutes to 1hour plus. i don't know why something gets stuck every day. i am paying attention. never happens with hot Cereal or pudding or liquids of course but anything solid can get stuck there. i only had 1.6 and don't know if i'll ever get more if this does this every day for ever. i HAVE to stick my finger down my throat to get a burp for a little relief and if i puke it is just the slime. TMI? well i just don't know what to do. hoping yours goes really well!

I am on a diet that consists of A Protein shake for Breakfast and lunch in 8oz milk 2 servings of fruit Lean Cuisine or Smart Ones for dinner Unlimited sugar/sodium free clears My question is, had anyone done a diet similar to this and if so, did the high protein cause you to be gassy or constipated. Big TMI... It's hard to tell if I am constipated because I had a bowel movement on Wednesday so I don't know. And my calorie consumption is only around 900 so I'm sure I don't have as much waste anyway. This is the first day I've had some discomfort. It's not terrible and I just took some Gas-Ex to see if it helps. Any input would be great...just curious to see what everyone else has experienced! Thanks!!!! Jordan

I know exactly what you mean! I was running around cleaning this morning and made some egg whites with salsa and fat free mozz (yum) and I kept re-heating them because I never sat down to eat them...well then when I finally did eat them, I ate them too fast and they got stuck. TMI but I threw them up about 30-60 sec later. I was really bummed! I think I am still getting over just mentally WANTING to eat...not that my body necessarily needs what my mind WANTS, does that make sense??

I was banded the same day as you and I am still experiencing many of the same symptoms...they do get better sometimes. I notice when I eat a little soup I get the pain in my left shoulder worse, but it eventually does go away. I cannot tolerate slimfast protein shakes anymore giving me water stools (sorry tmi) and gas so bad I can wake up the household...so my friend gave me Special K 02 water mix and that is working for now, at least I am getting some protein in. I am on a liquid diet till next Thursday then on to mushies, but I go for my post-op tomorrow to get staples removed and will ask if I can bump it up a few days, at least be able to eat some jello or applesauce/pudding, something!!! It's hard, but I'm sticking to it...I think the hardest is the gas and those pains, but this morning was a way better morning than the last so I'm thankful for that. I also had a hernia repair and was in surgery for three hours. Also, I started back to work Tuesday and it kicked my butt....I should have taken at LEAST a week off, silly, silly me..... hope you are feeling better soon, hang in there!

Hello all I am scheduled for surgery on Nov. 16, and I start my 2 week, full liquid, pre-op diet on the 2nd. Over the weekend I bought supplies (broth, SF Jello, SF popsicles, etc) and a few samples of Protein powder to try them out. I bought the Syntrax nectar chocolate Truffle and a few sample packs of Jay Robb. I've tried each now (I am trying to perfect my shake making technique BEFORE the pre-op diet) and while they go down fine, I'm noticing some...shall we say...digestive challenges. And by challenges I mean cramps in my tummy and some loose stool issues (sorry, TMI). I suspect I have some lactose intolerance, so I switched to unsweetened almond milk and still had the issues. Could it be the Protein Powder? If so, I'm screwed! Does anyone have any advice on protein powder for lactose intolerant folks? Also - switching gears, my Dr.'s pre-op diet is a little light on details. He says "any food that is liquid or semi liquid and is low is sugar or sugar free and low fat" OK....so do you think yogurt is ok? Greek yogurt that is. I put it in the shake to up the protein content. Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.

He's being so negative. He probably has low self esteem. Now that you feel and look good he should be saying things like "dam you look HOTT' or "come here and so i can screw you with that on" lol sorry TMI... i know it sucks cuz its been 2 years but it is not worth it honey. He will bring you down and you are in a roll. You don't need him making you feel bad causing you to probably go grab a burger or maybe he encourages you to eat the wrong things. GIRL LOOK HOW CUTE YOU ARE. Kick him to the curb because there are much more guys waiting for you to come walkign by with your new bathing suit. Good Luck hun and hang in there!!!

I am pre-op and I have had the same kind of rash in that area. It was really red and sometimes itchy and painful. I thought it was a yeast rash and tried all the over the counter creams, but nothing helped. My doctor confirmed it was a yeast rash and the Rx cream took care of it. The Rx creams are much stronger so I would recommend that route. I also found a product online called InterDry which is a medical grade anti-microbial fabric with silver that wicks moisture away from your body. It also inhibits the yeast or any bacteria from multiplying. It was created for exactly this problem. It is a roll of fabric that you cut to size and place in the folds of skin. It works wonders!!! It isn't cheap but you don't have to buy it very often (you can use each piece for up to 5 days - depending). Making sure the area is clean and dry is the key. After I shower, I always use my hairdryer on the cool setting to dry "the area" before I get dressed. You can do this several times a day if needed. Hope this wasn't TMI, but I was miserable and these things helped me.

Omg...sleeved on 10th feb. Been ok. Coping with the full fluids but had no bowel movements since before surgery. Woke up feeling sluggish and not good at all so hubby went to pharmacy and got me a wonderful liquid called Lactulose and FINALLY HOUSTON WE HAVE MOVEMENT!! but boy did it hurt. Sorry for tmi but am happy and needed to share lol. Mandi xx

Ok now I am officially confused. I went over a week ago and got a fill. I only had him do .25 cc's because I was afraid to be too tight. I did fine for about 4 days and actually lost 4 lbs. but now everything gets stuck. I can get down oatmeal..or wheat thins if I chew them to mush. Otherwsie its coming right back up. Last night I took one bite of a turkey brat, with no bun and the bite was TINY. It instantly got stuck and I was dry heaving for an hour. And it wasn't just "BP-ing" I literally threw the food up, stomach acid and all (sorry tmi) So I haven't eaten much in the last 2-3 days and I weighted myself this morning and NADA! It still hasn't budged. How is that possible? I know if you don't eat enough calories you will not lose but I thought that was over time. I just don't get it. I'm miserable and I'm still not losing. I don't know if its stress related or whatever reasons behind it all of a sudden getting tight but I don't feel stressed out-and I'm not a person whos terribly prone to stress. So I don't really know what to do but I am back at this awful place that I was at about 4 mos ago. My band is so unpredictable and touchy I am terrified of eating with other people or to go out to eat bc I literally have no idea what its going to do. That is not a normal way to live and I can't keep throwing up. I'm so confused :smile2:

I am having that same issue right now. it is extremely discouraging. I had to talk myself down from crying in the doctors office. a few tears escaped. what happened with me was my first week follow up, i was down 22 lbs. then 2 weeks later I was only down 5 more. that was a week ago. now today, I am up 4... so TECHNICALLY I am still down 1 lb from the 1 week follow up (terrible progress in my opinion) but a gain is a gain. I was cleared to exercise today so I am hoping that will get me going again. I have upped my protein, i wasnt drinking my shakes now i force myself to drink at least 2 8oz homemade shakes to give me at least 48g every day. Also gonna start tracking calories. I've been tracking my calories and I've been consistently around 400-500 calories a day. But I know I need to get more protein and fluids in. Sometimes I think I should go back to a liquid diet but I know that this is just a phase and I do enjoy having the extra energy. TMi - I've also been quite backed up and been struggling with getting a BM. Hopefully when it happens, I'll drop the extra weight that I'm carrying around in my gut. I feel so bloated. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App