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@draikaina8503 - It sounds like the struggle has been super real for you, and I hate to hear that you've had such a tough time. I didn't have a drainage tube because of the type of surgery I had (as far as I know, unless it was only used DURING the surgery itself). The staples are a pain; and bending or stretching too much causing pain is 100% something I empathize with you in regards to. I was really nervous about showering with them in as well, but honestly the warm water from the shower set to a gentle pressure did feel really nice. I also used the special soap they gave me when I washed my staple area lightly with a washcloth. I was afraid of using a loofah thinking it might snag or something. I also feel where you (and others) are coming from on the fluids and dry mouth - I still find myself super relieved when I can finally have a drink 30 mins after a 'meal'. I will say that as long as I keep my intake moist (super soupy purees or broths) that it isn't TOO bad - and I definitely have to watch how many ounces I intake for my meals. I eat slowly, but when the food tastes good and I'm eyeballing my protein goal it's HARD not to want to try to 'finish' my serving. I learned my lesson with my oatmeal this morning, though. It sat more heavily on/in my stomach after I ate than I expected and I struggled to have a few burps that relieved the weight and pressure I felt in my chest. Your mention of letting ice chips dissolve in your mouth helped me today - the cold really did slow my intake and provide relief. I hope you're starting to feel better now! I created a sort of 'routine' for my mornings that I think is working pretty well, though. I try to only have a sip of water when I first wake up and them immediately prepare my breakfast. With purees that are thick to the consistency of yogurt there's a trick where you basically just swallow your meds a couple at a time (if they are small) with a spoonful of yogurt/cottage cheese/medium thick puree. That's what I do to get down my morning meds, and as long as I don't overeat I go to have a brief warm shower afterward. The movements of me showering and standing help get my body to produce a burp or two, and putting my arms over my head when I wash my hair (yes, still some pulling especially on the left side so I have to go easy with THAT arm) does expand my torso and help my food settle. This also take sup some of the time gap I have to leave after eating before I can drink. Usually by the time I'm done with my shower, done drying, and have caught my breath it's almost time for me to be able to sip fluids again. @Pepper_No_Salt I'm still shocked that they sent you home from the hospital on the same day. Whew. I'm glad to see you're been feeling better each day, Moving on to strained soups was a biggie for me and I certainly can appreciate that having been one of your first planned stops! I did the same thing after I got my staples out. Today I am going to try to return to some broth for lunch and wish I had gotten more cans of chicken noodle when I went to the store. Maybe I'll try to season some of the 'cream of' soups I've got sitting around. My first try with them wasn't good, but then again they were room temperature then. Hopefully they taste better next time around! @ShoppGirl @Onemealplan @Greekmom4 @AndreaJD- Thank you all for the recipes and information! I tried my oatmeal yesterday with the whey protein powder a friend had given me and honestly - it was gritty, and I was disappointed. This morning I used part of a vanilla ensure and I used a potato peeler to slice off the exterior of three strawberries I mixed in with it and it was 100x better. I actually ate about 5oz of it super slowly and regretted that as it either expanded or wouldn't quite settle. I wasn't sick, but I was very uncomfortable for a while and had to shower and move around, then stand and take a couple of sips of cold water to initiate a couple of burps that provided some relief. Once I started to feel better I realized that the icy cold beverage helped me, and so I went ahead and had a sugar free popsicle. I took my time with it and found that the cold spreading across the inside of my chest felt very good and now I'm feeling much better. Has anyone had good luck finding an unflavored protein powder that doesn't feel gritty when mixed? Just curious - and if someone already answered this I'm sorry; trying to get caught up but not sit for too long! @CrazyDog&CatLady - Good luck to you on your revision and thank you for sending us all positive vibes for preparation and healing! Also, welcome to the thread! @ShoppGirl - I second what you said a thousand percent about using ALL the coping strategies you can to get through this. I'm having to completely re-learn my body, and in fact learning things about myself I never realized or understood before. The feeling of 'full' does echo my feelings of 'anxiety' and I've found that I'm extra sensitive due to that in the hour after I have a meal. I've also found that just like with the walking to get the gas worked out I also need to walk around a little bit after my meal to get my food to sit properly. Additionally, I'm learning the importance of remaining UPRIGHT until my stomach has settled past a meal. It's not even 'going to sleep too soon after eating, it's being at too little of an incline. I've woken up two nights in a row with heartburn in the wee hours that I can only attribute to drinking something maybe too fast before going to bed, or sipping at an incline rather than sitting up completely to deal with my dry mouth during the night. I do space my calcium out to later in the day and have been taking my multi w/Iron and ADEK about an hour after my breakfast. That seems to so far be working to stave off any nausea I would get from taking them on an empty stomach. Thank you for explaining about the B12 injections and congratulations on overcoming your anxiety giving them to yourself! Sorry if I missed anyone - I've hit my cap for sitting for the moment. Best wishes to all and encouragement to those who have surgery in the coming days! If I recall we have two having surgery tomorrow, yes? Another set of 8/21 surgery buddies? I'll try to recap and review later!

I had surgery Feb 22nd and am somewhat close to you as far as height and starting weight etc. I know we’re past surgery but I would love to have a buddy in this journey if you are looking for one.

UGH - Just UGH - I'm an idiot. I KNOW what to do.... but can't seem to get back into the game. Up almost 15lbs from my lowest and can't seem to get it back under control. A couple of weeks ago, I put some slacks away because they no longer fit comfortably. It just about made me sick to toss my "goal pants" on a shelf. As I type this, I'm thinking I need to go back to where I started. Put those bad boys back in the closet, try them on weekly (like I used to) until they fit right again. STOP wearing the comfortable stretchy leggings that I wore when I was losing weight... It's so easy to get comfortable at this point. I guess this is really just a rant (and a warning): don't get comfortable. Pay attention and BEFORE things get out of control, get back on track. It's much easier to lose 5 than 15. I tend to be a social eater/drinker vs. emotional so I know that I need to make sure I have the right (raw veggies and fruit) foods available when in social gatherings instead of the "standard" snack foods (charcuterie boards are my absolute downfall). Knowing I will have an adult beverage, making sure I'm also drinking a water in between to at least slow myself down.... Putting on those ill-fitting shorts at home to remind myself NOT to over indulge. Make small changes every week instead of trying to go all-in with a "pouch reset" (which I fail miserably at every time I try). Take pictures and compare. Anything it takes to remind yourself of WHY you did this to begin with. TRACK - Whew, I can't say that enough... TRACK. My failure to track is why I am where I am. When I see what's going in, it's a real eye-opener.

1. What was the best part of surgery for you? The jumpstart to weight loss was obviously amazing, but I was surprised how quickly my usual body pain & aches stopped bothering me. My knee problems have basically vanished, and the lower back pain I had gotten so used to living with has gotten so much better. I can breath easier when doing things that used to have me out of breath -- going up 2 flights of stairs, for example. 2. What was the worst part of surgery for you? The pre-OP shakes -- I'm lactose intolerant and have trouble with stevia, and there were no shakes my care team could find for me that didn't have one-or-both things, so I spent a good 8-9 days barely keeping anything down. The surgery itself went off without a problem, and the pain wasn't as bad as I thought -- other than the car ride home! If you get WLS, bring a pillow to clutch to you afterwards!! 3. Did you have any complications (minor or major) during or after your surgery? Nothing during, nor after -- but I'm only 10wks post-OP tomorrow. 4. How has adjusting to your new life been for you? I too am on SSRIs for long-time depression & anxiety. Most days have been awesome and cheery. Even during the initial aches and pains of recovery, just knowing that things were going to start changing for the better improved my mental state. I still have bad moments / days but once I started seeing all the improvements to my life it makes it easier to push through. It certainly helps to have a good support system -- people in my life, but also honestly this forum. TBH I was in a #$%& mood all day and feeling lethargic, but logging in here I know that everyone here understands and it just makes me feel more settled. 5. How long did it take you to feel comfortable eating food? I am currently having a ton of problems with chicken breast. I hate 'dark meat' poultry, but tried chicken thighs recently and it's not too bad but still leaves me with a heavy feeling in my stomach -- still better than the stuck feeling in my chest that the white meat gave. I feel like no matter what I put on it or how I cook it, it's just clearly a No for now. That said, for the most part everything else has gone down well as long as I eat slowly, and make choices consistent with my care team's plan / schedule. Going from puree to soft foods was probably the hardest for me physically, because it felt so different in my stomach. 6. Is there anything you can’t eat anymore that you used to enjoy? It's early on for me, but the changes in my body's hormones seems to have stopped most of my cravings. When I'm having a rough time emotionally, I still have momentary yearnings for old 'comfort foods' but honestly just the thought of some of them will turn me off within a few minutes. (For some reason if I think about fatty oils too long, I just get nauseated). And many of my old comfort foods have just updated into healthier things I can eat. Instead of my mum's Dutch mashed potatoes, I have a smaller bowl of healthier mashed potatoes (or cauliflower, or heart of palm) with a scoop of bone broth powder to up the protein. Instead of spaghetti and meatballs, I have homemade meatballs and extra sauce -- or a ricotta bake instead of lasagna. 7. What was your recovery like? Any vomiting or dumping syndrome? I've had one instance of dumping syndrome so far, and it was 100% my own fault. I knew what the culprit was immediately (white-flour leftover tortilla and more difficult chicken breast). I won't lie, I seriously wanted to die for probably an hour, and then slept the rest of the day away. It's horrid. I'm hoping that I've learned enough to take better care / caution and avoid any more instances. Other than that, recovery has been pretty smooth. All my incisions healed up without issue, the gas pain only lasted a few weeks and then there was just a strange tightness / mild soreness on one side of my body for the first 5-6 weeks. 8. How long did it take you to feel semi-normal after surgery? I want to say 2-3 weeks. Around the time I started eating puree (week 3), my energy levels started bouncing back much more rapidly -- which let me walk more easily. 9. Did you experience higher energy level post surgery? 100% yes. NGL, sometimes I feel like skipping even though it's not suitable for someone my age, LOL. I feel like I've been more efficient at work post-OP just because of the energy improvement, and physically I notice the increased stamina every time I go on an errand or for a walk with my dog. (I tire her out now!) 10. Did surgery affect your mental health? For the better. Some of it is because the energy and the physical improvements make me feel better about myself in general, but part of it is kind of a trickle-down effect. I spend more time making good, healthy choices for myself, spend more time being mindful whether it's while I'm eating, or making a grocery list, cooking, etc. It's so much time spent on self-improvement and self-care. So I have less time to worry about what other people's secret thoughts or judgments might be and take people more at face value. I have less time to waste on people that bring toxicity to my life or can't respect my boundaries. It's like this microcosm of self-care made by investing my energy in my current journey has expanded it's hooks into the rest of my life. I feel like for the first time in my life, I am actually one of my top priorities. 11. Do you regret it? Would you recommend it? I had moments of regret during dumping syndrome, for sure. But as soon as I recovered from that one bout, I was still happy I'd done the surgery. I think it definitely forces us to take ownership of our own health and making the best decisions we can towards that. I would recommend it to anyone who has struggled with weight loss and can honestly look at their life and see themselves living in this framework for the rest of their lives. By all accounts it seems to be incredibly important to keep it all up -- the vitamins and supplements, the healthy choices and portion sizes, etc. I would NOT recommend it for anyone looking for a magic pill. This takes work, will continue to take work.

I went with the bypass as bypass patients tend to lose more weight as well as suffer less from GERD. I did not want to develop reflux and have to go through a revision if I could avoid it. I'm very happy with my decision, I only had about 100 lbs to lose and am already more than 2/3 of the way to my goal 5 months in.

You and I have similar starting numbers, HW was 297 and when I started my journey I was 270 and am 5'9. What was your original weight loss goal? I am shooting for 190 but the way that I am losing weight I think I am going to surpass that. What was your typical day in your weight loss phase? How long did it take to get there? Right now I am eating about 1000 calories, 100g of protein, 50g of carbs, 25g of fat. I am not sure if I am eating too much, the scale says I am not but I also do not want to stretch out my stomach. When did you start HIIT? I miss it so much but right now I just walk 35-55min a day (I know odd it just depends how long I can squeeze time outta my lunch break lol) Sorry for all the questions LOL

Not sure how old you are or how much weight you've lost, Angela. It could be either way some creams or that red light therapy mask thingy could help tighten up the face or as with other parts of the body, the skin stretched out from being overweight and won't simply snap back which may require some cosmetic procedures. I am 42 and have been blessed with some decent genetics - ie not many women in our family have many wrinkles - but good genes cannot outrun the excess skin in my waddly neck area. It's not super awful - but something I can see getting done down the line (after a tummy tuck, boob lift and brachioplasty I all want to have at some point). I find myself doing the slight skin pull below my ears in the mirror and it would make a world of difference

They have vitamin patches. However, the drawback is they aren't as good from what I understand. I'm certain your doctor will find something to help you. My insurance does cover rehab for my knee. I did it for two months, but I can do the samething at home. It was just stretches and certain movements to strengthen other parts of the knee to help stabilize it. The doctor did a couple injections but that only helps for a couple weeks. I'm at 100 lbs weight loss since October when I weighed in at my first visit to the bariatric center. I dropped nearly 70 lbs before I had the surgery. Thanks for the comment. I'm not a very photogenic, but I will post some pictures at some point.

Oh, hello, three-week stall. I see you've arrived like clockwork. I'm one of those people who weighs every morning as soon as I wake up. I started doing it the day before my pre-op diet began. I won't do it forever, but I really wanted the record so I could look back and see what patterns my weight loss actually took, because I think it's easy to forget over time. Plus, I like graphs. So, I hit 217 lbs on Tuesday, and have now been that weight for 4 weigh-ins in a row. I think my body must have access to a calendar because it hit the 3-week mark perfectly. I mean, I'm kind of impressed.

Hi everyone! I had a full RNY Gastric Bypass in July 2017. I started my weight loss journey at 360lbs. I lost down to 322 by my surgery day and after surgery managed to get down to 195 before I started maintaining. I got pregnant and now have an almost two year old. This all being said to say that I never met my original weight loss goal and since having another baby I'm having a hard time getting weight back off. I was up to 277lbs at the end of my pregnancy and have managed to get myself back down to 240 but its no where near where I want/need to be. I want to be able to be healthy and active for my boys but I don't have any time during the days to work out. Any help appreciated!

First, during the surgery lots of nerves were cut so messages about feeling full, hungry, etc, either don’t get through or are distorted. It takes about 8 weeks to heal so most of days find we don’t start to feel our restriction until we’re into solid foods. Also, fluids & purées to a lesser extent go through your digestive system a lot more quickly so you don’t really fill up in rather same way. Tread carefully with the volume of food & liquids you can consume quickly for the same reason. Allow yourself to heal so you don’t strain or stress your digestive system which is being held together with sutures & staples. All because you can doesn’t mean you should in the first two months. We all can & should be able to eat & drink larger & larger portions as we progress until we get to a recommended & appropriate portion size. Try not to eat until you feel full. Try to identify when you’ve had enough. I still ask myself do I need this next bite or do I just want it. It takes at least 20 minutes for the signal that you’ve had enough to get through so by the time it does you’ve likely eaten more than you need. While some people do continue to feel hungry the majority lose their hunger for a number of months. Start by discerning if you are feeling real hunger or head hunger. Craving a specific food, texture or flavour is head hunger. Are you feeling tired, stressed, anxious, frustrated, angry, sad, etc.? Many of us ate to sooth or comfort ourselves when our emotions were in turmoil. This too is a head hunger. It takes a while for your digestive system to adjust so you keep producing the same amount of stomach acid as you did before surgery. Excess acid can make you think you’re hungry (are you on a PPI to reduce stomach acid?) Hunger pangs/pains or a rumbling tummy also in most cases don’t indicate real hunger but excess stomach acid & your digestive system working. Many of us discover new signals for being or almost full (sneezing, runny nose, hiccups, etc.). We often find that feeling hungry (real hunger) is different too. For me I get restless, like something is wrong, I don’t crave anything & there is a reason why I would be hungry (like missed a meal, or ate very little at a previous meal, etc.) As an example. Yesterday went to a family event at a restaurant. Ate very little (they cleared our plates way too quickly for how slowly I eat). Got home late afternoon. Gnawed a trimmed chicken leg for dinner which I bought up (darn foamies). Ate a protein bar & went to bed. Tossed & turned & while tired couldn’t sleep. Argued with myself about whether I was really hungry or not. Realised besides the small lunch, bringing up my dinner, I’d also mixed two snacks. Debated what I wanted to eat (nothing specific). Real hunger. Got up & finished my leftover rolled oats breakfast (usually an afternoon snack). Then happily went back to bed & slept. There is a lot you have to learn & work out about your body, how it works now & your thinking. It takes time but you’ll get there. PS Congrats on your surgery & weight loss so far.

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Thank you guys! I am having a tummy tuck and skinny bbl! I dont want to lose anymore weight at this point, but rather get rid of the loose skin on my stomach and perhaps lift up the backside/eliminate some sag there. I go wednesday, so Im starting to get a little anxious about it—i know it will be fine, but am not looking forward to being in recovery for a while. Any advice or tips appreciated.

I genuinely think that you sometimes just have to be selfish and do what you need to do for yourself. This is still your weight loss journey, and you know what is right for you. Sounds like you do have support around you (even with the reservations), and you are a strong person! As it seems like you already have, just make sure you are informed with your decision, look at the pros and cons - maybe write out a physical list so you can visualise it? Either way, I really wish you the best of luck ❤️

I had Petersens hernias 2 years out - the membrane that holds in your guts is pulled apart by the weight loss and the intestines slide in and out and loops can get trapped. It never shows on X-rays and not always on ct as it moves about. General emergency docs in uk missed diagnosis and it was finally seen by bariatric department and repaired- more than half my gut out of place when they sewed it back up! thing is because it moves around the scans don’t always catch it. I spent ages trying to figure out what foods caused it. If I got on hands and knees and rolled hips/back I could often soothe it which we realise now may well have helped move things back. it needs exploratory surgery to be entirely sure/ rule it out. Make a fuss. Make sure you see bariatric surgeon, use name Petersens xx

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}}

That’s very true. Even as we spoke today she was researching it a bit. Perhaps it peaked her interest and she will search it a bit more. My surgeon is not at a weight loss center but he does have a NP and I am expected to do follow up appointments with her. Post sleeve I stopped going as soon as they said I could get my labs at my pcp but that’s just because I was so ashamed about my regain. I know that the malnourishment is a lot bigger of a deal with this procedure though so I will be more diligent this time around if I choose to go with the SADI.

same, same, as the other posters above. i am really, really good at losing weight. I am (was) also really, really good at finding that weight again. i've lost 50-75 lbs three separate times prior to wls, and each time managed to regain it within a year or so, plus a few more pounds for good measure, until i finally hit my highest weight of 235 lbs (i'm 5'2" so thats alot of weight for my height). with WLS (sleeve for me), i lost 120-ish lbs and kept it ALL off (give or take 5lbs) since reaching goal...almost 5 YEARS ago... whats more, maintaining this weight seems relatively effortless compared to before. because i eat so very little in volume (added to the fact that i somehow developed an affection for exercise and activity!), i have quite a bit of leeway in food choices to reach my maintenance calories. i am very grateful for this aspect of my surgery experience, i tell ya. BUT... i will add a disclaimer here that not everyone has the same WLS experience. you won't know what yours will be until you know. though we all of us here already sort of know that low calorie diets alone aren't sustainable long term for us. i mean, that's why we are all here, no?

I am one year and one month post-op, and I have lost 90 pounds from my heaviest weight. I'm feeling a lot better, sleeping better, eating better, and moving more. However, since January, the scale hasn't moved at all. I spoke with my surgeon's assistant at my one year check-in, and she said I should still be losing about 3 pounds a month, albeit slowly, and to reduce my calories if I'm not meeting that goal (I eat between 1200-1500 calories a day, but usually closer to 1500). But, I've also noticed, the last few months I've been really struggling with sweet cravings. Before my surgery I'd like some sugary things every now and then, but lately I've had these really intense cravings that feel like almost every day. I try to choose fruit, or make a chocolate protein drink, but I'm more annoyed by the cravings than anything. I really wish they'd go away. I always feel awful after I eat something sugary, too, so I know it's not going to sit well in my stomach but that pang is still there. Can anyone offer advice on how to cope with this?

it was probably 3 or 4 months for me, but I started out at over 300 lbs. It was probably more like five months before a LOT of people started noticing. But then at that weight, I just looked huge no matter what - people wouldn't necessarily notice a 40 or 50 lb difference (plus I also wore baggy clothes at that weight, so that probably factored in, too)

Doing many different duets including several VLC & deliberately skipping meals had done a number on my metabolism. Started doing this at 15 so did this for 40 years. The last VLC diet I did (<500 calories) I barely lost a thing - a couple of kilos over 6 or more weeks. The surgery works because it changes your hormones & boosts your metabolism. It also resets your weight set point. This is the weight your body is happiest at & will keep returning to or makes it harder to lose the weight in the first place. I went from really not being able to lose anything to losing all my weight & more. I weigh The other difference was if I did lose weight on a diet in the past as soon as I stopped I invariably went back to eating the exact same way as I did before & regained my weight. Which kept my set point high. I’ve been able to maintain because I took the time while losing to change my relationship with food & changed how & what I ate. I took advantage of the benefits of the surgery. I look at flood differently. I adopted a way of eating (not a diet - to many negative connotations to that word) that works for me because it’s sustainable, complements my lifestyle, ensures I’m making nutrient rich food choices & I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything. You may find these links informative. Dr Matthew Weiner (Pound of Cure) has excellent resources es as does Dr John Pilcher. https://courses.poundofcureweightloss.com/courses/weight-loss-hormones/

I had surgery way back in 2010. I lost the weight the Doctor predicted but not as much as I would have wished. But it has stayed off with little effort on my part. I do have some metabolic issues as I get older. How are you doing? Sent from my SM-P613 using Tapatalk

When it comes to public posts like this, i think sometimes you need a reality check. i know its your life but when you are venting and crying for help but in the same paragraph talk about how you don't want to go to the gym, it feels like you don't want to take the extra step and put a little more work in. before getting my surgery i had to lose 28lbs and i ended up losing 60lbs because i was in the gym pushing myself. getting that sweat in. you gotta put you first you cant blame your husband or your kid. they also say that 70% of marriages don't last because of this surgery due to the significant other not wanting to make the changes as well. All you can do is hold yourself accountable. i wanted so bad to blame everyone around me for the weight i gained because all my friends eat so freely, and my family eats so freely, and then there's me just huge. but its me who ultimately who has to hold myself accountable. i cant cry about everyone around me. i have to make the changes necessary because its me who wants to see the changes. don't do a pouch reset. Go back to your eating when you were in your first year. think about your potions. this is what my nutritionist said " Pouch resets aren't real they are just a way for Bari patients to think they are starting over" go for walks. you don't need the gym. but getting active and making sure you are burning off some of the calories you are consuming is really what you wanna do. YOU GOT THIS. you made it this far now that you are here you just have to do maintenance.😁

@ShoppGirl Thank you for your reply I have therapy every week, but was going to start looking for more weight-related therapists in my area as I am extremely worried about coping with the emotional eating. I am sorry to hear about the struggles you have had, and I hope it all works out for you. Pureed food sounds like the worst stage! I, like you, feel that pureeing 'normal' foods probably is gross haha! Hospital bag is actually one of the things I do need to think about! I shall add those to my list, thank you

@brandycsiz - I think its pretty common. I've deifinitely gone off track, mostly due to other health issues and stress outside of the surgery itself. I was able to walk several miles without stopping in December, then after getting Covid (and I'm assuming long-Covid now), if I go more than 3 miles in a day or try lifting weights in the gym, I get physically ill for 2-3 days afterwards. I keep walking 1-2 miles in the evenings after work, but the lack of progress and regain of weight is very discouraging. I tended to stress eat before, and to be honest, the surgery was a success because at least it limits the amount I tend to binge on when having a bad time. I still have those cravings, but at least now I can drink 8-12oz of water and delay eating. I'm probably on track with my diet 3-4 days per week, but have been overdoing it or eating too many calorie/carb-dense foods when I have an off day or when I see family, who aren't the most supportive. My mom likes to drop off Little Debbie cakes and other snacks on my porch twice a week as she's driving by, and it's straining our relationship because I throw them away immediately, and she sees that as me being ungrateful and disrespectful. I am 6lbs heavier than I was around 8 weeks post-op, so its really getting me down. After covid, I developed some issues with my heart rate. It drops down in the upper 20's to low 30s in my sleep and my blood pressure drops too low, but if it get it past 100bpm, my blood pressure spikes, and I get dizzy and almost faint. I'm trying to get in to see specialists, but I can't get in with a specialist for 5+ months just for initial consult. I have to drive 3+ hours to another area to try to get in sooner, but I burned all my leave time for the year with Covid in January, so I can't take the days off to travel.