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I’m 8 days post op. I really haven’t had much pain. Over the weekend I’ve been coughing a lot due to my allergies. Yes I have a pillow across my stomach. I do hold it really tight while coughing. Between yesterday and this morning I’m feeling sharp pain on my right side. Just a little note. There was some complications with my gastric sleeve surgery 11/01. What supposed to be a 2 hour surgery ended up being a 4 hour surgery. Has anyone experienced this? PS: I have called and left message with my doctor.

Mine was 10/20/21

5 month update I am now down to 190 lbs. 65lb in 5 months. I feel great and am back doing all the things i live to do. Zero complications. I still walk alot and keep my food portions small. I dont have quite the discomfort i had after eating like i did in the beginning. I say just do it. Like everybody else says, i wish i would have done this 10 years ago.

I don’t match either but much of what you will experience is individual anyway. We’re all different in how we recover, our pre existing medical conditions, genetics, age, gender, starting weight, length of time being overweight, etc. There will be similarities but also differences. @lizonaplane is correct. The amount of hair you lose & how long it persists is individual. Your natural hair loss cycle is accelerated from the shock of the surgery & weight loss & your initial low calorie intake. You really just have to ride it out. Keep up your protein (breaks down into the amino acids which grow hair & nails & aids skin health). Biotin only may make your new growth hair stronger not help your body grow more hair. How much loose skin you have is influenced by factors like age (skin loses elastin as you age), how much weight you lose & how long you were overweight, & genetics (luck of the gene pool). It won’t all go away. Once your skin is stretched out, & after whatever bounce back you may get has passed, that’s it. Think of an old hair band stretched out from overuse. Your skin is the same. Some say weight training can help to fill in the loose skin with muscle but depends on how much muscle you want. I carried my obese weight for about 3 or 4 years so not really that long. When I got down to my usual overweight range I had very little loose skin (little pinches) but when I got to my lowest weight I had lots more (big pinches). Still not a lot really especially considering my age & it’s easily hidden under my clothes including body con dresses. No surgery for me. You tend to lose weight in the same way you put on & carried your weight. If you carried more of your weight in your tummy it will likely be the last place you’ll lose it in comparison. I carried my weight pretty evenly: thighs, butt, tummy, breasts. Benefit of an hour glass figure I guess & I lost it much the same even way. Take regular body measurements to track your weight loss too. Sometimes it shows on a tape measure before it does on the scales. I went from a 18E to a 10E (pretty empty upper breasts now though). Remember an E cup on a size 18 is much bigger than a size 10 one so while the cup size is the same my breasts are smaller.

Got out of surgery at 10 am. Have been in terrible gas pain. I have walked and walked and they will only give me Tylenol for it. How long did your guys gas pain last? Maybe tomorrow morning it won’t be as bad??

Hi All - yes, its me again and I am reaching out about food ideas during the first two months post op. I am running out of food ideas for vegans and its getting quite boring and to be honest I would rather not eat. Food these days just doesn't look appealing anymore and its more of a chore to eat now. Any food suggestions or combinations to share would be greatly appreciated. Thank you 😃

Originally, LapBands were marketed as permanent and life-long. They are a medical grade device so they don't have an expiration date and do not require removal after a certain period of time. That being said, as the years have gone on, long term complication rates continue to go up, and there is documented research that indicates that they can degrade over time, usually starting around the 10 year mark. That is limited though, and varies widely. As such, many LapBand patients have opted to have them removed and move on to VSG or RNY as a permanent weight loss solution. If you are no longer happy with it, not using it, and/or having complications, definitely get in touch with a bariatric surgeon in your area and see what options you have for getting it removed.

I’m finding myself not hungry. (Pre-op) I’m still supposed to be eating on my diet but yesterday I forgot to eat lunch (protein shake), had no snacks all day, and got full at dinner really quickly. Is that normal during the pre op diet? Did you still eat each meal even when you weren’t hungry? (Surgery 11/19)

Hi I'd been waiting for my OP for a couple of years had two pre ops and then covid hit so that was another year and a half wait and on the 28th of July got a phone call they was doing my OP 23rd August so everything was a rush to get bloods done an iron infusion to get to the hospital in the morning for 7.30 then the surgeon came up to tell me I might no have it done because he needed an assistant anyway 10 minutes later I had surgery the next day I thought what have I done to myself 10 weeks post OP and I feel brilliant not sure how much I've lost till the end of November but I will let you all know

I have my surgery on 11/19 with Dr. Misra in Beverly Hills, CA. I’m 33, 6’2” and a touch over 400lbs. I’m totally stoked to have my surgery and am getting all set up to have a boring thanksgiving alone! My doctor requested I get a sleep study and endoscopy before surgery so I’m doing that this week. I’ve only told my close family and couple friends so far.

I find it pretty interesting as well... The pre-op diets really vary from doctor to doctor. I was instructed to do a strict 10 day liquid diet (protein shakes, broth, tea, sugar free jello) and the day before surgery I had to switch to a clear liquid diet (apple juice, tea, protein water) along with a colon cleanse laxative... Now post-op, I'm on day 6 of the post-op clear liquid diet. Tuesday (after my 1 week checkup appointment) I'll be able to go back to drinking protein shakes, coffee, tea, as well as adding 2 tablespoons of grits, mal-to-meal, and yogurt! This diet lasts for 2 weeks. I'm really looking forward to this next phase! 🤗

Post op day 5 after sleeping most of the day yesterday I woke up early with my 5.5 year old and let my husband sleep in. I ready to get up anyways because I guess of maybe reflux. I’ve never had it before but something in my sternum area was bothering me. my belly button incision is still pretty sore while getting up, bending over, and to the touch. It doesn’t, and never did require anything more than Tylenol (which thankfully I have the dissolvable). I had little meltdown involving some tears over trying to stomach yet again another protein shake I hate. Everyone’s beloved fairlife can go straight to hell. So I haven’t even reached 10g of protein yet people, imma die. Also I need to find another multi vitamin. so I pick myself up and brush my tank teeth (all this fake sweet stuff in protein waters/shakes/vitamins/chewable gas x/dissolvable Tylenol/sugar jello/sugar free popsicles is giving the worse taste in my mouth). i did manage with no problem 32 oz of water, 1/2 ounce at time using a med cup, spaced 3 min apart sometimes longer if was doing something. My goal tomorrow is to increase that by another 16 oz, we’ll see. Ok so after feeling like I was being a major baby about the cussing protein shakes I decided to white knuckle it and do 1/2 oz shots with 5 min in between. I had a cup of water for rinsing my mouth out and an empty cup to spit the rinse into between shots. And I managed 2 oz. and the after taste was STILL after the rinse. I had a sugar free popsicle for the first time, and even though I am totally over artificial sweeteners, it felt nice to bite into something. hungry and desperate for something that was palatable, I sent my husband to Panera to get 4 cups of different soups. I chose to strain the broccoli and cheese soup and water it down to slide off of spoon. I ate 1/4 cup by toddler spoonfuls every 3 min. I had to reheat 3 times for 19 sec. I wanted to eat the entire cup, but atlas I did not. I was satisfied and then passed out for a nap. I will be having that for dinner as well. Healthy? Not really, but I need some motherfarten calories, ANYTHING that doesn’t make me gag. today was better than yesterday. I took a lovely shower and did my hair. the end.

I got lactalose 10 mils twice a day but one day I took to much because I was that bad never had it since though hahaha

I had my sleeve 2 days ago.. this was my experience.. • How did your tummy feel after the surgery?  > Not really. I only felt the stiches, if I touched/pressed on them, or if I bent down too much. I had my surgery at 3 PM, around 7 PM my wife helped me walk a bit on the hallway. By 11 PM I was walking by myself doing laps . The one thing I did feel is the gas pain, that was somewhat uncomfortable, 2 days post, it's almost all gone. • Did you have to have a drain? > No drain. Incisions are super tiny. • How long did you have to be on clear fluids after the surgery? > 4 days on clear liquids (Water, crystal Light, Gatorade Zero, Broth) Then 3 days on Clear Protein liquids (Gatorade Zero Protein, Protein Water, etc) Then on to regular liquid diet (Protein Shakes, Broth, liquified soupds, etc) HOWEVER, every surgeon has their own playbook, you'll have to follow yours. • Did you prefer cold, room temperature, or warm fluids? > I am drinking cold water (with and without Crystal Light) and gold Gatorade Zero. Bt the warm Chicken Broth is super welcome. • Sipping. > I use a 1 oz medicine cup. Drank it in 2 sips on the first day, now I can just gulp it. Was told to drink 1 oz every 15 mins. Now I am going wild, and reduced that to 10 mins.. LOL • Drinking for the first 24 hours? > You can drink right after you are out of surgery, and sober enough. You don't need to drink, since the IV keeps you hydrated. But, 1 oz of water did wonders for the gas issue. I would wake with pain, drink 1 oz, and walk around, go to sleep, rinse and repeat. Having said that the day after surgery, I had the leak test X-Ray, and I couldn't drink anything after 12 AM that day. • How did you sleep in the first week? > Using a recliner. It's easier to get on/off.. Anyways, congrats on taking this step, you'll do great!

Hello all, I had my Gastric Bypass (Roux-en-Y, Laparoscopic) August 17th 2005. I had my gall bladder taken out in May of 2007. I can't say I remember when this started but I know I had talked to a doctor before about it. Sometimes I'll have a very bad onset of pain in my stomach. It will feel like I need to poop badly, instead nothing will move. I usually deal with this pain between 15-30 minutes. Then Suddenly I will hear this loud deep gargle from around my left side, the sounds sorta sound like something releasing pressure or steam. The feeling that goes with it i can not describe at all. I wanna say it feels like an inner burp. Then all the pain goes away like nothing ever happened. Like I said I asked my doctor about it, thinking maybe I have a leak or something like that in my pouch, but when I was checked everything had healed fine. I have tried to see what causes this but it can happen at weird times where I haven't eaten anything at all since I was in a deep sleep, to drinking water to eating a banana. It has happened at home, at work and when I was attending, at college. The worse is when it happens at work, sometimes I'll get a warning gargle so I can rush to the bathroom to be in pain in peace ( we have a nice family bathroom in the back where I can be for the time period) I just want to know if anyone else has had this or something like it? I admit I haven't see my surgeon in over 10 years since my current insurance doesn't cover visits to him. I lost my parents insurance, after the insurance fully paid for my surgery, a month after my surgery, since I was no longer a full time student in college, since ya know I JUSST HAD MAJOR SURGERY lol

Had gastric sleeve on 10/1. Doing ok, but not a lot of energy yet. Just graduated to solid foods, with exception of no raw veggies for a few more weeks. I can't always seem to get in enough fluids and the vitamins make me nauseated. Just learned at my follow-up I can take vitamin capsules now so I'm switching over this week. Still having issues with constipation! Hoping that resolves soon so I don't have to keep taking supplements for it.

I started my pre-op on 10/26 and I'm down 15 so far. I've been having mostly protein shakes, protein water, a few meals with a protein and vegetables, fage 0% plain greek yogurt with tajin seasoning, protein powder with bone broth, and 1/2 cup of oatmeal a few times. I've also been mixing the protein shakes with hot decaf tea or decaf coffee to change things up now and then. My plan also allows sugar free pudding, apple sauce and sugar free jello as snacks, but so far I haven't had them. I'm counting down to Tuesday 11/9.

July 14, 2020 I signed up for the weight loss program in my area and weighed in at 205lbs. That was during the pandemic. From July 2020 until November 01, 2021 my gastric sleeve surgery which I weighed in at 187.6lbs.

Hi. I just had that on 10/29/21 so don’t have a lot of info yet, but tolerating drinking well and just moved to stage 2 diet and tolerating that as well. A week out and no pain whatsoever.

Happy November! It's been a while since I checked in since I missed our 6 month check in. Rolling into fall was hectic at work for me and I was exhausted at home afterwards. But, I won't miss Month 7. Happy Surgerversary to my fellow Sleevers and my April 6 surgery twins. I think there are 4 of us on here. I'm doing good overall. I never had a true goal weight, but I am 20 pounds lower that what the dietitian thought I might be able to lose, but that was a very brief comment made during pre-OP appts. My focus was health not a specific number on the scale. But, I will share that I do weigh daily on my scale every morning just to see what's happening. Emotionally this is not taxing for me. I do not recommend that for people who had a specific goal weight number and are distressed by the scale. I have even more uplifting milestones than what a scale can offer me. Like I need to get my ring resized before it falls off in public somewhere. Never had to do that so I've been procrastinating on figuring out what I need to do for that. But, I get its super easy. Lol. Last weekend I had to gut my closet of my entire fall and winter attire. The prior week was cold and I didn't have any pants at all that fit. The closet is still a mess as I toss sweaters, baggy Jean's, etc. Shopping during the summer was fun and I loved it. But, I dont like cold or winter, so I procrastinated. Shoes are lose as well so I need some winter shoes. I kind of view winter clothes as more expensive than summer, another reason I procrastinated. I'm grateful for sure, just not thrilled about the expense for a season I don't enjoy. So, those are non-scale victories. I'm doing ok food wise, BUT I noticed in October that my restriction is less. Oh, that scares me. I don't want that at just 6-7 months. I also had grazing episodes in October. That scared me even more. I don't eat off plan. My grazing was with fruits, veggies, cheese sticks, and almonds. But, still, it scares me. I haven't cheated in terms of sugar, carbs, soda, etc. I'm proud of myself for that, but dont want less restriction or grazing urges. Also, water intake declined at work last month due to mainly distractions being busy and honestly not having any thirst that even triggered a thought to drink anything. I still only drink water. No juices or soda, plus I'm not a coffee or tea drinker so I'm just water. I try to make up when I get home, but I know that's not good. I'm at a point that I just want to maintain my current weight orsize. I literally just stepped on the scale before typing this sentence. I'm only .6 ounces from an even weight that I can live with. If I dip maybe 2 pounds down, I'm good. I don't want to be tiny. I'm purposely not sharing a number because I dont want to trigger anyone. Monday night I opened a plastic totem of clothes that has clothes from like 10 years ago when I was smaller. Everything except two items fit. It was an awesome Monday night. The two things that did not fit were too big. I'm good here. I'm happy to go down maybe two more because I expect maybe a 3-5 pound fluctuation during maintenance so I want some wiggle room. What I'm not doing good at all? I'm not weight training or strength training. Ugh! Walking, i love. But, i just haven't done what I'm supposed to do with this area. I know i need to but i just get no pleasure from the thought of that weight stuff. Help! Man, long message. I wish all the best to everyone. Would love to hear from folks. Please dont compare your journey to anyone else. If you are a newbie here to the WLS journey, please know that it gets easier around Month 2 post surgery. The first few days will certainly be a challenge. You just had surgery. The first month will be a different experience for you than life before surgery. But as you get into your flow past Month 2, it's not that bad. For me, it's not bad at all. I don't miss the bad stuff I ate. I don't feel like I'm suffering in life. I'm not food deprived. I love having restriction. I don't have any longterm medical issues from the sleeve. You will read a range of horror stories and pleasant stories. Experiences fall on a huge continuum. My experience is just mine. Your experience will be your experience. Be clear about why you are doing this. It is not an easy fix at all. It takes commitment and clarity. All the best to everyone.

I am scheduled for surgery next Tuesday the 9th and am starting to worry that my lack of significant weight loss on the pre-op diet is a sign that I won't lose as much weight post-op as I would like. I've followed the instructions pretty closely--1000 calories a day, 60-80 grams of protein. I lost about 6 pounds the first week but have only lost about .2 in the last 3 days. Other people I have spoken with who have had the surgery lost 10 pounds or more during the pre-op diet, so my mid-diet plateau does have me a little concerned. My surgeon doesn't require a strictly liquid diet, so I don't know if that has something to do with it. Is my pre-op weight loss normal/how much did you lose during the pre-op?

This is one of those times when being a guy is a blessing—we tend to drop weight FAST after surgery. (There are exceptions!) You'll be shocked how quickly your health problems resolve. I was off ALL of my blood pressure meds (amlodipine 10 mg - a calcium channel blocker; losartan 100 mg - an angiotensin II receptor antagonist; and hydrochlorothiazide - a diuretic) within a month after surgery. I'm curious to have my cholesterol checked. I've never had bad cholesterol, usually it's firmly in the 140 range though it's been as low as 110 which apparently is bad for your testosterone if you're a guy. Like you, I am pretty active, both athletically and in a side thing which is fairly physical and outdoors.

It does get better, and some people can guzzle and others can't. I can finish a 500 ml bottle in about 10 minutes, and that's a little less than two months post-op. I get about 90 ounces a day (or whatever 2500 ml is because I do not understand that conversion), not including my protein shake that I consume every morning.

Hahahaha 😂 You know, since you asked, I will certainly consider completely my profile and stats... I will share that I lost 12lbs doing the required 10 pre-op liquid diet. It sucked- but it worked! I have not weighed myself since day of surgery- I'm trying not to scale watch but focus on the lifestyle changes and how I feel instead (even though it's tempting). 😉

october 19 2021