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I had the sleeve done exactly a week ago 9/18/23 lost about 12lb. Having the gas pain or pressure in the abdomen is horrible. I don’t know how to get rid of it. But from what I read in articles that’s normal my body is going thru a big change.

Does she mean just after the surgery? It’s not uncommon to experience some very sudden unexpected diarrhoea (no warning cramping) in the days after surgery regardless which surgery you have. Yes, it can be quite smelly too & dark as it contains remanent blood from the surgery. It happened to me but only once. A friend had it for a couple of days though her surgeon recommended she wear disposable knickers for a week or so just in case this happened. A godsend she said. We both have sleeves. Can’t comment on whether it can be a long term issue with Sadi. Can’t recall anyone mentioning it here either.

I have had labs done and the only things that are off is my Iron and vitamin D. My PCP said that my Iron level although on the low side in my blood is not awful but I have no reserve.My body is just using it all up and not saving any and my vitamin D has always been low. I also had the ultrasound that showed a fatty liver.I have an appointment with Gastroenterologist next week.

Gold and silver are softer and therefore more porous on a microscopic level, and can "pit", meaning bacteria or other irritants can cling to them. They can also flake off into the open wound, and are more reactive with body fluids. They're generally fine for a healed piercing (which can take a few weeks to several months depending on what kind of piercing it is), but because they're not as hard and non-reactive as something like surgical steel or titanium. I worked, unfortunately, at a Claire's in a mall for several years when I was in college, and I know that stores like that push gold as being "safer" when really it is "more profitable". I had nothing but problems with piercings done in gold with a piercing gun. I have since gotten SEVERAL more piercings done with a single-use hollow needle at a piercing parlor, and have had none of the same issues. The right establishment should almost feel like a medical office.

I am 6 weeks out from surgery and 23 lbs down (sleeved on 08/15/23). Can I eat a low carb tortilla with cheese and chicken? Has anyone else tried? I’m past the soft diet and now on a regular diet, so I’m scared to try new things. I’ve been very careful and haven’t been sick yet (knock on wood).

Bad situation...great line. LOL At 5 1/2 months post op, I am finding myself getting less nauseated and my tummy tolerating things way better. I can eat more too which is a bit concerning but I'm not experiencing the foamies lately and realizing I haven't had to use my barf bags in a good while. I am stalled ATM, which is OK. It's to be expected. I had a good long run without one. The restriction is still there but not as painful if that makes sense. If I don't finish a meal, I set it aside and eat a bit more later. That can get some people in trouble, so I stay mindful of how many calories I consume in a day. I hope mine is. I need that reminder to stop. But it definitely gets better to where you can enjoy your meal but know when to put the fork or spoon down. GL

Can we pretend this is an Overeaters Anonymous meeting and it's my turn to stand up front and bare my soul?...especially since I never had the balls to set foot in a live meeting during my 35 years of having a BMI score higher than my IQ. There's donuts in the back...JOKE😁 It's been almost a year since my sleeve surgery and I couldn't be happier with the physical results. I was 60 years old, 5'4" and weighed close to 210 when I finally made an appointment with a bariatric surgeon. I'm now 61 and 134 pounds...I'm still 5'4" though. The past few days I've been in deep thought mode and was just hoping to use this forum to vent and hopefully get some feedback, positive or negative. Dining out: It's going to happen. It was probably part of your life pre-surgery, so it's naive of you to think it won't be a part of your life post-surgery. So maybe it's just me and my family (obese mother) and significant other (F, normal weight), but the minute the menu appears, I get a barrage of "Oh..they have plenty of appetizers and small portions you can order. Be careful, etc. Did you see the vegetable plate?" OK, so I know my significant other and my mom love me and are probably just concerned about my health and eating habits post-op, and if I'm being overly sensitive, just tell me and I'll shut up, but when they say things like that, it's not helping! If anything, something deep in my primordial starving "fat" brain wants to order the biggest thing on the menu and attempt to eat it. When it happened yesterday at lunch, I calmly and nicely asked both of them if they could refrain from offering me ordering advice, as I assured them, thinking about the ordering process and the actual eating of said meal in a healthy manner was the number one priority on my mind pretty much 24/7. They didn't seem to take it too well. Which leads me to my next thought... I might be stereotyping, but I'm willing to bet that a lot of us here were never/are not selfish people. I'm sure there are pages of psychological data written about the personality traits of the chronically obese and the myriad reasons we ended up as we did. My point is, after bariatric surgery, you might have to become a little selfish. You may need to put yourself first, sometimes to the detriment of others. Obviously, it helps if you can do this in a nice manner, but with certain people and situations in your life post-surgery, you might just have to be a selfish a*****e. If your new lifestyle (diet, whatever you want to call it), exercise regimen, food habits, etc don't quite mesh with those around you, too bad. This is your last chance at success and you need to make YOU the priority. I walk a lot now...and it takes a lot of time. Some of that is time I used to spend with other people...now it's not always like that. Some have mentioned it. I don't care. I always invite them to walk with me but I'm not going to not walk because they want to do something else or don't feel like walking. When I think about some of the healthiest people I have known in my life, they were/are quite selfish when it comes to exercise. One of my friends has been to the gym every morning from 5:30-7:30 for 35 years. He never misses. It's not an option. That's amazing to me because despite the genetics of obesity, there's no question that having some type of exercise regimen helps at some level. Did I ever have that level of commitment? Only to stopping at Whataburger several times a week. So as much as I read pre-surgery and even with the psychological profiling the doctor did, I never read much or heard anyone talk about some of the changes I needed to make mentally to make this work. It seems like most of the pre-surgery discussion is about how to eat before and after the surgery and most of the psychological discussion is about not letting one addiction (food) be supplanted by another (drugs, alcohol, etc). The crux of this dissertation, if you're still reading, is that there couldn't be more truth to the phrase bantered around here...."They operated on your stomach, not your brain". Prepare yourself for some mental challenges that being thinner does not make any easier. I must look a lot better because everyone tells me so...but I don't always feel better. Some of the same issues I've dealt with all my life, totally unrelated to weight, are still around. It's not that I expected them to disappear, but I think at some level, deep down, many of us think/thought, "Oh, if only I weren't so fat, I wouldn't have to deal with this problem [insert the problem/issue of your choosing]". Maybe I was just being naive or stupid, or both, but even being "thin" comes with plenty of challenges. I know these are "first world" problems and I'm not trying to sound like a complaining, spoiled brat. I just wanted to let off some steam here in the hopes that I'm not alone. Thanks for listening.

I had numerous abdominal surgeries myself (7 - appendectomy, cholecystectomy, 2 C sections, hernia repair, hysterectomy and constricted intestinal tract) and I still had my RNY a month ago. Yes, there were adhesions the doctor repaired quite a few and my entire abdomen was a solid black bruise (from my breast creases all the way down past my belly button). I still a month out have bruising - but it was still worth it! I only mention the bruising because no one prepared me for that. Even the PA 3 weeks out was surprised upon seeing my abdomen being a solid black! So, hold out hope just be aware you might have bruising.

That seems an awfully low caloric goal for maintenance for someone your height & weight unless you are not active at all. Have you checked a BMR (basal metabolic rate) calculator (linked the one I used below). It’s not perfect but it will give you an idea of what you may need to be consuming to maintain. Of course other issues that calculator doesn’t consider (like medical issues, medications, genetics, metabolism, muscle mass, etc.) can impact how many calories you may need. I checked mine a few months back out of interest & discovered it recommended about what I had been consuming (1500 +/- calories) for someone my age, height, weight, gender & activity level (not much lol!). So it was about right, at least for me, as I’ve been pretty stable with my weight (except for about a 5lb gain because of a medication issue - sorted it & lost 3 of those lbs without doing anything). You may be surprised how much food 1500 calories actually is. I eat about a recommended serving size (e.g. 3-4ozs meat & a good cup of green vegetables), eat three meals a day & about 4 snacks. But I am pretty careful with what I eat so mostly nutritionally dense foods that are predominately low processed. Best thing to do though is to slowly increase your calories & watch the scales. You may need more or fewer calories than what your dietician suggested or the BMR calculator recommends. Be careful though. An extra 100 calories a day will equate to about a 10kb gain over a year - gasp! https://www.calculator.net/bmr-calculator.html

I have seen multiple providers this past year for this and different reasons, along with my PCP office and they all tell me this is my new normal. It was not untill I fainted a few months ago that they started to think there might be a problem. I have had lab work and an ultrasound of my thyroid and there is nothing wrong. My PCP did say that menopause could be part of my problem too but I have not had my hormones checked.I do have an appointment with Gastroenterologist next week because they found I have a fatty liver.I actually had a fatty liver before surgery and was told that it will go away after the surgery? I hope GI can give me some answers. I feel like the guy in the movie thinner.

I've never smoked, but my surgeon AND my insurance both required that smoking be completely stopped. My insurance said 3 months and my surgeon said 6 weeks. This is what I found as to why: "Nicotine can adversely influence the cardiovascular system, leading to irregular or unstable blood pressure (hemodynamic instability) under general anesthesia. Furthermore, the effects of nicotine have been proven to reduce blood flow, increase heart rate, and induce hypertension. Maintaining a good blood flow is important both during and after surgery, which is why nicotine is so dangerous to surgical patients."

have been using balsamic dressing almost daily. have been also prepping for the liquid diet to come have 6-76 more weeks before surgery at this point. Been drinking 2 protein shakes a day then a meal around 4 pm. good luck with everything

It really depends on what your doctor says. I had my surgery on the 20th and right now I am still in the clear liquid stage (no shakes yet). I sip a drink every 10-15 minutes. However, this week, I can begin to add pudding and yogurt. Each doctor's recommendations are different as I have seen others start right way with some pureed foods.

I just had my surgery on the 20th. I was on the liquid diet for two weeks and it is hard. I am not going to lie, but I did take a bite of food now and again in the beginning. I found later that if I used some type of seasoning that replicated some food tastes, then it helped. I used bacon seasoning, chicken seasoning, and other gourmet seasonings I could find.

Hi I have Kaiser NorCal and I went to my primary and just told them I want weight loss surgery. She sent a referral to the Bariatric department as I had a BMI of 38 and high blood pressure so I met the requirements, which for NorCal are a BMI over 40 or BMI over 35 with a health condition. I was contacted by the Bariatric department and I had to watch a video and take a test it was easy. Then I had to weigh in with their department and meet with a nutritionist. After all that was done, I was able to meet with the surgeon and he gave me a go away of what I had to lose in order to qualify. I had to do a psych evaluation. Once I lost weight I did some bloodwork and now I am scheduled for surgery on October 12 of this year. I started this process in January, I was scheduled for surgery in September, but got pneumonia the week of the surgery so it was postponed and now Kaiser is supposed to strike so I’m hoping that it doesn’t get postponed again you do have to maintain your weight the entire process and can’t even go over half a pound of your goal weight. Hope this helps.

I am absolutely terrified today after seeing my consultant. I had gastric sleeve surgery 26/07/2022 not for weight loss but to remove a stomach tumour. January this year I started getting stabbing pains under my left rib but wasn't really having any nausea, sickness or difficulty eating and drinking. After a CT scan in May and an endoscopy in August they found my stomach is strictured/stenosis. Today my consultant has told me the only option is to remove my stomach fully and sew my esophagus to my bowel. He said stretching it is not an option. I have an odd feeling (numerous reasons why) that they botched my operation and are trying to skirt around it. My consultant and surgeon keep changing the story. Like only an insignificant amount of stomach was removed. Then it was a full gastric sleeve performed. Then only a tiny amount removed again. Then the tumour was a GIST (sarcoma cancer). Then its just a benign tumour caused by pancreas cells. I've never known such confusing, arrogant, unsympathetic and clueless consultants and surgeons before - they're very worrying. Especially considering my surgeon is also doing private work for Spire. I'm absolutely broken. Any advice or anyone that has had a similar experience would be appreciated. As a side note this hospital in Liverpool has now given me a fear of hospitals. I was put on an oncology ward which I've been in before in a different hospital. I've always been a regular at hospitals over the last 20 years with pulmonary embolisms, 2 cancer scares, chronic illnesses etc and its always been a pleasant stay (even after surgeries) and a bit of a break and a chance to get some rest as I have 3 children. While in this new hospital after surgery it was like a third world hospital. I was lay in someone elses stale urine for a week before they agreed to change my putrid mattress. I caught scabies on my arm and oral thrush that spread to my esophagus and lungs. There was no shower so I had to wash myself daily in the sink. Finally they allowed me to use the mens shower as there was no womens shower which was literally just a shower cubicle with a door leading onto the corridor, nowhere to hang your towel or clothing and due to a blocked drain the floor/tray was flooded so my feet were in stagnant water along with my towel and clothing on a carrier bag on the floor/tray. By the end of my shower everything was soaking wet so I had to "get dry" with a wet towel and put on wet pyjamas before going to my bed and putting the curtain around to get properly dry and changed again. I had pneumothoraxes under my diaphragm and collar bone but was given the wrong and tiniest amount of pain relief. I was left to withdraw from my daily medication that I've taken for 5 years and left writhing in agony with the gas pain, pneumothoraxes, parasthesia and an intense burning sensation through my veins along with a massive headache, vomiting and aversion to light. No one would listen to me to help me to get my pain level under control and I could go on and on about the lack of care and the feeling of death and impending doom on this ward.

I could use soy sauce and fish sauce and made the most of it with Chinese and Thai vegetable dishes. I had 3 weeks of milk and non root vegetables. I needed to be creative. Aged balsamic vinegar was also a godsend. I had it on salads and roasted vegetables.

I'm going to try and keep this from being too long, but there's so much to say!!! First I'll start with my newest NSVs. I'm officially in a size 18 clothes (from my original size 30), size 10 shoes (from my original size 11), size 6 1/2 ring (from my original size 10), 18" chain on a necklace (from my original 24" chain), and 2x jacket (from my original 4-5x). I can now comfortably fit on a massage table without fear of it creaking or breaking. I can now ride a bike because I'm within the weight limit. I now am able to hit my favorite thrift stores and walk out with seriously cute clothes that look nice, sit well on me, and actually fit comfortably!! My asthma is almost completely gone (I only have it when I get super sick now instead of all the time). My blood work came back and my hormone levels are almost in the normal range (I have PCOS) and my cysts that completely COVERED both ovaries are totally gone (without having taken any meds or done any hormone therapies!!) I did a 6 mile hike this past weekend with my son. I am completely pain free and am able to go full on beast mode with my workouts again. I can go up 5 flights of stairs before I need to stop and rest. Now for my new chapter in life and old dreams becoming new again. So years ago, I wanted to become a nurse. I completed all of the academics with a 4.0, aced all the labs, but couldn't do any of the clinicals because I couldn't do all the walking, I was 400 pounds, and my health/joints/back were way too bad. So I gave up on it. Then about 2 years later, I thought "well, maybe I can be a medical assistant. Surely THAT'S not as hard" and once again, I couldn't do the externship because I couldn't do the physical stuff. So I went into other areas for work, ballooned up to 421 pounds, worked remotely, and made good money. I loved what i did, but there was always a part of me that regretted not being able to go into the medical field. That was my heart's desire. So fast forward to now. I'm between jobs and miserable. I had to stop working because of all my complications from my first surgery. Now that I've been cleared, I can't get hired anywhere. So I decided that now is a great time to go back to my dream of working in the medical field. So on Sept 5th, I start school to become a certified pediatric oncology medical assistant. Most of my previous credits transfer over, so I only have about 6 months of academics to do and then the externship. Then I sit for my certification exam and then I get to finally FINALLY do what I've always wanted to do. By my 46th birthday next June, I should be right where I want to be, doing what I want to do, and hopefully at my goal weight. I'm sitting here in tears as I type this, because I thought this was something I would never see happen. I resigned myself to being morbidly obese, extremely unhealthy, and needing a cane to get around. I may not be at my goal weight (the weight comes off a lot slower with a revision, and also as your bmi gets smaller and you get closer to your goal) but I believe eventually I'll get there. But the things this surgery is giving to me, the dreams I can live out, the health and wellness and years of my life I'm getting back..... it was all worth it. The complications, the uncertainty, the pain and healing and stalls.... all completely worth it. We all start this journey wanting the numbers on the scale to go down. But there's SO MUCH MORE this surgery gives you. I will never, ever regret my decision. Never.

I used to get that stuck-on-the-way-down experience fairly often when I first reintroduced meat after surgery, but I have learned to chew my food really well to the point that it has become automatic and I rarely have that problem anymore. But last week, I went to a restaurant and got some really delicious snapper, and it was so good that I ate too much, too fast and regretted it. Fortunately, the feeling passed after about an hour, but it was not a pleasant hour and like your ham experience, it was a good reminder that I still have to eat slowly and chew well.

Definitely ask your surgeon. My book from the clinic says I can never have it again. I spoke with my surgeon and I told him I really only take it about 4 times a year and he said it would be fine for me to take it then, he told me if I was taking it every day or a few times a week then it would not be okay. So I think how often a person takes it is a factor.

That's about the timeframe I hit the wall for feeling weak and major fatigue. It was an effort to go upstairs...or even want to walk. I told my GP and they gave me a B12 shot..finally a week later I'm getting past it. Just hang on for a few days or check with your doctor. It will eventually pass as long as you're following the program your surgeon set up!

it's not at all uncommon for menstrual cycles to be affected by WLS. Lots of women report changes in their cycles - or have mood swings - the first few weeks after surgery. Estrogen is stored in fat cells, and this is supposedly due to estrogen being released during the rapid weight loss period. It'll eventually stabilize when your weight loss slows down.

So it looks like your question was added in as a tag. 'I am 3 weeks post op and it is really hard to get in protein I was reaching out to see if there is any type of hacks on how to get it down I have the powder kind also can someone explain to me what will happen if I’m not getting enough protein in There are a variety of ways to get it down. Make it as is and break it down to half a shake twice a day. Make it more liquidy and sip on it throughout the day. Use unflavored protein powder and sprinkle it into other foods, such as broth or applesauce. Try protein water which is thinner and comes in a many fruity flavors so it's not just the milky stuff. You can also boost the protein in yogurt with adding protein powder. If you don't get in enough protein, you run the risk of losing muscle and not just fat. Losing muscle can also slow down weight loss. Also leaves you with less energy. Even though hair shedding is par for the course, having enough protein can lessen the shed and support healthy regrowth. It can be difficult to meet the protein goals in the beginning, just try to focus on getting better day by day.

I rarely disagree with an opinion on here but on the point of exercise I do. Before surgery I was too disabled to exercise. Staying indoors during the covid years had added lots of weight on my carcass. [ it was a government decision to keep certain people with certain illnesses indoors ] I was too old and too heavy to even begin basic exercises. After surgery it took a lot of bravery on my part to start walking. Everything scared me after being indoors for 2 years. At about 8 months out and 100lbs down, walking became easier for me. The only exercise I do is cooking, cleaning, walking, shopping and volunteering in a charity shop for one day a week. So I have done zero exercise and lost 150+ lbs

Hello, I had GB on 8/16/23 I developed slight acne along my jaw line and chin around 2 weeks post op. I am now 5 weeks post op and my acne has subsided but left me with acne scars. I was just told it was my hormones fluctuating and to make sure to reach protein and water goals as well as take my bariatric vitamins.