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I mean, at this point I give up trying to figure it out...
SleeveToBypass2023 replied to SleeveToBypass2023's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I just had my 1 year blood work done for the bariatric surgeon, and everything came back normal except the fact that I'm anemic (that's nothing new, thanks to my systemic lupus). Here's what I had done: VITAMIN D, 25-HYDROXY VITAMIN B12 VITAMIN A TSH VITAMIN B1 (THIAMINE), WHOLE BLOOD LIPID PANEL PREALBUMIN IRON PROFILE HEMOGLOBIN A1C FOLATE FERRITIN COMPREHENSIVE METABOLIC PANEL CBC WITH DIFFERENTIAL My PCP also got the results and said she was happy with them and set me up with another iron infusion (I have to get them twice per year). My surgeon was happy with the results and said sometimes our bodies just do what they're going to do and we're along for the ride. He said if I get tot he point that I physically can't function because of the weight loss, then he'll look into ordering additional testing, but as of right now, while it's unusual to still be losing at this stage, it's not unheard of so he's not particularly concerned. It's nice that HE'S not, but nobody seems to take into account that I AM. I keep explaining how I feel, how I look, how I don't have energy or strength, how I'm losing muscle, how I'm always so so tired, how I can't shake the circles under my eyes or make my skin look healthy no matter how much collagen or serum or cream I use and nobody seems to care. He literally commented on the fact that he could see and feel my bones, ribs, etc... I said "yes, I know. That's my point. Look at my hands and feet. They are bones and veins. No fat at all." And he said it would even out in time. But all that's been happening is I've been getting smaller and smaller the more time goes by. -
Not sure how new this is but I just stumbled upon a multi vitamin that is specifically for DS/SADI that includes 60mg of iron, ADEK and some other stuff that is specific to the switch surgeries. Just thought I’d share in case someone else didn’t know about this. It’s made by procare health. They actually sell it in the bariatric pal store but currently it’s cheaper on the manufacturers site if you do multiple months and/or subscribe for auto ship.
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How Can I tell I’m Hungry?
NickelChip replied to SpringCleansing's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
This is the best time to start good habits for the future. You probably won't feel hungry for a while, but you will need to eat regularly anyway. Without the distraction of hunger, you can make deliberate choices. Right now, you should have a schedule from your surgeon's office or dietician that tells you what you can eat, how much, and when. Try to follow that as you get used to your body's new cues. If you need more detail, you can check out bariatric cookbooks, but choose ones written by doctors and registered dietitians who specialize in bariatrics. It's a good time to slowly try out new recipes and retrain yourself for small portions. -
Hello, I had a sleeve gastrectomy in 2016. Recently I had an endoscopy due to swallowing issues (I have multiple sclerosis). The biopsy of my stomach came back with changes and i had mild damage in my distal esophagus. I do not have a GI and have not been being followed by the bariatric center for several years. I have an appointment to see my bariatric surgeon as it seems that the recourse for bile reflux is a revision. Has anyone else dealt with anything like this?
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August Surgery buddies
Singingbarista replied to Averdra's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Welcome @draikaina8503! I'm on in 3 days!? How is this sneaking up on me? Breathe, breathe... @Hiddenroses - Congratulations on your surgery! What you're dealing with in telling others sounds perfectly normal to me. This is not the easy path. The process is rough, but no matter what and no matter who reacts, we're going to come out of this stronger. I'm still going to be me, with or without the weight. Unfortunately, I've always been treated differently because of my weight - Heavy friends with a "one of us" mentality, slimmer people that want to look better next to me, others that just discount me. I'll be alienating them all. It shouldn't matter, but I was raised to please others. Another bad habit I am fixing. If random people question me, I guess I'll just refer them to the weight loss clinic that I went to that started me on this path - they do everything from diet and exercise to bariatric referrals. Other than that, it's no one's business what I do with my body. But I still have to figure out the social food thing. @Mandalynne, I am so ready to be done. So many nerves, so sick of worrying. So tired of the LSD and hunger. Whatever happens is going to happen, let's just get it done already, haha. @ShoppGirl and @Greekmom4, I'm so sorry that the surgery was rough and that you are in so much pain. I hope things lessen up soon and you can start thriving. The fact that we can even do this is amazing to me. Our lives and our health will have a fresh start! When I hit my weight goal, I'm going to travel, and not worry about fitting on the plane. What are your plans for your new life? -
Hello ShoppGirl, Yes, I have spoken with my Dr about my bloating and pain in my pouch from my bloating. My aim in my post was to find out from a typically helpful and supportive community if anyone else experienced the same results. The purpose of this community is to share experiences and to help each other. What you gave was ridicule which is in no way informative or helpful. If, you can't be polite, informative, supportive of those who simply wanted information from their extended bariatric family.....be silent. Your silence in these situations is more valuable than your opinion.
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Surgeon Appointment - YAY!
MrsFitz replied to MrsFitz's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
Thanks @FifiLux, @SleeveToBypass2023and @NeonRaven8919 for your posts. Some excellent questions which I will note down because I have a mind like a sieve at the moment and information falls out of my head as soon as it enters it! As you said @FifiLuxI have a lot of information from the team already so it’s putting it in to some sort of sense for me now - LOL! I’ve received an electronic copy of my appointment letter with the name of the surgeon I will be seeing and so no hesitation - straight on t’internet to find out what I could. From what I’ve read, he is experienced in all things gastric and Bariatric. Hubby seems to think that he whipped out my gall bladder last year (same surgeon team) but I honestly cannot remember, what with writhing around in pain at the time of seeing him 🙄 Anyway, his CV seems very impressive so that’s reassuring. @SleeveToBypass2023- exactly that - nervous, excited and freaking out a little! @FifiLux- my new, pretty scales are here. I’ve got the basics set up but not the all-signing, all-dancing bits to them just yet. I definitely like the bigger, light-up numbers on them, saves squinting while trying to make out the numbers (don’t wear my glasses obviously because that 50gms or so that they weigh will make all the difference when weighing in 🙄) @NeonRaven8919 the LRD I have to do is 3 weeks. I did tell the dietitian that as long as I had 3 weeks plus 1 days notice of any last minute cancellations for surgery then I was good to go. Thankfully hubby will hoover up any foods that I won’t be eating so there won’t be any waste. I’m just hoping that the surgeon is happy, the MDT all agree and (a bit of wishful thinking I know) I’m able to have surgery this side of Christmas. -
Modified Duodenal Switch
ShoppGirl replied to Lara in Arkansas's topic in Duodenal Switch Surgery Forum
Instead of posting this as a new topic I’m hoping to get the attention of those who have already had this surgery so I’m posting here. I have a question about SADI vitamins but I think the experience of Duodenal switch is pretty close with vitamins. So I thought I had really found something great when I came across the pro care health Sadi/ DS multi with iron and ADEK. . Then I started googling and the 60mg of iron in them is toxic and potentially fatal for normal anatomy. I realize we won’t absorb as much of some vitamins but since we dont know exactly the degree of malabsorbtion would I be better to start with a little lower iron like 45mg and up it if my labs are low? I already ordered two bottles of those capsules because I had points from this forum and they sell them in the bariatric pal store but now I’m thinking I may just take them a couple times a week or something. Just curious what amount if iron others take who are a little while out from SADI or DS. -
February 2024 Surgery Buddies?
RonHall908 replied to NickelChip's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
@BlueParis As I mentioned before my bariatric docotor and dietician both said exhaustion is a thing up to 4 or 5 months before your body starts getting back to normal. Low Iron and other problems could contribute. From my blood test results that's not the case. Exhaustion is part of the process. The dietician wanted me to stay close to 100 grams of protein a day. My average is around 135 grams. I log everything through the baritastic app that she can access. Seems weird to me that I should stay close to 100, but they've done this many times before. So I'll follow the guidelines to see what happens. @NickelChip i weighed myself the night before my DR. Appointment. I was 241 lbs. The next day on the doctors scale i was 245 lbs. I think my scale is 1 or 2 lbs off. Either way, I gained overnight and that is frustrating. But, the part I took away is all the inches i had lost. The Doctor and nurse both have had bariatric surgery. They kept reassuring that the process is working, but it can be slow. -
A much better week than last week with a 7.5lb loss to show for it 😊 16.5lbs lost so far on this ‘try to eat healthier’ plan I have begun. It would be lovely to think that I could carry on like this, just losing weight quite happily and give the WLS a swerve but past history tells me that I will eventually pile weight back on (and more) so why set myself up for failure? I also know that I have a stall coming up, sometime between week 3 and week 7 if past experience is anything to go by. I just tell myself that it’s my body having a sulk because I’ve taken its goodies away, so it’s try to get me to give in by being stubborn. Huh…I have a 4 year old granddaughter who is the epitome of stubborn at times and if I can deal with her then this should hopefully be OK 😉 I had hubby take photos after my 1 stone loss, just so I can compare against the 1st photos. Oddly enough, I could see a teeny bit of difference, so that was a real positive sign. I’m looking forward to ‘shopping in my wardrobe’ once again - trying on all those clothes that are too small for me at present, and just generally getting some wear out of them. I just need to remind myself to try things on regularly, especially as I seem to have several sizes to go at! I read through all the information on my hospitals Bariatric area of their website yesterday, things like dietary advice, example menus, info regarding vitamins etc. From what I have read, it will be a couple of days of liquids, then 6 weeks of purée post-op before moving on to mashed foods for 4 weeks and then hopefully reintroducing normal foods. I now understand why bread, over-cooked rice and pasta are to be avoided but still not sure about caffeine? I am a tea junky so I will have to find a decent decaf to try. Any recommendations UK people? Anyway, the next couple of months are busy, taken up with both physio appointments and, much more excitingly, the bariatric-related appointments. This week is Oximetry so hopefully that goes well. I hope everyone has a fantastic week. Onwards and downwards!
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May 2024 Surgery Buddies 😁
Zingor replied to Bypass2Freedom's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Ok, it did not take 4 hours. The anesthesiologist said she likes bariatric patients because they make us jump through so many hoops, everything is done by the time we get to her. The 4 hours is for people who need bloodwork, ekg, pulmonary tests, etc. I had everything done and all my clearances in place, so I was in and out in less than an hour. -
I had to lose weight before they gave me the okay to get into the bariatric program and I actually did Weight Watchers (WW) it helped me lose the weight I needed to get approved. Just a thought
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There is a Scandinavian study on NSAID use in both sleeve and bypass patients. It was a longitudinal study that looked at records for patients who had been prescribed NSAIDs after these surgeries and compared subsequent ulcer formation to that of the general non-bariatric population with a history of NSAID use. For sleeve patients, there was no greater risk of ulcers than for non-bariatric patients, even when prescribed for regular use of 30+ days. For bypass patients, there was no greater incidence of ulcers if NSAIDs were taken for less than 30 days, but there was a measurable increased risk when prescribed for 30+ days. You might ask your doctor what they think about this study (which they may or may not have read). There seems to be an extreme amount of caution in the recommendations compared to the actual risk established in this study. And while the risk increased in bypass patients with chronic NSAID use, it's worth noting only a small percentage of those patients actually developed ulcers. Do with this information what you will.
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Does your pre-op diet weight loss "count"?
Nepenthe44 replied to NickelChip's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
Absolutely not in the slightest, at all. Not even a little. There are occasional bits of medicine that are sciency in that way, but they are rare and WLS is absolutely not one of them. And when science is applied to medicine, the results don't necessarily take. A lot of the advice given to bariatric patients hasn't been researched at all, but some of it flatly contradicts research results. -
Weight loss calmed down this week - 1.5lbs. No complaints though after the losses of the week before 🙂 Feeling tired today. Visited family yesterday, 6 hours all together sat in a van and my knees are so unhappy with me. It was our first time to our son’s new home which is a longer drive than his previous place. Will try and be better prepared next time. At least we spent time with the grandkids, which is always wonderful. A NSV yesterday…I bought some (non-stretchy) 3/4 cropped jeans a couple of years ago for £5, telling my daughter-in-law that I would fit in to them eventually. I broke them out yesterday, took the tags off and they fit perfectly!! 🥳🥳 The only downside was that it was far too hot for denim but the point was made 🙃 However DIL recognised them yesterday and was really pleased for me. Hubby has been a bit weird lately. Don’t get me wrong, still as massively supportive as ever but the ‘you will probably leave me when you lose weight’ comments have popped out more than a couple of times. Why do blokes always use this?? I did remind him that I didn’t leave him when I lost weight previously so why would I now? Do they think we’re only with them because we’re too fat to bother looking elsewhere? Jeez, I haven’t got the energy for anyone new, never mind all the stuff you generally do at the beginning of a relationship like shaving my legs or wearing matching underwear 🙄 Anyway, physio for knees tomorrow and Bariatric support group at the hospital on Wednesday. Have remembered to dig out my food diary to complete this week, ready for the dietitians appointment next week. Have a slimmer week everyone, we deserve it 🥰 Onwards and downwards!
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8 months post, 3 months of stall and poor circulation
Anomalia replied to Anomalia's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Okay first, thank you so much for such a comprehensive answer. I've seen some of your tips in the forums before but this really lays things out. I'll start varying my routine more and see if I can trip things up a bit. This iron thing in particular is interesting. In my last series of labwork my iron came back very low, but not quite anemic. (The range was 50-170, I came in at 55.) I have upgraded to the bariatric multivitamin with more iron and started also taking the iron melts with vitamin c, but I struggle to do this consistently due to how often I have dairy, and I haven't felt much of an improvement yet. I get re-tested in ~5 weeks to see if the numbers are better (or rather, to make sure they're not getting worse). Interesting lead either way. -
9 Month Post Op Fears and Worries
Arabesque replied to RollTideRosss's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
Great advice from everyone and I would second finding yourself a nutritionalist/dietician sooner rather than later. And maybe a therapist who has experience with bariatric surgery & disordered eating. Do you track your food? I’m not a tracker (didn’t have to) but I do random checks on portions sizes, nutrient content & protein to ensure I’m on the right path or haven’t got complacent. It might be idea to start tracking if you don’t even for a few weeks just to see where you may be missing some key nutrients, to ensure a balanced intake, etc. can’t hurt anyway. Check out some the you tube videos by Drs Matthew Weiner and/or John Pilcher. Dr Weiner has some great books too which may be helpful. These may offer some support while you’re trying to find a new surgeon & doctor. -
What you should know about WLS they don't tell you
BlondePatriotInCDA posted a topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
Good afternoon all! I just was thinking of all the surprises I've experienced since WLS...and I wanted to ask others what's surprised them about their weight loss/surgery journey that they weren't told by their bariatric team?! I'll go first: 1. All the aches and pains in my hips and butt. My butt hurts now when I sit since I'm missing my butt padding! Also, since losing weight my posture and gait have changed so now I'm in PT for hip abductor pain. 2. The ever increasing and changing locations of skin irritation. The skin now droops in places I wasn't told to expect and I get red irritation under my butt creases from over lap - sorry for the unpleasant visual! 3. I've shrunk..so driving I now need extra padding to be at my former "sitting height" I feel like a kid driving my parents car now. 4. I've had to buy new glasses, mine were stretched out from digging into my fat head 😋 and now they keep falling off when I look down. 5. I've had to buy new shoes, all my old shoes no longer fit. They just flop around. I was expecting new clothing..not shoes. 6. I feel more clumsy and weak despite working out. My manual dexterity is horrible now. 7. I still feel hunger 😔 These are just a few of the changes I've experienced that my bariatric team never mentioned. Do you have any to add that can take the surprise out of it for people just starting their WLS journey?! I eagerly await your responses! -
Sometimes you have to ring some bells like HELLO, i need some aftercare and followup. Congrats you finally got your appt. and your A1C going down! I'm not sure about B12. Some labs calculate it differently as the high end of the normal range for mine is 1245. I'm sure if it's an issue it will be or should be addressed by your team. The Vitamin D for sure should be. I know for me it was getting to the higher side of normal and my dietician had me drop down from bariatric vitamin to a regular multi and cut back on my calcium chews which also contain lots of Vitamin D. Woohoo on the weightloss. And the hair loss will eventually slow down. Mine lasted from about month 3-6 at it's worst and has slowed considerably and now I'm only just slightly annoyed at all the short hairs from regrowth.
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Hi other newbie here! Pre op was difficult during those periods for me too. As I'm sure nuts/surgeons and everyone here repeats a billion times (lol) protein helps you stay fuller longer, so up your protein even pre op to help keep sated and if you haven't already- avoid caffeine and sugar *now*, they can worsen hunger cravings. I cut both cold turkey and would reach for a protein bar if I had a snack attack. But I think the most helpful was people distracting me from hunger. Get out more, get busy with a task that requires your focus, socialize more, do anything to keep your mind off it. If you're stationary and doing something like playing video games or reading, that hunger sneaks up on you real quick! I also recommend this post surgery (but don't do anything your bariatric team says not to!), as being active and busy distracted me during the healing process and some phase struggles. Hope this helps!
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I’m so scared my stomach will stretch out
SleeveToBypass2023 replied to sarahzinkann's topic in Gastric Bypass Surgery Forums
Definitely worrying too much. You won't stretch anything out by drinking too much. If you follow your bariatric diet, you won't stretch your stomach out with food. You won't even eat regular food until 6-8 weeks out. And by then you'll be healed, but have a lot of restriction that will prevent you from over eating. As time goes on, your stomach does stretch a little. That's normal. But it never gets anywhere near the size it was pre-surgery. It's ok, and actually good. As you heal and increase your activity levels, you have to increase your calories and carbs, but again, nowhere what they were pre surgery. Don't be afraid to eat. You can't run a car without gas and you can't run your body without food. -
Feeling anxious is very understandable especially when this is something completely new to you. I mean have you ever had bariatric surgery before? You may never have had a surgery before so have nothing to base your expectations upon. Give your surgeon or team a call and let them know how you’re feeling so they can answer any questions or concerns you may have about the experience. There may be something you can take before to calm your nerves a little too. (No harm in asking.) I had very little time between when I saw my GP to discuss the potential of the surgery and getting the referral, seeing the surgeon, seeing the dietician & my surgery day. In some ways I appreciated it. I was ready and it probably didn’t give me a lot of time to develop any real nerves. Though I remember feeling a bit apart from everything going on around me from when I entered the pre surgical area until I walked into the waiting area outside the theatre (yeh, my surgeon makes you walk to the theatre). Everyone was very friendly from the pre surgery team, to the nurse who walked me to the theatre, the anaesthesiologist and my surgeon. There were jokes and lots of reassurance. The recovery room nurses were great too. I’ve had two surgeries since then (about to have another) and my experiences have been much the same. I’m a researcher. I like to read up on what to expect & I’ll talk to anyone I know who’ve been through the same surgery if I know anyone. If you do what to do a little reading before (may be helpful if you decide to contact your team or surgeon) go to reputable medical sites like the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, etc. no social media (except for this forum of course 😁). Check out the you tube sites of Dr Matthew Weiner and Dr John Pilcher - they have a huge library of videos & are extremely informative not just for pre surgery but post as well. Highly recommend them. All the best.
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Starting my Gastric bypass surgery journey
JennyBeez replied to Missy4391's topic in Gastric Bypass Surgery Forums
- I found a small digital kitchen scale was my best investment, it helped me get a better idea of portions and made it so much easier to track nutrition stats throughout the day. - tracker apps are great! it took me a while to find one that worked for me personally, but there's a lot out there. I'd suggested testing a few free versions out ahead of time so you're ready before you get there. - bariatric portion plates or just tiny dishes. I actually couldn't find a portion control plate that worked for me (in Canada), but I found a bunch of cute little appetizer dishes and tiny bowls that make me happy to eat from. - if you don't have it, nab a blender or a handmixer when it's on sale. Makes the puree stage much easier, and also helps with smoothies and shakes in the liquid stage. Don't spend a lot of money on one though (unless you honestly feel you'll get a lot of use out of it after you're through those stage). -
I started the day trying to figure out if 60mg of iron was actually a little too much post sadI and stumbled upon one article that says fbaf supplemental calcium may not do anything to help with our bones but some research has linked it to kidney stones )which I had heard before) but also heart disease and gastrointestinal issues. There was mention of this on Hopkins.gov and Mayo Clinic plus ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Further investigation lead me down a rabbit hold of all the various nutrient deficiencies people experience post SADI and there are so many, OMG. Now my anxiety is getting the best of me. One article made it sound like people with all of The bariatric surgeries suffer so many issues in the long run. I am not scheduled to see my surgeon again until the morning of surgery and I honestly don’t know what good scheduling To talk to him would do me now. I mean he wouldn’t have scheduled the surgery if he felt it was going to put me in worse shape So he either has better research to prove these studies wrong or he just hasn’t heard of all this which seems impossible since I stumbled upon It my accident and it’s not even my field. I am honestly not sure what I am looking for here other than others take on all this and maybe some reassurance from the only ones who can possibly understand what I am feeling right now. I’m just so overwhelmed by what I have read And my husband couldn't have possibly dismissed it any faster. Am I crazy for letting this stuff freak me out? When I did my sleeve I didn’t do this much research And I wasn’t nearly this freaked out. Maybe I just need to get offline.
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So I have been making sure that I hit 100g or more of protein every day. I typically am low carb (under 60g) low fat (under 20g). I like to be adventurous with my food and I enjoy finding new recipes that fit into my macros. However, this last month I have been trying to find recipes that are yummy and fulfill my sweet tooth without going for the ice cream, or candy. One that I discovered was a Greek Yogurt Cheesecake: 1 container of Greek yogurt (i have used Dannons light and fit , 1Tbls of SF FF Cheesecake pudding mix, 1TBL of reduced fat whip. its 115cal 12g of protein, .5g fat and 15g carbs. (you can use any variation of yogurts and pudding mixes). Carbs are higher that I would usually eat but if you have a hard workout day and have it to spare this is the best treat! Also I did not know that Splenda made a brown sugar?! So diced up apples with some spray butter and 1tbls of that brown sugar and bake to soften. You can add it to a little plain Greek yogurt or eat it as it with a dollop of low fat cool whip. I have been finding that I need to have stuff like this in my diet in order to not go off track. Not everyday, but days where all I want to do is eat chocolate or ice cream. I have been following this mom of 3 that lost 50lbs through exercise and diet, she has a ton of recipes. All her single serving recipes easily make 2-3 servings for us bariatric folk, but its healthy and realistic for those people who don't want to restrict forever. Anyone else have some yummy recipes?! Or does anyone think this might cause a slippery slope?
