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So i started taking the b12 complex ( advised by the doctor to switch to complex) and it hasnt completely cured the itching but im not wanting to scratch my skin off now lol hopefully within the next few days it stops altogether. I also have been using cocoa butter to slow it down. Now the other issue im having is eat pureed foods. I have threw up every time i try to eat the recommended foods and measured amount. I tried to puree the food myself but maybe im not doing it right. I called the nurse anyway and was advised to puree it more, take smaller bites ( i mean how small do i need to do really like a baby spoon? ) and if im still having issues in 2 days call back and they will figure out something from there. When i swallow it feels like its stuck in my throat and just sits there and it hits my gag reflex when i drink water ( after 20 min of eating) so everything is just floating around in my throat and blam its coming back out. I feel the measurements i was advised to eat is still too much for me 1/4 cup i cant eat it. The only thing close to normal i can eat is yogurt and that is technically in the full liquid category. Im getting agitated again because its like man when will i be able to EAT!?? I dont care if its broccoli or carrots at this point i just want to be able to eat food again lol but im stuck at full liquids at this point i dont know how this is going to go but as always ill keep you all posted. Wish me luck.

Well, today I go for my first post-op appointment. Thinking I may be on a liquid diet just a little bit longer. I met my fluid and protein goals on Monday, but then yesterday I did not because I was so sick I was in bed for literally the majority of the day. We'll see what happens. I think I may have gotten overheated because we went out yesterday morning so that I could get a haircut after my husband's doctor's appointment, and while he was in his appointment I did walking laps around the parking lot. And we have a heat wave striking again. But we'll see what happens. I'll try to post an update after I get home from that. Oh, I did remove the CGM sensor that had blisters forming around it. Well, they also formed under it. And... it wasn't pleasant. I essentially have a large hole in my arm now from where it took quite a bit of skin with it. I have also had an uptick in pain the last few days. I had taken myself off my pain meds completely, but I've had to take one a day since Sunday. I'll be discussing that with the doctor today too. Has anyone else experienced that? Also, real talk - Cottage cheese has always disgusted me because of how it looks. So someone please tell me what it tastes like, since I'm probably going to have to learn to like it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @ShoppGirl I am allowed to use milks (lactose intolerant so non-dairy milks). I've just been adding water to the one shake because it's super thick. Like, imagine drinking a milkshake through a tiny straw. That kind of thick. I'm less worried about protein on that one because it's 32g per bottle. I just have to be able to drink it for it to matter lol. I am sooooooo sorry about your a/c. I can't stand heat and I would probably be living in a hotel if ours went out right now. But I do know what you mean. I can't do much of anything right now still. I've been pushing myself to at least do dishes when I can, but even that is a bit much for me sometimes. But we're gonna get over this hump and then we're going to get our houses back in order! I do hope your a/c is fixed quickly and cheaply. Update - Glad to see your a/c just randomly decided to start working again. Any chance that the outside unit had frozen? Splenda is a Godsend, honestly. I've had to be on it for years already with my diabetes. I was told I could use any artificial sweetner as long as I didn't go overboard with it. So that is good to know for when I start the puree stage! I'm curious to see how much my taste buds have changed since surgery. I know a couple of people who can't stand even the smell of eggs now. I really hope that's not me. I love me some eggs. I was also told post-surgery, fish is going to be a go-to meal once I can get there. Like at least once a week, kind of thing. As someone who used to work for an allergist - the prick test is just for contact items, like fur and dust. If you are concerned about food allergies, that would be a multitude of appointments for each one you ares scared of. Because they have you actually eat the food while you are there in the office, and then you have to sit there and wait to see if you have a reaction. "It's just me and my hubby and if it bothers him then he is perfectly capable of doing it himself." This, 100000000%. lol. Hubby has asked me what I'm cooking for lunch/dinner, and I just stare at him for a long few seconds before it clicks what he just asked me to do. Then he's like, "Oh, nevermind." I do need to be better about limiting my bending and such. I'm obeying the weight guidelines, but I'm also of the opinion that if I can do something, I should do something. My husband has a stressful job (911 dispatcher) with crazy hours. And he has taken over a lot of the things that I was doing pre-surgery. So I feel like I have to do what I can to help him out too. I've been on Pinterest a lot lately, saving recipes for me to try later on. I am going to probably have a fight with my husband on certain things - like ground turkey for tacos, I already know he isn't going to be on board with. But that might be a thing where I make my food ahead of time and am like, "Okay, this is what I'm having on this night. If you don't like it, you're on your own to figure out food." But that skinny scampi sounds like it might be delicious! You'll have to let us know! I hope the eye appointment wasn't too terrible for you. Kudos to you on making plans for a healthy rest of your life. I need to really sit down and start figuring that out myself. My fear is that I work 3 jobs. While I'm off for 2 months for 2 of them, I worry that any kind of set schedule I make for myself now will get thrown out the window when those get added back. Right now, I'm trying to walk in the mornings before the heat gets too bad. And I have a cycle machine that fits under my desk, so I use that throughout the day. Once they let me, I definitely need to figure out how to get some weight training in. I'm still pulling sticky stuff off of me after multiple showers. It's not just you. This stuff just doesn't want to go away, which was good for surgery. But now it needs to go. LOL I definitely do not like the sleeping the majority of my day and night away because it's preventing me from having a schedule. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @Onemealplan You said you can only eat 2oz of food every 3 hours. Are you meeting your protein goals with that? My nutritionist said that even at the puree and soft food stage, I'm expected to supplement my protein goals with protein shakes still. I'm still in the liquid stage, but it takes me an hour to finish an 11oz protein shake. I have yet to feel 'full' but I do know when I've pushed too far because I start to feel kind of sick. The lack of feeling full terrifies me, honestly. Which, I know it's just my anxiety but at the same time I'm like, "What if I have already screwed my stomach up because I didn't feel full????" Hopefully I get some reassurance today at the post-op. But I do get that mental hunger thing. It's been particularly bad lately because I just want SOMETHING that isn't liquids. Hopefully as I progress, I can start kicking that to the curb. I have a vacation coming up in October that I'm trying to prepare myself for. I should hopefully be on soft foods by then. As for the servers, one of the audiobooks I listened to in order to prepare for surgery suggested heading that off immediately. Just telling them up front you recently had a surgery so you will not be able to eat while you are recovering. One of my husband's coworkers who had the RYGB just orders water when he goes out with his husband. Sometimes he'll sip on it, sometimes he just leaves it sitting there. All depends on when he last had a protein shake. They offered you a surgery video? I haven't heard that. I would be interested in watching it if that's an option for me, but it may not be. How big of bites are you taking at this point? I'm just curious so I can start mentally planning for that vacation in a couple of months. (Man, am I so ready for a vacation, even with the dietary changes.) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @Pepper_No_Salt I've also had extreme fatigue. If I was dishes, I'm having to rest for an hour. I'm not doing anything more than that right now because I just physically can't handle it. But yeah, there are lots of long naps during my daytime, which is also affecting my abilitiy to get fluids and protein in. Glad to hear that you've gotten better! I know yesterday was a bad day for me out of nowhere. I'm blaming heat, but I don't actually know what the problem was. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @RRenaeL23 and @Pepper_No_Salt - Good luck at your next appointments! I hope you do get moved up to pureed foods! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @Hiddenroses Interesting! I was told they would not move me on to the pureed foods until I was regularly hitting 60g of protein daily. They said nothing about whether or not I was active. I'll be curious to see what is said when I go to my post-op today. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @Meme Campbell I hope your surgery went fantastically and you are recovering well! I know that liquid stage sucks, but it's for a good reason. Just keep reminding yourself of that.

You sound as if you have a great deal going on in your life. You need to take a moment out of your busy life to just breathe. Three months is still a long time to decide which way you want to go, either with surgery or not. You can cancel right up to the minute you walk into the hospital. A few have. This may not be your time. So lets take the things that you are most worried about, Your hair. You will not go bald. You probably will loose some of your thickness. You are young, you have masses of hair. When you are as old as I am you would have already have lost lots of hair due to menopause, so I started off with a deficit. It did get a little scary and I needed to get my hair cut really short but I do love the freedom that it gives me. I felt it was worth it. This surgery was my last chance at a normal life. You will not loose too much weight, you will stop a right place for you. You need to up your calories until you get to a balance. I am ok on 1500 calories a day. I have a slow life, I dont work anymore. I go out with friends, I eat and drink as before. The only thing I do not do is overeat. I don't miss doing that, my friends might do. Especially if they liked to overeat with me. How do you see yourself ? Not how others see you. They may want a fat friend to bolster their own negative ego's. Do you put weight on every year and keep it on ? We all did. We did diets after diets and put it all back on again with added weight. Lots of us ended up with weight related illnesses like diabetes and blood pressure. If you think you can loose weight yourself and keep it off then you need to try. Give yourself 6 to 12 months to do it. Bariatric surgery is not an easy option but if you stick with it, it is a solution. If you do not follow the guide lines then like a diet, it will fail. You should go back and chat with your surgeon. You need to be totally happy with your decision. Give yourself the time you need.

I have to eat every 2-3 hours and have since I was post op, so I eat 5-6 small meals a day. I prefer this because it keeps me from mindless snacking, provides a rhythm to my day, and allows me to get in a variety of flavors and textures. I'm only 3 months post op, there is no way I'd get my daily macros in with just 3 meals a day. My stomach doesn't have that capacity and if I go past 3 hours without eating my energy crashes, I feel light headed, nauseous, shaky, and irritable. Each person's body is different, but by necessity I ascribe to the "eat less more often" method and I'm not alone in that need. My target macros are 120 grams of protein, 100 grams of fat, 40 grams of total carbs, calories don't matter because I malabsorb a good percentage of fat and a moderate percentage of protein. 8:00 am Premier Protein Vanilla Shake 9:30 am 3 tablespoons hashbrowns, 4 cherry tomatoes, 1 1/2 scrambled eggs 12:00 Ratio Coconut Keto Yogurt and 2 tablespoons Diabetic Kitchen Granola 3:00 pm Espresso with 1/2 cup Fairlife Whole Milk, Quest Spicy Sweet Chili Protein Chips 6:00 pm 1 grilled chicken thigh, no skin, 3 tablespoons green beans 9:00 pm 14 Wasabi Soy Roasted Almonds, 1 Choxo Dark Chocolate Coconut Cup Total Macros: 116 grams of Protein, 40 total grams of carbs, 78 grams of fat, 1305 calories. This is pretty typical for me. I don't always eat the protein chips, I was just in a hurry and they are one of my go-to snacks when I can't have something perishable. Normally they'd be a protein and veggie.

Sleeve in 2017 to revision Gastric Bypass Aug 2023 - Update Hi All! I can't believe how fast time has gone! I will be going to my 6 mth check up tomorrow 2/20/24. Everything is a lot better! As of today I am 173lbs, I'll update my ticker it's still at 183. I am able to eat more varieties that I cook at home. Can't tolerate beef to well but I was never a big red meat person. I am still on the fence with salads/raw vegs though I can tolerate raw onions and tomatoes. I CANNOT eat take out! Purchased chinese for my son as he was going back to college... tried a little and was bringing it back up the rest of the night! If I eat out it has to be at a place that actually cooks food like salmon, veggies, no added anything. Food prepared at home is MUCH beter because you know what's in it. I am not doing too well with my multi because I purchased capsules that I open to put in my protein smoothies (Unjury Vanilla) which I don't take every day anymore. I just purchase the multi-vitamin patch from the bariatric store, I'll update you on that later My food is mostly a diet consistency of pescatarian due to the low cal/high protein and the ease of my system digesting the food. I would occassionally eat chicken as well (ground, poached breast etc), turkey hardly ever because the meat is not as soft as chicken. My veggies are fine steamed, some legumes & beans (occasional), as far as grains or potatoes etc I try to not do carbs at all or keep them at a bare minimum (jasmine or basati brown rice) with an occasional meal...I've really gotten into sweet potatoes as I didn't eat them a lot before. Swelling is gone, skin is good, and I can visually see the difference in pounds and inches loss especially from a side view lol. I still have work to do (vitamins, eat more, move more) and I am working on it. BTW!!!! I am back in the health & wellness field as I start my new position next week. I took a pause last summer. Now as I am on my health journey I'll be helping my patients with weight loss and adopting healthier lifestyles. My goal is to lose 13 more lbs and as you all know after running so long and you can see the finish line in sight....your legs get weary and that last sprint is the hardest. It is good to move from "morbidly obese", to "obese", to now "overweight"...do you guys feel the same? Let me know how you all are doing!

If you stop eating food you will not lose weight. If you don't eat enough food you will not lose weight either... If your calories are too low you will drop into starvation mode and your body will lock down and refuse to lose weight as much as possible in order to keep you safe. Stressful events in our lives can cause this to happen too, but it is most commonly caused by not eating enough food. Your surgeon should have given you a caloric goal along with a sample menu. I think eating protein several times a day is a good sign, chicken and steak are good proteins, as is the yogurt, and most people post op end up using shakes for a while to meet their goals. There is one very big issue with shakes though---they are NOT filling. In fact they will often make you feel hungry. Looking over your menu for the day what I notice is a distinct lack of fiber. With the exception of the little bits you are getting in the fruit in one of your shakes, you have no fiber. Fiber is very important for fullness and many low carb veggies are very low in calories while being quite voluminous. You are 6 months post op, you should be cleared for all foods, that means veggies of a wide variety. Things you can try that are easier on the tummy: baby spinach (both raw and sauteed), baby bok choy (steamed or sauteed), carrots (raw, steamed, or roasted), cucumber, tomatoes (both raw or cooked), broccoli and cauliflower if they don't make you bloated (both raw and cooked in a myriad of ways), asparagus, summer squash (sauteed or roasted), zuchinni (sauteed or roasted), eggplant (baked), heart of palm noodles, spaghetti squash, and on it goes. Beans are also a good source of fiber while being high in protein too. Well cooked and rinsed beans are a great way to boost volume in your diet! You could also do split peas and lentils. A bean soup would be filling while still being low in calories. At least half your plate per meal and snack should be made up of fruits and vegetables. Personally, I'd drop the Atkins shake and add vegetables to every meal and snack. Make sure to pair them with protein: hummus with carrot sticks, peanut butter with sliced apples, boiled eggs made into an egg salad and paired with cucumbers, fresh mozzarella with basil, balsamic glaze, and sliced tomatoes, chicken with steamed asparagus, steak with roasted carrots and squash, small salads with protein toppers, yogurt topped with berries and a few spoonfuls of granola. These things will help you feel full and give you a lot of nutrients that you really need right now to feel satisfied. I'd also skip the macaroni for a whole grain or root vegetable if you are craving carbs. So try a side of buckwheat or quinoa, or roasted sweet potatoes, mashed redskin potatoes with the skins on, or roasted pumpkin or butternut squash.

@newbegining2024 Hi All! I can't believe how fast time has gone! I will be going to my 6 mth check up tomorrow 2/20/24. Everything is a lot better! As of today I am 173lbs, I'll update my ticker it's still at 183. I am able to eat more varieties that I cook at home. Can't tolerate beef to well but I was never a big red meat person. I am still on the fence with salads/raw vegs though I can tolerate raw onions and tomatoes. I am not doing too well with my multi because I purchased capsules that I open to put in my smoothies which I don't take every day anymore. I just purchase the multi-vitamin pack from the bariatric store, I'll update you on that later My food is mostly a diet consistency of pescatarian due to the low cal/high protein and the ease of my system digesting the food. I would occassionally eat chicken as well (ground, poached breast etc), turkey hardly ever because the meat is not as soft as chicken. My veggies are fine steamed, some legumes & beans (occasional), as far as grains or potatoes etc I try to not do carbs at all or keep them at a bare minimum with an occasional meal...I've really gotten into sweet potatoes as I didn't eat them a lot before. Swelling is gone, skin is good, and I can visually see the difference in pounds and inches loss especially from a side view lol. I still have work to do (vitamins, eat more) and I am working on it. BTW!!!! I am back in the health & wellness field as I start my new position next week. I took a pause last summer. Now as I am on my health journey I'll be helping my patients with weight loss and adopting healthier lifestyles. My goal is to lose 13 more lbs and as you all know after running so long and you can see the finish line in sight....your legs get weary and that last sprint is the hardest. Let me know how you all are doing! (this will be posted in a new thread as well)

Honestly if your body is where it’s at with the 178 your really not going to loose anymore weight nor gain really. Not sure if your team explained this to you but a DS is designed to get max weight loss and at a certain point you level out. I went from 325 to 191 with my surgery and it will fluctuate from 191 to 196 depending how I’m eating and what not but I’m 5 years out I believe and I have not gained anything past 196. Have I been scared that I’m going to drop more yes but has it went past 191 not once. Tbh once the body has reached it loss amount it is what it is that is how I have taken it.

I eat porridge a bit, especially now I'm in maintenance. Potatoes almost never but if I have to, then skin ON. They were an absolute staple before surgery (I'm Irish) but I approach them with real caution now. White carby things (bread, rice, pasta, potatoes) don't contain enough goodness to tempt me any more. If I do eat them it's wholegrain/brown/skin on versions and in small portions after I've had something properly nutritious. *Obviously other than during the holiday season when I loosen up a bit without guilt*

Yeah, that sounds 100% within the normal range of early post-op calorie consumption. I am having gastric bypass in 3 weeks, and my program suggests 3 meals and 3 protein supplements per day for the first several weeks. In the beginning, the word "meal" is used very loosely. This is basically limited to yogurt, cream soup, cream of wheat, pudding, and applesauce. The expectation is you can maybe have a few bites. All the protein is coming from those 3 shakes (20-25g per shake). Calories are pretty much irrelevant, at least for now. Your entire metabolism has been rewired. If you follow what you're told to do, you will lose weight on a wide spectrum of calorie intakes. My program suggests no more than 200 calories per protein shake serving, with a limit of 5 grams of sugar and at least 20g protein each. So, if I had the recommended 3 shakes and went with the max calories, I would consume 600 calories in those daily supplements, plus another maybe 100-200 in "meals" depending how much of the yogurt/cream of wheat/pudding I manage to swallow. My shakes actually only have 90 calories each (23g protein), so during my pre-op liquid diet, I won't feel at all guilty if I drink 4 or 5 of them, or even 6 if needed. Post-op, I doubt that will be possible, but even then, I wouldn't see an issue with having that many if I could physically manage it. All of which is a longwinded way of saying you're doing fine! Congratulations!

I can’t speak on the diabetic side, but I had my Gastric Sleeve done 12/4/2023, and I don’t regret it one bit. Recovery was quick to my surprise. I was allowed to go home the same day of the procedure. Make sure you walk because the most discomfort comes from the air they pump you full with during the surgery. Walking helps it escape. I was feeling fine day 2. Day 3 I stoped taking pain and nausea meds. I retuned to work after 2 weeks. You’ll have a sharp pain in your side if you laugh or cough; don’t panic it’s normal and will go away. Just hold your side, it helps. Pros: - You definitely lose weight (down 50lbs) - I sleep through the night, and it’s good sleep!!! I literally don’t even move. I used to toss and turn. - My feet, and knees no longer hurt. - My self confidence has increased. - I can cross my legs and feel girly. - I don’t feel limited because my size isn’t a thing anymore. - Save money on food. Cons: - Not an easy fix (you’ll have to create good eating habits. I was a binge/emotional eater. Sometimes when I get bored or depressed I snack and then my stomach hurts) - Lose skin (if that matters to you) - Going out to dinner is a waste because you will only be able to eat maybe 1/2 cup of food if you’re lucky. (Leftovers will last you a week) - Buying new clothes gets expensive!! (But feels amazing, so not such a con after all) To be honest I wish I had done this sooner. I was impatient and went the self-pay route because I didn’t want to take the classes insurance requires of people, but if you are willing to wait I can see the benefits the classes can do for you. Good luck to you!!

I think it depends a lot on your budget. If you can afford to buy things you may not wear more than once, go for it! But I would wait on making a major investment until you feel confident you're at the size where you're likely to stay. Personally, I'm thinking it will be Walmart and thrift shops in the beginning, and letting myself loose in the shops I never got to shop in because they don't carry plus size once I reach a point where those clothes will be with me for a while. I don't really have skinny clothes in a stash because I purged my closet before a move a few years ago, although I do have some things that will work at lower weights. Now to see about the seasons. I feel like when I was shopping for my babies and had to guess whether a size 6mo would fit them in cold weather or warm!

Sports bras for sure. I'm almost at my goal weight and my boobs are flabby, saggy, and dropped from a full D cup to a saggy B cup. Can't wait for my skin surgery, tummy tuck, and boob job. I just want them back to where they used to be lol

I'm sorry to hear you we're denied. Just keep pushing them. It amazes me that insurance companies refuse to pay for bariatric surgeries and weight loss drugs BUT have no problem paying for a lifetime for the health consequences of being obese. I know I'm going out on a ledge here for potential condemnation but..those same insurance companies will pay for gender reassignment surgeries AND reconstructive "cosmetic" surgeries for gender reassignment (that in the long run is cosmetic to align with how patient perceptions are - no different than skin removal mentally) but they won't pay for some just as necessary bariatric surgeries and skin removal surgeries! Both can be mentally debilitating! I always thought perhaps a class action lawsuit forcing insurance companies to pay for these things is what's needed. No one elects to be obese and insurance companies treats obesity as "its your fault" you're obese so they won't pay. I wish you luck, preserver and eventually you'll get it! Lastly, I'm told bariatric surgery is cheaper in some states if you have to pay yourself, so shop around and research research research making sure you have a good bariatric team! Also, make sure that if you do go out of state that they don't have a long travel restriction like mine did (90 days) first! Good luck!

FullSizeRender.MOV Hey loves checking back in! My surgery was 12/18! Today im down 20lbs im feeling excited about this upcoming month and hope to get down. I downloaded an app thats been very helpful with keeping realistic goals. I been walking and dancing as my workouts. Yesterday was my birthday and I was able to go out fine and order food obviously couldnt eat much and focused more on the meat than anything else but it felt amazing to just feel normal somehow. I do feel like im loosing weight so slowly but im trusting the process and I know iM eating dramatically less than before. Little by little. I want to do some lifting weights but I’m waiting til my month appointment to ask. I’m feeling so much better and almost back to normal. Before surgery 240 12/18 220 as of 1/11 still have one more week til im exactly one month post op.

Hello and welcome in the forum. I started at a similar weight to you. I was told I could loose 65% of my excess weight through this surgery if I stuck at it. I did that and a few more percent. At my 2 year check in with my team, they were overjoyed with my progress. In private moments, I look in the mirror and say ' wow, you did this' The surgery has done everything I ever wished for and some other things that I never imagined. Enjoy the ride

I had both and got the bypass. I was post menopausal so I can’t say it helped with most PCOS issues. I swung the other way 2 years post op and got hyperthyroidism! So my team figured it’s a vitamin imbalance and I’m monitored more closely. (Lower vitamin D can increase thyroid levels). PPI can interfere with vitamin absorption, so does caffeine, so planning your vitamin times counts too. Talk with your team about best practices for your vitamins. I have found that I need extra iron with vitamin C at lunchtime and I can be consistent with it. That extra iron is just because my iron levels tend to be low, most people don’t have that issue. I take calcium, vitamin D and magnesium at night, B vitamins and Flintstones with iron in the morning with decaf coffee in my pea protein shake. If I stay really consistent with my water intake I can avoid PPI s for now. For me, it’s really a balance and worth the shock of being a little hyperthyroid for a month! Great luck to you both! May you have good skin, lovely hair and surprising energy you deserve!

Hi Angela, I had gastric sleeve in Aug 2023, and had an itchy rash on my chest and stomach about 3 weeks later. I consulted my surgeon’s office, and they thought it was hives or a reaction to medication. They recommended I stop taking my new multivitamin. After two weeks of itching, I had some prescription antifungal cream and applied it just trying to get some relief. It went away immediately. Just had some sort of skin fungal infection. I’ve never had that before…just althlete’s foot. But I’m guessing our bodies go through some trauma after surgery and have a weakened immune system. I’m sure your doc can write you a script. Worth trying. Oh, and since others are updating, I am down 70 lbs. I need to exercise more than the occasional walk. Honestly this has been pretty easy for me, I’ve been able to tolerate a wide variety of food and adjusted well.

yes - obesity is a complex disease. Among other things, at some point it can cause biological changes that make it very difficult to lose weight. For example, I've read that research has shown that even gut bacteria is different in very obese individuals than it is in normal-weight individuals. your experience is very common. In fact, I took a course in obesity and weight loss at a local university (nutrition department) a year or two ago that addressed this. The usual pattern is that people lose about 5% of their weight in the first few months of dieting, then it levels off for a couple of months, and then it gradually comes back on. About a year later, they're back to where they started. That knowledge didn't surprise me at all - that happened to me over and over and over. Weight loss surgery is the only thing that ever worked for me. Surgery won't help prevent the behavior. What it does is. 1). takes away your hunger for the first few months - (for a lucky few this is permanent - for most of us, it comes back sometime during the first year post-surgery) and 2) keeps you from eating a ton of food at one sitting. What it doesn't prevent is "grazing" or mindless snacking, and that can be a really slippery slope. Take those first few months of no hunger and really work on changing that behavior. Nine years out, I struggle with that every day - the urge to eat mindlessly. It takes a lot of work and dedication to control that (although honestly, a lot of my never-been-obese friends struggle with that, too). I don't know if I'd ever eat my way back up to 373 lbs again, but I know if I let myself loose for more than a few days, my weight starts heading north...

Hello everyone! I see that the mid-month surgeries will be starting, some as of today! I'm am a week and a day post-op and have to say - I'm SO tired of being on a liquid diet and am absolutely counting down to this next Monday when I get to start purees. I'm telling myself I'm excited about purees, anyway - but I think I'm more looking forward to being able to have intake that isn't 'room temperature'. I've struggled to enjoy my pudding (sugar free, made with protein shake) because while cold it starts out nice and thick but as it begins to warm it gets slimy and watery I had things I wanted to respond to from the many posts I've just caught up on and by golly I'm going to try to tag multiples in this post and see if it works! *Please* forgive me if this is long; I'm a writer (unpublished but working on it - fantasy for anyone curious - so overwriting tends to be my worst tendency!) To start with, since I think this will affect pretty much everyone - I had an amazing revelation a couple of days ago that made PERFECT sense. Colace / Docusate is a stool softener, NOT a laxative! A friend of mine is a research junkie about medications (I am about almost everything BUT that) and shared a video to me of a Pharmacist talking about the absurd cost for Docusate / Colace considering what it IS. Miralax and Senna are laxatives, all Colace / Docusate does it provide lubrication to your stools so they will be easier to pass. I'm pretty irritated about this, honestly, because whileI can see the purpose of Colace/Docusate if you're severely constipated it won't actually get things 'Moving'! Literally >. I can attest to this being true because during my liquid diet the only times I had stools were when I took Senna - (obv check with your doctor/pharmacist, but seriously this helped me SO much because post-op I was again at 5 days without a stool, took some Senna, and bam.) To @AndreaJD and @Singingbarista , our Multi-care Clinic twinsies - How's it going?! This is your week!! I'm so excited for you both and hope your surgeries go great. You've both been wonderfully helpful and insightful in all the support you've offered and I'm eager to hear from you on the other side of the adventure! @AndreaJD - I just love your attitude SO much. Yes; we are certainly in a marathon for the next few months and NOT a sprint! I'm also rethinking my approach to food and looking forward to exploring new recipes. I find myself reading and re-reading my dietary instructions. I get a bit overly excited for my family's meals, savoring the smells and almost a bit resentful when they are NOT excited about the variety of foods that are available to them to eat. My fella says he wishes I'd stop vicariously trying to 'eat' through him - and I told him that's just tough, lol. I'm going to keep right on suggesting all of the available items like a waitress at a diner selling the food until I can eat a better variety myself! To @Justarwaxx and @Mandalynne- Today is your day!! I have you both in my thoughts and hope everything goes well for you! @Justarwaxx - Welcome to the forum, I'm so glad you joined us! @Mandalynne - Oh I'm SO glad to hear that my mentioning the Finch app helped someone! I'm rather ND myself (in case you couldn't tell from my rambling responses lol) and for me, Finch has been almost as life-changing as this surgery. Everything always felt overwhelming and scattered, with me constantly struggling to 'get on track' with endless efforts of organizational methods, then I would slide right back 'off track' for however long. My friend code on there is YJAMJAC79Y if you want to add my to your 'Tree Friends' lol - no offense taken if you don't! I can't believe they said only ONE day in the hospital for your surgery?! Surely they will keep you longer than THAT - it's pretty invasive! Please give us an update once you're situated and feel up to doing so! Also, I'm SO with you on enjoying the smells of food cooking! I keep looking at some blueberries and strawberries that are sitting in the fridge and literally pushing my Mom and fella to enjoy a popsicle for me, lol. I can't WAIT until I'm off this room temperature everything!! Update: I'm so sorry your surgery date was postponed! Hey there @draikaina8503 - Greetings, fellow nerd-friend! Your response about playing D+D & WoW resonated with me! I, too, am a gamer and nerd! ❤️ I have tried so many times to revisit WoW but it just is NOT the same now that I don't have all of my old friends and guildies from the 2007-2015 era around I have played WoW since 2004 on and off, and now have somewhat given up and just play Sims4. I love being able to create story and be immersed in my gaming, and always felt guilty to move into the territory of roleplaying storyline with folks when I never knew how long I'd 'stick around' on a given revisit to the game. But here you are, only *two days* away from your surgery! I hope that everything goes smoothly for you and that they aren't stingy with the pain relief. Ice packs have been SO helpful for me, as I previously stated, and making yourself get up and walk as soon as possible will help alleviate the gas pain. I had them get me a fresh ice pack each time before I went walking and would hold it pressed to my surgical area while pushing the stupid IV pole with my other hand. Remember, too, it's the act of walking and NOT the speed! You'll almost certainly feel the burps start to rise up and the relief that comes with that is as Shoppgirl said - it feels like a rainbow after a storm once the tooting and burps begin. Also; I appreciate you sharing that you're going through this as an individual with Au/ADHD; I'm on a wait list right now for testing and your mention reminded me that I need to follow up on that! As a result of my opening the different pages of this thread in different tabs I feel SO much more able to handle making a response all in one go like this! For anyone having trouble tagging you have to do the @ symbol, then start typing the name of the person you want to tag with a capitol letter. It will bring up a list at that point and the more letters you type the shorter that list of names will get - you can then tap on the right name (or click, if you're using a mouse - hope this helps!) I actually just noticed by combing through that @Pepper_No_Salt is also an 8/16 surgery ! You and @draikaina8503 are indeed surgery twins, just like you said! I bet you're starting to *really* feel it now! Or did they not get you scheduled back for the same day? I am SO glad that you got that issue corrected - I was mad on your behalf when I saw that it was cancelled! Hello and welcome, @Farhad , and congratulations on your surgery! Which one did you have, if I missed it, and how are you doing? I hope your pain is being managed well and that are having a good recovery. It sure is wild how quickly we fatigue now, isn't it? I learned around days 5-7 post-op that standing and doing anything that requires movement side to side causes me a lot more tenderness than when I slowly walk forward for the same amount of time, and couldn't for the life of me understand why. I guess it just makes a difference on how the incisions are pulled or tugged. I've got staples that I sure HOPE they take out Thursday because I'm SO tired of them pulling and feeling weird as a rough surface on my skin. To @Onemealplan - Thanks for your post and all of your great reminders that this journey will be very individualized experiences. We can see similarities but I've also definitely noticed how varied some of the doctor's orders for pre and post-op are. I was feeling jealous of @ShoppGirl for her ice chips, but then again she ALSO had a much longer pre-op diet than I did and we both were going in for a SADI surgery. My doctor ordered me to start with the vitamins as soon as I got home from the hospital, and I was here worrying about how I didn't re-start my calcium until yesterday because even though I ordered Bariatric calcium because it was STILL three big pills, so I reordered a chewable and it just got here yesterday. I will say the chewy Fusion style Calcium ones are tasty and felt like a brief reintroduction to flavor town, lol. I also appreciate what you said about the difference between physical and mental hunger - that's 100% true for me. The 'idea' of food sounding nice to me I've been treating as a craving for flavor, and I've taken to trying to sate that with different flavors of water beverages and a rare sugar free candy like a jolly rancher. I don't know if I'm supposed to allow myself those or not, but so far thankfully haven't had any negative consequences for having the occasional one. The visit to flavor town is certainly a welcome break from this shake monotony. Welcome and congratulations to you @Greekmom4! I'm taking the Prilosec as well and am right along with you, today I am 8 days post-op. Have you been experiencing nausea still? I'm not sure if it's due to my type of surgery but I've not had much nausea in a while, thankfully. Granted, I am trying super hard to alternate sipping water/sugar free Gatorade/Propel every 15 minutes and a bit of a 30g Protein shake every 15 minutes most of the time when I'm not napping - which seems I can never really do, because whenever I go to get flat or semi-flat I feel the settling in my chest of burps that will only come up if I sit upright fully and/or walk. I have been fortunate (I guess??) to be able to meet my protein goals for the past several days; the 30g Protein drinks are SUPER filling and feel a little heavy, especially felt very heavy at first. Finally - to @ShoppGirl - I was rereading and realized that of COURSE your journey was different than mine, not only because we have pre-surgery differences but also because they took out your Gallbladder as well! I'm so glad you're starting to get some relief due to the burping and such. I agree, the post-surgery bowel movement made a world of difference. See also above where I discussed learning the difference between the Colace and Senna/Miralax! You're a go-getter, that's for sure! I personally wouldn't recommend vacuuming today even though I know you're SO eager to get back to being productive. You may have already done it lol - I wouldn't be surprised! Thanks for the reminder to get up and move; I took longer writing this big response post than I should have and even though I have my ice pack in my lap I know I'm way overdue to get up and move around a bit. I enjoy you your sterile strips, I've got a total of 12 staples and they tug and pull obnoxiously, plus I can feel where my body is trying to push them out and HATE it. Thursday can't come soon enough!! Wishing you the best and so thankful for your continued interactions and support

Really enjoyed reading your update. This is quite the learning curve isn’t it. All this AND snowy adventures 😅. It has started snowing here in Scotland too, hopefully no power cuts for me. Distinguishing when I am actually hungry has become a bit of a thing for me too. Unfamiliar territory for sure. I am now 6 days post op and it’s been remarkably smooth for me, initially felt cheated as I fully expected to suffer and was adrift when I did not suffer beyond a few reminders now and then I had actually had surgery. No particular desire to suffer but at least I know how to cope with that… (endometriosis has dominated my life for years). Last night I spent several hours ruminating over putting back on weight I have yet to loose. 🙈. The mantra for today is one day at a time 😂. No cravings per se, I am instead having soups, protein shakes, I had a soft scrambled egg which was delicious, soft cheese, yoghurt and fromage frais. Today has been busy and I did not eat until 6pm, (1x 500ml protein shake and 800ml of water though) when I had a vague feeling of my stomach being empty. Tomorrow I was nourish myself better issues I have encountered, a favourite yoghurt is no longer a favourite, eating jelly is not for me, eating slowly is better. Best wishes to everyone. Lily2024 hope your power is back on soon xx

Yea I am at week two going on week three i misunderstood my diet and was eating soft foods a week early lol but I do find it hard to swallow the most annoying part is not being able to drink water comfortably really anything ive tried hot drinks and for some reason its better for me to take warm drinks. I got sugar free hot cocoa bc its been cold so far so good also caffeine free spearmint tea has been great. I’m down 16 lbs so far im hoping for a good 10/12 lbs moving forward per month but we shall see! I’m going to start my walking routine tomorrow and im excited for that. Happy loosing 🥰

You need to call your team. The dietician will give you some really great guidelines and hints if you are loosing too slow. As we do not know your weight and height we can not really say..

In my first 3 weeks I lost 16lbs too. My BMI was way more than yours and I could eat next to nothing as I had severe swelling on my internal scar. Hang in there, do the plan. This is not a race. Give yourself at least a year to loose the weight. This surgery is more about keeping your restriction going and eating less in the future so you never get obese again. Thats my goal. Log your calories and protein. Stick with what ever your team have said. They know what they are doing.

You look amazing! I'm considering going to Mexico for a one-and-done type surgery trip when it's time for my skin to go. The cheaper price sounds nice but honestly, I think it's the in-depth aftercare that's selling me on going there. Everyone I've seen who has traveled for plastics has had a similar care experience so far, and that alone seems worth it.