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Welcome to the bariatric world! I think everyone has a sagging skin issue. I didn't have a lot with my arms, neck and face thankfully but I do have an apron now and my boobs sag more then they did before surgery (tmi?), and while I am tickled my thighs no longer touch when I walk, if I walk fast they slap. I plan on having a mommy makeover surgery to fix the things I don't like. They next time I see my doctor I'll be talking to his plastic surgeon about fixing the issues. I had surgery 6/7/22 and I've lost 122lbs. Even with the sagging skin I'm down from a 26/28 to a size 14 that is starting to get loose. I have such a better quality of life. I would not change one day post op. Even if I never got a mommy makeover. I think the majority of my brothers and sisters in the bariatric world would agree that they are happier post op sagging skin and all. You'll do great! We are here to support you!

Sorry for signing up and then immediately posting something TMI. I've been lurking for a while but signed up to ask/vent about this issue, since my bariatrics office is closed on weekends and I can't talk to my surgeon until Monday. So I had my sleeve done on the 2nd of this month. All went swimmingly. This past Monday I had my one week post-op and again, everything went swimmingly -- except for my pulse. My pulse measured 143 and I was admitted to the ER and eventually placed inpatient as it was determined I'd developed acute metabolic acidosis. Okay, that's my bad, thought I'd been consuming enough water but I guess not. Once my bicarbonate levels were normal again I was discharged, on Thursday. My issue started after that. Since coming home, I've been struck with severe nausea and stomach cramps, and since last night have been vomiting and having diarrhea frequently. I can't drink anything, and I've been trying desperately to keep hydrated through this. Any time I drink, within five minutes it's leaving my body again. And, to be extra TMI, the diarrhea is... yellow. As if there's excess fat in the stool. Which there shouldn't be, since all I consume is water and... well, protein water. I tried OTC medicine like Kaopectate, but it didn't help at all. I was wondering if I'd picked something up while in the hospital, but if it was bacterial, Kaopectate should've helped right? All the way leading up to surgery I was told over and over about preventing constipation, so this is kinda the last thing I expected lol. Has anyone else dealt with this after having a sleeve? Did you find any way to alleviate it? I'll be talking to my doctor on Monday (and crossing my fingers I won't have to go back in the hospital for a third time this month...) but man I'm really not looking forward to another day of going back and forth between the toilet and the bed.

I definitely think moving around has helped. I have to drink slowly as well. Except now everything is going right through me (tmi I know). Hope you are doing well

Hi- yes, it sounds like this is what happened…much better now! Getting water and warm bone broth down. I was so worried I’d rupture the stitches as I was burping up acidic foam ( sorry TMI?) and my body was completely defeated from exhaustion. By bedtime I was taking small sips and just plan to not take vitamins until I talk to the nurse and surgeon on Tuesday. Thank you for your help.

Hi Blessed, My RNY was also on 3/29. I've definitely had my struggles and still do! I started on Pureed foods a few days ago. The first few days were rough! I think I was so excited to start on them that I overdid it a couple times. Pretty sick after that. Felt faint-ish, weak, racing heart, VERY nauseous. Luckily both times were around bed time, so I laid down and after a while subsided and I finally slept. I have given up the protein shakes as even to LOOK at them makes me feel like vomiting. VERY strong aversion to them now. I bought the Vital Proteins Collagen Peptide powder someone on here (sorry I can't remember who!) that has 18 grams of protein in 2 tbsp and luckily blends really well, especially in hot things like my coffee, so I start with that every morning. I have no appetite and have to go by when I start feeling weak to make myself eat. I'm sensitive to almost all artificial sweeteners so haven't been able to tolerate sugar free things. How about you? Went shopping with the hubby yesterday and bought most of the things recommended by the fabulous people on here to puree. Great ideas. I'll try the white fish (we bought cod) tonight with thinned mashed potatoes. I was feeling nauseated yesterday after eating egg salad, so a couple hours later I was naughty and ate 3 saltine crackers very slowly which really seemed to help. I don't know about anyone else, but after I eat something, the thought of eating it again makes me ill. Did anyone else have trouble with that? Going back to work has been tough. 10-11 hour days. I work in a very busy vet clinic, so trying to get in "snacks" has been difficult and I end up feeling crappy, weak, brain fog until I get to lunch. The last couple days getting in my water while I'm there has been tough too. Everyone I work with is awesome and would allow me the chance to get a snack, but it takes so long to eat it that I feel guilty for having to step away for a bit to do that, especially since we've been short-handed. I just need to do it, though. Next thing here is totally TMI, so skip if you don't wanna know. I've had a b/m almost daily, but never a complete one. They are very pasty and don't seem to want to evacuate my body well (LOL). I did start eating Activia with protein powder in it to see if that will help. Miralax and Dulcolax does NADA for me. Any other recommendations? My left side still has some pain- almost gas-like. I've taken the chewable Gas-x which doesn't do much either. I definitely don't like my bra sitting on top of where my stomach is, so off it goes at all times when I'm at home! Weird thing is that my hot flashes have seemed to return with a vengeance which a year before surgery had finally stopped. Bummer. Anyone else struggling with this? I've been working with my shrink regarding my meds. We've had to adjust things a couple times already. I can't take Gabapentin at bed time anymore- makes me so dizzy. Also switching from Zoloft to Lamotrigine. I used to take all my meds at once in one big swallow. Can't do THAT anymore, so slowly it goes, which frustrates me a bit. The good thing is that overall I'm doing pretty good. I'm only weighing myself once a week, so Wed. I'll reweigh myself. My body is totally changing tho! I still don't have a lot of energy, but hopefully that will improve over time. Some days are better than others. I did take some "before" pictures (but can't figure out how to edit out my boobs so will be for my eyes only!), just to help me see my progress if the scales don't show a loss. Clothes are much looser already tho! Ok, sorry to ramble so long. I threw a lot out there, but that's kinda how I am. It soooo helps to know if others are going or have gone thru these same things! I look forward to and love the feedback. I hope you and everyone else are doing well!

Yes this was me too, its miserable. You need to go to the emergency room or contact your team and see if you are dehydrated, if you are they will put you on a drip. There are other things that will eventually make you feel better. Biotin spray is brilliant for that awful dry mouth You need to get some anti nausea medication, I take 2 a day, it helped a lot You need to up your liquids everyday, even if its only a little, once you get to your quota, this helps you feel better. The iron in the multivitamin may make you nauseous, I dropped it from my regime. I have never put it back into my vitamin regime because I have never needed it to date. So if this worked for me, it is not proven, I would have tried anything, I was so miserable. We all keep the large amount of acid our stomachs that we had before surgery, this does not help with nausea. Sleep in a recliner if you have one. I didn't, so I put a large book under the top of my bed and bought a wedge pillow Your first bowel movement is a doozy and TMI ALERT, I had to resort to rubber gloves, others have had to go to the ER and let the nurses deal with it. Once you get more liquid and food in you will manage better, plus then you will be able to get some constipation meds. As this medication pulls water into your bowel you can not take it yet. It would make you more dehydrated. I hope you feel better fast

Hi all, i am currently 15 days post op and am transitioning into my puréed stage of food. Any tips for puréed stage and being at work? i go back to work on the 25th and i work in Daycare/Childcare so a very attentive job. My surgeon has advised i need to wait 30 minutes to drink water and wait 10 minutes if i’ve had water to eat before hand. As i work this job it’s sort of hard. Any tips on what foods you guys ate im really struggling on this. I made a mushroom soup and puréed it and had a teaspoon of it and (TMI!!) regurgitated as the texture was awful. Please help me 🫶🏼

I had bypass on the 11th. I'm sore and bloated and have diarrhea (tmi sorry). At least I'm not hungry!

Thanks again to everybody who replied. As an update, it actually wasn't an allergic or bad reaction to the protein shakes, but a really bad case of the STOMACH FLU. Ugh. Only starting to feel a little better now - 4 days later. On the bright side, my fears about how hard the first few days would be on a liquid diet kinda were for nothing 🙂. I still can't stomach protein shakes after all the violent vomiting (sorry if TMI). So my first 4 days of a liquid diet has pretty much consisted of chicken broth, water and a little non-fat yogurt. At this point, just trying to get my fluids up. I haven't spoken to my surgeon yet about this...hoping it won't delay surgery.

An Update: I've been getting 3 meals eaten--yogurt in the morning. Usually cottage cheese or chopped moist chicken at lunch. then eggs or sometimes baked fish for dinner. Fluids aren't wonderful--usually 48 oz, still working up to 64oz. I'm feeling hungry but not traditional hunger--I get uncomfortable pains that rise up from my stomach, especially in the mornings--that seems to be a hunger cue. I also get gas pain/bubbles that rise up into my chest while I'm eating. Doesn't seem to matter how small a spoonful I'm eating. I hope that eases soon b/c its painful. On a TMI note, I haven't had a BM since Thursday. However I don't feel uncomfortable or have any pain. I feel very good otherwise. Took at 1 mile walk Friday and 1.8 mile walk at the beach yesterday! How are you other March 13-ers doing?

Hello apologies for the unsavory topic! I'm waiting to hear back from my surgical advice but wanted to ask here because people are so helpful, I'll be 3 weeks post op this sunday and every day since the surgery I've had bad diarrhea (as in complete liquid and orange) apologies tmi I know Has anyone else had this? I'm struggling because it makes me feel nauseous all day nearly and I know it's only a matter of time before I need to go and sit on the throne again, I lie down after and about 20 minutes later I dont feel so awful Surgery advice said they would expect it to be dumping syndrome but I haven't had sugars because they taste foul at the minute and I'm hardly eating or drinking either and it's been every flipping day now! I know it must clear up but it's making it so all I'm doing is lying down and feeling like I made a stupid decision Thanks in advance! Sam

Hello everyone, I finally got to have my surgery this passed Monday. I had a vertical sleeve done. Pre op I went from 255.9 to 239.6 so very excited for that. Sadly that's not the reason I'm writing today. Sorry in advance this may get TMI. So for me it is day 4. I called my nurses because I had only been on water this whole time and just felt awful. They told me to just rest get some protein water and apple juice because even though I was following the liquid diet to the letter my body needs those to function. What I wasn't warned about was the bathroom issues. I literally take a sip and almost instantly to and hour later I'm upstairs with bad bathroom issues. My stomach feels like I have a kicking baby in my abdomin and the gurgle wow. Did anyone else experience this? How long did it last? It sucks. One more thing to worry about. My doctor said it will balance out once we get more food in me starting Tuesday. Help me survive the next few days. Please?

Hi everyone. I need some advice or encouragement… because I still don’t really see the light at the end of the tunnel 😕 I had surgery 33 days ago. I already posted before about my journey 2 weeks post op and how I couldn’t eat nor drink properly for weeks. I can gladly say that drinking has improved immensely and somehow eating as well. However things have shifted dramatically and I don’t know if I’m the only one. The cramping and pain that used to be located around my old stomach in the early days has somehow moved to my bowels now. Let me explain. Up to week 3 post op, every time I tried to eat or drink something I would instantly feel it in the new pouch like a heaviness or discomfort. That would then change into non stop gurgling, sometimes foaming. This feeling of wanting to burp but nothing comes out until hours later. I’d of course lose my appetite once again and lay down for the pain to go away. Now, we’ll into 4 weeks post op, that type of discomfort has almost disappeared (it’s still there) but the cramps and instant bowel movements and heavy diarrhoea is a daily issue. One sip of water in the morning results in a bowel movement. And it’s an uncomfortable one! I am also so so gassy and I cannot hold it in at all! The other day I was with my brother in my car and it just came out without a warning. I had to open the window because the smell is out of this world… Have you guys encountered this as well? TMI my poop is completely gray. I already spoke to my doctor about it and she said it was nothing to worry about for now.

Sorry to hear you are having issues with constipation. i too had it pretty bad and remember those days well. I ended up using an enema for relief. The secret to the enema is to (TMI) try and wait to use the bathroom for a few minutes after you have finished the enema. Miralax did nothing for me and since I can't swallow pills the stool softeners were out. I just made sure to use benefiber every day. You will soon learn how much fiber you need to take in to stay regular and once you start to add more fruit and veggies in your diet it will get much better. Hope this helps.

TMI, but I nearly passed out in the shower (not on) when attempting to use an enema. I was in so much pain. Enema didn't work and went the manual route, which was a big relief. Hurt for a few days after but all better after a week. I try to really keep on top of my liquids, too. Constipation is awful. Hope you feel better soon!

I am wondering if anyone else went through this. I am 13 days post off and have severe constipation. Nothing worked suppositories miralax colace benefiber. This is tmi but my spouse had to Manuel remove my impacted stool. Well its out now but extreme pain. What are some other choices? Sent from my LM-Q730 using BariatricPal mobile app

One month since surgery, and first day of soft foods. For lunch, had an egg without issue. Dinner was hard - I tried some chicken and felt stuck in my throat. Sorry if tmi! Anyone able to share what's worked for them in transitioning to soft foods?

5 Days post op and feeling pretty good! I'm weak and a bit lightheaded in the morning until I can get enough protein in. Had my first BM yesterday (sorry if TMI, but I figure after we've been through that shouldn't offend anyone LOL) Gas is slowing coming out. Woke up this morning surprised to find myself sleeping on my stomach. No nausea at all. I've barely been able to meet my protein and liquid goals, but it requires sipping all day long. The only thing is a persistant sharp stitch like cramp on my left side. Hiccups hurt like the devil LOL. How is everyone else progressing?

I had my surgery on February 15th I deal with the gas bubbles that builds up also not able to take in a lot of fluids my stomach hurts worse when trying to take in more. Lastly I know this may be a bit tmi but I still haven’t pooped yet

I had my sleeve revised to RNY 11/10/22 due to GERD. I stayed on fluids/purées/soft foods advancing very slowly. I didn’t start solid foods until end of December (about 6 weeks). Since then I feel like I’m playing Russian Roulette every time I eat. Sometimes I eat and feel fine without pain or restriction. Other times I will eat the same exact thing, same amount and be doubled over in pain until 4-8 hours later when I finally throw up and the food comes up not even partially digested. Every time I freak that I have an obstruction. Nutritionists say it’s too much fiber or too much fat, but it’s not necessarily associated with diarrhea and why, then, can I tolerate it sometimes and others not? Surgeon is sending me in for an upper GI barium study next week. I’m so stressed that I have stretched my pouch somehow but I can sometimes eat far more volume without issue compared to some of these episodes. Has anyone else experienced this? TMI, I’m also noticing pale colored stools but the pain is on the left, not on the right with my gallbladder. He said my gallbladder looked fine during surgery. I just need this to work so I feel better and can get on with my life.

I take colace every day. It's part of my meds. I'm pretty regular now at 7 months out having an almost a daily "deposit". My problem was hard bowels, for risk of TMI - my body was trying to poo boulders - so the colace was the answer for me. I haven't had a problem since I started taking it. If it's getting it moving I would get a fiber supplement. Miralax is a favorite among our crowd and I am sure we have some that have recommendations for tried and true fiber. I used benefiber for awhile and I liked that I could mix it in ANYTHING without an added taste or after taste.

I had the gastric sleeve on Nov. 29th. I am doing well except the constipation is horrible! I take colace twice a day and today is day 4 with no bowel movement (sorry for the TMI). I am wondering what others use to help with this? I am feeling so bloated. I have milk of magnesia, and some generic laxative pills i got from CVS pharmacy, also have miralax in the house. I am not sure what I can take. I called the Dr office but with it being Friday late in the day the MA said she would call me after she gets an answer, which may not be until Monday. I don't think I can go that long without this making me sick. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. I drink at least 80 oz of water a day so its not that. Thank you all in advance.

Most insurance now days requires a medically supervised diet. Generally it ranges anywhere from 3 months to a full year. My own was 6 months, but it also took an extra 2 month to schedule my surgery due to the fact that they were overbooked, so for me it was 8 months. Maybe your surgeon is just used to patients having a longer requirement and is just concerned that maybe you'll struggle with the dietary requirements and getting used to eating in a new way? But, honestly? Although I DID diet before my surgery I don't eat the same way as I did now during that time. I took my weight loss phase of my surgery to learn how to eat healthier and how to do it in a sustainable way since this is not a 'diet' but rather a life change. You have to learn to eat in a healthier way for the rest of your life, but you want to do it sustainably. I had to learn how to work in foods that I loved, but do it in moderation. Because I do not want to be a statistic in weight loss surgery failure. I do NOT want to gain my weight back! Hell, I cry if I'm up 1 pounds over what I consider my 'comfort range' (the top of my comfort range is 191. My secondary maintenance weight range is 186-191. I say secondary because my original maintenance range for an entire year was 179-183, but in your second year leading up to your third year post op you gain some weight back. It's normal. It sucks and I had massive issues with it which is probably part of what is causing my chronic anxiety, but I'm allowing myself to not freak out as long as my weight doesn't go over 191 at the heaviest. I'm 189 today. And sorry if that's TMI. I'm an aspie so sometimes I overshare what others see as pointless info.). Anyway, you are the one who knows yourself best and if you feel that you can be successful in three months then go for it! Also, welcome to the forums and I wish you the best on your weight loss journey! It's a difficult one, but incredibly fulfilling! 😊

Reposting something I posted elsewhere: First, the most common reason for any stall, including the dreaded 3-week stall is simply that you are retaining more Water. There are a few reasons this happens, but around the 3-week mark it comes down to the fact that your body is adjusting to a low carb intake after converting from glycogen to ketones for energy. More water is needed to burn glycogen, so you were retaining more water pre-surgery than you are now that you're using primarily ketones for energy. At about the 3-week mark, your body eventually recognizes that the water loss is long term, so other mechanisms have started kicking in to start holding on to more water. This water loss due to the change between glycogen and ketones is the primary reason for "keto flu", and something that increases your risk of dehydration early after surgery. The other "reasons" for plateaus really don't apply as much at the 3 week mark, but will become more important later in the process. Let's cover those too though so you're prepared: As you lose more weight, your overall metabolic rate will slow down. People sometimes think fat is not metabolically active, but that's not true. Less fat means your metabolism slows down, even if you retain the same amount of muscle. As you lose weight, it takes less effort to move, so the amount of calories you burn from activity also drops quite a bit. As you progress, you'll be able to eat more and especially if you're not tracking intake closely by weighing and measuring your food, you can easily be eating a lot more than you think. This one may be TMI for some, but you may simply be retaining more stool. This is going to be hard for some people to hear, but I can tell you one thing it's not, and that's hormones. Yes, various hormonal processes negatively impact weight loss in a myriad of ways, but they don't overcome basic physics: if you eat less than you are burning, you'll lose weight. What these hormones can do if they're out of whack, is not good things like slowing your metabolism, increasing your hunger, screwing with water weight, or even fooling you into thinking you're eating less than you are. So, with all that sciency stuff out of the way, what do we actually do if we're in a stall? Well, I think it depends on when it happens and how long it lasts: If it's early (a.k.a. the 3-week stall), just keep doing what you're doing and you should be fine. I know people don't like that advice, but as I said, it's just water, so don't worry about it. Later on, especially if the stall is lasting longer than 2-3 weeks. that's when I think it's important that you look closely at what you are actually burning, as well as really tracking what you are eating. If you don't know your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), you should. The closer you are to goal, the harder it is to get the balance right between intake and output to make sure you're not eating too much, so fixing this starts with knowing your BMR and accurate food logging. There's a lot of anecdotal advice thrown around about "ways to break a stall", but there seems to be little scientific evidence for any of it. Most of it certainly won't hurt to try, e.g. breaking up your routine in terms of diet or exercise, but just understand that this change may or may not have had any impact. If it makes you feel better to be proactive, go for it. Longer term, there is one piece of solid advice that's backed up by lots of research: Even if you don't really like working out, do it anyway. Those WLS patients that make a regular habit of exercising for 45 minutes to an hour most days a week are significantly more likely to reach their goal and maintain the weight loss. (One caveat here: significantly changing your exercise routine can make you retain water and possibly even add muscle, so don't freak out if you see a stall or even a gain.) I'll take that exercise advice one step further and say you really should be doing some form of strength training. This is also backed up by lots of studies, but the great thing about strength training is that it makes your burn more calories even at rest (in other words, it increases your metabolic rate). There are lots of other benefits, but the metabolic benefit is the most germaine to the stall question. Those that do strength training are less likely to stall during weight loss.

Some people lose less, some lose more, but you lose more pounds per month the higher your BMI. I lost 23 pounds the first month, but I was also well over 300 pounds. I lost 16 pounds the second month and 17 pounds the third month and only 7 pounds the fourth month and 11 pounds the fifth. My point is... your weight loss isn't going to be steady. It'll be all over the place. And even if your numbers are smaller... every pounds adds up. I reached my goal weight in 18 months (admittedly I did have the gain back that happens during your second year leading up to your third, partially due to a med that made me gain weight, but I'm still satisfied with my weight loss which is maintaining at 186-191. I'm 189 today. But I'm also having my monthly so I'm sure it'll go down again after the fact lol. TMI, sorry.). Technically speaking I still lost over the amount that was projected for me. My lowest weight according to my surgeon's office was estimated to be around 189 pounds (where I'm today) but I got down to 175 at my lowest. It was estimated that I'd end up at 199 during the gain back period when I hit 3 years. I'm at 189 currently and my 3 year surgiversary is about 2 weeks away. So you can certainly lose more than you surgeon says, but it's very much about your own body, metabolism, and dedication. I mean, I honestly feel like I could have lost another 10-15 pounds if I'd been super strict with my diet, but I didn't feel like I could have maintained that and kept my sanity. During the weight loss phase I took that time to learn a new way to eat in a sustainable way. Being super restrictive just is not something that I can do for the rest of my life to keep off an extra 10-15 pounds. My dietician says that the way I chose to go about things is healthier and sustainable and my blood work looks great so I'm clearly getting enough nutrition with my diet and my weight has been steady and maintained for the last 6 months (for almost a year before that it maintained at 179-183, but the stupid med made me gain weight. It's been maintaining where it's at now though for 6 months, so that's good). Just, take your doctors numbers into account and then try and smash them if you can lol. Also, sorry for the long post. I'm an aspie so sometimes I do give out what some think of as pointless info that they feel they don't need, but hopefully this did help you in some way. That was the intent, anyway.