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My first year I *did* look sick, nothing like I looked before. A manager in another city did the same operation 8 months ahead of me without my knowing and he looked sick. While we may be feeling better, our bodies are going through tremendous stresses and may make us look sick compared to our well fed former selves. Seeing us 6-12 months ago and now can be quite a shock. I took it as concern, not judgement. I would just say I was feeling good and move on. Others would say I was looking good, to which I would just say I was feeling good and move on. Not every honest perception that is not favorable is 'judgement.' Of course, y'all know who you hang with and how their minds work. Good luck, Tek

i was concerned w/not pooping.. bc honestly, a good poop sets the tone for my day (no shame.. I accept who I am) but my team told me that after surgery, i'd be going 1/2 as often as i used to. So if I had 1 movement before surgery, i'd have 1 every other or every 2 days. Thankfully, I'm at about 1x a day now, but when i wasn't having a bowel movement, i def made sure to take my vitamins and drinks all my water.. it got things going. 💩 also, if i go more than 3 days, i might "cheat" and have something i know will get things going. i always track, tho.

Aw i understand. I went through all the emotions but possibly had diff concerns. It was an emotional rollercoaster preop. I thought I had insurance coverage for bariatric but was afraid the surgeon wouldn't agree that I needed it so I was scared and felt hopeless with my "new life" sitting in the hands of a stranger while he determined whether I could get this desperately needed new beginning. He quickly agreed and I was on top of the world until I called insurance 10mins later to see what kind of diet plan they required and was informed that bariatric was excluded from my plan. It crushed me because I didn't think my husband would agree to take out a loan to pay for it, as he's the sole provider for a family of 5 while I'm in college still. I pled my case, bawling my eyes out to my husband explaining how badly I wanted this, how I didn't want my children to have to shave my body hair and bathe me like I had to do for my mother because of her weight when I was a child, and I explained how ashamed I was for following in her footsteps and secretly judging her so critically when I was her caregiver. I felt the only way I could escape that shame and lose this excess weight would be to get a second chance through weightloss surgery because I had allowed it to go too far. Well he was very understanding and agreed we could take out the loan. I did all my preop classes, appts, and diet while still being on an emotional rollercoaster.. receiving good news about the process one day and a set back the next day... worrying the entire time whether I was choosing the correct surgery and obsessing over it literally all day everyday bc I didnt want to fail at my "one shot to get this right", having anxiety at every doc appt, not knowing how to finally make myself quit smoking after 16 years and being terrified they wouldnt give me the surgery if they found out I hadn't stopped, being afraid theyd fail me for the psych eval bc of all this anxiety, suffering through the liquid diet, and finally made it to the weekend of surgery! So excited again and just ready to get it over with until I got a call the day before surgery that I had tested positive for covid and the surgery would need to be rescheduled. I was asymptomatic and positive but everyone else in my house tested negative. I was so frustrated. I threw a fit inside myself and ate everything in sight while on quarantine, gaining all the weight back that i had lost preop. What i didnt know when i was being a brat is that they ended up scheduling me for just a month later, which still felt like an eternity to wait but i now i see wasnt very long at all...this reply is getting long bc im very long winded lol so ill quickly add the rest. I had surgery, way less pain than I expected, the hospital staff was amazing during covid, one night stay, went home and felt 100% better (except fatigue) after 2 weeks. Now 2 months out from sleeve ive lost 45lbs (35 post op) but also have no body aches and am feeling like myself again. I say all this to say, my frustrations and concerns may differ from urs but I understand the preop process is very difficult for everyone in different ways and we all just want to rush to our new beginning so we can do it right this time. Once u have surgery, it'll seem all the worrying and dreading wasnt even necessary because ur just so focused and grateful for the surgery that whatever may come is totally worth it and everything turned out fine in the end! Its such a blessing to watch ur body change, grow stronger and feel better.. to see urself become unhidden behind all that was once there..one exciting day at a time. Anyways, give urself permission to be hopeful, positive and expectant bc everything about ur life is about to change for the better! Again, sorry I can't help but blab! [emoji4][emoji1787] Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

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im really sorry for the long post ahead i just don't know who to talk to about what im currently feeling... about two years ago, my endo recommended wls to me and i immediately shot him down and was upset he'd even mention it bc i didn't think i was overweight enough to need it. i didn't really understand it or understand what it could do for me that I've always struggled with doing for myself. i'm 209lbs and 5'2" which puts me at 38 BMI, but i have so many complications. my health is atrocious- im a type 2 diabetic (treated like type 1) thats insulin dependent (pump) while also taking xigduo and cycloset to help lower my sugars. i have sleep apnea, i have high triglycerides and have had pancreatitis 5 times from a range of 2 1/2 years (every 6 months like clockwork). i have gastroparesis, depression and anxiety. i have a history of eating disorders. after a recent hospital stay- where the cause of my admission is still unclear, but gastritis and fatty liver were determined- i finally started doing research and seriously considering wls. it was so embarrassing hearing the nurses talk during each shift change. having to tell my whole history, knowing that so many of these issues could have been controlled. i just felt so defeated. i talked to my mom abt it at the time and she's been a great support. i told my endo during my followup and he recommended me to a surgeon. i have my first consultation in a week but im scared. i told two of my closest friends, one of who is the most supportive person ever. but the other one.. hasn't really said much. and i feel discouraged by her because she doesn't believe i am "fat." my grandmother is the same way. they don't understand that i want this surgery for my health because I've tried long term dieting and exercise but with the amount of insulin i take daily its SO HARD to lose weight. i just want out of this hellhole of medication and hospital visits.... i don't take my meds and i feel like sh*t... i take my meds and i feel like sh*t... i just want to not rely on medication, and to just be someone thats healthy. and of course i have issues mentally with my size but i try not to share them because my friends are all heavier than i am, so i feel like no one takes how i feel seriously. i want to not be so defined by my weight. its hard when 2 of the people you expect to support you the most are so against you doing something that can help you. its almost making me believe that i shouldn't do it bc im not fat enough or unhealthy enough.. almost like i don't even "deserve" it...

@SAsurgery Hi. I'm 15 1/2 years out from a traditional DS. - What foods do you avoid? (Fatty foods? Carbs? Can you tolerate small amounts?) I eat fatty foods. It helps to "grease the wheels" so to speak. For instance, I buy 80% chopped ground beef as I need the fat. It does generally takes me 2 sittings to finish a meal. - Do you have diarrhea? Sometimes. My doctors classify diarrhea as going too much and/or going liquid. I'm more in the too much area. This will occur if I eat junk and/or too many simple carbs. That's why I eat them pretty much only at home. If you have diarrhea and you're not sure why, it can signify it's time for a dose of Flagyl. Many DSers I know take it yearly and I probably should, too. Just to keep things even. - How many Vitamins do you take? Have you experienced Vitamin deficiencies? Have you had to get infusions? I take over 40 a day. It's second nature. As a matter of fact, when I wasn't permitted to take them while going through gb surgery, I went a little nutty. I'm just so used to it after so long. I've had some issues with my bloods. Sometimes the numbers are too high, other times too low. My surgical group has me do them every 6 mos. so tweaks can be made to what I take. The only infusion I take is Reclast. But I know a good many DSers who need iron infusions. That's never been an issue for me. - Do you struggle to maintain your weight loss? Do you feel like you are constantly on a diet? No and no (and we don't count calories). I kept a food log for the first 6 mos., now I have a protein ticker in the back of my head that just checks off protein grams. I eat 125-150gr/day so I'm constantly eating protein. Just had my mid-morning snack which was cheese and nuts. I also keep it low on the simple carbs. I don't want the weight gain or the gas/stool issues. I'll probably grab a triple cheeseburger w/catsup from McD later if I'm hungry in the afternoon. I just eat the meat. First, bc the bun is too filling and I always eat protein first. Second, bc I don't want what will come with the carbs. - Anything else you wish you had known before surgery? Do a Dexa scan preop. So you can have a baseline. Keep all your blood work. I have it since preop. It allows me to look for trends (esp. the last 3 draws) and also can help out if there's an issue. Some DSers I know have made a spread sheet for their blood work. I've never missed a day of supplements. I expect as a Dr. you won't either. 😊

i was cleared after 8 weeks to lift weights. i wasnt allowed to lift anything over 10lbs unti then (but didnt listen bc i def was lifting heavier stuff.. but didnt cause issues) basically i was told that if it hurts, don't do it. i'm starting to incorporate ab workouts and planks, and im just shy of 3 months post op

Hey hey! Ull be glad to know we have similar starting stats! I am 31 years old, had a BMI of 40.67 and was a size 18-20. I was 252lbs at my highest (10 days prior to vertical gastric sleeve surgery) and I was 242lbs on 7.27.20 (day of surgery). I am 5ft 6. I am 2 months post op now. Already i am down to 206lbs. I have lost 45lbs in total and 35 in two months since surgery.my bmi is 33.25 at the moment. I no longer have hip and back pain, my face is back to looking like "myself" again, I wake up happy every single day now and don't feel like I need to to hide away inside the house because of shame. I wear a size 16 at the moment. I have always had a big butt. Washing and wiping my own butt before surgery had started getting difficult which was one of my main wake up calls. I no longer have any issues with this at all only two months out! I could go on and on. There are sooooo many pros to having wls of any kind! My husband was skeptical that wls was necessary and wanted me to diet and work out with him for another year before we considered "something so drastic"..he now agrees this is exactly what I needed and is glad we didn't wait another year of me feeling the way I did about myself. As far as recovery, it was very easy for me. Sharp pain from incision sutures for abt a week, maybe 1.5 weeks. Within 2 weeks I had no pain. Can eat very little (have to remind myself to eat bc im not hungry and it seems kind of tedious to eat now bc its only like 4-5 bites of something) and i have no desire to eat sweets or junk anymore. That is huge for me bc I would easily and regularly consume cookies, brownies, candy bars, chips and crackers by the box/package by myself in just a few days. I craved snacks all day everyday. The only "con" i am experiencing is that i loved water before surgery and chugged it all day everyday. Now it's another thing i have to remind myself to do and it feels so tedious because i can only sip water now, not chug. Oh oops i forgot.. vitamins and meds are another "con" for me because I was not any meds prior to sleeve surgery and didnt take vitamins. Now i take like 3 meds and vitamins daily. My stomach is so small it feels as tho I've eaten after just taking my meds. I used to be able to throw back 3 Tylenols and swallow at once but now i take each pill one at a time because i feel like im gonna choke on the smallest pill size. I think this is just a fear tho..like a mental thing..and not actually a legit concern or something that is experienced by others lol. Anyways, i hope i covered enough for u. If u have any other questions, feel free to ask. Im an open book and wish i had found this app when i was preop. I did find TONS of videos on YouTube that convinced me sleeve surgery was just as good of an option as bypass for me tho! The videos I watched showed sleevers years out remaining successful and losing over 100lbs. The videos showed me ppl experiencing restriction and maintaining their goal weight years out which proved to me that bypass wasn't necessary for me to reach my 100lb weight loss goal and maintain it. This was encouraging for me because i was self pay and sleeve is cheaper. I would not let money be a determining factor tho. I was kind of forced into sleeve anyways because I am a smoker..still trying to quit at this point. OHHH BTW My mother had bypass 13 years ago and has remained at her goal wait this far out. This made me believe bypass had a higher success rate because she gets dumping, forcing her to not eat certain things or too much. Many surgeons disagree abt whether sleeve patients get dumping. I can eat whatever i want post op without getting sick but obviously can only eat a small portion. Many surgeons and patients argue about whether this restriction is lifted a few years out but there are ppl on here who will tell you they still have restriction with sleeve years out so it's hard to know what each of our bodies will experience. Do your research, watch youtube vids, listen to what people have to say, but most importantly choose a good bariatric team and trust your surgeon! Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Thank you so much. I am having issues filling profile bc I pushed “do later” so I may have to use other email & start over. Yes, as soon as that Persian cat somebody abandoned & was hiding in my basement was taken by my neighbor & she vacuumed everything my throat & eyes stopped swelling shut & opened pretty quick just very week. I find that the only way I can get the protein right now is Premier protein I just found it. & I can get more than 2 tablespoons but I can do more than 2 tablespoons of water & my booklet says not more so I hope that doesn’t stretch my stomach . I had sleeve Sep 8. My main thing now is I need to get moving immediately. power walking & swimming a half hour is good but I’m too weak to go to Zumba or elliptical. So I just need to add 15 minutes to the 30 & so on. & put weights on my wrists. It’s a shame it will be too cold to swim soon. Oh & the crystal light is helping. Thank you so much & will work on profile!

Sorry, I’m new here and thought I was thought of as controlling but was trying to show 1% scary things happen so it’s not worth it is all. I ate a slice of turkey lunch meat and chewed forever. Sorry thought I came off as scaring people but the u-tube I put can scare people so I shouldn’t have. Television personality was fine after . I don’t think she was ready but wanted tv show so she probably learned her lesson. Doubt she’ll eat Taco Bell or pizza again. I’m just having trouble getting protein and water in bc was down for 2 weeks so sick. Can only get half an ounce of fluids so I’ll call surgeon tomorrow bc had sep 9 th. He knows I was I’ll tho. I know, I can hardly get an ounce of water down & protein makes me ill. Tomorrow’s a new day.

I am also still smoking 2 months post op. Ive smoked for 16 years and don't seem to have the will power to quit. I keep telling myself now that I've got the food under control I am going to quit tho bc theres no point in getting this surgery to have better health if I'm killing myself internally.. then the sleeve surgery becomes simply cosmetic and thats not why i got it..im giving myself grace and working one goal at a time tho this time bc ive always tried to improve too many things at once and speak very critically to myself which causes me to fail at them all. I dont know if it was because i was self pay but my doc didnt test. I did lie and tell them i quit a month before surgery because i was so afraid theyd cancel it. Dont beat urself up. Whats done is done.i genuinely hope it works out for u! i can totally relate. Keep us updated!! Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

I’m glad I read this because I wasn’t told the hunger glands came back! I was set back 2 weeks because I’m deathly allergic to cats & my eyes & throat almost completely swelled shut so I didn’t exercise for 1st 2 1/2 weeks. I only lost 19 lbs including pre op shakes but I started walking and swimming yesterday. I hope I make it past honeymoon stage because my surgeon said I should have lost minimum 35 pounds in 4 1/2 weeks. I’m still having trouble with water & shakes bc until the abandoned cat hiding in house was removed, I was pretty out of it. So I’m really just starting. So the lack of hunger only lasts 2 months? Ugh . I’m just glad I finally had the sleeve surgery so I have it in my head to really start serious again. It’s weird I didn’t lose laying in bed not taking much in because swollen throat. Second that Persian cat was removed to neighbors I was better fast. Thanks for everyone’s questions and advice on here.

These ideas are not really hot but might help room temp. I Had sleeve sep 8. Had 2 week setback bc abandoned Persian snuck in & hid. Was so ill my eyes swelled shut. Saw surgeon Tues. He said it’s important to get lots of plain H2O each day. If you like idea In pics U Can get disposable shot glasses at liquor store/amazon. Its motivating knowing I can do in 2 sips. I add Lots of H2O to crystal light, SF hot cocoa watered down w/skim milk, SF jello. it’s runny but not near as sweet, low salt broth helps. But my saving grace is popsicles. U could put in blender with ice. I take H2O when I go out. Hope this is Helpful. He said Water also helps loose skin. Great motivation! Glad u have no pain. Sorry for typos & no caps Am Exhausted dealing with flood damage from TS Beta.

Hi Missy & All! Am new here too. Had surgery Sep 8 . Hospital gave me 64 pill containers. I fill a tray & keep close bc it is overwhelming! I even fill w/sugar free jello & yogurt. Sugar free popsicles are my saving grace! I keep a water pitcher close to refill because I can get really lazy. ( Only put that in case the mean, snarky guy on here replies hahaha!) U can Call Nurse or get plastic shot glasses at liquor store/Amazon or ketchup containers at fast food. No, bad trigger! DON’T do that! Amazon is better! (That will really get snarky guy going.omg! That character is funny if u haven’t experienced his dagger replies.) I gotta have humor bc cars are literally floating in street from Hurricane Beta. Haven’t seen or heard rain pelt down & flood like this since Harvey. Prayers for Texas please!! So glad I found this wonderful encouraging place!

it was 6 weeks until i could do any heavy lifting, but walking was a-okay after surgery.. I didnt follow the rule for heavy lifting closer to the 4 week mark.. but only bc i had forgotten.

In terms of your original question w/protein shakes: Premier protein is a huge one. Also, I like FairLife. I think they're a lot tastier than premier. My only suggestion would be to take it easy w/protein shakes bc you'll likely have to drink them after the surgery.. so don't stock up on a whole bunch. find a few flavors you like and goooood luck!!

I hit this too -- make sure you're hitting your protein marks. My problem was that I wasn't eating bc i wasn't hungry, but it still wasn't good for my body. Hitting those protein goals and increasing your movement can help. It'll pass.. the thought of "I went through all of this to lose 20 lbs!?" really messed w/me.. but you're not abnormal.. it'll work, just give it time.

It's very personal to each individual. For instance, I have to take a good deal of zinc (and then copper to balance it out) bc I had terrible itching, colds that wouldn't leave, etc. Not everyone has malabsorption in that area, but I do. Strivingforbetter is very fortunate. Many DSers I know can't take ADEK after the first year or so. It's just not enough. They have to separate A,D,E,K into separate pills. As Strivingforbetter references, it's all based on your bloods. 😎 Looking at your title again, yes, the DS is a drastic surgery. Probably the most in the WLS arsenal.

Love pizza cant eat it though yet but am glad to see people year out can. Cant even imagine nuggets going down. Its such a dense food that pouch would probably reject at half a bite. I had some white spinach queso from chilis yesterday. Its the dip that comes with chips and gauc. The gauc was also smooth so i ate it. Fed chips to the peacocks. I also drank the juice from chicken tortilla soup. Not quite ready for the next level of textures

That's your opinion and the opinion of your dietician. I'd say a strict low carb diet for weight loss is BS and so would my dietician. My BMI is 22.9 and I reached it without eating low carb and there are many more patients who did so. I'm with sillykitty: it's the calorie deficit, nothing else. If that isn't pushing low carb eating, then what is?

Help!!! I am 3 months post op and have no energy. I could sleep all day but I don't bc I have a job and a family to take care of but why do I feel this way? I get my protein and take my vitamins. Any suggestions Sent from my SM-G970U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi there. I’m new to Bariatric Pal. Needing a community. I had gastric bypass 2006 top weight 301 current weight 165. My lowest was 138 intentional gained 10 lbs (with doctor’s guidance) bc I was getting very cold. However in 2018 I started playing around with carbs and now paying for it. What I remember was doing no carbs in the beginning. I think maybe the first year. The focus was protein. My belief and still is that the gastric bypass team doctor, surgeon, dietician are my guide. I ask lots of questions and keep food journals. The foods that got me to 301 I had to let go. And they are the foods that caused me the weight gain. Hope this helps some. sylvia

I'd be curious who your doctor is and whether he is recommending the traditional DS or the modified one that is more commonly done today. I was smaller than you 15+ years ago when I had the traditional DS. A couple of doctors didn't feel I needed it. After doing the research and a lot of thought, I believed it was best for me. But it's a very personal decision. One factor in my decision making process was I wanted a procedure that was known for letting you lose the most weight and have the greatest chance to keep it off. I have done that. However, there are negatives you learn to deal with. Such as when to eat junk and/or complex carbs. I don't eat either in public or during the day. Those are done at night so if I have gas or stool I can deal with it at home. What I appreciate is I eat every couple of hours. As a binge eater, this appealed to me. I eat protein (as much as I want). For a snack I'll have a triple cheeseburger with catsup. I don't eat the bun bc: 1. I always have to get in my protein first and the bun is too filling; and 2. I wouldn't eat those carbs unless I was at home. What I like about being able to eat much and often is I don't feel deprived. I constantly snack on cheese, nuts, cold cuts, peanut butter, etc. There is no counting calories w/the DS. Only protein grams (I average 125-150 day) and complex carb grams. That is what was and is important to me. but everyone has their own deal breakers of what they can't live with or live without. It took 2 years postop for me to decide the DS had been right for me. I didn't want WLS, I wanted to do it on my own but I finally realized I couldn't. I stumbled onto the DS at the end of 2004, when I was going to seminars at different hospitals in Manhattan. I'd never heard of it, but realized if I had to have WLS this was the one I felt would work the best for me in the long term. I do take 40+ vits/minerals day and have my bloods done every 6 mos. Some doctors require them done yearly. It depends on the doctor. Often after the bloods are done, I have to tweak my vits/mineral intake up or down. I've never missed a day of supplements as this is something you must commit to for the rest of your life if you have a DS. I'd suggest a Pros/Cons list to figure out which (if any) of the WLS is the best for you. I found it very helpful when making my decision.

I quit before my consult and actually did not let my bariatric team know. Little did I know, i was self pay so they didnt drug test me anyways lol. But im afraid to smoke now bc i might not listen to my restriction, eat too much and hurt myself. Im not even 2 months out yet tho so who knows what the future holds. I miss it sometimes but have learned to recognize and handle my anxiety very well since quitting about 1.5 years ago. If i ever smoke again, it'll be for recreational use ocassionally and not an every day medication thing like I was doin before.i enjoy being sober minded now:) lucky ur in cali! Live it up! Haha Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

I didn’t pay anything. I got a lot of letters from different specialists. Not even co pays or the nutritionist or psychological exam. It only took a month from 1st appt to surgery being scheduled but it was rescheduled a month later bc non essential so it’s on 8th. I did the 14 day liquid died twice. I just hope he will get the plastic surgeon he works with to put rashes, infections etc for help with skin as I can’t afford that I don’t think.