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Finishing up my breakfast and then it's time to get ready to go back to work FINALLY!!! WooHoo!!! It's about time. I hate not working. So glad I was cleared yesterday to go back starting today. Oh, and I'm now down to 233 pounds. I'm 33 pounds away from my goal weight!!!! I started off at 421 pounds when this whole journey began. I've lost a total of 188 pounds from my highest weight. I've lost a total of 155 pounds since my surgery in May 2022 (I was 388 pounds on surgery day). Bariatric surgery, changing my relationship with food, changing my diet, working out and changing up my routines, all of it is why I'm here now. 33 more pounds to go, ya'll!!! I'm in a size 16/18 in clothes (down from 28/30), I'm in a size 6 1/2 ring (down from size 10), I'm in a size 10 shoe (down from a size 11), and I wear 18" necklaces (instead of the 22" and 24" necklaces I wore before). Yes, I've had complications. Yes, I've had several surgeries. But things were found that I never would have known about. Silent killers, they're called. Has it been annoying and painful and frustrating? ABSOLUTELY. Would I do it all again anyway? ABSOLUTELY. I've STILL gained so much more than I've lost. I have 1 more surgery (my hysterectomy) and then I'm completely done. And honestly, I'm still way way healthier than I ever was before. I only wish I would have just done the bypass to begin with and skipped the sleeve. But then again, like I said, the conditions I didn't know about wouldn't have been found without the complications from the sleeve that led to all my procedures. Everything happens for a reason. I firmly believe that. And I'm almost on the other side of all this, so I can speak into existence that nothing else will go wrong, things are looking up, and I'm getting my life back but as an even healthier and better version.

Hi All! I'm on day 3 of liquid diet and surgery is set for 11/30/23. I'll be taking off all of December from work as that is what doctor suggested for recovery time. My job is physically and mentally demanding. So, where did you/everyone get their bariatric vitamins and calcium chews? My doctor recommended chewables for first 3 months, and honestly, I'm not a pill person anyway, if I can avoid it. Trying to watch my pennies, aren't we all, so thought I'd ask and hope for some good recommendations. The Kaiser Program I am going through recommends a couple different vitamin brands to choose from: Bariatric Advantage and Celebrate. Still, would like to hear the vitamins you are using even if not the brands I mentioned. Thanks for your feedback in advance.

Hello! I just had my last appointment for my bariatric surgery program. However, due to my insurance, they are requiring me to be screened for sleep apnea. Is anyone else dealt with this? What are some encouraging words that I could have to get me through this disappointment?

To be quite honest if I had known that the gastric sleeve was a real possibility for me I'm not sure I would of proceeded with the surgery. I really had not expected this outcome so my emotions are running wild. 😢 So worried it will increase issues with my acid reflux, as I heard it does cause that problem for many. I already have bad acid reflux so the thought of it being worse is concerning. Let's hope not though. I want to say though that things happen for a reason and maybe just maybe this outcome is what I needed and all I will need to be successful. I do worry about having to have another surgery down the line if this is not. I really do not want to go through with another surgery. 😩 But the good news is I stopped my pain medication yesterday! So I hope that means I won't need it anymore. I woke up a couple times last night, but I am not use to sleeping on my back. Always been a side and stomach sleeper lol. Please tell me that one day down the line I can return to those sleeping positions? 😴 Now this is tmi but I peed the bed last night. I read though that urine incontinence can be quite normal after a major surgery such as gastric sleeve. It thankfully only happened the once last night and that's all so far. Not sure if anyone else experienced this? but it scared me at first. My health anxiety started running wild. I will be letting my bariatric team know though just so they do. I already do have incontinence from my pregnancies, but I never peed the bed. Only with sneezing or coughing hard lol. I hope my experience does not scare anyone from having these surgeries. I was initially unsure about sharing as I did not want to scare anyone. It's been a wild ride lol but thankfully doing good otherwise. I even felt well enough yesterday to take my kiddos to get their hair cut, so things are looking up!! Thanks for checking in ChunkCat!! 🥰

I just made an account to answer this. I am two and a half weeks post op from gastric sleeve. I too have PCOS. I am 37 years old and my highest weight was 330. At surgery and after the pre-op diet I was down to 305. I'm currently 289 today. My comorbidities were hypertension, high cholesterol, newly onset GERD, and insulin resistance. (never made it into the diabetic range). I watched a ton of videos on youtube after I decided to have surgery. I watched the testimony of patients ranging from a few weeks out to twenty years. I also listened to bariatric surgeons discuss the process, pitfalls, and successes. My PCP had been talking to me about this surgery for three years and at first I declined because of all the people I knew of that experienced full weight regain. I only decided to have the surgery when I had determined that not being able to eat as much and what I want all the time was a small price to pay for my health and quality of life. Some things to consider between sleeve and bypass. Myth: Bypass patients are much more successful at keeping weight off. The sleeve is a newer surgery and was discovered as the first part of the duodenal switch. The 5 and 10 year outcomes for weight loss and regain tend to be around the same with the bypass slightly better. The sleeve is less punishing and is easier to 'stretch' out with poor eating habits but it can be done with the bypass as well. Overall, a change in relationship with food is a higher predictor of sustained weight loss than either surgery. The Switch is the surgery with the most rapid weight loss and sustained loss without regain but it is a heavily malabsorption procedure, carries the most risk of post operative complications, including dehydration and vitamin deficiency and requires a very strict regiment to sustain a healthy lifestyle. It can also result in some interesting bowel changes. Too rapid weightloss can also result in gallstones. Quite a few bariatric patients have had gallbladder removal after surgery. It should be noted that actual operative complications are low for all surgeries but not zero. Another controversial topic of sleeve vs gastric bypass is that the bypass is better for GERD. There are contradicting experiences for both surgeries. One thing is for sure you can certainly still have GERD with the bypass, although it seems revision from sleeve to bypass has worked to cure GERD for a lot of people. My GERD was very mild before surgery and so far I have not experienced any after. I am on a daily dosage of omerprazole but that's nothing new to what I was taking before. My triggers for GERD were fried foods and canned tomatoes. I know to stay away from that now. Keep in mind that the bypass is reversible in most cases while the sleeve is not. Also, the sleeve can be converted into a bypass or switch if complications arise or you fail to lose or sustain a meaningful amount of weight. There are very few options for bypass and switch if regain occurs outside of dietary changes, exercise and will power. Bypass patients can no longer consume NSAIDS, steriods, and possibly other medications after surgery for life. Switch and Bypass patients are more likely to experience dumping syndrome but Sleeve patients can also suffer from it. Constipation, diarrhea, and blockages and strictures can occur with all surgeries. Very minimal risk for long term serious complications. I have read quite a few posts that spoke about pain after surgery with the sleeve. Speaking for myself the only pain I experienced was gas after surgery from the surgeon introducing it into my abdomen during the procedure. I was given liquid pain meds but never took any, and no otc pains meds either. I felt discomfort from the surgery port sites for maybe a week. After that I was good. My surgery team has stayed on top of any side effects that could occur after surgery and I was very lucky. They gave me medicine for nausea before surgery, put an anti-nausea patch behind my ear also before surgery and discharged me with anti-nausea dissolveable meds. I took the meds for about a week though I never experience sickness and still luckily have not. I was a water drinker before surgery and can still easily drink water without any pain or nausea. Cold or hot temps don't seem to upset my stomach though some have reported either can cause pain. I am on the puree stage and things are going well. Really, experiences vary. I'd choose a doctor carefully and if possible speak to prior patients to get their experience pre and post op. I was lucky my Aunt had the procedure done the year before and could report on her experience. We chose the same surgeon. He had a 98% success rate. So after this long-winded wall of text I choose a sleeve because: I wanted a slower and steady weight loss. I did not want to re-route my insides. Had a co-worker suffer a bad bowel blockage with a bypass and had to have part of his intestine cut out. I did not want restrictions on not being able to take certain pain or treatment options should they become necessary in the future. I did not feel I have a dependent relationship with food. I ate too much of it. And sometimes the wrong things because they were easy and accessible. But I also enjoyed a lot of healthy foods. My kryptonite has always been lack of exercise and even skipping meals so that I overate when I did eat. I'm from the finish your plate generation, but I did not and do not rely on food for comfort, bordem or pleasure. Therefore, I felt and still feel that the more punishing procedures were not right for me.

I don't think there's anything wrong with writing letters to your loved ones for your own peace of mind. If the prospect of sudden, unexpected death frightens you (and I don't blame you because it's terrifying!) having letters for your family that you put aside in case that happens is probably a good idea. If your surgery is the thing that makes you realize you want to do that, you should definitely do that and no one should tell you not to because that's very rude and insensitive of them. If you are significantly more terrified of having your surgery than you are of getting into a car to drive yourself to the hospital for it, I also think it's important to recognize that the odds of dying as a result of bariatric surgery are slightly higher than the odds of dying if you fall down the stairs, about 2-3x more common as dying in childbirth (in the US), and about 10x less likely than dying in a car accident. If you are about 2-3x as nervous about dying as you were when you went into labor, and just a bit more nervous than the last time you started to slip on a staircase, that's probably about the right level of mortal fear, statistically speaking. It's probably safe to say none of us are as respectful of how dangerous driving is as we should be. I would put your letters somewhere safe and plan to revisit them every so often and keep them up to date over the years because tomorrow is never a given. It would probably be a healthy thing if we all realized that every day. But try not to let that fear with regard to your surgery become overwhelming.

Still hurting. Actually looking forward to surgery on Wednesday. Also upset because I'm probably going to miss ALL of next week. Plus the 2 days I missed last week and I will only have 3 paid days on my check on the 15th. Not only do I have bills to pay, that was supposed to cover Christmas. And not just the gifts, but the decorations, the dinner, cards, all of it. Now we'll have literally nothing. And the pain meds don't do anything but knock me out. Once I wake up, I'm in pain again. Time to take my meds and pass out. I'm so over it all.... Oh, before I forget!!! Let's not leave out that I'm basically back on my stage 1 bariatric diet because when I try to eat regular food, it KILLS my hernia (it's a delayed reaction, so I'm guessing it's happening as it makes its way down my colon, or to my bowels, or wherever it goes). That was ok yesterday, but today....nope. But TODAY!!! Oh TODAY has been a joy because now even liquids and YOGURT and Jello hurt. And I have had absolutely ZERO appetite since yesterday around lunch time. I can't just not eat, but I have no hunger feelings, and when I remember to eat, I don't want to because it hurts so much. I don't know what else to do, but I feel like I'm losing it over here. I'm so so over all of this. I've never had a hernia before. Is this normal? Because I feel like I'm about to lose my mind. I walk hunched over, trying to roll over in my sleep causes me to cry out and wake up my husband, and don't get me started on coughing or sneezing or pooing. The early stages of both my bariatric surgeries COMBINED didn't make me this miserable.

Hi there!!! I have been summoned, I see lol Ok, so a little about what I've been through, and then I'll give any advice I can. I had the sleeve in May 2022. Initially, I was doing awesome. Lost a lot of weight, got off several meds, health issues corrected, it was awesome. Right up until it wasn't. Around 6 months post op, I started noticing some reflux issues (which I had never had before). It steadily got worse and I had to have a barium swallow (NASTY!!!) to see what was happening. I had severe GERD, gastritis, and esophagitis. I also had a narrowing esophagus. So I was put on Nexium (40mg once per day). The GERD steadily got worse and worse until I was put on 80mg of Nexium daily as well as Pepcid for break through (which I took daily). It still didn't completely help. I was on such a high amount of PPI for such a long time that I ended up developing an OBSCENE amount of polyps all through my stomach and duodenum. This year, I had 7 surgeries to remove all of the polyps, stretch my esophagus, and have a revision to a bypass. I also had to have the part of the stomach that's bypassed removed because that's where so many of the polyps were forming. When I had the sleeve, I had so much pain, trouble tolerating anything cold, trouble taking pills, trouble getting in enough water. It was completely miserable. With my revision to bypass, it was like the heavens opened up and the angels started singing to me. No pain meds at all beyond Tylenol. Up and around within 4 days. Was able to take pills from day 1. No GERD at all. No constipation like with the sleeve. Able to get my fluids in from day 1 (drank a 20 oz of water in the hospital within 2 hours of getting back to my room from recovery), no issues with temps of liquids. My only regret is that I didn't just get the bypass to begin with. Because of all the surgeries, my abdominal wall weakened and I developed a ventral hernia that was repaired 3 weeks ago. Still recovering from that one. I was freaked out at first at the thought of getting a bypass. It's why I opted for the sleeve to begin with. I was afraid of dumping, I was afraid of malabsorption, I was afraid of getting a stricture. Well, I only dump if I have too many carbs, so I just avoid them for the most part (I never even get to my allotted amount, I'm always way under). I haven't had any stricture, but if I do, it's a super easy fix (and after everything I've already been through, I'm not even a tiny bit worried). And malabsorption is only an issue with extended release meds (I don't take those now) and vitamins (take bariatric ones or double up on the regular ones). There was nothing to be worried about, but I let the chatter from those that weren't in my position freak me out and cause me to choose the sleeve instead of the bypass. My advice to you is to not listen to anyone else. You and your doctor know what's best for you. The revision will give you your life back. Being pain and complication free is worth its weight in...well...everything. When you look at everything you've been through up until this point, the recovery from the revision will be a walk in the park. It's better for your health (physically and mentally) and it will allow you to get back to your life. This surgery is supposed to afford us the chance to have the life and health we've always been meant to, and complications can really do a number on us. The revision will be a godsend to you, mark my words. I don't have a single regret.

I have seen some vitamin melts with iron at Walmart. My friend that had sleeve got hers from Bariatric Pal. I just find them expensive. 60 day $150 but it is bottles of all the different ones I will need in Melts. I think I’m going to bite the bullet and order the 60 day supply to get me started. I have a surgery date of 12/27/23 so I am hoping to be ready. I am reading back through the forum for all the suggestions and seeing what works for me.

I wish I knew what they have planned. They are supposed to call me to explain, but so far the only person I've spoken with is the guy who answers the phone, and he probably wasn't supposed to tell me anything. He just said, "unfortunately, the center is closing, so..." The worst part is, I've been a patient there for almost 7 years, doing nutritional and medical weight loss. I love my endocrinologist there, and the nutritionists, the staff. If they are losing their jobs, I will cry. And they are always so busy I don't see how they can afford to close. I am so mad because I had a chance to move my surgery to right before Thanksgiving, but I had to pass because it was too last minute for figuring out the childcare. Now I'm kicking myself. Literally, my insurance approval is in and everything. I have a pantry of protein powders and a bookcase of bariatric cookbooks. I have watched every video on the planet. I just needed my final pre-test, which was supposed to be next week. My mom had booked a hotel in Harvard Square to be close by the night of the surgery and take me home the next day. The kids would be off school for winter break. Now I have no idea where anything stands. I will still have my insurance for January because my husband's job doesn't start until a few days into the month so we'll have paid the premium for January, but as of February it'll have to be the new insurance, and I don't yet know what they cover, or even which insurance company it is. Plus, my deductible starts over on Jan 1, naturally.

Hey. I am just starting to get all my stuff and I have asked a few different people that I know that have had surgery. One gets all her stuff from Bariatric Pal. They do have a meltdown vitamin package I found it is just very pricey. I saw some at Walmart if you search liquid or melts vitamins they will come up. Other then that the only other company o know ,because I met them at a conference, is Celebrate. I would trust them also. The women that run the company are also post op. Any they have vitamin packs specifically for your surgery type. They are great women.

Still hurting. Actually looking forward to surgery on Wednesday. Also upset because I'm probably going to miss ALL of next week. Plus the 2 days I missed last week and I will only have 3 paid days on my check on the 15th. Not only do I have bills to pay, that was supposed to cover Christmas. And not just the gifts, but the decorations, the dinner, cards, all of it. Now we'll have literally nothing. And the pain meds don't do anything but knock me out. Once I wake up, I'm in pain again. Time to take my meds and pass out. I'm so over it all....Oh, before I forget!!! Let's not leave out that I\m basically back on my stage 1 bariatric diet because when I try to ear regular food, it KILLS my hernia (it's a delayed reaction, so I'm guessing it's happening as it makes its way down my colon, or to my bowels, or wherever it goes). That was ok yesterday. But TODAY!!! Oh TODAY has been a joy because now even LIQUIDS

So I had a CT with contrast on Wed the 29th and it confirmed that I have a ventral hernia. I'm scheduled for surgery On Wednesday Dec 6th. It's a same day surgery, so at least I won't have to stay overnight. By this past Wednesday morning I was beginning to have pain in that area (where the hernia is), and by Thursday, I was in agony. After work, I called the on-call doctor with my bariatric surgeon's office and they said to go to the ER. I couldn't drive myself, so I called an ambulance. They did a repeat CT and confirmed what was seen in the last one. They said it was stable (not strangulated) but it was very close to my extremely large uterine fibroid (I have 3, but it's close to the biggest one) and that was causing a lot of the pain and inflammation. They put me on dilaudid and zofran while I was in the ER and sent me home with Hydrocodone-acetaminophen (Norco) and promethazine (phenergan). They also did an ultrasound on my fibroids (they now measure 13cm. 9cm, and 7.5cm) and ovaries (which are very cystic, thanks to my PCOS) and they confirmed there is no torsion and there's good blood flow. I'm off work today, have my pre-op appt on Monday and then go to work the rest of Mon and all of Tuesday. Then I have my surgery on Wed and I'm off work until Mon the 11th, which is when I go back. Just thought I would update you guys. My hysterectomy is still scheduled for March 6th. I'm in a lot of pain, so I can't wait to get this surgery over with.

That's the exact pre-op diet I had! Are you required to use a particular shake or can you use any type? I had to use either Premier Protein or Bariatric Advantage for my pre-op, but I could use anything post op. I agree with the others, samples are your friend. BariatricPal has a fair number of brands you can get samples of. You can get the samples of protein broths from Unjury. Make sure you get some clear drink samples like the Syntrax Nectar line, as I found those MUCH easier to get down post surgery. The milk based ones felt too heavy for a while. My favorite of those are the Fuzzy Navel and the tropical one I can never recall the name of. You can pick up the ready made Premier Protein drinks at places like Walmart and Target in 4 packs so it isn't a huge commitment to flavors. I like the Cafe Latte ones (if you are allowed caffeine), Pumpkin Spice, Cinnamon Roll, and Vanilla the best. They are all good mixed with coffee (or in my case, decaf because I can't have caffeine for 6 months).

You need to be an advocate for yourself. If something felt off then your gut (pun totally intended) is telling you it’s not right. I would definitely work on getting any test test results that you have had done and find someone else. I am not sure what stat you’re in but I am sure there must be someone else to go to. Heck I live in Atlanta area and we have a bariatric surgeon every three blocks. You did the right thing and if they get defensive about it then that tells me they are the problem. I understand things happen sometimes but you need to be able to follow up. My Dr had a pre op appointment with me but he was called into surgery (he does other surgery too not just WLS) and instead of cancelling our appointment he called me and we talked on the phone while he was on the way to the hospital (It wasn’t an issue because it was mostly to go over test results and the next steps) it showed me that he was there for me if I need him. Just make sure you document everything you have done so far so you don’t have to start from square one.

Hello, My name is Alex and I am scheduled for the gastric sleeve procedure on 12/18/23. Growing up I never had a problem with my weight; as a matter of fact I was very thin. Due to changes in life and past trauma, I used food as a coping mechanism. I ballooned from 160 pounds at 18 years old to 475 pounds by the time I turned 31. I was "content" being overweight because I refused to deal with it. At the behest of my wife, I begrudgingly scheduled an appointment to be seen by a primary care physician for the first time in years at the height of the pandemic. At this appointment, I weighed in at 475 pounds and was diagnosed with high blood pressure... extremely high blood pressure. This made total sense as I couldn't walk very far without being out of breath, I couldn't go up steps without sweating and having my heart pounding, and I couldn't play with my nieces and nephews. I was prescribed blood pressure meds at 31 years old and told that if I didn't make significant changes and lose weight, I was staring down an early death. That was the kick in the ass I needed. I immediately got a gym membership, downloaded a calorie tracker, immediately made improvements in my diet and dove in head first. Over the course of the next year and a half I lost nearly 100 pounds through diet and exercise alone. I knew that to get to my goal weight though, that I needed more tools.... or a more powerful one. So I was seen by a bariatric provider and over the course of many months was approved for sleeve gastrectomy and was scheduled for surgery. I am currently on the liquid diet and I am struggling. I am dying for flavor... the protein shakes, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, and jello that have been my diet for the last three days are not cutting it. I've made a few mistakes... a piece of cheese here or a nibble of chicken there. I am striving for today being a good day.. but it has been hard. I am constantly cold, I'm less tolerant of daily B.S. than I normally am, and am just now starting to not feel as irritable as I have the last few days. I am looking forward to having this procedure done, but I am nervous that I won't lose enough. I'm nervous that I'll ruin it or some other nonsense I keep telling myself. After being overweight for so long its hard to imagine not being as large as I am. I am looking forward to a healthier life, the ability to play with my nieces, nephews and daughter, and being in more control of my life. Thank you for reading this very long post and I look forward to chatting with you on this journey!

Welcome! You're the same day as me! One of the things I have done that I think has really helped me feel more prepared is watching YouTube videos. I started with every video available from both Dr. Matthew Weiner and Dr. John Pilcher, and I also watched all of the ones from Dr. Vuong, although I know he's a more controversial figure these days. But I did get a lot out of some of them when he was talking about your mindset and that type of thing. I also watched a ton of videos made by regular people talking about their experiences. I've done book research and such too, but I feel like the videos are just a way I can get a little bit of something to think about every day. With 4 weeks to go, my plan is to try out a few recipes from the bariatric cookbooks I've bought and see if I can get some menu ideas for some of the earlier stages, figure out the groceries I will need, etc. Oh, and freezing some meals for my kids so I can avoid cooking the first few weeks. Other than that, I think we just have to take it one day at a time.

I finished my schooling and am officially working in my chosen field as a medical assistant!!! I got my certification and I'm working in a critical care pulmonary office. I'm absolutely LOVING it!! And even though I can look at myself and see the weight loss, and I can see my diabetes and blood pressure are normal now, I still have a hard time believing I'm physically able to do my job and do it well. Yet here I am....doing the d@mn thing!!! I have a CT with contrast on the 29th because my bariatric surgeon thinks I have a distal hernia (if you look at my stomach in my pic, you can see that area poking out a little). And I have my complete hysterectomy scheduled for March 6th. If the CT confirms the distal hernia, that will also require a surgery, but I have no idea when that will happen. I'm hoping before the hysterectomy because the hernia repair can be done laparoscopically (I think) but I have to have an abdominal hysterectomy because the fibroids are way too big to come out laparoscopically and I have to have EVERYTHING removed because I tested positive for the BRCA cancer gene (will need all of my breast tissue removed at a later date, but my insurance will cover reconstructive breast surgery, so YAY for a free boob job). This last 50 pounds still won't leave me, and it's absolutely driving me crazy. No matter what I do, I can't get it to go. I'm hoping the hysterectomy will help a little because the fibroids are so big, they're making my uterus the size of a 16 week pregnant uterus. They also said the hysterectomy should help somewhat with my PCOS, since that's likely what's preventing that last 50 pounds from coming off. So here's hoping this is end of my weight issues and the last of my surgeries!!!

Anesthesia can mess with our bodies for a while after surgery, and it has been clinically shown that major surgery can trigger depressive episodes in people. What you are experiencing is completely normal even though it sucks. Add to that hormonal changes, and body changes, and changes in the nutrients you get, and recovering from a major surgery and yeah, you could feel pretty down! I'm 3 1/2 weeks post op. Some days are good and some days aren't so good. I've heard the first 3 months are really challenging and the first year takes a lot of resilience and adjustment. Next time your husband starts with the "this is what you wanted" I'd kindly remind him that those words are not supportive and guilt trips are not necessary. That you are cognizant of the fact that you wanted bariatric surgery to lose weight and improve your health, but NONE of us can even begin to understand the fullness of an experience before we actually have it...and living this experience is feeling challenging right now. Even the BEST things for us often come with distinct downsides. You are allowed to be upset! You are allowed to say this is a struggle! What would be more supportive of him would be for him to validate your feelings and assure you that things won't always feel like this, but while they do, he's there for you. I'm sure he's doing what he can, but everyone deserves feedback when their words are making it harder for you to deal with what you are dealing with. I too feel a little off kilter from the world right now. Any surgery brings grief with it when it alters your body. Let yourself grieve. You are in a liminal space right now, transforming from one version of yourself to another. Much like the caterpillar who winds itself into a cocoon, you have had to bury yourself into this new experience, and you will never be the same. Some parts of you have to die so that other parts of you can blossom forth and live. When you finally come out of this cocoon, flying will be so thrilling!! But in the meantime, the transformation sucks! LOL I don't think caterpillars think the process is fun either...

Not strange at all! Anesthesia can affect our mood and takes a while to get out of the system. Then the weight loss itself releases hormones that can trigger PMS on steroids 24/7 in some people. Plus, you just had a major surgery, depression is not unusual after major surgery. And on top of it all, bariatric surgery is stressful! The water and protein requirements are a full time job that first month at least! I'm 3 weeks out. It gets better once you can add food. Just focus on that water! If you get all your water in you'll feel a little better. Food will make you feel better still and will help you feel a little more normal. Hang in there! And if by change you are on psych meds you may need to talk to your psych if you continue to have mood issues, you may need a change in dosage. It's less common in the sleeve but it does happen for some people...

Had my first consult October 13th. All my testing is complete as of last week. Was hoping to get a surgery date for late December but that doesn't look like it's going to happen. (Duodenal Switch) I've been reading about others having 3 day up to a week liquid pre-op diets up to surgery. My surgeon said no less than two weeks. I guess all surgeons have their preferences. I've read a few books and listened to as many podcasts about Bariatric surgery per-op and post-op. I feel like a have a good hold on it. I started a Keto/Carnivore diet back in June. Limiting carbs and Sugar wasn't a big deal starting a 100 Gram Protein & 100 Gram carb diet the dietician has recommended for me to be on now. I've lost 47 pounds since June and 27 since my October consult.

Thanks for responding! No, wegovy doesn't work forever, and I had heard that as body physiology heals post bariatric surgery and normalizes (6-12 months post surgery) appetite returns. I'm more interested in that first 6 months when most weight loss occurs. I've been able to maintain my weight post Wegovy, so I'm not incredibly worried about when my appetite starts normalizing. I was just curious about the difference in how we feel post surgery vs medication.

I led one of the classes at my bariatric clinic (for pre-op patients) for three or four years (until the COVID lockdowns when they quit having the classes). I always, always, always told them about the three-week stall, because I've learned from these kinds of sites that most surgeons don't mention it, and people freak out when it happens. Since it happens to the vast majority of us, I'm really surprised it doesn't have a prominent place in people's surgery packets - and/or isn't mentioned in pre-op classes. I think we see this question here on BP twice a week. Surgeons (or anyone who teaches/leads pre-op classes) REALLY need to mention this...

I should start by saying I am going to interpret the word "need" very broadly here. I got my 12/27 date in mid-October and it's possible I've been using shopping as a way to make the time go faster. Also, since I won't buy myself any new clothing right now, I'm definitely justifying it that way as I buy crazy things... I just ordered and received a set of Perfect Portion storage containers from Amazon this week, along with a set of bariatric silverware. I also have 2 melamine plates and 2 melamine bowls (also Perfect Portion brand) coming soon. Do I already own small plates and 1 cup glass storage containers? Yes. Did I want the ones printed with portion reminders and motivational sayings anyway, despite a ridiculous price? Also yes. I like to cook homemade food, so I bought several bariatric cookbooks. My favorites so far have been The Bariatric Diet Guide and Cookbook by Dr. Matthew Weiner and Bariatric Meal Prep Made Easy by Kristen Willard. Since I still have 5 weeks to wait, I'm planning to try 1 or 2 recipes each week and fill some of the meal prep containers ahead of time to freeze. My hope is to find some things the kids will like, too, to make my life easier in the future.

It may help you, like it has for me, to focus on adding good habits as much or more as taking away your bad habits. When I first talked to my doctor about bariatric surgery, I spent several weeks cleaning out all the items in my pantry and freezer that I knew were not doing good things for me. Things like snack foods and highly processed stuff, and anything I know I will binge eat, like pretzels or chocolate. I also bought some WLS books, including A Pound of Cure from Dr. Matthew Weiner. I read through all his steps for changing your diet and figured out the easiest ones for me to do and started there. For example, I'm not a big fan of artificial sweetener, and Diet Coke was the only thing I was really doing that broke that "rule," so it was pretty easy for me to make the cut. Same with adding a pound of vegetable per day. That change alone has made a lot of other things easier for me, like cutting out bread and reducing dairy. I find I am so full after a green smoothie at breakfast or a salad with beans for lunch that I am not as hungry at dinner, and don't feel the need to snack as much. When I do snack, I've bought raw or dry roasted nuts to replace the junk I used to buy. I've lost about 16 pounds in 4 months, and unlike in the past when I've "dieted," I don't really feel like I'm missing out. Plus, I make exceptions a couple times per month and don't feel guilty about it. By focusing on the health aspects and not tracking the calories, it really helped me make changes that promote a healthier weight without feeling overburdened or deprived. I hope that helps!