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This may seem like a weird question but I need to ask. I'm 4 months post op and ever since day 4 my stool has been a light color. (White almost) its still like that. At first I thought it was normal and go back to normal color, but hasn't. So, is this the new normal thing? Or should I be worried?

I'm 4 days post and one incision is still draining. It does not smell bad or look like infection, but I was wondering if the blood thinner shots my doc put me on are causing it. I'm also menstrual (i know TMI) and should have been done days ago. Maybe that's just stress? Should I call the office on Monday or is it nothing? Sent from my SM-N920V using the BariatricPal App

I know this might be TMI but I don't know who else to ask. I had my original surgery date set for Jan 3, but on Jan 2nd the doctor decided I needed 5 more tests run. I was to begin my pre op diet on Dec 25th for the Jan 3rd date. So I went ahead and started the diet so that when they decided the date of my rescheduled surgery I'd be ready and wouldn't have to wait 10 more dates. What I have found is I am having constipation issues and don't know what to do about it? They did reschedule me for Jan 18th at 7:30 AM, Woot woot which I am totally excited but I don't want to deal with constipation issues up till then nor afterwards if I can ward it off. Can anyone help me and guide me on what to do? The good news is I lost 13 lbs in 10 days. Yeah. Any and all advice would be appreciated.

So this may be tmi but my doctor pointed something out to me the other day and I wondered if anyone else had this issue. Even though I'm not anywhere close to goal I have a bunch of hanging skin since I've lost 200 lbs. I just turned 30 and just started dating again. I don't feel comfortable being naked with someone because I feel disgusting. My doctor pointed out I was fine and didn't care about how my body looked when I was much heavier. It really made me stop and think. I don't know why I was more okay being naked when I was heavier than I do now. The only thing I can think of is that I didn't care at all what I looked like before and now I do. I wear make up and I dress nice now. I don't know how to become comfortable enough with my new body and hanging skin to be intimate with someone. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi All, I don't remember who posted her struggle with constipation, but I wanted to share what helped me. My surgery was 3 days ago. I was able to stop the pain med less than 48 hrs later. However the constipation and pain that went with it was real yesterday morning. I walked and walked and breathed through the pain. I called my doctors office after about 3 hours. Their advice was glycerine suppositories. I have never used anything like that, but I was desperate! Ya know, it worked in about 15 minutes! Sorry if this is TMI but I think it might help someone else. Sent from my SM-N920V using the BariatricPal App

kay so this is probably going to sound gross, so excuse the TMI, but my belly button is N A S T Y. and annoying lol. It's not draining or leaking. But there is somewhat of a smell. But the main issue and there is like some hard crustiness inside of it. I'm 5 days post op and I really just wanna clean it. It doesnt hurt to pull some of the stuff out but I wanna know if it's a good idea or should I just leave it alone? It doesn't look like glue or anything like on my other incisions, it's kinda black and kinda looks like earwax. It's bugging me so bad cause I just wanna clean it lol. Help.

Hello guys! I am 3 weeks post op VSG as of tomorrow morning. I have yet to feel the slightest feeling that even resembles hunger. As a matter of fact I pretty much have a total aversion to all food. I manage to sip two premier Protein shakes (total 60 G protein) throughout the day each day. I manage to get enought Water (has to have crystal light in it) each day too. I almosy constantly feel nauseated (new feeling as of this week). I have VERY low energy and have now been on my time of the month for 5 weeks. It started the day I began my 2 week pre-op full liquid diet and has continued to get heavier and more painful throughout the 5 weeks. Has anyone else experience this? I am down 36 lbs @ 3 weeks. Sorry if TMI but I figired this was a good safe place to share and get feedback from others Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App

So this morning I woke up at around 1:30am in such agony that I was having difficulty breathing or speaking. One of my incisions was red, swollen, hot to the touch, and extremely painful. I also had a significant amount of pain deeper underneath the incision. I called the hospital to speak with the on call doctor, who just happened to be my surgeon. My surgeon assured me that it was highly unlikely to be infected, but that I could go to the ER if I needed help managing my pain. I really hate the ER, so I wasn't going to go just for pain management. But I was unconvinced that there was no infection. So I took pictures and sent them to my mother and my mother in law, both of whom are RNs. Both immediately confirmed my suspicions that I did indeed have an infection. My husband helped me to the car because I couldn't walk on my own. We waited in that waiting room for over 3 hours, during which time all of my pain meds wore off. About halfway through that 3 hours I was sobbing in pain, while I watched patient after patient get taken back before me, even ones who were obviously not that sick and/or got there long after I did. I finally had enough and hobbled over to the desk to ask how long the wait was. The nurse was initially extremely rude and essentially told me to suck it up and wait. In response I demanded to know why stomach virus patients were being given precedence over a God d@mned surgical infection. I then reminded her that I had been waiting for over 3 hours, far longer than any other person in that waiting room, because she literally keeps taking back anyone and everyone except me. That took her aback a bit, and magically I had a room, a bed, and an IV within the next 5 minutes. I wound up having to do a CT scan, which involved drinking way more contrast that my sleeve could comfortably tolerate, so that they could rule out a leak or abscess to explain why I was in such intense excruciating pain. This next part is humiliating and may be tmi, fair warning. They asked me for a urine sample. By this point I was pretty dehydrated having been separated from a source of fluids for so long (this was right before the IV). I didn't think I'd have much to give them, but I said I would try. I got to the bathroom, locked the door, and sat down .... and immediately passed the most gas I have ever done in my life. It was shocking, and it lasted a good 20 seconds, I do NOT exaggerate. I could actually feel my intestines deflating and the difference in how my stomach looked after was very noticeable. Now, as you may have guessed already, that was the true source of most of my pain. I was too embarrassed to admit that to the doctor though. And one of my incisions really was infected, so that did also contribute to the pain. I include this in my story here because as embarrassing as it is, any newly sleeved person reading this, if they are having overwhelming deep pain that comes in waves, they now know that they can try passing gas and it may help. Learn from my embarrassment. I am now back at home with my antibiotics, my fluids, and a 1/3 cup of blended cream of mushroom soup. My pain is back under control, and I'm a happy camper. Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App

I took my first steps towards gastric sleeve in February of this year, 2016. The process was a bit of a nightmare, and I was denied by my insurance the first time around. Once I did finally get my approval, it was so late in the year that I just knew that my surgery wouldn't be until January at the earliest. Which was very depressing because that would mean that my insurance out-of-pocket maximum would start over, and that would cost us thousands extra. But my surgeon Dr. Shadle gave up his holiday vacation time to ensure that myself and many other patients got their surgeries before the end of the year. I cannot say enough good things about my surgeon. If any of you are in the Sacramento area, see if your insurance will work with Dr. Shadle. You won't be sorry you did. I started my 2 week liquid diet on 12/14. It was pretty tough, but I knew what was at stake so I pushed through. Dr. Shadle even gave me permission to eat Proteins and vegetables for the Christmas holiday. That was great, but my body pretty much rejected it because I hasn't eaten in so long. The night before the surgery I was so nervous and scared I could barely sleep. The next morning I paced around the house and sliced fruit for dehydration to keep my hands and mind occupied until it was time to go to the hospital. The check in went smoothly and quickly, and before I knew it I was being wheeled back to the OR. The next thing I remember was waking up after the surgery. I was in sheer agony. Crying from the pain and desperately dry heaving. It took several hours for my pain to come down to a manageable level. Part of the pain was from the incisions themselves, and part of it was from the gas. The gas itself feels like a tight band around your chest, and it eventually settled in my shoulder. The gas pain has mostly subsided at this point. Another aspect that I was not at all prepared for was how dry my mouth was. For the first 36 hours or so my mouth felt like sawdust, no matter if I just sipped Water or took an ice chip the moment before. This did eventually alleviate itself, thankfully. One of the things they really monitored in the hospital was my liquid output (pee). Strangely enough, no matter how badly I felt like I had to go, it would only come out in a tiny trickle due to the fact that my insides were still asleep. I was given a few doses of milk of magnesia to try to wake my bowels up, but to no avail. I also spent a good amount of time walking while I was in the hospital. It felt so good to get up and stretch out my torso. I was released from the hospital yesterday morning. There was a bit of a kerfuffle with my prescriptions. I had thought that I couldn't pick them up until after the surgery, but they had apparently been sent over weeks beforehand, and to a different pharmacy than I thought. So by the time I got my pain meds, my pain was out of control again. I have oral dilauded for pain to take every 4 hours, but it wasn't taking the edge off. I was told I could take it every 2 hours until it was under control, but even then the pain wasn't receding. I finally sent my husband to the store to get some extra strength liquid Tylenol, and some milk of magnesia. I've found that taking 1 dilauded every 4 hours, and 30ml of Tylenol every 6 hours is the winning combination for me. The pain is still there but it is very manageable and I can move around without too much trouble. I have also found that putting a heat pad on my belly is very effective for helping me manage my pain. I took a dose of milk of magnesia last night and finally had a bowel movement this morning! Tmi warning* it was completely liquid and did not cause any pain or discomfort at all. I was technically supposed to start the "full liquids" stage of the post op diet yesterday, but I was too scared to try with all the pain I was in already. I just stuck with water, and a few sips of a pomegranate flavored bariatric Protein drink (clear). This morning (12/30) I was actually feeling pretty good, so I tried about 1/4 cup or so of cream of chicken Soup. Took me about 30 minutes to get it down, and I have about 15 more minutes before I can start sipping liquids again to take my pills. It went down very well. There was one sip that I took a little too quickly that caused a little pain, but other than that there was no issue. In addition to the dilauded and Tylenol, I also have zofran (nausea), colace (stool softener), pantropazole (anti-acid/reflux), and Vitamin D (because I'm deficient). This is on top of the daily vitamin regimen that we are required to do. If you are reading this and don't already have one, I HIGHLY recommend getting a pill organizer. I have a 7 day, morn/noon/eve/bed organizer. It's a little bulky, but it is so very helpful. I started my pre-op diet at 343 pounds. The morning of my surgery I was 326, and I am currently at about 325. I expect this will continue to go down as my swelling recedes. I will be posting to this blog as often as I can, mostly for my own records so I can look back and see my progress. Of course any comments, input, or tips are most welcome Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App

Hi, I have a few questions.. How soon after surgery can you start working out? (Running, Interval training, gymnastics, etc). Although I'm overweight I'm very athletic, but I just made poor food choices. I had my surgery 12/22/2016. I've been feeling weak and struggling to get my proper Protein and Water intake in. TMI, but I've also haven't pooped since the hour before my surgery. Have anybody had troubles with proper intakes and/or going to the restroom?? I'm new to all of this and any information would be greatly appreciated ! Become a better you for YOU :-)

My bm's are yellow, is this normal for dsers who are four weeks out? Sent from my SM-G920P using the BariatricPal App

Hello all, *My be TMI for some* I was sleeved 12/27/2016 in Houston, Texas. I am currently on Clear liquids only. I have had about 5 bowel movements since surgery and the last 3 have been liquid only and extremely black in color. Is this something I should be alarmed about? Has anyone else experienced this? Also, I have had terrible heartburn/acid reflux the past 2 days. Never really had it pre-op but it's extremely uncomfortable. Is this temporary or something that sticks around for a while? Thanks in advance for any guidance or support you can provide. I do plan on consulting my surgeon when the office opens. Just wanted to see if anyone else has experienced the same thing before taking to him.

Hello Guys, I have a question ? So I am exactly one month post op and lately everything I get and drink makes me nauseous and sometimes or most times causes some vomiting. I am on the mushy/purée stage right now and I'm ALWAYS hungry. I am eating anywhere between 3-4 ounces of food. I am satisfied for a little bit but then I get super hungry again. I am almost afraid to eat cause I'm scared to vomit or feel nauseous. My question is did anybody else experience this. If so how long does it last and how can I prevent it ? I don't have an appointment with my surgeon for another week so I'm desperate for some help ! Lol also I know this may be TMI but my vomit is like a clear salvia with little chunks/pieces of food . Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hey guys so this is my first post. I had my sleeve done one week ago on December 20th. It's been quite a journey. I'm 25 and I have been overweight my entire life. It really got bad when I got put on antidepressants when I was 12 (I have anxiety/depression & bipolar disorder.) I tried many different antidepressants and it seems like each and every one increased my appetite. But I was such an anxious and depressed wreck without medication that it just wasn't possible for me to function without it. When I was in middle and high school my mom and I would diet a lot. I was on nutri-system, weight watchers, and many others but I never lost much and I would become discouraged and quit. At times I was resentful of my mom because she was always encouraging me to eat healthy and nagged me when I didn't. My mom has dieted her entire life and struggled with weight issues herself. About 7 or so years ago they told me I was prediabetic and I was put on metformin. I was also put on Byetta and I lost about 30 pounds. I was getting ready to do the lap-band surgery and was doing everything I needed to do to get it when my insurance informed us that they had told us wrong and I wasn't approved for the surgery. I guess I became hopeless and gave up on dieting. In a way though I was also relieved because I don't think I was truly ready for such a big change. Since then I've basically been steadily gaining weight. I've been in college (just graduated) and until recently I haven't really restricted my eating at all. I would eat however much of whatever I wanted all the time and often to the point of being miserably full. I've definitely eaten an entire pizza to myself more than once. I ate when I was happy, when I was sad, when I was celebrating, when I was heartbroken, etc. I knew I was unhealthy and I was ashamed but I guess I tried not to think about it much. In October something just clicked and I knew I couldn't go on like this anymore. I knew I had to do something if I wanted to live a long life, have a healthy pregnancy & have kids someday, play with my kids someday, etc. Losing weight, dieting, and exercising just always seemed pointless because I knew I'd never lose enough to become healthy. I felt I was just too far gone. But I realized that having surgery could help me lose weight and get me to a more manageable weight so that I could exercise and diet and do all the things I always thought were pointless before. I had really good insurance this year, better than ever before and my out of picked price would only be $1000. The price of my insurance is going up at the end of the year and I have no idea what type of insurance I'll have after the new year so if I wanted to get the surgery it had to be before December 31. I attended a seminar and the lady in charge of insurance and the surgeon assured me they'd work with me and I'd be able to get it by the end of the year. I was so ecstatic I burst into tears. A lot of unforeseen complications came up however. My Iron was very low and I needed at least 2 iron infusions. My surgeon got fired. My EGD had irregular results and I had to see a specialist. It seemed like getting the surgery by the end of the year was going to be impossible. But everything fell into place. I was approved by my insurance and they scheduled my surgery for the 28th. Then they moved it up to the 20th. The surgery went well. Waking up was kind of brutal. I was very nauseous and miserable. I had been fasting since midnight the night before and I couldn't have anything to drink until the next day. I was in quite a bit of pain AND SO THIRSTY. Its funny because the most painful parts were things I didn't expect. For example, my incisions didn't hurt much but my back hurt like crazy from the hospital bed. And since I've been home from the hospital the most painful thing I've experienced was my severe constipation (sorry for the TMI but it was the worst). I've been so happy that I was able to get the surgery in time that I haven't experienced much sadness or regret like I've read about most people experiencing for a period after surgery. Today has been the hardest day. I'm still on only liquids for another week until I move onto puréed foods. Today my dad made French fries and I started bawling. I wanted French fries soooooooooo badly. It's been tough watching as my family ate Christmas dinner while I eat Protein shakes and broth. I know it's worth it but sometimes it's so hard. I'm so happy to be where I am and I'm so excited to see and feel my body changing but I know it will be a tough journey which is why I signed up for this website. Also I am off my metformin which I am beyond thrilled about! Anyways, that's been my journey so far. Thanks for reading and I can't wait to hear back from some people! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'd probably rip a fart and kill the mood. Was that TMI? I doubt it, I think we lost our TMI filter a long time ago on this forum. seriously, so gassy and gross feeling at this point (13 days out) I can wait a bit.

Complications, these dreadded problems that affects some of us... They almost made me spend Christmas in the hospital. I started having stomach cramps Tuesday evening after drinking a few sips of Water. And these were nothing to play with. It was like someone was squeezing all life out of my pouch! The worst pain was just under my breast bone with pain shooting out under my lowest ribs. I was salivating so much that I couldn't even swollow a pain pill. It finally ended with me throwing up a spoonful of liquids. Little did I know that this was going to happen again in the middle of the night and be even worse? Needless to say I was really careful on Wednesday and did a liquids only day, even though I had problems drinking. I was weak, but didn't get any cramps. Thursday was a whole new day, with new cramps in the afternoon. I was scared enough that I called the hospital and they told me get myself to the er at once. So I got into a cab and was hooked up, poked, scaned and tested at the er. My pouch and intestines were intact. No leaks or blockages. I was dehydrated and got an iv and several of its friends. Also very constipated, sorry for the tmi. Apparently you can be constipated and have small bowels movements at the same time. The blood test also showed malnourishment. They wanted me to stay over night so they could hydrated me. Finally in my room I was allowed to drink some water to get the barium taste out of my mouth and the cramps returned with new found force. Pain meds in the iv helped in 15 min, so happy to be at the hospital at that time. The next day the surgeon came to tell me that they had found panniculitis in my intestines that might be the culprit to my cramps. I had to Google it too... In short there are some lymph nodes in my small bowel lining that are mildly infected. It's so mild I don't even need meds for it, other than for the cramps. So suppository meds for home, yay... They wanted me to stay until xmas eve, but due to a family emergency I had to go home the night before and of course had another cramping episode... Luckily the new meds were effective. I'm still weak and not eating much, but I try my best. It seems like water is going down easier after the constipation was taken care of at the hospital. Xmas eve I slept until the afternoon and then went to my dads for a few hours. I even had a few spoonfuls of holiday foods and did fine. So today I have had my morning pills with water and soon some food. I just don't know what to choose. Real food or a Protein shake? I was following my food plan carefully and haven't tried that many foods yet and now I'm even more scared of new foods creating problems. Maybe a scrambled egg so I can get some much needed calories..? Take care everyone! Nilla

Hey everyone! This may be TMI but I wasn't quite sure what to do, and I wanted to know if any of you have had this issue. I was sleeved on Monday (yay!), and on Wednesday I had a small BM, but today when I woke up I had diarrhea, and then later in the day (a long time after one nectar Protein drink and not long after a second), I had it again. I don't believe I am dehydrated, as generally these drinks are in my body long enough, but I do know that it is a risk. Is it just my body adjusting, the fact that I am using Water based Protein Drinks, or something else? My doctor's office is closed at the moment, so I cannot call them. Thanks! =^.^= Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Surgery for me was 12/13... walk walk walk is the best thing for you! My incisions are still sore but everything else is pretty good. The worst thing... constipation. TMI. But it is ridiculously painful! Don't pre-buy too much. I bought all my Vitamins, Protein Water, protein shakes ahead of time but I've had to change things up post-op. Good luck! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi everyone. What is the best form of contraception you've been recommended? Or, what have you been using that has been effective? I have been on the pill for 11 years, no problems, ever. Came off it for one month prior to surgery and re-started again this month. My surgeon didn't mention anything else in regards to contraceptives, but I've seen a lot of stories of women who get pregnant soon after surgery. I'm sort of worried that my go-to method might suddenly not work. They say the pill is like 99% effective if taken correctly. Does WLS decrease the effectiveness?

@@lodagoda as long as your getting your liquids in...pay attention to the color of your urine if it's Amber your dehydrated (sorry if TMI) the sugar free popsicle helps so much!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Just until gas gets out. Up to now I've just little burps. Now it's big farts. Sorry for the tmi Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I have no idea. When I was in the hospital. They told me the pain in my chest was the gas coming up. Today, a week later I'm finally passing gas (tmi) and I pooped after almost two weeks. It was hard but thank goodness! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi All - I've been suffering from wicked, wicked, WICKED bronchitis since Thanksgiving. I swear, this has been the roughest virus I've ever had in my life. I've woken up every morning for the past week coughing over a sink and hacking up mucous. In the process, I dry heave because it tickles my gag reflex so much. Good news is I think it's at the tail end (please God, let it be so) since it's all coming out. But I'm worried because I do have a lap band... is it possible to "push" it out of place with dry heaving? Would I notice a difference if it did? I can't really control it at this point... it's just how my body is unfortunately reacting to getting the gunk out. I've been taking Mucinex but otherwise don't take cough suppressants because in order to heal you do need to get the crud out of your lungs one way or another. If I should be suppressing my cough to preserve my band, though, I will reconsider. Thank you, and sorry for the TMI.

This might be tmi but I have to ask. I am using gas X strips to reduce the gas but I don't think it's working. I am still releasing gas loudly and is very embarrassing. I thought the gas x strips would reduce that. Am I wrong? How does gas X work? Please don't judge. Sent from my SM-N910T using the BariatricPal App