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I am 10 years out from a gastric sleeve surgery. I lost 70 pounds and gained it all back plus some. I have suffered from chronic dehydration, despite drinking a gallon or more every day. I feel that it’s due to my stomach not absorbing enough water. Has anyone had issues with this?? I am also anemic and my doctor is playing around with multiple vitamin and supplement dose increases. I just started Zepbound to try to get the weight off again, and that makes the dehydration so much worse. I am just desperate for answers. My weight loss surgeon moved, and I am not established with any other practice. Thank you!!
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Anyone else had a negative experience?
FifiLux replied to AMJ2598's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Sorry to hear what you have gone through and are still going through. I know exactly how you feel about wondering if the surgery has been worth it, I wondered the same for many months after mine but I can now say 10 months later that I see the light and know I could not have lost the weight I have done so far without the surgery and I can now finally feel the benefits. I have posted about it before on the forum but a recap to show you how s**t things can go..... I had my surgery 4th July 2023 and suffered severe pancreatitis brought on by the surgery (iatrogenic according to the medical reports) which resulted in me having a drainage tube fitted to my belly area and being hospitalised for one month. Three days after being released I collapsed at home and had to return to hospital via ambulance. There it was discovered that I had a leak in the stomach where the sutures hadn't sealed. I spent a further two weeks in hospital where I had to get clips put in to close the hole/leak. I then lasted 13 days at home before becoming ill again. I went in for a gastroscopy to check on the clips and turned out the clips did not do their job and I had leak back plus two abscesses (1 on stomach, 1 on pancreas). Spent a further three weeks in hospital on a feeding tube before getting all clear to go home after another round of clips were put in and passed their tests. Next time I lasted 15 days at home before having to be readmitted for another month! I never felt fully better but wasn't sure if that was just me recovering from all the trauma or still symptoms. I had a blood test one morning and that afternoon got a call to say I was to come back to the hospital immediately as my CRP was 180. Turned out the hole had opened again and I had an infection. Was put on a feeding tube again for the month and had a drainage tube fitted to my back, had so many different medications, a transfusion, tests etc it was exhausting. I was then sent to a hospital in Belgium to have a tube/coil like thing inserted in my stomach help the hole heal. I was finally released from hospital November 1st 2023. Like you I couldn't do things, I couldn't even stand at the kitchen counter to chop veg without feeling like I was going to collapse. The effort of having a shower and getting dressed some days was too much for me and it took me many months to get to my energy up to more than being able to something small each day. It is really only since mid-February that I can say my energy improved. My weight loss was also slow when in hospital as they were pumping me full of nutrition (via the feeding tubes) but it sped up once I was at home. I had the tube in my stomach removed three weeks ago and had another round of tests to make sure that the hole had healed and I have passed with flying colours. So far so good, no pain or discomfort which is such an improvement. The only thing I suffer with now is a bit of reflux and occasional terrible exhaustion. I was out for dinner on Sunday night and almost collapsed at the table the exhaustion came on so suddenly but I was ok a while later. I don't let it stop me, I have so much more energy than pre-op but I just know I have to pace myself and rest when I can. Basically, I just want to let you know that after all of the above that I have been through I now feel the relief of the surgery and the weight loss. I am now at the weight target the surgeon set for me, 75kg, though I will aim for a bit more and I no longer cry myself to sleep with pain or stress or the fear to make plans for the future. It has taken 10 months for me to get here, I am at the stage now that probably those who have a successful surgery would have been at months ago with their recovery from the op and getting back to a 'normal' life. I am going to see a psychologist through my hospital service for the medical trauma which has helped me as well. Do make sure that you go to the hospital if your symptoms worsen, or don't improve, and ask the doctors to check your levels just to be sure that there is no infection still there etc. Rest when you can, I don't know your situation but if you don't have to get up and go out during the day for work/kids/shopping etc. then don't, just take the time to heal and recover. Also ask for help if and when you need it and also say no to things that you may not want to do if you don't feel up for it - being a control freak these are things I am trying to learn to do. -
February 2024 Surgery Buddies?
RonHall908 replied to NickelChip's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
After surgery my weight loss has been slow. At least I think it's slow compared to how much I'm eating. 750-900 calories per day. Actively walking and resistance train 6 days a week. Day of surgery I weighed 284 lbs. As of yesterday I weighed 270 lbs. This is my 5th week out from surgery. I didn't lose weight for nearly two weeks. But, 14 lbs in 5 weeks isn't bad. I expected more. -
HELP!! 3 weeks Post Op: I Ate 5-ounce dinner!!
Avea9 posted a topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Hello Everyone, I am a little past, 3 weeks post op and I am currently on Soft Food Phase. For dinner, I ate a couple of meatballs, broccoli and cauliflower rice. The total weighed 5 ounces on the scale. I didn't finish the meal though. For some reason, today I thought 5 oz was okay; but when I looked at my notes my md wanted me to eat 3-4 oz per meal. I made a mistake and am scared my pouch may stretch or I might sabotage my weight loss! Moving forward I plan to follow the guidelines, but my question is , is there a possibility that I stretched my pouch? Will this sabotage my weight loss? Should I contact my md? -
February 2024 Surgery Buddies?
NickelChip replied to NickelChip's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
My surgeon told me at my 6 week appointment that I needed to start doing more exercise. This week, I'm happy to say I've gotten out my little walking pad treadmill twice in the evenings and have been walking while watching TV. I've gone from a daily average of about 3k steps to more than 5k this week, and I'll be working toward 10k steps each day for the coming month. I can hardly wait as the weather improves to allow for more outside walking. I'm really hoping the additional activity will give the scale an added nudge in the right direction. Once I can hit 10k most days, I will start looking at ways to add resistance bands to build muscle, but if I'm honest, I have been almost completely sedentary for several years and need to pace myself for it to be sustainable. Today, I am less than 4 lbs away from the lowest weight I've recorded on my app in the past 7 years (which was 203.8 after doing the nutrition program at my old weight loss center). 203 lbs is the next milestone I have my eye on, followed by making it to 199 lbs, and then hitting 185 lbs to officially no longer be obese. I chose my weight goal of 155 lbs somewhat arbitrarily, though it's the lower end of the estimates I saw for how much I could lose on various calculators. But when it feels impossibly far away, it helps to have some smaller goals to focus on. Oh, and it's almost time to swap out my winter clothing for spring stuff, which means I will have a lot of items to take to the donation bin. Many of my long-sleeve tops are swimming on me and several pairs of jeans are hopelessly baggy. Purging my closet will be an awesome feeling! -
Doubts about plastic surgery
sillykitty replied to Summermoose's topic in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
I believe we should get the the bodies we want, and that doesn't necessarily stop at weight loss surgery. It's wonderful your husband thinks you're perfect, but he's not living in your body. And, yeah, you may want more procedures, but why not? If you can get a body you're comfortable in through plastics, why is that a bad thing? I've had two sets of plastic surgery (but not an arm lift). Recovery sucks in the short term. But what's a few week vs. being happy with your arms forever? Additionally, there is a study that shows that those who get plastics after WLS are more apt to keep the weight off. Anecdotally, the group of women I am in touch with on here who have had plastics, and all 5+ years out, and all have had no significant weight gain, outside the normal bounce. -
Hi everyone! I had a full RNY Gastric Bypass in July 2017. I started my weight loss journey at 360lbs. I lost down to 322 by my surgery day and after surgery managed to get down to 195 before I started maintaining. I got pregnant and now have an almost two year old. This all being said to say that I never met my original weight loss goal and since having another baby I'm having a hard time getting weight back off. I was up to 277lbs at the end of my pregnancy and have managed to get myself back down to 240 but its no where near where I want/need to be. I want to be able to be healthy and active for my boys but I don't have any time during the days to work out. Any help appreciated!
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What does a typical day of eating and acitivity look like to you?
AmberFL replied to AmberFL's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
You and I have similar starting numbers, HW was 297 and when I started my journey I was 270 and am 5'9. What was your original weight loss goal? I am shooting for 190 but the way that I am losing weight I think I am going to surpass that. What was your typical day in your weight loss phase? How long did it take to get there? Right now I am eating about 1000 calories, 100g of protein, 50g of carbs, 25g of fat. I am not sure if I am eating too much, the scale says I am not but I also do not want to stretch out my stomach. When did you start HIIT? I miss it so much but right now I just walk 35-55min a day (I know odd it just depends how long I can squeeze time outta my lunch break lol) Sorry for all the questions LOL -
So I had my 3 month post-op follow up yesterday (at 14 weeks out). It went... about as well as my cynical little heart expected? Maybe better? LOL My follow up was virtual, so I didn't have to go in to the hospital which is a plus. The dietician I saw today is mmmm... fifth I've spoken to in my program. I honestly would feel a little better if I could have the same dietician every time but I understand that can be hard to schedule. Plus it's still not the worst -- to be honest, I've only actively liked one of the dieticians and yesterday's I passively was ok with -- so at least it's better than the weirder three I've seen in between. Review of my meds, of my health conditions as per usual. Somehow there's always something being left off from last time -- or several last times. Like, yeah, still have diabetes. My numbers are obviously a lot better now in my latest bloodwork, but considering it was one of the comorbidities that got me approved for this program/surgery it would be swell if I didn't have to surprise my care team 4/5 times by informing them of my past diagnosis. Review of my eating habits. Fingers-rapped (gently) over a few things -- not getting enough fruits / veg with skin, not getting enough fibre in each my meals and snacks because it's mostly just in one or two meals. I mean, if my fibre intake is within the 25-35 per day range that they suggested, does it really frickin' matter if it's split up between 3 meals and two snacks? (Also, the fibre range wasn't brought up until yesterday -- it hasn't been mentioned to me at all by any of my care team, or in the pre-op and post-op guidelines and manuals they've distributed to date. The only actual numbers I've gotten from my care team has been about protein, everything else has just been "keep it low fat" and "keep it low carb" and "stay away from sugars" etc in mildly vague terms. I figured out my own daily goals and limits for everything else by taking the average of what I could find online / in books / through the forum) I asked specifically if my bloodwork reqs could be combined with the bloodwork my PCP wants since both of them want it every 3 months for mostly the same things, and I'd rather not take time off work for multiple blood tests -- or sacrifice my blood twice in a one-month period due to timing -- particularly because of the low iron. And considering they both get copies of each other's test results anyway (thanks Ontario Health Care!). But no, no, we can't do that. They can't put his name down in the 'send a copy to this physician' area right in the form. Because apparently even though my PCP is the one to referred me to my endocrinologist, she's the one who referred me to the program. So they send the results to her, and she's on a network with my PCP which is how he gets my results as well. But they can't directly ADD him. ((Can my PCP just ask for the tests that he wants to check but they don't? Nope, cause in order for it to be approved by insurance they look to make sure there are corresponding requisites. Can I have my PCP just add them to his requisition? No, because as the surgery providers they need the requisition under their name for Ontario insurance purposes, and there are certain tests that my PCP can't request 'without reason' and that reason seems to be that everyone wants to bill the government insurance plan for every test they can, and my iron will 'replenish' so it's fine. Nevermind that I've had anemia on and off for most of my life and know from personal experience that the more often I'm tested, the more slowly my iron is replenished.)) ((He was just a dietician. I shouldn't have bothered asking him. But the fact that he had an answer ready makes me feel like they get asked this a lot)) Other than that, it was ok. I've lost half the weight towards my goal weight. He reminded me to expect things to start slowing down. I nodded along even though I started a stall literally the day I hit my halfway score and even though my logic knew to expect and accept all this, my gut reaction was of course 'what have I done to eff this up???'. He was kind of crossing all his t's and dotting all his i's in terms of chiding me on dietary choices -- ie, every meal and snack being 50% protein, 25% non starchy veg, 25% complex carb. Suggested that I eat all these things that their own program handouts say not to start until between month 4 and 6, like nuts and seeds. I was ever so grateful for the internal consistencies. ((This happened with the last dietician at my 1 month -- which happened at my week 3. She was asking me why I hadn't been choosing to eat this or that, and I had to remind her that their handout and biweekly seminars both said not to until week 5-9)) All in all... I feel 'meh' about my follow up, but good about myself and good about my loss so far. And great about the salt & vinegar roasted edamame beans I just had as a snack even though it was lacking a vegetable and isn't 'high enough in fibre per serving'. In other news, I'm only day 7 into my second stall and have been fluctuation between calm acceptance and riotous panic that I'm messing up somehow even after nitpicking my diet and exercise with a fine tooth comb. My ADHD is saying I'm only working in one extreme or the other today/this week.
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February 2024 Surgery Buddies?
kissabeth replied to NickelChip's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Ooof, yeah. So I weighed myself several days ago after uh... my digestive system decided to clear itself (took a while). Just to see. I LOOK a lot thinner already - I'm just over 2 weeks out - but I just wanted to see. And the results were lovely. BUT. I made the mistake of weighing myself in the couple of days after that, and of course it jumped up a bit, and I realised that I will make myself crazy if I do it every day. A lot of processes are reorganising in there! If you've started solid foods (I'm allowed soft solid foods, and that certainly makes for highs and lows!), that's going to make things jump around a lot, I just think the number has to be less important than it once was. I know weight loss is a lot more complex than the first law of thermodynamics, but if you're up and moving around at 750-900 calories a day, something is being converted to the energy you're using, and maybe having lower weight loss numbers here is a good sign - you're doing consistent resistance training, so you're retaining or gaining (dense) muscle instead of eating away at it, while dropping the (lighter) fat. Good job with the 6x week exercise - that's awesome -
Severe back pain 6-12 months out (60-100 lbs lost)
catwoman7 replied to Jonathan Carlson's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I recall having some unusual pain, too - but not severe. As BabySpoons said, I think it had to do with everything re-aligning after a substantial weight loss. Fortunately, though, it was temporary. -
Differences in size never cease to amaze me. I am almost exactly the same weight as you but 3 inches taller and I am a US size 8-10. No idea how that happens. OP I am a firm believer in the concept of a new set weight after bariatric surgery. I would have been happy 15 or 20 pounds heavier than where I settled. That was my goal actually. After I got into that ballpark I didn't try to lose any more, but it just happened. And then, eating very much the same stuff, my loss then stopped. And I've maintained thereabouts for a year or more with very little effort. If you can keep eating healthy and nutritious foods then could you just see where that gets you to? There are lots of healthy people with a BMI of 25+ and lots with a BMI of 19-. You'll find yourself somewhere in the middle eventually I suspect.
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You're doing amazingly. What you have done is lose 13lbs in 2 weeks or so after your procedure. And 37lbs pre-op. Unbelievable. Weight loss isn't linear - it stalls and accelerates and stops and reverses. What matters is that the trend is down in the longer term - that's what gets us to where we want to be. Not the odd week where everything goes backwards (although - they are so annoying). Trust the process, it really does work. 🤩
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Stalled for 2 weeks ( slow loser)
Arabesque replied to DanielleQ's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
Exactly as @catwoman7 said, perfectly normal. You can experience a few of them along the way too. They usually last 1-3 weeks. They are an important part of your weight loss & are when your body shuts down & takes stock of the changes you’ve made & your weight loss so far. It works out your new needs in regards things like digestive hormones, metabolic rate, etc. The stall will break when your body is ready to move forward again. Don’t stress your body more by trying to change things beyond what your plan requires. Yes, even knowing this, they’re still frustrating. -
Please just take a good look at all the info mentioned above to the original poster. Do not get down on yourself or think this is it. The "3 week stall" is a real thing. (and isn't just at week 3) You just lost 25lbs in one month essentially. That's already monumental! How many times in your life have you lost that in a month?? Your body will assess and adjust throughout your process. Also, you started at a much smaller weight than a lot of us around here do so your weightloss may not always fall off in large numbers. Remember we didn't gain the weight overnight and it will not go away overnight despite this great tool we have in our arsenal. Give yourself grace, trust the process, stick with the program, I promise the changes and losses will come in time.
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i've been buying creams, lotions, botox, masks, fillers, microneedling, morpheous8, light therapy, RF treatments for the past 4-5 years. i apply moisturizers and sunscreen and masks like its going out of style. honestly, i probably could have had 2 face lifts with the amount of money i've dished out so far. nothing stops the effects of aging (nor weight loss) permanently, and few things effectively pause it. surgical face lifts are the most effective (and longest lasting) defence against aging, sagging, wrinkling skin. i'm seriously contemplating getting one, but i scar horribly so im hesitant. long story short, creams and moisturizers will do little for damage already done, but can assist in keeping future damage at bay. microneedling, morpheous8, light therapy *may* work, but you require several sessions to determine if it will even work for you. botox and fillers have immediate effect, but don't last long and require ongoing treatments to keep up. face lifts are expensive (and surgical!) but will probably make you look 10-15 years younger for about 10-15 years...but then you'll need another one for touchup or upkeep. ....or we can embrace our aging faces (something i personally would love to do, but honestly am not ready to do yet hahahhahaha) ❤️
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So I am 8 months in and down a considerable amount of weight I was at 388 and am now at 267. It’s been a rough road. For several months I could only eat yogurt and drink protein shakes or I would throw up. Well that ended up being from the rapid weight loss causing my gallbladder to act up. I ended up getting my gallbladder out. I would like to say I don’t throw up anymore but that’s not the case. I still struggle with proteins. Poultry is the worst. I also can’t eat low carb high protein wraps or pasta. Before my gallbladder surgery they also checked to see if I needed my esophagus stretched but that was fine. For a long time i regretted the surgery. I’m definitely not at that place anymore but it’s definitely not been easy. I was just wondering if anyone else has the issue with poultry. Best of luck to everyone.
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So after my revelation yesterday, I had my weekly therapy session. I have been going to therapy for almost a year now, mainly to help with my PTSD, and now moreso to address some of my trauma when it comes to my weight, and how that effects my emotional eating. I brought up my thoughts to my therapist, and she agreed that it is self-perception, not how my loved ones are seeing me. I'll be the first to admit, that I don't particularly like being emotional in front of other people, and in the entire year I have been attending therapy, I have only cried in front of my therapist 2-3 times. I found it quite hard to hold back the tears during this session (though that didn't stop me) - I realised that I have only really scratched the surface of the trauma I have from past relationships, and how that has completely tattered my self-image. More than anything, I realise that now more than ever, I need to address this as I approach the beginning of my weight loss journey. It is becoming more and more apparent, as everyone says, that surgery really is just a tool. It will give me that initial kick to lose weight so that I see the physical benefits: I will be in less pain, more able to get up and move about, more energy. I will *hopefully* feel more positive in myself and more confident. But the rest of the work, well, surgery can't do that for me. I am responsible for changing my behaviour & attitude, and I think for me at least that starts with being kinder to myself. I can't remember a time where I have been kind to my body, in how I treat it, and how I think about it. I realise that if I want to be successful on this journey, I need to work on me as a whole, body and mind, or else success isn't something I'll be able to achieve. Old habits would creep in, and my expectations would be too high. I am now attempting to drop the mindset of: "when I am skinny everyone will love me, and they will all treat me better and I will be an amazing person" - because truly, that has been my internal narrative, and I didn't see it as a negative until the other day. I need to rework it into: "I am me now, and I will be the same person on the inside even when I have lost weight. Those who I care about already love me and treat me with respect and care, and anyone who doesn't, isn't deserving of knowing me. Regardless of if I am 20 stone, or 11 stone. I am worthy of love". So, time to put my words into action 🤞🌸
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A protein shake is really a meal replacement so you are having more than a meal or two. And no, don’t load up on junky snacks or empty calories. Look too foods that will add additional nutrients: fruit, complex carbs i.e. whole/multi grains, good fats like avocado & nuts, boiled egg, cheese stick, etc. Keep the deli/luncheon/charcuterie meats intake low too - highly processed, high salt & high fat, lower protein. Better to buy a bbq/rotisserie chicken& package it up in single serves & eat that. Give your body time to settle. It takes time for your body to work out what it needs to function effectively & for you to physically be able to eat appropriate sized portions & meals. My hunger didn’t really come back until about a year so after I reached goal at 6 months & it played a part in my continued weight loss. And it took a while to work out the calories I needed. When my weight first stabilised at around 18 months I was eating 1300 odd calories - it took me all that time to eat that much. At 4 years I was eating 1500/1600 & still maintaining much the same weight so it took that long for my body to work out what it really needed. Your lowest weight may not be your final weight either. There’s the quite common 5-10lb bounce back regain around the 2 or 3 year mark. Or lifestyle choices may mean you settle a little higher. And finally, your goal weight might not be your body’s goal weight (your new set point). My new set point was 11kg/24lbs less than my goal.
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Anyone else had a negative experience?
FifiLux replied to AMJ2598's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I am a stubborn b**ch so I used that strength to get me through on the days I knew what was going on but a lot of the time I had no idea how sick I was. It was only afterwards I found out how bad I was and how worried all my family and friends were. I didn't mention it above but I also had a blood infection and then an allergic reaction to one of the medications - basically anything that could go wrong/happen did. They couldn't do the feeding tube via my arms as my arms got infected and the veins collapsed, I think I had 8 different IVs in my ams over the months, they just kept switching from left to right until all veins had collapsed. I ended up having to have blood draws from my foot at one point and had my IV in my neck. I actually thought I was going to be physically ill when the first told me they had to put the IV in my neck and had to be given a xanex to calm down and go to the the procedure room but it was actually ok then afterwards and so much easier than my arms. I know what you mean about the health anxiety side of things, I was worried about everything when I came home finally, it was a shock to my system to suddenly be without the constant checks from nurses and doctors and not know if a little twinge or cough etc was a bad sign or just normal. I had to take my blood pressure during the day and do temperature checks to make sure I was at a normal range. I was also afraid to go for a walk of a few minutes in case I then didn't have the strength to get back home so I just walked the bus route on my road as figured if I could walk to the end of the road and get stuck I would just get the bus back. Now I can do 1.5km or so around the block at a steady pace. I am not sure where you are in the food reintroduction phase but once you are able to eat more protein it should also help with the energy levels but I do think rest is key. Once I got into a decent sleeping pattern again, took a few months at home after the nurses rounds at 11pm 4am 7am etc., I really saw the improvements in my energy. That is great that you got the appointment for next week. Just keep asking them to check everything and be honest with them about your fears so they can discuss with you. Just give it time and let your body recover, it has been through a shock to the system with the weight loss and then the infection on top. I figure my horror show can only help others to not feel as bad if they are struggling a bit. It has taken me a long time to start to feel better and more positive but I think I have turned a corner in the last couple of weeks. -
This is all great advice. Apart from family, In the 2 + years since surgery, I have told the 3 obese people who asked, the real truth. The rest are just nosey and want gossip. I live in a small town where people know everybody and everyone. Gossip is like gold dust. People love to talk about themselves, I go with - nice nails, hair, dress etc. Where did you get them ? By the end of that conversation you can say, great to see you, I am running late, lets meet at a later date blah blah.
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So many questions about surgery!
Splenda replied to Skinkneequeen's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
1. What was the best part of surgery for you? The best part is also the hardest to explain. The best way I can put it is that pre-surgery, I had a demon in my stomach. This demon demanded rich foods and thought that if one of something tasted good, then four of something would taste amazing (this made the demon a liar, but I had to obey these lies). The surgery removed the demon. I no longer feel controlled by cravings. 2. What was the worst part of surgery for you? The 48 hours prior to the surgery were miserable. I could only have water, Gatorades and black coffee. Then I had to take strong laxatives prior to the surgery, so I was defecating so much that my body was expelling food I hadn't even eaten yet. And I couldn't go to sleep because any flatulence had the potential to be ... explosive. So it's 1 am, I am starving, dehydrated, sitting on the john and I need to be at the hospital at 5:30. 3. Did you have any complications (minor or major) during or after your surgery? Nothing major. I greatly underestimated how sore my stomach would be and how long it would take for the soreness to go away. I am a stomach sleeper and it was three months before I felt comfortable sleeping on my stomach. 4. How has adjusting to your new life been for you? I love the new life. I am able to exercise (bike, jog, lift weights) like I never have, I have great energy. I can shop at pretty much any clothing store. It has allowed me to become a better version of myself. 5. How long did it take you to feel comfortable eating food? It was probably 8 months to a year before I felt like I could try any food and not have to worry about my stomach having trouble. 6. Is there anything you can’t eat anymore that you used to enjoy? Can't eat, as in, I physically cannot handle it? Nothing. But there are plenty of things that I used to love that I am uninterested in. Like I have no desire to eat a donut. Just seems like pure sugar to me. 7. What was your recovery like? Any vomiting or dumping syndrome? I did not have dumping syndrome (although some sugar alcohols hit my stomach hard). I did have some vomiting, but it was either due to eating too fast or eating a food that my stomach wasn't ready to handle yet (I had some stewed beef at like the 90 day mark and I wasn't as ready for it as I thought I was. 8. How long did it take you to feel semi-normal after surgery? I would say 90-120 days before I felt physically normal (could sleep on my stomach, could handle most foods) 9. Did you experience higher energy level post surgery? In the immediate aftermath of the surgery, no. This was my first (and so far, only) major surgery and I really underestimated how much it would sap my energy. I was walking gingerly for a while. But once I fully recovered, I have had way more energy. 10. Did surgery affect your mental health? Yes, in mostly good ways. The pre-surgery success-failure cycle of yo-yo dieting impacted my psyche way more than I realized. So this state of long-term success helped greatly (and success, both great and small, is an excellent anti-depressant). Will it cure your depression? Absolutely not. To the extent that you think your problems in life are caused by your size ("I'm single because I'm overweight" or "My weight is why they won't give the promotion" or "my weight is why my mother is passive-aggressive toward me"), the surgery will not make those problems go away. I'm very lucky and very blessed to live an amazing life and the weight-loss has only further revealed what an amazing and blessed life I have. 11. Do you regret it? Would you recommend it? I do not regret it. I make it a personal policy not to outright recommend it to anyone because everyone has their own journey. For many years, I saw bariatric surgery as a last resort, a kind of "pull in case of emergency" lever. I realized that I was 40+ yrs old with a wife and children and no diet had ever worked for me and I was only fooling myself if I thought the next one would do the trick. I had to either pull the lever or make peace with being morbidly obese for the rest of my life. I pulled the lever and I would pull it again without hesitation. -
February 2024 Surgery Buddies?
NickelChip replied to NickelChip's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
The sashimi was great! Very easy to eat. I had just a few bites of my miso soup and then gave that and the salad to my daughters (both items come with the order). I think I ate 4 or 5 pieces over the span of an hour, no rice, and half of one green tea mochi ice cream for dessert. I ordered a miso soup to take home because it was so delicious. I had half yesterday and will finish it today. Congratulations on your stall breaking! Mine is still hanging on, but I'm just trying to ignore it. I've lost 21 lbs but a lot of that happened during the liquid diet pre-op. When I told my dietician I'd lost 15lbs in two weeks pre-op, she said that was way more than expected and might be why my post-op loss has been slower. It'll all work out in the end, I guess. -
Sleeve Veteran researching revision to SADI
NickelChip replied to ShoppGirl's topic in WLS Veteran's Forum
I'm not sure a PCP would have too detailed an understanding of complications from any bariatric surgery, even a more common one. At least I wouldn't rely on that. Although I have a feeling if she has a patient who gets a certain procedure, she might be more likely to read up on it. Is your surgeon attached to a weight loss center of some kind? Mine is, and I'm expected to go for a follow up at the center yearly, basically forever, so I'll always be in close contact for questions. Honestly, I think you need to choose your surgery based on which one will work best for you, which could very well be the SADI. A long term complication is going to be rare, but also you'll know to bring it up if something happens. You don't have to rely on your doctor to think of it, and any doctor will know how to find out more of needed, even if they don't really know much about it now. -
Gastric sleeve as a teenager
j.apple replied to gracie25's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
Hi Gracie!! I got VSG surgery at 20 years old. I started my pre-op diet two weeks before surgery at 19. (My birthday is on January 2nd) I’m also a college student and I will not lie to you, getting weight loss surgery and coming back on campus was the hardest thing I ever had to do. My dining hall on campus didn’t cater to my needs during the post-op stage. To be honest, I was going home every other weekend because I knew I would get what I needed from home. I live about an hour and a half away from campus so it was pretty pricey to do so. I’m down approximately 40 pounds since January and I don’t think I have loose skin but I definitely lost my booty lol. It’s not really a big deal for me but I do plan on going to the gym more often. If you have any other concerns or want to know more about my experience, please reach out!! I don’t know much young people that have gotten weight loss surgery but I’m excited for us as we are turning our life around!! I hope everything goes well!!