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I was diagnosed with diabetes 20 years ago. Last year I was informed my pancreas is not functioning at all and was put on a pump. Due to insulin resistance I require a large amount of insulin a day (150 units daily average.) I have my first surgery consult in 4 weeks and I am nervous about how to manage my insulin specifically pre and post op. I do have a CGM which will help. Anyone using insulin pump with advise or success story to help ease my mind?

Perfectly normal at this stage. What I did to overcome this stage was to make myself try something everyday. Some days were successful and some werent the foods that werent i put on the try agsin in a couple of weeks list.

I will be happy to tell you my experience since it is very recent history. However, everyone's doctor and experience is a little bit different. I elected for the gastric sleeve. It was a personal choice. Prior to surgery, my doctor requested that I begin a special diet to reduce the size of my liver. From what I have read on this forum, these diets very greatly, from surgeon to surgeon, in the types of foods you can eat and the length of time you must diet prior to surgery. However, I believe that, in all cases, one is required to consume more protein than carbohydrates or fats. Apparently, your liver, while overweight, is large and fatty. The diet reduces the size of your liver. This reduction allows the surgeon more room to operate. (I have no idea if this is true...just forwarding you what my surgeon told to me.) On the day of the surgery, I arrived at the facility at the appointed time. I was prepped for surgery with an IV. I chatted with the various staff who needed information and chatted with the surgeon prior to the procedure. According to my doctor, the surgery would take a little less than one hour. At the appointed time, I was taken to the operating room. My last memory was meeting the staff in the operating room. I was put under anesthesia shortly thereafter. For me, anesthesia is like time travel. My last memory was in the operating room but I woke up in a recovery room a short time later. I know that time had passed but it feels instantaneous...perhaps like time travel would feel. At this point, there are numerous posts on this forum from people who will recount their experience with recovery. I can only share with you my personal account. I awoke in a recovery room with a little discomfort. It wasn't pain per se, just a feeling of being bloated. I was not nauseated nor was I in any real pain. Again, I only felt bloated discomfort. Apparently, the surgeon inflates your abdomen with CO2 gas in order to have room to perform the surgery. Not all of this gas escapes prior to the end of surgery. This gas was the cause of my discomfort. My assigned post-op nurse encouraged me to get up and walk as much as I could to help relieve the gas pressure. I spent a good amount of time pacing about the floor trying to relieve the pressure. The process works but not as fast as you would like. The remainder of the time, I spent eating some ice chips and taking fluids intravenously. After a few hours, since I had no complications, I was released to my nearby hotel room. This was an outpatient procedure for me. However, an overnight stay at a hotel was required. I was instructed by the surgeon to immediately contact their surgical center if I experienced any issues such as pain, discomfort, etc. Otherwise, if I felt good in the morning, I could go straight home. I awoke in the morning and went home. I had no real issues. My surgery was on a Wednesday. My follow up appointment was exactly one week later, the following Wednesday. I was instructed by the surgical staff that during that week, I could only consume clear liquids. The only things on the menu were clear broths like chicken or beef, no sugar sport drinks, water, protein water and diluted, no sugar cranberry juice. Again, every doctor is different. There are many posts on this forum which provide different details about the immediate post op diet. You can find both positive and negative experiences. In my case, the one week follow up appointment allowed my doctor to assess my situation and determine if I could move on to the next phase of food consumption. At my follow up appointment a week later, I had experienced no pain or adverse effects from the surgery. I was permitted to move on to the next phase of food consumption. I could move on to pureed foods. This phase is to last for a period of three weeks. I am currently in the pureed food phase of my recovery. I was given a list of acceptable foods that I can eat. I was also given nutrition goals to achieve. That is, I am expected to consume a certain number of grams of protein, carbohydrates and fats each day. The acceptable foods on my list would be considered "soft" foods. These types of foods are on the list but this is not the entire list: Scrambled and hard boiled eggs Pudding Yogurt Cottage Cheese Certain canned vegetables Certain creamed soups Protein shakes There are acceptable meats on the menu as well. Items such as chicken, turkey and different types of fish. However, this is the "puree" portion of recovery. I am to puree these foods prior to consumption. That is, I put most of these items, like meat and vegetables, in a food processor to puree them before I eat them. I believe the idea is allow your stomach some time to heal. So there you have it. This is my experience to date. I have followed the doctor's program in its entirety. I have not experienced any problems or issues. I am about two weeks from my next follow up appointment. I expect that I will be able to go back to eating solid foods again at that time. I will leave you with something that I read on this forum. Someone's doctor told them that gastric surgery will give a person about one year to lose weight. During that one year, one must learn how to eat properly to maintain a lifelong weight loss. My plan is to change my past eating habits to more permanent, healthy choices in the future. I have about 11 months remaining to learn. Best of luck to you.

Interesting dilemma. A few perspectives. Would you tell if you had planned knee surgery? Or would you make up a story about getting run over as the day came? In a lot of ways, and forgive me for being frank, I think your own approach to WLS has been influenced by the idea that suffering from obesity is a moral failure, not a medical issue that can, in fact, be managed. If you read any of the latest scientific studies on the subject - and avoid people who make money from you suffering perpetually from obesity like weight loss programs, fitness coaches on Instagram, diet products etc - you'll find that some of us simply never had a chance. Rat populations who get put on too few calories start seeing obesity in the rats lowest in the social order. Isn't that food for thought? Studies where you put subjects under complete caloric input/output control (literally measuring exhaust 24/7 to monitor expenditure) and feed them 1000 calories too much a day see vastly different weight gain rates. Huh? Didn't we just learn calories in - calories out? Often, and even worse, the societal idea of obesity = moral failure leads to eating disorders, which compound the problem. --> You need life-saving medical intervention. You're not 'taking the easy road'. Does this influence your thinking on who and when to tell? For me, it made it much easier to share. And my attitude towards it has been this story, more or less, for my close-to-kinda-close people: "Hey, nobody loses 100+ lbs by going to a dietitian. And I have a life to live, so I got my head in order first, did the work of getting rid of using food as a stress relief mechanism, and then I was ready to take the road with the best chances of success: minor bariatric surgery, a planned diet, and moderate but frequent exercise. It's been great, really great. I'm now finding my balance point, I think most people gain a bit, so I'm expecting that and frankly, I could stand to gain a few" Surprisingly, people love this story and it definitely adds social points. Even among people not known for their empathy. Notice how this story is peppered with all the things that don't involve surgery. I want their story to be much more than surgery. Do you share intimate medical details with everyone? Or do you feel that's nobody else's business? The other - or rather, third - side of this is that it's your body and only you are entitled to learn about it. Medical information (yes, also in 2021 and 2022, freaks) is private. You don't owe anyone any explanation on what goes on inside you. I have a few co-workers who know, and who have kept it to themselves, but I don't think it's "office news". It's my body and my life and despite the time I took off (six weeks!), it doesn't concern them. Period. Remember that. As much as you shouldn't be ashamed of having WLS, you shouldn't feel the opposite of shame is self-exposure. Reality time: you'll end up telling her. And it won't be a big deal. Here's a good outcome, and there's a million variations on this, but I think you'll want to tell someone you share an apartment with. At the end of the day, we need people on our journey. Some of them will let us down, but we'll need to keep reaching out and accept the fact that sometimes, we get burned. That's the price for social connections. I think you'll tell her some time before, and that you'll tell her in a confident manner that actually, you've decided to think about your health and in a new way. Instead of beating yourself over the head about your weight, you realized this only helps sell more WeightWatchers classes. And here you are, back at square 1. So you've started the road to WLS, you've done your homework, you know outcomes aren't guaranteed, but you want a shot at something that will give you a better life. And dear Emily, we're close, we live together, and I want you to be a confidant on this new chapter because I like you. I trust you'll know that this is my information to share or not share; it should obviously go without saying with any private medical decisions, but I'm just saying it to avoid any confusion. I'm really excited for this, and well, you're probably going to see kitchen scales, mini-meals in the fridge, and a lot more weird protein products in the cupboards. Feel free to try them! I don't think it'll be a big deal. I think how you approach it will set the tone for it. Make sure you take the stress OFF yourself in that close-in living situation by managing expectations subtly like "hey, most people lose 50-60-maybe 70% of their excess weight, I'm not doing this to get a BMI of 25, just so that's clear. If I wanted a guarantee for that, I'd have to go with much more drastic surgery types and for now, I'm going with the first line of procedure recommended for people in my situation to avoid unnecessary complications". This removes the pressure and hey, anything above 60% will be a shared celebration. I told my close people I wanted to get to 220, but that the surgery on average would get me to 230ish. So getting to 220 was a huge milestone and well, I'm at 197 now. People react how you set them up to react is what I'm saying. Alright, sorry this got long. I hope some of it is helpful.

Hi everyone, Had my gastric bypass surgery December 7th. Today I'm 3 weeks post op. Starting weight was 285 today I'm 263. I can't tolerate anything. Everything makes me sick to my stomach except saltine crackers.... my whey protein isolate shakes. I tried adding yogurt, almond butter, bananas to give it flavor, but I can only take a couple of sips before I start feeling sick.I have little to no energy...I take ALL my vitamins; I drink as much water as I can..it makes me nauseous.I have my follow up apt. December 28th I'm looking forward to getting answers to help with the situation. Continue success to us all Happy New Year Sent from my SM-F711U using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm 13 weeks sleeve post op. Losing 1-2 pounds a week. Sleeping well. Feeling well overall. But the thought of chewing and swallowing a meal just turns me off so I don't do it. Getting plenty of protein thru Greek yogurt and protein shakes and applesauce with added collagen. Some fruit and nuts but no meat. Ugh! So am I developing an eating disorder or are there others who just don't enjoy food? Thanks! Sent from my SM-G977U using BariatricPal mobile app

13 weeks sleeve post op. A little hair loss just began but that's ok. I am just not hungry. The thought of eating a meal makes me sick to my stomach (literally.) I'm losing 1-2 pounds a week. Sleeping well. Feel fine. But living on greek yogurt and protein shakes and applesauce with added collagen. Oh- some fruit and nuts too. Is this ok or am I developing some eating disorder? Anyone else in the same boat? Sent from my SM-G977U using BariatricPal mobile app

I had lost weight when I got home from the hospital. Not everyone does though. The fluids can disguise any loss but I think after a week or two pretty much everyone starts losing.

I never did eat food that was really spicy but I can tolerate the same spice level as I could pre surgery. I didn’t try it till about three months out.

Good question. Sleevers tend to have less issues with medication absorption overall but it depends on the way each Med is absorbed. I just kept my list with me for like a week and had so many questions it took a few appointments to get through all of them. The good news was I had to do the check ins anyways for my insurance so at least it made it feel like less of a waste of time.

Hello All, You may have heard that superpowers are all the rage these days. It seems you cannot turn a corner without running into someone bitten by a spider or someone who possesses tremendous strength when angry even if they turn green. But I have a superpower of my own. I can resist my archenemy. "Food." During my 54 years here on Earth, I have not won many battles against "Food." I know many people that can defeat the powers of "Food" easily. They can resist "Food's" charm. They can limit "Food's" evil ways. I have envied them. However, this year is different for me. I have spent the last seven days locked in a battle with my nemesis and I have emerged victorious. Ring the freaking victory bell! Perhaps many of you can relate, this battle hasn't been just any "run of the mill" battle. This was the ultimate showdown of good versus evil which occurred during Christmas Week. Many of you probably already know the methods of my foe. Perhaps "Food" is your nemesis too. Hence, you are familiar with the trouble maker and the reign of terror that "Food" can bring. "Food" launched a furious attack against me with: Cheese Dips Crackers Pretzels Gourmet sliced cheeses topped with pepperoni Cheesy pizza loaded with toppings Homemade Christmas cookies Chocolate Fudge - like all mothers make Crispy bacon Cinnamon French Toast Fresh, warm bread But I countered with my new superpower...my VSG. This power was given to me on 12/15/21, just before the epic showdown. I was able to duck, dodge and perry my foe's attacks with some carefully timed protein and plenty of fluids. I am not going to say it was easy, because part of me wanted to succumb to temptation. But I adapted and overcame the demon. In the end, I stood tall and victorious. I hope that you, the people who truly understand this daily struggle, are able to emerge victorious also. The feeling is almost indescribable. My most sincere wishes of success, health and happiness to you. The struggle is real.

Mine was Dec. 7th - about to hit my 3 week post op!

I had my sleeve done 12/9 and was out hiking this afternoon. I’m chewing thoroughly and have had no issues with any soft foods I’ve tried. I have one incision site that is a bit uncomfortable at times, but other than that, feels too good to be true only 2 weeks out. For those getting ready, or a few days post op, hang in there. It gets better. I was singing a whole different tune for the first few days.

Yes, I read there’s a term called snatiation for the sneezing. I thought I was getting a cold as I had a runny nose and back to back hard sneezes soon after surgery so I googled it and realized it’s a real thing (not a sickness.. thank goodness). 9 days post op and the sneezing has subsided. I lost about 13.5 lbs in the first 7 days. Now I gained back 1/2 lb so I’m down 13 lbs. I haven’t lost weight or gained in about 3 days. I’m not too worried because I was sleeping a lot and recovering from surgery plus I’m due for my TOM so I suspect just like b4 surgery my cycle will cause a stall and perhaps a slight water weight gain and then right after my cycle I will drop again. I’m def able to drink more now and very little sneezing so hopefully it goes away for you too. Now I just feel full just like b4 surgery, but with a smaller tummy. Best of luck!

Hey guys! So I’m postop 3 weeks now, I got clearance to eat soft foods and I went a little crazy. I feel like I over ate and now am having abdominal cramps and retching. I need to work on having a better relationship with food for sure. But has anyone else been through this? I’m so disappointed in myself but will stay on the right path from now on

I had RNY in 2010. I lost nothing for the first 8 days. It was almost comical since I was barely getting anything in. On day 9, I dropped 7 lbs. I had a revision 2 weeks ago. I lost 5 lbs the first week, nothing for the past 5 days. I have learned not to sweat the scale too much. I’m feeling leaner, and I know as long as I keep it up, it will come off.

I’m almost 2 weeks out. At 3 days out I was miserable. By 5 days I felt fine.

3 days post op. I feel nauseated and week most of the time. I don't want to drink or eat anything, I feel I want to throw up. When did you start feeling better?

Hi. Had my sleeve on the 18th December … so one week out! Live in the UK - paid privately. I lost a stone prior to surgery and have now lost a further 11 pounds. No regrets at all. Bring on 2022!

New to the forum, here is readers digest of my story. I am a 47 year old Caucasian male. I am on my third career. One kid to graduate HS this year, one to graduate in 2 years. Married 21 years. And I'm pretty good at lying to myself. I always told myself I was really good at dealing with stress. Never recognized I was a stress eater the entire time. I spent 15 years in EMS right out of college, 3 as an EMT, 12 as a Paramedic in a high performing urban 911 system. Then I went into the labor union world for another 10 years, negotiating contracts and working in workplace disputes. Now I work in Medical Insurance as a teacher/trainer/adult education specialist, teaching others how to handle appeals and complaints. I have some unique abilities that helped lead to me being 364 lbs (6 foot tall) in December 2020. I remain fluent in the 7-11 diet. I can look at a hot dog on the roller and tell roughly how long it has been on it. I consumed up to 2 liters of soda per day for many years. My partners all used to smoke, but I watched my grandfather die of COPD from smoking as a kid and have never touched a tobacco product. So in essence, I replaced cheap ass convenience store food and soda for smoking during my EMS career. My metabolism changed around age 30 and I just couldn't keep the pounds off anymore. And, this is important... I DIDN'T CARE. I was pretty burned out, crispy as a medic. I got a job offer to move into the labor union world, negotiating contracts and representing other EMTs and Paramedics around the country. I moved my family (wife and 2 young kids) to another state to work for a startup labor union. I took it. And I stopped exercising as I tried to conquer a new career field. What they don't tell you about labor work is that it is also high stress work. I cut soda out during those years but drank a lot of sweet tea and despite what my doctor, family, and friends would say.... I DIDN'T CARE about my size. The union I worked for went through an old fashioned union labor coup. My life was threatened and people intentionally harmed me personally and professionally. At the same time, my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. The union I worked for was absorbed by a big national union player. I signed on with the big national player because I needed the insurance for my wife. We weren't in a good place, survival mode. I spent the next few years traveling for the new labor union, in order to have the insurance to pay for my wife's cancer treatments. When my wife was well enough (she still is chronically ill, years later) to travel, I moved our family back to our home state of Oregon. The labor union I worked for (who had approved my move) promptly laid me off. So back into survival mode, I became a statistic. Middle aged man, laid off, starting a 3rd career. I was hired by a Medical Insurance Company that paid very little, but jobs were scarce and it was what I had. I took a second job at a local grocery store and worked 60-70 hours per week for a few years. There's no such thing as dietary control when you are working that much and are that tired, and frankly....I DIDN'T CARE about my size. Over a few years, my financial situation has improved and while we are not well off, I no longer work 2 jobs. My PCP asked me 3 years in a row to look into bariatric surgery. I finally looked into it, and this is important... I CHOSE TO TAKE THIS PATH. The choice is important. The surgery is just a step to get there. It was time for me to grow up. I'm 47 years old, Life is damn hard and I need to start taking care of myself... I already have several other medical conditions associated with middle age. I frankly still don't care what I look like physically, but I can see the road ahead and don't want to go down that path (obesity gets worse, diabetes, HTN, Stroke, High Cholesterol, Heart Disease). I did this to myself by not being disciplined. So to make this lifestyle change, I need to be as disciplined as possible. I was ready. I CHOSE. IT IS TIME TO GROW UP. December 2020 - 6' tall - 364lbs RNY Surgery December 2021 - 316lbs I am 4 days post surgery writing this today. And I worked my ass off to change my relationship to food. That's my story... For what it is worth. I finally decided to grow up.

Update, my stomach is healed, I yin and Yang with diet and diabetes. I am on the upside my weight is 223 from 289 and I hope my 240 stall is finally over. Ozempic helped manage my A1c a lot and had a neat side effects of feeling nausea which helps me control hunger and has helped my weight loss. I am hopeful to hit the 219-210 in the new year and will need to start buying clothes to offset my weight loss, I want to follow a minimalist perspective moving forward. I begin p90x again in Jan to tone up and keep the losses coming. I got a small dog and walking him 3 x a day has been super helpful!

Some lose in that first week. Some don’t. It depends on things like how much fluid & gas you were pumped with during & after surgery. How long it takes your body to express it. How your body responds to surgery - the stress. You may have diarrhoea or be constipated over the first week or two. You may retain more of the fluid you’re consuming to begin. It’s all very individual as to what shows on the scale. Some surgeons actually advise not to weigh yourself for a week or more post surgery to allow for these factors as you can weigh more after surgery than you did before. (I weighed a good 2kgs more 24 hrs after my gall removal & took 4 days to get rid of it.) if you do weigh yourself after surgery don’t be surprised if there’s no loss or if there’s gain. But you could be someone who does have a loss in that first week (I did - almost 3 kg.) Your weight will be falling off you soon enough after & it will be fantastic. All the best.

Think you’re approaching this with the right attitude @MiniGastricBypassDude. I’ve just survived my third post surgery Christmas lunch. Honestly, it was probably a little harder this year & I’m reflecting on why. Did I nibble on the lollies & chocolates strategically placed around the house? Nope. Did I want to? Yes. Did I have a glass of champagne? Yes - took 90+ mins to drink it. Had a little baked ham, a little roast beef, a little turducken, a little green vegetable salad, potato bake & had still had empty spaces on my plate. Did I eat it all? Nope. Did I eat slowly? Yes - others were finishing their second helping but I was still on my first. Ate a little too much (thought I could have that bit extra.) & had a small bout of the foamies as a result ☹️. In reality if you ignore the potato bake (all that cream & butter) the main course options would be considered sensible healthy food choices. Had some dessert about 2 hours after lunch. The dessert & potato bake were my Christmas treats as I rarely eat them. Don’t regret it & don’t beat myself up about it. No one says anything about what anyone eats or doesn’t eat & no one cares if you don’t eat everything on offer. Generally, I try to basically follow my usual eating regime if I can. I choose the healthier option or take a smaller portion: ‘a taste’. I’ll have a treat or two if I want. It’s only one day. The trouble comes if it becomes two days, three days, etc. Sometimes things are beyond your control especially if you’re a guest. You have to accept that for this one day aspects of your eating routine may have to be put aside. Happy Christmas.