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I understand that hormones can change with weight loss surgeries. You have a lot on your plate but you need to stop -just stop with the battles. Let go and give them to God. One person alone with having major surgery amid making life time changes it is too much. Crying is good, but laughter is healing for the body and soul. first take care of you. Find a quiet place, and take time to just be still. Put in a funny movie - something lighthearted that makes you happy or music, a sermon. Call your Dr or support group or find a therapist so you can vent, but get help. we can’t fix the world, and sometimes the more we try, the worse it gets . Concentrate on you. The eviction thing, tell the attorney to handle it, it’s why you pay him. What’s in the past, try to let it stay there. Court things taking forever right now, there’s always a lot of back n forth. Calendar it 4 weeks from today. people can’t hurt you more than what you let them. You stay in control, of you . Learn to respond and not react to unwelcomed news. Wish you the best. just read your profile. Happy Birthday. For you and me both. 4/29/ 53 here. 🎊

ALL: Lots of posts to read today…sending encouragement, healing wishes and motivation to everyone wherever you are in this journey. I’m going to be a June surgery I think. My packet goes to the insurance company this Friday and there are not any days off from school except for memorial day weekend until June 13…last day of school for kids is June 10. My fingers are crossed for June 13-ish. I am eagerly reading everyone’s input on the liquid phase pre-surgery (I think mine is 2 weeks long), your immediate post-op comments, and everything else. Your experience and perspective is extremely helpful. I’m particularly interested in comments regarding recovery from hernia repair/ RNYgb. Keep up the good work! Thanks in advance.

Had my 2 week post-op appointment today and since the liquid diet and revision surgery, I’m down 30 pounds. Honestly, couldn’t believe it! Best part of the appointment was the approval to move on to soft foods though! Haha! Hope everyone is still kicking major butt! Good luck to all the upcoming surgery dates! Can’t wait for you to join us on the “loser’s bench”!

I am so happy I found this forum today. I am on day 6 of my Preop diet. I cannot even imagine doing a liquid diet for 2 weeks. I am so sorry you are suffering so much. I am on high protein diet with 2 shakes. I feel so weak and depressed. I was a carbiholic for sure. I am relieved to see I am not the only one! Please reach out to your support team for help. Good luck!

Hey all. I’m 7 days post op from gastric bypass. I don’t know how to change my profile from pre op right now. Things have been going really great actually. I’ve been handling things really well all things considered. Meeting my goals, even lightly walking and exercising every day. My mood was fantastic and I was blessed with very little pain. Before my surgery I went through a lot. I already got postponed several times over the course of 2 years, I started pursuing this in Nov 2019. I finally got scheduled in the middle of March. However I have been dealing with battling legal issues (retaliatory eviction and a civil rights discrimination case), a severely abusive relationship that I ended in the two weeks of my pre op, reporting him to several police agencies for the abuse, and just a LOT of emotional stress. It was hard but I did it and I felt so proud, and until today I felt amazing about it. I felt it was truly a test of sorts because I did not relapse with nicotine once, I didn’t binge eat the entire time. I hadn’t heard a single thing from my attorney about my eviction and I never got a response to my civil rights case in almost two months so I wasn’t expecting to get an email today in which I was severely slandered and read several upsetting abusive lies about me. The email wasn’t so much what bothered me. I had a great morning where I had tons of energy, I sang in the shower and danced around a little bit. Did my make up. It was just a minor set back, until I went to go tell my mother who I am staying with for just a little since I live in a basement level with a huge flight of dangerous stairs in my house. She was really dismissive and she wouldn’t listen to me. The whole situation was triggering me but I did what I was supposed to do, go tell my support. She was really mean to me and it completely set me off. I think I had one of those hormone reactions I was warned about, or perhaps just several weeks without any kind of food, quitting all my vices cold Turkey at the same time, everything just hitting me all at once but I lost it. I sobbed uncontrollably for several hours and I raged. I was so angry. Every time I thought I soothed myself, the crying would start again. I cried so hard I felt like I pulled something and now I’m in a lot of pain. I seriously wept and wailed for so long. I tried to reach out to supports but they were incredibly busy today. I finally decided to just go to sleep so I slept for several hours. I woke up and I feel only a little better, having stopped sobbing. But I feel like I got steam rolled. I do keep having sniffles and little crying fits. I lost all my momentum and motivation I had and I’m sincerely worried I’ll be permanently depressed again, which depresses me even further as I have felt so good the last few weeks. I didn’t relapse with over eating, I didn’t break my diet other than not meeting all my goals but I’m trying to catch up. I’m just so nauseated from crying so hard. Please tell me this will get better. What can I do? I’m still dealing with several toxic situations or the aftermath of them. I’m trying my best but I’m scared right now.

Ohhhhh my gooodnesss you guys! It’s day 5 and I’m gonna be real the whole not having solid food thing sucks my defenses are weakening! And I did a bad no no thing I had two sips of a sonic chocolate shake and was so so nauseated please don’t try it mistakes were made! I felt defeated and kinda disappointed that I went to the dark side like that. But then my friends I discovered something so so yum I can’t even begin! I was making some chicken tacos for the family I used chicken broth 3 large chicken breasts, taco seasoning, two cans of Rotel, I popped it all in the instant pot! Once done I scooped myself some of that delicious broth with a tiny dallop of sour cream and oh man it was so delicious little bit of spice little bit of tang from the sour cream it was awesome! I’m down 18 pounds already including the 2 day liquid diet before surgery and this was a win I really needed for a sour day! I hope you guys are all doing well and if you are struggling like me try this! I promise you will love it! Much love ❤️

I didn't have my thyroid removed but was diagnosed with hashimotos two years ago and rapidly put on weight. I am 7 weeks post op today and I have lost 40 pounds since surgery. I do think my weight loss seems slower compared to others but I just said to myself today that this is the best I have felt in two years and that makes this whole process completely worth it.

My pre-op testing was yesterday and I developed sinus/cold end of last week. I even went to urgent care on Easter and got a steroid shot and antibiotics. I was so worried that yesterday they would tell me my surgery would need to be postponed. They ended up reassuring me that it was OK and my surgery would proceed as scheduled as long as I wasn’t sick on surgery day. Hopefully it will be the same for you.

it might be over in two weeks - or do yours last longer than that? Plus they may still do it - you can call and ask...

So upset. I thought I had allergies (well I do, but I thought that's all I have) but now it's turned into a full blown head/sinus cold. And I'm supposed to go for my pre-op blood work tomorrow and have surgery in 2 weeks!!!! I can almost guarantee my surgery is going to be rescheduled, and I'm so upset about it!!!! I was trying so hard not to get sick, and I had a bad feeling this would happen, and here we are!!!

So nervous and upset. I thought I had allergies (well I do, but I thought that's all I have) but now it's turned into a full blown head/sinus cold. And I'm supposed to go for my pre-op blood work tomorrow and have surgery in 2 weeks!!!! I can almost guarantee my surgery is going to be rescheduled, and I'm so upset about it!!!!

I am going to call them and tell them my situation and see if virtual calls would be acceptable for non testing appointments. I have severe anxiety so making the call is hard for me. I literally have to prep myself for a good week or more. Anxiety.. ugh!

Thank you! I’ve read such great reviews about him so I was hoping they were true. To answer your other comment, I live in Freeport (about 45 minutes from Rockford). That would be great if you could connect me with the lady you know who was a former patient. I do plan on joining the FB group once I officially enroll. I just need to find a day/time that would work for my first appointment since I’m sure my 3 year old can’t go (unless they have changed Covid protocols but I doubt it). I need to find a sitter first. We just moved to Illinois in December of 2020 so I haven’t made too many friends yet..lol.

I had a total thyroidectomy in early 2K. Put on a TON of weight. After 3 years of research & going back & forth on deciding, I had my VSG in November 2021, just 5 months ago. I I was in the same boat as you - wondering if the surgery would actually make a difference. It was quite worrisome for me. But - it HAS made a difference! I've lost 55 lbs since the surgery, 96 lbs total adding in the pre-op diet & on my own (after my 1st consultation w/my surgeon I decided to get busy!). I'm probably a bit of a slow loser, compared to some others here. But I'm doing it. It is totally within reach for you, and you WILL lose weight!

Hi all! Thank you for being so supportive and forthcoming to my previous post. I am getting closer and closer to having all my requirements done (and closer to a surgery date!) I do have a few questions that I am hoping any other RNY patient can answer. 1. How long after surgery did it take for you to notice that you were losing weight? 2. What was one of your favorite items to eat right after surgery (would love recipes)? 3. How long after surgery did it take you to feel amazing? 4. When exercising, was it hard to get in to the habit of doing so? If it was hard, how did you keep yourself motivated? I am sure I will have a ton more questions later on, but I am so happy to be here and so thankful for any answers I will receive.

I post this to see if anyone else has had a Psych Med for Depression, Anxiety, or Bi-polar that has to build up in the system to be impactful, like Depakote DR, Effexor ER ,etc. If so, I'd be interested in your story and how you are managing. Stuff Just Hit the Fan I had my RYGB last August, 2021, and I'm down a good deal of weight and was feeling great! Then the end of February rolled around and I started getting little headaches, not sleeping all night, and having the odd panic attack after a period of years of stability. Then all hell broke out. Headaches from dawn to dusk, insomnia every night, rage, restless legs, constant stress and panic. I thought we had prepared for this by switching my 2,000mg Depakote (Delayed Release) to 2,000mg Valproic Acid Oral Solution (Immediate Release) prior to surgery. Even one month after surgery my levels were fine (two months on the Immediate Release Liquid.) Somewhere in the past 7 months my doctor forgot to have my levels checked again, and since I was feeling good, I didn't remember either. I was able to get into my shrink mid-March and he added me to Geodon to try to stabilize me, 20mg x2/day. He isn't very knowledgeable about the Valproic Acid Oral Solution, and I had to ask him for a blood level test. Low and behold my levels came back at half what they were 7 months ago, and I'm quite certain this is why I'm having these problems. For the past two weeks I've been adding 1,000mg of crushed Depakote DR to applesauce daily and eating it. The only risk that I can find from my research is liver toxicity, but this is something that we can monitor for, and with how bad I was, and still am sometimes, feeling, I will roll those dice. How I understand the DR coating on the pills that I had to come off of for the surgery is to help the medicine make it past the stomach into the small intestine where it gets absorbed, but since we now have a much smaller stomach (and small intestines' too?) taking them whole won't work.

One year ago today, my life changed when I walked into the hospital. The past 12 months have not been the easiest and I have had moments that I wish I could finish that 6oz steak, baked potato and the entire plate of roasted veggies they serve at my favorite restaurant. But when I can bike for a couple of hours now and still feel like I could go another two and when I go to the doctor and get on their scale and I weigh less than I did in high school and my blood work is all in the normal ranges, and I can go into the cute clothing boutiques and find things to wear, those annoying mealtime thoughts happen less and less. I hit and exceeded my goal weight, but then went back up a few pounds above goal...I think I'm in one of my lower weight set points. If it's anything like the past few months, I'll spend several weeks here, then drop again...as long as I stay the course. Still happy with all I accomplished and have absolutely no regrets! Except, I wish I had done it years ago!❤️

no date yet. my husband and i are both having bypass, and have requested for the same day or close to it. Our adult twins agreed to help us out for the first week. we have all our clearances finished. Our first appt with the surgeon was in october. We are still doing our monthly nutrition class and weigh-in. we are in fairmont. How is everything going with you?

I believe it's a insurance requirement thing here. I could be wrong tho. Because I'm having WLS but I'm self pay (my insurance would not cover it). I didn't have to go months trying to prove I could lose weight. I also don't have to do the 2 week liquid diet. I only have to do 2 days of the liquid. So self pay and insurance requires totally different treatments.

Hi all. I hope everyone is doing well. I have a question re vitamins. The stuff I’m on is disgusting and I couldn’t stomach them long term. I have a 4 week supply and after that it says I can move on to tablets, but I wondered what are people using? I don’t really fancy trying to get a doctors appointment and having to go down the prescription route, so in terms of multi vitamins, vitamin d, calcium and iron, what are you guys doing please?

Welcome to these forums. Here you'll find tons of information and advice and real-life experience in the threads and forums. Not all insurance is the same. Mine didn't require 6 months pre-op. I was about 3 months start to finish from applying to pre-surgery appointments to approval to actual surgery date.

Hi, my name is Jen and I’m new here. I will be 40 years old next month. I have 4 kids (14, 6, 4, & 3). I’ve been thinking about Bariatric surgery for quite awhile. Currently a BMI of 44. I’ve tried so many diets over the past 20 years and even though I have been able to lose some weight it never stays off. Now as a result of being overweight, I am having a lot of knee issues, low back and hip issues. I know that losing weight would help tremendously. I want to exercise but because of my knees losing their articular cartilage, exercising has become so painful. My PCP, orthopedic doctor, gastro doctor and therapist all say that Bariatric surgery would be extremely beneficial for me. It will allow me to start exercising without all the added weight, help my GERD, help my Fibromyalgia and help my self esteem and anxiety. I agree with all of them. My insurance company (Quartz) does cover the surgery. They gave me 3 places I can go to. 2 of the places are very far from where I live. The 3rd one is at UW in Madison, WI (about 1.5 hours from where I live). The thing is that my youngest is in 1/2 day PreK and I have no family around. I’m wondering how I can make all the appointments needed work while dealing with kids and their school schedules? From what I’ve read UW requires 7 months of appointments. I kind of wanted to get the process started soon so that hopefully by next summer I could get the surgery while my kids are home from school. Has anyone ran into this problem? Also, has anyone on here gone to UW Madison for their surgery? I’ve been reading that Dr. Garren is amazing. Just curious if anyone has had experience with him or the surgery center there.

I had a sip of Coca-Cola a week or so ago and thought I was going to explode. I swallowed a pill with the last bit of my water and it go stuck. I grabbed my husband's Coca-Cola since it was next to me. BIG mistake.

I just got off the phone with my nutritionist which has been trying to help me as well. With you guys help and my nutritionist I mixed the water and protein shake and it made it much better and I also did a fat free milk and premier protein mix that also seems to go down smoothly. I thank you all because I started out a little rough in the hospital I had a 3 night stay I was vomiting everything that entered me. It means a lot to me that you all responded. I’m an emotional person sorry lol.

Oh I am so sorry you are going through this. I did liquid for a month before surgery it isnt easy but it was so worth it. Remember you are going through withdrawals from sugars etc so its going to make you emotional and yes angry. Also you are loosing your coping mechanism. The diarrhea is probably good for you because your body is detoxing from years of crap - this can also cause headaches so drink lots if water it should help Just know that it is also a good time to start learning self discipline- i know for me my husband enjoyed taking me to dinner and ive inly been out with him 2 times since my surgery in December 1021. Wven though I make the healthiest choice on the menu and only eat a small portion- i usually have enough for 2-3 more meals - i always up gaining or not loosing for a week - probably due to salt. Im going to give some advice I wish I had on the liquid stage - get Nutrition 310 Protein Powder mix it with unsweeted plant milk - I like Silk Almond milk - it comes in so many flavors that it helps with the cravings and it is so so good. I love the peppermint swirl. But they have a vanilla birthday cake thats so yummy as well. I seriously can live in just this stuff now and when you crave that treat youve got a healthy alternative- its full of Vitamins and I feel so good post op since I found it. Like I said, I wish I had found it during my month long liquid hell phase and the 2-3 weeks liquid post op. AMAZING!!!