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@MoMo12onTheGo You're more than welcome -- this is such a journey, it's so nice to "speak" with others on the same journey -- I agree, I've had a hard time finding AZ folks as well, which I find very odd since there are at least three major bariatric programs here in the Valley - Banner, Scottsdale Healthcare, and Bridges at St. Luke's Hospital. I don't know if Banner does, but Scottsdale H/care has a patient-only forum, but even that doesn't have a lot of volume of posts considering the thousands of folks that have gone thru that program over the last 9-10 years or so -- I think after a while, you just start living your life and don't have as many questions, etc, I guess -- At 8 weeks out (have 8-week appt this Wed as a matter of fact), doing pretty well, except constipation is a huge issue -- in fact, I'd say that's the biggest issue I've had throughout the entire process - other than insurance foibles pre-op, but that's a whole 'nother story -- and sorry if the constipation comment is TMI, but you'll find it mentioned throughout these posts -- The first couple of weeks after sugery, was really/really tired, but energy mostly back since about week three or so - still working on all the eating changes, that's for sure... but have lost 39 lbs since surgery in 46 days since surgery, and 15 lbs pre-op, so that makes me very happy ) Do you have a surgery date yet?

Hello ladies, So I had my surgery on the 9th of this month and I just got my period yesterday, but it's weird. The blood is a dark brown, kind of like the blood at the end of a period, and it's still that way today. The next part may be too TMI for some: anyway, I had a blood clot that was a normal size but it was very dark as well and kind of shriveled looking? It was odd. Nothing hurts or anything and I called my weight loss doctor who said it sounds normal, but if any symptoms come up to call my ob/gyn, but it's kind of creeping me out and I wanted to know if anyone has had anything similar. I was diagnosed with PCOS a while before surgery so I don't know if it's related, and I was having irregular periods that were being regulated with medicine that I've been off for quite some time now, so that could be related as well. But yeah, just curious if anyone has any insights.

Surgery was good! Post op was painful, it's a major surgery, lots of gas pain. And the leak test X-rays was hard, but I think it's getting better, kept my liquid down today. And passing gas has been a great thing ( tmi ) also I have a very loose stool that looks like a baby first stool.

So how long be fore things start to move after surgery it has been a week and nothing but gas it feels like I got to go but nothing should I add fiber or something else

I have had 3 spoonfuls of soup today (post op 3 days) and now I am on the toilet with (sorry if tmi) diarrhea which is water consistent! Is it normal to have runs after surgery or cud it be dumping syndrome do U think

Honestly, this has been the absolute WORST problem/issue I've had w/my bypass surgery (almost 7 weeks post-op). I have a mini-OTC-pharmacy of fiber, laxatives, stool softeners, etc - ugh. After using Fleet enemas a couple of times (if ok w/your doc, highly recommended for fairly instant relief), I knew that I couldn't do that on a regular basis. Started w/stool softeners -- 2 every other day and stopped taking iron for a few days (also know this can't be a long-term solution). Then I started adding in half of my iron amount, and sure enough, got stopped-up again. Moved to 2 stool softeners every day and hoping/praying that works. As much water as I can drink, as well, which we need anyway... I don't think enough attention is paid to this issue, since I've spent (and I know others have as well...) time crying, straining, hemorroids bleeding (sorry if TMI), and nearly hyperventilating from straining -- it is a serious, can-be-debilitating issue. Just keep trying things until something works for you, and if it gets unbearable, keep bugging your doc/NUT.

It's pretty common to fluctuate in weight as aggravating as it is. I don't know what your eating but I know when I was doing a low carb diet before surgery it seemed to be high in sodium which will cause fluid retention. Also low carb diets have a tendency to cause constipation maybe thats a issue? I know TMI but if it is try drinking some "smooth move" tea to keep everything moving along. Keep tracking everything and make sure you really read those lables. There's so much hidden sugar in everything. Try to cook your own food fresh so you can season and know what's actually in the food. If your already doing all this than just you never mind me:) good luck!@@Scarlett72

My dr said you should definitely go every other day. She suggested Miralax in a shake or prune juice every day until we can get more natural fiber in our diet. I had gone almost a week. On day 6 I finally could go but I had been taking Miralax for three days straight before So who knows how long it would have gone on. I don't think this is a TMI subject. We are all going through this... So keep the scoop on poop talks coming. ????

This is such a TMI topic I had to try a cute subject line. Why oh why is constipation part of the plan for gastric bypass? Is it because we can't eat veggies until two months post-op? What happened in surgery that made it this way? I'm really ready for this phase to be over!!!

Well I made it through day one. It actually wasn't as tough as I thought it would be. I had four protein drinks, drank lots of water, and had a sugar free Jell-O cup. Not to share TMI but I just started my period so we'll see how this next week goes. How's everyone else? I know there were several of us starting this liquid diet on the same day or around the same time frame. How are you guys holding up?

@ Hi Jake, We are all here to help each other. The thing I had to learn is that everyone is different. The speed of recovery from surgery and what we can eat and when. And right after surgery is very different from where I am today at 8 weeks post-op and I'm guessing it will change again and again. The band seemed different. I was eating most things pretty soon as long as I chewed like crazy. Like the band surgery, I had no real hunger for weeks. Someone told me, the sleeve (and all WLS) allows us to hit the pause button while we figure out how to make serious life style changes. Eventually that honeymoon is over, just like the band. I say this for me, cuz this is my last chance to get it together. With the sleeve I was on mushies longer than most cuz I kept vomiting. When I could eat mushies I did measure out a small amount but it turned out to be too much. Realized too late. Also if I went too fast I'd vomit and believe me it didn't feel like I was eating fast. So to answer your question, no I didn't seem to have any clues that I had eaten too much or fast. ((but some sleevers do) I kept having a band mentality, thinking I would know immediately. So I had to learn, to eat a very small amount slowly, just a few tiny spoonfuls and then wait. It was a while before i could eat 4 oz and even now I can't eat 4 oz of chicken at one sitting. I have to be careful about introducing new foods. There are some in my January group that are eating salads and all foods. The only vegetable I can eat is steamed broccoli and steamed squash. Still no raw fruit. I also can't eat Protein and vegetables at one sitting. I have to eat the protein, then wait 30-40 minutes and eat cooked vegetables. I expect at some point that will change when the swelling from surgery is gone. Also I have been told that it can take 2, even 3 months for the sleeve to heal completely. The band healing is much faster. Today I feel real hunger. With the band I could get satiated when hungry with a small amount but it always hurt so bad. The sleeve at 8 weeks does not hurt at all. If I feel real hunger I eat 2 oz of chicken (I weighed it initially but now I know what 2oz is) and slowly eat it. Within 10 minutes I am no longer hungry for hours. At first I could only eat 1/2 cooked egg taking 30 minutes to eat the egg and then I wouldn't be hungry for hours. Now I can eat one egg. My Doc and NUT told me that eventually I will be able to eat more and then to plan on 3 meals with Snacks. But for now, they told me to eat when I have real hunger. Keep track of protein etc. And get the fluids in. Doc said I probably had more swelling than some (the vomiting didn't help) which is why my tiny little tummy couldn't hold more than a few tablespoons. Having said all this, the sleeve is much easier than the band and it doesn't hurt. What they don't tell you with the band is that after surgery, when all is healed, the band has far more complications than bypass, sleeve and RYN. Because a foreign object is in your body can erode, slip, break, etc. The sleeve once it is healed has very few complication risks. Now no one told me that when I got the band. I am SO glad my band is gone. No more tightness and pain in my stomach, no more port moving around tugging at me. Do you feel that freedom from the band too? Probably TMI, but there you have it. Best to you!

Everyone is different in their recovery. For me, I was up walking the halls about 1 hour after surgery, not very far, but up and moving. I walked consistent for the first 24 hours. In fact I had the nurse get me up every 2 hours to walk. I think that helped me get rid of the pain from the gas associated with the surgery. That was, by far for me the worst pain. I went home after 2 days to stay with a family member for one night then on my own after that. In fact I drove to my home on a Friday and had my surgery on that Tuesday. I took no pain meds except for the dose they administered right after surgery. I went back to work the following Monday. It does take a lot of time though with food and lliquid consumption. Don't rush things. Focus on Water, Vitamins, then Protein when you are able to start taking in liquids. My best advise is to walk, walk, walk! As often as you can and as much as you can. It help. Also make sure you do the breathing exercises to keep your lungs clear. It is really important. Just listen to what your body is telling you and do what you are able to do. I had a really easy recover except for a battle with constipation (sorry TMI) You will do great!

Days 5-9. I gradually reduced my once a day paracetamol and took no more after day 6. I'm still taking omeprazole to make sure the esophagitis clears up but this is only needed until 2 weeks post op. I was working by day 5. It's a desk job though. The pain and stiffness went away very quickly. My wounds are fantastic. The glue they now use makes such a difference. It's waterproof and reduces the chance of infection. You really wouldn't know it's only a week and a half since it came out. I've had to make sure I'm eating enough fruit to "keep things going" post surgery. There was nothing for 4 days and I was getting stomach gripes but it's getting back on track now. All a bit odd colour wise, bit like a rainbow lol (sorry for tmi) but I guess it's because they move your liver and the stomach is near your gallbladder which upsets things. Anyway I'm almost back on track thankfully. My thirst has reduced but I'm sticking on my 1.5 liters Water plus Hot drinks minimum and sometimes do 2 liters. What about food? It's fantastic. I'm eating healthier than ever in my life having at least 6/7 portions of fruit and veg a day. Have lost 7 pounds since it came out and am back down to my lowest preferred weight of 114 pounds. I am watching my calories and eating no processed carbs which means I don't get those incessant food cravings. I'm keeping my Protein above 60 grams but usually having more than that a day. I've eaten out twice and have ordered what I always used to order with my band in, which is usually 2 starter portions of protein or a protein and veg. I've felt full and satisfied on the same amounts but I have absolutely no restriction so can't have been too scarred internally thankfully. The big difference I notice in eating out - I can drink 2 or 3 glasses of sparkling water or diet soda before I eat or with my food and I have no need for anything else. It feels great. I don't know if this is just the honeymoon period or if it will last. I know processed carbs turn me into a complete food obsessive. The stuff I've read on insulin makes such sense. I have no need for that kind of "non food" and when I have eaten something like that (in the hospital and at a friends), I've seen it as just one of those things and eat some protein soon after which gets the insulin straight back in check. I can't believe the energy I now have not being dehydrated and getting good nutrition. I feel liberated. I feel like I have been given a second chance to get this right and I'm going to! My advice from the last few days. Drink lots of water and keep your protein up. Avoid processed food and move around a bit. In the past I would have completely confused my thirst and hunger signals, eaten processed rubbish which would drive my cravings and hunger even further and made me feel sluggish too. I'd have been stuck on that wretched cycle again where I felt I had no control and couldn't stop it. Not anymore my friends !!!!

After a severe case of constapation and a stall that I believe to be a side effect of being literally full of.....you know.....I've decided to go back to the begenning of mostly liquids until I see my surgeon next week. I'm in some pain from all the hours of pushing and straining (tmi...sorry) plus a night of coughing and vomiting up all the nothing on my stomach. I just pray nothing inside is messed up or leaking! In the meantime, Protein OD, here I come!!

I'm soooo gassy! And I have so much indigestion! I was banded on March 2, 2015!! When does this go away! I haven't popped for 2 days either!!! Someone tell Me what I do to ease this uncomfortable Pain! Sorry for the TMi

My pelvic bones are actually annoying me now. The jut out so far that I am always banging my arms on them. How is that a thing that is happening?!?! Also, itching is a painful endeavor now. Like around my collar bones and jaw. Nails on bone is an uncomfortable sensation. TMI Warning!!!! But the worst, by far, is this tendon that stretches from my crotchal region to my inner thigh. When my husband and I have sex and he's on top, his pelvic bone pokes that tendon and it HURTS!!!

Also an excellent point! I took two colace before bed every night and still got constipated. Had to resort to a suppository, but that did the trick and I was much better from there on out. I know that's probably TMI!

Yes it was done at The Civic. I thought you guys would get a laugh out of the burping, etc. but it's TRUE!! Let me tell you, it's amazing how satisfying a good burp or fart it. Let me tell you. TMI but by the time you are done you really don't care. I was the only one released that was done that day. The other 2 patients had to stay. My roommate wasn't doing as well, and she lived a far ways away.

I am only 17 days out but I can tell you that I am staying thirsty all day, I am sipping Water the whole time but my mouth is dry and I never feel that I had enough, I am actually sure that am not having enough because of my urine color (sorry for the TMI). my problem is the low intake of water in general and not only with food, I took one sip with food one time (only because I forgot) and it was so painful so am never doing it again for another 2 months until I heal completely.

I also have issues with constipation and even before surgery. After getting over almost a 2 week congestion virus I just wasn't feeling up to par so I knew I had to clean myself out! I felt like a huge toxin ball. I take lactlose liquid and it helped but I still felt constipated so I went and bought an enema! Not a good choice if you suffer from hemorrhoids! Sorry tmi but I feel your pain. I can handle ground beef but a steak is very heavy for my pouch! Good luck

It's very hard! And you will actually feel like you're starving for the first 3 days or so. Get all different kinds of sugar free jellos and Popsicles. Those help! And the shakes curbed my appetite a lot too. I had to stay busy doing whatever I could to keep my mind off of food. I went to bed early every night. I took some pictures of myself naked and looked at them every time I felt I was gonna cheat. :/ TMI but it helps!! I felt angry and down the whole time and that is normal. The 2nd week is a downhill slide with much more ease! I'm 14 hours away from being sleeved! And I thought I'd never make it! You can do it!

I still get that feeling, and I'm a little over 3 months out. I used to get it much more frequently when I was newly-post op, and from what I've read about it, it (for me anyway) seems to symbolize an irritation of the stoma- the little entry point from into what's left of your stomach. It's much smaller now, and when I ate/drank too fast or took too big of a bite/swallow, I'd get that knot like feeling right under my breastbone. What's even worse, is it would make me want to throw up so badly just to get rid of the feeling (sorry if it's TMI here) but I simply couldn't- of all things, getting on the treadmill and walking briskly was the only thing that helped. Now that I'm a bit further post-op, I've gotten pretty good at gauging what's going to give me that feeling- nearly all breads and meats- boo! Hopefully for you it stays as a symptom of your healing body & goes away

First of all, thank you to all of you who have posted in this thread thus far! It was so refreshing to find folks who can comment on these issues in such an articulate and intelligent way. I was totally (and pleasantly) surprised when I went to the "informational seminar" at my surgeon's office near the end of last year. The message was, "obesity is a disease, WLS is a treatment." No blame! As someone with a healthcare background (clinical pharmacist turned biostatistician), I was familiar with this "new way of thinking." That seminar was the first time I had heard any professional providing healthcare for bariatric patients actually articulate the concept. It really blew my mind! The psychological aspect of this journey toward whole body health is so important! I have worked with several different mental health counselors over the past 20 years. The first three were somewhat helpful but did not have a clue how to address my emotional eating issues, even though that is what I told them I needed to work on. Two years ago, I started working with a clinical psychologist who really "gets it." I wasn't contemplating WLS at the time -- I still thought that I could do it myself with a little help. After six months of biweekly visits, I realized that I did need to have WLS, and then hit a wall with my insurance company. The insurance company requires that you go through a year of monthly 20 minute phone calls with a nice, but totally clueless, nurse reading questions off a script that did not seem to pertain to preparation for WLS. You also had to participate in Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig for a year. Both my clinical psychologist and I agreed that I was ready NOW, but there was no way to penetrate the bureaucracy to see if a waiver was possible. So I gave in, and endured the stupidity for several months -- until about a year ago. My husband and I decided to move nearer to my family and bought a house in NH in June. I was hoping we would be able to move before the end of 2014, so I would not be "in town" to follow through with the program and have my surgery here in VA. That gave me the excuse I needed to quit the stupid insurance program. I think that's what they wanted in the first place! When it became apparent that we would not move until April 2015, I looked into the possibility of having a VGS as a self pay patient. Long story short, when I went to see the surgeon in whose "program" I was enrolled about this option, he unceremoniously accused my of "jumping the line" and said that the wait would be good for me -- I could learn better habits. Then he said he would not talk to me further and walked out of the exam room. As he was walking out the door, he said that he would refund my copay. I have never been so humiliated in my entire life! At that point I looked into having the surgery done with the other bariatric group at another local hospital, and the process has gone smoothly -- I had a VGS done on 2/19 and I a recuperating well. I talked with my clinical psychologist about my interaction with surgeon #1, and she was speechless. She does a lot of the psych evals for patients for both of the local bariatric surgery groups and knows all of the surgeons. She said it was totally out of character, but totally unacceptable. However, Karma gave me a chance to tell surgeon #1 how I felt. I had lower right quadrant pains and was running a bit of a fever and thought I might have appendicitis, so my husband took me to the ER. They admitted me for a couple of days of IV antibiotics for right ascending colitis. While I was in the hospital, the surgeon on call for GI surgery was none other than surgeon #1! By the time he arrived, I was feeling better and I also knew that he would be coming to see me. I was prepared. He said, "You look familiar -- have we met before?" I said, "Yes, I came to see you about self pay WLS a couple of months ago and you kicked me out of your office." He seemed a little stunned and then admitted that he recollected the interaction. No explanations, no apologies, but I feel as if I got my message across. I hope he never does anything like that to another person! I have been ashamed of my appearance for almost my entire life. After growing up as a "fat kid" I was able to get down to a "normal" weight for about 5 years in my mid to late 20's, but once I got married and my husband started having a lot of health problems, I turned to food for consolation and the rest is history. The hardest part about all of this was that I felt that as a clinical pharmacist, I should have known better and should have been able to get my eating under control. As the years went by, I started developing all of the expected illnesses, hypertension, high cholesterol, asthma and a boatload of allergies, depression, and sleep apnea. The thing that lit a fire under me last fall (other than feeling that I was in fact ready and could afford the self pay option) was that my HgA1c's were starting to creep above normal and my BP was no longer controlled by 3 meds. The fact that I knew we'd be moving in April and I did not want to have to go through the whole approval process in a new location weighed on me as well. I think I have gone on long enough in this post -- I hope it hasn't been "TMI." Thanks for listening, and I look forward to hearing what you have to say!

Stephh, u r awesome with that picture taking :-) I will weigh Saturday and see what happens for me. One of my main issues has been constipation but I seem better this week. TMI :-) we will see.