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I have been using a retinol-based product at night, washing it off of my face in the morning. I also put it on my neck, chest, arms, and hands. But please be cautious and read up on retinol before starting to use it. One is required to use sunscreen religiously while using retinol-based products and to continue doing so up to two weeks after discontinuing their use. Hopefully some others will chime in with their solutions. I wish you good luck in finding something that will work well!

It sounds like maybe you would benefit from a stricter routine. At least, I know I tend to flounder when I am just let loose without many rules. If I have to figure out what to do every day and each day is different, I get totally off track with stuff. But when I get into a routine, it's way easier. I haven't gotten off track yet simply by virtue of not being able to eat very much right now, but I know that establishing habits and routines is the most important thing for me to do before I get to the point where I could. Here are some suggestions, just in case they help! Put your full week's worth of vitamins in a weekly pill case (I use this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C6XZN1YH). It's especially helpful if you get the kind where you can take the day's box with you for those later in the day doses like calcium. Make the same thing for breakfast and lunch every day, or have a rotation of things you can do that are all close to the same in protein value. Plan a dozen dinners that are also roughly the same in protein. Add them up and make sure any breakfast, lunch, and dinner chosen from your repertoire will hit your protein goal. If not, plan for a snack or two in the same way. Don't eat things that are not nutrient dense, and if you do have a treat on occasion, make sure you're limiting yourself to once a month, not once a day! (And if you happen to love chocolate, consider this for one of your daily calcium supplements: https://procarenow.com/products/calcium-dark-chocolate-500mg-calcium-500-iu-vitamin-d) Consider getting something like the Portion Perfection plates and meal prep containers if you struggle with portion size Buy a bariatric cookbook to help with food choices and portions Put your gym or exercise time on your calendar and treat it like you would a doctor's appointment (I struggle with this so much) Or, if you hate the gym, choose exercises you'll actually look forward to. Going to a gym is not a requirement but moving your body is. Put all your reminders for vitamins, mealtime, snack time, and exercise time in your phone so you get reminders

@brandycsiz - I think its pretty common. I've deifinitely gone off track, mostly due to other health issues and stress outside of the surgery itself. I was able to walk several miles without stopping in December, then after getting Covid (and I'm assuming long-Covid now), if I go more than 3 miles in a day or try lifting weights in the gym, I get physically ill for 2-3 days afterwards. I keep walking 1-2 miles in the evenings after work, but the lack of progress and regain of weight is very discouraging. I tended to stress eat before, and to be honest, the surgery was a success because at least it limits the amount I tend to binge on when having a bad time. I still have those cravings, but at least now I can drink 8-12oz of water and delay eating. I'm probably on track with my diet 3-4 days per week, but have been overdoing it or eating too many calorie/carb-dense foods when I have an off day or when I see family, who aren't the most supportive. My mom likes to drop off Little Debbie cakes and other snacks on my porch twice a week as she's driving by, and it's straining our relationship because I throw them away immediately, and she sees that as me being ungrateful and disrespectful. I am 6lbs heavier than I was around 8 weeks post-op, so its really getting me down. After covid, I developed some issues with my heart rate. It drops down in the upper 20's to low 30s in my sleep and my blood pressure drops too low, but if it get it past 100bpm, my blood pressure spikes, and I get dizzy and almost faint. I'm trying to get in to see specialists, but I can't get in with a specialist for 5+ months just for initial consult. I have to drive 3+ hours to another area to try to get in sooner, but I burned all my leave time for the year with Covid in January, so I can't take the days off to travel.

Hi Everyone, I am a March 2024 Bariatric By-pass patient. I am only into my 3rd week post op and I am down 50 lbs and counting. I am still learning the ins and outs of how to eat again. Drinking too fast or too much triggers consequences. Also, with eating too fast or too much will trigger throwing up. However, by eating the ways that are prescribed will render the proper results. I am very impressed with the results I have seen thus far.

If you feel like therapy can help you consider finding one that takes your insurance or even payment plans. I didn’t do it the first time around because I couldn’t find anyone taking new patients and I gained my weight back. Now I am facing revision and working on starting with one that is private pay but I asked if she can give a lot of homework so I hopefully won’t need as many sessions. You don’t necessarily have to do like every week I don’t think. I haven’t met with her yet but I’m hoping I can do like once or twice a month to start and do my homework in between. I have a regular therapist and she wants to speak with her so my hopes are she will basically tell my regular therapist how to help me and I won’t need her too long. I will be posting about how it goes I’m sure. Lol

Hello @ms.sss I actually really do appreciate your response. You are pretty accurate in your assessment, lol, I definitely have my moments but for the most part I tend to be pretty agreeable and sometimes that bites me. i have taken A little breather after yesterday’s meeting with my surgeons’ PA and waking up to a stranger taking their time to say I should too makes me realize I’m not just being overly anxious. Thank you!! I did make a call just now to see if the only other surgeon I would consider does this procedure and he does not So I guess the most obvious options at this point are to just go with the bypass instead or to ask ALOT of questions and pose some really uncomfortable ones about the surgein and that team that I may not like the answers too. Regardless I realize I need to slow this bus down a great deal and really think this one through. My thoughts so far are, when the surgeon sits down with me and my list of questions IF I feel better that HE has done his research and both he and I are confident he has this, then I just need to worry about the aftercare. I need to be bold and require that he gives a way to get HIM, post op if I have any urgent concerns. And I need to know who he turns to if he doesn’t know the answer. I know for my first post op appointment I will see him but maybe I can see him ever so often past that. Especially if I am feeling lost. The PA said yesterday that I may get him or the surgeon if I called with questions immediately post op and he claimed he wouldn’t just give me an answer to give me an answer but it sorta felt like what he did for a half hour with my questions. I am just going to have to go out of my comfort zone a bit and bluntly say that I don’t feel like the rest of the team is prepared to handle my care with this particular procedure. I must get the point across that the PA just can’t answer all my questions at this point and I wouldn’t feel confident in his advice about any post op questions. Or, Perhaps he could just make the PA do the research now? I mean he is practically a doctor. They know how to learn things. I just don’t think he has tried with this procedure yet. He did seem to know alot about the DS, Just not this modified version. I can ask to meet with him again after he has had a chance to prepare and see how I feel with him. My gut has gotten me this far?? As far as the dietician goes. I think I just need a list of what macros he wants me to stick to and to know what type of carbs really count and I think I can take it from there at least witb the help of this community. I also think I can shop around for a different dietician once I have the requirements If I feel like I even need one. I’m hoping that the dietician gets the exact requirements from the surgeon in preparation for our meeting in two weeks. If not I will need to ask him that when I meet with him as well. I guess the skinny about the surgeon, though is that I am going to have to pump the brakes a bit and put on my big girl panties. I need to have some awkward conversations and just mentally prepare myself that the result could be that I don’t get exactly what I thought I wanted.

Hi! My daughter (22 yo) and I just had the sleeve this month. Hers was 3/4 and mine was 3/11. Our healing process has been so different and while I’m moving right along, she’s had a set back with hydration and pooping. I’m curious if anyone else has had these issues and how you’ve overcome them so that I can help her. She didn’t poop for about two weeks, so under the care of our doctor, did a Fleet enema. That helped some that day but by that point, she was dehydrated. She ended up in the hospital Monday night and received fluids. Yesterday was a little better but still struggling to get in liquids (forget protein/food). This morning, she had sharp back pain again so I’ve started having her drink the four little 1 ounce cups again so that I can help her better monitor what she’s actually drinking. Also making sure she takes her Prilosec and Miralax. Added in Smooth Move tea. Heating pad on back. Encouraging her to walk but this has been hard because she feels so bad. Oh, and she’s complaining about the drinks hurting her throat going down (the stuck feeling) but the CT scan showed she’s fine. Anybody else have a setback like this? Any other suggestions? Thanks!!!!

@ccast49 It does get better, It will get better, and I know you're probably sick of hearing it ... but walk walk as much as you can ... it will help. Be kind to yourself too. And a hot water bottle really is your friend, the first week I slept sandwiched between 2 with one in my front and one at the small of my back.

Oh yes. If I’m lucky i can offload some food to others, but I live alone so it’s mostly just me myself and I. I tend to eat the same thing for dinner for almost a week. Even 1lb of ground meat is several meals. I purchased the W&P Cup silicone cubes for freezing (found them cheaper than Souper cubes). They are phenomenal. They have various sizes but I have the 6 cube tray that holds up to 1 cup each cube. I like that they have measurement lines inside so you have different options for smaller portions. I have used them for soups, chilis, stew and even “pasta” (palmini noodles). Once it’s frozen solid, I just pop them out and place them in freezer bags and label. Makes it easy to have measured out meals that can be popped in the microwave. I hate food waste, but it’s impossible to finish things fast enough. Fresh vegetables i have a love hate relationship for that very reason. I have been trying to cut and prep and freeze some things or plan my meals around what i have on hand, but even then it’s so hard. I’m about to purchase a vacuum sealer food saver to better seal freezer portions.

So relatable!! My surgery is in two days. I've been on an all liquid diet for two weeks, and cravings are REAL. Sending you good vibes and hope you're on to the next phase soon!

I’m so sorry you are having issues. Hopefully it’s just the one week and you are back on track. If you are allowed caffeine, the premiere protein caffe latte was the only shake that didn’t taste extra sweet to me. Some people said they just mixed a shake with coffee to achieve this as well. Others on here have mentioned mixing the shakes with fairlife milk to thin them out a bit and I’m guessing that cuts the sweetness too. If not, I guess just stick with the soups since they are actually staying down okay. I’m glad you are not vomiting anymore and you are meeting uour hydration goals.

I've learned so much reading all of your posts. I'm scheduled for the sleeve March 28th and am getting pretty nervous. The liver shrink diet has been brutal and I'm shocked at the amount of weigh lost in 13 days with 1 to go. I changed the batteries and had a friend get on my scale just to make sure it was working properly. I started the diet at 191.3 and my scale reads 177.8 this morning. Is that normal?? I knew I'd lose a little but that's over 13 pounds! I've stuck to the diet which hasn't been easy but I've done it. Have any others lost this much in less than 2 weeks on this diet?

I personally added protein powder to everything that passed my lips the first four to six weeks! It doesn't have to be a lot, it adds up pretty quickly. I did this until I started on my Fair life elite core drinks (42grams)..just make sure to drink no more than half at each meal, anymore and our bodies can't process that much Protein in a short time (according to my surgeon and dietician).

My program has one week of liquids, soft proteins at week 2, and then if you are meeting your protein and hydration goals, you can start adding some veg and fruit starting the third week. So, I was eating things like eggs, tuna, cottage cheese, salmon, and some very well cooked veg like broccoli and green beans. I was doing fine until last week when I had several incidents of vomiting. So my doctor moved me back to liquids 5 days ago to allow healing. I'm stuck with it until my appointment a week from today and pretty much everything sounds terrible. Anything with sweetener is too sweet. I have clear protein water and I swear it tasted like perfume. I made a smoothie with frozen banana today and even that was too sweet. Protein shakes disgust me. I have one flavor I can handle. So I'm mostly doing cream soups with a scoop of unflavored protein. Everything about eating feels really disgusting right now, although I haven't had any issues with my stomach, so that's a good thing. And my hydration has been consistently good.

Thanks again @Arabesque and @ChunkCat for your advice earlier. I haven't been checking in as much, dealing with continuing health issues. Healthcare providers are difficult to get scheduled with in my area, so I'm just now getting to follow up with them. I've been waiting to get scheduled with a Neurologist since August, but no luck. I've had to burn my days off with work due to Covid at the beginning of the year, so I'm not able to get in with a specialist since the closest one available is about a 4 hour drive from here. There's also no immunologists with availability in 2024 within 4-5 hours from here either, so I'll be waiting on that for a while. I am getting in with a cardiologist to see what is going on. My heart rate is dipping down to 28-29 bpm in my sleep, and I wake up feeling exhausted. I'm on a CPAP and also getting another sleep study scheduled in April to see if adjusting that will help. I'm still just walking about 1-2 miles a day. I walked 4 miles a couple weeks ago, and was hardly able to get out of bed for 3 days. I've never been that drained from that relatively small amount of exercise before. Luckily I was able to work from home and had my laptop in bed with me, but it was a struggle with the 12 hour shifts. I am getting frustrated since I've gained weight back, and I'm 10 lb heavier than I was at New Years, but my primary care thinks whatever issues I'm having is killing my metabolism. I'm starting back on my pre-op diet this week to try to lose a little more. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know, I am open to them. Thanks!

There is a brand of peanut butter powder that has flavors like cookie dough and such. I think that might be nice. And yes, the protein shake powder is way higher in protein. I feel like mixing it as a shake makes me gag, but using it as a fruit dip somehow changes how it tastes to me. I may try it with a strawberry banana shake mix I have too. Being back on liquids right now is messing with me because I've come to hate the texture of shakes. And even a more natural version made with yogurt, banana, and pb powder is making me gag today. One more week of this and then hopefully I can go back to eating soft protein and maybe a little bit of veg. I miss veg. I didn't expect to be back at square one 5 weeks post-op! As soon as I can, I'm going to have fruit dip!

I am currently three years post sleeve sitting ten pounds heavier than when I stared contemplating the SADI revision surgery. I am pretty hopeful and excited this time though. I am already eating better, exhaustively researching the procedure and the future diet. Finally I found a therapist that specializes in disordered eating near me who is taking new patients. It wouldn’t be possible without telehealth because she’s a couple hours away (something positive that came from COVID). Within 15 minutes tonight we discussed my mental health, medications, medical history, potential surgery, a change in the dietician and touched on some of my emotional eating concerns. She thinks she can help me and she asked me to think about it and talk it over with my current therapist and if we agree it’s a good idea she wants me to sign a release so that she and my therapist can work together. I feel so excited and hopeful that this is going to make all the difference this time. I am curious how long the process usually takes. I’m hoping I will have a pretty good idea of how much help I need and know whether I am ready to move forward by the time my surgery date rolls around.

Right now I am not getting a great deal of help from his team. I am trying to decide between SADI and bypass but I honestly think I may be one of the first patients to get the SADI with him. A fact that if it is true scares me a bit but the possibility of greater weight loss has kept me interested. I do have an appointment tomorrow with his PA and in two weeks with the dietician to help in my decision. I hope I get quite a few answers between the two. I am just really trying to figure things out so I can eat that way now to see what I am possibly getting myself into. Lol

Good luck tomorrow, I had mine a week ago and completely understand the emotions. There are a few other March buddies who recently had GS & are doing great! I recommend bringing chapstick or ask for some at the hospital! And walk as much as you can to get the gas bubbles out. It really makes a difference.

I finally have some appointments lined up. I am seeing the PA at the surgeons office tomorrow, the dietician in two weeks and I do a pre screening for a bariatric therapist this week. They don’t take my insurance and I THINk it said it’s $175 a session but I’m hoping I don’t need too many. None of this is mandatory for revision but I want to dive in this time 100% readh!! I am just excited that I should finally be getting answers and some help.

@NickelChip It has been hard for me. A lot of pain and uncomfortableness the first 3 weeks.

@BlueParisim hoping the stall ends soon. It makes it easier to see that everyone else hit a stall for a bit too. I bounce around between liquids and a few solids here and there and I just take it really slow. I’ve been doing better with liquids so overall not too bad here. Gave you tried the vitamin patches? They were on the list of vitamins my dr gave me before surgery. That’s what I take because I’ve always had an issue with iron making me really sick. Maybe try those?

Hello, I am 4 weeks post-op after vsg and I am struggling with my protein intake. I was also dehydrated 2 week pop and I been focusing on my hydration but I realized I have been slacking on Protein. Protein shakes make me extremally nauseous and does any one have any tips or ideas in how to increase my protein daily so I don't stay stuck in this stall. Thanks.