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I wore hospital gowns the whole time, so only brought a few pairs of undies, a travel body wash and shampoo, toothbrush/paste, comb, Chapstick, phone & charger & extension cord, laptop, hand lotion and fuzzy socks and slippers for walks. I used it all except the laptop - the pain meds made me too loopy to care - I just let the little TV on I wish I brought some oil for inside my nostrils (like a dab of olive oil or Vitamin e or coconut oil) it was dreadfully dry in there. And maybe my neti pot to flush out my nose. BEWARE - nobody warned me, but the oxygen mask dries you out a LOT. (Tmi/gross) I had the nastiest phlegm, mucus and crusted boogers in my nose and throat. Don't be scared - ask your nurse if you cough/hawk anything gross up. I was beyond mortified what came up when I coughed. I wish I had known ahead of time! My one piece of advice - the day after surgery take a hot shower. Even if you don't bring any soaps or shampoos, use the hospital's or just take a shower to get wet - you will feel like a new person!! Good luck!

To post in the vets forum it's a combination of a year out and a certain number of posts on the board (100 I think). As for skin... I have no knowledge except what I have read here and elsewhere and what my docs have said. I am at (below) goal and intend to wait a year out to see where that leaves me. I am surprised actually... I am 45 and have been heavy my whole life and obese at least 16 years and my skin is still shrinking. It still needs help, but is still making progress. For a TMI example---my boobs are now the lump in a hanging sock variety...BUT in the last two months my nipples have gone from pointing downwards to pointing back forwards! Honestly never thought I would see that!

I would have to say in one word..........AWESOME!! I will be 14 weeks post op tomorrow and have lost weight (knock on wood) so far every week. So far I have gone from a super tight 26/28, 30/32 to a size 20 in pants. I have no problem being around food and not eating what others are. I have eaten out with my family and friends and done just fine, sometimes sharing sometimes ordering my own stuff and taking home leftovers. I now go and enjoy the company not just going to eat. And fitting into booths, I still do a little Woo Hoo when I slide right in, my family has come to expect this. LOL I am exercising every week, some weeks I know I could do better but I am doing it. Trying to push myself to better my time and reps everytime I go. I am sometimes lazy with my food when I don't want to think about what to eat, and will have a shake or a Protein bar, but I am still within my limits and meeting my protein goals (usually exceeding) and my liquid intake. We are going to Disney in March and I am SOOOOOO excited to be able to go on ANY ride I choose to go on, not just the ones I think I will fit into. We were at Universal three years ago and I sat while my hubby and daughter went on everything. Not this time!! One of main motivators for having this surgery was to be able to participate in my life again, not just be sitting on the sidelines. And even at my weight I am at now I am doing that, I am enjoying my life!! I cannot imagine how I feel after losing another 60-70lbs. But I am pretty sure it will feel great!! Now before anyone thinks it has been all roses for me let me tell you it has not. But I do believe I have had an easier time than some that I have read about on here and for that I am eternally grateful. My recovery went really well and most everything I have eaten has agreed with me. I did throw up once just last week but I believe it was because I ate way to fast, and will not be doing that again. I had some awful constipation (sorry TMI) the week after Thanksgiving where I thought/wished I would die. But that is all fixed now. I have a ventral hernia that could not be taken out during my VSG surgery and now with my weight loss you can see it protruding more on my lower right abdomen side. This I will have removed probably around summertime, still discussing that with my surgeon. I am not looking forward to that surgery. I am seeing some of my skin start to be loose, but that is small price to pay for feeling the way I do. I still cannot believe it has been as long as it has, it's weird how time is flying. I can't wait to hear from the rest of you on how you are all doing, I hope this post finds you doing great!!

Well can't say I envy you, I would hate to go through that.....since we are on the TMI subject..mine was totally the opposite..diarrhea, watery, diarrhea and more Water...I go so much it's hurting my bung hole. TMI to say the least!!

lol ok Yes this is TMI but one I totally laughed and second its because I completely get it!

ok so yesterday morning I had to poop... as many of you probably know I have been having issues with constipation.. it is taking a while to get things lined out... so I am in pain with the need to go poo... off I go to sit on the toilet... phone in hand.. plop plop plop oh dear God... nope not gonna push... Holy shit this effin hurts... kerthunk instant relief.... it hurt so bad that my blood pressure spiked so fast and so high that I almost passed out... ears ringing, dizzy, fingers went numb... had to put the phone down so I didnt drop it.... blood pressure finally returns to normal... finish up... get up and turn to flush.... IT WAS THE SIZE OF A FRICKIN CUCUMBER! and not one of those skinny ass cucumbers... I thought I was gonna have to get a knife to cut it up... it almost clogged the front hole of the toilet.... no wonder I was clogged up.....

@@JustWatchMe OK now you make me rethink this again....I have had stomach and bowel issues my whole life. However..nothing created the roids until I had my first son. Pushing that little sucker out into the world created a bunch of little annoyances I have had for the last 26 years. Now I'm sure I didn't help by pushing and pushing and not breathing and then taking a deep breath after a push and sucking that little guy right back up instead of OUT. So a few years after I had my last son a Dr. asked me about this operation..and I said I'll think about it since they don't really bother me. Then a co-worker a few years after that had it done and I heard about the painful recovery and I said NOPE with my fat fanny no one is gonna care so why should I they don't bother me. OK well now that the fanny is not so "fat" even though it's still a biggin and it sits on my back I have a very tiny torso so it's all TnA (I know TMI) and now...those little buggers bug me. I recently told hubs I might do this after all...and now...yeah Ima rethinking that thought.

@@tiger1961 , when are you doing your bowel prep (taking the laxative)? You are scheduled for Monday, right? Just wondering. I have to fly to Mexico on the 3rd for my surgery on the 4th and do not want to be having diarrhea on the plane. Sorry about the TMI, but just getting a bit anxious about that part.

I *love* my Mirena! After about 5 years of HEAVY periodic bleeding due to peri-menopause, finally found an OBGYN who didn't just pooh pooh my symptoms with "well, everyone's different, yes, things can get heavy or light, you just have to put up with it till it's over..." -- sorry for TMI, but weeks of passing major blood clots, being terrified to even stand up for fear of "flooding", always putting towels underneath me, etc -- ugh, don't want to remember all that -- but got the Mirena about 2 years ago and it literally changed my life - for the better! Don't know how/if it affected weight gain, but at least the **&&^^ bleeding STOPPED.

twice I had a near impaction, at the risk of TMI here I had to use KY Jelly and was sore for 2 wks after, this was on liquids too which surprised me, I now drink miralax once a week and my Dr. told me to increase my Water, have you thought about Fiber gummies?

I was 13 weeks post op yesterday and doing just fine. But this morning, that is another story. I decided to have a scrambled egg with cheese and some ham. I have had this before with no problems. I usually have my 32oz of decaf tea with a scoop of unflavored Protein in it but this morning for some reason I wanted food. Well I made it and sat down to eat it and when I had about three bites left I ended up throwing up half of it, sorry if this is TMI. I have not thrown up at all since surgery and I did not like this. I am thinking that it is because I ate to fast rather than the food not agreeing with me? I know better than to eat fast but I guess I wasn't paying attention like I should have been. Now Sherman (my new tummy) feels awful and I am hoping this feeling passes soon. I had to cancel my gym date with my friend for this morning and I hate doing that. When you guys have experienced this do you just wait for it to pass?? Should I drink something or should I wait a it longer?? Right now I am just reading posts on here snuggling with my doggie. I hope everyone's day is going better than mine!

Hi everyone sorry for the delay I'm doing fine thanks God my surgery went very good had mild pain the main thing was the gas uhhg that hurts.. and one more thing I haven't had a bowel since I started the liquid diet and my sugery 7 days I have pass gasses but not the other sorry for TMI and in top of that my period came down on the third day after my sugery as soon as I came home but other than that I been good been able to tolarade food wel liquid I haven't vomit not once thanks God and been walking fine thanks a lot for your advices

I have weird stomach rumbles when I drink certain Protein drinks but not others. For instance: carnation instant Breakfast (sugar free chocolate) makes my stomach so noisy. It doesn't hurt or anything, mild discomfort but no physical pain. Mostly, my issue with them is that my stomach really gurgles really loud out of nowhere sometimes lol..so I've tried others and some I've found don't do that at all. I think it might be partly bc of soluble Fiber and maybe partly because of the sugar free sweetener. Sometimes I used to get diahreah (tmi sorry) when I would eat my grammas Sugar Free Chocolates. Maybe something similar?

Is it normal to have the runs (I know it's TMI)?

When I came home from the hospital I was so worried about going poop my family said I was rather obsessed. Well I went 5 days after surgery and thought all was well. Well about a month and half out, even though I was getting in all my Protein and Water things stopped. Oh man was I in so much pain. When I called my docs office they said to get Miralax and put some in my drink. So that is what I did and low and behold.......It worked!! Thank God!! I never ever want to go thru that again. I now drink 24oz decaf tea every night with my scoop of Miralax in it and things have smooth going since. My NP told me to go to only using a half serving of Miralax now, but I do one full serving one day and then 1/2 a serving the next day. I am just so afraid of that happening again. Well anyway the reason I am sharing this lovely story is my husband and daughter almost bought me this tshirt for Christmas. I will post a pic down below. I laughed so hard when I saw it. I told the they should have, but I think my daughter was afraid I would wear it outside the house. Thought it might bring a smile to someone's face who is struggling.

Lynne Anne, It depends on how heavy you were, what shape you were in, and also on your age. I have lost 131 pounds, am 54 and not in very good shape! So it isn't very pretty. I can't afford plastics either, and I'm scared of the pain. As far as I go, the butt is my worst, sorry tmi! It's okay, unless you want to wear a bikini or revealing clothes. Short sleeves are kind of uncomfortable for my wings. But this is just me, and you might heal better, depends also on the condition of your skin. I was told working out helps.

I wore the gown plus some paper undies they gave me because I was near the end of my menstrual cycle(sorry tmi) and then brought a robe to drape over my backside.

Warning - delicate female topic! Ok, I'm three months out and have these really stange pains. The closest thing I can compare them to are menstrual cramps although I haven't had a period in over 10 years. It cramps in my uterus area and sometimes radiates on down through my vaginal area. Sorry if TMI, just wondering if anyone else has had such sensations. They are not unbearable but bothersome!

And, hey, you are NOT alone! We are all right here, in the same place you are, having the same worries. Reach out to a veteran. Look at their info under their names and message someone who looks like you/your situation. I did. She has been fantastic. Totally wide open. There is zero TMI factor! She even told me to bring extra cheap underwear as she went the diarrhea direction instead of the constipation route. Those are the gory details us pre-oppers need! And I am on here all the time. Buddies, right?

I'm feeling better, but still not getting the required Fluid intake yet. I think I'm at 30oz. No attempts at Protein yet. I just left a message with the office for a call back. (TMI)I am concerned since I developed diarrhea yesterday, and its continued into today, with my current intake I may get dehydrated, so I wanted to know what they suggest at this point. I'm glad you are doing well, and thanks for asking!

@@Fatdiva14 me, too! Surgery ended up being 2 hours later than scheduled which was a bummer. Had a breakdown when they said we were ready. I am completely exhausted and the nausea has been my biggest problem. I have to say that the nurses at my hospital are amazing! Sorry for the tmi, but when I'm upright, I get nauseous and then I dry heave, but it's cause of the gas and then I burp and its a little better. No vomiting. I'm sipping Water and am getting ready to do a 2nd walk. I have to drink 2 8 ounce Protein Drinks in order to get discharged so I plan on starting at 5 or 6 am so I can get out. Hope you are doing well.

Congrats and welcome to the losing side!! I had my surgery Monday morning. Felt great in hospital for most part and walked in just a cple hrs from recovery. Since being home, I've had a low grade fever and diarrhea TMI I'm sorry...sporadic sleep and trouble getting in the fluids. Still feeling burby and not used to those feelings. Talked to my surgeons secretary today who has gone thru this and she reassured me all is normal and the first four days are the toughest. So I'm hopeful for tomorrow!!! I gained weight during surgery but quickly dropped it according to my home scale the last day. Keep hydrated and keep peeing!! Supposedly by 1 wk post op we will be a brand new person!!! Good luck!

Anyone experienced weird bowel movement symptoms? TMI but... I have had white and beige poop for the last two weeks. No nausea. But my umbilical hernia was hurting last week.

Walking is helping. Finally farted TMI but made some difference. Discharged a few hours ago. Coming home to three excited dogs and a family that really wasn't sure how to handle things was rough. A few pot holes later, some liquid Tylenol and a nice long nap I'm doing much better. Trying some minestrone broth and one oz isopure non flavored protein. I take it thought he Tylenol counts as fluids!!! Didn't realize the restriction yesterday but am today. Sipping my oz items now. How's everyone else?

Thanks for the heads up. No, it is not too much TMI. With these issues I would rather know than to play it polite and be surprised. I think we probably have the same thing. I think it is IBS (Syndrome) and not IBD (Disease). Anyway, I am use to flare ups and have even had accidents in the past year at work. So, accidents after surgery will not be a new thing:) Maybe I will be more cautious and careful because of the surgery and I might even show some improvement. Thanks again!