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1.) water parks 2.) scuba diving 3.) running 3.) summer outside 4.) bending over to pick something up without "strategically planning" how I'm going to get back up 5. Breathing when I tie my shoe 6.) throwing away my slip on sandals 7.) wiping my ass without going through contortions ( TMI?).

Hi Dame, I went from liquids (2 weeks pre-op, 2 weeks post-op) to stage 3 as I was tolerating the shakes well and not having problems (except pain and some diarrhea ... TMI sorry!) I am able to have eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, beans, soups, chicken, etc. As long as it is soft and moist and easy to digest, I can have it. If it needs to go in the blender I can do that to make it easier to digest. So there is a lot of variety there if you consider that almost anything can be cooked to a very soft stage and put it in the blender if it needs to be. My poached egg with velveeta cheese was great today, and a little tuna and mayo later. Just teeny bites but it lasts longer that way! So far, I'm very encouraged! Tomorrow I'll try some cottage cheese cooked with a little marinara and later in the day more tuna. As long as we get those protein shakes in, the rest is pretty flexible! I'm excited about it! I hope you feel really good soon!

I have "dumped" twice since my surgery. Milk did it each time. I told my surgeon, and he states that it was not dumping. The sleeve surgery has caused me to become lactose intolerant. If I look at milk, I sh*t (TMI).

Checking with my fellow 9/22 surgery friends? How is everyone doing? Today is day 5 post op for us. I'm feeling better! Day three wasn't pleasant, and might be my hardest day. Today is good so far at 7:00 AM. My gas pain in my shoulder is almost gone! My tummy pain just feels like I did too many sit ups, and the fluid retention and abdominal bloating have gone Down just a bit. Warning; TMI topic: has anyone gone poop yet? I haven't and I'm a bit concerned. Five days is a long time for me. Wishing you all speedy recoveries and feelings of contentment and peace.

ok so ill add one to this growing list. It amazes me that my hubby (who had WLS the month before me) and myself can hug each other without having to lean into each other over our bellies. and the sex just gets better and better. sorry tmi!

Sorry for the TMI. I am 5 weeks post surgery. No issues getting in Water, Protein or Vitamins. I go to the bathroom once a day. I'd say at least 4-5x I have noticed blood on my stool. Years ago I had that happen and after colonoscopy they determined internal hemroids, suggested I change my diet. Well as of now I am eating the best I have ever eaten in my life. Should I be concerned? Any similar experiences? Thanks

Well I just had a tiny bowl of coco puffs because well I'm on my rag and I need chocolate and I notice within 5 minutes I'm on the toilet. Is this dumping syndrome? I have noticed some foods I eat this happens so I'm thinking hellooooo this is that dumping syndrome. Anybody else experience this? Am I just the lucky one? God this happens and man I never want to eat again!

I'm 5 weeks out from RNY, and I'm frustrated and discouraged. I can't eat or drink without nausea, and many times whatever I put down wants to come up in a "juicy burp" (I'm really sorry if that's tmi). I talked to my nut yesterday and she suggested Popsicles because they take more time and should help going down. However, even the Popsicles make me nauseous. On top of that, since I'm barely eating or drinking, I thought the scales would show something for all my trouble, but I've stalled. I have an appt to see my surgeon next week. I know I have a narrowing of my anastomoses and he may go in and stretch that. Please tell me things get better!

Feedyoureye is so right! Even when you stop losing weight, your body seems to keep doing its thing and continues changing, tightening and moving. I have had the turkey neck thing, but that's settled down. My Shar pei bottom isn't quite so wrinkly. I have saggy sock boobs to my knees (tmi???) - but cosmetics will fix that, along with a tummy tuck to get rid of the excess skin. But none of that changes my mind - no regrets re surgery, not a single one. Being fat was like an anchor on my life but nothing holds me back now.

Welcome to a day in the life. We all experience what we term as bandster hell when we are first banded and we don’t have that right level of “restriction”. It’s the holy grail that we bandsters search for. It’s that spot between just right and too tight….and some of us walk that line pretty close and even those of us that think we are not walking that line, could be sitting right on it and all it takes is one small thing to push you over it and I'm over it. In July I had a fill that left me in my just right zone. I was feeling good and eating small portions and working out and banded life was just great. Enter my “real” life and all that goes out the window. I have great band mechanics. I take small bites I chew chew chew. I eat within my 20 minute range time, and I have so much stress in my life I don’t know how I have not had several breakdowns. Must be that spine of steel I often joke about and those brass balls that I keep in a nice little box. I could tell you stories my band friends that would probably curl your hair. There is going to be a time when I sit down and write out all these things because you couldn’t make these things up if you tried and who the heck would want to?! I know we all have our ups and downs but these things are extraordinary, it just doesn't lend to that comic genius in my writing just yet but someday I'll work on it. I am not one that doesn’t practice what she preaches. In fact I won’t sit and talk about anything in a support group that I don’t know about. I am one of those avid learners (yes you might say geek) that will go to school, learn it practice it and then speak about it. Recently I went back to school to become a nutritionist, it’s important to me and my friend and my family so I did it! I really don't have an affinity for people that talk out their ass, or people who look down their nose at people like me because we are obese. It's hard to listen to the twiggy nutritionists talk when they have no idea what it's like to be in my skin. Words are great, but experience, understanding and empathy is what reaches me. OK so my BIG problem….I do too much! I don’t know how to slow down until something crashes into me literally and so that brings me to where I find myself today. In the last couple of months I have had a major car accident, that kept me out of work for 3 whole days! To me that’s a long time, and has kept my body in aches and pains, muscle trauma, and a concussion for about a month. I had to stop going to the gym and working out and I really felt like that was a huge set back for me after finishing my first 5K and finally starting to feel like going to the gym wasn’t the heart attack it once was. On top of that I got sick and had swollen glands and this lovely virus on top of my allergies which has me sliming my head off day and night. Over the course of all this and all the medication that Dr.’s shove down your throat for this symptom and that, my band got tighter and tighter and tighter until last night I hiccupped and (TMI gross alert) vomit came shooting out my mouth and across the room from the sip of Water I just drank! I knew I had to get to the baratric Dr. this was just not right. I knew I had been tight, and I knew that stress was not letting up any time soon. 5 kids, who have varying degrees of drama they like to give their mother a heart attack with on a nearly minute to minute basis, one husband, and then we have two new additions to our family. The furry four legged kind two lovely little PinTzu’s. They are the joy to my day in the morning and at night after a rough work day, but you know what it’s just like having new babies. I love it and the hubs is getting used to it he has never had dogs before so much of the pressure to “train” them all husband and pups and family members that live at home is on me to keep consistency. This morning I woke up and I could barely take my morning meds, and swallow my saliva. Add to that some post nasal drip from being sick and allergies and I knew it was time to see the doctor ASAP. So I called and wouldn’t you know I got the whole we don’t open till 9 am thing. Which is BS I know they are there early in the morning but they don’t open the phone lines until 9 and I wasn’t waiting. I drove straight there and of course once I got there and I told them what was going on with me..they took me in right away. I went down for a video esophageal or barium swallow and x-ray. Wouldn't you know it, sure enough that pouch was dilated. They had to remove 5cc of Fluid and I am now on a 3 week liquid diet to see if the dilation goes back to normal. Ugh, but you know what I have to say…nothing bad! I am grateful that I have a great Dr.’s office and good doctors to take care of me. I am glad that I did not wait for longer to get myself in there and have things checked out so my band didn’t slip or prolapse. I’m confident that I can make it through this liquid diet I have done it before and I will do it again! It is a lesson to learn, a BIG BIG one for me. I can’t tell you how many friends of mine have told me time and again to slow down and stop doing so much to just relax and let things flow. I really honestly have an issue with it. I can be lazy sure we all can and I do have days where I do nothing but vege out and watch TV or read. Most of the time though I just cram every second with something. There are things I want to do, and I find I am always battling against the things that I have to do, and my “responsibilities” and commitments. Those things make me feel pressured to be more and do more. It’s exhausting and I always get to the point where something has to knock me down to sit me down. This can’t be a good thing. So here I am in band “reset” mode. What have I learned from this….? Or perhaps the better question is what will I learn from this? So far today I have learned that I need to put up some really strong boundaries. I can’t save the world unless of course the power that be would like to get behind my idea of dropping large portions of Prozac in the water supply of all the middle eastern and certain other countries....happy people just don't decapitate other people. I don’t know quite yet how I am going to corral the issues that I have with my children and my family, those seem to plague me the worst. I have come to realize that work is work and I can give that 100% of effort in relation to the amount of effort extrapolated by those around me which should leave me with plenty of reserve energy to get to the gym and take care of myself. I am going to set some small goals, and keep myself accountable to them. Not just when it comes to my band but when it comes to taking care of myself as a whole person. I am going to keep myself accountable… Today’s goal: Body: Set a pattern for liquid diet protocol and hydrate in between. Mind: Get outside for some fresh air Soul: Practice some deep breathing

A couple of weeks, here. TMI?

I had the same problem after I had the lapband, back in 2008. (I had the band removed in Dec. 2013) I don't know how you do swallowing capsules, but I swear by this stuff I was recommended to try by a nutritionist. If you search for it on Amazon, search for Aerobic Mag 07. It's basically a big dose of magnesium. I had to take 5-6 capsules at the beginning to get things moving, for about 2 days. Now I take 4 capsules each night. I have a BM every single day now. TMI warning.... It basically turns your bowels to liquid, but it's NOT diarrhea. There's no cramping, or pain. when you feel the need to go, you just go--and it's done! I usually got 2-3 times a day now. I used to go, maybe every 4-5 days and it was hard and painful. I'm scheduled for gastric bypass on Oct. 20th and I am concerned about not being able to take the capsules. But I've heard I might not need to either.

I've been so sick since last night. made a pure protein shake with half water half lactaid milk. Last night I had terrible stomach pains and haven't been able to get away from the bathroom for long. Tmi. My stomach is gurgling and just is really upset. Wow I hope I don't have to call my docs. Hoping tomorrow I will feel better. Ugghh this is no fun

Hey all!! My surgery date was the 9th. I can completely relate to the gas. At this point for me it hasn't gone away, but I do find that I experience it most after a "meal" or drink. I have also noted that it is cruvial to SLOW DOWN when eating. If you don't you will feel like you have a knot in ur chest, that only burping and puking can cure. This part totally sucks, and it makes it hard to breathe hard to sit up, etc. I recommend buying a baby spoon to eat all ur meals. And what has worked for me is eating alone while doing something else that is distracting me. For exampke, my meals at work, while emailing etc, are splendid, but at home, while eating with my husband, have been horrible. I experienced esophageal spasms after surgery, especially when I returned home. It literally feels like an explosion in my stomach as the drink is pushed down. It's a horrible sharp pain that I felt deep into my mid back. If u look it up Web MD compares it to heart attack pain. At one point I did think I was totally going to die or sprang a leak. I went to the ER and all came out clear. After seeing my surgeon for my first post op he said it's basically like a Charlie horse in the musculature or ur esophagus and that it would go away with time. I must say it totally has since yesterday. I began feeling like myself again by day 5-6 post op. I will say that I felt totally weak, but tried at all costs to stay hydrated. I just got my Vitamins today so I will be starting on that first thing tomorrow. I had chronic heartburn pre op that i self medicated. Post op i have had none whats so ever. My stool was loose and this has continued. You will feel like ur regaining control of your bowels by day 456 or so. This might be TMI but as my bothers and sisters in the sleeve, it makes it all less scary when you know someone has been there. 17 lbs down so far. Hang in there guys!! You can do this!!

I spent years using food as a comfort source. I had three children, lost the weight and then immediately put it back on plus some. I tried diets. They never worked for longer than a month or two and I always rebounded back. When I found myself forcing myself to vomit I knew that I needed to do something different. I decided in October 2013 to do the surgery (I had been researching for over a year). My husband's cousin had gotten the surgery with great success so I set up my appointments and got scheduled to do the surgery November 5th 2013. Mine wasn't a case of many health problems or inability to do physical things. I got up to 285 pounds with a bmi of 43.31. I still ran around with my kids, went swimming, climbed around on rocks, rode bikes. I had to force myself to do it though. My problems were mental health and emotional. I could not do ANYTHING without feeling embarrassed. I want to dress up... ha ha ha. I can't look pretty. I go to ride the bike and spend the whole time thinking that everyone is disgusted by the fat lady on the bike. I have problems with anxiety and depression... It was time. I had no doubts whatsoever. I felt terrible about spending the money because it was self pay and spending $18,000 on myself is just selfish right? I was so wrong. I'll get to that later. A week before surgery I go on the sugar free diet. Vitamins, Protein shakes, sugar free popsicles, Jello and drinks. It was a tough week. I had one bad day, Halloween. I ate a lot of candy. But even with that day I lost 13 pounds that week. The day of surgery comes. They are doing the sleeve and repairing a hiatal hernia. I'm fine with my husband but then they wheel me back to the pre-op room and I sit there waiting for my turn ALONE. THAT's when it all hits me. Oh crap, am I doing the right thing? Could I lose the weight on my own? Is it too much money? OMG THEY'RE GOING TO CUT OFF MOST OF MY STOMACH! I managed to sift through the craziness and calm myself down. I needed this. I deserved this. Surgery comes and goes I wake up in the recovery room. They immediately start shoving cups in my face. Lovely little one ounce cups. They have about a hundred of them all stacked up. Only 8 have Water. My mission. To drink them. But the nausea! HOW can I drink them?!? They have these lovely contraptions strapped to my calves, they aren't uncomfortable, kind of comforting actually, consistently hugging my calves and they keep my legs warm. The only problem is that I can't get them off because I am SO out of it! I can barely do anything but lay curled up in the fetal position in absolute misery. I have them move the table around so I can reach the water and I convince myself I can do this. I drink a cup. Wow... I didn't realize I could feel WORSE! I drink the nasty potassium crap they give me and that does it. I am going to throw up. I call the nurse, tell them I need the things off my legs I'm going to throw up. They don't make it in time. Now those of you who have had children know a certain amount of bladder control is lost. When I puke, I pee. That simple. So they come in the room and I am crying because it hurts to throw up and I am dry heaving because I really didn't have much in my stomach and it can't get the stuff out that it wants out. And of course I'm peeing at the same time! It's not fun walking to and from the bathroom or standing up but it's more nausea than pain. And the IV ugh I hate those things. After then next time that they didn't get there to get the things off my legs they just left them off and I would just go sit on the toilet with a puke cup in hand whenever I tried to drink anything. The surgeon was very impressed with how much I drank. I don't think he realized most of it came right back up! Getting discharged the next day was a huge relief. I was ready to get away from the never ending cups and demands that I puke drink. The drive home was not fun with the constant stop and go. Keep in mind it wasn't pain. I actually don't remember much of any pain. It was the nausea! I should have expected it. My stomach has always been finicky. Car sickness, throwing up 8-10 times a day when pregnant, motion sickness. Should have seen it coming. I got home and slept. I was literally hiding up in my room for about 5 days. Didn't even bother going downstairs. I slept, peed, tried to drink but eventually just figured out I should just sit in the shower and try to drink in there. I would sit on the floor of the shower and forced down my liquid pain med (I liked it because it made me sleep REALLY well) and drink some water. Then I would continue to sit there as I heaved. I was supposed to take my vitamins immediately. I couldn't stomach the chewables and my prescription Vitamin was huge. I would get into my stomach and I would feel like I had something stuck there and be even sicker. It took me the next 2 months to get up to my 3 vitamins a day. Meanwhile my stomach HATED me. Everything made me sick. Plain water made me miserable but the taste of anything sugar free was too sweet. I spent the next month living off of a maximum of 40 calories a day. I couldn't get all my vitamins in, couldn't stomach Protein Shakes and gagged on the foods I was allowed. I tried having different things but well, I gagged on most everything, or threw up. I was able to function (for short periods of time) after the first week. I would get kids off to school, cuddle with my 2 year old, pick kids up from school and then went to bed as soon as hubby got home. I would sleep until morning. I didn't get back to making it a full day until probably 3 months later. Even then I would crash hard on the weekends and often spent the whole day in bed. My husband was an angel through all of this and didn't complain once. Even when I stopped crashing on the weekends regularly I would randomly have a day I just couldn't do it. Meanwhile I STUNK. If you haven't read posts about stinking... you WILL stink at some point. My skin oozed a bitter nasty smell. No matter how much a washed, what I washed wish, how much lotion I rubbed on I STUNK to high heaven. Apparently it's a good thing, a sign that you are burning fat but it was miserable and made me feel super gross. A lot of foods tasted different for me. I would have cravings and try to eat it and be really disappointed because it didn't taste the way I remembered it. And pretty much anything I put in would make me sick. I discovered string cheese and apple juice. They were all I wanted to eat, the only things that tasted good and didn't make me sick. Let me tell you, it makes it REALLY hard to cook dinner for your family when you know all you're going to do is reach in the fridge for a string cheese! I lost 50 pounds in the first 2 months. After that it slowed down a lot. I lost 10 pounds a month, I lost 5 pounds. Now I tend to drop unexpectedly 4 or 5 pounds, go back up 2 and float, go back down to the "lowest" sit there for a while and then it will start over again. In case that was confusing.... 9/2 I was 181. by 9/5 I was 177.5, 9/19 I'm 179 and in the next week I will probably be back down to the 177.5. I don't really watch my food a lot. Well let me rephrase that. I have accepted there are MANY foods that don't make me feel good so I don't eat them. I mostly eat string cheese and drink sugar free koolaid. I take my vitamins but protein shakes still don't work for me. It was emotionally hard for a while. I couldn't eat anything, much less the food I WANTED to eat. Food was my comfort and it was no longer available. It took a little adjusting but watching the weight change helped a lot. I hoped that losing all the weight would help with my back. It did, for a while. It quickly came back with a vengeance and hurts in different ways. I started going to a chiropractor and getting massage therapy and that helps a ton but does not fix everything. A lot of people would read this and feel overwhelmed and discouraged and think it was one of the horror stories. NOT SO. This surgery was absolutely the best decision I have ever made. It is so much more than losing weight. It is being able to run and play and be stupid and silly with my children without feeling like everyone is disgusted with me. It's being able to have my husband actually reach around my body and not be squished well beyond comfort. It's being able to twist my legs up however I want in a restaurant booth. It's feeling beautiful again and not doubting it like I did when I was younger. Honestly I feel more beautiful now than EVER before. It's being able to dress cute again and buy the clothes I like. It's not being embarrassed for being me. It is freedom. I have lost 106 pounds in 10 months and 12 days, I am 19 pounds from my goal but I'm not sure it's really my goal anymore. I went from a tight size 20 pants to a size 12. I can now wear medium men's shirts and large women's, I used to be in a 2xl men's. My boobies for the ladies wondering. I was a 42J and am now a 38G. They are very flat, long and wide. I lost inches in places I didn't think I had inches to lose. I wish I could give you details but I lost my paper My joints don't cause me any pain now days except for my hips but it is VERY rare. My next step it plastics. My boobs are causing a lot of neck pain so I'm hoping my insurance will cover them. I'm planning to get a reduction and then I'm going to be going in for a circumfrential lift (LBL). I have a lot of excess skin and fat in my stomach and a lot of skin on my hips. Honestly if I can take care of those things then I don't feel the need to lose even one more pound. I don't know that I remembered to include everything but hopefully this helps SOMEONE out there.

TMI if any men read this post... but if I don't start my period soon I'm gonna start hurting people... I always gain some weight but I'm only up a pound, so after I start, I'll probably drop a couple. But the PMS is killing me (well, making we want to kill my kids and dogs and anyone else close by)! And, I've been doing great on my food plan, never craving carbs or wanting to eat unhealthy things but over the past 2-3 days I'm thinking about chocolate and chips and toast with butter and grabbing bites of things as I walk by (even if it's almonds or fruit). I hate being a girl sometimes...

Much more energy today. Got out of bed with NO pain! Feeling almost human again! But what the heck... It's like the rest of my digestive system sprung back to life with a vengeance today! Sorry if TMI! I guess it's good to know my entire GI system is back up and running! Gheesh.

TMI time.............. So I have had a horrible time with constipation since surgery. Like every week I have had to do an enema to have like 1 BM a week. This week I have gone regular for 3 days ! And now today it's been nothing but water. Every bite I can feel my intestines doing a dance. I feel like crying but scared to lose anymore water lol. Can I get a break?

Well, I'm sure all newbie post op gastric patients will appreciate and approve this message...Had a bowel movement today on Day 4! HAHA Never thought I'd be so happy to see the plumbing still works at the moment. LOL!

Oh and I forgot as a big bonus today, I just had a bowel movement! LMAO. I NEVER THOUGHT ID BE SO HAPPY TO SEE ONE COME! Sorry, TMI, but all gastric surgery patients will approve this message!

I have been regular but always have been also I am now 8 days post op! I'm meeting all my protein intake and Dr did tell me don't skimp on your protein it will help you in all aspects. Sorry for tmi here but day 3 PO I had this weird #2 it's was like when baby is born that first poop they do black and tar sticky like, since that day I got regular bowel. Nurse did say and I had read other exp. a black bowel like #2 as being normal and good to come out.

I was just about to ask if anyone is taking anything for constipation/regularity? I took a small dose of milk of magnesia and have sipped a little smooth move tea. Last night I resorted to an enema because I needed the relief (tmi). Just wondering if at this early stage there are things we take to maintain regularity?

@@truberry LOL LOL my X husband used to say "any more than a mouthful is a waste!!!" hope thats not TMI my wonderful husband of almost 23 years went through me and my dble mastectomy 15 years ago- so he's been fine with the "small" me up their LOL after always being big - my reconstruction i insisted on small boobs now they are small and "perky" but remember i'm still as "cute as a button" @@Kindle - training bra gotta luv it kathy

Sherrie, sorry for tmi, but what am I expecting for a bowel movement? I'm day 3 today. Should I start taking stool soften ears just to be safe?

@@Westfield27 agh.... TMI.... lol just kidding. I was sleeved on the 10th and I have yet to go number 2. I did a little googling and it seems fairly normal to go 5 days or so. when were you sleeved? hope all is well. EDIT: I just saw your ticker.... 9/11. think you are good.