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I don’t take them because of an issue with my pancreas either. I don’t absorb protein well as a result of my gall removal. Malabsorption after gall surgery isn’t uncommon but it being for protein is more rare. (Also don’t absorb some medications either now like hormone replacement meds.) I forget to take them at times too - usually my lunch time one. I keep the bottle on the bench right in front of me to remind myself. The creons keep my protein levels at just on the border of okay. The original dose of 10 000mg 3 x a day didn't do anything so it was increased to 25 000 3 x a day which does. I don’t like having to take meds. Am lucky & very glad I only take the creons and a Nexium in the morning.

Oh, and this was me yesterday after I got the incision restitched. No more preggo looking tummy!!! I still have a little swelling, but even that's gonna get better. And then the other pic is me about 10 minutes ago. I got my hair cut this morning because it's friggin too hot for long hair lol

Ok...so...when you have a food allergy, even a "mild" one, take it seriously. I'm allergic to peanuts and shellfish. With shellfish, it's literally life and death. I can't even be in the room when it's being cooked because the proteins in the air set me off. It's really that bad. I go into anaphylactic shock and I was told if it happens 1 or 2 more times, I could very likely die. So...no shellfish, which breaks my heart because me an crab legs...omg. Love affair for the ages. But peanuts.....that's not bad like shellfish. My mistake was comparing it to the shellfish. I was told my shellfish allergy is the worst case my doctor has ever seen. So comparing anything to it is not smart. But that's what my stupid a$$ did. I forgot that every time I eat something I'm allergic to the reaction gets worse. Well, I'll never EVER forget it now. I ate 2 Kind bars. I bought them because there was no mention of peanuts (ordered them from the Starbucks app). Only mentioned almonds. YUMMY!!! We love almonds. WooHoo!!! Hubby goes to get my Kind bars and my drink and comes back and tells me there's peanuts in them. I think "well, there's not a huge amount because there's more than 1 kind of nut, and my reaction has always been fairly mild, so I should be ok" (tingles in my lips and tongue, slightly nauseous and mildly light headed, but over in 15 or 20 minutes) so I figured I could eat them and deal with the reaction for maybe 30 minutes or so and then be on my way. WRONG!!!!! To be fair, hubby said I shouldn't eat them but I did anyway. Within 10 minutes of eating them, my usual symptoms set in. Ok, I was ready for that. Within another 10 minutes, the nausea got worse, I got super shaky, and the light headedness increased. Sucks, but still not the end of the world. 10 minutes later, the absolute sharp, stabbing pain in my stomach started. It hurt so bad I couldn't catch my breath and I couldn't stand up straight. It increasingly got worse and worse. I couldn't sit, stand, or lay comfortably at all. It took 30 minutes for it to get this bad. I dealt with it for an hour, then the throwing up started. And throwing up. And throwing up. OMG... Once I was done and brushed my teeth, I went and laid down and fell asleep until now (3:30am). I slept for about 6 hours (not peacefully, but still slept). I feel a lot better except I'm weak, tired, and a little nauseous still. Hoping to go back to sleep soon. But let this be a reminder that even MILD food allergies can escalate out of nowhere and become major ones. Anything peanut related is like the devil as far as I'm concerned. Now I know I have a major peanut allergy and will NEVER even think about testing it out again. Hoping to feel better soon because OMG this is absolute bull$%#t!!!.

My surgery is scheduled for April 10! I both excited and nervous at the same time! Has anyone else experienced these feelings??

One more thing to note is that I was never a breakfast eater prior to WLS, but after WLS I wake up and I'm hungry within 30 minutes which has never been the case. Most night I eat a tiny dinner (thanks restriction) at 6 PM and that will be it until the next day. So due to the tiny portions I have to eat earlier (at 10 AM) otherwise I am famished. So I have a coffee at 8:30 and then a small breakfast at 10 and then eat every 2-3 hours otherwise I don't get in enough calories. You could say I am grazer after WLS? I never was a snacker nor a grazer, but hey the pounds are melting off? I think what matters the most isn't how often you eat but what your total caloric intake is at the end of the day. If you eat a 1000 calories in the form of 3 big meals or tiny snacks every 2 hours doesn't matter.

You're the absolute poster girl (WOMAN actually!) for gastric sleeve surgery. So many of us here have benefited from your wisdom and willingness to share your experience. Thank you for that, huge kudos to you for getting where you are, and I hope the next 5, 10 and 20 years are just as successful and fulfilling for you.

I waited 10 months and then just had some sparking water as part of a drink but not much fizz to it at all. No side effects but it was well diluted. My doctor told me while it is ok in limited circumstances after a minimum of three months they don't really recommend it ever but if someone is really desperate they could have just a couple of sips, such as toasting with a glass of champagne, but not to introduce it into a regular habit or else it could lead to allowing more bad habits, in general, not aimed at me (I think/hope!).

As others noted, liquids typically pass through the stomach within 10 to 20 minutes and don’t risk stretching it. The stomach is designed to stretch temporarily to accommodate food without permanent change. However, consistently overeating after surgery can lead to permanent stretching. Repeatedly pushing the stomach’s limits with large meals may increase its capacity over time.

Yeah, it was awful. At least I could keep water and chicken broth down. I'm been working slowly to building back up to more purees again, but I definitely didn't want to risk it last week. Otherwise, I'm doing okay. Been struggling with hitting my goals the last couple of days, which I assume is because I feel not great still. But I'm listening to my body. Eating and drinking until it feels like I can't and then pausing for a while. (Obviously, not eating and drinking together, but you know what I mean.) I go for my next post-op appointment on Wednesday. That will be my 1 month check-in. I can actually feel more weight loss in my legs and places around my stomach. I'm curious to see how much weight I do end up losing after all this. Like, I noticed my weight loss in how my clothes fit before my 10-day post-op. But I can actually feel it in places on my body when touching them now, so that's going to be interesting. We go on vacation 10/6 and we've already talked about my clothing situation. Even my bras need to be replaced at this point. But since I don't go anywhere except the doctors appointments right now, I'm going to make what I have currently work for the next couple of weeks. And then on our way down to our vacation spot on the 6th, we're going to stop by the outlet store and get me some new clothes and get properly fitted for the correct size bra. That way I have the most accurate fit for clothes for a couple of months. lol I still need to catch up on reading the forums. Hopefully I can get to that this weekend.

Oh no. Sorry it happened to you too. It's rough isn't it? I fly home tomorrow at last - but I have another conf coming up so will be home for all of 10 days before heading off again!

That is completely fine! So my bypass was around £12,100 and I pay it in monthly instalments for the next 60 months. So I paid a 5k deposit (you only need 10% minimum I believe for their finance), and my monthly payments are £150. I thought I couldn't afford it privately in the UK until I realised finance was an option, and it was affordable for me so I just went for it. I spent a while on the NHS waiting list and it was awful!

I hear you and went through the same and wasted money on clothes that I never got to wear or wear only a couple of times before they became to big for me. I have bought so many pairs of jeans over the last few months - gone from a 3XL to a 28" waist (so size 10 to 12 depending on brand) - it is crazy. These are the ones I got - https://www.marksandspencer.com/linen-rich-wide-leg-trousers/p/clp60636306?color=NAVY#intid=pid_pg1pip48g4r2c3 Next also have similar (I also have them) - https://www.next.co.uk/style/su051427/709159#709159

I know exactly what you mean by the stretchy clothing. I think the past couple years before my surgery, I was able to fool myself by only buying the stretchiest clothing. I stopped wearing jeans and bought lots of leggings, loose tunics, and flowing kimono-style wraps to wear over. They always fit, even if I went up 10 lbs. It was such a nice day when my jeans fit again, but it also drove it home to me how I had been kidding myself about not changing size in all that time.

I think it's always Good to talk about GRIEF and anger. Yesterday I was driving around Houston Texas running errands and the overwhelming grief took hold. If anyone has visited Texas you know our food is TOP tier so much seasoning so much flavor. I grieve not pulling in the drive thru after shopping. (Taco Bell, What-A-Burger, Shipleys Donuts)! I GRIEVE OUR ever so plentiful TACO TRUCKS at 2am where I would order 10 street tacos and a burrito with the red/green sauce I grieve boba TEA I grieve the comforts I grieve just being able to drink alot at one time. Who knew that a few sips of water could make you so full In noticing the griefs you become aware of how addicted you were to the food and the feeling. Sighs*

@Mandalynne Welcome! I'm due for surgery the day before you - It's feeling really real now. And the August surgeries have started here. Looks like you have some good prep work done! As long as you are getting your protein, you shouldn't lose very much muscle (what my Dr. told me, because I also do weight resistance) - you'll be burning fat. The headaches should go away soon, and energy will return. Mine were a bear to get over. My LSD is 3 Fairlife shakes, with one meal of broccoli and 4 oz. of chicken breast. After 10 days, I'd kill for a V8 or pudding, haha. Let us know how everything's going!

I have not although these days it's not that uncommon when someone has a re-gain (well, a somewhat major one, anyway - not 5 or 10 lbs. I do know of a couple of people who've had 40 or 50 lb re-gains who are using it, though). Obesity is a complex disease and it takes a multi-pronged approach to control it - and often for life. I see no problem with it as long as diabetics are able to get their meds, which as far as I know they ARE able to get it now.

At my heaviest, (320#) I had to have a ring that I never took off, cut from my finger by a jeweler. How embarrassing. Now that I'm nearing my goal weight, I'm still waiting to have it resized because whatever my body settles at in the end ( figuring in the 10-20 rebound pounds) could be a whole lot different than any number on the scale "I had planned." I just don't want to do it twice. I have plenty of other rings to wear in the meantime in all different sizes on all different fingers

So I have a work around! You will need: 1. vanilla protein shake 2. sugar free pumpkin spice syrup (Jordans skinny syrup as a yummy one) 3. sugar free pumpkin spice sauce (Jordans skinny syrup as a yummy one) 4. pumpkins pie spice Recipe: 1 vanilla pre-made protein shake (such as premier or fairlife) 10 pumps of sugar free pumpkin spice syrup mix them in a jar together and you can use it as a creamer. Then I take a pre-made protein shake (about 1-2 oz) and use my frothier to make the foam THEN I assemble. 2oz on the bottom of the glass jar, ice to top it off, sugar free pumpin spice sauce, add decaf cold brew, then add your foam and sprinkle some of your pumpkin pie spice. ITS DELICIOUS! I drink one almost every day and its 36cal!

not exactly the same thing, but in the same vein (sort of), which got me thinking just now... The Kid also has a 10 year passport that she got when she was 16 yrs old. which means she'll have the same picture until she is 26. I'm pretty sure she's going to look totally different by then, i mean, she already looks different now. i wonder if maybe official documents with photo identifications really SHOULDN'T have such lengthy validities. or maybe we should start using retinal scans, ha!

you are fine. Most people seem to lose somewhere in the 7 - 11 kg (or 15-25 lb) during the first MONTH, and you've lost 10 kg in six weeks, so you're absolutely in the normal range. I lost 16 lbs (7 kg) the first month, so I was probably exactly where you are at six weeks out. I went on to lose over 90 kg (200 lbs). (you will always find people who lose less or more than the range I stated, but they're either outliers, or they started out at MUCH higher BMI's than most of us have - such as the people on shows like "My 600 lb Life"). Your nurse and doctor are fools. I had a resident tell me the same thing when I was a few weeks out, and I wish that jerk could see me now!! I'm sure I lost much more weight than most, if not all, of the people who went through the program when I did! rule #1 with this is; don't compare yourself to others! Your rate of weight loss depends on so many things, only a couple of which you have much control over. Age, gender, metabolic rate, what percentage of your body weight is muscle, genetics, starting BMI, whether or not you lost a lot of weight before surgery, diet, and activity rate are all factors. How much you're eating and how active you are are really the only things you have control over. Do well with those, and the weight will come off, whether fast or slow. But don't forget - 10 kg is six weeks is completely normal. Just carry on and don't listen to foolish crap like this. EDITED to add: I lost weight for 20 lbs. Yes the first month tends to produce more loss than following months, but just like with regular diets, that's because some of it is water weight. One kg a week is pretty normal after the first month - but that'll gradually drop as you approach a normal BMI.

Hi all, I just can not believe that gas is soo much money and people just continure to go go go gog og og og og googgggggggggggggggggggooooooooooooooooooooooo never once slowing down.....I for one am riding my bike to pick up little things at the stores like Kmart, Walmart and Shopko...My husband works close to home, so he rides his motorcycle to work. I am going to ride my bike to the university this next semester when school starts back up. I am sick of having to cut back on other things so we can fill up the vehicles...we have a Pontiac Bonneville which gets between 19 and 30 MPG and an older 84 CHevy pickup that gets BAD mileage...use that to go camping with...I have to drive and hour away to go get fills and this is JUST going to affect me this next week...I am pissed that gas is almost $4.00 a gallon.. Just wanted to know what everyone else is doing to keep the gas budget under control...Deanna

i had my surgery in january 10, 2024 after catching covid and being hospitalized for a week the weight loss began i was impressed. i was 280 lbs by march. it just kept going down but then it stopped at 256 which it has been for a month now. what can i do to make it start going down again? what can i eat for lunch and dinner? what foods should i cut out? i already cut out rice and potatoes despite being told its safe to eat. all i got access to here is a pool, will swimming help?

Good Morning Everyone! So I have to tell my Father that I'm having the surgery on November 10th and I'm telling him tonight. I'm really nervous about it. He is the sweetest thing on Earth so I'm probably causing my own anxiety. The thing is my Aunt Susie (whom I'm named after) had a gastric bypass 46 years ago<<<yes you heard that right 46 years ago! In those days they reversed the operation after the patient lost their weight. My Aunt had the first operation with flying colours. The reversal was another story. After surgery while still in the hospital she got sepsis and eventually went into a coma and passed away. She was only 31 years old with two young children. It is a tragic, tragic story and I'm sorry for telling it however I don't want my Dad to be completely freaked out. I'm not at all freaked out. I have been on this journey since August 2019 and I have gone through all the medical and psychological testing required. I've done my research and the team that is taking care of me is from a "Bariatric Centre of Excellence". I'm not afraid. I'm excited. Besides that I'm pretty healthy. So any advice? What would you say? Would you even tell him? Suzanne

I'm with you on ALL of that. I was in a 28/30 and 5x in clothing and size 10 in rings and 11w in shoes. When I could even find anything in my size, it was expensive, ugly, and not in style at all. I hated it so much. Now, I'm in a size 12 and Large in clothing, size 5 ring, and size 10M in shoes. So much easier to find clothes in my size that are cute, fit better, look better, and priced WAY better. I can shop sales and clearance, I can go thrifting and know I'll find stuff, I can shop in ANY store and not be embarrassed or disappointed. Activity is so key. I couldn't move around without a cane before, and even then it was so hard. I was out of breath after the smallest tasks. Now I go on 10 and 12 mile hikes, I work out and do core/strength/weight training, and I can go horseback riding (just did that last weekend and it was AWESOME to be within the weight limits) or anything else I want to do. Sleeping is so much better now. I can sleep in any position, I don't snore anymore, and I don't wake up with headaches like I use to. I was told I needed a cpap but I didn't want one, and I suffered because of it. Don't need one now!! And of course, my health has drastically improved. No more high cholesterol, high blood pressure, inflammation meds for my joint pain, or diabetes. Instead of constantly being anemic, it stays low normal, which is huge for me. All my labs consistently come back perfect and normal. It's a whole new life now, and even though I went through SO MUCH to get here, I would do it all again in a heartbeat

“I'm curious if you have gotten a bodyfat test that shows increased muscle mass 9 months after surgery coupled with weightlifting?” Great question! I do an InBody assessment once a month. One month I gained 7/10 lb in muscle but then this last month I lost both muscle and fat Very interesting video by Dr V This is helpful. Thank you!