April 2013 Post-Op Group

[Krystal7k 243]

I think im slowly dieing ever burp or fart it smells like a bunch of rotten flesh

[Dorian 683]

I think im slowly dieing ever burp or fart it smells like a bunch of rotten flesh

You NEED to stand up for yourself and MAKE someone listen. You know your body and if you say there is something not right, it's not right!! Be strong girl and don't take no for an answer. Get some help! Hugs!

[ajustice 484]

Is there a patient advocate at the facility? I can only recommend you ask to speak to the patient advocate. A second opinion is definitely warranted but any physician who is unwilling to help care for you and your pain issues is warranting some outside help. Prayers for you!!!

[ajustice 484]

Dearest Krystal, i am so much thinking of you! I wish I could make it better! But it is a horrible thing to feel physically horrible! You poor darling! I am sending you love vibes across the ocean, and that they can fix what is not right soon, so that you can start living your life like you planned when you took the first step on this journey. Please come and rant anytime, we aprilsisters are here for each other. For the rest of ya'll, i copy here something i jsu wrote in a new post about mental health. That has been a big issue and obstacle on my journey so far. Would like to hear what your thoughts are on this. Here goes: - Since my op - it was as if an ocean was opened and it flooded all over me. Mental issues!!! So much stuff! And to try and cope with it. But this horrible depression ans terrible anxiety, i dont even know what to say. It's like layers of myself just fall away more and more and i dont know perhaps i am afraid there will be nothing left of me! Weird feelings and thoughts going around and around and actually i just want to know - am I the only one? Is there anyone else reading this that feels like they are trying to swim upstream really hard, but just want to let the Water take you down the river? It's like an open wound. It's weird. Just saw my psychiatrist today, he amended my meds so that i take 150g of Sertraline (Zoloft) now daily. Also one Rivotril. Anyone else on these meds? I used to be Sertraline 100g plus wellbutrin XL. But i dont think it did much. Felt the same as before wellbutrin was added. I read up on it and the literature states clearly gastric bypass patients should not take extended release meds. I dont think much was absorbed. So now we are trying the sertraline at a higher dose. I struggle with depression and anxiety. Personally I feel I suffer from borderline personality disorder. But my psychologist insists not to "diagnose" yet - as she says this is me in crisis and symptoms mask stuff and this and that whatever - basically too soon to tell. She says though if she had to take a guess, it's probably bipolar disorder. But i dont know about that. I dint think i am bipolar. I know bipolar people, and i dunno, me going off my handle is much different from them going off their handle. Anyway, just wanted to share this with you and hear your thoughts on the subject. Also, is anyone out there also using sertraline, how much, and how do you find its effectiveness? Thanks dear friends!

Hope the upped dosage helps. Definitely the seeing a psychiatrist is a good thing and I hope they can find the right treatment. I take Celexa 40mg. It's been enough until now. I thought I handled the miscarriage of the twins pretty well but it's the cross country move that's taking it's toll of me. Good luck!!

[Dorian 683]

Dearest Krystal, i am so much thinking of you! I wish I could make it better! But it is a horrible thing to feel physically horrible!

You poor darling! I am sending you love vibes across the ocean, and that they can fix what is not right soon, so that you can start living your life like you planned when you took the first step on this journey.

Please come and rant anytime, we aprilsisters are here for each other.

For the rest of ya'll, i copy here something i jsu wrote in a new post about mental health. That has been a big issue and obstacle on my journey so far. Would like to hear what your thoughts are on this.

Here goes: -

Since my op - it was as if an ocean was opened and it flooded all over me. Mental issues!!!

So much stuff!

And to try and cope with it. But this horrible depression ans terrible anxiety, i dont even know what to say. It's like layers of myself just fall away more and more and i dont know perhaps i am afraid there will be nothing left of me!

Weird feelings and thoughts going around and around and actually i just want to know - am I the only one?

Is there anyone else reading this that feels like they are trying to swim upstream really hard, but just want to let the Water take you down the river?

It's like an open wound.

It's weird.

Just saw my psychiatrist today, he amended my meds so that i take 150g of Sertraline (Zoloft) now daily. Also one Rivotril.

Anyone else on these meds?

I used to be Sertraline 100g plus wellbutrin XL. But i dont think it did much. Felt the same as before wellbutrin was added. I read up on it and the literature states clearly gastric bypass patients should not take extended release meds. I dont think much was absorbed.

So now we are trying the sertraline at a higher dose. I struggle with depression and anxiety. Personally I feel I suffer from borderline personality disorder.

But my psychologist insists not to "diagnose" yet - as she says this is me in crisis and symptoms mask stuff and this and that whatever - basically too soon to tell. She says though if she had to take a guess, it's probably bipolar disorder.

But i dont know about that. I dint think i am bipolar. I know bipolar people, and i dunno, me going off my handle is much different from them going off their handle.

Anyway, just wanted to share this with you and hear your thoughts on the subject. Also, is anyone out there also using sertraline, how much, and how do you find its effectiveness?

Thanks dear friends!

I found this little article about depression after gastric bypass.

dy Image - Emotional Loss - Depression

Patients may experience psychological turmoil the first year after surgery.

Rapid weight loss may cause body image distortion, in which patients have a hard time adjusting to their new body image and develop anxiety or depression. They may say, “I look at the mirror and I don’t recognize the person I see” or "I feel fat” even though they have lost a great deal of weight. Body image distortion can be very stressful and cause anxiety and depression.

About 1% of patients find that they are depressed after surgery, even though they have good weight loss and have not suffered any complications. Some patients develop depression because they can’t use food to satisfy their psychological needs any more. These feelings are generally felt within the first 4 to 8 weeks after surgery. Patients are not always aware how important food was to them. It may have been the only bright part of their day.

Surgical weight loss may affect personal relationships for the better or worse. Single patients have found new partners and started families, but some married patients have divorced. Because of these dramatic changes, we think that postoperative psychological support is very important.

[Krystal7k 243]

He says he cant help me anymore

[ajustice 484]

He says he cant help me anymore

So sorry girl not to mention that's crappy on his part. Seek a new dr for a second opinion. His answer isn't a good enough reason I would want to know why!! Good luck!!!

[Dorian 683]

He says he cant help me anymore

Find someone else my friend! There are many doctors you can go to! Don't give up please!

[Krystal7k 243]

Find someone else my friend! There are many doctors you can go to! Don't give up please!

Im not giving up im on a search he used to be a plastic surgeon I dont think he knows how to deal with complications I will keep you posted

[SKNYMEBY47 24]

I wonder why it is so many of us suffer with depression. I am on meds too but was before the wls surgery. I am on effexor 75 mg 2 times a day. I sometimes think I need something else too. One would think that this wonderful body changes we have would make us so happy and outgoing and take care of all our problems. There has got to be more chemically that happens that we aren't aware of. I'm gonna research some of this. Meanwhile hang in there my friend. Us April peeps need you!! Love and Hugs! ♥

It's funny you say that because I've been on Effexor for years but I was originally put on it for fibromyalgia, not actually depression, but once on it you can never come off it which I learned the hard way after surgery. I ended up stopping all meds on my own and within a month or so it started to show, my attitude, depression, mental state, everything went haywire and so my doctor said of course I should never have stopped it on my own, so I explained I didn't feel the old ones were working anyway (I use to take 35mg 1x per day), so she upped my dose to the 75mg ER 1x pr day. I presume it is working because I don't feel as out of control as I was but as you all have mentioned there are still moments, usually when I think about my lack of progress at the moment because of scheduling constraints that I'm not where I should weight wise or could be weight wise, and I get so angry, upset and depressed even though I've lost 110 lbs which is a huge accomplishment for me because I started at 375 lbs (that's almost 400 lbs) so I do feel good ANC proud of what I've already lost but I too feel like I am slipping into some old bad eating habits I still don't eat nearly as must as I did before surgery but at the same time I'm thinking sometimes it's more than I believe I should be after surgery and I have they really bad cravings like graham crackers I can't stop eating those stupid things. I seriously don't know what to do with myself sometimes, I find myself watching that show "my 600 lbs life" just to remind myself these are the things your not suppose to be doing or see if these people can lose all that weight you have no excuse... The whole process gives me a headache some times.

[SKNYMEBY47 24]

Im not giving up im on a search he used to be a plastic surgeon I dont think he knows how to deal with complications I will keep you posted

I agree with the others Krystal, you have got to find yourself a new doctor, someone more qualified to handle by-pass surgery patients. Do you live in a rural area, I can see how that might make it harder for you to find someone but even if you have to go further away, now that your surgery part is over you might be able stretch out your appointments as long as you can find someone who knows how to properly take care of you.

[Dorian 683]

Happy Sunday all. Went out last night to Celebrate parents 40th Anniversary. Took lots of family pictures so I thought I'd show the difference. I'm so used to being the biggest sister but now I feel normal. And it feels good! I'm the one on the left in both pictures!

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[Dorian 683]

Happy Sunday all. Went out last night to Celebrate parents 40th Anniversary. Took lots of family pictures so I thought I'd show the difference. I'm so used to being the biggest sister but now I feel normal. And it feels good! I'm the one on the left in both pictures!

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[deaddemmama 474]

Happy Sunday all. Went out last night to Celebrate parents 40th Anniversary. Took lots of family pictures so I thought I'd show the difference. I'm so used to being the biggest sister but now I feel normal. And it feels good! I'm the one on the left in both pictures!

Great pics, Dori! Are you as tired if this winter as I am?

[terry1118 1,274]

Happy Sunday all. Went out last night to Celebrate parents 40th Anniversary. Took lots of family pictures so I thought I'd show the difference. I'm so used to being the biggest sister but now I feel normal. And it feels good! I'm the one on the left in both pictures!

You look great! And happy! :-)