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Hello everyone!

I want to be completely honest and say it's now quite yet two months, March 13th 2015 will be the two month anniversary! For those who are thinking or about to get the surgery, I'll answer questions. For those who have had the surgery, I hope my post inspires you to work smarter not harder! After all, eating right and exercising is a lot easier than waiting for the weight to drop!

Let me start off by saying, there will be days that it absolutely sucks. You'll wake up in the morning and not feel hungry. You'll end up going the whole day without eating or drinking without a constant reminder. This isn't healthy! So make sure you add post-its, or something.

I had my surgery January 13, 2015 at a little past 9 in the morning. First person to be on the table! When I came to, I jolted. The nurses had been talking to me and I fell asleep on them, so my body jump started. Now, at this point, I recommend you relax. When I was wiggling around, trying to find the nurses who were in surgery with me, I got extreme heartburn. It was my body's way of saying, "Stop! I hurt!" I ended up being put under from pain medication~ Not exactly under, I could hear and respond. My eyes just didn't want to open the first day. That was until the bathroom break came a long! It took over 45 minutes just to tinkle and since I moved (standing up, sitting down, etc) it caused motion sickness. So dry heaving isn't fun! Trust me.

When they began to introduce liquids to me while in the hospital, I only could manage a tablespoon of popsicle juice three times a day. The rest of my fluids came from the IV - so naturally my body couldn't take anything else. At this point, it'll suck more! You'll be asked to walk around, or at least my night nurse asked me. We'd walk around the nurses station! Instead of letting me suffer in silence, she looked around my room and saw that I liked comics. She kept me entertained by asking me about the new Avengers movie that was coming out, what I was doing this summer, etc. So, a good conversation with someone other than family is nice! Your nurses are there for you and it doesn't hurt to strike up a conversation.

Liquids were easy at first, I got in one shake a day (my mother upped my Protein in the shakes to about 30g) with 4 glasses of tall Water. It wasn't until the soft foods came into play (which has been just recently) that I started having eating issues. I've read that some women develop eating disorders after surgery, which I've been talking to my doctor about. I cannot stand the sight, smell, or taste of anything cooked or that has touched something with oil.

Fast food is automatically out of the question, its hard! I took a bite of McDonalds bacon from my little sister's plate. Ended up throwing up from a nibble. So my doctor suggested going to less fattening alternatives. So I eat mostly fruits, about: A Fuji apple, 2 strawberries, about 10 rasberries&Blueberries&Blackberries, a plum, and a small cube (from the cube cheese bag) of cheese a day. Then you add about a 16 oz glass of water, 4 oz of apple juice, and about 2 oz of unsweetened tea.

It's hard to eat or drink without feeling sick to my stomach. This might seem negative, but it helps put into light of what I use to eat and drink in a day. I'm eating healthier, although not as much as my doctor would like (he ended up giving me more Vitamins and weekly checkups with a vegetarian/vegan food counselor), however I'm proud of my process. I've dropped so much weight that my clothes are baggy. Clothes that were tight in areas~ I might be more tired due to my diet, but when I'm at the gym, I feel alive. I'm not sluggish, I feel great.

This surgery isn't for everyone. It sucks on most days, but for the years to come its worth it.

Now some advice for my younger ladies (I'm turning 21 soon) or women who are still having their period. This is going to suck the most. You'll bleed longer, or more, etc. It'll change your cycle completely. Just remember to take your vitamins and possibly some advil for your new found cramps.

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I am also turning 21 soon . Just started the process. Meet with the psychologist on the 20th . So glad to have found someone my age !

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Hi I'm 51 and two weeks ago had a rny bypass. Things have been going well. Very different but very freeing in many ways too. I feel like I'm in control of the food and the food is not controlling me. Kinda weird but good. I was very apprehensive about having the surgery but that was good as long as you do what you need to do. Move, take pain meds appropriately, use incentive spirometer to make sure your lungs keep healthy. Move, walk, walk, walk.

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    • Theweightisover2024🙌💪

      Question for anyone, how did you get your mind right before surgery? Like as far as eating better foods and just doing better in general? I'm having a really hard time with this. Any help is appreciated 🙏❤️
      · 2 replies
      1. NickelChip

        I had about 6 months between deciding to do surgery and getting scheduled. I came across the book The Pound of Cure by Dr. Matthew Weiner, a bariatric surgeon in Arizona, and started to implement some of the changes he recommended (and lost 13 lbs in the process without ever feeling deprived). The book is very simple, and the focus is on whole, plant based foods, but within reason. It's not an all or nothing approach, or going vegan or something, but focuses on improvement and aiming for getting it right 80-90% of the time. His suggestions are divided into 12 sections that you can tackle over time, perhaps one per month for a year if a person is just trying to improve nutrition and build good habits. They range from things like cutting out artificial sweetener or eating more beans to eating a pound of vegetables per day. I found it really effective pre-surgery and it's an eating style I will be working to get back to as I am further out from surgery and have more capacity. Small changes you can sustain will do the most for building good habits for life.

      2. Theweightisover2024🙌💪

        That sounds awesome. I'll have to check that out thanks!

    • BeanitoDiego

      I've hit a stall 9 months out. I'm not worried, though. My fitness levels continue to improve and I have nearly accomplished my pre-surgery goal of learning to scuba dive! One dive left to complete to get my PADI card 🐠
      I was able to go for a 10K/6mile hike in the mountains two days ago just for the fun of it. In the before days, I might have attempted this, but it would have taken me 7 or 8 hours to complete and I would have been exhausted and in pain for the next two days. Taking my time with breaks for snacks and water, I was finished with my wee jaunt in only 4 hours 😎 and really got to enjoy photographing some insects, fungi, and turtles.
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      Hi everyone, I wrote back in May about having no strength. I still get totally exhausted just walking from room to room, it’s so bad I’m using a walker with wheels of all things. I had the gastric sleeve Jan. 24th. I’m doing exactly what the programs says, except protein shakes. I have different meats and protein bars daily, including vitamins daily. I do drink my fluids as well.  I go in for IV hydration 4 days a week and feel ok just til evening.  So far as of Jan 1st I’ve dropped 76 lbs. I just want to enjoy the weight lose. Any suggestions or has anyone else gone thru this??  Doctor says just increase calorie intake, still the same. 
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