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Hi! Just a little update 4 weeks after my RNY. I'm 43, have lupus and gained a lot of weight after 3 years of steroids. The extra weight adds more complications to my disease and I have really struggled to lose it on my own. I was 309 before surgery, 295 day of and currently at 278. I'm 5'8" and have always been a bigger woman with my lowest weight at 215. But at that weight I was very active, fit and healthy... until I got sick. This has not been an easy process for me and I was really losing my mind at the 3 week mark. But after week 4, I'm finally feeling a little more energy and a little more human. Some things I didn't really expect: I've become lactose intolerant. I sometimes get sick (nausea and crampy) after just sipping water. And I use the restroom much more frequently than I did before, which makes me a little nervous to socialize and even more nervous to travel. I hope this gets better! Other than that, I'm learning that slow progress is still progress! And I've already discontinued 2 of my lupus related meds, so I know I made the right choice! If anyone is having a hard time, I hope this helps.. it WILL get better!

I did a couple food funerals too. In retrospect it was kinda silly (just more weight to lose in the long run) because I am able to eat absolutely anything I could pre surgery (smaller portions of course). Some people have one or two things they do not tolerate the same post surgery but I have yet to see anyone say they feel like they are missing out on those foods. It’s like if they make you feel sick you no longer crave them i guess. Of course It won’t totally derail you or anything to have a last supper or the such but there is really no reason to overdo it either.

While constipation is more common, some suffer more with diarrhoea. It could be from excess acid in your now smaller & still healing tummy. (I get it because I don’t have a gall to regulate the acid entering my tummy - too much acid & a get an attack.) Plus you’ve changed how your digestive system works & your body may need more time to get used to it. The liquid & then runny purée diet doesn’t help either for some. Have you tried Imodium? It was on my list of meds to have on hand post surgery if needed. They may give you a little more confidence if socialising, travelling, going to work, etc. But it is certainly worth a chat with your surgeon.

i don't understand why your surgeon didn't push you towards bypass instead of sleeve if they thought your PCOS would create problems down the road. I am so sorry you are going through with it, and even more sorry our health care system sucks especially after what happened this past summer... unfortunately its going to be harder now for you to get a hysterectomy. There was a list circulating on google, of all the doctors in the US willing to do hysterectomys without hoops, they would just submit to your insurance for approval and I will pray for you that the PCOS issues is enough or that they will atleast put you on something to put you into early menopause to keep it at bay

So excited[emoji16] about finally getting my surgery date today!! I'm scheduled to have the Gastric Sleeve Surgery on 11/28/22 . I'm so ready to start losing weight and enjoying my journey while doing so. The Scale only goes down [emoji116] from here !!! 250 here I come !! Sent from my SM-S134DL using BariatricPal mobile app

I had the foamies in the first few months. Once and a lifetime now if I don't chew enough. I bought a GUM dual action tongue cleaner and when I feel like I have to get rid of the extra saliva/foam (chest pressure build up), I rub it 2 or 3 times towards the back of my tongue, promotes a gag reflex, and the fluid expels. It never makes me throw up, it is always just the extra mucus that causes build up pain. I forget where I read that hint but it had helped me.

I'm almost 3 years out and I still can't vomit. I've never had the foamies people talk about either. I've WANTED to vomit, but haven't been able to. Overate a few times and felt so nauseous that I tried to make myself vomit... and couldn't. I gag and that's it. It's reason number 1 as to why I watch how much and how quickly I eat very, very, very closely because if I overeat I feel nauseous for HOURS and nothing helps. So I think it's really person to person on what'll happen over time. One day you may actually be able to vomit. I'm wondering if that day will ever come for me... (is it weird that I'd be happy to actually be able to vomit?)

My philosophy is that you don't pick a goal weight -- your goal weight picks you. That probably sounds silly, and it's sort of an exaggeration, but when you're talking about the massive weight loss one gets from weight loss surgery, it's not necessarily practical to target a specific number on the scale. I didn't really have a "goal weight" -- nor did my surgeon -- until I went to my psychological evaluation and the psychiatrist asked me. Even that, I think, was mainly about checking to make sure I had realistic expectations. The number I gave was based on the average/typical weight loss for gastric bypass patients. I think I went with 180 pounds, but I actually ended up around 140. To me, the number on the scale is pretty meaningless. And I say that as someone with an analytical mind, who loves numbers and spreadsheets and graphs. The non-scale victories are far, far more important to your quality of life. First, and foremost are the health goals -- things like getting off of medications, having a healthy blood pressure and blood glucose, etc. Then there are the physical benefits like being able to walk a mile without sweating or a few flights of stairs without getting winded, and not having constant pain in your feet and knees. And of course the social benefits of literally fitting into the world -- flying without a seatbelt extension, sitting in a booth at a restaurant, not having to worry about weight limits on furniture. Finally, being more confident and satisfied with your body/appearance, having more clothing options, and being more accepted by people and society in general (which is really sad, but true). I think if you are fixated on a specific number on the scale, you can lose sight of those important non-scale victories. I'm not saying you shouldn't track your weight (I weigh myself probably more than I should, multiple times per day) or that the scale isn't important to your progress, but you don't know what the number will be when you hit the point that you have lost enough weight to improve your life. That's especially true when you start out at a high weight, because your body will not be the same at 220 pounds (after losing 200+ pounds) as someone who has never been higher than 220 pounds, because your body will have more skin and bigger bones even with the same amount of fat and muscle.

Nutritional yeast (adds an aged cheese flavor) chia seed pudding (make with a protein shake to add protein) Ground flax seed (use in oatmeal or make flax crackers ) hemp seeds (also a good source of protein) psyllium husk powder (what benefiber is made from) can be mixed into muffins, pancakes, or crackers. A little goes a long way! Cocoa powder

Wow, Kim. You are doing a phenomenal job during pre-op. You are an inspiration. I love seeing your posts and responses on this forum. I love your general outlook and your drive.