UXgrrl

Long-term NSAID therapy bring with it a host of stomach-related concerns, which can be ameliorated somewhat by concurrent use of a good PPI. I was self-medicating with way too much Alleve until my stomach started hurting, and then they moved me first to Disalcid (with prilosec) and then Mobic (with protonix). I wasn't allowed to take my NSAID until 4 weeks after surgery, and believe me I was effectively disabled until I could. If you are interested in trying a medication, this is something to discuss with your doctor, especially with the VSG aspect. Make sure you know what the warning signs are of a potential stomach reaction, as (I've heard) they can progress quickly once they start.

I was told in the hospital that once I hit 12 weeks and was on a normal diet, I should switch from Tums (which I'd been chomping since surgery) to some form of Calcium citrate. Apparently -- and this is a hot topic in the nutrition world so don't be surprised if you hear the opposite -- if you have reduced stomach acid, like if you're taking a PPI or have had VSG, the citrate is better absorbed than calcium carbonate, which is what Tums and most other (cheaper) forms of calcium. I started taking the Celebrate brand calcium chewable wafers and they are a struggle. They are huge and I don't much care for the flavor or texture, and I have to take them 3x a day. I bought a 90 day supply... what was I thinking? :doh:

I've been obsessed with shrimp cocktails lately. I've been buying the flash-frozen deveined shrimp from Trader Joes and taking 4 or 5 out at a time. Boil those a few minutes and then set them outside in a snowbank to chill for 20 minutes or so. Great with TJ's seafood sauce too. Tasty and fast! I think I burned out on chicken for awhile. That was my sole Protein source for several weeks and honestly there isn't a prep method that sounds appealling to me at the moment. Still love a good steak -- fortunately that doesn't bother me -- but maybe it's time to explore the seafood and fish arena. I've never been a big fish eater but lately salmon has been showing up more frequently.

Uh oh... please keep us posted... crossing my fingers for you!

Ibuprofin and other NSAIDs are allowable after VSG surgery. It's the main reason why I was approved for the procedure by my insurance; I have early onset osteoarthritis and take Mobic for joint pain. They gave it to me in the hospital but didn't want me taking it once I got home. This confused me, so when I talked to the PA at my first follow up appointment, she told me they only do that because you're under supervision anyway, so if something were to happen they could deal with it. Also, a couple of days of taking it wouldn't have a big negative impact, and it would help with my pain level. They gave me the go ahead to resume taking it at 4 weeks. I noticed a big decrease in my overall pain once I was able to start again -- there was no way I could go back to work until that point. The way the surgeon put it, once you hit 6 weeks, your stomach is pretty much healed. Definitely check with your surgeon. I've been on long-term NSAID treatment so my primary doc and other members of my regular care team know what to watch for. Someone who is taking OTC NSAIDs may not have the same supervision.

Maybe you've been consuming more sodium lately?

I also developed very early... I was a C cup by the time I got to high school. I've had back and shoulder problems my whole life. I've also been overweight my whole life, and the doctors always told me I had to get within X lbs of my ideal weight before insurance would approve a breast reduction. At the time that made me really angry but having lost a good chunk of weight I can now understand why. At the time of surgery I was a 42H. I'm still wearing my old bra but it really isn't doing much for me -- I'm procrastinating going bra shopping -- and they have definitely started sagging. In fact, I was looking at my pre-surgery and 7 week photos side by side and I thought to myself, "oh shoot, I didn't wear a bra the second time." I was careful to wear the same clothes and stand in the same position, etc. Then I looked at the same photos of myself undressed and realized that I didn't have bra marks on my shoulders. I wasn't wearing a bra either time! My upper stomach has shrunk to the point where my breasts are at least three inches lower than they used to be, and I still have a ways to go. I read on this board that when you have WLS, you might start with a 42DD but you end up with a 36 extra-long. I think I won't have trouble qualifying for a breast reduction this time around :biggrin5:

I've been eyeing shapewear for awhile now but hesitated buying anything because I found them so uncomfortable. After reading this thread I started doing some research and decided that part of my problem was that I was trying to wear the "high waist brief" style and it was forever rolling down in the back. The back fat and the upper stomach are the two main points I wanted to cover. After debating about installing hook-and-eye closures to connect the top of the brief to the bottom of my bra band, I discovered the "torsette" which I swear was a *^$ing revelation to me. I spotted the Sweet Nothings Wear Your Own Bra torsette at the local Wal-Mart for about $20 and figured it was worth a try. I didn't even know what size to get. To my shock, it fit perfectly! and it worked! I was able to wear a pair of pants that were just a tad too tight to be comfortable and a shirt which was much more fitted then I was used to, and I got compliments all day long. It made me feel secure and confident, and it stayed in place all day. It was was only a minor inconvenience in the bathroom. Certainly $20 well spent and now I know what style to get when I invest in my next one. I've never been a fan of shapewear and always thought they were sort of self-inflicted torture (sort of like pantyhose) but I admit I can see the benefits now. As I lose more weight, I'm discovering that in order to fit into clothes that are properly sized I'm needing a little "assistance" in some areas.

I've been shaving in the shower for years and years too, I think since high school. I'm naturally hairy everywhere (at least it's blonde). Long ago I saw some kind of daytime talk show that some some big time model (name escapes me) who said, point blank, that she's been shaving her face for years and lots of models do it, and she didn't look at all apologetic about it. That's the point at which I said enough is enough. I have very dry, senstive skin and waxes, creams, etc. cause all sorts of problems, so I've been using the Shick Intuition razor ever since it came out. They are pricey, but you don't have to buy a separate shave cream so I figure it evens out. I do use the same razor for my legs but I don't shave them all that often, mostly because A) I'm lazy and it's winter, and it really dulls the razor quickly. I don't use a mirror in the shower because I can just do it by touch, but it would probably be handy. I do get razor burn consistently on one side of my neck. I don't know why, it could be part of the sensitive skin thing. Dabbing a little antibacterial ointment on it makes the red bumps go away overnight (I usually shower in the evening).

First of all, Congratulations on the 120 lb loss! That's absolutely amazing! You must have already noticed a big difference with being over halfway to your goal. With regards to your stall, you sound like you're doing everything right, so I guess the next thing is to check with your nutritionist or a dietician and see what s/he has to say. Have you gotten your body fat % checked? Is that going down? Any other non-scale measurements changing? Maybe your body is at a resting point for the time being. I don't know about other people, but I'm finding as I go down, my body wants to "stick" at points that I've spent a lot of time at in the past. Maybe this is something you really just have to wait out. I know other people have written about stalling for months and months at a time. Please don't take offense, but Is revising the sleeve to another kind of WLS an option for you or something you'd be willing to consider? Maybe you need a little bit more help to get through the second half of your WLS journey.

BigToeVSG is correct about the Protein... also, take another look at your Vitamin intake. Are you getting enough? I know that when I was on prenatal Vitamins both times I had my kids, my nails grew like crazy. Some of that could be pregnancy hormones but my kids' nails also grow like crazy, and they take special chewable children's vitamins with Omega-3, Probiotics, etc etc. My nails also have been growing a little more postop but I tend to bite them off. Bad habit.

I was having a problem with fatigue and general achiness so I decided to go back to my vit D drops. I hadn't been taking it since surgery since I was on so much other stuff, and I didn't want to give myself an overdose... Then the other day I was looking at my old blood tests and realized that my D has been chronically low for awhile, even when I was taking my normal Multivitamin preop, so I decided it couldn't hurt. I've been adding 4 or 5 1,000 IU drops to my shake each morning for a week and I've been noticing my energy & general well-being has improved noticably. I also finally kicked the chest crud that was hanging around since surgery.

I can relate because I'm struggling with the same issue. I'm just not seeing it yet either. The weight that I'm at now doesn't feel like a big deal because I've been there before in recent memory. I've lost big chunks of weight in the past, it's the keeping it off that's always been the problem. Part of me is sort of waiting for the other shoe to drop and for this whole process to quit working, like it's always done before. I think once I get into "onderland" I will finally believe that it's really true. I've heard from others on this board that it can take quite awhile for your mental self-image to catch up with what other people see, or even what you see in the mirror.

YES, I hadn't had a normal period in 3 years before surgery. Then BOOM right away I get a flow from hell, and then another one 3 weeks later. I visited the tampon asle at the store for the first time in years and discovered they made "ultra" absorbancy tampons now (one step above "super plus"). Let me tell you, they may seem like a good idea at first, but they swell up to the size of a baseball which makes getting them back out kind of tough. Ahem... sorry, TMI. :biggrin2: ETA: I think the period that came right after surgery was heavy because of the blood thinners I was on... I had the same thing happen after I had hip surgery before... but that doesn't explain Auntie Flo #2....

Duh! I knew I was tripping up with the numbers somewhere. I've never claimed to be good at math! This has been a fascinating discussion, especially Circa's point.... ...which actually makes a lot of sense to me. Thanks for contributing everyone!