iggychic

I've been posting on this forum for some time my dear...I am not looking for a fight, but I also won't stand for someone dissing someone who is suffering. Complications to this surgery are many and they are scary. Your comments were offensive. If you didn't mean that, try an "I'm sorry" to the OP as you obviously went far afield of the original intent of this thread.

Why on earth would you ask such a silly question? Ask yourself...what value does anyone have of "scaring someone from having the surgery?" There is literally none in doing so. So instead you are poking a very sick person in the side with a stick. Nice! I have been through much worse that this poster is going through and let me assure you, the symptoms and side effects they are describing are very accurate and undoubtedly real. You can't make this chit up. Obviously you are perfect and will not have any of this happen to you, but take your mean comments and share them with your family and friends...don't kick a stranger while they are down. It's cruel and unnecessary, and very troll like behavior.

Actually I'd disagree with you and say read them, every one of them, so you are prepared. I did not read them because I was low BMI, no comorbidities, no risk factors to worry about and was given the impression that this was going to be relatively easy for me in comparison to someone who had higher risks. Then I nearly died due to this surgery. Sugar coating this surgery and only reading the rose colored stories is a mistake. You want to know what to look for, what to be concerned about and in many cases, what to avoid so that you aren't posting your own complication story in the future. Is it scary, hell ya! But having a garden hose shoved down my chest without anestesia is a chit load much scarier. Or how would you feel about half a million dollars in complication costs attached to your name? You want to avoid that type of thing at all costs! Read and learn.

Thanks all How did I break the stall?? I read a lot here heh heh I had been sticking really close or below 600 cals a day. I don't watch carbs but I keep to healthy ones. I haven't changed that, but what I was having trouble doing was staying up at 60g Protein (I was averaging between 40 and 55) so I started doing a Protein Drink once a day which always puts me up over 60 easily (with other foods). In addition, I've been bad about my fluids and have been really concentrating on them. And...I upped my calories to around 700ish to 800. I have added whole wheat carbs (spaghetti carbonara is a favorite, home made) a little bit, but aside from not eating crap I didn't change food much except to not worry about the 600 number. So was it a natural stall? I've never had one since the Aug 23rd surgery (though I did gain 40lbs in hospital) so perhaps it was my changes, or perhaps it was just my body finally saying "what the hell????" I don't know but I'll take it LOL I had actually gained a pound and a half during the stall (which I didn't record since it fluctuated) so this week I lost two and a half pounds between Monday and today, which is back onto my early half pound a day track. I'm not going to count on it, but secretly I hope I'll be going back to a couple of pounds a week again I was already in "onederland" so this was kind of my big "onederland" move. To never see the word obese again...it's kind of heaven LOL Now 26.5 and I can say I'm officially "normal" (something absolutely NO ONE who knows me would agree with mind you).

You are sure there is no leak causing the spasms? Really watch your breathing carefully. My spasms (caused by a leak) caused my plural sac to fill with Fluid, crushing my lungs. I totally get what it's like to feel like crap four weeks out! I'm sorry you are in this boat. I still regret the surgery, despite the weight loss. The pain and suffering wasn't worth it to me. I hope you won't experience that level of difficulty, but I just wanted to share that I "get" where you are coming from. Totally! Take care please, and be careful!

Seamstress pays so little LOL And what would you be??? Seamster? heh heh I have about 30 quilts down in my sewing room that need to be finished (I'm a fabulous starter!) so if your pile gets low, please let me know and I'll be happy to sneak a couple on top! I was just talking to someone about sewing. I now have the sewing room of my dream, and when I was postpartum I didn't get depressed...I got expensive (bought three very very high quality machines in one day once) so now that room just sits there...I keep adding fabric but haven't made anything in seven years and I refuse to mend clothing because then DH and DS would expect it LOL I hope your new addiction includes a quality machine. It's so much more fun to sew with good tools!

I wish you the best! I hate to hear of anyone suffering from complications, especially as bad as yours have been.

Doxie would make an ugly furry little shark she's so much sweeter as a dog Hot Tamales....those evil little red morsels of.....I can't even think of a word, but ummm shhhhh don't tell, they're yummy LOL and thank god I have no desire since surgery! heh heh

I'm sorry, but as a mother, if you have a relationship with your mother, it's not fair not to tell her. No you don't have to tell her six months in advance...that's great, but to not tell her until on the way to the hospital, or afterwards, or even worse, if your BF tells her when you've died....as a mom, I would find that cruel and so sad. Mom's want to hug you goodbye if there is a chance. They deserve that hug if they are good mom's.

There is a huge difference between domino's (or the like) pizza, even thin crust, and a really good quality pizza. IMO if I'm going to eat something like pizza, it's going to be a whole wheat crust from a wood fired grill (thin crust because it's easier on your stomach). There are some things I am comfortable never eating again...like hot tamales but real food? My change is to make that "real food" healthy real food verses faster food which is loaded with sugar and fat. The cheese quality between a chain joint and a real pizza is amazing. As is the sauce. Cheap sauces are made with sugar and more than you think, and gad the cheese...you have to blot the dang piece with a paper towel to get rid of the obvious grease...who wants to eat that???? I have had the toppings on good pizza since having the second surgery (that was at about 3 weeks out), but I skipped the crust. I am just now getting to a point where whole wheat Pasta goes down well, though it fills me up quickly. My second doc said to stay away from bread for three months, so that's what I'm doing. After having had a leak I don't want to risk damaging my tummy for a silly thick crust pizza! I'd consider trying the toppings next month at the party, but that's it. You are still too early for real bread (or anything risen with yeast basically).

Sorry to burst your Protein bubble! I learned the hard way too LOL But given you're having such trouble I'd rather burst it than see you think they are any help. You know, on the protein thing...I struggle! One thing I did early out was to have half a Protein Drink (like 8oz or whatever half is in one you are using) and mix it into half zero fat milk. So its basically 50/50 milk and protein drink. That thins it out quite a bit and makes it easier to digest...or even get down! The other thing I did was to use zero fat milk with oveltine in it. It's so much thinner than a protein drink so it goes down much easier and you can drink it warm or cold. It's not as much protein as a drink, but when you just can't get those down it's still a good amount and every gram counts! When I was early out I set tiny goals. So the first week might be just to get to 20g's (per day) by friday. Then the next week to 30 by friday, etc. While that's horrifically low protein, it's better than nothing and it helps (IMO) to not to have to try to get all the way up to 60 in one day, which for me was basically not possible, and it sounds like you're the same there!

Are you taking a PPO? It sounds like you need one.

From your nutritionist likely, or you can just follow the USDA guidelines for a healthy diet. Weight regain is most likely at two years out. Some do regain significant weight but most only gain a small amount of their previous excess.

You know, I never...ok really rarely get the burps (thank god) but I'm also told by my doc that this is a sign you might have eaten too much. How much are you eating at a sitting? That might be part of the problem. The restriction we hate early on is the restriction we paid for to lose the weight though sometimes it sucks to get what you paid for...but try to think of it as a good thing!

Internal bleeding can also happen because your vessels don't close off enough (or fast enough) after they make the cut to remove your stomach (just an FYI moment for those who asked). I had it as well. Lux I had major complications, including internal bleeding which caused a large ball of blood to spend a couple of months in my abdomen after the surgery (I only needed two transfusions...your really went through the wringer). At four weeks out I was a week away from a long hospital stay because the spasms the bleeding caused probably caused my leak. You are sure there is no leak right???? I understand the lack of ability to take Protein or fluids, and went through it myself. The weakness is hard to describe to anyone who hasn't suffered as you have. I couldn't walk down the hallway without passing out myself so again, I feel for you! I took it one day at a time, and did in the end fire my original doc and move onto another one because he wasn't listening to me. Are you feeling that you are getting proper care??? Don't hesitate to "move on" if you need to. You probably don't want it...but a JG tube might be an option for feeding if you just can't get it in on your own. I personally rejected mine, but many people find them successful and you can't go much longer without proper nutrition. A week on it might be enough to get you strong again so that you can take over from there??? Have you explored this with your doctor? At five weeks I was in an ambulance headed for a huge hospital in the "big city" because the damage was killing me. While you might have an easier ride cuz you know the team (My guys were actually wonderful) I don't want to hear you end up taking that ride!!!! Please take care and keep us informed. I am a firm believer in sharing the bad stories with the good ones. I personally still regret the risks I took for this surgery (I was low Bmi and supposedly low risk LOL...BS!) While weight loss is lovely...it's not worth it for someone like me (IMO). I get your side of the story far too well!!!

There are different theories on this. Some docs really push that the fluids need to be clear, which is unrealistic IMO. My son struggled for several years from birth with dehydration, so I go by the official medical version of liquids, which is liquids. It could be milk, coffee, tea, wine or a Protein drink...they all contain more liquid than they do solids and as such fit within my Fluid goal. This is how a non-diet, hospital setting MD looks at fluids and IMO it's a heck of a lot more realistic to follow the actual definition verses a diet doc's personal "water" goals. My son drank no Water and at ten months, between formula and diet soda (yes...doctor prescribed) he finally began to meet his fluid goals daily. Had we been counting water or clear fluids...he'd basically have been having nothing. But then if you want to get really technical....they actually count the liquid content in foods LOL But that gets a bit complicated

So I finally broke an almost three week stall and officially hit the "overweight" category of BMI. Officially I'll never be obese again. What a great way to start the day LOL

Allie...what a nice thing to read first thing in the morning. Thank you my dear!. By the way...I notice you're rocking the weight loss I like the pics! WTG

You know Jayne...I"m the first to say "follow your docs rules to the letter" but geeze woman...I was allowed yogurt at day two with one doc and day five with the other (both listed it as a full liquid phase item). While the first doc didn't thrill me in the end, the second is with a top notch hospital and he's amazing. He's conservative, but ummm there is a diff between conservative an anal Cottage cheese was also on my full liquids program, but I was told to chew well. eggs were on the soft food stage (week three with one and two with the other doc). Softly scrambled (use Water to whip them up, not milk and you get a fluffier egg). They are a diet staple for me. As is the cottage cheese because the 1% or 2% fat is so high in Protein. I wouldn't suggest you have a steak at this point...but sheesh...did I mention anal? LOL Eggs sit really nicely with me...actually though, everything but a Protein Bar has been great for me, but I eat a tiny bit (never more than half a cup and at 3 weeks it was more like a 1/4 cup). I'd chew til you are a moist pulp in your mouth and eat the above. For the eggs early on, I found either ketchup or salsa with sour cream made the eggs even moister when I was eating them and they went down really easily.

I have to deal with getting a kiddo to school so I have 8oz of coffee in 8oz of fat free milk with some vanilla syrup (sugar free). My home latte. Then after I take him to school I come home and either soft scramble an egg and have it with ketchup (I know that's rude but I like it lol) or with salsa, cheese and sour cream if I'm hungry, or I have a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese (1%).