Shanny

I'm 15 months post-op. I thought having complications was long behind me. But alas, yesterday I found out that I have to have surgery to repair my incisional hyper-umbilical hernia. Six months ago, I was doing crunches and I felt a pull in my navel. I went to the doctor and we both thought I had pulled a muscle. It didn't bother me for a while. Three months ago when I had an impacted colon, my CAT scan showed that I had a hernia. Recently, the more I exercise, the more my stomach and navel hurt. Two weeks ago, I had the stomach flu from hell. I threw up for 3 days straight. Since then the shape of the top part of my stomach has changed and now I feel something poking out of my stomach, which I cad push back in. I went back to my surgeon and he did an exam. The hernia that was a few centimeters in January is now from my navel to almost my breastbone. To make things worse, when my surgeon had me cough, he noticed that my intestines are pushing through the hole. Luckily, nothing is strangled, but he wants to do the surgery sooner, rather than later. So, I'm waiting for a date. We trying to do it next week, or the week after. The good news is, he said that he can tighten the muscle above my navel - like a particial tummy tuck, and it will be covered by my insurance as a hernia repair. But, because the bottom of my stomach is fine, he can't do that part. I guess beggers can't be chosey. I really thought that after my sleeve my next surgery would be plastic surgery. Guess that's not the case. I feel fine, for the most part. It only bothers me when I do certain things. I can't work out like I want to because things start pushing through and it's irritating. But jogging and walking don't bother me, so that's what I've been doing. Eating feels weird because I can feel the food moving through my stomach and intestines. I'll be so glad when I get this fixed!

I know exactly what you're talking about! I wasn't a big sweets eater before, but I'm definitely an emotional eater. I've been stressed lately, it seems to be coming from all places. Since I can't eat Pasta & bread (what I loved before surgery) I've discovered chocolate, brownies, and ice cream! Unfortunately, it doesn't hurt when I eat it. I'm really trying to get myself together and keep away from the sweets. I exercise regularly, but lately sweets have been my reward for working out. It's hard, but yesterday I looked at myself in the mirror and decided I've come too far and worked too hard. I'm not going back!

Oh, I just found this thread! Thank God for it! I'm addicted to Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, York Pepperment Patties, chocolate ice cream...hell, all chocolate! I never had a sweet tooth before but now it's all I crave. It's easier if I just don't have any chocolate, because I've found out I can't have just 1 piece. Last week, I ate an entire snack size bag of Reese's mini peanut butter cups. That's the only food I had the whole day! I felt worse emotionally than I did physically afterward. I need rehab!

@ Lissa, I know 3 pounds isn't a lot. I'm just afraid that 3 pounds will turn into 10, which will turn into 20 and then me gaining all of my weight back! It's irrational, but I'm so afraid to go back to feeling how I did when I was bigger. I can't let that happen. I want to nip it now before it gets out of hand. Thanks for the kind words. I feel great and I'm healthy. That's all that really matters.

I try not to stress about my weight. I know what I'm supposed to do and I have it down to a science. However, over the last few weeks, I've realized that i am addicted to chocolate. It's the one thing that I can eat all day long. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and York Peppermint Patties are my drug of choice. Actually, there were a few bad days where that's all I ate.Granted we were waiting for high school acceptance letters, and then financial aid/scholarship awards. I know that doesn't sound like a good reason to go on a chocolate binge, but if my son didn't get into high school, he would have to go to public school and I swear I will put on clear heels and glitter, change my name to Bubbles, and work a pole before that happens - I was stressed out! Needless to say, in the last 6 weeks, I've gained 3 pounds. Even though I had my chocolate thing, I still exercised regularly. In fact, I've stepped it up! I walked 14.5 miles yesterday! Go me!!! I belly dancing, Bollywood Dancing, do Crunch Ass & Abs everday, aerobics 2 times a week, and walk at least 20 miles a week! I'm in great shape. I can't get these damn 3 pounds off though! It's not all bad. My body shape has shifted again, and I have a butt and hips again! Thank God. The remaining fat shifted and I'm curvy again(I hated the way I was shaped once I started losing weight - I'm not used to not having a butt!) My measurements are smaller than they were before my chocolate indisgression, yet my weight is up. I'm even in a smaller pants size now. I'm down from an 8 and firmly into a 6. But, I weigh more. I don't understand it. I try not to live my life by the scale, but I can't help but to weigh myself everyday. I love the way I look, I love the way my clothes fit. I'm in the best shape of my life, so why are those damn numbers so important to me? I know I have to maintain my weight for 6 months before I can have plastic surgery. Maybe that's why. I want a tummy tuck and my thighs and arms done. But at this rate it's not going to happen as long as I'm gaining weight. I haven't been through one of these upward swings in a hot minute, so I'm slightly freaking out about it. I know that I have just wait and one day I'll wake up and have lost 5 pounds. But, until then I remain slightly frustrated!

NSV = Non-scale victory!

So, went shopping, and the pair of pants I wanted they didn't have in my size. In fact, they didn't have it the next two sizes down from me, either. So, for the hell of it, I picked up a size 5 just to see if I could squeeze a thigh in it. Guess what? I bought them! HA!!!!! I am NOT a size 5, but I can wear these pants! I can't pull them up on my hips as far as I can my other pants, but I can button and zip them, sit in them, and bend over in them. I HAVE A PAIR OF SIZE 5 PANTS!!!!! I am still smiling about it! I'm going to wear them this weekend on date night - make myself feel extra special! Love my sleeve!!!!

I know what the scale says I weigh, but sometimes it doesn't seem real. I have worn a size 2x pantyhose, and Queen sized knee highs for years. Yesterday I decided to buy some hose, and I was lost in the store. After buying several things and them not fitting, I found out, I'm a size A hose, and now "One Size Fits All" applies to me! I love my sleeve!

I'm 5'1.5". Surgery Date: 2/9/11 Highest Weight: 247 Date of Surgery Weight: 225 1 month post surgery weight: 191 6 months post surgery weight: 158 9 months post surgery weight: 153 11 months post surgery weight: 147 Total weight loss, thus far: 100 pounds

I posted a few weeks ago that I was having some stomach issues. I had posted that I can't poop, and that I was having a pulling pain in my stomach. Well, this week, I have been to 5 different doctors, including my surgeon, primary care doctor, emergency room twice, and the gastro doctor. I finally got some answers and feel much better, but here's what they think went wrong... Okay, here's the whole story. In December I went on a cruise to the Bahamas. I'm one of those sleevers that have a very temperamental stomach. I can't digest a lot of foods, so I have to be pretty picky when it comes to what I eat. On the cruise, I ate Protein bars, cheese, baked chicken (when they had it available), and salad - for 7 days. Unfortunately when I did try to eat other things, I spent a lot of time throwing up. FYI Curried Chicken does NOT love my sleeve. Anyway, I got really constipated while on vacation, for about a week. When we got home I took a laxative and was able to go the bathroom. A few days later, I was constipated again, so I took another laxative. A week after that, I was constipated again, so I took another one. I thought it was just because it was the holidays and I was eating differently. Two weeks ago, I was really constipated - 6 days with no output, so I took another laxative. It didn't work, so I took another one. Basically I only passed Water. The bloating and inability to go to the bathroom continued. Since then my stomach had become really distended, and I went from being 149 pounds to 156. I could no longer wear pants because I couldn't button them. I had stopped eating food, and went on all liquids because eating was so uncomfortable. Then the vomiting started. As of last night it had been 18 days since I went to the bathroom. I went to my PCP, and surgeon and they ordered a CT scan. There was no obstruction noted so they told me to take Miralax. I started taking the Miralax and it got worse. So much gas, and bloating. I couldn't even drink anything without throwing up. I went to the ER on Tuesday and they made it sound like constipation was normal and that I would go eventually. Wednesday I was in so much pain - I noticed that I wasn't passing urine either. Yesterday, I went to work and honestly had people at work ask if I was pregnant. I looked like I was 5 months. My stomach was huge. Last night I went back to the ER, I couldn't keep anything in, I had a fever, and I thought I was going to die. My blood pressure was 90/70 and my pulse rate had gone down. I only passed urine 1 time all day, even though I had a cup of coffee, 32 oz of water, and tea. They did an x-ray and saw how constipated I was. Then came the examine that revealed I had an impacted colon. They had to manually remove the impaction before giving me an enima. It was so painful, but I felt 100 x better immediately! The doctor told me that I was slowly being poisoned by the toxins that were building up in my body. My blood pressure and pulse being low and not being able to pass urine, was being caused because my systems were shutting down due to the toxins. As soon as I went to the bathroom, my blood pressure went back up to normal, and I felt so much better. I still don't feel 100% but it's damn close. My weight went from 156 yesterday to 147 today. I don't have an appetite and I have to force myself to drink but at least the worse part is over. They found a lot of pus and blood in my stole, so my intestines are infected. I'm waiting on a date for a colonoscopy to find out if it was caused by the impaction or if there's another reason. My doctors believe that the impaction came from my sudden change in diet, and vomiting. Then from my frequent use of laxatives. I was just trying to go to bathroom and give myself some relief. The moral to this story is, when you go on vacation, make sure you have plenty of foods that you can eat with you, if you have a sensative stomach. Make sure you're eating like you're supposed to, and get plenty of exercise. Vomiting and constipation are NOT normal. See your doctor and don't give up if you know there is something wrong. I'm lucky that they were able to figure out what was going on before it was too late. It could have been a lot worse.

You look AWESOME!!!! Congratulations! I love that your whole family can fit in your old belt! Keep up the great work!

I have the same problem. I'm almost a year out and I eat around 800-850 calories, and that's when I force myself to eat dessert, too. For a long time I only got about 600 calories a day. I think as long as you're eating foods with the nutrients you need, you'll be okay. 1200 calories is a LOT! I told my doctor that there's no way in hell I can get that much in unless he want me to completely stretch my sleeve out.

I agree with RickM. It's not a race. I'd much rather maintain my weight than lose it all in a hurry. It's murder on your body. You're cold all the time. I used to get random pain in my muscles because of lack of nutrients. I wish I could get up to 1200 calories, like normal people, but I still can't eat that much. Up until 3 months post op I was only eating 3-4 tbsp at a time. Anything more and it was coming back up. Now, at almost a year out if I eat 1 bite over 1/2 cup of food I'm in so much pain because I'm too full. I try not to eat high caloric foods, mainly because that's my weakness. They are the ones that taste the best. But, they're usually the heaviest, too, so I only can eat a couple of bites, and then I don't get enough Protein. When I don't get enough protein I get deep tissue pain, and my hair starts to shed. So, for me, I have to do what the doc says. Although, he been suggested that I increase my calories from 600 to 800. I make 850, if I eat 1/4 cup of lowfat ice cream. I also notice that the more I exercise the less I eat. I work up an appetite, but I'm way more satisfied when I do eat then when I don't exercise. I went on vacation and didn't work out. I tried stuffing everything under the sun in my mouth because I was searching for something and nothing would satisfy it. One day I decided to go the gym and that crazy hunger I was trying to fill, went away. I don't know much about metabolisms or anything, but I know that exercise makes me feel better. Especially in the beginning. I had so much energy it was crazy. I felt like I was going to jump out of my skin if I didn't do something. Working out did it for me. Now, I work out, not because I love to exercise, but because I want to maintain what I've started and my muscles start to ache if I don't work out after a few days. I have discovered though, that caffeine and Zumba is the best high in the world! I never drank coffee before, but I recently started. The rush of coffee, topped with a great cardio workout... I finally know what that endorphin rush feels like! I indulge, when I have a craving. chocolate has been my enemy for about a month now. I never liked the stuff before, but I have these cravings. I'm on a Reece's Peanutbutter Cup kick. I have to have 1 a day or it's not pretty. A few months ago, it was salt. I couldn't have enough Doritos. I think your body tells you when you're missing something. The key is to do it in moderation. This week, I can't shake Butter Toffee Crunch ice cream. I just need like a few spoonfuls and I'm good. I like the way I look now, even though the chart says I'm overweight for my height. Another 5-10 pounds would okay to lose, but I don't want to be 109 pounds like the chart says I'm supposed to be. I think one of my leg bones weighs that much alone!

Efamcan, I didn't lose weight constantly, like 20 pounds per month. Some months it was like 35 pounds, some it was like 10. My advise, eat PROTEIN!!!!! I didn't eat anything but Protein. Even if I had room for veggies, I just ate the protein. Drink plenty of Water. No carbs. And no sugar. Those Wyler's drink mixes that you put in water, that are 5 calories and sugar free...I lived off those things. Protein shakes - have 1 everyday for Breakfast, still. Track your food intake. I use myfitnesspal.com. I do it so that I don't go over my allotted calories - 900 (although I never make it 900; I'm usually around 850), and fats. I do tend to go over on carbs, but everything has carbs in it - even milk for the protein shakes. My best advice: EXERCISE!!! I walk 10 miles, 2 times a week. I Zumba 2 times a week and water aerobics and/or dance aerobics, and lift weights once a week. I have to. I'm telling you that walking! The pounds just fell off!!! It's not easy and some days I fall way off the wagon. I ususally end up making myself sick when I do. But, I'm a work in progress. Don't worry about the stall. They happen and then one day, maybe in a few weeks, it'll stop, by itself. Even if you're not losing pounds, you may still be losing inches. Try measuring yourself with a tape measure. It's not all about the scale! Contact me anytime with any questions. Good luck!