Debbiebydesign

Good point. The people I have talked to who have had a stricture have gotten pretty sick, one could not drink Water without it coming up. It can be hard to tell if it is a one time thing or a problem.

It's normal, but uncomfortable. I learned that anytime I had "that feeling," what I just ate was going to come back up. I think it is often a part of the learning curve of knowing how slowly and how much you have to chew. Oh, and some people say that papaya enzyme tablets help un-stick things. I have tried it with some success.

I had my surgery on February 7. I was still off work when my 5 year old daughter got pneumonia and I got sick. She recovered quickly, but I was absolutely miserable, not only was I recovering from surgery, I had horrible cough and my nose ran like a fountain, both out the nose and into my pouch, which made me vomit. I was wheezing and hurt everywhere. At one point, the bariatric nurse talked about possible readmission for fluids. My suggestion is to go to your primary care doctor, and call your surgeon's office to approve meds that they might prescribe. Fever and sore throat are the first signs I have an infection going on for me. You might need and antibiotic, especially since you describe it as a bad sore throat. The ear thing makes me think you might also need some antibiotics. Good Luck, and push fluids!

No real surprises, just a lot of "Ah Ha" moments when something happened and I realized I knew what someone meant, like when I realized I no longer liked pork sausage, it dawned on me that my tastes were changing, which I was told would happen, but didn't believe because it took a few months.

I think that particular "what if" crosses all of our minds in the days before surgery, especially with kids in the mix. My husband was and I were scared. Honestly, I woke up just fine, and it was easier than my c-section. I had some pain, it was managed and I am complication free at almost three months. I'm not going to lie, a lot in the first, maybe month or so, post surgical sucks. I still have an occasional bout with eating too fast, but mostly things are back to normal. I hope you have the kind of surgery, recovery I have because I truly feel great!

It took a few weeks, but my A1c is now normal and I don't take anything right now for diabetes. About larger people...the more you weigh, the more calories and nutrition you need to live. One measurement they did on me at my heaviest weight was a body composition test, which indicated I needed, bare minimum 1900 calories daily to MAINTAIN my weight at the time with a sedentary lifestyle. If I exercised or had an active job I would need more. If I ate the same and was active, I'd lose weight. Now someone who is 150 lbs MORE than me is going to need more calories and they require more calories to move their weight. If both of us are getting the same 800 post op calories, Protein, and fat; and had similar activity levels for our size, who is going to lose more? The heavier person because they are burning more calories. At least that's how it was explained...

I lost 6 by the same point you are, but by the one month mark I lost 30. Its not always consistent. It doesn't mean it failed.

(15 lbs in 12 days.....??? uggg) **Sounded to me that you lost 15 lbs in twelve days at the end of this "paragraph" and you are disappointed in that.

15 lbs in twelve days...is good. Keep it in perspective. When was the last time you lost that in such a short time? I have lost 60 in 80 days. Less than some, more than others. I haven't been this low in years, I'm grateful. Comparisons to other people when there are so many confounding variables will only make you frustrated.

I was told that it is common for patient to gain because of fluid retention post op up to the two week point. Obviously, they aren't gaining fat, given the low caloric intake at this point. It didn't happen for me, but I was told many people get discouraged in their first follow up because they were slower to lose fluids immediately post op.

Everybody feels a little "What the hell did I do?" while you are getting used to everything.

I was told at 10 days out, that many people gain weight and that any loss at this point is just a bonus.

I had a lot of hunger pains in the few days after. It stopped eventually. I have to wonder if it was like phantom limb pains. I know they felt VERY real.