lisalisalisa

"Chunks"?! Ugh I am 60 years old and my hair isnt that thick to begin with! Will I have to wear a wig? Do you suggest going on Biotin pre- surgery? Anyone else out there that's going thru this? Wondering if I should start growing it out (surgery will probably be in Jan) so I have more hair to "cover the bald spots" or if the extra weight will make it worse?? Is anyone coloring their hair thru this process?

I lost 132 lbs on my own about 5 years ago and had quite a lot of Hair loss. I had mostly thinning in the temple areas that drove me nuts but really, I doubt anyone noticed but me. After having gone through it though I can tell you that yes, biotin DOES help! Start taking it now though because as I was told by 4 different doctors, it takes 4 months for a hair folicle to grow so the hair that is starting now wont pop out for four months. That means that the biotin you take today wont have affected your hair follicle until 4 months from now. It helps tremendously, I'm a definite fan of biotin! And, I always colored my hair, it was fine. My hair dresser of course could also see that I was losing a lot of hair but again, other than me and her I doubt others noticed. It's not chemo lol. Hang in there!

immediately after eating watermelon I felt really tired, the only thing that has happened so far. My doctor said that watermelon seems so harmless but it's actually one of the worst fruits for gastric bypass because of the glycemic index. I love watermelon but I'm scared of it now lol. I can eat strawberries without any problems though!

If you get to pain, you ate too much. My surgery was 8/7 and I dont feel "full" either anymore. For me it's more like a pressure feeling. I pay close attention to it as I eat because I don't want to go over that amount. 1. it's not a good idea to push it for several reasons but 2. that pain is not comfortable at all and takes a while to ease off. When I stopped eating sooner, I stopped getting pain. I am like Pavlov's dog lol.

My doctor wants me to get up to 1200 calories a day when I can. That is the amount they want me to stay at for maximum weight loss. I'm only just over 3 weeks post op and I can not get that much in yet so I'm probably hitting about 800 calories now. It has taken real effort to get to 800 but I had stalled from being too low on calories. You cant lose weight if you eat too little so 800 calories it is for me for now. I'll up it as I can!

If people are not happy for you when you improve your life, then they have their own issues. Those kind of people can really drag you down! It's good that you realized that Vicki. I had that happen when I lost all the weight on my own in the past. Yes, it hurts, but you will move past it.

If they are critical, then they are probably not really friends. Stay away from the critical people in your life. I would rather have 2 good friends than 10 lousy ones!

Congratulations to you for having that last supper and then getting back on track! I think that's perfect. I had too many last suppers and wish I was as good as you were. Trust me, you will be glad!

Seriously, this is ridiculous. I'm sure if I don't get relief soon I'll be airborne!

Several sources I read recommended yogurt or a probiotic. I ate yogurt today AND took a probiotic and I will say it's better. I still feel bloated but at least I dont feel like someone could tie a rope around my waist and fly me in the Macy's parade in November!

I'm going to try adding yogurt in. Their are a number of posts out there on the internet where people were helped somewhat by Probiotics. I'll try anything, this sucks.

They talk about how great you are going to look but no one tells you that no one will ever want to come near you again lol

All I know is this has to stop I feel like a freaking balloon!

Ok, I get that everyone has gas from abdominal surgery. I'd had it before and it sure didn't last this long. I'd like to blame it on fatty food but by far the largest part of my diet is Protein Shakes right now so that's not it. I am really hoping that I'm not going to go from being fat to being a permanent gas bag lol. Yuck!

liquids in, liquids out......I am living proof that that is not true lol. Trust me, you CAN be constipated even though you are only having liquids. Boy was I

Could you be constipated? I had the same problem. I had had bowel movements but evidently not enough. I took stool softeners for a few days and it helped.

I'm taking a daily stool softener. It helps and doesn't cause cramping or discomfort.

I've eaten a lot of low fat cottage cheese. It goes down easy and is high in Protein. Also, take some refried Beans and heat them up in the microwave, sprinkle some low fat cheese on them and melt that. Add a bit of low fat sour cream and it's pretty good.

I had my surgery 8/7 and the biggest incision is still leaking. For those of you who had gastric bypass, how long did your incision ooze? My stitches were removed from it on 8/16. It's grossing me out

I've eaten strawberries with no problem. The doctor said I'm in a stall because I am not eating enough so I have increased to 3 shakes a day and some type of food for the other thing that around 200 calories. It's the best I can do for now.

Hi Pj. I had my surgery 8/7/13 so I'm newly rewired lol. If I can help, let me know!

That sounds like me Wojo. The doctor said even if you had a bowel movement the Constipation could be causing the problem. They said stool softeners are harmless so take them and it should ease up. I hope we both feel better!

Have your last hoorah and move on. Make it one last meal, not 4 if that is what you need to do. But I'll tell you this, after you have one you will want one more, and one more. No one goes into rehab sober. There will not be a meal where you say ok, I can give it all up now lol. I hated my pre op liquid diet but I have to say, I am so happy I stuck to it. The reason being, that the change in eating after surgery was way less drastic so it definitely helped to ease the transition. This close to surgery, everything you do can affect your ability to have it. Is that last pizza worth it? It's totally your call and only you can answer it. But after the last pizza you will want the last chinese food, the last ice cream, the last yada yada yada. It's a slippery slide!

Lisa

Hi Cassi,

I was in the same boat as you and quit 5/21/13. What helped me was focusing on the fact that either I quit or I would not get the surgery. That knowledge made me do it. As for how long, no one can answer that because every doctor has their own rules. I'd recommend you stop asap because I am sure there are doctors out there that will tell you they want you to have stopped for longer than others. Just focus on the goal, getting the surgery and losing your weight. The smoking will keep you from that. Good luck!

Thanks for answering I appreciate it! This isn't surgery pain I know that one you are talking about well lol. I called my doc today and they said to take stool softeners and that I am not eating enough. I was hitting 700-800 calories a day with effort. They want me at 1200 which seems monumental right now. I can not believe that I am even saying that! Before surgery I could hit 3000 on a bad day So, I guess I have more meals to eat here. Thanks again!

I'd say my limit is 6oz but that's definitely approximate. I guess I'm not sure how much I should be eating by now but no, it's definitely not a cup and a half. I can however drink an 8oz Protein shake in about 10 mins.

People describe dumping as pretty awful and I haven't experienced anything really unpleasant at all. Don't get me wrong, I dont want to dump lol. I'm just trying to feel my way through all this and figure out what I can and cant eat. I've been light headed for what seems like ages now and definitely since the surgery. I'm not sure what that is about but my doc said it takes the body about 3 months to adjust to what it's been through.