Defying Gravity

I'm 5 and a half years out also. I take pamiprexole for the GERD which is terrible otherwise. I also can't lie down within a couple hours of consuming anything except water or I wake up choking on stomach acid. My doctor said this is not normal and offered to sever some nerve but that freaked me out so I just deal with it. I also hate the stomach talking ALL THE TIME. People at work think I'm always hungry and it's beyond embarrassing. Even when it's not growling, it's just gurgling or sounds gross and I am sure people don't know what's happening in there but are too polite to ask. I also have very bad insulin resistance so I regained some weight but intermittent fasting is helping with that. Other than those things, I feel like I did pre-surgery, lol. Sometimes I regret the surgery but most of the time I'm glad I did it. It's definitely a lifestyle change that most people do not understand. Eating healthy and watching myself is fine and easy to do but some of the other little things I mentioned make it frustrating at times. They're not a huge deal though.

Even though this is an old conversation: thanks for sharing everyone, it helps me. I feel like the stomach noises are getting worse but maybe I'm just more aware of them now that I'm working in an office and before I did freelance work from home. I'm many years post op and the noises are so embarrassing. I usually pretend they aren't happening but sometimes it's hard not to be embarrassed. I worry people think I'm belching with my mouth closed or something or sometimes the sounds are just so weird that I don't know what people even think about it, haha. I haven't figured out any pattern or rhyme or reason and my doctor's office said that there could be tons of reasons and they didn't seem to concerned about investigating it. It helps to know that I'm not the only one though!

I do not remember exactly because I'm years post-op but I do find it odd. I'm pretty sure I was told to hit my protein as well; however, perhaps they were saying that because they did not want you to exceed your caloric intake trying to hit your protein goals? That's the only reason I can think they would give you that advice. If I recall correctly, at 1 week you are still on clear fluids and even a protein shake is too thick... I agree, it's weird though.

Hey guys! I have new insurance after having to do 2 years on medi-cal but my bariatric surgeon is not covered under my PPO so I can't go ask him this question, unfortunately. I just ordered the celebrate complete multivitain with iron. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VTD7E8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I just realized from the label that it has 500mg of b-12 in it. Has anyone spoken to their doctor about this supplement and do they still have to take their b-12 on the side? If no one knows, I will go ask my primary but I'd rather check here first. Thanks!

Ah, yeah that makes sense. The lapband actually really messed me up but once I healed from my sleeve, I was fine.

I think you mean the bypass. The lapband is laparoscopic and outpatient - removing part of the stomach is a bigger surgery.

You can do this! I was excited for mine because my body rejected the lapband. But it’s still a huge surgery which is always scary. Just focus on your goals and the bigger picture. You’re taking a step forward to a better future. best wishes to you!

I realize this is an old topic but it’s came up for me when I was searching for calcium info. I just read that calcium carbonate doesn’t work as well post bariatric surgery because it can block some of the absorption of vitamin b (because of our low stomach acid production). Just wanted to add that for anyone else who comes across this question wanting to know!

I don't know why but the bypass freaked me out! I didn't even want to consider it, even though the sleeve is permanent. Best of wishes to you - I honestly think that it's the best decision I ever made. I say, whatever you instinctively feel more comfortable with is probably the best choice, though I encourage you to ask around as much as possible because there's nothing to truly prepare you for the surgery, so it's best to be excited about it and feel informed going in.

Congrats and hope that you're doing well! The best advice from me is to follow your doctor's post-op plan to the letter. I lost most of my weight in 4 months and all I did was do exactly what they told me to do, literally. That means with food introduction, supplements and everything! Best of wishes to you!

Well, I found out something that I can't believe I didn't know. Do you weigh yourself at home? Because I found out last month that I was not supposed to. I stopped and have continued losing. It's not like the first month of course, but still pretty good. Some vets at my support group said that when they weighed themselves even once a week, they would get onto these plateaus where they wouldn't lose for months. They started only weighing in at their appointments and never had another one. It's psychological I guess, because when you are weighing yourself or measuring yourself even, you tend to focus on your successes and failures, both of which can get in the way. I was told you can get complacent if you see yourself doing well, or you can get frustrated if you stay the same or don't lose. So it just affects people emotionally which does make a difference. Not something I'd ever thought of before.

Oh was writing that when you responded, so I didn't see that you HAVE spoken to your doctor...

Have you spoken with your doctor about this? I mean, I don't know your situation, but sometimes family doesn't really know what's best. As for the blood sugar drops, I'd talk to your endocrinologist as well. Maybe eating some fruit would help before your workout? My family has been saying that I need to eat more too. They are glad I'm losing and want me to keep doing it but they think I'm going to be malnourished or something. My bariatric doc says things are going well and to keep doing what I'm doing. My family doesn't understand anything that is going on with my sleeve, so I take their concerns with a grain of salt, though I do like to acknowledge to them that I understand where they are coming from. What do you think about it? Intuitively, do you agree with them? You and your doctor know what's best.

Chips or crackers. I have an aversion to sweets now but I have to prevent myself from getting any chips or crackers or I'll just go through them! Sounds like I'm not alone here! (Unless I use avacado or something and then I get really full)

I wanted to just say something really quick, because I hope this is helpful to others, but it's an amazing tool. Yes, it's very hard to do, if not harder than the band. But you've already worked so hard with the band and if it is not helpful for you, why press on through the struggles and constant frustration? Losing weight is hard regardless and the band is a lot of work. But the sleeve is too, just in different ways. It's much more restricting and traumatizing to the body, but at the same time, it's worth it (IMHO), to be working really hard at it and succeeding than putting yourself through the pain of fighting against your band. It's a massive benefit, but also only a tool, just like the band is.