JamieLogical

I really am fully back on track now. Just finally finished the last project on my new condo at 10:00 last night. So now there is just cleaning and unpacking to do, which I can do in small doses. All the bit painting and construction-type stuff is out of the way now. (Side note: if you are ever thinking about replacing all of the doors in your home, don't!) I'm back at work today and my divorce should be finalized tomorrow, so time for things to all settle back down. I planned out my training schedule for my half marathon in April. I will need to start it Jan. 23, but hoping to at least get some short runs in between now and then to get my endurance back up to where it needs to be to start training.

I struggled with fatigue up until I was on soft foods and could get more calories in. Even though I was meeting my protein goals, my calories were only up around 400-450 while I was in the liquid and puree stages. Once I got up over 600 I noticed a big difference in my energy levels. Once I got up around 850 I was able to do intense cardio again.

It depends entirely on the surgeon. I contacted the surgeon for the first time on June 17th I believe and had my surgery on Sept. 1. But I could probably have scheduled it earlier if I had wanted. Most surgeons will require a pre-op diet for about two weeks. So you would probably have to wait at least that long.

Is your TT circumferential or do your incisions end somewhere around your back? Was it a spiral thigh lift? Sounds like it might have been if your incisions go across under your butt cheeks.

That's not true. It completely depends on which surgeon you use. I had my surgery in TJ, I am over two years post-op, and my surgical team STILL checks in with me regularly and will answer any concerns or questions I have immediately via phone or email.

I am back! Had a lot of craziness in my life in recent months, but things are settling down now. I'm starting training for my April half marathon later this month and I am happy to answer any questions that anyone has!

If it bothers you, ask for a to go box at the beginning. This is also handy for making sure you don't overeat when you are first learning your limitations. You can transfer all the food you don't plan to eat into the box right away, and that way you won't accidentally take that one extra bite that puts you over the edge. I have really gotten used to just saying something like "oh, no it was delicious, I just don't eat very much" or something along those lines when the question comes up now.

I saw my PCP prior to surgery and she agreed to do my follow-up blood work orders and such. I saw her shortly after I got back from Mexico, at 2 months post-op, at 4 months post-op, and 8 months post-op, and at 12 months post-op. Now I just do my normal annual physicals. All of my questions about medication, healing, and nutrition were handled by my surgical staff via email and phone calls. I had my surgery with Ariel Ortiz of Obesity Control Center and they have a full staff of people to offer post-op support. I am under the impression that the surgeons affiliated with BariatricPal offer similar post-op care. So just make sure that the surgeon you are using will be able to answer any and all of your follow-up questions and concerns.

Growling stomach has nothing to do with hunger. Most likely gas and acid. Are you on a PPI? I wasn't allowed oatmeal at all. You should check with your nutritionist or surgeon for a list of what foods you can eat and when.

Not everyone has trouble with liquids immediately post-op. Those issues are usually related to swelling and people have varying amounts of swelling. You are just one of the lucky ones with minimal internal swelling, so yay for you! Your recovery should be much easier for that. Head hunger will be STRONG immediately post-op if you aren't experiencing nausea, which, again, lucky you! It's somewhat common to hiccup as a sign of fullness. Just make sure you are weighing and measuring out ALL of your foods and liquids and ingesting them on a schedule. You can't rely on signals from your healing stomach yet.

I would recommend a back-up form of birth control for the first month or two post-op. First of all, some surgeons will have you go off the pill prior to surgery and might not let you go back on it immediately post-op. Second, the hormone dump associated with rapid fat burning can cause an increase in fertility. So better to be safe than sorry!

For me, the best way to get my Water in was to just try to drink one ounce every 15 minutes. Trying to do 4-5 ounce an hour might mean trying to fit them all in quickly at the end of the hour instead of really spacing it out and pacing yourself. Another trick for me to get my water in was to march in place. I had esophageal spasms, burping, and other issues with swallowing in the first couple of weeks, but marching in place while sipping somehow made it a little easier.

I think a lot of people do fall into the trap of thinking that all of their problems will magically go away when they reach their goal weight. While obesity can be a HUGE problem in itself and can cause a whole host of related problems in your life, not all of your problems are weight-related. It might be a worthwhile exercise to take some time to really think about the issues you are struggling with and whether or not they are genuinely caused by your weight. Identifying those problems and the causes of them can give you a jump on working to resolve them so you won't be disappointed and frustrated once you reach goal. Also, those sorts of issues are the kind of thing that can eventually derail your commitment to the weight loss process, so better to start working on them sooner than later.

So glad to hear your doctor's visit went okay. Sounds like you have gotten the message that you really need to be taking this seriously, Your life is literally at stake. I wish you much success going forward!

Yeah! Look at that! Awesome! I know it's a burden to carry most of your weight in your midsection when you are obese, but at the same time, it makes for some seriously dramatic before and after shots. Keep 'em coming! PS: Congrats on reaching Onederland!

It is incredibly common to swap one addiction for another. WLS means we can no longer sustain an addiction to food, but there are plenty of other vices out there to turn to. That's why there has to be mental/emotional work along with the physical change of surgery. I have always feared alcoholism as it tore my mom's whole family apart. So I have always had strict rules for myself around alcohol. I never drink when I am upset/depressed. I never drink alone. And I never drink at home unless it's a special occasion (like a party or friends/family are visiting). But my addictive personality has led me to other things, like video gaming addiction and exercise addiction.

You should consult your surgeon or nutritionist if you weren't provided a list. For me full liquids included protein shakes, yogurt, and strained cream soups. You need to tough it out with the protein shakes or find one you can palate. They will be your primary source of protein until you are on solid foods and maybe even beyond that. It is critical for you to get all of your protein in. Especially while you are healing.

Fatigue was a severe issue for me for the first couple of weeks. It improved once I was on soft foods and could get more calories in. When you are only getting like 350-450 calories a day in, of course you are going to feel tired! Especially when you are healing up from major surgery still.

I was allowed to swallow all pills... including my "horse pill" sized calcium and omega 3 at 7 days post op. Try spacing large pills out throughout the day so you aren't taking them all at once and also try having a few sips of protein shake or other full liquid.

Yes, if it's uncomfortable for you, an abdominal binder might help give you more of a feeling of support.

Congrats on your success so far. Sounds like you are doing well. Four months out was a real turning point for me where I finally started to feel "normal" or at least had adapted to my new normal. Keep focused on your protein and water. It is so so important!

I will be keeping you in my thoughts today. I really hope everything is alright with your sleeve and your staple line. I agree with others that you should turn to the love and support of others now to help get you through this. You had the surgery. There is no going back now. So you need to find your way forward. I hope that between your surgical team, primary care physician, some sort of professional counseling, and support from your loved ones, you can be successful long term. It's not an easy process. All of us struggle along the way. It's figuring out how to handle that struggle and solve your problems that will get you through to the end.

I really hope you talk to your surgeon today. You could have done real damage to your sleeve by eating too soon. You could get food caught in your staple line which can cause abscess or ulcers. You need to take care of yourself! You are healing from a major surgery! You need to treat your stomach like a precious new born baby. "Cheating" immediately post-op isn't like cheating on a diet. It's not an "oops, I'll do better tomorrow" situation. If you had knee surgery, would you be walking on it the very next day and then saying to yourself "it's okay, I'll just make sure to rest it tomorrow"? Your stomach needs to heal, just like your knee would need to heal.

Well, running and exercise are great stress relievers. I HATE running. Like completely and utterly hate it. Every single step I am thinking... "when will this be over? is it over yet?" But it is undeniable that running regularly keeps me in a better mood the rest of the time and takes my mind off the stress in my life. So I put up with the hour of misery every other day in order to make myself happier the rest of the time. I also find it incredibly helpful and constructive to have a goal or goals that I am working towards and can focus on. When other parts of my life are out of my control and getting me down, having a goal I can work toward and feel like I am making progress on something I have control over is incredibly reassuring.

You aren't going to stretch you sleeve. You really aren't. Your restriction will "relax" over time as you heal up and fully recover, but that happens whether you overeat or not. Also, it's absolutely normal to feel hunger post-op. The trick is distinguishing between head hunger and actual hunger. For me, head hunger is a craving or like when I see a commercial for something on TV and I think "that looks sooooo good" and then I want to eat it. Physical hunger is completely different. Usually I don't even realize what I am experiencing is hunger. I get grumpy and mean (totally like a Snickers commercial). I don't notice, but the people around me do. I went on vacation with my parents about 5 months post-op and my mom started carrying turkey sticks and peanuts in her purse to feed me when I started being a grouch. Early on post-op, it's hard to get enough calories in to sustain you. So your body will experience true physical hunger.