Dabliss111114

I used to exercise a lot 20 years ago. I played golf 2-3 times a week, swam and went to the gym. I was half the size I am now. I had my surgery 5 weeks ago. I started walking right away, but couldn't do more than 10 minutes or so because my knees and ankles hurt so badly. I MADE myself go a little further each time I walked. My knees and ankles are starting to hurt less and less. I now walk for about 30 minutes every day. My doctor cleared me to go to our fitness center and start swimming. I'll also be able to ride the recumbent bike and use the machines. My goal is to get to the gym at least 3 days a week at first and work my way up from there. On the days I don't go I'll walk as much as I can, eventually working up to at least a couple miles. I also want to be able to play golf again....it's something I really enjoyed and never thought about how much I walked while doing it. I hardly ever rode in the cart unless it was terribly hot or wet.

I took phentermine for about 5 months a little over 2 years ago. I didn't want to eat either. I had a terrible time sleeping. I found that if I didn't take the pill by no later than 9am I couldn't go to bed until at least midnight. I was nervous and experienced some irregular heart rhythms occasionally. I did loose about 45 lbs. but as soon as I stopped taking the pills my appetite exploded....... I gained every pound back and then some within 3 months. It was terrible. Having tried so many diets over the years, and then trying the diet pills and still never finishing the job of loosing all my weight and maintaining it, is what led me to having weight loss surgery. I'm not saying you absolutely shouldn't take the medication if you think it's right for you, but be careful. I think it's probably ok if you only have a few pounds to loose but if you need to loose more than 50, I wouldn't recommend it. You can't stay on the pills for longer than 6 months....or at least that's what my doctor said. Good luck.

Hi. I had my surgery in Charlotte on Nov. 11. I believe Dr. Voellinger is part of the same group as my surgeon. It's called Carolina's Weight Loss Surgery. Dr. Roc Bauman did my bypass at CMC Northeast. Where does your doctor do his surgery? If I'm correct he either does his at CMC University or downtown at Mercy Hospital. The pre-op experience was very complete and and staff was wonderful. I've heard that all the surgeons in this group are excellent. My surgery went well, with no complications. I've saw Dr. Bauman at 1 week and 4 weeks post op. I saw the nutritionist at 2 weeks out. I will meet with the nutritionist once a month for a full year. I'll see Dr. Bauman at 3,6,9 and 12 months. As far as my success, so far so good....... I've lost 34lbs so far. I feel really good with the exception of some constipation. I'm now adding new foods everyday or so, and am tolerating them well. I'd love to hear from you. Good luck.

My doctor said I needed to take it for at least 6-9 months. I was also told (4 weeks post op) to start taking a probiotic which he suggests I take for the rest of my life.

WOW, to all of you that have posted to this thread, I'm with you 100%. I had my bypass surgery 4 weeks ago. I can honestly say that I feel better today than I have in nearly 2 years. I've only lost 32 lbs so far, which is a drop in the bucket, but I know that without having had the surgery I'd be getting close to the point of giving up yet another time. I can't count the number of times I dieted, lost maybe up to 45 lbs. then got lax about what I was doing because I was bored with it all or something was going on in my life that triggered my usual bad eating patterns. This is different... There's no turning back. If I go back to my old eating habits I'll get sick. I made the commitment to do this because I knew I needed the help to do it to its completion, and I needed to improve my health. Is it easy???? Hell no, but is it worth it??? Absolutely!!! I've told very few people about my decision, just like some of you. I don't think everyone on the planet needs to know this very personal choice I've made or why. If they ask what I'm doing, I'll reply that I'm working on being healthier. That's it...no further explanation. Then as they see me change dramatically they can think whatever they want. At some point I hope they choke on their Big Mac when they see me show up somewhere in a drop dead outfit that really shows off all my hard work. That day I'll feel like the woman I know still exists deep inside, and has been trapped inside the body that has taken me over for too many years. I look forward to better health, a better wardrobe, a better, sex life, and a much better sense of self!!! I deserve it, and so all of you!!!

Saw the doc this afternoon. He said I probably wasn't getting enough liquids in everyday, and that would cause a stall, but he also said I needed to "move" more. I knew he'd give me his exercise speech. I'll try to increase my liquids, but it's hard. I get almost nauseous if I take more than a couple small swallows at any given time. He said to sip almost constantly, like once every minute or two. He said that clear liquids move very quickly out of the pouch into the small intestine where it's absorbed, so constant sipping should do the trick. How do we get anything else done, if our entire day is consumed with sipping????? I'm just saying....... I'll give it a try though. He gave me the ok to start eating a little more solid food. Still no raw fruits or veggies, but I can add more normal things. He told me to eat a lot of fish. Any kind....salmon, flounder, tilapia, etc. as long as it's broiled, baked or poached. He also said that the natural oils in the fish would help with the constipation. I certainly hope so because I'm still having a problem with that. Now I have to take Colace everyday,then every third day, and so on for awhile. He said that some patients have to take something all the time........ Wonderful...... For those of you that also said you had that nasty morning mouth that felt pasty and tasted so bad..... I asked about it. He said it's usually due to the way the proteins we drink are digested. We don't produce much stomach acid right now, and everything tends to get way more alkaline in pH in our bodies. He said that as we move away from as much pure liquid protein and more towards food it'll get better. His "intelligent" answer was to brush our teeth more often...... I guess. Like I said way early on.....this guy may be one of the best surgeons in the southeast, but he's a jerk when it comes to personality and bed side manor. I'm glad I don't have to see him again for another 2 months. Only have to see the nutritionist every 4 weeks. TOMORROW I WILL START DRINKING MORE LIQUIDS and I WILL "MOVE" MORE!!!!! the scale better start to move again!!!

Sounds like there's a bunch of us that all had surgery around the same time that have reached that stall point. I officially haven't lost anything for at least 10 days now. You bet it's frustrating and discouraging........ I keep thinking that I'm going to get on the scale and see a big drop. Problem is that I started out NOT getting on the scale except once a week, but since I hadn't lost ANYTHING after the next week I've been obsessed with stepping on it everyday which has really upset me. I know I shouldn't do it, but I keep thinking that if I get on one more time it's going to say something different. I see Dr. McMeany (my name for him) this afternoon. I can't wait for him to give me his speech about how I need to do a minimum of 60 minutes of good exercise everyday. I'm just getting to the point where I can walk a little further each couple days. It certainly isn't 60 minutes...... but it's the best I can do right now. I know my ability to do more will improve, but he'll still bust my hump about it. If he gives me a hard time about now having lost as much as he thinks I should have to this point, I know I'll cry. I'm feeling very fragile right now....... My father-in-law's death, the holidays, my mom's declining because of Alzheimers....etc.

@@NicoleSW I'm so sorry to hear that you had to go through such a rough patch. Hopefully you're going to stay on the mend and get to the point where you're moving forward. Hang in there....we're all here for you.

Ready2B and Newjeffery, I hear you both loud and clear. I've been trying to shut down my fear this last several days too. I was out doing some Christmas shopping and ran into someone I hadn't seen in awhile...not a close friend, but someone I see every then and again. She made a big to do about how good I looked. Asked if I had changed my hair or makeup. I haven't lost so much weight that I think it really shows. The 30lbs. I've lost is a drop in the bucket compared to the 160 I need to loose, but I guess it does show in my face. I started feeling uncomfortable like I owed her some kind of explanation. I'm afraid at what people that I'm not real close to will think or say when they see me in several months. The other thing that bothers me is that people I do know well (family included) keep asking me how I'm doing and if I feel alright. I keep thinking that they expect to hear that I feel like crap and that I'm starving to death. I've even had someone comment on how little I ate at a meal and that they were very concerned that i was going to make myself sick. Obviously this person doesn't really understand what I did, or they wouldn't make such a stupid comment. I worry that because I've had this surgery that some people are going to think that I should be loosing 30-40 lbs a month, and that if I don't, I must be doing something wrong. I worry all the time that I'm not doing something right..... I keep thinking I should be loosing faster than I am, especially since I only lost 1 lb this past week. I keep thinking that my dead metabolism is going to keep me from being successful and it scares me. I think we all have our demons and fears, and only time will help us get past them. That's why we post here. We're all in the same boat, and it's good to know that others are struggling in some of the same ways.

@@Time4ChangeNY Hi D. Still not pooping???? I'm not going to well either. I've given up on the Miralax. I actually took a dose of good old Milk of Magnesia and it helped, but I don't think it totally did the job. I really think if we could actually eat some veggies that aren't mush or a salad, we'd do better. I'd kill for a ceasar salad..

@Gingerisgreat. Hang in there. I'll be 4 weeks out this coming Tuesday, and I have to admit that yesterday and today i've felt better than I have. I've go more energy, and the pain is pretty much gone on my left side. The only time I feel a twinge is if I bend over at the waist to pick something up off the floor or something. It'll get easier to get all your Protein and Fluid in too. hang in there.

Ready2B - Thanks for your kind words about my father in laws passing. Much appreciated. Jen Cox - I'm so happy to hear that you're doing well. I'm hanging in there too. I've lost about 32lb. and am pleased, but I still worry about how much I'm supposed to be eating. Sometimes I feel like I can't even manage more than a few bites, and other times I actually can eat quite a bit more. Is anyone else finding that they can eat larger amount every once in a while???? I sure don't want to stretch my pouch. Yes, I have that awful "Morning Mouth" too. Any ideas what that's from? I see my surgeon next week for my 4 week visit. I'm going to ask him.

HHMMMM..... A pair of animal print skinny jeans and a black lacy t-shirt. AND a red cocktail dress that shows cleavage and some leg. Also, to be able to get back into the lingerie I've had stored in tissue in a storage bin on the top shelf of my closet for over way too many years!!!

Holy crap! At first I was thinking OMG, this can't possibly be for real. No one would actually do this. I'm glad I read it to the end too, otherwise I would have not only been shocked, but very concerned for you. I can't say I'm offended, but I do agree with others that think maybe it wasn't the best thing to do, considering that some people may have had those types of issues before having the surgery. We're all more *#*($ up than we think.

I'm so glad to hear from all you guys. Newjeffery.... You are a great inspiration. I've had a little pureed turkey and some mashed, baked sweet potato. It went down ok and sure tasted great. I've been having a little non fat cottage cheese with diced pears(packed in juice) that I smashed with a fork. Who ever knew cottage cheese could taste so good. ready2B....I'm glad you're feeling better. I can't each but just a little bit at a time either. I feel better today than I have in the last couple days. I was so tired, and it seemed like I was actually hungry, but I realized that more than anything I was experiencing a lot of emotion and stress, and that's what was causing me to feel that way. I have been waiting for news about my husband's father. He passed away last night. I'm worried about my husband being up there by himself, but he tells me he's handling things ok. I've lost about 31 lbs so far. I guess if I really think about it, that's pretty good, considering that it's only been 3 weeks since my surgery, and only 2 weeks more than that since I started the liquid pre diet. I wish I could walk as much as some people do. I've gotten out to walk, and have managed to go about a 1/2 mile. That's about all I can do right now, but I keep trying to add a little more each time I walk. Keep up your good work....

Hey gang.... Where are y'all hanging out?? I haven't seen posts from anyone since before Thanksgiving. I hope you're all doing OK. I think I'm doing ok, but this last couple days I'm feeling really tired, and seem to be actually "hungry". I eat, and feel full right away, but within an hour or so I feel like I want to eat something again. I'm drinking my fluids, but still "want" something. I'm getting a little nervous that I'll eat too much, and not loose. I don't seem to be loosing all that fast anyhow. Any ideas?

Like others, Thanksgiving Day proved to not be anywhere as difficult as we thought it may have been. I went to our family gathering with my shaker and some chicken protein broth just in case I couldn't make a meal from what was on the menu. Since I've added soft/pureed foods I didn't find it hard to do at all. I had about a tablespoon of each: mashed potatoes, butternut squash, broccoli casserole, and a smidge of dressing on my plate. I mashed everything well with my fork and put a little gravy on it. I only ate about 1/3 of it, then had my protein shake about an hour later. I was happy to have tasted some of the real food, and totally content. The only thing I didn't try was a little turkey, but I may try a tiny bit pureed tomorrow when Pete fixed the whole meal here at home. He loves to go visit with family for the holiday, but hates not having the leftovers to eat all the next week. I'm going to simplify the whole thing be baking several sweet potatoes whole, and making some green beans or peas. He's all about the turkey, stuffing and gravy anyhow. I think we all deserve a shout out for being so committed to what we're doing!!!

I just wanted to take a minute to wish everyone a wonderful HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! Although we won't be eating that big plate full of turkey, dressing and potatoes covered with gravy. Cranberries and nuts, and of course the pumpkin pie, we have a lot to be thankful for. We should all be grateful for this chance to start our lives over again in a healthy positive way. Next year we'll be able to sit down at the table and enjoy the same meal, but we'll do it with a new perspective and a much slimmer body. Somehow I think we'll actually enjoy it more. No guilt, no shame, and no regrets at all. Enjoy your day with whoever you're with, and remember to also be thankful for this group of wonderful,brave people that we've pulled together. We have eachother to be thankful for..... Hugs to all. Deb

I'm still new in this game, but I can tell you that all the advice I've read from people who posted above me is sound. My doctor is an excellent surgeon, but has the worst bedside manner on the planet. He originally told me that I HAD to walk 30 minutes 2X a day before my surgery and every day after, then get myself into a gym, a pool, or do something, or I wouldn't loose my weight. I told him (before my surgery) that I couldn't even walk down the driveway to get the mail because my knees and ankles hurt so much. His response was..... you have to move whether you like it or not. He made me cry even before I had my surgery. His nurses on the other hand are wonderful people and understood my issue. They have all told me the same thing.... We can't motivate ourselves to do something we simply just can't do. Our BODIES will motivate us as they feel stronger and more able. The key is to really believe that you can help your body heal and grow stronger, and the way to do that is to just push it a little each day. It might be just as others have said......take a few steps around the room today. Tomorrow, take those same steps then add a few more, maybe to another room. A little further each day until you're standing outside, then a few steps on the driveway. Before you know it your body, not you mind, will "motivate" you to go just a little further. I believed them, and only 2 weeks post op I believe my body. I've only lost 24 lbs since I started my pre-op liquid diet, but I feel better than I have in a very long time. Believe it or not, my knees and my ankle don't hurt nearly like they did. I don't know if it's the 24lbs, the difference in what I'm putting into my stomach or what, but I did what they suggested, and just today I not only walked to the mailbox, I walked up the street the distance of 3 houses, which are pretty far apart because we all have at least 2 acres of property between us and back without any trouble. So, believe in yourself....believe in your body and you will be able to do this.

As anyone heard that we're not to use Truvia (stevia) as a sweetener? I switched from things like Sweet n Low or Equal ages ago, and have been using the stevia type substitute for everything. I even changed it in the sugar bowl because Pete is diabetic and likes to sprinkle "sugar" on cereal, fruit and such. I wasn't told we couldn't have it, but saw another post where the patient was told not to use it? What have you heard?

@DylanRea. I have a Magic Bullet which works great for everything. It blends, chops, purees and mixes great. I like that it has different sized containers that you can use from an 8oz. cup to a 24oz. cup. I love it.

You poor kid. I hate to hear that you've gone through such a rough time. First and for most, do whatever your doctor tells you to do. I would imagine that since your system has been through so much that a good place to start is pretty much back at the beginning. Maybe not just Clear liquids,and Protein shakes, but maybe pureered solids and back to at least those 60gms of protein a day. Take it slow and don't push yourself. You have a lot of healing to do. You'll be in my thoughts and prayers.

I use almond milk most of the time, but I've also added it to tomato or chicken Soup. When I mix it with the almond milk I put a few drop of the Water flavor drops that are made my Mio or Crystal Light. I like the creamy fruit flavors. My favorite is the orange.....reminds me of a "dreamsicle".

You need to poop!!!. I hadn't gone at all when I was to the doc for my 1 week visit, and he made me stop at the drug store on the way home to get Miralax and told me to take a large dose when I got home and to take another if I didn't have results within a day. Drinking more water will help for sure. Good luck.

Hang in there. After 2 weeks of pre-op liquids another 2 weeks post op is hard. At least it has been for me too. I'll be 2 weeks out this coming Tuesday. By this past Friday I*thought I'd loose it if I didn't have something other than sweet protein shakes, and liquids. Even chicken or beef broth didn't cut it. Friday night I finally opened a can of real chicken noodle soup, tossed the noodles, pureed the chicken and carrots and put it back into the broth. I took my time and it went down fine. Yesterday I had a tiny snack cup of applesauce, and today I had some yoghurt. Everythings OK. When I see the nutritionist on Tuesday she's going to tell me to go ahead and start pureed, but I'm ahead of her. . I'm hoping that by Thanksgiving I can at least manage a taste of mashed potatoes, a little turkey pureed with some gravy. and maybe a spoon of mushy green bean casserole. I'm not cooking, my daughter in law is, and she's all worried about me starving to death. Oh, about the drain....mine was removed right before they discharged me too. I agree that it was one of the weirdest sensation I've ever had.