gal friday

I have slipped up and sipped Water while eating, it didn't feel like it was pushing the food out, it felt like I was wasting space - adding water to food to move it out backfired big time the few times I tried it! It's tricky for me because I have a renal disorder that causes me to need a higher Fluid intake (roughly 3 times what you guys drink, 4 on a really bad day), so I get horribly thirsty during meals, and I need a concrete reminder of why I shouldn't reach for that glass. When I have snack I drink with it, but not with meals. I already have to eat to slightly-less-than full, because my stomach moves food out slowly (45-60 minutes for a full stomach) and I simply can't wait that long to drink water, particularly in the evening before bed. Right now I am drinking most of my Protein overnight when I am sleeping, I'm drinking 20-40g in the form of an Isopure protein water (waking up to drink is common for people with my condition, I just replaced plain water with protein water). Balancing food intake with water intake is really hard, sometimes I simply have to choose one over the other. The isopure is such a great compromise, but it's $$$! Can our bodies break down and absorb protein in the intestines?

Surgeons are resistant to do anything other than surgery. You should look for a gastroenterologist, they are the experts on this kind of problem.

I gained 2 pounds.

I had to go back to the hospital early in my recovery too. I fought it for an entire week. I had flulike symptoms that I just tolerated and ignored because my experience in my complicated, lengthy original hospital stay had been so miserable. Finally, my doctor ordered me back. I DID NOT want to go, but I went. Turns out I had a kidney infection, and had I continued to struggle at home, I could have been in very serious trouble. Now, looking back, I'm glad I went in. I jumpstarted my recovery. If you can't stay hydrated, you should go back in. Being seriously dehydrated will compromise your ability to heal and recovery, and is dangerous anyway. The first month of my recovery was pretty hellish. But then things even out. I'm now 10 weeks out, and yes, it does get better. I have lost a lot of weight (31 pounds), and I'm not sick anymore. I just live my day to day life. The suffering was definitely worth it. You'll get over the hump too, even if now, it doesn't look like it. Hang in there.

I'm 8 weeks out from surgery, and I am having trouble wearing a bra. At first I couldn't wear one at all, it was too uncomfortable. Now I can wear one part of the day, but if I don't take it off for a main meal I'm miserable! Now, while my husband doesn't see this as a problem, and sweaters can hide the fact that I'm not wearing one, I can't wear sweaters forever. Has anyone dealt with this? Am I crazy? Why would my ribcage be getting bigger as I rapidly drop weight? As adorable as my husband is being with this issue, I do have to wear a bra when I leave the house!

I had my sleeve done 2 months ago at Bayview. Anyone else within driving distance to Baltimore had a sleeve? I'll even meet up with PA and DC sleevers.

I'm so sorry. I was in the ICU for awhile too, during my first stay. I was upset at first, but I felt the move was a good thing after a bit because I never felt ignored, everybody was on top of my treatment and able to come help me the second I needed help. They also had access to medications the other hospital units didn't have, and they could order and perform procedures the other units couldn't (that's where I got my PICC line and hardcore antibiotics). I credit the ICU for getting me healthy enough to go home. I'm sending lots of positive thoughts!

I'm in Towson, but pass through Hagerstown on my way to Deep Creek several times a year. Maybe we could meet halfway, or I could stop by on my way out.

If you have a Vitamin Shoppe in your area, they have a refrigerated case with a variety of Isopures you can taste test. I'm a HUGE fan of Isopure rtd, it's one of the few protein drinks I can tolerate. My favorites so far (I haven't tried them all) are Alpine Punch and Blue Raspberry. Grape is okay, but my husband hates it. Icy Orange is one of the most foul things I have ever tasted, but apparently it's popular. The Vitamin Shoppe will also price match their own website, so yesterday when I picked up a case of Blue Raspberry at $45, they priced matched the website which has it at $39.99. And if you get a customer loyalty card, you can earn rewards dollars that you can put towards your next order. Isopure also has the highest protein content of any protein shake or drink I've found, with 40g per bottle. I know I saleslady for Isopure, but I really do love the stuff.

That's normal. Our stomachs are supposed to stretch just a litle bit in the immediate post-op period. Your stomach isn't doing anything that it isn't supposed to be doing.

Two years ago my husband and my preschooler signed my birthday card IN FRONT OF ME. Yeah, once we left the restaurant (his favorite, not mine) and our son was in bed he got one hell of a talking to. Last year's birthday went MUCH better.

Yup. I came home from the hospital at 9 days post-op (I had non-surgical complications) and when I weighed myself a week later I was down 19 pounds. I was worried I wouldn't lose any more weight after I came home, but in my second month I was down another 10 pounds.

Mine feels like I have food backed up in my esophagus. (I don't, but that's what it feels like). I'm constantly burping these little burps. There's no pain, but it's a lot of discomfort, and when it's really bad (which it hasn't been in a month) I get really sweaty. If it's really bad, I will go throw up a little of what's in there just to et to full, as opposed to overfull.

I couldn't see it either, even after 28 pounds lost and 4 pant sizes down. But the other day, I was about to get in the shower and caught sight of myself in the mirror - and I could see, underneath the loose skin weight I hadn't lost yet, well I could see my old body. I could see it in there. It's not at the surface, but this is the first time in a decade that I could see a skinny me - she's there, I can reach her now!

I'm 9 weeks out, and after a week of battling low blood sugars, my endocrinologist took me off of my diabetes meds for good. I'm also coming off of other meds. It's a great feeling. Good job to you!

Good luck! I'm 9 weeks out and have already lost nearly 30 pounds, which is half of my goal weight loss. And I'm at my pre-baby weight. I had a failed lap band, so I was half-expecting this to be a let-down too, but it's been great!!! You'll be so happy once you step on that scale and see your weight dropping!

I totally feel you. A week after I came home from a nine day post-op stay (I was diagnosed with a rare endocrine/kidney disorder so I had to stay a week extra to treat that) I was back in the hospital for a weekend with a severe kidney infection. I fought going to the ER because I had just spent over a week in the hospital and I was miserable and sick of it, but it turned out to be the best thing for me. When I left the hospital I finally felt better! It was worth the hospital stay just to feel somewhat normal again! Good luck, and keep us posted!

I don't get hungry much either. I only ever get hungry about halfway through a main meal (lunch or dinner). It's ferocious, but I'm already eating (I'm supposed to be eating) so it's bizarre but not an issue. Other than that, it's rare for me to get hungry. I almost always forget to have my morning snack, and my afternoon snack only happens because I am giving my preschooler a snack then. It's such a relief. It helps that I am CONSTANTLY drinking Water. I have to drink way more than 64oz because I have a kidney disorder, and I think it keeps my stomach to preoccupied to think about food (if it was going to do that at all). Remember, when they removed 2/3 of our stomachs, they removed 2/3 of the hormone receptors (ghrelin) that were lying to our brains and saying we were hungry. Our brain isn't getting false messages anymore!

I have some sports bras, but they are all pretty tight. The most comfortable bra I have is actually a nursing bra, which is funny because I never nursed, I got it at my baby shower 5 years ago (we formula fed). I'll go pick up a sports bra or two. I think I may have figured the problem out though. When they were doing the surgery, they probably had to spread my ribs a bit to get to my upper stomach, which is tucked next to my lungs, underneath the ribcage. I bet my ribs just aren't all settled back to normal. It takes longer for that to happen in women because our ligaments are a little looser (assuming we've carried a pregnancy into the third trimester) due to some of the pregnancy hormones. I did eat lunch yesterday with a bra on and no problems, so maybe things are returning to normal (I preemptively skipped the bra last night because I was at a chic restaurant with my book club, and I couldn't just take my bra off mid meal!)

If you are prediabetic, you shouldn't need to have a BMI of 40, you need a BMI of 35. And ankle weights are going to get you busted.

Initially, the problem was that one of my incisions was on my bra line. Now, the issue is that the band just feels so tight, almost like I've been wearing it all day. If i'm not eating a main meal I'm okay, but when I do, the bra band feels like it is getting tighter - like a tourniquet. It's just so uncomfortable. Maybe my new stomach is located along the bra line, so when I eat more than a small snack, it expands enough to widen my rib cage? It's not hard to do, my son spent half of his pregnancy up in my rib cage, stretching everything out. It's just annoying, to feel this tight band all of a sudden, regardless of the bra I'm wearing.

Yeah, the more I think about it, the more ridiculous it seems. They don't know how the 'pouch' works? Yes they do, they told me the first time we talked about it. 1. Restriction. 2. The loss of 2/3 of the hormone receptors lying to your hypothalamus and telling your brain that you are hungry. That's how it works. Also, it's from 1980. I was born in 1980, and I'm 35.

Unless there is a rule that all surgeries must be disclosed at the time that you have them, I don't see why filling it in would hurt you. Now according to HIPAA, you do NOT have to disclose that information unless it is relevant to the work you are doing, and I wouldn't fill it out, but even if you did, you shouldn't penalized for it.

I just read that pdf. My surgeon would shoot me if he ever caught me 'Water loading'. Also, I wouldn't be able to fit any food in. In addition, I think that pdf was written for Roux en Y bypass patients. I would also get in trouble for going 1.5-2 hours without water. Aside from the fact that I have diabetes insipidus and could put myself in the hospital, even if my kidneys functioned normally, he would worry about dehydration. OP, you may want to call your surgeon and see if you can get an upper gi series done.

Yes, let water weight be your friend!