TristanNicole

Update on my transformation picture... left is September 2015 ~ 350lbs and right was today November 2016 201lbs

Id bring whatever you think you'll need that can fit in a small bag, depending how surgery goes for you, you may use all of it or you may use non of it. For me, I didn't use anything I brought to the hospital except maybe my slippers... I was really out of it the whole time I was in the hospital, going between sleep, walking the halls and watching a little TV here and there. I never got out the Ipad I brought, I only looked at my phone the last day I was there and only for maybe 20 mins. I never felt like I needed mouth spray, I've heard from others that gas medicine is nice and chapstick is good as well. I bought some sock/slippers and I did use those, it was nice to put on when I walked the halls. I never changed out of the hospital gowns, i just used one in the front and one in the back and felt comfortable enough that I didn't feel the need to change.

@@bia1nca1 Vitamin D deficiency shouldn't impact you getting surgery done, I've never heard that at least. It differs but it can take a few months for your level to get to a normal range, depending on how well you absorb the Vit D and how high the dose is.

I was also deficient before had, it runs in my family chronically, my dad had a Vitamin D level of like 2, luckily mine was at least higher than that. I take 5000 IU a day, I get the little gel caps from costco. Since you don't know you're actual level I'd start with taking 1000 IU a day to be safe. (contradicting popular belief your Vit D level can get too high, although most peoples don't).

Its encouraging that your saturation is going up, and I agree with @@NewAngela about what she wrote in regard to ferritin level and saturation. I also agree with taking Vitamin C along with your Iron supplement to see if that help, Vit C is suppose to ad in the absorption of iron. I'm an RN and we use to do Iron infusions in office, I've given about 100, maybe more infusion. It isn't a big deal for the nurse and it didn't seem to be a big deal for the patient either, the biggest complaint is usually the stick from the needle to place the IV and even then most people either said they didn't feel it or it didn't hurt. People can have allergic reactions to the iron so you'll want to be aware of how you are feeling and if you start to feel unwell. There are quite a few different types of IV Iron and some are more prone to cause reactions that others. There is also differences in the time it takes, some types its just an "IV push" where the nurse will push the medication in over like 5 mins, other types are an infusion that can take up to a few hours and it goes in more slowly. For my doctors I work with we ususally start looking at IV iron when saturation is 15% or less, 20% and up is normal I believe. Keep working at what you are doing and you should get into normal levels and then you wont have to worry about the infusions at all!

September 2015 to May 2016

I agree with Stefanie, I too had super thick hair, the hairloss started around month 2.5-3 and its finally basically stopped at month 6, it was hard but there really wasn't anything I could do about it. No amount of Protein, Biotin or special shampoos made a difference, I finally just gave in a cut my hair to about shoulder length which made it more manageable.

There are some things you wont be able to eat this soon after surgery, cheese or as James said, lactose may be one of those things. I have come across MANY things that when I first tried them, they did not agree with my bypass, I'm now almost 7 months post op and I'm starting to find that some of those things that I tired earlier that didn't work, now do. Its a guessing game... almost like Russian roulette, put it in and see what happens, its not fun but its how it goes.

Out of surgery my surgeon only recommended I get 2 liters of Fluid a day, that is the same now but more is always welcome. You wont be dehydrated on even a 1.5 liters but as always more is better. Id say you can have a goal of 3 liters a day but just drink as much as you can. You'd have to basically not be drinking any Water to hurt your kidneys any and even in that case it would have to be for a long time before you'd do any permanent damage. I've got patients who already have kidney disease and the only water they drink in a day is enough to take their medicine, otherwise they drink coffee and soda

Thanks for checking in @@rebirth1029, I've got to admit I'm not spending as much time on this forum anymore, yesterday was my 6 month post op date as well! HW 355, SW 324, yesterday 243, 112 gone!

I started by just telling my parents and then my mother is able to keep anything a secret so she told my aunt, which I was okay with. I only told my boss at work but when I came back it seemed like everyone knew (my sister also works for the same department so I'm not sure if she told or my boss did), anyway it wasn't a big deal, and everyone was happy for me and thought it was a good thing. Now I honestly dont care who knows, and you are correct, people will guess. There is one girl I see once a month who works in a different clinic and she asked, at first I didn't want to say so I just told her with diet and exercise, which is true, but not completely, its become more a hassle now that I didn't tell her because she asks how I'm doing every time I see her and will always ask again that I'm only doing diet and exercise, I'm too deep in it now to say otherwise, I wish I would have just told the truth in the first place (she is really nice and supportive and now I just feel like a liar).

Yes, to have insurance even consider covering it has to be prescribed by a doctor, but even then, most insurance wont pay for it, you can still get it from the pharmacy but you'll have to pay out of pocket, and sometimes its just cheaper to get them OTC.

@@achappex3 being scared is totally normal, I was actually okay and pretty excited up until the day before/day of when I was completely terrified. Just the thought of surgery and everything is what really got to me, but everything went fine.

There are alot more people our age that have the surgery than you know! I was 25 when I had surgery, my date was 10/19/15 and I had gastric bypass... the longer out I've gone from surgery the less I care that people know. I don't know if you have instagram or not but that is where ive found alot of people our age posting about their journeys! If you are interested you can find my weight loss surgery instagram at rny_101915 and feel free to message me here or there.

I took two weeks off for my RNY, I'm a nurse in an office as well and it was plenty of time, I could have taken less time. But on busy days after I went back I would get light headed pretty often.