Champ715

@@Whitney1968 I forgot to mention I've had two doses of Miralax. The laxatives are all working. They give me the urge to go, it's just nothing comes out. I'm hoping a few more days on the stool softener will work.

This is one of those TMI topics but I've seen it posted here before so I thought I'd go ahead and ask. I will be three weeks post op tomorrow and have only had two bowel movements, both of which were over a week ago. I have tried a small dose of laxative, which gave me the urge to go but nothing would come out. I bought some Dulcolax stool softener last night and was able to take one (the dosage is 1-3 caplets) but it made me very nauseated. Am I over thinking this? Is this normal? Maybe I just need to up the dosage? I have been drinking a lot of milk lately for additional Calcium and Protein so today I'm sticking with just Water in hopes that helps a bit. I read about this on all the other topics but didn't quite find the answer I was looking for. I'm just wondering if I should stick with the stool softener for a while longer or if I should go ahead and call the doctor. This is the only surgery I've ever had so I'm not sure what the "norm" is. My doctor and nut didn't give me any pre-op advice on the topic either. Just wanted to get some advice from the veterans. Thanks in advance!

There was a thread started on this topic a few weeks ago. You can find it here: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/353116-labs-are-back-patchmd-seems-to-be-working/

I'm two weeks post op today and still have this feeling. I feel so thirsty all the time so I probably take bigger sips than I should. I get that full/pressure feeling in my chest after I drink anything. I'm still dealing with a bit of nausea too. I'm seeing my surgeon today so hopefully he'll give me some clarity on how long it takes to heal and when these feelings go away. I feel your pain!

5 days post op is still very early. I'm 11 days post op and still figuring everything out. Just give it time and go at your own pace. I was having the same feelings you are and my nurse told me that I'm only in competition with myself. She said just try to do a little more today than you did yesterday. It's only been a week. You don't have to conquer the world right now.

I am a little over a week post op and the Unjury protein is absolutely sickening to me now. Each flavor tastes so sweet that is makes me nauseated immediately. Even the premier shakes make me sick just to smell them. I think it's because I'm on the full liquid phase so everything I'm allowed is sweet (pudding, yogurt, jello, etc.) I'm just so tired of sweet things! Yuck!

I am only one week post op, so please keep that in mind when you read my post. This first week has been pretty up-and-down for me. Physically, I feel pretty good. The first few days were rough, as to be expected, but I've gotten better each day. The soreness in my abdomen is almost gone now and I can finally sleep in the bed with no discomfort (I was stuck in the recliner for the first 5 days). The only physical thing I'm dealing with now is some back pain but it will go away soon I'm sure. Drinking has been fairly easy for me. I only have two bad spells of nausea but other than that, I've been able to keep everything down just fine. Gas pain was also minimal. Now, I want to tell you about how I'm feeling emotionally and mentally. This surgery has honestly been the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I know I have a food addiction and this withdrawal has been rough. Really rough. I feel like I lost a relationship. I am a stage now where I am feeling deep regret, depression, and sadness. I ask myself questions like "What have I done?", "Will I ever be able to enjoy food again?", "Will I always feel so hungry and deprived?". I went to the grocery store with my fiance last night and even though I wasn't hungry, my brain told me I wanted EVERYTHING. I ended up a crying mess because I felt like I will never be able to enjoy anything again. I know all these feelings will pass (keep in mind, I'm only a week out) but right now I feel like I got hit by a bulldozer emotionally. My insurance even required a psych evaluation, which I passed with flying colors but I was absolutely not prepared for these feelings. I'm not saying you will have these same feelings but I just want to give you a heads up. Nobody told me how hard this would be. Or, maybe they did and I just didn't listen because I thought it would be easier. I just want you to consider that you may be a roller coaster of emotions after your surgery. Best wishes to you. There are a lot of helpful people on the forums so I'm sure you'll get some great advice. I hope your journey is smooth and easy!

I have seen her comments on many posts and several times she has said things that are wrong. Or, she says things that were just her personal experience as if it is the hard truth for everyone. For example, when she said "no ifs ands or buts" about the rings. That may have been her experience but she shouldn't say it will be everyone's experience. That kind of statement is misleading, especially for newbies. Everyone's experience will be different. Also, I never professed to be an expert so I'm not sure where that came from. Calm down.

I just had my surgery last Wednesday 9/30. I was an outpatient and went home Thursday. I planned to return to work Monday but still felt pretty tired and exhausted. I did a half day yesterday and was completely worn out by the time I got home. My back was killing me from sitting in my desk chair for 5 hours (even though I got up and walked around periodically). I'm doing a half day the rest of this week then hopefully back to full days next week. I have a desk job too. PS one reason I'm doing half days this week is just to get enough sleep. The first few days I was having to sleep in a recliner and just couldn't get well rested. I've been in the bed the past two nights but it's still tricky to find your comfortable spot. I've been going to bed around 11pm and waking up around 8 or 9 am so I guess I needed the extra sleep.

I wish I had this problem! I'm 6 days post op and feel hungry all the time :-/

I have been using the unjury strawberry lemonade powder in my Water bottle. It was fine the first few days but now the sweetness is nauseating to me. This morning I mixed it with greek yogurt and coconut milk in a smoothie and it was MUCH more tolerable. I think the thicker consistency helped me. The powder in nothing but water was just yucky.

You post a lot of stuff with incorrect information. If someone can't get their jewelry off, the hospital staff will tape over it in almost all circumstances. Please check your sources before you give out information so willingly.

I got the Opurity Multivitamin and I like it so far. It's a one-per-day, which I really like. I've been able to keep it down no problem as long as I wash it down with a few sips of Water.

I was only told to take a Multivitamin and a Calcium supplement. I've heard other people have to take Iron but that wasn't required for me. I bought the Opurity multivitamin because it's one-per-day and all the others I found were two-per-day. I took my first one yesterday and it stayed down with no problem. I also bought the Opurity calcium but I don't like them so far. It was recommended that I get at least 1000 mg calcium per day and the Opurity calcium requires 4 chewables a day to get that much. Yuck. I'm going to switch to the Celebrate calcium chewable because it would only be 2 chewables per day. My NUT also told me not to take your calcium and iron together if you're required to take both. You can take the mulitivitamin and calcium together but I haven't been doing that. I take my multivitamin in the morning with my 2 oz of Fluid then one dose of calcium around lunchtime and the second dose around dinnertime. So far that is what has been working for me.

How are you feeling today? I was in the same boat as you just two days ago. I had an overwhelming feeling of depression and regret. I cried for hours just trying to make sense of everything. I've found that I feel a little better each day. I feel a hundred times better today than I did just two days ago. I still feel hungry and very limited on food but I'm trying to focus on the positives of each day. I installed a counter on my phone to countdown to when I can have solid food again. Only 44 days so that helps to see! This part of the process is no fun at all but it is all temporary. Just try to focus on how good you'll feel months from now. This is just the beginning of the rest of your life. You have a very long road of good days ahead of you. Just do you best to get over this little hump. Hang in there!

They didn't send me home with anything for acid reflux. I spoke to the nurse this morning and she says it's not acid, it's just that the opening to my stomach is barely any bigger than a pencil eraser right now (I'm 6 days post op). She says I probably just drank too fast or took too big of a sip. I still feel like it's acid but we'll see how it goes.

My nurse told me that whenever I feel pressure right below my breastbone that this is my sleeve telling me it's full. The problem is I feel this pressure all day; it just gets worse after I try to eat or drink. I feel like my water is going down my throat and just sitting right at the top of my stomach but not actually going in. I feel the pressure AND hunger at the same time. The nurse told me gas should have worked its way out by now so what could it be? Acid maybe? It's so weird to feel hungry and simultaneously feel like I can't get anything in. Help!

I am experiencing the same feelings. I am filled with regret and can't see the positives to come down the road. Hopefully it gets better.

I know I just posted a few days ago but I was still doped up on pain killers and not very lucid. I just had my surgery on Wednesday so I'm only 4 days post op. The nausea has subsided for the most part but I'm still having some pain around the incision area as well as pressure from trapped gas. I'm walking as much as I'm supposed to but I get exhausted very quickly and feel the need to nap for hours every day. I am overwhelmed with constantly trying to sip sip sip and remember when to drink/eat. I am feeling lots of regret and wondering what did I do to myself? Will life always be like this? will I ever be able to go out with friends again without worrying about over eating? Will I ever be able to enjoy food again? I feel like I'm not myself anymore. I have no energy and I've lost my sense of humor. I just want to feel normal again and right now I feel super depressed. Does it get better?

I am on day 2 post op and I feel absolutely miserable. I can't keep any main medicine down. I can only tolerate water, broth, and half a Popsicle. I am in so much pain and discomfort and just want to feel better. How long did it take for you to start feeling better? I know it's different for everyone but I'm just curious.

My experience has been that insurance companies strictly enforce the rules because they want to find any and every excuse not to pay for your surgery. They will probably deny you if your BMI was below 40 at any point in the last 3 years. However, your doctor can submit an appeal and fight them. They may come back and approve you then. All insurance companies and policies are different so your best bet is to call your provider and ask them directly.

My surgery date is next Wednesday 9/30!

I got my insurance approval on Monday and I'm scheduled for surgery next Wednesday, 9/30. This whole time I haven't been nervous but the nerves are finally setting in now that I know it's happening! I've made a list of things to bring with me but I know I can't anticipate everything. Can anyone give me some helpful tips to calm my nerves and make sure I don't forget anything! Input is greatly appreciated! Thanks everyone!

I just got my insurance approval Monday and now I'm waiting for the surgery date. My surgeon's office actually refused to schedule the surgery before they got the insurance approval. It's so odd how everyone is different.

That's odd. I have BCBS of Alabama and was weighed by either the nutritionist or the nurse every time during my 6 month visits. I have only seen the doctor twice during my whole process, once at the beginning and once at the end.