bugsy72

I have had Hair loss since about 3 months and I'm at 7 months now. I've been coloring my hair every 6 weeks since the beginning and haven't noticed any change when I color it. Losing my hair makes me feel bad enough about my hair, ugly roots would just make it worse so I've chosen to keep coloring it. There hasn't been any damage to my hair, it's just shedding and I think that is just from the surgery. I actually just chopped it off pretty short and it's much better!

I color my hair every 4 weeks. I never had breakage at all.
The Hair loss is shedding and it will happen regardless of whether you color or not. Yes, I shed a lot but it is back to being thick again and still growing in.
I will say also that the texture of my hair changed. I had body before now I have even more to the point where it is actually curly.
I saw 3 different doctors about this and there really is nothing u can do to stop it. Just take Biotin for healthy regrowth.

My surgery was Monday 12/14 and I'm actually going into the ER today because they think I may have some internal bleeding. I have a very large very dark purple bruise spreading across and now down my belly from the middle incision. I don't have a fever, blood pressure is good and the "Normal" pain from surgery is almost gone after five days. This whatever it is going on with my middle incision though is seriously killing me, pain medication doesn't help and now today for the first time I'm having a hard time getting fluids in, which I think is being caused by how swollen my belly is, it keeps swelling more and more from that middle incision. I'll post an update after the hospital. So weird, lol. I still DO NOT regret my decision in the slightest.

Thanks...so looking forward to this surgery...because it is scheduled for Dec 28 I feel as though it is my Christmas gift to me!I have so many things I want to do...feeling good and carrying less weight will allow my to excel in all areas of my life....you guys keep me inspired! Thanks.

So after my rant, I thought I'd let you know the scale moved today, like two and a half pounds. Yay! Consistency and patience are definitely the words of the day/week/month/year/lifetime!

So after my rant, I thought I'd let you know the scale moved today, like two and a half pounds. Yay! Consistency and patience are definitely the words of the day/week/month/year/lifetime!

So how is everyone doing now that the surgery is over? I had mine Dec 1 and sometimes I have to pinch myself to remind myself that I DID IT! It's over! I'm on the OTHER SIDE now! That feels great. i'm doing everything I'm supposed to do and have dropped 22 pounds (including the pre-diet). i'm thrilled with that number. Every day the scale drops. What a fun way to start the day!
My scars are healing and not really sore anymore.
I do find that I'm more tired than I used to be. I am 61 years old, but have always had plenty of energy to get things done. I run around all the time doing errands and helping family members who need assistance. I have to pace myself.
One problem I'm having is planning for "meals" or Snacks when I'm running around. I can't wait until I can eat a Protein bar...those are so mobile. But it's hard to take 2oz of yogurt or 1/2 c of creamed, strained Soup for lunch in the car! Oh well, these weeks will pass quickly.
Tonight I tried pureeing cottage cheese because that is in my phase two "full liquids" weeks (week 2 and 3 for me). I added a little milk so it would puree better and ugh! That was disgusting. I'm not looking forward to the puree weeks (weeks 4 and 5).
So how is everyone else doing? I'm doing fine getting the Protein and Fluid in.
I went to a christmas brunch this morning and there was quite a spread and....i hardly gave it a look. Didn't eat a thing, of course.
Merry Christmas!

I think my doctor must be conservative, protecting the pouch....allowing it time to heal. That's what I was told. I had one week of clear liquids, now I'm on two weeks of "full liquids." Then two weeks of pureed. Then one week of "soft" like cottage cheese, applesauce etc. THEN...week seven...normal foods as tolerated.

Hello fellow December surgery peeps! I had my surgery on the 16th and my bottom end woke up at 2:00 a.m. on Friday. Now Friday evening and have pretty severe gas but am doing well overall. I'm not in nearly as much pain as I had expected. I've had two 27 gram Protein Shakes today and chicken broth with 6 grams of Protein for lunch - will do the same at 8:00 p.m. So I will have gotten the 60 in. I can't wait for this gassy part to be finished though, at times it takes my breath away! I try to focus on the breathing exercises they gave us at the hospital and that helps a lot. Overall, on the mend and doing well, no regrets!

You are welcome. This is one of those things I wish I had learned pre-op. It might have saved me years of frustration and yo-yo dieting.

@@Inner Surfer Girl, thank you! Thanks for the link to the longer info about "stalls," too!
You are absolutely right......sigh.

Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the process. Almost everyone experiences their first stall about three weeks post-op.
Embrace the Stall!
http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

It seems that at least 50% of the posts on BariatriPal are bemoaning a stall. Daily, and sometimes hourly, I am reading about how someone ONLY lost x number of pounds and now the scale hasn't moved in ___ [fill in the blank] days/months, etc. Oh no, they write, I am a failure/unique/my surgery didn't work/life is not fair, ... Why am I in a stall?
I know I am exaggerating but I think you get the idea.
Guess what? STALLS are a NORMAL part of the PROCESS of losing weight. If you want to lose weight, you will stall. Not just once, but over and over. And, guess what? A stall is where your body actually does the hard work of becoming smaller. It takes a lot of work and energy to dismantle a structure that has been holding up, in some cases, hundreds of pounds.
For those who think they have to DO something to somehow "break a stall" (in my opinion, you do not break a stall, you just ride them out), here is my response:
What can you do to "break" a stall?
1) STAY OFF THE SCALE
Relax and stay off the scale if it bothers you so much. Weigh no more than once a week, or even less often. Weighing only at your doctor's appointments early in the process is a good strategy if your mood and self-worth are dictated by the numbers on the scale.
2) PICK UP A TAPE MEASURE
In addition to using the numbers on the scale to measure your progress, take your measurements. Inches lost are also a great way to see physical progress when the scale isn't moving. Most people see the biggest physical changes in their body when the scale seems stuck.
3) TRACK YOUR Protein AND Water AND MEET OR EXCEED YOUR PROTEIN AND WATER GOAL EVERY DAY
As long as you are getting in all your protein and water and following your NUT and surgeon's instructions, you are doing what you are supposed to do.
If you aren't getting in all your protein and water, then increasing your protein and water is something you can do (and should be doing anyway whether or not you are in a stall).
4) EXERCISE
If you aren't exercising, then you can exercise (and should be whether or not you are in a stall). You can start slowly by walking or even moving more around the house. Exercising will help you feel better, tone your skin and build fat-burning muscle.
5) MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR NUT
If you are unsure or unclear about what you are supposed to be, or should not be eating, then make an appointment with your NUT (which you should be doing whether or not you are in a stall).
6) REASSESS AND REEVALUATE
About the only good result I see that comes from complaining about a stall is when you take an honest look at what you are doing and realign with the program recommended by your NUT and surgeon. Have you started eating more outside of your plan? Are you restricting calories? Are you eating enough carbs and protein for your exercise? Are you taking your Vitamins? Are you eating often enough? Are you eating slowly with protein first? Sometimes, all you need to DO is go back to basics.
7) JOURNAL
One of the biggest things I have noticed from the various posts is how anxious and out-of-control some people feel when they notice a stall. Journaling can help you gain some perspective and deal with some of the emotional turmoil.
-- Write about how you are feeling about the stall and your weight loss, and surgery in general.
-- Write about why you had the surgery in the first place.
-- Write about what life was like before surgery.
-- Write about what you hope and dream about accomplishing in the future.
-- Write about your fears.
-- Write about your NSVs.
-- Make a gratitude list.
-- Make a bucket list.
-- Write a letter to your old self; write a letter to your new self.
Just write.
8) SEEK HELP
Stalls are when too many people seem to revert to old, counterproductive dieting behaviors (restricting calories, over exercising, bingeing, etc.). If this is you, then another thing you can DO is to talk to a counselor or therapist or consider joining a bariatric support group or a twelve-step group like Overeater's Anonymous.
The discomfort of being in a stall can also drive people to develop new, unhealthy coping habits or even transfer addictions. This is where you want to marshall all the resources you have available to you and use them.
The last, and most important thing you can DO is:
9) EMBRACE THE STALL
Stalls are a normal and natural part of the process.
Our bodies are complex systems and not simple machines.
Stalls go hand-in-hand with weight loss.
If you had Weight Loss Surgery, then you probably want to lose a significant amount of weight. So, get ready to embrace the many stalls you will experience as your body is transformed. It will be worth it.

yeah, stalls are common. I stalled just one week after surgery. The scale didn't budge for 4 solid weeks. When I went to my NUT she told me that my body was just adjusting and that the weight would start coming off again. She upped my calories to 800 a day and told me to move towards 1000 by 3 months out. My stall broke and I lost another 10 lbs before the next stall...
My surgeon said basically the same thing at my 2 month check up. He said that with many people weigh loss happens like stair steps. We take a step down - then there is a plateau for awhile while our body adjusts - then we take another step down.
So...don't be overly concerned. You have lost a lot in a very short period of time. Let your body catch up. Keep following whatever your doctor's plan is and eventually the stall will break and you will start losing again (until the next stall )

I am going to go with yes, your body is adjusting. Just make sure you are getting in Fluid and Protein, and if you aren't walking a lot, you should be. It will pass and your body is still healing

1 week post op and I can have full liquids! Never thought I'd be this excited for 2 T. yogurt and a Protein Shake.

@@bugsy72 That sounds like a great variety too, good! I've noticed today that I do better with flavored liquids than Water just as it is. I've got some orange vanilla mio drops and that is helping a lot today. Premier Protein is what I used today and I was actually able to get in 60g Protein (my nut wants me to get 60-70) And counting those Protein Shakes I've gotten about 60 oz of water. It's like a miracle! Just yesterday I didn't think I'd be able to do it. Hopefully, tomorrow I'll be able to keep it up. Thank you so much for your advice I figure if I can get some wisdom from anyone that has been through this, I'll have other ideas when what I'm doing isn't working for me. Thank you thank you!

@@Klolojadie, congrats on your surgery. It's over! You're on the other side! : )
I was surprised by how much pain I was in right at first, too. But it goes away with each passing day. You'll see. I'm two weeks out now, and my middle section is a bit tender, but I quit pain Syrup quite a while ago, even at night.
As for fluids, I count everything i drink as Fluid. So my Protein shakes give me about 27 oz alone. I make a carnation instant Breakfast (low sugar) shake with milk and ice, and it grows to about 16 oz. Then the 11 oz bottle of Premier Protein gets me to 27. I usually drink two bottles of Fruit2-0 during the day. It's flavored Water, 16 oz ea, so that gets me to 59 ounces. Just a few ounces of other liquid like a little diluted juice puts me over 60.
And that's how *I* get my fluids in!

keep sipping your liquids and walk as much as you can. I am sure they sent you home with instructions (and hopefully pain meds) By day 3 I was off my pain meds and walking every hour or two for 5 minutes. They gave me little medicine cups that held 1 oz fluids and I believe I drank 5 or 6 of them an hour. On day 2 it was just broth or Water - day three they added 1 oz Protein per hour - then I progressed from there. If you were not given instructions call your office or NUT. Seems like I had 3 or 4 people give me materials (NUT, pre-op class, discharge nurse, and the nurse from my doctor's office) -
Congrats on your surgery - the first week or so is rough because of the gas pains and not being able to get in much Protein and Water. You just have to keep working at it slowly and know that everything will work out.

Thank you all so much for your wonderful advice and encouragement. I am now 13 days post op and have found that drinking is much easier! WHEW! I learned to stop timing myself to drink every 15 minutes as my NUT instructed and just sip Water all day long. I'm able to get all my fluids down now and feel much better! NOW I want FOOD!!! LOL

My surgery is scheduled for Dec 28

@@bugsy72 they only kept me in the hospital one night and when I was released, they moved me to phase 2 which are the Protein Shakes and Clear Liquids. They said I was doing well enough to start. I went back to work yesterday too. I'm actually at work now. No rest for the weary

I discovered a flavored Water called "Fruit 2 O" that I purchase at Sam's Club. It's distributed by Sunny Delight. You might want to check it out. It comes with raspberry, strawberry, grape, and lemon flavors. I like it better than some of the other flavored waters.
I also use carnation instant Breakfast (no sugar added) with a cup of milk for Breakfast. That helps my liquids. I also started adding a scoop of powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury Protein this morning, so it was 34 grams of Protein, too! Some people say we're not really absorbing more than 25g in an hour but...i don't know anything about that.
i also drink a pure Protein Drink once a day and that has 35 grams in it. So between those two, i meet the protein requirement without any problem.
I had my RNY on December 1, so i'm right there at the same place you are.

1 week post op today. I am feeling better each day. Last week I really thought a made a big mistake!!! My surgery lasted almost 4 hours. I had alot of scar tissue from previous surgeries. I think I will live now!!! Down 14 lbs.

Yes! I am always freezing even in the house. In Chicago also