catwoman7

I agree with GradyCat - the loss of taste/appetite the first few months isn't abnormal, but the weakness/inability to stand four weeks out IS. I'd call your surgeon.

you may be onto something with the lactose intolerance idea - it's not all that uncommon after surgery

I can eat pickled ginger, so you may be fine. Ginger is actually calming for stomachs (don't know about whatever they pickle it in, though - but whatever it is, it doesn't bother MY stomach)

you're going to start blowing through sizes really fast, so I personally wouldn't buy anything new except for things like underwear and swim suits (well, you could get those used too, I suppose - but the thought of that creeps me out). Goodwill and other thrift stores are your friends. Spending $4 on something you can only wear for a month is way better than spending $30 (or more) for it.

read, read, read. I spent a lot of time on internet forums (like this one) reading current and old threads, and also reading Web sites and books so I was SUPER prepared going into surgery.

yes. Some people even go down a size or two. My size stayed the same, but I now wear a medium instead of a wide.

I did some of that, too - not a lot, but some. The thing is, at some point you'll be able to eat a lot of those foods again, so it's not like a permanent farewell. Everyone's different, of course, but the only food on your list that I have a hard time tolerating anymore would be the crab rangoon. The fat in it wouldn't sit well with my stomach. A bite or two would probably "work", though.

I agree with the above poster. Lactose intolerance is not all that uncommon after surgery

that's definitely on the high side. I don't remember what I lost the first 10 days, but I lost 16 lbs the entire first *month*. I know it's very common for super heavy people like 600 lb Lifers to drop 30+ lbs the first month, that's pretty high for us more "normal" WLSers. I don't have any research to back this up, but just hanging out on various internet boards for the last five years or so, I would say that most of us lose somewhere in the 15-25 lb range the first month. So you are well ahead of the pack!

you will get a LOT of mileage out of that malabsorption, so I wouldn't be too upset about it. The malabsorption component is why the DS is such a powerful surgery (moreso than the other popular surgeries). Plus if it was dangerous to cut into your stomach due to pre-existing issues, then be glad he didn't do it. I wouldn't want to risk my life on something like that. You WILL lose the weight with that malabsorption piece.

hair loss to the point you have to wear wigs is pretty uncommon. Most people "shed" - some a little, some a lot - for many of us, it's really only noticeable to us, not to others. I didn't lose much hair. I did notice extra strands in my comb when I combed it out after washing it, but had I just looked at my head, I would never have noticed. Some people shed to the point of getting some thin spots on their head, but again, often they're the only one who notices it.

no reason to take it if you don't need it. Constipation is constant problem for many of us, but not everyone. Consider yourself lucky!

my husband stayed home with me the first week and it was helpful having him around to get things for me, etc, but I probably would have been OK on my own. Especially after the first couple of days, it really wasn't needed.

the generic name is polyethylene glycol, so the brand name(s) might be different if you live outside of the US. It's just a mild laxative that's safe to use every day (well, unless you take a ton of it - but a capful or less is fine for daily use, according to my doctor). It's a tasteless powder you mix into beverages. A lot post-ops take it to stay on top of the constipation issue.

it'll stop. Then it will grow back. And for many of us, we're the only ones who really notice it.

loose skin is a very individual thing depending on so many factors. Some people have a lot of it, others don't. It's hard to tell how yours is going to be. Like the above poster said, your age is a big advantage, but you're probably going to have at least some with a 100 lb loss. For most of us, though, it's pretty easy to hide. I knew mine was there, of course, as did my husband and doctor, but no one else did. Most of mine was in my abdomen, so I just tucked the skin into my jeans or leggings and wore slightly oversized, longish tops to cover it up. Ta da! Gone. I did finally get sick of looking at it, though, and had it removed, but I highly doubt anyone who sees me can tell a difference. Naked - yes - but with clothes on - no. I just want to add that a majority of pre-ops and early post-ops seem to be really obsessed with loose skin. I've worked with pre-op groups for the past two years and that question comes up EVERY TIME. I would also say that after losing all that weight, many of us (me too!) wonder why we wasted even one brain cell worrying about it. Losing a ton of the excess weight MAJORLY offsets the loose skin thing. I would take my loose skin any day over weighing 300+ lbs again. ANY DAY!!!! btw - here is a picture of me BEFORE I had plastic surgery. I lost over 200 lbs. See all that loose skin? I don't, either...

I only kept those that were one size larger. Everything else - out!! Figured it'd be an incentive to stay where I was weight-wise. I did have a 12 lb bounce back after hitting my lowest weight (and keep in mind a 10-20 lb regain is pretty common). Also, having a few things in the larger size helped after plastic surgery because I was too swollen to fit into some of my things (esp pants). But I had no need for size 4x and 5x things anymore...

a lot of surgeons don't seem to have an issue with coffee (some do, though). The smoking and alcohol restrictions seem to be pretty universal, though.

UGH!! I would hate that!! I guess if she doesn't stop, just pass it on to a friend, neighbor, or take it to work. She may even stop doing it if she knows you're just giving it away to someone else. Or another idea - if she refuses to stop, tell her you're tossing it into the trash from now on??

depends on the surgeon. I didn't have one.

I just take it when I'm backed up - maybe once or twice a month. I do take a capful of Miralax every day, though.

You started out at a lower BMI than many of us; thus, your weight loss is probably going to be slower. That said, you are doing great!

it's pretty common. I had a breast lift as part of my body contouring surgery. Ta da! They look better than they did when I was 20!

re: the GERD - no, it doesn't happen to everyone.

you're the billionth person to hit that early stall. almost all of us get that. It's called the 3 week stall, but it can happen anywhere within the first 4-6 weeks of surgery. Just stick to your plan and it'll eventually break