catwoman7

you're fine. I was exactly the same. Be glad that you're having an easy recovery - I did as well!

as long as you're following your clinic's plan, you'll lose the weight, whether fast or slow. Although 17 lbs during months 2 and 3 post-op isn't unusual. Most people see their biggest drop during month 1 (and honestly, a big chunk of that is water). They then settle in to a more normal pattern. I lost about 10 lbs a month from months 2-6, but then, I started out much heavier than you did. And your 17 lb vs my 20 lb loss during those months, esp given the huge difference in our starting BMIs, isn't statistically significant. stalls typically last 1-3 weeks - but a month isn't unusual. Just make sure you're following your program to a "T", and the stall will break.

I *can* use straws. I rarely do due to environmental concerns, but I do sometimes, like if I'm driving. I avoided them for the first few months out, but I have no problem with them.

that seems to be a fairly common revision for GERD sufferers. I'm sure some others will chime in, too (I've never had a revision - but several people on here have)

I took three weeks off but could have gone back after two. I had a desk job.

there seems to be no consensus among surgeons re: coffee. Some don't want you to have it ever again in your life (or at least the caffeinated kind), other patients are drinking it in the hospital the day after surgery. Some say to wait a month - or three months - or six months - before having it, and still others say it's OK in small amounts (like one cup a day). So...there you go. I could drink decaf pretty quickly after surgery - maybe three weeks or so after? - but i had to wait six months for the real stuff. Anyway, I know this isn't helpful - but just know that surgeons are all across the board on this.

I started out at 373 lbs. I am in my 60s (had surgery 6+ years ago while still in my 50s). I was overweight my whole life, and morbidly (and for a few years, super morbidly) obese since my 30s. I tried program after program after program. On my more successful attempts, I'd lose 50-60 lbs (and on my less successful, 10-20 lbs), keep it off for awhile, and then the weight would come piling back on. Happened over and over and over again. I finally got to the point where I realized this wasn't working for me. I had over 200 lbs to lose, and I couldn't even lose 50 and keep it off for more than a couple of months. The truth is, fewer than 5% of people can lose a lot of weight and keep it off. I proved to myself that I was not one of those lucky 5%. It could be that you are - I don't know. But weight loss surgery was the only thing that actually "worked" for me. My efforts paid off. I lost over 200 lbs. I've gained back 20 of it over the intervening years, but a 10-20 lb rebound is common after hitting your lowest weight. I've managed to stay there (after stabilizing at 20 lbs above my lowest weight) for a few years now. I'm not saying to do it or not do it. If you're one of the people who can successfully lose a ton of weight and keep it off (and there are a few people out there who CAN), then you're very fortunate and may not need to do this. But I couldn't. I finally decided to go through with the surgery. and I'm so very glad I did. I should have done this YEARS ago!

happens to most people after weight loss surgery. It's actually a potential side effect of ANY major surgery, but I think it occurs more often after weight loss surgery than some of the others because in addition to the surgery itself (surgery causes a lot of stress and trauma to the body), we're also taking in very few calories those first few months. some people swear by supplements like Biotin, but others say it does absolutely nothing. So the jury is out on that. The best thing you can do is keep on top of your protein and vitamins so it doesn't get any worse than it will anyway. But know that for most of us, even though WE notice it, others don't, and it'll stop falling out after a couple of months and will grow back in. It's very unusual for it to fall out in noticeable clumps (happens to some - but again, very unusual). More often, it's just a lot of "shedding" and isn't really noticeable to others. I lost hair between months 5-8. No one else noticed it - and it all grew back.

I don't think most policies cover revision unless there's some sort of mechanical failure with the first surgery, or if there's some medical issue like severe GERD. And some won't even cover things like that - I have a friend who's had horrible problems with her 10-year-old lapband the last couple of years (constant vomiting, etc), and her policy refuses to cover a revision. Although keep checking around - hopefully you'll find one that does. A majority don't seem to - maybe a few do...

that's not uncommon. It can take up to a week, and that first one can be a doozy!

I'm actually never paid attention to that with respect to strength training, but then, I eat a lot of protein *anyway* (usually around 100 grams - and often up to 120 or so)

I wasn't a revision, but I chose bypass from the start because I had GERD pre-op. I'm still happy with my decision and i'd make the same choice if I had to make it today. As you said, bypass usually (not always, but usually) greatly improves if not outright cures GERD. Sleeve has about 30% risk of making it worse. I didn't want to take the risk.

^^ ditto what the other two posters said. I agree with them. Very common experience.

I lost all hunger and all interest in food until about month 5 post-op. Not uncommon. And it was WONDERFUL! I wish my hunger and appetite had never come back! It was so liberating not to think about food - ever. And so easy to lose weight when I didn't give a flip about food! Savor it and take full advantage of it. For most of it, it does eventually come back, and then things get a lot more challenging.

I'm a MyFitnessPal user, too

might be some kind of food intolerance - maybe sugar alcohols? (i.e, artificial sweeteners with names that end in "-itol" - like xylitol and maltitol). A lot of people get G/I problems from those. I know some people who've had the duodenal switch have trouble with carbs in general - not sure about people who just have the sleeve, though. But sugar alcohols do bother a lot of people. Or I suppose it could be some other food intolerance - lactose, maybe? I agree with the response above that you may want to try eliminating certain things from your diet to see if it's something you're eating

12 lbs in four days is a lot!!

most people sleep most of the time they're there, so don't take much! Phone and charger for sure. Some people get dry mouth from the anesthesia and like having Chapstick and Biotene spray with them. Comfy, easy-to-put on clothes for the ride home (I wore the same thing home that I wore to the hospital). I also brought some basic toiletries, but I didn't need to because the hospital gave me a bag of them (deodorant, shampoo, toothbrush and toothpaste)

yes - it's due to transfer addiction. Unfortunately, it's not uncommon among WLS patients.. I think they want to make sure you have your eating issues under control so you just don't substitute alcohol for food in response to stress, etc. I was told to wait a year as well.

FOLLOW YOUR PROGRAM! 15-17 lbs in month 1 is very normal. I lost 16 lbs the first month, and I started out well over 300 lbs. A 15-25 lb loss in the first month is a pretty normal range. I think the issue is that a lot of people's expectations are shaped by shows like "My 600 lb Life". You have to keep in mind that those people start at well over 600 lbs - so that are not your average WLS patient. Don't go back to all liquids if it's only an attempt to speed up your weight loss. You need to follow your program. The weight WILL come off if you stick to your program. I promise!

I've had four surgeries in my lifetime. It's like the others have said - one minute you're chatting with the nurses, the next minute you're in the recovery room. It's kind of bizarre....

stalls happen to almost everyone. Just stick to your program and stay off your scale for a few days. And know that it WILL break. Since it's been almost three weeks, it should break really soon... as far as being a slow loser, people lose at different rates for all different reasons - age, gender, body composition (% of muscle), genetics, starting BMI, whether or not you lost weight before surgery, etc. The only two factors that you really have any control over are activity level and how closely you stick to your program. If you do well with those two factors, you WILL lose weight, whether fast or slow. I was a slow-loser from the very beginning, and I ended up losing over 200 lbs. So don't give up!

I agree - I'd call your bariatric clinic and let them know what's going on

I was going to suggest the turkey chili as well. It usually comes out right around this time of year.

sleeve doesn't usually cause malabsorption issues, so not sure what this is. I've been hanging out on this and other bariatric sites for about seven years, but I think this is the first time I've heard about low magnesium issues. To answer your question above, PPI is protein pump inhibitor - drugs such as Prilosec (omeprazole), etc - that some people take for acid reflux. EDIT: I just googled it and I read that it CAN be caused by G/I issues (among other possible causes), so maybe?? But again, malabsorption issues with sleeve would be pretty rare. I hope they can figure it out - that sounds dreadful!