catwoman7

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!

I couldn't tolerate sweet protein shakes after surgery - and I think that was pretty immediate. Not everyone's sense of taste changes, though. For me, it was the intensity that changed (sweet things tasted sweeter - spicy things tasted spicier) - but some people's taste doesn't change at all.

leaks are rare and usually occur within the first day or two after surgery. The typical symptoms are nausea, vomiting, rapid heart rate, and fever. As Arabesque said, pains and twinges aren't unusual and are part of the healing process. Also, I agree with her about the lack of weight loss. Most of us leave the hospital weighing more than they did when they went in due to the IV fluids - I've read about people "gaining" up to 10 lbs from that. It takes a few days to work it's way out...

Diet progression varies depending on your surgeon. I think I was about three weeks out when I moved to soft food, but it's been several years so I don't really remember. Chicken can be tough for some people the first few weeks/months. I think I was fine with cheese, though - I remember eating cheese sticks when I was early out.

that sounds really unusual for seven weeks out. I'd contact your clinic. It could be something like a stricture - if so, they need to get that "fixed".

people lose at all different rates depending on a bunch of different factors - age, gender, metabolic rate, whether or not you lost a bunch of weight before surgery, body composition (% of muscle), genetics, activity level, etc. As long as you're following your clinic's plan, you're fine. you're also about to hit the infamous "three-week stall" that a vast majority of us experience (it's not always the third week, but sometime within the first 4-6 weeks post surgery). Your weight loss will likely stall for 1-2 weeks (and for a few, three weeks) before it takes off again. it seems like most people lose somewhere in the 15-25 lb range the first month (but of course you'll always find a few outliers who lose more or less than that), but i'm guessing you'll end up at the higher end of that range - and maybe even a little over, which is fine. You're normal!

I didn't have to do them at all (gastric bypass), but I know some people do. Probably depends on the surgeon - and maybe individual health/medical condition.

I lost 16 lbs the first month.

a majority of us experience hair loss and yes, it'll regrow

pretty much all clinics require a few months of classes and clearance testing. The insurance company should know this since they've covered bariatric patients in the past.

stick to your program and stay off the scale for a few days - and know that it'll break and you'll be on your way again!

I would have given him the boot as well. He's being very inconsiderate. Not your problem that he'll be homeless.

when your "plateau" comes depends on a lot of factors, so it's sort of hard to compare yourself to other people. I CAN tell you that the last 20-30 lbs are a bear to get off, though. I reached that point at a little over a year out, but then I started out much heavier than you did.

some surgeons don't require a two-week pre-op diet, so that isn't at all unusual. as for exercise, I was only allowed to walk until I was four weeks out, but if he's seen your stitches and thinks it's OK for you to swim, then whatever...

I agree with FutureSkyDiver - fat is lost unevenly, and you really can't do much to control it. Exercise is great for you regardless of age. I exercise a lot more that I'm now in my 60s than I have at any other time of my adult life. It not only boosts your weight loss (although as they say, diet is at least 80% of weight loss), but it's great for your overall health.

some surgeons tell you to avoid carbonation for life. Others say it's OK once you're a few months out as long as your stomach can handle it. So...no consensus. My surgeon was one of the former, but I tried it when I was about a year out, and still drink it occasionally. Highly carbonated things like diet soda irritate my stomach, but I can tolerate some beverages if they have *a little* carbonation - or if I let the more carbonated things sit uncapped for awhile so the carbonation level goes way down.

I'm always nervous before surgeries, even though at this point I should be a seasoned vet! I think it's totally normal!,

it's not uncommon for WLS patients who've lost a lot of weight to have skin rashes from the excess skin (although this would be under the skin "folds", not everywhere..), but I haven't read about this on this or other bariatric boards about skin issues from vitamin deficiencies. Although I just quickly googled it, and rashes and other skin issues CAN be a symptom of various vitamin deficiences. Here's one of the articles I found (below). It looks like it can be caused by any number of vitamin deficiencies, so it's hard to tell which one it is in your case. Did they test all levels? It also says they can happen to people who have malabsorption issues or have had G/I surgeries. Again, I haven't read about this on bariatric boards (and I've been hanging around on these for about seven years), so it's evidently not a common issue, but it's certainly possible that could be what's going on in your case. https://www.ccjm.org/content/83/10/731

not everyone is well-versed on food issues or bariatric surgeries. If you want to switch therapists, your bariatric clinic may be able to recommend someone - or they may even have someone on staff.

they'll have you change into a hospital gown, they'll start up the IV fluids, you'll talk to a few people (at minimum, a nurse or two and the anesthesiologist - and then MAYBE the surgeon), then they'll put the anesthesia med in your IV line and the next thing you know, you'll be in the recovery room. It'll seem like five minutes has gone by. After you get up to your room, you'll probably sleep most of the time - although the nurses will get you up occasionally to walk. It was actually way easier than I expected.

only about 30% of RNYers dump, and for those who do, it can be prevented by limiting or avoiding sugar (which we all should be doing ANYWAY). A minority of dumpers dump on fat, so they can prevent it by limiting their fat intake (for most dumpers, though, it's sugar - or rather, too much of it at one setting - that sets it off). I've never dumped - and many of us haven't. I wouldn't call it a horror story, to be honest. It's mostly preventable, and again, a majority of us don't dump. blood sugar issues: Not sure what exactly you're referring to. Some people develop reactive hypoglycemia (RH), but like dumping, that can be controlled. I have it. I just have to eat something every 3-4 hours - and if I eat a carb, I have to eat a protein with it. Haven't had an episode it probably three years. So it's not a horror story - it's kind of a minor issue that can be controlled. In my mind, dumping in RNY patients (30% of them) vs acid reflux in sleeve patients (also 30% of them) is kind of a wash. Although at least dumping can be controlled. RH is a lot less common, but again, it's largely controllable. I've been really happy with my RNY - I'd do it again in a heartbeat! P.S. there seems to be a Wisconsin theme going on here...

the reason is so that the food stays in your stomach longer (liquids will flush it out). However, this makes more sense to me for bypass people rather than sleeve, since the pyloric valve is bypassed in RNY. Regardless, it seems to be a requirement for both surgeries.

you're not going to feel much (if any) restriction until you move to solid foods - also, you've had some nerves cut in your stomach, and it takes awhile for them to regenerate - so your stomach isn't really talking to your brain at this point. So you really have to just follow the guidelines your clinic gave you since you can't rely on hunger/full cues at this point. soup and yogurt go right through you - so you won't feel "full" on those even after your nerves are back again. also, for some of us, full cues aren't the same as they were before surgery. I really never feel full now, the way I did before surgery. Now I start feeling what can best be described as an uncomfortable pressure in my chest. I know when I get to that point I need to stop, or I'm going to be sorry. Other people have had kind of weird things like runny noses or sneezing as their new "full" cue. You may feel a normal "full" feeling at some point (some people do), but probably not for a few weeks yet when you're eating solids, your stomach is fully healed, and your nerves have started to grow back.

which surgery did you have? if you had RNY, it could be a stricture. If sleeve, I'm not sure. In any event, call your clinic first thing Monday morning and let them know what's going on. They may need to do some investigating.