catwoman7

I don't think extended release pills are an issue with sleeve since you still have a functioning pyloric valve. They ARE an issue with bypass, though. I was allowed to swallow any pill that was the size of a pencil eraser or smaller. I only had two pills that were bigger than that - those giant calcium tablets, plus some prescription pill I was taking (can't even remember what it was). I got around the calcium one by buying chewables (although another option would have been to split the horse-sized pills with a pill splitter). With the other pill, I was told it would be fine to stop taking it for a couple of weeks. Once those two weeks passed, I was able to take it with no problem. just check with your surgeon and your prescribing doctor to see what pills you may be able to handle right off the bat (without crushing) and for those that you won't be able to handle right away, which ones you might be able to wait a couple of weeks on. Then hopefully, you won't have to crush many (or hopefully, ANY) of them.

I walked pretty slowly - but that's due to my starting weight and the fact I have moderate arthritis in my right hip, so it was painful to walk at that weight. My clinic didn't specify if we had to walk slowly or moderately, so I'm guessing moderately is fine as long as you're up for it and it's not causing any pain.

yea - I thought everyone who got this was the size of the people on that show. I thought I'd be the smallest person in my classes. Nope. I was the biggest. I also led one of the classes that the pre-ops at my clinic had to go through - did it monthly for three years (until COVID hit). I NEVER saw anyone the size of the people on that show. Everyone appeared to weigh in the 200s and 300s (mostly 200s). Occasionally there was one who might have been in the low 400s. But that's it. And actually, there are surgeons who won't operate on people who have a BMI higher than 60 - and hardly any will operate on people the size of the ones on My 600 lb Life - which is why they have to go to surgeons like Dr. Now who specialize in high-risk bariatric surgery. So I think the show gives people unrealistic perceptions.

that's a stricture. Happens to about 5% of RNY patients. They almost always appear within the first three months post-surgery; they're very rare after that. They're caused by overgrown scar tissue. I had two of them - at four weeks out and again at eight weeks out. Easy fix. And you'll feel 100% better afterward.

I've always used the generic equivalent of Centrum (Walgreens and CVS have generics of that - some other places may as well). They seem to go on sale all the time - BOGO, or buy one get one half off. I get a whole year's worth at a time. Super cheap. P.S. they have both chewable and non-chewable (I only used chewables for the first year - some people switch over to regular tablets even earlier than that...)

I'm a bypass patient also. My tastes didn't change as much as they became more intense. Sweet things tasted sweeter; spicy things tasted spicier. To the point I couldn't eat some of them for quite awhile. I don't really notice it any more, though - it was mostly the first few weeks or months. Not sure if they went back to the way they were before, or if I just got used to it.

yes - we even see that here on BP. People are thinking they're failures or "slow losers" if they "only" lose 20 lbs the first month. They think they should have lost 40.

they did seem to have fairly normal people the first year or two it was on (not normal in terms of weight, even in comparison to the average WLS patient, but normal in terms of personality). But that hasn't been in the case in awhile. Unfortunately, I think the type of people they go for now might make never-been-obese fans of the show think all of us WLS folks are a bit off the deep end, which we know isn't true...

I have mixed feelings about that show. a pro is that it exposes more people to bariatric surgery, which hopefully has reduced the stigma somewhat and made people realize it isn't the scary thing it was 30 or 40 years ago cons: it's very formulaic , so I can only watch one or two episodes at one sitting. It gets pretty boring - and predictable - after that it gives more "normal" WLS patients (i.e, those of us who weigh in the 200s and 300s) unrealistic expectations, like they're going to lose 40 lbs the first month, so we see a lot of concerned and upset people when they "only" lost 15 or 20 lbs the first month I hate the way the people on the show are exploited - like being shown on the toilet or in the shower. Really?? Do we have to see that? also, so many of these people have really serious issues. I guess it helps with the ratings, but I don't know where they find some of these people. It's so great to see the occasional person on there who doesn't have some serious hangups or issues - but they seem to be few and far between I've read that some people watch - and far prefer - the UK series, "The Fat Doctor", since it's more realistic, but I've yet to watch it.

P.S. walking: I started that the first week. I had to wait four weeks for most other exercises - and I think eight weeks for weights.

I've seen that warning on a few other products, too. if you decide to switch brands, just make sure whatever you choose meets the American Society of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery requirements (I've attached the report - you'll have to scroll done to see the requirements). With most drug store/grocery store brands, like Centrum, for example, you'll have to take two a day to meet the requirements. With some bariatric-specific vitamins, you only need to take one. Also, although most of us do take chewables for the first few weeks or months after surgery (I took them for the whole first year), most people switch over to regular tablets at some point. https://asmbs.org/app/uploads/2017/06/ASMBS-Nutritional-Guidelines-2016-Update.pdf

it usually takes up to a week for the first BM after surgery (after all, there's not much in there - plus it can take a few days for your system to "wake up" after anesthesia), so that's very common. And just a forewarning - that first one can be a doozy - so the milk of magnesia (or similar treatment - some of us took stool softeners) is probably a good idea. most people do gain weight from the IV fluids they give you in the hospital (some people gain 10 or more lbs from it), and that can also take up to a week to work it's way out of your system. Just stay off the scale if you have to. It's all just water - not true weight. I think the above poster may be right that the fogginess and irritability may just be lingering effects from the anesthesia. Also, some women experience mood swings and a screwed up menstrual cycle the first few weeks after surgery, due to rapid changes in hormone levels, so there might be some of that going on, too. Just hang on - this is all temporary. Buyer's remorse is common the first couple of weeks - I had it as well - but just hold tight. I think you'll be feeling a lot better about things in another week or two...

https://www.facebook.com/I-HATE-the-word-moist-121281334551756

there's no membership on this site that I'm aware of. I think you might have to be on a regular computer (desktop or laptop) to edit that. I was looking earlier today for someone else on the phone app, and I couldn't find where you could edit those fields. I can definitely get to it (and edit it) on my laptop, though

"moist" is a commonly hated word. In fact, there's a Facebook group for haters of that word.

no - chicken skin wouldn't give you a leak. Plus you're probably beyond the leak stage at this point - those usually occur pretty quickly after surgery.

I'm not an ESG patient, but I can address a couple of these things first, most people don't lose 10 lbs the first week because they pump you up with so much fluid in the hospital. People usually gain weight from that - and some people gain 10 or more lbs from that. It can take anywhere from a couple of days to that whole first week to lose the IV fluid. Some people probably DO lose 10 lbs the first week, but I don't think they're in the majority because of the IV fluid issue secondly, I don't hear much anti-fat talk - at least on these boards. It seems to be mostly anti-carb talk. Maybe the anti-fat trend is coming back? I don't know - I guess I haven't been paying enough attention. I'm not really a fan of either one - I like balance.

I don't remember having any urine tests.

we were given the green light to drink water before eating once we moved to solid food, but we were told not drinking AFTER eating was for life. Not sure what the rationale was for not drinking BEFORE eating in those early weeks.

I'm an RNY patient (gastric bypass), but I've been hanging around on this and other boards for a few years now, so I can address some of these. complications like you described are pretty rare. The most common complication with the sleeve is GERD, which happens to about 30% of sleeve patients. Most cases of GERD can be managed medically, but some people end up getting revised to gastric bypass, as that often improves (or can even cure) GERD. re: diarrhea - actually, constipation is much more common. It's due to the high protein diet plus some of the supplements (that is, if you have to take iron and calcium - not all sleeve patients do). nausea/vomiting/etc - that's not uncommon in the early weeks after surgery, but after that, no - not very common. Blockages, etc - none of that common. Seriously, the GERD issue is the one that's the most common. Food intolerance - you'll most likely be on a fairly restrictive diet the first few months (and very restrictive the first few weeks), but after that, there's nothing that's prohibited. Some people do develop some intolerances and just can't stomach certain foods anymore, but there's nothing that's restricted after you're a ways out.

I'm so sorry to hear this. I'm the only one in my immediate family who's NOT been divorced, and I know depending on the circumstances, it can be really devastating. My heart goes out to you - and good for you for going into counseling, even if your husband doesn't go with you.

yes. I'm pretty sure I felt like that for the first couple of months, anyway..

I'm a bypass patient, so NSAIDs are even worse for us (they used to allow NSAIDs for sleeve patients, but more and more surgeons now are telling their sleeve patients not to take them, either). I was worried about this as well because I had a lot of headaches and a lot of hip pain prior to surgery, but like Creekimp, most of my pain went away as well. I haven't taken ibuprofen or naproxen since surgery almost six years ago. Getting rid of that weight really made a difference!

you're probably right about the low calorie intake being the culprit (or a big one, anyway). I think it was closer to eight weeks before my energy level was back.

it really depends on how much you lose and how long you were obese. And to some extent, age, too (younger people usually have more elasticity in their skin - but then again, if you're talking well north of 100 lbs, that skin is probably stretched beyond the point of "bouncing back"). I lost over 200 lbs, was obese since college and severely obese since my 30s (I'm now in my 60s) - so my skin was stretched well beyond the point of any treatment other than plastic surgery. So for me, at least, I had a ton of it, so surgery was the only solution. I looked fine in most clothes - here, in this picture, I wore the usual 3/4 length (or longer) sleeves and a slightly oversized, long-ish top (most of my loose skin was in my torso, since I was apple-shaped). I never really had issues with my hips, butt, or legs, so I wore tight or brightly colored pants to draw attention to them instead of my gut (and to answer another question - yes - it was a bit uncomfortable to exercise - my stomach skin would slap against my body - one of the main reasons I went ahead with plastic surgery) this picture was taken BEFORE I had plastic surgery - so as you can see, no one would have noticed all the loose skin. My clothes hid it well. The only people who knew it was there were me, my husband, and my doctor.