catwoman7

no. I did after plastic surgery, but not WLS.

there's really no normal. People lose weight at all different rates for all different reasons (age, gender, metabolic level, body composition, activity level, starting BMI, whether or not they lost weight before surgery, etc). Plus a lot of people gain weight during their hospital stay because of the IV fluids (some gain 10 or more lbs, in fact), and it can take up to a week to get rid of that. And then there's the infamous "three-week stall", which most people go through sometime within the first month or so of surgery - usually the third week, but not always -- and sometimes it comes early. I had my early stall during weeks 2 & 3. So...it's hard to tell. I would say most people lose somewhere in the 15-25 lb the first MONTH of surgery (you'll find some who lose more or less than that, but that range seems to be the norm), but it's all across the board the first week or two...

I just used chewable Centrums (or the generic equivalent) my first year post-op (you have to take two a day to meet our multivitamin requirements, though). They were fine.

there are some people who just have a protein shake for breakfast since they can't stomach eating solid food in the morning....so that might be an option.

I just take my multivitamins in regular tablet form now (and have been ever since I was about a year out), so taste really isn't an issue anymore. But back when I was doing chewables, I'd pick up either Centrum chewable or (usually..) the generic equivalent at Walgreens or CVS. You have to take two of them a day to meet our multivitamin requirements, though (well, same with regular tablets - I take two a day)

yea - I was thinking they might be helpful if I'm ever traveling abroad or something. It'd just be a temporary thing so not much damage done if I'm not one who absorbs much from patches - and it would alleviate having to lug a bunch of pills with me on trips..

Healthy fats. Or more protein. I almost never eat junk food, but I eat healthy fats now (in my case, I gained too much and now want to lose 10 lbs - which is hard as heck when you're a ways out and at or near normal weight, so be careful what you wish for!!!). I do eat healthy fats, fiber, and/or protein when I'm really hungry, though, as those keep me going for awhile. Fats would include full-fat dairy, nuts or nut butters, avocado... I don't worry about macros anymore. I just make sure I get all my protein in every day.

They seem to work for some but not for others, so I've never tried them. I'm afraid I'd be one of the ones they won't work for, and then i'd have to deal with some vitamin deficiency. I wasn't willing to take the risk.

lots of people have revised, so some may chime in here. It usually does resolve GERD (although not always -- tracyringo, who's on here, hasn't seen any improvement yet, unfortunately) - but for most people, yes - it stops it. most RNY'ers don't dump (the statistic that gets thrown around a lot is 30% of us dump, although I don't know if there's any hardcore medical research behind that number. However, I've been on bariatric boards for the last six years, and I know a lot of us don't dump - so that number doesn't surprise me. And no - you don't dump on Splenda or other artificial sweeteners. Just sugar - and for some people, fats (although I should add that some artificial sweeteners, esp sugar alcohols, give some people G/I distress - but that's true of normal people, too - not just WLS patients). weight loss supposedly isn't as fast or easy with revisions as it is with virgin surgeries, but some people do manage to make their goal.

surgeons seem to have different opinions on a lot of things, as you'll find out if you hang out here for awhile. And yes - pre-op diet is one of them!

I don't keep one, but nuts or protein bars would work.

very common. I don't think it gets worse - and for some, it eventually gets better or even goes away. I was cold all the time the first year or so post-op, but not anymore. Granted, without all that "insulation", I'm not overheating all the time like I used to be, but I'm not freezing all the time anymore, either. I suppose this is what "normal" feels like!

I only know this through hanging out on this and other bariatric boards for the last six or so years, but for both types of surgeries, it depends on the surgeon (like it does with so many other things, it seems...). Many surgeons say no - forever - to carbonated beverages - but some are OK with it once your a ways out if your stomach can handle it. I've tried it (even though my surgeon is one of the "no" people), but it hurts my stomach, so I can't do it. It's fine, though - after being away from it for so long, it tastes like a bunch of chemicals to me now (which is basically what it is..)

^^ I could have written that myself. I'm exactly the same!

I had bypass. We weren't supposed to eat the skin the first two or three months, but I don't think they meant that forever. I've been eating the skins for quite awhile now (I'm almost six years out). I'm pretty sure I started eating the skin sometime within the first year, though....maybe when I was a few months out (??)

it's internet slang for "if I remember correctly"

you're probably OK to do it now. I eat the skins. IIRC, it was just the first two or three months when we weren't supposed to eat those ("we" being the patients at my particular clinic)

I don't think anything can really help with the hair loss. Those follicles are already dormant. I've heard various things can help with regrowth, though (not sure about flaxseed oil - I haven't read anything about it with respect to hair regrowth).

that seems to happen to most of us, regardless of shape. Mine doesn't really bother me anymore. I guess over time I must have figured out how to sit on it to minimize that..

if you have to keep going back, it sounds like it's going to end up costing as much as traditional plastic surgery. I'd just go with the tried and true, personally.

I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Being normal weight after years of being super morbidly obese is/was worth all the sacrifices. there are definitely food restrictions the first few months post-op, but I really don't have any anymore. I just watch my overall calories, so I'm eating much less than I did pre-surgery.

I was told eight weeks (although I wasn't lifting nearly as much as you do, so your surgeon may recommend a different timeline for you...)

yes - it's expensive. Some policies will cover it if you have some medical issue because of it that won't resolve by using traditional methods. For example, chronic rashes that don't respond to conventional treatment. So if yours does cover it for medical issues, make sure you see a doctor and make sure they're keeping good records of their attempts to treat it, since you may need a paper trail. My insurance wouldn't cover it, though - I don't think they cover it all, even if there are medical issues - but on top of that, I never had any medical issues because of it, so it wouldn't have mattered either way.

I like those, too. Plus they're cheap compared to other flavored waters..

yes - I had a lower body lift in August 2018 and an arm lift and breast lift in March 2019. With the latter, he also came down further than usual on his "side boob" incisions (he brought them down to my waist) to get rid of some more of the loose skin that he couldn't get to on my lower body lift (on my back, sides, and up under my ribs on the front).