catwoman7

it's a minor complication, and easily fixable. You'll feel differently after it's been "fixed".

I wouldn't stock up on much food because you're really not going to be eating much the first few weeks, and the first couple of weeks you're likely to be just having protein shakes and very low (or no) calorie fluids. You'll probably be able to go to the grocery store by the time you move on to purees or soft foods - if not before. I was driving about a week after surgery. But pick up some protein powder or ready to drink shakes before you go to the hospital since you'll be drinking those as soon as you get home. Samples (individual packets) are great if you can find some, since you're not going to like all brands and you don't want to get stuck with some 2 lb tub - or a case of ready to drink shakes - that you end up not liking. So maybe a handful of some individual servings of three or four different brands. I guess you could also pick up some sugar free popsicles and sugar free Jello if you like those, and maybe some broth - since those you can eat right away too. But see what your surgeon's plan is. Some surgeons have patients move to purees quicker than others (I was able to start on them as soon as I got home from the hospital, although that's not common) - so I also had things like sugar free pudding and Greek yogurt on hand. But most people don't start eating those until they're a couple of weeks out. you can get your vitamins beforehand since you'll probably start taking those pretty quickly after surgery, and you'll already know what types and what amounts you'll need to take. I used my blender a lot (and still do), so maybe pick up one of those if you don't already have one. And a food scale (you won't need it right away, but you'll need it fairly quickly). I also got some ramekins in a couple of different sizes and some baby spoons, but that's probably optional (I still use those, though! It's easier to "eyeball" portions when I'm putting my food in an 8 oz ramekin - or 4 oz - or whatever) - and I love using a baby spoon for eating things like yogurt!) I slept most of the time I was at the hospital, so I really didn't need anything other than my phone and charger. I think I might have brought toiletries, but they gave me a bag of those at the hospital (deodorant, shampoo, a disposable toothbrush and small tube of toothpaste), so I really didn't need them. Oh - wear comfy, loose clothing that's easy to get on and off so you can manage dressing yourself before you leave the hospital. I wore the same outfit home that I did when I went to the hospital. A lot of people like to have Biotin spray (or the generic equivalent) because your mouth can be dry after surgery. Other than that....???

If you want to reply to them privately, sending a message is the only way to do that. If you mean replying to them where others can see your reply, I always hit the "Quote" button at the bottom of their message so they (and others) know that I'm replying to them specifically.

A lot of women experience screwed-up hormones for the first few months after surgery (e.g., irregular periods - due to lots of estrogen being released from fat cells during rapid weight loss, as BigSue said), but yours sounds more extreme than most. You could always check with a gynecologist to be sure that's what it is - if nothing else, for peace of mind. If that IS what's going on, it's temporary. I think the preoccupation with weight and eating is pretty normal among WLS patients, esp the first year. To be honest, I'm still like that to some extent, even at almost six years out.

I think he was talking about a stricture. It's caused by overgrown scar tissue. Yes - I had one. They stretched it out during the endoscopy, and I was 100% better afterward. About 5% of RNY patients experience strictures - they almost always occur 1-3 months after surgery. They're very rare after that.

soup is a liquid and goes right through you. Yogurt takes a little longer, but not much. You'll start to really feel the restriction when you get to the solid food stage.

they've never bothered me, either - but evidently they do a lot of people.

20 lbs is normal. Most of us seem to lose between 15-25 lbs the first month, so you're right on track. I think some people come into this with overly high expectations due to shows like "My 600 lb Life", but you have to keep in mind that the people on that show start out WAY heavier than the average WLS patient. Of course, there are some people who are average WLS patients who lose like 30 lbs, but they're the exception. Don't worry - you're fine!

go back to what you were doing the first year. Not all the way back to protein shakes and soft foods, but the 'protein first, then non-starchy vegetables, then if you have room, a small serving of fruit or whole-grain carb' rule (or some such). Weigh, measure, and log your food. Rein this in before you gain all your weight back - you can do it!

some people have drains, but from what i can tell, most of us don't. I had them when I had plastic surgery, but not my RNY

you'll do fine! All I really remember feeling the first day or two was TIRED! I slept most of the time. I really didn't have any pain. I felt a little nauseated the day of surgery, so I let the nurses know - they put Zofran in my IV line, which really helped. Other than that, it really was much better than I'd expected. Good luck to you!

once you hit maintenance, it becomes a really individual thing. It depends on so many things - gender, age, activity level, metabolic rate. I can maintain my weight if I stay in the 1500-1700 range, but I know women who can eat 2000 and others that have to eat 1200 - and some 1000 or less. I'll start losing if I consistently stay at the bottom of my range or drop a little below it. I couldn't sustain eating 800-900 calories for long at this point, but some people can..

surgeons are literally all over the board with this one. Mine let us drink decaf at like three or four weeks out, I think - and regular at six months out.

it's when you've achieved your desired weight and want to just maintain it and not lose anymore. If you're NOT at your desired weight, then you'll need to make some changes in order to keep losing - such as cutting more calories and/or increasing your activity. Otherwise, your body is going to stay where it is...

not getting your protein in is going to make hair loss worse. Do whatever you can to keep on top of your protein requirements. P.S. Not enjoying food is common the first few months post-op. That actually helps A LOT - it's way easier to lose weight when you're rarely (or never) hungry and don't give a flip about food. For the vast majority of us, all that returns sometime during the first year.

that's too long for a stall - sounds like you're in maintenance. I'd go back to tracking food. I still track at almost six years out. I don't trust myself with eyeballing portion sizes.

I'm wondering if it would be cheaper in Canada (although we may not be allowed in there yet - I haven't kept on top of this). Since you're in WA, it wouldn't be too far. My veterinarian had her LASIK surgery done there several years ago and saved quite a bit of money. It might be worth looking into, at least. I know wait times are pretty long for Canadians using their health insurance system, but maybe it's quicker for private pay patients? Not sure.

I didn't have any issues, either...

the first few months I'd say "a lot". Once I got close to maintenance, and even now, I tell them "over 100 lbs". Actually, it was over 200 lbs, but not many "normies" could wrap their head around that number. Plus I don't want them silently calculating my pre-surgery weight. To normal-weight people, 100 lbs sounds like a ton, so they're satisfied with that answer (not that I'm obligated to answer them, of course)

that's crazy. People who are having elective surgery aren't selfish. If the hospitals are full or don't think it's safe for you to have it done at some particular time, they'll postpone it. If they have the space and feel it's safe to do it, they'll go ahead and do it. It has nothing whatsoever to do with a patient being "selfish". Sheesh!

Most insurance companies go by your initial weight when you first start the program - but a few don't. I would contact them to be sure.

soup and popsicles are liquid so they go right through you - I can't imagine anyone would feel restriction with those. You'll feel it once you start eating dense food. also, you had nerves cut during surgery - it takes awhile for those to regenerate - so that's another reason people don't feel it right away. once you move to regular food, you should start feeling restriction. In the mean time, like Kelly said, make sure you're measuring things and eating only what you're supposed to eat.

as others have said, 18 lbs in three weeks is great! I lost 16 lbs the first MONTH, and I started out heavier than you. As BigSue said, most of us seem to lose somewhere in the 15-25 lb range the first month. You'll always find a few who lose above or below that, but that seems to be where most of us fall. I think a lot of people come into this with expectations of losing a lot more the first month, and I think that's probably because of shows like "My 600 lb Life". But you have to remember that those people have MUCH higher BMI's than the average WLS patient. And generally speaking, the more you weigh, the faster you tend to lose - at least at first.

you're fine. If you feel nauseated, let a nurse know - they can put something like Zofran in your IV line. I don't remember being any particular time the mini-walks needed to last. I just made sure to get up and walk at least every few hours (well, every couple when I was awake)

I wouldn't set weekly or monthly goals since weight loss rate can vary so widely from person to person. If your overall trend is down, you're good - and if you're sticking to your clinic's food plan, your weight WILL go down. The psychologist at my clinic asked me during my first visit what my long-term goal was, and I said 200 lbs. It seemed to be do-able, and honestly, after weighing almost 400 for several years, 200 sounded like a pipe dream. I would have been happy with that if that's where my body decided to stop. He was fine with that - said it sounded reasonable (I ended up losing quite a bit more than that, but I wanted to set something do-able from the start so I wouldn't be disappointed if it didn't happen). average weight loss with sleeve is about 65% of your excess weight, so maybe have something in that range in mind as your end goal? (you may end up losing more than that if you're really committed, and potentially quite a bit more if you really work at it, but that might be a reasonable, do-able first goal).