catwoman7

carbonated things, some carbs (like others said, beans are a common culprit), swallowing air, some artificial sweeteners - all of these can cause gas issues for some people.

I could walk right away. I was cleared to do most things at four weeks (except for weights). I had to wait eight weeks for weights. But like toodlerue said, that's pretty standard for any major surgery. I had similar restrictions when I had plastic surgery, too.

it'd be worth following up on, but if it's an excluded service in your particular policy, you may be out of luck. I had to switch insurance companies for a couple of years to have it done.

employers don't always use the standard policy - they can include or exclude coverage of various procedures for their employees. Some don't include the bariatric surgery coverage because it makes the policy more expensive. My insurance didn't cover bariatric surgery until this year, even though some other companies that used this same insurance for their employees DID include bariatric surgery. So when I had surgery five years ago, I had to switch to a different (more expensive) company for a couple of years, and then switch back.

no - they waited for the approval before they scheduled mine. But then again, it only took the insurance company about a week to approve it, so I would have been fine, since they were scheduling surgeries 4-6 weeks out at that time.

some relationships get better, some get worse, some stay about the same. Mine actually got better - my husband is/was very active, and at almost 400 lbs, I couldn't keep up with him. Now - I can! But I've also known a couple of people who've ended up divorced. I think it largely depends on how the marriage was BEFORE the surgery. Some people, after losing their excess weight, decide they're not going to put up with the crap any longer. They're more self-confident, they're more attractive to others (so there are other fish in the sea, if they so choose), so they're comfortable saying good-bye. SO...long way of saying, it's certainly not a guarantee that you'll have an affair or want a divorce. But I'm glad you're talking to your therapist. It sounds like there are issues there. I personally don't know if I'd want to put up with them, but then, I'm not you. You may prefer to stay and work on the issues - and that's fine! Like others have said, I have no advice for you - but I'm glad you're seeing a therapist to help you work some of this out.

they can eat a lot of food - but then, so can I after five years out (from RNY)! (I don't....but that doesn't mean I physically can't....) DS is usually done in one surgery now. Years ago, it was often done as two. When it was discovered that a lot of people lost a lot of weight after phase 1 (the sleeve), they started using it as a standalone surgery. The sleeve largely replaced the lapband a few years back...

actually, DS is restrictive. The DS is a sleeved stomach with a bypassed small intestine (or a lot of it is bypassed, anyway ). The sleeve at one time was just phase 1 of the DS - it wasn't a standalone surgery until recently - within the last 10 years or so.

it probably depends on the type of intermittent fasting (IF) they're talking about and how far out they are from surgery. I know some vets who do it - but they do the kind where they don't start eating until 10:00 a.m. and then stop eating at 6:00 p.m. That might be fine for people who are out a ways (but definitely not newer post-ops). The kinds of IF where people fast for a whole day or two at a time is probably a different story.

I'm not sure I'd put down a deposit until I "met" the surgeon...but that's me. I did four consultations before I found "the one". Also, two of them had different ideas on how to approach my issues, so they weren't all on the same page. So I had all that to contemplate as well.

if it's really stretched it, nothing is really going to help it.

btw - the constipation is caused by a combination of the high protein diet plus a couple of the supplements that a lot of us take (i.e., calcium and iron). All three are known to block people up. My endocrinologist had me cut my calcium dosage in half because I was excreting too much of it, and once I did, I noticed I had to cut back on my Miralax a bit because things were getting too soft (but DON'T cut back on your calcium just for that as you may need it! You should only increase or decrease supplements based on your labwork. In my case, it was pretty clear I was absorbing the calcium much better than most people do...). But anyway, just wanted you to know that those are all major culprits in the constipation issue.

I did Bariatric Advantage chews for years but now just take calcium citrate tablets.

three week stall for sure. Happens to almost everyone. Just stick to your plan and stay off the scale for a few days if you have to. Your weight loss WILL start up again. My first stall lasted two weeks (weeks 2 & 3). Once my weight loss started up again during week 4, I dropped like 6-8 lbs within a couple of days.

1000x yes to both of these answers. You just stick to your plan and stay off the scale if you have to. Know that it's going to last 1-2 weeks (and some - esp later on in the process - may last longer), but the weight loss WILL start up again. It's all a normal part of the journey. I think your body just has to stop and recalibrate every once in awhile...

it wasn't dumping - it was moving along way too fast with eating. Dumping usually includes things like heart palpatations, sweating, weakness, and dizziness. It's usually the result of eating too much sugar - or for some, too much fat.

people lose at all different rates due to several different factors (gender, age, metabolic level, activity level, starting BMI, whether or not you lost weight prior to surgery, etc) so it's kind of pointless to compare yourself. The only factors you really have control over is how closely you stick to your program, and your activity level. If you're committed to these two, you WILL lose weight, whether fast or slow. I was a slow loser from the get-go and thought I'd never even get below 200 lbs, let alone lose all of my excess weight, but I did. But to answer your question, most of us seem to lose in the 15-25 lb range the first month (and less than that after month 1), so you're right on target. Of course there are always some who lose more or less than that, but that seems to be pretty average. So you're good...

a lot of people work with therapists to deal with eating issues -- so that's always an option if you struggle with that after surgery.

chronic constipation is a very common problem for both sleeve and bypass patients. So yes - it could be lifelong. I'm five years out and take a capful of Miralax every morning.

I agree with the above commenter. It could be lactose intolerance - or maybe a reaction to an artificial sweetener in the shakes. Some people get G/I distress from certain artificial sweeteners. Unless you're eating a lot of regular sugar or fats, it's likely not true dumping.

peanut butter is 90 calories a tablespoon, so unless you ate a lot more than that, you're good. Plus the fat in it keeps you satiated. I do try to incorporate some fats because they keep me satisfied for quite awhile.

RNY here - but yes - this is my experience with vomiting. It's more like an infant "spitting up" after eating. It's actual vomiting - not always just mucus (we call that "the foamies" - and it's common). But this new way of vomiting is way better than it was pre-surgery. For one thing, it doesn't have that awful taste to it (probably because there's not much acid in my stomach anymore) I have heard of people who don't vomit after surgery, though.

your stomach may just not be ready to move on. If this evolves into vomiting everything up, though, let your clinic know. That could be indicative of a stricture, which they'll need to fix. You're in the right time frame for it (they usually occur 1-3 months after surgery). But for now, I'd just hold off moving to stage 4 and see if that helps....again, it could just be your stomach isn't quite ready to move on yet.

you actually SHOULD be drinking plenty of water and/or other no-cal or ultra-low-cal beverages. You need the fluids. Just don't chug it - but you can sip all day if you need to...

the first year, especially, takes a lot of mental effort. I'm not sure I would have been as successful if I hadn't been in the right frame of mind. Maybe you will be - I'm not you. But if you don't feel you're ready, there's nothing wrong with postponing it. I'm sure not all of us are 100% mentally ready - having an upcoming surgery can be anxiety-producing and there's a lot of work and commitment required after this particular one - but it does sound like you have a lot of other things going on. I don't think anyone would blame you for postponing if that's what you feel you have to do.