catwoman7

check to see if something like orange juice is OK (I'm guessing the surgeon said no to the Coke because of the carbonation - we were supposed to avoid that the first few months post-surgery, and preferably for life (some people can handle carbonation when they're a few months out, but some can't. I can't. It really bothers my stomach...))

OK - scratch what I said above about the scrambled eggs. Too bad - they're almost the only thing on the menu I thought I would actually eat...but not if they're swimming in butter! What's the point of that, anyway? Sheesh.

unless I was going to some holiday party where people bring treats, then no. But if I AM going to a party (and I've gone to at least one this year where people bring things), then yes. I don't bring a lot because I always hope the people at the party will eat most/all of them, but if they don't, I toss them in the freezer when I get home and kind of mete them out. I'll occasionally have one, but my husband eats the majority (if not all of them). the last party I went to (last week) I made oatmeal/cranberry bars. They at least sounded somewhat healthy in case I gave in and splurged (but so far, I haven't - they're in the freezer and I've let them be). The party before that I made biscotti. Most got eaten - but my husband ate the leftovers (I did have one after it came out of the oven because I wanted to be sure it tasted OK, since i was taking them to a party)

it takes a long time to wear down your iron stores , although I don't know what your iron level was before surgery. it's super common to lose your sense of hunger for several weeks or months after surgery (up to a year for some). I know it seems weird at first, but take FULL advantage of that. It'll never in your life be easier to lose weight than it will right now, when you're not hungry and don't give a flip about food. I found it very liberating, too! My hunger came roaring back at five months out, and I honestly wish it never had. It was so much easier to stick to plan when I was never hungry!!! and no, what you described was not dumping syndrome. you're extremely tired because you just had major surgery, so I wouldn't worry about that, either.

more likely a stricture. You're in the window for it (they almost always occur 1-3 months after surgery - very rare after that) I had one at four weeks out and another at eight weeks out. I had the same symptoms that you do. if it's just food you can't keep down, you'll be OK for a few days - people can live without food for awhile. But if it gets to the point you can't keep fluids down, either, then you need to go to the ER. People can't live without fluids for long. They'll do an upper endoscopy and stretch it out - and you'll feel a million times better afterward! strictures get worse over time - so keep an eye on it. Again, if you can't keep fluids down, go to the hospital.

first of all, only about 30% of bypass patients dump. If you're getting the sleeve instead, then the percentage of dumpers is way less than that (not sure of it - but it's not common in sleevers). secondly, a lot of us have no appetite or hunger for several weeks - or even months - after surgery. so suffice it to say, you MIGHT be fine to continue to work. I had pretty much zero interest in food for the first five months after surgery. I just looked at Denny's menu (I haven't been there in probably 20 years), and yea - there's almost nothing on there that's safe or anything I'd eat (I can't tolerate really fatty meals anymore - not only do they bother my stomach, I just think they're gross). The scrambled eggs and the salmon would be OK - but keep in mind a lot of people can't tolerate eggs for the first few weeks out of surgery (I never had issues with them, though), and you wouldn't be able to eat salmon until you're cleared to eat solid foods. hopefully if you stay at Denny's, the management will let you take your own food to work. That would solve it. I would hope that since you'd have a medical reason, they'd be fine with that.

can't remember - maybe 2 or 3 weeks? (I had my strictures at four weeks out and eight weeks out - so that was over seven years ago - my memory of it all is a bit fuzzy...but I do remember it took awhile for it to come on. Not as long the second time, though, since I realized what was going on much quicker since I knew the symptoms...)

I had two strictures (I had RNY). At first, I felt like I had GERD after I ate anything - which seemed weird to me since GERD is fairly unusual after an RNY. A few days later, I'd get very nauseated every time I ate anything. I don't know about DS, but they can definitely see strictures if you've had an RNY. They do an upper endoscopy and can stretch it out while they're in there. if you get to the point where you can't even keep fluids down, go to the ER. People can live without food for awhile, but not fluids.

I had the normal prep - which at my health clinic means fasting + a bottle of magnesium citrate followed the next day by that gallon (or whatever) of GoLytely.

some people can vomit, others can't. I don't know what the percentage of people who can't vomit is, but it's not uncommon. vomiting isn't the dreaded event it used to be. It's more like a baby spitting up after eating. There isn't much food to come up since our pouch is so much smaller than our old stomachs, and you don't have much acid in there anymore, so you don't get that horrible taste in your mouth. It basically tastes the same coming up as it did going down.

basically, the closer you get to a normal BMI, the slower the weight will come off. I lost 16 lbs the first month, c. 10 lbs (give or take) until I was about six or seven months out, then it dropped down to maybe 5-8 lbs a month, then after the first year, it was less than five lbs a month - sometimes just 2 or 3 lbs. it's because the lighter you are, the fewer calories you need. When I weighed over 300 lbs, I was probably eating over 3000 kcal/day. When you're eating that much, you can cut 1000 - or 1500 - or even 2000 calories a day, meaning you're going to drop weight pretty quickly. I'm trying to lose 10 lbs right now. My maintenance level is about 1600 kcal/day. Cutting even 1000 calories is unadvisable. That would put me at 600 kcal/day. if one were to eat 600 kcal/day for more than a couple of occasional days, they'd need to be under medical supervision. And cutting 1500-2000 calories from my daily intake when I normally eat 1600? Ha. Impossible. I can cut 200-300 calories safely. That translates to very slow weight loss - about 1/2 a pound a week. anyway, long way of saying, yes - your weight loss will slow down the further out you go.

I don't think there's much - if any - difference. The first few weeks after either surgery is challenging - but once you get a few months out, you no longer have any food restrictions - you're just eating a lot less than you did pre-surgery. You've brought this all up before - and we've told you that it's really not going to be any different. Lots of us can eat pastries (well, occasionally - else you risk gaining weight back, just like you would have with the sleeve!), drink wine, and try new foods when we travel. I"m not sure why you think you're going to have lots of unpleasantness. I would say that's very rare.

yep - those old habits die hard (if at all!). I don't beat myself over the head if I have one "bad" day, but I don't let it continue - I usually either put stuff in the freezer or give it away.

it's super common. It takes a long time for your brain's perceptions of your body and what your body actually looks like to align (I had this issue pre-surgery, too - I was always shocked when I saw a picture of myself (the few that there were, that is - I HATED having my picture taken back then!). I think in my head I weighed in the 200-250 range, not 373! And after I got down as low as the 130's, I *still* saw myself in the 200-250 range for quite awhile (I've gained about 20 lbs since hitting bottom (which is also super common) - between that and the fact I'm several years post-op, I think I'm finally in alignment!!

I still track my food intake at 7.5 years out. I make healthy choices - although I don't beat myself over the head if I happen to have a splurge day (esp on a holiday). I just get right back to it. I also exercise most days of the week.

the above people are correct - a) you had nerves cut and it takes awhile for them to regenerate and b) liquids go right through you (so even after nerves are healed, you won't feel a restriction from liquids). You should start feeling the restriction once you move to solid foods. also, I never had issues, either. I'm not a dumper - haven't dumped once in the 7.5 years since I had surgery (and 70% of us are NOT dumpers). I did throw up once in awhile during the first few weeks post surgery as I was learning what - and how much - my pouch would tolerate. Almost never vomit any more.

I lost 16 lbs the first *month* and started at almost 400 lbs - so you are doing fine! I think a lot of people's expectations come from shows like "My 600 lb Life", but you have to keep in mind those people have starting weights of 600-900 lbs - so they are MUCH heavier than the average WLS patient. And starting weight is a big factor in how fast the weight is going to come off (or at least at first). The closer you are to a normal BMI, the slower it goes, unfortunately...(and at a starting weight of 250 - you're much closer to a normal BMI than I was - let alone a contestant on "My 600 lb Life"!) anyway, hang in there. If you follow your program to a "T", the weight will come off. Your level of compliance is a MUCH greater indicator of your ultimate success than your rate of weight loss is.

constipation is a very common issue with WLS patients (both bypass and sleeve). A lot of us take something like Miralax, stool softeners, or magnesium tablets every day to keep on top of it. I've been taking a capful of Miralax every day for years. I still get backed up maybe once a month now, but a night or two of milk of magnesia solves that.

I didn't find the arm lift or breast lift that painful (the lower body lift, on the other hand, ugh - way worse than WLS). Although you can't do any heavy lifting or reach up to get things for awhile. Luckily, I'm married, so my husband took over pet feeding. If you put things at a level where you don't have to reach up and in containers that aren't very heavy you may be OK, though (I didn't have a thigh lift, so I can't speak to that...)

I've had a lower body lift, an arm lift, a breast lift, and a face/neck lift. And yes - I'm very happy with the results. many surgeons will recommend you wait a year once you reach goal to make sure your weight is stable before having plastic surgery. Reason being is that a significant gain can affect your results.

some relationships change, yes. Some for the better; some for the worse. Mine is better mostly because I can now actually do things with my husband, like ride bikes, hike, etc. He loves doing stuff like that and I wasn't able to do much of it with him when I weighed almost 400 lbs. I don't blame you for feeling like a prisoner - the controlling thing would be intolerable for me.

I don't really have a typical day, either, although I'm still tracking at 7.5 years out. I've been eating in the 1600-1800 calorie range for quite awhile (I do exercise most days of the week), but I'm trying to lose a few lbs now so I'm trying to keep it at or under 1600.

I think the majority of the people on here are fairly new - it's just us oldsters are pretty vocal (!)

I would have just said "thanks" and gone back to my business.

as Arabesque said, the morbidity rate on weight loss surgeries is really low....lower than many other common surgeries such as hip replacement surgery. I think some people's perceptions come from the way things were 40 or 50 years ago, but the surgeries they do today aren't the same and are MUCH safer. You'd be more at risk by staying obese. which country the surgeon practices in makes no difference at all. There are good and not-so-good surgeons in any given country. If you've researched your surgeon and things look good, you should be fine.