catwoman7

I had very little pain to speak of (many of us don't), but getting in and out of bed could be a challenge - for the first few days I felt like I'd done a thousand crunches when getting out of bed. I didn't have a recliner, but I just had a ton of pillows propped up behind me so I wasn't lying flat. It did help. After I had my first plastic surgery (which was much more painful than my RNY), I bought a wedge pillow. In fact, I'm still using it, three years later. That may have been helpful after my RNY, too.

i know this sounds weird to say, but unless you have a physical issue like a stricture, enjoy it while you can, because your hunger and appetite will come roaring back sometime within the first year. It's so much easier to lose weight when you're never hungry and don't give a flip about food. I wish that had lasted forever with me, but it all came back when I was about five months out. Then things got a lot harder...

honestly, weight loss is about 90% food and only 10% exercise. I know WLS patients who lost a ton of weight even without exercise. That said, exercise is great for your overall health and people should do it - but an injury that causes a temporary pause in your routine is not going to be the end of your weight loss. also, you could be in a stall - they're very common. Just stick to your program and your weight loss will eventually start up again. Stalls usually last 1-3 weeks. and no, I doubt "this is it" as long as you're adhering to your program. Most of us lose for a year - if not more (20 months for me - but I started out much heavier than you, so I had a lot more to lose)

carbonyl iron and heme iron are usually well-tolerated (although there are other versions of iron that people tolerate pretty well). There are a few companies that make both of those versions I mentioned. I've been taking carbonyl iron for the last 6+ years. Feosol is a common brand that has it (although Feosol makes other types of iron, too, so you have to check the bottle to see what type of iron it is). Vitron-C is another common brand of carbonyl iron. I usually use the latter or just get the generic version at CVS. however, there are some people just don't absorb iron well from tablets and need to have occasional iron infusions I don't know about iron patches specifically, but as far as vitamin patches in general, they seem to work for some but not for others. I never tried them as I figure I'll be one of the people for whom they don't work.

I don't think leaks are very common. And they're usually caught before you even leave the hospital.

very common with both sleeve and bypass. And just as a heads up, chronic constipation (even after the first BM) is pretty common, too. the first BM can take up to a week and can be a real doozy, so we were advised to take stool softeners. after that one, a lot of us take a capful of Miralax every day to stay on top of constipation - although others take stool softeners, probiotics, SmoothMove tea, or magnesium tablets. Whatever works...

yes - some surgeons are now recommending that sleeve patients avoid NSAIDs, too.

my insurance covered all of it since I'd already met my deductible, so I don't know what it cost. I'll see if the original bill is still on MyChart (although since it's been seven years, it may not be - but if so, I'll get back to you). Although if it's a stricture, you'll need to get it "fixed". If and when it gets to the point you can't even keep fluids down, your days will be numbered. People can go without food for awhile, but not fluids. Anyway, if the bill is still on MyChart, I'll let you know how much it was. UPDATE: well, the record of the visits (I had two strictures) is still on MyChart, but not the bill. Sorry about that!!

check with your clinic. I was able to swallow all my pills whole right away except for two of them - I had to wait a couple of weeks on those.

it might not cover the DS. A lot of insurance policies that DO cover WLS will only cover sleeve and bypass (some will cover DS - but not all).

if this is happening right after eating, another strong possibility is a stricture. They happen to about 5% of gastric bypass patients, and you're in the right window of time for it (they almost always occur within 1-3 months post-op. They're very rare after that point). I had two of them - one at four weeks out and the other at around eight weeks out. They're an easy "fix". Regardless, let your clinic know what's going on. What you're experiencing is not normal.

you won't stretch your stomach on liquids - they go right through you. also, leaking is discovered right away - before you even leave the hospital. They won't discharge you if they suspect - or discover - a leak. I was always able to drink more than they said I'd be able to. I asked the PA at my clinic about this, and he said my stomach would let me know if I was drinking too much or too fast.

most of us gain 10-20 lbs from our lowest weight sometime during year 3. I sometimes attend Unjury's virtual support groups, and they had a really interesting dietitian on a couple of weeks ago. She said almost everyone gains at least 5% of their lowest weight, and her clinic doesn't even consider it regain unless the person gains more than 15% of their lowest weight. Anything less than that (i.e., less than a 15% gain) is just normal settling....so that's more or less equivalent to the 10-20 lbs that I mentioned. so, in other words, your "regain" is normal - just the normal rebound that the vast majority of us experience after hitting bottom. Of course, you can always lose weight again by cutting calories - but if your body is now at it's "setpoint", then it'll be a struggle to take it off and keep it off - BUT...it can be done if you're willing to put in the work.

I think about 99% of the people on this forum can relate to that... ?

I was also told it was OK once the scabs were all off my incisions. That was at about four weeks out for me.

I was also told it was OK once the scabs were all off my incisions. That was at about four weeks out for me.

check out the blog "The World According to Eggface". She's a long-time bariatric patient and is very active in the international bariatric community. She also loves to cook, and she has recipes on her site for all the different phases.

I told very few people. My immediate family, some close friends, my boss all knew. Afterward, when it was obvious I'd lost a ton of weight, I told most people that I'd been working with a dietitian and was exercising like a fiend (which was actually true...I just conveniently left out the part about the surgery). When another obese person asked me, I was honest with them, since they know that diet & exercise thing is a bunch of schlock. so I don't know if I was technically lying - just leaving out the surgery part for most people who asked. But then again, if you don't want people to know about the surgery, there aren't a lot of options.

1) probably a stricture. Once they get it cleared, you'll be fine 2) you shouldn't be progressing on your diet like that. Goldfish crackers and French fries during week 3 is on no one's plan. You'll eventually be able to eat stuff like that again (although in controlled amounts), but right now you should be focusing on following your plan. You don't want to sabotage everything when you're right out of the gate. This will all work as long as you follow the plan. Don't be one of those people who never loses very much weight - or worse, gains it all back. You've been through too much for that.

sounds like you're in a stall. Those are very common and it'll likely be the first of many while you're on your journey. They typically last 1-3 weeks. Just make sure you're following your plan to a "T" and stay off the scale for a few days. It'll break and you'll be on your way again. oh - and as others have said, the fluctuation (up a lb or two, down a lb or two) is very normal. Probably water retention and/or having fuller intestines some days than others.

a 10-20 lb rebound weight, usually during year 3 (although it can be earlier or later for some) is EXTREMELY common. A dietitian who gave a presentation on one of Unjury's virtual support groups a couple of weeks ago said they don't even consider it regain until you gain more than 15% of your lowest weight (so for you, that would be slightly over 15 lbs). Under that, and it's just your body settling in to a weight it feels comfortable at. you can always lose weight again by cutting your calories - although weight loss is a struggle for those of us at or near a normal BMI.

It does get easier after your body goes into ketosis around day 4. but yea - this is definitely the worst part of the ordeal. I was actually relieved the morning I was rolled into surgery...

I had to google it since I'd never heard of it. Yes, sounds like it's mostly done in Australia. It sounds a little too much like the lapband concept for me.

I'm so sorry for your loss. My father passed away five years ago today. Although it does get a bit easier with time, it never goes away.

it's not hard after surgery. Most of us lose our sense of hunger for awhile after surgery (it eventually comes back for most of us, though...)