theantichick
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Posts posted by theantichick
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I was always the person sweating at the drop of a hat, so I welcomed having to layer up again.
I can also say that eating carbs doesn't help. I am not on carb restriction and have usually 80-100g a day.
All I can offer is the advice to add layers like you're scaling Mt. Everest. LOL. I grew up in Alaska, so I remember putting on the silk thermals and extra socks and then clothes and then a sweater and then the jacket/hat/gloves/boots. It's not something I normally have to do in Texas, but I am having to add jackets/sweaters now, and I don't run around the house barefoot anymore.
In the home, there are ALL SORTS of lovely electric heated things now. I don't have a heated mattress pad now, but I used to and they are SO MUCH better than heated blankets on the bed. I have a heated foot pocket in my bed, because it's always my feet that are miserably cold at night. But on the couch and my reading chair, I have electric thermal throws and vellux blankets. I knit myself some fingerless gloves for when I'm working on the computer. I also use one of those tubes that you heat up in the microwave to soothe a sore neck or back as a wrist rest with my keyboard to help my chilly fingers.
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I had horrible fatigue for a good month before I started feeling normal again. Water and Protein are the most important things, work really hard to get those in. My Protein intake fell when I moved to purees because I was trying to eat more food and use less Protein shakes. Also, if you've started exercising, you may need more calories to support it.
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You've already called your doc, so anything s/he says trumps my input.
Bright red blood in stools, unless it's REALLY A LOT, is rarely cause for concern, especially if you've been constipated or have had hard stools. It's common for a hard stool to cause a fissure (similar to cracked skin) that bleeds, and every stool that passes - hard or not - after can open it back up for a little more blood until it completely heals. You can also develop hemorrhoids that can open and bleed, but that's usually with long-term Constipation.
Check with your doc, of course. But I was an ER nurse, and we saw this A LOT. I also have IBS with constipation, so I've lived this most of my adult life. Stool softeners or Fiber supplements in the diet, along with LOTS and LOTS of Water usually resolves the problem. Danger signs are abdominal pain with passing stools (beyond gas), stuff that looks like coffee grounds in the stool, or bleeding that just doesn't stop.
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I am no longer bedside thanks to my auto-immune arthritis, but I cannot see any way I could have gone back sooner than 4-6 weeks, and I had virtually no issues post-op. I was incredibly fatigued the first month and had a lifting restriction until 4 weeks where there is no way I could have worked ER or ICU (which is my experience). Your surgeon can give you the best input on this, but I would not count on only 2 weeks off. I work as a healthcare IT analyst, and was back to work from home 5 days post-op (surgery on Wed, work from home the following Monday) and back in the office 12 days post-op. I wish I could have taken a week completely off, and then started working from home 12 days post-op. And that's for a desk job.
Frankly, I would advise asking your surgeon when his program advances you to soft/pureed foods, and when the lifting restriction is typically lifted, and I'd plan for a week (2 if possible) beyond that. I was so fatigued and fighting to get enough fluids and Protein in until the soft food stage, I couldnt' have even THOUGHT about doing anything physical. I've never worked in a hospital that had a true light duty option for nurses. If yours is different, then maybe take that under consideration.
I don't have celiac, but I have RA/PsA and my inflammatory factors have reduced post-op after an initial flare from surgery and being off my meds for a month. Not a cure, but my meds appear to be working better and we're taking biologic therapy off the table for the foreseeable future.
There is some evidence that PPI use which is very commonly needed post-op increases the risk of c.diff but I've never found a good explanation as to why. And of course, any abdominal surgery increases the risk of hospital-acquired infections.
The only restrictions I've heard that are common post-sleeve are a relative contraindication for NSAIDs and steroids, and they recommend carrying a medical information card in your wallet (or adding it to a MedicAlert if you have one) for no blind NGT/OGT. I suspect that a blind NG/OG is much more of an issue with RNY or lapband because of the pouch which isn't present with the sleeve, but I went ahead and put it on my MedicAlert. NG/OG can still be placed, just with a scope and not blind.
After recovery and advancement to a full diet, I don't have any particular restrictions from my surgeon. I take the same meds as before (though we've been able to stop several of them at this point) and my activity level is increasing (though slowly due to the RA/PsA). I do have to eat frequent small meals in order to get enough Protein and calories, and need to drink constantly to get enough fluids in, but no specific limitations.
I have not officially been declared free of my sleep apnea, but after I lost about 35 lbs my mask quit fitting and was leaking so badly I couldn't sleep. Because I could only find one mask that worked for me (a hybrid) and was already on the smallest size, I didn't see much point in trying to get re-fitted, and just quit using it. Hubby says that I only snore now if I roll onto my back, and he hasn't seen any apnea episodes. I haven't had an increase in daytime sleepiness or BP, which were indicators of my apnea. I did buy an OTC oral appliance that stops the snoring even on my back, but I haven't adjusted to it for the entire night yet, I pull it out in the early morning hours. The snoring is lessening as I lose more weight, and sometime next year I'll probably arrange for an in-home sleep study kit to get the diagnosis off my active list.
As an RN, I researched and was familiar with all of the potential complications. I tried to comply with my pre-op instructions as much as possible, and that's pretty much all you can do. I've had surgery before, so there's no unknowns with anesthesia. I had a super recovery, comparatively. I had quite a bit of nausea, but never actually threw up. I progressed quickly through the food stages set out by my surgeon, only a few things caused issues but even those things I can eat now. I did have a LOT of fatigue for the first month, but it's hard to tell how much of that was surgery and how much was RA/PsA, especially off meds. I had no issues with my incisions or healing. My surgeon told me that the complications are actually very uncommon, except for nausea/vomiting. I had had issues with n/v post-op in the past, so the surgical team took extra precautions with me, and I had zero vomiting even in recovery.
I can tell you I've not regretted it for a single second. Ok, to be fair, I had thoughts for the first week post-op of "what did I just do?" but they were fleeting and I felt better every day than the day before. Now at 3 months post-op, I feel pretty darned good, and with a few exceptions life looks pretty normal (just lighter). I wish it had been an option for me 10 years ago.
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No. They feel that me having the endoscopy on the 16th is sufficient.
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Wow. Just.... wow. I know that medicine is practiced very differently in the UK but this is shocking to me as an RN. I wish I could send you the carafate I didn't use post-op that was prescribed *just in case* I was having more stomach discomfort than the PPI would handle.
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I'm an RN, and I wouldn't even presume to tell you what you could and could not take without consulting with your medical chart and/or the practitioner. An office coordinator CERTAINLY shouldn't. She has zero training to understand all of the issues involved.
I have auto-immune arthritis, and one main reason I and my medical team chose the sleeve for my surgery over the RNY was because I HAVE to be able to take NSAIDs and steroids as needed for my arthritis. It is not "standard" to have WLS patients taking either because of the risk of ulcers, but in some cases the benefits outweigh the risks. I have been lucky so far that I haven't had to take any of either since surgery (losing the stomach tissue as well as fat tissue appears to be lowering my inflammatory factors) but I can take them if I need to.
The office coordinator was WAY out of line, and I would follow up with the office about it.
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Because they had to do an intervention, I had to stay overnight. If they are doing it just to check things out and they don't have to put in a stent or "fix" anything, I have heard they'll send you home later that day, but I don't know that for sure.
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have you tried some of the fruit flavored Protein drinks? I can't stand Isopure, but some really like it. I like the Syntrax nectar flavors. I got some tubes from Amazon to freeze Syntrax into ice pops, that changed it up from the other Protein stuff early on. I also read somewhere that you can make pudding out of most protein powders by putting 1/2 of the recommended milk or Water in. I haven't tried that, but it would be something to mix things up.
Before you know it you'll be post-op and then onto pureed food and there'll be no looking back! -
There are no true malabsorption problems with the sleeve. The malabsorption occurs with the RNY and the DS. As others have stated, reduced intake and sometimes diet changes can cause you to not take in enough nutrients, which is why they strongly recommend Multivitamins after sleeve surgery. There are no digestive changes for the sleeve, so medications are usually continued as before. Of course, you'll need to discuss your specific situation with your surgeon. The only thing I have noticed is that food seems to go through my sleeve a little faster than it did through my old stomach, but it's not so much faster that it will affect medication absorption, most of which actually happens in the upper part of the intestines anyway. Some medications have to have dosages adjusted, particularly seizure medications and anything that is dosed based on weight, but it's not an absorption problem.
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A few years ago I had a reaction to medication that caused a lesion in my heart which caused a very abnormal heartbeat. I had to have a procedure called an ablation to zap the lesion cells. It was done as a cardiac cath procedure. Because of that, I had to get cardiac clearance from my cardiologist to have the surgery.
Heart problems do NOT mean you can't have the surgery, it just means they have to check a few things out and maybe fix something first.
Cardiac cath procedures are done VERY frequently now, and the teams are VERY good at what they do. The worst part of it for me was the 6 hours laying flat after the surgery because I had to pee SO BAD but couldn't manage to make myself go in a bedpan. I was a nursing student at the time and begged the nurse to get an order to catheterize me, which she did and I got through it. LOL. So don't stress about a cath procedure.
Good luck!!
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If they suspect an ulcer, they should be giving you something like Carafate. Do you have an option to call and ask for something that will give more coating and relief than the Gaviscon and lansoprazole?
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A lot of times physical cravings are really about nutrient deficiencies. Orange juice is high in potassium and Vitamin C. I'd suspect potassium before C because it takes longer for a C deficiency to cause a physical problem. And if you're cutting carbs, you're missing a lot of foods with potassium in them like potatoes. Try drinking something with electrolytes in it like sugar-free Gatorade or even Smart Water (though it doesn't have as much in it as a Gatorade).
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I have access to a microwave and small kitchen, but more often than not I pack stuff that doesn't require preparation or heating. I love the P3 Protein packs. They have just the right amount of meat, cheese, and nuts to fill me up and get me a good Protein bump.
I also pack greek yogurt, and sometimes chicken strips that are pre-cooked to eat cold or warm with some teryaki dipping sauce. I usually have a couple of Protein Bars in my bag just in case, as well.
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Hello everyone! So many great, inspiring posts here. I have so many questions; but will start with just a few; i look forward to everyone's advice and experience...
-how long does the average recovery take?
-what is the age range of people who have done weight loss surgery?
-what are some meals and how often?
-did you gain more confidence in life with weight loss?
-thanks for all replies.
Th
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I had a very fast recovery with very few issues. I had surgery on Wed, started working from home (I'm an IT analyst) the following Monday, was back in the office the Monday after that. I had some nausea, but didn't ever throw up. I was very fatigued for probably a month but I also have auto-immune arthritis that I had to go off meds for the surgery, so it's hard to tell what was auto-immune and what was surgical recovery. If I'd had any issues or a physical job, I'd have had to take more time off.
Ages? I'm 47. I've seen everything from late teens to 60 or 70 on this board.
I'm a little over 3 months out, and I eat 4-6 times a day, about 1/4 cup each time. I do not restrict carbs because ketosis makes me very ill, but I focus on Protein first and when I do eat carbs I try to make them complex carbs with little sugar or refined grains.
I am gaining more confidence with the weight loss, but I'm still in the early stages. I'm also able to get active for the first time in years, so that's helping as much or more than the weight loss.
While there are some people who have had major issues and regret the surgery, most of the people here will tell you that they just wish they'd done it sooner. I'm in that camp, though I realize if I'd done it much sooner I'd have had a bypass because the sleeve surgery is relatively new, and with my auto-immune a bypass wouldn't have been a good option. So I'm just glad I finally decided to take the step for my health.
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Fat stores estrogen, and as we lose weight it dumps into our systems. Being overly emotional is at least partially hormonal, and it will go away. You've also dramatically lessened your intake and your body needs to adjust, and it causes fatigue which can worsen emotionality. Your body has endured a trauma in the form of surgery, and is trying to heal.
None of this is easy. Some people have easy and fast recoveries, others not so much. It's hard, and it sucks, but for most people it resolves and most of us get over the regret and embrace our new lives.
Remember to breathe, focus on fluids and Protein so your body can heal, and be gracious to yourself. It will get better.
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Oh I agree it's unethical and not OK. Just wanted to make the point that this should not be held up as evidence of unsafe practices. There may be other evidence of that, but this isn't it.
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Just a note... The indictment is about financial stuff. Illegal kick backs and possibly insurance fraud. I was going to use Dr Nicholson until my rheumatologist referred me to my surgeon, and I'm very glad because she personalized my treatment and I'm not sure that would happen with a large practice like Kim or Nicholson. So don't think the docs are unsafe just because of this. They may be unsafe for other reasons, I haven't researched Dr Kim, but Dr Nicholson seemed to be pretty good when I was looking at him.
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Wal-Mart also stocks Premier Protein ready made so you don't have to mix it. Not everyone likes it, but it's the only Protein Drink I can stand right now, and its handy to not have to mix. 30 g in a serving.
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I don't understand the comments saying "Never" on being able to eat normal portions. If that were so true, then why would people start to gain weight again after reaching their goal weight? You read countless studies and they will tell you that eventually you will "eat through" your sleeve, meaning you start to stretch your stomach out again, slowly but surely it can happen. If that were the case, you would only be able to consume 1-2 ounces of liquids/food for the rest of your life, as you did directly after surgery. Your stomach will become bigger ever so slightly as time goes by, which to those of us crazy people who had issues with food and had the surgery for some ridiculous reason other than medical conditions, that's a problem. Thank God for the pouch reset trick that will help you shrink it down again... anyways... if you so desire to eat yourself through the sleeve and have an outstretched stomach again, you certainly may. It's your body, do what you will to it.
But if you start to stretch your stomach too much too fast, don't be surprised when you suffer some of those potentially life threatening side effects and have to be rushed to the hospital.
The part of the stomach left doesn't have the stretch capability of the part that's removed. There will be a modest increase in capacity for most people, but it will never reach the capacity of a pre-surgical sleeve. Most accounts and research I've found indicate that about a cup total food at a time is about as much capacity as most sleevers will ever have. That's a far cry from the 8-16 cups that a human can potentially eat at a sitting with a "normal" stomach.
You "eat around" the sleeve by eating high calorie foods and by eating more frequently than you should. I'm 3 months out, and can only eat a little more than 1/4 cup at a time. If I'm eating my standard 5-6 small meals a day, that's not a huge amount of food. But if I wait about 20-30 minutes I've got room again, and if I were to just continually snack all day, I could put away a large amount of food.
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My first rant
in Rants & Raves
Posted
Some people who have been working in doctor's offices for years get a very inflated opinion of themselves, especially if the doctor feeds into it. Don't get me started on medical assistants being introduced as a nurse (or introducing themselves that way).