ShelterDog64

Life improved drastically for me after I was able to start eating 'real' food. I'm 7 weeks out and I feel normal (whatever that is!) except when I grocery shop, because I spend a LOT of time reading labels. Congratulations on completing your surgery!

I think you're just saying that most people don't have a negative experience, we just hear about them a lot because those are the people speaking up. I understood.This forum doesn't have the statistics to qualify that statement unless I am missing it somewhere. We would have to poll all WLS throughout the global community to see how many have had negative experiences and factor in how many are reluctant to speak out about them due to fear etc. We will not be able to get a true representation because so many people suffer in silence for their own personal reasons. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Now you're inventing data compilation issues to suit your own preferences. There are numerous large cross-sectional and longitudinal studies showing morbidity and mortality rates associated with WLS, as well as showing the rates of most common complications, weight lost/regained with the different WLS options and regarding patient satisfaction with the surgeries. They are overwhelmingly positive in favor of WLS...the mortality rate alone when compared to the mortality rates of the co-morbidities most WLS patients have is stunning in and of itself, particularly when you factor in the reduction or elimination of many of those co-morbidities that occurs BECAUSE of the weight loss surgery. You, by your own admission, had a raft of other health issues that have undoubtedly contributed to your post-op issues. I can't recall which you have, IBD or IBS, but either alone is likely an enormous factor in many of your problems and it seems as though you're not getting appropriate treatment for those problems. Being a healthcare professional myself, I absolutely hate that you aren't being seen by a GI, that your surgical team is not responsive or concerned and that you're left to the care of your GP, who sounds like a great practitioner, but has no additional training in gastrointestinal issues. BUT, none of YOUR problems are likely to occur in someone like me, an otherwise completely healthy 51 year old woman whose only co-morbidities were hypertension and sleep apnea. In the end, it looks like you're trying to scare others into feeling that WLS isn't for them, despite a huge amount of data, collected in the US healthcare system, that shows WLS to be VERY safe and VERY effective.

She has exactly the same experience in 'the matter' as you do, because 'the matter' is recovery from bariatric surgery, not BAD experiences with bariatric surgery. I've read your story as well and have a great deal of sympathy for what you're going through, but you walked into a post titled 'Did anyone NOT have a miserable recovery' and are picking arguments with people who are just relating their personal feelings and experiences. I don't understand why you're doing this.

Some people have good iron absorption and don't need any, ever. I have, most of my life, had a Hb of 12-14 which is really on the high side for a woman. My hemophiliac half-sister dreams of having an 8. While anything is possible, I can't remember any situation from nursing school where someone could have a Hb of 12 and be iron deficient. I wouldn't think an iron test would be all that useful if you don't have any symptoms of iron deficiency and your H/H stays high. Then why do Bariatric doctors ask for ferritin levels test always. Why don't they check the Hb first and then order for ferritin tests if the Hb is low??!! That's why i got confused. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App My doc doesn't ask for ferritin levels unless my hemoglobin/hematocrit/RBC count is low, but low ferritin levels can be a precursor to low hemoglobin. Sounds like your doctor is very proactive and wants to catch an iron issue before it develops into a Hct, Hgb or RBC issue. Ferritin level is indicative of your iron stores, it's the Protein that stores iron inside cells.

My son bought me a 16 oz S'well double-walled bottle that I carry religiously. It's small enough to fit in my shoulder bag, doesn't sweat so doesn't damage anything in my bag, and it's easy to refill at a Water fountain. I think he got it at Target. Bigger bottles weren't working well for me.

@@mmy 12.5 g/dL is within normal range for all ages of women, so you don't need an additional test.

That's what she says about your "sausage supreme"!!! Best comment EVER! Lololololololol....

^^^^This Sent from my KFFOWI using the BariatricPal App I agree! I've been the hirer in a couple of situations like this and I'd definitely prefer having a new employee uninterrupted and with their surgical issue completed prior to starting employment.

I agree!!

I'm doing the same...nursing it, but it's lovely to have a bit of Pinot Gris! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I know a couple of people who use it and have good labs, as well as good reports from users here on BP. I'll have my first labs in early Sept and I'll post after I hear how they are.

That's it! GENEPRO only comes unflavored.

I actually prefer forearms to AC because the AC tend to be so positional. But someone who only knows how to put IV's in AC's will mess up a forearm because it's less forgiving. The ones I absolutely despise are in the hand. I had one transected in my hand and bled so much it was like instant arthritis in the joints for a couple of weeks after!! Oh, absolutely if it's a primary or even the second site. But this was my 4th IV site (I was getting IV potassium, so I was shredding veins every 8 hours or so) I finally ended up with one in the elbow that lasted for my last bag of K. They started with my hand, which blew ugly and big, then forearm, another forearm, then finally AC. Those smaller veins clearly weren't designed to withstand potassium, at least in my body! And isn't it amazing what it feels like to have to absorb all that blood? My IV issues were by far the most difficult part of my hospital stay Ugh. I didn't realize you were getting K+. I'd never try to put that through a hand vein. Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew. Did they at least dilute it by piggybacking it to some regular IV solution? I think doctors should have to endure some of this stuff in medical school. They don't stop to think about how hard it is on the patient sometimes when they write orders. If the patient can tolerate volume, K+ comes pre-mixed in a very dilute solution that isn't nearly as hard on the veins, but the docs will order the tiny concentrated bags without even thinking about it. When I was bedside, if a doc ordered that, before I even went to get the meds, I'd ask him to order an additional volume of saline or whatever the patient needed so I could dilute it a bit into the veins. After they blew my hand, they made the switch to piggyback. But, I had to drink one dose as I didn't have IV access for a few hours between those forearm sticks...I'd rather blow every IV site on my entire body than drink another dose of that foul stuff. It was like drinking salty, weird, thick blood. I shudder to even think about it.

I actually prefer forearms to AC because the AC tend to be so positional. But someone who only knows how to put IV's in AC's will mess up a forearm because it's less forgiving. The ones I absolutely despise are in the hand. I had one transected in my hand and bled so much it was like instant arthritis in the joints for a couple of weeks after!! Oh, absolutely if it's a primary or even the second site. But this was my 4th IV site (I was getting IV potassium, so I was shredding veins every 8 hours or so) I finally ended up with one in the elbow that lasted for my last bag of K. They started with my hand, which blew ugly and big, then forearm, another forearm, then finally AC. Those smaller veins clearly weren't designed to withstand potassium, at least in my body! And isn't it amazing what it feels like to have to absorb all that blood? My IV issues were by far the most difficult part of my hospital stay

That's great news! Congratulations!

Excellent rant! I've got vessels like fire hoses, when I had surgery the night nurse insisted on restarting a blown IV in the middle of my forearm instead of the antecubital space. Here's the outcome of that:. And 7 weeks later, I still have copper staining in the area. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@justhere4theshow Oh, girl. There have been a few instances in the past 6 weeks where I just about tore the head off one of the 3 unfortunate men in my house. My hormone-related insanity has been alleviated somewhat by the fact that I'm sliding into menopause, so I think the estrogen release is actually helpful at times...but oh, those other times. The dogs hide under the bed, the male humans scatter....

I mix it in cold liquids and foods all the time...do you sprinkle it on top of the cold food like the website says to do? And mix with a fork instead of a spoon? It clumped for me a bit until I went to the site and read their 'how to' section.

Sure.....we can all just get along. However.....we can also take it to a higher level by nudging some silly notions outa each other's noggins from time to time. I know for a damn fact that my trajectory has been improved a number of times by the vets here....who posted their opinions that were clearly against my grain and yet their wisdoms hit home. There is no substitute for experience. My opinion is that only a fool would shirk that wisdom, when provided. I've learned to listen carefully.....evaluate and then either incorporate it or call it rubbish and move on. I'm all about not reinventing the wheel. If a template for success is laid out in front of me......why in the hell do I want to venture down an alternate path ???????? I'm a hardheaded guy and don't listen well at times......but I've become a quick study when needed......in crunch times. I consider the health scares I've had the year leading up to my VSG such a "crunch time". I've listened carefully to those who've gone before me......and I am better for it. I've learned to accept life according to the words of a woman that I cherish......"Suck it up Buttercup" and move forward. Only a damn fool would denounce the collective wisdoms of successful patients who've made 2+ years and beyond and are rocking the results. Only a damn fool................. Exactly! Every single word.

@@APanda911 Caprese salad has been a family favorite since my college kid started cooking as a young teen. We love a little drizzle of balsamic vinegar, too! Now I'm craving tomatoes!

@@suzzzzz " I just turned 59 and am determined to not be the old fat lady in family pictures. My family has a long history of that. :-)" I'll be 52 this month and I sure envy the younger crowd around here. I'm in early menopause, fat and post-op crazed right now...my family deserves better than this!

This is another example of how varied everyone's taste is :-) I use unflavored protein all the time, in my coffee, in refried Beans, in any soup that I have, into oatmeal, etc. The brand I use is undetectable once it's mixed in and packs a big protein punch. I can't drink a RTD protein drink anymore, they're so grossly thick and artificially sweet, so using unflavored has been a huge help. What brand do you use?? Mine can't be cooked with and I too get sick of flavours and the texture pretty quickly. I would love to sneak it in soup or something. I can and I will. I'm using GENEPRO, and it's by far my favorite. I gave all my flavored powders away, because I can put the unflavored powder into anything plus I can use Stevia if I want something sweet instead of having sucralose which is in so many flavored powders. *Edited to add: I don't cook with it per se, but I stir it into cooked foods. If your oatmeal or whatever is very warm, add the powder to a little milk or Water, stir with a fork, then stir that into the food.

@@Candygyrl "As a NEWBIE, I find this site very helpful. There are some discussions that I don't agree with and some members that rub me the wrong way but I just move on... " I could NOT agree more! I'm both a) surprised by the number of snarly posts from both newbies and vets and b ) surprised that so many people have a hard time just walking on by. There are people here whose posts I adore and some whose posts I don't...kind of like life, you know? IRL, I don't make it a point to publicly disagree when someone I don't like says something, so why do it here? I DO find this site extremely helpful and I'm getting a ton of support in a little "June 2016" thread we have going on, but I venture outside of it as well, to help where my little bit of experience is appropriate and to glean knowledge from some of the seasoned folks on here. Can't we all just get along?

Charley27, I know you already tried a couple of Cheeze It's and didn't really like them, but think about things like crackers and high carb/low Protein foods like this: If you're only getting in 300 calories a day, those calories MUST be high-quality calories, and carb-y, salty foods aren't high-quality. I know someone insisted that Cheeze It's have protein, but it's only 3 grams for 30 crackers...that's negligible protein at the serving size you're likely to be eating, so they're essentially worthless nutritionally. Have you tried Moon Cheese? 6 pieces has 70 calories, 5 grams of protein and no carbs. They're crunchy, which I crave too, and I'm a little obsessed with the Gouda variety. They're a much better 'crunch' choice than a carb-filled cracker and will give you some much needed protein.

@suzzzzz@APanda911 Thankyouthankyouthankyou! I'm so happy to hear that it's not just me! I KNOW I'm eating right (although I do need to exercise more, but I've got a torn rotator cuff that's holding me back) and I KNOW I'm going to be a success at this, but the little voice that I hate is whispering in my ear that I'm going to fail at this just like I always failed at reaching goal at Weight Watchers, or Jenny Craig, or whatever I tried. Donell, where are you with your positive inspiration??