Berry78

You say wanted to.... did you not go? It is soooo important to get a bag or two of fluid when needed. This should be drilled into patients' heads... After surgery you PROBABLY WILL need IV fluids a few times. This is not a failure! This is expected! If you don't want to be admitted, find out if there is a place to go on an outpatient basis.

Statistically, most bariatric patients don't reach 24bmi. BUT, this is absolutely under the patient's control. The surgery will knock 100lbs off, the rest is up to you! Use the easy time to make lifestyle changes that will encourage the rest to melt away.

How much have you been drinking?

You won't gain fat from calorie free beverages. Weight gain at this point is the body holding onto fluid for healing.

What the heck! Do not do this! Your stomach nerves have been cut so you could be doing real damage to yourself and not feel it! Please call your surgeon's office and find out what they want you to do!

Hats and wigs. Keep up with your nutrition so it will grow back in nice later. I'm gonna be in the same boat since I already lost half of it through pregnancies.

My 11 year old was worried. His grandmither had a panniculectomy a couple years ago, so when he heard I was getting stomach surgery, he said, "but I don't want you getting your belly button taken off!" I went and got 5 bandaids and put them on my belly, showing how I will look after surgery. I explained the doctor was going to shrink the inside stomach so I can't eat so much anymore, so I would be healthier. He was ok with that. Here's hoping I won't need an extensive tummy tuck!

Get some neon paper. You and your daughter make signs to hang around the house with encouraging tidbits. She can draw pictures of you riding bikes or whatever. When you become disheartened, look at your signs for a boost!

Do we really have to talk about muscle vs fat weight incessantly? Everyone knows a pound is a pound, and that it is the volume that is different. Karlos even spoke of tape measuring for losses, rather than weight losses.... so you can be sure he understands the difference, even though he didn't add "by volume".

Spend time on this board hearing about people's successes, questions, and disappointments. It really is a day in the life of... Aquaint yourself with the preop and post op diets. Look to get a wide variety of calorie free uncarbonated beverages and protein powders/shakes. Look at the selection of vitamins that are needed, and she may need to try a few types to find ones she likes. You need a good blender for pureed foods and protein shakes. When she comes home, she will need to rest and walk. She should walk at least 5 minutes every waking hour. Dehydration is the #1 problem after surgery. She needs to take a sip of water every 5 minutes until she can drink more at once. Plan to set timers for meals, vitamins, walking, and such. If she has an 8 ounce cup of water where she is resting, then she will have to get up frequently to go fill it back up. That is one way to get the frequent walking in the first few days. An alarm that goes off across the room would also make her get up to turn it off. Of course, any if these suggestions should be talked over with her to decide what will work for you both.

Is the pain in your chest or abdomen? If it's in your intestines it could be due to what you are eating. Maybe try eliminating dairy for a couple days, if no change, then try eliminating wheat.

What greensleevie said. Don't be afraid of limiting your food choices at first. Create the "perfect" template meal, get comfortable with that. Then gradually exchange out the pieces of that meal for equivalencies. For example: starting meal is grilled skinless chicken, green beans, sweet potatoes. Equivalent meal: Salmon, boiled spinach, rice During the weight loss phase it may be best to leave out the sweet potatoes and rice. Create a week of meals, then cycle through. When you get bored, make a new menu. Spend the time shopping and planning 1 day a week, so you needn't think about it the other 6. After a few months or years it will become second nature. Good luck!

Awesome!

And I should add... all the above is based on an uncomplicated experience. She has about a 10% chance of having some complications. (Usually minor). Of course in that case, the journey changes accordingly. Before you get too scared, keep in mind obesity presents its own risks... and severe complications are pretty rare.

Both. Physically she will be in pain from gas and the incisions. The pain will lessen over the first couple weeks and should be gone in a month or less. Her stomach heals over the first 8-9 weeks, so her diet gradually transitions from clear liquids to solid foods. Her emotions will be on a roller coaster because of changing hormones and lifestyle. If she is addicted to food, or has other eating disorders, she will be going through withdrawal. This isn't at all just a small cosmetic procedure. It will deeply effect all parts of your lives, at least at first. We refer to this as a journey. Things couldn't be more different if you packed up and moved across the country. Be prepared to enter the twilight zone, but she and you should come out better, stronger, and healthier on the other side. Good luck!

Well, ok. It CAN be done, but is so rarely that it's best to not use that as decision criteria. (Unlike the lapband.. which CAN be undone.. not that I recommend it either! Lol).

The DS has a large malabsorption component. Huge vitamin requirements. Will get (and keep) the weight off, but may be more surgery than you need. The DS can be added after the fact to a sleeve. But, once the DS is made, there really is no going back. Same with a bypass. I agree with the others here. Bariatric surgery on an outpatient basis sounds scary. Do your research so you will best know what questions to ask. Maybe watch duodenal switch stories on youtube.

Imagine how you would expect to feel if someone stabbed you 4-5 times in the belly. Yeah, you are gonna hurt should feel much better in a couple weeks.

Do NOT go against the recommendation against nsaids. There are other modes of getting pain relief.. patches on the skin, or maybe types that are absorbed under the tongue. Your doc can prescribe pain meds that would work better than tylenol for specific injuries. Good luck!

Ask your doc what you can take now to keep things moving. Even when you don't eat much, the body keeps making waste. That waste needs to get outa there! (At least a couple times a week.) Enemas help in the short term while waiting for oral stuff to make its way through. Good luck!

My understanding is it is 30g at a time. So a single meal with more isn't helpful.... but there has to be a reason bariatric patients are advised to get over 60g a day. Even if I eat more than I strictly need, as long as I am losing, (or maintaining at the end) why does it matter?

That will be beautiful! Umm.. hadn't thought that far out yet...

I agree with clc9. Because of your lower bmi, you should have good luck getting to a normal bmi. You are just in a stall at the moment. No worries! Trust the program! 1 point bmi is what, 5-10lbs? I feel confident you would have gotten there at some point. Definitely not a reason to think the surgery wasn't for you!

Oh, wanted to add, 10lbs seems like an average number for healthy loss. Not to say someone with a 30lb a month loss HAS to have had a complicated recovery.

Things like extended hospitalizations for strictures, severe ulcers, leaks, excessive nausea and vomiting.... basically anything that keeps the patient from eating. For the most part, things get fixed, life goes on, and ultimately it was just a big bump in the road that resulted in quick losses. Sometimes we hear about the complications, and sometimes we just see the #s, but don't know the WHY.