Berry78

Congrats on your surgery! Definitely keep an eye on your seeping wound. By 3 days out I don't think I had any drainage. Just keep your team informed. See if you are allowed to crush any of your pills. Whole pills of any size are the pits for a few weeks. Drinking is a full time job, and until you are meeting your fluid goals, try and stay out of the heat. Moses just needs extra, shorter jaunts. This first week, if you find protein fills you up, preventing you from getting in your liquids, then cut back a bit on the protein. Fluids are more important than protein this early out. By the second week, protein will be easier. I loved bone broth for week 1, as it was fluid and protein.

I never could see my swelling ,though it was there.. so I'll hazard a guess that it can take a couple months. I figure the skin where you see the scars gives a little idea of how things are healing on the inside, and I still had some scabbing 3-4 weeks out. By 8 weeks postop my skin seemed pretty well healed... so I figure your swelling should be much better in another month.

Says something about what I'm escaping, don't it?! Lol!

When the pets have dull coats, first you look for worms, (which I'll assume isn't the problem here ) then we look at adding oil. But hard to guess based on what you've told so far... there are plenty of other nutrients that may be lacking other than protein and vitamins...

Awww, come on guys, I escape my bitchy household into the relative tranquility of BP, and I get this? Sigh...

Take your time, try and make sure the air is out of your mouth as you swallow. Your tongue will move the liquid around, forcing air out of your mouth through your nose. It sounds complicated, but it is pretty straight forward if you let the liquid sit in your mouth for a moment. The other source of air is bubbles in your blended or shaken thick liquids. And of course, straws can potentially be a source of air too, depending on how they are used. The main thing is to just take little drinks. "Sipping" is kinda a misnomer because most people slurp in air as they "sip" a hot beverage (for example).. you don't want to do THAT! lol.

When we go on these super-restricted diets, many of the nutrients that we take for granted are removed from our diets. It's easy to think.. hey, I'm getting my protein, water, and vitamins.. I'm good! Things like sodium, potassium, and magnesium aren't IN vitamins, and from what you are saying, aren't in a large quantity in the shakes. Good to know, thank you! Once I went on a regular diet, I ran my normal daily intake through a recipe nutrient calculator (actually several, with varying results.. which to believe?!) and was really surprised by some of the deficiencies. This tells me what to add to my diet to make up for those things. Vitamin E is a bugger.. mostly found in sunflower seeds, potassium is low.. have to add low sodium v8 or coconut water, and sodium is low, so my nuts/seeds are salted. The added salt helps with iodine consumption, especially for those that don't eat seafood regularly. The interesting thing is how MUCH food we can consume for relatively few calories, when you leave out added sugars, oils, and grains. (Grains aren't inherently bad, but they truly are low on the nutrition hierarchy, and should be reserved for maintenance for most of us).

OutsideMatchesInside hit the nail on the head with her new post. We keep seeing regain threads popping up like dandelions in my lawn (I actually love them, so don't do anything to eradicate them .. therefore there are a TON). Anyhoo.. since there aren't many threads with successful people telling their long term successes.. (and the few that we do see, basically say the same thing, "Stick to the program").. that how else are we to respond, even without having been there, done that?

I had a gnawing sensation within the first week. At first it was acid, increased my acid reducers, and that went away. Acid hunger felt similar to real hunger, but I could tell a difference. But by a month postop, I could feel actual hunger. Now, at 4 months postop, if I go 4-5 hours without eating, I get an empty pit, but as soon as I eat, I'm good. (I can eat anything and feel satisfied, so it's real hunger, not head hunger/craving).

I used my weight day of surgery to determine which chart to follow. 10 days: I lost a pound less than expected 6 weeks: I landed within range 3 months: I lost 3 pounds more than expected I am consuming lots of healthy calories (1200-1300/day), and don't exercise to speak of...

In sleeves, they remove a large section of stomach completely from the body. It's gone, no reattachment possible. This doesn't bother me, personally.

Are you sure? Man, lilacs sound yummy right now! lol! Actually, I love this! Thanks!

If we are to believe the set-point theory, then this is true pre-op. It SHOULDN'T be true post-op, if the surgery does, indeed, reset our set-points, as seems to be the case with the rats. You've read the study on bariatric rats, right? Obese rats have the surgery, lose to normal weights (on a restricted diet), then when fed free-choice again, they maintain their losses, and continue being normal rats. The difference between rats and people is the rats don't have emotional issues or head hunger. They eat when they're hungry (and they were fed healthy rat-chow, not doughnuts!), stop when they're full. Our new set points may not be "normal weight". There is good reason to believe it is something higher than that (like retaining 30% of excess weight). But the losses to that point should be relatively easy and straightforward, and relatively easily maintained. We just have to eat like the rats.

Keep in mind, everyone gets cold feet the last few weeks, so what you are feeling is normal nerves. BUT there are people that get the surgery and regret it long term, so use this time to weigh all your options. Option 1. Get the surgery as planned. 2. If you are a candidate, go with a sleeve instead.. fewer complications (but if they do happen, they'll be just as expensive as the bypass ones). 3. Cancel the surgery, with the understanding that you may reschedule when you are comfortable. 4. Reschedule the surgery for January. 5. Have the surgery in Mexico, and that would leave quite a bit of money in your bank account to help with any complications. (I went to Mexico with Dr. Illan, and have no problem recommending that option to others. It was a very good experience.. and Dr. Illan is willing to help with any future issues, you just have to be able to fly down for the care). Complications from surgery would be expensive, but so are complications from morbid obesity. Diet and exercise programs are a bargain, so if you haven't tried them, that may be a great thing to do if you choose options 3 or 4.

When this question pops up, I tell people, "you're right!" Diet and exercise WILL drop the pounds, and if you keep it up, they will stay off. Period. It really IS as simple as that. BUT, for a myriad of reasons, some people just can't diet and exercise and stick with it long term. Dr. Matthew Weiner (bariatric surgeon in Michigan with a helpful youtube channel) feels it is to do with the "set-point theory". When obese people cut calories, their bodies rebel by decreasing the metabolism and increasing hunger to the point that the person just can't stay on his/her diet anymore, and begins eating more, and gaining back. According to him, there ARE those lucky few that seem to be able to diet and exercise, and keep it off without undue hardship, but it's only 5-10% of the population. The surgery supposedly "resets" the set-point, so now the body feels that it "should" be 100lbs lighter than it currently is. So now the body decreases hunger, increases metabolism, and helps you along. It's like the difference between paddling a canoe upstream and down. Both ways are possible, it's just MUCH, MUCH easier to go with the flow! But, what I tell people.. if you haven't tried and failed enough diets to know the truth of these statements, and how they impact you, then please, DON'T get the surgery! Go and find a diet that you feel will do good things for you, and try wholeheartedly to drop the weight. The surgery will still be here if you end up changing your mind. The surgery really should be a last resort. Complications are rare, but real (and can be severe), so you need to be 100% certain this is your only option.

Absolutely! There are several here on the board. Ultimately, the weight you'll lose will partly be up to your personal metabolism, and partly your lifestyle choices.

good luck!!!!

Umm.. good question, and I honestly don't know where I got the number, but the average person goes 6-8 times a day, so 4 being a minimum isn't unreasonable. Apparently gwbicster's doc concurs. Google it yourself and see what you turn up...

Jiminy said in her other post that she was only peeing once or twice a day. The minimum should be 4 times a day, so ayanna.. if you are also only going a couple times a day, you should also talk to your doc. I just assumed you are going frequently enough, just having decreased output. Of course, when in doubt, always contact your doctor. My MIL has a UTI right now, out of the blue, and I'm sure it's from not drinking enough for the hot weather. (Causing dehydration, causing concentrated urine, allowing the bacteria to take hold). Drink, Drink, Drink.. and if you're still not peeing, get to the doc.

No, this is not normal! Did the docs do any tests? You need to have some tests run, looking at the inside of your stomach to see what is going on. It could be a stricture, or a problem with your intestines.. all kinds of things can go wrong, and it may not be easy to find the answer, but it is important that your doctors are willing to keep trying to find it.

So glad things are going in the right direction! I think I'd fire that PCP and find another one that gives a dang. (Oh, wait, I DID! I had the same type of devil-could-care PCP, and switched to a MUCH better new one, right before my surgery!). It shouldn't have taken a bariatric surgeon to discover a low thyroid level.

Mine was always curly, but became curlier Not a gigantic difference, just a matter of degree. Craziness what surgery can do...

Peanut butter/nuts/seeds all have good fats and some protein. Olive oil, peanut oil, and butter are my go-to cooking fats. Peanut oil handles higher temperatures. (As soon as oil starts smoking, you're damaging it). I get 70g of protein without a protein bar or shake in sight. Cottage cheese, greek yogurt, nuts, seeds, beans, meat, poultry, fish, eggs. Sample daily menu for you: Breakfast: 2 eggs, 4oz beans (21g protein) Snack: 2oz nuts or seeds (14g protein) Lunch: 4oz meat or fish (28g protein) Snack: 4oz cooked spinach plus 2-4oz cottage cheese (whatever you can fit in) (7g-13g protein) Dinner: 4oz meat or fish (28g protein) Yes, it's a LOT of food! But, you're a big guy, and I suspect your weight is stalling because you're not eating enough. Even if you don't eat this much every day, to have an occasional "splurge day", will help kick start your weight loss. I personally also take in a 4oz piece of fruit each day.. but that's optional, depending on your carb desires. (But I skip the dinner, and only have 1 egg for breakfast).

Trust me, this is the worst of it. I was completely miserable during the first few days of the preop diet. Low sodium v8 really did help me a bunch, ask if you can drink a big glass of that every day. (I didn't have veggies on my preop diet.. just the 3 shakes.. so I cheated with the v8.. SHHHH! Don't tell!).

Assuming you're in the northern hemisphere, the summer weather will dry you out extra quickly. Try to get your fluids up to 100oz and see if you see a difference. (I'm one to talk.. I'm constantly slightly dehydrated too, so am also trying to get my fluids up ).