Berry78

Southwest has the best policies for big folk. They don't assign seats, your ticket has a # on it, and that # indicates boarding order. You want to board as soon as possible (purchase the upgraded boarding preference at the gate if your ticket says "B" or "C". You want "A"). This way you can be sure to get an aisle seat. If you board late, you will be stuck with a middle seat, and might not fit. (I was 300lbs, and 250 now, and still wouldn't fit in a middle seat). While at the gate, it's helpful to ask if the flight is sold out, because if you're as big as me, even an aisle seat wouldn't have worked if someone else was sitting in the middle seat. Fortunately both my flights had extra seats, so the middle seat was empty both times. Compression stockings: flying increases the risk of developing blood clots, so medical grade graduated compression stockings (knee hi) are a good idea. I had mine fitted at a medical supply place a couple weeks before the flight. The stockings are a bit pricey, and very tight (but not uncomfortable to wear), but it's worth it for peace of mind. My brother died of a blood clot from flying, so I'm extra sensitive to the possibility, particularly after surgery. The stockings are not TED stockings, they are different. I second the single carry-on. Wheels made it possible for me to pull it post-op. If you are planning on souvenir shopping, leave some space. Go to the airport with cash for drinks and such. You aren't allowed to bring liquids on board, but they do offer drinks in-flight. Airport security is a PITA, arrive at the airport 2 hours before your flight to make sure you have plenty of time to get through the security line. Good luck!

Because you only get a movement every few days, it may be the body's way of emergency evacuating everything. You know this is the case if there are solid chunks surrounded by water. If it is pure water... then I'm less sure. Maybe try a fiber supplement every day and see where that gets you. Probiotics are always a good thing too. Examining your diet to see if there is something you are eating that might point to a cause. And if you can't seem to get things normalized, of course mention it to your doc since they may want to recommend something else or run tests. Good luck!

I had trouble on the clear liquids, but as soon as I went to full liquids, it got better. I drank lots of milk, and the protein and fat helped calm me down.

Thank you for sharing your story. Hope you have a quick and uncomplicated recovery!

The tomatoes are still tearing up my stomach 11 weeks post op. I wasn't allowed them on the liquid phase due to acidity. Always run dietary questions by your team. Especially the first couple months postop.

15-20lbs seems to be the average.

You need to go get IV fluids. You are not drinking enough to remain hydrated, and you will get very sick. Urgent care centers and ERs can provide fluids. Needing fluids during a difficult post op recovery is not a failing. It is to be expected.

Ok, I want to put the stomach stretching concept to rest. Essentially whether it stays 100% exactly the same, gets tighter, stretches out, regrows, relaxes, or turns into a joey (kangaroo baby)... NONE OF IT MATTERS ... it's all just semantics. For the vast majority of wls patients, the quantity of food they can consume increases over time. Immediately post op it is a few spoonfuls, down the line it is 4oz of tuna. Further down the line it might be more. Will we win hot dog eating contests..ever? No, probably not. But we don't have to to regain the weight. Eating 2oz of ice cream 500 times a day will surely do that. So whether I eat a gallon of raw spinach (because I have little restriction) or 2 oz of ice cream (because I have a lot of restriction).. it's what I put in my mouth that makes the difference.

Call your team. This much trouble could be a stricture. For acid, I take the chewable pepsid complete, acts immediately AND prevents more acid for several hours. But at least start with a liquid antacid and see if that soothes things enough to get other stuff down. Dehydration is no joke. How much liquid are you keeping down a day?

I think you meant pancreas. The pancreas makes insulin. Many of us have chronically high insulin levels preop due to years of insulin resistance. Hopefully your system will figure out that you don't need so much insulin anymore and will stabilize. Definitely work closely with your team to work through this. Good luck! Edited to add: I read the article about the increased activity in the pancreas. Not sure what would cause such a thing, but this screams keep sugar in the diet under a super tight control to me. Think about it. You drink some orange juice because you are trying to fix a low blood sugar. But now you've just signalled the pancreas to increase insulin! The constant sipping of protein shakes sounds like a reasonable solution for right now. As your diet expands, you'll have a job figuring out what to do...

[Hugs] Hope you start feeling better soon!

~~~sending out good vibes today...

Well, if you live with your husband, then he needs to know you had a procedure. This is because of the possibility of complications. Now, whether he knows what type of procedure you had... that is up to you. But at least he needs to know you had abdominal surgery so he could inform the doctor if you are too sick to talk. I guess you could write VSG or RNY on your belly with sharpie, and that way you are labeled! Lol!

Have your gallbladder checked. Make sure you are eating and drinking enough and often enough. There may be a food that's causing it. Hope you figure it out soon!

Lol. We got a dog for this very reason. A shepherd/lab mix. Immediately she developed bursitis, and couldn't walk outside. Took a year for her to get better, and although she can now go for walks, she doesn't demand it, and never learned leash manners, so is a pain to walk. Sigh. Just another useless kid running around, causing $1000's of damage.

Wowsers! Glad you got it taken care of! Did you have a fever? I think you hit a crucial point.. your pain got to a level of intensity you simply couldn't ignore. "Normal" pain is endurable. I had pain in my lowest ribs for a few weeks post op, but it wasn't at all severe. It is so hard to judge peoples' experiences, because they frequently use the same words. Love pain scales with examples. Those things help alot.

Mmmm... blueberries....

I'm glad to hear things are so much easier than before for you. My rationale: I believe in the set point theory. I'll assume you are familiar with it. So it is easy to maintain the body's set point, and hard to change it. I don't know what the OP's set point is, but if the weight won't come off, then that's a good indication she is there. You, yourself sound like you are benefitting from a happy set point. You gain a few pounds, deviate from it, and it's easy to go back. The more I'm learning about keto, insulin, and hormonal involvement, etc, ... I don't know... still trying to figure this stuff out.

Oh man, that sucks I had the opportunity to get a pharmacist to do some research for me. He looked up studies pertaining to frequency of gallbladder issues post bariatric surgery. He had trouble finding a lot of research, but did find 3 studies on sleeved patients. 28%, 37%, and 48% of patients had trouble with their gallbladders postop. That is huge! 1 in 3 patients! Now not all of those patients needed removals, some just developed stones or such. Actigall is helpful and should be taken by every patient for at least 6 months.

Today I stepped on the scale and am 2 pounds down from yesterday. My BMI is now 39.6, which means I am no longer morbidly obese! (Extremely obese doesn't really sound that much better, but I'll take it! Lol!). To think, I was 52lbs over the "morbidly obese" line, and I really didn't have a CLUE that I was THAT big, and in that much danger for my health!

Yeah, keep the negative vibes to a minimum. So glad you have a great surgeon, and support! I'm in Maryland, so we are practically neighbors! (I'm in the wilds of western Maryland, away from the hustle and bustle of Baltimore and D.C.).

Yeah, I had 150lbs to lose, and my MIL thought I'd be at goal in 3 months. Umm.. 50lbs a month? Almost 2 lbs a day? You know that show, "Naked and Afraid"? The peeps are outside, in 40 degree weather (Fahrenheit), no food or water, shivering their butts off, and the women almost never lose more than a pound a day! Dudes lose up to 2lbs a day, but that's because they're dudes. Average diets get you losing 2lbs a week, so that's 8lbs a month. THAT is what you should compare your surgery journey losses to. If you lose more, great!, Less? Well, it may be slower than average, but even tortoises get there eventually 10lbs a month will lose you 120lbs in a year. 19lbs the first month is about average for RNY women. Don't compare yourself to men, either. They almost always lose significantly faster. (It's because they have more muscle mass that burns calories 24/7). Congrats! And good luck!

Welcome! This is a good question for your doctor, since we don't know what type of blood thinner you'll be on, nor your health status. But, I did get a couple shots (like Heparin) after surgery, and it didn't affect my period. Congrats on deciding to change your life! It's a whirlwind journey, but you have found a very nice spot on the internet to rest on your laurels, and learn about others' journeys

Do you have family or friends for in-person support? It sounds like the doctors are taking charge of the situation (wonderful!!), so now the ordeal is in their hands. You just get to go with the flow, and they'll tell you what to do. The best thing for you to focus on now (rather than racking your brain in trying to fix yourself.. because that's not your job anymore).. is for you to go out and have fun. Get a manicure, watch a movie. Pamper yourself. I don't know if you exercise, but don't do any more than necessary. Those calories need to go to building you up.. exercise will break you down further. (Again, ask your doctor!). If exercise is your stress relief, keep it to slow walks, and look for other outlets. Everything is going to work out!

Putting other ingredients in with the meat will help. Tuna=tuna salad, instead of a hamburger patty, make a meatball (usually has breadcrumbs, eggs, etc.. might have to switch breadcrumbs for something else if bread is a no go for you) Sauces, gravies, and the like will help. Dark meat poultry has more fat inside the meat, so does much better than the breast. [For someone else, these add-ins might make the meat a slider. So if you need your protein to be restrictive, these are the solutions to avoid. ] If these don't work, you may just have to become a vegetarian!