HeatherS.

On 7/4/2017 at 9:26 PM, Nifty22 said:

Update- 7 days of cephalexin every 8 hours. No fever and keeping them covered for now!

And yes I am from Canada, but our ERs are still a nightmare. The Dr. Visits are covered but for me the medications are out of pocket. Hopefully these will do the trick though, appreciate everyone's concern. All spots generally feel ok at the moment, one is even a bit itchy (taking that as a good sign of healing)

will update in a few days again

thanks everyone

I think I speak for all of us when we say we're ready for that update.

Update time!!! It's hot today here in Los Angeles, and without even thinking about it, I straight up guzzled half a bottle of Water.

This is a first for me since surgery, and the closest to an ill effect is very very slight nausea (which I'm prone to anyway, so that's probably just me).

Im only 3 months out, so hang in there, OP. You'll get there. While I was still struggling with the water nausea and inability to drink much, I found that herbal teas and infused waters were easier to drink than plain water.

Just keep checking in with yourself and watch out for dehydration. It'll happen.

3 hours ago, Chavon88 said:

I called my doctor yesterday and sent a picture, he gave me a Rx of amox clav and wants to see me on 7/11.

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I'm so glad you've got good care! Thanks for the update. You already know to keep an eye on it if it gets worse or you develop a fever.

Here's wishing you a speedy recovery!

24 minutes ago, Chavon88 said:

I just called my doctor, it actually looks worse today. Im so scared.

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That looks bad and seems like a dramatic change from last night.

You may want to strongly consider a visit to the ER with a call to let your doc know you're going.

ETA: and make sure you're 100% honest with the history of your surgery and wound. Avoiding a potential lecture from the doctor isn't worth your life or health.

Sending good energy your way!

4 minutes ago, XYZXYZXYZ1955 said:

I'm pre-op, but have been told not to drink caffeinated beverages for quite a while after surgery--maybe a year? I'm planning to use herbal teas but I'm expecting to really, really miss the coffee.

I wonder if that has to do with history of gallstones or acid reflux?

My doctor said if I could tolerate coffee and caffeine, it was fine. But I had no gallbladder or acid issues going in.

Everyone is right. I grew up in the desert, and I don't find sweet things refreshing, so I definitely had my struggles. I'm three months out, and finally Water is my friend again. I can't take big gulps still, but I can drink a bottle of water within a short ish span of time.

Granted, that's a 16oz bottle, and before, I could toss down 32oz easily in a go.

I'm getting better at not letting thirst get ahead of what I can consume. That helps.

2 hours ago, shericrazylady said:

What coffee do you drink? They gave me it in the hospital but I wanna know if people still drink it after there Sleeve and what kind of coffee

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It took me a couple of months before coffee appealed to me again.

These days, I favor light roasts and Breakfast blends. Dark roasts make me nauseous even smelling them.

Current favorite is Wolfgang Puck Breakfast in Bed for keurig type machines.

9 hours ago, mh121314 said:

I had my sleeve done 6.22. About a week out I was down 13 pounds. I got on the scale today and I've GAINED 3 pounds back. What the heck? Please tell me this wasn't all for nothing. Sorry for the dramatic-ness of this post, but I am so bummed right now.

Nah. Totally normal. My doctor even warned me about it in advance. Just keep taking care of yourself, and the weight will fall off.

12 hours ago, Nifty22 said:

My very first post, been a background creeper for quite a while. 15 days post op and having trouble with incisions. I'm thinking I might have trouble with the prolene suture they used on 3 on my holes. My mother had trouble with her cesarean incision becoming infected weeks post-op, but I'm not even 3 weeks out yet. I finished my antibiotics on Tuesday (roughly 5 days ago) but perhaps I should ask my regular doctor (that has no idea I went to Mexico for a sleeve) for an Rx? He will also not be pleased to know that placed some sutures myself. I work at a vet clinic and so actually sutured myself (yes I did so in a sterile manner) because the incision they left open was still gaping open and was going to leave a massive scar, never mind the fact that I actually have sores from the bandages from keeping them covered. It's like my skin is super sensitive to the adhesive on the bandages, the last one actually took skin off when I removed it. I also sutures the other largest incision as it was starting to split apart and I could see suture inside it. Anyways tonight the one incision that I thought was doing the best and closed first, well it was quite sore, so I scratched at the corner because it felt pocket like and low and behold, mini-abscess.

How long is anyone else taking to heal? Anyone else have trouble with their suture.

Because everyone loves pictures I'm attaching a few, hope they're not too offensive... One day post-op, 10 days, and 15 days

Day one and ten look pretty much like mine did, but day 15 is a textbook example of what my (US) doc told me to watch out for.

Im glad you're calling your doctor this morning. If you haven't yet, do it now.

(seriously, don't risk sepsis. That spreads FAST.)

3 hours ago, crosbyp12003 said:

I'm on vacation. Left Saturday where I weighed 250 and my scale at home fluctuated by only 4 lbs. I go and work out and get on hotel gym it says 266 how in the world have I've gained 16 pounds. I'm eating no fried foods and getting my Protein in. I did ear subway maybe it's the bread although it was wheat. Can't eat too much it hurts. I'm depressed

You know the answer: it's not possible for you to have gained 16 pounds like that.

its just a differently calibrated scale, probably along with some travel and time related Water weight. I saw my longest plateau around 7 weeks.

1 hour ago, greenlora said:

Hi All -- I'm getting ready to book my surgery. I've had a long-planned vacation at a beach house with a very close friend this summer. I'm thinking about timing the surgery to be about two weeks before I go. Would I be able to take walks on the beach at the point? Get out and about a bit? Thanks!!

Like others have said, it varies person to person.

I had enough energy for walks at two weeks, but they really took it out of me.

My biggest energy dip showed up at 4-5 weeks and cleared up once I got my B Vitamin shots and clearance to eat more sources of Protein.

I really struggled with those dang shakes.

17 minutes ago, hvmontoya said:

So last night ate some ricotta bake got sleeved 6 weeks ago this sixth of July down 50lbs. Following diet on point.. even with a somewhat conservative plan compared to many. Anyways last I woke up feeling like I was choking I messed up ate a little later than I would have like I went to bathroom didn't throw up but spit up brownish sour coffee grind type stuff. Should I be worried stools have not been abnormal and feeling great otherwise. Thanks

You should call your doctor and let him or her know. It might be part of the bake you didn't digest well, or it might be blood.

If its blood, you definitely want to know ASAP. Since you feel fine, it PROBABLY isn't, but this is one of those better safe than sorry things.

19 minutes ago, Okie75 said:

A question for those who have had surgery and had a sensitive stomach beforehand.

What I've read about how my stomach may react after surgery, is often times how my pre-op stomach is now. For example, greasy foods or some foods, such as salad greens, make my stomach upset to the point of diarrhea. I often have to take tums to calm my stomach. I'm wondering if this is a concern for me. My sleeve surgery is scheduled for May 31st.

Just curious, thank you.

I've always had a sensitive stomach and it continues to be sensitive after surgery. My big struggle is keeping Vitamins down.

i still have nauseous days and days where my digestive system goes "LOL Nope!"

The difference is that I can't eat the things that soothed my stomach before because they were mostly refined carbohydrates, and I'm wondering how much of it was seratonin based.

The other difference is that I'm losing weight, and even if I have days where I feel like moving will make me hurl, it's not EVERY day ALL day and it should improve with time.

My surgeon says it tends to last up to three months after surgery.

Half way there.

ETA: also more vomit. Things that would have been intestinal evil before now come right back up instead. On the bright side, throwing up hurts a LOT less now than it did with an entire stomach.

On 5/4/2017 at 10:29 AM, Alex Brecher said:

Your diet has almost certainly changed since weight loss surgery. A good portion of the change is because of doctor’s orders: you may not be allowed to eat or drink soft drinks, sweets, fried foods, white bread, and other calorie-dense, nutrient-poor choices.

Some of the changes in your diet may be because of changes in your digestive system after weight loss surgery. With the gastric sleeve and bypass, you might have trouble tolerating sweets, starchy foods, and fatty or greasy foods. This can be helpful for weight loss and may even be a reason why you chose that type of weight loss surgery.

Some of the foods you cannot tolerate anymore may be surprises or disappointments. For example, you might no longer be able to take red meat or poultry, even though you are trying to get more low-carb, high-protein foods. Salads are often a problem after all types of bariatric surgery, and stringy veggies can be off-limits for lap-band patients. Needing to avoid high-fiber, low-calorie foods such as celery and popcorn can be frustrating when you are trying to eat healthy and lose weight.

So, which foods are you unable to tolerate now after weight loss surgery? Are they what you expected? Are you glad you cannot have them because skipping them helps you lose weight, or are you disappointed? Are there any healthy foods that you can’t have anymore?

If you’re pre-op, which foods are you most worried about not being able to eat? Are there any foods you are hoping you won’t be able to eat so that you can lose more weight?

Mine have been a total surprise so far and it's still a work in progress.

I cant tolerate ginger anymore and it used to be one of my favorite foods. It went from being a fresh taste like mint to being a strong taste like garlic!

I can tolerate my usual lactose free milk but it tastes too sweet right now. Hopefully that will fade. I have the same issue with a lot of Soups tasting too sweet now. I used to love TJ's split pea, but now it's enough to gag me with its vegetative sweetness. Anderson's, on the other hand, was one of the best things I'd eaten in a month.

I can't tolerate chemical sweeteners like sucralose or aspartame at all anymore. On the other hand, stevia is fine and tastes better than it used to.

I cant handle whey Protein at all anymore. It comes back up.

And when I missed a piece of breaking on the emergency rations chicken tender I ate while out, I learned that fried breeding has gone from tolerable to absolutely disgusting. Yech.

I'm fine with almost all Proteins (including beef) except fish, which tastes so bad now, and lentils. Even tuna, which I used to actively like.

Veggie burgers like Morningstar Prime, which I used to like a lot, now taste like crud. But Morningstar "chicken" is still tasty. Weird.

Lentils are a struggle and for some reason my stomach tries to reject them even though Beans go down super. I didn't see that one coming.

I was just approved for salads and cooked veggies, so I can't say much there yet. Fruits go down no problem and I'm having a love affair with California strawberry season.

Also no problem with spicy foods except that raw jalapeños have started to make me hiccup.

3 hours ago, Introversion said:

Yes. My mother died this past January at age 58. Her myriad of health problems were either due to or exacerbated by obesity. I often find myself wondering whether she would have lived to reach old age if she hadn't been morbidly obese and made healthier lifestyle choices.

Anyhow, I am another vertically challenged person at 5'1. At my height, 160 pounds is considered grade 1 obesity. I was 218 on surgery day and have absolutely no regrets. It is too bad that weight loss surgery still carries a pervasive stigma as supposedly being the "easy way out."

I'm sorry to hear about your mom. My mom is now living only because of a pace maker and the 24/7 care she receives in a home, where she has no autonomous mobility, and she hates it.

I don't want to end up where she did. I think if she'd been offered the sleeve, life would be very different for her now.

On 5/3/2017 at 4:50 AM, jessgnc said:

Hey y'all.

Now that I have a date, this is real and I'm stupidly beginning to second guess myself. I know this is dumb behavior, but I kind of just need to ask this in the hopes that I'm not alone and someone else can quell my nerves.

I've mentioned on here before that I'm in perfect health - just 130lbs overweight! Right now, I'm healthy. I'm not on medication, I'm normally active (I currently have a broken foot so I'm less active right now unfortunately), my blood pressure and cholesterol, are normal, I'm not a diabetic, etc.

So I guess the question is - are there any other people on here, pre or post op who got the DS when they were still healthy?

This is such an extreme surgery. I'm nervous that doing this is the equivalent of chopping off my toe when all I did is stub it. I'm hoping there are 1 or 2 people on here who were also healthy beforehand, had the surgery and are glad they did. The people in my support groups who are getting it are almost all in wheelchairs, coming from the hospital, diabetics, etc. I am SO SO SO happy for them, but that isn't the situation I am in and not having anyone to relate to is making me feel like I'm taking the nuclear option when it isn't necessary.

I chose the VSG when I was in your place relative to health markers and 130lbs overweight with damaged spine and needing knee replacements far too young. I decided to have the surgery after watching my mom struggle daily with obesity-related comorbidities which got much worse in her 50s. I don't want to live like that.

I'm now down 61 lbs since HW at 6 weeks after surgery. (Including pre-op WL of 25lbs).

I'm joining the second opinion chorus. Mostly because the modified DS still has the issues that can get you into trouble. (Stoma vs valve, malabsorption, no revisional option).

It started resolving for me around week 6 (this week) though my strongest aversions remain.

36 minutes ago, OutsideMatchInside said:

No one is maintaining long term on 600 to 1000 calories. Where is this nonsense coming from?

I'd love to tell you! I read it somewhere on this or another forum and didn't think at the time to question. We'll blame post-op fog for that one. The calorie restriction studies ranged from 800-1500 as I recall based on the size of the person it was a percentage thing.

A somewhat higher maintenance level would explain the apparent discrepancies I saw there.

4 hours ago, Newme17 said:

Very interesting! Thanks for posting the link. It kind of confirms what I've suspected about HPLC diets, long term; I don't like them. Once cleared for foods, I'll find the right balance for myself, as I'm going more plant based. We shall see....

You're welcome. I tend to eat in a way that mirrors Okinawa or the Mediterranean style out of habit and what I enjoy cooking, so it's hopeful to read.

And maintenance calories seem to be higher than I'd heard which probably explains the discrepancy.

5 hours ago, Molly23 said:

I had a really similar experience. When I went on the Harry Potter ride I was in one of the middle seats and the person working there frantically changed me with my thin friend so I was on the end. I assume she thought I was infringing on the stranger's space beside me even though I didn't notice. My friend was actually confused about the switch and when she asked I had to tell her that she was calling me fat. It was especially hard because I had lost a bit of weight at the time so I was feeling pretty good up until then. I had a good cry about it myself. You're not alone!

I'm really sorry that you had that experience.

I think this has happened to so many of us whether a plane or an amusement park (I stopped going to most when my breasts headed for a K-cup, and I don't mean coffee!). I haven't been back since my breast reduction for fear first of pain, then of not fitting into seats.

Except Disneyland. Bless them. The only rides I would struggle to get into are the whippy rollercoasters my back couldn't handle at the time.

Pain management was a big part of it for me. Both of my knees are shot, my mid-lower back has been getting steadily worse since an injury 3 years ago, I have fibromyalgia, AND osteoarthritis. Plus a tendency toward nausea.

So far, my back isn't as limiting as it has been. It still hurts, but that's more manageable. My knees are also improving noticeably.

No improvement to fibro or arthritis. Possible improvement to depression.

Nausea is worse now.

So this is 5-6 weeks. Your pain sounds like the kind WLS can really help.

Go for it!

35 minutes ago, maggieO said:

So Alex works for one of ALM competitor's...

Who also happens to be the company exclusively promoted by this forum.

It would be nice to hear the facts from someone with no skin in the game. As it stands both parties have a decent incentive to lie.




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Except that Alex's contributions here have not established him to be dishonest.

There is no censoring going on when someone talks about another business doing WLS in Mx.

This forum overall is where people go to seek information. Alex reported what he heard and said people should contact Sandy for correction or confirmation.

Instead he got confrontation.

Because the confrontation seemed personal, I, an information-seeking person on the forum asked politely if the information was accurate. Others did the same.

Sandy ignored the majority of all of those questions and kept attacking Alex, which struck many of us as unprofessional and bizarre for a person in her position.

Alex's replies were all professional and did not include the thinly veiled accusations against Sandy herself which Sandy's posts exhibited toward Alex.

And many of us pointed out to Sandy that this never even would have been a "thing" if she had just answered one of us instead of being cagey and attacking Alex. It's the immature refusal to set the record straight everyone is concerned about, because it shows the company in a poor light.

That, I'm afraid, is clearly and solely on Sandy.

Disclaimer: I don't know Alex or Sandy, and as a post-op who did not go to TJ for surgery, I have zero dogs in this race.

2 hours ago, monica91355 said:

I just finished Options two days ago. Waiting to get scheduled for my final appointment with the head of the program then I get scheduled to see the surgeon. Trying to be patient!

It was about two weeks between finishing Options and the scheduling OK. My options person said that's how long it always takes. It was a hard two weeks!

16 hours ago, monica91355 said:

I've heard the hospital beds at South Bay are super comfortable!!!

How long was it from finishing Options to your surgery date?

I got my approval to set up an appointment on Feb 13, my appointment was Mar 10, and then my surgery was March 27, because my Dr happened to have an opening that day. It was fast for me!

How about you?

1 hour ago, BariatricBetty24 said:

I'll be having my VSG on June 13 at kaiser South Bay with Dr. Mun. I'm so excited and nervous as well!

Go, South Bay sleevies! They'll take great care of you and you'll wake up in a seriously comfortable hospital bed, no joke.