TakingABreak

I'm 8 months post op, and had EXTREMELY thick hair pre op. Now, my hair is teetering on thin... it brings me to tears thinking of all the loss. I am still losing weight, but not as rapidly. Despite the slowing of loss, my hair is still falling out in clumps. I don't see an end in sight. The other very scary and real thing is... regrowth. What in the hell will my hair look like when it starts to regrow? How long will I struggle with the regrowth, years...? I did everything right. I took VERY good care of my hair 1+ years going into surgery. My hair was uncolored and virgin hair. I was/am taking 10k units per day of biotin. I get my protein in daily. I limit heat exposure and use only the best products. There is virtually nothing I can think of that I haven't done to prevent this loss.

I will echo what MarinaGirl said, and be your own advocate with your surgeons office if you feel that you need to take additional time off or if you need restrictions at work. If they aren't helping, reach out to your PCP. Getting your fluids is very important. Set a timer and carry a bottle with you everywhere. Most importantly, find something you like to drink. You will be less likely to drink if it doesn't taste good or satisfying.

I still take 40mg of Omeprazole every night before bed. My surgeon indicated I could be on it for at least one year post op.

^^Agreed. Also, I always, always mix my own drink. I'll order a shot of vodka and a glass of whatever I'm mixing it with. I usually start out with a half of a shot. There's nothing worse than getting drunk when you are just trying to "feel good" or getting drunk in an environment that isn't appropriate like a nice dinner.

I think 7 weeks post op is too soon for alcohol in my opinion. Obviously, if your doctor thinks it is OK, then go for it. However, we are still healing at that time and I feel like its just too soon. And, I want to warn you, that one cocktail could land you flat on your @$$ if you aren't careful. In fact, I just had a few sips of a drink this past weekend and felt drunk for almost 35 minutes. For me, its hard to find a happy medium, between feeling good and drunk. The first time I drank, it was at home, and I always recommend it that way. You just never know how alcohol will affect you. Still to this day, 8 months post op, I mix my own drinks at a bar. You want to go slow and easy. I never do a full shot of anything.

This is awesome! Congrats, what a wonderful NSV. oh, and I like the blond...

Agreed. I think that, so long as it doesn't physically make you uncomfortable, ect. then there is nothing wrong with a jack and diet once in a while. Cheers to you BuzzVSG.

If only my pannus could use a little improvement... Sounds interesting, following.

Thank you for sharing your story! Very brave to make this decision with the odds stacked against you. You are very inspiring and courageous.

I do the exact same thing. I make them repeat my order back at a restaurant and drive thru. And I always, always, always taste it before driving off.

Weather doesn't affect mine either. I'd be curious to hear the answer if you ever get one.

My hubby brought me home movie theater popcorn last night. I fill up one of the snack size baggies full and that's my limit. But I can see where it can be a giant slippery slide!

My program gave us a list of ingredients to mix with our provided protein. also, recipes that we could use during the pre op diet. I remember one of them was a spin on a "dreamcicle" and it had diet orange soda as one of the ingredients. I never did try it because something about mixing soda and protein powder grossed me out... but allowed nonetheless. I think that there will be some interesting info that comes out in the future about artificial sweeteners, but until its fact and not speculation, I'm going to continue using my stevia, ect. Who knows, we may learn the hard way, people smoked in hospitals 40 years ago, and now you can't smoke within 15 feet of a building in IL. I honestly don't know if the circulated info about artificial sweeteners being bad for you is a legit concern or another fad diet trend.

^^ like she said. Bottled water is readily available everywhere, but it isn't carbonated. And even things like La Croix which is gaining popularity, can't be found in most "fast stop" places or restaurants.

I also experience this as well in my ankles, knees, and fingers. It usually subsides within an hour after a work out. I've never gotten a good answer from the doctor.

We have carbonated water, but not as popular as a choice. I feel like you can't even find carbonated water as a choice in most gas stations, convenient stores, or restaurants. You'd have to buy it at the grocery store.

I can attest.

You make 2 really good points. The first is that drinking from a straw made you feel uncomfortable. Obviously, if you have discomfort from anything, whether it be carbonation, a straw, or anything, we should listen to our bodies and avoid those things. The second is I agree, I read a lot a lot a lot about carbonation and stretching our pouches. I don't think the science is there. Like my friend @sillykitty has said before in prior threads. Our stomachs are designed to break down a wide variety of different foods. I don't think that carbonation is going to damage our pouches. Just my opinion... again...if there was zero discomfort, ect. Another thing, follow your programs ladies and gents.

you are correct, I don't trust mine to be accurate but I know I'm moving in the right direction if the body fat percentage is trending downward.

Good for you! I'm not there yet, but if my hair loss started causing bald spots, I'd make the exact same decision. And a benefit is when you have regrowth, you won't have to worry about the mix of long and short hairs. You are beautiful.

https://www.livestrong.com/article/347882-carbonated-drinks-after-a-gastric-bypass/ http://www.obesityhelp.com/articles/drinking-soda-after-wls-debunking-the-myth

Same, I have never felt badly from carbonation.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FHELB56/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Its called.... 1byone Bluetooth Body Fat Scale

I know you can update your weight with the app, but I'm not sure about your other stats, such as, pre or post op.

very interested in the responses, following!