sillykitty

I agree with this. One of the things I had to learn after surgery was to separate head hunger from physical hunger. Seeing, smelling, thinking about food makes me feel hungry, and it is indistinguishable from physical hunger. It took me some time to realize, if I didn't have a trigger, I wasn't hungry. Since realizing that, it has been way easier to reason with myself that if I'm feeling hungry, it's not real, and a protein shake will do. Everyone is different as far as recovery. I had no issue with gas at all, neither surgical gas nor gi gas. I'd suggest talking to the Dr about the long hotel stay. I stay at hotel frequently for work, but the thought of being in one for ten days straight makes me want to climb the walls. I would just want to know the reasoning behind it, and if the reasoning doesn't apply to my situation then to ask for an exception.

I have been using this silicon gel. I'm not sure if it's made a difference and it's pricey. ttps://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B003TBYW74/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s02?ie=UTF8&th=1 I just ordered this silicone tape. I'm hopeful that each applicaion will last a couple of days and it'll work out to be more affordable. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B002VE9AL8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Congrats, you look amazing and happy!

I think everyone is different. I am almost 8 weeks post op and my capacity for any solid food is pretty exactly 1 oz. Soft food or liquids I don't feel any restriction on, even surprising foods that seem solid like edamame. My neighbor had the same surgeon and is now 4.5 months post op, and she still has a 1 oz capacity. I asked my surgeon's PA about it this week, and she assured me it was normal, a desired outcome, and not to push it. I personally LOVE having such a small capacity. A majority of the time I'm making good choices. But times I give into cravings, or am traveling and lack good choices, it really limits the amount of damage I can do to my weight loss.

I am bottom heavy as well. The last place I gained weight was my stomach. When I started losing I expected to lost it from my stomach first. Nope, most of my weight has come from my thighs! The worst thing is, it's looking like I'm going to need a thigh lift of some kind, ugh!

Yes! My first few weeks I was fine on whey, and I was getting most of my protein from shakes with whey protein as the main ingredient. Then I started getting extreme nausea about 1 hr or so after ingesting whey. Whey from shakes, protein bars, protein water. I started looking for non whey alternatives. I tried some vegan shakes, powders and bars, but could not tolerate the taste. What I have found that works is Muscle Milk Pro & Medifast soups, bars and powdered shakes. There are some other non whey premade Shakes that I can also handle, EAS Advant Edge Carb Control, Slim Fast & Lean Shakes, but they aren't as protein dense, and taste worse then the Muscle Milk. Hope that helps!

I waaayyyy overbought preparing for surgery. I just didn't, and still don't have an appetite. Things I bought and didn't eat, or barely ate; sf popsicles, sj jello (premade & powdered), cottage cheese, oatmeal, instant mashed potatoes, soup, so much soup, sf pudding (premade and powdered), frozen fruit to blend into my protein shakes, gas x, mira lax, microwave protein muffins, beans (canned and dried), canned chicken, turkey lunch meat, apple sauce, powerade zero. I'm sure there is more I can't recall. Between all the items above and becoming intolerant of whey protein, and not being able to use my protein powders, premade shakes, protein water etc., I wasted 100's of dollars. I'd also echo check with your program on your post op diet. Mine did not allow juice, or any non protein liquid calories. I was also on full liquids, as opposed to clear, as soon as I was discharged from the hospital. So that meant protein drinks from day 1.

I overpacked. The only things I ended up using were, tooth brush, toothpaste, change of clothes to go home, phone, iPad, chargers, chapstick, hairband to make a messy bun.

I'm super envious as well! I'm almost 8 weeks, down 32 lbs and wearing the same clothes! Your results are great, congratulations!

This isn't about your WLS, this is about you being married to an a**hole. While you are undergoing this physical transformation, consider transforming other parts of your life as well. You're accepting and making excuses for someone being malicious and calling you names. People who know their self worth don't put up with that behavior.

My surgeon wrote me a prescription for Nascobal, and my insurance also doesn't cover it. I found this, which is $130 off each week's dose http://www.nascobal.com/vitaminb12/save-on-nascobal-with-a-co-pay-card I haven't used it yet, so not positive it will work. Also this site gives you the prices at pharmacy's local to you https://www.wellrx.com/prescriptions/nascobal/ For my area independent pharmacy's are $60 per 4 weeks supply cheaper than the national drug store chains. So if the co-pay card works, I'd only pay $10 for a 4 weeks supply.

I've gotten a couple of B12 shots from my surgeons office. I have a prescription for Nascobal nasal spray going forward, although it is not covered by my insurance, grr! I just need to find a complete calcium pill that doesn't upset my stomach

Premier Protein Chocolate was my favorite protein drink, until I became intolerant of whey. Now Muscle Milk Pro Chocolate is my go to. I struggle with vitamins making me nauseous as well. The only chewable I was mostly ok with is the Centrum Chewable Adult. Now that I can take pills I've switched to Whole Foods prenatal, which I am loving, it causes no nausea! https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B074KKKMBQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I was talking to my surgeon's PA about struggling getting my vitamins in due to all of them causing nausea, and having to be taken on a full stomach. She told me she has the same issue, and told me she takes Whole Foods Prenatal vitamins. I ordered some, and I'm amazed, they don't upset my stomach at all. Being able to take vitamins on an empty stomach makes it much more likely I'll get them in! https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B074KKKMBQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We did a buffet brunch at a restaurant with my extended family. Only my mom knows about my surgery. I was pleasantly surprised that no one noticed I barely ate. My capacity is only 1 oz, so just moving stuff around doesn't really work. I was prepared to tell if someone had asked, as I didn't want to mislead my family, but grateful no one did. The hardest part was paying $40!

I did. I was traveling for work & got a very grudging ok from my Dr to do move to soft foods. I had no issues with it at all.

I work from home, so I technically took no time off. But I had an easy surgery and could have been back at a desk job after a week, or even sooner.

I try to take Trader Joe's Chewables, because they are very complete. But they are hard on my stomach. When my stomach isn't feeling up to the Trader Joe's ones, I take the Centrum Chewables, much easier on my stomach.

I'm glad to hear that most are doing well. I'm almost 7 weeks out, and down 30 lbs. I'm a little disappointed in that, tbh! And to add to the frustration I seemed to have entered my second stall, ugh! Also, I don't look any different, and my clothes fit the same, double ugh! Overall I feel really good. My main issue is I get nausea when I have an empty stomach, and drinking water makes it worse. Since I don;t want to eat all the time, this is frustrating. And I'm not good with water to begin with, so this isn't helping. I've also not been getting my protein in. I became intolerant of whey protein, so I had to experiment with alternatives. I think I found some that work, fingers crossed! In good news, my energy is great. I was really easily exhausted for a while, but I think a B12 shot solved that. I'm back to my normal work/travel schedule without any problems. I'm getting better at navigating business meals and dining out. Oh, and the best part, I'm literally never physically hungry! I have cravings if I'm smelling food, or looking at a menu, etc., but the lack of hunger makes it easier to make good choices. Even if I do give into cravings at eat something less than ideal, my stomach capacity is only 1 oz of solid food. So it's not like I can have a huge set back! And it seems that I have an iron stomach so far (except whey protein!). I've eaten every type of protein it seems without issue, no issues with vegetables either. I've only had limited starches, but no issue so far. I haven't really had much sugar or sweets at all.

Interesting Article about WLS and Relationships http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-bariatric-surgery-relationship-status-20180327-story.html "A large Swedish study has found that obese people who had a spouse or live-in partner and then underwent weight loss surgery were 28% more likely to become separated or divorced compared with those in a comparison group who didn't have surgery." "The authors of the new study acknowledged that while weight loss surgery "may affect the dynamics of the relationship," assigning blame for breakups would be a more difficult task. Their research did not capture which partner ended the relationship, or why." "Divorces and separations were higher among patients who judged the quality of their family relationships to be poorer at the time of surgery. And they were more common among patients who were younger, had been divorced before, or who had been married or living with a partner for shorter period." "But not all ended relationships should be seen as evidence of an "adverse event" of bariatric surgery, the authors cautioned. The increased self-confidence and self-esteem that comes with taking the decision to have surgery, and with the substantial weight loss that results, may have empowered some patients "to leave an unhealthy relationship," they wrote.? "Patients who were single before surgery, however, were roughly twice as likely to begin a new relationship afterward as were obese patients who just got weight-loss advice" "After four years, 21% of the single men and women who got surgery had entered into marriage or a new romantic relationship. For the obese members of the comparison group who got diet-and-exercise advice only, 11% had done so after four years. At 10 years out, 35% in the surgery group had married or kindled a new romance, compared to 19% of those in the comparison group"

I just watched this (S1 E4 btw), and I don't think this disproves the scare tactic point. So this woman was extreme, binge-ing on sugar and carbs up to surgery, which is different than cheating on a preop diet. But the surgeon still completed the surgery, said it "has gone ok, just took much longer than usual". He also said this was the first time he has even considered not completing the surgery, out of 600. This tells me that once the procedure has begun, the surgeon is highly motivated to go through with it. I'm not saying that not following your pre op diet (if you have one) is a good idea, or that having an enlarged liver doesn't have risks. I'm saying that the likelihood of your surgeon starting, and then pulling out of the procedure is slim.

I'm sorry, I agree with @aNYCdb that this sounds like a scare tactic. First, many surgeons have successful outcomes with little to no preop diet, including my surgeon (and my surgery was at a COE). Second, of all the stories on here, have we ever had a surgeon sewed me back up story? Third, if a surgeon was that concerned about the size of the liver, then why would they wait until they have gotten in there. They would rely on blood test or ultrasound. Getting someone into the OR, opening them up and not doing surgery would cost the surgeon money.

I was. My Dr. was grudgingly ok with it, understanding my work and travel schedule. I'm not saying it's for everyone, but I was absolutely fine with it.

The general rule is you should be able to smoosh the meat with a fork, like juicy chicken. At 3 weeks I started traveling for work. The first week was hosted meetings with family style meals. I ate so many kinds of protein, steak, multiple types of fish (raw & cooked), shellfish, chicken, pork tenderloin, pork ribs, turkey, duck. Everything did, and still does go down just fine!

I take both the Trader Joe's Chewable @aNYCdb mentions and Centrum Chewables. The TJ ones are more complete, but they upset my stomach more. If my stomach isn't feeling 100%, that's when I do the Centrum Chewables.