insta_adventurer

I had a urine test... and self tested at home to be sure I’d pass. It took about 8 days to pass the home tests and when I had the in office test, I hadn’t used NRT for about 15 days. You can buy the home tests on Amazon for like 5 bucks.

To be fair, I was using NRTs like e cigarettes and hadn’t had a real cigarette in about 7 months when all this occurred... to be fair, I was heavily using the NRTs when I had to stop, so that could be why it took 8 days to get out of my urine.

I thought most programs used the urine test due to cost and that it could detect cotinine (metabolite of nicotine) for longer periods?

At any rate, good luck! Quitting smoking was brutal but absolutely the best thing I ever did for myself health-wise.

I did 1month, 3months, and just had 6month labs done.

I’m sure they’ll do them at 9 months, because my 6 months showed I was low on a few things.

Oh wow! Glad you are on the mend! Has the sickness stopped now that the gallbladder is out?

Late to this thread- but wanted to offer some encouragement. From my own experience, the time between discovery of stones and removal of gallbladder was about six months. Diet modification staved off attacks at first, but eventually everything caused it... even going totally fat free. Gallbladder surgery for me was a breeze comparatively, but I was like 22 when I had it done.

Hope you feel better soon!

I, too, am dealing with terrible skin. My skin was always super sensitive pre-op, so the dermatitis is not particularly new, but the rampant hormonal acne is quite new. And this brutal cold is not helping my skin issues.

I’ve been prescribed spiro and luckily my surgeon hasn’t had an issue with me taking it. Does anyone know how long it takes to work?

I’ve switched to using raw African black soap and aveeno calming moisturizer.. and that has really helped with the dryness and irritation, but hasn’t done much to quell the hormonal acne.

Excess skin.. depends on size, age, genetics, etc. I’m 34 and 6 months out, started at 339 at my first consultation a year ago and now am down to 226. Yes I have loose skin. Yes it’ll get worse. Still doesn’t outweigh the positives... and if you think about it, I always had that skin, it’s just not full of anything anymore.

Yes, I’ve been shedding hair like woah the last month and a half. Luckily I started with pretty thick hair. I’ve been told it’ll come back after a year.

Do I miss food? Sometimes I miss that I can’t enjoy more of something if it tastes good. I also find myself using a lot more spice in my foods and gravitating towards stronger flavors. If I’m only getting half a cup of something, I want to pack as much flavor in it as possible. Bring on the jalepenos!

No regrets. Zilch.

I think I may have figure out their calculation. So their goal is that I’ll lose 75% of my excess weight. And I’ve lost 40% of that 75% post op.. but I’ve actually lost like 55% of my total excess weight.

So confusing. 😂😂

Just hit 6 months and had my 6 month follow up. I’m down 40% of my excess weight (now clue where that number comes from?) and got a certificate for losing over 100lbs (since starting the program, not just post op). They said I was the poster child for the surgery, but I’m not sure why? I see people on Instagram who are crushing it with their weight loss and fitness routines... and certainly wouldn’t place myself in that club.

Eating out is a chore! Usually I’ll try to convince my husband that we should agree on a dish and split it. Most places are cool with this, just make sure to tip like you ordered two meals.

I did start to lose hair around month 5. Luckily my hair is thick, so I’ve been able to get by without drastic measures so far.

Constipation is a real drag. It’s the only complication I deal with. I just got them to up my stool softener med to twice a day. Hopefully that helps. Also- they prescribed Miralax, which I didn’t think my insurance would cover OTC meds, but they did... and it’s saving me a bundle!

Stalls happen... mine seem to always be lengthy in nature. Assess what you’re currently doing. If you’re not following your plan, then make the changes to do so. If you are following your plan, just stick to it and the stall will break.

I am so sorry for your loss. Parents and grandparents should not have to bury their children/grandchildren. How heart breaking for you and your family!

I ate a ton of eggs. Puréed Soup and chicken salad. Refried Beans. Greek yogurt. Ricotta cheese.

Congrats!!! Amazing work!

Have you spoken with whoever prescribed it? I’ve never taken sub, but when I had surgery, I went to my psychiatric provider for expertise on adjusting and handling the meds they had prescribed... and didn’t trust the advice of the surgeons team, as that wasn’t their specialty.

Is it possible to taper off and be off long enough to pass the test and then restart it (if you feel that you need to) post op? Did they give you a reason why they don’t want you on it?

Hmmm to be honest, after six months, I still don’t see it when I look in the mirror. I guess, when you look every day, the changes don’t seem as drastic? Others notice quite a bit.

However, when did I feel a difference? When things that were tough to do prior to surgery got easier, which was super early on. Basic things, like reaching down and touching my toes or putting on socks or tying my shoes... or walking up a flight of stairs. I would say it was 1 month out before I noticed these huge benefits.

I still hold up clothing and think it’s too small, only to slide it on with ease. I still see myself as the same weight, even though I’m not.

I’m back to spin class tomorrow after a 1.5 month break. Hope I don’t die. 😂😂

Also- when I started working out, I weighed about 380lbs. I highly recommend doing a few sessions with a personal trainer if you can swing it financially. They ensure proper form and help you prevent injury... also, and this is super helpful for people of size, they should be able to modify the exercises to your physical abilities.

I’m trying to get back on my workout game. I feel like I say this a lot. My better half is in SF this week for work, so I’m trying to use this time to get back in my routine.

Is it possible that you’re dry, because you’re just not that into it at the moment? It’s cool to not want to have sex. It’s cool to want to have sex, too.

By any chance are you on any antidepressants? Right around surgery time, they switched me from Cymbalta to Celexa and seriously that KILLED my sex drive. I switched to something else and it went back mostly to normal.

Me too! I used to put so much effort into them and now I’m just like, olive oil, salt, black pepper, and minced garlic (I put garlic on everything I think)... and BOOM magic happens.

dinner tonight. Balsamic rosemary chicken topped with aged parmigiana with roasted Brussels sprouts on the side. Also, it’s on a small plate for size reference.

I think my pouch may be a little on the bigger side so I try to fill it with lean Protein and veggies. I also make sure to chew really well, because chicken can be tough to digest for me.

My roommate was my aunt. She had surgery 3 hours before me. We did swell, except she saw my bum a lot and had to listen to be whine and moan while she sat there acting like it was no big deal.

I wish I knew the number two struggles. I guess, I’d say to make sure you stay on top of making sure your bowels are moving.

Tips for staying in the game, mental health, dealing with the good/bad... remember that the difficult times will be short lived.

My first week post-op was rough, but after that first week I started feeling better and seeing results. It was worth that brief period of discomfort. Also- remember stalls and plateaus will happen. It’s normal. So is seeing your weight loss numbers decrease as you lose weight and time passes.

I get stressed because I’m having to work at losing every single pound at this point. I’m no longer losing 10 or 20lbs a month, but I’m 50lbs from my goal. I started 210 lbs from it. These last 50 will be the hardest, but if I stick the the program I should be able to do it!

I have been hovering between 230-228 for like the last month. When I stall, I stall good and hard. I try to focus on how far I’ve come, but it certainly is a bit jarring when the honeymoon ends. I’m down 74 since surgery, 111lbs since last January. That’s a feat, I know, but I still feel like goal is so far away.

Also- today I am hangry- so there’s that.

Holy shit. It’s an app they offer for free on a site that offers membership for free. You didn’t pay for it. It doesn’t owe you anything.

That said, the mobile app is a bit buggy. I eventually logged into the desktop site and put in my info.

Also- if you viewed the source code to see what was causing the value limits on the input, didn’t you have to do this on a desktop or laptop? So you were on a desktop anyways.
And if you were on a desktop, why not just alter the code that’s being processed client side so it accepts the value you’d like it to?

Sounds like your friend needs a therapist. I once was a bridesmaid in a wedding where another bridesmaid bowed out, because they could handle seeing our friend get married when they were still single. Exact words. They wanted everyone to know and understand how difficult the wedding events and dress shopping were for them.

Seriously, if your friend doesn’t address her issues and keeps making you feel bad for your successes, then she’s not being a very good friend to you. As friends, sometimes you gotta be the cheerleader and sometimes you get to be the one they’re cheering for.

I switched from Colace, Miralax, and Benefiber to Colace and Metamucil and have had positive results. I wish I didn’t need stool softeners, but I apparently do, or I won’t doo doo.

Now if only the Metamucil was easier to get down...

I just hit 1 year smoke free. I know I made a great choice and actually really hate the smell of stale smoke now. However, I can’t wait for the day when I’m not instantly jealous of people when I see them enjoying a smoke! 😂😂