mousecat88

Are you supposed to try to stand up straight to loosen everything up, or stay hunched over until fully healed? Sent from my SM-G930R4 using BariatricPal mobile app

I am getting really nervous. On Sept. 21 I suffered a small disc herniation and multiple torn muscles in my abdomen and back. My abdomen has been healed for a while now, but I am in physical therapy for my back. I still have a lot of pain on my thoracic spine and muscle soreness. I have 3 weeks until my TT. I am worried the immobilization from the binder coupled with the muscle repair is going to KILL my back. I have my pre-op next Monday and will discuss this then. I called a week ago and the surgeon said "it will just be more uncomfortable for me but I can still do it". =/ Sent from my SM-G930R4 using BariatricPal mobile app

holllaaaaa. lmao. Sorry I have nothing to contribute. I haven't found that equilibrium quite yet!

Exactly - maybe older teenagers I could see considering it for because they could understand the lifelong implications, but a 12 year old (or younger apparently!) shouldn't be held responsible for his/her dietary and exercise habits. That is the fault of an enabling family. I am barring medical reasons, of course.

glad i decided to click to this thread via my "losing too much" post. such a bizarre challenge to have. lol. i feel like i ate a good amount this weekend (yesterday i had 3 egg whites, 2 turkey sausages, a large yogurt... thing... (cracker barrel, lol), 4oz filet mignon, a serving of cheddies, kiwi aloe drink, a pumpkin spice chai latte w/ almond milk, and 2 servings of zeroodle lentil fettucine w/ chunky spaghetti sauce and parm cheese) and was down another pound this morning. *head explodes*

Hey. I made a hole. LOL. Steak and cheese salad with mushroom and onion from my favorite quick spot to eat. Will last me two full days for every meal basically. lol. Oh, and rocking the BP free utensil set. lmao. Sent from my SM-G930R4 using BariatricPal mobile app

And it's annoying because part of me knows I am a healthy size, but then I gain a pound or two and FREAK OUT that I am "fat again". And then I'm like "fast track to a size 24 again!", even though I am a size 6.

I've had BD since childhood. I was always very slim until about 9-10 years ago. I thought I was HUGE when I was 130lbs when I was 20. I had massive liposuction done and didn't see the results I thought I'd get so I got really depressed and that's when I started overeating. I figured I was already SOOOOOO fat I may as well eat whatever I want, too. So, I am not new to BD. lol. Now that I am thin again, I still think I am gigantic. I look in the mirror and still only see fat. Just like I did when I was a kid and thin. All I see are flaws.

I kinda feel like a crazy person now. I got to 130 and I'm back to 133 but now I am sad I am not at 130. Hurray for completely unresolved body dysmorphia!

I went to Tropical Smoothie for lunch and had a smoothie for the first time since surgery. I drank not even 1/3rd of the Detox Island Green smoothie (5ish ounces). It has spinach, kale, ginger, banana, mango, and pineapple. In the entire 16oz it said it had 43g carbs, 29g sugar, and 180 calories and no sugar added (naturally sweetened) and I AM ACTIVELY DYING. lol. It was the only one on their menu I dared to try based on the nutrition label, expecting to drink half, but my pouch is NOT HAVING IT. I feel so mentally fuzzy and nauseous. Death becomes me. RIP. No more smoothies for me, ever, ever everrrrrr. I have gotten so used to throwing food away it's depressing. ;( I'll go out and try something new, wait about 20 minutes and then be like NOPE and have to toss it. I usually eat 50g of carbs a day, so 20 in one meal was a leap. I'm sure it was the fructose, though. Whaaaaaa.

Oh - I added a scoop of soy to it (as an optional addition). Did. Not. Help.

No, I didn't need one. Don't know why you would? They did require all patients to have a sleep study since "we" are more prone to sleep apnea, but I had had one done 2 years prior so they waived that requirement for me.

That's why I got the detox version. They do not add sugar at all (which was probably why it is bland af). They just use whole fruits and veggies and blend it. You can also request Splenda. But.... gross.

They don't use added sugar juices; they put in the actual fruit and blend it. And the carb/sugar count didn't seem very high. But I rarely ever eat fruit anyways so it's not even worth bothering. I know the WHOLE thing is a lot of carbs and sugar, but that's why I intended on drinking half over the course of 4 hours (the rest of the work day) and then toss the rest. (15g sugar, 20g carbs over 4 hours). No way would I have attempted to drink that whole thing! lol. But never agaaiiinnn. I need to work on protein now anyways because of my upcoming surgery. Blech.

lawd. i cannot stop losing weight. i have lost another 2lbs this week, so i am at 131. my dietitian said i gotta stop but aaaaaaaa. it's just happening! what an odd problem to have. today i am restarting protein shakes in addition to my meals to boost calories. i HAVE to be able to get to 1100 a day. unf. it's so hard with micro stomach. and so many food intolerances. i want to get super extra protein in now anyways in prep for the skin removal next month to assist with healing. hopefully 2 shakes a day will help slow or stop the loss and also add in a lot of protein. Sent from my SM-G930R4 using BariatricPal mobile app

Got my "official" 12-ish month photos done today. 24% body fat. 133lbs! 156lbs lost in less than a year! Size 22/24 to a Size 6/8. Sent from my SM-G930R4 using BariatricPal mobile app

A few people lately have told me I am exercising too much. Going to the gym and taking classes is something I love doing now. I don't go multiple times a day. I feel healthy and fit. But several people really close to me have expressed "concern" that I've transferred my food addiction to an addiction to exercise and I am overdoing it and using it as a new coping mechanism. These people never said a word to me when I was literally eating myself to death. I don't know how to feel. I don't feel like I am overdoing the exercise - I give myself time to rest and work different muscle groups each time or alternate with cardio. I am kinda angry that now these people are giving me a hard time about something I feel is actually bettering me physically and emotionally, when they sat idly and watched me eat bags and bags of fast food and gain 150lbs in the last 9 years and never expressed any concern over that. Today I hit 130lbs down in less than 9 months and I'm well on my way to my personal goal weight well before my one year anniversary. I am finally proud of myself and confident and angry that these people aren't happy for me and are now telling me I am taking things to the extreme. I was about to apologize for the rant, but realized I'm in the right forum. LOL. Sent from my SM-G930R4 using BariatricPal mobile app

Also a Trogdor tattoo would be eff'n rad. lmao.

Yes, I love Dr. Oviedo. He is the most compassionate, caring doctor I have had. I do not like Dr. Glembot at all. I've had him respond as the surgeon on-call when I had some post-op complications and it was always a terrible experience. Most recently (like 3 weeks ago) he diagnosed me as having an ulcer OVER THE PHONE to the ER Department when really I had a herniated disc in my back. You will love Dr. Oviedo! I had some post-op complications and he would always rush to be at my bedside after he was finished for the day and insisted on seeing me personally for followups instead of the nurse practitioner, which is usually the case. I was the first robotic RNY patient at Winchester and he always called me his "favorite perfect patient" even though I was far from perfect. LOL I have an appointment with the dietitian there next Monday and it would be nice to see him again since I haven't since February. Sucks you don't see the surgeon anymore and they never see your progress.

Yes, I am having muscle tightening. My surgeon said it was standard with a TT after massive weight loss since your visceral fat sort of pushes all of your muscles away from where they should be and then they get all droopy. So it's like an internal corset for a while to get them back to where they should be. #6packabs He said I will be walking hunched over for a while, even with a binder.

I went to lunch and ate a miniature sized piece of cornbread. IT WAS HEAVENLY. Yes, I feel sweaty and ill... but after seeing my calorie intake yesterday, I figured it was OK to indulge. First time truly having anything remotely like that in over a year. Probably never will again because I may currently be dying but hey. LOL

I think I need to start tracking my food intake again because I entered what I've had so far today and it is not remotely as much calories as I thought. I am at 50g of carbs but I don't even want to say the calories because... yeah. LOL. I just eat the same thing like every day since so much was making me sick I got into a routine. And I guess that routine stuck at the intake level I was at at 4 months out and not where I should be one year out. I feel like I eat enough though, but I guess I'm not.

Had an emergency MRI done. Turned out the stress fracture was actually a thoracic disc herniation. I sent a scathing letter to the hospital administrator about my experience, but I don't expect anything to come of it.

Let me tell you a tale. lol. 9/21/19 - I wake up and immediately experience sharp, stabbing pain in my abdomen. It extends from my stomach down in a straight line. Soon after, I develop severe muscle soreness in my back. The pain is superficial; clearly muscular. It is tender to the touch. I decide MAYBE it is related to the gastric so I spend a few hours trying to go about my day. By 3PM I decide I need to go to the ER. I go to the closest ER to where I am. After 5 hours, they tell me they can't treat me because I complained of abdominal pain and they "don't treat bariatric patients". They have me transferred to the hospital that did my gastric bypass. - Cue $150 copay for no reason. 9/21/19 - Different ER. I get several doses of Dilaudid, to no effect. They do a CT scan and see my pouch and organs all look fine. Again, I express I have severe BACK pain and superficial abdominal pain. They call the bariatric surgeon on-call (not my surgeon) who says it's an ulcer. They do no diagnostics to confirm it's an ulcer. They discharge me with $100 in ulcer medicine and "a shot of Dilaudid to get me to my bed, at least". Cue 100$ in meds and $150 copay. 9/23/19 - I call my bariatric office and they fit me in as an emergency visit. The NP says it's definitely not an ulcer. DUH. He orders a back xray and abdominal xray. He prescribes me prescription NSAIDs and says to keep taking the ulcer medicine "anyways". Cue $50 copay. 9/24/19 - The bariatric office says no one is around to read my xrays. I have to sick my mother on them. LOL. They call me back immediately and say "they don't know what's wrong" and I could schedule an endoscopy to rule out bariatric issues. I tell them that is idiotic because I already have all the ulcer medicine. They agree. 9/25/19 - I attempt to go to work. I end up bursting into tears from the back pain. My PCP fits me in in the afternoon. She looks at my xrays and says I have degenerative disc disease from osteoarthritis and a thoracic hairline fracture, which may be more noticeable in an xray performed a week out from the injury. I do not need ulcer medicine. She sends me for a back brace, prescribes a strong muscle relaxer, and prednisone. 9/27/19 - I am back at work with no abdominal pain, but still excruciating back pain. I notice I have a gigantic red bruise straight down my spine and numerous purple bruises. No one has even looked at my back until I did this morning, so no doctor has even seen this. I call my PCP just to give her a status update. She is, of course, out of the office today. I continue to be in pain. BACK. PAIN. It is concluded that I likely injured myself with weight lifting at the gym on the 20th. None of this is bariatric-related, and I was pigeon-holed into a diagnosis without ANY diagnostics being completed because I happened to mention associated abdominal pain which was MUSCULAR but since I said "abdomen" no one wanted to touch me with a 10 foot pole because I am a bypass patient. I spent $500 for literally no reason, and had multiple hospitals and practitioners insist this was somehow bariatric related despite nothing lining up with any bariatric issue. Completely absurd. I should have insisted other diagnostics but I was in SO much pain for this past week, I wasn't even in the mindframe to argue. At first I thought MAYBE this was some freak ulcer thing, despite having ulcers before and knowing this ain't it. Anyways, I guess this is something to look out for in the future - that any remote mention of abdominal pain will trigger a complete shutdown of all common sense from medical providers that, hey, this isn't necessarily because this patient had gastric bypass and COULD be a f**king SPINAL FRACTURE.

I took 2.5 weeks off work. I hope that is enough time because I was literally told I would be fired if I a) had any post-op complications or b) needed more than 2.5 weeks off work. Don't even ask...