Coexister

14 minutes ago, Amanda Dutton LPC said:

Psychology Today

Oh my gosh, Thank you Amanda for this as I had no idea on how to find a Pysch that deals with bariatrics/ weight loss and now with this website https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists , I see I have numerous options. Google was doing nothing for me so Thank you!

So I met with my Psychiatrist yesterday and I left my appointment feeling very frustrated. All he talked about was how I was suddenly cured by having this surgery? Like it's the end all be all and for some reason that really go under my skin? As I needed to talk more about the changes and what to expect going forth and not "Oh, you should be so excited - your are now cured?? I had to remind him that this was not going to fix a couple of my other issues like my torn shoulder rotator cuff or my incisional hernia and that I have 2 more surgeries going forth and yet I just spent a lot of money and now have the stress of figuring out how I am going to cover these future surgeries and bills. I also have limitations due to these other two illnesses and won't be able to lift over 15 lbs until my hernia is repaired and healed. So this will limit me from doing strength training. I wanted to tell me what psychological changes I might be facing and have a game plan on how to handle these? Isn't that what they are supposed to instead of assuming everything is fixed and it's all going to be bright sun shiny day??

Today I have an appointment with my Dietitian and I am so excited to be finally be advancing out of liquid diet to puree diet / soft foods. I do worry some as to now we are adding in more foods will we gain weight? I was getting used to liquid diet per no brainier and no planning. Just the same thing over and over each day with maybe a flavor change. I love this site as I can find recipe ideas.

I too am shy of 3 weeks and am experiencing pain in incisional sites and it also feels like I have been kicked in the gut or had the wind knocked out of me. I ran out of pain medication yesterday and wasn’t able to sleep much last night per pain. I also have an incisional hernia at my belly button area that will not be fixed till later that hurts. I am too wondering if this is normal or if I overworked my body in some way? I wish I could take ibuprofen but this is not an option. :(

Have you tried the chewable Gas X pills? They are very helpful and a staple for post-op

On 1/8/2019 at 4:37 PM, SteveT74 said:

If you have had serious issues with major unipolar depression and/or bi-polar depression in the past, this can be a challenging time for you because your hormones are all out of whack which can trigger lots of feelings (good an bad). One of the problems with being obese is that fat cells produce and store estrogen. As you burn those cells off, the estrogen is being released into your blood stream. This will throw off your hormonal balance in a major way. [This effects both men and women btw]. It will cause mood swings and can make you downright irritable--like super PMS.

If you're unhappy with your p.doc in general, by all means get a new one. If, however, this is just a concern about your current mood, try to get an appointment as soon as possible, but don't look to change docs right now if he or she has been doing a good job for you in general. It's hard to find a good p.doc and there aren't many (or any) p.docs that specialize in treating bariatric patients (we aren't really all that different from any other patient once our bodies adapt to the new physiology). You should, however, go to your bariatric support group meetings. My practice has them twice a month. It's a great way to meet other people that are going through the same things you're going through (or have been them already). Try to get that appointment to see your p.doc, but if he or she has been doing a good job for you so far, don't run out and change. New docs often like to change up meds and that can really add fuel to the fire.

This hormonal spike is going to be a short term issue (a few months at the most)--not a life long thing. So, you are only talking about dealing with unusual emotions for a little while--and then you get back to being yourself (with all the usual issues that you had before surgery, but with less weight to carry around). If have issues with major depression and you feel yourself slipping into a downward spiral, you might also look into seeing a doctor or clinic that could give you ketamine infusion. That would definitely take the edge off while you go through the adjustment phase. My wife suffers with major depression (has for years) and she gets ketamine treatments every 3-4 weeks depending on what's going on. It's not a cure all, but it makes a huge difference!!!

Oh my gosh you have given me such great information and I really appreciate this. I have looked and can not find any support groups in my area so this forum has basically become my support group. I do see my pysch next week. And will pick on him to see what he knows about bariatrics as I have a feeling he is not so practiced in this. When we talk he always refers to another patient who doing really great and had started the special diet before the surgery and is now below her weight. Other then that he hasn't spoke much about Bariatrics so this is why I am questioning his skill here. I have been with him for a few years to be treated for Anxiety, Panic Attacks and Depression which he says is medically related - whatever that means. So the information you just gave me is invaluable and I will try to find more information on the web to self help me. Thank you.

Thank you everyone for your input. This has been so helpful!

I appreciate any and all information! This site has been a life line for me!

I am 14 days out and am feeling pain in several incisional sites but mostly where the biggest one is? It wasn’t bothering me before until 10 days post op? Is this normal? I am about to run out of pain medication and am feeling really concerned? Could I have over worked things or is this just normal for this surgery?

I am 14 days out and am feeling pain in several incisional sites but mostly where the biggest one is? It wasn’t bothering me before until 10 days post op? Is this normal? I am about to run out of pain medication and am feeling really concerned? Could I have over worked things?

OMG I can’t wait to get out of the liquid stage and try some of your recipes! My doctor requires 21 day liquid and I am already so tired of it but doing as told.

I also had my surgery on Dec 26th and am still on full liquid diet and feeling like I am starving! I have 2 Bariatric Advantage Protein Shakes a day , 1 premier advantage shake and a cup of broth daily. I make sure to take all my supplements and get my 64 ozs of Water. My Doctor wants us to stay on this for 21 days total before progressing onto soft foods. We aren’t allowed eggs, yogurt and all the other things I am reading that you guys are eating. Did any of you also have a hiatal hernia repair with sleeve? I am 5’5 my highest weight was 150 and I am at 224 now for a loss of 26lbs. I can’t wait to be able to eat soft foods. Just an egg sounds incredibly yummy right now. So wild how different our plans our??

I am 50 and had a sleeve done 10 days ago.

Oh my gosh Thanks for posing this question as I had been feeling the same!

I am 9 days post-op and I was not prepared for the emotional roller coaster that comes along with this surgery. Yesterday, I woke up with 0 energy and just feeling like an emotional wreck! Spent most of the day walking through a fog and crying. Luckily the nurse from the hospital had called to check up on me when I was feeling my lowest and reassured me that the way I was feeling was normal. That we were Psychologically starving and would naturally go through a lot of ups and downs as our hormones are shifting all over the place but would eventually settle down. She said we will go through spells of were we are burning up and then at times will be cold and that this is the body adjusting to our new way of eating. She said the gastric sleeve only gives you the capacity to eat 30% of what you ate before. She said before you know it your body will finally adjust and start burning fat and then you will have tons of energy and will be running circles around everyone else and not looking back. She said that is why you go through so many classes before surgery. She was very helpful to me and gave me information I had not been given. I did not tell her but In my clinic I had only been through 2 classes pre-surgery and that was the initial seminar that talked about surgery and why it was good for you and then only one other with the dietitian for the pre-op and post-op diet. I had only met the doctor twice which was the initial visit and then follow-up to labs and testing. So I don't think I went through what is usually the norm for this surgery and was much less prepared then most. I am so grateful for this forum as it has helped me with so many issues I was not aware of that I would face in this journey. the nurse on the phone had told me I should find a bariatric seminar near me and a pal to call when I am really low as they can talk you though it? My psychiatrist is so busy that it is hard to get an appointment with him and so I only see him about once a month and he hasn't been much help in this journey.

I was worried about the skin as I am not able to do weight lifting or anything over 15 lbs even after the incisions heal from surgery as I still have a fist size incisional hernia the doctor will not repair until 8 months later that limits me. This is what motivated me to finally do this surgery as I has other surgical doctors that would not repair until I lost 50lbs. The incisional hernia is a previous mesh repair that was cut through for another surgery and became a hernia with weight gain. It's all so frustrating as I know lifting weights is my fastest way to weight loss but I have been limited here for quite some time. I am also needing a shoulder rotator cuff repair and will probably have that surgery in 6 to 8 weeks and this again will limit me. My only choice is walking. I do have a treadmill and a stationary bike. Just not sure when it is ok to use bike? The nurse at the hospital told me not to use the treadmill for awhile but my house is small and I feel like a hamster in a wheel walking circles in my house. I am thinking this morning I will go ahead and use my treadmill and just keep it flat and slow, I don't see any harm in this? Anyone else used there treadmill 9 days post-op?

I am day 9 post op and I too am feeling completely drained. I am getting 64 ozs Water, over 75 grams Protein and still on liquid diet. also have some broth and sugar free Jello and pops in there but today I feel just completely and utterly exhausted.

Yes, I do sleep with a CPAP. Have for years! Will have to get with a sleep doctor and see if it needs adjustment down. Also taking note of the casein or lactose intolerance because up till Protein Shakes, I never drank milk? I am 7 days post op and still having the same issues. Thanks guys!

I feel more secure in my binder while things are healing up. It keeps my stomach from jiggling as much. I am 6 days post-op and my incisions have a glue like material on them. I do take the binder off at night while I sleep to let things breathe.

Yes our State also has that protocol and has a database. This is why I get so floored over being questioned about why I need the
Prescribed medication by the pharmacist and treated as though I were a drug seeker when I am so far from it.

I am 6 days post-op and my shoulder has been screaming with pain. I have a torn rotator cuff amongst other tears verified by an MRI. I was given tylenlol 3 and tramadol for the bariatric surgical pain but the shoulder pain cuts through this. I have had issues with my Walmart pharmacist just to get the tylenlol 3 that was prescribed to me. They treat me like a junkie and ask a million questions and act like I should not be given my medication. I was on T3 pills for a week for shoulder pain pre-surgery and then prescribed the liquid T3 after bariatric surgery. I also have bulging discs and bones spurs in my neck and diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Pre-surgery was taking Celebrex and Gabapentin but was told could no longer could take the Celebrex which was most helpful per gastric sleeve and not allowed any Naproxen / Iboprofen type meds. Has anyone else had problems with Walmart Pharmacy and getting your pain medications? Tylenlol 3 is not a very strong pill and yet they treat it like it is heroin. I am so frustrated to have to get the 3rd degree and fight for something my doctor prescribed. Am I the only one that's had any issues? Is it just Walmart?

I have bone spurs and disc bulges in my neck and shoulder rotator cuff tears and fibromyalgia. This surgery I was told by doctors is supposed to be the magic bullet and take away a bunch of my issues. Not sure how it can help my neck and sholder? I am 6 days post-op and my shoulder has been screaming with pain. Was given tylenlol 3 and tramadol but the pain cuts through this. I have had issues with my Walmart pharmacy just to get the tylenlol 3 that was prescribed to me. They treat me like a junkie and ask a million questions as I was on T3 pills pre-surgery and then prescribed the liquid T3 after. Has anyone else had problems with Walmart Pharmacy and getting your pain medications? Tylenlol 3 is not a very strong pill and yet they treat it like it is heroin. I am so frustrated to have to get the 3rd degree for something my doctor prescribed. Am I the only one that's had any issues?

I see a lot of content on here about Constipation but I am having a different problem. I am 4 days post- op and my stools look like little rabbit poos and every time I move bowels it is an explosion of gas along with those weird little stools? It is like doing a colon cleanse sensation. Some of those stools float and I don't get that since I am not eating any fat on my post-op liquid diet. Should I be concerned? Anyone else had this issue?

I am 4 days post op and have been wondering about my poo's as well. I have gas and rabbit like looking poos and pass them frequently. Did you ever find out if this is normal?

Not allowed any crackers here. Only liquid diet. I am 3 days post op and I stepped on scale and noticed I have not lost any more weight since my pre-op - in fact I gained like ,4 lbs. Hard to believe with the very limited caloric intake. Is this normal after surgery? When did most of you see your weight start dropping ?