Recidivist

Hi, Ruth. Yes, I did. It was detected on the day after my surgery while I was still in the hospital. They were reviewing my stats and found that I had a very rapid heartbeat and elevated white blood cell count, which were apparently indicators of a leak. They confirmed it by doing an x-ray while I swallowed barium. To be honest, I didn't "feel" anything except pain from the surgery. Perhaps it was more painful than it would have been without a leak, but I didn't have any basis for comparison. Before surgery, I was very worried about getting a leak, but it turned out not to be a big deal. They were able to repair it quite easily as soon as it was detected, and it was a relatively short procedure. I had to stay in the hospital a couple of extra days, but I it had no long-term impact. My recovery and weight loss were quite successful.

I had one family member and one close friend who were extremely critical of getting weight loss surgery. Both are quite obese themselves. I think they felt either threatened or jealous of the fact that I was doing something to take control of my health and my life.

I'm in Australia, which has done relatively well during the pandemic compared to most of the world. We are starting to open up here as well, and I fear that people are getting complacent and that there might be another surge. Lockdown has been relatively comfortable for us, since we can work from home and have no children. 🙂 By the way, I'm originally from Colorado! Seems like Governor Polis is doing a good job.

Froufrou, these are extraordinary times and we are all dealing with the stress of isolation in different ways. I can't even imagine how challenging it must be be caring for your daughter at home and coping with your husband's job loss in the midst of the danger uncertainty we are currently facing. Don't beat yourself up! You sound quite heroic to me, and if you are eating more to help you get through this, that's completely understandable. You recognize what is happening and are taking steps to get things under control, which is all you can do. Take it one day at a time, and be kind to yourself. You are not and idiot and you have not failed--you are human!

I went 10 pounds below my original goal weight by the end of the honeymoon phase. I was worried about being able to get enough calories to stop losing. Nine months later, I've gained back about 12 pounds and everyone says I look just right. They thought I was too scrawny before.

Have you looked into high-protein, sugar-free sweets? There are quite a few of them right here in the Bariatric Pal store. I'm also really fond of Jello sugar-free chocolate pudding. I've also found that having a cup of coffee with skim milk and artificial sweetener in the afternoon keeps me from snacking when I'm tempted. You don't have to eat "prohibited" foods to satisfy your sweet tooth!

Well, the good thing with having successfully lost the weight once is that you already know the drill--so you don't really need advice on what to eat, portions, etc. It might be encouraging to know that your diet has by far the most impact on your weight loss, and exercise doesn't make much of a difference. So, no problem that you can't get to the gym. I think the key for you is to not get overwhelmed by how far you need to go and just take things one day at a time. You can control what you eat today, and that's all that matters at this moment. You can do the same tomorrow. You'll get back into a routine before you know it.

Oh, dear. I understand this is not unusual for those of us with WLS, but it still sucks. Good thing that you were able to get it taken care of when so many elective surgeries have been called off.

I agree with all of this. I would not recommend increasing carbs. I did this when I needed to gain weight after losing too much (I never dreamed I would write a sentence like that!). Once I got back up to my goal weight, I was accustomed to eating carbs and had to wean myself off them to avoid gaining too much. It's such a delicate balance.

I also went the crushed meds route and never found a way to make them less disgusting. I tried them in water and in yoghurt in other foods. I finally decided that just putting them in my mouth in powder form and then drinking water was easiest because it was over quickly. I was so happy when my surgeon gave me permission to start taking pills again!

I'm also a man who had an incredibly supportive spouse throughout the process. The best thing you can do to support your husband is to be patient and understanding during the first several weeks. There will be mood swings, crankiness, extreme fatigue, possibly depression, and perhaps regret over having had the surgery (all of which pass). Just be there for him and offer emotional support. Let him vent if he wants to, don't give advice unless he asks for it, and let him rest when he needs to. That doesn't answer the question you asked, but it's the best advice I have.

My psych consultation was part of the surgery package, covered by insurance. However, I paid $200 for the doctor's clearance.

I only lost about 20 pounds during my 6-month program. It ended several months before my surgery, during which I gained it all back. That was not an issue for my surgeon or my insurance.

That is wonderful news! I have Aetna and did have to complete the 6-month program. It was frustrating, because I once I made the decision to have surgery I wanted it to happen ASAP. (Best decision I ever made, by the way.)

Brent, no need to feel bad about not exercising. I got to goal weight without any real exercise except regular walking and have maintained it for about nine months. However, I was--and continue to be--very disciplined when it comes to food. I still don't eat sugar or drink alcohol at all, and I keep carbs and fats to a minimum. I'm just not a gym person. We all have to find what works for us and our individual lifestyles. There is no one-size-fits-all long-term solution.

I'd go with six months as well. I was seeing results, feeling good and eating a broader range of foods. I will admit that for the first six weeks or so i was regretting the decision and thought I had made a huge mistake, but I now realize is was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

Congratulations! And I see that you are only a couple of pounds from your goal weight, which is wonderful. That's quite an achievement in only nine months! I was 59 when I had my bypass, and I haven't felt this good in decades. As you say, it's never too late!

I shared it only with my spouse and a few close friends. I told everyone else that I was on a medically supervised diet through a local hospital, which was technically true.

I was also a "lightweight" (5'8" and 250 pounds). I loved sweets prior to surgery (part of the reason I got so big) but had no craving for sweets at all within the first six months or so afterwards. You'll find that your tastes and cravings will change dramatically after surgery, and I think I kicked my sugar addiction by the time I was able to start eating normally again. When the time comes, there are plenty of items on the market with artificial sweetener that you can eat instead of "real" sweets. (I'm a big fan of Jello surgar-free chocolate pudding.) I think you'll find, as I did, that most of the things you worry about before surgery will not be an issue once you are on the other side. Having surgery is the best decision I've ever made!

I had gastric bypass, but I'm assuming the vitamin needs are the same. I tried several different ones until I found that the soft chews are the only ones that don't taste disgusting. I now use these from the Bariatric Pal store: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/multivitamins/products/bariatric-advantage-multivitamin-chewy-bites-flavors I like the strawberry/watermelon flavor but haven't tried any of the others. You need to take two of them per day, but they can be at the same time. I chew two of them every morning just after I get up. I'm 14 months out from surgery, and all of my blood tests have been great in terms of vitamin levels. Good luck!

I'm 14 months out and starting having coffee again about eight months after surgery. I have coffee every morning with skim milk and two packs of Splenda, and I've never had a problem. Perhaps it is the whipped cream?

I am 5'8", male and weighed 250 prior to surgery, with a BMI of 37.5. I thought I might not be enough overweight to have bypass surgery and waffled for about two years. All I can say is that it was the best decision I ever made. I feel wonderful and only wish I had done it sooner.

I'm just about where you are and have definitely noticed that I can eat much more than I could during the first year. I was also eating more "normally," including more carbs and fat than during the first year. I started gaining (only six pounds, but enough to be concerning) and tried cutting carbs and fat to the greatest extent possible. The six pounds came off quite easily with no other changes.

Everything on HGTV, especially Property Brothers and House Hunters!

First of all, you still look great--I can't see much of a difference between April 2018 and December 2019. However, the more important issue is your health. I'm sure that cancer had a huge physical and emotional impact on you, and right now you should focus on your recovery from cancer more than on your weight issues. (I say this as a cancer survivor myself.) You can deal with your weight once you are clearly on the other side of the cancer. Please don't beat yourself up about your relatively small weight gain. You have been through a lot!