Recidivist

I asked my surgeon at my one-year checkup about stretching one's pouch, since it is often discussed on this forum. She said it is almost impossible to stretch the pouch after surgery and that this is an urban legend that has been perpetuated on the internet. So, I'm asking: Has anyone been told by their surgeon that they have definitely stretched their pouch? I want to hear from those who have personally been told that by a doctor.

So what happens if the stoma is stretched? Can that lead to less restriction?

Your doctor knows the details of your particular case. I would say that you should follow your doctor's advice.

Yep. I'm a year out and they are still a regular feature of my life. I'll take them over being more than 100 pounds overweight.

I'm almost exactly a year out and get the random twinges you mention. I think it's partly because I pay much more attention to anything going on in my digestive tract than I did before. In addition, I seem to have much more frequent gas pains at this point than I did perhaps six months ago--not sure why.

I love Premier Protein (especially caramel, which is not easy to find). However, it's very pricey compared with the cost of protein powder. I used it for an occasional treat rather than my main source of protein during the shake phase.

Yes, I clearly remember being afraid of eating after four weeks of shakes (two weeks pre-op and two weeks post-op). They are so easy and there is no guesswork, whereas starting on soft foods involves measuring portions, calculating protein content and counting calories. It's definitely scary at first, but it's all part of the process of getting to your new normal over the next few months. Just follow the program your surgeon/nutritionist gave you and you'll be fine.

I had a leak, but as someone said earlier, it occurred while I was still in the hospital immediately after surgery. They suspected it due to an extremely fast heart rate and high white blood cell count, and it was confirmed by an x-ray after swallowing barium. I'm not sure whether leaks can occur a few weeks after surgery--but in case that turns out to be the case, you'll be relieved to know that mine was quickly and easily repaired and there were no long-term issues.

This doesn't answer your question, but my belly button essentially disappeared after I lost weight and my skin sagged. I have to pull the skin tight to see it, and even then it's just a tiny slit. Not a major issue compared to being obese, I know. 🙂

Positive news today: I had my one-year checkup after doing bloodwork last week, and all of my numbers are fabulous--including cholesterol after six months without medication. I was particularly concerned about the various vitamin levels, but they are all great. The doctor said that my test results looked like they were from a person 20-25 years younger than I am. It doesn't get much better than that!

I had complications and ended up staying in the hospital for three days. However, that had nothing to do with the fact that it was robotic surgery.

I agree with the AA plan. I think you need to address your issues with alcohol before you even think about weight loss surgery. The first year after surgery is enough of an emotional roller coaster on its own without trying to stay substance abuse issues.

I can echo what everyone else said. I just celebrated my one-year anniversary. If I eat too quickly, I get nauseous and/or dump--which i consider a good thing, because it helps to keep me on track. I've gotten much better about eating slowly and chewing carefully. I will admit that I don't take as long to eat as I did within a few months after surgery, but much more slowly than I did pre-surgery. I tend to do well at home, but I sometimes forget when I'm out with friends and engaged in conversation. In that case, my pouch always reminds me. 🙂

I took almost nothing except the clothes on my back, a minimal amount of toiletries and several books. The hospital provided everything else I needed. As it turned out, I was too exhausted to even open the books. I slept almost the entire time I was in the hospital.

Hard to say in my case. I knew that such surgery existed years ago and had sort of considered it for about three years, without doing any research or taking any active steps. I had a full physical in December 2018 and my doctor told me I might have 10-12 years left if I didn't take drastic steps to lose weight. (I was 59 at the time.) He recommended gastric bypass. I saw the surgeon in early January 2019 and had the surgery in early March. I would call that a quick decision.

Sheribear, you have had an amazing year! Congratulations on your weight loss and improved health. Oh, yeah--you also looking fantastic, which is a nice side effect. 🙂 I don't think anyone in the February 2019 class will object if I hereby crown you our class valedictorian!

Greetings from down under, everyone! March 2 is my one-year anniversary of gastric bypass surgery. Most of you have followed my progress along the way, so I won't repeat everything here except to say that I feel great and could not be happier that I made the decision a year ago to improve the quality of my life by taking this step. I've been on maintenance for several months now. After reaching a low of 132 pounds, I've been hovering around 140 for the last couple of months (which truly amazes me based on how much I feel like I've been eating). I'm attaching a (very unflattering) photo of myself in the hospital right after my surgery and the most recent photo I have, which was taken on a ferris wheel in Melbourne, Australia about five weeks ago during the Australian Open. I want to thank all of you for being such an inspiring source of information and support over the past year. Congratulations to all of us!!

Congratulations on your success! Thanks for sharing the insight from your surgeon about gaining back 10% of the weight in year 2 and ensuring that you stay vigilant. I received no such guidance but it makes perfect sense. I also drank lots of Diet Coke pre-surgery and quit cold turkey two weeks prior. Like you, I drank only water and protein water for about seven months, then introduced coffee into my life (with skim milk and Splenda) and have really enjoyed it. I've had no issues so far.

I'm nearly a year out and still think of myself as fat. I'm shocked sometimes when I see myself in a mirror or especially when I see photos of myself. I know intellectually that I'm no longer fat, but I'm not sure whether I will ever stop thinking of myself that way.

I had a cold when I saw the anesthesiologist three days before surgery. I was freaking out because I thought he would tell we would need to postpone, but the surgery went ahead as planned and everything was fine. Relax!

So, what about coffee? Before surgery, I had a 5-Diet-Coke-per-day habit, but I was not a coffee drinker. I stopped Diet Coke cold turkey before surgery and abstained from caffeine in any form for about eight months after surgery. However, I've gotten into the habit of drinking two lattes with skim milk and sweetener every morning, which I really enjoy. (The milk provides an extra boost of protein.) What have you been told by your doctors about caffeine at this point? Is it harmful?

No drains or catheter here either. I had to crush all my meds into a powder for the first couple of months, and they were absolutely disgusting. I tried to disguise them multiple ways and they still made me gag.

So, what about coffee? Before surgery, I had a 5-Diet-Coke-per-day habit, but I was not a coffee drinker. I stopped Diet Coke cold turkey before surgery and abstained from caffeine in any form for about eight months after surgery. However, I've gotten into the habit of drinking two lattes with skim milk and sweetener every morning, which I really enjoy. (The milk provides an extra boost of protein.) What have you been told by your doctors about caffeine at this point? Is it harmful?

I'm 5'8". And please note that I'm a man. 🙂

I understand where you are coming from. I had a BMI of 38 with co-morbidities (high BP, pre-diabetes and sleep apnea) when I was approved for surgery. I felt rather uncomfortable at first on this forum when I had "only" about 100 pounds to lose. I ended up losing 110 pounds and now have a BMI of 21. I feel wonderful, I'm off all my meds, and I don't regret my decision at all. As you will see on this forum, we all have similar stories and similar journeys, regardless of how much weight we need to lose.