AZhiker

Nature's Bounty. 10,000 mcg. Started post op 2 weeks when I started my other vitamins, I am 4 months out now and have had a bit of hair loss, but not bad. Nails are as hard as rock, though! The biotin won't necessarily prevent the hair follicle from giving up the ghost when you go into the starvation phase of immediate post op, That is just the body's way of reaction to severe caloric reduction, The hair loss is from the NEW hair starting to grow and push the dead stuff out. So I am hoping the biotin will result in some real nice hair that is starting to push the old stuff out of the way. At least that is how I am trying to frame it - Out with the old, In with the new!

I loved coffee, too, but I went to decaf prior to surgery and then my taste buds changed and I don't like any of it at all now. Which is good. I had bad reflux and Barrett's esophagus with a Barrett's polyp (precancerous) due to the acid. I don't want to eat or drink anything that could increase acid or increase risk of an ulcer. (No smoking, no alcohol, no coffee.) I used to think green tea tasted bitter, but now it tastes sweet! Go figure, So I drink 2 cups of decaf green tea every morning now and don't miss the coffee (hard for me to believe, but true). Without sugar and caffeine, my mood and energy level is so much more stable throughout the day, with no afternoon slump. All good stuff.

what is your total weight loss since surgery?

I put protein powder in yoghurt, soups of all kinds, and smoothies.

The Obesity Code by Jason Fung. Excellent! Makes sense of the science behind obesity and weight loss. Younger Next Year for women by Chris Crowley and Dr. Henry Lodge. This is full of life changing strategies, focusing on exercise. It meant more to me as I started my exercise program and is very motivational. Both these books were required reading by my surgeon and I think they are both highly informative and motivating.

Sometimes I use a prepared shake and sip that in 15-30 min. Other times I make a shake with milk (any kind - soy has the highest protein), protein powder, 2 TB greek yoghurt, berries, spinich/greens. This takes 30 minutes to sip.

I was back to work in 2 weeks. The first week is the hardest, for sure. Hang in there. This is major surgery. It may look like little holes on the outside, but there was major work done on the inside! Absolutely no regrets. My life was on a dead end path. I am getting my life back and it is worth it!

I went and got a short summer cut, to minimize the visual trauma in the drain!

I started losing hair last week. I am also taking Biotin. From what I understand, the hair died a long time ago - when we were in the starvation phase. Now the new hair is starting to come in and it's pushing the old dead hair out. That is good news! Our biotin won't prevent the loss necessarily, but it will help the new hair grow in healthier.

It is so good to see everyone's progress. I had a major set back last week with a very bad, week long diarrhea bug. Horrible! Lost my appetite completely, got dehydrated, and have been slowly crawling out of the hole. However, once I could start to eat a little bit, it was basically the BRAT diet - banana, rice, applesauce, dry toast. No kidding - that's all I could tolerate, I tried to sip a protein shake but just couldnt do it. So I am now trying to get more protein back into the mix and cut way back on the carbs that were the only things I could digest. Really wrecked my exercise schedule, too. But day by day it's getting better. I am getting very close to goal and struggling with a few issues - any of my Feb Buds having the same? 1) very anxious about return of hunger/appetite and my ability to maintain. 2) worried that I won't be able to reach my goal at all. It still seems so surreal. I haven't been this weight in 40 years. 3) Body dysmorphia. I have so many sags and wrinkles that I feel like I look like a haggard, old woman - like my skin is 90 years old. I feel like I look freakish. I never wanted my husband to see my fat body, but now I don't want him to see my sagging flesh body. I feel bony - can see ribs, collarbones, shoulder blades, hip bones. I feel like I look like a concentration camp survivor. I know logically this is not true, but I have become very self conscious. I hardly recognize my own face. Maybe this is from so much change in such a short amount of time.

Fat tissue can tie up Vitamin D, rendering many people to be deficient. Have any of you found that your post op blood work was showing higher levels of Vitamin D? Did getting rid of fat help your body utilize Vit D better?

I absolutely cannot tolerate processed meat of any kind since surgery.

and don't take iron and Vit D together. The iron binds up the Vit D. I take my multi/biotin/B-12 with breakfast/lunch and then the calcium/D with dinner.

,

I've also learned that I can;t eat a meal at work for lunch. It just takes too long. So I am using soup or a protein shake then.

I was given a firm little pillow, made by hospital volunteers, I remember being really sore in one spot, and holding that little pillow really tight over that area helped a lot. I used it when I coughed, sat up, or repositioned. It was invaluable at home as a prop against my tummy when I slept or had to get up out of bed, out of the recliner, or off the couch. That little friend went every where with me for at least a couple of weeks. I would ask ahead of time if the hospital has such pillows, They often used them for open heart patients who need to support their chest incisions. If not, take something like that = the size of a travel pillow, but very firm.

Or if you have been eating salt and then reduced the amount. Water follows salt. It can also be from fluid that is held in your muscles to help store sugar. You can have fluid loss from this, and might be due to changes in exercise and using up the glycogen reserves. I have had large losses overnight, as well, but I think it is mostly fluid shifts. The great thing is if it actually stays off!!!

I do not eat anything with gluten or artificial sweeteners, colors, or flavors. Your meal trays will have jello, protein gel, flavored stuff like popsicles. I brought my own protein shakes, gluten free broth, herbal teas. Turned out the hospital did have some GF broth that was tasty, but I supplied the rest of my food.

The hardest part for me is that the painful stuck sensation doesn't hit right away. It is hard to know when to stop eating, because each bit can feel perfectly fine and then all of a sudden I know I ate about 6 bites too many. Sooooo......I am trying to eat only half of what I think I can eat, and then wait 10 minutes. Sometimes I can finish the meal, but other times i know it is enough and to leave well enough alone. So hard..... especially with a lifetime of stuffing my face and never feeling full and never stopping at a reasonable place, Definitely a re-learning process, but the pain is a great detriment.

Well, my hair loss has begun - nearly 4 months post op. I have been taking Biotin 10,000 mcg since week 2. My nails are nice and strong, so I am hoping my new hair will be strong, too. It was encouraging to hear that the hair loss is actually from the hair follicles starting to RE-grow and pushing the dead hair out. The hair most likely died in the very beginning during the near starvation stage of very low caloric intake. So I'm hoping the faster it falls out, the faster it will come in. Meantime, I am keeping with a short, summer time Pixie cut that will minimize the amount of hair in the drain,

When is your next appointment? Could be a hernia.

4 months out and I can still only eat about 1/4 c at a time. Eating too much just hurts and is so uncomfortable - sometimes for hours. There are two issues that bother me most - I still have to rely heavily on protein shakes/powder because I can't possibly eat all the protein I need. I thought I would be able to eat more than 2 ounces of protein at a time by now. The second issue is that I have found myself eating small amounts more frequently through the day. This basically amounts to grazing - a pre-op habit that got me into trouble. My doctor says 3 meals a day and no snacks. That makes it hard to get enough in. But..... snacking is not a good option for long term control. Thanks for sharing - those of you who are farther out post-op. I need to be more patient and focus on protein and fluids, and vitamins - then my beloved veggies!

Since working out with weights 3 times a week, my arm muscles actually look pretty good! But........ batwings are hanging underneath! I am going to wait a year after goal and then see how my self image is. If I am still too embarrassed to wear sleeveless tanks (this IS Arizona, afterall), I may consider plastics at that time. But I want to give my psyche a chance to come to grips with the situation. Who knows? A year post goal and I may just say, "To heck with it - these are MY arms and I earned 'em. No one else's opinion matters."

Elemental iron (like from veggies and most vitamins) is poorly absorbed and even less so for bariatric patients. Heme iron is very well absorbed and the best sources are from animal meat. The animals have already eaten the elemental iron and have processed it into the stuff that transports oxygen in the tissues. When we eat that form, we can really benefit, Best source - sorry, but it's liver. Calf liver is pretty mild, very soft and easy to swallow. I get very thinly sliced, individually sealed calf liver at Sprouts. Very quick to cook and actually quite tasty with some onions and mushrooms.

YES!!! At nearly 4 months out, I am finally feeling like my mouth is less dry, but I still need my water bottle with me all the time to take frequent sips. During the first 2 months post op I could not believe how dry my mouth was. Even with sips every few minutes it still felt dry.