Arabesque

I’m Australian so our English heritage meant I understood them perfectly. We use whinging a lot but take the Mickey not as often. 😁😁 That’s damn ridiculous @MrsFitz. All of it: the inconsistent dispensing & contradictory stockpiling justifying for it, the system they use not coping with a brand name change, poor delivery of vital medications, etc. You have every right to complain about the situation. Hopefully they can sort it out quickly & you’ll have your meds soon. PS - Reminds me of when I had my gall removed & my medication (new boxes bought from home), which were locked away, were not returned to me when I was discharged. They organised a service to deliver them to me but of course they never arrived. The service claimed they tried but I wasn’t home. I didn’t leave my house for two weeks. Asked for them to be taken to my surgeon’s rooms at the hospital so I could collect them at my follow up appointment. Of course they didn’t. I had to walk what felt like 20 miles up & down floors, building to building, wing to wing to get to the ward I’d been in & then they couldn’t find them at first. There was about $150 worth of meds so I was not letting it go. Oh & then I had to walk back to get to my car to leave. And I was made to feel like I was inconveniencing them.

How frustrating. No winder you’re upset. Unfortunately this is becoming all too common - poor service & follow ups by doctors & their staff. Add in the difficulties actually being able to source meds - it can be a nightmare. Have you tried asking for E scripts that are sent to your phone? Then you show the text to your pharmacist or ask your doctors to email the scripts to you. At least that way you know you have them. Can any of your meds be doubled dispensed? That is you get can 2 months supply dispensed instead of just enough for one month each time. I do this so I’m not always going into my pharmacy & I always have a new box/bottle of meds ready to go in case there is some delay or feck up by the doctors. Though my back up supply for my HRT patch this time. An extra month has not been enough. My pharmacist told me today mid August for delivery. It was supposed to be in stock in May, then June, now … Had to see my doctor for an alternative med but I’ll need another script for that as she only gave me a two month supply.

I call it regurgitating not vomiting because it almost comes up on its own with very little muscle spasming. Think it’s because your tummy is the muscle & it’s smaller so less strenuous spasming is needed. Plus being a smaller ‘container’ it takes less to empty it. And no cramps & sore stomach muscle after. That’s a win to me.

I’d wait until your weight stabilised - you don’t want to have the ring resized again. I had one resized but because I lost more weight it became too big again. It was sized to a H and I need a F1/2 in the end. Though I really can’t get it smaller because of the design of the ring. So I just got ring resizers like @ms.sss. Much cheaper than the cost of resizing a ring. I also wear some rings on different fingers. Of course how successful they are does depend on how much to big your ring is. If it’s your engagement & wedding rings, I’d probably store them safely for now. You can always buy an inexpensive dress or costume rings to wear in the meantime or could be a god excuse to get new rings. 😉

If only @ShoppGirl. But once the photo is approved it becomes your photo. If you take another it has to go through the identification process again. Sigh! Thankfully I don’t usually have to show my licence often so if it’s a crappy pxt it won’t be seen often. I wonder what will happen with all those young girls with their over filled sausage lips & chip monk cheeks & the eyelash extensions that half cover their eyes. That’s going to be interesting. Lol! Hopefully you have a better system in the US so you don’t have to go through this @Tomo. I admit I considered only getting a one year license but waiting in the queue again & all the kerfuffle & the comparatively additional cost for a one year vs 10 year license put me off.

Tea sandwiches? Do you mean finger sandwiches like you’d have at a high tea? Oh, just googled it. They are the same. Can’t say I’d blame you @GreenTealael. Cheese waffles just sound wrong. Don’t get the savoury waffle thing.

It has weakened over the years but it is still there. Some days it makes itself known quite strongly. Some days it’s more a gentle reminder.Some days I can eat more (all of my portion) without any restriction & some days I can’t. Certainly isn’t as strong & restrictive as it was in the beginning though. Think it’s a combination of being more conscious of how much I can eat of different things & just a general softening/loosening over time much like our tummy loosens a little.

This is the only time I miss bread. An egg & lettuce sandwich or a cucumber sandwich, on white bread, are heavenly. I used to soak my cucumbers in balsamic vinegar for an hour or so before. Mmm? Now I’m wondering if it’s worth the groaning & complaining tummy & general blah feeling of eating bread just to have one of them.

I don’t add protein powder to mine but you could. Just started adding collagen powder to mine for no other reason than to make me look young & beautiful again LO!!

It can’t hurt to see if you need them or need them as frequently. And it may reveal what your reflux (GERD) is really like. I still take mine every day because of my reflux is worse than pre surgery but the PPIs manage it. I used to take them just when I needed them before surgery (maybe once every 2 months +/-) & managed my reflux by dietary choices back then. Still do which I think helps.

Wouldn’t say there are complete no nos (except for sodas/soft drinks except soda water or tonic water fir my gin 😁) though there are things I avoid or eat rarely. I don’t eat bread, rice or pasta as they tend to sit heavily & are simple carbs. Apart from fruit & vegetables, I eat 2 serves of multi or whole grain carbs a day (multi grain crackers & rolled oats). Potatoes tend to sit heavily too especially mashed, baked/roasted aren’t as bad but I rarely have them. I rarely eat sweet things like cakes, desserts, chocolates, etc. except on special occasions. Like I have dessert at Christmas & may have a small piece of cake or dessert at a special event like a wedding (couple of times a year). Generally avoid foods with artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes & I know those that do like my yoghurt & protein bar. My added sugar intake is less than 10g a day usually only about 5g. I don’t use pre prepared sauces except Asian ones like hoi sin, oyster, etc. & gravox. I still enjoy a drink every now & again just not every night like I used to & one glass is usually enough. I prep & cook most of what I eat myself to keep my foods primarily no or low processed. I used to enjoy a dessert when I went out or something sweet like a biscuit or cup cake after dinner & 4 or 5 meals a week were rice or pasta & ate bread every day before surgery but I really don’t miss them now & I think I’m better without them. Sometimes it would be a little easier when I go out but there are always alternatives or work arounds. Mind you it’s harder to avoid chilli or heavily spiced foods (have a sensitivity to them) when I go out than avoid pasta, rice & bread. This is what I learnt worked for me. Your way of eating in maintenance may be different to mine and that’s okay. It just has to work for you. As I said you have to be flexible, you can’t control every thing every day. And you have to accept that sometimes you might go off piste & that’s okay.

Haven’t had a revision @FifiLux, but I think if I was in your situation, I‘d ask for a second opinion or tell your surgeon you‘re not ready/interested now but will keep it in mind as a possible option in the future. Considering your GERD is so mild & manageable, there doesn’t seem to be a medical reason for the revision. If you are happy with your weight loss (& you should be - congratulations) what is the need for a revision for additional weight loss? At ten months, you have plenty of time to lose any additional weight you may want to lose (many of us continue to lose for a total of 1-2 years). The cynical side of me wonders if your surgeon wants to buy a new house, go on an overseas holiday, etc. Said cynical. 😁

Only you know the answer. Simply because you know your history with weight loss & gain & you know yourself best. You have to be ready, because it’s not easy & there’s a lot of work you have to do. If you need more time, that’s fine. As @ms.sss said, you’ll be ready when you’re ready. For me, the surgery provided an opportunity & the time to really understand my relationship with food. I regularly dieted & until the last few years, I could lose weight but as soon as I stopped the diet I returned to eating the same way I always did, for the same reasons & in the same situations. And of course I’d regain the weight I lost. With the surgery & the post surgery eating plan I slowly developed a way of eating I was comfortable with. I worked out what foods were best for me & which weren’t. I became more aware of portion size. And I learnt to recognise the situations (physical, emotional or psychologically) & behaviours that influenced my eating. Because it was a slow process, it was easy to adopt & adapt to my new eating style. Something that diets never did & I never did while dieting. I realised I saw diets as restrictive & a punishment. Now, how I eat is just how I eat. All the best whatever you choose to do.

It is pretty common & it can be a challenge to find foods you enjoy & can tolerate. It can be a lot of trial & error to find foods to eat. Don’t give up a good though. Sometimes you eat something one day & it’s fine but the next day your tummy is no way that’s disgusting. Then a week or so later it’s great again. It does gets better & easier as you progress. I began eating to a routine to help counter not being hungry & having no appetite because I knew I had to eat. Didn’t matter if I didn’t eat all of my portion or only ate the protein portion, as long as I was getting some nutrients in. My fridge always had leftovers in it which I’d eat for another meal that day or the next. Actually there’s still leftovers there everyday & I’m 5 years out. 😁 Eating to a routine continues to be part of my day. I’m not as rigid anymore but I find it helps keep me focussed & helps ensure I only respond to real hunger not head hunger.

Also told no carbonated drinks. But I didn’t drink much anyway pre surgery as it stirred up my reflux (terrible hiccups, discomfort, etc.) & I wonder if that’s one of the reasons we’re told to avoid it - stirring up the stomach acid we overproduce in the beginning. However, I did start drinking sparkling water a couple of months out. I was finding still water sort of heavy & difficult to drink so I would let sparkling water go flat (would break the seal on a large bottle when I’d put it in the fridge) or at least let a lot of the bubbles reduce & drank a glass over several hours. I found the slightly mineral taste easier to tolerate. I still drank plain water just swapped out one glass of still water for a glass of sparkling.

Oh yeah, it is terrible. I don’t experience it all day every day like you, but I randomly wake up in the middle of the night almost gasping for a breath but breathing rasps over my dried out mouth which is almost stuck open. You want to swallow but can’t cause there’s nothing to swallow. One of those fun menopause symptoms very few talk about. I usually just hold some water in my mouth & swish it about to remoisten everything & that seems to work in my situation. Was aware of the heat wave in NY, but I guess I am a bit blasé about temps in the 90s - that’s our usual summer temps. LOL! Plus our BOM issued heatwave warnings almost every day last summer for temps in the low 90s or not even 90 which was ridiculous. Everyone was saying it’s just summer & asking why they were fear mongering. You’d think it strange if I talked about a cold winter with our winter temperatures. (Actually it is damn freezing here - your 46 last night - bbrrrr. 😂) Do hope you find some answers and a solution soon.

I do my own variation. I control the ingredients that way. Cheaper & I get about 30g of protein. It’s easy & there are lots of recipes online you can use as a starting point.

Besides our usual daily hair loss, we also experiences more major hair loss cycle about every 7 years. (I just had one which was a bit scary). We also tend to shed more in summer than winter. I’m more conscious of my regular hair loss since my surgery & because I have a protein malabsorption issue. Maybe you’re more conscious of it too. Don’t forget stress & anxiety can increase hair loss too. As to vitamins, we get told so many different things & then we all have our own individual needs. For example with my sleeve I was only advised to take a multivitamin & vitamin D in the beginning. After a couple of months I was told to drop the vitamin D. At about 8 months, my surgeon okayed me dropping the multi vitamins too. But my blood work continues to come back fine (except for the protein 😩). I do take D3 in winter as my levels drop a little then. It’s a mouth spray which you may absorb better than capsules - worth a try. If you’re concerned about your iron levels, there’s nothing stopping you taking a supplement even if your doctor says not to worry. May be take them every second day to reduce the possible nausea & constipation side effects associated with iron supplements. There are studies saying taking iron on alternate days is actually better so …. Something to consider anyway.

Sorry, no suggestions for your dry mouth. Presume your doctors have ruled out medications (prescription & over the counter), snoring, smoking, menopause, infection in your saliva glands, mouth breathing, etc. Be careful drinking an excess of water as you can flush essential nutrients out of your body which are so essential while you are so early out & not consuming a lot. Overhydration is as much a potential health risk as dehydration. You wouldn’t be crazy exercising & sweating out a lot of fluids at this stage that you would need to increase your fluid intake. Unless you are working outside in the heat you’ve been experiencing in NY, 120ozs seems a bit excessive. The usually recommended 64ozs of fluids includes any shakes or soups, etc. you are consuming. Does your 120ozs include those as well or would they increase your fluid intake even more? https://www.webmd.com/diet/what-is-too-much-water-intake

As well as the above great advice, have a look at the you tube videos by Dr Matthew Weiner (he has podcasts, books & website too) & Dr John Pilcher. They are highly informative & easy to understand what you might experience after surgery. Everyone here is always happy to share their experiences & offer suggestions so feel free to post any questions & concerns from I’m confused, how do I, what on earth, etc. Also make sure to share your successes too. All the best.

Have you spoken to your surgeon about this? As you lose weight lots of things that are stored in your fat are released into your blood stream: hormones, toxins & uric acid. The more rapid weight loss we experience in the beginning can trigger gout attacks so it may be gout you are experiencing. But do give your surgeon a call.

It has been an exhausting & emotional journey for you but I’m glad you have your date. Sounds like you have a supportive and understanding surgeon which always puts you ahead. I really liked his response to you about you feeling you failed with the sleeve: it just wasn’t right for you & the reasons why weren’t discovered until you actually had the sleeve. All the best with your sadi-s surgery.

What do you mean by ‘during fasting periods’? Are you doing intermittent fasting? Are you experiencing real hunger or head hunger? Feeling real hunger is usually a sign your body needs fuel especially if you haven’t eaten for a period of time. Distraction is the best strategy when head hunger hits. Read, go for a walk, craft, play a game, meditate, check your socials & this forum, call a friend or family member, clean out a drawer or cupboard, etc. Sometimes a warm drink is helpful like green or herbal tea. If it is head hunger, take the time to reflect on why you may experiencing it. Check your emotions: are you stressed, anxious, frustrated, angry, sad, etc.? Is it habit eating? Like you always eat at a certain time or when doing a certain activity (like watching TV). Are you bored? Are you hungry or thirsty?

Oh no. I’m so sorry @Starwarsandcupcakes. You & your family are in my thoughts & prayers.

Looking pretty fine there @Lilia_90. Actually @GreenTealael started a thread the other day where a few of us have started sharing our maintenance stories which you may find interesting. Link below. 😁 What you have gleaned already is certainly true: there are many different ways of successfully managing your maintenance. As I say, & say very often, the only right way is the way that’s right for you. In the beginning you may find you are a little more controlled about what you are doing but over time you become more flexible in your food choices, eating style & how often & how much you eat of certain things. As you progress you continue to learn more things about what you can & can do. Well that’s how I was & am now. Certainly more flexible about some things. Bring in maintenance didn’t stop me going out & socialising with friends & family. I just was & still am very conscious about what I chose to eat, how much I ate & ensured I still ate slowly. Sometimes you have to make the best decisions you can in the situation. They may not be perfect but you can’t beat yourself about it. It’s not like you’re doing it everyday. I don’t track, but do random checks especially when I introduce new foods or new recipes. It may be checking calories or looking at ingredients & swapping some out, weighing serves t check portion sizes (weighed my cooked vegetables last night as I’ve added some extra ones & wondered if I needed t adjust the portion) or changing the cooking methods. I usually weigh a few times a week. I do this as previously if I thought I was gaining I wouldn’t get on the scales - it’s not true if there’s no proof. So weighing myself every second or so day keeps me honest. PS: It takes time to get past the body dysmorphia & being able to see how you really truely look now with your weight loss. Even with the evidence of body measurements clothing sizes, photos, number on the scales it can be hard to see the reality. Those fears of looking ‘sickly thin’ are very real with the dysmorphia. Doesn’t help when people around you may still be playing catch up too: Oh, you’re so thin. Don’t lose anymore weight. You look too thin now. Try to ignore those comments & in some cases you may need to tell others to butt out & mind their own business. In time & with regularly looking at the evidence you’ll come to accept & see how you look now. Though I still am surprised sometimes by how I can comfortably fit in small seats & squeeze through tight spaces. Understanding the space I physically take up in relation to the physical space around me.