Arabesque

It’s usually a week +/- & yes walking is best - little & often. The gas rises up & settles under your lungs where it puts pressure on nerves causing the shoulder & surrounds pain. It’s absorbed into your lungs & you breathe it out which is why walking is good - makes you breathe more deeply. Also try marching on the spot or lifting your arms up & down & deep slow breathing. Heat packs can help with the discomfort too.

Plans are different but I wasn’t allowed protein bars until I reached goal. (I eat them pretty regularly now to ensue I get the extra protein I need in.) In a pinch they’re possibly okay - check the sugar & artificial sweeteners & protein content though as many are no more than candy bars. Maybe keep a packet of instant soup in your bag & order a hot tea with the tea bag on the side at a cafe & make up the soup. Or grab a yoghurt from store. Check with your team for options for those never ending busy days.

I agree check with your medical team to be sure. It could be from stress you held during surgery (my back spasmed on day 2 - awful). Could also be from the weight you’ve lost so far affecting your centre of gravity & changing how you hold yourself. You may notice odd aches & pains in your body as you lose weight & your body, muscles, tendons & ligaments relearn how to hold your smaller body.

You got one of your children to cook? Well done. Mothers everywhere are envious. Obviously not your vegan child though or are they off the wagon again? That’s the thing I sometimes dream of - a burger. Well specifically an Australia steak burger on a crunchy crust roll, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, beetroot, onions optional & BBQ sauce. Mmmm. Drooling.

Before surgery I could only eat a small amount of smoked salmon - too rich & strong a flavour - so rarely ate it. After I was eating it pretty regularly until one day it was nope can’t do it & it was suddenly like before surgery. It was palatable only for the time my tastebuds were changed. So weird sometimes.

More likely ketosis then. Yep the ketosis symptoms do decrease & eventually vanish. Can’t recall how long it took for me but just remember realising they were gone. It wasn’t months. The bad breath & bad taste in my mouth was worst. Blerk! Carried mints with me everywhere. If you’re back at work take a toiletry bag with you with mouth wash, tooth brush & paste, deodorant, body wipes, etc. to help with the unpleasant acetone like odours throughout the day. Glad the Tylenol works.

Once on solid food there’s nothing really stopping you from having sashimi … except maybe if your tummy is ready. Watch the soy sauce though - the water retention can affect the scale. I often had smoked salmon wrapped around wedges of cucumber - often with cream cheese (not Japanese I know) but you could do a little low fat mayo & wrap it in some seaweed.

So frustrating when your dietician & surgeon’s recommendations don’t align. Probably best to go with your surgeon while you are still healing & going through the stages. Once your on solid food, introduce new foods slowly to test how your tummy reacts and rely more on your dietician’s advice. Be warned, sometimes your tummy doesn’t like something one day & then the next week or so it’s fine. Or you ate it a few times without a problem but then your tummy decides nope, not today. For me, soft food were things like mince dishes, slow cooked stews, casseroles, braises, chunky soups, omelettes. Anything that gives you fall apart tender & still moist meat. Plans are different though. For example I could have scrambled eggs & milky instant porridge in purées but no potatoes while losing. Oh, and you will lose weight. You’ll lose it in your time & the amount that is best for you & your body.

I thought the same thing - estrogen flush from the weight loss. Check with your gyno to be sure. The increase of estrogen into your system can cause your fertility rate to increase too which is why many surgeons recommend doubling up on your contraceptives.

Yep, could be withdrawal symptoms from carbs. Could be because of ketosis too. Lots of strange side effects when that starts occurring including unpleasant body odours, keto flu, etc. If the headaches persist or you can’t manage them with over the counter meds, speak with your medical team

The skirt is lovely @ms.sss especially for your recent sojourn to Portugal & for summer. Hey @BayougirlMrsS. Lovely to see you here again. Are you still getting lots of surprise clothing gifts from your other half? What drew you to try golf? Welcome back @shanza & @bethow.

Oh I forgot to say the funky mouth/breath is likely a sign ketosis has begun. It can be awful. Ketosis can cause lots of unpleasant body odours. And I found the shakes left me with a grainy coating on my teeth & tongue. Would brush seemingly fit ages trying to get rid of it.

Yep, I think reflux too. Check with your team & ask for a script for PPI as @catwoman7 suggested. I’m surprised you aren’t already on them. If you are may need a stronger dose. It takes time for your body to realise you don’t need the same amount of stomach acid as you did before in your smaller tummy & eating smaller meals. (The acid also can make you think you’re hungry when you really aren’t.)

I also was another slept on my side from day 2 person. Couldn’t on the first night because I had the pulsing compression machine on my legs. It’s another one of those many, many individual thing. I didn’t really have any issue getting in & out of bed either. Just went a little slowly & carefully - no bounding out filled with joy for a brand new day 😉. Dry mouth. It is an age thing too but waking up with a mouth drier than the Sahara because you don’t have a fatty neck any more to keep your mouth closed during the night. 100% take things slowly. Listen to your body too. There are no prizes for getting through things more quickly. There is no right or wrong around the timeline for healing, how you recover, your energy levels, what you can or can’t eat, …. (Or for losing your weight either.)

Oh yes. I’m always surprised by how often people still say they’re getting a gastric band & that they’re still offered as an option. It takes very little reading to discover all the issues with them. I remember when I was researching options pre surgery I was quite astounded by the problems & so very quickly ruled it out. No way!

After surgery our taste buds &/or sense of smell can temporarily change & flavours, textures & certain foods can be simply disgusting. Plus our tummies are very sensitive for a while as we’re healing & be easily upset. For may simply avoiding that food, flavour, etc. or buying a different brand is all that is needed. Do you have to eat these products? Ask your dietician for alternatives you can have instead. I hatred the shakes I’d bought - so grainy. So I would only have one a day, diluted to offset the texture & taste, & then had soups for my other meals. When was your surgery?

I agree it could be a temperature issue. I certainly found warm/hot drinks more soothing. Many of us experience swelling after surgery making swallowing difficult or painful but if you see no improvement in the next day contact or surgical team.

I have a sleeve and have never experienced dumping. It is as others have said not common with a sleeve and it is easy to manage - avoid a lot of sugar or fat. Some who have dumped with a sleeve say over time they can eat small amounts without an issue. Vomiting is different after surgery. I describe it as regurgitating whatever caused the problem/gets stuck. It’s generally described as the foamies - lots of thick saliva you spit up before you may bring up your last bite or so. Again this can be managed by not eating too large a bite, not eating too fast, not eating food that is too dry or coarse. Certainly at first we’re advised to wait 30 minutes before & after eating to drink but you can reduce this wait time as you get closer to your final weight. At first when you’re eating so little it’s to ensure you don’t get too full to be able to eat your vital nutrients or to flush the food you’ve eaten out to quickly for the nutrients to be absorbed. Nausea usually passes once you’re more fully healed though some vitamins can cause nausea. Most are given something to take for the nausea. If you weren’t ask for something if you experience it. Many/all of your concerns are things you will learn how to manage if you do experience them or they’re temporary. We all have our own digestive idiosyncrasies post surgery but you likely have some now before your surgery. I know I did. Personally I seem to be more susceptible to the foamies - stress or just my tummy deciding nope this is irritating me today. I also can’t gulp lots of water anymore. Two large mouthfuls & no more. Others can guzzle down gallons. But these are nothing. I deal with them if they happen. Rather be my weight now than what I was before. Rather have a low risk of diabetes, blood pressure, heart issues, etc. being than the high risk as they were before. My feet don’t ache - can wear my heels again. I have more energy. I’m more active. I feel generally healthier. I’m more confident. I have become more vain & have lots of beauty treatments. I loved clothing, shoes & bags (the designs, textures, fabrications, etc.) before & always dressed well but now my style has changed & I have so much more choice … & an even larger wardrobe. So much fun! Don’t get caught up with the number on the scale or the rate at which you are losing your weight. We all do this in our time & what is best for us & our bodies. You’ll see averages & stats but they just give you an idea of what you might experience not what you will. Sometimes it takes time for our head to catch up with our changing body. It takes time for other people to come to terms with our changes too. Give them & yourself time to see yourself in your smaller body. Enjoy all the opportunities ahead of you. All the best.

Nothing wrong with being a skeptic or wanting to dig for further information before making a final decision or taking a position. Maybe some of the malabsorption conflicting information could be attributed to simply how your body may react to the surgery. It’s not expected to occur but might in rare cases. Same could be said of any surgery. For example it’s very unusual for people to develop a protein malabsorption issue after a gall removal surgery but here I am. Keep track of your vitamin needs with blood tests. Then you can make informed decisions about what vitamins you do or don’t need & how much you need to take. And don’t be surprised by variations in your levels & therefore changing needs. I think sleeve is popular as it’s the less invasive in regards to changes to how the body works of the surgeries and can be converted to a stronger surgery if needed. Same with the band back in the day. That was my thinking anyway.

Welcome. I don’t think there is a tutorial or help materials (Alex will probably let us know if there is) but you seem to be doing pretty well so far. You’ve started a thread. Responded to other posts. Set up your stats in your profile. This was my first forum too but it didn’t take long to work it out. People here are always happy to share hints & tips on how to get the best out of the forum. So never be afraid to ask. We’re always happy to help, share experiences, offer support, etc. on any question or topic you raise. 😁 As to your specific questions: You can quote a post by selecting the quote button at the bottom of the specific post you want to respond to & this will appear in a box in your response text box. The date a thread began can be found under the thread title & with who started the conversation. Each post also has the date it was posted in response too. You can follow conversations in threads you responded to by selecting the three horizontal lines in the top right hand corner & then clicking the world icon. If you want to follow a thread without responding, click the pink follow button under the name of the person who began the thread. Most recent threads are listed near the bottom of the home page. Also you can edit your post for a short period of time by clicking the edit button under your post. And you can add pxts to a post by choosing click to choose files.

I wasn’t allowed to snack until solid foods - three meals only in purées & soft. And then it was one snack: a high protein yoghurt (was already eating that as a meal option in purée stage because I stopped shakes once liquids ended) or soft cheese (I liked Jarlsberg & string). After a couple of weeks I could have certain fruit as a snack option too or sometimes ate a wedge of cucumber (peeled) sprinkled with salt. Didn’t have other snacks until I was starting maintenance & I needed to up my calories. But plans are different. Check with your dietician for ideas that are suitable within your plan. PS - Yoghurt drinks are great too - blend your high protein yoghurt with milk.

Fear is a natural response about something you have no experience with. What specifically do you fear? The surgery? The possible side effects? The change of diet? … Speak with your surgeon about your fear. Yes, they may offer you something to calm you before the surgery. They can also give you information about the surgery, what to expect, etc. to help ease your worries. The surgery itself has a low complication rate - lower than an appendectomy I believe & certainly lower than surgeries needed because of obesity related disease & illness. Side effects are low too. Many seek the help & support of a therapist to work through issues related to their obesity, relationship with food, etc. They can help you work through your fears too. I live alone & had no issues when I came home from hospital. I also thought of getting a step for your dog to use. Though you may need to be careful they don’t put pressure on your abdomen for a while. But you won’t be endlessly lying in bed for days. I rested on my couch having little naps & sitting in a chair in between pottering about the house, going for a few short walks in each day, getting my meds, drinks, etc. I do hope you decide to have the surgery but as @catwoman7 said you have to be mentally ready for all of what’s ahead. All the best.

That’s a tough one to answer & really up to how you personally recover. Some are fine after a week & easily return to work. Some need two, three or four weeks. I took four weeks & needed all of them. I struggled with low blood pressure (which was a pre existing tendency), lethargy & would get doughy in the head at times. But I am someone who always seems to take longer to recover from everything even a cold. Discuss returning part time to begin or with reduced hours each day & keep the option of maybe needing longer open if your employers are willing.

There’s another thread at the moment that may be helpful at the moment about the use of patches. Seems there are mixed reviews. I know many surgeons recommend them at first until you can easily swallow your meds but it may be a case of whether they work for you. Were your team concerned with your blood work? What did they advise? May be try taking oral vitamins & see if there is an improvement? What as your blood work like before surgery? Maybe you need to be taking more of certain vitamins. Out of curiosity which surgery did you have? Malabsorption can be a concern with bypass so you may be experiencing a combination of not absorbing all the nutrients from your food, your current low calorie intake & not being on a high enough vitamin dose. PS. Some vitamins are available in liquid or oral spray formulations if you struggle to swallow meds. I take vitamin D/K2 as a spray - I love it.

Forgot I do have one issue post my gall removal. (Can’t believe I f forgot to mention it.) I now don’t absorb protein as well & I also stopped absorbing my HRT med. I take creons to help with the protein & now use a patch for HRT. Apparently malabsorption with certain nutrients can be a side effect but it’s not common. I don’t know anyone else without a gall who has an issue. It’s probably just me.