Arabesque

Your grouchiness is understandable. You’ve been through a lot with the surgery, restricted diet, etc. & your resilience is likely low as is your ability to ride with the usual ups & downs & pressures at work. We can only manage so much mental & physical stress. You’re probably low in energy & tire more quickly too. Plus you’ll likely be experiencing a hormonal flush which is messing up your emotions. Can you see if you can have a couple more days off or reduce your daily work hours while you recover & heal some more?

Was wanting to know if the surgeon who did your bypass also did your sleeve.

Still seek medical help for the breathing. The pre surgery diet could be contributing to the light headedness & dizziness. You may be experiencing some withdrawal from salt, sugar, caffeine, etc. too.

The reason I answered the way I did was because of the large number of posts from people who are frustrated, disappointed, angry or think they are failing because they compare themselves with others, set unrealistic goals or timelines, think they are losing slowly, don’t reach their goal, etc. I didn’t want you to fall into the comparison trap too. I had a lower starting weight so had less to lose than you do. Am shorter & likely older. I also had a sleeve. I lost my goal of 31kg (68lbs) at 6 months. (Lost another 11odd kilos over the next 11 months bringing my total to a loss of about 92lbs.) At 8 months I’d lost 37kg (81lbs). So comparing my stats with @ms.sss & @summerseeker you can see how different loss can be over the same time period - a range of more than 2 stone which can be two or three dress sizes as an example. I may have lost more by month 8 if I wasn’t consciously increasing my calories to try to stop my loss. I may have lost less if I had more or longer stalls or lost nothing if my body decided that my goal weight was my new set point & best weight. PS: My total loss made me an outlier. The average weight loss is about 65% of the weight you’re to lose to put you in a healthier range for both bypass & sleeve. I lost 135%. I had a couple of very short stalls, less than a week in length, so my rate of loss was fairly steady, gradually slowing, with just little hiccups along the way.

First, if anything seems unusual or different for you contact your surgeon/team or go to your closest medical centre. Because it’s your breathing that’s affected I’d probably head to the medical centre to rule out a clot or any other issue. Lightheadedness & dizziness is pretty common after surgery. It could be low blood pressure, hypoglycaemia or simply because you’re eating so little. Plus you’re recovering from a pretty major surgery which has been a considerable shock to your body. Try adding an electrolyte drink to your daily fluid intake. I used to find the extra boost of energy very helpful.

Congratulations @BypassDiva2023. I’m so glad you’ve finally had your revision surgery. Praying for a much smoother journey for you this time. NSAIDS are always on the forever no list post surgery. However, some surgeons do allow their use after a period of time with a sleeve which may be why you are surprised with the instruction with your bypass. My surgeon allowed me to have them after two years because I didn’t take them regularly but he still gave me strict instructions: half dose & not consecutive days. The swallowing pill advice seems to be varied across surgeons & surgeries. Did the same surgeon do your bypass as sleeve? Maybe they’re treading more carefully because of your history.

Once you’ve lost or almost lost your weight you’ll start exploring what you can or can’t eat, how much of it & how often. It may be you can have ice cream once a week or maybe once a month. It’s all about discovering what works for you, & balancing maintenance of your weight while still enjoying your life. Yes, dumping is a possibility which will restrict your ability to tolerate sugar or fats. But it doesn’t affect everyone - less than about 30% I believe for bypass & less with sleeve. Some even work out how much they can eat without dumping or find non sugar or low fat alternatives.

There’s no answer to that question. Too far out to predict & too many factors that influence our rate of loss. I can tell you what I’d lost by 8 months but that’s not really indicative of what you may achieve especially as I’d reached my goal before then but continued to lose albeit very slowly for many more months. You may even end up being frustrated & disheartened if you don’t achieve what others do. However, you may be able to make a guess based upon your weight loss tends when you’re around 6 months. Celebrate every pound you lose & don’t try to put a timeline on when you may lose your weight.

This too will pass. Stalls are a normal & important part of your weight loss. It’s when your body shuts down & takes time to reassess your new needs because of the weight you’ve lost. It resets your digestive hormones & enzymes, your metabolism, etc. You’ll start losing again when your body is ready. Just stick to your plan. If the non moving scale makes you anxious, I agree, put it away while in a stall. Try taking some body measurements every couple of weeks instead as many see a reduction in body measurements during a stall.

I agree it’s ketosis. Some describe it as being like acetone (nail polish remover). It’s secreted from our bodies so you can have bad breath, a bad taste in your mouth, bad body odour, etc. So any body part that secrets sweat, saliva & lubrication. I had a toiletry bag with toothpaste & brush, mouthwash, deodorant, body wipes, etc. I took to work to help keep the funky odour under control. Good news is it doesn’t last. The change in our taste buds or sense of smell after surgery is usually temporary. It can be helpful to break certain cravings. It helped break my desire for sweet. But some may develop more permanent sensitivity to certain flavours & smells which you could be experiencing @SleeverSk The smell of curry has always turned my tummy because I have a sensitivity to spicy foods. .

The loose breast skin you end up with isn’t from gravity. It’s not new droopiness. Your skin has already been stretched from gravity & the weight of your breast. That’s been happening for years. They won’t be hanging down any further than they were before surgery. Maybe a little less because you’ll be smaller. My breasts droop the same as they did before surgery but they are empty in the top section because of the fat that’s been lost. The bottom of my breasts are still relatively full. I went from a 18E to a 10E for the base of my breasts but I sometimes stuff the upper part of the cup with tissues because of the pleating from having more fabric in the upper cup than I need. Plastic surgery will be your only solution if it ends up bothering you because they’ll remove your excess skin & lift your breasts. I do recommend getting yourself properly fitted as you lose weight & drop down bra sizes. I had upper back pain because I continued to wear my old bras for too long. It was fixed by buying bras that actually fit. I had to do it three times before my weight stabilised (18E-12G-10F/G-10E). I did buy some cropped bralet styles from Bonds (your Haynes) for around the house after the second refit.

Had to take my mum to a medical appointment & she asked if I could buy chicken Kiev from my butcher for dinner. It’s a whole chicken breast with about a teaspoon of garlic butter piped inside so not too oily & not processed meat. Usually one breast is enough for both of us but this time OMG they were huge. Like emu or ostrich breasts. I bought two & they weighed almost 800g. We had them for dinner for two nights & mum has another two meals left. This one is on an entree plate (slightly larger than a side plate) & a dinner fork fir an idea of the size. It’s about 1.5 to 2 inches thick. The uncooked baked breasts would have hung off the edge of the plate.

Oops. Just noticed I said in my post I was allowed to start taking NSAIDS after 2 months. It was two years.

About 20 years ago I was prescribed the weight loss miracle pill: Reductil (sibutramine). It was great. Killed my appetite to the point I was eating once a day & I lost weight. But when I did eat I wasn’t interested in prepping good healthy meals. I must have been so lacking in necessary nutrients & vitamins. And I didn’t sleep - like only getting an hour or so a night for months. (Actually think it contributed to my developing poor sleeping habits which have only improved since my surgery.) when I went off the med my appetite came back as did my weight because I ate in the same way as I had before. Then came the news they were taking it off the market because of side effects they’d newly discovered - anal leakage, cardiac issues (strokes, heart attacks, etc.). Yikes. It’s why I worry about these medications. What happens when they stop taking them, what long term side effects are they yet to discover & what impact does the reduced food intake have on their general health & is that being monitored? Yes, we were on a reduced diet & many of us lost our hunger & appetite for a time after our surgery but we were also given guidelines to ensure we met nutritional needs & foods we should or shouldn’t be eating. We also had regular blood tests to ensure we weren’t low in anything & our health wasn’t being affected. All of which contributed to us changing our eating behaviours & helped us learn how to make better food choices. Those with diabetes who are on these meds would, I’d hope, already be aware of their nutrient needs & how to regulate their eating. But I understand some believe these medications are their their best/only option because they don’t want to or can’t have weight loss surgery. I just wish that when they’re given their prescription they’re also given a referral to a dietician, nutritional guidelines & their health is regularly monitored. Just my opinion. No judgement. We all do what we feel we have to do which is best for us & our lives.

My pharmacist said he’d have them in by the end of the week so we’ll see. 🤞🏻 A friend swears by the cream you rub on your thigh so I thought I’d ask my doctor about that if the shortage gets worse. Hadn’t heard about the vaginal cream as no one I know uses it. Thank you for the tip. Good to know about a couple of options.

Yep, sounds like every side effect I’ve read about. It’s something I worry about: not eating & losing weight only because you feel too sick not because you are making better food choices & establishing better habits. And what happens when you stop the medication? Will you be able to continue to eat the much lower calorie intake needed to maintain your lower weight? My question is were you stalled or had you reached your set point - the weight your body is happiest at? It’s always much harder to lose below & maintain a weight that is lower than your set point. Your body will keep taking you back to that weight. Not everyone loses all the weight they may want to lose. The average weight loss for sleeve or bypass is about 65% of the weight to be lost to put you in a healthier weight range. From the numbers you gave you had already exceeded that average which is something to celebrate. Your choice of course but talk to your prescribing doctor about how to manage the side effects & the what happens after you stop taking the medication.

I thought the same thing as @catwoman7 in regard to whether an antibiotic will be absorbed well or not would depend on where it is predominately absorbed. It’s the same with all medication & conversations with your surgeon & prescribing doctors are important to decide whether a change of tablet or formulation is needed after your surgery. After my gall surgery it was discovered I wasn’t absorbing protein well & then we realised I wasn’t absorbing my HRT effectively either. I’m now on a patch for HRT. (Tried to get my script filled today & none in stock - damn world shortage. Going to be some flushed, very cranky women about.) But I tell every doctor about my absorption issue if they are prescribing anything (which is very rare) just in case. Better to be getting the right & needed dose than not.

The well strained broths from wonton soup, pho, ramen, etc. are generally considered okay but do check with your team. It’s pretty hard to track the protein content though so it may be best not to rely on them.

They’re all different. I saw mine at two weeks, a month, two months then 3 months. Not long after I reached goal (6 months) I transitioned to his colleague for my follow ups & had three monthly appointments. At my three year mark it became 6 monthly. In my fifth year now & it’s still twice a year. I have the feeling it may end this year though. My program of visits seems to be quite unusual though. It’s a good idea to find someone to continue to monitor your progress close to your new home (& to find a good dietician). I agree with getting a referral too which will help open the door to the new doctor. Hope your move goes smoothly.

You need to check with your team. My surgeon gave me the go ahead after two months because I take them so rarely but he still gave me strict restrictions: half dose (so 1 tablet at a time) & not two or more days in a row. I may take them 5 or so times a year. Thankfully, I don’t experience regular pain just an odd headache or if my back goes out but pain meds like Tylenol do nothing so I was pleased when I was given the okay.

I find I just get tired of certain foods especially if I was eating them regularly. Though I think laziness is why I don’t make omelettes as often - too much slicing & chopping + whisking. (All those veges I add.) My tummy still turns a bit if I see ‘unhealthy’ food which is a blessing I hope never ends. Was at a state club gymnastic comp yesterday (for one of my 10yr old nieces). I’d been at the venue before & knew there’d be little food good or bad so I bought my own. However this time there were several food trucks. Everyone was eating cinnamon donuts, fish & chips & pizza off their laps around me. Didn’t appeal at all. Even the smell was a little off putting. I was happily nibbling on my savoury egg muffins, beef jerky & macadamia nuts. (Did have a couple of my 5yr old nephew’s blueberries - he never shares them but he loves me best. 😁) Made me think that venues with large crowds sitting closely together eating must be a nightmare for anyone, young or old, with severe allergies.

It’s very difficult to stretch your tummy out to point it doesn’t contract to it’s smaller size. You’d need to consistently over eat for a long period of time. Not sure when you had your surgery, but it takes a while for all the nerves that were cut during surgery to heal & for messages about having eaten too much to get through. You often won’t feel your restriction either until you are eating solid food. It’s why sticking to your portion size recommendations is essential. Also try not to eat until you are full or feel the restriction. It takes time for the message that you are full to get through to your brain. By the time you get the message you have eaten to the point of being much more than full. Plus full signals are often different to what the were. Some sneeze, some find their nose runs, etc. I still ask myself do I need the next bite or just want it. Never be afraid to put your cutlery down, push away from the table & take a break to wait for the messages to get through to see if you are still really hungry & need another bite. if your surgery was recent & you are still on the staged return to eating solid food restricted diet than the risk of damaging your tummy or hindering your recovery is high. Remember all those sutures & staples holding your tummy together (about 12 inches of them). You may have got away with it this time but do you want to push your luck?

Hair loss usually lasts 3-4 months. You just have to ride it out until your accelerated hair loss cycle reverts to its usual rate. Those who spend money taking extra supplements using special shampoos, etc. find their accelerated hair loss slows at about 3 or 4 months so I say save your money. Your new hair is still growing just at its usual rate. Many of us cut our hair shorter if it was long so the new growth will reach your shorter length more quickly. And shorter hair is usually bouncier so can look thicker. May be get in contact with your dietician to review your food choices & suggest healthier alternatives because based on what you’ve said it seems you are eating too much & not making the best choices. Your dietician will also be able to advise on caloric goals that you need (we have different needs & are often given different goals), number of snacks each day & recommendations for intake of other macros (fats, carbs, sugars, etc.) & food groups. You just need to start implementing those better habits & routines. Start by making one or two changes & then next week make another change or two. Always easier to adapt to a couple of changes at a time than a total dramatic overhaul that can be too confronting & difficult to manage & stick to. A couple of tips. Avoid popcorn. It is a slider food & goes through you very quickly so it’s easy to eat too much. Usually rice, pasta, breads & bread alternatives (bagels, wraps, tortillas, etc.) are off the menu. They are considered high processed, nutrient poor simple carbs. They are too filling in your tiny tummy reducing your ability to eat more essential nutrient dense foods like your protein.h Get rid of the junk food out of your house so you won’t be tempted. If you have family, store their snacks in a separate area. Try not to skip your three meals - it only slows your metabolism. I eat later in the day because it works for me: breakfast at about 9am, snack at about 1pm, lunch at about 4, dinner at about 6pm.

You know one day in the not to distant future you’ll look back & wish you still weren’t interested in eating & weren’t hungry. Because when your appetite & real hunger comes back is when the battle truely begins. This is only for a few weeks, not forever. And it is in place to protect your healing tummy (about 12inches of sutures & staples holding it together) & support your recovery. Yes it can be difficult to find things to eat that your tummy will tolerate or taste okay. It can be a lot of trial & error. I tossed a few meals out before I found foods I could eat & enjoy. And don’t avoid foods you are allowed to eat because you didn’t like them before. Often with the temporary change to our taste buds &/or smell, foods we never liked suddenly are super tasty & vice versa. Wanting meat or any other specific foods, flavour or texture is head hunger not real hunger. It will be being driven by your emotions at the moment and you are craving certain foods etc. to comfort yourself. Look for other things to comfort or distract you. Go for a walk, ring a friend or family member, craft, watch your favourite movie or tv show or re read your favourite book, garden, have a warm/hot drink, cuddle with your loved one (children, partner or pet), etc. You’ll get through this.

Having surgery doesn’t mean you can’t manage your eating & drinking or it will be too hard to do. It’s more that it may be different to how you used to do things & you just need to establish new routines & habits. A lot of our old habits did us no favours anyway so they are no loss. Vitamins morning & night. Many people take a packed lunch to work. Pack your meals & snacks in a small ice bag & take it with you from vehicle to vehicle. Make sure you always have your fluids with you & sip, sip, sip. Pop everything you may need in a back pack or similar so it’s easy to grab & go. Be organised & allow for the unexpected. My family are on the land too & always take a large water bottle, a thermos of hot water & a packed lunch &/or snacks with them if they aren’t going to be near home. They haven’t had surgery but it’s their routine so it’s not impossible to do. Benefits of the surgery (loss of appetite, the staged return to eating, possible temporary changes to taste &/or smell, boosted metabolism) give you time to evaluate your old eating habits & try new more nutritious foods & cooking methods. Remember also the most restricted eating period after surgery is only usually about 6 weeks not forever. Therapy can also be very beneficial too. Helping you understand your relationship with food, what was behind your eating habits, cravings, etc. Doing the head work is essential. And sometimes realising something as serious as surgery is your only option to improve your health & life is the best motivation to make changes.