Arabesque

Stalls are part of the process. We all experience at least one. They usually last 1-3 weeks. Think of them as your body judging needing a time out to catch up on the changes: change of diet, weight loss, etc. They pass when your body is ready. Just stick to your plan & you’ll be fine. We all have fluctuations in our weight. Everyone. You may not have been aware of your natural fluctuation in the past unless you weighed yourself as regularly as you do now. I fluctuate a kg - 2.2lbs. Can be fluid retention, constipation, diarrhoea, what you ate or drank yesterday compared with today, hormonal fluctuations, etc. (I used to gain a good 3 kgs in the days before my period & would lose them in the first days of my period.) The thing to remember is that your weight loss will never be a straight downward line. It will zig & zag, up & down, plateau, drop more slowly or quickly one week to the next. As long as the general trend is downwards you’re golden. PS Congrats on your weight loss so far .

They gave me shots while in hospital for 24hrs (don’t think it continued fora second day) & that was it. But others on this forum have shared they had to give themselves injections for a couple of weeks. It may depend on your general health status & history, mobility, etc. I found the injections themselves didn’t really hurt but the bruises in the various sites were tender. If you are concerned about injecting yourself (I would be too) ask if there is an alternative med. Though that may depend upon you’re able or allowed to swallow meds in the first week or two after surgery.

I understand. I too am a single person. My family aren’t just ‘down the road’ either & I also don’t work anymore so I have all day to fill in. I do have a small circle of friends but they work, have families & their own interest & commitments. I don’t have a lot of hobbies either (except shopping - does that count -ha). I read lots. I’ll also happily go to the movies, art gallery & dance performances alone. I set myself a task to do everyday. Clean a wardrobe, drawers, cupboard or pantry, potter in my garden, various household tasks, etc. I even iron my tea towels as a task. I’ll watch/steam/download true crime & other documentaries, lifestyle programs, & other programs. Play some games on my iPad (love a jigsaw app I have). I’ll ring or txt friends & family every week too (been having a txt conversation all morning with two girlfriends). It’s amazing how your days do fill. I don’t exercise as such (just some stretches everyday) but another activity would be going for a walk, swim, gym visit, yoga class, … Joining a yoga, Pilates or other class, a book club are opportunities to meet people too & chat with those with similar interests. Are there adult education classes in your area where you can learn pottery, to paint, write a short story, or whatever? Get to know your local shop keepers & assistants too. I was chatting with the lady at my pharmacy this morning - yep, I can be that person holding up the line - but it’s an interaction & you never know what they can share about local activities or events you could attend or invite your work colleagues to join you at. Get to know your neighbours. One of my neighbours & I get together randomly for a cup of tea/coffee & a chat. I met some other women through her too as she invited me to join a sip & scribble group.

Coughing after surgery isn’t that uncommon after abdominal because some patients build up mucus & then cough to break it up & bring it up. It’s important to cough & bring up the mucus to reduce the risk of an infection or pneumonia. Make sure you use a pillow against your abdomen to support your tummy when you cough. Breath exercises like breathing slowly & deeply can help. Check with your surgeon though as the cough should be easing or gone by now. Doubt it is reflux unless you are also experiencing more severe heart burn symptoms, burning in your throat, sour taste in your mouth, trouble swallowing or breathing. A 40mg PPI is a high dose so should be controlling any reflux or excess acid production you may have. But always best to check with your surgeon too.

You could have a lactose sensitivity which has fewer symptoms than a full lactose intolerance. It’s not uncommon for this to develop after surgery & it usually is only temporary. Look for non dairy, lactose free plant based shakes & lactose free milk. Generally cheese & yoghurt don’t cause as much of an issue - something to do with the cultures used to make them - but it may be worth trying some lactose free, plant based cheese & yoghurts just in case. An aversion to or difficulty with eggs isn’t uncommon either. It usually is temporary too.

It’s the acidity on your healing tummy that’s the concern. It irritates the stomach lining & stimulates acid production. Post surgery your tummy has been cut & is a wound which needs to be protected while healing. Also post surgery, our acid production often increases in response to the surgery & reduced diet anyway which is why many of us are prescribed an PPI which reduces acid production for a few months after surgery. Yes, some people drink coffee post surgery without issue but that’s just part of our individual differences. Personally I would think cutting out or reducing your caffeine intake pre surgery would be better then trying to do it when recovering from surgery which is stressful enough on our bodies, emotions & thinking. But it’s up to you how you want to manage it but ensure you keep your team informed what you decide to do.

Happy birthday. I’m one of those who lost a lot of their taste & desire for alcohol after surgery. I went from a large glass or two every night to a regular glass once a month & sometimes I don’t finish the glass. Sure there are times I may drink more frequently or if it’s a long evening I might sip on a second glass but they’re rare. I say I go for quality rather than quantity now. So I drink champagne, quality gin, wine or whisky - well that’s my justification for spending a lot on a single glass - tee hee! I guess it just comes down to what you enjoy & can manage.

I had a blood test as part of my pre surgical check (height, weight, ECG, etc.) three days before my surgery. I believe it was a pretty broad test (CBC, lipids, metabolic, nutrient, etc.). I remember they took several vials & they still do. This initial test formed the base line then for the subsequent post surgical blood tests.

Same as @kcuster83. I could have eggs at the start of week 3 in puree stage. Just had to be runny scrambled eggs or boiled eggs mashed with Mayo. But, yes some people struggle with eggs to begin: they just don’t sit well or taste unpleasant. What does your plan say? PS - Congrats on your surgery. I had a lot of swelling too & then my back spasmed so I had three nights in hospital. I found warm drinks more soothing & easier to sip.

First, congrats on your weight loss. Yay! If you’re losing at a great pace why do you want to lose faster? We all lose at our own rate & what is right for us. And you’ll end up at a weight that is right for you too. Sure you may lose a little faster at the beginning with a bypass but it slows just like any other surgery as you progress. So at this stage you’d probably be losing at exactly the same rate. You also didn’t start at a very high BMI so your rate of loss wouldn’t be like someone weighing 400, 500+lbs. But their rate of loss slows too. In five months you’ve almost reached your goal. Can’t complain about that. As @RickM said the average weight loss at about 3 yrs post surgery is about the same regardless of whether the surgery is sleeve or bypass (about 65% of the weight you had to lose). I’m glad I got the sleeve. I exceeded my weight loss goal & happily sit at a weight I never thought I would weigh as an adult let alone to have basically maintained. And to me that’s the biggest win: maintaining. Generally I’m healthy. I don’t need to take any vitamins like you would with bypass. And while I have a malabsorption (protein) issue, which are possible with bypass, it occurred as a result of my gall removal last year & had nothing to do with my sleeve surgery 3 years ago. I had mild managed reflux before surgery & I still have reflux now. It manifests differently but again it’s managed through diet & meds. If it worsens & I need a revision in the future I’ll deal with that then. I have to be careful to eat slowly & to avoid dry or coarse food but that’s me & my sleeve. I had a bit of a fussy digestive system before anyway so there’s nothing that’s harder to manage or limits me in any way. Celebrate every pound you’ve lost & enjoy the life you can have now. Don’t worry or question how fast you’re losing.

Not sure as I’ve never used a wedge. Maybe try it out before buying & if it only props up your head & shoulders it may not be right. If it props you up from the entire chest it should be ok. I only had to use a single brick under each leg so the bed was raised only by a couple of inches. Funny was for ages after I bought the ensemble & couldn’t use the bricks I was so used to sleeping on that slight slow I felt like I was falling head first off the head of my bed.

My general heart rate is low too three years out & I have low blood pressure. I was even asked if I was an athlete because my pulse was so slow when I was in hospital last year which was hilarious to me & my family & friends. I’ve spoken to my my surgeon’s colleague & my GP because I was concerned about potential bradycardia but they’re okay with it - guess it’s not low enough. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I think it all contributes to my fairly sudden drops in energy - race about & then nope need to stop right now. I bought a BP monitor & tracked & recorded my BP & pulse fir a few months. I’d would note what activities I had been doing if it was higher or lower then usual.

I live alone & managed easily by myself. My surgeon did keep me in for an extra night to ensure I was stable because I lived alone (ended up staying a third night because my back went to spasm) . But otherwise everything else was fine. I had no gas pain & the surgical pain was very little by about day 4/5. I could up pretty easily (just carefully). I made sure I had everything I needed in regards to over the counter meds (Imodium, stool softeners, non NSAID pain meds, hydralite, …) shakes, soups, broths, etc. And filled my scripts at the hospital before I left. I was between contracts when I had my surgery but I needed all of the 4 weeks I had before my new contract started (low blood pressure, doughy head & low energy). I did a quick trip to the grocery store at the end of the second week & also went to a joint 60th birthday party then too. But we all heal & recover differently. It may depend on the complexity of your surgery (like if you get a hernia repair at the same time, etc.), your general health & fitness, your weight at surgery. I also had friends on call & good neighbours if I ran into trouble.

I agree with the others: ensure you tell your surgeon about your reflux before your surgery. If you were looking at a sleeve, I’d reconsider. Yes, to the PPI too. You may need to take at least 20mg. Over the counter heartburn medication likely won’t help. Also you can reduce the incidence & severity of your reflux by modifying your diet. Cut out out or reduce caffeine. Avoid carbonated drinks & spicy, rich, creamy or fatty foods. And yes reduce the volume of food you eat & eat more slowly. I modified my diet for years & was able to manage my reflux (not as severe as yours though), only needing to take a PPI less than 5 times a year (usually if I had too many champagnes or gin & tonics😉). I also propped up my bed with bricks under the legs at the head of the bed (until I bought an ensemble). I was advised not to use pillows because they can cause a bend in the upper chest below the throat & the acid pools there. All the best.

Ditto what @RickM said. It’s not unusual for liver function to rise after surgery. Mine settled back to acceptable levels once my weight loss slowed. My surgeon & my GP did keep a regular check & I had almost monthly blood tests between them & a scan to ensure my liver was okay. (It’s how they discovered my gall stone actually.) I’m still glad they are testing to see what’s really going on with your liver. One benefit of the surgery I found is the thorough checks they do on your health after … well at least my surgeon & doctors. Things I would have just ignored or just accepted in the past, they’ll investigate further just to be sure everything’s ok.

One friend was back at a desk job after a week. Another took three weeks. Me, I took four. My blood pressure was very low (always a tendency pre surgery), my thinking was doughy & my energy was low. You can never really predict how you will recover. You may find it helpful to keep your return to work flexible with your employers just in case. Like have a second week off available if you need it &/or part time/reduced hours options available too.

Even though you’ll need to have a revision, I am glad they discovered why you were struggling to eat. Are you sure you have to go through the full pre surgery diet process or just the usual nothing to eat or drink from the night before the surgery practise? Your liver has already shrunk, you’ve lost a lot of weight & your general health would be way better now then when you had the first surgery. But … 🤷🏻‍♀️ You may find it isn’t as difficult this time as at least you’ll know what happens & to expect after surgery. All the best.

Still don’t do chips after 3 years but that’s a personal choice. I do have the occasional baked fava beans or chick peas as a snack which I discovered last year (once a month maybe). I don’t rally fry anything but sometimes use a little oil depending on what I’m cooking. (I love crumbed lamb cutlets & you need a little oil to get a crunchy crumb. Doesn’t work at all in an air fryer. But actually bake them now cause the fat in the lamb is enough to crisp the crumb.) I usually just use a spray olive oil &/or a non stick pan. As for butter I put a little on my green vegetables (microwave them in butter & water) & that’s it. I only just finished a 500g tub of butter I started using at the end of November last year. But again these are choices I’ve made.

Probably look at this once your at or close to maintenance. One of the issues with rice & pasta is that it swells in your now much smaller tummy & fills you more quickly. They also don’t provide a lot of nutrition. So say if you can only eat about a cup of food & the majority of that is likely protein & it should all be nutrient dense food, can you risk not being able to eat what you need to eat because you ate some rice or pasta & are full? Try some zucchini noodles in lieu of pasta & cauliflower rice in lieu of rice.

This is great. It reminded me of my then 3 yr old nephew wanting to take me for a drive in his little child’s gator. Could easily fit my bottom in the seat. It was pretty freaky - never would have imagined being able to fit in a little child’s seat. Of course I couldn’t get my legs in so I dangled them over the front of the gator’s bonnet. Amusingly, he refused to drive me cause it wasn’t safe.

Watched this 2021 UK documentary yesterday & it was very interesting. Dr Chris van Tulleken put himself on an ultra processed diet to see the impacts on his health. The results were quite frightening & also thought provoking. Within a month his body was producing more hunger hormones & fewer of the full/satiated hormones. He was never full & was always hungry. His brain was creating new links which are very similar to those formed with alcohol, cigarette & drug addictions. And of course the expected increases in weight, cholesterol, etc. Scariest was that they don’t believe some of these changes will ever be completely reversed by returning to a low processed diet. Could explain the struggle many of us continue to experience with hunger, cravings, etc. Worth watching if you can find it. I watched it on Netflix here in Australia.

Wouldn’t have survived without being able to eat soup. Yes, to making it yourself. Use a bone broth as a base stock to get in your protein & purée & strain well. You can also make a chicken or other meat based soup. Again strain everything out & if you have family they can eat the soup with all the meat & vegetables. You can also strain wonton soup, ramen noodles, etc. & drink the broth.

Yeah, PPIs are often the culprit. I haven’t experienced it after taking my daily Nexium but had it mildly very quickly after taking Kwik eze. I think mine is more caused by being menopausal. (A side effect not often talked about.) I have water beside my bed & for when I get the occasional dry mouth attack, I hold the water in my mouth for a few seconds to help re hydrate. But Biotene is an effective treatment.

Watch the juice. Even though it may not have added sugar, the fruit itself naturally contains a lot. A juice is equivalent to eating several pieces of fruit too. We’re often told no juice at all & usually advised to slowly add small amounts of fruit (so you get all the fibre & nutrients in the whole fruit not just some of it from juice) as you progress through your weight loss. Check with your dietician, though.

Those apps are the devils work. Delete the apps, unsubscribe from the emails, remove the phone numbers from your contact lists & toss the letterbox drops. Can’t stop all the bombardment but at least you can reduce it & remove some of the easy access to it all. I found ads on tv & social media the worst it because they made me feel ill to look at any sort of high fat, high sugar, fast food, etc. food. Still does. God bless steaming, recording & downloading programs so you can avoid ads. Funnily I can happily watch cooking & baking programs probably because they rarely celebrate excess. The other thing I do is to make sure I have a selection of left over meals in my freezer. So on a night I may have been tempted to get takeaway or home delivery, I choose something out of my freezer. I can have a nutritious meal in 5 or so minutes. (Love my microwave.) No delivery service can beat that.