NovaLuna

My surgeons office makes it a policy to remove the gallbladder if you still have yours (I didn't as I had mine removed 8 years ago) as it causes problems after surgery. If your surgeon left yours they really should have given you some kind of meds. If you start having gallbladder issues, trust me, you'll know. I got so sick when mine went bad that the only thing I could keep down was water. I threw up everything else and ended up loosing 30 pounds in a week! Of course after I had my gallbladder removed I gained back that 30 pounds with interest...-_-". Also, it was really painful whenever I ate. Stabbing pains in my side, kind of painful. So yeah, if yours goes bad, you'll definitely know!

You're going to have loose skin issues, no way around it if you're planning on loosing the amount of weight you want. I've already lost over a hundred pounds and have another 88 to go reach my goal and can only imagine the sheer amount of loose skin I will have. But, it's still worth it! My insurance covers skin removal after a year of maintenance so I'm not stressing about it. It's annoying, yeah, but trust me you'll be so much healthier after loosing the weight! The two areas that bug me most are my upper arms, and the loose skin on my chest area a bit under my armpits (where your bra rests). I had a co-worker of mine suggest shapers as she had gastric bypass and she said it helps a bit with the loose skin issue and said it even reduced hers over time. She said the body suits with hooks in the front are best as they fit tighter and that's what you need. I figure I'll look into that eventually, but I've yet to do so...

I was diagnosed with hypothroidism in July 2019, and had Loop DS. I've had a helluva time the last month or so with dizziness, fatigue, etc. My primary care doc did blood tests to check some things and found me potassium deficient and my thyroid underactive... again! I had been on the right dose before surgery, but your body goes through changes and so she had to up my dose. I've been losing slightly more weight in the last week since she upped my dose as I lost five pounds instead of my average of 3-4 so I'd say it's working. Hope they figure out what's going on and if it's your thyroid find the right dosage!

I have insomnia at least two nights a week where I don't sleep at all. But that's been going on since before my surgery. I just have trouble turning my brain off. I've tried putting on classical music, sounds, etc. Even taken valium before I was supposed to go to sleep and that only works half the time. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that for years I didn't have a normal sleep schedule due to my TN which always acted up the worst at night. Before I had my brain surgery two years ago (to take care of the TN), I simply didn't sleep at night. I'd sleep a half hour here or there in between the pain and there was no set time for it. The majority of the sleep I got was during the day. Maybe ten or twenty minutes of that would be at night. I've been trying to get back into the routine of sleeping at night, but my brain is overactive at night lol. And I refuse to take sleeping pills because I've tried them before and it didn't go so well...

I had my pulmonary and cardiac stuff done in August. My surgery was in January. So it can be done months in advance. Or at least here in California it can. Under my health insurance lol

I'm almost three months. I had the Loop DS. My highest weight was 389. Surgery weight was 321. And I'm 271 now so... I've lost 50 pounds since surgery. So it looks like it's a similar pace.

I'm not quite 3 months out of my surgery which is the Loop Duodenal Switch, same as you, but a potential revision is something I was worried about when I agreed to this surgery because I only know two people who got this surgery and BOTH needed revisions. 1. because he got a really bad malnutrition issue so they had to fix him back so it was essentially just the sleeve now (though his was, admittedly the DS not the Loop) and 2. because she went from being over 400 pounds to being 95 pounds in two years! She's 5'5. After her revision she's at a much healthier 123 now. She had originally had the Loop. I, like yourself, very much do not want to go through a revision, but I figure if it happens then they'd just be fixing my intestines so the whole 'phases' wouldn't be necessary. I mean yeah, you'd have to eat lighter meals for a while, but they wouldn't be messing with your stomach for the revision so it's why I still went with the Loop. I won't like it if I have to eventually have a revision, but both of theirs happened in the second year so I'm not going to stress until then. Likely your weight loss will slow down eventually. You just still have some more to lose. For your height you could technically get down to 92 pounds and still be considered in the normal range. And if you don't like what the doctor says... get a second opinion. Especially if it's a surgery you don't want!

Well congrats on your first visit! I also had to do the six month weigh-in program to qualify and it flies by fast, though at the time I thought time was going too slow lol. I never had a bariatric appointment be telemedicine, but that'll probably be my 3 month check-in lol since my appointment is supposed to be at the end of next week and somehow I just don't see them wanting me to come in with the whole pandemic going on and all... My best advice is just try your absolute best and I'm sure you'll do great! I hope things go well for you on your first visit!

I get recipes from here: https://www.bariatriceating.com/blogs/recipes

Hmm. It varies for different things for me. I've gotten nausea with some things. Stomach cramps with others. Gas. Diarrhea. It just depends. For example, I don't deal well with sucralose or fake sugars (though I'm okay with stevia) and it's way TMI, but you asked so... I get really REALLY bad gas. My stomach makes noise and EVERYTHING. And then it ends up with diarrhea so... no fake sugars for me! 😅 I was bad with dairy for a while, but I tolerate it better now than I did early on, which is good because I love my cottage cheese and yogurt! I haven't tried jello since liquid phase because it caused indigestion for me and it was painful and super uncomfortable! I tried it twice in the hospital and twice and home and was so done after that. On the bright side... I have yet to vomit. Everyone was telling me I'd for sure get sick and vomit and I'm almost two and a half months out and haven't vomitted even once. So I say HA to all those who told me I'd get sick!

There are other things to take into consideration as well. With Bypass you can't EVER take NSAIDS. That was the reason I did the surgery I did. I have back issues and although tumeric is nice and all for inflammation I really want to be able to take my Naproxen (though admittedly, I can't take it until I'm 6 months out due to possible ulcer issue). So if you have an inflammatory condition and tumeric either isn't enough for you or you need something in addition to it then Bypass wouldn't be for you. Also, asprin is in a LOT of medicine and you'd have to pay close attention to labels. My surgeon was stressing this to everyone when discussing Bypass because some idiot took asprin and ended up in the hospital for three months and almost died due to a major bleed because they 'forgot'. If you don't have any problem with not taking NSAIDS for the rest of your life then I'd say go for the Bypass because it statistically has greater weight loss. But, in the end this is your life and YOU are the one who will have to live with the choice you make. So, my suggestion is follow your gut instinct, whatever that may be. And good luck!

I feel you... I've been having really bad dizzy spells for a couple weeks and almost blacked out more than once. My doctor gave me a TON of medicine including meclizine and none of it is helping... I've always been slightly hypoglycemic so I'm wondering if mine is caused by low blood sugar levels. I don't have a glucose testing kit to check though... The thing that makes me doubt it being low blood sugar levels for myself though is that usually when my blood sugar is low I shake really bad. Like full on shaking. I'm not shaking at all. I hope they figure out what's going on with you and can help you quickly so that you don't have to keep going through something so scary!

As an update for myself... my surgeons office and my nutritionist suggested I wait until 3 months to have salad because my stomach wouldn't be able to handle it... but I couldn't wait any longer lol and I had salad and tolerated it fine. Romaine lettuce was the lettuce in the salad. This was last week that I started eating it btw. Three weeks before the suggested time...

If you do the Sleeve you are going to run the risk of having to have a revision. I was approved for my surgery despite having acid issues because I DON'T have GERD, but rather something called EOS. I was going to have issues with acid whether I had Bypass or DS (which involves a sleeved stomach). My disorder is an allergy disorder and the acid is worse 1. when I either eat or am around what I'm allergic to, 2. at night, or 3. if I eat something acidic. I only take my acid reducers at night. However, I wouldn't necessarily recommend the Sleeve to someone who has GERD. Trust me, weight loss surgery is no joke and it's a bumpy recovery in the beginning. The gas, the liquid diet, the puree stage, etc. Having to go through the 2 week pre-diet all over again if it doesn't stick the first time... You have to look at everything and then ask yourself if you are willing to take the risk of having to do it all over again if your GERD gets WORSE. In the end, the choice is yours, whatever that choice may be because it's your life and YOU are the one living it, not someone else... I wish you the best of luck on whatever choice you make!

1. I had the Loop Duodenal Switch surgery, but it involves a sleeved stomach... I lost 23 pounds the first month. And I generally lose between 3-4 pounds a week with a rare exception for slightly more, though sometimes under. I'm unsure monthly, since it's only been two and a half months since my surgery... 2. No. I'm not allowed to have bacon per my surgeons guidelines, for now. I can't have sausage via my nutritionists guidelines. And although I CAN have ham, I don't eat it for breakfast. I'm having it for easter lunch though... 3. I haven't cheated once since my surgery. I did this surgery for a reason, why the hell would I destroy that for some momentary satisfaction that will make me feel so much worse after the fact? My family hasn't changed their diet. They still eat pizza, popcorn, cake, cookies, ice cream, etc. But I have the willpower to say no, I'm not going to destroy how far I've come because I want something that'll make me feel like crap about myself after the fact. I've lost 114 pounds in the last 10 months since I started my weight loss journey. Fifty pounds of that since my surgery and sixty-four prior to the surgery. I'm proud of myself for how far I've come and I won't destroy that. So no, I haven't cheated. Yes, there are times that it's really hard, but you just have to remind yourself that you are doing this for a reason! My reason was because I wanted to watch my nieces grow up. And, last week I found out my sister is pregnant again, so now I have ANOTHER reason to keep pushing to lose this weight and get myself healthier. I admit, it's a struggle at times, but it'll be WORTH it in the end!

Yep. This last week as a matter of fact... and I'm not even at a full three months yet 😭

^This was totally my experience too.

My surgery involves a sleeved stomach and although I do feel hunger sometimes it's rare. Like really rare. Most of the time you have to REMIND yourself to eat!

My particular surgeon doesn't want anyone to drink anything carbonated as he says it stretches the pouch back out. However, a lot of people can't give up their carbonated stuff so he says it's allowed after a year, but he doesn't recommend it.

I've been dealing with off and on nausea for about a month! And, I have such bad dizzy spells that I've almost passed out! And the other night I couldn't walk straight, I was walking like a drunk, and it seriously worried my family. My doctor is completely unsure if it's my potassium deficiency that's causing it or if it's something else. I have more blood work I have do next week, but my doctor gave me anti-nausea meds and also meclizine for the dizzy spells. It works, but it puts me to sleep... -_-" I hope they can figure out what's going on with you and can get rid of that nausea for you!

I had carrots and dip yesterday because they have a high amount of potassium and since I'm deficient I decided to eat things with potassium to help boost mine back up and I had no problems with the raw carrots. You just have to make sure you chew them well.

Birds Eye has Veggie Made pasta. You can find it in the frozen food section of your grocery store. They have tons of different ones, but the pasta itself is primarily made of zucchini and lentils. I bought two bags at Save Mart on Saturday when I went grocery shopping. I have yet to try them, but I've heard they're really good.

So, for the past few weeks I started feeling off, but I kinda just ignored it. Which was, admittedly, stupid. But now I'm so exhausted it's hard for me to get out of bed and even now I'm typing this from my bed. I'm fatigued, achy, have had on and off headaches, am paler than normal, and have had a few dizzy spells. So, yesterday I called my doctor and she ordered me a bunch of labs that I have to do because she's positive my vitamin levels are off and she wants to find out which ones since many of them cause similar symptoms. She told me she'll call me on Monday with the results, but if things get worse go to the ER. I feel really stupid. I've had vitamin deficiencies before (specifically Vitamin D, B12, potassium, and Calcium) and should have realized that was what was wrong, but I thought it may have just been going back to work and getting back into the swing of things that was causing all the issues. Except my ignoring it just made it worse. I realize that malnutrition is a serious issue, especially with my surgery so I'm not really understanding why I was ignoring the signs. Anyway, I just want to know if anyone else had gone through the same thing? Is it hard to get back to the right balance? How long until I feel back to my normal self?

I was four or five weeks out when my energy came back. Then two weeks after that it crashed again. But, I'm dealing with a potassium deficiency and an underactive thyroid, so I'm not the norm in that case. So expect your energy to come back in the next week or two. Hopefully.

My doctor took most of the week off so she only got back to me today. Turns out it's a potassium deficiency. And, my thyroid has become underactive... again, even though I'm taking meds for it. Now she's going to have me double my thyroid meds and take a potassium supplement. But hey, at least I know now why I've been feeling like crap lately.