NovaLuna

It really depends on how it's effecting you. Are your symptoms bad? Or are you asymptomatic? Quarantine is usually 10-14 days so if your surgery is 16 days away... as long as your symptoms aren't that bad or you're asymptomatic I don't see why you'd have to delay it. But yeah, definitely get the surgeons impute on what they think.

On average stalls last 1-3 weeks, but I've had three stalls in the 40-odd day range. My longest stall I just recently got out of and it was 46 days and then I lost a pound and four days after that lost another. So while not common, they can last longer than 3 weeks. I doubt it will happen to you this early out and I'd venture to guess at most your stall may last one week longer before your weight loss kicks back up again. Sometimes our body just has to take time to adjust itself and sometimes it can take longer than we'd like. I know it's hard not to feel discouraged or question ourselves about what we're doing wrong, but as long as you follow your plan I'm sure the weight loss will kick back up again.

It's totally normal to feel that way for a first surgery. I know when I had my first surgery at 24 I was scared of the same thing. The second time I had surgery though I was 29 and I wasn't scared at all (but that was because I was desperate at that point. I had brain surgery due to my Trigeminal Neuralgia and surgery was my last hope to get rid of the unending chronic debilitating pain I'd been in for 10 months non-stop). My WLS was my third and most recent surgery and I was 32 and after going through what I already had with my TN and the brain surgery... I wasn't scared because I pretty much knew what to expect and I figured it wouldn't be anywhere near as bad as waking up from brain surgery (my head HURT so bad after the brain surgery and I was in and out of it, mostly out of it, for the first three or four days and sooooo nauseous) so I figured it wasn't anything to worry about, so while I wasn't scared of the surgery itself, I was nervous about if I'd be able to be up and moving around as soon as they wanted me to (I was sore yes, but they were happy that I was up and walking like I was supposed to when I was supposed to and even did more laps then they had asked).

So don't feel bad about being scared. It's 100% normal to feel that way! Just try to think about your reasons for doing the surgery in the first place and it may help with your nerves a little bit.

2 hours ago, EricLB300BC said:

Hi all, just got my surgery Friday November 19, got out of the hospital today(Saturday 20th) and I am feeling hunger. I didn't think I was going to for a while. I cant tell if it is from my pouch or what is left of my stomach. Did anyone else experience this?

Something about 50-60% of the time I think I'm hungry... and I'm actually thirsty. Your body, when thirsty, can make you think you're hungry instead so, in my opinion, what you're likely feeling is thirst. Drink something and it may very well go away. If it doesn't then it's likely head hunger.

I don't log meals. I log calories I eat in a day. I used to not do that, but the amount of stalls I have is annoying so I was trying to see if I was eating too many calories. I was. I'm not anymore lol. So Friday's log was as follows (not doing Saturday's because I was busy shopping and baking all day and although I only ate 1115 calories... that was because I skipped lunch because I'm an idiot). So yeah, Friday's:

banana (105 calories)

Light Greek Yogurt (80 calories)

2 no sugar added fudgesicles (80 calories)

Turkey Enchilada (homemade. 250 calories)

Light Greek Yogurt (80 calories)

Protein Shake (160 calories)

Tater Tot Casserole (340 calories)

Light Greek Yogurt (80 calories)

Almonds (160 calories)

Total Calories= 1335 Calories

For reference, I'm almost 22 months post-op so I'm a bit farther in my journey. I also don't drink my calories. I drink Powerade Zero's (which have no calories, no sugar, no fat, and only 2 carbs per bottle). I also round up my calories btw which is why they're all even lol. My calories for that day are probably closer to 1315-1325, but I always round up because I'm weird like that. And I've already reached my goal weight, but haven't reached maintenance yet.

There are several thousand posts about something called the 'three week stall'. It happens usually within the first month post op to the majority of people who have the surgery. Your body is simply taking time to adjust itself. Most of the time there really isn't anything you can do, but to ride it out. Stalls happen. Often times, you can change the way you eat to try and start it back up or add in exercise and nothing will change. They, on average last 1-3 weeks. It'll end when it ends. Just stick to your plan and you'll be fine. I've had multiple stalls throughout my journey, including several (3) that went into the 40-odd day range. They are incredibly frustrating and disheartening, especially when you're no where near your goal weight. You don't get used to them, even if you're like me and get them a LOT. In fact, I just got out of my longest stall yet! I thought, 'this is it, I'm in maintenance' and yet after being in a stall for 46 days I lost a pound. Then 4 days later I lost another pound. So my body just wants to lose at it's own pace. You're still in the beginning of your journey and your weight loss WILL pick up again as this stall is extremely common! Just keep to your plan and it'll break eventually!

I'm almost 22 months post op with the Loop DS/SADI-S/SIPS surgery (gastric sleeve stomach just with an intestinal bypass for malabsorption). I can eat about 6oz-8oz.

It could be head hunger. Or, it could be thirst. I think I'm hungry sometimes, but I question it so I drink a little and if I'm still hungry then I know it's actual hunger, but about 50% it's my body telling me to drink something.

Maybe try to get the tempting foods out of your house. I was test baking for the holidays and I made pumpkin muffins on Sunday night. I immediately called my sister up and asked her to come and pick some up so that I don't end up eating them all (the recipe made 16). Unfortunately, my sister couldn't come and get them until today (Tuesday) due to work and I ate far, far, far too many of them (2 on Sunday, 3 on Monday, and 2 on Tuesday) before she could come and get them. Keep in mind, each muffin is about 180 calories so I felt sooooo guilty! But... I weighed myself today and somehow after not losing anything since September 29th... I lost a pound. I don't even know what the heck is going on anymore 🙄

It comes down to personal taste/what you can tolerate/what you're willing to spend (Bariatric Advantage tends to be more pricey than Bariatric Fusion). I used to take the Bariatric Advantage Calcium until I discovered the Celebrate brand calcium which is so much cheaper ($59 for a 4.5 month supply verses what would cost $75 for the Bariatric Advantage one that would last the same length of time) and both taste good to me (I get the tablets over the chews because the calcium chewable tablets from both are more pricey. You save $8 for the Bariatric Advantage tablets verses the chews, while you save $46 on the Celebrate tablets verses the chew ones). So yeah. Taste, tolerance, and price are all key factors into what one's are the better choice for each individual person.

I went from a ladies 10.5W to a 9. It's weird how your feet shrink too lol. I wasn't expecting it!

1. It's a newer procedure, so some insurances don't approve it. 2. Not every surgeon does the Loop DS. 3. The surgeons who DO the Loop DS tend to have a guideline where you have to have a BMI of 50+ or two or more co-morbidities because there is a higher statistical weight loss at 70-100% verses the statistics for gastric bypass which is 60-80% (but this is just the statistical average. People can lose more or less then the average depending on if they work with the surgery or not).

I chose the Loop DS for my surgery because I have hypothyroidism and I'm disabled so I had to rely on statistical average for my weight loss and the DS and Loop DS have the highest statistical average for loss. I chose the Loop DS over the traditional DS because of the diarrhea issues associated with the traditional DS since the Loop DS fixes that issue. Mostly. Also the Vitamin requirements for both the DS and Loop DS are much higher. You have to take more Vitamins and thus it's more expensive and you also have a higher Protein requirement (80-100g protein a day for women or 100-120g for men) which, in my opinion, deters people away from the Loop DS or the traditional DS. I'm happy with my choice, personally. I was able to meet my weight loss goal and even went a little under it (I think I'm near maintenance, honestly. I lost 1 pound last month and only 1 pound the month before so... yep, very close to maintenance). My advice is to do your research, weigh the pro's and con's, and decide what YOU feel is the right surgery for YOU! You are the one who has to live with the surgery that you go with. Not your surgeon. Choose what makes YOU comfortable!

Also, I warn everyone of this... they don't tell you, but any surgery with malabsorption (Gastric Bypass, DS, Loop DS) has a 3% chance of giving you either a wheat allergy or Celiac's Disease. I mean, it's UNLIKELY to happen to you as it only happens to 3 out of every 100 people, BUT my luck is terrible and I ended up with a wheat allergy. I mean, it's a blessing in disguise because it ensures that I can't eat fast food even if I wanted to, and it really forces me to think about every little thing that I put in my mouth, so I, personally, am grateful for my new allergy, but I still would have liked to be WARNED. So yeah, just so you know. It's unlikely, but there's a chance it can happen to you.

Also, like most people will tell you, my only regret about my surgery.... is that I waited so long to have it done. I wish I'd done it years ago!

If you have any questions about my own experiences with the Loop DS, feel free to ask!

Most of the stuff not in stage 3 diet tend to be things they want you to not eat for the first 6-12 months. I was told no bread, Pasta, or rice at all until 1 year post op. But then I learned I had a wheat allergy that developed after surgery (3% chance. they don't warn you about it because it's unlikely to happen, but my luck sucks). So when I eat bread or pasta it has to be gluten free (though I eat chickpea pasta noodles because of the Protein. I only have gluten free pasta for any slow cooker pasta recipes because chickpea noodles are for quick dishes, not for dishes that have to simmer because they end up with an odd after taste). I also eat cauliflower rice instead of regular rice because it's low carb and I just prefer it. I actually have yet to try regular rice post op (I'm 21 months post op with the Loop Duodenal Switch/SADI-S/SIPS surgery).

I'm technically not really in maintenance yet, but I'm borderline. I've only lost 1 pound this month, 1 last month, 1 the month before that etc. so I feel like I'm really close to maintenance, but still losing. Just super slooooow lol. But I'm eating more at what I consider a sustainable diet to just maintain my weight loss instead of actively trying to lose more. If I do lose more then great, if I don't then that's fine too because I've reached a weight that I'm happy at. I consume around 1300-1400 calories a day and have a minimum of 80g of protein (which my surgeon told me was my minimum daily protein intake). My daily diet is very different then yours will be I'd imagine, as I have food allergies (wheat allergy, high fructose corn Syrup allergy, and I'm lactose intolerant. I had the other two issues before the surgery, but the wheat was a new one. I also developed an outright allergy to NSAIDS after surgery too, which sucks because I have arthritis).

Really the diet for the DS and say... Gastric Bypass is pretty much the same long term except in protein requirements and the amount of Vitamins that you'll need. If your dietician/nutritionist deals with gastric bypass patients and isn't positive about long term requirements I was told by my surgeon that it's pretty much the same just DS patients females need a minimum of 80-100g of protein a day and men require 100+g minimum of protein a day while it's quite a bit less for GB patients.

I use the weight I was when I decided to pursue WLS because that's when I started my weight loss journey. My highest recorded weight was actually in 2017, but I didn't start my weight loss journey until 2019 so I use the weight I was in 2019 rather than 2017 (i.e I use 389 instead of 392) because I had too much stuff going on in 2017 and wasn't focusing on weight loss at all (I had brain surgery in 2017 and my sister also had a really traumatic miscarriage when she was at 19 weeks).

I'm almost 21 months out. I'll occasionally eat something like I'll order a Gluten free pizza when my family gets pizza (though I rarely do this because last month the pizza sent me to the ER because they accidentally contaminated it and I have a wheat allergy). I attended my nephew's first birthday last weekend and had some gluten free cake. I'm known to get some no sugar added fudgesicles to snack on every now and then (40 calories per fudgesicle. I usually have one or two. They are currently in my freezer lol). So yes, on occasion I do, but I also monitor my calorie intake religiously and make sure if I do eat something off plan that I fit it into my daily calorie intake because I'm close to maintenance and want to take off a couple more pounds before I get there. I also know if I gain more than 5 pounds back I will freak out. I worked so hard to lose what I lost and I don't want to gain any of it back!

It's normal to feel concern when told something like that. Because there are risks to the surgery (any surgery, really), but often times the benefits far outweigh the risks. Some surgeons are only comfortable performing the surgery up to a certain BMI so maybe her practice was like that until recently? If you have concerns with that info, by all means, bring your concerns up to her.

My surgeon pushes more for the DS or SADI-S/Loop DS if the patient has a BMI of 50+. I was originally wanting the Gastric Bypass but my surgeon told me that statically I wouldn't get under 200 pounds if I chose the Gastric Bypass as I'm disabled and can't exercise much at all so I was really having to rely upon statistics. According to my surgeons statistics the lowest weight I would have gotten to with the statistical average of Gastric Bypass was 206 pounds, while the DS was 184 pounds (which I've surpassed that statistic by 8 pounds).

In the end, the decision on what surgery you decide is YOURS. Not your surgeons. YOURS. I chose the SADI-S/Loop DS because my insurance doesn't cover revisions and my ultimate goal was 180 pounds (which I've surpassed by 4 pounds) and I didn't think I'd be able to get there with the Gastric Bypass. The downside to the surgery I chose is more Vitamins and more Protein, but you get used it. I haven't really had any issues other than that I developed a wheat allergy, but you can develop that with any of the surgeries with malabsorption which INCLUDES the Gastric Bypass (it's only a 3% chance, but my luck is crap). So really, just weigh the pro's and con's and choose whichever surgery that you are most comfortable with.

Revision is not that uncommon according to my surgeon. My surgeon's office pushes for patients to choose a surgery that will help them lose the most weight they can because they have people coming back for revisions due to choosing a less aggressive surgery the first time or weight regain because they feel that people don't factor that in. They have no problems with doing revisions, but warn that sometimes you won't lose as much as your first surgery or if you do then you'll lose it a lot slower. And, revision also relies very much upon insurance approval if you can't afford it out of pocket so they always advise people to check what their insurance allows before deciding on a final surgery. Originally, I was looking into Gastric Bypass, but my surgeon pushed for me to have the DS or SADI-S because of me being super morbidly obese with a BMI of over 50. My insurance wouldn't have approved of a revision if I didn't like where my weight settled so I ended up going with my doctor's advice. So when it comes to revision I understand that it very much depends upon the insurance. Some will only approve a revision if you develop complications such as GERD, while others will allow it if you've had significant weight regain and can't lose. So it's really just dependent upon what your insurance allows. If it does allow a revision then it comes down to what you want. A revision to Gastric Bypass or the Duodenal Switch (for reference the first part of the DS is the gastric sleeve. Also, there is the SADI-S version which has a longer intestinal length then the original DS, but you'd have to find a surgeon who even does the DS or SADI-S as not every surgeon does). I hope that your insurance will cover your revision and if it doesn't then I hope you find a place that is affordable for out of pocket costs.

Sorry that your surgeon was so unhelpful and I hope you have better luck with the next one!

I'm 20 months out and still drink 1 Protein Shake a day. But then I had a surgery that requires a minimum of 80g of Protein a day and I stress less if I get in a 30g protein shake (yes, a little high calorie as it's 160 calories, but I'm less stressed out trying to cram protein in when I drink it). It's possible for most people to eventually get their protein in with just food. Honestly, I could probably do it, but again, I stress myself out less if I just drink the protein shake and am only responsible for getting 50g in via food.

And, with the way that so called 'support group' treated you I don't blame you at all for dropping them. I would have too were I in your shoes!

I'm 20 months out and am eating around 1300-1400 calories a day. Of course, I have days where I eat less around 1050-1250 and days where I've eaten more high calorie foods and had as much as 1680 in a day, but I generally eat between 1300-1400 calories a day.

My nausea for the first few months following surgery was as follows: I waited to long to eat... I got nauseous. I ate too much... I got nauseous. Needless to say, I dealt with frequent nausea as well. I think it's the norm in some. It does get better and eventually go away. Mostly (I just learned to not wait too long to eat otherwise I get nausea or I get stomach upset AFTER I eat. It's annoying).

Originally I was also going to use a different surgeon, but they had a wait list that would have made me wait three more months and COVID hit around that time so my surgery would have undoubtedly been delayed so I'm glad I went with a different surgeon. It worked out in the end and I'm incredibly happy with my results. It may be a different choice from your original, but I hope it works out as well for you as it did for me! I hope the rest of your journey is much smoother!

Are you maybe asking what you can do for exercise when you're not very mobile due to the arthritis? I also have osteoarthritis. I did physical therapy for two rounds. I just do what exercises I can at home using some of what I learned in PT. I'm not looking forward to winter. At all.

Every surgeon has different guidelines and it's your own surgeons guidelines that should be followed for optimal success. Each surgeon has a slightly different program that they tweak until they see the most results from their patients. My own surgeon's guidelines was 1 week liquids, 1-2 week puree (depending on how you tolerate moving to soft foods stage), 2-3 weeks soft foods (depending on how you tolerate moving to a modified general diet), modified general diet (there were certain foods we were told to avoid for a set amount of time such as no berries, nuts, or lettuce for 3 months, no Beans or potatoes for 6 months. Things like that).

Hair loss is normal in weight loss. It sucks. I remember mine started around 4 or 5 months out. It stops after a few months. Also, it looks like a lot to YOU, but people around you won't even notice. At least in my own experience, anyway.