Loz77

Gosh, I forgot about this site! So nice to go back and follow everyone. As per the beginning of my journey, things continue to not go very well and I am fighting to stop losing weight. I have had my MiniMizer removed as it had slipped and also my gall bladder removed. My surgery anniversary will be on the 18th, so nearly a year out 158 pounds down. I really struggle with digestion issues including constant diarrhoea and really poor absorption. Good news is that food aversion (taste and small) has pretty much gone. But now I eat, it overstimulates my intestines causing the above, which means continued weight loss. I have been on a feeding tube for a while and am currently talking to surgeons about reversal. Congrats to all of you with your upcoming ‘surgiversaries’!
Much Love,
Laura

2 hours ago, Shanto said:

**edited out my reply, I don’t know why this quoted, sorry**

So it’s been a year (or close to it) guys! And what a year it has been! Who would have thought so shortly after our surgeries COVID would explode and effect all of our lives!
I am so very grateful I was able to get this surgery before everything got shut down though in some ways it was hard to get support that I probably could have used. I also think I might have lost more weight if Covid didn’t happen, as I have been stuck home with a baby, toddler and young child with not much to do in the cold rainy months we experience here in Vancouver Canada. I am afraid if I hadn’t had the surgery though my weight may have gotten worst due to stress and boredom eating.
I have lost 80lbs but I’m still 25 away from my goal. (I was 270lbs before surgery and now I’m 190lbs I’m 5’8 and would like to weigh 165lbs) I’m really hoping I continue to lose but weight is very slow to come off now. I’m trying to up my exercise to hopefully help keep the pounds coming off. I struggle with Water intake which is another area of improvement.
I love not having intense cravings anymore and to be able to stop after just a taste of chocolate or a sweet. I love that I can run and chase after my kids and take them sledding in the snow. I love that I can sit down on the floor and get back up no problem. I am sleeping better now and I feel a million times better about myself.
My only lingering side effect is Hair loss. My hair is constantly falling out and it’s super annoying. It’s regrowing but still a constant shed.
anyway, where are my feb people at?! I’d love to read some updates to see how everyone is doing.
☺️

8 hours ago, Violetsareblue said:

It’s not so much the lack of appetite but the extreme almost aversion to food and how it’s inhibiting me from at least getting in my Protein. I just don’t want to mess this up 😖

Hey Violetsareblue,

I'm 15 weeks PO today and I have continued to feel the same as you. I rarely get in any Protein. I am still only managing 100-200 calories a day. My BMI has gone from 44.1 to 31 in those 15 weeks. I dump on so many foods. I feel so unwell today that I’ve come on this site to try and look for others who are similar and may have an answer.

I have been hospitalised several times and see a dietitian every few weeks, but there is nothing surgically wrong with me. Just the taste changes and food aversions make it impossible to get anything in.......along with the dumping......I sound like a whinger and sure there are people worse off than me, but I am absolutely miserable.

I just want an answer or a solution so I can be fixed, I can’t live my life like this forever, I have tried everything.

I know this is no help to you, but if I find the answer or you do, please contact me.

L x

19 minutes ago, Shanto said:

I am going to have to try upping my Water. Getting enough Water has been my biggest challenge. I just don’t want it for some reason. I was 270 pre surgery 260 day of surgery (feb 26) and now I am 232lbs. I think I’m pretty close to where everyone else is at this point. I did think it would be faster though. 😐 Oh well starting to fit into some stuff that I haven’t worn in a while.

Hey Shanto

I struggle so much with water too. Weird that diluted juice or diet cordial seems to go down easier......I have only been managing 150 - 250 cals a day so dietitian is fine with it just for the calories. I wonder if less water slows weight loss? I am officially 12 weeks today and am down 71 pounds. I have had a bit of a rough run since surgery, but really feel like I am turning a corner.

I am thinking I will need to start looking at calories and macros soon when I start to be able to eat more. I am lucky to get any Protein in a day, but really it is only early days and if my body has gotten through the last 12 weeks ok, then I'm sure I will get there in the end! Has anyone else started looking into this kind of thing yet or still in the healing phase?

All the best February Guys and Gals

Loz x

Yep, I get it. I understand a lot of people believe it is either sugar, fat or carbs,,,,,,but my body does it with lots of things, and I get the exact symptoms catwoman7 mentioned above......plus severe cramps and it all happens within 10-20 minutes of eating. I've been having better days recently, I am 11 weeks out today. I get it with food I have eaten before and have been okay with. I have been told I just have to ride it out......other than low potassium and continual dehydration my surgery/insides are perfect! You are certainly not alone! Loz

18 hours ago, simplyfit2 said:

Thank you for sharing and I hope you’re able to get some relief soon too. What else to you put in your smoothie? I’m taking any ideas that I can get ☺️☺️

I had the best one this morning, half a banana, half a cup of baby spinach, 1/4 cup frozen mango, 1/4 cup frozen blueberries, 1/3 cup kefir, Water as required. I make it with my 10 month old granddaughter, as it is part of her routine. Then we divide it between myself, DIL and bubs...…..she loves all smoothies!

We don't usually have blueberries, its usually strawberries or passionfruit with the same of the other ingredients (frozen because it keeps your drink cold). You can use anything really. I use it to swallow down all my vitamins/minerals, which is 8 capsules. I always have a really sore tummy after and feel full all day after having it, but I still think that getting that in with all its nutrients is better than nothing at all. I think we have about half a cup each.

Kefir has more Protein than milk and lots of Probiotics too, so I think it is an improvement on my 3 crackers with cheese...…….that I now dump...…... but used to be the only thing I could keep down. I had some roast pork and roast carrot last night with some thin gravy. It was lovely :)

Still lots of issues with dumping, stomach pain after intake, diarrhoea, zero energy and being puffed just walking/getting dressed...….but right now that's the norm for me and I know its just trying to learn my new system!

Best,

L x

I am so glad there are so many of you that are going through what I am! I posted about a week ago pretty much the exact same, it's been so hard! But the relief just hearing it from you guys that what I am going through is normal...…...what a blessing! My bypass was on February 18th.

I have been averaging 100-200 cals per day. This week (other than this morning, because I ran out of baby spinach and used four leaf mix and it made me gag too many times) I have been having a half cup or so of green smoothie. It takes a couple of hours to get down and makes me feel full (and honestly a little sore) for the WHOLE day. I feel like it is a bit of an accomplishment because I'm keeping it in and its nutritious! On the down side, I am too full to drink much plain Water for the rest of the day.....just a few ounces.....but the smoothie itself has water in it!

If I never had to eat ever again, I would be happy.....it such a chore and super stressful trying to keep up with everything and then feeling like a failure when you don't.

Thinking of you all

L x

Hi Rachel98,

im just a newbie two months out. I’m one of the people that currently regret it. I’m not sure if I’ll feel the same in another 3/6/12 months!
They don’t tell you about the food aversions, the weakness, the lack of energy, how even fluids fill you up so you can’t fit anything else in for the rest of the day, the taste changes or the constant nausea. Dehydration is something easily fallen into. I understand I may be one of the very few, but I dump after nearly everything, sometimes new things, sometimes food I’ve had before......it may be a piece of roast pumpkin or a couple of grapes, a piece of cheese or a waterthin cracker. It starts after about 20 minutes......sweating, heart pounding, cramps and then severe diarrhoea. This in turn brings about other medical issues.

I know if I read this before hand from a true and trusted friend, I still would have gone through with the surgery as I never would think it would happen to me, I was healthy, just really fat! I had been researching the surgery for years and thought I knew everything there was to know, but you don’t know how your body will react. For me it was the first surgery EVER! Please be aware that the first few months for some are an absolute nightmare (I am hoping that it’s not forever anyways!).

L x

Morning Feb Surgery Stars 😊

Not much has really changed here in my little Australian town with regards to the pandemic. All my family continue to work (have 3 adult children all at home still), as do I in the health service. All food is takeaway though, so no date nights, which is fine because I don’t really eat, but I miss that special hubby and I alone time. Other than that, life just seems to be carrying on as usual.

I do feel a bit sad for my sons partner and our grand baby who have been living with us for about 8 months now. Her family is back in our old home town in another state, which means she hasn’t been able to visit her parents, nor them her. Seeing as bubs is growing so quickly, they are missing out on so much! She took 3 steps yesterday!

i haven’t been getting in the fluids and Protein either, but I’m improving each day with just getting something in at least. I’m still at the stage where I deeply regret the surgery, but just because I’ve been so unwell. I crave things like grapes and watermelon. Isn’t it odd how our tastes change from the surgery!

Sending lost of love and positivity to you all who are in the areas of mass suffering.

L x

13 minutes ago, MsMocie said:

My GPs visit ended up with me beeing sent to the hospital so we didn't get a chance to talk about the medicine. Next visit is schedueled to take all labs and discuss my road forward, so I'll talk to him then. What is really funny, is that because he wanted me in the hospital - he took some standard labs; Bloodsugar, hemoglobin, CRP. All of them were fine, even though my bloodsugar was at 6,1!! 6,1 I expressed my concerns about it beeing to high, but got brushed of because I had some battery energi drink with sugar that morning. I just gonna stop drinking them

Also labs in the hospital were just fine besides my leucocyts beeing to high and BP to low. Both GP and hospital think most of my issues are because of low BP and the ody adjusting to this very low weight which it hasn't had since I was 10 years old. It might be, but still doesn't explain why things get stuck in my throath and why food has this awful smell and the aversion to eating things that have a wrong consistency. I am certain that there is a stricture or something like that. It can't be only adjustments and the likes. As I say when the docs ask me to tell what wrong, I can't actually put my finger on one thing, but there is SOMETHING that isn't what it should be, and I don't think the surgery and it's anatomy is to blame on its own - I love my surgery and would rather have a few spoons of food than ALL the food

What I have learned on the journey since this began around newyears:
- I need to keep hydrated. If I go below 1 liter EVERYTHING gets worse. So I drink, and yes I cheat a little - I drink sugarfree lemonade very often to make it taste better. I also started drinking energy drinks even though I never liked them B.S (before surgery).
- Eat things that require less chewing. Raw carrots is a thing I can't eat unless chewed to mosh, so I just don't bother. Youghurt and cottage cheese doesn't need to be chewed 30 times, so these are staples on days I feel like I will eat it.
- Because I have cerebral palsey I learned way before surgery to "distribute" my energy to the correct places on days I had less to give. A shower was a big deal 3-4 months ago for me, now I have learned some tricks to make it less exhausting, like washing the hair only when needed to. I try to keep up with hygine because it creates less dirty clothes than poor hygiene.

I have faith most issues will get better day by day, and taken this food aversion thing as a blessing. I think you are lucky to have this at 9 weeks instead of 4-5 months out suddenly. Maybe it is just post traumatic stress on your body.

Yes! The chewing makes everything so unpalatable! What is a normal blood sugar result? Mine was 5.1 after not eating for nearly 24 hours, I thought abnormal was like 12 or something, does this mean you may be diabetic too? Not that it would explain your food sticking and aversions. I think as long as you are eating/drinking whatever you want in moderation it shouldn’t be a problem...... Everything to me tastes different since the surgery, it’s so weird, I can only think it is because of this awful taste in my mouth that doesn’t go away despite brushing/flossing/mouthwash!
I really like my Water cold so have it with ice, I sometimes dilute it with cold pressed apple juice for energy, especially during the work week otherwise I would just be a mess. Luckily it’s a completely sedentary job that I don’t need to expend any thought into at the moment.
I only wash my hair once a week too and end up sitting in the shower most times if I don’t get in and out in 2 minutes!
What a legend for having a secondary issue plus this, I really shouldn’t complain! It’s true, I’ve only been feeling like this for 7 weeks and it sounds like you’ve had it for a while, I just need to toughen up!
Sending you lots of positive vibes,

L x

On 4/17/2020 at 3:24 AM, IAmGrace said:

Hello there:

What is a minimizer ring? I don't think you should presume that 100-200 calories per day will be a new normal for you. Sounds like this needs looking into and I'm glad you're having a scope done. Is you 58 pound weight loss a combined before and after surgery or only after surgery?

I wish you well.

Best,

Grace

Hi Grace,

it’s a soft ring that goes over the small pouch to inhibit pouch stretching later on down the track. My problem was mainly that I used to eat one giant evening meal a day. I’m hoping I learn to eat like a normal person, it was just kind of insurance against regain in future years.

The scope was normal, which is great news, but it confuses me as to why I am struggling to live with theses changes whilst others seem to be having a smooth run.

Yes, I’ve lost 58 pounds from the day of surgery, my last weigh in was Tuesday. I was a few kilos more before I travelled for surgery (I live in a fairly remote town in the middle of Australia). It’s been 2 calendar months since surgery today, it feels like forever, it really has been a terrible time!

17 hours ago, jaymmee said:

Are y'all finding you can still only eat the 2 oz or just a little bit more? If I attempt to eat just a little bit more, I get really bad pains like a horrible heart burn pain. Anyone else?

Hey Jaymmee,

I can’t eat that much yet either, I get a weird hiccup after 2 teaspoons of whatever I can manage and I stop. I have an aversion to all meat and egg so don’t get any of that in. I’ve been managing a really thin watercracker with cheese over 20 minutes, but the cheese has to be cold! Are you eating too fast, or is it a new type of food you are trying?

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.

L x

Hey MsMocie and catwoman7,

Thanks for your replies! I was given 5L of PlasmaLyte and 3 bags of potassium before the anaesthetist would put me to sleep yesterday. Unfortunately but fortunately, they found nothing to explain why I feel this way........although today I’ve felt better.......but then again I always do a bit after receiving fluids. I try to keep on top of it but the fullness and nausea hinders me and I get back into this viscous circle. I just want to be my old self again!

MsMocie, has was your GP visit?

catwoman7, I appreciate your thoughts, it’s good to know I’m not alone!

L x

Hey Guys, I am a bit late to the party after just finding this group. I had a RNY with minimiser ring on the 18th of Feb. Things haven’t gone as smoothly as expected, but it’s nice to see that I’m not alone after going through this topic. I’m down 58 pounds but am only managing 100-200 calories a day. Having constant nausea, no appetite and the thought of food repulses me. Getting a scope tomorrow, so hoping I will get some answers. If not, then will have to find a way to get used to this new norm. I hope everyone is well. All the best, L x

Hey Guys,

I just found this site after a hopeful search looking for someone who has or is going through something similar.

I had RNY with a Minimizer Ring on the 18^th of February 2020. I am 43 and 5ft 9In. My surgery weight was 296 pounds and I am now 238 pounds. A loss of 58 pounds so far.

I had been planning/researching the surgery for 5 years and after my last failed attempt of maintaining, went ahead with surgery with full knowledge of what to expect (well so I thought).

For full disclosure, my weight problems I think were based on years of yo-yo dieting. Mainly extreme calorie cutting and exercise to get to normal weight. However, when off the ‘diet wagon’ I would only eat a huge meal once a day after not eating all day and being starving when I got home. Usually meals were very much carb based with heavy sauces. I would eat normally on the weekend, but overly big portion sizes. I am not a sweet tooth or an emotional eater, nor am I a fussy eater. I also loved coke zero, which I have just found out is apparently a trickster. Anyways, I think I ruined my metabolism and losing weight was no longer working like it used to!

What I expected:

• · 5-10 days of a Keto kind of flu whilst my body adjusted to fat burning mode

• · Minimal appetite, but still some kind of signal I needed to eat

• · Being easily satiated with small amounts of food

• · Having to chew my food 20-30 times

• · No Water 30 mins before or 60 mins after food

• · Protein first, avoid simple carbs

What I did not expect

• · Persistent nausea

• · Aversions to all meat/poultry/fish and eggs (physically make me heave) and other random things (sour cream, mushrooms, pumpkin Soup, cheese that has been grilled)

• · Complete and utter exhaustion to the point where my personal hygiene is embarrassing because sometimes I can’t muster enough energy to have a shower for days

• · Dumping sometimes trying food for the first time, sometimes after having food that did not make me dump last time (for me it is sweating, heart racing, severe cramps and diarrhoea within 30 mins of eating)

• · Being so uncomfortably full even if it is just water, or a couple of tiny bites of food. I get less than 1000 calories in a week

• · That chewing the food so many times would make most foods unpalatable and having to spit it out or throw up

• · The amount of times I belch, heave and bring up thick saliva……all day…..its disgusting and embarrassing!

I had read many stories before the surgery, some positive and some negative and was always quick to judge people thinking they were just negative Nancy’s or hypochondriacs and like attention. So it hard to write this post knowing a lot of people will think what I did.

I have had scans with contrasts and there are no issues. I have been hospitalised for dehydration, low potassium and high blood ketones. Ketones are normal due to weigh loss. Dehydration and potassium easily fixed with IV Fluid.< /p>

I have a gastroscope tomorrow morning to check if there is scar tissue etc causing my issues.

BUT WHAT IF THEY FIND NOTHING???? WILL THIS BE MY FOREVER??? HAS ANYONE DEALT WITH ANYTHING SIMILAR OR IS IT JUST MY BODY FREAKING OUT AND TAKING LONGER THAN NORMAL TO ADJUST?

Thanks if you read this far, it really means a lot. I would love to hear from you. I am open to all feedback.

Best,

Laura (Alice Springs, Australia)