The Greater Fool

There is very likely the same medication in a non-extended release form. Most time-release medications started as a non-time release version first. Also, not all time-released medications are problematic. Your medical team will help you as a team to figure all this out. Good luck, Tek

@tiffanyb12211 please do some soul-searching. There is a reason you are not taking what even you think is the obvious action. Ask yourself what you get out of the status-quo. You need to understand that you are changing the very status quo that somehow is making you feel secure in some way. It seems apparent that professional therapeutic help is critical for you now. Please, get this help now before the status quo actually changes and things become critical and possibly more dangerous. Take care of yourself and be careful. Perhaps if you deal with this horrible situation now you can help both of you to move to a more positive place. Good luck, Tek

Dumping seems less common now than in the past, but I'm from the past. Back when I had surgery about 50% of folks ended up dumping, now I think it's closer to 30%. For the record, even non-ops can dump, though it's not at all common. I am glad I dump. Nothing like being slapped for overdoing sugars and/or fats. It's a great educator. Probably a big factor in why I have stayed at a good weight. Sugar is sugar, and fats are fats. Sugars I'm usually ok on about 1/2 a cup of fresh fruit, though since I don't snack much I don't eat much fruit. I do remember dumping on a banana early on, but they haven't bothered me since. Fruit juices I can't do very much at all. I just generally avoid overly sweet things like desert foods, candy, etc. If my spouse get's a desert I'll have a taste if it looks especially good. I can't ever remember having a problem with avocado, but I never go past 1/2 of one as my pouch is not much bigger than that. Fats in sauces are more problematic as their easy to misjudge. My dumping threshold moves up and down depending on any number of factors such as fatigue, med conflicts, illness, stress and other things that can make a normally acceptable amount of sugar or fat problematic. Symptoms: Early dumping usually happens within 30 minutes and symptoms are nausea, sweating, palpitations, diarrhea, thirst. Late dumping usually happens after 30 minutes and symptoms are about the same except for nausea. Symptoms last about an hour. There is nothing to do about it except get through it. It's not so terrible usually.

I'm in IT which has crazy hours far too often. There have been multiple occasions when I went to work Monday morning and didn't leave the office until Saturday evening. I honestly didn't worry about exercise, though when I lost enough weight I did run quite a but. I found it mentally refreshing and it was a great start to the day. Everything about food in our situations is all about planning ahead: 1) I prepared a week of work meals and have them packaged ready to grab and go. Make things you will really enjoy so that between your meal will win over anything at work. One of my favorite foods is Mongolian BBQ which I get from the local restaurant, which I can split easily into 4 meals. It was a great lunch on 'those' days; 2) If snacks are on your plan, handle them the same was as meals. My plan didn't include snacks so this was not an issue for me; 3) Eating out wasn't a problem food-wise as there's always something on the menu that would fit into my plan and I'd still exercise portion control. Leaving food on the plate is not the end of the world. If it's really good I'd get the left-overs to-go and eat it again for the next meal (or three); 4) Ordering out can be a bit tougher if your not ordering for yourself. If the food ordered can fit into your plan then portion control is the order of the day again. If the food doesn't fit into your plan then you don't have to eat the communal meal, just eat the meal your brought and socialize. 5) Keep 'emergency' food in your private area. I keep a couple Hormel Beef Stews in my desk, no refrigeration required and they keep for months, and they don't taste bad. I just looked and the Beef Stews expire in Feb of next year. I don't keep snacks but if they're on your plan keep some snacks available that fit into your plan. I don't do protein drinks but here at work milk is available so I also have a couple zip locks with protein powder, again, just in case; Work very, very hard the first 3 months [6 is better] to stay on plan. You will get the positive reinforcement of losing weight. This is how your plan becomes normal and how you will eventually just naturally avoid things off plan. Good luck, Tek

I had to be at the hospital at 5:00am for a 7:00am surgery. I dressed in slippers, sweat pants, t-shirt, and my robe which is what I wore home three days later. After I got there I signed a couple forms, then they set up the IVs, gave me some happy drugs, and I waited for surgery by going to sleep. They woke me up and told me my surgery got changed to 9:00am. I went back to sleep. Finally at about 8:50 my surgeon came to talk to me and to make sure I wanted to continue. His last words were "You know you can die in surgery?" "Yep." They took me into surgery, about 6 people moved me to the operating table, and they put me to sleep. Of course everything went swimmingly. It wouldn't be until my abdominoplasty 3 years later that I would die. Good luck, Tek

You really won't know your level of restriction until you get to actual chewable food. Everything before just shoots though the pouch/sleeve as it's intended too, in order not to stress the new plumbing (yet). Good luck, Tek

To be frank, eating less than before surgery is not saying a whole lot. I could eat 1/4 of what I ate pre-op and still be eating 4 times what my current portions are. Unplanned snacks are deadly. If your plan includes snacks then they need to be planned and tracked like everything else. My plan never included snacks. Eating our appropriate portion size is THE key element post-op. Even in maintenance portion control is important to maintain and not gain. You have the motivation. Good luck, Tek

One gets used to chewed pain meds. As with everyone, you do the best you can with what you have. Good luck, Tek

You can eat more because you no longer have a Pyloric valve between your sleeve and your intestines, so your food doesn't stop in your sleeve but goes directly into your intestines. So, effective restriction is probably a bit less. Which is why you should measure your food for each meal and stop when you complete the meal or get that no-more feeling, whichever comes first. We can't rely on just restriction to do the trick because for most people restriction declines with time. We need to build the right habits. It's easier when restriction is tight and weight loss is some positive reinforcement. It's harder later when trying to get back on track, but it can still be done. We just need to rely on portion control more and the positive weight loss reinforcement takes a bit longer. As for motivation, what was it to get surgery? Has that changed? Good luck, Tek

I don't think I did much of anything the first 6 weeks, but I ate the protein and veggie my spouse ate (usually restaurant take out) except I had a much smaller portion and it was pureed. Everyone else were asked to stay away during this period to allow me to rest and heal. After that I resumed family cooking which consisted of me, my spouse, my mom, and any grown kids that showed up to eat which was frequent. I was a plan nazi for the first 18 or so months which means I followed my plan to a tee. I never cooked two meals. I ate the same protein and same vegetable as I prepared for everyone. I abstained from anything else such as pasta or other side dishes and deserts (which we rarely did anyhow). After the 18 or so months nothing really changed except my plan had become my new normal so I didn't even have to think about food choices or volume, it all just happened. Except on occasion I took a bite of the pasta or side dishes if I did particularly well. Nothing much has changed over the remaining 18 or so years, except it's down to me and my spouse, everyone else has either moved away or moved on. My plan is still the same, our routine is still the same. Good luck, Tek

I woke up to someone calling my name and telling me to wake up. This happened about three times but finally I stayed awake. My first words were "I've changed my mind." The nurse replied with an exaggerated "oops." When they were happy that I was mostly alive and mostly well I got wheeled to my room, which I slept through. Sleep is good. Good luck, Tek

The best laid plans of mice and men (and doctors and contractors) oft go astray. Generally, documentation for the goose is documentation for the gander, or something like that. The insurance sets most of the documentation standards. Good luck, Tek

You will probably live through your ordeal. My medical team never gave me a blanket ban on any medication because each of our situations are different. Because of liver issues Tylenol was a no-no while aspirin products were "take and monitor, be careful" medication. Some people do have issues the first time they take aspirin products though it is not at all common. Good luck, Tek

It took me 2-3 weeks to get to a point where I could sustain an adequate level of thought to muddle through working at home. It was a combination of getting to a point where pain wasn't completely disabling and the ability to consume enough calories consistently to keep my brain working. It was only about a week more before I could manage office attendance. A work acquaintance just had Gastric Bypass a couple months ago and was useless for work for 6 weeks which included a bad period of a couple weeks that had him back in the hospital for a couple days. Part of his problem was trying to work too hard too soon which compounded the other issues. If there's a lesson it's don't push too hard too soon. Good luck, Tek

If you have WLS without informing your unsupportive spouse all you are doing is adding another item or two to the list of knock down drag out fights in the future. WLS tends to make strong marriages stronger and weak marriages weaker. If you are already arguing about this, it's only going to get much worse if you move on your own. I wonder if getting into counselling now before adding new grievances to an already long list of grievances wouldn't be the smart move. Perhaps in the safe space of a couples therapists' office you can learn the critical tools you need to learn before your marriage reaches the point of no return, at least if you're not already looking at that point well in the past. You guys need to get back to being on the same team. You need to learn how to do this in the face of disagreeing on a few of the details. Couples counselling can be a huge help. Good luck, Tek

Your surgeon's staff will be able to help you on this. They deal with it day in and day out. They want you to get surgery, so they will do the best they can to see it happen. They will help unconfuse you. Good luck, Tek

The whole WLS experience is an experience in conditioning. Our actual plans have sometimes vast differences yet no one seems to want to reconcile the differences. It seems the actual plan doesn't really matter but it's following a plan that seems to be the important element. We are learning a new way of eating, a healthier and sustainable way to eat and live. As a reward we consistently lose weight. What conditioning! We follow plan and lose weight. The surgery helps us follow the plan the major part of which is not eating too much. In point of fact most people would lose weight for the first several months no matter what they eat. The surgery is doing the heavy lifting. We all have read of people that eat what they want, pick and choose plan elements, and/or quickly return to their old habits, and yet early on they lose weight. Think of how they are being conditioned: Eat what you want and lose weight. Eventually comes the point where the weight loss stops, or even reverses. It comes for us all. How have the two groups conditioned themselves? Well, the group conditioned with following the plan continue to follow plan, perhaps tightening a little. It's the same thing they've been doing and continuing is just doing what you've been conditioned to do. This group continues doing well. The second group that wasn't following a plan is stuck. Now they have to make a change to something they are unprepared for and unconditioned to do: They need to eat to plan. Except they have no positive conditioning related to plan. For these folks, they are back on the dieting circle. They are conditioned to eat what they want, so this is where their conditioning keeps wanting to take them. They are back between a rock and a hard place. Eating to plan has more implications than simply losing weight fast. We are conditioning ourselves for long term success. Sorry for the sermon, lecture, and longwindedness. Someone will be passing the contribution box. Good luck, Tek

A teen would not have the slightest issue following my surgeon's plan. Heck a grade schooler could handle it. Having been a precocious teen I tend to believe teens are generally able to handle themselves as much as adults generally. If I had really wanted such a surgery and made a good case demonstrating I understood the impacts my parents would have supported me. My greater worry would be parents. The overbearing parents that push their kids into things they don't want or require and the Milquetoast parents that give their kids every whim. Neither situation is healthy for kids. All this really depends on the individuals and family dynamics. Should we really stop the people that can deal with this stuff rationally because some people can't? As with other controversial teen surgeries it seems thorough psychological evaluation should be part of the process. There is no one size fits all answer to these things. But I am long past having to worry about this for me and my kids. I'm in the peanut gallery for everyone else. Good luck, Tek

I dump on sugars and fats. There is early and late dumping. It isn't just a WLS thing as non-ops can dump. Gastric Bypass just makes it easier in many cases. Early dumping usually hits 20-30 minutes after eating. After 20-30 minutes if there is still food in reach there can be vomiting but generally it's just dry heaving with nothing coming up. There is also sweating profusely, weakness, diarrhea, and rapid heart rate, sometimes a headache. Late dumping happens an hour or three later with similar symptoms except for dry heaves. Usually I just start sweating and the other symptoms, if they occur, seem much milder. Dumping is a great educator as it's not something I wanted to repeat so I learned quickly to avoid certain foods. 19 years out from surgery I know what foods in what quantities generally make me dump. But if I am tired, stressed, med conflicts, or a myriad of other situations my dumping threshold could move and I get surprised. At this point it's just something I take as part of the joy of being me. Good luck, Tek

Can you spare it? Good luck, Tek

There are a few possible angles to this. It's very possible you ARE being overly sensitive, as you're in a big state of flux emotionally and physically. You may have lost one of your coping mechanisms with food no longer being as available; Your SO has probably seen you fail time and again on diets and they may be afraid you are going down that path again. We didn't generally start eating off plan on previous diets all at once, it usually starts with a bite here or there first, then get's out of control; Doing this in front of your nephews probably added a level of embarrassment that wasn't necessary, making you both a bit more prickly for each being corrected in such a public way. Your SO and/or you may also have some fears about how you losing weight may change your relationship. WLS tends to highlight both the strengths and weaknesses in relationships. You are changing the status quo. In the comfort and privacy of your home have a calm discussion about everything. About how your SO has been supportive and how you appreciate the support. About your plan and what the details, depending on how involved you want your SO to be. About the level of policing you would like or not like, even how policing (if appropriate) should be done, specifically privately and any other features. Talk about fears and make reassurances as you are both on the same team. Reinforce your positive feelings about each other. This discussion may happen more than once, or in different ways. It's OK. Good luck, Tek

Funny story about 'obese,' to get approved I had to prove 5 years of morbid obesity. Since I had spent years avoiding cameras I had no photos, and since every physical issues I had was blamed on my weight I rarely went to the doctor. However, on a whim and grasping at straws I got my medical records from our PCP and it turned out I had seen her every year or so and at each appointment she noted I was "Super morbidly obese." It was the one and only time I've ever been so happy to see myself described that way. It got me my surgery in about 2 months. Good luck, Tek

I'll add that she may very well be falling back on food as a coping mechanism for her current and/or recent woes. It may be a wise move for her to connect with a therapist to help with coping with her situation and to help establish new and healthier coping mechanisms. Good luck to her. Tek

5 swallows is my limit. On 6 the odds are pretty good that everything will back-up on me, which is just about as much fun as it sounds. I can't remember the last time I went past 5. Good luck, Tek

I don't quite feel 'ick' about anything in particular. I've seen my 'pouch' and it is not what I would call a pouch. It is about the same size as my esophagus and the intestines it connects to, in pretty much a straight line. 'Sleave' would be more appropriate, but I guess they wanted to make it sound like a small stomach that isn't. I have, however, resumed calling it my stomach as it approximates what non-ops call that part of the plumbing. 'Dumping' is pretty much spot on. It seems everything that can come out of your body dumps out wherever it can: Diarrhea, sweating, dry heaving. A good time for all. The positive thing is dumping is a great educator. Good luck, Tek