njlimmer

7DPO! Still can’t believe this is my body! Took a new pic! Flanks are still pretty swollen, but the rest of the swelling has gone down a lot!

6DPO!
Had my 3rd post op visit today, and had 1 drain removed (still have 2 drains left). She also removed and reapplied my boob tape. I'm done with my compression machine and compression tights. I feel more mobile already!
I even wore "real" clothes today. Leggings and a t-shirt, I'm fancy!!
I discovered my drain lanyard around my neck was causing neck pain, so now I carry my drain lanyard like it's a little purse...a gross purse full of bloody Fluid, but it's much more comfortable than around my neck.
I see the surgeon again next Monday, at which time I will likely have a 2nd drain removed. Fun stuff!

Thanks so much! Yes, it's a new BB! I love it! It looks even better when I'm not swollen.
I love my new boobs too!!! My old boobs were a saggy mess. Like 80 year old woman saggy! LOL!!! They were quite uneven too (they've always been, but it wasn't as noticeable when they were full and perky, but as they got so saggy, it was painfully obvious). Husband is obsessed with the new boobs too. Keeps wanting to peek at them, even though he's not allowed to touch yet! Ha ha!!

Hi to all. I haven't been on the forum to post for couple of days, as I had my surgery on Jan 12th. I am just curious if anyone else has ever had a 5 hour long gastric bypass. My poor Dr. worked on my lower intestines where I had so much scar tissue and he said if he hadn't fixed it that later on in life it would have given me lots of trouble. So, I'm actually very blessed that my Dr. went above and beyond for my health. However, I paid for it with the pain. Oh my goodness!!!!! I'm talking pain scale of 10 for awhile. It felt like my stomach was on fire. However, by the next morning I was much better. I only had to stay 2 nights and they were thinking 3 at first, so that of course more good news. I just wanted to share and say Hi and I'm glad to be back home.

3DPO!
Had another post op visit this morning. dressings were removed, and they put tape on my boobs. My tummy incisions are uncovered, and I've been instructed to put antibiotic cream on the incisions 2x/day. I am to continue use of the compression machine over the weekend, and then I go back to the office again on Monday to check my drains.
I still feel great! Only pain now is back pain from being hunched over. It's fine when I'm sitting, but my back starts burning when I'm standing or walking. So I mostly sit!!
Hope everyone is having a Happy Friday!!

I'm new too so maybe not the best answer, but I think of the status updates as more like a diary entry and posts as a question or something like a product that I want to share with everyone. I'm not sure if that's correct, but that's what I've been going off of.

Had a great first night. Peed my brains out from all of the IV fluids which got in the way of sleeping (I was in the bathroom every 90 minutes or so). Pain is still well controlled!! When I'm sitting in my recliner it's a Zero, and if I'm moving around, going to the bathroom, etc, it's about a 2. I can tell when I'm due for my pain meds though, as the pain will slightly increase about 30 minutes before my next dose.
I had my pre-op visit this morning. Everything is looking great. Some obvious swelling (esp my boobs), but even with the swelling, I'm thrilled with everything!!
I go back on Friday to get dressings removed and they will apply the surgical tape at that time. For now, instructions are to stay in my recliner and use my compression machine. Then tomorrow I can start moving around more and take a shower.
So far, everything is great!!!

This is going to sound silly but I’ve been stubbing my toes in my kitchen a lot over the last few months. Kicking the dishwasher, the fridge, the skirting boards, cupboards - lots of swearing, hobbling, cracked toe nails & pain. Couldn’t work out why I mean it’s my kitchen. I know where everything is.
Then yesterday, when I was putting ice on my bruised big toe, I realised why. I don’t have a large stomach that protrudes out & reaches the kitchen bench before my toes do anymore.
How ridiculous is that. Subconsciously, I walk up to the bench & stop when my tummy hits it. Now when my tummy reaches the bench, my toes have already slammed into the cupboards.
Also realised while I often have bruises on my lower legs now, probably for the same reason I stub my toes, I don’t have the bruises I used to have on my upper thighs which I’d get from knocking my old large body into furniture.
Boy do I need to work on my spatial awareness in regards to my smaller body... if only to protect my poor little toes. 😁

Disclaimer: this is a long-winded post and could possibly be triggering for some ppl.
As i watched tons..and i means TONS..of youtube videos during my "research" period pre op I heard lots of ppl mention the emotional and mental part of this journey post op. I gathered from those videos that i would probably be dealing with past trauma that needs healing as I lose the weight..uhhh i had no clue though to expect THIS! Does anyone else feel like as the pounds fall off, emotional scars are uncovered and smack u in the face randomly? I'm all about healing and psychology so I'm down for the ride but whew! I had a panic attack today and have cried all damn day, not knowing exactly which trauma i am supposed to be addressing in my mind. I had a nightmare/flashback two nights ago and woke up sweating and crying with a full blown panic attack. Thats not abnormal for me but i typically can identify the trigger and what specific trauma was triggered. I couldnt do that today, and the traumatic event that was relived in my nightmare the other night was what caught me by surprise bc that event always seemed like "just another effed up, unfortunate event" that occured to me as a child..not something i necessarily considered big traumas like my father's death, being homeless and on my own as a child, sexual abuse, etc. I'm 75lbs down, abt 6 months post op now. Everything has been super positive and ive been elated since surgery. All of a sudden tho its like as i lose this weight im on a healing journey of integrating the "little broken me" with the "grown healthy me"..if that makes sense..im a very positive, encouraging person (friends always get onto me for having "rose colored glasses"), but lately i am just floored as im slapped in the face with extreme emotions or memories from the past. This could be unrelated to wls...maybe just typical ptsd...i know we like to connect wls to everything we're experiencing now lol but it makes me wonder..are others experiencing extreme triggers now? As bad as it sounds, its still a very good thing..or is that my "theres always a silver lining" defense mechanism speaking for me? Lol..but seriously i can't even put it into words how extreme the trigger is but also the healing i feel im receiving! I ended up in the bathroom speaking all the things to myself in the mirror that i would speak to a child having gone through the pain i experienced as a child...I was giving myself permission to be happy and feel safe and to embrace all my blessings bc i am worthy and do deserve it.i was telling myself that i am a good girl and that im proud of myself (as i look into my 32 year old eyes lol)..encouraging me to trust myself to protect myself and reasuring myself that ill always be here to show myself the love i deserve etc..it was so beautiful and pure..not conjured up at all.. and i wasn't even "thinking" during all this really...it was just flowing from my heart and was really cool!! For the first time ever, i saw how beautiful and precious and strong i am and meant every word of affirmation i was speaking! It was truly amazing! Again, sorry im so long-winded, but i really wanna know, "is this what ppl were talking abt? Are others experiencing this or is this just a me thing?"
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no - I was writing about gummy vitamins when I realized she meant Gummy bears. So then I tried to delete my post, but it wouldn't let me delete it. It said I had to put something there. UGH.

I’m back from surgery!!! Everything went great. Surgeon ended up picking 355 cc’d, high profile, Mentir implants (gummy bears). I got a quick peek when I was in recovery and am loving my results so far!

No pain yet, so I’m obviously still feeling the effects of the anesthesia. I just took a pain pill now to stay agreed if it. Chilling in my recliner with my compression machine.

Thanks so much everyone for thinkin of me today! You are the best!! Xoxo!!!

Me too! Well - librarian these days, but I'm hoping for the 5th so that I can have the week before and the week of spring break for recovery. Good Luck!!

Thanks. I'm going to call my surgeon today. I guess I'll be back in a year or so. Good luck everyone!

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2 weeks before my sleeve and I'm pregnant. Birth control fail. I cannot believe my life right now. All that work and testing for nothing.
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Oh my goodness... thank you so much for your caring, smarts, and wisdom. Truth be that somewhere I know the initial steps to start again, but the overwhelming emotions were paralyzing. Y’all helped significantly with that. And yes, time to get a therapist.
I’ve set a “gimme” goal for each week for a month. And I’m stepping away from the scale for a bit.
Thank you. All.

I'm hoping for March! I do my scope tomorrow and that's my last step before it gets sent in for approval!

I'm at the edge of depression.
I had surgery at the end of 2018; my progress was slow, but steady. I even got brave and got new clothes to fit my smaller size.
Cut to now... I've gained back a lot of the weight I've lost. I feel like a failure. I go from regretting having surgery (why did I mutilate myself if I just ended up here again?) to feeling powerless, angry, and depressed. Mostly, I feel lost. Just don't know what to do now. Or trust anything. :(

This week I am 4 and a half months out from gastric bypass and down 113 lbs! I am 20 lbs away from goal but more importantly, I've gone from a size 28/30 barely fitting to a 12/14 depending on jeans or shirts and slacks. The red outfit I have was in a photo from yesterday; the outfit has been in my closet through a move from one state to another and 5 years as a 'goal oufit' that I was always depressed to think to never even come close to wearing!
I was jumping up and down when this size 14 outfit easily slipped on yesterday. I honestly teared up seeing it finally come unfolded and the tags come off. Well, we are in NY, it's COLD and by the time winter subsides, I will be out of this outfit for summer and down at least another size so I'm wearing it in the house now lol. I still remain amazed at how much easier it is to move, breathe and even curl up in a ball or take a bath. I can work now in a very physical job and feel tired but not excruciating pain; it's absolutely unreal to me and delightful.
     

Thanks so much everyone!!! I have been awake since 2am b/c I'm giddy with excitement!! Getting ready for 1 last hibicleanse shower, and then I'm off to surgery!
See you all on the other side!!!

Thank you for your kind comments. It’s been a heck of a month. I’m Glad I verbalized what I was thinking because it seemed to open up a gate. After I posted, I downloaded a journal app and I made four huge entries. I’m seeing my surgeon tomorrow for follow up and I will address what happened with him and see if he has a therapist that specializes in both grief and Bariatric surgery follow up. I have been blocking my grief this past month because my daughter had become dangerously depressed and even expressed a desire to die. I was keeping myself from feeling everything fully in order to care for her. I will take care of myself from now on. I will also stay engaged here on the forum so I can stay focused on my own journey after surgery. I think it will help me a bunch. So appreciative for this place. Thank you all so much for the kindness.

SAMMC Bariatric Clinic: Weight-loss Surgery, Nutrition and Hair loss (whmcbariatric.blogspot.com

Weight-loss Surgery, Nutrition and hair Loss
by Jacqueline Jacques, ND
Original content: http://www.obesityaction.org/magazine/ywm22/wlsandhairloss.php
Typically, about 90 percent of hairs are anagen (in a growth phase) and 10 percent are telogen (in a dormant or resting phase) at any given time, meaning you are usually losing a lot less hair than you are growing so you don't have noticeable hair loss. But sometimes this can change.
A common fear and complaint of bariatric surgery patients is post-operative hair loss. While for most of us as people, our hair is an important part of our self-image and body image, it is not very important to our bodies. For this reason, nutrition can have a great impact on hair health because when forced to make a choice, the body will shift nutritional stores to vital organs like your brain and heart and away from your hair.
Hair loss has many causes. The most common type of hair loss after weight-loss surgery is a diffuse loss known medically as telogen effluvium, which can have both nutritional and non-nutritional causes.
Growing and Losing Hair
Whether you are aware of it or not, for most of your life you are always in the process of both growing and losing hair. Human hair follicles have two states; anagen, a growth phase, and telogen, a dormant or resting phase. All hairs begin their life in the anagen phase, grow for some period of time, and then shift into the telogen phase which lasts for about 100 to 120 days. Following this, the hair will fall out.
Specific types of stress can result in a shift of a much greater percentage of hairs into the telogen phase. The stressors known to result in this shift, or telogen effluvium, include:
High fever Severe infection Major surgery Acute physical trauma Chronic debilitating illness (such as cancer or end-stage liver disease) Hormonal disruption (such as pregnancy, childbirth or discontinuation of estrogen therapy) Acute weight-loss Crash dieting Anorexia Low Protein intake Iron or zinc deficiency Heavy metal toxicity Some medications (such as beta-blockers, anticoagulants, retinoids and immunizations) Weight-loss Surgery and Hair Loss
Nutritional issues aside, bariatric surgery patients already have two major risks of major surgery and rapid weight-loss. These alone are likely to account for much of the hair loss seen after surgery. In the absence of a nutritional issue, hair loss will continue until all hairs that have shifted into the telogen phase have fallen out. There is no way of switching them back to the anagen phase.
Hair loss rarely lasts for more than six months in the absence of a dietary cause. Because hair follicles are not damaged in telogen effluvium, hair should then regrow. For this reason, most doctors can assure their weight-loss surgery patients that with time and patience, and keeping up good nutritional intake, their hair will grow back. Discrete nutritional deficiencies are known to cause and contribute to telogen effluvium. One would be more suspicious of a nutritional contribution to post-bariatric surgery hair loss if:
Hair loss continued more than one year after surgery Hair loss started more than six months after surgery Patient has had difficulty eating and/or has not complied with supplementation Patient has demonstrated low values of ferritin, zinc or protein Patient has had more rapid than expected weight-loss Other symptoms of deficiency are present Nutrition Iron
Iron is the single nutrient most highly correlated with hair loss. The correlation between non-anemic iron deficiency and hair loss was first described in the early 1960s, although little to no follow-up research was conducted until this decade. While new research is conflicted as to the significance of ferritin as a diagnostic tool in hair loss, it has still been found that a significant number of people with telogen effluvium respond to iron therapy.
Optimal iron levels for hair health have not been established, although there is some good evidence that a ferritin level below 40ug/L is highly associated with hair loss in women.1 It is worth noting that this is well above the level that is considered to be anemia, so doctors would not be expected to see this as a deficiency.
Zinc
Zinc deficiency has been tied to hair loss in both animal studies and human cases. There is data linking zinc deficiency in humans to both telogen effluvium and immune-mediated hair loss. Zinc deficiency is a well-recognized problem after bileopancreatic diversion/duodenal switch, and there is some indication that it may occur with other procedures such as gastric bypass and adjustable gastric banding.
In 1996, a group of researchers chose to study high dose zinc supplementation as a therapeutic agent for related hair loss2 in patients with vertical banded gastroplasty. The study administered 200 mg of zinc sulfate (45mg elemental zinc) three times daily to post-operative patients with hair loss. This was in addition to the Multivitamin and iron supplements that patients were already taking. No labs for zinc or other nutrients were conducted.
Researchers found that in patients taking the zinc, 100 percent had cessation of hair loss after six months. They then stopped the zinc. In five patients, hair loss resumed after zinc was stopped, and was arrested again with renewed supplementation. It is important to note that in telogen effluvium of non-nutritional origin, hair loss would be expected to stop normally within six months. Since the researchers conducted no laboratory studies, and there was no control group, the only patients of interest here are those who began to lose hair again after stopping zinc. Thus we cannot say that zinc would prevent hair loss after weight-loss surgery, and further study would definitely be needed to make this connection.
A further note: The Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for zinc is set at 40mg in adults. This study utilized a daily dose of more than three times that level. Not only can these levels cause gastrointestinal distress, but chronic toxicity (mostly associated with copper depletion) can start at levels of 60 mg/day. Information related to this study has made its way to many a support group and chat room – even to doctor's offices – with the message of "high dose zinc will prevent hair loss after weight-loss surgery." Patients should be advised that high dose zinc therapy is unproven and should only be done under supervision due to the associated risks of toxicity. A lab test to check for zinc deficiency would be best before giving a high dose such as this.
Protein
Low protein intake is associated with hair loss. Protein malnutrition has been reported with duodenal switch, and in gastric bypass to a much lesser degree. Little is known about incidence, as only around eight percent of surgeons track labs such as total protein, albumen or prealbumen. Limited studies suggest that patients with the most rapid or greatest amounts of weight-loss are at greatest risk.3
With surgical reduction of the stomach, hydrochloric acid,4 pepsinogen5 and normal churning are all significantly reduced or eliminated. Furthermore, pancreatic enzymes that would also aid in protein digestion are redirected to a lower part of the small intestine. It is thus likely that maldigestion, rather than malabsorption, is responsible for most cases. Some studies have also implicated low protein intake.6
Research also indicates that low levels of the amino acid l-lysine can contribute to hair loss and that repletion of lysine stores may both improve iron status and hair regrowth. In a study of anemic patients with hair loss who were supplemented with 1.5 to 2 grams of l-lysine in addition to their iron therapy, ferritin levels increased more substantially over iron therapy alone.1
Many individuals believe that supplementing with or topically applying the nutrient Biotin will either help to prevent hair loss or will improve hair regrowth. To date, there is no science that would support either of these presumptions. While biotin deficiency can cause dermatitis, hair loss is only known to occur in experimentally induced states in animal models or in extreme cases of prolonged diets composed exclusively of egg whites.7
Other
Other nutrients associated with hair health include Vitamin A, inositol, folate, B-6 and essential fatty acids. Hair loss can also be caused by systemic diseases, including thyroid disease and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and is influenced by genetics.
Conclusion
Hair loss can be distressing to bariatric surgery patients and many will try nutrition themselves to see if they can prevent it. Unfortunately, there is little evidence that early hair loss is preventable because it is mostly likely caused by surgery and rapid weight-loss.
Later hair loss, however, can be indicative of a nutritional problem, especially iron deficiency, and may be a clinically useful sign. Educating patients about the potential for hair loss and possible underlying causes can help them to make informed choices and avoid wasting money on gimmicks that may have little real value.
About the Author:
Jacqueline Jacques, ND, is a Naturopathic Doctor with more than a decade of expertise in medical nutrition. She is the Chief Science Officer for Catalina Lifesciences LLC, a company dedicated to providing the best of nutritional care to weight-loss surgery patients. Her greatest love is empowering patients to better their own health. Dr. Jacques is a member of the OAC National Board of Directors.

Official “before” pic with stats!

5’3. 117lbs
36-29-35.5

Oh my goodness!!! You are not kidding! I feel like I have been on slo-mo since July... now it is so close I feel like someone hit the fast forward button! Good luck tomorrow, I am sure everything will go well!

Oh, we are in the same boat! My surgery is at the end of February... trying to get prepared and it is becoming a daunting task! Keep me posted on how your prep is going... I am wishing both of us the best of luck!

you can get sample packets of most/all of the Syntrax flavors in several places - including directly from Syntrax, on Amazon, or here on BP.