SleeverSk

i agree especially this early in the "journey"

@SleeveToBypass2023 Looking good Chicky, so happy for you

I have only vomitted once and that was from a gallstone attack

I'm going to try and keep this from being too long, but there's so much to say!!! First I'll start with my newest NSVs.

I'm officially in a size 18 clothes (from my original size 30), size 10 shoes (from my original size 11), size 6 1/2 ring (from my original size 10), 18" chain on a necklace (from my original 24" chain), and 2x jacket (from my original 4-5x). I can now comfortably fit on a massage table without fear of it creaking or breaking. I can now ride a bike because I'm within the weight limit. I now am able to hit my favorite thrift stores and walk out with seriously cute clothes that look nice, sit well on me, and actually fit comfortably!! My asthma is almost completely gone (I only have it when I get super sick now instead of all the time). My blood work came back and my hormone levels are almost in the normal range (I have PCOS) and my cysts that completely COVERED both ovaries are totally gone (without having taken any meds or done any hormone therapies!!) I did a 6 mile hike this past weekend with my son. I am completely pain free and am able to go full on beast mode with my workouts again. I can go up 5 flights of stairs before I need to stop and rest.

Now for my new chapter in life and old dreams becoming new again.

So years ago, I wanted to become a nurse. I completed all of the academics with a 4.0, aced all the labs, but couldn't do any of the clinicals because I couldn't do all the walking, I was 400 pounds, and my health/joints/back were way too bad. So I gave up on it. Then about 2 years later, I thought "well, maybe I can be a medical assistant. Surely THAT'S not as hard" and once again, I couldn't do the externship because I couldn't do the physical stuff. So I went into other areas for work, ballooned up to 421 pounds, worked remotely, and made good money. I loved what i did, but there was always a part of me that regretted not being able to go into the medical field. That was my heart's desire. So fast forward to now. I'm between jobs and miserable. I had to stop working because of all my complications from my first surgery. Now that I've been cleared, I can't get hired anywhere. So I decided that now is a great time to go back to my dream of working in the medical field. So on Sept 5th, I start school to become a certified pediatric oncology medical assistant. Most of my previous credits transfer over, so I only have about 6 months of academics to do and then the externship. Then I sit for my certification exam and then I get to finally FINALLY do what I've always wanted to do. By my 46th birthday next June, I should be right where I want to be, doing what I want to do, and hopefully at my goal weight.

I'm sitting here in tears as I type this, because I thought this was something I would never see happen. I resigned myself to being morbidly obese, extremely unhealthy, and needing a cane to get around. I may not be at my goal weight (the weight comes off a lot slower with a revision, and also as your bmi gets smaller and you get closer to your goal) but I believe eventually I'll get there. But the things this surgery is giving to me, the dreams I can live out, the health and wellness and years of my life I'm getting back..... it was all worth it. The complications, the uncertainty, the pain and healing and stalls.... all completely worth it. We all start this journey wanting the numbers on the scale to go down. But there's SO MUCH MORE this surgery gives you. I will never, ever regret my decision. Never.

I first looked into weight loss surgery about 15 years before I actually went through with it. Like you, I was scared away by horror stories and all the changes I would have to make and the things I would have to give up. I was also particularly concerned about vomiting because I got the impression that WLS results in vomiting at the drop of a hat. BTW, I am 3 years post-op and I have had exactly one bout of vomiting since my surgery.
I think it's really important to go into the surgery with realistic expectations. If this forum is any indication, way too many people get WLS thinking that it will work like magic, and they're completely unprepared to make the lifestyle changes that are necessary to use the WLS as an effective tool. So I think it's a good thing that you are prepared for the rough parts of the surgery, and it probably won't be as bad as you think. Not gonna lie: the beginning is really hard, but once you get 2+ years out from surgery, you will probably be able to eat fairly normally, and if you play your cards right, you might just find that you no longer want to eat the way you used to. You'll establish a new normal for yourself where you won't constantly feel like you're "giving up" what you really want.
I highly recommend a podcast called We Only Look Thin. It's run by a couple who each lost over 100 pounds. They didn't have surgery, but a lot of their journey resonates so deeply with me. Weight loss (especially when you have a daunting amount to lose) is largely a mental battle, and this podcast absolutely nails it. They are amazing at verbalizing the mental processes that I've gone through, and they are very honest about their struggles. They have some great reality checks about things like fairness, excuses, and mental loopholes, and they have some fantastic advice for navigating the everyday struggles of weight management. Now, I didn't start listening to this until after I had lost 200 pounds, so it might be easier for me to hear and realize, "Yep, past me made a lot of excuses. Past me didn't take responsibility for my eating habits," than it would have been when I was still making excuses and resisting the changes that I was going to have to make. But maybe it would have been easier for me to make those changes if I had heard this podcast before I started than having to figure it out as I went.

it's a good thing you are going through the anger now and not after surgery as it seems so much worse then, the benefits certainly outweigh the bad. but in time normally around the 12 months to 2-year mark you will wonder where your restriction has gone and long for the early days post-surgery. you will be able to eat your fav foods just don't overdo it and make the most of the early post op days as the past very quickly. I thought I would never eat normally ever again and that I would never enjoy food again, but I did, and I can, and you will too.

it's a good thing you are going through the anger now and not after surgery as it seems so much worse then, the benefits certainly outweigh the bad. but in time normally around the 12 months to 2-year mark you will wonder where your restriction has gone and long for the early days post-surgery. you will be able to eat your fav foods just don't overdo it and make the most of the early post op days as the past very quickly. I thought I would never eat normally ever again and that I would never enjoy food again, but I did, and I can, and you will too.

it's a good thing you are going through the anger now and not after surgery as it seems so much worse then, the benefits certainly outweigh the bad. but in time normally around the 12 months to 2-year mark you will wonder where your restriction has gone and long for the early days post-surgery. you will be able to eat your fav foods just don't overdo it and make the most of the early post op days as the past very quickly. I thought I would never eat normally ever again and that I would never enjoy food again, but I did, and I can, and you will too.

it was ok, I think the first week you are tired and just concentrating on healing, week 3 however I was over it and regretting it big time, but I don't anymore.

Yes, I just saw the link and read the info on the page; I see its more of a treatment rather than a "surgery". But still having Constipation to that level is not good and something else might be going on.

BBL surgical cushion. It’s been firm and is positioned mainly under the upper thigh when seated to take pressure off of the Glutes.

Since my surgery,the only things I've sat on are soft . I took my dog to the vet and they have wooden benches to sit on. I sat down, wondered "what am I sitting on?" Got up - I moved to a different bench. "What the heck? It's on this bench ,too" . Then I finally realized " That's my BONES I'm sitting on !!!!! LOL 😲

Oh no… this must be so hard for you. I’m at the “typical” point right now (4 months out) dealing with shedding over the last two weeks. My hair fills a brush twice a day!! And I still lose clumps in the shower. It has been heart breaking even though I knew it was likely, actually dealing with it emotionally and physically has been so hard. So when you say this is your third time going through this in the last two years, I felt like I just wanted to give you a hug.
it’s true there isn’t a whole lot you can do except commiserate, but I hope you know it’s safe to do so here and we understand. Hang in there!

I'm 22 months post op...and my hair started falling out again.
I've been sick since February with what they finally determined is sarcoidosis, which means I have to be on steroids for probably the next 6-12 months. Luckily, it's not making me gain weight, in fact it's making me lose more. Prednisone can cause Hair loss, and I know I'm not eating enough, but it's really hard for me to do so. I had to stop taking Calcium during my treatment. There's just so many factors causing this and I don't know what to do other than just ride it out and get a new collection of hats and bandanas. I don't really want to wear a wig, I ride a motorcycle and I can't exactly stuff a wig under a helmet, and all I can imagine is how hot and itchy it's going to be.
After the first time it happened, at the normal time most people experience it, 3-4 months after my surgery it came right back a couple months later, thicker and healthier than ever...but I'm not healthy right now, and my hair is letting me know. The hair loss might actually be WORSE this time.
I don't know that I'm looking for advice, but I'm just screaming and sobbing into the void right now. I thought I was done with this but here we are again.

SleeverSk, The Argon Coagulation surgery is very different from a bypass. From what I read, this surgery creates scar tissue to make stomach pouches smaller. I can see how there would need to be more than one if that's all they're doing.

I understand the “let me eat it all now, because I won’t be able to eat it after the surgery.” I’ve done it, too.
I know you’re scared about the surgery. The only thing I can suggest is for you to think of the reason for the surgery. You’re not having “weight-loss surgery.” You’re having a surgery to fix another problem. Actually, that’s how we got the Roux-en-Y. It was for a different gastric problem, and the patients and doctors noticed the weight loss. Then they started using the surgery specifically for weight loss.
You’re fortunate to have a very supportive husband. It will be helpful during your recovery and the weight loss that accompanies it. You can do this!

I had a serious case of buyer's remorse during my second week post op. I even thought, "I should've just stayed the way I was!" But I am feeling better. I try to do a lot of reading about the bypass and revisions. I'm a sleeve to bypass revision. I'm 23 days out and at a weight stall. I'm finding it hard to consume more than 56-64 oz of Water a day. I'm craving caffeine like crazy. And I'm experiencing Constipation and not sure how to add more Fiber without adding more carbs. It's tricky getting just enough of this and not too much of that. What's helping my mindset, though, is looking back at my very first pic (starting weight) and looking at my most recent. I haven't lost much (comparatively speaking), but I feel better. I can wash the dishes, cook dinner for my daughter, and bathe without running out of breath or having my back aching and burning. I can dress myself without having to sit on the bed. My skin looks fantastic. Focus on all of the things that have gotten better since your pre-op diet. Focus on the future weight loss you'll experience (even if it's going slower than you'd like). Focus on things you'll be able to consume in a couple of months. You can look up recipes and save them for month 2 and month 3 and so on. Also, I don't know if you pray, but if you do, pray for peace of mind. All of these things help me, and they may help you as well.

I didn't have any regrets after the WLS but I remember feeling miserable during the liquid and pureed food stage. Drinking chicken Soup that was just bland and had no spices all day was not the best thing. My sister who had her surgery three weeks before me helped me a lot and made sure I pass that time without any issues or setbacks. We got your back.

Just think of all the things you will be able to do and achieve after your start losing weight and that will definitely help you go through it. Good luck and hang in there.

It's easy to be regretful those first few weeks after surgery. You are sore, hormones shifting etc. Give it time. 3 months out I can do things I haven't been able to do for years.
Sure I can't have some of my favorite foods. But because I'm no longer sedentary and eating out of boredom, my mind is on other things besides my next meal. Before I rarely moved from my couch and now I'm walking 2 miles a day outside. I'm so loving it.
After my doc appointment this week, I went to a huge mall and walked the length of it and back without taking a rest. Before, my back would have been killing me and I would have had to sit down. Honestly I wouldn't have even attempted it pre-op. I felt like a bird let out of a cage. I didn't buy any new clothes but I did splurge and got my brows done by a sweet little gal from India who has mastered the art of brow threading.
This morning I'm going to the gym, getting a cryo therapy treatment, sitting in an infrared sauna then to the Chiropractor to help straighten me out as I lose weight.
Just remember, there's more to life than just food. Enjoy your weekend

I’m 13 months out from sleeve. The first six weeks are the toughest part, learning to drink often, learning or relearning how to eat and what you can tolerate. You will lose then stop losing and think you’re doing it wrong. You’ll feel regret and frustration and pain and exhaustion. The diet progression sucks. It’s just tough. So, be kind to yourself, try to hit your Water and Protein goals and move as often as you comfortably can. Even if it’s a sad little shuffle around the room. Everyday it will get better and around six weeks the steady weight loss begins. Understand the changes in your hormones will make you feel emotional and anxious. But the good stuff is right around the corner. You made it this far, just keep moving forward and pay strict attention to measuring your food until you can feel your restriction. The signals from your new tummy won’t be noticeable right away and it’s very important you don’t eat too much or the wrong kind of stuff. Later, you’ll be able to enjoy all kinds of stuff but now is the time to pay attention to the guidelines. And as soon as you’re cleared, start an exercise routine even if it’s just walking at first. It makes a huge difference in how you feel and how quickly you lose. Good luck!

It gets better guys it really does

2 years out and went to show someone 6 months ago and I couldn't even find them lol

this was me all over I am almost 2 years out now I don't regret it one bit. when I was in the stage you're in now I was even googling stomach transplants lol. but I know it doesn't feel like it now, but it does get better took me about 4 to 6 months to feel better then 10- 12 months to realise it was the right thing to do. Big Hugs you will get there.

this was me all over I am almost 2 years out now I don't regret it one bit. when I was in the stage you're in now I was even googling stomach transplants lol. but I know it doesn't feel like it now, but it does get better took me about 4 to 6 months to feel better then 10- 12 months to realise it was the right thing to do. Big Hugs you will get there.

it was ok, I think the first week you are tired and just concentrating on healing, week 3 however I was over it and regretting it big time, but I don't anymore.