SleeveToBypass2023

I'm 46. I had a complete hysterectomy including my ovaries removed and I am on hormones. I'm on the max dose and have been doing really well on them. This has been since May 7th of this year. So almost 4 months.

No, I don't. I didn't think about that, either. I'm going to look into getting one of those next payday. Now that you mentioned it, I'm curious what my daily steps are. I hadn't given it a single thought. Now I wonder how much actual "working out" I'm doing 5 days per week at work....

Actually....no. I know my MS is ok right now, but I honestly didn't even think about my lupus being stupid!!! I'm going to call my rheumatologist today. THANK YOU!!!!!

Thank you!!! I love evrything about this. I feel like you heard me, and it feels good. I literally got so frustrated trying to explain it to hubby last night that I started to cry, and I NEVER cry. He kept saying "well, just eat more, move less, and try not to think about it so much". I threw a pillow, 2 stuffed animals, and a paperback book at him and told him not to "help" anymore.

I get the iron infusions yearly because the anemia is chronic due to my lupus. Been this way since I was a teenager. I don't feel a lot different after them, but it is what it is. I felt good when I weighted between 182-185, but once I went below 180, that's when I started feeling like crap. And no matter what I say to my doctor, it's like I'm not saying anything at all. She isn't taking me seriously because my labs are fine. It's really irritating me!!

Nothing to apologize for at all. I've been complaining about how I feel AND look, so you didn't really misunderstand I was feeling great for quite a while, but as my weight continued to drop, I started to feel worse. Once I went below 180, it really started to go downhill. But i was ok at around 182-185, which is why I wanted to get back to that weight. But nothing I do gets me there. I think I'll demand my doctor really listen to me and do some additional testing. I've been saying all of this to her and I feel like I'm talking to a wall for all the good it's doing me.

I only work out 2 days per week now because I work on my feet as a medical assistant 5 days per week, but I think I'll back off those for a bit and see if that helps at all. I hadn't even thought about that, to be honest, because I was working out 5-6 days per week and had to cut back to 2, so I figured that was already a huge drop. But being on my feet all day moving and working with patients is probably enough right now.

I'm a lot weaker than I used to be. I've been losing a lot of strength. I'm always tired and super fatigued. I'm losing muscle. I'm losing stamina. I'm getting more headaches. Not to mention how bony and veiny I look. My clothes and jewelry literally hang on me. I'm noticing I'm achy more often, such as muscles and joints. I take my vitamins everyday. I take an iron supplement but now need to start my iron infusions again.

I just had my 1 year blood work done for the bariatric surgeon, and everything came back normal except the fact that I'm anemic (that's nothing new, thanks to my systemic lupus). Here's what I had done: VITAMIN D, 25-HYDROXY VITAMIN B12 VITAMIN A TSH VITAMIN B1 (THIAMINE), WHOLE BLOOD LIPID PANEL PREALBUMIN IRON PROFILE HEMOGLOBIN A1C FOLATE FERRITIN COMPREHENSIVE METABOLIC PANEL CBC WITH DIFFERENTIAL My PCP also got the results and said she was happy with them and set me up with another iron infusion (I have to get them twice per year). My surgeon was happy with the results and said sometimes our bodies just do what they're going to do and we're along for the ride. He said if I get tot he point that I physically can't function because of the weight loss, then he'll look into ordering additional testing, but as of right now, while it's unusual to still be losing at this stage, it's not unheard of so he's not particularly concerned. It's nice that HE'S not, but nobody seems to take into account that I AM. I keep explaining how I feel, how I look, how I don't have energy or strength, how I'm losing muscle, how I'm always so so tired, how I can't shake the circles under my eyes or make my skin look healthy no matter how much collagen or serum or cream I use and nobody seems to care. He literally commented on the fact that he could see and feel my bones, ribs, etc... I said "yes, I know. That's my point. Look at my hands and feet. They are bones and veins. No fat at all." And he said it would even out in time. But all that's been happening is I've been getting smaller and smaller the more time goes by.

I'm definitely nowhere near an unhealthy bmi ON PAPER, but I also know my body. I can see and feel my bones sticking out. My husband and kids hug me and they feel my bones and tell me I feel like I'm gonna break if they squeeze me because I feel fragile now. I look like I'm losing muscle, and frankly, I feel really weak compared to how I use to feel. I have permanent circles under my eyes. My hands and feet are boney and veiny and my skin literally hangs off my body, including my face. I'm always tired, even though I get plenty of sleep. I'm one of the curvy, big bones girls. I carry my weight in such a way that I can weigh more but not look like it. So right now, I look sickly. But more importantly, I don't feel right. I feel not great, which is the opposite of what I wanted when I started this journey.

Thank you It's frustrating because for nearly 26 years, all I wanted in the world was to be thin an healthy again. And now that I am, I'm complaining because I'm too thin. But I'm getting a lot of comments about looking sickly and boney and too skinny. And I agree. I can see and feel my bones sticking out. My husband and kids hug me and they feel my bones and tell me I feel like I'm gonna break if they squeeze me because I feel fragile now. I look like I'm losing muscle, and frankly, I feel really weak compared to how I use to feel. I have permanent circles under my eyes. My hands and feet are boney and veiny and my skin literally hangs off my body, including my face. I'm always tired, even though I get plenty of sleep. And my clothes and rings literally hang off me. Nothing fits at all. I'm always hungry, no matter how much I eat, no matter how often I eat, and no matter WHAT I eat. I'm just praying that things start to even out soon. This is a really slippery slope, and I could find myself in disordered eating territory really easily since I only seem to hold on to weight when I restrict my eating. I don't want to get into doing that and have that become my new norm.

I have before and afters, just not in the same outfit. I was never able to do that lol You look absolutely amazing, girl!!!!

I'm noticing more aches and pains since I've dropped so much weight. I thought it was weird, too, so I asked my doctor and he said it can be normal with bariatric patients. Particularly those who lose a substantial amount of weight. I may go back and ask for additional testing, just to be sure. But being hyper focused on hitting or not hitting the goal number on the scale you set can really do a number on you mentally and emotionally. I'm very goal oriented when it comes to work and school, but I had to learn to let some of that go when it came to my personal life. Specifically weight loss. It took a while, but I realized that the NSVs were way more important than the number on the scale. Once I figured that out and took some of the pressure off myself, the scale actually started to move more in the direction I wanted it to lol

OH!!! And CONGRATULATIONS!!!! You're getting closer, and I know you're nervous and excited and freaking out, but this is what you've been working so hard for. You're almost there!!! WooHoo!!!!

My questions were: How long are we looking at for the actual surgery time and time in recovery before getting to the actual room? How long is the recovery and what can I expect during it? How long will I be in the hospital and how soon after the surgery will I be up and walking? Should I use a stomach binder the first 2 weeks to help with the pain after the surgery? What is the recommended time for each stage of eating post surgery, how many calories and carbs should I be getting in, and what are my fluid and protein goals at each stage? When will I be getting follow up blood work (I personally had it at 2 months, 6 months, and 1 year post op)? Is there a list of acceptable exercises to do at each stage of healing until I get my final complete clearance, and at what stage will I get that? What pain meds will I be given and how long will I be able/expected to take them? What, specifically, is dumping and what has been known to trigger it and how do we get through it if it happens? What hormonal changes are to be expected as the weight drops off, especially during the first 3 months? Please tell me EVERYTHING you can about stalls, in as much detail as possible. What medications are affected by the malabsorption that comes with bypass (typically it's extended release, but there could be others). That's all I can remember that I asked, but I hope this at least gives you a good start!!!

I have absolutely NO boobs left. I was a DD and now I just have empty skin sacs. OMG I hate it. And my poor booty just went and effed off. We don't know her anymore. All saggy and flat now when I use to have a bubble butt.

We don't have anything like that, but maybe I'll look into starting something like this. Thanks for the suggestion!!

I went from a 5x and 28/30 in clothes to a 14 and XL. Stayed there for a bit so I went and got scrubs and outfits in XL. And was doing great for about 2 months. NOW I'm in a 12 and L in clothes. I never, ever thought I would be down to this size again, but the frustration is that now I can't fit into any of my clothes and work scrubs. I'm the main breadwinner in my family (my husband is on disability) and I just don't have money to buy more scrubs. I listed my old ones (3 sets of size 2x and 6 sets of XL) and they just aren't selling. They have solid bottoms and prints on the tops. I look rather comical in my scrubs now that they are a size too big. I guess I'm just venting because I'm irritated that my clothes don't fit, that I don't have the money to replace them with ones that do, and the ones I have aren't selling. I've only gained 2 pounds since I've been working hard to try and put more weight back on to at least get to my goal weight (I keep dropping back down and fighting to gain those 2 pounds back). I have to do blood work to have my thyroid tested. Apparently every once in a while, having WLS can throw the thyroid off and make it hyper active. So I might need to take something to even it out for a while, with the hope that it will normalize itself eventually. My doctor said that might explain why I literally cannot put on weight, keep on anything I do put on, and I just keep losing no matter what I do. Grrrr..... Ok, rant over....

This is WAY above my paygrade lol Definitely reach out toy our surgeon on this one.

Sugar has actually never made me dump at all. I am extremely, almost excessively sensitive to carbs. But I can eat as much sugar as I want and it doesn't affect me in the slightest. Go figure...

YAY!!! I'm so glad things went well!!! I was hoping they would, although I really didn't have any doubts about it I don't hide my weight from hubby. Never have. But I think it's mostly just because I figured if the man sees me naked and still wants me, knowing the number on the scale isn't that big a deal lol

Oh lord, ok she said "Ow do, just faffin' wit me niece. She say stop mitherin' me, I say nay wee one. Now she vexed, but I reckon it's be reight". Like...what??? lol Ok then...just keep your secret language. I have a headache now.

Yes, she was quite happy with me lol And And she said her sandwich is not nasty or rotten lol I knew what chuffed meant but now ya'll are speakin a whole other language lol Makes my head hurt lol

My aunt is from York, as well!!!!! She's lived here in the States for 30 years full time and 50% of the time for about 15 years, so she doesn't say stone or any of that any more (still says flat instead of apartment and pronounces H as haytch OMG WHYYYYY), but her accent is still so thick, and she has so many funny things she says that I gave up trying to figure out YEARS ago lol

Exactly. And then my mind goes to "Oh, I KNOW why I didn't deserve the compliments when I was bigger. I wasn't THEIR idea of pretty or fashionable or sexy or anything THEY liked looking at". As if I liked what I saw when I looked in the mirror.....