SleeveToBypass2023

Also, it sounds like an umbilical hernia, since it's by your belly button. Here's some info I found about it: An umbilical hernia is a bulge or defect in the abdominal wall near the belly button. The most common sign is a visible bulge on or near your belly button that's soft to the touch. In some people, it's always visible. Other times, you can only see the bulge when there's pressure in your abdomen. This hernia develops when a portion of the lining of the abdomen, part of the intestine, and/or fluid from the abdomen, comes through the muscle of the abdominal wall. If the trapped portion of intestine is completely cut off from the blood supply, it can lead to tissue death. Infection may spread throughout the abdominal cavity, causing a life-threatening situation. Adults with umbilical hernias are somewhat more likely to experience a blockage of the intestines. Surgery is recommended for most adults with an umbilical hernia because the hernia is unlikely to get better by itself when you're older and the risk of complications is higher.

Definitely sounds like a hernia. I had a ventral hernia that required surgery back in December. But I had A LOT of pain. However, they think I had the hernia for a little while until it became incarcerated and started hurting. They did a MRI and got me into surgery 5 days later. Pay very VERY close attention to it. Any pain at all, even mild, needs immediate medical attention. It can go downhill very quickly, so don't ignore it or try to push through it. It'll get worse, not better, and it won't correct itself or heal itself, especially once the pain starts.

I can't wait to go back to Florida and see all my family and friends in person. They've seen my pics online, but it's just different in person. I can't wait to go to the theme parks and be able to walk around and ride the rides with no issues at all, no funny looks, no problems fitting in any seats. It'll be the first time since high school that I can actually enjoy being there and doing what I want (and dressing cute while doing it!!)

My program didn't offer anything either. We had 1 online group "power session" that basically told us what we can and can't eat before and after surgery, what recovery would look like, how long we would be in the hospital, and that we have access to the (fairly useless) nutritionist. That was it. I learned more from Google. Then I found this forum and the rest is history. This place is WAY more helpful than anything else, so I just stick with it. Now that I'm 2 years out from my original surgery and 1 year out from my revision, fully recovered my my SLEW of complications and additional surgeries, and not only made it to my goal but am below it, I feel like I have stuff to offer in the conversation now. I owe everyone here so much that I just hope to pay it forward to others.

I was coming on here to say it sounds like either dumping or a new allergy, or maybe both. I've had both happen and it's not fun.

Not to sidetrack the post, but what surgery did you end up with? Your stats say duodenal switch, but I don't think that's right, is it? I forget what you said you were getting, and then it might be something else when they get in there if they couldn't do it. UGH...I hate having a crappy short term memory!!!

I wish I could do something like this!!! I definitely have things I could tell them about BOTH surgeries!!! I might look into it, although I have no idea where to even start.

I had my gall bladder removed in 1997 when I was 4 months pregnant. I was told no caffeine for 6 months, nothing high in fat for a year, no soda or carbonation for 4-6 months based on how I tolerated it, and no restrictions on when I could introduce fiber. I stuck to this and did fine. Once my son was 3 months old and I was exclusively formula feeding him (supply just dried up and nothing helped), I went to drinking whatever I wanted and eating what I wanted and it was fine.

The only reason I suggested the stages is to give yourself time mentally to adjust to the changes little by little. It won't do anything for your pouch, but trying to change everything all at once, or even too fast, can set you up for failure. Yes, it's on you now. But really, it's always been. You just didn't know it. We rely on the restriction and the small size of our pouches to tell us when to stop eating, or what not to eat, or how often we can eat. But the food choices are still on us. Slider foods, foods high in carbs and unhealthy fats, high in salt and sugar...that's still on us. Slider foods, alcohol, sodas...that's still on us. So if you want to skip the stages, that's fine. But get yourself ready mentally to make the changes you need to make. You still have your tool. You just have to relearn how to properly use it.

Lost your way how? It'll be easier to help you if you tell us what you mean.

I had a revision to bypass from the sleeve a little over a year ago because of complication from the sleeve and my only regret is that I didn't just get the bypass to begin with. I was so afraid of the complications that I chose the sleeve and regretted it almost from the very beginning. I have not had 1 single moment of regret with the bypass. I've only had dumping 3x, and since you should take vitamins anyway for health, and since I always took them anyway, it doesn't bother me at all to keep taking them. The malabsorption really hasn't been an issue. It's really just for extended release meds, some vitamins and supplements, etc... You just take extra or take it at 2 different times during the day. It's a lot less overwhelming than it seems. My life is actually SO much better and easier since I had the revision.

There's no actual pouch reset, you're correct about that. It's more getting your mind right again. You have to get back to basics, not to retrain your pouch but to retrain yourself how to eat (and not eat) again. A week of stage 1, a week of stage 2, etc is a great way to start over. It's gonna be really rough, not gonna lie, but start tracking everything that goes into your mouth. Everything you eat and drink. how much, how often. Start tracking your calories, carbs, fats, and proteins. Prioritize protein first, then veggies, then healthy fats. Follow the eating and drinking rules. Reach back out to your surgeon's office and your nutritionist, if you can. You still have your tool, you just have to hold yourself accountable and start using it properly again.

YES!!!!! Congratulations!!! Update your stats, girl!!!!

WooHoo!!! You're doing so well!!! Have you been updating your stats on here? If not, you should. Have you decided on the surgery you want and when you're having it? As for why men are dumb...the only answer I have is because they're men. Can't live with em and it's illegal to shoot em lol But I digress...I love my hubby but he did and still does the same thing. I weighed 270 when we met and was all the way up to 421. Now that I'm 176, he gets in his moods where he's convinced I'm going to leave, l but I just tell him I'm too old, too tired, and I put too much time, effort, and energy into getting him the way I want him to start all over with someone new. Not sure that helps a whole lot, but at least he's quiet after that lol

WooHoo!!! You go girl!! You look awesome

I just started doing this because I can't work out as much as I use to because of how much I work now. We walk 2 miles to the lake, walk around the lake twice, then sit and have a small picnic lunch (that's all the stuff I carry in the backpack - food, drinks, blanket, weights, speaker for music, etc..) then we walk the 2 miles back home. I also wear 2 pound leg weights and 1 pound wrist weights.

There would be no need to do nicotine testing if you don't smoke, vape, or use a patch or gum. I can't speak to all surgeons, but mine requires testing to see if you have sleep apnea before surgery. If you're already diagnosed with it, you just have to continue using the cpap machine before the surgery and for the first 6 weeks after.

I don't have any pto time I can use right now, so I needed to be able to justify working from home and not just having 2 unpaid days out. At least this way, my boss can't say it was wasted money lol

My win for today is being able to work from home the last 2 days while sick (I'm a clinical medical assistant). I've been returning calls that come in on the MA line that we normally can't get to right away, doing prescription refills, authorizing controlled medications, working on prior authorizations, doing referrals, scheduling infusion treatments, sending in lab orders, and generally getting all 3 of us MAs in the office all caught up with our admin stuff that we have to do on top of all of the clinical stuff we do all day. Needless to say, they were quite grateful to be caught up lol They asked if we could each take turned working from home 1 day per week to do just admin stuff, but sadly, the powers that be don't like that idea. But it's a win for us that I at least got us all caught up now!!!

I have lived here all 46 years of my life, and half the time I don't understand how the system works, either lol

OMG I'm so excited for you!!! I just know you're gonna rock this thing!!! Don't forget to update your stats once you get home and see what your pre-surgery weight is and what surgery you end up with. I can't wait to see you nail this thing!!! Good luck

Yes, liquid diet is HARD and makes you feel like crap. But if your surgery is Wednesday, it's just right around the corner!!! You might be going into ketosis, known as the "keto flu". It's not a real flu, so no worries there. But yes, you'll feel like a$$. At least you're almost there!!! Did you ever settle on a surgery?? I can't remember if you did or not.

Here in America, we have Medicaid, which is tax payer and government funded. They make you jump through a lot of hoops to get the surgery approved, but once it is, you still only have 2, or in rare cases, 3 weeks of pre-op dieting. I really feel for you. So they want you to lose 27 pounds in 3 months. That's 9 pounds per month or 2.25 pounds per week. That's actually VERY doable!!! And you still have plenty of time. I know you can do it. You got this!!!

The first pic are tortilla shells. The 2nd and 3rd are white bread with no real after taste. I think you'll really like them!!

Yeah, I've never just drank a glass of milk, but I use it when I have cereal, with cooking and baking, when making smoothies and protein shakes. It's really good and gives way more vitamins and calcium than cow's milk. I use the unsweetened vanilla almond milk.