fed-up

Thanks Arabesque and all .The NHS won't do an infusion .My doctor explained that unless I am severely anaemic they wouldn't even consider it .I found it complicated but she said I have small red blood cells .I do need to carry on taking a ton of iron but they aren't retesting until the end of May . I feel wiped out most days and sleep a lot .I told the doctor this and she said nothing .I have told this to the dietitian but have heard nothing back , even though she offered to get my bloods done .So it goes on . I have a question - do you guys have your dietitians number ? Mine is all done by e mail and you wait ages for a reply .It says in the bumph "you will have access to a dietitian " - this means an e mail address in my case .Anyone else ? thanks

I am in the UK so I don't know if you get these - Nairns oat milled crackers .Nairns do a wide range of crackers but it's a Scottish company so I'm not sure if they are sold in the U.S. .But oat milled crackers of type are normally thin and smooth in texture ,I'm sure you'll find one like it !

Hi Brandi , I am 6 months post op and I am still having the same problem .I am still only able to eat runny food .If I eat tuna, mackeral , turkey breast -even soft salmon , it feels like barbed wire going down .I pretty much eat cottage cheese , protein shakes , yogurts , soft berries , soft cereal and crackers .I don't have the solution .I saw a woman on tv eating chunks of apple !! how she managed it I have no idea .Hopefully someone who has managed to eat more normally will come on and share with us how they manage to do it !! Don't worry too much , you are still very very new and all could be well for you soon I hope .

Hi Tink , thanks a lot .I do have questions about infusions .How often do we have to have them ? Are they painful ? how long does each infusion take ? She said there was sometimes side effects - did you getting apart from what you said ? The NHS may or may not let me have an infusion/s , I don't know what the criteria is for it .The dietitian says it's nothing to do with them as it's not included in the private op I had .Sorry ,I meant to put in my post above - that my doc said there was NO iron supplement she could give me that I hadn't tried . thanks everyone .

Hi anyone who is interested ! I saw my G/P today and she listened and said there was iron supplement she could prescribe that hasn't been tried .She said she was going to call a department at the hospital whose job it was to give advice and guidance on the next step .She said infusions cost a lot - to the NHS - but it may be that's what is advised .Before the op I had great iron levels !! all that cereal and dark chocolate I expect .So I have to wait now and see what they advise .I'd love to feel energetic again , I just feel soooo tired .Will post when I hear if I am getting an infusion .I wonder how long an infusion puts you on for ? thanks !

I've got gluten intolerance but I've read that unless you are or are a coeliac , there is no point in going gluten free .

Hi , I was never asked about weed .You might be asked if you smoke or vape .My husband smokes and he has had a few operations but really just be honest with them and ask will it slow down your recovery ? Some doctors smoke and I doubt they'll be shocked .Best get it off your chest before hand or it'll just play on your mind .Good luck .

Hi Sleever 123 , you don't know much about the surgery .You are given the anaesthetic to knock you out and when you come round , it's all over .They keep you comfortable with pain killers and I don't think I had that much pain .I just kept it nice and simple in my head - I was getting a smaller stomach so I would eat less .I was happy to say goodbye to my old stomach ! you will be able to walk better , feel healthier , your life will change for the better .I don't like hospitals either but you aren't in there long .I think it's natural to be scared .Good luck and come back on and tell us how it went X

Hi All , thanks so much that valuable info .I dread trying to get an appointment with my G/P - as anyone in the UK will tell you - it's a miracle if you don't just get the nurse or pharmacist . The dietitian told me that gentle Iron , Feraglobin , and Bariatric Vits won't do it for me and I need to get a treatment plan off my G/P .Yeah like that's easy . She is sending me to be re-tested in a month .I have found it nigh on impossible to stomach ANY food that isn't soft ie I live on cottage cheese , shakes , Oatabix ( when it's soft ) and yogurt plus Protein water .I have really tried to digest proper food but it kills me going down .I can manage chocolate and am tempted to have some very dark chocolate every day to get my iron up .It doesn't give me the runs . Memoryissues - you are so right .The dietitian will only do so much .I wish I could have an infusion but I'm likely just to be put on Ferrous Fumerate which hasn't worked so far . Thanks for all the tips everyone re caffeine , spacing out my iron pills, the Vit C etc .I can't have V8 juice unfortunately as I have a stoma ( have a colostomy ) and veg juice would play merry hell with it .My stoma must be male 'cos it's very loud , embarasses me in front of people ,and never shuts up 😒😆

You may be right !

Hi all , thanks for your replies .I don't get this .My dietitian wanted me to take 4 Bariforce Liquid tabs which would have only given me 36mg iron .But I got the Baritriatric Pal chewable which has 45mg .Now my iron is showing low as we know and she's changed her tune and said you should be on 210mg . On top of that I haven't got her number and now have to wait until the evening of the 6th March to speak to her .I paid privately for this op and it cost a mint here in the UK .I'm not sure she knows what she is doing ! I think I'll have to try and get in to see my G.P. to sort this out . How much iron was everyone else told they need ? thanks x

Hi all , thanks .I can't see ACR on it .GFR says greater than 90 . My dietitian has e mailed me , I still don't have her number and she knows this .She has told me get some more iron from my G.P. - although the G.P. told me to contact the dietitian .I'm not speaking to her now - the diet - until 6th March .She made no mention of my concern around urea . Pretty much on my own then .Have got some gentle iron arriving today and ester C .

RickM ,I got the Solgar.

Thanks all .I have got my serum ferritin level it says - Below Range -7ng/ml Below low reference limit . Does this mean anything to anyone ? Thanks

Hi - water puts me in hell .Even a sip .I told my Dietitian and she said it's pretty common .She pointed me to Vieve Protein water , it goes down very softly .They sell it on Amazon and I'd be utterly lost without it .You're not just getting fluids in , you are getting protein .I also suffer from trapped gas/wind - I could burp for Britain ! It lasts for a few hours and then goes off .It only happens about twice a month but it's horrible isn't it ? I'm six months in and still find solid food very uncomfortable to digest ,I tend to stick with soft foods . Hope this helps !

Hi Possum , I don't get the print out until next week , but I will post the results if anyone knows how to translate them .Thank you .

Hi , I had my daughters wedding to attend 10 days post surgery , and I had gained half a stone .I was the heaviest I've ever been in my life .But , it will drop ,you just have to be patient and resist the urge to weigh yourself too often .Good luck !

Thank you both .The dietitian still hasn't got back to me neither has the nurse .

Hi , thanks for the replies .They have tried me on iron pills but they don't work .I think Summerseeker may be right - I'm not absorbing them as I should be .I have got Spatone in (liquid Iron sachets ) I may take one of them a day until the dietician gets back to me .Do you know who this person is Summer ? thanks

Ok , I've come here to eat humble pie ! I am still big and want to be slimmer .I am still battling on .I do have hair loss but that's life .When I eat "normal" food it still feels like I'm trying to digest barbed wire so am still on cottage cheese , soft foods etc .It's six months now and I am nowhere near "done" .

I gained weight after the surgery ! 10 days post surgery I was heavier than I'd ever been in my life .Just stick with it , it will change .Honestly

My latest results were much better BUT it has raised my awareness about Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease which is much more serious than I believed .I looked on the Britishlivertrust.org.uk at the stories and facts of NAFLD and realised it can take the same pattern as alcoholic fatty liver disease .I am so grateful my results were much improved , it is pretty scary reading .

Hi sleevers , I had my blood tests checked post operatively as is the norm .I received a phone call from my G.P. to tell me the liver ones had come back looking not within normal levels .He said he was writing to my Surgeon to ask what my pre-surgery levels were in comparison to the ones just done BUT if they were the same , I should never have had the operation . He told me to take it easy , try not to worry and I have them retested tomorrow . Meantime the Surgeon hasn't replied to his request for the pre-op blood tests ,and I am a bit concerned .When I asked the surgeon what my liver looked like after the surgery (I knew I had a non alcoholic fatty liver ,it was discovered years ago and put down to all the meat I ate on the Atkins diet .I don't drink ) but the Surgeon said my liver was thin .No mention of rippling fat on it .I haven't got yellow skin or eyes , but on the dipstick wee test my leukocytes are off the chart , no bilirubin , but occasionally blood .I have a rash on both sides of my body , below my breasts and round to the side (not boob rash ). Anyone got any thoughts ? or experiences ? many thanks X

Thanks Arabesque , surely it will be that and not problems from the non alcoholic fatty liver disease .x

thanks Catwoman , I'm hoping it's just that x