Mcflytx

I was one of those that had taste changes post surgery. Almost all the shakes were sickingly sweet tasting. My suggestion to avoid this is to shop at convenience stores and buy singles to try a bunch of diffferent shakes. Easy to find your favorite without committing to a whole case of anything. Walmart has some four packs but a lot of places you have to buy a case.

Just watch out for the dreaded “change in taste” a lot of people experience. I learned the hard way and had to give so much away because I no longer liked or could tolerate the taste. It was an unfortunate waste of $$$ but I guess you don’t know until you have surgery and find out if your tastes change.

Hi! November 30th bypass.

My surgery is scheduled for 11/30 and I'm prepping too. I'm wondering if anyone has any gadgets, etc, that they purchased prior to surgery and never used it? Also, anything not thought of and wished they had?

Hi,
I’m going have my surgery in less than two weeks November 7 - looking for a few pals with the same surgery date or month. I’m going to have the bypass.

Yes. 3 Protein Shakes and a 4 oz Protein meal (steak,chicken, etc) plus veggies. And of course the suger-free Jello and popsicles, and a lot of Water. Finished Day 4 today with no problems except the first day kind of felt dizzy/tired. To me it is very similiar to the many diets that I have experienced before so it is not that big of a deal for me. I also got pretty good in the past with intermittent fasting so I am holding off on my 1st shake until around noon. As with many of us, we are experts in losing weight but terrible at maintaining that loss.
I am more concerned about the initial post-op phase diet so focusing on preparing mentally as well as getting my supplies.
I am going into this with optimism. I greatly benefited being prepared and looking forward to the positive results last year when I had my Knee replaced. I am taking that same approach to this surgery.
Hoping all have a successful journey!

just wanted to share my pre op appointment experience!

i got to the appointment. they weighed me and had to sign a lot of paperwork. they went over again my pre op diet and post op diet. they went over the medication i was going to take prior to surgery and what pain med i would be discharged with. I found out that he is having me stay one night in the hospital ( outpatient was a possibility) The surgeon came in and I asked a couple questions which he answered.
then i was sent to another part of the hospital to do pre op registration, blood work and an ekg.

was a busy afternoon! my appointment was at 220 and i walked out of the hospital around 5 pm.

CONGRATS!!!!!

Greetings,
Going to Celebrate out loud today! I have lost 100 lbs from my July 2021 highest recorded weight and all in PRE op!!! 85.8 Lbs in 2022!

Damn, this has been hard. A lot of emotional and behavioral change went into this effort. A lot of re-education about nutrition and choices. A lot of forgiving myself for getting to this weight. A lot of healing. A lot of journaling. A lot of reminding myself that I am worth taking care of.

It also has been easier than I thought. Once I gained the confidence that I could, I did. Yes, I have had doctor support and taking Ryselbus helped, but mostly this is me making true and long lasting change. I am comforted by the fact that if for some reason I could not have the sleeve surgery on November 3rd, 2022, I would still loose weight and feel better and my LIFE would be better.

Everyone has this in them. Its a tough road, but we can all achieve better in our lives.

I pick up shirts now and I instantly think there's no way it will fit. haha
We went to a show over the weekend and I wanted a shirt. I asked for a XL and when I picked it up to look at I was like that's not fitting but I will get it for later. haha I went home and put it on and SURPRISE! It fit, a little tighter than I would probably wear because of my skin rolls but another 10 lbs and it will be perfect!
PS: I was a 3-5X depending on cut. So exciting to know I am almost out of the "X"s. haha

That's awesome! I know exactly how you feel. I feel the same. More excited than nervous but I'm ready to start this new journey!

My bypass is scheduled for 11/30. I just made myself a countdown clock and had a moment.
It's really happening.
All these months of talking and planning and thinking are coming to fruition and I'm both elated and scared to death. :-D

My bypass is scheduled for 11/30. I just made myself a countdown clock and had a moment.
It's really happening.
All these months of talking and planning and thinking are coming to fruition and I'm both elated and scared to death. :-D

100% agree. Waiting won't hurt, so I'd say wait and see what happens now that you're working with the endocrinologist.

Me!! 11/30! I'm a mix of terrified and excited. :-)

Hi! I just got my bypass date today, 11/30/22!! I'm a roller-coaster of emotions- excited, scared, hesitant, happy, etc.

Hi! I just got my bypass date today, 11/30/22!! I'm a roller-coaster of emotions- excited, scared, hesitant, happy, etc.

We kind of played it by ear. My doctor suggested I ask for 6 weeks up front because that should be about the max I might want, even if we had major complications like having to do the surgery as an open procedure instead of laparoscopically.
I went into things actually expecting to only need roughly 2 weeks. At my 2 week follow-up, the PA and I agreed that I'd do another 2 weeks part time just to make sure I didn't overdo things and end up hurting my recovery. One of my biggest challenges with going back to work has been getting my fluids in. I sometimes forget to drink while I'm mentally focused on a task or in meetings. Pre-op, I could just gulp some Water whenever and be fine, but that no longer works!
I think a lot of people can successfully go back to work sooner than i did, but I like that I had the freedom to choose what was right for me. I wasn't rushed to go back because I was worried about burning through my PTO hours, or because I'd only asked for a certain amount of time off.
Here's the thing. I had virtually no pain or nausea, so those weren't even considerations. The challenge for me was (and still is), that eating so little leaves me fairly fatigued and mentally drained. Even though I work from home, it was better for me to take a little more time to make sure I was ready to actually do what I'm paid to do. That said, I'm also 58. If I was younger, I probably could have started back sooner.
I know some people do successfully go back to work sooner than I did and understand some don't have the luxury to decide for themselves. In the end we all have to do what's right for us based on our own set of circumstances.
TL;DR: if you have the benefit, I'd definitely use it. You should be able to work with your bariatric team to decide when going back to work is right for you. (Which sounds a lot like a commercial for disability insurance, though I promise I don't work for an insurance company!)

I had my sleeve done last year, Nov 2021. I used to work out religiously years ago, but since I'd gained so much weight, it went down to zero fitness level before surgery. Also, I've needed total knee replacements (on both knees) for a few years now. I'm 62 & hypothyroid, so I think that contributes to a slower loss? Anyhow, I only just started exercising as I can't walk far at all, even tho I've lost 90 lbs. I recently bought a CUBII so I can sit & peddle. It works wonderfully. I also use light hand weights & do exercises for seniors on YouTube.

Small Medicine cups (bulk from Amazon) to measure out 2 ounces of liquid post surgery. Also a cheap digital food scale to weigh food once I got to solids.
I also bought bariatric food containers (like tupperware measured for Protein, veggies, etc,), but NEVER ended up using them.
I have a mini fridge I used, and still do, to keep my Protein Shakes upstairs so I don’t have to run down. Nice, but not necessary,
Pre-surgery I had a snow cone/shaved ice machine and 0 calorie sugar free Syrup. I thought I was going to die from so much drinking and not chewing. The 0 calorie snow cones were a g-dsend and saved my sanity. I called the dietitian freaking out about a day in when I was starving pre-op (only clear liquids). She told me to chew on ice cubes and after I told her off I asked about snow cones and was back in love with her when she said yes.

So, I always use "cross body" purses because when I put them on my shoulder they always slide off and it annoys me.
If I am only going from the car to the house sometimes I may just hold it or put it on my shoulder, I don't know why? Quicker? haha
Anyway, the other day I put my purse on my shoulder and walked to my house and noticed it never slid off. Didn't think anything of it, then did it again yesterday and again, it didn't slide off. WHAT?
Did it slide off because I was fat? Is that really a thing? Does it stay now because my shoulders are thinner? Is it coincidence? Is this a NSV? I don't even know, but I will take it and I am adding it to my NSC bank. haha
This is not the first thing that changed and I had no idea it was the way it was because of my weight? For example, moving my seat forward. Even being 400+lbs my belly never touched the steering wheel. I am 6ft tall. I assumed my seat was moved back because of my height, but as I lost weight I noticed I needed to move my seat forward. I guess less back/butt fat allows me to sit further back in the seat which makes me further away from the steering wheel.
Scooting forward on the couch before getting up, like to the edge and then standing up. I just always did it, never realized it was because I was fat but just thought it was normal. Never paid attention if anyone else got up like that. But, like a week ago I noticed that I just got up. From my normal sitting position, did not scoot to the edge of the couch first. Then, i noticed it and was like UHHH what just happened. It was not intentional it just happened and surprised me. So then i started paying attention if my thinner friends got up the same way and they do. So, another "I didn't know it was because I was fat" NSV!
It is so weird how we (or at least myself) has been so big for so long that things we think are completely normal are really just our normal and we didn't even realize it until suddenly they weren't OUR NORMAL! It is kinda cool; actually it is very cool!

I notice when I am sitting and bend over, kind of like to scratch my ankle or even tie my shoes I just bend. I don't spread my legs to make room for my stomach fat. I can bend completely in half with my upper body flat to my lap.
Before, I didn't even have a lap. haha

Eating a cookie may not sound like a NSV, but two days I ate one Girl Scout thin mint cookie. Not one box. Not one row. Just one cookie! It was my first one post surgery 1.5 years ago. Trying to make sure it’s not a slippery slope, but leaving the rest in the fridge for my family. I savored every bite of the ONE I had.

I was in costco the other day. I don't know if this counts as a NSV but it was interesting to me. They had Protein Powder on sale and I was looking at it and it was a different version of my usual brand (Orgain) but way cheaper and I said "I wonder how this one tastes" to my husband. Another lady told me they had samples and we got to talking and I said I usually use this brand but a different version and then she was asking me questions about it and I was giving her advice on where I get the other version, how I use it, etc.
I just think it's funny that someone would talk to me about nutrition without batting an eye, not knowing that I ever weighed almost 400 pounds. It feels good but at the same time weird, because I actually was just as into health and nutrition then, I just never could eat small enough portions. I could have given the same advice 2 years ago, but no one would have asked me or believed I could know anything.
Now, I look the part.
I'm glad people aren't able to look at me and assume all the bad things they probably did before I lost weight, but it's sad too. I'm the same person.

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