CeciliaInPNW

I had this problem a few years ago and had to get iron infusions for several years to get my levels back to normal. I went in to the infusion clinic (where most people are getting chemo, etc.) and sat with a drip for 1-2 hours a couple times a year. It really helped with my levels as well as my energy!

Umm, there are men here too. Just sayin…

I feel more comfortable. My family is nervous. I am ok.

So I did it, I got to onederland, a place I dreamt of but did not ever believe I would attain. I thought loosing 100lbs was a reach but I ran through that. I was on a super high until I wanted to change my next goal weight. The BMI doodah says that I am still in the obese range, damn. 150 to 180lbs is still classed as overweight, do I really need to get another 49 lbs off my already skinny bod to be in the 'normal' range ? What are your thoughts on a new goal weight ?

I'm honest. I really don't care what peoples' opinions are. I almost died to get here. I'm proud I made it through to the other side. They can judge me if they want but I know the truth; this is far from the easy way out and if someone wants to treat me like it is, I appreciate them letting me know they're not someone I want to continue to maintain a relationship with.

Technically, they should not even be asking in a professional environment.
But, tell them an old gypsy touched your cheek and whispered “thinner”. Then walk away. That’s sure to get a laugh.

I don't tell people and didn't tell many people beforehand. Maybe 5 people know (at least directly know) Who knows what rumors have traveled or who ran their mouth. haha
Anyway, I get asked "what is my trick", "how are you loosing weight" ETC!.... A LOT, I simply say, "eat less and count calories". Which is exactly what I am doing.

I just wanted to update everyone and say my insurance approved me 7 days before my surgery which is tomorrow! Once i got the call i started my liquid diet LOL

The area around my belly button hurt after bypass, but no big bruise. Were you given blood thinners? I think that can cause easier bruising.
The dizziness I address below in a reply to another comment - I believe mine was caused by low BP, which eventually resolved itself.

Sleeve is an easier surgery for doctors to perform and it's an easier recovery usually. I was back home the day of surgery and back to normal within a week or so. My surgeon recommended it over the bypass because if it wasn't successful there was still the bypass to do later, which is what ended up happening. I got severe GERD from the sleeve and ended up gaining some weight back. I just had the revision to bypass last month and wish I had just went straight to bypass a few years ago instead of doing the sleeve first. Sleeve recovery was simple and I lost 78 lbs in a year, then my gallbladder had to be removed, acid reflux/GERD got worse, and the weight gain started right after that. I didn't have acid/GERD issues before the sleeve. Recovery after bypass was harder for me, took me about a month to get my energy levels back up, but totally worth it so far. I took 3 weeks off work, but should have taken 4 weeks, but I work from home so I got through it. Congrats on getting your surgery date!

My daughter & I both had bypass. We both have GERD & that is the only way to go if you have GERD.
She started at 305 & lost 150 lbs & has kept it off for 4 years.
I started at 200 & have lost 70lbs & have kept it off for almost 6 years.
A lot of people have the sleeve revised to a bypass because of GERD.
What does your doctor recommend for you?

I had a revision to bypass on December 13th and the first few weeks were a struggle. No energy, horrible recovery compared to my VSG. i had a brief moment of "what did I do" thinking and then it was gone. At just about the 3-week mark I suddenly got ALL the energy back.. like deep cleaned my entire house energy... almost overdid it! I was SO happy to feel back to normal. You'll get there, too.

If I ever want to go on holiday and wear a swimsuit or bare my arms again, then I will have to get arm and leg surgery. I had really fat arms and legs. They are really bad, so bad that they shock me. I used to wear wide leg trousers and find now that I love skinny leggings. Winter weight ones hide my wrinkles. I did expect it because of my age and am saving hard to afford it. The rest of my body, I can hide so I will see sometime later on about that. I was told by the dietician that the surgeon will not contemplate my surgery until I am in maintenance.
Fortunately, my eyesight is shot, I can not see the finer details of my face anymore. This will save me a fortune

I've lost 37 pounds since surgery. The thing that helped me was patience. I know that there's no possible way that I can't lose weight right now. I'm not eating a high enough volume of food. So, any stalls are just my metabolism recalibrating.

Stalls are normal after the initial post-surgery weight loss. Its your body's time to stop and reset and get used to the new pipes. lol It's feeling that "uh oh something is different so it must be wrong" feeling so it's holding on to all the calories it can in case your body needs them to cope with what ever stress is happening. Once it realizes there is no new stress (other than new pipes!) it will start burning the calories/fat for you again. That is my "very non-professional" explanation. Hope that helps!

Stalls are normal after the initial post-surgery weight loss. Its your body's time to stop and reset and get used to the new pipes. lol It's feeling that "uh oh something is different so it must be wrong" feeling so it's holding on to all the calories it can in case your body needs them to cope with what ever stress is happening. Once it realizes there is no new stress (other than new pipes!) it will start burning the calories/fat for you again. That is my "very non-professional" explanation. Hope that helps!

Hi Jeannie! I am in the same boat... have lost 20 lbs in the first couple weeks after revision to bypass, and only another 1-2 lbs the last week or so. I am one month out today. It looks like you went on to lost another 41 lbs in the next 2 months or so, is that right? That is super encouraging! I just started regular foods today, so I am hoping that jump starts my weight loss again. Did you notice anything that you did that helped yours start up again after the stall?

14 lbs in three weeks is pretty normal. Most people who aren't the size of the patients on "My 600 lb Life" seem to lose 15-25 lbs the first *month* after surgery. And since you're a revision patient (weight loss is usually slower for revisions than for virgin surgeries), I'd expect you'd be at the lower end of that range. You're only at the three week mark, so I'm guess you'll be 15 lbs down (if not a little more) by the end of your first month.
not having an appetite at all is completely normal. Hunger usually comes back sometime during the first year after surgery. Mine came roaring back at five months out. Honestly, I wish mine had never come back. Although it was weird at first, I must admit it was easy to lose weight when I was never hungry and didn't give a flip about food. THings got a lot harder once my hunger and appetite came back. So take full advantage of that!!
also, even though I was a slow loser from the get-go, I lost 235 lbs (at least originally - I gained about 20 lbs back in year 3, which is also common - most people have a 10-20 lb weight rebound after hitting their lowest weight).
you are doing absolutely fine - actually a little better than expected since your surgery was a revision. I think you're doing great!

P.S. I lost 16 lbs my first month - and I had a virgin surgery AND weighed almost 400 lbs. You're what we call a "light weight" at 222 lbs - and this is also a revision for you - so you're doing very well!