elcee

I’m a quilter and bag maker. I am also trying to draw and paint although those skills don’t come naturally. I like shopping, meeting friends for coffee, reading magazines and playing stupid games on my ipad whilst watching TV.

Stomachs do relax or stretch and you will find that as time goes on you will be able to eat more. That is why it is important to establish good habits early on and to know when to stop

No it doesn't. I never get the runs but I get shaky, palpitations etc.

sounds like dumping to me

Well done, what BMI does that give you?

I don’t have to do any bowel prep before my op, there were just the normal fasting before anaesthesia requirements. IMO making you do that is cruel and unnecessary punishment. Bowel prep is awful and usually only necessary for colonoscopies etc. I know when I had mine it felt like someone had poured acid on my ring, wiping was the worst pain ever.

If you are getting ready to go to bed it’s a bit late to be worrying about this. It is something you need to try and be on top of throughout the day. No 1 concern should be hydration. You do not want to dehydrate it is extremely dangerous, will leave you feeling awful and may make you end up in hospital. Protein is important but a lack of it won’t kill you as quickly as a lack of water will. Its probably not a good idea to have anything that resembles a meal before bed, you run the risk of reflux. You can drink water if you want but you may find yourself up and down to the bathroom all night.

I don't understand your question. It is not a competition between protein and water you need both. How far post op are you?

This is not true for everyone. The only ones which are generally non negotiable are multivitamins for life. I take 2 per day plus Vit D and Magnesium which I used to take prior to the surgery anyway. Anti reflux meds are usually recommended for the first couple of months post op for sleeve and bypass patients. Hairloss doesnt happen to everyone but it can happen to anyone who has had weightloss surgery regardless of the type.

It’s a common side effect of anaesthesia

Trying to compare like that is very hard. I am sure there are an equal amount of side effects and benefits to both. This is why you have a surgeon to discuss it with that should be able to advise the best option for you. For the record most of the extra risk with the bypass is at the time of the op, it is a more complicated surgery than the sleeve so requires a more skilled, experienced surgeon. I had a revision from band to bypass in Jan and am very happy. I didn’t want a sleeve as i know so many people that have one and the majority seem to have either not had good loss or have major weight gain, I know this is also possible with bypass but I don’t know many people that have one. My surgeon also told me that with my history of reflux he wouldn’t consider sleeving me. At the end of the day the most important thing is the commitment of the patient. Realise the surgery is only a tool and that success requires hard work.

Sorry to hear that you are going through this. Having to Euthanise a pet is the worst thing ever. Last year I had to be strong and say goodbye to one of my beloved dogs and one of my cats. It was horrible. I wasn’t brave enough to stick around when we had to do the same for my daughter’s horse or the family sheep, I left that to hubby. Just remember that no matter how hard it is not letting your pet suffer is the kindest thing you can do. Big hugs xxxxxxx

Sounds like you are having a rough time, it will get better

Everyone responds to surgery and pain differently. I had a revision from band to rny and didn’t have any real issues. As far as I recall my pain was well controlled, I had a pump that I could press when I needed to. Even when I had a problem a couple of hours later where my BP went through the floor and I had to be taken back into surgery I wasn’t in pain. Cold, light headed, felt like I was fading but no pain. Waking up after the second op in ICU I still don’t recall being in pain. I just remember thinking I’m alive and being very happy about that. I had the pump things on my legs, a catheter so I didn’t have to get up and a lovely nurse . I did however feel as though I had been hit by a bus in terms of energy etc and felt like that for a good couple of weeks after the op. As for it not being pleasant well that is to be expected, you just got anaesthetised and your body cut up and rearranged, you didn’t spend the day at a spa! Let your nurses know when you are in pain so that they can give you painkillers. All the best , hope you feel heaps better soon

I would be surprised if they only keep you in 1 night after a DS, it’s pretty major surgery.Here in Aus it is standard practice to keep bypass patients 3 or 4 nights. Why have you decided to go full DS straight away? It’s not a very common choice. Most people either do the sleeve and if that doesn’t work go the next step and have the DS or they have an RNY

I did find at first that a lot of things gave me mild queasiness. It does get better although there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. One day I will eat something and I’m fine, the next day I eat the same and get queasy or shaky

Chicken is definitely not soft food! Maybe you can do some kind of fish

In Australia we have best before and use by dates. Best before is usually on dry goods and the items are generally safe to eat after the date( even years after the date) but may overtime not taste exactly the same as if they were fresh. Use by applies to items such as meat and dairy and eggs and these are not safe to eat after the date. Since the introduction of the dating system millions of tons of food are wasted every year UNNECESSARILY. There is usually no scientific process used to work out the dates , instead the manufacturers put on a date to cover their a@ses as these days people like to sue for anything. The best way to proceed is to open your powder look at it and smell it. If it looks the way it should and doesn’t smell funny than it is probably fine to consume. Interestingly in the news recently they have been taking about expiry dates on medications and how even these aren’t accurate and that most meds are generally fine long after their expiry date!

You could make carrot soup. It’s very yummy

Eat more carrots

It’s pretty cold here in Aus atm as we are in winter. I struggle to get warm and am not helped by the fact that our house is large and openplan it’s a nightmare to heat. My hubby always complains about my cold hands and feet, even in summer. However the last 2 days I have noticed that the pads below my thumbs have been looking decidedly blue! I am somewhat concerned and will mention it to my Dr . I am not struggling to breath and my fingertips are fine. I am hoping that it may just be because there is no longer any fat there so it is easier to see the veins through my ageing skin!

I was almost 10 years but then had to have it removed

How far post op are you

It can take months rather than days for it to disappear completely

A general surgeon is fine if they have a lot of experience in bariatrics. Your surgeon will guide you to the right choice but it should be between RNY and sleeve. Lapband should not be part of the equation. It is outdated technology that doesn’t last for the long term and has been shown to cause multiple complications