ouroborous

Congratulations on the weight loss! I don't know anything about the muscle issues, but now I'm curious and need to research it :biggrin2:

It's kind of an eye-opener, eh? I was in the same boat when I discovered I was only supposed to be eating 600-800 calories per day after the sleeve (honestly, I don't feel almost any restriction on mushy/slushy foods, so I could have done 1200-1400 calories per day, easy!) Now I'm eating about 800 cals/day, and as long as I choose protein-dense foods over other stuff, my carbs stay right around 60. This works out okay as I've mostly been craving meaty, salty, savory stuff -- not sweets or bready stuff.

Congratulations, brother! That's an amazing victory!

One of the things that finally pushed me over the edge into deciding for the surgery was hearing someone who'd had it say they felt "younger than they ever had." Partially because I've been obese my whole life, I've always felt old, even in my 20's! It's a state of mind, and I wouldn't mind the opposite state of mind. I don't mind getting older (well, I can handle it, anyway!). What I DO mind is the feeling that something like obesity is literally and figuratively stealing the best years of my life from me!

Yeah, my 40th is coming up in a few weeks, and getting down to 275 or so would be SUCH a nice birthday present (hint, hint, body!)

If you're not already, I highly, highly recommend weighing yourself weekly, not daily. I know that when we're hoping for rapid weight loss, the scale can be addictive, but it's bad-addictive (like a gambling addict and a slot machine, hoping for that payout!) not good-addictive (like exercise or something). If you're already weighing weekly or less frequently, never mind. But if not, weigh less often and focus on something else. That way you won't get as stressed out by the normal day-to-day fluctuations in weight. And also, do what Tiffykins suggested and take measurements. Sometimes we can lose inches even if we don't lose pounds.

Helen, I'm very sorry to hear that you've gone through this. I've heard similar things from WLS patients, some become so sensitive to alcohol that one or two drinks can cause them to become "blackout drunk." I was advised to not drink anything for 6 months after surgery, and even then be very, very careful what I drink. It's sad, because my 40th birthday is in three weeks, and it would have been the perfect occasion to raise a beer in celebration. But honestly, I'll take being fit and healthy over having a few beers, any day.

Rogaine should only work for androgenic alopecia (too much of a testosterone byproduct called DHT). It's rare that it should work for women at all (except for some with hormonal imbalances). I would doubt that it would be effective on telogen effluvium (the post-operative hair loss that's so common) at all. But who knows, if it helps you, great!

Good to know. I'm (obviously) going to avoid beer for a long, long time, and probably all alcohol for a good six months or so, but it's nice to know that there will be SOME "adult recreational activities" available to me!

Interesting. I wonder why with the red wines. I was sort of planning to become a "glass of red wine in the evening" guy, once I'm cleared for it (since my beloved beer is a thing of the past).

meat is apparently one of the harder things to get down, so be patient. I don't know this firsthand (I'm only 2.5 weeks out), but that's what I've heard. As to the ticker, you need to use BBCode, not HTML in your signature. On the TickerFactory page, there should be a BBCode version.

Also -- Tiffykins and I disagree vigorously on this, but... you absolutely can get dumping with the sleeve. It's caused by something different (fast transit time), but the effect is the same. My surgeon specifically told me that a percentage of sleevers get dumping syndrome, and I trust him. Ask your doctor!

Focus on Water, Protein, and Vitamins. If you can get those under control, everything else will be okay. You can live for a good two to three weeks without consuming a single calorie, as long as you're not dehydrated. For an obese person like me, probably longer. Not saying that you WANT to do this, I'm just trying to help you settle your mind. If you have to, take tiny, tiny sips of water from a 1oz medicine cup. Whatever you need to do. Just focus on water and vitamins and protein (probably in that order). Of course, your doctor should be your primary contact, but still -- you'll be okay. It's rough at first, but it gets better!

If most of that is water, yes, it's (barely) possible.

Well, when I thought that every single day was going to be a battle with acid reflux, yes, I regretted my surgery. But it turns out that 99% of that was my fault -- I was eating and drinking too much, too fast. Now that I'm meticulously following the doctor's and nutritionist's guidelines, the reflux is much, much better and I don't have any regrets. I've already lost 30 lbs from my pre-surgery weight at 2 1/2 weeks out (15 lbs from my surgery day weight).

IIRC, rapid weight loss can lead to gall bladder disease, so if there are pre-existing GB issues, some surgeons remove the GB at around the same time as doing the surgery. Again from what I remember, the number of people who get gall bladder problems with WLS is about 1/3, and there are a few things you can do to "stack the deck" a little if you don't have your GB out at the time of surgery. I posted those in another thread, but they include coffee (obviously decaf at first), fruits and veggies (when cleared to eat them), low-fat diet, slower weight loss, and (oddly) moderate alcohol consumption. I'm not a doctor tho... talk to your doc if you have questions :cursing:

Okay... I just worry about people taking medical advice off the internet. If the doctor's blessing it then -- I'll shut up :cursing:

Well, I'm below 300 lbs (just barely, but still!) for the first time in ten years. 299.8 today (the scale flashed through 300.1 to get to 299.8, but it stabilized on 299.8, so I'm sticking with it!) That's a great place to be in itself, and it also means I've lost just over 30 lbs since this saga started in mid-April. I'm definitely in the initial 2-4 week stall, since my weight loss has definitely plateaued. I'm doing all the things I should be doing -- calories are 600-800/day, getting >80 g protein/day, 60-80 oz H2O/day, exercising, etc. -- but the weight is just a trickle right now. Still, I know that it's just a temporary phase and the weight will start coming off again soon. I'm just really happy to be below 300 lbs! Huzzah!

I'm not going to even taper off from 40 mg to 20 mg until 6 months or so. After a year, I may try removing it entirely, but if I have to take 20 mg omeprazole for life, that's a tiny, tiny price to pay to not have to worry about esophageal erosion, Barrett's esophagus, gastric ulcers, duodenal ulcers, and the overall misery of reflux. Yes, I know there can be some problems with Calcium and long-term PPI use. My doctor advised me about that. That's why I take a calcium supplement. Yes, I know that there's a drastic reduction in intrinsic factor post-surgery, limiting B12 absorption -- that's why I take a sublingual B12 every day. But to me, in my book, reflux and the associated dangers of acid overproduction are worse than simply having to take one tiny acid blocker every day. I may try switching to an as-needed antacid in a year or more if my reflux gets under control. But honestly? The risks are small, and I don't want to mess with success. The acid blocker doesn't make me "unhealthy" because I need to take it, any more than the Multivitamins I take do. It's just one of the changes that are necessary after the sleeve. On the grand scale of things, obesity and constant reflux are still FAR more dangerous than a slight chance of bone loss, and it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. I guess I should wrap this up. I would like to encourage people, before they go tampering with meds that their doctors have prescribed all willy-nilly, to talk to their doctors about the risks and benefits, and get their doctors' recommendation about what to do.

Well, I'm not under 300 yet (durnit!), but for my height my current BMI is just a tad under 40 for the first time in a long time. Which means... I'm no longer morbidly obese! I'm "just" obese! Hey, it's the little things, right?

Yeah Dr. Landerholm said that since Water is incompressible, and since the part of the stomach that remains is the non-stretchy, muscular part, apparently too much water (or any liquid) too fast can cause the acid to just back up into the throat. I was consuming EVERYTHING way too fast, but he really suspected that the water was the culprit.

So far, so good. My water consumption is way, way down (I may not even make my 64 oz today at this rate!) but I haven't had reflux all day (on only 20 mg of omeprazole). So now the water consumption may be a new challenger, but at least the 800 pound gorilla -- the reflux -- appears to be doing better.

Well I'm only 15 days out, but so far I've yet to feel hungry, and I'm eating (at MOST) 1/2 of the calories I was eating before. More like 1/3 or less. Here's an example: I had forgotten to eat (when would I have done that before??) until 3:30, and did the math -- I'd consumed 280 calories all day long. I wasn't hungry at all, I just felt a little weak and suddenly remembered "oh yeah... food!" So yes, your mileage may vary, but at the very least I think it's safe to say that your hunger will be significantly diminished, if not entirely removed.

Welcome to the post-op side! It really does get better every day. Take a piece of advice from another recently sleeved dude: do EVERYTHING your doctor says. No matter how silly it sounds. I have been eating too fast and really paid the price. Don't do what I did! :thumbup1:

Congratulations! Focus on your liquids, keep walking, and take your pain meds as needed. That's what they're there for!