Search the Community

I am absolutely terrified today after seeing my consultant. I had gastric sleeve surgery 26/07/2022 not for weight loss but to remove a stomach tumour. January this year I started getting stabbing pains under my left rib but wasn't really having any nausea, sickness or difficulty eating and drinking. After a CT scan in May and an endoscopy in August they found my stomach is strictured/stenosis. Today my consultant has told me the only option is to remove my stomach fully and sew my esophagus to my bowel. He said stretching it is not an option. I have an odd feeling (numerous reasons why) that they botched my operation and are trying to skirt around it. My consultant and surgeon keep changing the story. Like only an insignificant amount of stomach was removed. Then it was a full gastric sleeve performed. Then only a tiny amount removed again. Then the tumour was a GIST (sarcoma cancer). Then its just a benign tumour caused by pancreas cells. I've never known such confusing, arrogant, unsympathetic and clueless consultants and surgeons before - they're very worrying. Especially considering my surgeon is also doing private work for Spire. I'm absolutely broken. Any advice or anyone that has had a similar experience would be appreciated. As a side note this hospital in Liverpool has now given me a fear of hospitals. I was put on an oncology ward which I've been in before in a different hospital. I've always been a regular at hospitals over the last 20 years with pulmonary embolisms, 2 cancer scares, chronic illnesses etc and its always been a pleasant stay (even after surgeries) and a bit of a break and a chance to get some rest as I have 3 children. While in this new hospital after surgery it was like a third world hospital. I was lay in someone elses stale urine for a week before they agreed to change my putrid mattress. I caught scabies on my arm and oral thrush that spread to my esophagus and lungs. There was no shower so I had to wash myself daily in the sink. Finally they allowed me to use the mens shower as there was no womens shower which was literally just a shower cubicle with a door leading onto the corridor, nowhere to hang your towel or clothing and due to a blocked drain the floor/tray was flooded so my feet were in stagnant water along with my towel and clothing on a carrier bag on the floor/tray. By the end of my shower everything was soaking wet so I had to "get dry" with a wet towel and put on wet pyjamas before going to my bed and putting the curtain around to get properly dry and changed again. I had pneumothoraxes under my diaphragm and collar bone but was given the wrong and tiniest amount of pain relief. I was left to withdraw from my daily medication that I've taken for 5 years and left writhing in agony with the gas pain, pneumothoraxes, parasthesia and an intense burning sensation through my veins along with a massive headache, vomiting and aversion to light. No one would listen to me to help me to get my pain level under control and I could go on and on about the lack of care and the feeling of death and impending doom on this ward.

I’ve been worried these past few weeks, since I went on a work trip and felt I messed up with my eating plans. I honestly think I have hit a stall because of this. I’m not seeing or feeling any changes in the way my clothes fit. HOWEVER.... I just had my yearly OB check up, and for the first time in over 20 years... there weren’t any cysts on my ovaries!!! I have been diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) since I was about 17-18, when I was still a healthy weight. It’s something that wouldn’t go away with diets, medicine, or anything else. NOW, 8 months after my WLS, still weighing about 50 lbs (23Kgs) more than I did as a teenager, I’m PCOS-free, with no meds!!! And chatting about it with my medical team, they reminded me that the changes are not only on the scale.. but the overall improvement of our health. And not to let a little bump on the way (trip) or a stall to negate all the progress that I’ve made.

I love the idea of rewarding myself! 15lbs seemed so doable 2 weeks ago and now im like this is really hard! keep on keepin on!

Congrats on getting past the stall! I hope you get your "new" knees soon! I really don't understand the reason the nurse gave you tho, yes your body is/was healing, but, with minimal eating AND healing your body should be not only using what the minimal meals you're eating to heal but whatever reserves you may have i.e. fat aka weight - which usually means more weight loss not less. Sorry, just my working in healthcare along with my past physiology schooling at odds with that reason...it may be true, it just doesn't make sense to me. Maybe someone can explain it to me?!

I had numerous abdominal surgeries myself (7 - appendectomy, cholecystectomy, 2 C sections, hernia repair, hysterectomy and constricted intestinal tract) and I still had my RNY a month ago. Yes, there were adhesions the doctor repaired quite a few and my entire abdomen was a solid black bruise (from my breast creases all the way down past my belly button). I still a month out have bruising - but it was still worth it! I only mention the bruising because no one prepared me for that. Even the PA 3 weeks out was surprised upon seeing my abdomen being a solid black! So, hold out hope just be aware you might have bruising.

I too had a stall (RNY) and was shocked because my food consumption was almost nothing. I checked with the surgery NP and was told this is quite common because my body was focused on healing not losing weight at this point. Once I started eating more and after about 5 weeks post surgery I started losing ~ 2 lbs a week. Seems slow but I'll take it. I Just keep plugging along and we will get there. I was so hoping for new knees by Christmas but at this rate (I still have 40 lbs to lose to be at required BMI) I guess it'll be by early Spring, hopefully.

Thank you for responding! My bowel movements are daily so that isn't the issue. I've read stalls are common, but I wasn't expecting one only 3 weeks post op! May I ask, you said you checked with your doctor when you had a stall? Then you had a revision? I had a RNY, what more could they revise at that point? I'm sticking with the program..don't really have a choice even if I didn't want too...major surgery done..no going back. 😋 I know its fairly common to experience these stalls, but, it doesn't make it easier its still frustrating!

I have seen multiple providers this past year for this and different reasons, along with my PCP office and they all tell me this is my new normal. It was not untill I fainted a few months ago that they started to think there might be a problem. I have had lab work and an ultrasound of my thyroid and there is nothing wrong. My PCP did say that menopause could be part of my problem too but I have not had my hormones checked.I do have an appointment with Gastroenterologist next week because they found I have a fatty liver.I actually had a fatty liver before surgery and was told that it will go away after the surgery? I hope GI can give me some answers. I feel like the guy in the movie thinner.

Most, if not all, of us have experienced a stall in weight loss not long after having the surgery. Check your bowels; you may be constipated. Just stick with the program. Talk to your surgeon, if you don’t see progress. I did that and discovered that I had had only the first of several procedures in my revision surgery.

at three weeks out, I could barely eat anything! the amount you'll be able to eat will gradually increase and at some point level off. I probably eat about half as much as I did pre-surgery - but at this point, no one would be able to tell I've had bariatric surgery. They probably just assume I'm a "light eater", like many of my never-been-obese women friends are. If I go out to dinner, I usually just eat half of it and bring the rest home. Before surgery, I'd eat the whole thing - and sometimes dessert, too!

So it looks like your question was added in as a tag. 'I am 3 weeks post op and it is really hard to get in protein I was reaching out to see if there is any type of hacks on how to get it down I have the powder kind also can someone explain to me what will happen if I’m not getting enough protein in There are a variety of ways to get it down. Make it as is and break it down to half a shake twice a day. Make it more liquidy and sip on it throughout the day. Use unflavored protein powder and sprinkle it into other foods, such as broth or applesauce. Try protein water which is thinner and comes in a many fruity flavors so it's not just the milky stuff. You can also boost the protein in yogurt with adding protein powder. If you don't get in enough protein, you run the risk of losing muscle and not just fat. Losing muscle can also slow down weight loss. Also leaves you with less energy. Even though hair shedding is par for the course, having enough protein can lessen the shed and support healthy regrowth. It can be difficult to meet the protein goals in the beginning, just try to focus on getting better day by day.

so the "portion sizes" will be larger eight years out?, like i say i'm out for 3 weeks and even 50 gramms of food is to much for me

I have at most, two small slices of bread a week so I have butter on it. I fry my one egg a week in oil. I am not on a diet. I have just changed the amount that I eat

I have had labs done and the only things that are off is my Iron and vitamin D. My PCP said that my Iron level although on the low side in my blood is not awful but I have no reserve.My body is just using it all up and not saving any and my vitamin D has always been low. I also had the ultrasound that showed a fatty liver.I have an appointment with Gastroenterologist next week.

I've never smoked, but my surgeon AND my insurance both required that smoking be completely stopped. My insurance said 3 months and my surgeon said 6 weeks. This is what I found as to why: "Nicotine can adversely influence the cardiovascular system, leading to irregular or unstable blood pressure (hemodynamic instability) under general anesthesia. Furthermore, the effects of nicotine have been proven to reduce blood flow, increase heart rate, and induce hypertension. Maintaining a good blood flow is important both during and after surgery, which is why nicotine is so dangerous to surgical patients."

That seems an awfully low caloric goal for maintenance for someone your height & weight unless you are not active at all. Have you checked a BMR (basal metabolic rate) calculator (linked the one I used below). It’s not perfect but it will give you an idea of what you may need to be consuming to maintain. Of course other issues that calculator doesn’t consider (like medical issues, medications, genetics, metabolism, muscle mass, etc.) can impact how many calories you may need. I checked mine a few months back out of interest & discovered it recommended about what I had been consuming (1500 +/- calories) for someone my age, height, weight, gender & activity level (not much lol!). So it was about right, at least for me, as I’ve been pretty stable with my weight (except for about a 5lb gain because of a medication issue - sorted it & lost 3 of those lbs without doing anything). You may be surprised how much food 1500 calories actually is. I eat about a recommended serving size (e.g. 3-4ozs meat & a good cup of green vegetables), eat three meals a day & about 4 snacks. But I am pretty careful with what I eat so mostly nutritionally dense foods that are predominately low processed. Best thing to do though is to slowly increase your calories & watch the scales. You may need more or fewer calories than what your dietician suggested or the BMR calculator recommends. Be careful though. An extra 100 calories a day will equate to about a 10kb gain over a year - gasp! https://www.calculator.net/bmr-calculator.html

It took me 3 weeks, but every insurance is different, Weight Loss Hospital Programs, pre-op weight loss requirements are different.

Two weeks should be no problem. My doctor gave me 8 weeks. Disability usually covers 6 weeks for non-government workers. FMLA covers 12 weeks, but that's just to keep your job...that's not the payment part. Hope this helps. Also, FMLA paperwork is different than the Disability paperwork.

I am 6 weeks out from surgery and 23 lbs down (sleeved on 08/15/23). Can I eat a low carb tortilla with cheese and chicken? Has anyone else tried? I’m past the soft diet and now on a regular diet, so I’m scared to try new things. I’ve been very careful and haven’t been sick yet (knock on wood).

I had the sleeve done exactly a week ago 9/18/23 lost about 12lb. Having the gas pain or pressure in the abdomen is horrible. I don’t know how to get rid of it. But from what I read in articles that’s normal my body is going thru a big change.

The issue at hand here is that NSAIDs are a big NO-NO for bypass patients, owing to quirks of the bypass anatomy, specifically that the anastomosis where the stomach pouch is tied to the intestines (the stoma) is at a downstream part of the intestine that is not acid tolerant, as the duodenum is (the part of the intestine immediately downstream of the normal stomach.) Consequently, that stoma is easily irritated by the acid from the pouch, and doesn't need any additional stress from stomach irritating medications such as NSAIDs. The most common place for ulcers in a bypass patient is at the stoma. The sleeve based procedures like the VSG or DS don't have that problem as the normal anatomy is preserved in that respect. It still pays to be cautious as the stomach has been cut and reduced, but all the suture lines are amongst normal acid resistant stomach tissues, so there isn't nearly the sensitivity that there is in the bypass. Many practices simply carry over their bypass experience and advice to their sleeve patients owing to an (over)abundance of caution, simplicity, and their lack of direct experience with the sleeve and NSAIDs. When I had my sleeve around twelve years ago, our surgeon's advice was to use them as needed post op as soon as the narcotic pain relievers were no longer appropriate (so, within a week or two,) though when I talked to him more recently he was more of a mind of within a few months post op.

Hello! This is my first post on this Forum about that and maybe you can give me some insight. i'm 3 weeks post op from Germany and i have a RNY-Bypass i'm okay so far no pain enough fluid struggle with food which is normal this early i guess. the Question i really have, i use to watch a lot of youtubers for meal plans and "how my future could look" and most of them just say "i did have a bypass" but not specifically which one, i once heard that the RNY bypass will always have way smaller portions than the Omega-sleeve and i'd like to ask if thats True and i'm also very Intrested to hear how your Portionsizes are after lets say, 3 year Post op. thanks and have a great day

My program is; 1.Clear fluids (1–2 days while in hospital) 2.Full fluids (2 weeks) 3.Pureed diet (2–4 weeks) 4.Soft diet (2–4 weeks) 5.Regular diet Full fluids after the hospital stay are defined as; Blended broth/cream-based soups (no chunks) Cooked cereal, thinned with milk (e.g. cream of wheat) Milk or alternatives (e.g. soy, almond, rice milk) Low-fat, sugar-free pudding Vegetable juice Low-fat, sugar-free yogurt Protein shakes/powder 70-100g protein daily 

I used to get that stuck-on-the-way-down experience fairly often when I first reintroduced meat after surgery, but I have learned to chew my food really well to the point that it has become automatic and I rarely have that problem anymore. But last week, I went to a restaurant and got some really delicious snapper, and it was so good that I ate too much, too fast and regretted it. Fortunately, the feeling passed after about an hour, but it was not a pleasant hour and like your ham experience, it was a good reminder that I still have to eat slowly and chew well.