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Did it !!!!!! Milk of magnesia 2 oz between 4 oz of water worked but you are right it was very watery bc nothing to come out I WAS CONCERNED About strain on stitches in stomach or skin when straining

Thank you for sharing your experience I don’t even know if I am constipated considering I have no urge or discomfort - it’s just I haven’t had a bowel movement for the past 3 days and am afraid of constipation affecting the stitches more than any symptoms If I hadn’t had the procedure I would assume this was bc I am having only protein water and fair life rather than any prob doing 4 oz water 2 oz milk of magnesia and 4 oz water today - the milk is horrid tasting 😕 let’s c

I am using miralax once a day post op and a week after have had only one bowel movement - my dr says bowel habits change and you identify constipation by an ‘urge to go but can’t’ Anything more specific bc post op honestly I am so apprehensive it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s me stressing Also any advise for constipation ? Was warned prevention better than cure and again apprehensive

From my sons grad food spread. What’s funny is I never did eat anything bc I was so busy til everyone left and so by then all I got to eat was some guacamole and some cucumbers with ranch dip.

Got mine on 5 June. Waiting for first in person appt to take off bandaid bc terrified to do it myself. So far drinking seeq protein water and some thinned Greek yogurt . Dying to find new ideas, new to this forum and would love to get in touch directly with other June ops

This really is the big fear, isn't it? I mean, I know when my bad habits hit. It's when I'm stressed and short on time. Like this week, where one kid had a major school presentation and the other was both sick AND had rehearsals for dance recital every night. And they need to be fed, and have all their stuff, and did they remember their water bottles, and money for a snack, and where are the dance shoes, and what time is pick up and...oh, wait, have I eaten anything today? And now all the food I bought to be so good and healthy is still frozen and I'm trying to figure out if I should choke down a protein shake or if putting peanut butter on a Ritz cracker can count as protein... This is definitely where those new, good habits need to be built. Because of course I can anticipate the craziness of a week like this ahead of time and prepare for it. I just need to work on actually doing so because a trip through McDonald's is no longer in the offing or I'll end up right back where I was. The modern world is built for convenience, but not for good health.

Ty for the links @NickelChip and yay on the weight loss! Woohoo! I have a major sweet tooth also and have made these brownies twice and think they are pretty good. My twig of a hubby likes them also 😂. I mean they’re not as good as “real” brownies but honestly you get used to it if you stay away from “real” sugar which I do. (Mainly bc I know I’ll go overboard if I try eating sugar again so I just avoid it all together.) I also try to eat and cook mostly keto/very low carb most of the time. This website has some pretty good recipes and directions for freezing and stuff. I’ve tried a few recipes from another website also that I’ll link for you. i don’t make my food separate. My hubby eats whatever I cook for me, just more of it and when my kiddos (20 and 24) were here a couple of weeks ago, they ate what I made for myself also. 😉 of course I try to make stuff I knew they wouldn’t hate 😂. Try these https://thebigmansworld.com/best-fudgy-keto-brownies/ Made these a couple of nights ago https://thebigmansworld.com/keto-stuffed-peppers/ I’ve also made this and so has my daughter and she likes it too, I’ve made it once as written and then doubled the recipe once using lean ground turkey and ground pork. https://www.eatyourselfskinny.com/chicken-egg-roll-in-a-bowl/ plus I’ve made a couple of other recipes on this last website that were good also just trying to mix stuff up…..I hate eating the same crap all the time. oh and we eat the egg roll in a bowl with cauliflower rice 😉

Hi 👋 I’m right at the very beginning of my bariatric journey and I’m equal parts excited, apprehensive and relieved. I’m 55 and have had numerous attempts at weight loss (like many, many of us!) Thankfully I found an incredibly supportive GP who has helped with menopause issues and was really understanding of my frustration with my weight, and the constant feelings of guilt, anxiety and failure. She put me forward for bariatric surgery and has helped me with the initial stages. Mobility is an issue - I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis in both knees and left hip and generally feel like crap - constant pain and just a general feeling of being fed up. I’ve had my first education support meeting at the hospital and now have appointments for the dietitian, sleep test, and support group (waiting for endoscopy appointment) I’ve read, researched and downloaded what I can. I have also familiarised myself with all the information provided by the hospital and have downloaded a couple of bariatric recipe books for the different stages. I always like lots of information when embarking on something major! My plan is to start a weight loss plan come Monday and start getting my head around higher protein, lower carbs and better eating all round once again. My weight is currently 303lbs and I’m 171cm tall. I’ve taken the dreaded ‘before’ pictures (😖) and have re-started my weight loss app membership to record everything and make myself accountable. I’m looking forward to ‘meeting’ people who are on this journey too, regardless of the stage!

Here is an article about 21 bread alternatives to keep you healthy and well fed. https://foodfornet.com/bread-alternatives/

I am currently almost 6 months post op for my original procedure and am writing this from my hospital bed. I am unable to tolerate oral intake of food or fluids of any kind and am being fed via a nasojejunal tube (NJT) and TPN via a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) My surgeon along with many others that have consulted on my case are at a complete loss for what is going on and why I can't tolerate anything. I'm reaching out to fellow people who have undergone bariatric surgery in the hopes of finding someone else with a similar experience to maybe get some opinions/answers. In order to do this I will start from the beginning and tell you all my entire story. I know it's long but I am desperate so please bear with me and read to the end. I will try to explain everything but also be as brief as possible to keep it as short as possible. I had surgery at the end of November 2023. It was a One Anastamosis Gastric Bypass or "mini" bypass. The surgery was routine and there were no issues whatsoever. I couldn't tolerate fluids and my intake was too poor to be released from hospital and progressed to vomiting every time I drank anything. Was diagnosed with a stricture and it was dilated and I finally started progressing. I was discharged from hospital finally almost 2 weeks post op (booked in for further dilatations at regular intervals to slowly stretch the stricture) and was home for less than 24hrs before it began again and my surgeon readmitted me and I underwent another dilatation. Upon getting back to my room I started violently vomiting and no amount of antiemetics would settle it. Emergency CT scan confirmed the stricture was perforated and my stomach contents were leaking into my abdominal cavity. I developed sepsis and had a nasogastric tube inserted for drainage. I underwent IV antibiotics and was later rushed to surgery to repair it, however due to the damage from the infection, it required a conversion to a Roux EN Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB) and I needed my abdomen washed out and other infected tissue removed. It took about 5 hrs. I spent a further month in hospital recovering, initially on TPN to supplement my oral intake but was wraned off as my tolerance improved and was finally discharged. At this point in time I had progressed to a pureed diet. I was by no means meeting my requirements but the benefits of being home vs hospital given everything outweighed the negatives and my surgeon planned on seeing me weekly as well as my dietician. Now here is where is starts to get weird and my real troubles began. Just over a week later I woke up one morning and had a sip of water (with a few drops of cordial to break the surface tension) however as soon as it went down I experienced a wave of nausea. It was different from before, I can't really explain the difference but I just ignored it believing it would go away (Denial as I just wanted to get on with my life and get back to work and due to the conversion surgery, my surgeon had created an extra large opening to account for my body closing the join so that it would end up a normal size.) I started experimenting with foods and fluids, different textures, consistencies, temperatures, etc. I tried absolutely everything I could think of. About a week or so later and my intake was getting progressively worse and I was once again admitted and went straight for an endoscopy (My 3rd since 1st surgery) to dilate the suspected stricture but there wasn't one. I then underwent a barrage of tests and every general and GI surgeon/specialist in my town came and consulted on my case, as well as my surgeon consulting doctors from all over. A NGT was eventually inserted and enteral nutrition (EN) started but was not tolerated and the tube was advanced into my intestines to be a NJT, which was then tolerated but the focus was on trying to get my oral intake to be adequate. I spent weeks in hospital trying different medications, getting tests and ruling out different conditions. I was discharged on EN with the NJT on 16 hour feeds at a rate of 50ml/hr which was not enough to meet my nutrition requirements but was the Max rate I could tolerate and the belief at this stage was that the nausea would go away and I'd be able to eat again. On the 8th of May I was admitted for a gastronomy tube insertion into my remnant stomach via laparoscopy as it was finally decided that this problem was not going away and by this stage I had lost 38kg (84lbs) and was severely malnourished, despite increasing my feed rate to 60ml/hr (still not enough to meet nutritional requirements) The purpose of the gastronomy tube was not only to have a more discreet way of feeding and for comfort and whatnot but because the tube is in my remnant stomach, I should be able to tolerate a much higher rate to actually meet my nutritional requirements and spend less time attached to the feeding pump. Feeds were commenced at 20ml/hr the next day but I developed severe pain and discovered feed had soaked the dressing around the tube. I was yet again rushed into surgery as the tube was leaking. Another NJT was inserted along with a PICC line and both EN and TPN were started to maximise my nutritional status while we wait for my body to heal around the tube in order for that leak to stop happening again. I've been on IV antibiotics and whatnot since as well. I developed a fluid collection in my abdomen and needed a percutaneous drainage which failed as the fluid was too thick to aspirate and a minor infection at the insertion site and it was believed that there was a fistula however luckily that was not the case. However yesterday I had a fluroscopy in which contrasted was put into the tube to see what happens and whether it's now working correctly and that caused me to violently retch as my body tried to expel the fluid from my stomach but as its not connected to my oesophagus anymore, it was unable to do so. This has now lead me to start worrying about whether whatever issue is preventing me from tolerating anything going into my pouch is affecting my remnant stomach too. I'm now facing the prospect of permanent EN and TPN for the rest of my life and I'm not even 30. So if you or anyone you know has any ideas or similar experiences or literally anything, please let me know. Even if it's just a chat because I feel so incredibly alone in this. To anyone that made it this far, I appreciate you taking the time to read this and thank you in advance for any responses. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have as well.

Ty. Oh I do, mostly bc I know they can cause bad GI issues. I usually only eat one piece, but I never eat more than 2. 😉

Love the term onederland 😂 @NickelChip @BlueParis don’t get discouraged, you’re so much smaller than a lot of us and I would expect it to take longer or for you to have more prolonged stalls than when you weighed more. I know it can be frustrating but you’re doing great! 😘 Weightloss always slows way down when you’re closer to a “normal” weight. Whatever that may be. Oh and WTG on the no drinking! Maybe you can try high protein snacks like quest protein chips or roasted edamame to up your protein? @RonHall908 you look great! hope ev1 is still doing well, I can’t stop myself from weighing everyday, even when I try not too, I end up on the scale anyway. But that’s ok, I go up and down also but I know intellectually that it’s most likely water weight. I stop losing or gain briefly every time I do any exercise and I’m pretty sure it’s water weight. I also agree with @NickelChip that I do think the “stalls” are often related to not enough calories ( also over carbing it, I don’t really exercise much and have PCOS so I don’t metabolize carbs well and try to avoid simple carbs as much as possible) Your body going into starvation mode is truly a real thing and does happen. I seem to notice my most steady weight loss when I follow my diet 95% of the time and then have a cheat meal/day and eat crap I’ve avoided all week like fattening restaurant yummy food like chips and queso or chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes. I might stay the same or gain a pound right after then drop several pounds. Plus for me it keeps me from craving all the unhealthy food ALL the time, bc I LOVE food and know that eating only healthy food 100% of the time is unattainable for me. I’ll eventually cheat and fall off the wagon hard! Oh and for anyone feeling disappointed in the slow losses take @LisaCaryl’s advice and go by how your clothes feel or better yet,take measurements if you can. My hubby helps me take my measurements and I log them on the Baritastic app. Even when my scales not moving I’ve lost lots of inches and my clothes are big. Plus I’m back into my small “fat” pants lol 😁 oh and @NickelChip, I feel you on the sweets, I use light and fit Greek yogurt and Russel Stovers sugar free chocolates for desserts! My hubby even likes the Russel Stovers chocolates and can’t tell they’re sugar free. Keep on keepin on guys! 😘

Hey yall! Anyone else in my shoes??? So it’s been about 15 months since my vsg! Maybe 6-8 months ago I started having irregular cycles, very painful cramps and odor. I have never ever had these issues prior to my vsg. I clean my private very well so when I started noticing an odor it instantly had me scratching my head. I haven’t changed partners, std free, same soaps and laundry detergent as well. My cycle would be between 2-3 times a month which is stressful and alot to deal with. The cramps have been painful to the point I'm bent over in pain or balled up in bed- neverrrr ever had this all my years of menstruation. So of course I mentioned it to my surgeon who said oh give it some time your body just went through a major surgery blah blah- cool. Well time turned into more time and decided to see gyn. Who ran std test which came back negative for everything, she did the endometriosis test which came back normal as well. So now I have to get a D&C done tomorrow for more “diagnostic” testing. They have yet to do an ultrasound hmmmm. I have a friend who had the same surgery vsg as me and she is also experiencing the sameeee exact symptoms as me. She has found out that she have cyst on her ovaries and need to have them removed. Have you or anyone else you know that have had weight lost surgery have any of these complications? What was the findings? Any success stories and or updates? Freaking out and stressing over this bc of course they are making it seem like it’s no big deal when it is to me!

See, when I don't lose, it messes with me so much. From Feb to March 7th, I only lost 8 lbs, which messed with me so much. It triggered a binge where I just ate crappy foods for like a week until I came to my senses. But now I am terrified of the scale bc I don't want to fall into that horrible mental state again. So, for now, I am just keeping it away until next month. I do agree with everything you said and feel I can definitely lose much more if I just stay consistent and on track. I appreciate your kind words. ❤️

HI All! I had gastric sleeve surgery on 12/6/23. As of March 7th, I am 45lbs down. I stopped weighing myself after this date, though, bc I was becoming OBSESSED with the scale and would fall into a deep sadness each day I didn't lose at least a pound. So, I decided to put it away and focus on my feelings and habits. Anyway, lately, I've noticed I can eat much more than I was. I watched a YouTube video about a doctor explaining that after month 3, patients tend to notice they can eat more. He mentioned that it usually freaks them out at first because not being able to eat a lot at all was the major tool in helping the weight loss, but to not be alarmed because it's normal and to focus on healthy foods, working out, etc. Still, it's scaring me because I am scared I will fall into old bad habits and start overeating again. So I was just wondering, has anyone noticed this? I noticed I can eat more than I was 2 months ago. It's freaking me out a bit bc I'm scared I'll overeat, esp bc certain foods are easier to overeat than others. The other day, I got a bag of organic Doritos and ate the whole bag throughout the day. I know I shouldn't have, but I was weak. So, has anyone experienced this? Has it affected your progress at all? Please be kind. ❤️ Thanks!

That's where I feel a lot in of my weakness - my hands and I turn 60 Thursday! Its my arms and hands (duh! They're dependent on each other 😆). That's what I was referring to in my OP... I have a hard time opening things I never had issues with before surgery. I shouldn't think its age related when I had no issues 9 months ago BS (before surgery), I opened things my husband had issues with sometimes - though if you were to ask him..he "loosened it for me!"

Exactly!!! I fed her, clothed her, exercised her so she would look her best, and then she just went and f'd off.....😡🤬

Ty! Yes we are! Some of that weight loss was pre-surgery, lost about 26# since surgery. I feel really good actually. a) I too need to stop eating before I’m too full like so many others here, I’m having a hard time with that. b) I was super nauseous for the first 3 weeks or so but was lucky in that my surgeon gave me Zofran for it. My Dr. cleared me to eat whatever (as long as it’s healthy) I want after my 1 month follow up and so far so good. My new favorite food is canned chicken crust pizza I make. It’s soooo yummy and gives me tons of protein intake with just one piece. c) I’m definitely feeling the stalls, I’ve had 2 (one currently) which is what makes me come see how y’all are doing and then I realize it’s not just me so that makes me feel better. It’s just so annoying bc I typically eat about 750-900 cal a day and my brain just doesn’t want to get why the weight doesn’t just drop off 🤣. I think it thinks I’m starving to death 🤦🏼‍♀️😂 d) I have on occasion gotten super hungry which I hate. I was so hoping that feeling was permanently gone but 🤷🏼‍♀️. It’s only happened to me 2 or 3 times so maybe I was dehydrated? That’s what I’m telling myself for now. I also have a hard time getting 64 ounces of fluid in but I try. And going back to the nausea thing….i just had a couple of suggestions that I’ve tried and have helped me, but of course ev1 is different. Even the thought of protein shakes now make me want to vomit, I do everything I can to avoid having to drink them. I try to hit 60-80 gm of protein a day. I eat a lot of tuna, chicken, Greek yogurt, the Only Bean roasted edamame beans and chicken pizza crust pizza. And use liquicel if I need a protein boost before breaking down and having a shake. I don’t ever take my vitamins on an empty stomach, I always eat light and fit Greek yogurt first. water makes me nauseated now. So I very rarely drink plain water. I usually drink decaf unsweetened iced tea and now add Mio to my water but I’m trying to integrate the plain water back in, I think it’s just some kind of weird mental block. And just keep in mind that dehydration itself can cause fatigue and nausea! Of course so can the vitamins were all taking 😂 Sorry for the vvvveeerrryyyyyy long post guys! And thanks again for all y’all’s unknown help. I wish ev1 the best on their weight loss journey!

"And my butt? Yeah, we don't know her anymore" I love the way you phrased it, made me laugh. I don't know mine anymore either..I feel abandoned by her...I fed her, supported her and had a close working relationship with her and what's she do for all that!? POOF gone and sagged off 😖 😠 you'd think carrying around 100's of extra pounds we would have built up muscles to support a perfect peach! Now all I have is a prune.

Hi Wendy- I found it important to confide in friends who I knew would see the surgery as an effort to reset my system and not as a vanity project. So, I opened up to three close friends and no family other than my husband and teenage son (whom I sat down and really went through the toughest reasons why with). My parents are gone and I don’t see my siblings very often - easier in that respect. And I also sought out references from friends of closest friends who knew someone who’d had the surgery and talked extensively about the aftermath and any complications. They were exceptionally compassionate and enthusiastic supporters. I really felt ready. The comments from a good friend group came in waves: “you look great”! Then, a bit of concern - “all okay?” Then, “wow, you look like a different person: are you on ozempic?” with a direct desire to know what was up. I told that group together but only after 3 month mark, asking they not share it with others. No one has been negative about it. I had a dear friend say, “look, if there was a surgery that would reset my brain to comprehend things more quickly, I’d do it in a second”. I had to explain it’s not a quick fix but I knew what she meant- getting one’s beast of burden off the mind. Re: Hair loss- timeline was strange - I’ve always had a thick head of hair and thought maybe I’d bypass the intensity of it. Alas, no- it started to really come out heavily in Aug/Sept. I was worried bc it didn’t slow down and had thinned dramatically but now the growth is back - slowed in Dec/Jan and I kept it short all fall. No one especially noticed enough to mention it. Again, all good thoughts to you as you begin this remarkable feat! You’ll feel amazing soon enough but I hope you’re proud of getting to this point!

I almost took a picture the other day (a mirror selfie no less), bc on camera it seemed like I looked the same even though I could tell it wasn't. But I instead opted for trying on some outfits I wore a few months ago and I swear the shirts are longer besides being baggier. I've slowly dug in the closet and tried on some clothes I haven't seen in years. Being able to fit into them was great of course, but also made me mad 😤! The fact that I can fit into both, a dress I wore 5 yrs ago and one I wore over 12 yrs ago when they're different sizes and materials is just crazy?!

I get low blood sugar too when I drink enough water it’s frustrating it’s not something) I’ve had to deal with too much and it feels like I’ve just flopped from one end of the problems to the other without getting to reap the weight loss reward. Hopefully your stall breaks and that’s all it is, a stall. I recommend getting a tape measure and doing measurements of yourself at least bc I’ve been losing inches even if the scale is refusing to budge.

ok, I goofed. Last night, I was feeling very capable since Ive done so well since surgery. Well, I was too cocky apparently, bc I shouldnt have done this at 3 weeks, 2 days. I ate almost 4oz of prime rib last night. I chewed it very well. It seemed ok until it wasn’t. I was in pain and for the first time being sleeved I vomited. This a.m I wasn't the least bit hungry , felt fine otherwise, so I just had water till about noon. I could only get 2 oz of my protein oats down. Then about 2 hours later, Im struggling getting some chili down. Do you think that steak is still hanging out in my stomach? I’d appreciate your feedback.

Hi thanks for responding! I actually do use the premier protein shakes every day for my coffee. I have a nespresso machine so I use 1 pod (like 2oz coffee) and a protein shake. I do the Starbucks / Dunkin iced coffees on Sundays. But bc I have a bad relationship w food I feel this is still bad. I actually love the challenges. They make me motivated and when I’m disciplined I feel so good. It’s once they’re done or if it’s a Sunday I’ll go off diet. Idk what it is about Sundays that make me feel like I just wanna be lazy and eat comfort food. 😞 And yesss I am the type of person that moderation can turn into a binge so I just try to stay away from certain foods all together. This surgery is helping me though. It’s helping me stay away from a lot of the wrong foods and if I do want something I can’t eat too much of it. How has your journey been?

I never feel like that….that stinks for you. Are you taking the pink liquid medicine? Yeah I know I’m great with medicine names. Lol but that med is supposed to coat the stomach and help with digestion issues. I know from a friend that she said I will know when I’m full… like she can eat and then like start sweating and she knows she’s eating something she’s not supposed to or she needs to stop immediately. This only happened bc we went on a cruise like a year or less after she had bypass and she was still adjusting,