Hi February losers! I know we've got a great group in the pre-op sub forum, but now that we are on to week two, thought we should start the thread over here too! I see a few other Feb stragglers around so hopefully they can join here too.

I had my surgery on Monday 2/3. I'm down 10.5 as of one week. Not sure if this is a normal amount or not. I'm not getting in much calories, but do get in Protein of at least 50g per day (need to up this) and all my Water. I have a drain which still causes me pain. Other than that thing, I'm doing good on my incision and recovery. Today I start back up work, but thankfully it's from home and I just have to work on a laptop or computer.

So looking forward to the losing phase of this journey with you all and learning and growing from each other.

Edited February 10, 201412 yr by kimr

Hi everyone,

Congrats Claire! Keep up the good work.

I too was having diarrhea once or twice a week - unpleasant but not as bad as the opposite which hit me a couple of days ago. I'm so constipated it's ridiculous! Gastric pain too. Presumably it's being caused by the iron supplement - I was put on Ferricon 10 days after surgery (9 weeks ago). Since I've never had an iron deficiency problem before, I only took one per day (two a day was prescribed). I've stopped taking it totally, but feel no better 3 days later so I resorted to taking a stool softener.

Have any of you had this problem? Are any/all of you on an iron supplement? I'd like to switch to Floradix - a non-constipating liquid I was prescribed before knee surgery. But I checked out the levels and it's one tenth of the elemental iron compared to Ferricon. Any input?

Anyone losing their hair yet? Mine is falling out like crazy! :'(

I have my 12 week appointment tomorrow, really excited to discuss some things with my NUT and surgeon. I always feel so reassured after leaving from an appointment.

Zom,

my hair is falling out as well and today I even noticed two eyelashes fall out....

<p>Hi everyone,</p> <p> </p> <p>Congrats Claire! Keep up the good work.</p> <p> </p> <p>I too was having diarrhea once or twice a week - unpleasant but not as bad as the opposite which hit me a couple of days ago. I'm so constipated it's ridiculous! Gastric pain too. Presumably it's being caused by the iron supplement - I was put on Ferricon 10 days after surgery (9 weeks ago). Since I've never had an iron deficiency problem before, I only took one per day (two a day was prescribed). I've stopped taking it totally, but feel no better 3 days later so I resorted to taking a stool softener.</p> <p> </p> <p>Have any of you had this problem? Are any/all of you on an iron supplement? I'd like to switch to Floradix - a non-constipating liquid I was prescribed before knee surgery. But I checked out the levels and it's one tenth of the elemental iron compared to Ferricon. Any input?</p>

I was put on Ferricon also. It is just awful. I have been trying to increase my fluids to see if that will help. I go to see the team for my 3 month check up next week. I hope my iron deficiency is in check and I can go back to regular iron pills.

I think the constipation is one of the worst side effects. I'm lucky to go once a week and it is painful.

I've been drinking this smooth moves tea a few nights a week. It's with the laxatives at Walgreens. It really really helps to keep things moving along

Try black coffee

I drink monster sugar fee energy drinks and eat frozen grapes to help me go.

Hey Claire,

It's under that wheel looking thingy next to your name. Then, go to my tickers and you can make yours. Hope that helps!!

Thanks Sam, I have done it. It looks very pretty and I am quite impressed with my progress on there.

Thanks

Claire

Hi,

I am soo glad that I am not constipated... yet! Maybe the diarrhoea is getting a bit better at the moment, so I hope it doesn't tip me the other way. My hair is still fine but for how long? Zom and Tammy you are very close to my surgery date so I have always been concerned about that and it is clearly very close now. I hope yours stops as soon as possible and doesn't get too bad.

Take care

Claire

Hi all,

I know this might be a little TMI, but I figured I could ask you all. After you had your surgery, how long did it take for you to have another menstrual cycle? I finished my last one right before my surgery and had another 3 days post-op, but I haven't had one since. I'm going on a cruise in June and I'm terrifed that Aunt Flo is gonna join me uninvited. I'm still taking my birth control everyday and I know that my doctor has said that my hormones will be completely screwy since estrogen is stored in fat and I'm still losing.

Any advice would be appreciated!!

Thanks girls!

Samantha

Anyone losing their hair yet? Mine is falling out like crazy! :'(

I was warned that hair loss is common - my doctor told be it happens around 3 months out and is caused by low Protein. That's one reason why we "eat the protein first" : )

Has anyone else's weight loss slowed way down? I've only lost 12lbs over the last month. I hope this is normal. I've been working to get more Protein in. I've not been working out because I've been working on getting my garden ready for summer which has been an immense amount of work. My surgery was March 4th, but I thought I'd check in with you February people since it was so early in the month.

I started taking bioten a month before surgery and my hair didn't shed nearly as much. But over the last week I've noticed more and more has been shedding. I hope it doesn't get much worse than this.

Hi all, I am feeling great for the most part. I think that I am constipated though. Having a hell of a time and not getting enough of anything in. I am not ever hungry. I do get thirsty and then I forget and take a big gulp of water and then immediately regret that. My stomach gurggles and grumbles and whines quite often, but other than taking 40 minutes to eat 5 oz of greek yogurt I can't eat more than about 3 oz of food at a time. A cheesstick and an ounce of chicken put me in to total pain this evening. Yesterday I had all of 248 calories. It has to get better right. I am dying to get to a point where I can eat whatever, just way smaller amounts than I used to.

299! I'm officially out of the 300s, and to think I used to be 406!