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Has anyone found the journey after surgery easy?



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I'm just over 3 months out from surgery. Anyone who tells you this is the "easy way out" hasn't had a gastric bypass. Eating is an uncomfortable chore for me. It's as if I've lost my best friend: food. I remind myself daily, hourly if need be, that I am no longer diabetic, my blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides are now normal, and I can shop for clothing anywhere. I'm working on taking things day at a time.

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YES!

Pre-op I was told there would be changes and to prepare for them.

My biggest fears were I would grieve the loss of my relationship with food,

and that I would be HUNGRY.

Well I wasn't hungry at all, not even yet.

The only thing I struggle with is keeping on track for my supplements.

So I got a smart phone to remind me.

I also got a new computer, a new car and I am seeking a new job.

I have been purging my house and I no longer have time for other peoples BS.

I took my first yoga class and I liked it.

I joined SNAP fittness.

I order Protein shakes from unjury and bodybuilding.com

Life is great.

My one regret is that I waited so long.

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Good for you 2twonkle!! I'm only 4 weeks out and I'm already so sorry I waited so long. I do struggle with the Vitamins and Water though....

But it's better than all the prescriptions I'm getting rid of!!

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I am 14 months post op. 5'4" . Went from 287 to 158. I don't think it was hard at all. Was it an adjustment? Yes. Do you have to fight cravings? Yes. You will hit stalls and get frustrated. You must stick to the plan as much as possible and stay active and the weight will fall right off. So hard for me? No. Always easy? No, but I wouldn't say it's hard. I've never been successful at weight loss until I had this tool. Just stay the course, stay focused and you will have success!!

I completely agree!

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Bwhahahahahahah. No.

Some people really do though!!

Still worth it

Edited by bellabloom

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Easy is not the word I would use. I think changing my relationship with food and not having a protective fatsuit forced me to deal with alot of things that had been previously, quite literally, swallowed.

Good news is life on the other side is so much better!

I was sleeved 4 years ago and maintaining. ..

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During the "honeymoon stage" it was easy. Didn't matter what I ate I would lose. All of that ended in December 2015. My body has suddenly become very resistant to losing. Had to re- think my lifestyle as my "little bites" of the foods I used to eat started creeping back into my life.

That along with having a couple of drinks a day ( which also includes snacking) was stalling me big time.

I'm back on track, stopped the alcohol, the drinking with meals and have limited the carbs. That along with no snacking between meals and exercise is doing the trick.

So easy for bad habits to resurface!!!

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I started this thread.

I'm now 2 weeks post op. I had a small complication, a burst blood vessel after the op...I lost a lot of blood and ended up needing a blood transfusion...that part was very unpleasant!

Nope it's not easy, not for me anyway, although I wouldn't call it hard. I would prefer to use the word challenging......

For me it's about regaining my energy and it's getting better every day. I started using my Fitbit last week setting small challenges. I started at 3000 steps. Today I did 6500 steps, so I'm up for 7000 tomorrow.

I started purees today....yeah I can still eat eggs!...love em....although I can eat about 1 egg over 40 mins.

Getting in enough Protein is challenging but I'll start adding more Protein powder to my purees.

I'm not craving sweets. Which is amazing for me, I've been a sugar addict most of my life.

I can look at cake, biscuits, donuts and now its like looking at cardboard.

Ive been lucky with pain. I have had a tiny bit of muscle pain when I move now, but nothing to complain about, so that's been easy.

My weight has been up and down, I've been sticking to the program, I lost approx 11 pounds post surgery....and in the past 2 days I've put back on 4 pounds.....what the????? I know there are stalls but really????? I know it just Fluid or maybe dodgy scales...I felt like throwing them threw the window this morning!

So yes my experience has been challenging....but not hard, so far....

I'm still glad I made the decision to have this op.....now I just need patience.

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Hang in there. I'm 6 weeks out and still fight to get the Water and Protein. I had a terrible time with the Vitamins the first few weeks, they turned my stomach terribly. It's better now. I have not found i have developed any food issues. I'm pretty much on a regular diet now. Small amts of course . It will all be worth it. I dropped 22 pounds the first 4 weeks and nothing the past two. My nutritionist said not to look at the short term or you will get discouraged, there are going to be upset and downs. But as long as the trend is down you're fine. I wish you Good luck and a great recovery.

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The first few weeks are the hardest. And strangest! All of the wondering if it will really work and waiting for the scale to move. Next thing you know, your clothes will be falling off you and you will need to go shopping! I'm one year out. Started at 200 something with a band gone bad revision. Today. 135 and absolutely amazed!! Trying NOT to lose anymore because I'm on my third round of the clothes / shopping issue!

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    • Aunty Mamo

      Iʻm roughly 6 weeks post-op this morning and have begun to feel like a normal human, with a normal human body again. I started introducing solid foods and pill forms of medications/supplements a couple of weeks ago and it's really amazing to eat meals with my family again, despite the fact that my portions are so much smaller than theirs. 
      I live on the island of Oʻahu and spend a lot of time in the water- for exercise, for play,  and for spiritual & mental health. The day I had my month out appointment with my surgeon, I packed all my gear in my truck, anticipating his permission to get back in the ocean. The minute I walked out of that hospital I drove straight to the shore and got in that water. Hallelujah! My appointment was at 10 am. I didn't get home until after 5 pm. 
      I'm down 31 pounds since the day of surgery and 47 since my pre-op diet began, with that typical week long stall occurring at three weeks. I'm really starting to see some changes lately- some of my clothing is too big, some fits again. The most drastic changes I notice however are in my face. I've also noticed my endurance and flexibility increasing. I was really starting to be held up physically, and I'm so grateful that I'm seeing that turn around in such short order. 
      My general disposition lately is hopeful and motivated. The only thing that bugs me on a daily basis still is the way those supplements make my house smell. So stink! But I just bought a smell proof bag online that other people use to put their pot in. My house doesn't stink anymore. 
       
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    • BeanitoDiego

      Oh yeah, something I wanted to rant about, a billing dispute that cropped up 3 months ago.
      Surgery was in August of 2023. A bill shows up for over $7,000 in January. WTF? I asks myself. I know that I jumped through all of the insurance hoops and verified this and triple checked that, as did the surgeon's office. All was set, and I paid all of the known costs before surgery.
      A looong story short, is that an assistant surgeon that was in the process of accepting money from my insurance company touched me while I was under anesthesia. That is what the bill was for. But hey, guess what? Some federal legislation was enacted last year to help patients out when they cannot consent to being touched by someone out of their insurance network. These types of bills fall under something called, "surprise billing," and you don't have to put up with it.
      https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises
      I had to make a lot of phone calls to both the surgeon's office and the insurance company and explain my rights and what the maximum out of pocket costs were that I could be liable for. Also had to remind them that it isn't my place to be taking care of all of this and that I was going to escalate things if they could not play nice with one another.
      Quick ending is that I don't have to pay that $7,000+. Advocate, advocate, advocate for yourself no matter how long it takes and learn more about this law if you are ever hit with a surprise bill.
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Some days I feel like an infiltrator... I'm participating in society as a "thin" person. They have no idea that I haven't always been one of them! 🤣
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    • ChunkCat

      Thank you everyone for your well wishes! I totally forgot I wrote an update here... I'm one week post op today. I gained 15 lbs in water weight overnight because they had to give me tons of fluids to bring my BP up after surgery! I stayed one night in the hospital. Everything has been fine except I seem to have picked up a bug while I was there and I've been running a low grade fever, coughing, and a sore throat. So I've been hydrating well and sleeping a ton. So far the Covid tests are negative.
      I haven't been able to advance my diet past purees. Everything I eat other than tofu makes me choke and feels like trying to swallow rocks. They warned me it would get worse before it gets better, so lets hope this is all normal. I have my follow up on Monday so we'll see. Living on shakes and soup again is not fun. I had enough of them the first time!! LOL 
      · 0 replies
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    • BeanitoDiego

      Still purging all of the larger clothing. This morning, a shirt that I ADORED wearing ended up on top. Hard to let it go, but it was also hard to let go of those habits that also no longer serve my highest good. Onward and upward!
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