The things no one tells you about post op life...

[nawar 6]

So I'm a year out from my surgery, and last night I was thinking about the things no one told me I would experience post op.

Here's my list:

• Sensitive tummy! I used to have a cast Iron stomach preop. I could eat ANYTHING and not get sick. I'm talking about food left out for a day or two, weird combinations of food, anything. NOW - my stomach is very sensitive and temperamental. I can eat something one day and be fine, and eat it the next day and it will send me straight to the bathroom.
• Tummy issues 2 - Before surgery, I used to be able to "hold" my poo (sorry if TMI) if I was in an inconvenient place (like work or the mall) until I got home. Not anymore. When I gotta go, I gotta go! And I cramp when I have to go.
• Drinking Water is a CHORE. I didn't realize how much of a chore drinking Water would be - especially with the "no eating and drinking at the same time" rule. Presurgery I could drink 64 oz of water a day easily. Now, not so much.
• Deep down I thought being "skinny" would fix a majority of my issues. NOPE!
• My butt hurts constantly from sitting on things! I guess since some of the padding is gone, LOL.
• My refrigerator is a constant churn of leftovers. I am having trouble making peace with throwing away leftovers but I have to constantly.
• I don't get nervous about having physicals at the doctor anymore.
• If I eat the wrong thing late at night (there's one Protein bar in particular) it gives me indigestion really bad.

What are some of the things that no one told you that you're experiencing post op?

am just fife days post op but i stopped at being skinny didnt solve your problems.. i got depression.. i thought being fat is why am depressed.

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[lexiemustang 268]

Does anyone regret that they had their procedure done?

Absolutely not! Wish I would have done it sooner.

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[funnygrl 6]

I'm just over 3 months since surgery...and no regrets!!

Down 55lbs!! And none of the issues you are speaking of... I'll see if I still answer the same next February!

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[Read2016 658]

Being skinny isn't solving all anyone's problems... No one walks through life problem free... Going from obese to skinny is more like trading problems... You still going to have to cope with life... The good news is you will be doing it in a more healthy more Moblie body...

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them"

Einstein

[UCLA man 101]

Sitting on a hard metal folding chair is so uncomfortable now and I am 17 days post surgery. I didn't realize others had this problem also. I would have never thought this is a side effect of surgery.

Does it go away at some point?

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

Sitting on a hard metal folding chair is so uncomfortable now and I am 17 days post surgery. I didn't realize others had this problem also. I would have never thought this is a side effect of surgery.

Does it go away at some point?

It did for me. My butt has toughened up. Probably a combo of muscle and nerve changes.

[tamila0624 11]

Thank you for giving me the eye opener I went to my refridgerator and through all the good stuff out did not care I want to get back on track I only gained a few pounds but that is enough back to the basics thanks

[jess9395 5,449]

Okay for the sitting part, I had to relearn how to sit. My physical therapist helped me with this. When we are fat with all the padding we learn to sit in a way that accommodates that. Once we get skinny if we continue to sit that way we hit all the wrong bones and it hurts. Basically if you push your butt back to the back of the chair and sit forward onto the backs of your thighs (on the "sitz bones" as my yoga teacher calls them) and reclaim the natural curvature of the lumbar spine the weight doesn't go on the bones anymore.

Kinda hard to explain, she had to help me by adjusting my body, but I drew a picture to kind of explain. Hope it helps someone!

[CHM 1,009]

@@jess9395

Very helpful illustration. Thank you. It certainly explains why I sit the way I do.

Since losing so much of my, ahem, padding, I find that if I'm going to be seated for more than a few minutes, I'm most comfortable leaning forward. I'll position my butt way back in the chair (as illustrated), cross my legs, then lean forward and either cross my forearms over my knee, or prop up an elbow on it to rest my chin on my hand.

This can tend to make one look either overly interested or overly bored, but at least it saves the tail bone!

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[Alex Brecher 10,496]

@@lexiemustang,

Great thread! Thanks for getting this started – I am sure a lot of pre-op patients will learn an awful lot from this! You’ve hit on some great ones!

I think it is worth repeating that getting skinny won’t fix all of your issues. Before surgery, take a good, hard look at what your issues are, whether they’re poor health, depression, lack of confidence, or relationship trouble. Then ask yourself how losing weight will affect your issues: will it solve them, make them worse, or not affect them. It is so important to remember that your weight is only one part of your life!

Yes, it is interesting to find out how comfortable all that padding (fat!) was and we never appreciated it. Once it goes away, your tailbone can hurt, and even lying in bed can require extra pillows to make up for the natural cushioning that you lost! @jess9535, that is brilliant – thank you for taking the time to explain and to share!

One of the things nobody told me was how much I would appreciate tastes. Now that I eat a finite amount, I taste things better. It is nice.

[LillieA 8]

This topic is indeed a goldmine of information for a newbie. I have not yet had surgery, but have had worried friends trying to dissuade me. I work in health care, and a few coworkers have told me how many people they have met who have regretted their procedures. The one piece of advice that I did take to heart was to search out any folks that have had surgery, particularly those who had complications, and ask if they had regret. It appears to me that in this group, people have faced their issues squarely, with maturity and innovation. Glad to have found you all. You are inspiring. Lillie

[sondra2368 26]

I'm a little depressed and energiless at day 10 postop

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[Michael Hamilton 37]

I am not as buoyant as I used to be in the swimming pool.

I am always cold now.

[sondra2368 26]

I miss swimming. When can I swim again?

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[LipstickLady 25,682]

I am not as buoyant as I used to be in the swimming pool.

I am always cold now.

I used to be able to tread Water effortlessly for an hour easily and often did while reading a good book at the pool. It was my go to fat girl exercise.

Now I sink like a stone and I used to life guard!! HA!

Another thing related? I was great in the ocean as a fatty. No wave was my enemy. Now, I get knocked around like an empty water bottle. The Water is SO much more work than it used to be.