Not sure if anyone remembers me since it's been a while since I posted. I finally got the surgery date for my gastric bypass! It's on March 2nd 2020. Naturally I'm super nervous I've never had major surgery.

Recently, I've been talking to some other people who have mentioned some side effects they had then nobody warned them about, such as severe diarrhea.

So, that's made me wonder, what side effects did you experience post-surgery that you wish someone had warned you about.

Well if your on liquid diet you'll get the runs that's just normal I had it for about 2 weeks..

I've had bypass now for almost 3 months no major issues really..

Get light headed sometimes but I eat very low calories.

I can't remember anything serious besides the usual soreness after surgery..

diarrhea isn't common. The vast majority of us deal with the opposite problem - constipation! Although that's true of sleeve patients, too. It's not the surgery - it's the high protein diet plus some of the supplements - i.e., iron and calcium, both of which tend to back even non-surgery people up.

I've had no issues with my bypass - well, other than chronic constipation (which again, most of us deal with). I just take a capful of Miralax every day to stay on top of it.

I'm very happy I had the surgery and would do it again in a heartbeat!

I'm glad I never dealt with constipation

4 hours ago, skyewolfe said:

Not sure if anyone remembers me since it's been a while since I posted. I finally got the surgery date for my gastric bypass! It's on March 2nd 2020. Naturally I'm super nervous I've never had major surgery.

Recently, I've been talking to some other people who have mentioned some side effects they had then nobody warned them about, such as severe diarrhea.

So, that's made me wonder, what side effects did you experience post-surgery that you wish someone had warned you about.

A lingering fatigue in the first month as you heal and adjust

Pregnancy... women's bodies seem to normalise hormonally, so make sure you're on birth control until you want to have offspring ?

Here are some things that happened and no one told me about:

I lost my boobs - like LOST them. They are down there somewhere. 42DD to 34A. I have to special order bras.

My bottom is so bony that it hurts to sit on hard chairs.

I had so much energy during the active weight loss and ketosis that I couldn't sleep. I was the energizer bunny on steroids.

I lost my food shelf - you know, that convenient bulge where you can put your plate when you sit in the recliner.

I had to buy a whole new wardrobe. Size 24 pants to 10.

I was actually comfortable this past summer in the heat.... but I am freezing all the time now.

I have saggy skin, but I lost my triple chin, my thighs don't rub, and no more fungal infections from folds and heat. My little grandson squeezes my upper arms and says, "Squishy."

I can't swim very well anymore. I just sink. I lost all my buoyancy.

I had to get a new wedding band.

I found new bones I didn't ever remember having - collar bones, ribs, hips.

But on the flip side, I don't have GERD, sleep apnea, or high blood pressure anymore. My HDL, triglyceride, and A1c numbers are awesome. I can sit in any chair in the room, my seat belt doesn't rub on my neck, I can walk, hike, and ride my bike for hours without stopping, my resting pulse rate is in the 40's, I can get down on the floor and get up by myself, my bath towel goes all the way around me plus extra left over, I am one of the smallest people in a room instead of the largest, my necklaces hang down onto my chest, I can buy clothes in any store and in regular departments, and people call me "skinny." Unbelievable!

Edited January 16, 20206 yr by AZhiker

5 hours ago, Superman84 said:

Well if your on liquid diet you'll get the runs that's just normal I had it for about 2 weeks..

I've had bypass now for almost 3 months no major issues really..

Get light headed sometimes but I eat very low calories.

I can't remember anything serious besides the usual soreness after surgery..

That's strange because pre and post liquid diets I had constipation. Still do if I don't take 3 stool softener liquid gel tabs a day.

The only thing that is different now (besides the amount of food I eat) is that I poop only once every 3-4 days instead of daily. You used to be able to set your watch by my bowels, but no more.?

So no one has had any actual surprising side effects? Any one experience gall bladder issues afterwards? It's another "surprise side-effect" someone told me about.

Surprising like what? What were you told? I never had diarrhea unless I was having. A dumping episode

2 hours ago, GreenTealael said:

A lingering fatigue in the first month as you heal and adjust

Yes!!! I'm 2 days shy of being 1 month out, and I'm still exhausted. Not taking 2 naps a day anymore, but just generally fatigued!!

1 hour ago, skyewolfe said:

So no one has had any actual surprising side effects? Any one experience gall bladder issues afterwards? It's another "surprise side-effect" someone told me about.

I hear about gall bladder issues once in awhile on these boards, but I don't know how common it is. I would say most of us haven't had those.

1 hour ago, NYJenn said:

Surprising like what? What were you told? I never had diarrhea unless I was having. A dumping episode

Well other than the diarrhea, and the gallstones I was warned about hair loss as well. But really I'm just wondering if there's anything that you wish someone had warned you about before hand. I want to make sure that I'm as prepared as I can be lol

13 minutes ago, skyewolfe said:

Well other than the diarrhea, and the gallstones I was warned about Hair loss as well. But really I'm just wondering if there's anything that you wish someone had warned you about before hand. I want to make sure that I'm as prepared as I can be lol

it seems like most pre-ops (and early post-ops) worry incessantly about hair loss. But in retrospect, I can't believe I wasted even ONE brain cell worrying about it. For one thing, although there are a few people who have hair that comes out in clumps, for most of us, we just shed - and we're the only ones who notice that we're losing any hair. And some people don't lose any hair at all. The only thing I noticed is that I had about twice as many hairs in my comb after washing it than I normally did. But just looking at my hair, I couldn't tell the difference - so I'm sure no one else could, either. Secondly - it grows back.

once you lose a significant amount of weight, you're going to wonder why you worried so much about hair loss....it's such a minor thing in the grand scheme, and as I said, it's likely no one is going to notice, and it grows back.

1 hour ago, catwoman7 said:

it seems like most pre-ops (and early post-ops) worry incessantly about Hair loss.

I think a lot of us overweight people are insecure about our looks, but our hair was something we could take pride in and was our nicest feature. And now maybe that will be compromised. I'm not terrified that it could happen, but I'm not looking forward to it, either...