Hi Gang! I'm Meow. I was scheduled for a 100cm Bypass on June 29th and they just moved me UP to June 9th! AHHHHHHH! I'm usually pretty grounded with life's hurdles but all the sudden my mind went blank and I thought "I'M NOT READY!" Any other May, June, July Bypassers want to join up and share and support? I'm not sure how to put my stats in my profile but I am 5' 5" female. Late 40s. 220# at the Doc yesterday. Goal weight is 150. Having BYPASS instead of Sleeve due to life-long reflux. Told I only need to do 3 days liquid liver shrink beforehand since my BMI is only 36. Feel both overloaded with info and under-prepared to say goodbye to the contrasting albatross/joy that is FOOD in my life. Both glad and nervous about the timing as it feels like an easier time to stay away from friends and family who social-eat until I get a handle on my new digestive system. But also I'm pretty bored as my line of work is largely halted until the conditions are far safer. Likely won't have regular work until 2021. I'm ashamed to say the last 2 months have been more of a food funeral than I anticipated so I have a lot of mind-prep to do in the next 2 weeks. I am keeping this a private journey. Only my husband and best friend know. Even keeping my tween daughter in the dark at least for now. Would love some buddies who check in frequently to go thru this with. I've been posting on other June thread but thought a BYPASS thread would be great. And of course Veterans are WELCOME to pop in and share. Share your stories with me! Let's do this together!!

On 6/16/2020 at 10:26 PM, MaybeMeow said:

May I have your attention please...

I POOPED!

Thank you. Carry on.

I did too, yesterday! Not much, but it's a start!

12 hours ago, MaybeMeow said:

YOU DID IT! I have read that those with a hernia have extra pain. You are a ROCKSTAR for handling that pain. So glad to hear you are home and safe. Hurdle leapt! On to the next. How's your gas? I've been getting bubbles with every swallow today and it's so uncomfortable. Anywho... yoU keep drinking and walking. PS: I HAVE EATEN COTTAGE CHEESE! and it was delish.

Oh lord yes it hurts soooo bad lol. However, I'm releasing gas as much and as often as I can, which is helping. I have Tylenol with codeine and I'm allowed to take ONE every six hours, and not gonna lie, I look forward to it like a fiend. But I can tell I'm better already.

Today I got up off the toilet all by myself. Small wins!

I have a weird feeling in my abdomen...is it hunger? Is it just discomfort? I can't really tell. Drinking a glass of water with some Nectar now, and burping away.

Also weird - I woke up and my face is all puffy and swollen. Not sure what that's about. Maybe just allergies. At least I already got the worst part of the day out of the way - injecting myself with the blood thinner. 1 down, 13 days to go!

7 hours ago, Lily66 said:

Nor have I been blessed with the “no desire to eat” challenge. BUT, it’s getting closer to that now at 3 months out. I wonder if the early on desire/memory of food/hunger is actually just a ‘muscle memory’ kinda thing...and by 3 months the body/mind connection is adapting to the new world we’ve placed before it, sans cravings and the foods that stimulated those cravings.? Hmm, dunno, but there’s something going on.? And I like it!

Let's make it true. All I can currently think about are those chocolate almond coconut balls sold in bulk at Costco. My brain keeps thinking "Not yet but soon." and I keep saying "mmmm.no. Not so soon." One day at a time is my motto. Happy Graduation to 3 months! I want to speed up time, for sure. Made a smoothie with greek yogurt and half a banana (which is NOT on my ok list but seems to be on other people's) and some unsweetened chocolate Almond milk. It was good and seems to be settling ok even with my Bariatric One a Day multi taken with it. I'm calling this a win!

5 hours ago, Groovymommy said:

Oh lord yes it hurts soooo bad lol. However, I'm releasing gas as much and as often as I can, which is helping. I have Tylenol with codeine and I'm allowed to take ONE every six hours, and not gonna lie, I look forward to it like a fiend. But I can tell I'm better already.

Today I got up off the toilet all by myself. Small wins!

I have a weird feeling in my abdomen...is it hunger? Is it just discomfort? I can't really tell. Drinking a glass of Water with some nectar now, and burping away.

Also weird - I woke up and my face is all puffy and swollen. Not sure what that's about. Maybe just allergies. At least I already got the worst part of the day out of the way - injecting myself with the blood thinner. 1 down, 13 days to go!

I'm with you! Both will improve slowly. I had both that pain and the swollen face. My hubs said it was from all the fluids they pumped with with trying to flush out the anesthesia to cure the nausea. I looked just like I did after giving birth. It's a little better now. The weird feeling in my abdomen is still there just less. I think it's either swelling or gas. I've always been gassy but now it's in a different place so it's not as easily identifiable. Congrats on the toilet rise! Enjoy that codeine. You and your hernia deserve it. Just think how much better you're going to feel once you've fully healed knowing something like that was causing trouble and won't be anymore!

ONWARD!

@613cnn !! Tomorrow's the day!!! I'm so excited for you. Here's to a quick and easy procedure and recovery. Check in with us when you feel up to it and know we're sending you THE GOOD STUFF!!

2 hours ago, MaybeMeow said:

I'm with you! Both will improve slowly. I had both that pain and the swollen face. My hubs said it was from all the fluids they pumped with with trying to flush out the anesthesia to cure the nausea. I looked just like I did after giving birth. It's a little better now. The weird feeling in my abdomen is still there just less. I think it's either swelling or gas. I've always been gassy but now it's in a different place so it's not as easily identifiable. Congrats on the toilet rise! Enjoy that codeine. You and your hernia deserve it. Just think how much better you're going to feel once you've fully healed knowing something like that was causing trouble and won't be anymore!

ONWARD!

It scares me to think I had that hernia for some unknown quantity of time and never knew it. I used to get shooting pains in the area but chalked it up to "being too fat." Listen to your body!

I watched a movie today, and took a long nap on the couch, ate more broth, texted hubs to ask for sugar free popsicles, and sipped on a little apple juice in addition to water. I don't think I'm strictly supposed to have apple juice, but I'm drinking such a tiny amount I don't think it hurts, and it's a nice break from broth and water. Need to check my paperwork to see when I can eat some jello!

(( @613cnn you're being thought about!)) WELCOME TO THE LOSER'S BENCH!!

@Groovymommy @It's time. @Lily66 and All! How are you feeling today?

I'm doing well. Still pretty weak. Each morning now I have the squirts which is kind of a depleting way to start the day. Can't tell if it's the artificial sweetener or maybe the whey protein doing it. So I'm cutting out the AS today and reducing the whey trying to make up for the grams of pro in plain fat free greek yogurt. Getting 48 fluids and 40 pro isn't easy. That's been my goal for weeks 2-4 and I'm not sure I've achieved both in the same day. My incisions are still hurting. Sometimes they ache horribly. Other times it's a dull muscle thing. But, drinking water is easier each day. My vitamins seem to be going down well (a real worry). The family left for a canoe trip and won't be back until late Sunday so all I'm responsible for is myself and the animals. Hoping to get my pro and liquids up and increase my energy. Sleep is a stranger. I get about 2 sessions of 3 hours a night. But better than nothing. Each new food tastes like heaven. Sent my 88 year old dad (who lives 15 minutes away) a Father's Day box of overnighted Lobster rolls and Whoopie pies from Maine. All the fixings. He called and practically begged me to come share them with him. It was so hard to tell him no. I told him I was on a physician directed diet that was very strict. My father is old and set in his ways and does not admire heavy women. So of course he was very supportive of my new "diet". ((eye roll)) But it was hard to say no. I do love a fresh lobster roll. Check in when you have a moment! ONWARD!!

Edited June 19, 20206 yr by MaybeMeow

Awww! Such a Yummy Father’s Day ?? !! So nice of you MaybeMeow!! Glad you’re coming along better each day and great you’ll have the whole weekend for just YOU to relax, breathe, care for you.

Fine here...had a bit of nausea for no apparent reason today-finally took Zofran and it’s easing up. Drinking water, trying to stay positive amidst the rising COVID-19 numbers here in FL?.

Walk back memory lane re: your Dad not liking heavy women—mine, God rest his soul was exactly same?. He would be 92 right now=their generation. I can still remember feeling his disappointment when I began gaining. SO happy for you that you’re in charge and focused ONWARD!?? Wishing you a thoroughly regenerative weekend!

@LisaDee1 Hi! Thanks for the note ??

@Paradisegirl and other surgery twins! I hope that your surgery went well! ♥️?????

I had surgery at 12:30 pm (yesterday, 6/18). Got to a room around 5:30. Was able to get liquids in without a problem. Walked the halls until 11:30pm which would have excused me from the 12pm walk and let me get some sleep but for the next 5 hours someone came in on the hour (fluid bag needed replacing, etc). Despite NO rest last night, everyone at Northside Atlanta was very nice, I had a huge room with a skyline view, and I was released before noon.

I have a good bit of pain trying to sit up and sometimes just from brewthing due the gas )had a hysterectomy several years ago and find zero difference in the surgery scars or gas-related pain, oh well! I am home now unpacked and spent having my first protein shake post-surgery.

I didn’t use my iPad, but did Use my phone, chapstick, face/body cleansing clots, pillow and throw (so much nicer that the sterilized, hard blankets in hospitals). Also my pull on small stretchy slippers for walking. I found it easy to walk and by my second stroll did 4 circular laps at a time (frequently).

Edited June 19, 20206 yr by AlwaysCruising

Had my pre-op surgery meeting with my doc today. I am scheduled for surgery on June 29. I am excited and scared and nervous and worried and everything. I literally feel everything right now lol. I am revising bad to bypass anyone out there went thru a band revision to bypass

1 hour ago, Round2newme said:

Had my pre-op surgery meeting with my doc today. I am scheduled for surgery on June 29. I am excited and scared and nervous and worried and everything. I literally feel everything right now lol. I am revising bad to bypass anyone out there went thru a band revision to bypass

My surgery is on the 29th, too! I'm revising from a sleeve to a bypass for GERD.

On 6/18/2020 at 2:23 PM, MaybeMeow said:

@613cnn !! Tomorrow's the day!!! I'm so excited for you. Here's to a quick and easy procedure and recovery. Check in with us when you feel up to it and know we're sending you THE GOOD STUFF!!

Home now. I’m not going to lie - being in the hospital alone...sucked. Just plain sucked. My last nurse was not awesome. I had a fall bracelet and she insisted I go walking alone, among other things. And they weren’t even busy.

But at least I’m home now. Anyone else go home with 1/2 a pharmacy? I’m on the on-q ball too that someone noted earlier.

OK, I had my surgery on Tuesday 6/16, today is Saturday 6/20. Here's my update:

PAIN: it's pretty manageable now. The incision right at my navel hurts the most, other than the area where they fixed my hernia. No more codeine-laced tylenol, and I've found that I can handle standing up, sitting down, walking short distances, and I've even been able to sleep on my side (what a relief) using careful placement of extra pillows for support. Every now and then I get some sharp pains after I stand, but they generally subside relatively quickly.

DISCOMFORT: this is a big issue. I feel a tightness in my chest that I normally associate with needing to burp. What would really help this is a seltzer or something else bubbly, but of course I'm not allowed to have anything bubbly at all. When I do burp after drinking water or something, it eases the feeling a bit. I occasionally have a heavy feeling in the lower part of my abdomen which passing gas helps to relieve. I realize I need to have a bowel movement so I gave myself a dose of Miralax in my tea today. I also started taking the Omeprazole (antacid) that I was prescribed.

WEAKNESS: my worst problem right now. I've been trying to consume more protein in hopes that it might help with this (I figure if a person is mostly subsisting on water, broth, and sugar-free jello, then weakness is inevitable). But in general I feel terrible. Tired, weak, achey, and kind of depressed, to be honest. I often find myself lying down to nap just because I can't get comfortable doing anything else. Even sitting in front of my computer is a challenge and I can only do it in short intervals. I can't explain why, but if I'm doing anything other than lying down I just feel miserable.

Overall I'm feeling pretty gloomy today. But I guess I should remind myself that it's only four days post-op; I really shouldn't be expecting too much progress at this point, right? Finally, the positives:

- I took a shower today (heavenly)

- I made myself a smoothie (almond milk, unflavored protein powder, frozen blueberries) and drank a little of it with no apparent difficulty

- Since being able to sleep on my side, I am getting slightly longer periods of sleep and my neck doesn't hurt so much anymore

@MaybeMeow how are you doing now?

@Groovymommy, sorry you are still feeling crappy. Just keep thinking about the end goal of all this and know it will get better. I am sure with the hernia repair, your body is using EVERY resource to heal and leaving you with no energy. Our bodies are greedy like that. ?

I start my pre-op liquid diet today for my July 6th surgery. Hoping I can do it without too much misery. I had a very rough week last week including my 76 year old mom sustaining a brain injury and two broken wrists following a fall. She is going to be ok, but her recovery is slow. Then I had some unexpected complications with a dental implant causing swelling and a need for ten days antibiotics. It is always something, right?

Last night my husband and I did a full set of measurements and photos of me. I plan to do it again the day before surgery and then every two to four weeks after surgery. Seems like a good way to remind myself why I have put myself through this when the days are not great. I might be looking at the photos a lot this week! Lol

A big thanks to all of you leading the way with your surgeries! I appreciate all of the sharing! Sending out positive vibes for recovery and weight loss.

Edited June 21, 20206 yr by WishMeSmaller