Just wanted to fill people in on what my experience has been like thus far since surgery. If you want to know something I forgot to mention, please don't hesitate to ask.

HOSPITAL STAY:
So I had my surgery May 19th around 10:30 am. I was in recovery and waking up by 11:45 am. All that went smoothly.

The first day I was so dang tired that I drifted off and on while sitting in the chair in-between walking around and drinking. I felt bad for my husband who stay with me all day. He was totally content and happy to be there but I knew he too was tired so about 7pm I made him go home (visiting hours ended at 8 anyway). LOL

When I first got to my room I was like, OMG I have HORRIBLE burning like heartburn and even complained about it. They gave me some sort of Gas chew and it didn't do jack. It wasn't until I got up and walking around that I figured out it was NOT heartburn but related to that gas inside and the walking helped that feeling subside.

They gave me nothing but water or Gatorade Zero while there and I was totally fine and content with that. They mentioned medicine if I was nauseous but I never was. I felt totally fine and normal but for the one incision site that's to the right and up from my belly button. Doc said that's the typical complaint spot and where he pulls the extra stomach through so that's to be expected. But it hurt like hell when first standing from sitting and also wiping after peeing. Uggghhh. I slept in a chair sitting up that night when I could sleep which really only amounted to 3 hours total.

I was given Tylenol for pain and an Oxycodone once on that first night. They sent me home with the Oxycodone too for pain and so far I have only taken it once at night to help with that pain while sleeping.

The next morning they took more blood work and everything came back good and they allowed me to go home by early noon. Mostly because my pain was managed by meds and because I was easily able to get enough water down and I was not sick.

Also, I did not pack much but I did pack my cell phone, charger, kindle, Biotene, Chapstick, brush, toothpaste and toothbrush, extra underwear and that was it. I did not use ANYTHING but for my brush and, right after surgery, put on my own undies and a pad since I got my period the day before surgery. I did not even use my cell phone (maybe once to post here) cause I was just so dang tired (plus trying to get my liquids in and walking) and hubby did all the updating to others for me. I mostly watched TV as it was on for background noise more than anything.

MOVING AROUND:
Every day is getting better but this dang incision spot is a ******!!! Can't wait for it to stop hurting cause I'm really tired of sleeping sitting up. I tried every way possible to lay down and it's just not possible! The dang area feels like it's burning and tearing apart when I do. Otherwise I'm following orders and walking around. I do not feel I still have a lot of gas issues but I most definitely feel like I am swollen about my stomach area for sure.

APPEARANCE:
I was actually surprised at how weird my stomach looked after surgery. Normally my stomach is smooth/one size all over and flat/round-ish (except for my little fat pouch right under my left breast that's been there forever). But upon looking at my stomach after surgery, I feel like some spots are like poofed out and others dented in, if that makes sense. Especially the bad incision spot. Strange. Not sure how else to explain it. Today is day 4 and it looks like I'm starting to bruise around most, if not all, incisions. Just slightly.

FOOD/WATER:
So my after diet consists of 2 weeks FULL LIQUIDS, followed by 1 week PUREE, and 2 weeks SOFT FOODS, then finally normal foods. Strange enough, I have had NO problem getting in 64 oz of liquid at all. I've had no chest pain, full feeling or sickness. A few times I had what feels like if you drink too much how it creates a sorta air bubble that hurts for a split second but then it passes. Otherwise, no issues. In fact, a few times after trying to drink/gulp like I normally would, I had to stop and remind myself that I no longer could do that. So weird cause I feel, aside from the incision pain, I would never know I even had surgery. So right now since all I've been able to ingest is liquids, I'm not sure if this is gonna be a blessing or an issue. On one hand I'm glad I can seem to "eat" and drink normal and also have had no aversions to taste. But on the other hand, I worry that will not help me in the long run to lose weight. This remains to be seen but I am scared I won't lose for this reason.

So far I've had protein shakes, water, Gatorade Zero, the broths from creamed soups, sugar free popsicles and that's it.

MEDICINE:
I was told I wouldn't be able to swallow anything bigger than a tictac. That was a lie. I have been able to swallow all my pills, even the big ol Metformin, with no issue.

POTTY:
Had my first BM on my second day home. Had several a day since. No problems there either.

WEIGHT:
Not that I expected anything yet but, I have gotten on the scale and it's the same as it was the day of surgery.

I think that's it. Can't think of anything else right now but if you have any questions please ask.

Edited May 23, 20215 yr by SummerTimeGirl

50 minutes ago, lizonaplane said:

I can only drink so much plain water every day, so I switch it up with water flavor packets - I like Starburst and Walmart brand, also Kool Aid Zero sugar. The Starburst ones you can find at Walgreens and Walmart. I don't like Crystal Light really. I am 2.5 weeks out and drink at least 80oz of water or other liquids a day (including one 1.5 Protein Shakes, because I'm not eating much food at this point).

Otherwise, talk to your surgery center about why you're gaining water weight. Not sure why that would be, since you said you're not eating salty foods. Are you drinking a lot of things like Gatorade? I believe that is pretty high in sodium, but I'm not sure. I can't stand the taste. Good luck!

Nope. Just my coffee in the am and then water, plain, the rest of the day. I will see what happens in the next few weeks before contacting them.

UPDATE:
Just wanted to drop an update on my monthly measurements.

I lost another 10.7 inches this past month!! Which brings my total since surgery up to 45.5 inches lost total!

Total loss for each area I measure are as follows:

L. Thigh: 3
R. Thigh: 3.5
L. Calf: 2
R. Calf: 1.5
L. Ankle: .75
R. Ankle: .5
L. Bicep: 3
R. Bicep: 2.75
L. Forearm: 2
R. Forearm: 2
L. Wrist: .75
R. Wrist: 1
Neck: 1.25
Breasts: 5
Hips: 8
Waist: 9.5

Really Happy with the progress so far!

Edited October 5, 20214 yr by SummerTimeGirl

Thank you so much for this. I'm pre-op n i knew everybody will experience things differently but this info was very helpful n much appreciated. Glad u are doing pretty well post op. Good luck on ur journey!

On 11/5/2021 at 7:10 PM, Nichellereed85 said:

Thank you so much for this. I'm pre-op n i knew everybody will experience things differently but this info was very helpful n much appreciated. Glad u are doing pretty well post op. Good luck on ur journey!

Thanks so much and best of luck to you too!!!

UPDATE:

So just about 6 months out for me now. Just wanted to make note of some things. My lowest weight thus far was 241.2 and that was on October 25th!! I have not lost anything since then and in fact, have been weighing in consistently around 248/249 since. Now I know this happened to me back in October, I think, but yeah, VERY frustrating!! Why the 7+lb difference? I know, I know, could be water weight, hormones, etc. But it sucks to not see the scale move DOWN in so long. I hate this back and forth/up and down thing with the weight cause I feel like it's now taking a whole month just to lose a few pounds when it used to be 10-15lbs a month I'd be losing, at least! I also only lost 1.75 inches last month which also sucks. Especially when previous months had me losing 7 or more inches at a time.

My last regular doctors appointment was Sept 13th. At that time he cut my Metformin down in half. Which I am happy about. HOWEVER, when I was first put on it 10 years ago it was to help my Insulin Resistance and my PCOS. My endocrinologist said, while it's normally prescribed for diabetics, it also helps people with those issues which is why he gave it to me. And it did regulate me all that time. So fast forward to this Sept when it was cut in half, and now I have not had a period since Sept. 17th!!! Not sure if it's due to the cut in that medication or if I'm maybe pre menopause or due to the surgery. Not sure. Weird thing is I'm crampy and all bloated like I would be had I had my period and that's very annoying too.

And finally, I feel like I'm suddenly able to eat more food than I originally was. I guess that's normal? At least I hope it is. But for instance, I used to be able to eat a turkey sausage, egg and cheese on a bagel thin for breakfast and have about 1/4 of it left at the end. Now I can eat the entire thing. Or only one egg and half a turkey sausage patty now I can eat two eggs and maybe a half of patty/sometimes the whole thing. I used to be able to eat only 3/4 small wings, now I can eat like 6 or 8. I'm hoping this is ok and not due to me stretching out my pouch. I wonder too if my slight gain/water retention/whatever is due to me now consuming more carbs and some foods with sugar? I had previously stayed away from those things but my nutritionist said not to. To add in more variety and varied foods and even ones I used to stay away from as long as I'm only having a serving of said foods. And I do. But funny how now I'm NOT losing regularly since adding in things like bagel thins, quinoa, brown rice, a small handful of Goldfish Crackers here and there, Whole Wheat Saltines, etc. Not sure what's happening. Very frustrating as I did NOT expect things to slow down ALREADY this soon out.

I have not been following closely how much protein I've been getting in or my water intake. So one or both of those could also be contributing too but I'm not sure. Maybe it's time to crack down again? I don't know. I don't feel like I'm really doing anything off plan or out of control. Who knows.

5 hours ago, SummerTimeGirl said:

UPDATE:

So just about 6 months out for me now. Just wanted to make note of some things. My lowest weight thus far was 241.2 and that was on October 25th!! I have not lost anything since then and in fact, have been weighing in consistently around 248/249 since. Now I know this happened to me back in October, I think, but yeah, VERY frustrating!! Why the 7+lb difference? I know, I know, could be Water weight, hormones, etc. But it sucks to not see the scale move DOWN in so long. I hate this back and forth/up and down thing with the weight cause I feel like it's now taking a whole month just to lose a few pounds when it used to be 10-15lbs a month I'd be losing, at least! I also only lost 1.75 inches last month which also sucks. Especially when previous months had me losing 7 or more inches at a time.

My last regular doctors appointment was Sept 13th. At that time he cut my Metformin down in half. Which I am happy about. HOWEVER, when I was first put on it 10 years ago it was to help my Insulin Resistance and my PCOS. My endocrinologist said, while it's normally prescribed for diabetics, it also helps people with those issues which is why he gave it to me. And it did regulate me all that time. So fast forward to this Sept when it was cut in half, and now I have not had a period since Sept. 17th!!! Not sure if it's due to the cut in that medication or if I'm maybe pre menopause or due to the surgery. Not sure. Weird thing is I'm crampy and all bloated like I would be had I had my period and that's very annoying too.

I have not been following closely how much Protein I've been getting in or my water intake. So one or both of those could also be contributing too but I'm not sure. Maybe it's time to crack down again? I don't know. I don't feel like I'm really doing anything off plan or out of control. Who knows.

I think weight loss slowing down is inevitable. But also, it sounds like there are some hormonal issues at play. Did you meet with an gyn to discuss the crampy/bloated feeling?

Also, metformin can reduce your appetite, so if you are taking less of it, you may be more hungry... and you say you CAN eat more, but are you hungry for more?

Finally, you might do at least a few "spot checks" of your protein and water intake, to see if you're on track. Just do a tracker for a day or so for a few weeks.

1 hour ago, lizonaplane said:

I think weight loss slowing down is inevitable. But also, it sounds like there are some hormonal issues at play. Did you meet with an gyn to discuss the crampy/bloated feeling?

Also, metformin can reduce your appetite, so if you are taking less of it, you may be more hungry... and you say you CAN eat more, but are you hungry for more?

Finally, you might do at least a few "spot checks" of your Protein and water intake, to see if you're on track. Just do a tracker for a day or so for a few weeks.

Yeah, I get it but I didn't expect it to slow this much so soon. And yes, I spoke to my surgeons office today as I'm still not sure if this period issue is due to the surgery or something else. Either way when I asked him if there was a test for me to take to test my hormone levels he suggested I contact my regular doc for that as he was unsure about what exactly should be ordered. So I did contact my family doc and he has ordered several tests to be done. He's worried it's gonna be hard to nail down exactly what is going on (if the tests show nothing outright) due to the amount of weight I've lost/surgery and possibly the cut in Metformin. But we shall see. I get the blood work done on Friday and he said he'll call me again after the results come in.

Yes, I actually do feel more hungry (at times and depending on what I'm eating) but I don't think I'm making bad choices when it comes to my food. Eating the same type of stuff I always have just eating a lil more of it when I'm extra hungry, as I described above.

I agree I need to do spot checks and in fact I started monitoring again several days ago to see if I'm over eating too much or not getting enough protein in. As for water, I know I at least get in 50 oz a day (cause I drink at least one of my 36 oz bottles and 2, 12 oz cups of coffee each day) and some times more (water) so not incredibly bad or off on that.

.

Edited November 12, 20214 yr by SummerTimeGirl

UPDATE:

So I got my test results back. Doc had me get several tests to check and see if I was perimenopause or menopause and if maybe that could be the reason I am almost 4 weeks late with my period. Turns out he said I'm most definitely NOT menopausal or even close to perimenopause, which is a shock considering I'm 49. But yeah, that's that. He said if things don't level out soon to see my GYN. I think even more now with those results that this is most definitely tied to me cutting my Metformin in half. Bleh!

UPDATE:

So I had my 6 month check up with my surgeon today. He was happy with all my progress and says that I'm ahead of the game despite being in a current stall and not having lost anything since October 25th. He said he feels it has all to do with my hormones being wacky right now and expects I will start losing again soon. Although he did say that I should still keep an eye on my water intake and diet to make sure they aren't the culprit or contributing in any way.

Told him about my hair loss and he said it will eventually stop and for now to add in more protein. That that should help greatly. He said I could try biotin but in his opinion, he doesn't really think it works. I told him I agreed because I used to take it years ago and didn't notice any difference either. At least for me.

He told me my numbers were excellent! And he particularly was happy to see my Vitamin D levels. He said that is almost always an issues with all his patients and that I am actually an odd one when it comes to that as my level is perfect. LOL I said I guess it's the good vitamin I'm taking that has me good with everything. He said yes, and to keep taking it.

We also discussed the missed periods and he thinks that's also due to the large amount of weight loss/hormones. Especially since I am not peri-menopausal or menopausal. And wouldn't you know it, a few hours after seeing him I finally got it. SMH

So that's that. All seems ok still. Just gonna wait on this period to come and go and HOPEFULLY some more weight will drop.

15 minutes ago, SummerTimeGirl said:

UPDATE:

So I had my 6 month check up with my surgeon today. He was happy with all my progress and says that I'm ahead of the game despite being in a current stall and not having lost anything since October 25th. He said he feels it has all to do with my hormones being wacky right now and expects I will start losing again soon. Although he did say that I should still keep an eye on my Water intake and diet to make sure they aren't the culprit or contributing in any way.

Told him about my Hair loss and he said it will eventually stop and for now to add in more Protein. That that should help greatly. He said I could try Biotin but in his opinion, he doesn't really think it works. I told him I agreed because I used to take it years ago and didn't notice any difference either. At least for me.

He told me my numbers were excellent! And he particularly was happy to see my Vitamin D levels. He said that is almost always an issues with all his patients and that I am actually an odd one when it comes to that as my level is perfect. LOL I said I guess it's the good Vitamin I'm taking that has me good with everything. He said yes, and to keep taking it.

We also discussed the missed periods and he thinks that's also due to the large amount of weight loss/hormones. Especially since I am not peri-menopausal or menopausal. And wouldn't you know it, a few hours after seeing him I finally got it. SMH

So that's that. All seems ok still. Just gonna wait on this period to come and go and HOPEFULLY some more weight will drop.

Congrats on the excellent checkup! I was wondering what vitamins you are taking. I just purchased enough to get started and now I need more.

2 hours ago, OutdoorsGirl said:

Congrats on the excellent checkup! I was wondering what Vitamins you are taking. I just purchased enough to get started and now I need more.

Thank you!! I have been taking the ones mentioned on this site, ProCare Health. I have been taking the ones with 45mg of iron. They've also been the most reasonably priced, IMO, too.

https://procarenow.com/products/bariatric-multivitamin/

11 hours ago, SummerTimeGirl said:

Thank you!! I have been taking the ones mentioned on this site, ProCare Health. I have been taking the ones with 45mg of Iron. They've also been the most reasonably priced, IMO, too.

https://procarenow.com/products/bariatric-multivitamin/

These are exactly the ones I take. Glad to know they work!

UPDATE:

Well, 11-25 was 1 month since I last had a loss on the scale. Inches didn't budge last month either. Only 1.75 inches total for the month. Not sure what the heck is going on but I'm not happy about it. Has anyone stalled this long? Don't know what to do. I even ate off plan several times to try and force a loss like I've heard others doing and that didn't work.

My weight on Oct 25th was 241.2 and I have been weighing in between 246 and 249 on the regular since! So discouraging. Been going to the bathroom pretty normally too. But as a just in case I did take some laxatives for a few days and got things moving along but still, the lowest I got down to was 245. Now it's doing the 246 to 249 again. Sigh

On 11/12/2021 at 14:21, SummerTimeGirl said:

UPDATE:

So I got my test results back. Doc had me get several tests to check and see if I was perimenopause or menopause and if maybe that could be the reason I am almost 4 weeks late with my period. Turns out he said I'm most definitely NOT menopausal or even close to perimenopause, which is a shock considering I'm 49. But yeah, that's that. He said if things don't level out soon to see my GYN. I think even more now with those results that this is most definitely tied to me cutting my Metformin in half. Bleh!

I didn’t hit menopause until this year and I am 52!