Some things I'm noticing 3 1/2 months post op

[SleeveToBypass2023 1,814]

**My hair has begun shedding...A LOT. I have PCOS so I thought I was already used to it, but it's to the point now that if I run my hands through my hair a few times, hair comes out. Not in clumps or anything, just a lot of shedding. I knew it was coming, so I'm not freaking out, but it still sucks.

**2 nights ago I had some kind of episode where I had a snack about 45 minutes after I worked out at night and I had INCREDIBLE pain. Felt heavy, sharp pains, burning. Hurt to sit up, hurt to lay down, couldn't find a comfortable position. Took pepto twice before I finally got any relief after about an hour. I was left with burning in my throat. My husband said it sounds like reflux (I'm on a PPI for 6 months, but I've never had reflux or GERD or anything before). My snack was normal (1 tbsp hummus and 1/4 cup sliced cucumbers) but my workout was more intense than normal (had the treadmill at a 5.5 incline at a speed of 3.5). Now I have burning in my throat everyday and slight nausea depending on what I eat.

**I'm always tired. I have spurts of energy here and there, but they don't last long and I go back to being tired again. Even a nap doesn't really help all that much. I mean, I guess it does a little, but mostly I'm less tired (but still tired).

**My taste is still weird. I thought it would correct itself by now, but I guess not. Stuff I loved, I don't like or can't eat now. Sour/tart stuff still tastes really sweet. What little sweet tooth I had is completely gone (the thought of chocolate, for example, literally makes me grossed out). I have no craving for anything greasy, salty, or fried (those were my weaknesses). I never use salt anymore because the taste is overwhelming, even in small amounts (I used to salt EVERYTHING). I can barely tolerate pickles (which were a STAPLE in my diet because I was obsessed with them) because the taste is just way too overwhelming and strong, even in tiny amounts.

**I can finally drink diet soda again, but where I used to drink a 2 liter a day, I can drink one MAYBE two 12 ounce cans per day (usually just 1) because it tastes a little different and it takes a while because I still have to be careful with the carbonation (stomach is ok if I go slooooow, otherwise I get into trouble if I drink it too fast).

**I can tolerate a little bit larger amounts of food now, but I have to be careful still because if I overestimate how much I can eat, food goes to waste or I end up in trouble. For example, I can eat 2 scrambled eggs and 2 sausage patties now (used to only be able to eat 1 of each). But there's no way I can eat more than that. If I do, it HURTS. I can eat 3 oz of steak in 1 sitting now (with 1/2 cup of a side like green beans), whereas I used to only be able to eat 1 or 1 1/2 with 1/4 cup of a side. At first it freaked me out, but now I'm good with it because I knew we would be able to eat more eventually, and I'm careful with what I eat and how much (and how often).

**It's actually gotten easier to eyeball my food and see how much I can have. I still weigh it if I'm not sure, but more often than not, I can guesstimate pretty accurately.

**It's a lot easier to stick to my diet and not overeat or eat stuff I'm not supposed to. Now that my brain is trained (still a work in progress, but so so much better now) I don't think about stuff I can't have. I use MyFitnessPal and I have my meals all planned out for the week and use that to know what I can eat, how many calories and carbs and Protein is in each meal (makes it soooo easy to stay on track and get everything I need each day).

[KimA-GA 540]

thank you for sharing your experiences! i have read time and time again about the change to your taste buds after surgery… i can already kinda relate even being preop because just after changing my diet and reducing sugar and carbs my palate is already so different and already don’t crave the same things and can’t eat the same things.

glad you are being cautious with the soda… i have heard from people about how quickly it stretches your pouch even in small amounts …

and the hair thinning has to be frustrating!!!! i am a bit reluctant to cut my waaaay too long hair right now because of the reports of it falling out post op… enjoy it pretty thick and down my back while i can

[SleeveToBypass2023 1,814]

23 minutes ago, KimA-GA said:

thank you for sharing your experiences! i have read time and time again about the change to your taste buds after surgery… i can already kinda relate even being preop because just after changing my diet and reducing sugar and carbs my palate is already so different and already don’t crave the same things and can’t eat the same things.

glad you are being cautious with the soda… i have heard from people about how quickly it stretches your pouch even in small amounts …

and the hair thinning has to be frustrating!!!! i am a bit reluctant to cut my waaaay too long hair right now because of the reports of it falling out post op… enjoy it pretty thick and down my back while i can

My hair was down to my butt and I got it cut a couple of weeks ago. It really does help with the shedding and hair thinning out. It will grow back, but at first it can be a little jarring. I had heard that with the sleeve, the tastes would start to come back to normal, but so far, nope. And now my brain is trained to not like/want certain foods, so now I'm just kinda ok with it lol I don't have soda everyday, mostly because I can't tolerate it that often. But it's nice to be able to order it at a restaurant or have a can every once in a while. I mostly drink flavored water, gatorade zero, sugar free tea with skinny Syrup (I make my own raspberry tea that way), etc...

[SleeveToBypass2023 1,814]

The burning in the back of my throat is getting bothersome. I'm already on 40mg of Omeprazole daily (I never had GERD or reflux in the past, but I have to be on it for 6 months after the surgery) and after the "episode" that my husband said was a big GERD issue (he has it and said it's exactly like what happens with him) I haven't been able to eat without being nauseous and I have a persistent burning in the back of my throat. Not sure what to do since I'm already on something. I may need to call my surgeon's office on Monday, but this is going to make for a miserable weekend.

[Arabesque 6,471]

Embrace those changes to your tastebuds that make everything taste sweet or overly salty. You can break a lot of any desire for sweet & salty in the future. Though as you are drinking soda you would be still feeding your sweet craving with artificial sweeteners. The changed tastebuds are also an opportunity to try different foods/flavours.

If you can’t eat all of your meal, pop it in the fridge to have later in the day or tomorrow. I’d scramble two eggs & eat them over three days. A serve of rolled oats took two days. Cover with cling wrap & microwave the next day. Or freeze the leftovers. My freezer is full of leftovers I defrost & reheat. Handy for those days you don’t feel like cooking or have been busy. I sometimes think of it as takeaway food - take it out of the freezer & you have a healthy meal in a very short time.

As time passes you will be able to eat more & more but you have to ensure you don’t exceed appropriate recommended serving sizes. Eyeballing or using body parts (palm size, fist size, length of a finger etc.) to judge portion sizes can be helpful especially when eating out, but it may be best to rely more on scales when home. It can be very easily to slip into overestimating, or misjudging the weight of denser foods.

You’ll also learn to stop eating before it hurts. It may be little signs & reactions like a sneeze, a slight heaviness, runny nose, etc. Listen to your body.

It can be very surprising what you learn about yourself & your body’s needs after surgery. Like I’ve realised if I eat Breakfast too early I feel sluggish & generally feel blah. I believe the learning to listen to your body’s cues, being aware of your physical, emotional & mental reactions & understanding your thinking about & relationship with food & eating is one of the most important factor in your success.

Oh & having drop in energy again at about this point isn’t that uncommon. I remember feeling so tired one afternoon, I thought I was going to fall off my treadmill (that’s when I briefly played with exercising 😉). Keep an electrolyte drink with you, especially if you know you’re going to have an active day. Don’t be afraid to stop & rest if you need. I often would stop for a quiet cup of tea if out & about or would just go home - can always finish those jobs tomorrow.

Keep up your great progress.

[ShoppGirl 3,356]

Just watch the caffeine as something that could be contributing to the heartburn.