Good afternoon all! I just was thinking of all the surprises I've experienced since WLS...and I wanted to ask others what's surprised them about their weight loss/surgery journey that they weren't told by their bariatric team?!

I'll go first:

1. All the aches and pains in my hips and butt. My butt hurts now when I sit since I'm missing my butt padding! Also, since losing weight my posture and gait have changed so now I'm in PT for hip abductor pain.

2. The ever increasing and changing locations of skin irritation. The skin now droops in places I wasn't told to expect and I get red irritation under my butt creases from over lap - sorry for the unpleasant visual!

3. I've shrunk..so driving I now need extra padding to be at my former "sitting height" I feel like a kid driving my parents car now.

4. I've had to buy new glasses, mine were stretched out from digging into my fat head ? and now they keep falling off when I look down.

5. I've had to buy new shoes, all my old shoes no longer fit. They just flop around. I was expecting new clothing..not shoes.

6. I feel more clumsy and weak despite working out. My manual dexterity is horrible now.

7. I still feel hunger ?

These are just a few of the changes I've experienced that my bariatric team never mentioned. Do you have any to add that can take the surprise out of it for people just starting their WLS journey?! I eagerly await your responses!

Edited April 7, 20242 yr by BlondePatriotInCDA
Typos

Numbers 1, 5, 6, and 7 are literally my life now!!! The weakness is driving me crazy, not gonna lie. I absolutely HATE it.

Not to mention, I'm down to a size 6 ring, but it's actually loose on me and spins around (drives me NUTS) but I can't go any smaller because I can't fit a 5 or 5 1/2 over my knuckles!!!

And the loose skin actually stops me from going lower in clothing sizes. I'm in an XL right now, but I could be in a L if I didn't have so so so much loose skin. I was in a size 28/30 (4x/5x), so my clothes fit and feel a little weird.

I had my surgery @23 years ago and there is SOOOO much I wasn't told. Here are just a few of them:

* my hair would thin A LOT

* I needed to take a multivitamin that included specific things like iron, copper etc.

* I should eat a certain amount of each of these protein, carbs, calories etc. not just each less and healthier

* the calcium needs to be citrate and spaced out to 3 times a day because your body can't absorb more than 500 mg at a time.

* any pills need to be crushed

I am in the process of trying to lose weight again to fix hernias from my gastric bypass (Roux en y) full cut. I have to keep telling my doctors "I was never told that"... it's very frustrating. BUT on a positive note I am learning so much and there is so much more available product wise to help me with my goals.

7 hours ago, JerkyGirl said:

I had my surgery @23 years ago and there is SOOOO much I wasn't told. Here are just a few of them:

* my hair would thin A LOT

* I needed to take a Multivitamin that included specific things like Iron, copper etc.

* I should eat a certain amount of each of these Protein, carbs, calories etc. not just each less and healthier

* the Calcium needs to be citrate and spaced out to 3 times a day because your body can't absorb more than 500 mg at a time.

* any pills need to be crushed

I am in the process of trying to lose weight again to fix hernias from my gastric bypass (Roux en y) full cut. I have to keep telling my doctors ""... it's very frustrating. BUT on a positive note I am learning so much and there is so much more available product wise to help me with my goals.

"I was never told that" and I bet they disagree and say you were? I think that's why my bariatric team now hands out their own booklets, it answers a lot of questions. They also email a PDF version jic! There are still tons of things they don't tell you like the things I posted, but I assume its covered somewhere in the support group meetings (I went to have one - one was all that was required - I'm NOT a support group type person!)

Do you still crush your pills? I thought after six months you no longer needed too, should I be doing that!? Now I wonder if I'm getting the full dosage I should be.. ?

They don't disagree, they just keep reminding me it was almost 24 years ago and they know more now. As for the pill, I am the wrong one to ask about "stuff"....lol..... but the flier, they just gave me recently, said pills should be crushed.... I just always thought the amounts taken were increased because you absorb less... live and learn.....lol.... Presently, I am taking the multivitamin in the quick dissolving capsule and the chewable calcium (no pills).... I would love to see the pdf booklet if you can share it....

2 hours ago, JerkyGirl said:

They don't disagree, they just keep reminding me it was almost 24 years ago and they know more now. As for the pill, I am the wrong one to ask about "stuff"....lol..... but the flier, they just gave me recently, said pills should be crushed.... I just always thought the amounts taken were increased because you absorb less... live and learn.....lol.... Presently, I am taking the Multivitamin in the quick dissolving capsule and the chewable Calcium (no pills).... I would love to see the pdf booklet if you can share it....

I'd share but its a download of numerous pages..I don't think I could share it as a embedded attachment..too big. If you send me a PM with your email I can send it to you!