alaskasusan’s Posts
Anita, this is a very, very common effect post-surgery and has been mentioned by many here. I had RNY when I was 57 and had very long, extremely thick hair...I lost so much in the first 6 months post-surgery that I thought I would have to go to wigs, and I sure felt devastated too by the very noticeable bald patches! But here I am, 3 years later, age 60 and my hair is every bit as thick as when I was 17...possibly even thicker. Don't be too concerned - unless there is another underlying issue, you are likely to see your hair regrow!
Good luck in reaching your goals!
I can relate, Cate! I too am an avid gardener up here in our short but stupendous growing seasons. Now that I'm a normal size I can do everything much, much easier - which of course makes it that much more enjoyable! Definitely one of the best of the tangible NSVs, I think! Enjoy that dirt, it get covered up with the white stuff way too soon!
Good luck reaching your goals! :)
You've found some great answers here already but I'll chime in too. I so badly wanted the sleeve, but during the pre-op testing was found to have Barretts (did not realize I had GERD badly for years) and my doctor was very good about explaining that RNY is actually therapeutic for GERD, and even Barretts. I did my own research and found data showing that to be true, so that's what we went with. And I have no regrets. It's been great seeing my life open up with the loss of the weight. I also am a lucky dumper...no temptation at all walking down the ice cream aisle, which was my downfall for many diets! But the life-style change, the work on the mind effort is still important because there are other carbs and bad choices out there calling my name. OH has been a big help to me, and it's great you found it early on! The loose skin is surprisingly not the issue I thought it would be - though I have not ruled out plastics. But I did go to Hawaii for the first time in my life at age 59, a year after surgery- and wore a bathing suit on the beach - AND have been back twice since! This from a girl who wore long dresses and heavy sweaters all year long in a feeble attempt to hide for over 40 years. Thankful every single day for my RNY.
Good luck in reaching your goal...there are a lot of successes ahead of you!
Don't despair! I have quite long hair and it was always very thick and heavy. Starting about 3 months post-surgery I lost tons and TONS of hair (actually, I lost so much I could hardly believe there was anything left up there!). But before a year was out the loss had stopped. I went to a very good stylist who helped me incorporate the very thin parts (toward the front) so that the new growth looked better coming in. I'll be 3 years out next month and my long hair is thicker and longer and healthier than ever. Keep that protein up and hang in there, it all works out.
By the way, I am 60 and plan to keep my hair long as long as it looks good! ;)
Ladytazz you are a truly amazing and wonderful woman. You have gone thru a lot and come out a champion; and rather than run away from the issues, you faced the truth head on and dealt with (and continue to deal with) them! This is a great story and I appreciate you sharing it with us. I too am an addictive person, and super-good at losing - but holding that weight has always been a struggle. I am thankful every single day for this tool and I am glad for this forum and the truth-telling vets more than I can say. I do read a lot of books, educate myself, talk with doctors (who have never been obese)...but the wisdom shared here that comes of experience is turning out to be vastly more valuable.
Here's to the next five years, and your continued strength and health! ;o)
Some good ones here! I'll add to those already listed...
1. Slide down the tiny little twirly slide at the park with my granddaughter on my lap.
2. Run to said park with my granddaughter.
3. Stay in a room full of people without feeling I must leave because my large presence is disturbing them (my issues, not necessarily theirs).
4. The biggee....run up stairs and not even think about it. And I do mean run up. Then get on the floor and hop up again over and over while playing with my granddaughter.
5. I. Went. To. Hawaii. At last!!
I will be 60 years old on September 11. I couldn't do these things with my own children in my 20s and 30s, which breaks my heart, so I am beyond delighted to do them now, among all those listed above. Well maybe not the parasailing ;-)
Thanks! I've got a ways to go to catch up with Grim though, he's over 1000 days now!! At two years, and still reaching for that goal, I endeavor to be in weight loss mode but it much much slower for me (I turn 60 in September plus the common thyroid issues....). So today I still eat 3-4 oz protein followed by 1/2 to 3/4 cup of a green vegetable. That usually does it for me for dinner and lunch. Breakfast is often a protein shake or I'd never make my numbers, with a mid-morning snack of an egg.
I loooove our fresh fish up here, that's what I eat most often. I eschew sugars and grains of all kinds but I don't believe it has to be forever. :)
That's easy...the day I found out I am a dumper. I don't test things out (normally), am very careful to follow exactly my plan because the ONLY way I can manage this is weigh, measure and track my food (597-day streak on My Fitness Pal). But I took a good friend out for her birthday when I was 18 months out, and she ordered my favorite pre-surgery dessert: bananas foster. This was at a 5-star restaurant and the presentation was great, it looked wonderful, smelled like heaven and she managed to coax me intro trying a bite or two. YUM! But never again! Good thing she also had WLS (9 years banded, she is still a size 4 at age 55) so she knew immediately when I told her I had to run. Ohh what a miserable end to the party that was!
Yep, not my proudest moment but boy did I learn a good lesson! I should NOT have tested it out for dinner in the first place, and I sure could do better at resisting temptation (I am getting better but yeah, I'm human) ;)
Just wanted to reply here to Kate's previous post on page 4 but had the same issue with where the reply went that others had! .... I read a lot of excellent replies to the question by the OP and for myself I am still early enough out that I still feel I am walking a narrow road because I am all-too-aware of my addictive personality and where it will lead if I let it. Your remarks "Those who succeed do not test their limits. Those who succeed change their lifestyle." truly resounded in me. Enough that I actually printed it, framed it, and placed it over the lightswitch in my bedroom to be in my face every morning. :)
Thanks~
Pretty much what the others said....LOVE Quest bars, very disappointed in those chips. In a word, "Yuk!"
Rocky you always have good info to share, thank you! Pre-surgery I worked diligently to get my level UP to 11 (I've never been allowed to donate blood, cuz they always check that). I think I was ok at my last checkup (1st annual) and have a blood draw scheduled for next Mon. I take Sundown Naturals, with vit C so will be watching that.
I have had long hair (to my waist) all my life. I kept thinking, "I ought to cut it, I am xx years old now!" but it was still healthy and very thick and was my best feature so I kept it long forever....surgery at 57 and WOW did my hair take a hit. Lost so much I thought I would be bald ... but ... it did stop, it did come back and now it is shiny and healthy and still long -- though I did cut about 14" off so it's in the middle of my back. Don't despair... even for those of us with very long hair that is a lot of our identity, it is SO WORTH IT to get your health back, to slip into comfortable clothing, to run around with kids, skip up those steps and not even think about it.
And I agree with the poster above me...it went from two twists of the pony tail holder, to 4 or 5 (!!) and I am now back to two twists!!! :) Yay!
It does come back, just take care of your health. Take your vitamins, keep up the protein and don't worry!! Good luck!!
Oatmeal qualifies as one of the 'slider' foods...meaning they go right on thru and you have the physical capability to eat 8 ounces or more. But as they say, just because you can does not mean you should. If you are allowed oatmeal at this point, what is the amount you are allowed at a meal? and is it the best choice?
Yes, you could well be setting yourself up to fail since opening the door to those kinds of carbs leads to less satiation, and for many of us it means both greater hunger and greater cravings for more carbs. Stick to the plan, which is protein forward (I still weigh and measure my portions, it's a check to make sure I don't get sloppy), some vegetables, then - possibly but not necessarily - some add'l carbs in the form of fruit or a starch. And don't allow yourself to sip water while you dine, that way lies further trouble!
Glad you asked - you are still early out, so you are setting yourself up now to fail or succeed. Drop the carbs during weight loss, you'll be better off and life is easier. If you are hungry between meals, check that you are getting in all your water (sometimes thirst is read as hunger by our bodies) and choose a small protein snack if it's really necessary. But hunger can be managed too, it's usually just a couple or so hours to the next meal so consider if you can wait :)
Good luck in reaching your goal!
Not sure about the liquid gels, but I take a dry D (BioTech D3-50) for 50,000 IU per capsule. These can be absorbed sufficiently by RNY folks. I started per my doctor's direction at once daily, but am now at 2x per week.
Wow, that's pretty tough, my heart goes out to you. At this point, all I can say is keep focused on the long view, eventually it will work out for you. I'm glad you have a surgeon that is able to help you. We are here for you, let us hear often how you are doing. I pray you have a good weekend, be kind to yourself! Stay hydrated, that will help a lot too! Bless you~
I so rarely get sick but I did manage to come down with a horrible cold just a day or two ahead of surgery; the surgeon said he was okay with going ahead if I was comfortable with it. I said yes (it had already been rescheduled 5 - count 'em 5 - times). Surgery was a snap, though I was unable to sleep during my 24 hr hospital stay because the pulse ox alarm kept going off; I couldn't breathe very well LOL! Other than that I was fine, and really I didn't care about sleeping as I was otherwise comfortable and very happy the surgery was done and I was on my way. You are several days away, should be just fine by then. Stay hydrated and good luck!
Went to chiropractor (that's a first for me) today to have a couple things checked out and got an Xray of my lower back. The tech was training someone else so I got to hear him explain, "She's thin, so you can mark that, no need to measure beforehand since she's skinny..." Skinny! Thin!! Me???? Woo, that was cause for a smile this morning.
Still loving my RNY 
I don't know if it's from getting my head in the right place or what, but I do not mourn for or miss anything I've stopped eating. I probably could get away with eating things like crackers or a little ice cream, etc...but I CHOOSE not to. And having made the CHOICE I guess it makes it just a little easier every day til now it's just not part of my life. Hope that makes sense....it's out of my life and I don't miss it. I still eat with family, go out with friends, etc. so truly don't feel I'm missing out :)
I've been on medication for it for 17 years now, and had RNY at age 57. The pre-weight loss was difficult but my doctor was pleased to see me lose what he asked me to (20#). Now at 59 the loss has slowed a lot, but I do expect to hit my goal this year. I am very, very happy that I had the surgery. Good luck to you!
I've been on meds for it for 17 years...had RNY at age 57, now 59. So happy, and while my loss has slowed a lot now I do expect to hit goal this year. Def worth the work!
Glad to see that you are making some plans; thinking ahead is a good start! At two years out I still don't eat snacks...my surgeon's plan is generally just 3 meals a day with primary focus on protein. Having said that, if I have a particularly active workout day (some days I have a wt training class, a spin class, then either run or take the HIIT class) I may have a small mid-day snack of something like high-quality beef or salmon jerky, or possibly a boiled egg. Some folks can eat a few nuts or some cheese. But everything I eat --- everything --- gets measured/weighed/logged so that I stay within my goals. Our job is to learn to handle 'head-hunger' and replace old eating habits with a different mind-set and better habits.
One issue is when you eat, you then have to wait before drinking. And with so much water to get in every day, snacks can throw that off enough to make it hard to get it all in. 
Good luck to you!
Hmmm, I didn't have a drain but I did have 5 tiny lap incisions that are now all-but-invisible. Did your surgeon use a robotic device? Hope that you heal quickly now that you are on the loser's bench! 😊💥
I never had any GERD symptoms but it was found during my pre-op tests that I have Barrett's Syndrome so I now have to do an annual scope. Last year found 3 ulcers for which the doc prescribed an antibiotic and 2 weeks on omeprezole. I never have had symptoms so it seems that you might need a scope to be sure if the doctor suspects an ulcer. Thing is, it's not just your pouch but your blind stomach could have an ulcer so catching it is really important. Good luck on the scope, hope you get good news!
Aww, you guys are so sweet! Thanks!! And it's not a typo; I guess that I won the gene-lottery since most everyone has always said they think I am younger (and the long hair helps). I can't believe it but I will be 60 on 9/11 this year -- but I feel about 27 in mind and body. I think I've got at least another 80 yrs ahead of me, LOL! ;) Sure feels that way!
Hoping and working to hit my goal this year!!
Yep, best thing I have ever done for myself, just wish I'd gone ahead when I first looked into it 8 years earlier. Love love love all the things I can do, and that I now feel okay about walking into a room with people in it, instead of feeling like cringing and hiding. I work out hard several times a week with weights, I take 2 tough spin classes, I run, I swim, and I'm just about to start rock-climbing. I may be 59 years old but I'm more active and alive than I've been for, well, too long! Love living life!!
ETA: I lost a TON of hair the first year but is is coming back as you can see. So hair-losers don't despair!!
Before Feb 2013 After Apr 2014
