Amy R.’s Posts
Hi Anne. Congrats on 11 years. I'm 13+ years out myself.
I've noticed the last couple of years that your surgiversary posts appear to have been copied and pasted from one year to the next; seemingly without material changes. Is this because you've formed your opinions and no longer feel there is anything new to add over each year? Or is a template used for ease of posting each year? Or?
Asking because every single year has been different for me. Sometimes in good ways, sometimes in bad, through physical changes all post ops go through such as decreased malabsorption, regain, low blood sugar, RH, etc. And also through emotional responses to life changing events (deaths, weddings, grandkids). Every year I learn things I didn't know and can apply to my situation if indicated. Every year the science behind metabolic surgeries improves and diversifies as we have access to new options and hopefully retire old, unsafe and ineffective practices (still can't stop looking at you LapBand). It's just a whirlwind that for me has never died down (that doesn't mean things have always been good).
I'm just wondering then, why the canned response? To each their own and all but you always seemed like a person with an opinion and I question where that went. Please take this in the spirit in which it is intended. Not as a criticism but as a sincere desire to understand your goal in these yearly posts.
Ok - I know this post is a few days old, and I really meant to only lurk a bit. But OMG Kim. Those pictures are just so awesome! It makes me happy just looking at them.
You look great like you always do! And all of you together are just the cutest! Congrats on perfect new little cuddly super cute baby. It's beautiful to see you all so happy. Honestly those pictures are pretty much the best part of my day this morning.
hearts!
Wow Jen what a project you've taken on! I love it and it's a great way to "meet" each other.
I'm Amy. My surgery was 11+ years ago, in the beginning of December. I can never remember if it was the 8th or 9th haha.
So far the benefits of my bypass far outweigh any negative experiences. I'd do it all over again daily if I had to in order to hang on to some of my hard-won gains. Just this past year (in 2019) I lost my 200th pound. My previous low post-op weight of 177 was comfortable to me, at least for a time. I've had three regains in the last 11 years. The largest was 60 pounds. I lost those sixty but then turned around and gained some back again. And took it off again too. But by the time my daughter set her wedding date in June of 2018 I was dealing with my smallest regain. My goal was 177 since I'd been so happy there earlier. At that point I was in the 190's but I was able to make the 177 happen.
The bounceback I expected from that last regain never materialized. I blew past 177 and finally stopped in the 140's. I was thrilled, but I felt a bit weak and "thin". Thin isn't a "feeling" I know. But I just felt like it was harder to do anything that required even minimal strength. My Mom was also diagnosed with terminal cancer at around that time and my life completely ground to a halt while we took care of her. She passed 11/25/19. A big part of me went with her. The other part of me starting eating. I don't even know why.
Today I'm in the mid 150's. I'd like to get down to anything that starts with a 1 and a 4 again but we'll see. Grief is the over-riding emotion in my heart and mind and life right now. Just getting out of bed is a fight because I do not want to know what the world looks like without my Mom.
Anyhow. Not sure why I wrote all of that; I guess I started to answer the weight loss surgery question and hit a rabbit trail. In summary then here is my weight history (as far as I can remember anyway)
hw: 347
sw: 309
gw: 155
lw: 140
cw: 154
Life is so much easier when I'm at my goal weight. But even when I had gained those 60 pounds back I was still happy because I could fit in places that normal-size women fit into. I'm also grateful to the surgery because I'd be dead otherwise. Seeing my family and life and being able to be "a part of" sometimes is a great experience. My life before surgery had come to a standstill. Basically I'd become a shut in.
Good luck to any and all of you regardless of where you on your weight loss journey. The surgeries work when we remember to do our part.
You're best bet is to talk to your doctor. Make sure you completely understand why you've been asked to stop before surgery. Also, get a clear understanding of what is ok after surgery and when.
Turmeric works as a kind of anti-inflammatory. Some of those drugs can thin the blood and most prescription blood thinners are temporarily discontinued several days before surgery to minimize blood loss during the procedure. I'm hazarding a guess that your turmeric is being stopped 10 days prior for just this same reason.
You'll get more answers here I'm sure. And there is a lot of knowledge on OH that might also help. But the doctor should be your official go-to right now and getting his explanations should probably be your priority.
Gum and carbonation are matters of personal choice. There is nothing inherently wrong with either. You should probably wait on both until you are completely healed from surgery though.
First, thank you so much for donating a kidney. My brother is alive today because someone donated a kidney to him. What a gift you've given.
Unfortunately there's no secret way to lose regain. You know your body and what you need to do. You know what works for you. The only way to finish is to start.
Soak up any and all encouragement. Remind yourself often that it will likely take longer to get it off than it did to put it on. I ended up shooting for a pound or two a week. It took months to get some of my regains off (I had three!). Keep slogging and be that person *****fuses to give up. It may take a bit to get all of the pounds off but you'll feel better each day and pound that you get through.
Good luck. You can do it. Start anywhere. But start.
I am about 4 days Post op from my RNY. I have been trying little bits of food here and there just to see if I was going to be experiencing dumping syndrome from sweets or anything like that. I also have been managing to get all of my protein and water goals since about day 3 so I'm not forgoing my necessities just to test myself. I was wondering if I needed to hold off on trying these things or if it was the tolerance of these things that was the problem in the first place. I have had basically no issues except the pain meds they gave me were a bit too much. I just want to know if anyone else has experienced something like this where they basically could eat anything from the get-go and had no physical restrictions on the content of their diet.
Your profile lists your BMI as 69.4.
If that is correct, I'm pretty sure you know what you'll experience from sweets or "anything like that".
Dumping syndrome, etc is just the fine print in such a striking bottom line. I'm not weight shaming. I am venturing a guess that you are not happy at that size and that's why you chose bariatric surgery. Quite bluntly if you don't make up your mind to follow directions for a very short period of time post op, just as all of us have to, you won't have any choices left to make.
It's ok to choose poorly sometimes. This is not one of them. Shake yourself up, dust yourself off, and start again immediately to follow your surgeon's plan. Right now. Sip some water and move. Do it again in 20 or 30 minutes.
FWIW, you'd probably be best off if you called and told your surgeon's office exactly what you're eating and why. They can help you with your eating progression but only if they know you are struggling and testing.
I want you to succeed. I want to be congratulating you on your one year surgiversary post, not reading your obituary. We get those here too.
Is some stupid piece of food worth your life?
I'm sorry you're starting off on a rough patch. I did too. It was no fun.
They used to call it "hell week" back then. And nobody told anybody else about it pre-op usually. I guess to avoid discouraging people. The label kind of put things in perspective though, because it literally is usually about a week of being pretty darn uncomfortable. And then the tide starts to turn.
You'll still probably have some decent pain on Day 8 and onward but it should start dissipating rapidly. The more you can sip and walk and the sooner you can do the those two things, the easier your recovery will be.
It hurts. Surgeries generally do. Even if your surgery was laparoscopic, your insides just went through quite the trauma. Try as hard as you can to focus on the good things that are coming up and all that you'll soon be able to do. You're about to embark on one of the most exciting periods of your life. Your health will get better and better. You'll buy lots of new fun clothes. You get to participate in all kinds of activities that you passed on before. Even the small things like fitting into restaurant booths are things to look forward to.
I know it hurts, 99% of us here do. You are strong and you will survive this. Each day you get through is one day closer to being healed. Post here as much as you want to, we all understand.
If your pain gets worse or is unmanageable with pain medication OR you can't keep up with your sipping, call your surgeon or the ER immediately.
Take care; baby yourself a bit. Make sure you sip and walk all the time or as much as you can. Maybe check in and let us know how you're doing. You'll be fine. You really will.
You are welcome.
We go through some hard times during this whole WLS experience. But we learn we can face hard things and we learn the ways to do so. Something as simple as re-framing the situation may make enough of a difference to get a person over a hump or through a challenge.
Having been there many times over as others guided me through and around all of this, I was taught by the best here on OH and I gladly pass along the wisdom (and hugs!) that were so freely given to me. =)
I deal with anxiety to the point of taking meds for it also. I know it to be life-altering and I'm glad you're getting help for it.
Just a note here. The meds certainly do take four to six weeks before you receive the full benefit. However, each dose you take is slowly building up to that optimum level. In other words, you won't feel this bad for the whole four to six week period. You're absorbing this stuff from the get go and you are getting incrementally better each day. Try and remember that every day you get through is one day closer to better.
We all know you can do it. You know you can do it. Sometimes the hardest part is just keeping a positive mindset and busying yourself with productive (or even non-productive) activities to pass the time.
Hang in. Post here every day or even multiple times each day if it helps. Power through. It will be worth it.
Thanks Au_Contraire bringing the hard cold reality that is that OMG lifestyle.
It's very hard to believe a boyfriend wouldn't have warned her about the sharing of any information anywhere. People have died for less. No one, NOT ONE of the 1% wants any kind of attention and I can guarantee that.
I'm not saying that a member would take the time and energy to sleuth out a members girlfriends internet post. But if she's talking like this here, she's likely talking about it other places also. Places that may not be as safe.
Ava if this is real, get out. You will never be physically safe as long as you're involved in that world.
I think it's quite natural to be curious about the long-term effects of any surgery. And the time to ask the questions is definitely pre-op, so I think I understand your query enough take a stab at it anyway.
I'm over 10 years out. The surgery still works for me and I am grateful for it. Just as we can eat around it (as was mentioned above) we can use it to lose even more weight and to lose regain as well. Unless there have been physical changes such as pouch or stoma stretching, restriction can remain indefinitely. There are ways to test both the pouch and stoma if needed.
There are more benefits than just restriction. I noticed you give a nod to the loss of co-morbidities. Losing one or more of those is HUGE. Co-morbidities are things that can reduce your life span and losing those is nothing to sneeze at. You might consider doing a thread asking just that question: "What comorbidiities have you lost since your WLS?" or some such. Start adding those up as people answer and the results will probably amaze you.
You already know that the first 12-18 months is prime weight loss time. After that, your stomach and mainly your intestines return to pre-op functionality. You'll be back to absorbing 99% of the calories you eat. You may have some regain in this time period as your body adjusts.
But if you're dedicated and smart and open to trying suggestions from those who are long term post ops here you can use that time to develop new habits and a new life style. Build on that restriction that will always be there. Learn to cut out the snacking that does many of us in. Focus on health, not just on weight. Begin to keep a list of your own NSV's (non-scale victories like being able to climb stairs and such).
There is a down side for some and I won't sugar coat it. I still dump and I now have reactive hypoglycemia which sucks. I've had BIG regains (three!), but I weigh 35 pounds less today than I did immediately post op and it was all done as I was working to re-lose 20 pounds last year. Something kicked in and I decided to see how far I could go with the whole thing. Instead of losing the 20 pounds I lost 55. The woman who inspired me here on OH is several years farther out than I am and I believe she lost 60+ pounds last year herself.
It is what you make it. Good for you for asking your questions now. This forum and the people in it is a big part of why I'm able to keep going. Keep checking in and good luck.
Thanks! Still waiting for a return call from nephrologist. Should happen today for sure.
Liz a little clarification:
1) I actually do have (and use) an indoor grill. The outside contraption was a treat for the summer once I found out I'd likely be eating a lot more meat.
2) Not sure how my comments on shakes were "bashing". I commented because many people eventually get to the point where they are working on staying satisfied and not hungry consuming the smallest amount of calories reasonable. Solid foods generally keep us satiated for longer than liquids. Shakes are liquids.
I'll also say it again: I am 10 years out. At three years out I was still having a shake a couple of times a week. (I also weighed over 30 pounds more back then than I do today!) But that was seven years ago. My eating has now fully morphed into the food plan I mentioned in your comment #2. This doesn't mean I believe my diet is better. It means my diet is different. In seven years, yours might be too.
You've found what works for you right now and I'd never encourage or imply messing with that. Post op life is different for almost every one of us it seems. Any comment that appeared directed at your shake drinking was unintentional. =)
You're right of course. This late in the game I wasn't using them either. Maybe 1% of the time. I think I mis-read your post and thought you were still using the Syntha.
My shakes end up being more calories than I've been comfortable drinking so haven't been good choices for me. But it looks like I may need to add one here or there until my labs look better.
While I'm glad you've found something that works for you right now I would caution about the shakes at this point in your post op life. Solid dense protein will keep you satiated longer. You might want to keep that in mind as you get closer to the end of your honeymoon period. Soon your malabsorption will phase out and when it does you're likely be back to calories in and calories out. The long term post op life requires constant vigilance and attention to any changes.
I blew this one because I was/am distracted with family stuff. It hasn't been my strongest moment.
Also, I didn't have hair loss at 15 months either and was not even close to protein deficiency. I am now over 10 years out though and believe me a lot changes between 15 months and 10 years. Probably I'd have let it get even worse before I noticed but my hair is now falling out and so are my eyebrows (!).
I also use the Syntha 6. For awhile I used their dessert flavors. The whipped vanilla cream was so incredible. But they discontinued that one so I switched over to their regular line and now have the vanilla ice cream flavor. I add SF vanilla pudding mix, a capful of quality vanilla extract, ice, and a bit of fruit. I'll be forever thankful to whoever it was who gave that combination many years ago. The BSN costs a bit more as does the bourbon vanilla but so worth it.
What do you do with yours Mary?
Yay steak!
I bought a cheap charcoal grill for the summer, just so I can up my carcinogen intake. Briquettes soaked in lighter fluid. mmmmm.
Seriously though it makes meats taste l amazing, just like they used to when I was a kid. Working on planning out my grilling time so I get more than just one meal out of each adventure with the grill.
So this looks to be a more common problem (the protein intake) than I had thought it would be. Posted here specifically in case anybody else faced/was facing the issue. Honestly didn't realize we still needed to keep our protein SO high this far out. Learning to be proactive.
Thanks Julie.
Thank you Mary. Another vote for the shakes! Does protein powder expire?
Thanks for this. I feel like I can't keep up and sometimes am just barely holding steady. It's time to challenge that and do better. Maybe I will break out the shakes. It probably can't hurt. =)
Thank you for all of this Hala.
I too have been attempting to focus on just adding dense proteins to my diet but then get too full to eat for hours. Interesting thoughts on the sliders.
It feels like I'm eating all the time and I don't want to encourage that. At the same time I've got to consider the situation so it's all kind of confusing over here right now.
Grim's hierarchy of proteins is really helpful. Maslow's got nothing on our resident meat expert.
Thank you. I was going to ask if collagen was helpful now that I'm pretty far out.
Can we actually eat so much protein that we over-stress our systems? I've got stage three kidney disease and haven't heard back from nephrology yet.
Hey all.
Anybody have ideas on how to reverse a sizable protein deficiency? Long story, bottom line: hard lesson learned.
I'd really appreciate any thoughts. I've got no experience with this whatsoever. Thanks for whatever you've got!
