Hello Everyone... I need some help with questions!

[Debbie S]

Hello! My name is Debbie and I have been up and down with my weight for the past 15 years. I am tired of being heavy and unhealthy. I have done many weight loss programs and lost weight only for it to come back. Very depressing as we all know. So my time has come and I visited a bariatric Doctor. I have gone through 5 of my 6 required visits with my bariatric doc and nutrition doc; as well as, pulmonary testing and cardiac testing. I will have all my results by end of next week. I am nervous as heck about having the Roux-en-Y bypass procedure. I have some questions and hope I can get some answers.

Some questions are: How is the pain?
Any major issues within the first month after surgery?
Has anyone had issue with sagging skin? If not, how did you make sure you didn't.

I am sure i will have a bunch more, but for now I just want to get some answers.

Thank you for taking your time.

 

[Cheyenne]

Hello! My name is Debbie and I have been up and down with my weight for the past 15 years. I am tired of being heavy and unhealthy. I have done many weight loss programs and lost weight only for it to come back. Very depressing as we all know. So my time has come and I visited a bariatric Doctor. I have gone through 5 of my 6 required visits with my bariatric doc and nutrition doc; as well as, pulmonary testing and cardiac testing. I will have all my results by end of next week. I am nervous as heck about having the Roux-en-Y bypass procedure. I have some questions and hope I can get some answers.

Some questions are: How is the pain?
Any major issues within the first month after surgery?
Has anyone had issue with sagging skin? If not, how did you make sure you didn't.

I am sure i will have a bunch more, but for now I just want to get some answers.

Thank you for taking your time.

Hi Debbie! WELCOME to the Forum!!!

I was very surprised that the pain was much less than I expected. I was a little sore in the belly but really it wasn't bad at all.

Originally I was afraid to get weight loss surgery and was undecided for 10 yrs before I decided to go ahead with it. The surgery saved my life. My health was deteriorating and taking off my weight turned everything around. I feel super great and couldn't be happier. I'm healthy and happy and much trimmer although I am still working on losing weight, if I never lost another pound I would still be quite satisfied. I am only sad that I waited so long to have my bariatric surgery. I have been very overweight since I was in my early 20's and have yo'yo'd up and down all my life. I didn't have surgery til I was 64 yrs old. Better late than never.

The main problem I had after surgery was my gallbladder. It started acting up about 4 months after surgery. I finally had it removed 11 months after my surgery. Gallbladder problems are common after bariatric surgery because the gallbladder processes so much fat leaving the body that it can ruin the gallbladder. Some surgeon's remove the gallbladder when they do the bypass. Many people on this forum have had it removed. Losing my gallbladder was well worth the surgery.

Even though I do have some sagging skin, it is much better than I expected. I started using pure Argan Oil which has helped my skin alot. If I would have had this surgery years ago when I was younger, then I'm sure I would have had even better results. Skin is more elastic when a person is younger.

I think the main secret to successfully losing weight with the bariatric surgery is to eat tiny amounts at a time. Don't over stretch your new tiny tummy which will be approximately 2 oz. Eat slowly and only a couple bites will fill you up and stop there. Don't eat so fast that you eat more than you need. You will feel full like you ate Thanksgiving dinner with just a couple bites. It should take a year for your stomach to eventually stretch enough to eat 1/2 cup at a time.

Good luck to you. Follow your surgeon's instructions and be sure to take your vitamins and supplements every day. I really have enjoyed my weight loss journey and look back on it with warm feelings. Hope your journey is great for you too.


Cheyenne

 

[Debbie S]

Thank you Cheyenne!

I appreciate the information you have provided me. It makes a lot of sense as to what you are saying. Luckily for me my gallbladder ended up getting removed about six years ago. I was on a diet and lost 70 pounds over 9 months. I felt amazing! However, I ended up with pains and it was discovered my gallbladder was solid. When my surgeon took it out he said he needed an additional doc in there because it was extremely large. I guess I just missed the world record by a fraction (having the largest gallbladder removed). My doc couldn't believe how massive it was but i was grateful it is gone. Now with what I am hearing I am even more happy it is gone this way I will not have issues.

As for the skin, I plan on buying some of that oil. I will start to use it now since i am so close to surgery.

I have another question, I know we are to eat smaller portions now, do not drink with our meals, and stay away from carbonated beverages (and caffeine). However, did you or do you ever have issues where you need just a sip of something to help swallowing it down? Sometimes I feel like my throat is too dry and I need just a little something.

Also, did you follow the very small portions (like now) as you did prior to surgery or just cut back?

Thanks for your help.

Debbie

 

[Cheyenne]

Thank you Cheyenne!

I appreciate the information you have provided me. It makes a lot of sense as to what you are saying. Luckily for me my gallbladder ended up getting removed about six years ago. I was on a diet and lost 70 pounds over 9 months. I felt amazing! However, I ended up with pains and it was discovered my gallbladder was solid. When my surgeon took it out he said he needed an additional doc in there because it was extremely large. I guess I just missed the world record by a fraction (having the largest gallbladder removed). My doc couldn't believe how massive it was but i was grateful it is gone. Now with what I am hearing I am even more happy it is gone this way I will not have issues.

As for the skin, I plan on buying some of that oil. I will start to use it now since i am so close to surgery.

I have another question, I know we are to eat smaller portions now, do not drink with our meals, and stay away from carbonated beverages (and caffeine). However, did you or do you ever have issues where you need just a sip of something to help swallowing it down? Sometimes I feel like my throat is too dry and I need just a little something.

Also, did you follow the very small portions (like now) as you did prior to surgery or just cut back?

Thanks for your help.

Debbie

Hi Debbie! I was told that I had an extremely large gallbladder too, so we have that in common.

My surgeon and nutritionist both stressed and stressed not to drink at all with meals but to be very honest, I couldn't do it totally. I had to sip or I think I would have strangled. The food got stuck and it hurt. I hate to admit this on line but you asked me and I had to tell the truth. I think every person needs to make decisions like this on an individual basis and knowing your own body. I followed my doctor's orders 99% of my journey but not in this matter. That being said I also didn't guzzle down large quantities of liquids either. I sipped just enough to unstick the food in my throat.

Every surgeon seems to have different diet rules. After the 7th week I was told I could eat anything, no food or desert was off the table but no more than 2 oz at a time 3 times a day. I chose to eat meals like a small chunk of boneless, skinless chicken ( about 35 calories), with a spoonful of green beans (20 calories) and a spoonful of stewed tomatoes ( about 15 calories) It filled my tiny tummy up yet had very little calories and was nutritious. I usually ate a scrambled egg with a piece of cheese melted over it for breakfast. Bread made me gag and vomit so I wasn't tempted and sweets made me feel sick to my stomach plus gave me diarrhea. Even now I only eat sweets like a tiny piece of birthday cake on special occasions. I ate very little at a time for a full year and never felt hungry and dropped a lot of weight. Now the last 6 months I have a more normal diet of a variety of foods and fruits but my weight loss has slowed to a trickle but I still am losing slowly. I still eat small amounts but more than 2 oz and always stop the moment I feel full.

If you have other questions please don't hesitate to ask. Each of us has a little different trail through this journey, your path will be unique only to you. Trust your own judgment but listen to your surgeon and nutritionists too.

Best of Luck


Cheyenne


The rule to remember is "Eat to Live.. Don't Live to Eat" many of us used food as an enjoyment, comfort, and way of life. Change your routine so you have a hobby or something to fill up your time when you used to eat. Take your dog or kids or grandkids on walks, get a new pet or take up sewing. Whatever you can do to keep yourself away from over eating while social eating or solitary eating. When everyone is eating you can join in just be very selective what you are eating and eat very slowly.