MysTek and Serendipity: post updates here!!!
 

ok ladies[or whoever you asked to do this]: here's your thread, all ready for you to tell us that you're fine. in recovery. etc etc etc.

now, all we have to do is be patient... not one of my strong points, but i'll try, especially since there's a 3-hour time difference between here and there..

<tap tap tap> hmmmm. i guess i'll go to my office meeting now...

Im Spunky
 

WOOOHOOOO, IM HOME!, actually was home saturday but have been sleeping alot. you girls are gonna die when i tell you this, but myself and serendipity where roomates in the hospital, is was sooooo funny. It was wonderful meeting through a website and than meeting each other in person and supporting each other through our roughest days. Dont know what i would have done without her sugar-free hard candy seeing as though our hospital screwd our menus up every single day.

But i have wonderful new, im down 20 lbs today, exactly one week after surgery, im just hoping thats not too fast. I actually gained weight while in th hospital though, that was depressing.

So lets keep up the chatting and now that im back and feeling spunky i cant wait to start posting away!!!!!

Glad you are doing well MysTek! That's great that you lost 20 pounds in a week! I can't say that it went that fast for me for sure. It's also great that you are feeling spunky. I was three months out before I felt that way. How cool that you guys shared a room! It really helps to have a support person there who is going through exactly what you are going through. Congrats to you! Look forward to getting to know you!

FABULOUS news - all the way around.

as for the 20 pounds in a week - don't worry about 'too fast, too slow.' if you do what you're supposed to do, then the rate is JUST FINE, whatever it is...

well girls, so much for my spunky feeling...i guess it was the calm before the storm. I may have pneumonia. They thought i had the early stages in the hospital as well. THey keep griping about my liquid (WATER) intake, and i totally agree with pookie, it is very hard. I can now finally, after a week finish a whole carnation instant breakfast throughout the day. ALot of my problem in the first few days was that the smell of bullion literally made me ill, and i love chicken broth...and that i absolutley hate jello. So, my intake totally sucked.
Now a week after surgery im back to loving broth, but hate jello still, so they reccomended a sugar-free carnation instant breakfast a day to get my vitamins. i warm up about 4 oz of water, so the choc flavor is pretty tasty!

POOKIE- i loved your 8 tips, that was so wonderful, and it seems that even if people dont experience the exact same things that they still will prob experience some of them at different degrees.

I totally expect mid-month, for the weight loss to stop once i hit stage 2, i know i will get extremely disapointed...but that is what you all are here for.
I cant even begin to express to you all again how wonderful supportive and uplifting this forum has been for me.

The whole craving thing, i actually had it so bad 4 days after surgery when my husband brought a pizza home that i literaly licked the top of the pizza just to remember those days. my hubby laughed histerically, than apologized because he thought id been sleeping when he brought it in. Luckily i have been able to pin-point the time of the day when i mostly get my craving, evenings, and i either try to keep myself busy, suck on sugar-free candy, or simply go to sleep.

Well, enough about me, how are all ofyou today? I feel like crud :dizzy: but the sun is still shining!

jiffy's nag: instead of sucking on sugar free candy: DRINK SOMETHING!!!!! you don't need the candy. YOU NEED THE LIQUID!!!!

more later...

I HEAR YAH JIFF....I KNOW, LIQUIDS, LIQUIDS, LIQUIDS!!!!!!!!! And your right POOK about the sugar alcohols, didnt even dawn on me. ANd i even think the same about the gas thing now that you mention it, i guess i never put 2 and 2 together.

I wonder how my old friend serendipity is doing, im worried bout her. she stayed an extra day in the hospital, so i hope she is home now and feeling better. My prayers are with her

you're having gas??? hmmmmm. if staying off the SF candies doesn't help, you may want to look at the carnation instant breakfast. not only may that have sugar alcohols [check the label], lots of us come out of the surgery with lactose intolerance, and there's LOTS of lactose in CIB.

and, if you're mixing it in a blender, that adds a lot of air, which also makes you gassy.. .

no one ever said this was easy!!! <or if they did, they were delusional!!!!>

An extra day, MysTek?!?!? I wish.....
 

I didn't go home until Monday. My lungs kept getting compressed by fluid, despite my ability to blow a 3000 on the I.S. thingy. Not to mention my lack of pain control. I'm doing ok, but way behind you in the weight loss curve. No biggie. Everyone has their own schedule. I ended up going back to the hospital about 7 hours after I was discharged because my stomach started spasming really hard and I couldn't handle the pain. I couldn't swallow, move, breath or sleep without crying. So, hubby made me go back. I was finally pain-free enough to go home on Wedsnesday afternoon/evening. I really hated being there, I never slept for longer than an hour out of every 4 hours at a time. As of this morning, I've lost 28 lbs. Maybe I'm slower because I spent twice as much time in the hospital? Oh well. I'm followingg the diet as prescribed, but I'm experiencing one part of what could be attributed to dumping syndrome, and I thing we all know which symptom, lol. But I also had IBS prior to surgery and it's acting much like that. So, I'm not sure what to think. Also, I noticed a really painful spot in the back of my knee/calf this afternoon and it's spreading down my calf. Hope it's not a blood clot. I have an appointment tomorrow with another clinic at Balboa. I think I might swing by and see my surgeon or Eve if I can. I have no appetite, no cravings, I have no idea when I'm full, so I play it safe and stay within the guidelines. I can't feel my stomach, you know, like when you take a drink of ice water, you can feel it go down? I can't feel that. Anyone else have that problem? How about really bad heartburn?

Hi Pookie,

I skipped the tums because I don't really want kidney stones. I'm taking Aciphex, same stuff I was taking before for GERD, and it's working like a charm. Which also worries me because as I understand it, it is physically impossible to have the type of heartburn I am having, since all my pre-op tests came back clean, including the ones for reflux and hiatal hernia.

Angie

I'm sorry to read that you are having trouble Serendipity. It does take a while to get use to your new stomach, but it does get better. I had to stay in the hospital extra time too, because of a fever. I think 27 pounds is a pretty good weight loss for the length of time it has been. Like Pookie said, everyone looses at a different rate. Shoot, I was dissappointed to see that I wasn't completely skinny right after surgery, LOL. I spent so much time thinking about it before hand and planning, I wanted instant gratification afterward. I too, was in extreme pain after surgery. I know how you were/are feeling. It took me around 3 months before I started to feel hunger, and once you start eating solids that feeling of full will come back as well. Hang in there darlin' the worst of it is almost over (((((HUGS)))))

Aww, thanks for the hugs. I think I am experiencing a huge chunk of denial about the weight loss. I fought for so long like you wouldn't believe, against PCOS and post-partum hyperinsulinemia that I had lost almost all hope. I spend 3 hours on an operating table and, WHAM!!!, the weight starts falling off. I am a frustrated for no reason all the time, and I just don't see the changes. My husband has been saying things for 2 weeks about how much weight I've lossed. I've had to get some new clothes already. I just don't see it. I also feel like it's going too fast, although the standard is 10 lbs a week, give or take. I felt so ready for this going into it. In hindsight, have I made a mistake, not for my body, but for my mind? I'm about due for a trip to the shrink's office anyway, lol.

Angie

oh angie.. you've hit on a BIG ISSUE here - all that MIND stuff... it's a huge battle. remember: this surgery was on your digestive tract, not your brain. keep saying that to yourself and deal with what you have to...

as for the lifelong struggle with PCOS and hyperinsulinemia and no weight loss - and now the weight is falling off... here's what i think [and i've talked with my surgeon about this, and he doesn't think i'm completely crazy, it's just that there are so many unknowns here...]

feeling hungry/wanting to eat/insulin/ghrelin/and lord knows what other hormones are involved are extremely interrelated. i think that for some of us - many of us - these links have been so hopelessly tangled and working wrong that the surgery is the only way to fix it. because: THE SURGERY HAS SHORT CIRCUITED ALL THESE FEEDBACK LOOPS AND RELATIONSHIPS. that we are now normal - hormonally at least. and our bodies can finally let go of the weight.

of course, consuming fewer than 500 calories a day SHOULD result in some weight loss, but speaking as someone who GAINED weight on an 800 calorie diet, there's no way that just eating so little - by itself - will result in the massive weight loss that you're seeing, angie. and that i saw.

now, having said all that.. what does this mean for the slower losers among us? i suspect that your [unknown to medical research] hormones weren't quite as screwed up.

just a few thoughts.. meant to be helpful and reassuring, but i'm not sure i managed that. so please accept my apologies if i've (1) hurt anyone's feelings, (2) confused anyone beyond all hope of understanding, or (3) scared the daylights out of anyone!!!!

an uplifting note
 

Well Hello ladies, seems like i have missed so much in the past week or so. Im so glad to see your doing welling Angie, i was worried bout ya girl. But, your so true to the fact that everyone heals at thier own rate, as well as loses the weight at thier own rate.
I think alot of it for some people is their mindset. This is an enourmous surgery that by no means will be a walk in the park. And by keeping the power of positive thinking on board and suportive uplifting people around you, you can conquere anything...even if it doesnt feel like it at that very moment.
I spoke to my surgeon today becuase of my pure lack of energy, and the fact that i havent had a bowel movement in almost 3 weeks, and he reassured me that the lack of energy was normal. THe bowel movemetns on the other hand, we fixed that too!!! HE said, that most people lose the bulk of the weight in the beginning few weeks and that the rest is up to me. He reminded me that this was just a tool, yet a large one, to changing and readapting your lifestyle. And that it takes time.
My second week out i was craving big time, everything.....which Eve says is normal but this operation puts your body through malnutrition in order to drastically shed unwanted pounds and reteach you the fundimentals of eating properly all over again. She told me to keep myself busy and drink water, and keep drinking that eventually these craving would go away, that things do not happen over night.
Now three weeks out, i dont have the craving anymore and im on PHase 2 and slowly beginning to feel hunger again, in small doses. Yet i totally made the mistake of eating too fast oneday....ouch. Now that I am on Phase 2, I have stopped losing weight, but have regained my energy back.
I hit my 30 lb mark last week, and the surgeon says people lose typically 20-30 lbs the first few weeks and than begins the first platoe. It isnt easy, it is discouraging, especially when you lose so quickly to begin with.
But i keep smiling, and my husband makes me feel wonderful about the weight i have lost, even if in my eyes its not enough. Making small goals seems to have really made an impact of reality with me, wether it be to lose another pound, eat a different food, walk an extra step, or simply smile a bigger smile.

And eventually these pounds will fade away.:)

wishing all of you ladies, and especially angie, a speedy recovery, a big bear hug, and tons of blessings.

Luv for my Friend
 

Also today, my friend Renee, who is a regular to "viewing" the 3FC site, has her surgery today. She is in my prayers, and im hoping she gets her tail on here and posts with us once she feels up to it. Happy Valentines Day Renee!!!

Well Jiffy, I was extremely hormonally screwed up. My prolactin was down, my insulin was 13, my estrogen was through the roof, my testosterone was too high. My leptin and grehlin were both way disproportionate, despite my avoiding corn syrups of any type. And I've only been fighting this for 9 years. I can't imagine a lifetime of it. As for the mind stuff, well, I had at one point been diagnosed with anorexia not related to body dismorphic image. So I'm trying really hard not to coalesce the diet with intentionally depriving myself. I can't believe I passed the psych eval, lol. That's what I get for having had 5 docs in succession in the navy, lol. I think once I get my strength back, I'll be ok. I just feel so in limbo right now. All I can do is walk around. I'm not used to being so physically limited. I tried to go to the gym and used the elliptical trainer for 30 minutes. I had to sit down for 20 minutes because I was so drained. I also just started sleeping again. I hope that will make a difference. I just wasn't tired.
Glad to ear from you too, Amy. I hope your bowel issues resolve easily. How's the respiratory issues coming? Jello still tastes like perfumed soap. Yilck!!! My favorite thing right now is 1 sugar free pudding package (the smaller one), 1/4 cup dry milk, 1/4 creamy peanut butter (yes, you can have PB as long as it is diluted enough), and 2 cups of milk. Each 1/4 cup serving has 15 grams of protein in it. And it actually tastes really yummy! I got this recipe off the Ohio State website. It goes down really well and doesn't irritate the stomach. Just make sure you mix the powdered milk with the dry pudding mix thoroughly before adding the milk or PB, or else it will not mix all the way.
Maybe I'm just hugely anticipating the plateau phase. Oh well. All in due time. I need to get out more.

Oh yeah, I lost eve's contact info and I need to ask her about the leg pain I'm having (instead of rushing to the ER, yuck). Can you help me out Amy?

And why the heck does the back of my left knee hurt so bad? Not like a muscle or connective tissue strain. Like a really deep bruise. I didn't go see them while I was up there today, I was too tired.

I am so glad to hear everyone is doing okay. I guess that is the best we can be doing for now right? I was so sorry to hear about all the problems you had to go through Serindipity. Just keep up the fight, that's what I am telling myself. i had my surgery on the 14th. Everything was clock work. I couldn't believe it. While I was in the hospital I didn't hardly need and of the pain meds. I went home on the 3rd day. I felt pretty good to be home. Last night was a little hard, i was up and down all night with an upset tummy. The weird thing is I don't even know why? I have been doing all the right things, eating the broth and drinking my water. I did have a small bite of cottage cheese but that was in the early afternoon. Then later in the evening I started having sharp stomach pains so I decided to try the Lortab that the doc sent home for pain. shortly after I started feeling dizzy and pretty ill. Then my whole night was ruined. I didn't sleep very much. I was up about every 1/2 hour. I guess I am just a little surprised that i have so many loose b/m since I have mostly heard you hardly have any after surgery? I don't feel terrible but don't feel great right now so my mind is palying those little games we all talk about. " did I do the right thing?" I know I just need time. Hope you all are well.

Sdlady, I did have loose BM's for about an entire week. It's actually a common side effect of the anesthesia. But is you are having bad pain occuring at the same time or thereabouts, you need to contact your surgeon. Or if you see any blood, obviously. I was nauseous, also, for no reason for about another week after that. Swelling from the surgery itself can cause this. If you can't tolerate the lortab, definitely go to liquid tylenol (lortab has some tylenol in it) because it reduces the swelling. I realized why I am healing so slowly. During surgery, they typically administer a large dose of steroids. I can't have systemic steroids. The source of most of my problems? Most likely. But definitely try the tylenol. It's what they had me do when the lortab would make me really nauseous.

Thanks for the info on the Lortab. I am also glad to hear that the loose BM's is pretty normal. And no worries there is no pain. Today is pretty hard for some reason I am so HUNGRY! I ate a little jello and sip on my protein shake a little also but man I am hungry. I guess it's real hard having the kids around because they are constantly eating between the two of them but I am trying to stay strong. Tell me if this is really bad, sometimes if I just want a liitle taste I will take a few bites chew to get the flavor then spit it out? Let me know if anyone knows if this is a big time No No.

I would call that a bad idea because once you chew it, you release and begin digesting the sugars in your saliva. You may or may not start an episode of dumping syndrome, but do you really want to take that chance? lol As for hunger, are you lactose intolerant? I only get hungry about 2 times a week now, as opposed to ot at all. I find that drinking fat-free or 1% milk really takes care of that. At this stage in your diet, you should also be able to drink sugar free carnation instant breakfast. But the milk fills me up pretty good. Drink it like you would any other liquid. If you don't like milk, try sugar free hot coco.

I really like your idea about the milk because I love it. But I am not sure if I can yet? I feel good but my GBS was just on Mon the 14th. I thought I was only aloud to be on clear liquids. But the Doc did say I could drink the shakes so i don't see the Difference?

I'm certain milk is ok, since most shakes are made with milk, or should be. When I was told to drink the carnation stuff, I was told to use milk and not water, since milk has protein, which you really need right now. I was drinking it at day 5.

Also, call your nutritionist as soon as possible, just to make sure. But, like I was saying, everything you find in milk you will find in the shakes. It just happens to digest a little easier than the shakes, lol.

be careful with the milk, ladies. some people come out of the surgery with lactose intolerance! so if you end up having lots of gas and discomfort, please add that to the list of 'what's wrong NOW.'

as for chewing.. serendipity is right. but another thing to consider is that whether you mean to or not, a person often swallows some of this stuff despite best efforts. it's really in your best interests to not 'feed the head hunger' if ya know what i mean.

IT'S NOT EASY!!!!!

Oh my goodness, I have been remiss in posting. Well, I hope Renee is still here. I miss Amy, too!!! I am 2 years and 2 months out, as of the end of this month. I found the true source of almost all of my problems. The leg pain? Torn cartilege, osteoarthritis, tendonitis and ascetabular cysts in both my hips. The trauma to my body from my surgery made evrything kinda flare up. I developed tendonitis in multiple joints within 6 months. About 4 months out, I found out, also, that I have a more chronic and severe case of the well-known auto-immune disorder fibromyalgia. I have finally gotten the sleep problems associated with it under control just within the past week. As mentioned in another thread, I will be having a tummy tuck from **** on the 29th of this month. After that, I should be able to hit the gym just as hard as I did around Christmas. My skin breakdown is so bad that it tears open when I get sweaty or put too much strain on those areas. How the heck is everyone else doing!?!?!