• American Bariatrics is a free online Bariatric Support Group. Register for your free account and get access to all of our great features!

Hi! I'm new too, but have a question for you all.

Mill3rs

Member
Hello everyone. I'm Karen. I am 17 years post Bariatric surgery. I've seen friends, family members and acquaintances all have a variety of Bariatric surgeries. Many do very well, others do not.
The best advice I can offer is this: This surgery is a TOOL. After you have the surgery, you STILL have to watch what you eat, eat in moderation or you will gain the weight again! My "uncle" had the surgery and called to complain to me (just months after having the surgery) that he could not eat ice cream without getting sick. I told him "That's your body's way of telling you you SHOULDN'T eat it!" haha.
I am not at my ideal weight. I went from 285 (my heaviest) to 170 (my adult lightest), and am now fairly steady at about 230 - I am not happy with that, I would like to be below 200! I was at around 210 for about 10 years and was OK with that, but as my weight started to creep up again, I'm getting more upset about the weight. I do not eat as well as I should and can not exercise (read below).

My question, totally off topic of what I just wrote, is this: Have any of you heard of someone having DEBILITATNG muscle cramps after the surgery? I mean cramps that leave bruises? I get them consistently after exercise and if I drink alcohol (so I avoid both at this point), and even when doing nothing - like teleworking (sitting on my bum all day). I am getting these cramps all over my body - feet, legs, arms, hands, neck, and now even my tongue! I've had all my vitamins checked, even the obscure ones that aren't usually checked in normal labs. All my labs are normal. I've given 47 vials of blood, 3 MRI's and seen so many "Ologists" it's not funny - Neurologist, Rheumatologist, Endocrinologist, Hematologist, Physical Medicine, the Chronic Pain specialists and finally the Bariatric Surgeon... no one seems to know what is going on since all my labs are normal. If anyone has heard of something like this, please let me know! I realize it may not be related to the Bariatric surgery, but I'm desperate for answers at this point!!!
 
Hi Karen, Welcome to the group! Have you discussed Cramp-fasciculation syndrome with your neurologist?
Hi, That is one thing we're thinking about. I'm not quite sure how the diagnosis is made, but we're doing a LOT of testing.
Thanks for the suggestion. I'm hoping it's something that is easy to "fix".


If you try the banana cure, please let us know how it work for you, if at all. And thank you for your great question. Welcome to the group.

I have tried Bananas, back when the cramps were just starting. They were helpful then, and tasty! Since the cramps are getting worse, bananas aren't quite enough to stop the cramping any more, unfortunately - though that doesn't stop me from eating them. :)

Thank you all for welcoming me. I've actually wanted to be in a Bariatric group for a while, but just didn't know where to start. Having questions is a great way to motivate me to look for you! I may end up looking for a local group as well, but it's nice to see how people are handling life after Bariatric surgery.
 
Welcome! I’m sorry about your troubles! I hope a solution can be found quickly! I have Hashimotos thyroidistis autoimmune disease. Not sure if you’ve had your thyroid antibodies tested. My thyroid was always slow, but never slow enough to treat even though I had all the horrible side effects. It wasn’t until I had a miscarriage that my antibodies were tested. I swear my OBGYN saved my sanity because I knew there was something wrong, but my primary doctors always shrugged it off. He’s still the doctor I trust above all others.
 
I had a low potassium level come up in my bloodwork after surgery so I was put on Potassium CL ER (prescription) until it got within normal range. I was messed up on my kidneys at that time too because I had sepsis and so many things went wacky on me. It's weird though, while I use to get bad leg cramps before I lost any weight, I didn't have any after surgery and only had one just the other day and it was short lived.
 
Hi Karen! I'm over 17 years out, too. While I can't offer any insights to what you are experiencing, I'd just like to offer my support. When you say you're not "eating well", what exactly does that mean? Are you drinking your water every day? Eating protein first? Sometimes just making small changes to get back on track can really help. You mentioned exercise. Can you walk? Maybe try walking around the block a few times per day instead of one big exercise session. Even if it's just 3, 5-10 minute walks...over time, this will add up and get you moving again. Good luck and I hope you feel better soon.
 
Back
Top