I read the forum about once a week , but have only posted once. I see so many questions being asked and I hope that my journey helps with some questions and I also hope it makes other people aware that they are not alone.
I had my RNY on 12-8-11. First rattle out of the box was horrible gas. I learned very fast that gas x was my friend. In the beginning it was the strips but now I am able to take the pill form. Second issue was the incision under my left breast abscessed not once but twice!! The doctor did not provide a liquid antibiotic, he gave me capsules. I don't care what you mix crushed pills or emptied capsules with, if you don't gag or vomit then you have a cast iron constitution.
For the first 3 months, I had no appetite at all. I struggled daily with protein and water intake. I stayed dehydrated a lot. I walked for 45 minutes a day religiously. I followed the diet plan to the letter. Constipation was a constant issue. I tried all the things my doctor suggested, dulcolax, milk of magnesia, fiber supplements and enemas.
At about 6 months out, the hair loss began. I have enough hair for three people so it has not been a huge concern for me. The upside is that where I once had to shave my legs daily, I only have to shave about every four days. My doctor recommended Bioten and my hairdresser suggested that I only wash my hair every three days unless I was just sweating bullets.
The next subject, I have not seen anyone post so I did my own research because it has been and continues to be a HUGE issue for me. I have been married and in love with my husband for 24 years. Pre surgery, we had a very active sex life. Immediately following surgery and to this day, almost 10 months out, I have very little to no sex drive and still have not figured out how to resolve it. You can google "sex drive and WLS" and you will find multiple articles and all have the same info, some people get it back within a year or two and some are 10 years out and still haven't regained it. I suggest that if you have friends that have had WLS, you talk to them and see if they know any tricks that perhaps you haven't thought of.
Today, I am 10 pounds away from my goal weight. I started this journey at 296. Surgery weigh in was 272. Today I weigh 150 pounds. I went from a size 24 to an 8. It was just in the last 2 months that I can look in the mirror and not see the "fat" me. I decided to have RNY for one reason, I didn't want my children to lose me prematurely. My baby sister lost her life long weight battle at 39 years old. She was 2 days shy of her 40th birthday and her children, myself and my parents were devastated. This was not a cosmetic surgery!
I do not look at what I eat as a diet. It is a lifestyle change. I still go "out" to eat but my choices are better. I still have issues with smell. If I can't smell it, I don't want it. Liquids are easy now. I get well over my 64 oz. every day. I have discovered that soy based protein is so much easier to get down that whey based. Chicken is my meat of choice. I crave salt, so I eat pickles. They help not only with the craving but hydration. I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. I checks carbs and sugars on everything I buy!
Occasionally, even though my food is measured, I feel like I've eaten too much or that I had too much room to fill. When I get that feeling, I go back to the beginning and do straight liquids until I feel better. By doing this I have not stretched my pouch. Half a cup of food is still my limit. I know that we all crave sweets, it's a given. You want what you can't have. It is my experience that rather than torture myself with you can't have this or that, sweets or otherwise, I allow myself 1 bite, it cures the craving and I do not feel guilty.
I think the root of all food evil is what we are taught from childhood. Eat all of your food and don't waste food are things our parents said to us. Your brain is trained to believe that. You have to learn to listen to your body, not your brain.
Even this far out, I still have good days and bad days. Bad days are when I have to fight myself to get out of bed and get going. The days when I can't seem to eat anything even though I need to. The days when I just feel like crap. Those days get fewer the longer you are post op but still there.
And last but not least, attitude. Mine sucked in the beginning, I hated everything and everyone. I asked myself every day, WHY, and WHAT was I thinking. I can now see both in the mirror and on paper, the why and what but I find myself very judgmental of others. I see obese people and think to myself, there are only two reasons anyone would let themselves go like I did. Either they don't know or don't care and I hate feeling like that.
I really hope I have made connections with this post. There are a great many things that WLS involves that is not covered by the doctors or nutrition counselors. I just want other to know, you ARE NOT ALONE!!!
I had my RNY on 12-8-11. First rattle out of the box was horrible gas. I learned very fast that gas x was my friend. In the beginning it was the strips but now I am able to take the pill form. Second issue was the incision under my left breast abscessed not once but twice!! The doctor did not provide a liquid antibiotic, he gave me capsules. I don't care what you mix crushed pills or emptied capsules with, if you don't gag or vomit then you have a cast iron constitution.
For the first 3 months, I had no appetite at all. I struggled daily with protein and water intake. I stayed dehydrated a lot. I walked for 45 minutes a day religiously. I followed the diet plan to the letter. Constipation was a constant issue. I tried all the things my doctor suggested, dulcolax, milk of magnesia, fiber supplements and enemas.
At about 6 months out, the hair loss began. I have enough hair for three people so it has not been a huge concern for me. The upside is that where I once had to shave my legs daily, I only have to shave about every four days. My doctor recommended Bioten and my hairdresser suggested that I only wash my hair every three days unless I was just sweating bullets.
The next subject, I have not seen anyone post so I did my own research because it has been and continues to be a HUGE issue for me. I have been married and in love with my husband for 24 years. Pre surgery, we had a very active sex life. Immediately following surgery and to this day, almost 10 months out, I have very little to no sex drive and still have not figured out how to resolve it. You can google "sex drive and WLS" and you will find multiple articles and all have the same info, some people get it back within a year or two and some are 10 years out and still haven't regained it. I suggest that if you have friends that have had WLS, you talk to them and see if they know any tricks that perhaps you haven't thought of.
Today, I am 10 pounds away from my goal weight. I started this journey at 296. Surgery weigh in was 272. Today I weigh 150 pounds. I went from a size 24 to an 8. It was just in the last 2 months that I can look in the mirror and not see the "fat" me. I decided to have RNY for one reason, I didn't want my children to lose me prematurely. My baby sister lost her life long weight battle at 39 years old. She was 2 days shy of her 40th birthday and her children, myself and my parents were devastated. This was not a cosmetic surgery!
I do not look at what I eat as a diet. It is a lifestyle change. I still go "out" to eat but my choices are better. I still have issues with smell. If I can't smell it, I don't want it. Liquids are easy now. I get well over my 64 oz. every day. I have discovered that soy based protein is so much easier to get down that whey based. Chicken is my meat of choice. I crave salt, so I eat pickles. They help not only with the craving but hydration. I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. I checks carbs and sugars on everything I buy!
Occasionally, even though my food is measured, I feel like I've eaten too much or that I had too much room to fill. When I get that feeling, I go back to the beginning and do straight liquids until I feel better. By doing this I have not stretched my pouch. Half a cup of food is still my limit. I know that we all crave sweets, it's a given. You want what you can't have. It is my experience that rather than torture myself with you can't have this or that, sweets or otherwise, I allow myself 1 bite, it cures the craving and I do not feel guilty.
I think the root of all food evil is what we are taught from childhood. Eat all of your food and don't waste food are things our parents said to us. Your brain is trained to believe that. You have to learn to listen to your body, not your brain.
Even this far out, I still have good days and bad days. Bad days are when I have to fight myself to get out of bed and get going. The days when I can't seem to eat anything even though I need to. The days when I just feel like crap. Those days get fewer the longer you are post op but still there.
And last but not least, attitude. Mine sucked in the beginning, I hated everything and everyone. I asked myself every day, WHY, and WHAT was I thinking. I can now see both in the mirror and on paper, the why and what but I find myself very judgmental of others. I see obese people and think to myself, there are only two reasons anyone would let themselves go like I did. Either they don't know or don't care and I hate feeling like that.
I really hope I have made connections with this post. There are a great many things that WLS involves that is not covered by the doctors or nutrition counselors. I just want other to know, you ARE NOT ALONE!!!
