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Sallynmichigan

First Post op doctor follow up

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Sallynmichigan
, 06-01-2017 at 04:54 PM (2957 Views)
Had my first visit with my surgeon today. It was weird because I was in with him for about 2 minutes! He looked at my stomach, said that it was healing nicely and that I have lost 22 lbs since May 7th and he was happy with that. I guess I was expecting greater weight loss.

I think it's important to note that although it's only been a week since my surgery, I had to learn alot on my own. For example, I was so weak and couldn't get my fluids in. I realized that the gas was awful, so I researched it and found out that I should try Nexium or Prilosec etc. I went out and got some and that seemed to open up my fluid intake. It was very helpful. However, I was still feeling weak. So another member had her first meeting with her surgeon and he mentioned B12. So yesterday, desperate to feel better, I went out and grabbed some. Wow big difference. Although I still feel a little weak, overall much better.

I mentioned these to the surgeon and he agreed it was a good idea to get those. Why isn't that offered in all the crap they give you to read? Another problem I had, was my tongue. My tongue was whiteish. The surgeon said I was dehydrated. When I was at one of their seminar's, they convinced us all if we were dehydrated, we could come to their office and get help. NOPE. They were to send me to a massive medical building for hydration, but gave me something to swish around and spit out instead. Very disappointing that you tell people don't go to the hospital if you are dehydrated, but come to them and they can't help you.

Honestly, I feel that I am grateful it's over and I will only being seeing my surgeon occasionally. My next appointment is the end of the month. I would rather see my pcp instead. He said I could start exercising, but I am still feeling kind of weak. I mean I haven't had any real nutrition for a month and will not get to pureed food for another 2 weeks. I did cut my grass today, thinking that I wouldn't lift the bag but the walking would be good. OMG, it was a lot of work. Trust me, my lawns are little. My brother is coming over to help me get my garbage out tomorrow so he can lift the bag into the garbage. But I feel like it was my first attempt at exercise since having this surgery.

Anyway, I guess I need to share all this information somewhere and I didn't want to clog up the forums.

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  1. GigiUSA's Avatar
    HI Sally 😊 Sounds you are starting to figure out what works for you. I'm still waiting for my surgery in July but I can certainly appreciate where you are coming from. Glad you are losing, keep up the good job!!!! ( hugs )
  2. Christie13's Avatar
    Glad to hear you are feeling a bit better with the B12 and Prilosec. I learned about those here on the forum. I got a white tongue after 3 days of liquid only on the pre op. It continued post op. I told my surgeon that I had read on one of the forums that some people get thrush on the liquid diet. He looked at my tongue and prescribed me a swish that I had to take for a week. I can tell you that it tasted like orange juice and I hated it. LOL. But it made the thrush go away. On top of what you have mentioned, I also take calcium citrate (it is important that it is citrate and not the other forms for bariatric patients 2X a day), D3 (1,000 iu 2X a day), biotin (10,000 mcg 2X a day), B12 (500 mg 1 a day), multivitamin (1 a day), and stool softeners (2X a day). Vitamins are super important right now. And focus on water and protein. The rest will fall into place. Any time you have aches, a heating pad can be your best friend. And you will get random aches in the beginning. Also, when I had issues getting all my fluids in, I had an easier time with warm fluids.
  3. Sallynmichigan's Avatar
    Christi...you are a wealth of information and health. They gave me the swooshing stuff too. I might be over doing it on the b12...I am at 2,000 MCG's. It is in my centrum chewables but obviously not enough. I also take the calcium citrate with D3, but not the stool softeners. I first was constipated, then had loose bowels and so far I have had a bowel movement each day. Twice today so I feel like that is going in the right direction. Today will be my first 3 protein day shake. I feel a lot better today than yesterday. It seems like everyday gets better and better. I stopped the Nexium already.
    Since my brother is coming over tomorrow, I am going to ask him to take my bike up to get air in the tires. I love riding my bike in the summer, well I used to. I went for a small walk this evening and it felt good and I could feel the weight loss.
    Next week I am going back to the pool. I remember when I was on the pre-op diet and had lost 10 pounds, being in the water felt like I was flying. That ten pounds made me feel so light, now it's 22lbs and I can't wait to feel the change in me in the water. I love the water and it is going to love me. I keep saying, I want a swimmers body and by golly I am going to have that!
  4. Merry Mary's Avatar
    Congratulations on losing 22 pounds in less than a month. A word of caution on the vitamins, get a blood panel done so you know what you need instead of haphazardly taking vitamins you may or may not need. Before surgery I took a multi-viamin and D3 and after surgery I just need the multi-vitamin.
  5. jamma's Avatar
    Merry Mary is right, my last blood panel showed I had TWICE the normal level of B12! The NP told me to stop taking it. I also had way too much iron so have to find a vitamin with no iron. The only thing I was taking was the vitamin and a B12, and now I'm not taking the B12--you may not need much.
  6. Sallynmichigan's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Merry Mary
    Congratulations on leaving sing 22 pounds in less than a month. A word of caution on the vitamins, get a blood panel done so you know what you need instead of haphazardly taking vitamins you may or may not need. Before surgery I took a multi-viamin and D3 and after surgery I just need the multi-vitamin.
    I will go to my pcp and have a blood panel done. My question is why my surgeon isn't concerned about that? I mean I saw him for about 2 minutes yesterday and all he did was look at my incisions. One nurse told me that my body will just eliminate what I don't need. I told him I was talking a B12 and he never asked me how much or anything.

    I guess this is all part of the journey!
  7. Sallynmichigan's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by GigiUSA
    HI Sally  Sounds you are starting to figure out what works for you. I'm still waiting for my surgery in July but I can certainly appreciate where you are coming from. Glad you are losing, keep up the good job!!!! ( hugs )
    Thank you!
  8. Merry Mary's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Sallynmichigan
    I will go to my pcp and have a blood panel done. My question is why my surgeon isn't concerned about that? I mean I saw him for about 2 minutes yesterday and all he did was look at my incisions. One nurse told me that my body will just eliminate what I don't need. I told him I was talking a B12 and he never asked me how much or anything.

    I guess this is all part of the journey!
    This is just a guess, but you had surgery a week ago. They may have run a blood panel while you were in the hospital. My surgeons suggested frequency for blood work is 3, 6, 9 months then annually. I don't think he has the staff to draw blood in his office and would be sending me to the hospital or a lab for blood work. My PCP ran the blood work I needed and forwarded the results to the surgeon
  9. Shirl's Avatar
    Definitely look into a good multivitamin because right now your body is not getting the nutrients needed to function well. I have several types I take, Bariatric, and food base chewables, and gel caps. I stopped taking B-12/B6 apparently I am getting more than enough from food sources and from multivitamin. My levels were way high this time as well.

    I was chronic anemic, but this last time levels were above normal by a lit'bit. Vitamin D was also normal for the first time.

    Later on you should be able to get most of your necessary nutrients from the food source you eat, if you eat a proper well balanced diet. I'm reading that the long term effect of the Sleeve on our digestive track it is still unknown, and like By-Pass patients, it is recommended that we also stay on multivitamin supplements for life.
  10. Christie13's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Sallynmichigan
    Christi...you are a wealth of information and health. They gave me the swooshing stuff too. I might be over doing it on the b12...I am at 2,000 MCG's. It is in my centrum chewables but obviously not enough. I also take the calcium citrate with D3, but not the stool softeners. I first was constipated, then had loose bowels and so far I have had a bowel movement each day. Twice today so I feel like that is going in the right direction. Today will be my first 3 protein day shake. I feel a lot better today than yesterday. It seems like everyday gets better and better. I stopped the Nexium already.
    Since my brother is coming over tomorrow, I am going to ask him to take my bike up to get air in the tires. I love riding my bike in the summer, well I used to. I went for a small walk this evening and it felt good and I could feel the weight loss.
    Next week I am going back to the pool. I remember when I was on the pre-op diet and had lost 10 pounds, being in the water felt like I was flying. That ten pounds made me feel so light, now it's 22lbs and I can't wait to feel the change in me in the water. I love the water and it is going to love me. I keep saying, I want a swimmers body and by golly I am going to have that!
    Constipation may hit when you are on solids but if you are lucky it won't. I "think" I am starting to get a little better on that note. So fingers crossed I may be able to stop the stool softeners. It was HARD for a while...pun intended. We all learn trial and error during this process as it affects us all differently but having others who have walked before us has made the process easier.
    Yes....get on the bike. Start enjoying the things that our weight took away from us. I am living life to the fullest now. So happy I did this. It is truly so freaking amazing and the farther out you are the more grateful you are. You feel better. You are more "normal" with your daily routines like eating. So while you are a sleeved person, your activities resemble those of normal people.
    Congrats on your success so far Sally!!