Just Information and a few questions....

Hello, my name is Linda and I am from Chautauqua County. Just had a few things to say. I cant reply to every post so thought that I would say all in this post, (Or at lest try to).

Ok I started my journey in October of 2006 and had my surgery in June 26, 2007 (just so you all know I made that date the dr office wanted to do it Feburary 2007). Not a hard journey, no problems with the insurance company or anything like that. The biggest issue for me was the psy exam. I had to go twice one time to talk and I have a mental illness called Boarderline personality and two to fill out a booklet of questions (there all yes or no questions). That was the hardest part and he approved me for surgery just said that he thinks I will be an drinker when I get thiner.  But I think he was wrong. I am 3 weeks post op and I am depressed. Why? I am not sure. I think I am alone in this journey. No one around me wanted me to have the surgery and my boyfriend of 7 years left me. I'm confused and scard..

Also, I have noticed several things that have changed for the good. I am not in need of the sleeping meds. Also I think the sleep Apena has gone already. I feel so rested in the morning. Some other thinkgs have changed also. I am more alert in the day time. and just some personal things. I am scared to have my menistration though cause of my weight I keep getting polips in my urtus (spelled that wrong) but I hurt and I am due for it. So if anyone knows if it is as painful as before let me know..does anything change cause you lose the weight.  ok now on the weight issues, I was 353 when I was weighed the first time at the Dr office however when I had surgery I was 234 and now 3 weeks out I am 210. So I think thats good. But they did not seem happy for me. Just said I should have lost more.  Well surgery was hard, I had a lot of issues at the end. More then I ever thought. The only issue that I have now is nasua. I will tell you I cant drink or eat enough..I am sick all the time..and now the dr is worried gave me some med to talk. And i have to go see them on tuesday..nothing is working at this point..i feel horable when i eat. i dont feel hungry..its weird... I have not experienced dumping, but I found out the hard way what a vomit cause I at the wrong thing ment. I went out to a work dinner and ate chicken something I eat a lot of and before I got the third bite done I was barfing on the table. No one was grossed out I was imbarresed and left. Like there was no warning or anything. Just happened. wild. Ok I think I have wrote enough so send me some advice...chow for now...

Linda, welcome to OH! Glad you found us! Depression is common after WLS often because our lives completely revolved aound food before and our lives can't anymore. We used food to socialize, to comfort us, to keep us busy when bored, to revive us and cheer us up at the end of a long day. Food was most often at the center of get togethers with friends and families, and as you've already seen, those relationships change when we change. Food may have been your best friend, and you maybe mourning the loss of that friend. I am surely not an expert, but for most folks, this depression passes in a short time, but your center should have professionals on staff or at referral that you can talk to. It's all part of the changes you are making and will take some time. Go to WLS surgery support groups also, if you can. They can be a tremendous support and the folks will offer you experience and advice first-hand! And I'm sorry, I probably missed the part where you mentioned wheter your surery was lapband of rny, but if it was rny, 3 weeks is likely way to early for chicken, which would explain the barfing. If it was lapband, someone else may be able to better answer, but it just may not have been moist enough. Once again, welcome!

Linda, Welcome and congrats on your weight loss.  You've lost a lot even before your surgery - that's a great accomplishment.  If you are prone to depression, the WLS is not going to change that, but the WLS can throw your hormones out of whack and that can result in depression.  I went through a few major swings with that.  Please look for support groups becuase they help tremendously especially since you feel unsupported by those close to you.  Or counseling.  Sometimes talking it out helps alot. WLS can fix alot of the problems that you had prior, but not always.  I, too, no longer have sleep apnea, I sleep straight through the night now and feel rested.  YOu have more energy and are more alert becuase you are sleeping through and not waking up so much, it really does impact on the body.  As far as menstruation, your cycle may change.  In my case, I got it twice after and one time it went past my normal 5 days.  It's hard to tell whether it will be painful or not since it's different for everybody.  I am 15 months out now and my period regulated again like it did pre-WLS where I get my cycle like clockwork. If you have nausea and vomiting whenever you eat or drink, there is a strong possibility that you have a stricture.  Nausea is common and there are several prescriptions (reglan comes to mind) that really help.  I had nausea and vomiting and mine was due to a stricture, but I still had it on and off even after the scope fixed the stricture, but it also eventually went away and now I am like I was before, only I can't eat much and I am much thinner than I was pre-WLS. I wish you luck and encourage you strongly to look for the support groups and counseling to get you through the depression and help you build up your own support system. Take care, Sue

Whats a structure and how will they know if I have one. How is it fixed. does it hurt. Let me know..

A stricture is when the opening to the new pouch has healed to narrow to allow food and liquid to pass through, it can cause the vomiting and nausea.  You can read my story in my profile to see if it is anything like what you are experiencing. It is actually fairly easy to fix.  Sometimes you are required to have an endoscopy done prior to surgery to see if you have anything going on in your stomach.  They give you a mild anesthesia and then put a scope down your throat to see what problems you are having.  If they see the opening is too narrow, they just put a scope through with a ball on the end and stretch it out just enough to allow food and liquid to pass through.  I doesn't hurt, your throat might feel uncomfortable, but you might have had the scope done pre-op so you might already be familiar with it. If you continue with the vomiting and nausea, it's something to ask the surgeon about. Sue

Hi Linda,

Welcome to OH. I think you did great on your first weigh-in.

Hope you're feeling better.