Things you might need to know
Hi Everyone,
I wrote these with the idea that they might help some of you.
Sometimes there are things that you may think you are the only one that this is happening to. So I thought I would write about a few things that happened to me along my journey of losing 105 pounds. My first shock was that about 2 months after having sleeve surgery I notice that when I got out of the shower I would find quite a bit of my hair in the drain screen. I thought to myself I already have thin hair what am I going to do if I keep losing more hair? Well, I did and it was difficult to try to spread my already thin hair all over my head. So I started asked question to people on this board. And guess what there were a lot of people who had lost some of their hair after surgery—not that it made me feel a whole lot better, but I wasn’t alone. I learned that this is pretty normal to loose hair with rapid weight loss or some type of surgery.
Then my next question was will it grow back?????—they all assured me it would, but when you have thin hair you don’t really don’t like the bald spots on your head. So, my answer was to get 2 really cute wigs close to my own hair color. Hardly anyone knew I had a wig, because it was close to my own hair style. Lots of people on this site had all kinds of theories about how to stop the hair loss and what to do. For me I found that Nioxin Shampoo and Cream rinse worked well. Most good hair salons sell this shampoo or you can order in on line too. I felt I had a much healthier scalp after using it. I am not saying it stopped my hair loss. I am just saying I felt it gave me a healthy scalp for my hair to return. I also take the supplement Biotin. You can find it with the Vitamins and I still take it. It helps with hair and nails. Both of which I need.
I don’t think there is any cure for hair loss, but just time. My hair stopped falling about 6 months after the surgery and then I noticed it started coming back in. For me; my hair had fully returned about a year from the surgery. So I wore my wigs for quite awhile—about 6 months. The most unusual part of my hair coming back in was that it was now very curly—and I had pencil straight hair before. I HATED this curly hair, and I had to learn to deal with it. I am about 19 months from surgery and finally my hair isn’t so curly and it has a lot of nice body to it and I enjoy what I have because it is much easier to manage. It feels thicker now too. So don’t panic or get scared if your hair falls out, this is normal. Not everyone will lose hair, but some of us have.
My next challenge was constipation. When you eat protein you tend to have constipation. I tried different products for this and the one I have found that works best for me is Miralax. I buy the store band at Costco because it cost less. It works really well for me, and I just mix it in with my Protein drink every morning and I have NO problems with constipation anymore. Walking also helps with constipation. I was embarrassed to ask people on the board about constipation. I thought I was the only one who was having this issue then I found out a lot of people were having these issues. I also eat Almonds and that seems to help me too.
We have talked a little or a lot about “slimming or flemming" In case you missed it, when you first start eating regular food you have to re-learn how to eat again and chew. With you new stomach you will need to take small tiny bites and chew until the food in your mouth is almost liquid like. This is nothing like what you had been doing your entire life. In the past you eat and talk and put big bite in your mouth along with a few chews and then swallowing—this will NO LONGER WORK FOR YOU. This is a very difficult thing to change. So with you new stomach and just having surgery you may experience slimming or flemming. First you will feel like the food is stuck, then it comes back up in a clear liquid –your saliva. It isn’t vomit, so that is why it is called slimming or flemming. It’s a wake up call to slow down you eating and chew, and chew and chew some more. Just go to the bathroom or have a napkin ready for the slimming or flemming. If you try to overeat—which is bad you may experience this too sometimes.
For me it was always about not chewing enough. When I am full I know I am, at first I wasn’t sure, but sometimes I just got tired of all the chewing, so I stopped eating. I now get the hiccups or my noise will start to run when I am full. I know that other people have said they experienced this too. For the new people or people who are thinking of having Weight Loss Surgery, I want you to know that I wouldn’t trade one of these things that happened to me for the wonderful new healthy body I now have and how happy I am.
It is ALL worth it. It has made me a much better person. I have been where you are starting and I want you to know that this is the last and final thing that you will ever have to go through. If diet and exercise worked for everyone we wouldn’t consider weight loss surgery. If you want to lose the weight it will happen with good eating habits and some exercise. I will not just melt off of you. This is your new tool to allow you to get where you want to do. You have to put some effort yourself. This site is great for support and questions. So jump in and join us. We are all regular people in different stages of weight loss.
Hugs
I wrote these with the idea that they might help some of you.
Sometimes there are things that you may think you are the only one that this is happening to. So I thought I would write about a few things that happened to me along my journey of losing 105 pounds. My first shock was that about 2 months after having sleeve surgery I notice that when I got out of the shower I would find quite a bit of my hair in the drain screen. I thought to myself I already have thin hair what am I going to do if I keep losing more hair? Well, I did and it was difficult to try to spread my already thin hair all over my head. So I started asked question to people on this board. And guess what there were a lot of people who had lost some of their hair after surgery—not that it made me feel a whole lot better, but I wasn’t alone. I learned that this is pretty normal to loose hair with rapid weight loss or some type of surgery.
Then my next question was will it grow back?????—they all assured me it would, but when you have thin hair you don’t really don’t like the bald spots on your head. So, my answer was to get 2 really cute wigs close to my own hair color. Hardly anyone knew I had a wig, because it was close to my own hair style. Lots of people on this site had all kinds of theories about how to stop the hair loss and what to do. For me I found that Nioxin Shampoo and Cream rinse worked well. Most good hair salons sell this shampoo or you can order in on line too. I felt I had a much healthier scalp after using it. I am not saying it stopped my hair loss. I am just saying I felt it gave me a healthy scalp for my hair to return. I also take the supplement Biotin. You can find it with the Vitamins and I still take it. It helps with hair and nails. Both of which I need.
I don’t think there is any cure for hair loss, but just time. My hair stopped falling about 6 months after the surgery and then I noticed it started coming back in. For me; my hair had fully returned about a year from the surgery. So I wore my wigs for quite awhile—about 6 months. The most unusual part of my hair coming back in was that it was now very curly—and I had pencil straight hair before. I HATED this curly hair, and I had to learn to deal with it. I am about 19 months from surgery and finally my hair isn’t so curly and it has a lot of nice body to it and I enjoy what I have because it is much easier to manage. It feels thicker now too. So don’t panic or get scared if your hair falls out, this is normal. Not everyone will lose hair, but some of us have.
My next challenge was constipation. When you eat protein you tend to have constipation. I tried different products for this and the one I have found that works best for me is Miralax. I buy the store band at Costco because it cost less. It works really well for me, and I just mix it in with my Protein drink every morning and I have NO problems with constipation anymore. Walking also helps with constipation. I was embarrassed to ask people on the board about constipation. I thought I was the only one who was having this issue then I found out a lot of people were having these issues. I also eat Almonds and that seems to help me too.
We have talked a little or a lot about “slimming or flemming" In case you missed it, when you first start eating regular food you have to re-learn how to eat again and chew. With you new stomach you will need to take small tiny bites and chew until the food in your mouth is almost liquid like. This is nothing like what you had been doing your entire life. In the past you eat and talk and put big bite in your mouth along with a few chews and then swallowing—this will NO LONGER WORK FOR YOU. This is a very difficult thing to change. So with you new stomach and just having surgery you may experience slimming or flemming. First you will feel like the food is stuck, then it comes back up in a clear liquid –your saliva. It isn’t vomit, so that is why it is called slimming or flemming. It’s a wake up call to slow down you eating and chew, and chew and chew some more. Just go to the bathroom or have a napkin ready for the slimming or flemming. If you try to overeat—which is bad you may experience this too sometimes.
For me it was always about not chewing enough. When I am full I know I am, at first I wasn’t sure, but sometimes I just got tired of all the chewing, so I stopped eating. I now get the hiccups or my noise will start to run when I am full. I know that other people have said they experienced this too. For the new people or people who are thinking of having Weight Loss Surgery, I want you to know that I wouldn’t trade one of these things that happened to me for the wonderful new healthy body I now have and how happy I am.
It is ALL worth it. It has made me a much better person. I have been where you are starting and I want you to know that this is the last and final thing that you will ever have to go through. If diet and exercise worked for everyone we wouldn’t consider weight loss surgery. If you want to lose the weight it will happen with good eating habits and some exercise. I will not just melt off of you. This is your new tool to allow you to get where you want to do. You have to put some effort yourself. This site is great for support and questions. So jump in and join us. We are all regular people in different stages of weight loss.
Hugs
Suzanne B
Eugene, OR
Dr. Aceves
10/21/2008
Start lbs 225
Now 120
Eugene, OR
Dr. Aceves
10/21/2008
Start lbs 225
Now 120
I started eating whole foods this week. My surgeon said to start. Three,s after surgery. I though scamble eggs would down easy. That did not happen the same with tuna fish. Thin sliced meats. None of the meats will go down. No matter how much I chew. The second I swallow. I feel sick or dizzy from the first bite of any kind of meat no matter how soft. So been staying with the soup and thin stuff. How long before meat will start to go smoothly. The know about three bites is all you can take. I been chewing til it is liquid or as soft as it can get. But have have to chew and then spit out the harder pieces. Is this normal and will it get better.
Hi,
You didn't say what kind of surgery you had. If it is a lapband, this is pretty normal and I really can't tell you much.
If it is a sleeve, I had an awful time with scrambled eggs--it took me almost 2 years before I could get them down. I did much better with hardboild eggs.
You do have to chew and chew and chew until it is like a liquid when it comes to meat. So for me meat like chicken, turkey, or ham were much easier to chew into a liquid. I stayed away from any kind of red meat. It really take a lot of time to eat because we were so used to inhaling our food and barley chewing it at all before me swallowed. That is part of the lifestyle change. Eat slow, small tiny bite and lots and lots of chewing.
Hugs,
Suzanne
You didn't say what kind of surgery you had. If it is a lapband, this is pretty normal and I really can't tell you much.
If it is a sleeve, I had an awful time with scrambled eggs--it took me almost 2 years before I could get them down. I did much better with hardboild eggs.
You do have to chew and chew and chew until it is like a liquid when it comes to meat. So for me meat like chicken, turkey, or ham were much easier to chew into a liquid. I stayed away from any kind of red meat. It really take a lot of time to eat because we were so used to inhaling our food and barley chewing it at all before me swallowed. That is part of the lifestyle change. Eat slow, small tiny bite and lots and lots of chewing.
Hugs,
Suzanne
Suzanne B
Eugene, OR
Dr. Aceves
10/21/2008
Start lbs 225
Now 120
Eugene, OR
Dr. Aceves
10/21/2008
Start lbs 225
Now 120
Hi Sam,
You may be on to something there about the olden days and chewing. Never thought of it that way. I think I always used to be the first person to finish my food before I had the sleeve. I must have inhaled it. Now I am always the last person, because I do need to chew and chew and chew. As I said before. I just get tired of chewing and I push the plate away.
Glad you have enjoyed what I have written. I really want to be able to help where I can. And I do have a little experience with all of this.
Hugs,
Suzanne
You may be on to something there about the olden days and chewing. Never thought of it that way. I think I always used to be the first person to finish my food before I had the sleeve. I must have inhaled it. Now I am always the last person, because I do need to chew and chew and chew. As I said before. I just get tired of chewing and I push the plate away.
Glad you have enjoyed what I have written. I really want to be able to help where I can. And I do have a little experience with all of this.
Hugs,
Suzanne
Suzanne B
Eugene, OR
Dr. Aceves
10/21/2008
Start lbs 225
Now 120
Eugene, OR
Dr. Aceves
10/21/2008
Start lbs 225
Now 120
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