Surgery Still Works...

Often I will read posts on the main message board, where people will say, "I don't think the surgery worked." Usually if you read the post with a critical eye, you realize the person is doing something completely wrong/against doc's orders. I find it frustrating to read, and hesitate from commenting, because I don't want to be negative. The other day my sec'y said to me, "Hm. You haven't puked in a while." I thought about it, and said, "Yeah you're right." She always knows b/c I leave the toilet seat up afterwards like a man. (Yes, I'm bad). So, I thought, maybe my surgery stopped working, and I began to focus on what I'm eating and how much I eat. The other day I had chicken and veggies. Ate around 4 oz of chicken and a forkful of corn. Full! Today, salad with chicken. Ate the chicken first, then the lettuce. Full! Dinner....ground turkey w/ a little sugar free bbq sauce and some whole wheat noodles. Ate around 3 oz turkey and 1/4 cup noodles. full! full! FULL! then, ugh, oh no, turkey got stuck some how, and ....PUKE! Yep, still working. I hated to get sick b/f surgery, now I'm grateful it still happens. LOL

Angela, I just wanted to say that after 3 years (almost anyway - December), I'm glad that sometimes my pouchie gets a little grouchie and reminds me that I cannot eat anything I want, and yes, I will pay for it. I don't dump (big problem there) and lately it seems that everything stays down. So, now its back to basics, yeah, protein, water blah blah blah but I think I'm going to measure a little better and see if I can't get this last 20 pounds off. I gained 5 on a cruise and about 10-15 from starting to take an antidepressant - come to think of it, since I've been taking the antidepressant, my appetite has gotten better, hmmm. Kathy

Kathy~ I am interested in the comment about the anti depressant. I used to take Zoloft before my surgery, for about 8 years I had been on it. I always thought that one of the major reasons I was depressed was because of the weight, (I also have PTSD) but as I continued to take the Zoloft, the weight kept creeping up... and up...... I gained about 30 pounds in that 8 years. I don't KNOW if it was the Zoloft, but my psychiatrist did tell me that one of the side effects of taking the Zoloft was that "it makes you not care" if you gain weight. I think it did that for me. I haven't taken a Zoloft since my surgery, almost 7 weeks ago now, and I am thinking I need to take them again. My PMS has been awful for the 2 periods since my surgery, I know the Zoloft helped with that immensely! When you started taking your anti depressant you said your appetite got better, does that mean you got hungrier? I am just curious... I need to make a decision. Thanks! Michelle Brennan Brick NJ

Hey Michelle - perhaps I can help here. I have been on anti-depressants (on and off) since 1999 -- after feeling much better, I went off for about a year, only to find the depression creeping back, and realizing that I too was "clinically depressed" and it wasn't something that I could do much about. In any case, I have been on Prozac, Zoloft, Fluoxitine and after surgery, was switched to Lexapro! The Lexapro has been great, doesn't have some of the side affects of the others. Speak to your Dr about changing your medication, your malabsorbtion issue (no capsules), etc. Perhaps Lexapro is right for you, perhaps something else. Good luck. Hugs, Nannette

Thanks Nannette. I think I am going to ask my doctor about switching to Lexapro.... just for peace of mind. I always associate that Zoloft with my weight gain, and I want that to be behind me. Michelle Brennan

Michelle, I've been taking Lexapro. While I know it is not supposed to make you gain weight, for me, I think it relaxed me enough to be able to keep my food down. I've had probably every complication there is to have and I think it made me anxious and anal about everything that went in my mouth (and tried to stay there). I think the anxiety caused my pouch to get angry and say, well, now's a good time to come back, even at the most inopportune times. I've never been on any type of anti-depressant. 5 years ago I went through some pretty traumatic events (my first husband committed suicide - abuse - you name it) and managed to pull through that without meds. However, I just recently remarried and I think I brought some serious baggage into this one, probably some emotional wounds I thought were "fixed" plus the hormonal changes of losing 130 pounds, so I sought medical help. The Lexapro has been wonderful, although I have to take it twice a day because I found that taking it only in the morning, by late afternoon I was very anxious again. So we take it 2x a day. I have also been prescribed prosom for sleep, since the therapist I am currently working with is at that place in counseling where the wounds are wide open and I am not sleeping. We're thinking of adding another med for short time to get my anxiety and (I guess fear would be another good word) under control so I can work out the rest of the events and hopefully, this time, put them behind me for good (or at least really far back in the closet). Kathy

hi angela glad to hear the surgery still works ross just loves hanging around in the barfroom waiting to get sick haha