Re: sinking feeling--and more philosophical stuff

November 25, 2001

I call it sub-nausea. It is not a pain per se but it is a heavy

uncomfortable feeling. I should say it has gotten better just this week.

Very sluggish digestion. I don't think this is true for everyone but it is

for me. I have also had diarrhea off and on the whole time. I see DR K.

Tuesday and he better do something about it or I am going to make him put my

guts back the way they were. There are lots of people online that report a

much easier time of it and I believe the majority of people feel better by

about 6 weeks out so don't worry. I think your just adjusting to the new

intestinal arrangement.

Wishing you a swift recovery

Sheryle

November 25, 2001

Sheryle,

Say it ain't so! PLEASE!! If you lie to me I'll never be the

wiser! ;} Just tell me everything's gonna be OK!

Seven weeks and it's still goin' on?! What's up with this? Let me

make sure that we're talking about the same thing: again, when

ANYTHING goes down, there's a long, slow, dull ache, which is kind of

like a mild cramp. Not sharp or severe pain--barely even pain at

all--like a squeezing sensation. It is still, however,

uncomfortable. I don't think that it's gas, but it makes me think of

it. Can't be nausea. Are we on the same page?

SOMEBODY (STEVE? NICK? MELANIE?) PLEASE TELL ME WHEN (IF EVER?!) THIS

WENT AWAY FOR YOU!

Ready for an interesting idea? This should stir up some provoking

thoughts, I hope. Shortly before I went into surgery, my sister-Fin-

law proposed threw a pretty funky idea at me and I've been thinking

about it ever since. (She's about 50 lbs. overweight):

Maybe people who are fat (I use this term very generically; could

just be overweight; could mean MO) are lacking some kind of inner

sense of their own bodies. For instance, my sister-in-law has thin

parents and siblings, but she's the only one with the weight

problems. She's also the last one to " listen " to her body: has to

take those last few bites; wonders too much about what's for dessert;

doesn't know when to stop; is generally uncoordinated and less aware

than others about what her body can do physically, etc. Get the

idea? Go with me here, and don't nail me on technicalities--my guts

can't handle sitting here at the computer much longer! OK, then.

What do you think?

When I look at the people in my life, what she's said seems awfully

true. When I look at myself (especially when I ask such questions of

the group), I feel awfully out of touch. Like looking at a picture

of myself at 300# and wondering who that person is because I don't

FEEL that fat. Or wondering why my husband can easily pass up

dessert if he's overeaten a meal, but man, I'll be sad all night if I

don't get mine.

Looking forward to your thoughts,

Dr. Gagner

lap D/S

11-20-01

NYC

> Dear :

>

> I am almost 7 weeks post-op and I am still very aware of my

digestion. That

> sinking feeling, for me, was slow and constant. In fact I was

very aware of

> food being in my system until I eliminated it. Hope every thing

else is

> going well.

>

> Sheryle

> 10-10-01

> Dr K

>

November 25, 2001

At 8:52 PM +0000 11/25/01, mkf5t@... wrote:

>Sheryle,

>

>Say it ain't so! PLEASE!! If you lie to me I'll never be the

>wiser! ;} Just tell me everything's gonna be OK!

>

>Seven weeks and it's still goin' on?! What's up with this? Let me

>make sure that we're talking about the same thing: again, when

>ANYTHING goes down, there's a long, slow, dull ache, which is kind of

>like a mild cramp. Not sharp or severe pain--barely even pain at

>all--like a squeezing sensation. It is still, however,

>uncomfortable. I don't think that it's gas, but it makes me think of

>it. Can't be nausea. Are we on the same page?

>

>SOMEBODY (STEVE? NICK? MELANIE?) PLEASE TELL ME WHEN (IF EVER?!) THIS

>WENT AWAY FOR YOU!

I cannot recall exactly, but at least a few weeks. The stomach is

sore. The vagus nerve in the stomach is sore and vengeful. The

intestines are sore. Your belly is sore. They ALL take weeks to

heal.

>

>Ready for an interesting idea? This should stir up some provoking

>thoughts, I hope. Shortly before I went into surgery, my sister-Fin-

>law proposed threw a pretty funky idea at me and I've been thinking

>about it ever since. (She's about 50 lbs. overweight):

>

>Maybe people who are fat (I use this term very generically; could

>just be overweight; could mean MO) are lacking some kind of inner

>sense of their own bodies. For instance, my sister-in-law has thin

>parents and siblings, but she's the only one with the weight

>problems. She's also the last one to " listen " to her body: has to

By trial and error, you will learn to listen to your body as regards

what you can get away with eating at first: both as to quantity and

types of food.

>take those last few bites; wonders too much about what's for dessert;

>doesn't know when to stop; is generally uncoordinated and less aware

>than others about what her body can do physically, etc. Get the

>idea? Go with me here, and don't nail me on technicalities--my guts

>can't handle sitting here at the computer much longer! OK, then.

>What do you think?

>

>When I look at the people in my life, what she's said seems awfully

>true. When I look at myself (especially when I ask such questions of

>the group), I feel awfully out of touch. Like looking at a picture

>of myself at 300# and wondering who that person is because I don't

>FEEL that fat. Or wondering why my husband can easily pass up

>dessert if he's overeaten a meal, but man, I'll be sad all night if I

>don't get mine.

Not sure of the question; is is just that you think yourself a poor

[body] listener? I'll give you odds that post-op, once you **can**

eat everything you want, you will **want less and less** to eat that

last bite or sweet desserts. It just happens. At first, you do eat

that last bite; then you get uncomfortable, or throw up that last

bite, or, in my case, you get the hiccups. So, you learn. And, if

you retain a sweet tooth, you will still find that most of the sugary

things that you liked pre-op will taste way too sweet for you post-op.

--Steve

>

>Looking forward to your thoughts,

>

>Dr. Gagner

>lap D/S

>11-20-01

>NYC

>

>> Dear :

>>

>> I am almost 7 weeks post-op and I am still very aware of my

>digestion. That

> > sinking feeling, for me, was slow and constant. In fact I was

>very aware of

> > food being in my system until I eliminated it. Hope every thing

>else is

> > going well.

>>

>> Sheryle

>> 10-10-01

>> Dr K

>>

November 25, 2001

I thought that had been proven, that there's something called a " satiety

disorder " where certain people just don't ever feel full -- there's

something wrong with the feedback loop between stomach and brain. Or did I

imagine such a disorder because I have it??

~alyssa

Re: sinking feeling--and more philosophical stuff

> Maybe people who are fat (I use this term very generically; could

> just be overweight; could mean MO) are lacking some kind of inner

> sense of their own bodies

November 25, 2001

Sheryl,

Sub Nausea is an excellent description. Its that underlying kinda

quesy feeling. Like you are hungry but don't want to eat...not sick

but not well. I can't wait for this to pass!

Hugs and thanks for the great word!

Theresa

> I call it sub-nausea. It is not a pain per se but it is a

heavy

> uncomfortable feeling. I should say it has gotten better just this

week.

> Very sluggish digestion. I don't think this is true for everyone

but it is

> for me. I have also had diarrhea off and on the whole time. I see

DR K.

> Tuesday and he better do something about it or I am going to make

him put my

> guts back the way they were. There are lots of people online that

report a

> much easier time of it and I believe the majority of people feel

better by

> about 6 weeks out so don't worry. I think your just adjusting to

the new

> intestinal arrangement.

> Wishing you a swift recovery

> Sheryle

>

November 25, 2001

This is so true. I remember laying in bed in the motel room feeling queasy

yet I was glued to the cooking channel on tv! I never watched it before and

was hooked on it for about a week and watched it every day all the

time.......thats weird especially feeling queasy but it wasnt the normal

kind of feeling sick and yet different from morning sickness too!

Judie

> Sheryl,

>

> Sub Nausea is an excellent description. Its that underlying kinda

> quesy feeling. Like you are hungry but don't want to eat...not sick

> but not well. I can't wait for this to pass!

>

> Hugs and thanks for the great word!

> Theresa

November 26, 2001

michelle,

i never feel as big as i look in pictures. it took my family telling me

they were afraid i was going to die

if i didn't do something about my weight. i weigh 348 and am having surgery

12/31. belinda

November 26, 2001

,

This is said with a great big smile on my face, so you dont take it wrong.

But I think you have spent entirely too much time at the Guest House

recuperating. You had too much time to think and came up with these DEEP

thoughts and questions. LOL

<<Have you ever been physically sports-minded, very coordinated, and

active? Or have you always been out of touch with your body in that

way, too?>>

Actually, growing up I was very active and involved in sports at school and

in our neighborhood. I kept active while my kids were in their early years,

but as they got older I got lazier I guess and the weight kept adding on, and

the more weight the less active I became. It was like a cycle that just did

not stop until surgery.

Sheri

November 26, 2001

i think the bigger i got the more out of awareness i was of myself. i have been

told im clumsey. i was very active as a teenager then became depressed and that

is when i quit being active and gained weight. i still battle depression. i

didn't realize how bad i had gotten physically until back in the summer i tried

to climb a hill. i had parked at the top and walked to the bottem. well after

the wedding i tried walking back up the hill and couldn't i was holding on to a

post pulling myself and crying up that hill. luckly a lady stopped and gave me

a ride. i cried all the way home. ive never been not able to walk up a hill

before it was devastating to me. im so glad that no one who new me saw what

happened. the people who did see me i didn't know them. i just didn't realize

that you could actually get so big that you couldn't carry yourself. i still

walk the mails and things i just avoid the hills now. belinda

November 26, 2001

my doctor is dr husted in nashville tn my surgery date is 12/31. can't wait

November 26, 2001

Alyssa,

I saw that on Discovery or something as well. They were saying some people

overate for so long that the body no longer sent the signal it was full. Also,

they said the speed of eating is half the problem, because it takes about 10

minutes after you're full for your brain to tell your stomach it's full and if

you're speed eating, you're most likely overeating and then contributing to the

cycle where your brain doesn't recognize it's full. Btw, I didn't feel full when

I ate fast, but when I slowed down and ate I did..ie, I'd be eating at my desk

doing something and by the time I looked back down at my food for another bite,

I realized I was full and if I wasn't distracted, I would have eaten the whole

burrito. Now I know when I'm full after one or two bites and even one or two

sips the first few days post-op! Yesterday I got close to almost 50oz of fluid

and ate 7 chicken nuggets (over the course of 4 hours), but that was 31 gms of

protein, so I impressed myself! *grins* Honestly, the first few weeks post-op

you feel like a RNY'er with the amount you can eat, but it gets better every

day! The only day I backslid and felt worse was the day I was preoccupied

reading instead of drinking and let myself get dehydrated! Believe me, you feel

like complete crap, so make sure you pay attention to your fluid intake! It was

like going all the way back to 2nd day post-op, but even worse and I didn't

collect $200!

Anita

Surgery Date 11/08/01

> I thought that had been proven, that there's something called a " satiety

> disorder " where certain people just don't ever feel full -- there's

> something wrong with the feedback loop between stomach and brain. Or did I

> imagine such a disorder because I have it??

>

> ~alyssa

> Re: sinking feeling--and more philosophical stuff

>

> > Maybe people who are fat (I use this term very generically; could

> > just be overweight; could mean MO) are lacking some kind of inner

> > sense of their own bodies

November 26, 2001

Congratulations, Belinda!

Who's your doctor and where's he/she located?

Weird about that body image thing, huh? All of a sudden, or so it

seems, we're monstrously huge! Here's what I'm most worried about:

that after I lose all this weight, then I'll feel fat again.

Twisted? You bet! But I remember as a teenager weighing some 116

pounds and feeling like a fat cow! Now that I am a fat cow, I feel,

well, not skinny, but maybe around 200 pounds (actually weight pre-op

was 295 or so). Who knows? Maybe it's b/c I was more conscious of

my weight as a single person, and now that I'm an old, married grouch

I could give a shit if people don't want to stare at my ass! Not

that I ever liked that anyway!

So what do you think about my coordination/physical aptness thing?

Have you ever been physically sports-minded, very coordinated, and

active? Or have you always been out of touch with your body in that

way, too?

Best,

Dr. Gagner

lap D/S

11-20-01

NYC

> michelle,

> i never feel as big as i look in pictures. it took my family

telling me they were afraid i was going to die

> if i didn't do something about my weight. i weigh 348 and am

having surgery 12/31. belinda

November 26, 2001

,

I am not sure if I am going to supply the answer to the question you have....I

am running on very little sleep at the moment....Back, way back a long time ago

circa June 24, 2001 LOL I thought I was big....But I didn't realize how big....I

look in the mirror and I see myself as big....I just recently took some pics and

I looked at the pics and thought " damn I am big " then I went and compared them

with my pre-op pics and I thought " damn I am big " so which is it? I guess its

both and neither.....

The real answer is how we see ourselves and how we relate to ourselves....I have

noticed that lately....I have this optimstic outlook on life I have NEVER

had...weird isnt it....My whole life was wrapped around my weight and how much

weight I gained since when I lost the regain was almost immediate....But I feel

good and my thoughts on the future have done a complete 180 from doom and

gloom....Now there is a tentative hey let me try it might just work out....Here

is something interesting....Ever since surgery I have ha this feeling I havent

been able to describe until recently....I call it joyous anticpation for lack of

a better word " No matter what I am go through lately and I have quite a few

battles....I never fail to look foward to whats around the corner and I cant

help but enjoy the here and now...Yesterday I went window shopping and it is not

something I would do pre-op...Why look at pretty clothes I cant wear...But I

went and I enjoyed myself....I didnt care that I didnt have money....It was fun

to be out walking and looking at pretty things...I dont know maybe I did get a 2

for 1 and Dr. Macura also gave me a lobotomy with the DS....But this surgery has

changed my outlook on life as for my body image I have the feeling I am going to

figure it out soon....

Lisbeth (who just loves to ramble ad naseum no pun intended)

mkf5t@... wrote: Congratulations, Belinda!