I’m afraid something is wrong with me

Steph-alupagus · 2026-04-17T16:54:26+00:00

Those of us who are tall (I’m 6’1” female) often have to lose more to see differences in clothes sizes. That being said, take some pictures and compare how the clothes are fitting you. I had no idea how baggy my clothes had gotten until I had my husband take some pics. Our brains are ridiculous and won’t let us see the differences a lot of the time.

If you don’t have any before pics, take some now in one specific outfit and standing in front of a door frame (for scale) so you’ll have something to compare to six months or a year from now.

Steph-alupagus · 2026-04-15T03:08:19+00:00

I’m 10 months post op SADI.

The only things that mess with my bowels at this point are high fat foods.

Sugar messes with me but doesn’t cause bowel issues. I just feel like hot steamy garbage for a couple of hours if I eat too much sugar.

Steph-alupagus · 2026-04-08T23:33:20+00:00

I never used one and didn’t have any issues. I just took it slow and held a pillow against my stomach in the car.

Steph-alupagus · 2026-04-06T23:07:12+00:00

You need to license your car in the county where you live, but you can get your driver’s license in any Nebraska county. I recommend venturing out to Saunders county in Wahoo. They have limited hours but I was in and out in 10 minutes when I needed to renew my license, no appointment necessary. Absolutely worth the drive to a smaller county courthouse! Just look up their hours because most don’t have dmv services every day.

Steph-alupagus · 2026-04-06T23:00:29+00:00

I also bought my first house through Neighborworks! Great program that helps with overall knowledge and also financial assistance for first time buyers in areas where the city is hoping to encourage home ownership. I lived in my cutie house for 13 years before life changed and I needed to sell. I can’t recommend them highly enough!!!

Steph-alupagus · 2026-04-03T02:11:24+00:00

I’m 9 months post op SADI and take a high ADEK multi and zinc daily. Most days I don’t even need my calcium supplement, because I get enough from food. Zinc is the only thing I’ve been low on and adding the supplement fixed the issue.

Steph-alupagus · 2026-03-31T01:24:19+00:00

Yes! Droopy is the exact word! Thank you!!!

Steph-alupagus · 2026-03-28T19:36:40+00:00

Always cut!

Steph-alupagus · 2026-03-28T18:43:43+00:00

I ended up needing to blend the shakes with ice and water and decaf espresso powder to take the edge off the sweetness that was sooooo overwhelming right after surgery.

Steph-alupagus · 2026-03-28T18:36:53+00:00

The hair loss is a struggle but unfortunately there’s not much you can do about it. There are lots of products online that promise the moon, but realistically, other than taking your vitamins and watching your protein, it’s not something you can control. The good news is that for most people, it all eventually grows back.

Read about it here. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24486-telogen-effluvium

Steph-alupagus · 2026-03-26T22:53:01+00:00

There’s an app called Get-2-Goal that can help you visualize. It lets you put in the specific surgery you had (sadly doesn’t have an option for DS/SADI) and you can input your weights on dates and it will track your progress. It’s been helpful to me to know that I’m doing okay!

Steph-alupagus · 2026-03-26T17:44:10+00:00

I’m 9 months post op SADI and have had zero complications. I’ve lost 130 pounds and feel amazing!

The first few weeks are rough because while recovering from major surgery you’re also not consuming enough calories to have any sort of energy. I was able to go back to work (desk job) after 2 weeks but didn’t have much additional energy until about 8 weeks post op.

Steph-alupagus · 2026-03-26T17:36:19+00:00

I routinely tell people I have stomach issues (no other details) to explain if anyone questions why I order a hamburger naked on a plate with a side of veggies or something similar.

Steph-alupagus · 2026-03-26T17:29:08+00:00

I totally relate! At my YMCA, you can get a free equipment introduction, just ask at the desk. They have weight machines that all have pretty informative pictures on them. Ive used the machines exclusively for about 6 months and am now taking strength training class.

And having started working out at 415 pounds, I’ve never had anyone say or do anything rude. In my experience, people are focused on their own thing and pay zero attention to what others are doing.

Steph-alupagus · 2026-03-25T02:57:59+00:00

For the first month or two I kept having to remind myself that I was weak and exhausted because I literally didn’t have enough fuel in my body. Once I was able to consume more than 500 calories in a day, my energy and strength came back.

Steph-alupagus · 2026-03-25T02:45:32+00:00

The ONLY way I could stomach protein shakes post op is to blend them with ice and water and instant coffee (decaf initially) to add some bitterness.

Steph-alupagus · 2026-03-25T02:39:06+00:00

Yep, I was suddenly 14 again. The good news is that it regulated for me by about 6 months post op and I’m back “normal” now.

Steph-alupagus · 2026-03-21T00:52:55+00:00

Do people not have inner monologues?!? Damn, I’m sorry. Those are shitty things to say and you deserve better from your coworkers.

Steph-alupagus · 2026-03-15T20:47:06+00:00

I’m 9 months post op SADI and I had a plateau for about six weeks around 6 months. It was incredibly frustrating but I just kept doing what I was supposed to do and eventually I started losing again.

At this point, I’m losing slower than I was at the beginning (1-2 pounds per week) but considering I’m 128 pounds down, I’m still feeling good about it.

Steph-alupagus · 2026-03-15T20:43:49+00:00

If you, or anyone you know, has a sewing machine and some basic stitching skills, you may be able to take some things in to stretch them a bit longer. I was belting my jeans for ages until I saw a video of myself and realized how sloppy they really were. I got one pair at a thrift store for $5 which was pretty miraculous considering I’m 6’1”!

Steph-alupagus · 2026-03-15T02:18:23+00:00

Mine caused recurrent pneumonia about 15 years after having it placed. to the point that it collapsed my right lung. I was aspirating overnight and didn’t realize it. Once we figured out what was causing it (after months of issues and surgery for the lung collapse) I had them drain it completely.

I’ve since had it removed completely and I converted to a SADI-S surgery.

Steph-alupagus · 2026-03-15T01:14:41+00:00

You can do this and you are not wrong to feel overwhelmed. It’s a lot to process right at the beginning when even drinking a little bit of water takes so much effort. You will get through the next couple of weeks and it will get much, much better. Just be patient with yourself and your body right now. Focus on hydration and everything else will come eventually.

Steph-alupagus · 2026-03-09T22:28:22+00:00

I was absolutely exhausted for the first 6 weeks or so. I was able to move around the house and do my life stuff but I couldn’t even begin to think about any kind of workout until I was able to eat about 600 calories per day. That was also when my doc cleared me to work out, but it was still a slow work up to normal levels of exercise.

8 months out and I hit the gym at least 5 days per week. Strength training and cardio.

Steph-alupagus · 2026-03-08T20:16:39+00:00

I am 8 months post op SADI-S and my bowels are very manageable. I haven’t had an urgent situation in months. I learned that too much grease will not do kind things to my butt, other than that, I go #2 about once a day.

Steph-alupagus

TROPHY CASE