She Lost Weight - But Suffered from Anemia, Hair Loss, Migraines, and Nausea

The following article was written by a reader who wanted to share his reasons for choosing gastric bypass surgery. For privacy reasons, his name is not included.

"There were times where I woke up so nauseous, that I wouldn't go to work...."

I started losing weight right after my Gastric Bypass surgery. Within a week I was down 20 lbs. I was excited about my new journey, but some of the things that were happening to my body were a bit confusing.

I started getting the hiccups after every meal. I also noticed that anytime I had cheese or milk, I was running to the bathroom. On the opposite side of that, certain foods had me very constipated. I would have to take mineral oil 2 times a day to help me have a BM. Sometimes it got so bad that laxatives and suppositories were the only things that helped.

Along with the runs and the constipation came a lot of gas. I was either burping like a sailor or farting like one. It was a bit embarrassing at first. I found that Tums helped a lot with that. If that didn't work good old Pepto Bismol was my best friend.

I also experienced acid reflux and heartburn, which the Tums helped with as well.

I found myself very nauseous throughout the day and sometimes actually threw up. There were times where I woke up so nauseous, that I wouldn't go to work. It was hard for me to lift my head. I started eating the prego pops that they sell for pregnant women to help with morning sickness. A hand full of salt often stopped me from throwing up as well.

I also got constant migraines, and would also see stars a lot. I later found out that those were the result of being anemic. I found myself thirsty all the time, so constant trips to the bathroom were inevitable. I would become dehydrated really easily and would get the shakes. I started carrying a big thermos with me and would fill it at least 8 times a day.

I also noticed that every time I took a shower or brushed my hair, I lost a lot of hair. I was worried that I was going bald, but my doctor said that it was normal and would stop once my weight loss slowed down. My doctor also has me getting bone density scans every 6 months to make sure that I'm not developing osteoporosis.

I started noticing a lot of loose skin from the rapid weight loss. I joined a gym that has classes like belly dancing and pole dancing. I have started to tone up and am losing that extra skin. If necessary, I'll look into other options later on.

But for now, my weight loss looks like this:

• After 3 weeks, I had lost 30 lbs.
• 2 months 53 lbs.
• 6 months 102 lbs.
• I am now 133 lbs. I had started out at 235. I am trying to stay in the 130 range.

The biggest loss that I noticed was my breasts. I started out at a 44E and am now at a 36C. I am a size 7 waist and for the first time since i was in Jr High, I am wearing a medium sized shirt. I started out in a XXL top, and a 24 pants.

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To read personal stories submitted by gastric bypass patients, visit After Gastric Bypass - Personal Experiences.