mi75

i was told to plan for 4 weeks off, but could go back after 3 with heavy restrictions if i felt up to it. i have heard from MANY people that 3 seems to be the magic number, that at 3 wks out you feel pretty normal and back to living, and you are losing, and starting to eat, and have some semblance of life again.

What is your GI history? Just curious...i want the sleeve but with a recent barrett discovery, the doc is recommending bypass. I have had GERD since childhood and was formerly diagnosed with Barrett's esophagus in 2003. I have had multiple bleeding ulcers and barrett's lesions biopsied. The issue for ME is with bypass your pouch stomach is the only part that can be scoped in and EGD. the rest of your stomach sits there, functioning and secreting gastric enzymes, but is sealed shut. the only way to get in and see around is an actual surgery to cut open the stomach and examine it. i have had too many problems to take the chance of just letting it sit there untouched. i would have to have surgeries about every 2 years to look inside the stomach. this is ME. everyone is so different. bypass can be a great choice even with barretts, but i also have stomach history which adds to the equation...

i am similar, 2 weeks duration and mine is: 2-3 Protein shakes, oatmeal, applesauce, sugar free pudding, Jello, broths, unsweetened yogurt and unlimited RAW veggies. i too have a huge appetite but i plan to try and stay distracted as much as possible with cleaning my house, yard, etc as I get ready. i think too that being VERY focused on the surgery date just around the corner will help to keep the days rolling along. i have to do pre-op over my birthday-UGH...but it could be worse! all this so that on my NEXT birthday, i'll look great and be healthy again.

I have GERD and Barrett's both, and also take Protonix 40mg twice daily. my surgeon will keep me on the Protonix for 3-6 months post-op until i lose significant weight and then take me off and see what happens. Honestly if I have to stay on it longterm that's ok too. He is pretty sure my GERD is specific to how i carry my weight (ALL in my abdomen) and will likely disappear with loss.

i was in the same boat and had initially explored the sleeve. my initial appt with my surgeon didn't really discuss any of the options, just mostly ALL of the testing involved... then my family doctor gave me a formal lesson in sleeve/reflux. i already have GERD and take a PPI drug twice a day. so i set my decision to bypass. saw my surgeon last week for the final follow up and he actually says that he believes the sleeve is better for me because with my GI history, i don't want a blind stomach sitting there sealed shut that can't ever be scoped (I have EGD twice a year due to Barrett's disease). everybody is very different and the opinion that counts most is your surgeon. have a candid discussion and get his/her true feelings about which fits you the best. also, some insurances will only pay for certain surgeries if you have certain diagnoses...

my surgery date is for early/mid June and my surgeon gave me the list of supplements that I will need post op. I was kind of surprised to see "Flintstones with Iron" listed as the multivitamin! I guess I'm just thinking that with such specific nutritional requirements for supplementation, there would be something a little better, or a little more specific to bariatric needs? Does anybody have any experiences or suggestions? I'm a nurse and i'm super paranoid about getting all of my requirements, doing everything I can for my bones, skin, hair and nails. thanks!!

I look SO forward to the day when I can say that food doesn't rule my life anymore, or that everything I do isn't surrounded by food anymore. I know that eventually i'll go back to 'regular' eating, but I feel like i'll be more on an even playing field, with being able to order a SMALL portion and having it be enough, rather than how I eat now- 2-3 portions just to feel 'full'...

I agree with others. seriously, if telling ourselves that eating just 'legal foods' and 'diet' would work, then most of us would have done just that, and we wouldn't be signed up for bariatric surgery. our hunger is not just physical, but for most bariatric patients, there is also a huge emotional/psychological component to it. I am still pre-op too and it is very easy to say. I have heard from MOST post-op folks that your tastebuds change and many things you just HAD to have pre-op aren't an issue anymore. I sure hope!

I told my boss and a few specific co-workers in my department. In my workplace, it is inevitable that people in my department need to know to adjust my patient schedule and such... I decided long ago that this is MY journey and don't really care to hear anybody's negative comments, stories, opinions or other. I also cannot lie if I am asked, so if I am asked post-op, I will be forthcoming but don't plan to share any details. I also told my parents and a few close friends at my kid's school. I feel like I have shared all I want to share, and with everybody i care to share with.I work in a great place though, and for the most part I would expect people to be supportive, but I guess this is just a very personal journey.

i would do mashed potatoes and grilled shrimp 'add a skewer' or grilled fish...

i'm still pre-op but I have tried to mourn food as much as possible NOW because I know i'll be in the same boat. I have no wisdoms to offer you other than hang in there, because in the end, it will be SO worth this struggle!!! good luck

well thanks everyone! I guess i'll stick with the Fintstones! He also has me set up with liquid calcium (for immediately post op, then switch to pill form down the road). sublingual B12, Biotin. On my own i'm adding Flax Seed liquid to my day just to make sure I get appropriate Omega fatty acids.

awesome, thanks! I ordered a bunch of unflavored so that I could try to add it to anything I eat in the first couple of months post-op that isn't Protein heavy. I have a few friends who had surgery over the past year and they all had such different experiences but one of them could only eat applesauce and broth (nothing else would stay down for like 7 weeks!) so it would come in handy...

well interesting! I guess i'm thinking TOO much and maybe flintstones are the gold standard! jen- i'm about half way through my MSN for Clinical Nurse Leader track and taking spring/summer off to focus on my surgery and immediate post-op needs. hopefully by fall semester i'll be ready to jump back in, and I have probably 6 semesters left. I have been trying to take only one class per semester but now in the 2nd half of the program, it automatically goes to 2 classes per semester...lots of work ahead but totally worth it! in my state, all of the NP programs have graduated to the DNP degree so it is automatically something like 78 credit hours. I figure i'll do this first and see how my career path unfolds before making any other decisions!

ROAR by katy perry. seriously, people are gonna see me in a completely new light. i'm gonna shed this weight and my self confidence will bounce back from where it's hidden right now, and i'm gonna be a POWERFUL, STRONG, CONFIDENT WOMAN!!!!!!!!!

thanks again to everyone for the ongoing candid answers! like I said before, i'm sure i'll need SOME work done. truly, I needed a serious lift and reduction even when I was thin and young, so i'm just thinking ahead!

hi kris- I am still pre-op and will start my 2 wk diet at the end of may with surgery planned for mid-june. wishing you the VERY best of luck and good wishes for tomorrow. the start of a new life. take care!

like others, I can't tell you what is right for YOU. I started researching Lap-band around 2005 and here we are almost 10 years later. Last fall when I went to my first seminar, I planned on RNY, but had a VERY extensive talk with my surgeon on Friday and ultimately decided-TOGETHER- that VSG was the best for me. Many of us flip flop and learn through testing that one surgery will benefit more than another, or that our insurance will only cover one type based on existing comorbidities, etc. I think that the most important opinion you can seek right now is that of your surgeon, Simply because THEY know your medical histories, pre-existing conditions, insurance coverage, etc. ALL of us are more than willing to share our experiences, give our testimonies, etc. so please feel free to ask. Best of luck making this LIFE CHANGING decision!

diagnosed with PCOS about 12 yrs ago and metformin since then. one IVF baby and one adopted. I have talked with my surgeon extensively- in fact just yesterday was my final apt- and he told me that although my PCOS should be fairly resolved from surgery, it may not disappear completely. he also stated, as somebody else here said, that the PCOS shouldn't be a HUGE barrier to my losing with surgery, and that in the long term I need to focus on becoming VERY dedicated to a regular exercise regimen to ensure that my PCOS stay controlled... I DO have multiple comorbids, and i'm just looking SO forward to being off all my meds...

wonderful testimonies!! I am pre op and looking forward to surgery in about 7 weeks from now. I have PCOS, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, fatty liver, GERD, terribly insulin resistant, and possible sleep apnea (had my test last week, was VERY close to call but waiting for sleep doctor to call it). I am thrilled to know that so many of my medical things will resolve. so happy for everyone!

i'm a nurse in an office setting and I have told only my boss and a FEW people in my immediate department. I have no desire to tell others. I decided long ago that is is MY journey and I really don't care to have any negative comments, opinions or other unnecessary talk about my personal life. I am incredibly grateful for the coworkers I have told who have rallied their support around me and for my husband and parents and kids who are also SO supportive. post op if I am specifically asked, I won't be untruthful, but I won't shout it from the rooftops either. it's sad that many people either think this is the 'easy way out' or like my own secretary, who says of others who had WLS 'if they can diet your way through that pre-op diet, why can't they just stick with that diet and get thin"???? really????

I am still pre-op and completely addicted to REGULAR MTN DEW...yes, it's like my crack. I can easily down 1-2 44oz cups every day. I was told no carbonation again after surgery, likely ever. I have a good friend who had RNY about 12 years ago and she tells me that instead of going back to pop, she turned towards a diet slurpee and that has served just fine if she gets a craving for pop. I had another friend who had lap-band many years ago and she used to open a pop, pour it into a cup and throw it in the fridge for a day or so to let out the carbonation, then drink it. Even knowing these things, I have made my peace with my pop and I PLAN to walk away from it completely. I have heard that most of the time, your tastes change post-op and many things that you craved pre-op aren't an issue.

good luck! happy for you

Referred pain is TERRIBLE for laproscopic surgeries. I have had a few, and something that works for me is WALKING as much and as often as possible. Also, like somebody else said, heating pad works well. best of luck!

happy for you!