KS Fort Worth

@jennyblue111 - do you mean your stomach seems insatiable now? Could read either way. If so, are you taking a PPI like Prevacid or Prilosec? Too many gastric juices will mimic hunger.

I think LURKER is the term you wanted. Wholly different connotation! And good luck on your journey!

"...prior to CONSULTATION..." I believe that's what the weight history is for. I too wondered what would happen if I lost too much. I had two co-morbidities so 35 was my lower limit. I asked my surgery coordinator what would happen, and she said she'd never seen that happen. I did get close, but not quite.

I'm still on full liquids, and my dietary staple is heart-healthy cream of chicken mixed with skim milk, one scoop of protein powder, mixed in the Bullet, strained, and allowed to settle. I have other things as well, but this is the most satisfying, and allowing it to settle helps with the burping.

IMO it would be safest just to leave them at home. My mother was hospitalized for an allergic reaction and they had to CUT her rings off because her hands were so swollen.

Check with your insurance for their definition of "6 months." Think of the 6 months as an opportunity to address your relationship with food. You should be able to get your self in better shape physically and emotionally before surgery, then the sleeve will be the tool you need to finish the job and keep it off. If you do not address what got you here in the first place, you are setting yourself up for failure. As others have said here, they sleeve our stomachs, not our heads. It is harder losing weight "the old fashioned way," but keeping your eye on the prize (surgery) will keep you going. Good luck, you CAN do it.

According to Unjury's site, protein powders coagulate at temperatures above 130-140F, just like an egg white. Either lower the temperature first, or mix it cold and slowly heat it up.

Would it have the same deleterious effects on healing that smoking tobacco does? If so, you might want to stop.

My life was stable, so I was able to lose. It takes time to fix bad habits. If you have until October or November, just dust yourself off, go over your food log with your nutritionist (you DO keep a food log, right?) and continue modifying your habits. You CAN do this. Protein really is the key, as it keeps you fuller longer. If you haven't already, switch to Water or unsweetened tea. Sodas and sugary drinks are a KILLER from a dietary standpoint, and actually make you hungrier. Even artificially sweetened beverages trick your body into thinking it has had calories and spike your blood sugar. The resulting drop makes you crave carbs. Even little things can add up, like of you are going to have a hamburger, skip one or both buns. Select a thinner sliced bread to make sandwiches with. You won't miss the extra bread. Decide your portion in advance, and STOP when you're done. It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to realize it's full, so wait. If you're still actually hungry, have a snack of something high protein, like a few cheese cubes. Your stomach WILL shrink if you allow it, and this will also help with the feelings of hunger. Keeping your eye on the prize is a great motivator, it got me through. Hang in there, and don't give up! You CAN do this!

I read that too fast and thought you said "chew the CHICKENS out of it..." Made me laugh!

Brownies are a weakness for me as well. Especially if there are pecans in there. Drool.... I can graze an entire pan, so I will have to be careful when I get to solids. Fortunately, I have plenty of people around to demolish such temptations, so I should be able to enjoy that "small taste."

I actually considered bypass last year when I started seriously looking into all this, but in the end decided bypass as compared to the sleeve was the "easy way out." I too have friends who've had RNY who have put a lot of the weight back on. I had myself convinced that my eating habits were not "that bad," and that my digestive system was just "too efficient," and that bypass would fix that. After plenty of research and soul-searching, I figured if I wasn't willing to do work on MY end, and instead rely on malabsorption for all my losses, that I would not be better off. I also decided the different (and lifelong!) malnutrition risks with each bypass procedure were just not worth it. Very happy with my decision. And down 56 pounds...

Sleeved July 24th, recovery going well. Only used pain meds for 3 nights. Still 9 more days of full liquids (every Doc is different, it seems, but I am patient...) getting plenty of liquids, and protein numbers are good. I lost about 45 pounds pre-op, so I'm not really worrying about calories right now, although I'm sure they are not too high. Just concentrating on letting my body heal. Rarely actually hungry, and the feeling seems transient. Grateful to be given this opportunity to get my weight under control, for the first time in my life.

Homemade broth is best, but a reasonable alternative is Swanson's Low Sodium chicken broth. It tastes salty enough without being too salty, and frankly reminds me of Campbell's Chicken Noodle soup minus all the solids. It got me through until I could start full liquids. You can try mixing some protein powder in that, but it will thicken it a bit.

Also wishing for a piece of toast, but honestly, getting food particles stuck in the staple line would so NOT be worth it. It's only a short time, and you have the rest of your like to enjoy eating responsibly. Give your body the time it needs to heal without shooting yourself in the foot. I for one will NOT be cheating on my doctor's plan. Just because somebody else may have cheated in the past with no complications is no guarantee that you or I will fare similarly.

I've started mixing my meals in advance and letting the bubbles settle out. Once the protein powder is mixed in, it won't come back out, and just a stir or a swirl in the cup is all it needs.

I think you will both be impressed. I was there 7/24 - 7/25 and felt very well taken care of. The nursing staff are very knowledgeable and professional, and responsive when you need something. The afternoon and evening after surgery is the worst, since you can't have even a wet swab for your mouth until after the swallow test the next morning. They give you plenty of fluids via IV, so you'll be OK, just uncomfortable with the dry mouth. They will provide a lip balm if you need it. I was told no petrolatum based lip balm (like Chapstick) in case they need to put you on pure oxygen, as it's flammable in that environment. It's only one day though, and well worth it. No regrets at all so far.

I even have a friend who had RNY telling me this! (He has also not met his goals, and has stopped going in for followups.)

My doctor told me that the greatest risk of leaks is 3-5 weeks, after the swelling has gone down, and is due to essentially hydraulic back pressure created as the stomach pushes food into the small intestine. Based on that, I WILL NOT CHEAT. It simply is not worth the risk. I will be in mushies then and they will be truly mushy. I'm patient; I have the rest of my life to eat. A few weeks is NOT going to kill me.

I'm 12 days post-op, on full liquids. I mix one can of cream-based heart healthy soup with one can skim milk and one scoop protein powder, mix that in the Bullet, and put it in the 'fridge to settle out. I then heat 2 to 2-1/2 ounces in the microwave every 15 to 30 minutes (slowly - if you go over 130-140 degrees the protein coagulates.) I also drink the protein shakes I was using pre-surgery, and enjoy a few ounces of coffee in the morning. All that and plenty of water. As long as I don't drink too quickly, I can get all the water I need, even as hot as it's been.

Probably for the same reason I am, REAL FOOD, and they taste good! Only 10 days postop, so I've got a wait, but I DO want eggs and a bite of toast! Hang in there, we'll make it!

July 17th? At only 15 days out, you're still in the healing phase, so be sure to take care of that end of things first. You're doing fine, but you do NOT want to jeopardize your long-term health for the sake of a few extra pounds lost now. Be patient, this is a lifelong change, not a six-week miracle diet.

Be thankful though, in that if your surgeon was not confident in his ability to make it work and had tried anyway, disaster would have followed. Perhaps your new surgeon will have more experience with revisions. Good luck!

Six days post op, down six pounds, and I just realized that yesterday I went from "severely obese" to just "obese." I still have a long way to go, but i started out "morbidly obese" in February, and have not been this light in TWENTY YEARS! Not that long ago I thought I'd never be here again.

I got some of the GNC Pro Performance unflavored and used that in my broth during the clear liquids stage to get my protein up. Got to where I just about couldn't stomach it anymore, but I tolerated it fine. Transitioned to full liquids yesterday, six days post-op, and find that the GNC powder mixed in with the strained cream-based heart healthy soups is quite doable. I've used it it cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, and cream of celery. I find it works better to make a whole can in advance (using our Bullet, then strain it) and let the foam settle for a few hours. Then I just heat 2 ounces at a time. I wouldn't want to drink this for the rest of my life, but it's not too bad, and still better than the BariEssentials protein shakes. Those were fine before surgery, but now just taste too sweet.