Nellabella

Hi Anna, Went in on a Monday & had surgery that morning & out of hospital by Friday lunch. I had no complications (diabetes, gall stones, blood pressure etc), so I had max pain relief with no pain at all. First 24hrs were in High Dependency Unit where they were perfect - couldn't have had better care. Do everything they tell you, i.e. breathing exercise to help clear 'gunk in bottom of your lungs' & trapped gas from surgery. Do them as much as you can. As soon as they remove catheter & it's ok, take little walks often. Sit out in chair frequently. Really, the most important thing is to do what you are advised to do & to take personal responsibility for your recovery. I was on solids by the time I went home. In US they seem to be on liquid for a few weeks. I bought baby 2oz containers (8) in a tray (Tesco) & poached cod & then froze with a little sauce (pureed veg). I also bought a Kl of pure whey Protein with no sugar or anything added (9.3g Protein per 10g) which is invaluable for smoothie breaks etc.. Stock up your freezer a bit before you go in. Take your supplements. This surgery is not a get out of jail card - you have to eat healthily, no take aways, no junk food, high protein, and get exercise every day. Keep a food journal - I think this is so important. You can track how your weight loss tallies with your food intake, if & when you have lows - you will be able to tell your nurse/doc exactly what you are doing AND it keeps you mindful (most important). I have felt fantastic from Day1 out of hospital, great energy, no Constipation, no pain etc, I've been mowing lawn, weeding & hearty gardening. Third week had a few low days (which coincided with no apparent weight loss??) so I started doing some HIT exercising (this is my downfall so I got my son to coach me & badger me if necessary to do some exercise every day). I haven't had any 'radical weightloss weeks' like some people, I've lost a steady 3/4lbs every week which I am now starting to notice (& everyone else). I didn't have to go back to work. I would say ideally, it would be great if you could have 3 weeks to get yourself into a routine, by then you'll have encountered most issues related to early post op & time to have confidence in handling yourself in public situations. Having said that, you could, if you had to, go back after a week home - just make sure your in bed early every night & you get all of your nutrition. A very long answer, but I know I would have welcomed the above before my surgery, so possibly you may too.

Once a week - every Sat morning. It will be a year in 6 wks time & so far I've averaged 2lbs per week for the year. I've always been an all or nothing girl, so encouraging more moderate behavior, like only weighing once a week, has been important to changing my mind set. Ive another 70 lbs to go & unlike before, I'm confident I'll get there, thanks to more moderate behavior in all aspects of my behavior. But, I suppose everyone is different, & whatever works is what's good for you.

Once a week - every Sat morning. It will be a year in 6 wks time & so far I've averaged 2lbs per week for the year. I've always been an all or nothing girl, so encouraging more moderate behavior, like only weighing once a week, has been important to changing my mind set. Ive another 70 lbs to go & unlike before, I'm confident I'll get there, thanks to more moderate behavior in all aspects of my behavior. But, I suppose everyone is different, & whatever works is what's good for you.

Hi Annabelle, Wow! I'm really impressed with your weight loss so far,......and thats before surgery!! Well done! Yes, it's great to hear from Irish people especially as our experience seems quite different & somehow it makes it more real,.....more normal. Best of luck on the 23rd, hope your surgery date comes soon. Are you having it in Dublin?

Hi twsport, I did the same thing & when I went for my post surgery visit to my weight loss team, they all said same thing - given I had started losing before surgery & what my body was going through (recovery fro major surgery) & that I was actually still losing (not gaining) WHAT WAS I WORRYING ABOUT!! I was told to relax, my body was probably doing 'catch-up', just to keep moving (very very important) & stick to the eating rules, Oh! and to stop worrying - it will come off! They were right, I started to focus more on getting a serious sweaty walk in every day (killer - I got others to come with me different days just to make sure I had to do it), and I started to lose weight again. So, even though I only lost 2lbs in a 3 week period, overall, I have now lost 51lbs (38lbs since surgery May 27th). It is now so much easier to walk & to enjoy it, people say how well I look, I love my new energy & I really love getting great sleep again. Focus on getting fresh air, on moving, getting enough Protein, take your Vitamins & enjoy yourself - it will happen, trust your body & don't worry about it. Enjoy the rest of the summer.

Hi twsport, I did the same thing & when I went for my post surgery visit to my weight loss team, they all said same thing - given I had started losing before surgery & what my body was going through (recovery fro major surgery) & that I was actually still losing (not gaining) WHAT WAS I WORRYING ABOUT!! I was told to relax, my body was probably doing 'catch-up', just to keep moving (very very important) & stick to the eating rules, Oh! and to stop worrying - it will come off! They were right, I started to focus more on getting a serious sweaty walk in every day (killer - I got others to come with me different days just to make sure I had to do it), and I started to lose weight again. So, even though I only lost 2lbs in a 3 week period, overall, I have now lost 51lbs (38lbs since surgery May 27th). It is now so much easier to walk & to enjoy it, people say how well I look, I love my new energy & I really love getting great sleep again. Focus on getting fresh air, on moving, getting enough Protein, take your Vitamins & enjoy yourself - it will happen, trust your body & don't worry about it. Enjoy the rest of the summer.

Anna Eve, you might be interested - I wrote about the eating regime post surgery at "
12 days post op. Protein and sleep question". You might want to check that out too. Cheers.

Hi Anna, Went in on a Monday & had surgery that morning & out of hospital by Friday lunch. I had no complications (diabetes, gall stones, blood pressure etc), so I had max pain relief with no pain at all. First 24hrs were in High Dependency Unit where they were perfect - couldn't have had better care. Do everything they tell you, i.e. breathing exercise to help clear 'gunk in bottom of your lungs' & trapped gas from surgery. Do them as much as you can. As soon as they remove catheter & it's ok, take little walks often. Sit out in chair frequently. Really, the most important thing is to do what you are advised to do & to take personal responsibility for your recovery. I was on solids by the time I went home. In US they seem to be on liquid for a few weeks. I bought baby 2oz containers (8) in a tray (Tesco) & poached cod & then froze with a little sauce (pureed veg). I also bought a Kl of pure whey Protein with no sugar or anything added (9.3g Protein per 10g) which is invaluable for smoothie breaks etc.. Stock up your freezer a bit before you go in. Take your supplements. This surgery is not a get out of jail card - you have to eat healthily, no take aways, no junk food, high protein, and get exercise every day. Keep a food journal - I think this is so important. You can track how your weight loss tallies with your food intake, if & when you have lows - you will be able to tell your nurse/doc exactly what you are doing AND it keeps you mindful (most important). I have felt fantastic from Day1 out of hospital, great energy, no Constipation, no pain etc, I've been mowing lawn, weeding & hearty gardening. Third week had a few low days (which coincided with no apparent weight loss??) so I started doing some HIT exercising (this is my downfall so I got my son to coach me & badger me if necessary to do some exercise every day). I haven't had any 'radical weightloss weeks' like some people, I've lost a steady 3/4lbs every week which I am now starting to notice (& everyone else). I didn't have to go back to work. I would say ideally, it would be great if you could have 3 weeks to get yourself into a routine, by then you'll have encountered most issues related to early post op & time to have confidence in handling yourself in public situations. Having said that, you could, if you had to, go back after a week home - just make sure your in bed early every night & you get all of your nutrition. A very long answer, but I know I would have welcomed the above before my surgery, so possibly you may too.

Hi there, I'm from Ireland too! I haven't entered any of my details on this site yet, though it has been a great resource, I've just been so busy post-op - I'm Day 25 now, almost 4 weeks since surgery. I'm in Dublin - had my surgery in Vincents. Would like to keep in touch with anyone local for encouragement and tips etc..

I am almost 5 weeks post op and in a total of 6 weeks (one week of liquid dieting) I am 40 pounds down! Hard work pays off!

Oh stop - I didn't take what you said as disrespect and I was just being silly. I posted that knowing it wasn't the healthiest and just as I had predicted to myself, someone came along with an idea to make it healthier (Molly in this case). Thank you for your comments and concern, I do appreciate it!
We're good!

I am like Nellabella, except I had my surgery at UAB in Birmingham, Al. I was on Clear Liquids the day after surgery (chicken broth, etc.) and the next day I started pureed foods. This includes eggs strangely enough. I can only have 4 tsps. at a sitting, so usually for Breakfast I have 2 tsps of scambled eggs and 2 tsps of grits w/ cheese. I understand about following your doctors guidelines, but don't think it would hurt to start this 2 days early. If I can start it 2 days after surgery, you should have no problem 12 days post op. Good luck!

Whoa.... I'm a newbie brought here buy pretty title and kept here through sheer nosiness.... I kinda feel like I've walked into a room filled with nothing but tension and the sound of crickets!
*Tiptoeing backwards* *Shutting door*
(Whispers) Hope that broke the tension! :ph34r:

I'm in Ireland & my regime is quite a bit different from a lot of what I've read here. I'm on Day 25. I had a 5 day stay at hospital(4 nights). On 1st & 2nd day light sipping of Water. On 3rd day liquid flavoured Protein Drink (30mls) every hour with 60mls water on the half hour in between - from 8AM to 10PM. On 4th day we had pureed food (chicken, carrot, brocolli, potato & gravy - all remoulded to look more appetising -NOT!) We were expected to eat approximately 80g to 100g of this but mostly the chicken. We had to be able to eat before we could go home. From then on we were to eat 'soft' food, minced or cut up small with a little sauce or gravy, eat Protein first, that's the priority. Avoid fibre - so as not to fill up too quickly. Do not drink half hour before or after eating. Eat very small bites, chew until the food is a paste in your mouth & take a break between bites (mindful eating). If you don't do this you will know all about it - you will feel sick, probably like a lead ball is in your chest & you'll probably throw up. We are recommended to use the protein drink to supplement our protein intake - I bought pure natural whey powder from organic cows - nothing added, which is what I use. I have 3 meals (approximately 150g to 200g food per meal) which take about 20mins to half hour to eat & 3 Snacks in between, which I usually have a protein smoothie including some berries & half a sml banana or 2tsp Peanut Butter on a buckwheat cracker with 1/2tsp of low sugar jam - delish! I have had no trouble at all, thank god, each week is different as I get used to the regime & my body gets used to the change. I eat a huge variety of foods, I'm sure to eat a minimum of 65g protein each day (usually more), I take my Vitamin supplements & a drug to help prevent gall stones caused by rapid weight loss. I've been losing an average of 5.6 lbs per week, this week I lost 4lbs. We have to exercise every day, get the heart pumping for 10/15mins at least, with a sweat but a minimum of half hour walking. I've added a half hour routine of high intensity rapid weights (intense for me!) & that is really making a difference. I'm sleeping so well after years of only 2 hrs at a time, no inhalers for asthma, I have so much energy - I'm loving it. I don't miss anything(yet!) but I'm so grateful for this opportunity for feeling so well, and positive, and optimistic, I don't think there is anything could spoil that.

The table is round.. We're all leaders

OK, after reading this whole thread, I need to add my 2 cents.
Lipstick- You actually can buy "Twinkies" again, though they are packaged under Little Debbie as a cloud cake or some such nonsense.
Re: the cool table- Oh PLEASE let me sit here! I'm fun once you get to know me.
Re: the donut/ sloppy Joe. I don't think I could handle that at all! Sleeve/ no sleeve/ esophagus/ no esophagus! LOL
Re: jager bombs in the recovery room. Let's do it. My biggest fear is how terrible I will feel in the recovery room. Let's just cover it with alcohol baby!
That may be all.

What the what???