James Marusek

After my RNY gastric bypass surgery, my surgeon identified a list of vitamins to take for the rest of my life. I was told to avoid gummy vitamins because they are not absorbed properly.

I used Muscle Milk Light (Vanilla Creme) protein shake powder blended with water and a half a banana. I would buy it over the internet on Amazon to minimize costs.

I had no problems with artificial sweeteners or with no calorie natural sweeteners such as Stevia. Eating too many Sugarless Haribo Gummy Bear can produce intense diarrhea. https://www.buzzfeed.com/michaelrusch/haribo-gummy-bear-reviews-on-amazon-are-the-most-insane-thin So I would caution care in using this type of artificial sweetener. Lycasin is a maltitol syrup with properties of taste and sweetness ideal for the preparation of sugar-free syrups, lozenges or jellies, according to manufacturer Roquette.com. Little known to most gummy bear connoisseurs, however, the side effects of Lycasin are gas, bloating and diarrhea.

For the first year after surgery, I exercised daily. Generally this was by hill walking. My driveway was steep and I would walk up and down the driveway for 30 minutes per day. This is a great form of exercise because it uses two different sets of muscles; one set on the way up and a different set on the way down. It was also great because all I had to do was step out my front door. But I am not a great fan of exercise. It feels like wasted effort. But I am a great fan of physical labor. So in the “Maintenance” phase, I relied on physical work. This took several forms. I live in Indiana. My driveway is 700 feet long. During the winter when it snows, I shovel my driveway. It is strenuous work but without the added weight on my body, it is not hard. I also heat my house all winter with firewood. So during the winter I am constantly moving firewood for my wood stove to keep the house warm. During the rest of the year, there is cutting a large yard of grass and planting a garden and an assortment of other chores. Even a trip to the mailbox to get the mail is a walk of 1/4 mile. One of the tasks I worked on over the past 2 years was building an underground shelter. Tornados struck about 7 years ago, just after I retired. The tornados did a lot of destruction to my property but spared my house. My house is a one story without a basement and there is really no place to take shelter in the event of another tornado. So I decided to build an underground shelter from an intermodal-shipping container into the side of my hill. Of course, if I build a storm shelter, it should also be a root cellar. And if I go to the effort of building a storm shelter/root cellar then why not go through a little extra effort and build it for Come-What-May, including asteroid impacts, nuclear war and nearby supernovas, etc. So last year I moved 100,000 pounds of gravel by hand along with around 60,000 pounds of concrete blocks and this year I moved about the same amount. This year I constructed a log cabin playhouse for the grandkids. I am 69 years old.

After my RNY gastric bypass surgery, I completely lost my hunger. It wasn't difficult to drop the weight when hunger was not constantly continually gnawing at my bones. This condition does not last forever. About a year after surgery, hunger returned but it was not as strong as it was before.

One other thought passed my mind on this subject: It is the toilet's fault. Generally a toilet should be capable of flushing without clogging. After surgery the size of your stools should be smaller because you are consuming less food. Toilets will overflow for a number of reasons. Sometimes people flush inappropriate objects down the toilet that clog the drains. (Inappropriate objects include tampons, diapers, paper towels etc.) On septic systems, the bacteria that break down manure can be killed by some strong toilet cleaners or by using toilet paper that does not biodegrade properly. Some toilets are designed to use minimal water per flush. Anyways at work whenever I felt that a toilet might back up and overflow, I would use a rubber plunger on it to make sure it was free and unplugged.

Migraines can be caused by many things. I suffered severe migraines over the years. I would know an attack was coming because I would see flashes of stars starting at the outer edges of my vision, working their way inward producing a type of tunnel vision and then I would get severe headaches. In my case the episodes were related to florescent lights. Since where I worked was totally lit with fluorescents, generally when an attack was beginning to happen, I would remove myself into natural lighting and it would minimize the attack. Now that I am retired, my home does not use florescent lighting and I no longer suffer this problem. This link describes the migraine headaches. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/migraine-headache/symptoms-causes/syc-20360201 It is important to avoid NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) after surgery because it can result in ulcers complicating the healing process. NSAIDs include Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Diclofenac, Naproxen, Meloxicam, Celecoxib, Indomethacin, Ketorolac, Ketoprofen, Nimesulide, Piroxicam, Etoricoxib, Mefenamic acid, Carprofen, Aspirin/paracetamol/caffeine, Etodolac, Loxoprofen, Nabumetone, Flurbiprofen, Salicylic acid, Aceclofenac, Sulindac, Phenylbutazone, Dexketoprofen, Lornoxicam, Tenoxicam, Diflunisal, Diclofenac/Misoprostol, Flunixin, Benzydamine, Valdecoxib, Oxaprozin, Nepafenac, Etofenamate, Ethenzamide, Naproxen sodium, Dexibuprofen, Diclofenac sodium, Bromfenac, Diclofenac potassium, Fenoprofen, Tolfenamic acid, Tolmetin, Tiaprofenic acid, Lumiracoxib, Phenazone, Salsalate, Felbinac, Hydrocodone/ibuprofen, Fenbufen]. A few different types of NSAIDs are available over the counter: Aspirin (Bayer, Bufferin, Excedrin) Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) Naproxen (Aleve) But Tylenol is not a NSAID. https://www.drugs.com/answers/tylenol-nsaid-3002124.html My hospital discharge directions wrote the following: If using Lortab, do not take any Tylenol. Lortab has Tylenol in it and you can only have a total of 4 grams (4000 mg.) of Tylenol in a 24 hour period. So I do not understand why you cannot take Tylenol.

There is a phase that patients go through after bariatric surgery. Luckily it is fairly short. It is so common that people have coined a phrase for it - "Never trust a fart".

Good luck on your surgery and remember after the operation while you are in the hospital to Walk, Walk, Walk.

This is a common problem. Many people find it easier to sleep on a recliner for the first few days after surgery. Further on when the fat starts to disappear from your legs, you may discover that it is difficult to sleep on your side because your bones at the knees are rubbing together. This is a very unnerving feeling. I found the solution to this was to slip a pillow between my legs at night.

What type of surgery did you have. I had RNY gastric bypass and at 3 weeks 5 days post-op, my meals were restricted to 2 ounces (1/4 cup) per meal. In the early stages after surgery, you body is in a major heal mode. It takes several weeks for this to occur. I had gastric bypass surgery because before I had the surgery, I had severe acid reflux (GERD). Sleeve surgery will only make the condition worse. My surgeon directed me to use Prilosec (Omeprazole) for the first year after surgery for my stomach to heal properly. I discontinued it after the first year. I am now over 4 1/2 years post-op and GERD is no longer a problem.

I am glad to hear that you are on the mend. I hope you can track down the cause of your blood loss. A few years ago my mother began to bleed internally and she required a blood transfusion. In her case she had been using Excedrin (which contains aspirin and is a NSAID) on a daily basis as a pain reliever. She was taking about 10 times the recommended dose of aspirin on a daily basis for several years. We cut her off the Excedrin and the problem healed up.

I used it without problems. After all I was only rinsing my mouth out with the mouthwash and not drinking it.

This dry mouth could be a sign that your body has entered ketosis. Ketosis often causes increased urination. This diuretic effect is due in part to your glycogen stores being emptied. Also known as “water weight,” one gram of glycogen necessitates around 3 to 4 grams of water in storage. This mass exodus of surplus fluids (aka pee) can cause dry mouth, and increased sensations of thirst. To help alleviate dry mouth, drink plenty of fluids. Also there is a mouthwash called Biotene that will help alleviate the condition. I experienced dry mouth after surgery and it helped with this condition.

I am not an expert with insurance requirements. I suspect they might resist approval unless there is an underlying condition that needs to be corrected by revision. In your case the condition might be constant heartburn. This condition might be GERD. The sleeve will generally make this condition worse and that may be the logic for a revision.

At 3 1/2 weeks post-op, your inability to consume liquids without vomiting is definitely abnormal. You need to drive this to ground. It is a serious problem that will need to be corrected. There is an underlying problem that is causing you to vomit. That is causing the dehydration. The underlying problem could be an ulcer or an obstruction or something else. If you go to the E.R. make sure you inform them that you had sleeve surgery. Keep your surgeon's office in the loop. Also the fact that you did 3 fleet enemas and there’s nothing is another sign that this is not a constipation issue but something more serious..

The three most important elements after weight loss surgery are to meet your daily protein, fluid and vitamin requirements. Food is secondary because your body is converting your stored fat into the energy that drives your body. Thus you lose weight. It is common for your taste buds to change after surgery. Be willing to experiment. After surgery, my taste buds changed dramatically. Even water changed. In the hospital water tasted excessively chlorinated and I could not drink it. For others it is their sense of smell that is altered. If you are only consuming 200 calories per day, you may be throwing your body into starvation mode and that is unhealthy. Follow the guidelines that you were given.

Surgery can be a bit of a shock to the system, but it does get better. Just not overnight. It took 6 months before I reached my happy state when all the problems seemed to melt away.

I told anyone and everyone about my surgery, even people walking on the street. In general most people fell into two categories. They were either supportive or they were curious. The only negative comments I ever received were from my mother. She was very dependent on me at that time and I think she did not want to deal with anything that might interrupt that support. People are different. My best advise is to follow your heart.

This link may be of help. https://www.everydayhealth.com/digestive-health/treatment-for-excessive-gas/

Good luck on your surgery today and my God bless.

Congratulations on your surgery. Let us know if we can be of help.

One of the conditions that several people encounter is the fact that they had a preexisting Helicobacter pylori infection prior to surgery and didn't know it. After surgery, this condition causes many of the symptoms that you are experiencing and you must kill that infection or you will suffer. Sometimes this condition is not easy to kill. It may take several rounds of antibiotic treatment and different regiments to end it. So stay strong and don't give up the hope, just kill the bug.

After surgery your body can be thrown into ketosis. Ketosis is a normal metabolic process. When the body does not have enough glucose for energy, it burns stored fats instead; this results in a build-up of acids called ketones within the body. According to the internet: The most typical source of energy used by the body is glucose. This is typically derived from carbohydrates, where the digestive system breaks down complex sugars into simple glucose molecules. On very low carb diets, however, the body is unable to utilize such a fuel. Instead, the liver utilizes the fat present in the body as an energy source, producing “ketones” in the process(2). This is known as “ketosis” – and is the process from where keto diets get their unusual name. These ketone bodies come in three common forms; acetoacetate, beta-hydroxybutyrate and acetone(3). In large quantities they are removed from the body in the urine or through exhalation. Ketones can have quite a characteristic smell; they often make the dieter’s breath smell quite sweet and fruity, quite distinct from typical halitosis. Excessive volumes of acetone, however, can smell rather different. Acetone on the breath is most commonly likened to the smell of nail varnish remover(4). Protein Excess A second possible cause of ketosis breath isn’t directly linked to the breakdown of fat as a fuel source. Instead, it is a side issue caused by typical changes to the diet. As those on keto diets try to minimize the consumption of carbohydrates, so the diet is often filled with other constituents; most typically fat and protein. A diet that is high in protein can have two impacts on breath. Firstly, the breakdown of protein in the body produces ammonia; this can lead to urine or breath smelling particularly strongly. If your breath has started to smell like a cat litter tray while on a ketosis diet then this may well be your culprit! Standard bad breath is most commonly caused by bacteria in the mouth. This bacteria breaks down its food, producing volatile sulphur compounds (“VSCs”). It is interesting to note that studies suggest that the most common source of VSC production is the breakdown specifically of protein, as opposed to other food sources. Higher protein diets, especially in the absence of suitable oral hygiene, can also therefore impact one’s breath. Some advise to normalize this condition are: Drink plenty of water. Rinse your mouth with an anti-bacterial oral rinse. Consider the use of calorie-free and carb-free mints or gum, or use a flavoured oral preparation such as a mint-flavoured breath spray or mouthwash. One of the other suggestion it seems you are already doing. Studies suggest that cleaning the tongue is almost twice as effective as brushing alone at removing bad breath. As a result, investing in a tongue scraper can be a worthwhile exercise. Ketosis often causes increased urination. This diuretic effect is due in part to your glycogen stores being emptied. Also known as “water weight,” one gram of glycogen necessitates around 3 to 4 grams of water in storage. This mass exodus of surplus fluids (aka pee) can cause dry mouth, and increased sensations of thirst. One of the other conditions that I encountered after weight loss surgery was dry mouth. I found that Biotène® Dry Mouth Oral Rinse helped with this condition.

Good luck on your surgery. I will pray for you.