James Marusek

Not allowed fizzy. I found flavored water, such as Crystal Light, was a good alternative. Also I discovered Bai drink was good. I buy it by the case at Sam's club when it is on sale. Just don't get fizzy kind.

Perhaps this is the one you are referring to: https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/403497-40-of-cancers-linked-to-obesity/ The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has identified specific types of cancers that are related to obesity and overweight: meningioma, multiple myeloma, adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, and cancers of the thyroid, post-menopausal breast, gallbladder, stomach, liver, pancreas, kidney, ovaries, uterus, colon and rectum (colorectal). Many of these, including colon and rectal, pancreatic, breast, liver, and ovarian are amongst the deadliest types of cancers.

Welcome to the forum. I had RNY gastric bypass surgery over 4 years ago. Both RNY and DS requires taking a lot of vitamins and supplements daily. A DS patient is required to take a little more than RNY, but for the most part, both take quite a few. So these are my observations: At the beginning the process of taking vitamins was somewhat overwhelming. it took several months before I had developed a system that worked for me. After that it wasn't too bad. It is important to put a 2 hour separation between the vitamins that contain iron and those that contain calcium. So in my case I found that what works best for me is to take the iron supplements just before bedtime. I put my vitamins in a weekly pill container. I have one container for the morning and one for the night. And I use a very small glass bowl for my calcium supplements. I put my calciums in the bowl in the morning and take them throughout the day a couple at a time. If I am up and about I put my calciums in a ziplock bag and carry them with me. I did not find the cost of these vitamins or supplements were excessive. The surgery drove many of my health conditions into remission. So the cost of the vitamins and supplements were offset by the cost of the prescription drugs that I was no longer taking. Immediately after surgery, I discovered that I lost my ability to swallow large tablets. So I had to crush or split many of these vitamins. This was a major pain. But then about the 2 month mark, I was able to swallow again, and all was right in the world.

Will do.

Welcome and let us know if we can be of any help.

After my RNY gastric bypass surgery I became lactose intolerant. Therefore whenever I drank a glass of milk, it quickly lead to an upset stomach and diarrhea. This condition lasted two months and then went away. Dumping Syndrome is experienced mostly by RNY patients but some sleeve patients can also experience this condition. Recognize the pre-triggers and stop eating the moment you encounter them in the future. The pre-triggers can be hiccups, sneezing, excessive mucous, a change in the way food taste, and others. A runny nose is a pre-trigger. Individuals are different and their pre-triggers vary. Are you drinking decaf coffee?

Ran across an article on kettlebell exercise this morning that seemed interesting. [It was written by Erik Lief which reminds me of Lief Erikson who was a Norse explorer from Iceland - He was the first known European to have discovered continental North America (excluding Greenland), before Christopher Columbus. Hey, you can't go wrong with a Norse explorer. Anyways in a strange disconnected universe, these two individuals are probably blood related and therefore a reliable source.] According to the article the kettlebell is excellent at toning muscles all over, and it burns calories quickly and efficiently. And its use produces cardio and strength benefits at the same time. "[T]he average study participant burned approximately 20 calories per minute during a typical kettlebell workout," "The kettlebell swing is the foundation for many other kettlebell exercises, and it simultaneously firms your butt and your abs," In addition to working multiple muscles at once, what also makes the kettlebell better than conventional weights is the movement involved. You see, while individual dumbells require that you to avoid using momentum to get the benefit of each lift, kettlebells call upon the user to incorporate momentum into the task. And so while this "cheating" detracts from benefits being sought by the dumbell lifter, it actually aids the kettlebell swinger. https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/10/31/oh-yes-kettlebell-guess-what-you-should-try-it-12065 So I guess I will give this a go. Went to Amazon - found out they come in different sizes - weighed a filled orange jug which yielded 10 pounds - that gave me an approximate weight I could easily handle- after all I am 69 - ordered a 5 lb. and a 10 lb. kettle bell - that gave me free shipping - otherwise shipping would be almost as much as the cost of the kettlebells. One of the advantage is this is a good at home exercise.

Good luck on your surgery and let us know if we can be of any help.

I used Quest protein bars. They have a lot of protein, low sugar, a variety of interesting flavors and have fiber. Fiber is important because one of the problems that arises from time to time is constipation.

There are probably a few points. One of the reasons why I had the surgery was that as I got older my metabolism began to self destruct. I adopted a regular exercise routine and dieted and still gained weight. So generally insurance plans in the U.S. place us on a 6 month diet and exercise program. Most of these plans do not mandate the percentage of weight to be lost pre-op but rather that we attempt it. I wonder how many people on this board lost 15% of their original weight during the pre-op stage. If this is adopted as a standard, how many would fail this test. And then suppose your knees gave out in the interim but because your BMI was above 30, that meant no knee surgery. It would be hard to do the exercise part of the program if you couldn't even walk. Also the second point is that a BMI of 30 is a low number. My insurance plan says "Surgical treatment of obesity (bariatric surgery) is covered only if: clinical records support a body mass index of 40 or greater (or 35-40 when there is at least one co-morbidity related to obesity). Data published as a part of the World Health Organisation (WHO) study in 2014 indicated that 28.1% of adults in the United Kingdom were recognised as clinically obese with a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 30. That is an awful high percentage of people to deny elective surgery to. Weight loss surgery can solve the obesity problem. If the health system really had the best interest of the people at heart, it would promote this health option by providing a carve-out.

In reviewing my discharge instructions under When to call your surgeon? One of the items listed was Chest pain, rapid heartbeat and/or dizziness. This caution is probably driven by the threat of a pulmonary embolism. 50% of all patients with blood clots will develop a pulmonary embolism. The symptoms of this condition are Sudden Shortness of Breath or Chest Pain with Breathing. According to the internet: Our bodies react to surgery like any other injury. The healing process can increase blood clotting which could lead to an embolism. There is a 1% chance of blood clots occurring in the legs after surgery. This is usually prevented by giving the patient a blood thinner before and after surgery. Using elastic surgical stockings, which compress the legs and keep the blood flowing faster in the veins, is another way of preventing clotting. Keeping the operation as short as possible, and getting the patient up and walking quickly thereafter can also prevent clotting. Occasionally these blood clots can break off and go to the heart or lungs. This is referred to as a pulmonary embolism and is one of the potential causes of mortality after these operations. This risk is less than 1%. Here is another link that might be of help. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pulmonary-embolism/symptoms-causes/syc-20354647

There are two phases to weight loss surgery. These are the Weight Loss phase and the Maintenance phase. They require different strategies. Weight loss is very dependent on the type of surgery you had. I had RNY and slid into the Maintenance phase at around 7 months. Weight loss was very quick and very rapid. Sleeve patients generally lose weight at a much slower pace and many do not slide into Maintenance until a couple years after surgery. So since it appears that you had sleeve, be a little careful comparing your weight loss with others who had different surgeries.

Prior to surgery I had diabetes and was taking two types of prescription medicines to control it. But even with these medicines it was still not properly controlled. I had RNY surgery. Two days after surgery, when I left the hospital, I was off all my blood pressure meds and I haven't taken any since. It was astonishing how quick my diabetes went into remission. For years I had been struggling with this disease, pricking my finger each and every day, and then it was gone.

Great Britain is implementing policy changes that could preclude the availability of weight loss surgery for the obese. An article this morning read: I always look to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) for our possible futures, at least concerning healthcare. CNN highlights an interesting development on the other side of the pond; elective surgery will be withheld from current smokers (no surprise there) and the obese as measured by a BMI of 30 or more (for a 5’10” male 210 pounds). And this ban is permanent. https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/11/02/no-more-surgery-patients-unhealthy-behavior-12077 This policy is illogical unless it contains a carveout for weight loss surgery.

Here are some past threads dealing with fibromyalgia and bariatric surgery: https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/400049-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-fibromyalgia/ https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/394106-fibromyalgia-and-sleeve/ https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/12326-anyone-else-have-fibromyalgia/ https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/380313-has-anyone-been-diagnosed-with-fibromyalgia-before-having-wls/ https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/227624-fibromyalgia-and-knee-joint-pain/ https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/275327-rheumatoid-arthritis-and-fibromyalgia/ https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/243911-fibromyalgia-and-vsg/ https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/360515-vitamins/

Welcome and let us know if we can be of any help.

The directions I received after my RNY gastric bypass surgery was: First 4 weeks following surgery - (2 ounces per meal) - full liquids. Weeks 5-8 - (2 ounces per meal) - pureed foods. Weeks 9-15 - (3 ounces per meal) - solid foods. Months 4-6 - (4 ounces per meal) - solid foods. Months 7-9 - (5 ounces per meal) - solid foods. Months 10-12 - (6 ounces per meal) - solid foods. Months 12-18 - (7 ounces per meal) - solid foods. 18 months and beyond - (8 ounces per meal) - solid foods. 1 ounce = 2 tablespoons = 1/8 cup

Congratulations on your NSV.

This morning, I read a humorous article titled Man Boobs From Hoppy Beer? An 'Earth Poet' Says Yes, Science Says No. https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/11/01/man-boobs-hoppy-beer-earth-poet-says-yes-science-says-no-12061 But it does bring up an interesting topic. For several decades prior to my RNY gastric bypass surgery, I had enlarged breast. As a man this is rather embarrassing condition, especially when I go to the YMCA for a swim. According to this article When the enlarged breasts are a result of obesity it is called pseudogynecomastia. I am now over 4 years post-op and my breasts have returned closer to their normal size. Has anyone else noticed this effect?

Congratulations. I like your shoes.

One of the reasons why I had surgery was because of my mom. Her overweight led to diabetes and it took a terrible toll on her life. I was following in her footsteps. I became obese, developed high blood pressure and diabetes. I had surgery over 4 years ago and it corrected these problems along with others. So I am very pleased. I am 69 years old or maybe I should say 69 years young.

For the first year after surgery, my surgeon had me take Prilosec each day so that my stomach would heal properly. Since you said that your doctor stopped you from taking it after 3 months, I am not sure this is a hard and fast requirement. I am over 4 years post-op and I discontinued Prilosec 3 years ago and all is fine. The transition to solid foods (such as steak and chicken) can be rough. I found that softer foods such as chili and soups went down much easier. They also had a lot more flavor. I have included some recipes at the end of the following article. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf

Good luck on your upcoming surgery and remember to have a good photograph of yourself prior to surgery, so that you have something to compare it with after surgery. Many times we are blind to our obesity. We do not see ourselves. Therefore when the weight begins to drop off rather dramatically, we question if this is really happening. Photographs are a good visualization of our success. Many people carry a before and after photo with them, just to remind themselves of their success.

Congratulations.

Gas pains generally go away in about a week. You will still pass gas at a more frequent rate than pre-surgery, but it will not be painful, just socially unacceptable. Your former stomach was large and stored a lot of gas, your new stomach is smaller and is less able to do so. Remember walking goes a long way towards relieving gas pain. If you don't have a bowel movement during the first week don't be too concerned. Liquids in = liquids out.