MamaTo3inNH

I choose gastric bypass from the get go. I wanted to extra support of knowing that if I eat something high in sugar my grouch pouch would let me know by dumping syndrome. I never want to eat sugar foods again. Plus gastric bypass is the gold standard! That was enough for me. however I do think it should be a personal choice and weigh all of the pros and cons. I am nine weeks post op and have lost 62 pounds! Not a single regret!

I am so excited. We are headed to Hawaii on Friday with my hubby, son and granddaughter. We are taking a seven day cruise.
I am 5 sizes smaller than my last vacation which was in August. That was the vacation where I could not keep up with my family and they would not go do things without me. I felt so terrible that I could barely walk off the cruise ship in to town and could maybe make in an hour, two at the most. By the end of that trip I was exhausted, had swollen ankles and could barely make it home.
Now, I can RUN up the stairs, walk for miles and have more energy than I have in the last 20 years!
We have a hike through the national volcano park scheduled along with many other excursions. I absolutely cannot wait.
And yes, I will even put on a bathing suit even though I still have along way to go.
These were all the things I dreamed about when I started this journey. I just wanted better health so I would be able to enjoy life and my family to it fullest. 4 short months and my dreams are coming true.
How about you, what do you dream about?

Yes, what you are experiencing is normal. As you introduce more Protein into your system you will actually find yourself constipated. I would almost prefer the diarhea. I still find my pouch sensitive to ice Water and liquids that are too hot. For me I prefer cool or room temperature liquids.
I am told that it will go away after some time.

After surgery, I became lactose intolerant. In other words, when I drank a cup of milk, it was instant diarrhea. That went away after a couple months.
Also the part of your stomach that processes fats and sugars has been cut away during the surgery. According to my nutritionist, your intestines will realize what is happening and evolve and begin to uptake fats and sugars. This transformation takes several months to happen. So it is important to avoid fats and sugars during the early months after surgery because they can also lead to diarrhea.

I don't know if this is old news or not but I found a new portable food that is perfect for us! It's a StarKist tuna packet that I buy at Walmart for $1 a piece and comes in a variety of flavors including hickory smoked, sweet and spicy, lemon pepper and my personal favorite - herb and garlic.
They range from 16-19g of Protein and 90-110 calories a packet. They definitely cure hunger pains but won't fill you up to the brim. I love these as a mid-day snack straight out of the bag or accompanying something for lunch.
I personally like the herb and garlic the best because it isn't dry and I don't feel the need to add anything to it, unlike the sweet and spicy which is pretty dry and needs mayo which is terribly unhealthy. I tried adding avocado instead but I didn't love it.
They're just the best! Hope this helps someone else fill their lunch bag like it helped me :]
 

Well i made it. My surgery was on Jan 28th. Beginning weight before all this was 512 lbs. Day of surgery my weight was 486lbs. Surgery took about an hr and a half. Waking up after surgery was painful. I felt this pressure under my breastbone, very uncomfortable. That night i felt nauseous and started spitting up blood. I was like that until early next morning. I finally felt like i let it all out and that uncomfortable pressure was gone for the most part. The nurse contacted my Dr but he said it was normal. I hsdn't heard any body mention that in any of the topics. I was kinda freakin out. The next day i felt better. Still in a bit of pain and couldn't drink very much but kept trying. Had to stay an extra day in the hospital. But thank goodness i was released to go home today. Feeling much better. My first walk on day of surgery went really well. Day after it went better but you gotta remember to take it easy and not over do it. Choose a comfortable pace. You do not want to hurt yourself. Your body is healing. Originally i was told about 5 incisions would be made but it ended up being 8 for me. Been sipping Water and Protein Shake since i got home. Went for a couple short walks after being home as well. Excited for this recovery period to pass and continue my weightloss journey. I have an awesome support group. My friends and family are awesome. I will be checking in soon again. Tslk to you all soon.

@@MamaTo3inNH
sorry for your pain newbie
as others have said - you possibly/probably ate too fast
here is some kleenex
wipe your pretty eyes
and blow your nose
now, don't you feel better?
"accidentally" i have been in the same situation
i lay down - fell asleep quickly cuz i was hurting,
woke up 1/2 hour later
all better
back to my "normal" self
i frequently still use baby spoons and forks
definitely helps me/you slow down with your eating
eating toooo fast??
KNOCK IT OFF
good luck
kathy

Before you have gastric bypass they warn you of a few things.
1. You can gain the weight back
2. Alcoholism is a possible side effect after surgery
3. food that used to fill you up or make you sick won't do that as much after awhile
4. Smoking cigarettes causes ulcers post-op
My mom always says no matter how much I'm warned - I've always had to learn every lesson the hard way. Gastric bypass was that way too.
My story is just a warning for all you newbies out there - all the stuff they warn you about is real.
Hey, I'm Kaylee and I had my surgery when I was 20 years old on June 11, 2012. I was 280lbs. In less than 8 months I got down to 150 lbs, 130lbs lost.
For the first 9 months I was insanely strict. If it wasn't a lean Protein or a non-starchy vegetable I wouldn't eat it. Couldn't pay me to eat a carb. While this is good health wise and I'm sure made my surgical team sing - it was the start of my inevitable failure. I was so strict that after awhile all the foods I had denied myself even a nibble of became so enticing I felt ravenous.
My first screw up was picking up smoking again almost a year after I quit. Pure stupidity, I was just bored and thought I could do it socially, wrong. Got ulcers and have had them for over a year and a half. Without acid reducer pills I'm in a lot of pain.
Breaking that golden rule led me to break other rules because hey, I already screwed up right? I started having those forbidden foods I had not allowed myself to even look at for such a long time. Bites turned into mouth fulls turned into plate fulls.
Then came introducing wine back into my life. I suffer from depression and when you don't have to put effort into getting drunk anymore it is so appealing. I fought depression with wine and started drinking every single night - going through a box of wine every 3 days or so.
I then moved from sunny south Florida, away from all my friends, to cold Missouri in the middle of January 2014. I fell into a deep depression and my drinking got worse, and since I was waiting for all my stuff to arrive in the moving truck I lived off hot pockets, Bagels, pretty much anything I could toss in a microwave or toaster. I ate crap, drank daily and smoked like a chimney for pretty much the entire year of 2014, all the while pretending my scale didn't exist and convincing myself my clothes were shrinking and I wasn't getting bigger. I was too ashamed and terrified to look at the scale.< /p>
I finally got up the courage to face what I had done to myself the start of January 2015 and got on the scale. 204lbs. In the span of one year I had gained 54lbs. I felt disgusted with myself and cried for days and days and beat myself up emotionally. I failed everyone, especially myself.
But nothing good comes from beating yourself up over what you cannot take back. I can't take back living on bagels and wine for an entire year. What I can do is fight to get back to 150lbs though.
So on January 12 I quit smoking, quit drinking every day and have reduced it to just Saturday's with my boyfriend at home versus my downtown-bad-habit-factory, and have gotten close to back to basics but allow myself some freedom - for example for lunch on days I work out I let myself have my chicken and veggies inside a wrap [carbs are my crack] instead of depriving myself of anything I want.
I want very badly to get back down to 150lbs... I'm terrified I never will and have somehow ruined this "one and only chance" I've made up in my head. Like I had this wonderful gift of being thin and now that I messed it up I'll never get it back, but I know that type of thinking won't help me. So I'm going to keep going and hopefully someday get back to it.
If you've actually made it this far, thank you, I really needed to get this horrible guilt off my chest. I feel like an absolute failure but getting it out helps.
So advice to all you n00bs:
1. Yes you can gain it back, I'm an example.
2. Becoming an alcoholic is a real risk you need to watch out for post op.
3. You will be surprised how much food you can get into your body if you really try
4. If you quit smoking never pick it up again, I didn't even have a desire to smoke and managed to become a pack a day smoker again within a month. Not even one after you quit.
And most of all - NEVER EVER stop using your scale. I ignored what I was doing for so long and that's how I ended up gaining the amount I did. If I had just looked a couple months before and saw 175lbs I would've done what I'm doing now back then. I would have never let it get this bad if I had just swallowed my pride and looked. I'm lucky that I caught myself when I did because I was headed towards being morbidly obese again.
Good luck to you all - try not to make all the mistakes I did.
Here's to hoping I can look like this again

Hi Everyone! My name is Christopher and I currently reside on the Southside of Atlanta in McDonough, GA. I just had Gastric Bypass surgery on 1/27/15 at Emory Johns Creek Hospital. The staff at the hospital was just awesome... they took excellent care of me and I couldn't be happier with the hospital staff and especially my surgeon - Dr. Christopher Hart of Atlanta Bariatric. It's also very important to recognize the people behind the scenes who you normally do not see - the surgery scheduler, the insurance coordinator, etc.
I am 42 years old (born on leap year) and my starting weight was 355 lbs. I am on the stage one diet which consists on clear broths, nectar Protein drinks, sugar-free popsicles, sugar-free Jello, etc.
I joined Bariatric Pal because I would like to make some new friends and be a part of a support group.

Today is my one year Surgiversary!!!
Starting weight aug 2013 250 lbs
Surgery weight jan 2014 210 lbs
Current weight 144 lbs.  

I know. It's a horrible feeling but eventually you have to eat real food. You just have to go insanely snail's pace slow. Glad you're feeling better!

That ball you felt is over eating.

This may sound crazy, and maybe it is, but I find if I walk around or at least stay sitting up I digest faster... Gravity maybe? Anyways try not to lay down, it may help.

Stacking. You ate too fast and it's staked up in your esophagus. You have to eat super slow or this happens. It's very uncomfortable and the only thing that helps is walking it out and waiting for it to pass. Could be a very uncomfortable few hours.

1/2 cup of mashed potatoes is too much. Total should be 3/8 cup. This is 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoon. You'll feel better. I've done and suffered the same way....
Goodluck
Judy

I agree I was told to wait 30 min after a meal to drink .

I haven't gone in yet (1/19!) but have only told hubs and the kids (they are 12, 8 & 3), my besties (one of whom had the sleeve in September), my brothers and SIL, my parents, my mom's boyfriend, and a few of my hockey mom friends (one of whom has the band) I will most likely never tell my in laws. My MIL is miss gossip and I don't trust her as far as I can throw her, and the whole lot of them are Judgey McJudgersons. God forbid I have some major complication and hubby needs a hand with the kids he has permission to tell his mom, but I would (literally God forbid) need to be on my deathbed for that to happen.
You tell whomever you few comfortable with. Tell everyone, tell no one. It's your journey, your choice

How are you doing, other than burping? Lol;-) I had a lot of trouble with burping at first. My dietician actually had me use a straw to help with it. So I did for a couple days until I got better at swallowing less air. She said I had bad technique.

I remember having this problem in the first couple of weeks as well. Those darn burps can really be uncomfortable. It does have everything to do with swallowing air. Mine definately got better over time.'
Good luck!

I had constant burping for a little over a month but it has subsided. I was told NO straw.

Omg I'm so excited! Thanks everyone!

I love TV! How to Get Away With Murder, walking dead, switched at birth, marvel's agents of shield, goldbergs, breaking bad (currently rewatching on Netflix), Fargo (can't wait for season 2!!), South Park, tosh.0, deadliest catch, incredible dr. pol, survivor, the amazing race, Hannibal, hmmm.... I'm sure there are a thousand more

It is funny how different doctors tell you different things. I was told that both a Protein shake and milk actually turns to a solid once it hits your stomach. This is why they keep you fuller longer than Water.
Milk is actually is great as a snack because it gives you great Protein and keeps you full between meals.
My team has told me to definitely use the 30/30 rule when drinking your Protein shakes and milk.

I'm still pre op but I asked my nutritionist this exact question and she said that in the very beginning when you're only on liquids, you don't have to wait at all. But when those liquids shakes become "meals" intermixed with solid meals then I'm supposed to wait.
Everyone says something different. :-o

My doc said no need, it's all drinking not eating. Only need to wait between liquids and solid food