judy1234

Generally your body will tell you when a sip of Water or Protein shake is too much. The three most important elements after surgery are fluids, Protein and Vitamins. In the beginning after surgery you may find it difficult to meet the Fluid and protein requirement. This is because your stomach is in a major heal mode. So if you can't make it right from the get-go keep trying and you will get there. Good luck on your surgery.
After surgery I found that I could no longer swallow medium to large Vitamins and pills. It took about 2 months before I was able to again. So this is common so you might want to purchase a pill splitter and pill crusher prior to surgery.
After surgery, I became lactose intolerant. Again after about 2 months this condition disappeared. The problem is that some Protein shakes have lactose. This also takes one of the options of using milk away from the equation.
After surgery, I found that my taste buds changed significantly. Even Water tasted bad. It tasted extremely chlorinated. So I found it hard to drink straight water. So although it is good to be prepared, sometimes in real life this does not work. Just be very open to experimentation.

I had RNY gastric bypass 33 months ago. The directions that I received following surgery were:
0-4 weeks post-op Full liquids
Weeks 5-8 post-op pureed Foods
Weeks 9 and beyond Solid Foods
When I hit the solid stage I found that some foods, especially meats were hard to eat by themselves. They sat heavy in my stomach for a long time. But I found that if I mixed the meats into chili or Soups, they went down a lot easier. I referred to these foods as soft foods. So if you bite into a steak soon and find that it is hard on your stomach, then you are consuming a hard food.
Soft foods are as much about food preparation than the ingredients. If you want to consume chicken breast, then put it on a low boil for a few hours and add a bouillon cube. Cook it until it comes apart gently with a fork. It is now soft enough to eat. Soft foods are also produced by mixing food groups together. Make a hamburger and try to eat it. Hard food. But take the same hamburger meat and use it in chili, it is now soft on your stomach.

All Soups, fresh or canned(no sugar added) fruits w/o skin, Beans with melted cheese, mashed potatoes, eggs all kinds, lean ground meats in gravies or sauces(low sugar), applesauce, yogurt, sugar free pudding or Jello etc. I'm sure there is a bunch more too that I haven't tried. I'm new too.
I tried to have some meatloaf with a little gravy on it but I think I'll stick with slow cooker things like Soups and chili and greek yogurts are my food choices mostly other than drinking 2 premier Protein shakes as well. They sit better with me. It's a lot better to be able to chew my food. I was tired of drinking my food all day. Happy Chewing!

Things have been okay at work, it's hard to be back. I feel like my job is lackluster now. It's like my mind is thinking I'm turning into a new me so I need new stuff like a new job, don't ask. I've been on a shoe buying binge since my feet shrank since surgery so now I fit in regular, stylish shoes, no more wide width! Bad when I have an Aldo outlet store in my city.
My dad's much better. Being discharged Saturday morning and than heart surgery 3 weeks from then. I'll have to take more FMLA for that, but he's worth it. I'm his only person. Saturday night a birthday party at a banquet hall.... somehow need to pretend I'm drinking or something lol. Plain Water and I'll say it's vodka!

I will pray that your surgery goes well.
Make sure you have taken a good before photograph so you will have something to compare it to after surgery.
Consider obtaining a pill crusher and pill splitter. Also have a full range of small measuring spoons/cups to measure meal volume.
After surgery it is important to get up and walk every couple hours. This will help to make your recovery process go smoother. In the hospital ask for an overhead trapeze bar above your bed to help you get up out of bed a little easier.
Your taste buds may change after surgery, so don't stock up too much on food until you arrive home. The key on Protein shakes is to experiment until you find one that you can tolerate. You don't need to love it, just tolerate it.

You guys! I'm one week away from having surgery! (GBP RNY) I feel like I've had months to prepare, I've read every forum post, I've scoured every Pinterest board, I've read every detail about Protein, macros, etc in preparation, but now that I'm 7 DAYS AWAY (OMG!) I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed!
Does anyone have any advice? What should I stock in my house for the week back? What have you all found that was helpful for transitioning back to work? What did you bring to the hospital? I feel like I've been studying for months but now that it's so close, my mind is going blank!
HELP!!!
Also OMG I'M SO EXCITED!!!! :) :)

I'm 6 weeks out and I still don't want to eat. I drink plenty though, and therein lies my issue - it's not that I don't WANT to eat, it's that I don't want to give up my Water for an hour and a half 4x a day. Plus on the odd day that I do eat a reasonable amount of solid food, I don't get nearly enough hydration. Seems to be one or the other for me right now, and given the choice, I'd rather drink than eat. Every time.

Sounds like you're completely normal. Not only are you still healing but the part of your stomach that makes the hunger hormones is no longer hooked up to the rest of your digestive tract. Now we do what people wish they could do: eat to live and nourish our bodies, not live to eat because we enjoy the food so much.
Keep on keeping on.

Hi,
At 268 you are unlikely to have problems if you buy a good quality bike like Trek, Specialized, Giant, etc. I weighed a little more than you and never had issues. However, my husband is a big guy and he found he would break spokes until he got the got the bike shop to upgrade his wheels to ones with stronger rims.
Congratulations on your new bike; riding is a great way to get fit and a lot of fun!

As long as you have not created discomfort you are just fine, you will know if you have drank/ate too much. I am amazed that you are able to get in that much Water, that is a HUGE accomplishment! Keep up the good work!

I think you are ok. I can't imagine being able to chew Jello 30 times anyway! Just go slow and be mindful of your eating, you are going to do great!

I agree. I've also encountered many people who were super obese before and decided to to do the sleeve instead and had a lot of success. It's one of the reasons I decided to go with the sleeve. Although I'm not super obese, I figure if it works well for many super obese people...then there's no reason it can't work well for me. Although, I know everyone is different. I've also met people who weren't that big starting off and did the gastric bypass and that also worked for them. That's what makes deciding so difficult. My statement earlier was just an example for why gastric bypass might be a better choice for someone else... of course weight is only one element, and there are many other components that goes into the final personal decision.

I had a surgeon explain the difference between the two very effectively and I was set on having the sleeve, then I met with the surgeon (I moved) that actually did my surgery and he recommended the bypass due to some of my medical conditions.

I am two weeks in. I think you are fine. You would have definitely noticed if something was wrong. You're doing great
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I think almost everything's been said, but I just want to add my two cents because my doctor also totally left it up to me. I took a look at the comorbidities I had -- GERD, long-standing diabetes, severe sleep apnea, high blood pressure, obesity-related asthma -- and Googled which procedure had the best success rate at curing these conditions or putting them into remission. I tried to pay attention to research studies or abstracts where I could access them rather than peoples' experience, though I looked at some of that too. I ultimately decided on the bypass because it had the better result with overcoming diabetes. I am in my mid fifties and having a hot body was not on my list of priorities -- health was really my only focus. So that is one method that might help you decide -- you won't get most peer reviewed journal articles on the web, but you can find a surprising number of abstracts.
Good luck and whatever you choose, give it your all and don't look back! Either procedure can help you get to your goal.

As someone who has not had bypass surgery, I'd say you're fine. The Water isn't spilling out from your fingertips, you're not in pain, you haven't vomited, etc., etc. From here on, though, do be mindful of your intake and how you take it in. Use any little trick to help you remember. Example, put a kitchen timer or alarm clock or shoe on the kitchen table or any place you'll notice it easily, but don't usually place the item. You wouldn't even have to use the device. Its being noticeable in an unaccustomed place will keep you on path.

I used to bike a lot B4 gaining more weightI used my road bike with no problems at 260
The seat will depend on what kind and distance riding you plan to do.
For short rides on comfort bike the larger seat is OK.
If you plan on road biking and longer rides, you will want a seat sized to you sit bones. If this is your direction, see a helpfull bike shop to guide you.
Either way--enjoy--I love cycling
Sent from my SM-T310 using the BariatricPal App

I had surgery on Tuesday and honestly on Thursday I was feeling hunger. In a way I felt ok about it Bc I felt somewhat normal as weird as that sounds. But I am home and I get small spurts of hunger from time to time as well. I can honestly drink something or have a small snack and I am ok. I live in Germany and had my surgery here. I found it very weird that as soon as they sent me home they said I can eat puréed foods and anything I can chew very well for the next 3 weeks. I was very surprised seeing that I see everyone was put on a strict liquid diet for the first 2 weeks and then puréed food. But I still don't take it over board but I do curb my hunger in between with a couple sips of some type of liquid or drink and I am fine.
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I had crazy head hunger the first week home. I thought I was going to lose my mind if I didn't have a taco. Of course I couldn't eat anything even close to that, but I noticed that whenever head hunger set in, I would have some Protein Drink and that would make the crazy hunger thing subside. As time goes on, it works better and better. I start thinking about how much I want a hamburger, for instance, so I go to the kitchen and eat Greek yoghurt and I don't think hamburger for weeks. I'm so thrilled it works so well.

I woke up about 2am with a bit of pain in lower left ab area. I took some maalox and tried to get back to sleep. By 4 am I was vomiting and the pain was radiating around my back and across the whole abdominal area. I had it in my mind I was food poisoned because I took a chance on Chinese food that I normally won't eat. But I ate about 530pm and woke at 2 am so that seemed strange.
By 5 am, in one of the lulls in the pain spasms I woke my son up to take me to the emergency room. I had another bad spasm and couldn't get dressed, so we left about 45 minutes later.
By the time we get there, I can barely walk and continuously dry heaving. They get me in pretty fast - the pain med made me high, but didn't touch the pain. The zophram reduced the naseau. By the time I got back from the ct scan I was in screaming pain, dry heaving again and the shift had changed. New nurse guessed my diagnosis and switched me to a strong anti inflammatory pain med and treated the vomiting symptom.. I felt better within about 10 minutes! Thank God. My pain was like a 9 if unmedicated childbirth is like a 12 (on a scale of 1-10). Really I felt as though I might die, or worse yet that I wouldn't and have to suffer so.
So anyhoo..you guessed it, really big kidney stone, way up high. Follow up with urologist since they don't think this baby will pass unassisted. Great.
Current problem is that an NSAID is needed but not good for us. Called my lovely bariatric practice and have a plan of attack on how to protect my tummy for short term use of NSAID.
My luck has not been 100 percent good in 2016 so far....
Sent from my KFJWI using the BariatricPal App

@@judy1234
Thank you! I am not sure what about chips is appealing, flavor or texture, but I will give these a try! That's a lot of Protein in one baggie!

Hiya,
I only had bypass done at the start of February & started at 250 lbs. I too have a heart condition (Dilated Cardiomyopathy) and was given the all clear from my Cardiologist. I queried whether bypass would hinder absorption of medications and he said no. There's still a tiny bit in my brain that worries that it will and I will end up sick again. All I can do is remain positive. I also worry about malnutrition, but I already was malnourished with the garbage I ate.
My surgeon suggested bypass to me because I'm more of a 'sweet eater' than a general 'grazer'. I agreed because it has the operation has a long history and there's no way I'm letting anyone remove most of my stomach!! He said stomach tissue is important for grafts in the case of Esophageal cancer. Not saying it's going to happen- but I like the option.
Just my 2 cents (from a noob).

I think almost everything's been said, but I just want to add my two cents because my doctor also totally left it up to me. I took a look at the comorbidities I had -- GERD, long-standing diabetes, severe sleep apnea, high blood pressure, obesity-related asthma -- and Googled which procedure had the best success rate at curing these conditions or putting them into remission. I tried to pay attention to research studies or abstracts where I could access them rather than peoples' experience, though I looked at some of that too. I ultimately decided on the bypass because it had the better result with overcoming diabetes. I am in my mid fifties and having a hot body was not on my list of priorities -- health was really my only focus. So that is one method that might help you decide -- you won't get most peer reviewed journal articles on the web, but you can find a surprising number of abstracts.
Good luck and whatever you choose, give it your all and don't look back! Either procedure can help you get to your goal.

I think almost everything's been said, but I just want to add my two cents because my doctor also totally left it up to me. I took a look at the comorbidities I had -- GERD, long-standing diabetes, severe sleep apnea, high blood pressure, obesity-related asthma -- and Googled which procedure had the best success rate at curing these conditions or putting them into remission. I tried to pay attention to research studies or abstracts where I could access them rather than peoples' experience, though I looked at some of that too. I ultimately decided on the bypass because it had the better result with overcoming diabetes. I am in my mid fifties and having a hot body was not on my list of priorities -- health was really my only focus. So that is one method that might help you decide -- you won't get most peer reviewed journal articles on the web, but you can find a surprising number of abstracts.
Good luck and whatever you choose, give it your all and don't look back! Either procedure can help you get to your goal.

@@katanne, before you spend a few hundred dollars on the stranger to do your psych evaluation, you may want to find out from your medical plan and your surgeon whether an evaluation/statement/recommendation from your own shrink will serve the purpose. When I was in the pre-surgery stage, my own therapist, a psychologist, wrote a seven-sentence letter to say in essence that I was psychologically fit for surgery. No extra charge.
I've begun to wonder if surgeon's who insist on an eval for their own files are doing so to protect themselves from potential malpractice claims. Does anyone know whether malpractice insurers may be requiring something along this line? So many BP posts describe lengthy questionnaires and grilling that it seems a cottage industry has sprung up.