DDN

I'm looking for feedback from our members currently using PatchMD vitamin patches. Please let me know if you've gotten your labs back and how they look.

When I switched to the Bariatric Advantage multi Vitamins with Iron, I was in agony from Constipation, so I called my surgeon's office and talked to the nurse. She asked me if I drank caffeinated coffee in the morning pre-surgery. Yes....so she suggested having a 4 oz cup w/ miralax mixed in-apparently caffeinated coffee will "stimulate" the bowels. Also, she suggested a serving of the ORIGINAL Kashi Go Lean(she stressed the original part) several times a week. So twice a week I do the coffee thing, and the Cereal I eat 4 times a week. I haven't had any problems since.

Hey there "hurst143"!
Welcome to the other-side. How was it for you going back to work yesterday? Congrats on not needing got take much pain meds. I only used my meds twice since my surgery last Monday--I like having some sense of control. I return to work on Monday. I'm getting stronger and noticed I didn't need a nap today. Lol.

Question @"SHOTzY*" -- What's giving you the problem with getting in your fluids...is it the constant feeling if fullness? I can certainly understand if that's the case, I'm not used to eating or drinking anything when I feel as full as I do. However, it's no longer uncomfortable to push past the feeling in an effort to get my fluids in. I'm determined because I don't want to end up going back to the hospital as a result it dehydration.
I started keeping a log of my fluids and counting popsicles, broth, Protein drinks, Decaf coffee and Water. I'm still not sure about the decaf and that's why I'm pushing to take in at least 20 more than Doc's recommendation. Plus I get up early and start sipping so I can give myself a break somewhere between 2 and 3 pm. I ordered this "adult-friendly" 16 oz sippy cup from Amazon and it really helps me to sip and not gulp.

Also, I'm learning to drink only what I enjoy. broth doesn't really sit well on my stomach, so tea has become my replacement. Also, Mio flavor enhancer with my smart Water works much better, for me, than sugar free kool aid and crystal light. The easier it sits with my new pouch, the easier it is to get it down. One last thing, I'm using Almond Breeze for my nectar and unjury Protein Drinks and I really enjoy them. I'm not experiencing anything strange, thank God. Try different thinks and see what really works. I only had 2-days of liquid pre-op and in the profound words of a BariPal Senior Member @"JamesMaruael" "I really need to stay in a happy place", especially during a 17-day liquid phase post-op that's required by my Doc.
Finally, this combo has been awesome:
-4 oz water
-4 oz Almond Breeze
-1 Splenda
-1Chai French vanilla Tea Bag brewed for 7 mins
 
Try different things and see what's gonna help you reach your goal. Praying that it gets easier for you.

Hey Pedro. I'm also glad to hear that you have been discharged and that all went well. Welcome to the losers bench. Honestly, if I were you I would think twice about going back to work next week, it at all possible. I'm so glad I took off the week of and the week after surgery. My energy levels are so very low and my fluids are around 70 oz's and I'm getting in 60 grams of Protein. I'm going to try and start the Vitamins tomorrow--I need a pep in my step. Still no significant amount of pain, just sore, but extremely tired. Just something for you to think about.

I had my RYN yesterday (Feb. 8th) at 8am and my wife said it took about an hour. They woke me up asking me to take deep breathes and asked if I needed more pain meds. I didn't feel like I did, but agreed just to stay ahead of the pain.
I'm sore from the incisions, but pain was definitely no worse than my two meniscus repairs or tonsillectomy surgery. Clearing the lungs by using the Airlife tube and coughing has gone fairly well. Swabbing my mouth with disposable swabs and ice Water has been interesting.
All-in-all, my experience has not been nearly as bad as I thought. I walked once last night and I didn't feel as though my insides were falling to the ground--I was fine. I can't wait to be cleared by surgeon so I can have catheter and heart monitor removed and my wife and I will walk the halls as much as possible to help relieve the gas pockets. I feel as though I have to pass gas from both ends, but nothing yet.
So far so good.

9 months post-op, RNY, Protein is my main focus then healthy carbs (veggies ) then grains if I have room.
I eat 4 oz max at a meal ...2 oz is dense protein meat usually, 1 oz veggies (carrots ,asparagus , green Beans etc.) and 1 oz grain (quinoa, lentils, chick peas etc.)
A day would go like this
Breakfast - 1/4 cup egg white , 1 oz chicken ,fish, or shrimp, and 1oz of hard cheese. I add 11tbsp salsa for flavoring and make a high protein omelet .
snack - Protein Shake with 2-4 oz of fruit added Frozen berries and or Bananna . I use Body Fortress whey isolate from Walmart.< /p>
Lunch- fish of some kind (tuna, salmon, tilapia whatever is on hand, 2 oz.
Plain Greek yogurt (1oz) , I use it like tartar sauce for my fish
Beans (1oz) chick peas, lentil, kidney beans etc
Supper- chicken or whatever dense protein , ( beef, ham, pork, fish, ) 2 oz.
Veggies raw or cooked, 1 oz. right now I am in asparagus mode
Quinoa (1 oz)
Snack - (slider protein) fruit flavored Greek yogurt cup or 2 oz cottage cheese with 2 oz fruit or veggies cut into it.
This is just my menu for today, it will get me around 600-650 calories Around 95 protein. Around 35 to 40 carbs and 18 -20 sugars depending on your choices.
I very rarely can finish all four oz. so I make sure I eat my protein first then veggies and grains.
I get between 64 - 80 oz. of liquid daily.
Good luck on your journey.

I see. It really is true that every plan developed by Doc's and Dietician's can vary. The one I posted is what my dietician actually gave me once I was discharged from the hospital. Thx for the response...I appreciate it.

Ok this is a recipe I found on MFP and I was jonesing for some cake. So why not try it? The carbs ended up being higher than I wanted, but the calories were lower than I expected. Yours will vary depending on what products you use!
chocolate molten "lava" cake/individual sized - takes about 1 min
Mix 1 TBSP of each:
cocoa powder (I used Swiss Miss hot chocolate no sugar added mix, about 1/2 of the pkg)
flour
sugar (I used Stevia in the Raw)
Add a pinch of salt (very very little) and 2 TBSP of NF milk.
Stir, stir, stir.
Spray a ramekin (or a microwave safe small dish) with non-stick spray.
Pour the batter into it.
Take a piece of sugar free hershey's chocolate (I buy them from the candy section at WalMart), split it in half and push it down in the middle. It said to cover it with the batter, but my bowls were too big, still came out fine!
Microwave for 30-45 seconds depending on your microwave's settings.
Enjoy!
MFP nutritional value for the products that I decided to use/had showed this nutritional value to be: 86 calories/1.8 g fat/1.1 mg cholesterol/169.8 mg sodium/16.6 g carbs/3.1g protein/7.2 g sugar 1.1 g Fiber.< /p>
To me, whenever I'm jonesing for cake or chocolate, THIS was worth it. My son and his friend loved it too Hope you will as well!
Wishing you success on your WLS journeys! xxx

Pedro...hey buddy, so good to hear you are doing so well. I have no complaints either.
As far as exercising, I'm getting in 15 mins of exercise 3x a day and that's about all I can handle at the moment without getting winded. My exercise psychologist asked if I would try and get in 20 mins 3x per day starting next week. I'm certainly going to try...we'll see what happens.
Re the pounds, well I feel as though my weight is falling off slowly as well, but I'm excited about moving from a loose 2XL to a comfortable XL in shirts and sweaters. I'm not buying anything new, I just happen to have various sizes in my closet which range from medium to 2XL. I guess it's almost like shopping, but in my own closet. We will see how the suits, shirts and ties fit as I prepare to return to work. My wife is begging me to try on those items so I don't get frustrated by having the too big look when returning to work. I'm almost nervous to do that, but I have sizes from 44R to 52R in suits and 16 to 18 1/2 in shirts, so I'm thinking I will find something in between sizes that will look presentable. Lol.
Question for ya...when you say you "drink one Protein shake with each meal", what do you mean? Is the shake your meal or have you introduced other foods and having those with the shake?
I return to work Monday as well. I already have an all-day meeting in my calendar. I'm writing out my list of things to do for me and hope I can stay on track with the many things we have to focus on for optimal health.

Pedro...hey buddy, so good to hear you are doing so well. I have no complaints either.
As far as exercising, I'm getting in 15 mins of exercise 3x a day and that's about all I can handle at the moment without getting winded. My exercise psychologist asked if I would try and get in 20 mins 3x per day starting next week. I'm certainly going to try...we'll see what happens.
Re the pounds, well I feel as though my weight is falling off slowly as well, but I'm excited about moving from a loose 2XL to a comfortable XL in shirts and sweaters. I'm not buying anything new, I just happen to have various sizes in my closet which range from medium to 2XL. I guess it's almost like shopping, but in my own closet. We will see how the suits, shirts and ties fit as I prepare to return to work. My wife is begging me to try on those items so I don't get frustrated by having the too big look when returning to work. I'm almost nervous to do that, but I have sizes from 44R to 52R in suits and 16 to 18 1/2 in shirts, so I'm thinking I will find something in between sizes that will look presentable. Lol.
Question for ya...when you say you "drink one Protein shake with each meal", what do you mean? Is the shake your meal or have you introduced other foods and having those with the shake?
I return to work Monday as well. I already have an all-day meeting in my calendar. I'm writing out my list of things to do for me and hope I can stay on track with the many things we have to focus on for optimal health.

I did that as a temporary measure, but I'd still like to actually get notifications. I just want them to actually clear after I go in the app and see whatever it is the notification is for. All other apps clear and this one used to before the update, so the accumulating, never-clearing notifications seem like a flaw.

A very nice treat from the wifey.

Each cup is 4oz of Fluid with great flavor. SF would be a much better option, but this NSA helps to get in the fluids until we find the SF.

@"Heavens2Betsy" Wishing u the best on your recovery. Walking and sipping are gonna be your best friends after surgery and it will get better each passing day. One thing that I didn't know was just how low the energy zaps after being disconnected from the IV....caught me off guard the days following my discharge, but it's getting better. Keep us posted.

Question @"SHOTzY*" -- What's giving you the problem with getting in your fluids...is it the constant feeling if fullness? I can certainly understand if that's the case, I'm not used to eating or drinking anything when I feel as full as I do. However, it's no longer uncomfortable to push past the feeling in an effort to get my fluids in. I'm determined because I don't want to end up going back to the hospital as a result it dehydration.
I started keeping a log of my fluids and counting popsicles, broth, Protein drinks, Decaf coffee and Water. I'm still not sure about the decaf and that's why I'm pushing to take in at least 20 more than Doc's recommendation. Plus I get up early and start sipping so I can give myself a break somewhere between 2 and 3 pm. I ordered this "adult-friendly" 16 oz sippy cup from Amazon and it really helps me to sip and not gulp.

Also, I'm learning to drink only what I enjoy. broth doesn't really sit well on my stomach, so tea has become my replacement. Also, Mio flavor enhancer with my smart Water works much better, for me, than sugar free kool aid and crystal light. The easier it sits with my new pouch, the easier it is to get it down. One last thing, I'm using Almond Breeze for my nectar and unjury Protein Drinks and I really enjoy them. I'm not experiencing anything strange, thank God. Try different thinks and see what really works. I only had 2-days of liquid pre-op and in the profound words of a BariPal Senior Member @"JamesMaruael" "I really need to stay in a happy place", especially during a 17-day liquid phase post-op that's required by my Doc.
Finally, this combo has been awesome:
-4 oz water
-4 oz Almond Breeze
-1 Splenda
-1Chai French vanilla Tea Bag brewed for 7 mins
 
Try different things and see what's gonna help you reach your goal. Praying that it gets easier for you.

Try Biotin toothpaste it keeps your mouth moisten and you teeth clean.

@"Catmom8" I received a month's with of samples of these from my Doc's office...the Dietician mentioned that they can be purchased from Walmart, Walgreens, and costco.

@@sarahbethemails
I eat regular Peanut Butter. I stay away from anything that is reduced fat. Peanut Butter is one of my favorite Snacks. Although I do eat crackers on occasion, I have found the the perfect eating implement for peanut butter is a delicious honey crisp apple. The carbs from an apple are much better for you than the carbs from a cracker and the Apple has natural Fiber.
I measure my peanut butter to ensure I get 1 serving or even a little less than that. And of course I peel my apples because I do not tolerate the skins.
Depending how far out you are, this is a good healthy snack with good Protein and good carbs.
good luck and enjoy!

Praying our surgeons are alert and confident as they perform our surgeries. May God guide them all the way. Our recovery time will be light. I ask all of these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Exercise is a part of the weight loss journey. It sucks, but is a necessity to improve life style. There are plenty of workouts you can do at home. There are also home workouts with tools like resistance bands, kettle bells, etc.
One of the programs I've come across is Exercise Launchpad on Youtube. This is geared towards obese and limited mobility patients.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPJKAG0mknI

After surgery my problem was diarrhea in the beginning. It wasn't until after around 2 months when Constipation became a major issue. I talked about this in an article that I wrote under the subsection titled Constipation. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf According to my Bariatric surgery manual that I received, eating whole apples becomes an option at the 10 month post-op mark. But I was eating them around 4 or 5 months. But there is another option. Applesauce is approved at the 5 week post-op mark but you will need to make this yourself. I found that the best approach to do this is cutting up the apple into slices and removing the core but leaving on the skin. Put these into a blender with a little white grape juice and bend to a consistency of apple sauce. The grape juice should have only natural sugar, no added sugar.

For me, it's more about NOT having that feeling of satisfaction during the post-op liquid stage; but God knows I had the luxury of filling my stomach with tons of satisfying foods over the years, which eventually led to various parts of my body being damaged, thus leading me down the path of RNY-GPS to help with the repair. ???? I'm learning to manage this part of the process too--it's not easy, but I believe it's possible. I keep telling myself that all-around satisfaction will soon come.

Generally during surgery, the patient receives antibiotics to prevent infections from the surgery. This kills not only the bad bacteria but also the good ones. So therefore after surgery it is generally recommended that you restore these colonies in your gut. That is what Probiotics do.
Many people experience Constipation after surgery. Some of this is due to the fact that some patients do not drink enough fluids each day. These are some of the methods individuals have recommended to counter this problem.
* Eating apples with the skin
* Smooth Move Herbal Tea * Prune juice (warmed) * Prunes (4 in the morning and 4 at night) * Magnesium citrate * Insoluble fibers (Garden of Life Raw Fiber or Renew Life Triple Fiber). * Haribo sugar free Gummy Bears * Aerobic Magnesium 07 * Low Fat Bran Muffin (recipe). 80 calories each 1 cup flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon cinnamon 2 cups bran Cereal 1 ¼ cups milk 1 egg ½ tablespoon applesauce optional: banana, berries, mini chocolate chips Bake 400° F for 22 minutes But since you are still within the first 30 days after surgery, some of these options will be currently unavailable to you.

@SHOTzY... Thx so much. Yea, I was that fat kid sitting on the sidelines during PhyEd too. Funny thing though, as much as I dislike working out, I always made sure to keep moving during my adult years, in hopes of not going above a certain weight. It wasn't until after the two knee surgeries, ankle injury, and diagnosis of degenerative disc disease that I felt and became limited with my activity and began to gain past my "never get bigger than this number". I'm so ready to be more active with my 3-year old, enjoy the outside with my wife, and to be a healthier me. I'm trying not to focus on the numbers, but I'm already down from 275 to 250 since my initial consult with the surgeon in December. It makes a big difference for someone who's 5'7. So, whether I'm ready or not, I'm going to have to start thinking about some new clothes. ???????? My wife keeps reminding me that the assistance of the toll hasn't even kicked in...wow that's right, ready or not the weight is coming off.

A very nice treat from the wifey.

Each cup is 4oz of Fluid with great flavor. SF would be a much better option, but this NSA helps to get in the fluids until we find the SF.