theantichick

A lot of times physical cravings are really about nutrient deficiencies. Orange juice is high in potassium and Vitamin C. I'd suspect potassium before C because it takes longer for a C deficiency to cause a physical problem. And if you're cutting carbs, you're missing a lot of foods with potassium in them like potatoes. Try drinking something with electrolytes in it like sugar-free Gatorade or even Smart Water (though it doesn't have as much in it as a Gatorade).

I have access to a microwave and small kitchen, but more often than not I pack stuff that doesn't require preparation or heating. I love the P3 Protein packs. They have just the right amount of meat, cheese, and nuts to fill me up and get me a good protein bump. I also pack greek yogurt, and sometimes chicken strips that are pre-cooked to eat cold or warm with some teryaki dipping sauce. I usually have a couple of Protein Bars in my bag just in case, as well.

I had a very fast recovery with very few issues. I had surgery on Wed, started working from home (I'm an IT analyst) the following Monday, was back in the office the Monday after that. I had some nausea, but didn't ever throw up. I was very fatigued for probably a month but I also have auto-immune arthritis that I had to go off meds for the surgery, so it's hard to tell what was auto-immune and what was surgical recovery. If I'd had any issues or a physical job, I'd have had to take more time off. Ages? I'm 47. I've seen everything from late teens to 60 or 70 on this board. I'm a little over 3 months out, and I eat 4-6 times a day, about 1/4 cup each time. I do not restrict carbs because ketosis makes me very ill, but I focus on Protein first and when I do eat carbs I try to make them complex carbs with little sugar or refined grains. I am gaining more confidence with the weight loss, but I'm still in the early stages. I'm also able to get active for the first time in years, so that's helping as much or more than the weight loss. While there are some people who have had major issues and regret the surgery, most of the people here will tell you that they just wish they'd done it sooner. I'm in that camp, though I realize if I'd done it much sooner I'd have had a bypass because the sleeve surgery is relatively new, and with my auto-immune a bypass wouldn't have been a good option. So I'm just glad I finally decided to take the step for my health.

@@LipstickLady I know had a stricture, maybe she'll have time to pop in and share her experience.

Fat stores estrogen, and as we lose weight it dumps into our systems. Being overly emotional is at least partially hormonal, and it will go away. You've also dramatically lessened your intake and your body needs to adjust, and it causes fatigue which can worsen emotionality. Your body has endured a trauma in the form of surgery, and is trying to heal. None of this is easy. Some people have easy and fast recoveries, others not so much. It's hard, and it sucks, but for most people it resolves and most of us get over the regret and embrace our new lives. Remember to breathe, focus on fluids and Protein so your body can heal, and be gracious to yourself. It will get better.

Oh I agree it's unethical and not OK. Just wanted to make the point that this should not be held up as evidence of unsafe practices. There may be other evidence of that, but this isn't it. sent from mobile device

Just a note... The indictment is about financial stuff. Illegal kick backs and possibly insurance fraud. I was going to use Dr Nicholson until my rheumatologist referred me to my surgeon, and I'm very glad because she personalized my treatment and I'm not sure that would happen with a large practice like Kim or Nicholson. So don't think the docs are unsafe just because of this. They may be unsafe for other reasons, I haven't researched Dr Kim, but Dr Nicholson seemed to be pretty good when I was looking at him. sent from mobile device

Water, water, water. sent from mobile device

I weaned off caffeine pre op. Got a lot of migraines in the process, but Water and ibuprofen helped. sent from mobile device And yes, tired and dragging all the time without my stimulant. sent from mobile device

I've had it off and on, but not continuously for more than a couple of days. When I don't feel like food, I try to find the least offensive Protein source and eat what I can of that, and focus on fluids that day.

Wal-Mart also stocks Premier Protein ready made so you don't have to mix it. Not everyone likes it, but it's the only Protein Drink I can stand right now, and its handy to not have to mix. 30 g in a serving. sent from mobile device

The part of the stomach left doesn't have the stretch capability of the part that's removed. There will be a modest increase in capacity for most people, but it will never reach the capacity of a pre-surgical sleeve. Most accounts and research I've found indicate that about a cup total food at a time is about as much capacity as most sleevers will ever have. That's a far cry from the 8-16 cups that a human can potentially eat at a sitting with a "normal" stomach. You "eat around" the sleeve by eating high calorie foods and by eating more frequently than you should. I'm 3 months out, and can only eat a little more than 1/4 cup at a time. If I'm eating my standard 5-6 small meals a day, that's not a huge amount of food. But if I wait about 20-30 minutes I've got room again, and if I were to just continually snack all day, I could put away a large amount of food.

Mine arrives tomorrow, and I fessed up to my hubby about buying it last night. He LOL'd at me, but is happy to try it, especially if he gets to pass along other kitchen appliances.

I like GENEPRO and also Syntrax unflavored. I don't find that they change the flavor for most things, but I'm very sensitive to texture and it does change that IMHO.

There are many resources on line with post-op diet plans you can use for the short term. It's not ideal, but it sounds like you were cut loose without any real support, and if I read your post right, your surgeon doesn't have you eating anything with significant Protein. You have got to ramp up your protein in order to heal. It will be very important for you to find a doctor to follow up here stateside, ASAP. A bariatric specialist would be ideal, but many are leery of doing followup on another surgeon's work. The 2nd best option would be a gastroenterologist. If nothing else, find a primary doctor who knows something about bariatric patients. Here's a link to one of many bariatric diet phases that you can use UNTIL you get a local doctor. http://www.floydbariatrics.org/floyd-bariatrics-sleeve-gastrectomy-diet.html However, since you are having complications, you are going to need to move very slowly and carefully through the phases. I would start with finding a Protein shake you like and add that in, because you have to have protein to heal. The link I gave says 72g, which is a good start, but if you can push that up closer to 100g/day so much the better. Once you can tolerate the shakes well, another good first food is greek yogurt (blended, no chunks of fruit). You also need to be getting LOTS of fluids in - Water, broth, gatorade, popsicles, sugar-free Jello, etc. Anything that is liquid at room temperature and you can generally see through it counts. Recommended amounts vary, but a generally good rule is a goal of 64oz/day, increasing it as you can to 100+/day. Then add foods ONE AT A TIME, starting with things that are liquid, and VERY SLOWLY working toward pureed foods. Add a new food for a couple of days and make sure it's sitting well with you before you add the next. I hate that you had no education and no good followup. Right now you need to focus on three things: get a local doctor, get your protein in, and get your fluids in.

Here's my answer to why I chose the surgery. http://www.theantichick.com/2016/08/05/the-easy-way-out/ I'm a nurse and have done the research, and diet/exercise alone for most people does not work long term. Also http://www.theantichick.com/2016/09/11/three-weeks-in-my-sleeve/ The changes with the sleeve are really making a HUGE change in how I interact with food. I'm working on a new post and hopefully will have it up over the weekend talking about how this is changing my emotional dependence on food.

I'm an IT analyst, so I have work from home capability, thank goodness. I had the surgery on Wed, had arranged for PTO Wed through Fri, and then worked from home starting the following Monday for a week, then was back in the office 12 days post. I was discharged Thursday around noon, had little pain but was very fatigued until I could move to purees at 14 days post. Had some nausea but no vomiting. Serious complications can happen, but they are rare. Sounds like you have planned for contingencies and you should be fine. Good luck!!

I haven't done it with coffee yet, but found that it worked OK for broths and Soups if I used my blender and mixed the unflavored Protein (GENEPRO and others both work this way for me) with a small amount of lukewarm Water or milk, then mixed that with the hot liquid. I also find that while the taste doesn't change, the texture definitely does. I cannot stand the protein powders mixed with pudding/yogurt/drinks but it works OK in soups/broths for me.

Saying that the rate of complications isn't as high as it would appear on this board is not the same as saying people shouldn't discuss their complications and support each other. I have witnessed a certain degree of "just hang in there, you will feel different later" when people talk about their issues, and I disagree with that sentiment. All I have said is to realize that complications appear much more common on a board like this than they are in total. And to discuss any concerns with your surgeon. Gina, I know we are being terribly US-centric, but as a nurse I can tell you that your experience would be VERY outside the norm here in the US. There are bad docs out there who dismiss their patient's concerns, but they are not the norm. I feel very safe in saying your experience would have been COMPLETELY different here, if in no other way than the c.diff would have been handled very differently here. That is not to say you should be quiet about it, I absolutely think you need to keep raising awareness of not only potential complications, but also the potential deficiencies in the bariatric system in the UK (or at least in your network). All I want is for people to not get a skewed idea of the rates of complications.

I have a constantly runny nose, but it was that way before surgery. I read something somewhere about eating stimulating the vagus nerve which causes acute runny nose in some people, and I have noticed sometimes it gets worse when I'm eating. I also have auto-immune, not sure if it's related. I have tried every medication under the sun - antihistamines, sprays, etc. We finally found one - Atrovent nasal spray - that works great for me (when I remember it). That's after literally dozens of medications over a span of a couple of decades. Sometimes perseverance pays off.

That's easier for some people than others. If I try to make myself eat/drink something I can't stand, I will throw it up. Every time. I get frustrated when people say "just buck up and eat/drink it". I literally can't.

All natural doesn't mean safe. Arsenic is all natural, and produced in small amounts in the body. I certainly wouldn't recommend ingesting it. Melatonin can interact with blood thinning medications, high blood pressure medications, immunotherapy medications, seizure medications, medications for mental disorders, and can cause complications in people who have clotting issues. Serious issues are rare, but they can certainly happen.

Please call your surgeon or his team for medical advise. If you are taking prescription medications, such as pain meds, there is a risk of interactions with over the counter medications. Benadryl, for example, can increase side effects of pain medications and there is a risk of overdose. sleep is important, and you do need to find out what to do, but getting medical advise from people on the internet is not wise.