Nymea

So I am at the end of week 4 post op and I noticed a couple of days ago a sudden change in my ability to eat things. Food is going down easier as long as I take my time and chew it well and less things are coming back up. I have been able to broaden my range of food significantly in the last couple of days from basically not tolerating anything but soup consistency to being able to manage a tiny bit of chicken breast and salad. I think that maybe internal swelling has finally settled down, combined with being much more careful about how I chew, mouthful size and rests between bites. I hope this gives hope to those of you who are still only a few days out from surgery and struggling.

When I tried egg the first mouthful came back up and I felt so bad I remained on clear fluids the rest of that day. I am nearly ready to try egg again since I can eat much better now than back then, but egg seems to be a challenging food for some.

I have the same problem and despite the best efforts of the anaesthetist and my specialist I still vomited for 3 days solid then intermittently for the next 4 days. I had no negative effects on my pouch though. I do still get nausea most days .. especially in the mornings. My doc assures me that will settle down with time.

I was on Lantus 40 pre op plus Humalog with meals. They stopped my humalog after surgery and cut my Lantus down by half because of too many lows. I have been very slowly adjusting it downwards (2 units /day each week) and am at the stage now where I think I am safe to stop it all together. I will watch my sugars closely for a while until I know exactly how each food affects me but I am hoping that I wont be on any insulin after this week.

I am almost 4 weeks out and still feeling drained. Not quite as bad as the first 2 weeks, but if I push myself I get cold to the core and the only way to warm up is to go to bed and sleep. I have had several friends tell it it lasts a good couple of months so I am just biding my time.

I am in my 4th week post RNY ... I burp a lot too .. often when my stomach is empty first thing in the morning. Once I have eaten it seems to settle down a bit. Also tea makes it really bad especially if I have it on an empty stomach. I guess it is our system adjusting to the new way of life.

Good luck for your surgery. Don't forget to come back and tell us how you are getting along once you are recovered enough to be online

I left hospital after 6 days the same weight as I started then over the next couple of weeks the weight just fell off. Be patient and it will happen.

Can I reassure anyone who is nervous about the actual surgery and dying ... I have been an OR nurse for over 20 years and virtually no one dies during an operation (we don't like it because there is too much paperwork). In fact you are safer during the op than in the week or two afterwards. The biggest risks with this surgery are infection and blood clots. You can control blood clots to a certain extent by co-operating with the nurses and physios by getting up and moving as soon as they permit you to and wearing the stockings or compression sleeves they give you. For infection make sure your nutrition status is strong before surgery because that will help your immune system battle any bugs. In addition follow your surgeon's instructions with regard to dressings etc. Also if you notice any swelling/pain/hotness/redness report it straight away. Occasionally something unexpected happens, but you are more likely to die in a car accident on the way to the hospital than as a result of the actual surgery.

Dawn is right and it is why I was asking specifically for products available in Australia. We have such a limited range available ... I think we get the rejects the rest of the world won't buy.

Hi Dawn Yes my surgery went well ... it is still early days but I seem to be doing okay. Still taking each day and each meal as it comes but that is normal for RNY especially in the early days.

Hi Minihaha .. I am wondering how you got on with the surgeon? Did he agree to do RNY? My surgeon agreed to do RNY straight out of the gate because of a hiatus hernia and GERD. He told me that it was the best and safest option for me in the circumstances. You are correct that we do a lot less RNY in Australia, but they are still done for those who need them. Fingers crossed you will get yours.

Thank you for all your responses. I am 3 weeks post op now and have lost 6 kg since my surgery .. 11 kg all together including pre op diet. Yet in the back of my mind is still the fear that I will be the one who doesn't lose much at all. I am a nurse and I know that it is biologically impossible to not lose weight on my current calorie intake ( average of about 600 cals a day) ... but the nagging doubts still linger. I suppose it comes from always failing in the past. I would lose 5 - 10 kg and then stall and eventually it would creep back on. This time my stomach simply won't allow me to over eat ... at least not yet so I know I will lose more ... but I am afraid I won't.

That is one fear I have ... that telling people might have them watching and waiting to see if I fail. Especially those who are overweight themselves and made negative remarks previously about WLS. I figure if I have already lost weight and they ask me about it they can't watch for failure since I would have already succeeded.

Well I am 3 weeks post op now and still on insulin ... I am taking half the daily dose I used to but still need it or my sugars go up even if I eat and drink nothing. I do find that I don't need the fast acting insulin with meals because I don't eat enough to affect my sugars significantly.

I also want to add that it is very much your own choice who to tell what and when. However, I would suggest not saying much to anyone other than those who need to know ... until after your surgery. It is going to be hard enough as it is without naysayers trying to convince you not to do it. Once it is already done and they realise they can't talk you out of it they may be far more interested in your results.

I read an article the other day that said exactly the same thing. It explained that when we plateau our bodies are actually burning fat stores and converting them to glycogen which needs water for storage ... and this amounts to about 10 pounds in weight. So when you seem to get stuck take comfort in the knowledge that this is when you are losing fat. The quick weight loss you have early on is just the release of glycogen and water as your body panics and sends all its resources to giving you energy.

I am only 3 weeks out but it seems to me that I take two steps forward and one or one and a half back ... what I could do yesterday I can't today, what I could eat yesterday won't stay down today. Like you I am wondering how long this is going to last and afraid this is going to be my life from now on

I only told close family and one friend prior to surgery because I didn't want negative stories and comments making the decision any harder than it was. I am only 3 weeks post and although I have lost 5 kg it isn't that noticeable yet, plus I am not going out much at the moment so I don't have to deal with it. Additionally, I had a hiatus hernia that needed a repair at the same time, so I told a couple of people who knew I was having surgery that I was having the hernia repair and left it at that. If anyone asks about what I am eating who doesn't know ... I just tell them it is because of the hernia repair.

So having scoured forums for suggestions of palatable Protein drinks I find most of the ones recommended are not available in Australia. Does anyone have some suggestions of ones that taste reasonable and are well tolerated by a new pouch? I am having trouble with my pouch not wanting to accept anything much in the way of protein. ( 3 weeks out from RNY)

I drink V8 when I am able as part of my fluid allowance. That gives me the goodness of those vegies whilst still being a fluid. I must say I really miss my vegies and can't wait till I am allowed some fresh crunchy ones again although I have a feeling that is going to be a while off since my stomach seems to be rather picky at the moment.

Is that the brand name? Got pics? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App . The brand name is "On" and the bottle says "On Protein Water." There are several different flavors. I have the fruit punch flavor and it is good, you can't taste the protein at all. Post-surgery I am having an aversion to sweet stuff, so I water mine down with extra water. Ordered it from Costco website but I bet you can get it other places. It's a great way to get Fluid and protein in at the same time but as thin as flavored water. For Australians it doesn't look like this brand is available here yet but I have managed to track down a similar product. I just ordered a trial pack for $20. If you are interested the product is available on the Bodiez Protein Water site. It is much harder here in Aus to get decent protein products. I have spent 3 weeks hunting with little success. I doný know what this product is like .. will let you know more when I have my trial pack.

I feel your pain. I am almost 3 weeks out and finally at the stage where I only have nausea for the first half of the day ( unless my stomach is protesting something .. usually a protein). I spent the first week in hospital vomiting constantly and on an IV but slowly I was able to tolerate apple juice half and half with Water ( I am a type 1 diabetic and had to keep something sweet down to keep my sugars even). By the time I came home I was able to tolerate broth and the occasional milk drink. When my doc told me on discharge I could have free fluids I went to the coffee shop and bought a low fat decaf latte but it didn't sit too well with me. I still find the best fluids when I am nauseous is water with a little fruit juice in or broth. If I am feeling okay I can manage milk but not Protein drinks of any sort. I am lucky, here in Australia they started selling a high protein low fat low lactose milk which has more protein per 100 ml than the Protein Drinks. My dietician said pre surgery that the milk was fine to have as a substitute if I couldnt tolerate protein drinks. Now I have milk twice a day with some Vitamin fortified choc flavour in it which works well for me if I can take it. It really is one day, one meal at a time still but each day gets a bit better. I can really relate to how you feel because I was feeling the same one week out from surgery. just keep trying different things and if it fails go back to something you know works. Here's hoping you have a better time soon

Try not to worry too much. I had my surgery on 16th July and didn't lose anything in the first week. Then suddenly I was losing 1 kg per day. You might have some Fluid from swelling and such like I did in the first few days.

I have the same problem some days, especially with my heart and blood pressure meds. The smaller ones and the ones I can cut up to small bits are okay as long as I take about 2 hours to take them. My stomach just doesn't like having the bulk of tablets inside it yet. FYI I am 2.5 weeks post op and my surgeon said it was okay to take these meds ... well I can't not take them and remain healthy so I don't really have much choice. I asked my doc if there was liquid forms of some of them to help with the issue, but apparently not. So I start taking the meds at 6 am so that my stomach has dealt with them before Breakfast at 9 am.