orionburn

I woke in a lot of pain and feeling sick. Won't lie...I uttered the "what the hell have I done to myself" line. At the time I didn't realize it, but I was doubly screwed because I was sore from the surgery, but when I took the pain meds that was making me sick. It was an ugly cycle the first day. By the time I was out of recovery and into my room I was feeling better. The first 24 hours were the toughest part.

Since you're 9 days out I'm guessing you are on the full liquid phase? It's not uncommon for it to happen. I went through it as well. You can try adding in a fiber supplement like Benefiber to your protein shakes. It may not cure it completely but will help.

Try getting an Vitamin geared for bariatric patients. My doc's office promotes Celebrate Vitamins and they're pretty good. They have chewables in various flavors, and they also have capsules for down the road. I know a lot of people on here use the vitamin Patches but I haven't looked into those myself. Either way I would try to get something soon that will work for you since getting your daily vitamins in is crucial. I'll second the unjury brand of Protein. I used it during the pre-op and post-op phase. It's also common for things you used to like to taste horrid at this stage. Things I enjoyed prior to surgery I couldn't stand for the first two weeks after. You may want to start adding something like Benefiber to your Protein drinks. It may seem counter-intuitive to take Fiber when you're experiencing diarrhea, but products like that can help absorb some of the excess Water. I went through the same thing so you're not alone in this.

Nothing wrong with sticking with the basics such as flat, incline/decine, and butterflies. I've always felt it is best to change up your routine every now and then. If you belong to a gym that has both machines and free weights alternate lifts now and then. I will always prefer free weights to machines, but machines can make it easier to do certain positions or give you more control over incline/decline presses. Cable machines are my favorite by far because it gives you so much flexibility in doing your movements. There are minute changes you can do in your lifts. For instance if you're doing a flat bench lift with a traditional bar change up the position of your hands. A wider grip will hit the outside of your chest more, and a closer grip will target the inside. Keep in mind those little changes can really impact the amount you can lift and/or reps you can do. If I were doing a set of 3 I would do one set with a standard grip, one narrow, and one wide. You can also try changing your set/rep count. If you're used to doing something like 3 x 12 on bench try increasing the weight a bit but only doing 3 x 8. Key thing is to always take it easy when changing weight amounts until you know what you're comfortable with.

I stuck to mainly my protein shakes. I had the same problem where either things tasted blah or was very short lived. Chobani has a decent selection of flavors in their Greek yogurts. I also did a lot of cottage cheese with some pureed fruit to give it a bit extra. Also had some leftover Healthwise protein drinks and soups from my 2 week pre-op phase that helped me get through it. Might want to try a few different soups assuming you can have those pureed/strained. When I was going through this phase all my used to be favorite Crystal Light flavors tasted horrible. By about the third week they started tasting better, and now 5 weeks out they all taste the same as before. It defiinitely is a weird phase to go through.

Meaning no fluids. Follows the rule of no drinking fluids 30 minutes prior to eating and nothing for 30 minutes after eating.

It gets better, don't worry. I suppose "hey, the first two weeks are gonna outright suck" isn't a great sales pitch from a doc's office, but I admit it was tougher than I thought it would be. It can be difficult but try to do some fun things while recovering. Whether it's a hobby, games, whatever...find something to keep your spirits up. I struggled more with the psychological battles than I did physical. Each day will get easier and easier. I'm 5 weeks out now and I can't believe how I feel now compared to just a few short weeks ago.

unjury is a good Protein powder. I used it for my 2 weeks pre & post-op phases. I can look up some recipes when I get home that my doc's office gave me. They had a some for a pudding/mousse, iced coffee, etc. Some required using the unflavored protein powders, other recipes used the flavored ones.

Not likely due to the protein. Headaches are fairly common the first few days. For me it was because I delayed cutting off my daily coffee/caffeine fix. The first few days are pretty tough but it does get better! For me I my hurdle was about 5 days in. After that I was adjusted to the diet and was pretty smooth sailing after that.

I'm only 5 weeks out as of today, and despite having complications in the beginning I know this is something that was best for me and feel better already than I have in years. The Christmas lights thing made me chuckle because I was thinking this next Christmas I'll finally be able to use a ladder without constantly feeling like a step is going to go out at any second because I'm too heavy for it...lol. Congrats on your progress, Heather!

Did you ever try or notice a difference between Mono and CEE? It's been years since I've used either. I used to be a major gym rat before my arthritis sidelined me, but I did notice a difference in stamina going through sets. Then again I was taking so much crap back then it's hard to pinpoint what worked best and what didn't. @tigraq08 - We always used to tell people that all the supplements in the world won't do jack if you don't have a solid routine down. If you're really new to the gym you'll make good progress in the beginning without any need of supplements. I think Viffer is right in that some extra carbs and/or a protein shake post workout will probably be your best bet at this point.

Somebody is always going to have horror stories. It's the internets. You have to weigh out all the options and decide what is best for you. There's a report today on increased risks of various types of cancer due to being overweight. Do I fear complications down the road or other potential side effects? Of course. But I also know my being overweight was marching me towards things potentially much worse. Do your research and do what's best for you. Here's the story on cancer risks: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/feb/28/increased-risk-of-11-types-of-cancer-linked-to-being-overweight-researchers-warn

Yep, went through the same thing. I really tried to break some habits (like drinking during meals, waiting 30 minutes, etc) and struggled during the pre-op phase. Make my Protein drink last 30 minutes? Okay...and then 5 minutes later I was done...lol. My pre-op was liquids only so I wasn't allowed anything that required you to chew. Looking back I wish I would have practiced harder on the drinking during/after meals because that did take some getting used to. After surgery it won't be that difficult to follow the guidelines. You really have to pace yourself and likely you won't want to be drinking/eating anything quickly anyway. It was hard to comprehend how it would take 20-30 minutes to eat a single egg, but reality sets in pretty quick.

Are you drinking decaf coffee? Regular coffee is more likely to cause a case of diarrhea, but decaf can still be a culprit. How long did it take you to get the shake and coffee down? If you drank all that in a short period of time I can see it being similar to dumping syndrome. Your intestines simply may not have been able to handle that much in a short time. Fluids pass through the stomach quickly so it literally may have run right through you.

Creatine won't give you a feeling of an energy boost, but it will help with endurance while lifting. There's two main types - creatine mono and creatine ethyl ester (CEE). Mono is more likely to give you some Water bloat, so if you decide to take it don't be surprised if you don't see much change on the scale or maybe even an increase. Most people will do an initial loading phase with creatine to get the muscles saturated. Depending on the loading phase you choose to do it can take a few days to weeks until the loading phase is complete. There's a host of things I'd like to suggest but I'm gun shy not knowing if they would effect the body differently in a post surgery world.

Very common to have trouble with sleep following surgery. I was stuck in the hospital for 6 days because of some complications, so by the time I got home my sleep schedule was absolutely destroyed from being woken up every 2-3 hours for tests. Once I was home I would wake up every night around 2 a.m. and could not go back to sleep to save my life. I did better by giving up on trying to fall back asleep and just went downstairs to watch TV. Watching old shows tends to put me out so I would eventually doze off. It took a few days but eventually my sleep did get better and started making it through the night again. Just avoid trying to tire yourself out by doing too much around the house. What did you experience that made you feel like you had dumping syndrome? Typically that isn't something you should experience with a sleeve. Was it just a matter of drink/protein not going down easy?

Did you have bypass or sleeve? GB leads me to believe you had bypass but this is in the sleeve forum so wanted to be sure. Do you have a nutritionist? If so I would be really surprised if they said breads & rice were okay to eat this early out. For most people those things are big no-nos. Mainly because they are carbs, they're pretty much devoid of nutritional value, and they typically do not sit well in the stomach so close to surgery. Everybody is different in their weight loss, and while you may not be able to prove that the carbs you are eating are directly related to that I would get rid of them pronto.

Yeah, you have to learn to shrug some things off. I was lucky that my family doc was all on board for it. He knew the issues I was struggling with and felt it was a good option for me. People are going to have their opinions, but in the end you do what's best for you.

Yeah...think I'd be a bit irked if I heard that from a doctor. So, what, wait a few more years until you do actually have comorbidities and then it'll be okay? I really get tired of people that say "oh you just to diet and exercise more." Sure. Just tell somebody dealing with alcoholism to stay out of bars and all their problems will go away. Well, in the end you're the one having surgery, not him. It's ultimately up to you. Man this burns me up reading this...lol. Put this in your pocket and break it out the next time you need it.

A whole lot of what berry said. There are a good number of people on here that weren't required to do any special diet prior to surgery, but I tell you what...I'm glad I had to. While it isn't the easiest diet in the world to follow it's good preparation for how things will be after surgery. Doing some prep work now will be a big help.

While I was doing my pre-op diet I used the unjury brand Protein powders. A bit pricey, but it's good quality. The chocolate is actually one of the better tasting protein powders I've had. The vanilla and strawberry left a lot to desire personally speaking. I've since switched back to my regular Protein powder by Body Fortress. Taste isn't as good but packs a lot of protein and comes in at a good price. I've been using the Celebrate brand Vitamins. One I take is a Calcium supplement and the other a multi-Vitamin. They have both chewables and capsules. Both come in a variety of flavors and aren't too bad tasting. If you are pre-op the only thing I would caution you about is stocking up on too much before surgery. A lot of things didn't taste as good afterwards. While I had no issues with the multi-vitamin flavor prior to surgery I couldn't stand it afterwards, and still can't. That one was a wild berry flavor. The calcium is orange flavored but didn't have any problems with that post surgery. Even the Unjury tasted differently afterwards. You just want to avoid being stuck with a bunch of protein and/or vitamins that you may hate right after surgery.

Ah, that's right. I haven't been a supervisor for a few years so I'm not as familiar with all the rules & regs like I used to be. It sucks but it would probably be best to wait. At least that way if you need to take time off for any reason after surgery it's something that will be covered, which in turn covers your butt. Hope it works out for you. If you have to wait don't get discouraged. The time will go by quick enough.

What do you mean by it isn't under FML? I'm no expert on the matter but this would be a separate filing under FML would it not? Does your company give you X amount of paid hours for FML leave? When I turned it in to my employer I had to fill out the FML paperwork. The way it worked for me is that they require you to use your vacation time first, and once those hours are burned up it then kicks into FML (which was unpaid leave for me).

The inflammation should taper off soon. When the stomach is empty water pretty much passes straight through. The only times to be cautious is trying to drink too soon after eating (once you reach that stage). My doc always told me to wait at least 30 minutes to drink after eating. As to volume I'm getting fluids down fairly easy now. Mind the conversion between English/metric, but I try to carry around a 32 oz bottle which is close to 950ml. I can drink that entire thing within a few hours of waking up. Truthfully I could get it down sooner but sometimes that much water into your gut too quickly makes you feel water logged...lol. You do want to try and get into a habit of taking decent sized swallows, but you don't want to do big gulps. It's more of a mental thing to remind yourself to slow down. It's going to take patience to eat once you're there. Slow & steady wins the race

It's normal to be nervous. I went through the second guessing and all the what-ifs as well. The pre-op diet is a good prep for how things will be right after surgery. The upside is that you'll likely not have any hunger after surgery and won't have much interest in food. The first few days of the diet can be a challenge, but it does get easier as time goes by. My suggestion is to get anything out of the house that you know might be too tempting to have around. Cheating isn't something you want to do on the diet. Keep the focus on following instructions and shrinking your liver. The better you do the easier it will be at surgery time. Good luck!