Berry78

Gosh! what happened?

I can see it now... "I went to Mexico and got a tapeworm"....

Ok, so now you know you are prone to blood sugar problems, and what it feels like when yours gets too low. Make sure to keep "emergency" juice on hand (individually packaged singles are great since they can just stay in your cabinet or fridge until you need them). Try to eat more often through the day to help keep things stable. And always follow your juice with a protein based meal so you don't develop the reactive hypoglycemia. Your doctor will want to know you are having this issue, and can help you know what else you should be doing (changing meds, start testing blood sugar, etc.). Good luck!

Hard breathing? Do you mean you're worked up, so are "panting" from emotion, or you are finding it difficult to breathe? If you are having trouble breathing, please go to an emergency room right away. If you don't think it's an emergency: Try consuming something that has some carbohydrate in it. You might be having a low blood sugar problem. What kind of carbohydrates can you tolerate? I normally recommend juice, but we don't want you to dump. Milk might work, applesauce, etc.... then follow it up with a protein food. Give your surgeon or doctor a call today to see if they can see you. You might be short on some nutrients, or it could be coming from a physical problem (if you don't have a pain or fever, it's probably NOT a problem with the surgery). Many people have crazy mood swings post op, but I think this probably has a physical cause.

Wow, what a difference! You're doing awesome!

For me, a huge key is the easy grab and go feature with food. Even now, when I'm hungry, I'm HUNGRY, and want to eat right now. I fill up super fast, then I can go on with my day. At 2 weeks out, I only made broth a few times. Mostly I just relied on dairy (no cooking required). Open the fridge, get out the cottage cheese (3 weeks out), eat a few spoonfuls, put it back. Simple, no problem. Now, at almost 4 months out, I cook everyday, but not like you'd think. Crack an egg in a pan, cook it over-medium. Takes about 2 minutes. Open a can of beans, measure out 3oz into a bowl, microwave for 1 minute. Put 4oz of meat or fish onto a pan, season, cook for about 10 minutes until done. Put 4oz of spinach into a pan, add a bit of olive oil and seasoning (garlic vinegar, YUM!), wilt.. takes about 2 minutes. I usually use the same pan for everything, cast iron.. just wipe it out between meals. Fruit, nuts, dairy, other veggies.. these don't need much prep at all. Just measure out the nuts, and cut up the veggies, and you're set. Hardboil some eggs ahead of time, and you have a quick, portable snack. (Not everyone can tolerate plain hardboiled eggs, but you might). Any of these meals take less time to prepare than going out to eat. The trick is figuring out the portability.. and that depends on your situation. An insulated lunch box with a cold pack might be a good investment. If you have a microwave at school, a can of low sodium soup can be a good lunch. Congrats on your new position! I think you'll find things are going to be a lot simpler (food wise) than you ever dreamed!

I couldn't tolerate protein powders/shakes postop (Or now!) I lived off of milk, drinkable yogurt, and protein kefir for a week or two until purees.

I used to work at a horse farm. Feeding the horses can be surprisingly complicated. Beauty gets 2 quarts of sweet feed, 1/2 cup corn oil, 2 small scoops of bee pollen, etc. Sweet feed is made up of several kinds of grains and vitamins. The extra supplements provide the unique nutrition for that individual. Beauty gets the same thing every day, occasionally modified as necessary. If we think of food in the same way for us.. we make a plan and stick to it, we can get our nutrition, and we always know what we will be eating, and how much. Remove the question, "what am I having for dinner" from the equation, and you won't fall off the plan.

No, I don't think it's because of anything you are doing. See if you can get in a smidge sooner with your doc.

It's too early for low sodium v8 (tomato is so acidic), so try some coconut water. The potassium and magnesium in it might be helpful.

If you are eating small bites, chewing thoroughly, and the food is moist when being swallowed, then this is something to bring up with your surgeon (or a GI specialist..someone that can take a look at things on the inside). The 8-12 week window is a time when the scar tissue really gets formed, and it may be pulling things tight. Strictures are common during this window of time. It doesn't really sound like a stricture, but it still could be something stiffening up. Did you have a hiatal hernia repair?

Of course there is always popping more iron tablets (take with tomatoes or citrus, not calcium or milk). I have a favorite meal to help boost iron. Ground beef, diced tomatoes, dark red kidney beans, spinach, then seasoned to taste.. It can take some time to replenish your stores, particularly if you are a menstruating female. So you'll have to work on this long term. If it's bad, there are iron infusions as well...

This whole relearning everything is not for the faint of heart. It is a whole new world that takes time to figure out how to navigate. I think you're doing a bang up job of it, and I heartily commend you. My list took a couple months to create.. and it continues morphing over time. Others would look at my list and say things are wrong with what I'm eating. I'm losing about 2 pounds a week on average, and am satisfied with that. Our journeys are OUR journeys, but the main thing is your choices are made through education and conscious decisions.. not based on fear, intimidation, boredom, laziness, or bad habits. Sorry to break it to whoever told you... that your bun won't make it to India to feed those kids. (Might make it as far as YOUR buns though!)

Wendy's chili is probably one of the best choices, especially since salad is too advanced for you.

Here is an article about acid reducers https://www.verywell.com/how-are-ppis-different-from-h2-blockers-1742292 You can ask your doc whether a PPI would be good for you to try (and which one).

Oh, and you might want to go on a PPI for acid...

I have a markerboard in my kitchen that I use to tell me what to consume each day. I'm over 3 months out, so my foods look different then they did back in purees. But this concept of eating the same thing each day helps so much with planning, shopping, etc.. takes the stress right out of all of it. I eat beans, but not potatoes. Beans have protein, potatoes don't. Pretty much everything is a serving size of 4oz. Preop, I ate out all the time. Now that I've developed a system, I don't need or want to anymore. (And when I do, I just get a cup of soup).

You are doing awesome! Of course, being a guy that started out big helps Just keep up that protein so your metabolism doesn't tank. And don't panic if at some point the weight loss slows down or takes a break. All part of the process!

5 days. Didn't feel the need until I got onto the plane. Air pressure change woke things up in that department. Of course, couldn't relax in the airplane commode, so nothing happened for 7 hours until I got to the hotel and used an enema. I needed enemas regularly for the first couple weeks until I could get some fiber into my diet. Everything has been working fine after the first month postop.

Well, I'm not local enough to be a workout buddy, but I'm a few hours away in the mountainside of Maryland I was sleeved March 20th, so we're almost twins!

Oh my gosh! Glad they found the problem! {Hugs} Best of luck for a quick recovery!

You don't need to change anything now. After you get surgery, you will go through training for the first 2-3 months that will teach you what your tummy can and can't do. By time you are ready to venture out on your first hike, the surgery will be old news, and you'll know what you need to do to meet your requirements. Since you are really climbing at elevation, you'll definitely want to abide by the "wait several months" mantra. I'll assume your hiking season is from May until October. If this is the case, then aim for surgery in November, so you have plenty of time to be ready, come the next May.

First off, congrats on making the decision to change your life. I also love to hike and am 3 months post-sleeve. You absolutely will be able to resume hiking (barring complications). Plan on getting surgery when you won't mind it taking several months to resume. I am just now well enough to resume hiking at about 14 weeks postop... and I had an easy recovery. You don't want to get out on the trail and run out of steam. Sipping water all day, and having a lot of small snacks is great for hiking and postop eating. Do you backpack and camp or mainly do day hikes?

Having had the band so long, it's possible there is damage to your stomach wall. Many times this influences which procedure you get. (Usually bypass since the pouch would be formed out of the stomach that previously was above the band) Your surgeon can help make this determination. I'm inclined to say the bypass because revisions aren't quite as effective as virgin procedures, and so the extra oomph could work in your favor. It's generally a one-and-done type procedure. Another option to consider is start with a sleeve, leaving possibility of DS open down the road. (two surgeries) It's always a tough decision... good luck, whatever you decide!

I wonder why it seems our sleeves are different sizes. It took clm a year to be able to eat quantities that I could eat 8 weeks postop. Once I realized I COULD eat more than I SHOULD, I've continued weighing and measuring. This is lifelong behavior, so I guess it's just as well that I had to start sooner, rather than later. Actually, I wonder if I will be more likely to be successful, since I'm not relying on sleeve restriction from the get-go. (Success for me is to be healthy and happy in my skin.. whatever that means).