karen_marie

I can do hard boiled eggs, the occasional over easy egg and soft scrambled eggs, but if I cook the scrambled egg too much the texture is disgusting to me. So I generally avoid scrambled eggs. Also have not had sliced bread in forever. Seems to sit like a brick in my stomach and I usually end up spitting it up. I figured I'd try again a little later on. I'm about 3.5 mos out from surgery at this point.

You're doing awesome! Yeah I've noticed this thread has gotten quiet, too. I think now that we're all a few months out, the focus has shifted to just living our new lives now haha Not as much to talk about I guess unless someone has a specific post-op question or concern. I've got my 3mo appointment with surgeon on 1/31 so I hope my Vitamin levels in my updated lab work are up to snuff.

You're doing awesome! Yeah I've noticed this thread has gotten quiet, too. I think now that we're all a few months out, the focus has shifted to just living our new lives now haha Not as much to talk about I guess unless someone has a specific post-op question or concern. I've got my 3mo appointment with surgeon on 1/31 so I hope my Vitamin levels in my updated lab work are up to snuff.

I have not done the nasal spray or Patches as they are not approved by my surgeon as of yet, nor is the Tespo system, which I would really like to try (one shot of juice in the morning and one at night).
I have gone out to restaurants quite a bit since surgery, and have done it all from not ordering a thing, to sharing some bites with my wife, to ordering my own plate and taking 80% or more home with me. Most restaurants have something that I can have, at a Mexican food restaurant over the weekend I ordered a chicken enchilada and refried Beans. I ate only the chicken out of the enchilada and had some beans. Other places will have chicken breast, fish, etc. that works in my plan. I always go Protein first, then veggies, and maybe a couple bites of starch but that is very rare that I get past the protein itself. I have my 3 month check up tomorrow, so I'll be curious to hear what the surgeon has to say.

Try cutting that in half - I think I did up to 4oz at a time for awhile after surgery. My timeline was basically something like this during my full liquid phase immediately after surgery once I was home from the hospital:
8am-8:30am Drink 4oz Protein shake/other protein rich liquid as a meal
8:30am-9am Wait 30min before drinking again
9am-10am Drink water/liquids
Repeat 6x/day

After a time or two throwing up from eating too fast (usually was chatting with people and just wasn't paying attention), I actually used the stopwatch on my phone while I ate for awhile. I would press start when I took my first bite, and would keep an eye on time, with a goal to hit between 20-30min to eat my meal. If I still had food left over after 30min, I usually didn't feel like eating it so I would save or throw out. Also made me chew things to mush, just for the fact that I was working to lengthen the time I was taking to eat, so it worked to help focus on the chewing too.

After a time or two throwing up from eating too fast (usually was chatting with people and just wasn't paying attention), I actually used the stopwatch on my phone while I ate for awhile. I would press start when I took my first bite, and would keep an eye on time, with a goal to hit between 20-30min to eat my meal. If I still had food left over after 30min, I usually didn't feel like eating it so I would save or throw out. Also made me chew things to mush, just for the fact that I was working to lengthen the time I was taking to eat, so it worked to help focus on the chewing too.

Thank you, thank you. These comments are so helpful.
Given I can drink a Protein Shake in 15 minutes (which feels painfully slow!] and only suffer the sharp pains later, I’m going to have to use rules! The stopwatch idea is great!
Yesterday I took it slow-slow all day, and - no pains last night, a great sleep, and I feel really good this morning.
Sincere thanks.

Weird but effective short-term solution: hold your nose when you eat/drink. Not having the sensory input from your nose will either eliminate any taste or severely reduce it right now, which will make it easier to get your fluids and Protein down. Maybe finish with your chewable vitamins, so the taste left in your mouth is mostly pleasant for you when you let go of your nose. And it wouldn't hurt to call your doctor and ask about it. They may have some other suggestions to deal with this short-term annoyance/frustration

Woohoo! Congrats!! And I'm diggin the new profile pic, gorgeous!

For my bypass, it took about a month to get the approval. My doctor’s office said normally they turn around fairly quickly, but with end of year they’re probably being bombarded with approval requests from tons of people trying to get expenses covered before deductibles reset. It’s soooo frustrating to have to just wait, but unless your doc has expressed any concerns about you receding approval, don’t sweat it just keep touching base with your doctor’s office to see if it came in.

So happy today! First small goal has been met! My highest weight was 320, surgery weight was 310 and today a week after surgery I’m under 300! Weighing in at 298! I know I have a long way to go but Not seeing a 3 infront of those numbers has been so meaningful!

Exactly right, Soup is basically a slider food in that it goes in and out easily and quickly. Just make sure you're hitting or getting close to your Protein goals each day and you'll be good! Just take it slow when you are cleared to start having blended/soft foods. You'll fill up FAST. Like 2oz FAST.

For me, if I eat too fast or have one bite too many, I'll get an almost immediate pain right behind the lower part of my breastbone. It's a SUPER uncomfortable, bordering on mildly painful, feeling. I start creating A LOT of excess saliva (to the point I have to spit it out), which tells me that bit of food is coming right back up. Once I spit it up (it's vomiting, but it's such a small amount that to me it's just a bigger pile of spit haha), I feel better and that tightness is gone. I will either wait another 1-2hrs before trying to have anything else, or I may just postpone and wait until my next meal time to have anything. Depends on how 'normal' I feel after spitting up the offending food. I know some people have been able to walk around and that helps them keep food moving if they think they've got a small blockage from a piece of food not chewed well enough, but for me spitting up is the only helpful option.
You get better at understanding your body's new limits, just take it SUPER slow and really pay attention to how you feel. I had to start using the stopwatch on my phone when I eat meals, just to keep myself mindful to eat slowly. I've gotten much better at slowing down and listening to my body about when enough is enough.

Definitely invest in a scale. It is your best ally and tool before and after surgery. Hat's off to you for going this long without one! My docs told me between 600-800 calories a day, 60-80g Protein a day over the course of 3-5 meals a day. Depending on my schedule, I may just have 3 small meals, or I'll have two small Snacks and 3 small meals. Just depends on what I'm up to. I have started keeping at least one Quest Protein Bar in my purse at all times for those weekend days that I'm running around and don't want to worry about lunch. I drink a lot of caffeine free hot tea, Powerade zero, and Water or water with crystal light to try and get my liquids in. I also use MyFitnessPal to track everything I eat, and keep an eye on the nutrition breakdown as the day goes on to make sure I'm at least hitting my protein goal.

I've got BCBS of IL, PPO through work. I also did the cost estimate on the BCBS website, and it basically said I only had to pay my max out of pocket for the procedure. I then checked my policy and confirmed that gastric bypass is covered. When I reached out to my insurance, these are the requirements they gave me in order for them to review my submission for approval. You'll notice that BCBS IL did away with the 6mo required diet back in Feb. 2012 (I pulled the current BCBS of IL medical policy on bariatric surgery and it notes when changes were made at the end of the policy). I've attached the policy PDF with the predetermination information at the beginning.
"For a member to be considered eligible for benefit coverage of bariatric surgery to treat morbid obesity, the
member must meet the following two criteria:
Diagnosis of morbid obesity, defined as a: Body mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 40 kg/meter (* see guidelines below for BMI calculation); OR BMI equal to or greater than 35kg/meters with at least one (1) of the following comorbid conditions related to obesity that have not responded to maximum medical management and that are generally expected to be reversed or improved by bariatric treatment: Hypertension, OR Dyslipidemia, OR Diabetes mellitus, OR Coronary heart disease, OR sleep apnea, OR Osteoarthritis; AND Documentation from the requesting surgical program that: Growth is completed (generally, growth is considered completed by 18 years of age); AND Documentation from the surgeon attesting that the patient has been educated in and understands the postoperative regimen, which should include ALL of the following components: Nutrition program, which may include a very low calorie diet or a recognized commercial diet-based weight loss program; AND Behavior modification or behavioral health interventions; AND Counseling and instruction on exercise and increased physical activity; AND Ongoing support for lifestyle changes to make and maintain appropriate choices that will reduce health risk factors and improve overall health; AND Patient has completed an evaluation by a licensed professional counselor, psychologist or psychiatrist within the 12 months preceding the request for surgery. This evaluation should document: The absence of significant psychopathology that would hinder the ability of an individual to understand the procedure and comply with medical/surgical recommendations, AND The absence of any psychological comorbidity that could contribute to weight mismanagement or a diagnosed eating disorder, AND The patient's willingness to comply with preoperative and postoperative treatment plans." I'm sure your surgeon has an entire program already put together to meet pretty much all of these requirements. My surgeon is Dr. Jonathan Wallace at Suburban Surgical out in Hoffman Estates, and their practice is a pretty well-oiled machine at this point. I just had my initial consult with Dr. Wallace on 8/9, and I've already had my insurance confirmed by them and multiple appointments set up (first set of labs, psych eval, and two required nutrition classes).
Hope this helps! I'm just starting my journey but I've done a TON of research already, if you can't tell

Current BCBS IL medical policy on bariatric surgery as of 3.15.17.pdf

Exactly right, Soup is basically a slider food in that it goes in and out easily and quickly. Just make sure you're hitting or getting close to your Protein goals each day and you'll be good! Just take it slow when you are cleared to start having blended/soft foods. You'll fill up FAST. Like 2oz FAST.

I’ll raise my hand had mine at end of October so a touch over 6 wks out. My sister is now going to go forward with getting RNY also, so I’ve been thru it and am about to supervise someone else to go thru it haha. Feel free to reach out!

Exactly right, Soup is basically a slider food in that it goes in and out easily and quickly. Just make sure you're hitting or getting close to your Protein goals each day and you'll be good! Just take it slow when you are cleared to start having blended/soft foods. You'll fill up FAST. Like 2oz FAST.

For me, if I eat too fast or have one bite too many, I'll get an almost immediate pain right behind the lower part of my breastbone. It's a SUPER uncomfortable, bordering on mildly painful, feeling. I start creating A LOT of excess saliva (to the point I have to spit it out), which tells me that bit of food is coming right back up. Once I spit it up (it's vomiting, but it's such a small amount that to me it's just a bigger pile of spit haha), I feel better and that tightness is gone. I will either wait another 1-2hrs before trying to have anything else, or I may just postpone and wait until my next meal time to have anything. Depends on how 'normal' I feel after spitting up the offending food. I know some people have been able to walk around and that helps them keep food moving if they think they've got a small blockage from a piece of food not chewed well enough, but for me spitting up is the only helpful option.
You get better at understanding your body's new limits, just take it SUPER slow and really pay attention to how you feel. I had to start using the stopwatch on my phone when I eat meals, just to keep myself mindful to eat slowly. I've gotten much better at slowing down and listening to my body about when enough is enough.

To be honest walking and warm tea.

Walking and heating pad.

Hw-273
Sw-226
CW-150
GW-130
Size- 4 or 6, Small in sweats. Medium in shirts. depends on how it's cut or made.
Bra Size- 38D

Surgery Date- April 26th, 2017
RNY
"Only those who try will become" FFX

Right now, you can eat a full cup of Soup easy, or a full yogurt pretty easy. That’s because it passes through the pouch into the intestines easily. Once you move to solid foods that won’t be the case. So, I wouldn’t worry about it.

Thanks! I am in the process now, have one more support class and a few other things to do, and any support would be great:)

My nutritionist gives out a handout with general instruction on when to take Vitamins. I've attached it here, and typed up a basic version below. The standard Multivitamin from Bariatric Advantage they started me on (chewable) had B12 included in it, and the ones I use now from Bariatric Advantage are capsules and have both B12 and Biotin in them.
Essential Multi (incl. B12): Breakfast, dinner
Calcium: Breakfast, lunch, Dinner
Iron: Bedtime (iron and Calcium need to be taken at least 2hrs apart, otherwise they block one another from absorbing)
To make sure I had my vitamins portioned out each day, I got a pill organizer with 7 separate days and 4x/day. This is the one I got. It allows me to take that day's pills with me.
Post-Op Vitamin Info Sheet.pdf