stacy71

I’m 4 day’s post op, yesterday when at the office having my drain removed the nurse made a note to tell me I may have sharp pains in my left side if I haven’t already. It’s due to the surgeon having tied down part of the stitches in the RNY. I can’t remember the exact wording.

I’m 4 day’s post op, yesterday when at the office having my drain removed the nurse made a note to tell me I may have sharp pains in my left side if I haven’t already. It’s due to the surgeon having tied down part of the stitches in the RNY. I can’t remember the exact wording.

We all know about the warnings. Most folks who have actually researched it know that most of the warnings...stretching, etc.... are kinda....lacking....in facts and evidence.
A lot of people do have the occasional carbonated beverage. The world will probably not end.
I think the big taboo around them with doctors and nutritionists has more to do with the fact that they are empty calories and habit forming. They're just not generally a good choice. Sugary pop, beer, wine coolers.....tons of calories, and little nutrition. Bad habits.
But no...doctors have actually looked at the sleeve diameter of people who have been wildly successful and who have failed terribly...a year or two out.....and there's really no difference. Even if they've been drinking soda. The difference is new dietary habits and new exercise habits.
What destroys people's efforts isn't the carbonation.....it's the sugar and calories. Carbonated beverages are a gateway to screwing up your diet, rebound hunger, and a return to old habits.

Heh.. Pre-sleeve I was an ice creamaholic and a serious Cereal killer.. I can't eat those anymore. I AM SOOOOO HAPPY

Upon my discharge I was told that the pain medication we take can cause Constipation, along with drinking our Iron pills which we are stuck taking them for life as I'm told. I was prescribed Ducosate, they are a small pill and they truly do help out in preventing constipation. If my surgeon assisted in prescribing this to her patients after surgery, I'm hoping the same could be done for you. Just don't take it every day, since we don't really intake much especially after surgery, you don't want everything you drink or eat come out from that portal.

Have you tried taking Miralax everyday (assuming your surgeon approves)? This was recommended to me in the early post-op days/weeks when Constipation is not uncommon. Also try getting in MORE than 64 oz of Water a day, and walking as much as possible.

Smooth Move tea works shockingly well for me. I was a skeptic....but the poo doesn't lie. It works like a charm. Check with your team first, though.
Also...the Constipation passes. For me, after the second month have not had any issues.

Take your pain pills if you need them, walk and sip

Good luck all! It’s over before you know it and by about day 3 or 4 the gas pain subsided and you turn a bit of a corner.

You’ll likely not even be hungry but Follow the team’s instructions and you’ll be fine. You’ll be amazed at the journey once you get settled in

Enjoy!

Thanks Rick. That was very insightful. I am glad so many people are posting and discussing things. This is a life changing bit of surgery and the more knowledge we have the better.

I was originally wanted the sleeve but per the doctor the RNY/gastric bypass was better choice for me because I suffer from severe reflux/GERD.
My Doctor personally stated the gastric bypass is reversible.

Unless someone starts out with GERD, my surgeons office usually recommends sleeve unless the person is extremely obese. They consider it a safer, less invasive surgery.

First I don't know the answer but I will guess. It seems like Sleeve surgery is trending right now. But many who have the sleeve encounter problems with severe acid reflux (Gerd). Sleeve only makes this condition worse. So therefore they have a revision to gastric bypass.

Good luck Stacy, and thanks for the heads up, Yuneli!

Ten pounds is quiet a lot in two weeks. That’s really great!!

I had my lapband removed September 15. I'm doing Protein Shakes, sugar free Jello, sugar free popsicles, blended Soups, and tons of Water.< br>
Sent from my QTASUN1 using BariatricPal mobile app

Ha! You can have all the Doritos. Never did like those

I agree. I feel stronger for having the Cheezits in the pantry and not eating them. It makes me feel like a warrior LOL

Fingers in my ears - "la la la la la"!

Well your orders were wrong. cheese is an excellent source of Protein. Cheez its have 5 grams of protein per 1.5 oz package by the way.

The reduced surface area of your stomach and the reduced amount of time items stay in the stomach can and will effect tolerances.

Almost go time!!! July 18th is my surgery date and here I am up as usual worrying. How do I know if my liver has shrunk enough for surgery?? I started the preop up diet on the fourth and I’m down roughly 12 pounds. I don’t have high cholesterol so I’m not sure. I don’t know I’m just worried cause it’s getting close and I’m worried it’s going to get taken away from me again.

"Never" isn't exactly "fact". That's just what some doctors say.
carbonation can cause gas and bloating issues, can cause dumping syndrome, it can stretch your pouch/sleeve. It also puts extra pressure on the staple line.

That said. I've had a couple of lightly carbonated drinks that were 0 calorie, (BAI makes some) and no adverse effects. The idea is that you don't want to do drinking them daily.

There is no cheating...only choices. For the annoying coworkers, you may have to take the bull by the horns, so to speak, and say "Yes, you have shared your opinion several times, however, you do not know me, If I want your opinion on a topic, I will ask." Then turn around and walk away. It takes courage, and we all have to own our courage at some point. We are COURAGEOUS. If the coworker comes at you again, just say "We must agree to disagree, now not another word about it!"
In my own situation, in a small community where I am known and belong to a community group, I decided on the D&A approach: Decide, and Announce. I am writing to explain my upcoming absence with this:
I could not attend tonight’s meeting as I am recovering from surgery! The surgery treats a disease I have had all my life. It is not a cure but will greatly assist in managing it and it is the best medical treatment available in 2018. Essentially it involves resizing the stomach, removing a portion of a hormone production center, then recovery with a graduated 10-week transition back to regular food. It's quite a schedule, and will require 100% focus from me without distraction, as well as several post-op appts. Six years ago my insurance would not cover this procedure, but now obesity is recognized as a disease - a chronic disease - a chronic, deadly disease. Not everyone who is overweight has it, because one can be both overweight and healthy. But for those who’s health becomes compromised by enough other problems, it becomes a disease. I call it a "gateway" disease, putting one in the buffet line to pick up an assortment of other diseases, eg. high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, diabetes, endometrial cancer, arthritis, heart and circulation diseases, bad joints, liver and kidney disease, respiratory issues. And more. I have some of those. I didn't want more. I passed all the tests for clearance, my insurance now covers the procedure, and at 70, recognize this is my last chance for some relief and possible remission. Like diabetes, cancers and many other diseases, a single core cause remains elusive, but includes multiple factors like genetics & family predisposition, exposure to pesticides, the food industry, environmental pollution, chemicals, our Western culture, individual metabolism and biology, as well as lifestyle and coping styles. And so, they can arrive at their own "opinions" and I don't give a hoot what they think. Not to be cruel, but their opinion is not something I value when it comes to personal medical decisions. No one's opinion matters more than your own. I imagine some go through this kind of flack in deciding whether or not to have children, an abortion, to adopt, a vasectomy, plastic surgery, and so on. I so agree -- Your. Body. Your. Business.

My mother. I initially made the decision not to tell her until a few months after surgery. Mainly because she has seen the surgery fail time and time again. Plus, what mother wants their kid to go under the knife. She has yo-yo dieted all her life, but does not have the same weight problem I have, she is just a little chunky. So I don't think she understands the daunting task of losing 100s of lbs as opposed to 40 lbs. She kept saying how I lost it all once, I could do it again on my own. When I started losing weight with my nutritionist pre-op, she gushed about how happy she was I was doing it the "right way" and not getting surgery. That kinda cemented my decision not to tell her.
But thanks to my blabber mouth sister she learned two weeks before my surgery. Luckily the indignity of not being told my plans kinda shocked her into silence---for a while. At our fourth of July bbq she started telling everyone about yet another person that had the sleeve who has started to put the weight back on.
It took me a long time to come to the decision to have surgery, and it is all because of my kids. No other reason. But it is ingrained in me that I have "cheated," that this surgery is something to be ashamed of. I have told almost no one, and I plan to keep it that way. My body, my business.