jules1

Hi,
my clinic starts soft foods a lot later than most. I was sleeved 2nd May and have 2 weeks thin liquids and 4 weeks purée. I asked my dietician if I could have scrambled eggs and he explained that they can still sometimes cause pressure as there is still a lot of swelling and inflammation in stomach and narrowing of oesophagus. He said there should be no pain or nausea from eating and if there is it may be due to amount or texture. Just find soft foods that work for you- he allowed me a little cottage cheese and I tolerate it really well. I also have cheesy mash which I make sure is smooth and not too thick. If you are getting pain on eating it Can be due to pressure on the stomach. Try a smoother food and eat a little less. It’s important to go with what you’re stomach can tolerate at this stage to avoid a leak occurring.

Hi I was sleeved 2/5 and had Migraine. My surgeon said headaches extremely common due to lack of sugar and food. When I was allowed something other than Water I had apple juice and coffee as I am a morning coffee drinker and knew missing my caffeine hit was contributing to migraine. These helped take the edge off migraine, but it only really got better when I was given IV Dynastat. After that I was great and ready to go home on day 4 post op and have not even needed a paracetamol since.

Hi I was sleeved 2/5 and had Migraine. My surgeon said headaches extremely common due to lack of sugar and food. When I was allowed something other than Water I had apple juice and coffee as I am a morning coffee drinker and knew missing my caffeine hit was contributing to migraine. These helped take the edge off migraine, but it only really got better when I was given IV Dynastat. After that I was great and ready to go home on day 4 post op and have not even needed a paracetamol since.

Yum salmon is my boys and my favourite. They love the crispy skin but poaching it sounds like a great idea for soft stage.

Yes, the recipe was a good find. Even though I cooked healthy food for myself and family it was always accompanied by too much carb particularly potato. I am now trying out different recipes and will try and change my diet so I hopefully don’t regain at any point. I have found the surgery has given me motivation with this as I’m not starving all the time. I feel a bit more detached from food than before surgery I think.

That’s great on your weight loss and now noticing it with clothing. I told my hubby to get me a gift card for Suzanne Grace for mother’s day so I can get a few size 14-16 clothes when I reach that goal. My current size 18 clothing will do till then I think. I am so jealous about the salmon. I hope you had a good evening and am curious how salmon went. Did you feel full quickly etc. I am sneaking teaspoons of cottage cheese and it’s getting me through the liquid stage. My nutritionist is calling me tomorrow for a phone consult and I am going to beg to include some soft diet instead of 4 more weeks of purée. I made moqueca- Brazilian fish stew for soft stage. It was quick easy and full of flavour(I tried the broth) plus kids loved it which makes meals easier. I’ve also made some dhal as it’s a soft healthy accompaniment for protien.

Hi Taoz, it’s inspiring how well you’ve done. I definitely have a lot of mind/emotional work to do on myself to make this succeed. Even though I am so ready to be slim - physically wanting it and dealing with constant daily food temptations in life are so hard. I am hoping the smaller stomach makes those battles so much easier.
I started gaining weight in my teens when I was put on large doses of prednisone off and on till about 22ys. I went from being very slim to suddenly putting on weight for the 1st time in my life. This began a lifetime of starving my weight down and regaining repeatedly.
I think we all can feel a bit short changed when in groups,family or friends who all look slim but can routinely eat a hearty plate of food. If I was to eat the same amount of food regularly I imagine I’d be housebound by now. I think a lot of us deal regularly with hunger and feeling we can’t eat till satisfied and then when we do we gain so easily. I imagine a lot of people on this forum find this is the case for them and not necessarily terrible food choices. I’ve found that misconception has been applied to me due to my weight. I have definitely seen people surprised I don’t usually eat second helpings and would rarely snack on crisps and never on sweets. I would bring my boys and me for a McDonald’s on average once a month, and probably enjoy a takeaway Chinese or Thai once a month which I don’t feel is excessive. I still plan to enjoy these things some of the time but not all the time.

I know what you mean? In Australia at Christmas its 30plus degrees I would be the one at the family gathering in a long maxi dress struggling with heat all day and everyone else would be in lighter little sun frocks able to go for a swim in the pool to cool down whenever they wanted. Next year I am going to be one of those people jumping into pool with kids instead of watching enviously from sidelines

Congratulations!

Hi, I know what you mean. A couple of times during first 2 days after surgery I really started having a head freak out, thinking omg what was I thinking doing this to myself and my stomach. I had a few tears believe me. It can be really scary. We are all about the surgery date and getting operation but it isn’t exactly easy afterwards in many ways. I know I woke on day 4 feeling so much better and hopeful. Over the next week seeing the pounds start to fall away really helps too.
keep us updated on your progress.

Congratulations!

Hi, I know what you mean. A couple of times during first 2 days after surgery I really started having a head freak out, thinking omg what was I thinking doing this to myself and my stomach. I had a few tears believe me. It can be really scary. We are all about the surgery date and getting operation but it isn’t exactly easy afterwards in many ways. I know I woke on day 4 feeling so much better and hopeful. Over the next week seeing the pounds start to fall away really helps too.
keep us updated on your progress.

Hi, it definitely hurts to swallow but everyday you persevere drinking becomes more natural again. Start off with baby bird sips but very regularly. Find a position that works whether raising back of bed or even standing. I really liked icy Water myself or you might like apple juice. It is hard but I am a week out and can drink fairly smoothly and quickly now. I know Taoz felt better staying upright after drinking for a while whereas I was good sitting upright in bed. That band of pain that hits after drinking is completely normal and improves the more you drink. Don’t worry, you’ll get there😉

Hi Cleo, it’s not too nice the 1st day. Don’t be shy to ask for analgesia. Remember not to wait too long also as I found the time it takes nurses to bring it to you can easily stretch out to 40min if they’re busy. If you’re prone to nausea ask for iv anti emetic to be given to you at same time. This will save you having to chase up nurses and feeling queasy till they come back.
remember if they give you something and you feel it’s not working after 30-40min to ask for something else. They will have a cocktail of things prescribed.
Its great you’re sleeved now and I know you’re feeling like crap but you really won’t know yourself in 3-4 days. Best of luck☘️☘️☘️

Hi Cleo, it’s not too nice the 1st day. Don’t be shy to ask for analgesia. Remember not to wait too long also as I found the time it takes nurses to bring it to you can easily stretch out to 40min if they’re busy. If you’re prone to nausea ask for iv anti emetic to be given to you at same time. This will save you having to chase up nurses and feeling queasy till they come back.
remember if they give you something and you feel it’s not working after 30-40min to ask for something else. They will have a cocktail of things prescribed.
Its great you’re sleeved now and I know you’re feeling like crap but you really won’t know yourself in 3-4 days. Best of luck☘️☘️☘️

Hi Cleo, it’s not too nice the 1st day. Don’t be shy to ask for analgesia. Remember not to wait too long also as I found the time it takes nurses to bring it to you can easily stretch out to 40min if they’re busy. If you’re prone to nausea ask for iv anti emetic to be given to you at same time. This will save you having to chase up nurses and feeling queasy till they come back.
remember if they give you something and you feel it’s not working after 30-40min to ask for something else. They will have a cocktail of things prescribed.
Its great you’re sleeved now and I know you’re feeling like crap but you really won’t know yourself in 3-4 days. Best of luck☘️☘️☘️

What a great way to do it. Everyone on the same journey and goal will make it easier for you i hope.

1st day home from hospital and nothing beats sleeping in your own bed. Inspired by Taoz i made my own chicken stock. I have then made for next couple days vegetable Soup and pumpkin, carrot and ginger soup. Heres a pic of my vege soup for may post op sleevers on liquid stage. Not a pretty colour but tastes great. Swirled some natural yoghurt through also

1st day home from hospital and nothing beats sleeping in your own bed. Inspired by Taoz i made my own chicken stock. I have then made for next couple days vegetable Soup and pumpkin, carrot and ginger soup. Heres a pic of my vege soup for may post op sleevers on liquid stage. Not a pretty colour but tastes great. Swirled some natural yoghurt through also

So, I've officially turned rebel! My surgeon wanted me to stay at the hospital ANOTHER night and have staff discharge me Sunday morning (surgery was Wednesday morning) because I had thrown up twice back on Thursday but I dug in my heels and opted to discharge at 4pm today (had to sign a form stating it was "against surgeons advice").
I had realised both times the vomiting had happened was because I was made to go from a long period of laying down on the bed to sitting/standing upright and immediately swallowing tablets without having 5-10 minutes for any more gas to bubble out of me first. (thankfully the vomiting didn't hurt much because my tummy was pretty much empty). once I started insisting that I be upright for at least 10 minutes before swallowing any tablets I never vomited again... it just meant that for "controlled substances" like endone pain killers they had to take the tablets away with them and come back 10 minutes later for me to swallow them.
I also had to take more pain killers yesterday than I would have liked, not because of gas or incision pains, but because overnight Thurs/Fri my IV point slipped out of my vein and started pumping lots of Fluid into my arm. I had someone check the IV at 4am as my arm was feeling a bit sore, but they said it looked fine, That reassurance plus an injection of morphine not long beforehand allowed me to sleep through until I woke at 7 with my arm now REALLY swollen and throbbing. I had to keep up endone all day until the pain and swelling subsided 24 hours later. I still got 500ml oral fluids in Friday and didn't need to have a new IV put in my other arm.
I was only receiving "bariatric soups" at mealtimes which I was initially told was made with "real stock" because the aspartame in Optifast triggers nasty headaches for me, however it turned out that the "soups" were also loaded with other forms of MSG, the other major additive I told them I have to avoid because of headaches. I ate half a small bowl of scotch broth Soup at lunch yesterday, and some soup at dinner last night, and today the 24-hour MSG headache roared into gear so I had to alternate codeine and endone to manage the severe headache today, again not pain from the actual surgery. This left me with nothing but Water that they could supply that was "safe" for me to eat/drink, only my sugary tasting Protein waters and a little chicken broth I brought in (I tried some formulite shake but making it without a blender and crushed ice meant I just couldn't stand the texture/taste). I still got nearly a litre (4 cups) of fluids in orally today before 4pm.
I also didn't do too well with the loud call-bell buzzers jerking me out of sleep half the night, it did a number on my nerves every time, especially with those patients who liked to really LEAN on their buzzers for ages. still woke me even with ear plugs.
And I walked... I stalked up and down those hallways for days... many laps.. even made a few friends in my travels (including a lovely lady sleeved by my surgeon 18 months prior who was in recovering from skin removal operation, and who pulled me into her room for a good hour long chat).
So yeah, I tried first to see if I could get surgeons permission to leave this afternoon/evening rather than spend another interrupted night without decent food, then switched to leaving against instructions when I was told that was going to be my only option allowing me to leave today.
I am super happy to be home. Have had a little REAL soup from my freezer (cauliflower and sharp cheese made with genuine home chicken stock), had a decent shower, threw some washing in to wash (hubby will hang it up), and now sipping slowly at a stevia-sweetened Decaf mocha before bed. Feeling 10 times better already (even with the two mega loud children in the house), and the remnants of the MSG headache.
Good night all, and best wishes to you and your journey!
Taoz

What a great way to do it. Everyone on the same journey and goal will make it easier for you i hope.

1st day home from hospital and nothing beats sleeping in your own bed. Inspired by Taoz i made my own chicken stock. I have then made for next couple days vegetable Soup and pumpkin, carrot and ginger soup. Heres a pic of my vege soup for may post op sleevers on liquid stage. Not a pretty colour but tastes great. Swirled some natural yoghurt through also

Hi May sleevers. Just wanted to say good luck to everyone being sleeved in the 2nd week of May and if you have a difficult experience like me it all honestly feels so much better by day 4. Now I'm feeling excited about it all again. Initially i had an awful fear descend on me post op at the enormity of what I'd done and did feel teary depressed and so worried. If any of you have that emotional experience it will get better very fast. Even through those thoughts i was definitely telling myself that not doing surgery would lead to diabetes and worse. So hang in there through those first few days.

I have only had my small bp tablet so far and it was fine. Am wondering how larger Calcium will go. Will give myself a week before i start back on it. Can u break up your tablet before taking?

Thanx. He's definitely a character