ExpatTR

So last month (7 Sept 2018) I had an emergency surgery because I had a blocked bowel. It happens (not sure how it took almost two years after my gastric bypass, but), not to everyone, but it happened to me. So they took me to one hospital ER that was close by my work. It took them an hour to get me into a bed and they finally took me to get a CT Scan. It took two hours to get any type of information from the CT Scan and I was told that I "may possibly" have a blocked bowel. They needed to consult with a surgeon. About an hour later they came back and said that I had a blocked bowel but that the hospital I was at didn't do any type of bariatric surgery. So they said they would transfer me to their sister hospital that does this type of surgery. They called for an ambulance and my wife drove over to the other hospital (about 5 or 6 miles away). Three hours later the ambulance came for me. The other hospital kept calling because they had a surgical team waiting for me. Surgery went well (although I am not bouncing back as fast from this surgery) and I was doing ok. I was trying to get the surgical notes for my bariatric surgeon (just so he could have a record of what was done) and I ran across the CT Scan notes. It turns out I have a possible IPMN (Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm) (or possibly pancreatic cancer) in the head of my pancreas. Nobody from the hospital told me about this and if I hadn't of been looking for the reports for my surgeon I would never have known. Now I have to wait until 13 Nov 2018 to go to a specialist and see what is going on. Needless to say, I have googled this and am now pretty shaken up. I don't blame the surgeon (he was just there to unblock the bowel, (which they said if I would have waited any longer the bowel would have started to die) but I really think that some doctor from either one of the hospitals would have said, "Hey, you might want to get this checked out." Sorry for rambling on about this, just worried.

Hi I had the band for about 5 years and had it removed after it slipped. 4 years later I got the sleeve. My doctor said I had a lot of scar tissue and it was a difficult but successful surgery. I had authorized him that, once he had me on the table if the scarring was too much he could do a mini bypass but my first choice was sleeve. It took about twice as long and he sent me a video of when he started to cut my stomach and i couldnhear and see how tough it was.
He kept me in hospital 5 nights because he wanted to be absolutely sure there were no leaks or other issues. I’m 2 months out and very happy with my recovery and results.

Sure I did. The RD one was linked to and specific to post cancer nutrition which is not the purpose of this site. The CT one cited a small 8 year ago study in Poland that looked at Protein intake as a solitary factor and tried to draw a cause and effect relationship while leaving out many other variables.
It is exactly like people that do not want to vaccinate their kids. You can find many "experts" that support no vaccinations, that state vaccines clearly cause autism and validate what ignorant people want to do which is not vaccinate their children against deadly diseases.
There is probably a study to support eating a diet of peanut M&Ms and Little Debbies if you look hard enough.

I was asked by another poster to start this thread. You see, although I had studied, I prepared, I thought understood as well as any other layperson what surgery and recovery would entail. And I had every intention of having a wonderful surgery, a seamless recovery, and a perfect future. Well it is not necessarily so.
Take me , a poster child for a lovely surgery. And it was, 6 tiny incisions criss-crossed with surgical tape, no nausea, no gas built up to expell. And although I was kept room-bound because of my age, I could walk, move around my room with no light-headness, oh Life was Wonderful.And I went home, still thinking everything is going to be fine.
And then I had my follow-up appointment, surgeon saw no reason why I could not progress my diet on, but my new pouch did not agree, and she still does not agree . Purees came up and still come up.
Six weeks tomorrow and I am on Stage 2A diet. I call it thus because some things on a regular stage 2 she will not tolerate.And Precious Pouch,something that dictates my life so completely needs a name, don't you agree? Well it was confirmed last Friday has a stomal stricture, no able to be dialated in one attempt, so a repeat EGJ,because the duodenum cannot be visualized I'd booked for October 26th, a week from Friday. I am losing weight like GangBusters,25 pounds since surgery, 40 since the end of July. But when do the Good Times roll?
So how has your recovery differed from what YOU PLANNED?

Cigarettes are also legal but smoking is not generally recommended

yes, your appetite will be non-existent during the initial rapid weight loss phase.
then, as you get to your goal weight, you will notice that you will experience normal hunger sensations again and can comfortably eat more food. this worries a lot of people because they think they are "stretching their pouch" (not a thing) and are on the road to regain. but that is not the case. rather, your body is saying "okay, i'm at the weight i should be at now, lets eat some more food so i don't waste away to nothing!"
in short, as long as you eat healthy whole foods a good 90% of the time, you can let your new appetite be your guide. if your body is hungry, feed it healthy food until you are satisfied. no need to count calories or portion sizes. if you have no appetite/hunger, don't eat! it's pretty simple.
the danger is if you go back to sugary/processed food. don't do that. fast food, junk food, processed food, alcohol, sweets... all of that should be part of your past. those foods distort your body's natural hunger signals (insulin rollercoaster, food reward balance) and you can very well gain weight in the long-term by doing so.

I had lapband in 2005. Had it removed in 2009. Sleeved 4/10/18.
My immediate post-op experience after being sleeved was rough. Surgeon said I had a lot of scar tissue from the lapband, which took him almost twice as long as a normal sleeve to take care of. That means I was under anesthesia longer than usual, so I was REALLY groggy for about 12 hours after surgery. I had no energy to get up and walk like the others on my hospital unit. I had no desire to sip-sip-sip and I think I looked a bit like I'd been hit by a truck. I certainly felt that way.
Once I got through the immediate post op part, I returned to normal pretty quickly. Other than some fatigue, I was feeling back to normal after about 6 days. I went through the normal progression from Clear Liquids to full liquids to mushies to soft, etc.
When comparing the two, I'd say that the sleeve has a lot more restriction. After a certain amount, I simply cannot eat. If I do, I suffer with discomfort and a lot of foam/saliva/slime. I was never able to tolerate fills in my band, so this was something relatively new to me.
If you have any sort of GERD, I caution. The sleeve tends to make GERD worse. I'd say it's a little hit or miss in that department, but it's certainly something to discuss with your surgeon. I started getting heartburn about 3 weeks out and I've had some times where I was really worried about nighttime reflux, but I seem to have it under control right now.
As a revision surgery, it is likely you will lose slower this time around. I read it on here and I read other information on the internet, but was still disappointed at the slow weight loss. I'm certainly happy it's coming off, but it is much slower than first timers.

Guess who hit onderland after stalling for 3.5 weeks at 201? THIS lady did! Woohoo!

Hello everyone! Well very excited to tell you the surgery went very well. Tomorrow I will be two weeks post op and have been mostly on a liquid diet, but the small things I have eaten such as pudding and oatmeal have stayed down with no problem. I am having no abdominal pain other then the minor irritation from the incisions no worries there.
I am actually already feeling the results of having the large intestine back in tact and feeling the nourishment from the food I am ingesting. I am so happy at this point in time. I have now lost exactly 200lbs so I am over 40lbs past where I should have stopped. I obviously do not want to gain all my weight back but do look forward to at least being able to keep things down, in and get the benefit of my food intake whether or not I gain some back or not. I lost from a size 32/34 to currently a size 10. At over 5'9 and large framed that was a lot for the body to take in a year and a half.
I will let everyone know how it continues to go, but I do want to say thank you so much for all the kind words of support, and for those that have no other solution for severe bypass issues I am up till this point, proof that there maybe a solution albeit it may have to be a reversal.

I was sleeved 12/14/2016. I am almost 2 years post opp. Still till this day I throw up on a consistent basis. I can not drink 60oz of Water. I can eat but only certain meats and certain carbs. My body feels weak.
The past 3 weeks have been the worst in quite some time. I have nearly fainted multiple times. During a gym session, after a yoga class and twice while mid-shower (I am pretty sure this was due to steam). I am literally crying as I type this. I never regretted getting my stomach cut until now. I am going to ER in the morning to get IV drip, hopefully I am just very dehydrated and I will feel better and get back to normal but I am so concerned. I want to call my surgeon but my mother told me to wait until we go to ER. Ugh. Not to mention, I have no been able to keep any food down since Tuesday. Today I had 1 grape and threw it up. This is crazy. I have been sipping water and thank god it stayed down today.

If anyone has any advice or has been through something similar please comment or inbox me.

PS - Yes I take Vitamin
PSS - I am posting pic so no one will assume I am malnourished or look sickly by reading this
PSSS - Thank you to anyone who fully reads this and responds. I appreciate u.

❤️

SW: 316.
CW: 152.
Height: 5’7.

Great job! I’m at 3 weeks post op and I’m waiting to start feeling normal again. I feel like I’m constantly aware of my insides if that makes sense. I am full on basically 2 tablespoons of soft foods. I really struggle to get enough fluids and Protein. I’m so encouraged seeing your update.

I hope you reach the turning point soon!

It gets better at around 3 months. You will never be able to eat the same amount you did before, but you will be able to participate during food functions. I too, for the first 2 months was a bit angry and depressed about not being able to eat the way I used to, but it’s normal. It’s like mourning a relationship. I promise it will get better. I am now 5 months post op. I am able to eat things I couldn’t eat at 2 months post op. Some things I won’t touch for fear of gaining weight. If I want something I really shouldn’t have, I will take a little taste or bite and throw the rest away. It’s all about self control and will power. I started this journey at 242 pounds, 5 months ago. I currently weigh 168.2. Sometimes it’s not easy but I can tell you, it’s worth it. Good luck to you.

I was sleeved 8/6. Highest weight 262, surgery weight 257 and my current weight is 230. I’ve gone from soft foods to solid foods ( meats, eggs, cheese and beans). I went from struggling to get a Protein Shake down in 24 hours to drinking 60-100 fluids a day. I had to learn that my mind and stomach are not on the same page but that my stomach is in control. I’m 6 weeks out ( tomorrow) , I can gulp about 5-6 times before I feel pain or satisfaction. I can eat about 2-4 oz depending on what it is and how moist the meat is. I struggle with my Vitamins, Protein and weighing myself everyday. I am now trying to weigh in only at appointments giving myself weigh ins at home 1-2 times a month. (Different scales will give you different results, all that matters is that I’ve lost and that I’m doing as Directed by my surgeon & nutritionist). Even if the scale don’t move it don’t bother me to much because my clothes show me I am losing weight as well. This has been a learning experience that I am so grateful for! Advice to you : take lots of pictures, face, body, feet, etc. it will definitely show!

Good luck to you all.

You can’t “reset” your pouch.
pouch reset is a fad diet that was started by someone that wanted to sell products on the Internet. It is bogus and is not necessary. If you’re fighting regain you should go back to the basics and eat dense Protein first followed by non-starchy vegetables. Cut out simple carbs, sugar, processed food, soda, alcohol, and fast food. Your pouch/tool is fine and hasn’t stretched, you’re just eating too many slider foods that don’t let you feel restriction.
If you’re struggling with emotional or binge eating, see a therapist to work through your issues. Trying to fix this with fad dieting or that mindset won’t work long term as it never did pre-WLS and is not sustainable. It’s about healthy strategies & coping mechanisms now.
You can do this! Good luck.

Hi @ RnYBeyhive my sweet friend, Hi all the rest,of my bypass peeps. Its me, 1 whole week post-op and ready to relate so put my Matrix Suit on in case someone starts stomping me. Only hospitalized 2 short days, he originally had said 3, did well, came home with a few medications and a 21 day supply of Lovenox. If it keeps me from strokes, if it prevents or lessen clots thrown from my legs to,my lungs, I'm Your Woman! I am a good smooth shooters although,many have said they are painful, I have not,found them so, don't even sting!
Came home on level 2, yesterday,I say my surgeon. Instead of having bruising around each trocar wound, Sunday I started to have a solid sheet of a purple veil spreading across,my tummy left to right, but around each incision I have a round circle of normal pigmentation. I have 6 wounds, 1 up between my breasts, just below my sternum, a large and medium on the right, 2 medium on the left, and one in my navel. How do I know their sizes , apart from the amount of steri-strips applied? Because yesterday he said I was doing so remarkably well he removed all the ones remaining. And each one has one or 2 black sutures down in but each is looking very well. The largest one on a bypass is where the big business- like stamplers and such went in, sleevers usually ( no absolute-each,of He,is different, each,surgeon has his/her own game plan) is on the left and thays where they pull your stomach remnant through and out. But still not inflamed or wicked bad looking. Now for the point I risk Death by Trompeling for, He Already Advanced my diet to Stage 3 at only 6 days out. Says he feel MY BODY AND ME are ready! I have 2 very-dear-to-ME. BariPals, one out 3 weeks today, the other 5 weeks yesterday and they are barely limping through on 2, one barfs every time the wind blows, bet I no longer get PM of encouragement from the one. Says I can now go to 6. 8.-ounce glasses, because I now know what I oz and 2 oz feel like in my mouth I can a little more free-style. I am still going to be cautious, I may be the Wonder Woman of the Western World, able to,progress, but Mama Got A BRAND NEW. bag and this is,and will remain, a Learning Experience. After only a 1 week vacation I can go back to my Prenatal Vitamins, good thing I didnt buy the Big Bottle my son was encouraging me to purchase. So I have now a choice between grinding up 2 pills or tossing down a prenatal. I have to grind down because no one with prosthetic teeth has the mouth muscle strength to grind, only way I have for me to not retch is to mix it with unsweetened applesauce and Musselmans is better than Motts, higher Vitamin count and I think it tastes better.
RYB, don't stock too heavy, although I am still going with Protein Shakes, only Premier and my soys do not have an underlying yuck😿 factor. And the ChrystalLightwater additives taste bitter, like you were vomiting up bile.
But I remain and shall remain your humble correspondent. And Hear Ye Hear Ye one and all!
I AM EXTREMELY GLAD I HAD IT DONE- It will,have me a life WITH I could not have had WITHOUT!🍀😛🍀😛❤

Today marks my 5 month surgiversary!! As of this morning, I am down 156 lbs from my high weight and 130 lbs from surgery. I am blessed that I’ve had little complications through the process. Still have a long way to go. A big THANK YOU to all that have supported me throughout the journey. It’s one of the best desicions I’ve made in life.

Had this same issue two days ago. I tried pureed ground turkey with refried Beans and ended up getting sick for the first time since my surgery. It was pretty awful.
I am sticking with cottage cheese, unsweetened applesauce, yogurt, and some Soups for a bit. Jello and sugar free popsicles are a nice treat too! I may need to become a vegetarian. lol
I have to make myself eat - food still kinda grosses me out for the moment.
I don't suffer from acid reflux, but my doctor prescribes a medicine to take for 3 months for acid for all patients.
Switching from liquid to pureed food takes time, I think. I am just thankful I tried pureed foods before coming back to work today! That would have been awful!

Congrats and God bless you to have a successful surgery with a quick recovery.

Best wishes! Please keep us posted.

Congratulations

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God speed!!!

Well I am next week, September 5th, but I will take a corner of the Well Wishes for myself. Hey hope for the best, work with the not'-the-best and make this journey your own. Step by Step into the future🌈 and may there be only sunny days ahead!

Congrats and best of luck to you!!!

Good luck!