WNC AV8R

On 3/22/2019 at 1:43 PM, Ed_NW said:

I still battle the gout too. It's gotten worse and I've been to my Doc a few times since surgery because of debilitating outbreaks. He gave me Prednisone and that works fast but can't be taken long term. I was told (like you mentioned in another post) that it's part of the process if you are a gout sufferer but it's almost unbearable at times. It definitely puts a damper on the exercise part of weight loss. We'll have to keep each other posted about this gout thing since we had the same surgery 4 days apart. Congrats on your success by the way.

I was finally able to get past on VERY long gout attack, but it took IV fluids and a lot of Allopurinol. To keep them at bay I take the capsule form of Tart Cherry every day and Allopurinol tablets. The team did finally allow me to take Colchicine, but only for a short time and with a PPI. As usual, Tylenol is largely ineffective at controlling gout pain. Bottom line for me anyway, fluids - fluids - fluids. Prevention is the best medicine.

You're absolutely right though, the gout will definitely dampen the exercise routine, which is a shame because I (finally) feel good enough to actually work out.

Thanks for the encouragement. Congratulations on your progress. Looks like you're doing very well.

So I haven't seen the sub-200 zone in quite a long time (maybe 15 years) and I wanted to say thank you for all the support this forum has offered. Down to 198 and feeling fine. Still some trouble with solid food, particularly meat or dense Proteins. Still some issues with gout. But in general I feel great and have no regrets. I'm still out of work, but unfortunately I don't have any control over that process (all the t's are crossed and i's are dotted...just waiting and waiting and waiting).

The only advice I can offer to anyone; hang in there. If I can do it, you can too.

6 hours ago, Akfern said:

I am 8 weeks into my weight loss journey... my total loss is 27 lb... I am thrilled with this loss... I was stalled for about 2 1/2 weeks and I think I am moving past that... it feels good not worrying about losing ... I am fine with a slow loss because I know it will come off eventually...

You got this! Hang in there. I'm almost 3 months post op and the stalls are just part of the process.

My bypass was in December and I'm still out of work. My job requires medical clearance from a federal agency after a 2 month post-op wait. Paperwork submitted, but the bureaucratic review will take another 8 to 12 weeks. Got a part-time job in the meantime and trying to keep expenses minimized. Surgery was worth it, but the financial hit has been BIG.

Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc about 7 weeks post-op. Did fine, but definitely felt it. Drank mostly brown liquor pre-op, but I haven't felt the need to try that again...yet 😉

99% of the people I work with are men so questions about weight loss are rare, but when I do get the question I say, "Not that it's ANY of your business, but I had to have intestinal surgery to correct a serious medical issue. I'm better now." If they press for more information, I literally tell them that I'm not discussing it with them since it's a private medical issue and go about my day.

On 1/30/2019 at 7:41 PM, jasmineinmymind said:

I keep hearing that chicken doesn’t sit well. Is it the texture? Too bulky? This makes me sad because chicken was the real staple of my diet

Chicken causes me all kinds of 'stuck' and pain issues. I have tried all kinds of ways to make it go down/pass easier with suggestions from the dietitian and surgical team, but it still causes issues. The last suggestion I received was to focus on thigh meat instead of breast meat since it's fat content is higher, but I haven't gone that route yet. Even ground chicken causes problems. Turkey is not much better. The few times I've tried ground beef, especially finely ground beef, I have not had any trouble.

I had this issue for several months and a family member had it for over a year. Chronic cough that is not attributable to other ENT conditions is very typical of GERD. In my case, the only way to be sure was endoscopy with biopsy and brush samples sent for laboratory interpretation. This will also rule out more serious issues as well (Barrett's esophagus, neoplasm, etc.)

What about trying different GERD medications? In the past Rabeprazole (Aciphex) worked for me, but I was switched to Pantoprazole (Protonix) which has been much more effective.

Awesome job!

Medicine cups definitely work, but they're not convenient. I started using a graduated water bottle and literally setting a reminder every 15 minutes on my watch. It's OCD-ish but it works. Cold liquids have been very difficult for me, but room temperature tap Water isn't too much trouble.

22 hours ago, FluffyChix said:

Wow! Ouch! Are you still drinking the Protein Drinks? Or eating any Protein isolates? I found that doing that really made my legs and feet swell. And I did have an episode of what I think was gout. I never have it usually!

I think the more you are able to get small meals of Protein and veg in and avoid your triggers, you should start seeing an improvement.

Give us an idea of what your day is like?

I have a Protein Drink in the morning only; usually Premiere Protein or Core Power. For the rest of the day the 'meals' that I consume are always a protein/veg combination with no powdered protein isolate supplements of any kind. I'm still having A LOT of issues with soft foods, so the meals are very small (3-5 bites). I do have some protein Snacks to munch on if I get hungry, but I'll only have one every 3 or 4 days.

Thanks!

19 hours ago, Ed_NW said:

I've had gout for the last 20 years and was put on Allopurinol after my first attack. My gastric bypass was 4 days after your's. When I first started my pre-op diet and was loosing weight I had a bad attack in my right foot. Once my hydration levels got back to normal I was fine. Uric acid is flushed out in your urine so I always drank a lot of Water and watched my urine color. As hard as it is post surgery, it is really important for us gout sufferers to tank up on clear Water and get as close to a clear urine as possible. Ice and elevate until the attack goes away. The no ibuprofen rule sucks in times like these. One good thing about having WLS is the body's natural response to inflammation will finally kick in after the weight starts to come off. Good luck.

Thanks for your feedback. Keeping up with all the water has been hard enough, but taking in even more than the minimum required for gout-flushing purposes has really been difficult. After a while that much water leaves me feeling nauseous and weak. I have a couple of more months before I can return to work, so hopefully I can get it stabilized before then.

22 hours ago, MMME said:

Have you seen a rheumatologist for their opinion? They might have some suggestions that your GP and surgeon hasn't thought of. Clinical trials perhaps?

I will definitely ask to be referred. Certainly would be good to get another opinion.

I've struggled with gout for the last 4 years or so, on an off, which was basically kept under control with dietary restrictions (avoiding beer, shellfish, etc.). Since the RNY my gout has been basically constant, like one long attack that never fully goes away. Most times the pain is in the 2-3 range out of 10, but in the last 2 weeks it has become unbearable. Pain, swelling, tingling, and redness in my ankle, foot, and toes. Tylenol is basically useless and the Colchicine is a no-no according to both my family physician and the surgeon's office. Started taking Allopurinol, but it takes months to have any noticeable effect and can actually worsen an attack in the near term. Also taking Tart Cherry and Turmeric, but those have limited benefits, and I'm drinking water...a lot of water! What I've gotten from the various medical folks is 'well it's part of the weight loss' and 'it's expected'. That's great and all, but there's no way I'm going to be able to return to work if this lasts much longer or becomes a permanent thing. It's pretty disabling at this point. Anyone have other tips? Just looking for some relief. Thanks.

On 1/15/2019 at 8:42 PM, Jgirl2000 said:

Did anyone have trouble eating during the soft food stage? I am having so much trouble eating and my stomach hurts.

I am in the soft food stage as well and I can tell you it has been VERY challenging. Most days I really don't even want try soft foods and just stick to liquids. When I do, I use a timer to monitor my intake, 3-5 minutes between bites, and only 11 or 12 bites total. It makes eating unpleasant (which is maybe the goal). When the pain occurs it's usually 20-30 seconds after I swallow something, just at or below the level of my rib cage. After a few attempts, I can get down a few bites, but as soon as I feel any pain I stop immediately. A few times the pain was so bad I had thoughts of going to the ER, so it's made me pretty wary.

The worst foods I've found have been finely ground turkey and scrambled eggs. chicken salad can be ok, but it has be like utter mush. Veggies seem ok as long as they are mashed like very loose baby food. I should add that I'm still having issues drinking any unthickened liquid as far as pain and resistance. I'm able to get by by taking very, very small sips at a time. My dietitian said it's normal for this stage and that people heal at different rates. One thing's for sure, I'm losing weight. So far my calories never reach what the program calls for, but I don't feel hungry.

I have the Celebrate Multi-Complete 45 chewable in Watermelon and they're not too bad. I just took what the surgeon's staff recommended but I haven't had any problems with them. Don't really want to have to swallow any more daily pills, so a chewable Vitamin is right for me.

Congratulations on your milestone! Huge achievement. And I agree, it is definitely not the easy way out.

Was taking oral medications post-op, the day of my surgery. I am now one month post-op and the first pills of the day are difficult to get down and sometimes painful.

No activity restrictions after laparoscopic RNY other than a 30 lb lifting limit. Walking or the elliptical are my most common forms of exercise at this point. A little more weight loss and I'll try light interval jog/walk.

So I'm about halfway through my last week of the post-op liquid diet and the plan was to be placed on soft foods after seeing the Dietitian on the 3rd. The issue I'm having is the post-swallow pain I'm still feeling with just plain liquids. If Clear Liquids or Protein Shakes still cause pain, will I be able to transition to soft foods? The pain radiates downward, retrosternal to Left Upper Quadrant, 30-45 seconds after swallowing. I'm not gulping, still just small sips at a time. Cold liquids are really bad, warm ones not so much and of course I'm not using straws. The pain dissipates about 30 seconds later, but happens every time. Really looking forward to some actual food, but at this point I'm worried about anything that might aggravate what is already a problem. Feel fine otherwise.

Feb 2018 - Initial seminars with two different programs & surgeons. Selected the program that seemed the most flexible.

Mar 2018 - First consultation with care team. This meeting was a small group and lasted a couple of hours. Provided insurance and demographic information.

Mar 2018 - First appointment with surgeon. Recommendation based on extensive paperwork and medical history review was RNY.

Mar 2018 - First appointment with Dietitian. Anthem PPO required 6 months of medically supervised weight management.

Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug 2018 - Monthly appointments with Dietitian.

May 2018 - Exercise evaluation.

May 2018 - Psychiatric evaluation.

Sep 2018 - CPAP compliance report.

Nov 2018 - Cardiac clearance, CPAP compliance, lab work including serum Nicotine/Cotinine.

Nov 2018 - Consultation with surgical PA and scheduler.

Nov 2018 - Final consultation with surgeon. Also received insurance pre-authorization from Anthem.

Dec 14, 2018 - RNY surgery. One night in the hospital. liquid diet 2 weeks prior to surgery to 3 weeks post-op.

Since I had a recent endoscopy and am regularly followed by a cardiologist, meeting those requirements was all done via records transfer. No additional appointments were needed to fulfill those requirements.

My wife stayed with me until about 5 pm and came back the next day around 9 am. It wasn't bad at all. The staff were great, but just keep in mind that it's a hospital and the 'squeaky wheel gets the grease' when you need something. They're busy and you won't exactly be a high priority (at least that's the way it seemed). Bring things to keep you occupied; iPad (don't forget the charger), books, music, etc. Or just enjoy the narcotic haze every 4-6 hours. 😵

20 minutes ago, mousecat88 said:

LiquaCel does not taste good. LOL. I recommend the peach mango or watermelon if you get any. If you go to the manufacturers site, you can get a sample of all 5 flavors for 5$. It is not a "complete" Protein (it's collagen), so it can't fully replace Protein Shakes, but good if you need a boost for the day or if you are traveling short-term. Unjury sells individual shake packets, too. LiquaCel is nice because it is one ounce and you're done. But it tastes like medicinal goop. Bearable... You don't have to mix it with anything. In fact I recommend you don't. The flavor is not good and it is thick gel. Just slurp it from the pouch in 2 seconds and be done. Like taking cold medicine.

I've tried the Unjury and I really don't like them. They have a weird after-taste to me. Thanks for the tip on the sampler. I'll give that a try.

Just wondering what the general consensus was about LiquaCel packets. I travel a lot for work and these look convenient, just wondering about taste, flavors, etc. Want to have something that mixes readily with bottled Water that isn't a shake or pudding. Thanks!

14 hours ago, KatiT47 said:

I am cold!!!!

This! I am freezing all the time now. Have never been cold my whole life. Indoors now I have to wear sweatshirts and sweaters, shoes and socks all the time. My hands and feet are freezing. Really never expected this and don't remember reading anything about it pre-op.