Recidivist

Hi, everyone. Still a very smooth recovery for me after a difficult start, except for the dizziness. I get it every time I stand up and have actually passed out a few times. I talked to the doctor today and she suspected it was low blood pressure, which never occurred to me. Sure enough, my BP at that time was 75/50. She told me to prioritize Water over Protein and drink as much as I can (more than 64 per day). I'm monitoring my BP (highest reading today was 85/65), and they might bring me back to the hospital if it hasn't improved by the weekend. UGH!

Exactly one week today. Also, I'm 60 years old, which may be a factor. Your post is reassuring!

Thanks so much, Marine. I'm surprised at how good I'm feeling now that I'm at home. However, I feel like I'm a week behind in terms of my recovery. My main challenge is getting enough Water and protein--I'm only managing about half of both. I've lost 3 pounds this first week, which is a little disappointing, but it wasn't really a normal work.

That's actually good news in a way, because it's not a leak or anything else to do with your pouch. You'll be back on track in no time!

That's actually good news in a way, because it's not a leak or anything else to do with your pouch. You'll be back on track in no time!

I am two weeks out today also. Definitely still tired. I am just getting better at drinking liquids, hoping that will help.

I'll be two weeks out of surgery Wednesday. No problems getting fluids and the diet. However like others I am exhausted most of the time. I've gone to placing a few lawn chairs around the yard so I have a place to sit if I need to. I have been walking the dog about may be half a mile each day but exhausted when I return home. Actually let me correct that, the dog drags me for the walk!

I'm glad to hear you're doing better! I will be 3 weeks out tomorrow and I still have low energy. I ran around after my kids for less than an hour yesterday and I was totally wiped out. It gets better, but it is a slow process. Also, your throat might have something to do with the intubation? Good luck!

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I've been crushing mixing my pills with water... at first I didnt mix it with anything but Water but couldn't do it anymore like that. So I ended up adding a splenda packet which is acceptable because it's a sugar substitute. It is still gross but definitely better than before.

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Exactly one week today. Also, I'm 60 years old, which may be a factor. Your post is reassuring!

Protein powder just went in everything when I was at that stage. High protein yogurt, Soup with protein, applesauce with protein, Jello with protein, hummus with protein.. you get the idea. I bought and still buy bariatric food items from the BariatricPal Store. The points I get participating in forums helps get it discounted and I can always hit the free shipping if I include purchasing my Vitamins through them as well.

Definitely, follow the recommendations, if you were given some type of manual. Also, I find that journaling, or using MyFitnessPal, Baritastic, etc., have been helpful as well. Not to mention lots on the internet.

Typically, you continue doing what you were before, getting most of your Protein from the Protein Drinks, and add in more of the thicker and more solid foods allowed, but the protein drinks are usually a staple for a while. You can try adding unflavored Protein Powder into Jello, make instant pudding with protein powder added; sloppy oatmeal or cream of wheat are often allowed at this point (check with your doc's plan on what exactly they allow when.)
Our program was basically a month long transition into "real" food, with liquids, purees, mushies and soft foods allowed whenever they were tolerated - the basic rule was to try new foods one at a time to test for your tolerance and if they worked ok, then great. If not, go back to known foods and try that one again in a week or two. Then try something else the next meal, etc. Over time, the protein drinks were fully replaced with real food, but given the small amounts that we typically can eat at a time, particularly as things get more solid, the drinks may be there for a while.

Thanks so much, Marine. I'm surprised at how good I'm feeling now that I'm at home. However, I feel like I'm a week behind in terms of my recovery. My main challenge is getting enough Water and protein--I'm only managing about half of both. I've lost 3 pounds this first week, which is a little disappointing, but it wasn't really a normal work.

I'm finishing my first week post-op liquid diet today and will transition to pureed food tomorrow. The past week has been quite easy because there is essentially no choice involved. However, I'm a bit worried about constructing my own diet from now on that ensures enough Protein. Did any of you find that difficult at first? Does it get easier?

HI, March buddies. I had my bypass on March 3 and am still in the hospital due to complications. My surgeon told me that everything had gone beautifully. However, I was in pretty severe pain a few hours later and it just kept getting worse. I figured it was just the gas pains everyone talks about and I'm just a wimp. They did a blood test at the following day thought I had an infection, and I had tachycardia, which made them suspect a leak in the pouch. Unfortunately, both were true.
I'm spending this entire week in the hospital. Tomorrow they will install a drain to remove as much of the infection as possible, and I'm also on liquid pain killers and antibiotics via the IV. Once the infection clears, they do a second operation to fix the leak. Two morals of the story: Leaks hurt like hell, and if you think something is not right, contact your doctor immediately!
i'm hoping this is just a temporary setback and that I'll be back on track in no time.
Best of luck to the rest of the February club!

I'm finishing my first week post-op liquid diet today and will transition to pureed food tomorrow. The past week has been quite easy because there is essentially no choice involved. However, I'm a bit worried about constructing my own diet from now on that ensures enough Protein. Did any of you find that difficult at first? Does it get easier?

Just about 12 hours until surgery. Check in at 5:30, surgery about 7:30. Hope I can get some sleep!
Good luck to other 3/11 buddies and those following right behind us!
Almost forgot to say I took my before pics this morning! Looking forward to posting after pics in the coming months!

Thanks so much, Marine. I'm surprised at how good I'm feeling now that I'm at home. However, I feel like I'm a week behind in terms of my recovery. My main challenge is getting enough Water and protein--I'm only managing about half of both. I've lost 3 pounds this first week, which is a little disappointing, but it wasn't really a normal work.

Hi, Frou Frou and everyone else. Thanks so much for your messages of encouragement during a rather dark week for me (which is why I haven't responded for a few days).
I had a mini-surgery to correct the leak on Wednesday at 10:00 in the evening! (A nurse came into my room at about 2:00 and told me I had to stop eating and drinking immediately--and she got very cranky when I finished the bowl of Jello in I had in front of me.) It was not performed by my surgeon, but I didn't care at that point. It wasn't full anesthesia but what they called "twilight sedation." No idea what that means, but it is apparently much easier on the body and recovery is very quick. I think the entire thing took about 30 minutes via a hole in my side.
I got to come home this morning feeling amazingly good--little pain, no nausea, no dumping. The only thing is that I can't seem to stay awake for more than 90 minutes at a time before I need a nap. I'm also managing only about half of the daily Water and Protein quota, and I can't believe how full I feel all the time! I've actually drunk water to the point of pain several times, but I'm learning when to stop. I'm sure it will improve with time, but right now I can't imagine eating actual food. I'm basically at the starting block, where I would have been last Tuesday if I had been discharged from the hospital the day after surgery as planned.
Thanks again for your support during the week--it really made a difference.

Hi, Frou Frou and everyone else. Thanks so much for your messages of encouragement during a rather dark week for me (which is why I haven't responded for a few days).
I had a mini-surgery to correct the leak on Wednesday at 10:00 in the evening! (A nurse came into my room at about 2:00 and told me I had to stop eating and drinking immediately--and she got very cranky when I finished the bowl of Jello in I had in front of me.) It was not performed by my surgeon, but I didn't care at that point. It wasn't full anesthesia but what they called "twilight sedation." No idea what that means, but it is apparently much easier on the body and recovery is very quick. I think the entire thing took about 30 minutes via a hole in my side.
I got to come home this morning feeling amazingly good--little pain, no nausea, no dumping. The only thing is that I can't seem to stay awake for more than 90 minutes at a time before I need a nap. I'm also managing only about half of the daily Water and Protein quota, and I can't believe how full I feel all the time! I've actually drunk water to the point of pain several times, but I'm learning when to stop. I'm sure it will improve with time, but right now I can't imagine eating actual food. I'm basically at the starting block, where I would have been last Tuesday if I had been discharged from the hospital the day after surgery as planned.
Thanks again for your support during the week--it really made a difference.

Hi, Frou Frou and everyone else. Thanks so much for your messages of encouragement during a rather dark week for me (which is why I haven't responded for a few days).
I had a mini-surgery to correct the leak on Wednesday at 10:00 in the evening! (A nurse came into my room at about 2:00 and told me I had to stop eating and drinking immediately--and she got very cranky when I finished the bowl of Jello in I had in front of me.) It was not performed by my surgeon, but I didn't care at that point. It wasn't full anesthesia but what they called "twilight sedation." No idea what that means, but it is apparently much easier on the body and recovery is very quick. I think the entire thing took about 30 minutes via a hole in my side.
I got to come home this morning feeling amazingly good--little pain, no nausea, no dumping. The only thing is that I can't seem to stay awake for more than 90 minutes at a time before I need a nap. I'm also managing only about half of the daily Water and Protein quota, and I can't believe how full I feel all the time! I've actually drunk water to the point of pain several times, but I'm learning when to stop. I'm sure it will improve with time, but right now I can't imagine eating actual food. I'm basically at the starting block, where I would have been last Tuesday if I had been discharged from the hospital the day after surgery as planned.
Thanks again for your support during the week--it really made a difference.

Thanks to all of your for your encouraging words and support. They repaired the leak on Wednesday (at 10:00 in the evening!), took the drains out this morning, and the infection has cleared up--so I finally got to go home today! I can't tell you how wonderful it will be to take a real shower and sleep in my own bed.
Needless to say, it has been a very rough and discouraging week. Apparently, I am today basically where I would have been last Tuesday if there had been no complications and they had discharged me the day after surgery as planned. I'm feeling surprisingly good aside from being completely wiped out--I'm napping every couple of hours. I have minimal pain and have not needed pain meds, no nausea, and I have not dumped (yet). So, I just need to pick myself up and get on with it and put this week out of my head.
All of your posts really did help, even though I wasn't in the mood to respond during the week. Thanks again!

Hi, Frou Frou and everyone else. Thanks so much for your messages of encouragement during a rather dark week for me (which is why I haven't responded for a few days).
I had a mini-surgery to correct the leak on Wednesday at 10:00 in the evening! (A nurse came into my room at about 2:00 and told me I had to stop eating and drinking immediately--and she got very cranky when I finished the bowl of Jello in I had in front of me.) It was not performed by my surgeon, but I didn't care at that point. It wasn't full anesthesia but what they called "twilight sedation." No idea what that means, but it is apparently much easier on the body and recovery is very quick. I think the entire thing took about 30 minutes via a hole in my side.
I got to come home this morning feeling amazingly good--little pain, no nausea, no dumping. The only thing is that I can't seem to stay awake for more than 90 minutes at a time before I need a nap. I'm also managing only about half of the daily Water and Protein quota, and I can't believe how full I feel all the time! I've actually drunk water to the point of pain several times, but I'm learning when to stop. I'm sure it will improve with time, but right now I can't imagine eating actual food. I'm basically at the starting block, where I would have been last Tuesday if I had been discharged from the hospital the day after surgery as planned.
Thanks again for your support during the week--it really made a difference.

Thanks to all of your for your encouraging words and support. They repaired the leak on Wednesday (at 10:00 in the evening!), took the drains out this morning, and the infection has cleared up--so I finally got to go home today! I can't tell you how wonderful it will be to take a real shower and sleep in my own bed.
Needless to say, it has been a very rough and discouraging week. Apparently, I am today basically where I would have been last Tuesday if there had been no complications and they had discharged me the day after surgery as planned. I'm feeling surprisingly good aside from being completely wiped out--I'm napping every couple of hours. I have minimal pain and have not needed pain meds, no nausea, and I have not dumped (yet). So, I just need to pick myself up and get on with it and put this week out of my head.
All of your posts really did help, even though I wasn't in the mood to respond during the week. Thanks again!