Bastian

Just make your own then no sodium concerns

I am just using unflavoured protein powder and adding it to my drinks/soups etc has no nasties and isn't horribly sweet like all the protein shakes

Glad you went and got seen! At least you know all is well with your stomach and good you are seeing your surgeon, let us know how you get on/what he thinks. Edited to say how bizarre being able to drink the 8oz :O

@mousecat88 haha that's awesome

Start puree foods! Woohooo So, hit me with your 1st 'meal' foods. The nurse suggested an egg or some potato and gravy.

How many times are you chewing and are your mouthfuls small enough?

Oh no, I am avoiding the sweet stuff, can't stand it I'm in the UK and the range of savoury protein stuff is pretty much non-existent. So today I have used 2 chicken drumsticks, lots of fresh herbs, tons of veggies and got it all cooking slowly in a big pan, with 60g (400ml)added protein powder then another 200ml chicken stock. Once cooked I shall drain off the liquid for me and blend a few spoonfuls of meat/veg into the liquid. THEN I shall just add chicken stock to the leftovers so hubby can have a chunky chicken veggie soup

With my gallbladder, I never had nausea or fever until the weekend I had to have it removed as an emergency. So you may be an oddball like me! Any pain that affects your normal daily activities, that you cannot control at home with over the counter analgesia needs to be seen by a Dr.

Hi @SassyTwin I am very new to all of this as I had a sleeve done on Aug 12th and an emergency bypass done a week later, so I hadn't read much on the bypass as that isn't what I went in for lol So, even though it had to be done nobody filled me in on the differences or the info I needed regarding the bypass. So you may well know most of these but I will share my questions and ponderings with you anyway. Take extra sleepwear/underwear just in case you end up in there longer than anticipated. Take basic toiletries Take some feminine hygiene products just in case, the sudden change in hormones from surgery and drastic weight loss so quickly caused a release of oestrogen from the fat cells which meant I needed some products, even though I am perimenopausal with a coil and haven't needed any for a while! (that was a shocker!) I wish I had taken a good body lotion in with me as I became very dry all over, my skin looked like it had aged 10 years everywhere I wish I had taken my own v-shaped pillow in as I found the hospital pillows really thin and pointless. (I got it in there in the end!) If you are on medication before you go in, find out about getting all of them in liquid form if possible. Take a heat pack and an instant ice pack or 2 You will be uncomfortable lying on your back if you are usually a side sleeper, so be mentally prepared Have a good protein powder ready at home that is a small scoop (genepro) rather than the one I currently have which is a large scoop and froths up too much. Have a good supply of savoury high protein soups ready at home because those of us with a Bypass don't seem to be able to tolerate the sweet one's post-op. Learn what you can about dumping syndrome so you can try and prevent it happening to you Learn what you can about being lactose intolerant post-op too, I didn't know this was a thing with bypass Read read read what you can on here, so much fantastic info, advice and support GOOD LUCK

Hi were you 166lbs or 166kgs? You have kg in your side info but lbs in your message, I am currently on lots of meds so easily confused How tall are you?

No problem I will be very surprised if your bp is high enough for the nurses to give them to you anyway, but yeah 24-48 hours without isn't going to kill you and they will be doing your vitals constantly anyway so any 'issues' can be sorted with IV meds if absolutely necessary

Hmm, they aren't that big, I would just try taking them. I had gabapentin, plus others to take post-op. Gabapentin are quite big capsules and I found if I made sure my mouth was wet first by swilling water around first then I could have a sip and get them down. Bp tablets whilst important won't be too much of an issue to miss for that first 24 hours post-op. And by the next day should be fine to swallow. BUT the best person to ask is a hospital pharmacist, they will know more about how to take them an alternative way than the cardiologist too. ps. bp drops pretty quickly-side effect of anaesthetic so you most likely won't be given them to start with because it will drop it too low anyway

From what my Team recommend and most of what I have read I would say your poor old traumatised tummy can't cope with chicken. How about you go back to full fluids for a day or 2 then go on to puree food. Physiologically it takes 6 weeks for basic healing of all internal wounds, but even then they need time to adjust to our dietary intake. I would definitely take a step backwards and see how your body copes with much softer and less difficult foods to break down and top up the protein with your drinks etc. I know all of us are given different advice from our surgical teams, but we are all different and perhaps you just need to tweak what you have been told to eat by your team as it doesn't seem to be right for you just yet Just my plan so you can see how different we are 80g protein per day and full fluids for 4 weeks. Then pureed food for 2 weeks then introduce solids

I would definitely get this checked out. So long after surgery, your vocal cords really should have recovered. Always best to get checked and it = nothing than ignoring things and they = something

@RickM hey No, fortunately, the whey Isolate and powdered skim milk don't make me feel gross, so have decided to just use that instead. I am just struggling (really struggling) with weakness/exhaustion, which as a nurse I know is normal after 2 major operations in such a short space of time, plus all the drugs, 2x general anaesthetic, morphine, oxy, fentanyl etc over that 2 weeks. I just am finding even getting into the kitchen to mix things up very tiring and I kind of collapse into a heap afterwards Small daily improvements though, just the pre-made stuff was easy to do you know? Also, got some severe back spasms going on so have started diazepam for those, so the next 3 days will be a bit of a very 'relaxed' blur while these silly back muscles calm down again I think I am just craving savoury flavours too, so over the sweet stuff. Today I shall have 1 protein milk latte and some soups made with the whey isolate and protein milk plus my fluids.

hi I just used my supermarket's own version as it had all the same % and ingredients as the one my docs recommend which was Slimfast

Yeah, I have been told once I start food I have to have half a teaspoon and chew 20 times, then wait to a count of 20 then have the next half a teaspoon mouthful and so on because of vomiting and giving the pouch time to move out the first mouthful. I know we all get told slightly different things though. Hope it is an easy fix

Oh good tip thanks @Orchids&Dragons

Michael S, can I ask why you would eat pizza? I am genuinely curious and not trying to have a go at you at all, but it seems crazy to me when you have just had a major operation (i know it is a lap but still 80% of an organ has been removed) to help you get control of and lose weight to then not only risk complications such as a leak or infection but sabotage-your weight loss at this stage. Do you think it is 'head hunger'? Do you get support from your surgical team with the psychological aspects of this journey? How did you feel about eating the pizza?

Hi all I had a VSG on 12th August and then developed a volvulus which they tried to fix endoscopically but it failed then ended up being given a bypass on the 21st. So I hadn't read as much about the bypass and all it involves because I had no idea I was going to end up with one The Bariatric nurse rang today and said I need to be on 80g protein a day instead of 60g as with the sleeve. So, my issue is that the protein shakes (slim fast etc) are making me feel really unwell an hour or so after having them and I am guessing it is the high carb count in them even though they are sugar-free. So I am trying to avoid them. Also Vomiting... WHERE HAS IT GONE!? Vomiting is pretty much just a burp and a tiny amount of bile!? I have whey Isolate unflavoured, which I am making up my protein milk with (and some dried skim milk powder) and adding it to some of my drinks too. I will go and read through this forum re: food etc but is anyone making their own fresh soup, adding protein and straining? Cheers

Thank you all Obviously tummy was tender but the bruising really does look worse than it felt My Bariatric nurse rang me today and informed me because my sleeve turned into a bypass the following week I have to 80g protein a day rather than the 60g. So I have my beef bone broth, tomato/chicken soup and fluids that I can add my protein powder to. I have noticed if I drink the pre-made protein shakes I feel really sick and horrible an hour or so later, I am guessing the carbs are too high and causing dumping syndrome....sigh Also, because my pain meds for my back were all messed up for the 2 weeks I was in hospital I was in agony with my back by week 2. Anyway 2 days ago I started having little back spasms and overnight they went crazy, had to get the Dr out to my home at 5am and am now on diazepam for 3-4 days until the spasms stop. I guess my back is not happy with being neglected lol I also better start reading some of the Bypass forum now instead of the sleeve forum, and people wonder why I am permanently confused

Hey, I developed a Volvulus hence the pain, (not related to the pretty tummy artwork lol) and THANK GOD nothing went necrotic (or I may well not be here); they were just a bit slow to diagnose it unfortunately for me and I had the fall because of the morphine. Yeah, I bled like that from the Fragmin BUT because I was on gabapentin and naproxen pre-surgery too...I thought it looked like artwork of Snoopy I can't drink coffee it tastes awful now, what has happened lol Just making up my own high protein milk recipes as per the paperwork I was given. BUT I actually may well just try a small coffee now and see how I go Thanks

ha! I know, even all the staff were coming to look, good job I wasn't well enough to care Yep baby steps now, feeling pretty good just weak and wobbly but on track

Well, that was a horrendous experience. BUT, all is well now. My gastric sleeve was performed on August 12th 2019. All the pre-op stuff was fine and I was excited and looking forward to a quick exit on day 2. I notice that most of you are in the USA, which I am not so there are a few things we do differently. My blood's were all good and the day before my op I just had to ring the private hospital I was going to, to check on what time my admission was on the Monday. I was first on the list for the day so was taken to theatre at 0830am. I hopped onto the operating table myself, which was a bit weird, but I know some places do it this way. I was just trying not to stress and go with the flow! Cannulas were inserted into both hands and then off to the land of fairies I went. I am oblivious to how much later I woke, but I was in absolute agony and the Dr's struggled to get my pain under control. Eventually, after lots of vague voices/mumbling/crying, I must have zonked out again before being taken back to my room. Now the next 8 days are a bit jumbled and blurred. My family have clarified some things for me so I 'kind of' have a correct recollection of events. I was in constant and severe abdominal pain. I could not stop vomiting. I could not keep in 2.5ml of water per 5 mins. By Day 8 post-op, my Surgeon decided to do a Dilation via Endoscope because he had decided that I had a constriction. By this stage, I was on regular morphine, IV potassium (it had dropped due to the vomiting) and constant fluid balance. As you can imagine I was desperate and delirious by this point. I woke from the endoscopy....in the same pain, still unable to hold anything in. I'm not sure how soon after this I was transferred via emergency ambulance to the big local hospital and had a revision done, so have ended up with a '1 anastomosis bypass'. Finally being able to drink and keep it down was amazing and such a huge relief. Lots of other bits went on during all this as I had to have a midline catheter put in rather than the normal cannulae that you would have in your hands/arms etc, lots of medication tweaking, iv fluids, blood tests etc So you can see my abdomen day 1, then a few days later and then starting to fade well today All in the wrong order lol the middle pic is today. I also had a fall in the bathroom on the 20th and landed on the toilet, I only vaguely remember the fall and thought I had broken my ribs (obvs hadn't), then had no recollection of the fall for a few days lol! ANYWAY! Now the horror is over and I am finally home, I am tolerating protein fluids well, got my high protein milk made up and add it to my breakfast smoothie and tomato/chicken soup. Not so keen on the slight texture the protein powder leaves in my mouth but hey ho. I am super weak and wobbly and showering myself and getting my 'drinks' are my limit, but just trying to do a little more each time I stand up AND I must remember I had not 1 but 2 major ops plus all the stress and strain in between I am absolutely dying to taste REAL food and not thick claggy high protein things with so much sweetness. Even tinned soup is too sweet sigh I have my 2 weeks follow up with my surgeon and Dietician next week. Weight is falling off I have lost 15kg/33lbs to date

I find this hard too, I want to GLUG my drink when I am thirsty. So this whole 'timing' my intake is such an effort Practice will make us perfect though. Baby steps, we have just made huge changes to our lives and need to be kind to ourselves