Mrs. Mercedes

Lol @mdhender87 don’t read the post-op boards before your surgery ? At least, I’m glad I didn’t or I would’ve questioned the choice. Despite the struggles, I definitely don’t regret it. As hard as it is, it’s better than the path we were doing down. Good luck with your surgery and recovery!

Thanks for the encouragement @VIKING 0424 that’s so good to hear. I’m 1 month out and agree with everyone’s complaints above. Plus still so tired all the time. Glad there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

Enjoying shopping again will definitely be one of my favorite things about this journey!! ?? Depending how Strict your work dress code is, I suggest black stretch pants and long tunic tops. Stretch pants are practically one size fits all Cuz they stretch to fit and then go back to being tiny when you wash them. Dress Barn has lots of clothing like this and you can usually find a store in the outlets. Have fun!

Hi! If you search this topic on the message Boards there are some PRior threadS that I found really helpful when considering this question myself It seems that some people feel safely able to use ‘herbs’ after surgery.

@BetterBelizeIt Thanks for your post. I agree with the posters above that this is something not talked about enough. While I am happy for all of the people here who are doing great and adjusting well to their new lives, I sometimes feel alienated by my own feelings of frustration. Your post was some welcome realtalk. I don’t regret my decision and I believe things will get better in the months that follow. But for now, I’m so frustrated and unsatisfied all the time. I go from feeling ‘hungry’/empty stomach to a feeling of pain (aka the new ‘fullness’) within about 5 bites. There is never any feeling of satiety. Like you, I miss that so much. I especially get frustrated when I take the time to actually make a meal. I’m 32 days out and finally made a meatloaf last night. it was a recipe from my nutritionist. It took 90 minutes to prepare after a long day of work and when I sat down to eat it, I took a few bites and the pain hit. I got so upset. It feels like a pointless waste of time to bother cooking anything. Maybe this is the effect of an unhealthy relationship with food but i don’t necessarily think it’s unhealthy to want to feel satisfied after eating Or be able to enjoy a meal. It’s not healthy, I guess, to feel excited about food, but now I almost dread eating. I saw someone else on these boards comment recently that they think about food now more than they ever did before surgery. i feel that way too. When to eat, how much to eat, how slow to eat, how Long to chew, counting minutes between bites so i don’t eat too fast. It’s A lot and i was not prepared, despite 6 months of pre-op counseling, reading books, internet research, talking to friends. Etc. anyway, thanks for sharing your frustrations and allowing The rest of us to vent, as well. i Know it will get better and I am lucky to have supportive friends and family. can’t imagine the added stress you are feeling without that ❤️ Please take care and remember it’s ok to put yourself first and cut toxic relationships if you need to.

Hi MissKat. I am from Philadelphia and flew to Las Vegas (basically cross-country) for my sister’s wedding last week when i was 3.5 weeks out. It was a little rough but doable. Despite much planning and preparation, it was very hard to get enough protein and water each day. Also walking around was fine for about 2 hours but then I was exhausted and in pain. It was also the first time Ow was tempted to eat bad food because it was all around me, as it will be for you at the theme park. The people above are right about recovery time. I’ve been back for 2 days now and I’m still feeling the exhaustion. Had to take an additional day off work to recover and honestly I could’ve used another. It’s tough but you can do it. Just plan in advance. Take A backpack with bananas because they don’t need refrigeration. Take a big bottle of water or Gatorade/Powerade Zero with protein powder and fiber mixed in. Make sure your daughter knows you will need breaks from walking/standing. Otherwise, have fun! I did, but it took some effort

I am 4 weeks out today and still having a lot of trouble getting my protein and water. Now that I’m back to work it’s a constant struggle to remember to eat and drink at regular intervals throughout the day. I’m thinking of setting alarms all day long to remind me to drink and eat? I end up getting caught up in a project and next thing I know a few hours have passed and I haven’t drank anything. It’s impossible to get caught up because you can’t gulp down large amounts of water with the new stomach. I usually barely manage 45 oz. Same goes for eating protein. I can eat so little food at a time that many, many meals would be required to get my 60g. Maybe if self-care was my full time job i could do it but it’s not and AINT nobody got time for that *sigh* I know we have to try, but it is very hard. I supplement with 2 scoops unjury a day. (Post op I can’t tolerate the protein shakes, even diluted). All this complaining is just to say I feel your pain, Winter! The struggle is very real.

Just yesterday my surgeon told me 7-10 lbs/month in the first 9 mos - a year.

I agree with you, Hopeful, it was much more painful than I thought it would be. The first 36 hours were all pain and nausea for me. I thought that if I’d have known about it ahead of time I wouldn’t have done it. I’m glad I didn’t know ahead of time because I’m glad I did it. But I was definitely miserable and nauseous, like you. You’re not alone!

Thanks for your input! Honestly today is the last day of my liquid diet and I just got my first protein shake down today, with the advice of fellow sleepers above. Lol. So for most of the liquid diet I did just what you did and yes, I was very weak and tried. Tried to slip protein powder into yogurt and pudding wherever I could. But tomorrow I start purées foods and I’m hoping for more opportunity to get protein from foods and make shakes a thing of the past. I know our tastes may change after surgery and it seems mine definitely have! Thanks for the reassurance that I’m not alone

I tried a vanilla shake today (instead of chocolate) and put a ton of ice in to water it down. It’s still not great but I am able to tolerate it and get my protein. Thanks for the helpful suggestions!

Thank you. That is great advice. I will give it a try.

Thanks for your suggestions. I have been soooo tempted to eat eggs for the same reason - weakness and malnutrition. But I have ordered some Unjury protein powder which I’ve heard is easy to mix and I will try the injury soups as well. Glad I’m not alone in this aversion! Thank you for the suggestion! I have a few things I need to order on amazon so I will add Genepro to my cart.

Congratulations! You are lucky. I was miserable for 36 hours after surgery with nausea and pain. I had major surgery on my head/neck previously and thought this would be no sweat but I was wrong! I’m glad i didn’t know ahead of time how awful I’d feel. Guess it’s different for everybody. Anyway, the nurses told me that with Bariatric surgery you usually just feel better and better, not worse. So it looks like you might be free and clear as long as you stick to the post op diet. Good luck ?

I am 8 days post-op (sleeve) and I find that I can’t tolerate the protein supplement drinks I used before surgery. I have tried both the premiere protein shakes and muscle milk light (lactose free). As soon as I drink them, no matter how small the swallow, I get a bubbling, gurgling, churning stomach and nausea. I have tolerated everything else on the permitted diet (including lactose) with no problems post-surgery so I don’t understand this. I’m pursuing protein powder alternatives but just curious if anyone else has had this problem. I can’t make sense of it. Thanks!