LAJ23

stick to your plan. Ultimate success with this is pretty dependent on trusting your team and sticking to your plan.

Most of the weight loss was pre-op. I started my surgeon's bariatric program at the beginning of February. I lost 78.3lbs pre-op and have lost 33.8lbs post-op.
As for ricotta bake, it's a VERY easy recipe that falls squarely within the soft foods category and tastes a lot like lasagna without the noodles. https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1793517
It's also very versatile because you can make additions to it. I made a big batch tonight and added in some seasoned ground turkey to up the Protein content.

Thank you so much for the kind, supportive words - I really appreciate it. You're down 112lb in 7 weeks? HOLY CRAP! Or, was some of that pre-op? I lost most of my 25# pre-op. Since the surgery (sleeved on 8/19) I'm only down two additional pounds. 😞 And, what in the world is "ricotta bake"? Sounds yummy! Is there a recipe you can share?

I'm religiously sticking to my post-op diet (liquids only until 9/2) but today was tough - really tough. I'm starting to get "phantom" tastes in my mouth (all day today I "tasted" grilled burgers) and I'm starting to crave solid food badly. Not a lot of it - I'm really not hungry - just enough to quash this urge. Not even junk food...I was DYING for a slice of red bell pepper earlier. For lunch, I had my 1/2 cup of low-fat cream of chicken soup...went down without issue and even had really small pieces of chicken in it (which I chewed diligently). Tell me this too, passes? Do I REALLY need to wait until 10/2 before eating anything solid? Obviously, I'm not ready to slam down a 6-course meal, but OMG...what I wouldn't give for a small piece of grilled chicken, etc. As I type this, I'm making giant grilled chicken burritos and jalapeno cheddar rice for my husband and son. What I wouldn't give to just have a small bit of the burrito - don't even want rice! Having to make this stuff and not being able to eat it is cruel. 😞

And if it helps, I'm just over past 7 weeks post-op and I'm still on soft foods because my doctor threw his own book out the window and decided to do a very slow progression for me. Once you get to soft foods, you're gonna be thrilled and it'll make the wait to get to solid foods that much easier. Scrambled eggs will never taste as good as they do the first time you eat them post-op.
And...there's the ricotta bake to look forward to.

Trust in your bariatric team. The diet restrictions are definitely tough to deal with, but it's only a temporary thing. They are there for a reason. It's to allow your new stomach to heal fully from the surgery. Jumping ahead too soon could have very dire consequences and cause serious setbacks. You've come this far and you're doing great!

I just posted, saying how I think I turned a corner - literally just happened this afternoon. LOL!!! Hope you feel better too. It DOES get better! Hang in there! XOXO

Thank you for the support and your so right the meds can be constipating. Hope your feeling better :)

I'm so sorry to hear that! Between my incision hurting and the awful pain after swallowing, this really sucks. The only thing keeping me going is the supportive words of people in this group telling me it's all pretty normal. The only thing I can suggest to you is that you absolutely continue with your pain meds. I just got a refill (granted, they only gave me 20, to begin with), and COULD NOT WAIT to take them. The majority of the pain was gone within 30 mins of taking my meds. I would also suggest taking a stool softener as the pain meds can be constipating. Good luck!!!

Hey there everyone. I had my gastric bypass today and it went well. No pain at the moment just some tenderness in the abdomen. My procedure was four hours. Going to ask tomorrow for the details. Nothing by mouth until tomorrow. I'm ready for the next part of my journey!
Sent from my SM-A102U using BariatricPal mobile app

I’m 4 days post-op (VSG) and starting to somewhat feel better. I’m able to get around better although the big incision still really hurts. My biggest concerns right now are: pain/cramping after swallowing. It’s not the actual swallowing that hurts, it’s when the Fluid hits my pouch. Doesn’t matter if the liquid is cold or warm - but it hurts like hell every single time for about 2-4 seconds. When will this subside? Secondly, my whole abdominal area is still REALLY swollen & hard - I look like I’m 6 months pregnant. It’s been like this since the surgery and hasn’t gone down at all. Lastly, I haven’t had a “real” bowel movement yet. I had very gassy diarrhea twice on Friday and once yesterday, but that’s it. I’ve been taking a stool softener, but I’m not sure it’s really doing anything. Then again, I haven’t eaten anything solid so...? I’m guessing most of all of this is normal, but I’m looking for reassurance - especially about the pain after swallowing as it’s really uncomfortable. Zero issues with nausea or vomiting. 
ETA:  I’m also having trouble getting all my fluids/“meals” in. Again, bc of the cramping pain, but also bc I ALWAYS feel full. I’m able to drink about 30-40oz Water, one Protein Drink, my 1/2C soup/pudding/jello twice a day and that’s about it. 

Hello! I had my sleeve done 1 week ago. I had the same pain, I would take a sip of Water and just brace for it to hit my stomach because I knew it was going to hurt. That feeling is starting to go away, thankfully.
Ive been drinking water, watered down apple juice, watered down Gatorade, and chicken broth, and when I say watered down I mean mostly water and a splash of something else for flavor. My surgeon told me only clear fluids for the first week, so I’ve had zero Protein Shakes thus far. Second and third week I can add non Clear Liquids. I’m not sure if this is cheating, but 2 days ago I bought no sugar added fudgesicles, and oh my god I’ve never tasted anything so good.
As for the BM, it took me a week and some laxatives. Still nothing solid. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I'm so sorry that you kept getting sick in the hospital. 😞 Thankfully, I haven't had any issues with nausea or vomiting, but I do constantly feel full, making it difficult to get all my fluids in. Plus, I get this horrible pain when the liquid/food (yogurt, pudding, etc.) hits my sleeve. It's like a terrible cramp or spasm that lasts a few seconds, then passes, but it's BAD when it happens. I haven't tried a heating pad yet, but I just took the last dose of my pain meds, so I sent a note to the dr. requesting a refill. I tried to go a day without them, but I could hardly stand up. With them, I can get up and walk around without issue. Hope you feel better soon!

This is all pretty normal. The swelling is probably a combination of the surgery & the gas. It will disappear. My surgeon told me not to be too concerned with meeting goals to begin with which was reassuring as I’d only have one Protein Shake & barely 200mls of Soup a day - & I’d take hours to drink them.
Diarrhea is common too. You’ll soon find the reverse will happen & you’ll regularly be constipated. Remember you’re not eating any solid foods at the moment & then when you do begin to it‘s not much.
Some of the pain you’re experiencing is likely from the internal wounds & swelling around where that large section of your tummy was removed. Your tummy may be sensitive for a while until you’ve healed.
I’m glad you contacted your medical team. It’s better to know if what’s happening is expected (or not).
Good luck on your journey.

I had gastric bypass, but my surgeon said this cramping feeling is very common early on, especially for VSG patients. I was prescribed hyoscyamine for it but only took it for a few days.
I think the Protein and fluid goals are unrealistic for the first week or two. I didn't get anywhere close until about a week out. I'm 5 weeks out now and it's still a struggle. My first several days post-op, I constantly felt like I had just eaten Thanksgiving dinner, just from drinking a few ounces of Water or Protein Drink. I don't feel so stuffed or bloated anymore, but I haven't felt any hunger since surgery (which is pretty awesome).

ice cream is a slider food - it melts quickly in your stomach and goes right through - and it's full of calories to boot. If you're still feeling restriction after "regular food", you haven't killed your sleeve (and I'd be surprised if you'd "killed" it in the first place!).
you'll have to try to get back to what you were eating before the pandemic started....focus on Protein first, track everything that goes into your mouth - you know the drill. If you feel a binge attack coming on, get out of the house - or if that's not possible, be sure you have lots of safe stuff around, like raw veggies (you can even make a dip for them out of plain Greek yogurt if you want - I stir in or season it with different things), SF Jello, SF popsicles, lots of fun zero or ultra-low calorie beverages, maybe some grapes....
your surgeon will not be mad. They've seen this before - and probably moreso than usual with the pandemic going on.

edited to add that sometimes when I'm starting to binge, I'll have a big bowl of something like All Bran or Trader Joe's High Fiber Cereal. They're super filling because of all the fiber (but you may want to start with a more manageable amount if you're not used to a huge fiber intake, though -- or you may be sorry a few hours later!)

a lot of us don't have a bowel movement for until about a week out - and just as a forewarning - that first one is often a doozy! I'm guessing the reason you don't "go" for a few days afterward is that there's really not much in your system...
the distention (sp?) could be air - or I/V Fluid - or both. It can take a few days for all that to work itself out

Are you taking pain meds? I was pretty much taking the pain meds every four hours for the first three days, as well as an anti-nausea pill that had a bit of a "knock out" impact to it. After day three, things got MUCH better! I don't remember specific incision pain...but I honestly don't remember much!! Hang in there and contact your surgeon's office if you don't feel better tomorrow!

Totally normal. I “gained” 10 pounds post op, mostly from fluids and swelling. It was all gone within 10 days.

Yes, the same thing happened to me. I had never been above 200 lbs in my life, but I was post-surgery.
The others are right... you are full of the air they pump in your stomach, the IV fluids AND there is swelling.
Just wait a few days and it will go away. Don't worry.
I flipped out too!

Echoing what everyone else has said. It is very common. Same thing happened to me when I weighed myself the day after surgery just to see.
Fast forward another day and several trips to the bathroom where I peed out the four IV bags of fluids they pumped into me in the course of 24 hours and all of that weight was gone.
Weigh yourself when you're 1 week post-op and see how things are proceeding.

This is very common because of all the IV fluids you get in the hospital. I came home from surgery 5 pounds heavier than when I left, but those 5 pounds came off within two days.

NEVER weigh yourself the first week after surgery. You have Water weight from the IV's they gave you from your surgery. It'll take a few days for that to go away. Stay away from the scale for another five days AT LEAST.

Had mine aug 12th and I JUST started feeling better yesterday 🤕🤕 so much pain . Nausea and gas pain.