lunadreams

I’d definitely be open to an LGBTQIA+ forum, here or elsewhere.

Update: I decided to go with the sleeve, after a consultation with my neurologist. She had said that the risks for neuropathy are higher with bypass, and since I already have it and don't want to do anything that could exacerbate it, I just feel more comfortable with the sleeve. Thanks to everyone for the advice.

Hi all,
I don’t want to depress or trigger but I am really looking for some reassurance that what I am feeling is normal or maybe someone else has felt the same way. Again, trigger warning for mentions of mental illness/ED.
I had my gastric sleeve surgery on July 13th (my doc also repaired my hiatal hernia)
I feel like such an outcast reading these forums because everyone says they have no regrets and I swear as soon as I woke up from surgery that was the first thought that I had. I assumed it was because I was in so much pain but it would get better. Now I’m 3 weeks out on the purée stage and I am so depressed I can barely bring myself to do anything. I don’t feel like myself. I struggled with depression before & binge eating disorder which I received treatment for in the past. But I think with having such an addiction to food this just made me so much more depressed. I feel trapped and stuck in this cycle. I miss chugging Water & not feeling every little bite or sip I take of food or liquid. I feel like there’s not enough time in a day to get my Protein, Vitamins, food, and water goals in, especially since I can only have so little now. I just feel like I made a big mistake. I’m watching food videos every day (I know it sounds bad) but I just miss eating. I feel like now my entire life is revolved around food & what I’m going to put into my body & it’s a miserable way to live to be trapped in this constant schedule. On the bright side I am down 42 lbs from my highest weight the month before surgery. I am so sorry for how negative this is & I thank you if you got this far in reading this or have any advice to offer. I am currently seeing a therapist to help me through these issues. I just wanted to see if anyone else in the WLS community has/had shared these feelings with me. Thank you!

I'm having a really hard time with anything that isn't warm broth or water-consistency. I was actually wondering if I could try warming a watered-down chocolate shake...

I didn’t go back in… the day I was released for 12 hours I couldn’t hold anything down, not even liquid pain relief I was just vomiting the whole time it was super scary but they still discharged me and told me sleep. I managed to hold a codine down and slept most the time and woke up to vomit only!
I then started in Water only, that was a struggle. Then protein water. By day 4 I was on Protein Shakes. I now mix protein shakes with Soups, tea. Protein yoghurts and protein Breakfast drinks.< br /> im on about 1500-1800ml of Fluid a day. Including the protein shakes. And my aim is 60g protein.. some days I barely get in 30g. But the last two days I’ve done 60 and I feel my stomach is handling more…
I did feel regret at first because I was so thirsty and wanted to gulp water!! But it has been getting easier day by day..

Just keep trying with different flavours, juices. And warm Tea. But take your time not to hurt your new stomach. Strangely I found using a straw helped and drink a lot of sugar free juice boxes (Capri sun pouches) which go down easier.

x

I had something similar happen...I have a hard time with Protein Shakes, and was just told to do protein waters instead, but not adjust the calories. Honestly, my dietician seems pretty useless. Thankfully, I was able to find some protein shakes that were tolerable, because I could not function on 500 calories a day!

Today is the day..On my way to the hospital now, my nerves are getting the best of me..I will let everyone know how it goes🧡❤🙏

For real! My session with the dietician also consisted of her just reading through the packet to me, and her being unable to answer any specific questions. I'm pescatarian, and don't consume much dairy, so the only animal Proteins I eat are fish/seafood and some eggs. She had no idea about recommendations for non-dairy Protein Shakes, and no ideas about customizing the puree/soft foods phases to be things that weren't all ricotta, cottage cheese, and yogurt. This is a major university bariatric center. Asking about plant-based alternatives shouldn't be so befuddling. I'd love some specific recommendations and recipes, but yeah, if you can't do that, give me the info to do it, myself, and don't charge me hundreds of dollars for a service you aren't really providing.

Just starting my pre-op diet tomorrow for surgery on the 20th...and I am so unprepared! I bought five different single-serving plant-based Protein Drinks to try that have been sitting in my fridge (because dairy and my sinuses don't get along, though I may try whey shakes if I really can't stand any of the vegan ones), because I hate Protein drinks with a passion. Going to try them soon, see which is the least gross, and go buy more tonight. I really feel like I'm dreading the pre-op and post-op liquid diet more than the actual surgery. Someone talk me down?! 😂

Try an unflavored whey Protein Powder like Isopure or Naked Whey. You can add them to anything like broth, juice…

Don’t know if you could handle Premier Protein shakes but I have loved them. They come in so many different flavors including cinnamon roll, peaches and cream, strawberries and cream, chocolate, vanilla, etc. I could have any of them except the ones with oats. My pre-op was 5 of those a day and at least 8 cups of Water. They helped prevent cravings and I never got hungry. My post -op diet has been 8 c of water a day and 4- 2oz servings of the shakes a day. I haven’t had any diet struggles at all. The Premier shakes are sold at Walmart. You can look them up online to see if you think they’d work. Wishing you great luck finding something! Good luck with your pre-op and surgery as well!

Just starting my pre-op diet tomorrow for surgery on the 20th...and I am so unprepared! I bought five different single-serving plant-based Protein Drinks to try that have been sitting in my fridge (because dairy and my sinuses don't get along, though I may try whey shakes if I really can't stand any of the vegan ones), because I hate Protein drinks with a passion. Going to try them soon, see which is the least gross, and go buy more tonight. I really feel like I'm dreading the pre-op and post-op liquid diet more than the actual surgery. Someone talk me down?! 😂

I had my surgery Monday. Tuesday while in hospital I found out my son died in a car accident. I’m grieving so bad and reaching out to you all for prayers

I think there are six of us in this thread for July 20th! 😊

I'm sorry about having to reschedule so much...here is hoping! 🤞

Update: I decided to go with the sleeve, after a consultation with my neurologist. She had said that the risks for neuropathy are higher with bypass, and since I already have it and don't want to do anything that could exacerbate it, I just feel more comfortable with the sleeve. Thanks to everyone for the advice.

I've been planning to have the sleeve, and have done all the pre-op requirements. If all goes well, I want to do WLS over the summer. I've been planning on the sleeve, as it's what my surgeon recommended for me, but now I'm wondering if I should go for the bypass.
I'm in my late 40s (done having kids, so fertility/pregnancy is not a factor in my decision), have a BMI of just over 35, with PCOS, diabetes, hypertension, and recently diagnosed with small Fiber neuropathy (we're not sure of the cause, though I've read a study showing WLS improves symptoms). When I asked my surgeon why she recommended the sleeve, she said it's because I have relatively less weight to lose, and, although it will require work and being vigilant with diet, she thinks it will be successful for me, and is less invasive and risky, though she also said she would be willing to do the bypass if it's what I want.
My endocrinologist said that the bypass has additional mechanisms by which it can resolve metabolic issues, but she'd suggest asking my surgeon about her rate of complications with bypass. She also said she'd be less inclined to push bypass for me, though, because my diabetes is well-controlled on one medication (A1c is usually between 5.7 to 6.0). My cardiologist strongly advised me to go with the sleeve, because she has a number of patients who were a "hot mess," medically, after bypass.
I want to resolve my cardio-metabolic issues, but the risks of bypass also really concern me. I've never been anemic, but I've been deficient in other Vitamins and have experienced Hair loss and other issues as a result, so I'm concerned I may be at greater risk for deficiencies and other unwanted consequences with the bypass.
I'm not sure how to decide this...help?

I think there are six of us in this thread for July 20th! 😊

I'm sorry about having to reschedule so much...here is hoping! 🤞

I'm super glad I did it. I've lost all the weight I needed to lose and I've adjusted to a new way of eating. It's not effortless, but it's not a big struggle to stay on program, either. It takes a bit of discipline and dedication but the surgery itself changed my desire for food (in a good way). My appetite is much more tame now and even my cravings are not nearly as strong. Not everyone has that experience, so your mileage may vary.
I was prepped pretty well before surgery. I only wish I had read a few more first-hand accounts so I would have been aware of how miserable the first few days can be, but also that the misery passes pretty quickly.
I do think I will be able to maintain my weight. I'm learning how to maintain, while still participating in special occasions, traditional meals, etc. So far, I'm staying squarely within my maintenance window (120-125).
Only you can decide if you're ready to take the plunge. It is a pretty radical life change. Your relationship with food will be permanently changed and you'll have to be mindful about what and how you eat, forever. In the beginning, the diet is pretty restricted, but before long you'll have more options and in the end, there will probably be few things you can't eat (if any). You'll have to learn what works for you and what doesn't, post-surgery. The surgery helps a lot, but the commitment has to come from you. And as everyone has said, if there's an emotional or psychological component to your overeating, the surgery won't fix that. You'll have to work on that so that, as you lose weight, you also heal the root cause of why you became overweight to begin with. Many people have had bariatric surgery, lost an amazing amount of weight, and then gained most of it back because they were still using food to cope. So you have to work on your inside as much as you do your outside.
I wish you the best in making your decision, the surgery is a big commitment, but for me it was totally worth it.

That was my biggest concern, also. What's gonna happen if I put in all this effort, only to regain my weight and then some? I'm roughly a year and a half post-op. Can't say that I've been perfect along the way, but I have certainly not given up and I am still losing weight. That being said, I think the regaining is the furthest thing from my mind right now. I still get sick eating the wrong foods...So I guess my new question/anxiety is- will I feel sick forever? The weight is gone, but that doesn't mean it went peacefully. Many, long nights, I spent over a trash can after eating something that "didn't agree with me". And still learning, to this day.
As far as the pre-op diet goes, I figured that would be my downfall, too. While I can't recommend what I did (sneaking in some crackers here and there), I CAN tell you that it is best to keep it interesting. Think of ANYTHING liquid. My typical food was a Protein Shake from Glucerna (the hunger smart ones seem to be the best tasting IMO). I absolutely LOATHE Protein Drinks. There is also one by shamrock farms that is under 200 calories and tastes like a melted shake to me. You could look into that as well. I found that I could palate campbells fat free broccoli cheddar Soup thinned with some fat free milk and then strained to get all the broccoli pieces out. It sucked the first week and a half, but by day 12, you really don't care. You are just so excited to get on that operating table (side note- I was f**king TERRIFIED the day of).
Suffice to say, keep the diet simple and interesting. Change it up, as much as possible. Jell-o, Soups, drinks, etc etc. Don't start thinking about the failure now...That's a terrible mindset. This absolutely, 100%, needs to be a commitment of the heart, mind AND stomach. You aren't doing this for now. You are doing this for your future. When you think back to a miserable time (like when I couldn't buckle my seatbelt in a friends car), all of that "can I do this forever?" crap just fades away. Realize you made a huge decision that is going to be life-altering. Accept it and press forward and maintain a positive outlook that you will succeed and be healthy.
Sending good vibes your way!

Congratulations on getting approval. Have you tried any of the clear Protein Drinks? They were a godsend for me right after surgery cause all the Protein Shakes were too sweet.

I just got scheduled for surgery on August 12th. I don’t know any more than you but I plan on watching my son’s baseball games, learning guitar, and riding my bike/walking whenever I get antsy about it. It’s just short term, one moment, one day at a time.

Just got my date for July 20th, pending insurance approval and clearance from my PCP!
I'm both excited and freaked out...

I just got a voicemail from the surgical coordinator to schedule my surgery, so I'm assuming insurance has approved me!
I'm looking at mid-July, and...I know in my head and heart that the sleeve is the right thing and I definitely want to move forward, but am also feeling super anxious about the pre-op diet (I have difficulty choking down Protein Shakes and get queasy without solid food), and even more so, about the recovery and all the long-term changes ahead of me, as well as the whether or not this will be sustainable over time. It's scary to read of stories of people's hunger coming back and regaining weight after all the effort. I just really want this to work.
Any words of wisdom? 😊

Just got my date for July 20th, pending insurance approval and clearance from my PCP!
I'm both excited and freaked out...

Just got my date for July 20th, pending insurance approval and clearance from my PCP!
I'm both excited and freaked out...