Sunnyway

I take Bariatric Pal One-a-Day, which is the most complete and economical brand: a year for $99. It's a fast-dissolving capsule.

Get a couple of Bariatric cook book, which contain lots of suggestions for the various stages. I like these three of all I have purchased online:

RNY is still the gold standard of WLS and usually corrects reflux and Type II Diabetes. Go for the gold.

Walking helps with the gas, even pacing back and forth.

You should NOT swim until your wounds are entirely healed. Any decent lifeguard would prevent you from entering a pool. (I'm a former lifeguard, too.) If you are uncertain about your surgeon's judgment, it couldn't hurt to have your primary care physician follow you through recovery. I recommend you do some more reading about bariatric surgery so you aren't dependent upon just what your surgeon has told you. For example, these two books are good, although there are others.

Are you able to get plant-based protein shakes and powders in Australia? I prefer them to whey-based. I particularly like Orgain and Purely Inspired although there are other brands, also.

Read a book or two about bariatric surgery. I recommend Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies and How Weight Loss Surgery Really Works by Matthew Weiner, MD.

What is your question?

Focus on getting your fluids and protein, not on calories. Do what you can without obsessing. Your calories and energy will follow as you are gradually able to tolerate more. Don't try to do anything more than walking (as tolerated) for the time being.

Most health insurance claims are processed by high school graduates with minimal training. A different person sees it each time. They "top sheet" the records rather than looking closely. They make lots of mistakes. Contest every denial. They have to prove it's not covered by showing the portion of the policy with the exclusion. Escalate review up to management. Your doctor can also ask for a peer-to-peer review. You can file a complaint with your state's Dept of Insurance. Cigna will be required to reply within 30 days of receiving notice of the complaint. Often this bumps the claim up to a higher claim handler or supervisor who reverses the prior decision.

That chest pain can come if you consume "too much". You'll learn to recognize your new "full" sensation and stop consuming IMMEDIATELY. A bite or two more can cause pain. When sleeping on your back your stomach and other organs press on your lungs which lie closer to your back. can This can give you the feeling of being unable to breathe. Lying supine is probably not the best position for you until you lose a significant portion of your weight.. Try sleeping on your side with a pillow under your belly. This prevents pressure and straining on your incisions and supports the weight of your belly. Hold that pillow over your belly when you are getting up, too. Some patients like to use a belly band to prevent jiggling. Gently rubbing vitamin E oil on your incisions can help the itching and encourage healing.

Congratulations on your weight loss. I'm encouraged to see how far you have come.

Don't forget that you may be able to have sugar-free popsicles, sugar-free Jello, and broth while on the liquid diet. (Double check with your nutritionist if you haven't been told this.) I did the two week liquid diet after reading about it, before I even met with the bariatrics team. I wanted to know if I could do it! It turns out that this surgeon does not require the two week liquid diet, just two days of clear fluids after following a high protein/low carb food plan leading up to it. The two-week liquid diet is doable if you keep drinking water and make use of the free items.

Yes, I had a simple gastroplasty (stomach stapling) in 1980. I lost 75 lbs by 6 months and then stopped losing. Over the next ten years I gained it all back. I had NO nutritional or psych guidance at all. In 1990 I had Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, and the same thing happened. I lost about 75 lbs by six months and stopped losing. Again, I had NO nutritional guidance or follow up. I returned to my original set point of over 300 lbs, where I remained despite many attempts at weight loss. Fast forward 30 years... Just before COVID hit, I met a man who told me he had RNY revision as a prerequisite for knee replacement surgery. I had no idea that a revision was possible. I was certainly interested, but then the pandemic arrived. Six months ago, I started thinking about it again and contacted a bariatric center 90 miles from my home. A barium swallow and an endoscopy revealed that the staples from the prior surgery had given way allowing a fistula (opening) between pouch and stomach, which back then was not cut away, just separated from the pouch by staples. It was obvious that there was a physical cause for the failure of the earlier surgeries. The surgeon assured me that the staple failure was not my fault due to up-chucking or pouch stretching, but was actually caused by the peristalsis of the stomach. He said that about 75% of the earlier WLS failed for this reason. Today, different kinds of staples and closure protocol are in place to prevent this kind of failure. I was put in the bariatric program to have a revision. I've lost 44 lbs to date and still have a couple of requirements to complete before revision surgery is scheduled. I'm hoping to have it in October. I'm excited but wary. Deep down I am afraid that the same thing will happen. My age (73) and prior surgeries are hurdles so I don't expect miraculous results. My hopeful goal is to get under 200 lbs. My dream goal is to reach 175 lbs. or lower. In the past six months, I've read over a dozen books about bariatric surgery and food addiction and collected a slew of bariatric cookbooks. I'm much better prepared than I was for the earlier surgeries. I now realize that I am a sugar/food addict, that "maintenance" doesn't work for me. I have to be continually vigilant about avoiding sugar, flour, wheat, rice, and processed foods. The only successful way to conquer addiction is abstinence. How Weight Loss Surgery Really Works, by Matthew Weiner ** Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies, By Marina Kurian, Barbara Thompson, Brian Davidson ** Food Junkies: Recovery from Food Addiction, by Vera Tarman *** Weight Loss Surgery Does Not Treat Food Addiction, by Connie Stapleton *** Why Diets Fail (because youʼre addicted to sugar), by Nicole Avena & John Talbott *** Bariatric Surgery & Food Addiction, by Philip Werdell *** (written for the clinician, but I found it valuable} The Success Habits of Weight Loss Surgery Patients, by Colleen Cook*** A Pound of Cure, by Matthew Weiner (Focus on plant-based eating, not as restrictive as Bright Line Eating) Bright Line Eating, by Susan Peirce Thompson (similar to Kay Shepardʼs food plan without the 12-step program) Food Addiction: The Body Knows, by Kay Sheppard (12-step program, Focus on binging) From The First Bite: A Complete Guide to Recovery, by Kay Sheppard (12-step program, Focus on binging) Never Binge Again, by Glenn Livingston Lick the Sugar Habit, by Nancy Appleton (A bit outdated)

Try the shakes room-temperature if you have been taking them chilled, or chilled if you have been taking them room temp. I've noticed that there is a difference. You might try diluting them with fat-free milk or water. I find the plant-based shakes and powders easier than the whey-based. Examples: Orgain and Purely Inspired brands. Or try flavorless powder from GenePro (or another brand) in liquids you do tolerate. Hopefully you will be past the need for protein shakes and powder soon.

"Deviled chicken" is pretty soft and smooth. Look for it next to Deviled Ham in the grocery.

Did you have a question? You don't need to post your losses each week.

Don't worry about going to the gym yet. Just walk, increasing the distance a little bit every day. You won't want to go to the gym until your incisions are healed and you are back to your normal energy.