Sunnyway

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.

Removing most of one’s stomach is hardly “less invasive”. I’m surprised that your surgeon didn’t tell you that RNY gastric bypass usually resolves pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes. RNY is still the gold standard of WLS.

I also take Magnesium daily and Lunesta at bed time. I also take my hypertension drug, Losartan, at bedtime. I use a CPAP with a pressure of 13. I have a script for Trazadone also. I only take the Trazadone if I have not fallen asleep within 90 minutes of taking the Lunesta, perhaps twice a month. Before I started drinking 64 oz of water daily, I didn't wake up to pee. Now I wake at 3 a.m., 5 a.m. but immediately go back to sleep. As long as I can fall asleep again I don't mind early waking.

RNY is still the gold standard for WLS, especially if one is diabetic, pre-diabetic, have GERD or reflux, or are super-sized. It is the more complicated surgery, but also has the best results, and it does not involve removing most of one's stomach. Some surgeons do only VSG, or prefer to do VSG because it's easier. I'm glad you found one who does RNY.

VERY expensive!!

I'm not familiar with any bariatric food delivery service. Post surgery you will be able to eat very little. This will continue for six months or longer. If more food is delivered than you can consume, you'll be wasting both food and the money you spent for the service. You really should learn to do some cooking for yourself. On Amazon search for "bariatric cookbooks" to see the variety available. Read the reviews and look for those books that contain "easy" recipes. Come on now--be brave!

After a while (usually 6-18 months), the honeymoon period ends and you can eat more AND YOU CAN RETURN TO YOUR OLD BAD EATING HABITS. You need to be prepared for this. During your pre-op and post-op honeymoon you MUST learn a new way of eating. For a sugar addict, that means abstention. If you return to your own eating habits you can and will regain weight. Addiction cravings must be conquered with abstention. It gets easier with each passing day. Yes, we all slip from time to time, but you must start over each time. Go back and read my first post again. Be strong! Good luck!

Yes, you should learn to cook for yourself. There are many bariatric cookbooks with simple recipes. Start with soups. Vegetable soups are so easy. I'll give you a recipe in a moment. My 70 year old brother has been learning how to cook and BAKE!. Amazing! I never thought he could do it. He's been doing a great job searching the internet for recipes and exchanging recipes with friends. You can do it too. Now, here is the Weight Loss Magic Soup recipe, only 57 cal per cup. It's filling and delicious. 32 oz chicken stock 3 cups V-8 juice (you can use low-sodium V8 or even Tomato juice, homemade or store bought) 2 cans Italian diced tomatoes 1 small onion 2 cloves minced garlic 1 package sliced mushrooms 3 carrots, peeled and sliced 1 zucchini, diced 1 yellow squash, diced 2 cups fresh or frozen green beans 1 can kidney Beans, drained and rinsed 3-4 cups shredded cabbage 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning Salt and Pepper, to taste In a large frying pan sprayed with cooking spray, sauté garlic, onions, carrots, and mushrooms for about 5 minutes. In a large crockpot, combine sautéed garlic and vegetables with the remaining ingredients. Cook on high for 2-3 hours, or until vegetables are cooked. (I have made this in a large stock pot on the stove instead of in a crock pot, simmering on medium heat.) This makes a large batch of Soup. If you would like to freeze portions of it to use later, undercook the vegetables just a little. Pour the soup into freezer Ziplock bags and let as much air out as you can. Lay the bags flat on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once the soup is frozen flat, it is easy to layer in your freezer and won't take up much room. To thaw, place the bag in the fridge for 24 hours and then reheat. https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/weight-loss-magic-soup/