Sunnyway

30 years post RNY, I still (rarely) get dumping syndrome from too much sugar. My upcoming revision will probably make that more likely, although I'm pretty committed to abstaining from sugar for life. If I go off the rails, I have to expect retribution!
Dumping is so unpleasant that it is "good" because it teaches you what NOT to eat.

Walk, walk, walk. It helps get the gas out of your abdomen, which is causing much of the pain, The incisions will continue to hurt, but it will get better day by day. Don't be shy about asking for pain medication. Get up and walk even when you don't want to...especially when you don't want to. The more you walk the better it will be
What you are feeling in your stomach is not hunger. You will need to relearn the true signs of hunger. In the meantime, SIP your Water, SIP your Protein Shakes. Tiny sips until you can tolerate more. If you sip too fast or too much it will hurt in the area of your sternum. Follow the instructions and it will all be fine.

Yes, now that I'm in maintenance, I do allow myself a treat now and then (special occasions). And my day to day diet is not as strict as it was when I was in weight loss phase. You don't have to commit to NEVER having any of your favorite foods ever again. A total abstinence approach works for some people, but it's not realistic for me.
But you will need to be mindful of how and what you eat, if you want to maintain the loss. I weigh myself regularly and I adjust based on what I see on the scale. Like a lot of us, I have a redline weight limit that tells me it's time to buckle down and follow my plan more strictly until I lose the pounds I have picked up. Hopefully, I will never again eat recklessly and mindlessly on a day to day basis. But I still enjoy old favorites (just less often and in smaller portions). I hope that helps!

Hi TJ! I'm three and a half weeks out and pretty much back to normal other than a little residual pain behind my big scar. Come share on the November buddies thread - we're all pretty much at the same stage as you. Your loss is brilliant - I know we shouldn't compare ourselves but it's way better than mine! 💪

Hello Everyone!

I had my vsg on November 29. I will be 2 weeks on tomorrow. At my first first appointment post opp a week and 2 days I lost 22 pounds. I’m here to help motivate other’s as well on this journey!

What pain killers have they given you? If nothing, ask for something.
Even with painkillers, getting up and down, getting in and out of bed will be fairly uncomfortable for a while.

DarkSoul, after reading hundreds of postings on this board and others, I have come to the conclusion that some surgeons are lazy and/or greedy. VGS surgery is easier and faster than RNY surgery, but the fees are usually the same.

I agree with @catwoman7: speak with your doctor. My thoughts turned to low BP & drops in sugar (hypoglycaemia). Many have temporary issues with these. I wonder if it’s too do with our body getting used to the changes in our diet & reduced calories.
Prior to surgery I had a tendency to low blood pressure (occasional drops) & random hypoglycaemic episodes. After surgery & as my weight dropped I had more instances of low BP & a more hypoglycaemic episodes. Now I live with a low BP every day. If I feel a hypoglycaemic episode coming on I’ll grab some berries but, touch wood, I haven’t had one for about 4 or 5 months.
I took a bottle of hydralyte with me everywhere I went for months for a boost of energy but any electrolyte drink will work. It helped a lot & I hope it helps you too. Give yourself time. Once your weight stabilises & you’re eating more you may find you feel a lot better. But do speak with your doctor.

How you decide to maintain your weight is ultimately your choice. What I do or what someone else does may not work for you. My advice is, whatever you choose to do, make sure it is sustainable. That is, it’s a way of eating that doesn’t mean you have to make sacrifices & are able to enjoy living your life. A way of eating that is overly restrictive is destined to fail.
There are always alternatives that are healthier & more nutritious. For example if you want to eat carbs, look for multi or whole grain versions & not highly processed white flours. Want pizza, try cauliflower or chicken bases or pita bread as has been suggested. There are lots of high Protein low carbs pastas available too. There are snack foods that are lower in calories & higher in protein then traditional Snacks. Try different cooking styles like an air fryer or oven baking versus deep frying.
Some people do eat pizza, burgers, fries, etc. but they do so in small portions, occasionally. You know you best & how well you can manage eating fast foods & foods considered unhealthy.
Use the time you’re losing & on a restrictive diet, to research different eating styles & reflect on your trigger foods. You may develop your own eating routine by picking & choosing from various ‘diets’. You may become vegetarian. You may switch in some vegan options or meals. You may choose to reduce certain food types from your diet like sugar or fats. You just need to develop a way of eating that works for you.
Good luck.

I agree with other posters. You have not failed. The only way to fail is to stop trying. Work on eating more Protein, drinking more Water, tracking your eating, meeting with a therapist, talking with your doctor about an appetite suppressant such as phentermine or metformin (I've been taking metformin since a month after surgery since I was one of the unlucky 20% that never lost my hunger), and keeping on these boards.
You've got this!

I made puréed hard boiled eggs thinned with yogurt and skim milk. I still have a bit of a funny feeling in the same spot but not enough to stop me from eating.

Thanks for much for helping me find a way to eat something that isn’t Protein shakes! ❤️

Ah okay so going from full liquids to ricotta cheese was too big of a jump. Makes sense!

Thanks I’ll try some (very moist) puréed foods tomorrow and see if that is less troublesome.

Thanks!

The foods may not be moist enough. Many of us go from liquids to purées then soft. Get a good blender of some sort (or borrow one) & blend away. Add stock, broth, gravy, milk, etc. to make your food sloppy. Think food you don’t really have to chew much (think slide more than chew) to begin then slowly make what you eat more dense so you have to chew a little more. Don’t be afraid to go at your pace through the stages.
Honestly, you may find some things taste awful puréed (tinned tuna & salmon turned my tummy). Wish I’d tried chicken thighs blended with gravy much, much sooner.
Yoghurt, milky scrambled eggs, milky rolled oats, thick blended Soup, etc. Mash boiled eggs with mayo is good too.
Eating slowly & taking small bites is key. Use teaspoons, children’s utensils.
I still keep my food pretty moist to avoid that stuck feeling ( then my restriction starting or at worst the foamies).
Definitely chat with your surgeon about the hernia to ensure that isn’t contributing or causing your discomfort.

So happy you’ve been having a positive experience through this & have such a supportive team behind you. So many don’t unfortunately. My bariatric surgeon also drew pictures. The GP I had years ago was the first I encountered who drew pictures & diagrams to explain things better. The best. Taught me how to ask the right questions of all my subsequent doctors & surgeons.
All the best for your revision surgery.

I met with the dietitian yesterday. She said she was surprised when she first saw me on her schedule because I just saw her a few weeks ago for the annual visit, but then she saw my surgeon's notes. We talked a bit about how I felt about going through this process again, then we got down to business of talking about the post op diet progression. Things have changed since my sleeve 7 years ago, the diet progression is slower, which I think is a good thing. Last time the progression of full liquid to soft was rather abrupt in my opinion, but this time I'll be gradually thickening the texture of food over a few months. She mentioned baby food as an option and that got me thinking, they sell small blenders for this purpose. I found one that was used only once on Facebook Marketplace. I got it for $20, it's $60 on Amazon.

My surgeon drew me a picture of the surgery and so did my dietitian who went into a lot more detail about a few specifics of how food passes through a RNY pouch vs a sleeve and how/why dumping happens. Her drawing and explanation made so many things click. I'm more determined than ever to make the most of this opportunity. Yes, I'm doing it for severe GERD, but I'd love to lose another 20-30 pounds too. I know most of the weight loss will come during the first few months when food is very limited.

I called my insurance company and the rep I talked to was super nice and answered all my questions. She confirmed they got the request for preauthorization from my clinic. I'll know before Christmas!!! My insurance is generally super speedy so I'm thinking I'll know about approval in the next week or so. It can't come fast enough. Despite meds and better eating, I've had a few rather nasty attacks of reflux.

I was very scared when I went to have my surgery even though I was so ready for it. I am 21 years out and still here! It's going to be fine and you will wake up knowing that you have made a really positive step to change your life and health. Keep this post and look back on it next year, I can guarantee you will wonder why you were scared. Hope your surgery goes well tomorrow, stay positive and think happy thoughts x

the mortality rate on RNY is 0.3%. It's even lower for sleeve (can't remember the percentage for that one since I was an RNY patient, so that's the one that mattered to me). So you have at least a 99.7% chance of not dying. That's an excellent stat as far as surgeries go. Better than the stats for hip replacement surgery, and they do those all the time.
people have died from things like tonsillectomies and wisdom tooth extractions. But how often does that happen? Almost never. Same with this one.
your mom may be remembering weight loss surgeries 30-40-50 years ago, when they WERE dangerous and some people died from them. That just isn't true anymore. Today's surgeries are very safe. You'll be fine.

Edited to add that I agree 100% with the above poster. You're more likely to die from an obesity-related complication than you are from the surgery.

I think everyone goes through the same fear. I had even written scheduled emails to my loved ones out of the fear of not seeing them again 😂

I am day 11 post-Op and doing quite well. Don't worry your surgical team is there to take care of you
Because of issues with schedule, no one could be at the hospital for me either and I was on my own till the next day of discharge. So don't worry, you'll swim through and make it. This was my first ever surgery and first ever experience with general anesthesia. I was almost on the verge of crying when I was outside the OR speaking to my aesthetic. Nerves will definitely get to you but keep positive thoughts and focus on why you're opting for it. Is being overweight and miserable better than facing the fear of a small percentage of risk? No right? Then don't get overwhelmed by such thoughts. Watch something breezy, sleep well and take music with you to relax till it's right for the surgery.

All the very best, you got it!

Taylor, mine is Monday too. I alternate between excitement and nerves. You’ll do great, I know it!

Nerves are normal. And I wouldn't worry about the anesthesia. I've had general anesthesia 10 or 12 times over the years. I get nauseated, but the nausea meds are good.
You are changing your life for the better. That's the thing to remember.

Walmart sells cauliflower pizza crusts in the frozen section that are quite tasty and Hershey zero sugar tastes exactly the same as real chocolate to me. For some people the sugar substitute acts like a laxative so try just a small portion at home the first time of the zero sugar candy. I also just found cauliflower Pasta at Walmart (frozen) and had that last night. It was almost like the real thing. Check out the thread favorite grocery products. You will be surprised the number of options there are out there.

Hi!
Not sure if this will help you or not....my program doesn't cut out food groups, and encourages getting to 1200 calories as soon as you can. I have been at 1200 calories since week 5 or so...and I eat carbs. I made this one change years ago with pizza. Before surgery we would get pizza maybe twice a month, and it was always overdone. Large greasy pizzas, with fries and dips etc etc and of course I would get sick from the overindulgence every.single.time lol.
I take a whole wheat pita, add some Tomato sauce, pepperoni from the deli, and low fat cheese. Cook at 400 in the oven for about 15 min and it's amazing! Crispy but also gooey. Depending on what actual products you use....comes out to about 320 calories, 15g of fat, 36g of carbs, 19g of Protein. Before surgery, I used to eat 3...now it is just one for dinner. And of course, you can out whatever toppings you want. It's also great for kids too because they can make the kind of pizza they want....without the price tag and all the added full fat and oil and doughy crust.
I think there are many ways to get around certain kinds of food by making modifications to your favourites! The internet has non stop recipes that can help with alternatives regardless of the kind of program you are on.

Never say never.
I’m 3 years out, and i can (and do) eat anything. Well, except excess sugar in one sitting (i dump)…when i do eat sugar (i.e., dessert) its always just a little at a time.
I eat bread, Cookies, chocolate, fried foods, sauces, the occasional pizza slice (albeit only when Mr. makes it, as its delicious), rice (in my sushi), Pasta (again only when Mr. makes it), and drink alcohol. I go out to eat at restaurants regularly. I’d go even more if it wasn’t so Covid-y out there.
So long as my average calories stays at or below my maintenance calories (i track EVERYTHING), then its all good. If my weight goes north of my self-imposed high weight limit (i weigh myself everyday) for 3-4 consecutive days, i cut cals for a while, until I’m in my happy weight range again. I had to do this 3 times in year 2…haven’t had to do it again so far *crosses fingers*. All my labs come back uneventfully.
I have maintained below goal weight (127lbs) for 2.5 years…i was 116.6lbs this morning. So i figure I’m doing something right.
Some people can have a similar lifestyle, others not due to a host of things (food tolerances, medical issues, temperament, activity levels, etc…). Where you will end up on the spectrum of “foodie-ability” can and will be determined only by you.
Yes, you may be one of those that will not be able to “enjoy” food and keep weight off. BUT, you also may be one of the ones who do. Alot of it is up to you.
My take is that you have to decide which is more important to you: the *possible* loss of your current food enjoyment OR the possibility of weight loss. There is no wrong answer.
P.S. Of course, these aren’t the only two outcomes: there is also “possible weight loss with a NEW way of enjoying food”.

the first year I did not, but since I hit maintenance, yes. I can eat 1-2 slices of pizza now (different from pre-op when I could down 1/2 a large pizza in one sitting). I also eat chocolate occasionally. There's really nothing I can't eat now other than highly fatty meals. My husband and I used to go out for Friday night fish fries when I was pre-op, but I couldn't do that anymore. They consisted of two or three deep-fried filets, tartar sauce, French fries, cole slaw made with mayo, and a roll with butter. My stomach rebels at that much fat now (although I could probably have one fish filet if everything that came with it wasn't fat-laden).
other than that - yep - there's nothing I can't eat, although I eat it less frequently and in much smaller quantities than I did before. But then, that's true of a lot never-been-obese people, too.