Possum220

Please check in with your nutritionist to see what you will be able to eat and how you need to progress back to solids.

Please check in with your nutritionist to see what you will be able to eat and how you need to progress back to solids.

I say “retired” because the new owners decided to permanently close the facility where I worked. I’m not eligible to start drawing pension for 3 more years. Fortunately, we were eligible for Trade Act benefits, so I went back to college full time. I can draw unemployment until I graduate. Good thing I made Dean’s List the first two semesters, eh?

Hello All.
Can I introduce myself. I’m Paul and exactly 4 weeks post gastric sleeve surgery.
I’ve been trying to lose weigh all my adult life with varying degrees of success. All ultimately fruitless. There’s very few I haven’t attempted and I was desperate by the time I agreed to surgery. Although a various times I’ve topped 30 stone I was always able to cope with the excess weight. Not so these last few years and severe arthritis in my worn out knees has forced the issue. To get them replaced I have to be lighter. And hopefully ALM will be in less pain and I can move about easier.
I was deeply ashamed about having to go down the path of surgery. I’ve loathed my size all my life and it’s had a profoundly negative effect on both my career and personal life. I was a fairly decent footballer in my time (hence the knackered knees) but undoubtedly the excess weight I carried in my younger years, whilst nowhere near as extreme, hindered my performance and damaged my self esteem.
I first joined the NHS bariatric programme in late 2015 after encouragement from my GP but I promptly lost 7 stone and decided it wasn’t for me. Life, as always, got in the way and all that weight went back on by 2018\19 after I was made redundant and lost the plot. I was fortunate to get put back on the programme in 2019 and despite the hiatus of the Pandemic got invited to meet the surgeons in January this year.
Can’t say I didn’t have my doubts as the date of surgery to nearer but I knew I was probably on my last chance should I walk away.
The liver shrinking diet was extremely easy I felt. I stopped any form of alcohol a month before my date of surgery and I’m feeling OK now. I’ve had a couple of incidents of the foamies and have been sick twice trying to progress to purée/soft food. I’ve put that down to eating too quickly and perhaps slightly too much despite my efforts at not doing either.
I find I hard to eat the 800 calories a day target I’ve been told to meet, and sufficient Protein but I’m working on it.
One thing that I do seem to be unusual for reading through this thread. I haven’t weighed myself since the day of the operation. Am I wrong not to do so? I can feel previously tight clothes getting baggy. My view is this is a marathon and not a sprint now and why torture myself if I can see a plateau going on for a couple of weeks.
Nice to meet you all.

Possom gave some great ideas. I ate a lot of Beans - vegetarian refried beans with some cheese melted on top were a go to food. I hated pureed meat so I stuck to dairy-based and bean-based Proteins. Yogurt and cottage cheese were big staples. In the beginning I really hated anything with sugar or chocolate (which I normally loved) and honestly, all food was kind of meh and uninteresting.
Bone Broth is a great option for salty - regular broth is good too, but bone broth has more Protein. I used to have at least a cup a day when eating was still taxing.
She really needs to eat... or at least be getting her protein in some way, either via food, Protein Shakes, etc. It's really important at this point. Also, I found in this stage that I had to make myself eat, even if I didn't want it. As long as it didn't make me sick, I ate it. I didn't need to love it, as long as my stomach agreed and it didn't totally turn my taste buds off.

Tinned baked Beans. Chew them up before you eat them. Very sloppy scrambled eggs. Yogurt. Custard. Low fat jellies (I made my own and put tasteless Protein Powder in). Dont let too many days pass without eating.

Some ideas here perhaps, but a lot depends on tolerance to certain foods at this stage, but if she can't tolerate now, she may in another week or so or even a month down the track.

https://www.upmc.com/services/bariatrics/surgery-process/post-surgery/diet/pureed
https://www.taylorbariatric.com/bariatric-surgery-guide/first-few-weeks-after-surgery/diet-stage-3-pureed-foods

After week 6 to 8 weeks. Anything before that time it can be detrimental since the stomach isn't fully healed yet.

Ooh good idea. My nutritionist gave me samples of Bariatric Advantage that my surgeon recommended. I later showed them the literature for the Pro Care health and they said those were fine as well but the bariatric advantage was convenient immediately post op because the Multivitamin is chewable and so is the Calcium.

Is there a reason that you are interested in the lap band instead of sleeve, DS or bypass. As others have said many doctors don’t even do them anymore.

Yeah, PPIs are often the culprit. I haven’t experienced it after taking my daily Nexium but had it mildly very quickly after taking Kwik eze. I think mine is more caused by being menopausal. (A side effect not often talked about.) I have Water beside my bed & for when I get the occasional dry mouth attack, I hold the water in my mouth for a few seconds to help re hydrate. But Biotene is an effective treatment.

Seems so obvious but try putting glass on Water on night table and drink throughout the night.

This is not weird but is something that made my doctor really happy. I saw him this week and he took me off 3 medications because I no longer need them. Yay! It is also so much easier to have a shower now without feeling puffed afterwards.

That is so awesome. I know we all get fitter and healthier but I love to hear when people literally get off of medications. This surgery literally changes lives.

This is not weird but is something that made my doctor really happy. I saw him this week and he took me off 3 medications because I no longer need them. Yay! It is also so much easier to have a shower now without feeling puffed afterwards.

This is not weird but is something that made my doctor really happy. I saw him this week and he took me off 3 medications because I no longer need them. Yay! It is also so much easier to have a shower now without feeling puffed afterwards.

Bent down to tie my shoes and didn’t have to move my boobs or stomach out of the way first 👍

I put my pants on this morning while standing up, I always had to sit down to do that. Small victory but I'll take it.

So I hang up my clothes and with t-shirts I need the hangers with the slots to keep them on the hangers not it always worked. But I don't need those slotted hangers anymore because they are small enough to fit the hanger
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I originally wanted sleeve but I had severe GERD. My surgeon said it was my choice but gave me his input for why he suggests Bypass. Explaining that it is more likely that sleeve patients end up with GERD even without having prior issues; while is tends to relieve (cure) GERD with Bypass patients.
My GERD was horrible, I mean HORRIBLE! I was on 2 prescriptions plus eating tums regularly and still had regular issues. Up a lot of nights vomiting fire! Some times so bad my voice/throat would be hoarse for days after and episode.
Long story short, I opted for bypass. No regrets. 3 months out and I am off ALL GERD medications and haven't eaten any tums. No sign of acid /GERD problems!

Thabk you so much everyone! This is the type of community I was seeking when I came here!

I fully can relate to your story. I'm currently 7months post op. An now I have my husband an family on board. Nobody understood why I wanted the vsg surgery. An everyone thought I can get the weight off myself etc. So I mentally prepared myself to go on this journey along. The only support I had was my 3 children. So fast forward 7 months later he can't keeps his hands off me !! [emoji6] An my family can't believe the transformation. An believe it or not I was able to encourage my sister to get vsg ..who is currently 4wks post op. So I say this to say follow your heart desires an have no fear or worries about support. Because the truth of the matter is you will have friendships, and relationships that will end once you bark on this journey. Im a witness I lost a lot of ppl who I had long term friendships with. But it was for the better. So just prepare yourself.. I actually went to therapy before I had surgery and it prepared me for anything that may would have happened after surgery. Best of luck to you on your journey please come join the banana sleeve gang!!! [emoji529][emoji529]

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Maybe he is just scared. Surgery never was and never will be the easy way out. You will still need to eat well, exercise and change your relationship with food. Being healthy is a brilliant reason to do this. Your body will thank you for this step that you are taking.

I think this person is trolling you all. I commend all of you for wanting to help this person if they are legitimate because that is what we do on here. This one seems too defiant and unwilling to consider any recommendations which just smacks of trolling. I wish this person the best if they are legit and implore them to get help right away if they are legit. But saying that they will seek help but it will not make a difference seems a little fishy. If someone does not think therapy will make a difference they simply do not go. If someone wants help they do not reject every offer of help that is provided. This post does not ring true for me. We have legitimate people on here that deserve our support and help.

Please be kind to yourself. Your body has had a major change. You will find a new way to be in this world if you want to.