vsg2410

I had my surgery 6 months ago at 25 years old! I think this thread could be very helpful as every age range has different struggles!

I thought because I was young and active I’d be up and exercising within days after surgery. Unfortunately, I was wrong and the anesthesia hit me hard!! I was nauseous and exhausted for 2-3 days post op and only tolerating 2 20 minute walks by one week. I used my nausea and pain meds around the clock for at least the first week and as needed there after. It was definitely a bigger adjustment than I had thought, so I was happy to have my family to support me through it. I also connected with a therapist pre op to have them as a support throughout the process. It’s hard to find people to relate to in their 20s who’ve had the surgery so therapy has definitely been helpful for me. I’m happy to elaborate on anything or answer any questions!

I commend you for making this decision! One of my doctors first brought up surgery when I was in college. At that point, I knew I wasn’t ready to take my health that seriously. I wanted to have a “normal” college experience. I 100% do not regret waiting until after college to have the surgery since I knew I wasn’t ready. I’m still in my early 20s and it’s a tough life adjustment. My social life lessened a lot early on due to not being able to eat out or drink alcohol. I’d say in terms of college life that would be one of the bigger struggles post op. Also, depending on your dining options at school it can be difficult to track and have good options.

At the beginning about the first 2 months it may be difficult to hide from your roommate that you’ve had surgery. The food options are pretty limited and the quantity is very small. But, a lot of college aged students have not struggled with weight yet and have no idea about bariatric surgery so they may never catch on! Also something to keep in mind, most people at my surgery center are out of work for 2 weeks. I know a lot of people say they feel fine after surgery, but it hit me hard and I needed the full 2 weeks off of work. I’ve heard that younger patients can have more side effects from anesthesia and that was definitely the case for me. So I’d definitely recommend at least 2 weeks before move in day.

In terms of approaching the conversation with my parents, I told my mom that I had something important to talk to her about and I wanted her to support me in my decision. Later after I had gone through the pre surgical processes and had a date, I told my dad I decided to have surgery to improve my health and gave him the opportunity to ask any questions. Best of luck to you!

I agree with other posts - talk to your surgeon or PCP and consider getting a therapist. I had my surgery about a week before you and have also noticed an increase in depressive symptoms. It’s a big adjustment, and adjusting is not easy and takes energy. You’re not alone! But make sure you are using your resources!

On 04/23/2023 at 20:35, catwoman7 said:

chews, chewables, and liquids should all be fine. Bypass patients are usually told not to take gummies, but the other versions you mentioned are fine.

Make sure your Calcium supplements are calcium citrate, because we don't absorb Calcium carbonate well (the person above mentioned Adora - maybe those are OK for sleeve patients, but not bypass patients). The Bariatric Fusion ones the other poster mentioned are fine for bypassers, though. The first few months post-op I took Bariatric Advantage calcium chews, those are fine for us too (later I just took calcium citrate tablets)

Calcium citrate is preferred for better absorption, however I was told calcium carbonate is fine - it just has to be taken with food for optimal absorption. Not sure if the same goes for bypass patients, other surgery centers may also have different recommendations.

I’m 25 years old and just got my sleeve in November. I have no regrets thus far. Like others mentioned, the first few weeks were ROUGH so it’s important to have support - whether it be friends, family, therapist.

I would follow your surgeons recommendations if they have them, mine recommended Celebrate. Unfortunately, any Multivitamin that was chewable or tablet form led to extreme nausea so I switched to gummy vitamins and my surgeon approved them. For Calcium I use Bariatric Fusion calcium chews in caramel flavor, and Adora calcium chocolate for a daily treat. I would recommend not buying in bulk until you know what works for you!

I went on a trip about two months post op also. What worked for me eating out was splitting an entree with someone else. We split the main Protein exactly in half and I just had a bite or two of the sides. It seemed to be a good amount of food for my travel companion also. Or if they didn’t want to share I just ordered a protein focused appetizer for my meal. Ultimately getting enough protein is the main goal so that’s really all I focused on and it went well. So if chicken tenders were my only option, that’s what I had and I picked off some of the breading.

For Snacks I kept Jerky, Protein Bars, and nut packs in my purse. Pretty much every convenience store or gas station has Protein Drinks so since we were flying I didn’t worry about bringing them with me, but if you’re driving I’d keep a case in the car. At that point I was pretty religiously eating every 3 hours on the dot so it’s good to have protein snacks handy! I also kept liquid iv packets in my purse to help keep up with hydration.

On 04/21/2023 at 09:14, heatherdbby said:

have you found any way to help the transitional lightheadness?

Not really. When it was really bad I drank Gatorade zero or fit daily. Now it’s the worst when I get up from laying down so I make sure to sit on the edge of the bed/couch for a minute or two before standing up.

Often when you stall you do need to up your calories, for a day or two! I’d definitely follow your dietitians recommendations. I also get positional lightheadedness - I have not been doing weights for this reason but am able to tolerate stretching and cardio including walking and jogging. It might be something to consider!

My office told me which visit would be considered my preop weight. I would ask them. My bmi was exactly 40 pre op so I had to be careful not to lose weight on the pre op diet until that appt. The day of my surgery the nurse entered in my weight wrong - 254 instead of 264 so my bmi was in the 38 range. I didn’t end up having any issues with insurance thankfully.

Also No Cow bars are good! They taste good and have Fiber.

If your like me and can’t do Built Bars - I recommend Aloha, NuGo, or fit crunch. They’re yummy and I can digest them more easily. Built bars and Quest bars are not good for my stomach, but everyone is different. Clif builder bars are good but they have more sugar.

I’m going through the same thing. I am taking an extra hair skin and nails supplement and making sure I hit my Protein goals. I’ve also started using Nioxin - a hair regrowth Shampoo, conditioner, scalp treatment set. A family member of mine used it when they had Hair loss from chemo. It’s hard to say whether or not it works because I wouldn’t know otherwise but I’m hoping it’s doing something!

I freeze fairlife Protein Drinks mixed with 2 tbsp of sugar free pudding. Then mix in lily’s chocolate chips. Turns out delicious!

I had my surgery in November and my Hair loss is really starting. I’ve been taking a hair skin and nails Vitamin in addition to my regular ones but I just started using the Nioxin set. I figured it can’t hurt and it’s supposed to be pretty helpful and they have color safe options. It’s $55 for the set at Ulta/Amazon but my hairdresser sold it to me what she buys it for ~$25.

I keep my pantry and fridge full of grab and go options! Any low sugar Greek yogurt (I like siggis, two good, oikos triple zero), two good smoothies, bel gioso individual cheeses, cottage cheese cups, individual nut packs, Whisps, Chomps, hilo chips, egg bites, Protein One bars. I always keep a pack of Protein Shakes in my trunk for emergencies!

I like chipotle! It’s $5 for either a quesadilla or taco and you get a mini bag of chips with it and a drink! Great bang for your buck.

Hi everyone,

I’m almost 4 months post op and I think I’m fighting some kind of bug so my stomach and appetite are a bit off. Normally when my stomach is feeling off meat and cheese are the last things on my mind… my body seems to crave fruits and veggies and can tolerate simple carbohydrates. I know to stay away from the breads, but what have you guys found to be helpful foods when you’re sick?

My surgeon required two 20 minute walks per day and allowed further activity as soon as I was feeling up to it. I played tennis one week post op. I played in a tournament 2 weeks post op. My main issue at that point was balancing activity and hydration. Some days I literally could not afford to sweat… I would say about 3 months post op my hydration became sufficient enough for me to do intense workouts without feeling lightheaded.

I ate a lot of Turkey chili and just chewed it up really well. I also had cottage cheese with marinara sauce heated up for less than 30 seconds. I ate mainly foods that I didn’t actually have to physically purée. Canned tuna and chicken, canned veggies like carrots and peas, scrambled eggs, yogurt. It’s probably the toughest phase!

Hydrate hydrate hydrate! It’s harder than I anticipated so make sure you have a variety of options to get fluids in - popsicles, broth, SF Gatorade, etc. Good luck!

I know I started out with just half of a Protein bar when I had them just to make sure I was tolerating them well. Then quickly moved on to a full bar! Honestly I don’t think I’d be able to manage without them, I eat one every single day for a morning snack. Some of them do have high amounts of sugar so I’m careful to pick ones that don’t. They definitely are more calories than if you had just plain chicken breast or cottage cheese. It does not seem sustainable for that to be an ongoing rule!

I second Travel RN! You can find those alternatives later on as you go. One of the biggest things my dietitian has focus on is whole food eating - so staying away from those alternatives as primary nutrition. Every office is different but the biggest thing is to stick to your plan!

Hydration, walking, and Protein. That’s pretty much all you need to know! Have a variety of sugar free drinks, broth, and popsicles at home, every ounce counts and your body needs it! Some people (including myself) struggle with drinking plain Water right after surgery so having the variety definitely helped. My surgeon wanted two 20 minute walks a day as soon as I went home. When the weather was bad I went to Walmart, Kohl’s, or target to do some laps so that I could get 20 minutes of walking in. Protein Shakes and yogurt were about all I had for the first two weeks, so maybe pick out a few different kinds so that it doesn’t get monotonous. Best of luck!!

From what my surgeon told me and what I’ve read - the first 6 months are more rapid then you can expect to lose 1-2 lbs/week. The slower weight loss is a healthy rate of weight loss. Now everybody is different and if you’re on the lower side of BMI the loss will more likely be slower than those with a higher starting BMI. But any loss is still that, a loss!