Deep6

Anxiety is awful. I used to stress out majorly due to my career, but even having been retired for ten years, I still have problems sleeping. I work out like an animal, now that I've lost most of my excess weight, and keep myself mentally engaged in a lot of things, but I still suffer from insomnia. My one doc, who I've used since the mid-90's, still has me on diazapam (addictive, but at some point for me, it just doesn't work so I stop and clean out) and Mirtazapine, which definitely puts me down most of the time. Only problem with the latter is that I don't wake up til 11am. Not good if I'm attempting to live a normal life. But, he's against sleeping pills and I get it. The other things, like Melatonin, just make me woozy. I'm in way better health as a result of the surgery and working out constantly. I'm consuming lots of protein through drinks plus food. I feel good. The lack of sleep can definitely ruin your day. I don't know what the current thinking is in the medical community. I trust my guy but still, it kinda sucks to have to medicate to get sleep. I'm real big on integrative medicine. Maybe there's an answer there. Dunno. Nice to see you folks!!!!

Thank you all for the kudos. I'm wondering if my dramatic weight loss is partly due to malabsorption; I'm pretty vigilant about taking my supplements and focusing on protein. I'm going to go get tested for SIBO tomorrow- I had it before surgery and it was pretty awful. This time, it isn't quite as acute, but despite my care in diet, I find that food passes through. I did that crazy expensive anti-B the last time-- rifaximin-- not sure I want to spring for that again (cost is over 2k for a bottle of pills with a $700 co-pay-- the retail price for the drug outside of the States). Anyway, I should know the results quickly- the gastro I've been using is very good. And I cannot stress enough getting in some strength training, particularly if you are older. Even though I felt sort of lousy thing morning, working out made me feel better.

I did gastric bypass + hiatal hernia repair June 6. I have had very few "issues"-- a couple of "one step over the line," one incident of the dreaded foamies, but generally, smooth sailing. I was at around 274 lbs and now am at around 206-7, depending on scale and time of day. That's crazy! I look at the stats for how much folks lose on average and this seems to be beyond the norm. I'm not complaining-- I not only walk, but got into a rigorous exercise regime with a trainer. His focus, for now, is balance, and "whole body"--I do some weights but the "balance" stuff has been a real blessing. I have checked the boxes with the M.D.s- my cardiologist has no problem with testosterone treatment as a means to build muscle mass. I need to get my surgeon to sign off on that, just to be sure. But man, this has been an amazing journey in a very short time. I'm way more mobile, fit into clothes I forgot I had (I used to buy really nice stuff, turned into a slob, and now I'm caring about my appearance again!). I'm closing in on 70 years-- and have not felt this vigorous in a long while. My taste buds have definitely changed. But it's worth the trade-off in health and fitness. And no more GERD!!!

My surgeon's office recommended Bariatric Advantage- both the multi-vitamin + iron and the calcium chews. I get both from Amazon, though I'm Stateside. I opted for the chewable multi-vitamin after the first bottle.

You might find this paper interesting: https://asmbs.org/app/uploads/2021/10/PIIS1550728921004238.pdf I went to the Mayo, which has a stop smoking facility (Betty Ford for cigarettes). They got me on nicotine replacement, which allowed me to quit. Some of the medications, like Wellbutrin, made me feel crazy. I stopped smoking years ago, without pain. Unfortunately the medical group who wrote the above article is an outlier. AFAiK, Medicare doesn't want any nicotine, even pharmaceutical. Fact is, the Pharma version is pricey in the extreme, although the patent expired. I loved smoking. I only stopped b/c I was told I would stroke out. Drooling in a wheelchair was not my idea of a good future. Otherwise, I'd still be smoking -- unfiltered ciggies, cigars from a small island off the Florida coast and roll 'em ups, using Turkish, Dutch shag, and other things-- Virginia tobacco, which I used to buy in a can, was really good. Stop if you can. Not preaching, sympathetic, beoyotch of an addictive substance, many of which were easier to quit than tobacco. It's insidious.

I've used this forum so far to ask questions, and obviously, people who are trying to adjust figure out if their experience is "normal" or have some issue with the process, and are going to ask questions-- some posts/threads document the challenges to this "adjustment." I thought it might be valuable to lay out the positives. I don't much care how you got to the surgery point- whether by some unhealthy attachment to eating or anything else. But for whatever reasons we underwent surgery, I'll assume that the path we were on was not healthy and beyond that, our quality of life was compromised by weight. So, I'll say-- after 3 months, X weeks, I'm far more mobile. I can walk now, without feeling out of breath. I fit into clothes I couldn't-- I look and feel "better"- yeah, it is tricky to learn how to eat, and it seems like things changed (they did), but totally worth it in my estimation. I had gotten to the point where I was eating a FODMAP diet (to reduce gastric blow-back up my esophagus) and it was more limited in food choices than what I face now, post surgery. I'm not sure I could have done this with diet and exercise. I did that in 2010, went from 250 to 180 through several hours of exercise a day plus hardcore paleo. But now I'm older, and I really needed help. The surgery and low volume diet plus movement (which I could not do at a certain point-scary) has made a quantum change in my physical being, and given me a revitalized outlook on life.

I've found different foods to process differently (bypass +hiatal hernia repair, June 6th of this year). My wife made a Bolognese sauce (ground turkey) that went down like it was meant to, and caused no gastro-intestinal distress. @Penguin733, fwiw, I suspect that at 7 weeks, I was just getting into real food. I got religion when I got stopped up, and got the "foamies." Talking to surgeon, and folks here, I was told to measure or weigh. I now know better what I can eat, both in terms of volume and nature of the the food. (FWIW, I had a nice small loin lamb chop tonight and et the whole thing!). Give yourself some time and also recognize that some foods are harder to digest than others; if you look at the surgical procedure that you underwent, you'll understand that there is a stronger filter in place than before; that can help you lose weight. In my case, it also reduced the amount of gastric acid blowing back up my esophagus, which was the driver for me. I've also lost a massive amount of weight in a short time. I respect what this operation can do.

Hey, @Jlw1403. I had my bypass + hiatal hernia repair on June 6th of this year. The operation went fine, and being on liquid, then pureed, all the various stages, wasn't hard, I just wanted more. I took the supplements (multi + iron, and calcium) but as I progressed now more than 3 months out, I'm less hungry, find a lot of food or the thought of it, almost distasteful, and have to force myself to eat. Drinking liquids is not a problem simply b/c I get dehydrated, especially in the Texas heat. You should talk to your surgeon/dietician and see if there is any physical reason why you are having a problem. I would not do it in an accusatory fashion- more in the "I need help here " vein. I think, from what I've read here, that everyone's experience varies. It's like we all have different sensitivities to certain foods after the surgery, but-at least to me, you should be able to intake the basic minimum-- I was OK with the Max Protein drinks for about 2.5 months- then I found them gag worthy and couldn't digest them. I'm told it's about sips, not guzzling, but still. It is a pretty serious surgery- one that has a ton written about it in the med journals, and pretty safe in terms of outcomes. But tolerance for food and drink is probably very individualized. Get help. You don't have to suffer.

Thanks to all of you for your insights. I was doing the Ensure Max Protein drinks for the first two and half months. Now I find them very gag-inducing and have a hard time digesting them. The Electrolytes- yep, both in water and Gatorade Zero. I'm not sure I am eating enough--my portions are small, and I feel fine after a small plate, 1/2 protein, 1/4 veggies, 1/4 carbs. My wife has been great about making different dishes that are compatible with post-op lifestyle. I'm just not that hungry, though I'll still eat simply for fuel. When I first got out of surgery, I couldn't wait to eat real food again, but now, I think my system cannot handle the volume and in some cases the texture. Maybe this is also a result of hormonal/nervous system changes, I dunno. Yes, I have a good dietitian who is part of the surgeon's office, as well as an integrative medicine nurse/practitioner who does a different set of blood work at the same time I get blood work done for the surgeon. I'll be back up there for another post-op exam in a couple months. Sorry for the lag in my responding- i didn't get an email alert when a lot of you posted, I'll have to check my settings--in the meantime, the weather has broken here in Texas, finally. So, walking outdoors is possible. (It was 110F most of the summer here--brutal!). Now is the nice time to be here. PS: on the gym, I talked to the head trainer, and they are used to members who have gone thru physical rehab and coming back to the gym- they were fine with me taking things slowly and will work w/me.

Today was the 3 month anniversary of my bypass/hiatal hernia repair. I've done ok on the calorie restricted diet--still can't eat certain meats (I've stayed away from steak which I love, haven't eaten lamb and even a moist pork chop is a little tough for me- instead, I'm eating. lot of fish). My portions are small-- -protein say three tablespoons, veggies, two tablespoons, mashed or sweet potato- 1/2 a small sized one. Today I weighed myself- I went from over 271 to 221 which is kind of crazy! (I am around 6 feet, used to be taller but I'm a geezer so I'm shrinking). Hooked up at a new gym that I can walk to from my house, so I will go more frequently and won't need to spend money on ride shares (I prefer not driving in town). I was shocked at how weak I was--It is going to take some time to strengthen and I'm being very cautious about torquing my gut given the surgery (even though the surgeon cleared me for weight lifting). I'm doing my supplements. I guess this is a good news/bad news thing- not that I live by the scale but I was amazed at how much I've lost so quickly. And a little disappointed in how weak I am. My wife said, "dude, you went through major surgery, take your time." She's probably right. There is no question that the surgery + pretty strict adherence to the post-op diet does work. Now I just have to rebuild my strength over time.

I'm a relative newbie too, and had my bypass surgery on June 6. My surgeon's group is fairly aggressive in terms of the phases of diet but of course, I pushed beyond the envelope- had some shredded turkey leg that I deskinned and deboned on the first day I was allowed to eat "regular" food. It was too much volume and probably too difficult to digest at that point and I had to ride it out. I was frothing or foaming (aka "foamies"), had I been able to vomit I would have felt much better but couldn't. So, I walked around the house, found a spot on a sofa with pillows plopped around me and eventually fell asleep sitting up (which I can never do normally). It was exhausting. But it was like a temporary blockage that cleared. After that, I decided to be more conservative in my approach to food- both portions and types. I still have not done much red meat, though I'm a carnivore. And I've regulated my portions, erring on the side of "less." I was doing eggs for a while, was told scrambled was riskier than other types for some reason, but right now, eggs simply don't appeal to me.

I had my two month anniversary, and second post op exam/meeting. Bloods good, I lost 35 lbs so far, but one of the drivers for me was Barrett's and the GERD I was experiencing is largely gone. I still take an H2 blocker as a precaution and got cleared for real exercise, not just walking. (Had a hiatal hernia that got repaired). I gotta say, having done this, I couldn't be happier. Yes, I'm still trying to draw lines but the surgeon said to measure portions, even though his dietitian does not address portion size. I think it is important to have resources as you go through this, not just for support, but for info. I consider this such a place. I'm far more mobile and agile, can do stuff I couldn't before because of oversize/bloat/weight. I'm fitting into clothes that I couldn't. Not that this should be a reason, it's just a benefit.

The surgery may be science, but the art of eating, post-surgery, isn't one size fits all as I have learned. I had the bypass and a hiatal hernia repair on June 6 and have been expanding my permissible diet within the general guidelines. I find that the hardest thing is the the line between full and over-doing it, particularly with new post surgery foods. I had one instance of "foamies" that caused me great discomfort- I wish I could have puked and gotten it over with; instead, I suffered gastric distress for hours, and eventually fell asleep sitting on the living room couch. You should talk to your nutritionist - sometimes, it seems, it is the food itself; sometimes, perhaps eating too much, too quickly. I'm finding the line between full and overfull to the point of distress to be a pretty fine one and easy to cross. The "frothing/foamies" gave me religion in the sense that I'm more careful about what I put into my gullet, how much and how quickly. This is a significant operation that changes a lot of your physiology- the volume and nature of the food you can accept and the degree to which you can explore new food options (within the guardrails) that don't make you sick. My take, also as a new post op patient, is that you have to take it slowly, be deliberate and work with the surgeons' staff and nutrionist to help you on your way. Nobody said it would be easy, but the rewards start to come pretty quickly. For me, just a little more than a couple months out, I have far more mobility, I'm not focused on the scale but more on my physical capabilities. I go see the surgeon for a follow up next week. My blood work looks pretty good, it has improved already. One other thing: I can still enjoy the sensation of eating good food, but that's subordinate to my main mission to remedy the problems that necessitated the surgery--not just weight loss, but Barrett's. The bypass pretty much eliminated GERD, which was huge. The weight loss is coming a long nicely and I'm deferring to the surgeon's team for advice.

I can abstain- in fact, one of my horrible eating habits was to drink coffee and do work until midafternoon before I ate anything. The challenge for me is to put together tasty meals that are protein, veggies and a little carb. My wife has been great about this- she cooked a lamb steak for herself but I don't think that is easily digestible so she made me some baked chicken thighs and roasted some mixed veggies. I have a couple cookbook/online references for various recipes-to keep it interesting. I did hardcore paleo at one point and an insane work out regime 15 years ago and was in the best shape of my life. Now, at close to 70 years old, I can't work out that hard (hope to get back to the weights once the hernia heals) but it is putting together interesting meals that's the challenge right now. And getting enough nutrition in through those meals (I recognize that some of the supplements are for life, I can deal w/ that) but it is finding a balance with diet and my palate that is where I'm struggling a bit. As I can gradually eat more different foods, I'm happier, but it is still a work in progress here. Thanks, all, for your input. Deep 6

I know that sounds like an obvious statement, but despite the preparation, the consultations, dietitian advice as well as discussion with various doctors including the primary surgeon, I realized how much of this is on me and changing my thinking in relation to food. I never thought of myself as food fixated, or dependent. I certainly understand addiction and dependency from other things but food was always not only fuel, but a joy. I have fond memories of meals past; some of the great restaurants of the world, and the funky dives where I got a good meal. I'm in a new place. I can only eat a few bite before I feel almost full. Cross that line and it gets disgusting fast. So, food, for now, is something I have to be very careful of consuming. Some things are readily digestible, other things, not so much. (I'm 8 weeks out from surgery, a baby but I gotta be responsible). I realized that part of this is my mental attitude toward what I put into my body. It's like I have a much finer, more delicate filter. I certainly haven't gone to extremes but realize how sensitive my system is and it is my responsibility to follow through from the surgery to small steps in eating and exercise. Given the hiatal hernia repair, I'm still a time slot away from weight lifting. That's what draws me to the gym- treadmill stuff is a joke- there's a thing called a speed board that is not motorized, and requires your leg power to make it move. It require balance as well. Very expensive to own one, and none of the gyms where I am seem to have one. So I walk in mega stores. But I'm planning ahead-- I'll plug in with a couple different MD types over the next couple weeks- checking bloods- I feel undernourished, but I can't handle the volume of food I would ordinarily consume without thought. So I have to be mindful- and that is my main point-- you have a duty to yourself to be cautious about what you intake- both in terms of texture and in terms of volume. It seems like a couple of bites of 'regular food" gets me close to full; soft stuff, like soup, is easier. I'm taking all the supplements but am interested to see what the blood work shows. In the meantime, I'll say that this is a huge upward learning curve that I have taken on, despite the preparation and I think I had good medical and related advice to prepare me. It's just the transition from intellectual to real world. I'm learning.....