cajun

Nuts are a healthy snack as long as you don't eat too many. Once I'm back off mushies, I'll resume eating some each day.

Lan2K Your PCP can order an upper GI. It is simple. You just drink some white chalky stuff and they take pictures. Done in 5 minutes or so. My PCP ordered mine, as recommended by Dr Aceves, he recommends this for all his pts at 3 months. He also recommends nexium which I take.

Nap when you need to. Sip lots of clear liquids...dehydration can make you feel really tired.

Anna, welcome to the loser's bench.

Guilt is not helpful, I agree with you. As long as we are following our surgeon's advice on calories/protein/timeline, we can eat anything, just in moderation. Sometimes we have to "backpeddle" if we develop a problem, but that's usually temporary. Enjoy life. Take care of your sleeve. Forget the guilt.

cream of chicken Soup with extra chicken pureed in it Protein shake Vitamin Water Bummer. Next Christmas will be better.

Never did have anything like that...it must have been a really scary experience.

Dr Aceves recommends certain labs plus an upper GI 3 months post surgery. I think it's a good idea, and was actually expecting to have some low labs due to the skimpy food intake...but was not expecting an abnormal UGI. I recommend everyone follow their surgeon's recommendations on getting these done. I would not have known if I had not done those tests. Dr Aceves has never seen this either. It's rare. I've been doing a lot of reading online about this type of diverticulum. It's usually caused by a motility disorder of the esophagus. Here's the basic description: "Cross et al (1961) stated that "pulsion diverticula suggest increased intraluminal pressure to which has been added a weak area in the musculature of the esophageal wall for out-pouching of the mucosa". The motility disorders they found included diffuse increase in lower esophageal tone, hyperactive and incoordinate peristalsis, esophageal spasm, delayed opening of the esophageal sphincter, and reflux esophagitis. Whatever the case, the common underlying problem is basically the same: normal or hyperactive peristalsis acting against a functional obstruction, with resulting increase in intraluminal pressure being dissipated by formation of a diverticulum through an esophageal wall that cannot withstand the high pressure." members.tripod.com/famona/ent/cummings/cumm130.pdf I did have a lot of esophageal spasm in the first month or so, and probably a very tight esophageal sphincter post hiatal hernia repair. I would guess that at times what I was swallowing could not get through the sphincter but the esophagus was still trying to "pump it through". At times I'd have back pain after eating, especially once I started solids. White meat chicken was a common cause of this until I just swore off it. Maybe that was the pressure, I don't know. Anyway, that pressure could have cause the diverticulum to form. I did not have "foaming" or vomiting after eating, so I don't really think it's from over eating. More likely due to the esophagus just trying to do its' job and meeting some resistance. More than likely my local gastroenterologist will recommend manometry to assess the pressure gradient in the esophagus. Treating the cause is most important. I don't want this thing to get bigger, that's for sure. Meanwhile I'm back to liquids and mushies, in very small amounts, to try to keep the pressure down. As hard as I've worked to be successful in this, I am really bummed out to have this complication. The only bright side if there is one, is that I'll probably lose weight faster because I'm going to be eating less until this gets fixed.

Thanks Lee! Have a happy holiday!

Yep, perfectly normal.

Dr Jossart, Have you ever encountered a traction epiphrenic diverticulum in a post-op VSG patient? What could cause this kind of thing? Thanks for your response.

Yep, this all sounds "normal" to me too. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, follow the recommended eating patterns, and you will be amazed as the weight drops off. Congratulations and welcome to the loser's bench.

way to go, gonnaloseweight!!!

AWESOME work! Keep it up!

hang in there kermit...things will improve!

There are liquid Vit D drops. I don't have any reference on it, but maybe you can google it. After one nauseating try, I did not focus at all on solid Vitamins the first month...just made sure to open up the nexium and take the granules without chewing, in some liquid. I took liquid Vit D from my Dr's office, and sublingual B12. Now at almost 3 months I can take most pills. The big calcium pills I break up into smaller chunks and take with liquids.

By now it is all done and you are sleeping...let us know how you are when you feel able. We're cheering for your. Welcome to the loser's bench!

RIGHT ON, SISTER! You've got your priorities straight!

My internist did not bat an eye when I told her I had gone to Mexico for the VSG. She ordered all my 3 month post op tests, and has been fully supportive. If your PCP has not been supportive, look around...you can fine one who is. You will love Dr Aceves and Dr Campos. And you will be impressed at how much more personal and how awesome the care is at their hospital, compared to U.S. hospitals.

Yep, can't do that in the summer down here. But right now we are having a cold snap and I'm covered up to my chin!

Tracy, There is a physiologic reason, and it is the greatest gift of the sleeve in myopinion...the part of the stomach that was removed is the part that produces grelin...the hormone that causes hunger. That will help you lose weight as long as you don't give in to "head hunger" or habit. And after what you've been through, you are also probably much more ready to work the sleeve optimally. Good luck!

Some people have more trouble with others, having "head hunger"...longing for certain foods and feeling "hungry" for them...but after getting in some fluids often that feeling goes away. I have not had much of that, in fact, am still having some days when nothing tastes good but I eat because I have to get in the protein. It's a slight nausea but not really...hard to describe. But it's so great to not have that old hungry all the time feeling that kept me obese. What a miracle, really. I have to remind myself to get in the fluids and food...just get busy doing things and remember that I forgot to eat and drink.

This is just about the saddest thing I?ve ever read! >> > >> > As a bagpiper, I play many gigs.. Recently I was asked by a funeral >> director to play at a grave side service for a homeless man. He had no family >> or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper's cemetery in the Kentucky >> back-country. >> > >> > As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost; and being a typical >> man I didn't stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour late and saw the >> funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight. >> > >> > There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch..I >> felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the side of >> the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place. I didn't >> know what else to do, so I started to play. >> > >> > The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out >> my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends. I played like I've >> never played before for this homeless man. >> > >> > And as I played 'Amazing Grace,' the workers began to weep. They wept, I >> wept, we all wept together. When I finished I packed up my bagpipes and >> started for my car. Though my head hung low my heart was full. >> > >> > As I was opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, "Sweet >> Mother of Jesus, I never seen nothin' like that before and I've been putting >> in septic tanks for twenty years."

I wear turtleneck tops and they hide a lot of the turkeyneck!

Barring any complications, you should feel fine. Just stick to the diet. I'd take along some packets of protein powder. Occasionally my tummy gets "unhappy" and I have to revert to protein drinks for nourishment. That could happen if you try out some spicy Thai foods on your trip (which is what I would do!...I love Thai food but have not had any yet since surgery.)