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1) I bought the unjury Medical Protein powder chicken broth & Flavored for shakes. I know the full scoop calls for 8 oz of Water or Milk but how much should I make (what will i be able to drink in one sitting) in the beginning (Phase 1 & 2?) I don't want to waste! 2) I am worried about hair loss ( I am already pretty thin) Should I get and start the Vitamin regimn that i get from the doctor and start it now? I am 3 weeks 5 days out. 3) My surgery is November 3rd. I know its crazy but Thanksgiving is always at my house and will be no different this year except Im not cooking my dad and sister in law will do the cooking! I will just start soft mussy foods on the 25th (2 days before thanksgiving) What are some suggestions on things i could "enjoy" Mashed potatoes (is a little gravy ok?) let me know what worked for you in the beginning. 4) Is a recliner chair necessary to sleep in after surgery or is the bed comfortable? Thank You in Advance

I am November 12th!

I am November 25... Nervous but excited! Good luck everyone:-)

I live in Frederick County Maryland but my surgeon is in Reston/Fairfax. I just had my first meeting yesterday. I'm torn between the bypass and the sleeve.

Not sure where you read that... but both of those statements are not accurate. Overall, more folks still have hunger than not. And no bypass patients *CAN'T* absorb all the calories consumed, the whole point of the redirection of the stomach acids are to reduce absorption.

I was wondering if any who has the lap band has pain at the port site? I'm the process of having a revision with the gastric bypass because I plateaued about 7years ago and there a lot of issues with it like acid reflux, getting food stuck and then vomiting and having port pain too. I had the band since 2009 . Sent from my SM-G930P using BariatricPal mobile app

Yeah, that's pretty much what I've understood about the NSAIDS too. Obviously, NSAIDS are generally hard on the stomach for anyone, not just bariatric surgery patients. But some people feel their situation is such that they must have some. I understand that some people have even chosen the sleeve over the RNY because for bypass patients NSAIDS are totally forbidden.

Ok as far as fast food goes, we will usually go to the following places: Round Table (Gourmet Veggie-I'm able to eat 1 piece) Taco Bell (1 crunchy taco supreme) Del Taco (1 taco el carbon) Jack in the Box (1 regular taco) Wendys (1 small chili-I eat about 3/4) Panda (1 tiny side-I eat about 3/4) At restaurants close to home, I will try and order steak or prime rib and just take the left overs home. I just went to PF Changs yesterday to Celebrate our November birthdays at work yayyy, and I ordered the chicken lettuce wraps and ate 1 1/2 and took the rest home ...Or I will just share something with a family member. We recently went to Red Robin and my daughter and I shared a guacamole burger (I couldn't eat much of the bun and ate 3/4 of the half lol). Hope this helps

You all will do fine! I was in that same boat with you - nervous as can be - second guessing all the way up to the operating room doors! More of a joking second guessing, but I was majorly scared. After it was all done and I opened my eyes - ahhhhh.... I do know it was the best thing I could have done for myself. I looked at it this way - I'd much rather have this surgery now than have a heart bypass later, or whatever else was surely down the line for me. Plus I'll get to enjoy a much better life - not to mention a longer life - in the meantime. You are doing the right thing - you're still going to be scared, but once it's over - the fright goes away and you know things are in your control - your work begins.

I have a dream! That dream is to bring a Message Board to LIFE! I know it is possible because I have seen it happen. I've lived it. Imagine a Message Board in which you can hear each other, sometimes see each other, actually get to know each other in a deeper way than just typed words. Now imagine that a Weight Loss Surgery Coach moderates and guides the multi-sensory discussion, inviting self-inquiry in a safe environment within a small group. In a safe, nurturing group of eight beginning on October 19th we will make friends with our stressful, limiting beliefs about food and our bodies and transform our thoughts and behaviors. Have you ever noticed in the Message Boards how many of us have the same critical thinking about our bodies and our abilities (or inabilities) to relate to food in a healthy way? In this class, which will meet by phone in a conference-call, we will kindly and compassionately look at the beliefs we have created about our bodies and food, and consider: - Which of our beliefs are actually true? - Where did those beliefs come from and what unhealthy behaviors are triggered by them? - How do those beliefs serve us? - How do those beliefs limit us? - What beliefs can we create that may be truer, kinder and serve our health and well-being? Each week for 6 weeks our group will meet for 90 minutes together in which we will discuss and share the insights and struggles of each of our journeys with food and body image. Each week 1-2 participants will be coached by me on an issue common to us all. Then, for one hour during the week, in pairs, you will meet (by phone or Skype, your choice) with a different class-mate each week and coach each other on a body-image or food belief following easy steps I will teach you. This structure actually creates a support network that in prior groups has lived beyond the end of the class. The benefits of this class will include: - Greater awareness of the beliefs you have about your life that trigger unhealthy eating. - The creation of new, healthy beliefs about yourself that support healthy eating and healthy body image. - a plan for changing your unhealthy patterns into healthy patterns - you will learn to nourish yourself and your soul in ways that don't have calories. You will find that you need food less and less for comfort and more often for fuel. - A community that understands your challenges and supports you making the changes you want to make in your life. This group is only open to 8 participants to allow individual attention for each person over the course of our 6 weeks together. I have participated in and facilitated this group dynamic many times and it has allowed me and others to be free of damaging, hurtful beliefs about our bodies that triggered self-abusive eating. I am honored and delighted to guide this class and be taught by you as well. I am passionate about this work and I have witnessed its' power to transform. Will you join us? Group Details: 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Pacific (7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Eastern) for 6 consecutive Sundays. October 19, 26, November 2 and 9, 16, 23, 2014. The last meeting will take place several days before Thanksgiving and will put us into a healthier, stronger frame of mind the the Holiday Season. To get more information, including cost, and to apply please email me at CoachMeSara@att.net or www.lifecoachsara.com to learn more about me and what I offer. There is an Early Bird discount until October 1, 2014. LET'S HEAL TOGETHER!!

I had bypass but I eat fruit. Watermelon, apples and grapes mainly but I have had a few strawberries too. It is minimal but I have had these fruits from time to time. No issues.

The band is definitely NOT fast weight loss like a bypass patient. And the time before good restriction is reached, yes, it is willpower that gets us through. I don't know about you all, but my willpower sucks, thus I needed WLS. Don't beat yourselves up if you are not losing at a pace you feel you should be if you are not at restriction yet. Reading the posts on this thread, I am seeing an average of about a pound a week for many of the posters. Band patients with good restriction can expect 1-2 pounds lost per week. So you are doing great. Yes, when you have restriction it will get easier, but not necessarily faster. I did not feel good restriction until my third fill, and that one put me over the top and I needed some taken out. Patience! You'll get there. :smile:

Ladies, PLEASE don't let discouraging words of others make you doubt yourselves. You must be hanging out in a different area or board than I am. I rarely see negative! And, what little I see, I don't internalize as part of my journey. I researched this for a couple of years before I had mine done. I'm sure you have, too. From all of those I know personally who have done lap-band (4), 2 have been successful. The other 2 are both over 300 lbs right now. It is not difficult for the band to fail. One reason is slippage, medical complications that warrant retreat, etc. another is when the person manipulates the situation intentionally and self-sabotages. With the sleeve, it's a LOT harder to sabotage yourself. Your body just won't let you that easily. And, unlike the band, you can't change your mind and reverse it. You REALLY are committed. Let me share one more interesting piece of info rarely shared. I asked for the sleeve. My surgeon asked me why I selected that option. Then, we discussed my medical history and he said I would never be a candidate for the bypass surgery anyway. I'm excluded from it. Why? Because I am EXPECTING to need a liver transplant in about 10 years (hoping never...) and when a person gets the full bypass there is critical tissue removed that MUST be in place to have a liver transplant. Forgive me. I don't recall the name of that tissue, but it gets removed with bypass surgery. So, I told my Dr, NO-ONE should EVER get a bypass, then! What if, through illness or injury, they need a liver transplant someday? He said they factor that risk in when deciding to do bypass. It is usually reserved for those who are at highest risk to die from obesity soon. So, please set your sights on a positive goal with the sleeve and don't consider bypass unless it is your only hope. And surround yourself with people who will lift you up and encourage you. I personally try to balance the elements of my life with 30% Receive influence from people with more knowledge and experience than me (LEARN) 40% Surround myself with positive thinkers on a similar path (GROW) 30% Be there for those who are starting out and could benefit from my journey (HELP) Nothing in excess.

19 days until my surgery November 1!!! Is this for real?!?! :wub:

Hi! I had other major surgeries in the past and I was more awake and mobile with this surgery. I had 2 other procedures along with the gastric bypass but this is what I remembered: 1. The hospital will give you pain medication intravenously and it really did help. However, I was released with Tylenol with codeine and it didn’t help at all. If you need something stronger, talk to your doctor. 2. The nurses will teach you how to roll and sit up in the hospital (and that is still tough for me). I read that you should bring a small pillow for the trip home and keep it with you at home. It helps to minimize tummy pain if you sneeze or cough. Walk as much as possible to relieve tummy gas from the surgery. Ask your doctor if you can take Gas-X to help with relief. I had pain I both shoulders and was told that it was gas. It lasted for about 3 days after the surgery. 3. Prior to the surgery, buy your broth, protein shakes, whey powder, sugar free jello, protein water, & 1 ounce plastic cups to pour your drinks into (when you drink the protein shakes, water, protein water, broth, etc). You will need to sip as much as your tiny stomach will allow - like it’s your job- from the time you wake up until the time you go to sleep at night. Drinking liquids became easier for me around day 10. 4. Prior to the surgery, buy what you will need according to your doctor’s diet schedule in case you can’t go anywhere for 2 weeks. Make sure you try everything and like it before your surgery. 5. I bought the pre-made protein shakes so I wouldn’t have to make the shakes when I got home. I also bought the 1 oz cups and some disposable popsicle zip sleeves from Amazon. I put some of my protein water in the popsicle sleeves and made popsicles out of them, which helped a lot. 6. Walk around the house & keep hydrated as much as possible to avoid blood clots & dehydration. 7. When it’s ok to shower, be sure to do it when you are not too tired because it takes a lot out of you and you will need to hydrate after you are done. Some of the steri-strips on your stitches or staples may come off in the shower within 5 to 14 days of surgery. I was told not to worry but every doctor is different. Call your doctor if you have any concerns. Take it easy on yourself and try not to be a hero. Your body needs time to heal. I know it’s a lot but this is what helped me!

I had my Lapband placed in October 2007. got my gallbladder removed and a hernia repaired at the same time. It slipped in 2013 so had surgery to put it back into place. My heartburn has become unbearable so my doctor is recommending to remove my band and get the gastric bypass. I was scared at first, shaming myself for "failing", telling myself who am I to think I am worthy enough for the bypass when I couldn't succeed at the Lapband, blah, blah, blah mental games. But then I recognized I am blessed to be able get this opportunity - that I am not getting any younger so better to help myself be in my best shape now than later. So pending some co-morbidity approvals, I should be well on my way to converting. I am scared. I am excited. I am hopeful. My question is for those who converted from Lapband to Gastric Bypass - what are things you wish you knew about or understood prior to converting? Or things you learned about since converting that would be helpful for someone going through the same process?

I had to have a hernia repair and another surgery for heartburn. I paid my deductible ($2500) and $5000 to the hospital for the bypass fees. My doctor took his payment from the hernia repair and the other procedure. The insurance was billed nothing for the bypass.

You can drink. It is your choice. people with gastric bypass get drunk fast, because the liquer goes directly into the small intestine. Lap banders are not the same (see clubsters post) ...also, it does take away inhabitions, so you may drink more, eat more, what ever you did before the band is what you will probably do...a few glasses of wine is not going to kill ya, that is my opinion , and experience. hope it helps.

My SIL had gastric bypass and her doctor told her to lose as much weight as she could the first year because it would slow down after that. Perhaps that's where you got that information. Having the lap band is totally different. My doctor told me it would likely take 2-3 years to get the same results as patients of the bypass, which is fine by me. As long as it comes off and I'm not gaining I'm happy. I think you've done great losing the weight so far! Keep up the good work!

Hi, I had the bypass but I have been able to drink fairly easily since the first day post op. I'm 4 weeks out now and can drink with no issues at all. But, I was able to have a bite of chicken today and even though I chewed it a thousand times, it hit me like a brick. I had to walk around, I was so uncomfortably full. Consider it a blessing that your liquids go down easy. Dehydration is the worst

I'm confused-my usual state of mind... Are you having the bypass, or a sleeve? I applaud you for your decision to go for either one. I am 63 and have absolutely not one regret about having been sleeve. It was one of the few good decisions I've made. Welcome! Oh dear, I think I'm confused too, must have been the euphoria of a decision made. I am having a sleeve! That will teach me to read what I write before reaching for the post button! I hope to be like you Valentina and have no regrets.

Here is a link to an article on reactive hypoglycemia post–gastric bypass. https://www.ridgeviewmedical.org/services/bariatric-weight-loss/enewsletter-articles/reactive-hypoglycemia-postgastric-bypass The three most important things after surgery are fluids, Vitamins and Protein. Since you said that "when I drink Protein I throw instantly", have you tried MILK. 32 ounces of 1% milk fortified with 1 cup of powdered milk will give you 56 grams of protein. You cannot drink this all at once but spreading this out throughout the day will help you meet your daily protein requirement.

In the early stages after bypass, there is a higher risk of dumping. I think that's why we're told to steer clear of the carby foods (aside from the weight loss aspect of things). I'm with @Arabesque, it's important that you consume highly-nutritious foods right now, while you're restricted. Perhaps adding fat will help? Again, with the risk of dumping, there may be some trial and error to work through. But fat is calorie-dense. Can you tolerate protein shakes? Adding a few of those each day might be a good way to boost your calories. Also, excess protein is stored as fat - that might be helpful for you.

Sorry ... trying to track all of this and I just want to make sure I get this straight. Are you disappointed you got pregnant less than 2 months post-op and that has thrown off you weight loss? Are you disappointed you lost 115 pounds? You do realize you are going to "lose" a bunch of "weight" when the baby is born ... right? Did you get sleeved to lose weight or lose fat? Do you consider the baby to be your fat? Do you really think that losing weight while pregnant is a good thing? I would be proud of myself for not losing during pregnancy. From what I understand, the Drs don't want you getting pregos for several months post-op. The body has enough of a hard time supporting the sleever with the drastic reduction of calories, so to take on a pregnancy so early is really tough. Disappointed you haven't lost weight since February ...? Really? To be honest, I'm rather proud of you. Good job nourishing your baby. Also, the pouch test is really for bypass folk as their pouch is made of the fundus which is still a stretchy part of the stomach. When it gets stretched out, the pouch test routine helps to get it back to size. This does not relate to sleevers. We pretty much do the pouch test thingy on a daily basis with our restriction. Are you planning on breast feeding? Be careful going on a "diet" so soon after giving birth. You are going to be sleep deprived for a while, so be careful not to be nutritionally depleted, too.

I had gastric bypass surgery on 10-16-14 and i think i over eat on soup it was just a small call but ive been feeling bad ever since i didnt have any dumping problems but i have a little pain now after i eat or drank? Any help or answers would be helpful