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Things I didn't expect my first month post-op



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I didnt expect the regret

what's causing your regret?

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I didnt expect the regret

what's causing your regret?

Lack of sleep, depression, anxiety, the struggle of ester and protien, gerd,vitamins that once worked no longer work, seems like its a new twist evryday..id rather me sleep allday

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Let's see:

How fast my incisions healed

How much I adored eating canned deviled chicken when I got to that stage

The crazy period of Biblical deluge epic level

How intense my reaction to some smells was. My sweetie *reeked* of garlic to me if he ate anything that had even the tiniest amount of garlic in it, and I got so nauseous at an event that was serving garlicky hummus that I almost threw up from the smell.

That I didn't need my NSAIDs for joint pain, which got much better almost immediately.

How many naps I needed.

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im a week and 2 days out of surgery. ive been able to either drink my Water or drink my Protein until today i was able to do both i haven't needed to take my meds the pain hasn't been that bad. Ive been sleeping in my bed sense last Thursday couldn't handle sleeping in the chair it was worth the slight discomfort. i take the dog for a walk almost daily (which i may regret in a couple weeks when i go back to work). ive been living on strained Soup broth,water and muscle milk causr of the high Protein. I i cant believe my sense of smell now its getting out control how bad most things smell to me.

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I didn't expect that I'd be down 43 pounds in the first month. I never had a bit of nausea. I had no trouble sleeping and no problems smelling food, though I didn't expect I could smell a cheeseburger 2 blocks away. :)

I think exercise is really the key to this thing. The people who did this with me haven't lost even half of what I have. I don't think they are doing the exercise.

I finally got cleared for resistance training so I'll be doing some circuit training along with my cardio now. I also run (I'm being generous, it's more like half jog and half walk) with a group at my job every Wednesday at 5:30am. This week we went 4.5 miles!!!

My plan is to build up strength and stamina until I can do a full 5k run without walking. I'd like to be able to do it before my birthday in February.

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How much pain I was in due to the gas from surgery.

How much I miss drink a whole water bottle at once. Sip sip sip just means chapped lips and extreme thirst.

How quickly people notice the first 20lbs but forget the next 20.

How nauseous and vomiting can take over quickly if you forget any new habits.

How easy it is to get dehydrated. Sip..sip..sip isn'the so bad.

How easy it can be to feel regret if you feel foul.

How much support helps!

How happy I am to not need to take 16 med in the morning anymore.

How it feels to slowly see the new you emerging.

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How pain free I would feel. I had a hysterectomy 10 years prior so I expected more pain. At best, I had what could be described as mild soreness. Seeing my feet return to normal size seemingly over night was also a pleasant surprise.

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I'm only 6 days post-op but I have been surprised by:

  • waking up from RnY surgery with a sleeve instead (my surgeon had tried the RnY a month prior, found I had too much abdominal fat preventing the intestine from being pulled up close to the stomach, put me on a month of liquid diet to lose more weight, and then tried again. He said it was MUCH closer but still too much tension to do the RnY (I had signed permission to do sleeve this time if he couldn't do the RnY)
  • how dry my mouth was in the hospital despite 8-9 bags of IV fluids and near-constant sipping of ice chips on my part
  • only had mild nausea twice when I had swallowed a bit too much Water at once - came on fast, burped and then was gone. Never actually threw up
  • how intense my hunger was right after surgery and it continued for the 3 days I was on Clear Liquids only. Now, on full liquids I feel full after drinking my Protein Shake, but only for half an hour afterward.
  • how little pain med I needed - a couple doses of morphine the first day, 1 dose of vicodin the following day when I went home and then tylenol twice.
  • how much easier this was than my 2 C-sections and my gallbladder removal years ago
  • how easy it is already for me to get all my Protein and fluids in. I keep my cup by me all the time and can take about 3 sips, let them settle (sometimes a burp) and then repeat. I drink a 12 oz cup every hour usually.
  • how much swallowing pills does hurt. I am still on my BP med, thyroid, PPI, antidepressant and now an antibiotic for a UTI (and my PCP prescribed HUGE tablets that I have to break into quarters to get down)

My current trick for getting my Water in - I have always loved to drink lots of super-cold water but I find now that I tend to gulp it if it's plain. I add just a little bit of flavoring and that reminds me to just sip (gulping leads to severe gas pain for me). I have used some crystal light flavors but I only add a pinch to a bottle of water, no way I can tolerate the sweetness of regular or even half-strength. My latest favorite, though, is adding sugar-free blueberry juice (Ocean Spray) to the water.

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I am now 4 days post on and still having gas pains. I did have a BM yesterday and felt like I had accomplished a great feat lol. I went shopping at Walmart yesterday and was so exhausted I came home and slept for several hours. I get tired easily. I have been using a notebook to keep up with my Fluid intake and it seems to work well for me. I make columns for Water, Protein Shakes and other. Every time I drink an ounce I make a tic mark.

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Hi all I had my sleeve on 10/15 as of today I have lost 27 pounds. I am still on the liquids and I can't down the mushy stuff. I had to stay in the hospital for 4 day cause of the nausea. I am still having it just won't go away. I do not have or ever had any pain what's so ever. I been having lower back pains and haven't use the bathroom for about 2 weeks. I can't take any Proteins or drink enough cause of my nausea and I toss and turn at night. Has anyone gone through this. I don't know what to do anymore feeling helpless.

Edited by Mari1972

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Oh honey, I hate to hear you are going through all that. What are they giving you for nausea?

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Have you been passing gas at all? You should have already eliminated the surgical gas.

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I pass very little gas and I burp when I drink. I scared to go into the phase cause I don't want to get sick. Do you think this is normal?

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    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

    • Aunty Mamo

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      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
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      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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