Hi everybody!

This is officially my 1st post to this website. I have done a lot of reading on here and feel lucky this site exists to answer all my questions. I am scheduled to have Gastric Bypass on March 9, 2016. I am super nervous but also excited for the much improved life I will be able to enjoy.

My surgeon has stressed to me that the first 4 weeks post op are crucial, because that it when your new pouch is healing and that I don't want to do anything to put myself in harms way. So my question is, how big of a sip of Water or Protein drink can you safely swallow without any risk of causing a leak?

Also, I have major food cravings right now and feel like I want to try all my favorite foods before surgery since it will be at least 6 months before you can taste them again. Anybody else have that feeling before surgery? What did you do to help if anything? Also, do you get these food cravings after the procedure within the first month or thereafter?

Thank you.

Generally your body will tell you when a sip of Water or Protein shake is too much. The three most important elements after surgery are fluids, protein and Vitamins. In the beginning after surgery you may find it difficult to meet the Fluid and protein requirement. This is because your stomach is in a major heal mode. So if you can't make it right from the get-go keep trying and you will get there. Good luck on your surgery.

After surgery I found that I could no longer swallow medium to large vitamins and pills. It took about 2 months before I was able to again. So this is common so you might want to purchase a pill splitter and pill crusher prior to surgery.

After surgery, I became lactose intolerant. Again after about 2 months this condition disappeared. The problem is that some Protein shakes have lactose. This also takes one of the options of using milk away from the equation.

After surgery, I found that my taste buds changed significantly. Even water tasted bad. It tasted extremely chlorinated. So I found it hard to drink straight water. So although it is good to be prepared, sometimes in real life this does not work. Just be very open to experimentation.

James covered most of what I would advise. As for cravings for your favorite foods... well, I think most of us had those same cravings. It makes sense to want to eat certain things you know you will never be able to eat again, or things you're resolved to never eat again. All I can say is: go ahead and have some of those favorite foods (if they aren't like deep fried fat covered in sugar and grease or something like that) but I would really recommend being careful with the amounts you eat. You're having surgery to extend your life and make yourself healthier. Might as well not sabotage that. Enjoy these bad/delicious foods but be aware that the worse you eat now, the less prepared and healthy your body will be for surgery. I'm sure you'll figure out a balance that works for you.

My last meal was a favorite - grilled chicken and shrimp with red potatoes from Applebee's.

My post-op sips weren't tiny sips but like a mouthful. That's because the nurse at the hospital had me swallow a huge magnesium pill and to get it down I needed a mouthful of water. No leaks occurred, I survived. I find my sips are still the same, 5 weeks out. My taste buds are fine, actually improved with taste. One night I chewed (just chewed, literally) a bite of pizza and the spices were overwhelming. Things just taste better to me, but at the same time it doesn't make me want to eat a lot of an item. Also, I now cannot stand the smell of a hotdog. My husband and daughter will eat them and I just get grossed out lol. Everyone is different. For vitamins, I have dissolvables and take biotin as well due to hair loss. Like I said, everyone kind of figures out what works for them.