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What did you wish you knew before surgery?



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I wish I knew how great I would feel in 10 months, in six months, in four months after the surgery. I wish I had known how good I was going to feel in the long run, so that he didn't have to be so afraid beforehand or in the first few weeks after the surgery when I felt like I would never be "normal" again. Because the truth is, I feel more "normal" than I have since I've been an adult.

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3 minutes ago, Amy1234 said:

That I can never swallow medication for the rest of my life!

Not necessarily. It's different for different people. I have a friend 7 years out who still chews or crushes her pills, but I'm 2.5 weeks out and I can swallow pills just fine. I couldn't for the first week, but it's no problem now. I just have to take them one at a time, sometimes with a sip in between.

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I wish my doctor had warned me about having a drain ( I wasn't told I would have one) and that would be worst of the pain I had.

That weight loss can be painfully slow one month and crazy fast the month. Mine was never steady. I would go weeks and only lose a few pounds then bam, lost like 10 in a couple days.

How scary moving onto solids can be, I wanted so badly to move onto the next stages then when it was time I was so afraid to actually eat something.

How normal I would feel 6 months later, and even better at 9 months.

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I wish I had known that I'd still be dreadfully hungry after surgery. I'm exactly a week out and the Soups and liquids are doing NOTHING to sate my hunger. I keep sneaking in solids like meat but that's a monster to digest. I'm miserable because I'm constantly drinking but feel like I'm starving. Although Protein Shakes kill the hunger, I can no longer stand the processed taste and it automatically induces nausea. I wish there was a way I could make an all natural Protein dense liquid meal.




Have you tried Fairlife milk? It's a lactose free, high protein (13g in 8 oz) milk you can get at most grocery stores. They even have a chocolate milk. The choc milk is a bit too high in sugar, but I just cut it with the regular fairlife milk. This was what got me through the full liquid phase. I couldn't stand protein shakes after like day two. All those chemicals burned my tongue. Pre-op I could chug em down and it wasn't too bad, but now, sippin on the nasty drinks is more than I can handle. I also found a palatable "high protein chocolate milk drink" in the chocolate milk section of Sprouts. I think it's called Rockin Refuel, the low sugar one. It's not the yummiest chocolate milk, but it was better than the premier & muscle milk shakes I was trying to get down. I feel for ya. My liquid phase was miserable. Hang in there. Stay hydrated. You got this.


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Have you tried Fairlife milk? It's a lactose free, high Protein (13g in 8 oz) milk you can get at most grocery stores. They even have a chocolate milk. The choc milk is a bit too high in sugar, but I just cut it with the regular fairlife milk. This was what got me through the full liquid phase. I couldn't stand Protein Shakes after like day two. All those chemicals burned my tongue. Pre-op I could chug em down and it wasn't too bad, but now, sippin on the nasty drinks is more than I can handle. I also found a palatable "high protein chocolate milk drink" in the chocolate milk section of Sprouts. I think it's called Rockin Refuel, the low sugar one. It's not the yummiest chocolate milk, but it was better than the premier & muscle milk shakes I was trying to get down. I feel for ya. My liquid phase was miserable. Hang in there. Stay hydrated. You got this.



I will look into it but honestly it has gotten easier. I'm clear to have soft foods now and I've found a Protein Shake flavor that works for me. I told my surgeon about my hunger fiasco and he got me on some Vitamins which helps some. Also coffee is amazing at killing my hunger.


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Take a robe and comfy easy on/off slippers to the hospital. You have to walk and its cold in the hospital. Walk even when you don't feel like it, it really helps. Also a small pillow is awesome between you and the seatbelt. I used it for about a week or so. I think that I was well prepared for surgery but the pain that most people experienced I did not have. I had surgery on Wednesday and went back to work on Monday.


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That the Weight comes off fast. And you can't wear your old clothes anymore.

That you may have gallstones from rapid weight loss. Have them take it out with sleeve


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I wish I knew how much of an emotional roller coaster it was. Overjoyed one minute and bawling the next!

I wish I knew how others would judge you for having the surgery. KEEP IT TO YOURSELF!


5' 5"
HW: 259
CW: 235
GOAL: Healthy and hard 140-ish?

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I remember having a lot of doubts about the lifestyle changes. Would I be able to eat less? Would I survive without fast foods? Would I be able to make better choices? Would I ever be able to enjoy my social activities again without the fear of food?

The answers were all yes, but it’s normal to worry. This was a huge decision for me. My whole life, my culture has revolved around food. But that way of life got me to a bad place physically and health-wise. The changes were necessary and honestly I wouldn’t change a thing. I have been able to get off 4 of the 5 medications I was taking pre-op and that has been worth every penny I spent and every minute of pain/discomfort I felt in recovery.

HW 205
SW 193
CW 158.5
GW 130


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I wish I knew I wouldn't be able to eat. I am realizing I will never have a slice of pizza again. I am 3 months out and had a tiny bite of pizza and was so full 😢 I guess I thought I'd be able to have smaller portions, like one slice of pizza, not 2-3. But my cat literally can eat more than me!

Edited by Arielle

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On ‎11‎/‎18‎/‎2017 at 8:11 AM, Arielle said:

I wish I knew I wouldn't be able to eat. I am realizing I will never have a slice of pizza again. I am 3 months out and had a tiny bite of pizza and was so full 😢 I guess I thought I'd be able to have smaller portions, like one slice of pizza, not 2-3. But my cat literally can eat more than me!

That will change over time. You are still fairly newly post op (I didn't even start solids until 10 wks postop) but over time the amount you can eat will change as the swelling continues to go down and your body settles into your new stomach. I'm 11 months out and I'm able to eat an entire slice of thin crust pizza and 3/4 a slice of Sicilian with no crust.

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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!

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      · 0 replies
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    • BeanitoDiego

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