Let's make this the official January surgery date thread. I will be having my surgery on 1/31/2020. I was certain that I was going to have the vsg, but I'm learning more and leaning towards the rouxny (rny) gastric bypass. Whatever you decide, let's get this thread started and support one another. I'm just starting it, but anyone can feel free to jump in and keep it going ?.

Four weeks, 2 days post op. Last 3 days unable to eat more than two bites of anything soft before feeling the burn of restriction. I’ve tried tofu, scrambled eggs, cod fish, salmon, purées spinach and feel miserable after two bites and have to wait 1/2 hour and do protein shake. Also still having constipation, but getting in the full 64 oz of water, sometimes more. If I take 2 tsp senna syrup or do an enema I have a small bowel movement but it’s not the same as having a natural bowel movement. Anyone else experiencing this problem with soft foods? Definitely not a bowel blockage as I’m able to take in liquids and pass gas. It’s as if the food is not getting to my lower intestine.

On 02/04/2020 at 09:59, Taj said:

Four weeks, 2 days post op. Last 3 days unable to eat more than two bites of anything soft before feeling the burn of restriction. I’ve tried tofu, scrambled eggs, cod fish, salmon, purées spinach and feel miserable after two bites and have to wait 1/2 hour and do Protein Shake. Also still having constipation, but getting in the full 64 oz of Water, sometimes more. If I take 2 tsp senna Syrup or do an enema I have a small bowel movement but it’s not the same as having a natural bowel movement. Anyone else experiencing this problem with soft foods? Definitely not a bowel blockage as I’m able to take in liquids and pass gas. It’s as if the food is not getting to my lower intestine.

So I started soft foods at 2 weeks post op and I still have some problems. For eggs I learned the egg whites r the only things I can handle. The yolk has too much fat and it makes me feel horrible it hurts and I feel sick. So I only do a soft scramble egg white. Tofu I can not do. I can do 1/4 of a price of tilapia sometime I will mix it with black beans for extra protein.
What silverware are you using? I use my babies spoons lol so they r tiny and I can have about 4-5 bites of that size. If I was using a bigger spoon it would probably be one bite. I learned also that chewing really good helped me ALOT. I thought it was BS at first but then I tried to chew really good defiantly like meats and eggs etc and it helped ALOT!! For comstipation my surgeon and his PA recommends taking stool softener everyday ever 4 hours until you become regular. And if you don’t have a BM within 3 days then take a stimulant laxative to get things moving. They really push push push us to take a stool softener. Because it is not healthy to be backed up and can cause “weight gain” on the scale and get u upset. Due to it being waste weight. Also a lot of high protein diets will make people constipated because we are not getting enough fiber because fruits and grains are off limits. My surgeon only recommends 45-50 grams of protein a day. He said our bodies will not absorb more than that. But follow what your surgeon suggests. There are also DR V videos on protein intake that support my surgeons theory also where too much protein can be a pain with gout etc. anyways off topic lol
I agree not a bowel blockage as you wouldn’t be able to keep anything down. It would come up and bile would also come up. Hope this helps

On 02/04/2020 at 12:25, sarahSingh91 said:

So I started soft foods at 2 weeks post op and I still have some problems. For eggs I learned the egg whites r the only things I can handle. The yolk has too much fat and it makes me feel horrible it hurts and I feel sick. So I only do a soft scramble egg white. Tofu I can not do. I can do 1/4 of a price of tilapia sometime I will mix it with black Beans for extra Protein.

What silverware are you using? I use my babies spoons lol so they r tiny and I can have about 4-5 bites of that size. If I was using a bigger spoon it would probably be one bite. I learned also that chewing really good helped me ALOT. I thought it was BS at first but then I tried to chew really good defiantly like meats and eggs etc and it helped ALOT!! For comstipation my surgeon and his PA recommends taking stool softener everyday ever 4 hours until you become regular. And if you don’t have a BM within 3 days then take a stimulant laxative to get things moving. They really push push push us to take a stool softener. Because it is not healthy to be backed up and can cause “weight gain” on the scale and get u upset. Due to it being waste weight. Also a lot of high protein diets will make people constipated because we are not getting enough Fiber because fruits and grains are off limits. My surgeon only recommends 45-50 grams of protein a day. He said our bodies will not absorb more than that. But follow what your surgeon suggests. There are also DR V videos on protein intake that support my surgeons theory also where too much protein can be a pain with gout etc. anyways off topic lol

I agree not a bowel blockage as you wouldn’t be able to keep anything down. It would come up and bile would also come up. Hope this helps

This helps tremendously!!! Thanks to Dr. V I’m definitely eating properly and actually find that I chew those small bites more like 50 to 60 times and then wait 60 seconds before the next bite. Hearing that someone else is having the same issues calms my concerns. I knew it wasn’t a bowel obstruction because my daughter and my sister both had to have surgery so I’m familiar with the symptoms. I’m just so ready to eat real food. I weigh and measure everything and will put 2 oz on my tiny plate but barely able to eat 1 oz. For some reason, the protein shakes now stink!! All of them. I’ll be patient and keep trying. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me. This is a pic of my tiny fork and spoon next to a normal sized fork and spoon. Dr. V says a nickel size for each bite and I do probably a little smaller than nickel size. Slow and steady wins the race, eh? I’ll just keep trying. It’s actually taking me longer to drink an 8 oz protein shake now (full hour) than it took 2 weeks ago 1/2 hour).

On 02/04/2020 at 12:25, sarahSingh91 said:

So I started soft foods at 2 weeks post op and I still have some problems. For eggs I learned the egg whites r the only things I can handle. The yolk has too much fat and it makes me feel horrible it hurts and I feel sick. So I only do a soft scramble egg white. Tofu I can not do. I can do 1/4 of a price of tilapia sometime I will mix it with black Beans for extra Protein.

What silverware are you using? I use my babies spoons lol so they r tiny and I can have about 4-5 bites of that size. If I was using a bigger spoon it would probably be one bite. I learned also that chewing really good helped me ALOT. I thought it was BS at first but then I tried to chew really good defiantly like meats and eggs etc and it helped ALOT!! For comstipation my surgeon and his PA recommends taking stool softener everyday ever 4 hours until you become regular. And if you don’t have a BM within 3 days then take a stimulant laxative to get things moving. They really push push push us to take a stool softener. Because it is not healthy to be backed up and can cause “weight gain” on the scale and get u upset. Due to it being waste weight. Also a lot of high protein diets will make people constipated because we are not getting enough Fiber because fruits and grains are off limits. My surgeon only recommends 45-50 grams of protein a day. He said our bodies will not absorb more than that. But follow what your surgeon suggests. There are also DR V videos on protein intake that support my surgeons theory also where too much protein can be a pain with gout etc. anyways off topic lol

I agree not a bowel blockage as you wouldn’t be able to keep anything down. It would come up and bile would also come up. Hope this helps

I’ll try the stool softener regimen cause this constipation is no joke!! Thank you for that tidbit.

On 02/04/2020 at 10:59, Taj said:

This helps tremendously!!! Thanks to Dr. V I’m definitely eating properly and actually find that I chew those small bites more like 50 to 60 times and then wait 60 seconds before the next bite. Hearing that someone else is having the same issues calms my concerns. I knew it wasn’t a bowel obstruction because my daughter and my sister both had to have surgery so I’m familiar with the symptoms. I’m just so ready to eat real food. I weigh and measure everything and will put 2 oz on my tiny plate but barely able to eat 1 oz. For some reason, the Protein Shakes now stink!! All of them. I’ll be patient and keep trying. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me. This is a pic of my tiny fork and spoon next to a normal sized fork and spoon. Dr. V says a nickel size for each bite and I do probably a little smaller than nickel size. Slow and steady wins the race, eh? I’ll just keep trying. It’s actually taking me longer to drink an 8 oz Protein Shake now (full hour) than it took 2 weeks ago 1/2 hour).

Yea sometimes I just find that certain foods like hit my stomach harder. When are you able to eat real food? One thing on my 6 week list was salad. And I am so bad and I tried it yesterday :/ it was amazing. And it didn’t make my stomach upset. I love salad and my hubby was eating it!! I was so happy to know I tolerated it ok. Today at 3 I have a class for nutrition and I’m going to ask them about it and why we have to wait til 6 weeks etc.
yea my mom had bowel obstruction colon cancer actually and it was horrible. My surgeons nurse actually had the bypass and recommends the sleeve if her patients have the self control or can learn the self control because she has had a lot of bowel obstruction and twists. She said her problems started 10years post op. She is running out of bowel and she is pretty scared about it. It such a. Horrible thing. My mom was so sick. It scared me. What protein shake are you drinking? The only one I can stomach is the ensure MAX PROTEIN. I have tried a lot of them even the plant based protein mixes and I just don’t like them. But I don’t drink milk etc cause I’m lactose intolerant so yea. Protein drinks just aren’t for me. I try to get in a whole piece of tilapia cause one 4 oz price has 20 grams protein. I am trying to get my protein In Through food plant based and animal based.

On 02/04/2020 at 11:00, Taj said:

I’ll try the stool softener regimen cause this constipation is no joke!! Thank you for that tidbit.

Idk if you can eat this but it is a soft food and omg it is AMAZING!!!! But it is not 4 servings for me. I freeze it and it is 12 servings lol is the size I can eat.

1 hour ago, Taj said:

I’ll try the stool softener regimen cause this constipation is no joke!! Thank you for that tidbit.

My doctor recommended Benefiber. I have been doing two teaspoons 3 times a day in my water along with a stool softener before bed. I have been cycling between constipation and diarrhea but I think this has evened things out. Some people do Miralax or Psyllium fiber.

As far as eating, i got toddler silverware and use that. I try to take one small bite every minute.

Edited February 4, 20206 yr by Uomograsso

On 02/04/2020 at 14:04, sarahSingh91 said:

Yea sometimes I just find that certain foods like hit my stomach harder. When are you able to eat real food? One thing on my 6 week list was salad. And I am so bad and I tried it yesterday :/ it was amazing. And it didn’t make my stomach upset. I love salad and my hubby was eating it!! I was so happy to know I tolerated it ok. Today at 3 I have a class for nutrition and I’m going to ask them about it and why we have to wait til 6 weeks etc.

yea my mom had bowel obstruction colon cancer actually and it was horrible. My surgeons nurse actually had the bypass and recommends the sleeve if her patients have the self control or can learn the self control because she has had a lot of bowel obstruction and twists. She said her problems started 10years post op. She is running out of bowel and she is pretty scared about it. It such a. Horrible thing. My mom was so sick. It scared me. What Protein Shake are you drinking? The only one I can stomach is the ensure MAX Protein. I have tried a lot of them even the plant based protein mixes and I just don’t like them. But I don’t drink milk etc cause I’m lactose intolerant so yea. Protein Drinks just aren’t for me. I try to get in a whole piece of tilapia cause one 4 oz price has 20 grams protein. I am trying to get my protein In Through food plant based and animal based.

Two weeks on soft foods and then regular food, except salads. No salads for 6 months. It’s amazing that you can eat salad!! I was doing PREMIER but they were horrible and made me bloated so switched to Unjury, a medical protein that’s whey isolate. It was fantastic and easy to digest, they even have chicken soup and southwest taco which is delicious. This thing with smelling the cold shakes just started on Monday, same day I couldn’t eat more than a couple bites of soft foods. Bowel obstructions are really horrible. My sister was in hospital for 5 months with her first one because her organs started shutting down and put her in a coma. She had open surgery for that one. She just had another bowel obstruction two months ago and was in hospital for two weeks with the stomach tube and fortunately it cleared. My daughter had bowel obstruction last year after gastric bypass-all scar tissue. Fortunately they were able to do laparoscopic surgery for her. My family just has bad bowels for some reason so that’s one reason I’ve been so careful to follow the dietary plan religiously.

On 02/04/2020 at 14:20, sarahSingh91 said:

Idk if you can eat this but it is a soft food and omg it is AMAZING!!!! But it is not 4 servings for me. I freeze it and it is 12 servings lol is the size I can eat.

Omg!! That looks delicious!! I will definitely be trying it. Thank you for including the recipe!!

On 02/04/2020 at 14:58, Uomograsso said:

My doctor recommended Benefiber. I have been doing two teaspoons 3 times a day in my Water along with a stool softener before bed. I have been cycling between constipation and diarrhea but I think this has evened things out. Some people do Miralax or Psyllium fiber.

As far as eating, i got toddler silverware and use that. I try to take one small bite every minute.

Unfortunately, my family has a history of bowel obstructions and we can’t do heavy fiber. My sister just had her second bowel obstruction after being given benefiber in hospital after knee replacement surgery. I’ve tried it in the past and even with drinking tons of water it made me constipated. We always joke that our mother must have been taking exlax during her pregnancy and screwed up our bowels.

Went to the doctor today for my 1 weeks check up and he is super pleased. Called me an “easy case.” He asked if I’d been taking pictures- and I have and he told me to do a side by side and submit it. This is one week preop and one week post op- so two weeks apart. Same shirt. Same sassy attitude. About 13# difference.

3 hours ago, sarahSingh91 said:

Idk if you can eat this but it is a soft food and omg it is AMAZING!!!! But it is not 4 servings for me. I freeze it and it is 12 servings lol is the size I can eat.

This looks amazing. I start soft food in two days but they said to go slow. I’ll print this off for two or 3 weeks from now.

41 minutes ago, TattooedSeaStar said:

Went to the doctor today for my 1 weeks check up and he is super pleased. Called me an “easy case.” He asked if I’d been taking pictures- and I have and he told me to do a side by side and submit it. This is one week preop and one week post op- so two weeks apart. Same shirt. Same sassy attitude. About 13# difference.

Look at you!!! You are rockin' it! I can see the difference already. Congrats!

Today is day 8 post op and the first day I felt like a human. I had to call the doctor yesterday morning for anti nausea medication. I wasn't throwing up, just couldn't stomach the thought of anything. It worked well and now that I can get some calories and carbs in, I feel so much better with more energy.

I think it was sugar free syrup with the sugar alcohols that set me up for a really bad weekend. Staying away from that !

I'm still not on soft foods but enjoying a variety of soups and baby food.

I know many plans have people avoiding carbs and sugar but I'm not one of those and man, do they make you feel better lol

3 minutes ago, BadWolfGirl said:

Today is day 8 post op and the first day I felt like a human. I had to call the doctor yesterday morning for anti nausea medication. I wasn't throwing up, just couldn't stomach the thought of anything. It worked well and now that I can get some calories and carbs in, I feel so much better with more energy.

I think it was sugar free Syrup with the sugar alcohols that set me up for a really bad weekend. Staying away from that !

I'm still not on soft foods but enjoying a variety of Soups and baby food.< br>
I know many plans have people avoiding carbs and sugar but I'm not one of those and man, do they make you feel better lol

Awe sweetie!! You sound miserable. I hope it gets better really soon.