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July is a great month to have WLS. I had mine July 2, 2013. A very good month!!

Potassium is a tough nut to crack for us, as the legal OTC supplement levels are low (about 3% of RDA) and most of the best food sources are carbohydrates (potatoes, bananas, melons, etc.) which are decidedly unfashionable today (and is one of the reasons that I never went in for any of the low carb fad diets that are "in" these days.) But even eating as balance a diet as we reasonably can we are limited by the volume and calories that we can consume while losing. The best I was able to do then was in the 75-80% RDA range while more typically averaging 60-70%, The good news is that my K levels were fine on the labs and continue to be. My wife is chronically low (it's an idiosyncratic thing rather than a WLS thing for her) and uses an Rx supplement in her high K smoothie (made with tangerine juice, banana, strawberries and whatever else fits in there). Coconut water is good; another good supplement is the low sodium version of V8 juice, which has 900mg per cup, 50 calories and 10g carb, of which 2 are fiber, of it that fits tastewise into your smoothie, that may be worth a try as an alternate. You can also try using the "light" table salts that use KCl rather than NaCl in them, though we typically use so little of it that it probably doesn't make much of a difference., though the ratio of K to Na is as important as the overall level of K in our diet (and typically our diets are the reverse of what they should be - they tend to be closer to 5:1 Na to K rather than the other way around., so anything that pushes things in the right direction is a help.

Try liquid vitamins...so much better!

It is important to understand what happens inside the body when you eat... especially carbs. Basically, you eat a fast-absorbing carb (simple carb, like table sugar), and it hits the blood stream quickly. The sugar in your blood goes up, too high. The body sends insulin out to force the sugar into the cells, because too much sugar in the blood is dangerous, but it is safe in the cells. But now the body might have sent too much insulin, and now your blood sugar is low. Normally adrenaline kicks in about this time to go release some sugar back into the blood. But for some people this mechanism is damaged, so the blood sugar drops and the body can't increase it on its own. So, you have to eat more carbohydrate. The way to fix this vicious cycle is to always eat carbs with protein and fat which slows their entry into the bloodstream, and concentrate on eating complex carbs that also enter more slowly. This is what the glycemic index is about. The lower the #, the slower the sugars hit the bloodstream. Anyone with poor blood sugar control should only consume carbs #54 and less. (As a starting point. Individual results vary).

Odds are that all the pre-op tests will be fine. Try to keep busy to occupy your mind and the time will fly by!

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I liked the idea of dumping too, but it really doesn't happen for me. I can overeat (slightly, I still have a pouch after all!) sugar and carbs, and while I don't feel great, I wouldn't call it dumping. But I'm not that disappointed, although I do need to be more responsible for my eating now that I'm two weeks away from being two years out. It can be a struggle, but when I get back to basics, it's much easier! I have to be honest and say I have been far from perfect and even had weight gain. I'm learning a lot more about why I eat, things I'd never considered before. I admit this is something I've been working on for 30+ years but hey, I'm a slow learner!! And yes, I know I should have done that pre surgery, but I thought I had. Then I had to go back to work after a year of not working (nine months after surgery, and at my goal weight) and it took me a year of being back at work to realize how the compulsive urge to binge is directly related to work stress. Stick with the basics for as long as you can, and if you ever stray or have regain, just get back to basics again. Most importantly, no liquids with meals or 30 minutes before or after (or at least 15 minutes), meet your protein and liquid goals (whatever yours may be) and eat your protein first. That's the rest of your life. I might not be the right person to answer this because I'm still taking two steps forward, one step back getting back on track, but I do know the rules, even if I don't always follow them!! Bottom line? You absolutely have to change the way you eat for the rest of your life. I wouldn't recommend following my path but if you do, don't beat yourself up. Just pick yourself up, and get back to basics asap. And stay plugged in to groups. Socialize with other bariatric patients, in all stages of the journey. You can do this!!

I agree! I can't get the patient advocate to return my calls, and she's the ONLY one in the office who can tell me if my doctors sent in everything needed. It's frustrating, but that surgery center is the only one even remotely nearby (1 1/2 hours away) that has experienced, qualified surgeons. I was told by a tech who did my stress test that my surgeon has done a ton of the gastric sleeve surgeries and he was a great choice. But I can't even get to the person who can tell me if they received everything required from my doctors. :/ I'm stressed beyond belief right now.

You are only a week out and were just vomiting for three days. Don't put anything in that's thicker than plain milk. Can you tolerate milk? If so, spend the next two days just drinking that and water. (Personally I don't mind the fat in 2%.. Personal choice). Drink a couple quarts if you want. This early out, it's all about healing.

When I went in for my surgery the girl in the hospital bed next to me had changed clothes into her gown and laid down for her pre-op routine. She had put on 5lbs since she had seen the doctor last and swore up and down she lost weight on her liquid diet. The doctor sent her home and said "we will reschedule your surgery for when you want to take this more seriously." I guess what I'm saying is don't go overboard. I'm two months post op (70lbs lost) and I've dabbled with things like ice cream, Taco Bell, chick fil a, whataburger, alcohol, etc. You must realize your relationship with food moving forward is not a "never again" type scenario but is most certainly a "in extreme moderation" one.