Foxbins

I don't have an answer to your question but have one of my own--Have you tried Unjury? I'd recommend getting a sample first. I bought lots of samples before surgery and I was glad, because lots of them were terrible.

I had my surgery in Mexico and my physician here in the US drew blood for vitamin labs to get a baseline. I will have another set drawn next month to make sure everything is okay. You MUST take a B12 supplement--something called Intrinsic Factor is manufactured in the large part of the stomach that is removed and is converted to B12. B12 deficiency is nasty, lots of neurologic symptoms, and can happen quite quickly without supplementation. We also need to take calcium citrate supplementation because we have a less-acidic stomach after surgery and calcium carbonate (the most common form of supplement) needs acid to be absorbed. My doctor also wanted me to take iron, because I can't absorb as much from food as I need, and a multi-vitamin to fill in the holes in my diet from not eating grains (I choose not to eat them).

Congratulations on your surgery! The gas and incision pain will go away shortly; I barely remember mine now, although I know I had it. Keep drinking and walking, my intestines didn't start working until day 3 either. My surgeon says that the first six months are the time to maximize your weight loss and I have found that he is right--the weight just falls off early on. Although it may be different for you, I have to work at it now, going to the gym, running, making good food choices--but I am post-menopausal and yo-yo'ed for decades and my poor body holds on to fat for dear life. I predict that you will do great and you will find that you have eaten your last "all you can eat" meal. Now you will be stuffed with just a little food. Hope you feel better soon.

Oh, yeah, it's doable. Some days it was a struggle to get it down! My days of scarfing down vast quantities of food in minutes ended with my surgery. Restriction will keep you from eating too fast or too much--or it will hurt or come back up.

Yes, I went by myself. I was fine. I slept almost all of the first two days, walked and dozed the third day, and went home the 4th. No nausea, no vomiting, uneventful recovery. I wish you the same!

My surgery was 1/13 and I have lost 51 lbs. I only lost 4 last month. I stepped up my workouts and expect more this month, maybe 5 or 6. It has slowed down from those glorious early days of losing a pound a day...

When I was at your stage I could manage about 400 calories a day--320 from shakes, the rest from yogurt or Soup. I was on liquids for a month. When I could eat food, my surgeon wanted between 600-800 calories a day during the losing phase.

Maybe it depends on how much you thrash around...

It sounds like a lot to me, given that your surgery was just a week ago. I was apparently a lot more swollen inside and couldn't get much in the first week or two. What does your doctor say?

Hernias are common in the obese because we are packed full of abdominal fat. The fat causes the pressure in the abdomen to rise (or in some obese people, there is just so much fat that organs are displaced upward) and the pressure pushes the stomach upward through the hole in the diaphragm where your esophagus goes. I did not have frequent heartburn as a symptom, but did burp frequently. My surgeon said the burping was a symptom of the hernia. He fixed mine during the sleeve surgery, too.

Greek yogurt is pretty thick...if you really want to eat it, try thinning it out with some liquid. If you are doing okay on your shakes and getting your protein in, you are fine. Just because you are allowed a food doesn't mean you must eat it. Do what feels right in your stomach.

I was in the hospital three days, came home on the morning of the 4th. Although I didn't have a revision, I had a complicated hernia repair as well as the sleeve. I was tired but fine to fly on the 4th day. I had no nausea and little pain post-op. My suitcase had wheels and I did not pack too much so I could lift it into the overhead bin. From what I hear, Dr. Aceves is an experienced band to sleeve revision surgeon. I had my surgery three weeks after I decided it was what I wanted.

"Vertical" because they made a long skinny stomach (cut it vertically) instead of a short stomach (cut it horizontally, which wouldn't have worked at all...)

I took my thyroid pill at five days out but they are small. You will need to take liquid or chewable forms until you can swallow pills comfortably. I could swallow a big pill (like a cold capsule) at a month out, and a giant pill (mulitvitamin) at six weeks.

I didn't get any ice chips. However, I drank the chicken broth, the tea, and the juice I was given and I was fine in Mexicali. Don't know if I'd feel the same elsewhere.

My dietician treated me like I was five years old. I took her recommendations and discarded the ones that were stupid (no shakes, no straws, no gum because I might swallow it, don't start smoking again (it's been 28 years, lady!)) and adopted the good ones--the Vitamins and Calcium she named, and where to get help if I had a post-op emergency. I don't plan to speak to her again. She was not affiliated with my surgeon and I took his word for what I should do post-op (shakes and straws were okay).

The place where my drain was hurt for about a week and was swollen for about that long, too. I also had a little pinkish-brown discharge from it for the first couple of days. It healed fine. Sugar free popsicles count as liquid no matter how long it takes you to eat it! I disagree with meggiep that your protein will deteriorate over a day. I say split it however you can get it down; but 3 scoops in 8 oz is going to be pretty thick. If you can't get in all the protein make sure you get all the water you can--dehydration is your biggest enemy at this point. Water (or other water-based liquids) first, then protein, then anything else you have room for. You will do great!

Hi, time4me-- I don't have classic, weeks-long stalls but I will lose half a pound and then not lose another for four or five days. Last month I only lost 4 lbs for the whole month so starting 6/1 I kicked up my exercise to five days a week. I have been scrupulous about documenting my intake so I know calories, Protein, and Water are on target. I was lighter than some to begin with, hypothyroid, and older, so I resigned myself early that I would not be losing big and fast. As long as it keeps coming off, I am happy. I do look lots better, if I say so myself!

I am five months out from surgery and have lost 50.5 lbs. The biggest positive thing that has changed for me is that food no longer rules my life, at least not the way it used to. I lost my hunger after surgery so now my food concerns are making sure I have met my Vitamin, Calcium, Water, and Protein goals for the day. Before surgery I was hungry all the time and had to eat until I was stuffed and I did. I saw my future as getting more and more obese and less mobile. I am an active person and love fitting into my sports gear that was too small before. I am planning a scuba trip and I am looking forward to diving and diving and not getting too tired to keep going. Negative things--I am taking lots of pills (multi-vit, D, B12, B1, Biotin, calcium citrate) and I am not a pill person, I don't like to take any kind of pill. And I have to buy new clothes because although I am shopping in my closet for now, most things are 20 years out-of-date or I didn't really like them the first time around. This time I refuse to buy anything that I don't absolutely love. I think when I am at goal I am going to hire a stylist for a day to plan a wardrobe for me.

Hi, lyndynojo-- In the food and Nutrition forum there is a whole section about Protein drinks. You will find lots of suggestions, recommendations, and warnings about bad-tasting protein there.

Hi, everyone, and welcome!

I am a Kaiser patient although I did not have my surgery through Kaiser. I did talk to the nutritionist and reviewed the materials they provide to their WLS patients. First of all, everything I read was targeted at gastric bypass or band surgery. Second, I questioned the nutritionist when she told me some of this and to be honest, the answers were pretty lame. Sugar is a no-no because it is empty calories and it can make some bypass patients dump. Caffeine can cause irritation in the band and bypass pouches. Salt is not good for people with hypertension issues and Americans eat too much anyway. Carbonation can apparently cause expansion in band and bypass pouches and in sleeved stomachs. (The carbonation thing makes no sense whatsoever from a physics standpoint and I can find no scientific studies that support removing it from a sleever's diet.) Didn't they mention that chewing gum is a no-no forever, too? I asked about that and was told I might swallow it and cause an obstruction. As I have said before, I haven't swallowed my gum since I was five. Anyway, I am five months out and I eat sugar. Not often, as I am low-carbing and it blows my numbers for the day if I do, but I have and there have been no ill effects. I have a cup or three of coffee everyday with no ill effects. Salt-I add it if the food needs it but since I am mostly eating fresh food I am consuming less sodium now than I was when I was eating canned, pre-prepared, or fast food. I have tried diet soda but it just doesn't taste the same as it used to--I have drunk too much plain Water, I guess. The carbonation just made me burp, nothing exploded inside and my stomach didn't grow six times larger. I suppose they are trying to be helpful but when they are teaching these classes and preparing the materials they make sweeping generalizations. I'd say think for yourself and aim for moderation and you should do fine.

If you post what you are eating, how much, and when, we will have a better idea of how to advise you. Stalls eventually break but you need to get in enough protein or you will get weak.

Yup, I was the same way. I burped LOTS pre-surgery but found out that I had a hiatal hernia that was repaired during my VSG. Now I don't burp as much but they are bigger (!). The other end stopped tooting when I changed my diet--there is little to create gas when nearly 100% of what I eat is protein. I do find that if I eat more than about 1/2 cup of fruit or vegetables that gas production increases.

It takes a day or two for the Prilosec to kick in. In the meantime, Tums plus Pepcid or Zantac should help on a daily basis. Keep drinking water as it will help wash the acid down, and avoid coffee, which can irritate an already irritated stomach. Tums shouldn't be a concern for the short amount of time you'll be taking it.