Tgarden

I am in the process of ordering my Vitamins so I have them all here when I get home from surgery. There are so many options!! For those of you who have already had bypass, did you have trouble with any of the chewables? I think that would be easiest for me, but there are so many different ones I have to take that I just wonder if it will be hard to manage. Some of my options come in a powder to be dissolved, but I don't know if it is worth the trouble. I would love to hear your stories and also know what brands you prefer for each type. My dr wants me to take two multis, 1 Calcium citrate with D, 18 mg Iron, and sublingual B12. Thanks!

I'm about 7 months post-op from Bypass surgery, and feeling GREAT!!! I am a bit stuck in a rut when it comes to meal planning, though. I want to make sure I'm getting the most nutritional boost from each meal that I can, but I'm running out of ideas. So, please take a moment to share here what some of your favorite meals are for Breakfast, lunch or dinner. I'm sure there are a bunch of out there who could use a change! Keep in mind, these are ideas with NO "phase" restrictions. Obviously no sweets or high fats, but no food consistency restrictions. Currently, mine looks like this; Breakfast; two eggs with a piece of toast, or plain vanilla yogurt with fruit, walnuts, honey and cinnamon. Also green tea. Lunch; either a ready made salad or half a sandwich with some fruit Dinner; whatever I'm making for my family, just really small portion I need a shakeup!! Thanks for any input you bypass-ers have! Here's to your health.

I think if you are considering Bypass and also wondering how much sugar you can tolerate, then Bypass might not be the surgery for you. Dumping Syndrome is real and awful. Yes, there are a few patients who never experience dumping syndrome, but why would you want to risk finding out if you are one of them? Also, removing sugar and high carb foods needs to become a lifestyle change for any success with any weight loss surgery. I was completely addicted to sugar and carbs, so having Bypass was not a decision I made lightly. "Nothing tastes as good as being 60 pounds thinner feels!" And I'm not finished yet!! Good luck to you as you make life changing decisions! This is a great forum to find answers.

This does all pass, so have no fear!! The first 3 or 4 months are constant realignment times for your body. And, even some after that! Just think about everything your insides have been through! Your body has to re-learn what it takes to process different foods, so just be careful and listen to it. My challenge early on was Water. I felt like if I was going to be able to get in as much Fluid as I needed, then i was constantly sipping all day long! Then to try to time it where I wasn't drinking for awhile before or after meals, it was just difficult to schedule. Protein is super important as well, but it doesn't have to all be from solid foods. If you are having discomfort from pureed Proteins, find a good protein shake, or protein water, that you can have during the day to help with your protein requirements. Also keep in mind that "pureed" means many different things to different doctors. My doctor said that a pureed food could still easily be pushed through a strainer with no chunks to chew. I went to a local deli and bought several of my favorite Soups, put them through a blender with a little added broth, and they were heavenly!! I would just take small sips, or use a spoon if it was a little thicker. Your body might not be ready for anything heavier just quite yet. Take things very slow, and you will be happy with your continued feelings of success!!

Hello there! I am still in a bit of shock, but my insurance (Aetna) has approved my band-to-bypass surgery, and I am on cloud nine! There is a whole lot to my back story, but short story is, I had band 7 years ago, miserable most of those 7 years with very little success, and here I am gearing up for a whole new life! Insurance approved in less than a week! My PCP put together a lengthy, comprehensive history of my attempts at health and weight loss over the last 10 years, and I'm pretty sure that is the reason I was approved so quickly. I have no hoops to jump through, just routine blood work, EKG, a nutrition counseling session with the dietician, and an ultrasound to see if my gallbladder is acting up. My surgery date will be April 7. I really think I'm still in shock, but I just wanted to encourage anyone out there to be persistent if you feel like this is something you want to do. We almost didn't even submit my claim to insurance because there were a few areas we just weren't sure about, but with a lot of prayer and preparation, we turned it over to God. I feel like this next step has been a long time coming, and I am a little scared. But, mostly excited and brimming with anticipation. I will try to update this link as often as I can, in hopes that it will help someone out there in the same boat as I am. In the meantime, it's going to be a beautiful weekend in Texas! Time to go dig in the garden. Blessings and Cheers!

I cannot believe that it has been 6 months since I started this thread! Man how life has changed!! In those 6 months I am down 60 pounds, and I haven't felt this good in many, many years!! My weight loss has been sporadic. In the first few months, I had very few stalls. It seems that after that I would hit a plateau about once every ten pounds or so, and one stall lasted almost 3 weeks. However, during each plateau I feel my clothes getting bigger even though the scale is not moving. I have NO idea how that happens, but I'm just learning to go with it! I also only weigh once a week, and have tried really hard not to be a slave to the scale. I can just look at the big piles of clothes I have been constantly taking to a resale shop, and I feel my successes there! I am currently on another plateau, which is lasting about 2 weeks. I know in my heart I am not finished losing weight, so I'm just enjoying knowing that this plateau will pass, just like the others have. I have also been very lucky and have had zero complications from my bypass surgery. I had the band removed at the same time, as well as a hiatal hernia repaired. I have found that I can tolerate any food I try, keeping in mind I pay very close attention to sugar content and do not eat fatty foods. It is so nice to be able to eat a regular meal and never have to worry about anything getting stuck like with the band. Since bypass, I have been able to eat much smaller portions, and my body tells me I'm finished by creating a true sense of fullness. Not miserable, not uncomfortable, just an honest sense of "I don't want any more food." It is not embarassing at restaurants or meals with friends, it just feels like a "normal" reaction. SO HAPPY!! My only complaints are fatigue and hair loss. I haven't been able to get a ton of energy going. My hair started falling out about 3 months ago, and hasn't slowed down much at all. I do see some new hair growing in along my hairline, so that is promising. I pull out handfulls in the shower each day. Worrisome to say the least, but normal with our surgery. Headaches also seem to come and go, and hydrating with Gatorade helps some there. At my first check-up, all of my bloodwork came back just perfect, which means I'm absorbing all of what I need to from my Vitamins. Also my insulin resistance numbers were quite a bit improved. Not perfect yet, but moving in the right direction. Having insulin resistance was my "last straw" in deciding to have bypass surgery, so I am so glad to see that I am making progress in having that issue completely resolved. At my first checkup, I asked my doctor why we didn't do this 10 years ago. He just laughed and said, "I hear that all the time!" He reminded me that when I had decided on lap band, I wanted something a little less permanent, and I also did not yet have issues with my insulin. Hind sight, and all that! I hope everyone else out there in Bypass land is doing well and working towards becoming healthy humans! It's a long road, but we can do it!

Water, water, water! I have had a few stalls myself, and when I focus on drinking lots and lots of water, that seems to help. I know stalls are normal, but that doesn't make them any less frustrating!! Keep up your great work.

You will all be on the other side of surgery before you know it, and you will wonder why you didn't have bypass sooner!! Other than a few bumps (which I think comes with any surgery recovery) you will be feeling so much better in no time. Nerves are normal. The healing process can be slow and frustrating, but just know that it is worth it in the end. Take everything your doctor tells you and follow it to the letter!! Good luck!

Welcome to the world of bypass! I hope you continue to heal quickly. Don't try to wean yourself off pain meds too quickly. Talk to your doc if you aren't sure. This board has so many wonderful and helpful stories. Spend some time browsing the post-op boards and you will find more answers than you even realized you had questions about!! It is a very supportive group, and we welcome you!

You won't regret it! SO many pros, too many to list. You might find that you can get a whole lot of information about your topic on the post-op board for bypass. I am 3 months out and down nearly 50 pounds. My only regret is that I didn't do this sooner! Blessings to you on your journey.

Hi everyone! I am 3 weeks post op today, and feeling great! My doctor says that by the end of this week I should be ready to transition to soft foods. Problem is, I'm a little scared!! I have been so super careful about everything I put in my mouth, and I'm afraid I'm going to hurt something internally if I eat the wrong thing. So, any guidance from those of you who have done this transition before would be hugely appreciated! What things did you eat, how much were you able to tolerate, anything would be helpful. Also I'd love to hear what things did NOT work for you. Did certain foods cause you to vomit, or get "stuck", or just didn't sit right. Right now I'm on purees and loving refried Beans, yogurt, sf pudding, mashed potatoes, and still having a Protein drink once a day. Thank you!

Nicole, don't let the nay-sayers get you down!! It sounds like you have done your research and are not making this decision lightly. I for one have NEVER had to give myself a shot. I have no problems eating approved foods, and am truly not very hungry most of the time. I FEEL AMAZING!! Three months out and almost 50 pounds gone. I only regretted my decision for about 3 days during the first week i was home, but I was just overwhelmed. The feeling passed quickly, and I have not looked back. Pain is minimal, it just takes about a month to start feeling like yourself again. You will do great! Blessings to you!

The scale is your enemy!! Seriously, stay away from it, and focus instead on how you feel. You still have a LOT of healing to do and your body is not yet finished freaking out from surgery. Make a pile of clothes that don't fit any longer and watch it grow! Focus on your non-scale victories and that scale will move again soon. I try to only weigh once a month, but usually break down by about week 3! Keep up the great work.

I'm 3 months post op, and I'm super careful about not eating things with too much sugar. So, I have had no hint of dumping syndrome. If you aren't positive that you can completely cut out sugary things, then your concerns about bypass are certainly valid. It can be a huge issue for some people, and honestly I still struggle with cravings. Luckily there are sugar free options for when it gets bad. As for incontinence, not even a hint of that either. My urinary incontinence is tons better already. As for the other kind, your bowels will go through some upheaval for the first few months just getting used to your new body. I've never once felt like I was going to "leak" though. It seems that people who do have problems have those problems go away as soon as you resume a mostly normal eating pattern. Good luck with whatever you decide! You will do great!

I also had dizziness problems for about a month or so post op. Your body doesn't know what to think about what has just happened! I made sure to stay hydrated and stayed vigilant with Vitamins. I'd run it by your doctor just so they are aware, but it seems to be something that is fairly common. Take care!

You look great!

I'm seeing this original post about a week after you wrote it, so I pray that by now you have had some significant improvement in how you feel. My first 10 or so days home were rough. Not pain related, just completely overwhelmed with everything!! I wondered if I would EVER eat normally again. Honestly, I wasn't hungry, but I missed eating. Just the action of being able to put something (anything) in my mouth I was missing. That's probably half the reason I ended up having surgery in the first place, though! I still get strange bouts of diarrhea or loose stools, but that is getting better. I battled horrible fatigue and headaches for about 3 weeks, but that has also passed. I think as we begin to feel lots better we have a tendency to forget everything our bodies have been through. As of right now, I can eat pretty much anything I want to. I have had NO problems at all, but I went super slow all through every food stage. I will not even try anything sugary, as I don't want to go through dumping syndrome!! I also haven't tried steak. I can eat regular food, but get full really quick. I think that is the grand plan of this surgery, so I'm happy! I still have a long way to go, but I make progress every single day. I pray that you will begin to experience these feelings of health very soon!!

Amazing success story! Thank you so much for sharing. It is so reassuring to hear from someone who had the surgery so long ago who is continuing to have a healthy lifestyle. I am 3 months out and already enjoying life so much more, I can only imagine what the next several years will bring. Keep up your great success!

First of all, congratulations on your approval! I can only imagine the ups and downs you have been through over the years, and your mind might just still be in denial. You have been through a lot, you have obviously worked hard to get approved, so give yourself permission to jump for joy!! I'm only 3 months out of surgery, and feel amazing. You will do great!!

Best of luck to you! I am almost 50 pounds down in 3 months, so I think your goal is attainable. I also can't wait to be in one-derland!!

I remember starting this stage and being so excited for something different!! I ended up going to Panera Bread and ordering about 5 different types of Soup to bring home. I would put them through a blender to get out any big chunks, and it was heaven!! I was so tired of sweet shakes, that the savory soups were so wonderful. I think you can take any food and put it in the blender with a little broth to make it acceptable for the pureed stage. Always double check with your dr. though, and good luck!!

I cannot seem to get the "search" feature to work for some reason, so I'm just going to have to throw this out there and hope someone has some insight. Wondering about blood in stools. It's not a whole lot, but definitely streaks. I had some beets a few nights ago, and at first thought that was the culprit,but now I don't think so. I'm almost 3 months post op. Glad for a place to post odd, TMI, questions to a group of people with lots of experience. Thank you!

That's funny! I have been thinking the same thing. I got the cinnamon chalky chewables from Bariatric Advantage, and as soon as they are finished I am definitely getting something else. The flavor DOES go right up your nose! I have to bite mine in half, chew it a little, then chase it with Water and repeat. At least we are getting our Vitamins, though!!

@@Cupcake, Yay for you! You got through it! I am so glad you feel good. Isn't it nice to be on this side of the surgery? @@allielee, I almost threw up in the hospital and it was terrifying! You are a trooper. Congrats on your weight loss so far. @@Kookichu, thanks for always being so positive and supportive! The scale started moving the very next day, and "bathroom issues" had a lot do to with that! Without providing TMI, I think things had been backed up for awhile. Not any more, though!! And, on a NSV note, I actually went to work out last night!!! Just a little bit on the treadmill, but I have not had energy to even do that. So, baby steps back to cardiac health for me.

That's wonderful! Keep it up!