dsmith_rn

I am 5 weeks post-op and having some problems. Once I started purees, I would stay full for a very long time, so full and often nauseas it was very hard to even drink fluids and I became dehydrated. I was admitted to the hospital on Sunday for 2 days, at which time I requested to check out because I had some major issues at home I had to take care of. While in the hospital they did an upper GI and found I had delayed gastric emptying. My surgeon says it could be a temporary effect from the surgery, or it could be permanent. If it doesn't resolve he wants to convert me to a RNY (no thanks!). My brain wants to eat, but my sleeve says "no way!" Doc put me back on liquid diet and Reglan and wants to see me back in a week. Anyone else experience this?

My surgeon told me that the "magic" 64 oz water is an arbitrary number, no one really knows how much water a body needs in a day. As long as i am urinating every 4 hours or so I'm fine. I never get 64 oz in a day, usually i get about half that. A year out my labs are great and i am healthy. All you can do us the best you can. Sip liquids when you can and don't stress over it, that's my advice.

I'm also a NICU nurse. I originally took 3 weeks off. I tried to return to work, but after 1 shift I ended up back in the hospital with dehydration. We cannot have even WATER anywhere near patient care areas, and you know a NICU nurse spends her entire shift in the patient care area! My doc gave me an additional 3 weeks disability so I was off for a total of 6 weeks. I still didn't have my energy back so it was hard, my body still adjusting to consuming only about 500 calories a day, but it got better. A year later, now that the weight is gone i have more energy than I've had in decades! No more BP meds, lipid panel normal, no more snoring/sleep apnea, my life is very different, but in a great way! Feel free to private message me if you have more questions or just want to chat.

I think 2 weeks is wishful thinking. I took 6 weeks and barely felt ready to go back. Don't underestimate the extremely low energy you will feel as having to survive on only 300-600 calories a day in the early weeks until your body adjusts. I didn't get my energy back until around 3 months post op. Congrats on your decision. You will have moments of "what the h*ll did I do to myself?" But in the end you will be so happy you did!

It's nice to have the support of family and friends, but we don't all have that luxury. It can be done without them. I had very little support but would do it again in a heartbeat. One year later I'm a much healthier person and haven't felt this good in decades. Hang in there, you got this!

@@lynneanne How did it go yesterday? Hope you are feeling well. Check in when you get the chance! Today is my one-year surgiversary! I'm celebrating with a tiny piece of sugar-free cake!

@@LeeRN How's it going? Your energy level will be low for awhile, just expect it. It may take up to a few months for your body to adjust to the low calorie intake. Hope your are healing rapidly, and feeling well!

I'm a nurse also. Have you had a consultation already? Your BMI is not far from "normal". I can't imagine any doctor in the U.S. doing such a drastic procedure on someone with that low of a BMI. I was considered on the low-end when i had mine done one year ago today, and mine was 40. A year later, its now 27.8 which is slightly overweight. I'd like to lose 20 more pounds but I'd never have done it at A BMI of only 30, trust me it's a drastic, permanent change to your body. I would do it again, but I am having problems with low iron/anemia even though I take an Iron supplement (with unpleasant side-effects). The sleeve, or any bariatric procedure, doesn't just make your stomach smaller, it also affects how your body digests and absorbs food. After the sleeve your body has reduced stomach acid and other changes that lead to reduced ability to absorb nutrients. It's something I deal with and I would do it again in a heartbeat as I was on meds for hypertension and hyperlipidemia and no longer deal with either one. But I NEVER had anemia before, my hemoglobin was always around 14. I have a follow up appointment with my surgeon in a couple of weeks to figure out how to deal with the anemia. Just a word of caution. I understand not wanting to wait until you are morbidly obese to take action, but you're nowhere near that at this point. Good luck, whatever you decide! We're with you either way!

Good luck! My surgery was April 25th last year and I've never felt better. I can't relate to the liquid diet as it wasn't required by my surgeon, pre op. But it was required for 2-3 weeks (I don't remember which) post op. It was hard at the time but Ican barely remember it now. Keep that in mind when things get tough, soon it will all be a distant memory and you will be thinner and healthier. See you on the losers bench!

We're still here! This Saturday is my 1-year surgiversary. No regrets whatsoever. Good luck and keep us posted. Message me if you like.

Don't stress over stalls, they are part of the process. It's your body's way of trying to set a new setpoint, according to my surgeon. I've had stalls that lasted SIX WEEKS! Point is, I stuck to my program and at 10 months out I'm just 10 lb away from goal. I haven't felt this good in years! Stalls happen, just recognize it's a normal part of the process and don't let it discourage you. You'll get there if you stick to your program! Congratulations on making a decision to better your life!

I'm nearly 10 months out now. Lost 75 lb. I'm 5'6", starting weight 240, now 165 (which is goal according to my surgeon but I'd like to lose 10 more). I feel awesome, sleep better, take the stairs without thinking about it, have more energy, and get lots of attention from men (ok that's the downside, but have to admit it feels good!). My meals are protein-focused but i don't count grams anymore. I drink around 40 oz per day and no issues, take my Vitamins, my labs look great. No blood pressure medicine the last 6 months. I didn't advance my diet nearly as quickly as the previous poster, but tolerate everything well in general. Fried foods give me nausea so i avoid them (not good for me anyway so no big deal). I avoid bread, biscuits, Cereal, tortillas, etc (except the low-carb tortillas--I will have ONE and make a Taco or mini pizza out of it, and I'm full). I don't drink alcohol because my fiance is in alcohol recovery, but it has a ton of calories so it's best avoided anyway. As a snack i will eat a handful of nuts and a cheese stick or a Greek yogurt (which contains extra Protein compared to regular yogurt and i think it has a better texture). Sometimes i will have 8 or 10 Blue Diamond Nut Thins with a little cheese dip to squash that craving for something crunchy. I love to go to Red Lobster and order the snow crab. So yummy and my tummy tolerates it very very well. For exercise i walk about 12 miles/week or more. This is a new way of eating for me, and it's for life. It's working for me, I'm used to it now and i like it. I'm very happy. Only regret is i didn't do this 10 years ago. Don't be afraid. Realize this is the first step in a journey that will bring you joy, health, and a longer life!

I was on a PPI. I had true stomach hunger, as did everyone else I've spoken to. You were fortunate not to have that experience. Folks should be mentally prepared to deal with hunger after surgery. I wasnt and it was kind of shocking. I lived through it, but like most everyone I've talked to, liquid diet was very hard after the first few days. I'm happy those days are behind me now, just a distant memory and now I'm very close to goal and feel awesome.

Don't go in thinking you won't be hungry. Almost everyone I know felt hunger after the first couple of days, and everyone suffered through the liquid stage. It does get better when you can start mushy foods, you stay full longer. I remember being shocked that i was hungry. I wasnt expecting it, but now you know to expect it. Your tummy will be giving you all sorts of strange signals at first, and it will take some time for you to learn what all those new sensations mean. You will learn them. Be patient with yourself and your new baby tummy. It's most definitely worth it!

If you can't see through it, then no it's not a clear liquid. Clear Liquids are broth, diluted juices, popsicles (sugar free), Water, tea, that kind of thing. The next week is full liquids when you can start adding your Protein powder, strained soups, SF pudding (no you don't need to thin it out). Yes, your brain will still play games with you. It will tell you you're hungry when you're not, it will lie to you about how you "deserve" to eat this or that. This is stomach surgery, not brain surgery. So you will have to deal with that, i recommend seeing a good therapist if you plan to keep the weight off!

I have also had to be in the closet, simply because there is so much misinformation floating around out there about bariatric surgery. One of the first people i told was my niece who i am very close to, and she and her husband went off about how dangerous it is, how it doesn't work because you gain all the weight back, how i would end up being sick the rest of my life, and i didn't need it. After that, I decided to tell only a few people because i didn't need the negativity! Only 2 of my 8 children know, the ones i knew would be supportive, my fiance and a few very close friends and my mom. People at work are gossipy and would accuse me of taking "the easy way out" so when they ask how i did it, i tell them i totally changed the way i eat, cut out the carbs, eat much smaller portions, and have a personal trainer at the gym, all of which is true. There IS no easy way out, so when they ask about my "secret" to losing weight, I tell them there isn't one. You have to do the work. Eat less and exercise, which i work hard to do, I just have a tool (my sleeve) that helps a little bit. But it's no magic pill, I still have to do the work. There IS no "easy way out." My niece saw me the other day, i hadn't seen her in about 4 months. She said "OMG I didn't recognize you at first, Skinny!" Sadly, I think every pound I lost found its way onto her. She is very obese now, I wanted to cry when i saw her. Bottom line is, this is a very major life change. Yes, you do need support to get through it, but not all of us have relatives and friends that will be supportive. In my opinion, is better to have NO support than people who are being negative. Who you tell about your surgery is a very personal decision.

Those last few may only come off with surgery (tummy tuck). I'm kind of in the same boat right now. I have about 10 more pounds to lose and i feel great but that last bit of belly fat isn't going anywhere! Lol

Yes it is normal. It gets better on mushies than liquids, but when you're on regular solid foods you should stay full at least 4 hours if you're not drinking with your meals. Just be careful about your snack choices and you should be fine.

Popcorn is a slider food for me, I can eat a lot of it. That's why I rarely have it.

Sorry, I had a brain hiccup. Thanks for the correction!

What struck me about your post was these words: "I think I deserve a little popcorn." The "I deserve (food item of choice here)" attitude is what got us all fat to begin with. As post-ops, we should never be thinking of any food item as something we DESERVE. Food is fuel. It can (and should) be enjoyable, but it is energy for our body, period. We should not be rewarding ourselves with food anymore! Our relationship with food has to change. I would say find something else to reward yourself with besides food, or you'll be one of those statistics that scares the bejeebers out of all WLS folks........................good luck!

Your crazy work hours don't help with the weight loss. I'm a nurse who works 12-hour night shifts, so I get it...you have to do what you have to do. You are only 4 weeks out, and I know this is hard but try to have some patience with yourself. Possibly you've hit your first stall. It is only the first of many, so get used to them. They are frustrating, but my surgeon told me some things that help me get through them: Stalls are NECESSARY. They are your body's way of trying to find a new weight setpoint. Without these "adjustments" you would continue to waste away to nothing and eventually die. Muscle weighs more than fat. As you lose fat and exercise, you gain muscle and it may look like you're not losing, but you are losing fat and gaining muscle. Stalls will occur more frequently and last longer the further out you are from surgery. I had a stall that lasted almost 6 weeks, and then I dropped 10 lb in less than 2 weeks, then hit another stall. That's how it goes. You can't let stalls get inside your head and give you an excuse to fall off the wagon. Stay the course, stick with your plan and the scale WILL start moving again! Good luck and don't get discouraged...the surgery DOES work!

I had all of those same questions and concerns before my surgery. All I can do is relate to you my own experience. After surgery, your stomach WILL feel different. It takes awhile to adjust to all the new feelings. For one thing, your stomach is in a different place, right up underneath your diaphragm in the middle of your upper abdomen, you can feel it there. I wasn't expecting it, and it was very strange. After surgery, you burp. A lot. It diminishes over time, but burping is my sleeve's way of telling me to stop eating, I'm full. My surgeon forbid complex carbs for 6 months. No bread, rice, Pasta, tortillas, crackers, etc. The first month I craved carbs really bad. It got much easier, and those six months I spent following my doctor's plan changed my eating habits for the better. Now every meal is protein-focused, I'm used to it, and when I eat, Protein is usually what I want. I am "allowed" to have those carbs now, but I rarely do, and if I do it's just a tiny bite or two. Bread, pasta, rice, etc. take up a lot of room in my tiny tummy. They make me feel full too fast, and then I can't get my protein in, so I choose not to eat them. THAT is how my sleeve works for me. It's a tool, and I choose to USE MY TOOL appropriately, that's how I know I will be a success. Do I crave a nice sandwich on thick, artisan bread from time to time? Yes. But I definitely prefer being able to buy my clothes off the rack now, wrap a bath towel around my body, walk in public without thinking everyone is staring at "the fat lady," not taking BP meds, having normal cholesterol, and knowing I've added at least 10 years to my life. The old saying is true: NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS THIN FEELS!!!!! Bariatric failures happen when people return to their old, unhealthy eating habits, when they choose not to use their tool. There is no food I will completely deny myself now--if I see it, i CAN have it. But if it's not on my eating plan, I most likely won't eat it.....not because I can't, but because I choose not to. Telling yourself you CAN'T have something makes you feel deprived. Telling yourself you can but you choose not to makes you feel proud of yourself for making a good, healthy decision. A mind game you play with yourself? Yes. But it works!

Second-guessing is totally normal, as yes it is a permanent change. After surgery, it is also totally normal to have some "buyer's remorse" in the beginning as you ask yourself "What in the h*ll did I do to myself?" Almost everyone goes through some of that. I know I did. I cried and cried with remorse for days. BUT......that was six months ago. I am now close to goal weight, off my BP meds for 3 months now, cholesterol panel all normal for the first time in my life, I look and feel great, and I've added at least 10 years to my life. TOTALLY WORTH IT!!! My only regret now is not doing this years ago. I feel like I'm REALLY living life now...I'm not sure what you would call what I was doing before...just surviving? But I would definitely do it again, in a heartbeat. I'm not sure what "bowel issues" you refer to. Chronic constipation is very common, but manageable and much better to deal with than heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, sleep apnea, etc. I take my recommended Vitamins and I've had no issues with anemia or any other deficiencies. Talk to your doctor about your concerns, and keep in mind THIS IS A LIFE-SAVING SURGERY!

If you're a pre-op, and it's TRUE stomach hunger, eat a small, healthy snack (some greek yogurt or a handful of nuts or a cheese stick.....not all three!). I wouldn't worry about it too much. Soon you will be satisfied with very little food and your eating habits will be completely changed. Only thing I'd worry about if I were you is if late night eating is a habit for you. If so, break it now. It's a killer. Sometimes I get hungry at bedtime, especially if I ate an early dinner. I eat a small, healthy snack and move on.