James Marusek

Congratulations and good luck on your surgery.

I am 3 years post-op RNY. I had diabetes, high blood pressure, severe acid reflux and sleep apnea prior to surgery. Those conditions were cleared up within 2 weeks after surgery and have remained in remission ever since. This surgery was one of the best decisions I ever made.

Dumping syndrome is a great learning tool.

For the first few weeks after surgery, your body is in a major heal mode. Also when you left the hospital, you probably gained weight because they pumped your body with fluids during your stay. Therefore you had to lose this added weight before your weight numbers begin to fall. So losing 20 pounds in 19 days actually sounds good. The three most important elements after RNY gastric bypass surgery are to meet your daily Protein, Fluid and Vitamin requirements. food is secondary because your body is converting your stored fat into the energy that drives your body. Thus you lose weight.

It might be several things. For example a lack of Iron could cause it. Since you are dieting, you are probably not consuming foods with significant iron therefore you may need to take iron supplements. sublingual B12 may help to raise your energy levels. Not drinking enough fluids each day can cause your body to become dehydrated which can cause sleepiness and tiredness.

I am not sure what type of surgery you will undergo. I had RNY and my taste buds changed dramatically after surgery. I use to love crab legs and lobster but after surgery, it was tasteless. Steaks were really rough to get down. So be prepared to experiment. I found softer foods such as chili and Soups went down much easier after surgery and I prepared my own that maximized the amount of Protein they contained.

It is a shame that much of our lives revolve around meals. Since your surgery was last month, it may be awhile before you can go out to eat and take some pleasure in it. I am 3 years post-op RNY gastric bypass now and generally when I go to a restaurant, I eat around 1/4 to 1/3 of the meal and pack the rest to go for leftovers which last me for a week. There are many activities available in California. Not sure what part you live in but: Renaissance Fair Boat Trip to Catalina Island and spend the day Day Trip to Solvang Trip to Ballarat Ghost Town Visit the Wine Country (You can serve the role of the designated driver) Visit the Modonna Inn (go to room tours) Visit the Golden Gate Park Visit the Griffith Observatory Visit Vegas but make a point of attending the shows

Past threads recommended the following for constipation. Apples with the skin Smooth Move Herbal Tea Prune juice (warmed) Prunes (4 in the morning and 4 at night) Magnesium citrate Insoluble fibers (Garden of Life Raw Fiber or Renew Life Triple Fiber). Haribo sugar free Gummy Bears Aerobic Magnesium 07 Ground Flax Seeds (but don’t try to grind it yourself). Use 2 tablespoons per glass of Water every night before going to bed. Low Fat Bran Muffin (recipe). 80 calories each 1 cup flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon cinnamon 2 cups bran Cereal 1 ¼ cups milk 1 egg ½ tablespoon applesauce optional: banana, berries, mini chocolate chips Bake 400° F for 22 minutes

Congratulations and good luck with your surgery.

Right after surgery, several people reported that they could not sleep in a bed but used a recliner instead. This was for the first few weeks after surgery. I found that as the weight dropped off, that the fat that normally insulated my knee joints dissolved away and when I slept on my side, it was like bone on bone contact which was uncomfortable. I found that sliding a pillow between my legs helped with this condition.

Good luck on beginning this process. Let us know if we can be of any help.

When I reached the solid food stage, I found it difficult to consume them. This was especially true of meats. I found that softer foods such as chili and Soups went down much easier, therefore that is what I used. I am 3 years post-op and still partly rely on these. I have included some recipes at the end of the following article. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf

Make sure you take a good before photograph, so that you will have something to compare it with afterwards.

Congratulations and good luck on your surgery. Check back in with us when you are on the other side.

For many years prior to my Weight Loss Surgery, I was waiting for a magic bullet [no, not the blender] to come along and make it very easy for me to lose my excess weight. Some new drug or Vitamin that made the process very easy. Many weight loss drugs were introduced through the years but many had adverse side-effects, some were outright dangerous. Well, a new device called AspireAssist was just approved by the FDA. The device works by restricting caloric absorption and decreasing the rate of eating/chewing. Under conscious sedation and with the use of an endoscope, a tube is placed within the upper portion of the stomach, with the other end attached to the surface of the abdomen through a secured port. The device is then attached to the port when the patient is ready to aspirate, 20-30 minutes after a meal. Approximately 30 percent of the caloric intake from the meal can be emptied directly into the toilet, requiring about 10-15 minutes in all for the aspiration process. http://acsh.org/news/2016/07/14/fda-approves-new-way-to-purge-calories/ [i remember reading stories that the Romans used binge and purge cycles in the process of overeating. When they were full they would go and vomit out their stomach content so they could continue eating. Apparently some of those stories were false but the myth remains. http://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/did-romans-purge-bellies-in-vomitoriums.htm] The device, called AspireAssist, is marketed for obese patients with a BMI between 35-55 who have been unable to lose, or maintain loss of weight, using non-surgical methods. Though it has been available to the European Union population since 2012, it recently gained FDA approval in the United States. Results of a one-year U.S. clinical trial showed that participants (n=171) who used the device, in addition to counseling, lost 12 percent of their initial weight on average, when compared to a 4 percent weight loss in those in the counseling only arm of the study. Well, I am glad I didn't wait around for this one.

I don't know if it is anything to be concerned about. You are the best judge for that. If it gets worse you might want to pass that by your surgeon's office. Since you mentioned a tightening of the chest, one of the complications of bariatric surgery or any major surgery for that matter is the risk of developing blood clots. The warning signs of a pulmonary embolism are: Chest pain (most common) Dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting (second most common) Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Chest pain Parts of your body turn blue (i.e. lips, skin) Fever Coughing up blood Increased heart rate Low blood pressure The risk of developing blood clots remains elevated for at least 6 weeks after surgery. This is a dangerous condition. http://www.bariatric-surgery-source.com/blood-clot-symptoms.html Frequent walking is the best way to reduce your risk of blood clots. Generally after surgery, you receive a blood thinner Lovenox (Enoxaparin) to help reduce your risk of blood clots. I think I gave myself these shots for about a week or two when I left the hospital. But at 4 weeks post-op, you are most likely off these.

The first few weeks after surgery your body will be in a major heal mode. So if you are unable to meet the Protein and Fluid requirement from the start, just keep working towards those daily goals and you should be able to get there. Good luck on your revision. One of the individuals in our Bariatric Surgery Support Group had a band to RNY gastric bypass revision. He had to have it done because the band was eroding into his stomach and it was about to burst. He was pleased with he results of his revision. Because of his scar tissue, his pouch was made a little smaller than most. So his volume of food intake was a little more restricted. But he was happy. I am 3 years post-op RNY and this short article describes my experiences. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf

I am a fan of Quest Protein bars. But it looks like Pure Protein Bars are good. In a Protein Bar you want sugar to be low and protein to be high, so both of these are acceptable. I never drink liquids when I eat. And that rule holds for protein bars.

I had RNY gastric bypass surgery 3 years ago. My program requirements said: instant mashed potatoes were O.K. from the beginning in the Full liquid stage. Normal mashed potatoes were acceptable beginning at week 5 when I entered the pureed food stage.

I am sorry to hear that you had such a rough go. I hope things will stabilize and improve for you in the near future. I am 3 years post-op RNY gastric bypass surgery. This article describes my experience with the operation during the Weight Loss phase. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf The second article describes my experience with the Maintenance phase. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery2.pdf

I do not know what type of surgery you had but if you are in week 2 post-op after surgery, a Protein shake is a much better choice. smoothies even those that do not add sugar contains quite a bit of natural sugar and as a result calories. The weight loss phase is relatively short and then you slide into the maintenance phase. So you want to maximize your weight loss during the weight loss phase. Several months from now when you enter the Maintenance phase, you might try smoothies again. I have included a recipe for a berry smoothie at the end of the following article. [No added sugar, Greek yogurt to maximize protein] http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf

Congratulations on your weight loss thus far. Every day gets a little better but it took me 6 months to reach my happy state when most of the problems seemed to melt away. This short article describes my experience in the Weight Loss phase. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf

Normally they will not let you drive until you are completely off the effects of the pain killers. That can take several days. I refused all pain meds after I left the recovery room and as a result, I was able to drive after a couple days after surgery. I was in the hospital for 2 nights and then I went home. I was pretty mobile after that. But some people have a more difficult time.

There are many forms of Urinary Tract Infection that have become antibiotic resistant. So sometimes using one form of antibiotics may no longer work. Generally a culture should be done to narrow down the approach.

The three most important elements after RNY gastric bypass surgery are to meet your daily Protein, Fluid and Vitamin requirements. food is secondary because your body is converting your stored fat into the energy that drives your body. Thus you lose weight. Weight loss is achieved after surgery through volume control. You begin at 2 ounces (1/4 cup) per meal and gradually over the next year and a half increase the volume to 1 cup per meal. With this minuscule amount of food, it is next to impossible to meet your protein daily requirements by food alone, so therefore you need to rely on supplements such as Protein shakes. After surgery, the Weight Loss phase is very short. I transitioned into the Maintenance phase at around 7 months. So you need to adhere to the program requirements that you were given in order to maximize your weight loss.