James Marusek

There have been a few individuals that posted on this board that restricted their diet to such a degree that their bodies went into starvation mode. That really messed up their metabolism. This is not a problem right after surgery when your body begins to use up your reservoir of fat, but rather towards the end of weight loss phase. So as you transition into maintenance find the happy medium where your weight is stable.

Your weight loss journey will vary by the type of surgery that you have selected. I had RNY gastric bypass surgery. I lost a lot of weight very quickly and then the pace of the weight loss slowed down and leveled off and I transitioned from the weight loss phase to the maintenance phase at around 7 months. I am now over 5 years post-op. Sleeve patients lose weight much more slowly, encounter many stalls along the way but can achieve good weight loss eventually transitioning to maintenance at around the 2 year mark. During the weight loss phase, I completely lost my hunger. It was not difficult to lose weight when hunger was not constantly continually gnawing at my bones. But this loss of hunger does not last forever. About a year post-op it returned, just not as strong as before. One of the problems with this phase is that there is not a lot of medical guidance available at this point. You sort of have to figure it out for yourselves. Maintenance can be the hardest phase to survive. Some people will gain all their weight back, sometimes in quick order. In a sense some people figure they can go back to eating and drinking like before and then slowly the weight begins to pile back on. Other individual will experience some limited weight gain. It is generally called "a twenty pound bounce". That is where I am. Some will maintain their weight loss for years and years by exercising great concentration and control on what they eat and drink. But remember the tool is still there. Some people who have lost a lot of weight from surgery, then gained it all back, have buckled down and lost it all again. There are not many veterans on this board. Many times they are chased away by newbies with abusive attitudes. Some just decide to move on with their lives. So when you weigh responses take into account the length of time from surgery and their measure of success to guide you. And try not to flame the board. These are two links to articles documenting my surgery. The first covers the weight loss phase and the second covers the maintenance phase. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery2.pdf (I did find that essential oil blend helped me lose a little more weight at the end of the weight loss phase. But then later it seemed to lose its effectiveness.)

I am saying that the iron component in the multivitamin may be causing the problem. Also according to my nutritionist, if you are taking iron supplements, it should be ferrous sulfate for the best absorption. Also it is important to put a 2 hour separation from the time you take iron and the time you take calcium.

During the first few weeks after surgery, it is common for individuals to be unable to meet their protein and fluid daily requirements. That is because your body is in a major heal mode. It is good that you are taking probiotics to help establish the colonies of good gut bacteria after being treated with antibiotics. That should help. It is common for your taste buds to change after surgery. Be willing to experiment. After surgery, my taste buds changed dramatically. Even water changed. In the hospital it tasted excessively chlorinated and I could not drink it. So I experimented. Sugar free popsicles became my best friend. Some individuals find hot or cold can help with fluids. For me, I found that I could tolerate flavored water. So I began using Crystal Light. I also found a new drink Bai which I liked cold. In the winter, I found that I tolerate hot drinks such as piping hot cocoa. But you have to use the "No Sugar Added" variety. Also fine English teas were very good. The fluid requirement is met by a combination. It is not only the water that you drink each day. But also the water you drink when you take your vitamins and medicine. It is the milk you drink. It is the fluids content of the protein shakes. It is the water component of the soups you take. It is met by flavored water such as Crystal Light. It is met by sugar free popsicles. It is met by tea and decaf coffee. It is a combination of all the fluids that you consume during the day.

Since you are at the beginning of this process, I would recommend three things. 1. Take a good before photograph of yourself, so that you have something to compare to after surgery. Many times we are blind to our obesity. We do not see ourselves. Therefore when the weight begins to drop off rather dramatically, we question if this is really happening. Photographs are a good visualization of our success. Many people carry a before and after photo with them, just to remind themselves of their success. 2. Walk 30 minutes each day, every day until surgery (or equivalent exercise). Walking helps the recovery process go smoothly and minimized the pain levels from surgery. 3. Wean yourself from caffeine and carbonated beverages now. After I gave up my 6 diet coke a day habit, I suffered from a week of severe withdrawal syndrome consisting of severe headaches and body aches. I was miserable. You don't want to combine the effects of caffeine withdrawal with the effects of surgery.

Several posts have mentioned that iron supplements tend to cause vomiting. So it might be the iron in the multivitamin that is causing you a problem.

Congratulations on your surgery. Walking helps the pain go away. Most of the pain after surgery is associated with gas. Walking helps relieve the gas and work it out of your system.

I compiled the list over the past several years. Every once and awhile I posted the list. Someone suggested about a year ago that the list should be pinned. You request tripped me to repost the list and I was also able to pin it.

I had gastric bypass and it was when I tried to transition into the solid state that I could really feel it.

After surgery I became lactose intolerant. Any dairy product (including dairy in some types of protein shakes) would set it off producing and upset stomach and a quick trip to the restroom. Two months later my lactose intolerance disappeared. Another thing you should try is to take some probiotics. It will help with your digestion.

Congratulations.

In my gastric bypass eating program plan after surgery, it wasn't until 8 weeks post-op before I was allowed solids, like chicken and steak. Transitioning to solids is a very difficult transition. I found that softer foods such as chili and soups went down much easier than solid foods such as steak and chicken. I included some recipes at the bottom of the following article. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf Generally during surgery in the hospital you are automatically given antibiotics because there are a lot of dangerous germs in a hospital and surgery opens up a pathway for infection. Antibiotics kill not only the bad germs but also the good gut bacteria. It is important to reestablish your colonies of good bacteria after you come off the antibiotics. This is done by taking probiotics for awhile. This will help you gut process foods better and will minimize your frequent trips to the restroom.

According to the internet: Nausea and vomiting are the most common complaints after bariatric surgery, and they are typically associated with inappropriate diet and noncompliance with a gastroplasty diet (ie, eat undisturbed, chew meticulously, never drink with meals, and wait 2 hours before drinking after solid food is consumed). If these symptoms are associated with epigastric pain, significant dehydration, or not explained by dietary indiscretions, an alternative diagnosis must be explored. One of the most common complications causing nausea and vomiting in gastric bypass patients is anastomotic ulcers, with and without stomal stenosis. Ulceration or stenosis at the gastrojejunostomy of the gastric bypass has a reported incidence of 3% to 20%. Although no unifying explanation for the etiology of anastomotic ulcers exists, most experts agree that the pathogenesis is likely multifactorial. These ulcers are thought to be due to a combination of preserved acid secretion in the pouch, tension from the Roux limb, ischemia from the operation, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use, and perhaps Helicobacter pylori infection. Evidence suggests that little acid is secreted in the gastric bypass pouch; however, staple line dehiscence may lead to excessive acid bathing of the anastomosis. Treatment for both marginal ulcers and stomal ulcers should include avoidance of NSAIDs, antisecretory therapy with proton-pump inhibitors, and/or sucralfate. In addition, H pylori infection should be identified and treated, if present. So several individuals experience severe nausea after bariatric surgery. Nipping H. pylori prior to surgery, will relieve a major problem after surgery. It is a common infection. About fifty percent of the world's population has it. It is also difficult to kill. It is somewhat antibiotic resistant. I may take a couple rounds to kill it off using various cocktails of antibiotics.

Tealael - Interesting but it doesn't show up on my screen.

It doesn't show up on my computer. It might be because I have created way too many posts.

A king chess piece? Not sure what you are talking about.

When you lose significant weight, you are left with excess skin. Nowhere is this visible more than on your face. I developed very fine wrinkles; almost paper thin crinkles, all over my face. I looked like I was a hundred years old. I mean I am old but not that old. I think women have the upper hand on this problem. My wife told me to use Bio-Oil available in the drug stores. it solved the problem. I put a little on once in the morning and it is good all day.

In order to take your mind off your upcoming surgery, I would recommend three things: 1. Take a good before photograph of yourself, so that you have something to compare to after surgery. Many times we are blind to our obesity. We do not see ourselves. Therefore when the weight begins to drop off rather dramatically, we question if this is really happening. Photographs are a good visualization of our success. Many people carry a before and after photo with them, just to remind themselves of their success. 2. Walk 30 minutes each day, every day until surgery (or equivalent exercise). Walking helps the recovery process go smoothly and minimized the pain levels from surgery. 3. Wean yourself from caffeine and carbonated beverages now. After I gave up my 6 diet coke a day habit, I suffered from a week of severe withdrawal syndrome consisting of severe headaches and body aches. I was miserable. You don't want to combine the effects of caffeine withdrawal with the effects of surgery.

After surgery, I did encounter some severe leg cramps at night. Mineral depletion -- Too little potassium, calcium or magnesium in your diet can contribute to leg cramps. Since you mentioned that you had a problem with fluids. A lack of fluids can alter the concentration of minerals in your blood and throw it out of balance. As this article states "Dehydration is a common cause of muscle cramps. "https://www.medicinenet.com/muscle_cramps/article.htm It is common for your taste buds to change after surgery. Be willing to experiment. After surgery, my taste buds changed dramatically. Even water changed. In the hospital it tasted excessively chlorinated and I could not drink it. So I experimented. Sugar free popsicles became my best friend. Some individuals find hot or cold can help with fluids. For me, I found that I could tolerate flavored water. So I began using Crystal Light. I also found a new drink Bai which I liked cold. In the winter, I found that I tolerate hot drinks such as piping hot cocoa. But you have to use the "No Sugar Added" variety. Also fine English teas were very good. The fluid requirement is met by a combination. It is not only the water that you drink each day. But also the water you drink when you take your vitamins and medicine. It is the milk you drink. It is the fluids content of the protein shakes. It is the water component of the soups you take. It is met by flavored water such as Crystal Light. It is met by sugar free popsicles. It is met by tea and decaf coffee. It is a combination of all the fluids that you consume during the day.

If you had surgery very recently, you were probably given a hospital discharge paper that described when to contact your surgeon's office. Review the list and see if any of your symptoms fit that description. If you conditions are very severe then take action and go to the ER. This question is too generalized. It is difficult to provide any advise, if one does not know what is wrong, where the problem lies.

Welcome and let us know if we can be of any help.

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 meal 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. A few weeks after surgery, I completely lost my appetite. It was not difficult to drop the weight because hunger disappeared. This loss of appetite does not last forever. In about a year it came back but it has never been as strong as before surgery. It is common for your taste buds to change after surgery. Be willing to experiment. After surgery, my taste buds changed dramatically. Even water changed. In the hospital it tasted excessively chlorinated and I could not drink it. So I experimented. Sugar free popsicles became my best friend. Some individuals find hot or cold can help with fluids. For me, I found that I could tolerate flavored water. So I began using Crystal Light. I also found a new drink Bai which I liked cold. In the winter, I found that I tolerate hot drinks such as piping hot cocoa. But you have to use the "No Sugar Added" variety. Also fine English teas were very good. The fluid requirement is met by a combination. It is not only the water that you drink each day. But also the water you drink when you take your vitamins and medicine. It is the milk you drink. It is the fluids content of the protein shakes. It is the water component of the soups you take. It is met by flavored water such as Crystal Light. It is met by sugar free popsicles. It is met by tea and decaf coffee. It is a combination of all the fluids that you consume during the day.

After surgery your body is in major heal mode. It is common to not be able to meet your fluid and protein goals right at the beginning. Just keep working towards those goals and you should be able to get there. It is common for your taste buds to change after surgery. Be willing to experiment. After surgery, my taste buds changed dramatically. Even water changed. In the hospital it tasted excessively chlorinated and I could not drink it. So I experimented. Sugar free popsicles became my best friend. Some individuals find hot or cold can help with fluids. For me, I found that I could tolerate flavored water. So I began using Crystal Light. I also found a new drink Bai which I liked cold. In the winter, I found that I tolerate hot drinks such as piping hot cocoa. But you have to use the "No Sugar Added" variety. Also fine English teas were very good. The fluid requirement is met by a combination. It is not only the water that you drink each day. But also the water you drink when you take your vitamins and medicine. It is the milk you drink. It is the fluids content of the protein shakes. It is the water component of the soups you take. It is met by flavored water such as Crystal Light. It is met by sugar free popsicles. It is met by tea and decaf coffee. It is a combination of all the fluids that you consume during the day.

Congratulations.

If you don't purge, where are you going to put all the new clothes you are going to buy?