James Marusek

Many times in the hospital they routinely administer a treatment of antibiotics to prevent wound infection. Antibiotics kill not only the bad bacteria but also the good gut bacteria. It is necessary after a treatment of antibiotics to restore these good gut bacteria. One way to do this is by taking probiotics for a few weeks. After my surgery I found that I became lactose intolerant. Anytime I drank milk or other dairy foods that contained lactose, it was a quick trip to the restroom. This condition went away after about 2 months.

Some individuals encounter strictures. Here is a link that discusses the problem. https://www.obesitycoverage.com/uncomplicating-gastric-sleeve-complications/

First I don't know the answer but I will guess. It seems like Sleeve surgery is trending right now. But many who have the sleeve encounter problems with severe acid reflux (Gerd). Sleeve only makes this condition worse. So therefore they have a revision to gastric bypass.

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

I stopped crushing at 2 months. I tried to swallow a horse size centrical and it worked so that is when I stopped.

It is important to put a 2 hour separation between the vitamins that contain iron and those that contain calcium. So in my case I found that what works best for me is to take the iron supplements just before bedtime. I put my vitamins in a weekly pill container. I have one container for the morning and one for the night. And I use a very small glass bowl for my calcium supplements. I put my calciums in the bowl in the morning and take them throughout the day. If I am up and about I put my calciums in a ziplock bag and carry them with me. I was told "If you are taking iron supplements, it must be ferrous sulfate for the best absorption". It is a little hard to believe that the pain you are experiencing is due to surgery from 25 years ago.

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. Since you are taking Prilosec, you are taking a proton-pump inhibitor. That leaves a couple more items to check. Around 50% of the world's population have H pylori infection, so it is fairly a common bug and a hard one to kill.

Here are a few things to do if you haven't already. It will take your mind off the upcoming event. 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.

Good luck on your surgery. Remember after surgery to Walk, Walk, Walk. It helps alleviate the gas pain.,

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.

You sure had your share of stomach bugs. One of the things to remember is that antibiotics kill not only the bad bacteria but also the good gut bacteria. So that every time you come off a treatment for antibiotics, you should immediately reestablish you colonies of good gut bacteria. The way you do this is by taking some probiotics for a while. Only start taking probiotics after you have ended your antibiotics.

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

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

It almost sounds like you have transitioned into maintenance mode. This is a short article that I wrote a few years ago about that transition. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery2.pdf

Several individuals that undergo bariatric surgery experience a type of low blood sugar after the surgery. It is known as reactive hypoglycemia. This is independent of whether you were diabetic prior to surgery. Here are a couple links to the condition: https://www.ridgeviewmedical.org/services/bariatric-weight-loss/enewsletter-articles/reactive-hypoglycemia-postgastric-bypass https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/expert-answers/reactive-hypoglycemia/faq-20057778

Congratulations and glad to hear you are doing well.

I had good luck with the surgery but your gerd is much more severe than mine. I was still on Prilosec for the first year after surgery. My doctor said it was to help with the healing process. After the first year I discontinued it and have been fine since. I am 5 years post-op.

After bariatric surgery my iron levels dropped so I began taking iron supplements. I was told by my nutritionist to take ferrous sulfate as an iron supplement for the best absorption. Also it is important to give a 2 hours separation between iron and calcium.

This is the approach that I use: I strictly avoid processed sugars. I have a sweet tooth and that is one of the major causes that contributed to my weight gain over my lifetime. I limit myself to artificial sweeteners (such as Splenda and sugar alcohols), to natural low calorie sweeteners (such as Stevia) and to the natural sugars found in fruits and milk. I had diabetes. That went into remission when I left the hospital two days after surgery and I have not taken any diabetic medicine ever since and my blood sugar levels are good. I test my blood sugar levels periodically. [Currently over 5 years post-op] I read the labels of all food that I consume. I look at the grams of sugar per serving. If it is above 5 grams, I look at the ingredients. The ingredients are listed in order by highest percentage, and if the first 5 ingredients contain processed sugar (in any of its many forms), then I avoid this food, like a plague. I also restrict myself to about one meal per day containing complex carbohydrates (such as pasta and bread). I also avoid all carbonated beverages. I lost 20 pounds pre-op solely on eliminating carbonated beverages from my diet and I will not go back.

I will pray that your surgery goes well.

I will pray that your surgery goes well.

As you transition to new food groups, your body may react differently to them. When I started eating beans, my gas levels went way up. Also there is a phase, luckily it is a short phase which is best described as "Never Trust A Fart".

They are trying to determine if you have sleep apnea. You may have shown signs of snoring. If your sleep study determines that you have sleep apnea, they will probably require that you obtain and use a CPAP device prior to surgery in order to minimize the risk of complications from the surgery.

Good luck on your 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. I found that solid foods such as chicken and steak were much more difficult to eat than softer foods such as chili and soups. That is why I relied on them to a greater degree. Also by mixing food groups together and adding spices, they really added flavor back into foods. Anyways I included some recipes at the end of the following article. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf