James Marusek

I will pray that your surgery goes well. Make sure you have taken a good before photograph so you will have something to compare it to after surgery. Consider obtaining a pill crusher and pill splitter. Also have a full range of small measuring spoons/cups to measure meal volume. After surgery it is important to get up and walk every couple hours. This will help to make your recovery process go smoother. In the hospital ask for an overhead trapeze bar above your bed to help you get up out of bed a little easier. Your taste buds may change after surgery, so don't stock up too much on food until you arrive home. The key on Protein shakes is to experiment until you find one that you can tolerate. You don't need to love it, just tolerate it.

It seems like they invent a new deficiency or weakness in people every other week. I read the following article today on something called face blindness. The article was called Can’t Identify People? New Test Hopes to Help ‘Face-Blind’. Here is a link to the article. http://acsh.org/news/2016/02/18/cant-identify-people-new-test-hopes-to-help-face-blind/ So within the article was a link to a Cambridge University (UK) study in which I could do a 20 minute test to see if I was face blind. I took the test and scored a 54%. Normal is 80%. Below 60% is indicative of face blindness. I guess I always had a problem with remembering names and faces. I am much better with numbers. I guess sometimes we are defined by our weakness (such as obesity) and sometimes by our ability to deal with and overcome those weaknesses.

I had a couple colonoscopies. The main problem was they knocked me out prior to the colonoscopy and just when I was starting to come out of the anesthesia, the doctor gave me the debriefing. I remember the doctor was very excited. That is all I could remember a half hour later when I became fully awake. So maybe you could ask the doctor to wait a little on debriefing you. Or you might have your husband there during the debriefing so he could jot down everything that was said. They provide you with very nice color photographs of the inside of your colon. I just wish I was awake when they told me what everything of importance was.

The approach to the Maintenance phase may be different for the different types of surgery.

Before surgery, I loved to drink a glass of ice cold Water. But after the operation my taste buds changed dramatically. The water in the hospital tasted very very chlorinated and I couldn't drink it. All I took was ice chips while I was in the hospital. When I came home it wasn't much better. I am 34 months post-op RNY surgery and I drink water but it is not one of my favorites like before.

Since you had surgery in mid-January 2016, you are still very early with the program. I had RNY gastric bypass, and I lost the weight quickly and then slid into the maintenance phase at about month 6 or 7. But sleeve patients loss weight typically over a much longer period of time and generally at a slower pace. Drugs can affect weight. Prozac might be one of those according to the internet. http://www.rxlist.com/prozac-side-effects-drug-center.htm But there are a variety of other problems or conditions that also may affect your weight loss. Some sleeve patient on this board seem to indicate that sometimes one must consume a few more calories in order to break a stall. This seems counterintuitive - but if it works, it works. After my surgery, I did a lot of experimenting. Every time I hit a bump in the road, I would analyze and experiment and find my way. Since you are early in the program, I recommend that you not get too stressed out about the weight loss. Just follow the primary requirements of daily Protein, Fluid and Vitamin requirements and get at least 30 minutes of walking each day, and then let the magic happen.

Welcome and good luck on your surgery. First things first. Make sure you take a good before photograph of yourself so you can compare it with the after photograph. Often times when we lose weight we fail to appreciate the amount of weight that we lose. Here is mine. I tried to take it using the exact same pose, so it is a good comparison. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Operation.jpg This was at the 6 month post-op mark. I have lost another 20 pounds since then.

Good! It sometimes seems like the surgeons office is focused primarily on the Weight Loss phase with very little guidance when you reach the Maintenance phase. So experimentation and learning from that experimentation is key.

Right after surgery, you will experience episodes of diarrhea or constipation. It is normal and probably not attributed to taking an extra Iron pill. For constipation the important thing is to make sure you drink the daily requirements for liquids. When you lose weight, your body not only consumes fats but also releases into your body many elements such as hormones, chemicals stored in the fats and these must be flushed out of your system by fluids, especially filtered Water. There are many ways to deal with constipation. There is an herbal tea called Smooth Move by Traditional Medicinals that can be found in many grocery stores such as Kroger's or health food stores.

I am 34 months post-op RNY surgery. This describes my experience with Maintenance phase. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery2.pdf But I am not sure if you ever reached Maintenance phase. I suspect that returning back to the guidelines of the DS program is the best approach to maximize your weight loss. Attending bariatric surgery support group meeting may help. They happen about once per month and are free. At least they can provide you some additional support.

I told everyone, even strangers on the streets. Most peoples reactions fall into two groups: supportive and curious. I suspect the reason why people do not tell has to do with their personal past experience with dieting. Many people who undergo weight loss surgery (WLS), tried dieting many times before. But the problem was they always gained the weight back. So you announce you are on a diet. Every congratulates. You lose weight. Everyone congratulates. You go off the diet and regain the weight and then some. No one talks about it (at least not to your face). You feel like a failure. So now you are very guarded about this WLS process, because you are afraid of another failure. So it is a personal decision.

As I was losing weight, I received comments that were similar. It was due to the fact that I was still trying to cling to my old clothes instead of replacing them. I had some jackets and coats that I held onto to the very last. The problem was that I lost width at my shoulders and as a result my sleeves were now down to my fingertips. I looked like the Disney character Dopey (the youngest of the 7 dwarfs in Snow White. So for me the answer was simple. I bought some new clothes.

I am 34 months post-op RNY gastric bypass. This is my experience with the Maintenance phase. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery2.pdf

Your body controls when you enter maintenance phase. It is not something you do. Your weight loss just tappers off and then comes to a stop. So don't worry about it, just go with the flow. Before surgery at the surgeons office we discussed a goal weight. This is just an artificial number. I think my goal weight was 190 pounds. In the end, my real goal weight turned out to be closer to 150 pounds. After RNY as your meal volume increases to 1 cup per meal, you will eventually get to the point where your weight loss comes to an end. I wrote a short article about my perception of the weight loss phase. Here is a link. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery2.pdf

I am 34 months post-op RNY surgery. I choose this approach over sleeve because I had severe acid reflux (GERD) prior to surgery and that is the recommended approach for that condition. Also I choose it due to the low rate of revisions. If I underwent the knife once, I do not want to repeat it again. After surgery, I completely lost my hunger. It was not difficult to lose weight when hunger is not constantly continuously gnawing at your bonds. The hunger returns after a year or two, but it does not have the same intensity as before surgery. I had several conditions prior to surgery and took many prescription drugs prior to surgery. Most of these conditions went into remission shortly after surgery and have remained there. So even though I have to take Vitamins, it is offset by the fact that I am no longer taking these prescription drugs. As far as exercise, one of the best exercises after surgery is walking. So if you can walk for around 30 minutes each day, you should do fine. As far as choosing between RNY gastric bypass and sleeve, I would place a lot of weight on what your surgeon recommends.

I had RNY and you had sleeve. I lost my weight quickly and at the end of 6 or 7 months I transitioned into the "Maintenance" phase. Sleeve patients experience a different weight loss. Many continue to lose weight for over 12 months after surgery. I think the gallbladder operation threw you for a loop. Is it possible that you are taking medication that is damaging your weight loss progress?

Interesting article. Communications can take many forms. One form is written - letter writing. Years ago, I attended a marriage encounter. It was a couple days of meetings at almost-a-resort in which the couples communicated by letters. The art of expressing deep felt feelings (both good and bad) in the form of letters, respectfully reflecting on the letters received from your mate and interspersing a few love letters in-between was an interesting approach.

It is a bit overwhelming. I am 34 months post-op RNY and I consider the surgery to be one of the best decisions I ever made. I wrote a short article about my experiences. Here is a link. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf

I am 34 months post-op RNY gastric bypass surgery. I wrote a short article about my experience with the "Maintenance" phase. Here is a link. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery2.pdf

Congratulations on your weight loss thus far. I am a little confused. After RNY gastric bypass surgery, the guidelines are to restrict meal intake to 2 ounces per meal and to supplement this with additional Protein in the form of protein shakes/protein powders. But you mentioned that you have been on Optifast for 5 weeks now. This [Optifast 800 Drink Shakes] does not appear to be a substitute for a Protein shake. The protein level 14 grams is too low and the product contains way too much sugar and corn syrup. So if you want to maximize your weight loss during the short "Weight Loss" phase, I suggest you contact your nutritionist or surgeon and obtain a list of approved protein shakes/powders and find one that you can tolerate.

After RNY surgery, the initial volume of food per meal is 2 ounces. As time goes on, this volume will increase the further you are post-op, until you reach 1 cup per meal. The daily Protein requirement is a separate issue. It does not count against your food limit. In order to make the Protein shakes more tolerable, I found that if I blended in a half a banana, it made the Protein shake more tolerable. The half a banana did not count against my meal limit. In a few months from now, you can begin to use Protein Bars to meet your protein requirement. The protein bars do not count against your meal limit. The daily Fluid requirement is not only Water but all liquids. So the water you use to make the protein shake counts towards this limit. So does milk. So does the water content of Soups. So does the water you take for your Vitamins.

I met with the surgeon on the day I began the process. I began incurring cost at the beginning of the process and some of these charges started eating away at my deductible from the get-go. But since this entire process (6 month medically supervised weight loss and exercise program, pre-op testing, second round of pre-op testing, surgery/hospital) can take almost a year, it can be staggered over 2 calendar years and effect two years of deductible. Overall the entire cost was in the $50K range and my out of pocket after insurance was around $5K. But I have a different insurance than BC/BS. Also I was not asked to pay up front prior to surgery. There are many costs to consider in arriving at the final costs, for example the cost of the anesthesiologist, the cost of the pre-op testing, the cost of the second round of pre-op testing by specialist in their respective fields if this is warranted. I even incurred the cost of a second surgeon that assisted my primary surgeon. So it is difficult to determine the final out-of-pocket cost in advance.

I am 33 months post-op RNY surgery. I was in the "Weight Loss" phase for about 6 or 7 months and then transitioned into the "Maintenance" phase. It all happened quite naturally. One cup per meal may seem like a small amount but it is what my body needs to sustain my weight. Here is a short article I wrote on the "Maintenance" phase. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery2.pdf The amount of weight that you will lose will also depend on the amount of weight you had to start with.

There are many forms of surgery available today. They all have their pros and cons. I chose RNY gastric bypass surgery for two reasons. The first was that I suffered from severe acid reflux (GERD) and this was the best way to address that condition. The second was that RNY had the lowest revision rate. If I went under the knife once, I surely did not want to do it again. So when you visit with the surgeon, listen to the recommendation from the surgeon and also ask why he/she recommended that particular option. Also it is possible that the weight loss may improve your knee joints because it will remove significant weight from the joints. I know of at least once case where someone was planning knee surgery but cancelled it after they lost weight from WLS.

Many individuals who undergo surgery receive antibiotics in the hospital to prevent the wounds from getting infected. This kills the bad bacteria along with the good. Many doctors recommend the use of probiotics after surgery to restore the colonies of good bacteria in the gut which were destroyed by the antibiotics. After my RNY gastric bypass surgery, I took probiotics daily for a couple weeks. Often times individuals that do not take probiotics seem to suffer from bouts of diarrhea after surgery.