James Marusek

Before surgery, I had constant hunger. When I was eating a meal, my mind was thinking what I would have for my next meal. It was incessant. Now the interesting thing that occurred after my RNY surgery was that I completely lost my hunger. It was not difficult to plan my minuscule meals because I wasn't really hungry. This condition does not last forever but for about a year and then the hunger returns. It just isn't as strong as before.

Congratulations on your progress so far.

H-pylori is common, about 50% of the people in the world have it. It generally lies dormant in many people. It can cause ulcers and other conditions especially for those undergoing weight loss surgery. You need to kill it before surgery. It can be a difficult bug to kill. You may have to undergo a couple attempts with different cocktails of antibiotics to finally end it.

Good luck on your upcoming surgery.

Right after surgery your body is in a major heal mode. So during the first few weeks, many find it difficult to meet the fluid daily requirements. But you are almost a month post op and you should be likely able to handle the requirement at this time. 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.

Wow that is a tough call. The time after surgery until you can drive again is determined by how soon you get off the narcotic pain killers. When I went through the induction in the hospital, I told them I wanted no pain killers after I left the recovery room. And they said they will even go easy on the anesthetics also. So after surgery that is exactly what they did. I began walking almost immediately, several lapse around the hospital floor every couple hours. That really reduces the pain due to gas. The main reason why I did that was so that I could drive again soon after they discharged me from the hospital. But after I came home, I didn't really need to drive so I took my time and I was probably driving during the first week. So people are different and operations are different. But this is the key if you need to drive sooner.

It is common to experiment. The transition to solids can be difficult. Chicken is very hard to consume unless you prepare it properly. So when you get to that stage try the following. Take a chicken breast and put it into a pot of water add a chicken bullion cubes and then cover the pot and boil it on slow heat for a couple hours. It needs to be so tender that it comes easily apart with a fork.

Pantoprazole is a proton pump inhibitor used treat GERD. Atorvastatin is statin used to treat high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. I had severe acid reflux prior to my RNY gastric bypass surgery and that condition went into remission after my surgery. I am over 5 years post-op and it is still in remission. The first year after surgery, my surgeon prescribed Omeprazole (OTC Prilosec). This is normally used to treat severe acid reflux (Gerd) but the reason he prescribed it was to give my stomach time to heal properly. But after the first year, then I went off Prilosec and haven't taken any since. I had high blood pressure after surgery and was taking 2 prescription meds to treat that condition. My blood pressure returned to normal levels within the first month after surgery and I went off all my high blood pressure meds. Good luck on your upcoming surgery.

After surgery I was restricted to full liquids for the first 4 weeks and then pureed foods for the next 4 weeks and then after week 9 solid foods. But I was not given a menu but rather a list of items that counted as full liquids. Full liquids were items with a pudding like consistency, such as cream of wheat, cream or rice, oatmeal, farina, instant mashed potatoes, unsweetened applesauce, sugar free pudding, yogurt, and other items. So they gave me choices that I could experiment during this initial stage rather than a strict menu.

Congratulations.

At an early stage in our life we began to eat food. When we chew food it releases digestive enzymes in our body that help us digest our food. So sometimes what we miss is the chewing process.

Bulletproof coffee. That is a loaded question. Here is a link on how to make bulletproof coffee. https://blog.bulletproof.com/how-to-make-your-coffee-bulletproof-and-your-morning-too/ So what you are asking for looks like a very specialized cup of coffee definitely not your normal cup of coffee. 1-2 tablespoons of butter, 1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons of Brain Octane Oil. 1 tablespoon of serving of Bulletproof Upgraded Brain Octane Oil contains 130 calories which is 100% fat. My hospital discharge instructions read "Avoid caffeinated beverages (stimulates appetite, irritates stomach lining, acts like a diuretic.) It is common to do a little experimentation after surgery. That is how we learn. Some people can tolerate anything after surgery while others have problems and can tolerate very little. Weight loss is achieved during the short weight loss phase through meal volume control. The two operative words here are short and volume. So if you want to maximize your weight loss during this phase, you need to adhere to the program guidelines. I slid into the maintenance phase at 7 months. But I had RNY gastric bypass surgery. In your case you had the sleeve and sleeve patients lose weight at a slower rate and may not reach maintenance for a couple years. So my guess is the answer is NO. But take it up with your surgeons office and explain to them what is contained in a cup of bulletproof coffee.

My wife was very supportive. She is the one who came up with the idea of surgery in the first place. Because I eat so little during meals, it really translates to more time available to talk (socialize) on my part.

Hi Cara. Welcome. I had Type II diabetes and the surgery drove it into remission. But I am not sure if the surgery will affect Type I diabetes. So if someone is on the board with Type I, maybe they can come forward and describe what effect the surgery had on that condition. The attached article describes my experience with the surgery. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf

I will pray for you.

I would recommend three things, if you haven't done these already. 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. One last word of advise. When you arrive at the hospital you might request a trapeze bar on your hospital bed because this will help you get up out of bed so that you can Walk, Walk, Walk after surgery. Walking will help minimize the pain and let you pass the gas.

I think that @FluffyChix makes a good point, and you should really evaluate your diet. I am over 5 years post-op. I had diabetes prior to surgery and that problem is still in remission. But I control what I eat. 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. 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.

Good luck on your surgery and check back in with us when you are on the other side. And remember Walk, Walk, Walk.

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

Good luck on 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.

Good luck on your surgery. Sounds like you have everything under control. But if you experience any problems please let us know so we can help.

My experience was the the food became very bland after surgery. Over time, your taste will change and then change again and again. So keep trying different things all the time after surgery. 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. 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. Many experience problems drinking protein shakes. I hated them. But in the beginning I drank them, three 16-ounce protein shakes a day, in order to meet my protein requirements. You do not have to like protein shakes only tolerate them. There are many varieties of protein shakes available today. Experiment until you can find one you can tolerate. There are many different types of formulations on protein shakes. I would recommend that you keep experimenting until you find one that you can tolerate. You don't have to like it, just tolerate it. I used Muscle Milk Light (Vanilla Creme) powder blended with water and a half a banana. That worked for me. But on the opposite end of the spectrum, you might try premixed Isopure. After a few months after surgery when you transition into the solid stage, I found softer foods, such as chili and soups, went down much easier than solid foods such as chicken and steak. Therefore that is what I primarily relied upon. There are some recipes at the end of the following article. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf

Many people find it easier to sleep on a recliner right after surgery. It can take a week or two to begin to sleep comfortably but things should improve daily.

Generally when you leave the hospital after surgery, you weigh significantly more than when you first arrived. This is because they pump your body full of fluids. It takes several days for you to lose this additional weight to arrive at your starting point.

I don't have one but it sounds like a good idea.