James Marusek

Congratulations on your surgery. As time goes on, your weight loss will slow down and then gradually you will transition to the Maintenance phase. But it is way too soon to think about that. Some of your hunger pains is really your built in need to chew. Chewing foods releases enzymes that aid in digestion - it is a normal part of eating and after surgery, you automatically miss that. Once you transition to solids, that should help.

If you have severe acid reflux (Gerd) it is best to go through RNY gastric bypass because the sleeve can make that condition worst. Other than that, you could go either way.

One of the items listed on my hospital discharge paperwork indicated that I should contact my surgeons office if I had uncontrolled or increased abdomen pain. So you might want to touch base with your surgeons office.

There are many different types of exercise. Some of them put minimal strain on your back. Swimming comes to mind. Here is a link to an article titled "Good and Bad Exercise for Low Back Pain" https://www.webmd.com/back-pain/ss/slideshow-exercises This link shows some exercises and also has some video links. https://www.spine-health.com/wellness/exercise/easy-exercise-program-low-back-pain-relief There were some members who had mobility problems on this site, perhaps they can come forward and speak about their solutions.

It is also said to reduce hair loss after weight loss 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. It sounds like you are meeting those requirements. An iron deficiency will cause extreme fatigue and weakness. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/iron-deficiency-anemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355034 A couple years after surgery, the results of my blood test showed that I had an iron deficiency and I was directed to add an iron tablet to my pile of vitamins that I take each day. 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 that if you are taking iron supplements, it must be ferrous sulfate for the best absorption. A year later, the blood work told them that I was taking too much iron, so I cut back by using multivitamin with iron. Since you said that you were taking Fusion Plus, I looked it up. It said "The future of Iron Therapy If you are looking for the best in iron therapy". So your problem may not be a lack of iron. I didn't see where you said that you were taking calcium supplements??? An electrolyte imbalance (lack of certain minerals) can cause fatigue. Symptoms of muscle weakness and/or muscle cramps, fatigue, or lack of energy may indicate low levels of potassium. ... Low sodium levels can cause symptoms that are similar to potassium deficiency such as dizziness, fatigue, lack of energy, muscle weakness and/or muscle cramps. So maybe you might try something like Poweraid Zero. "POWERADE ZERO is the great-tasting electrolyte-enhanced sports drink with zero calories. Formulated with the ION4 Advanced Electrolyte System, POWERADEZERO helps replenish four key electrolytes lost in sweat: Sodium, Potassium, Calcium and Magnesium." This might help and is a quick test to see if this is the problem area.

Good luck on your surgery and remember afterwards to Walk, Walk, Walk. It will help to relieve the gas pain.

That does sound like it is a bit on the low side. One time my mom was lying down on the couch, my daughter called me and said there was something wrong with mom. She was white as a sheet. She couldn't talk. She tried but no words came out, only a few whispers. She couldn't move. She looked like she was dying. We called an ambulance, they came in and measured her blood sugar and I believe it was in the 30's. So 58 is too low. So I think you are right about reactive hypoglycemia. Here is a link https://www.stjoes.ca/patients-visitors/patient-education/f-j/PD 7972 Reactive Hypoglycemia after Bariatric Surgery.pdf According to their webpage: How can I prevent reactive hypoglycemia? You can help prevent reactive hypoglycemia by following your diet guidelines for bariatric surgery. • eat 3 healthy meals and 2 healthy snacks each day • space meals and snacks 2 to 3 hours apart • eat protein at each meal and snack time • avoid skipping meals and snacks • avoid or limit alcohol depending on what stage of diet your are at • avoid or limit caffeine depending on what stage of diet your are at • avoid sweets like cookies, cakes, candy, pop, juice and sweet drinks Instead of sugars and simple carbohydrates, eat complex carbohydrates because they release less sugar over a longer period of time. Having a complex carbohydrate with protein will slow this release even more.

Your daily protein requirement is met by a combination of the amount of protein you obtain from food combined with the amount of protein from protein supplements (protein shakes, protein bars). Right after bariatric surgery, the volume of food you consume is minuscule (2 ounces) per meal. But as you get further along, the meal volume increases. Therefore you have a very important option available to you. As a result, you can begin to reduce your reliance on protein shakes if you concentrate on consuming high protein meals. I went from 3 protein shakes a day, down to 2, down to 1 and eventually none when I reached 1 cup per meal at a year and a half post-op. Your protein requirement is dependent on your lifestyle and the level of exercise that you perform. http://www.eatright.org/resource/fitness/sports-and-performance/fueling-your-workout/protein-and-the-athlete Your stomach needs some time to heal after surgery, therefore go a little easy at the beginning.

It will get better but not overnight. It took me 6 months to reach my happy state. Each day will generally improve a little. Some things in your description concern me. First you should have been given detailed directions about what to eat and how much to eat at each stage. For me I was directed to be on full liquids for the first month, pureed foods for the second month and only at week 9 did I transition to solids. Doctors will differ on their advise, but generally I recommend that you follow their guidelines. You stomach needs time to heal. The three most important elements after bariatric 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. 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. Right after surgery many individuals have a problem meeting their fluid and protein goals, but trying to increase this each day, you should be able to get there soon. 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. Another thing that concerns me is that you talked about chest pains. On my discharge instructions one of the problems that were noted that triggered a call to my surgeon's office was Chest pain, rapid heartbeat and/or dizziness. So it may mean nothing but is best to keep your surgeon informed.

Congratulations. It sounds like a truly marvelous trip.

Welcome and congratulations on your surgery. Your date of surgery through me for a loop for a minute but then I figured it out. In Europe 08/02/18 is February 8, 2018. In the States it would normally mean August 2, 2018. It is important to keep on the TED stockings because they help to minimize the possibility of blood clots. These stocking should be worn until you activity returns back to normal. It is common to bruise after surgery. One of the reason why is because you are probably taking a blood thinner. You will bruise easily and the bruised will stay on your body for awhile. I remember for the first month, I looked horrible. Being dizzy when you first get up is a sign of low blood pressure. It is called orthostatic hypotension. It just means that when you shift from lying down or sitting to standing, your blood pressure drops and you momentarily feel a little woozy. That's because blood pools in your legs temporarily when you stand up, and it takes the body a moment to compensate by squeezing blood out of the large veins in your legs and revving up the heart a bit. According to the internet: How to ward off wooziness If lightheadedness when changing position is mild or occasional, you can take some practical steps to prevent it: Check medications. A variety of medications can lower blood pressure. "That contributes to a remarkable number of cases that I see," Dr. Ruff says. It can help to lower doses or stop taking medications that you don't absolutely need—after consulting with your doctor, of course. Get adequate fluids. Another common trigger is dehydration. Your blood is mostly water, and the volume in your system can drop overnight and lower your blood pressure. This helps explain why dizziness upon rising from bed is so common. Drinking a lot of water before bedtime is not the best solution, since it can send you racing to the bathroom at night. Wait until you are up and around to start taking fluids, and get enough throughout the day. Rise slowly. After sleeping, sitting for an extended period, or eating a full meal, take your time rising to a standing position. It may help to clench your leg muscles before standing to push the pooled blood into your system. Change your eating habits. If dizziness strikes after meals, try eating smaller but more frequent meals. It may also help to limit how many rapidly digested carbohydrates you eat in one sitting, such as white bread and other foods made with highly refined flour, white rice, potatoes, and sugary beverages. Get moving. A bit of light exercise in the morning can also help to get the blood moving and your blood pressure up. Also, avoid standing in place or sitting for too long, because this increases pooling of blood in the legs. So from my perspective, make sure you are taking enough fluids and electrolytes (because a lack of some minerals can cause this condition). If you were on high blood pressure medicine prior to surgery, you may want to check with your doctor and reduce the amount you are taking.

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. That is the long answer, the short one is Yes I believe you can use Powerade Zero. And No do not drink Gatorade G2 because it is not sugar free because it uses high fructose corn syrup. The two primary requirements are "no sugar" and "not carbonated". (I think gatorade use to make a true sugar free drink but discontinued it a few years ago).

Congratulations.

It is common to have some limited weight gain after gastric bypass surgery. They call it a 20 pound bounce. The important thing is not let go beyond it. According to my nutritionist, meals should consist of equal parts of protein, fats and carbs after the first couple years post-op. Snacks should be limited to primarily whole food options: nuts, natural nut butters, fruits, veggies, boiled eggs, string cheese, yogurt with berries and almonds, tuna pouches. Avoid processed packaged foods as much as possible. So I guess my advise is to document what you eat in a food journal and figure out what is the cause. I had RNY gastric bypass whereas you had the sleeve. I am 5 years post-op and this is the approach that I use. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery2.pdf

I had RNY gastric bypass surgery. In the booklet of instructions I received, there was a page titled: To maximize weight loss the following foods should be avoided. In that lists was NUTS.

Generally pain is a way that your body tells you something is wrong. So when you contacted your doctors office, did you mean your surgeon's office? According to my surgeon's discharge directions, I was to contact my surgery under several conditions. One of those conditions were "Uncontrolled or increased abdomen pain." According to the internet, these are some of the potential causes of pain in the lower right abdomen. https://www.healthline.com/health/pain-in-lower-right-abdomen#seek-emergency-medical-attention

As you lose weight, the chemicals and hormones that were stored in your fat cells are being released into your body. These will pass through your kidneys and are expelled in your urine or through your sweat glands. But they can generate a flush of hormones during the weight loss phase. They should simmer down once you transition into maintenance. It is important to meet your daily fluid requirements, because it take fluids to flush these hormones from your system.

I began doing a food journal, that tracked every calorie that I ate. This process taught me where my problems were. So having a delicious milk shake at Steak and Shake became a permanent No-No. One of the first changes I made was to get off my 6 diet coke a day habit. I knew that I had to get off caffeine and carbonated beverage, so I went cold turkey. I suffered through a week of caffeine withdrawal syndrome of severe headaches and body aches. But on that change alone, I lost 20 pounds.

Adval is a NSAID. One of the common problems after bariatric surgery is developing ulcers. Taking NSAIDs can cause that problem, so it is best to avoid.

There are two phase to weight loss surgery: the Weight Loss Phase and the Maintenance phase. The weight loss phase tends to be short. I had RNY gastric bypass and I transitioned into the Maintenance phase at around 7 months. Sleeve patients lose weight at a much slower pace and sometimes enter Maintenance at 2 years. So during the Weight Loss phase I advise that you adhere to the meal guidelines given by the surgeon and nutritionist. In the Maintenance phase, you have more freedom and go with what works for you.

Congratulations on your surgery and I hope you fully recover from the fall and get totally back on your feet again.

The symptoms of low blood pressure (hypotension) can include: Dizziness or lightheadedness Fainting (syncope) Blurred vision Nausea Fatigue Lack of concentration Low blood pressure on standing up (orthostatic, or postural, hypotension). This is a sudden drop in blood pressure when you stand up from a sitting position or after lying down. Gravity causes blood to pool in your legs when you stand. Ordinarily, your body compensates by increasing your heart rate and constricting blood vessels, thereby ensuring that enough blood returns to your brain. But in people with orthostatic hypotension, this compensating mechanism fails and blood pressure falls, leading to dizziness, lightheadedness, blurred vision and even fainting. For individuals that experience this condition after bariatric surgery, there are several potential causes. For example if you were on high blood pressure meds prior to surgery, it may be time to reduce the amount of prescription meds you are taking. Make sure you are meeting your daily fluid and vitamin requirements because dehydration and a mineral imbalance can cause this problem. On my bariatric discharge instructions when I left the hospital, one of the times listed for when to contact your surgeon was if you are experiencing dizziness.

Congratulations on the weight you lost thus far during pre-op. Generally, I think that dieting will only get you so far. The bariatric surgery will take you the rest of the way. So don't be too concerned that you have stabilized or hit a stall. Just concentrate on maintaining the 42 pound weight loss that you have achieved thus far.

Congratulations.