RuthFour

Welcome Dangeroussumme!

Good Luck Praire Princess! Keep us posted. I'm assuming this is for gastric bypass?

Hi Gingebinge,

To prepare for surgery I was told to cut out all caffeine, pop or carbonated drinks of all kinds. Try to eat 6 smaller, healthier meals as opposed to three large. Cut out cream and sugars or Desserts. Sugar will make you ill after surgery. Our stomachs are very different without the protection needed so caffeine and carbonated drinks are also a no-no including any nsaids of course.

You may already know all of this but this was the preparation I did. The Optifast will prepare you as well when you have to do this three weeks prior to surgery.

Hope this helps,

Ruth

It's been over a year now since my bypass. I too had buyer's remorse for a moment but am happy now that I did it. I would never recommend this surgery lightly. It is risky and it's not a cure all. I was getting older (I'm now 62) and have been battling weight for 20 to 30 years. Diabetes was just around the corner for me. I couldn't breathe or walk up stairs easily. My sleep was disturbed. All in all, not a good sign.

I feel fantastic but have to vigilant as the behaviours are still there. I still want to overeat and eat the wrong things. There is no where to go should I screw this up so I weigh myself everyday to keep honest with myself. I eat off of smaller plates and am very mindful of eating too much sugar. Shouldn't eat it at all but being the addict I am, I do regress. So, this is a tool not an ultimate fix, albeit a wonderful tool.

I have so much more energy and life is richer. Good luck @@bigmoe99 and congratulations @@mizzzzzzT (whoa, that's a lot of z's, lol)

Ruth

Welcome trackerchik and krispye,

Congratulations, my name is Ruth and it's been almost 1 year and a half since I had my roux n y. I've been very fortunate, no dumping, although the first six weeks were the biggest trial. But then I'm not as young as I used to be .... lol.

Hope to hear more of your journey...

I'm coming up to a year post-op and I'm up one, down one and maintain for a week to two weeks and then down one. What's scary is I see my food intake creeping up at times. The old habits are still with me and that keeps me vigilant but afraid of what could happen. Does anyone else feel any of this. Eating out is difficult because I still have a tendency to overeat. I have been really lucky (or not so lucky) depending on how you look at it. No dumping just feel sick when I overeat. I sweat and feel a bit faint so I have to be really careful. Sugar does make me feel ill when taking in too much. So I can only tolerate wee bits (thank god). I guess I should be thankful that it keeps me mindful. I have to remember that this surgery was only a tool and I could gain it back.

So, anyone out there relate?

Ruth

Hi Elisabeth,

Congratulations on your surgery. I hope it went well. It was a slow process for me in that it took about 6 weeks for me to finally feel that I was in a groove and it got easier. Initially I felt that I was eating all day and it was a struggle to get my Protein and liquids in. It's been almost 6 months and I still have one Protein a day, sometimes two depending. I've been very fortunate with no dumping and can eat most everything. The downside of course, is that I must remember that this is just a tool and if I'm not careful, I can revert and put on weight or not take it off.

But I've been very content with the results. I have so much more mobility and while slow it's still coming off. At first, your foods will be trial and error. Too much sugar makes me ill and too much fat as well. So I try to eat relatively lean and sugar free.

Good luck and hope to hear about your progress.

Ruth

cherg24, you're right, emotions do run high but I didn't know what normal was. I cried like a baby the morning of my surgery. Lots of conflicting feelings. No regrets and as long as I'm careful, progress continues.

Good luck, although Opti can be challenging the first couple of days (wanted to chew on something so bad) but the Jello made it bearable. Good luck and keep us posted,

Ruth

#timeforme2015, I remember feeling that way (eating all day) never thought I'd have time for anything else. It's a process alright. It took me about six weeks before I felt like I'd established a routine or rhythm.

Hang in there,

Ruth

@@Calgirl26

I lost weight fairly quickly...I'm down over 50 lbs and my surgery was in October. I noticed though that you had gastric sleeve which differs from bypass. Not sure how much weight loss differs. It levels off after awhile and weight loss slows as your body aclimates.

Everyone is different as well. So as long as you're doing what they've asked and you're getting all your fluids and Protein in, I wouldn't worry.

R

In talking about Water and Protein, I noticed that some of us have the bypass and others the sleeve...those are very different surgeries and therefore our experiences will also be quite different.

R

Glad to hear it Ivanova8....maybe you'll find out that doing all that you are doing is just fine.

Ruth

Water at times bubbles up on me as well. Try taking smaller sips and chew your food very well and slowly. I drink everything with a straw, it helps with air bubbles. I had problems getting it all in in the beginning as well and still have to work at it. I have to learn how to have some drink (water or protein) by my side most of the day and just sip, sip, sip, slowly. It is work, certainly at first, but does get better. I know that if I don't get my Water and Protein, I feel nauseous and quite ill. Some people who don't get enough water, have nausea so bad they vomit. I've been close but not quite.

Good luck

High sugar and high fat are usually the culprits, but everyone is different. What might agree with you may not agree with me or someone else. So yes, it is trial and error.

Having said that Water and Protein intake are crucial to our health, so if you are having problems with this I would speak to your dietitian about it.

Good luck, Ruth

As I waited for my surgery alone in the hallway outside the OR room, I cried my eyes out. I was very afraid but more about what my life was going to be like. Like saying goodbye, I guess, to my best friend.

It took me a couple of weeks to know whether I did the right thing for myself (and I'd heard the same from others). Having now lost 50 lbs and also being able to cross my legs, etc. etc. I'm more than happy with my decision.

I was saying to my girlfriend that it is such a personal decision to have the surgery or not. I don't think that anyone can make that decision for you. But that was early on when I still wasn't sure whether I made the right choice.

Give it time, it's a process and keep us posted.

Ruth

I'm 3 months post op and I also forget to eat. I'm going to be seeing the nutritionist for the first time after surgery in two weeks and now is definitely the time. Not only do I forget to eat (and drink enough water) but it seems to be so much work to get in the Protein drinks which I still supplement with because there's no way I can get enough Protein otherwise.

I still have a tendency to eat too fast which can cause nausea but it could be lack of Water as well. It's a work in progress for sure.

I start the day with a Protein Drink and often that's more than I can handle for Breakfast. Sometimes I'll have eggs (2) for lunch or crackers and cheese or yogurt and fruit with granola/cereal. Another Protein Drink and then supper. Not sure whether I'm getting enough calories or perhaps the wrong calories.

Hopefully, the nutritionist can give me some ideas.

Ruth

Hi cab127,

I had terrible gas pains when I first got home....the more exercise I did the better. Meaning, walk, walk, walk. I lived to fart. I'm sorry if that offends but seriously it was a godsend.

Ruth

I would not tell them. I had an interesting and negative experience in recovery where I was met with prejudice. Ironic that it was in the recovery room, they should know better. But the lesson was, that people who have not been where we have, do not understand. I was yelled at because I was disoriented (demonstrative and a tad whiny) coming out of anaesthesia and the remarks were "you're not the only one here" and "some people have had brain surgery". Well, needless to say I was stunned and too disoriented to react in any concrete way except to tell her to "GO AWAY". But it affected me deeply. I should have felt safe in this environment and I didn't and it affected my relationships with the nurses and others after. I felt insecure.

I've since complained to the hospital and was assured that it would be investigated. It's nobody's business and noone needs to know, especially when it comes to work environment. Examples....Oh, you've lost weight....yes, I have...how did you do it....cut back and I haven't been quite well. Anything serious? No, on the mend....be vague. They'll stop asking soon enough. Be your strong, confident self.

Anyway, good luck. I find this topic quite fascinating actually. Weight is a problem that we wear on the outside for everyone to see. God knows what issues they have underneath....they just get to wear it on the inside so noone can see and they can feel superior.

The bastards! Don't let them get ya down!

Ruth (P.S. I also had a hernia, good excuse!)

Welcome MissKayNL. 5 years is a hell of a long wait, I feel for you. But yes, you're in the system and that's great. I have to remember that the surgery is truly and simply "a tool" not a cure. It will assist in putting those lifestyle changes in place. So knowing that, you can start now perhaps. More Water, cut down on pop, coffee and sweets. After surgery, sweets and fats won't be digested easily and some people get quite ill.

Anyway, just a thought. But I know it can't be easy. Be patient, you'll get there.

Ruth

I don't know where you are in Canada but you are lucky....5 months! Over a year, year and a half for me. I'm in Ottawa and we are backed up here. But the faster I went ahead and got all the tests necessary done the faster they got me in. Good Luck! I'm recovering now.

I had my surgery 3 weeks ago and am grieving the comfort of food. Having said that, I was only going to get sicker if I continued to eat the way I was eating. The surgery is a tool to help me get my life back. As soon as I get my energy back I'll get back to my pottery and fill my days with activities I haven't been able to do and thus cope differently. It's a new life and I think it's somewhat normal to feel anxious about.

It's a process.....and I cried like a baby the morning of my surgery. But am feeling better every day certainly lighter every day.

Good luck, Ruth

Jessica, you should be drinking 8 cups of fluids a day. This is going to be critical after surgery. And if you start walking before surgery it can only help because again after surgery, it's critical to walk. It felt like a very long process for me as well and quite frankly I ended up eating more and didn't feel ready either. Didn't do what I was supposed to prior to surgery. But once you do the Optifast (that's if you're having gastric bypass) before surgery (3 weeks), that helps you prepare. I was afraid too and I'm still grieving the idea of the loss of food but I was going to die without the surgery and now it's up to me to continue if I want to have some quality of life left.

Hope you're journey ends well.

Ruth

Thank you James. I'm 60 and insecure about healing abilities. I don't recognize my body (how it feels) to know what I should be concerned about. I'm also grieving food as I knew it. Sounds crazy but I loved food and still trying to wrap my brain around a new lifestyle that it is imperative that I embrace. One cookie not 6 mentality. I'm still on pureed diet and I so miss a piece of toast!

Anyway, I know I'll get there but it's still a tad scary.

Ruth

My name is Ruth and am 2 1/2 weeks post op gastric bypass. They also discovered a "giant" hernia which had to be repaired at the same time (apparently most of my stomach was in my chest cavity). It's hard to discern what's "normal" at this point in time. I find my abdomen more sensitive than it was. It feels harder (for lack of a better word) around incisions and almost as if I need something to hold my stomach in place. Still on pain meds and trying not to use Dilaudid any longer so I can have more energy for exercise, etc. Gas pains have only just begun to decrease, thank God for that! Frickin' painful.... Fluid intake is good but I have to watch and make sure I get enough, likewise with Protein.

Can someone help me with what's "normal" or within parameters of what's to be expected. For example, abdominal tenderness get's more severe as incisions start to heal???

Hope some of that made sense....

Luck, Shelly! Hope to talk to you soon.

Ruth