jlt6187

@@LipstickLady There was no psych evaluation or bloodwork, and no nutrition counseling. I went in originally for a hiatal hernia repair, NOT weight loss surgery. I had a barium swallow study and a manometry esophegus test, both of which were hernia-related. Right before the surgery (literally-I was in the gown, IV was in), they did an EKG, so I guess that counts as cardio testing. I don't know what they usually do for WLS as far as cardio tests go. I signed consent forms that listed normal surgery risks-bleeding, anesthesia risks, etc. Nothing specific about longterm lifestyle changes. The doctor brought up the idea of WLS at an appointment before my hiatal hernia repair surgery. He said that it would be done for free because it could be done at the same time as the hernia repair. So my insurance covered the hernia repair, and there was no additional charge for the WLS. All I was told was that it was a relatively new procedure (I don't know why people keep saying it's not...I looked it up and many websites say it started around 2011...that's still pretty new!) that involves folding part of the stomach over on itself to make it smaller. He said I would eat smaller meals and that there weren't any other side effects. I didn't meet with a nutritionist until today, and he seemed surprised that we didn't have an appointment before surgery. Hiatal hernias run in my family, and this same doctor repaired them on both my mother and father in the past 10 years. I didn't feel any need to do further research on the doctor because I trusted him based on their history. I'm not saying that it's not worth it-I haven't decided yet, honestly. I'm just frustrated with the situation. I put my trust in a doctor to give me all the facts, and I didn't get them. It's not just about the Water, it's about the lifestyle changes that I didn't sign up for. It makes me really understand why a lot of WLS require you to lose weight before the surgeries-as much as I wasn't great at dieting, compared to this, I know I'd pick sticking with a diet long-term (that is NOT meant to be judgmental! I think I just made a dumb choice, hearing about an option that sounded quick and easy at the time, and now I know that that's simply not the case with any WLS). I know some people are judging me for not doing enough research, but if a doctor makes it out to be no big deal, I'm inclined to trust them. That said, I think the only way I'd make it into a formal complaint as you mentioned would be if I do decide to have the procedure reversed.

@@Brightfuture058 So, food actually doesn't stay in the stomach as long as it did before WLS? @@Jersrose43 And no, I received zero counseling before the surgery. I had an appointment with the surgeon because I had a hiatal hernia that was causing acid reflux. He brought up the idea of the imbrication for weight loss, confirmed the hernia with some testing, and then we scheduled the surgery for three weeks later. There was very minimal discussion of the WLS. I asked for side effects and downsides, and he said I would have to eat smaller, more frequent meals. That's it. He actually specifically told me that it was relatively new and that I wouldn't find much online. The only other question I asked was if it would have any affect on future fertility, and he said that, if anything, it would make a pregnancy easier due to weight loss. He assured me that I shouldn't have any other concerns. So for all the people fussing at me for not doing my research...sorry that I trusted my doctor? I honestly didn't know any better. Most of you probably had months to consider. I had a few weeks. You had counseling-likely nutritional and psychological. I had neither and did not know those were normally required. I went in to put in end to years of acid reflux (which, by the way, wasn't even caused by the weight-it started years ago when I was quite thin, so the WLS was unrelated). I guess I'm in shock with the lifestyle changes, and I think that's fair.

I had an imbrication (without a band). Pretty much every website just compares it to other WLS, and if all of them include the no drinking thing, I guess that's why it didn't come up. I'm just frustrated that my doctor never mentioned it. I'm one of those people who likes to know everything ahead of time. I had resigned myself to not eating bread for quite a while (and I am a carb-o-holic!), but no water during meals FOREVER means eliminating about half of my normal foods. I understand that losing weight and being healthy should be more important, but I'm irritated. I'm mad at myself for not just dieting better on my own. I'm 26 years old and I feel like I just made a mistake that will mess up my eating forever because I wasnt well informed.

About a month ago, I went to the doctor to see about having a hiatal hernia repaired. He suggested a relatively new procedure for weight loss that he could do at the same time as the hernia repair, and it would cost me nothing to add it on to the procedure. I only needed to lose about 50 pounds to get in the optimal range for my height, so I wouldn't qualify for other weight loss surgeries, and hadn't even considered them before. I asked about side effects, etc, and he said I would just have a smaller stomach, so I would just eat less-smaller, more frequent meals. Great! That was the part of dieting that was always the most difficult for me (portion control), so if it would force me to do it, why not? I would have to be on a liver-shrinking diet for two weeks pre-surgery and a high Protein liquid diet for two weeks after surgery, then soft foods transitioning to normal as tolerated. Sounded like a breeze. That's all the information I got. There's very little info on the internet about this procedure, so I couldn't do much research. I'm two weeks post op now, and I've learned that I cannot eat or drink 30 minutes before or after meals, or during meals, for the rest of my life. I didn't know about this ahead of time. It was on my hospital discharge papers, but I assumed it was temporary. Nope. I'm upset-maybe to an unreasonable degree. I like spicy food-Thai, Indian. I absolutely cannot eat it without Water though. And the spicy food that I like is very healthy! It's mostly tofu with steamed vegetables. I don't like that I wasn't informed ahead of time. I knew that I was going to have to cut back on carbs, but by eliminating water during meals, I feel like I've actually eliminated a lot more of my food choices simply because I cannot imagine eating them without water! I was told that even a sip was not ok. On the other hand, I feel so silly for being upset about something as simple as a glass of water. I know my body is still reacting to the surgery and I'm a hormonal mess, but I've been upset enough to cry and consider having the procedure reversed. I just wish I'd known ahead of time what I was getting myself into. I really don't think I would've gone through with it. Advice welcome.

I'm just shy of two weeks out now. My surgery was a little different than the traditional ones, so I'm not sure if this works with the normal diets, but I've found that pureeing silken tofu and adding it to dishes works great. I was really sick of the sweet shakes and I can't have artificial sweeteners, so I needed an alternative. Silken tofu puree has a similar texture to yogurt, but it takes on the flavor of whatever you add it to, and it's a great source of Protein. I like it mixed with creamy soups (I make potato soup without the chunks of potato and stir in the tofu). You can also put it in smoothies. I suppose you could even double up and add protein powder and tofu to get even more protein in your diet at once. If you're allowed cottage cheese, try that mixed with just a tiny bit of fruit puree. I actually bought some babyfood peaches and i put about a teaspoon for every two tablespoons of cottage cheese. I'm lactose intolerant, but the Lactaid brand cottage cheese is great. i was craving mexican food, so i came up with an alternative to a layer dip that included foods i'm allowed to eat: refried Beans, plain greek yogurt, and a thin layer of pureed guacamole. I like it cold and just eat it by the spoonful, while I used to eat with with chips (and topped with cheese). It satisfied my craving and had protein! Again, not sure when this is ok with the "normal" surgeries, since these are higher carb, but when you're able, i also suggest thinning oatmeal and grits with extra milk. I'm using about 1.5 times the amount of milk required (lactaid brand), which gives me extra protein and helps it go down more easily.

I had surgery about a week ago to repair a hiatal hernia, and at the same time my doctor performed an imbercation-basically he folded a bit of each side of my stomach over and sewed the edges down to reduce the sides of my stomach. Apparently it's a relatively new procedure for weight loss that they use for less extreme cases, which is leading to me having some trouble researching it. I'm assuming that my recovery will be similar to that of other weight-loss surgeries, as I had to do do two weeks pre-op resitrictive dieting, 3 days post-op Clear Liquids, and two weeks full liquid before moving on to soft/mushy foods. I'm having a really difficult time getting my required Protein. I barely want to drink Water or broth, much less a Protein shake. Yesterday was the day I was able to get the most protein so far since surgery-about 25g-and I woke up today feeling so sick to my stomach that all I've had is about 2 cups of clear broth. My protein goal is 60g, but the doctor said if I can make it to 40, that would be okay. I'm lactose intolerant (I was pre-surgery as well), vegetarian (though I will eat some fish), and can't have any artificial sweeteners. I was only able to find one Protein powder without any artificial sweeteners in it, and I mix it with almond milk. I think the thickness of the Protein shakes is what is grossing me out right now, but I don't know how else to get my protein in liquid form. No matter what I mix with this powder, it's really thick (even water. yuck). Help please! Also, side note (sorry this is so long!), did anyone have issues with a fever post-op? They kept me in the hospital 3 nights instead of 1 because I had a slight fever and low oxygen. Since coming home, I've consistantly had a low fever (99.3ish), usually in the evenings. The doctor said not to worry about a fever unless it was 101 or above. Is this common?