justmel2003

I had RNY surgery July 2014 and had a great experience with my doc and all the nursing staff at the hospital. I went home on the third day, a Wednesday. I went back to work on Monday (desk job) and only did part time the first week. But while tired at the end of the day i really did feel good! Pain was practically nonexistent. There are some who take 6 weeks off after surgery and all i can think is, why? Obviously there are those that have complications, but I really do think that the quicker you try to move and get back to a normal schedule the better you'll feel. I also tend to think that much time at home gives you too many opportunities to think about food, what you miss eating, etc. Just my two cents. Good luck to you!

I, too, am at a stall after losing 130lb in 10 months. However, since I log everything into My Fitness Pal I can definitely see that it is my higher carbs and lower protein that has had the biggest effect. I'm also turning to food more than water so H2O reduction doesn't help either! I'm trying to get back on track with my food choices and spend more time in the gym. What I have noticed in posts, though, is that strength training is not emphasized. This should really be the foundation of gym work. Cardio is great to condition the heart and lungs as well as building slow twitch (fatigue resistant ) muscle fibers. But building fast twitch muscle (for fast, strong motions like lifting heavy weights) will keep your metabolism running higher, even at rest. Think about it, hamsters can run all day long on their little wheels, but they're still fat, right? Lol And marathon runners can go go go all day and night, but they probably need help lifting a heavy bag of groceries or moving a couch to vacuum. Anyway I know I had great, fast results and am slowly but surely uncovering a better body with strength training (as well as HIIT/Tabata work). Just my two cents. Good luck to everyone on getting back on track!

Do you have a white tongue and/or some discomfort swallowing? It could be Thrush - I had surgery on 7/21 and have done great overall, but this has cropped up. I just got a pill for that yesterday. I had a hard time getting anything down since nothing tasted right - even plain water. Turns out it was a nasty little yeast infection in my mouth. I took one pill and the fuzzy tongue feeling is better, but the follow up pill 3 days later will knock it all out. Be sure you throw out your toothbrush after a day or two after your first pill so you don't reinfect yourself. Good luck!

I'm sure blood work has something to do with it...I'm very heavy with an astronomical BMI but have no comorbidities with good cholesterol etc., and only had to do 2 days Clear Liquids pre-op, thank goodness! broth and sugar-free Jello got real old real fast, I can't imagine doing 15 days. Stick with it - there are some decent-tasting Protein shakes out there that will get you through! Good luck!

For a quick on the go shake, I really love the Pure Protein vanilla (30g protein, 1g sugar). The Myoflex chocolate is a little heavy on the chocolate I think, but drinkable (42g protein and has a good amount of branch-chain amino acids). For powder mixes, the Met-Rx vanilla is hard to beat - it's slightly higher in carbs but really is good. I really like the Isopure vanilla mixed with anything (like berries, or PB2 peanut power). But my favorite so far is a combo: 1 scoop Isopure Cookies N Cream 1 scoop Probolic Chocolate 6oz skim milk ice cube or 2 Super delicious! FYI I got all the powder stuff from Bodybuilding.com - good prices!

My boyfriend went to GNC and got me a deluxe blender kit for $30 that is incredible - it comes with several cups (large and med), plain tops for storage, sipper top and top with a hole for the straw, as well as the plastic straws, and it came with a chopping tool and small cup. It's about the same size as the bullet I think - but it's a lot for $30 bucks.

I got quite a bit of stuff on Bodybuilding.com, and here's one concoction I came up with that is really really good: 6oz skim milk 1 scoop Isopure Protein shake mix - Cookies N Cream flavor 1 scoop Probolic Protein Shake mix - chocolate flavor a couple ice cubes This seriously takes like a great chocolate milkshake!

Dacarter, DO NOT FEEL like a failure for not losing on your own! My own research (and that from my doc) has shown me that more than 95% of people fail in their efforts if they have more than 50lb to lose! My boyfriend of 4 years has a degree in exercise physiology, and has been very active (and annoying) in his attempts to help me with nutrition and exercise. He admitted to me that he felt like a failure when I decided I was having the surgery, that he couldn't teach me anything. That statement made both of us feel like crap! So, with the resources I had at my disposal I didn't manage to lose a pound while with this guy, how could the average heavy woman succeed? You're taking control of your health, and have nothing to apologize for, and don't need to explain to anyone your decision. If someone asks tell them the truth - that you've had surgery and are will be getting healthier every day and feeling awesome doing it! The statement 'easy way out' is a joke - it's major surgery, a major expense, and an incredible commitment! I had surgery on 7/21 and am feeling awesome. A little tired here and there, but I've needed no pain meds since leaving the hospital. If you're doing this - feel proud of your decision and look forward to being a new awesome you!

One thing I forgot to mention - for the last several days I've had a weird taste in my mouth, my tongue felt fuzzy, nothing tasted right, and had a little discomfort swallowing. The white tongue pointed to Thrush - yucky yeast infection, but only takes two pills to cure. I didn't put two-and-two together until my nutrition class this last Wednesday, but the nutritoinist brought it up thank goodness so I was able to jump on it before it got too awful. A couple days after taking the pill, be sure to replace your toothbrush so you don't reinfect yourself!

7/21 was my surgery date, and everything went very quickly, very smoothly. I woke up pretty quickly and felt really good almost immediately (thanks, Morphine!) My surgeon used an On-Q pain pump - it's a subcutaneous line that constantly drips pain med directly to the sight of surgery; I had to carry around a little 'hand-bag' for a couple days, but it's totally worth it! Up several times the first day. Had the catheter out the second day and didn't have any problems urinating after that. Had an x-ray with contrast (yucky stuff) on second day to check how everything was running. Stopped using Morphine and went oral on pain med the Wed morning after surgery, and other than one right before they pulled the Q-pump and the Penrose drain, as well as the central line IV in my neck, the afternoon of discharge (Wed afternoon) I really haven't needed pain medicine at all! I have some soreness, to be expected, but nothing I would even want a Tylenol for. I still had quite a bit of drainage in my Jackson-Pratt drain (the one with the bulb) so I went home with that - it was finally removed on my post-op appointment this last Wednesday (10 days with drain). I'm healing up really well, still a little bit of oozing from Penrose drain site, really nothing from the Jackson-Pratt drain site, and I'm itchy itchy itchy. I got oxygen delivered when I got home, I was needing just 1 liter of O2 during exercise and 1 liter at night; now I'm just 1 liter at night for another couple weeks - I've been sleeping really well, so it's helping me heal faster. I was sent home with Enoxaparin, an injectible blood thinner, and had to do that twice a day - here's a tip: be sure to let the alcohol dry before you inject, and keep the fat pinched for a few seconds after you're done injecting, it eases the burning. Prior to my post-op appointment I had to take a nutrition class, and there were several other people that had surgery the same day. I'm graduated to soft foods (yogurt, cottage cheese, scrambled egg, soft fish, etc.), and in another week or two I'll be introducing more soft foods, with solids in about 6 weeks. The day of surgery I was down 5lb from the start of things, and at my post-op I was a total of 20lb down (10 days out). Definitely the first couple of days I felt like I was sloshing around with all the liquids they put in my IV and what I was drinking. I was warned that I could gain Water weight right after surgery and that the scale is not your friend right now! I have noticed a change already, not so much with my clothes, but I can walk down my apartment stairs now without my knees crying - and that's at 20lbs! I would seriously counsel you all to NOT WEIGHT YOURSELF the first few weeks. In fact, I don't think the scale is a friend at all - you should be trying to eat right, drink right and exercise; working the program will guarantee weight loss, but focusing so much on numbers might just discourage you. I went back to work the Monday following surgery, I've been part-time this week but have had zero trouble driving (I have a 5-speed). FYI - the three things I only used from home in the hospital were my small fan, my Android cell phone with charger, and an extension cord for both. With my phone I had relaxing music playing at night, and with the fan I really did rest well - when I wasn't being woken up by nurses! lol Honestly, this exerpience has gone so smoothly and couldn't have gone better. I felt well educated going in, the doc and nursing staff were amazing and I feel a billion pounds lighter already! The only thing I'm pretty disappointed about was that I could not post anything on my cell phone! I have an Android and am using Bariatric Pal Pro, and everytime I tried to post I was kicked out - so annoying. Anyone that is going into surgery, I wish you all luck and good health.

Woohoo! Got the go-ahead with no special cardiology release needed - the afternoon of 7/21 I'll be a post-op bypass patient and will be a big 'ol loser, can't wait! Good luck to you all - we'll all be losers together!

Good to know, thanks!

I just had my pre-op today, bloodwork, etc. , and I only need to do Clear liquids for two days. Other than the celebratory office lunch and happy hour in a couple days I'll be on Protein shakes. I'm hoping my surgery won't be put off, though, my ekg came back funky on the p-wave, which is an electrical thing, no blockages or anything like that. I'll find out in the morning if the anesthesiologist will okay me or send me to a cardiologist. Keep your fingers crossed!

Did anyone take a personal fan? I'm usually on the warm side, and I just don't know how warm or cool my room will be...

I'm very heavy right now, but tall - my starting weight is (currently) 373; my surgeon asked me what I wanted for my goal weight (possibly to feel me out about how realistic I am), I said 160. His reply was "let's shoot for 180 and negotiate from there," which I thought was a great answer. Given my age (46), height (5'8") and size I might have a hard time with the extra skin, etc. I visited Dr. Wolkodoff here in Denver, he's a PhD in exercise physiology and is very involved with pro sports medicine. He did an in-body scan to get an accurate picture of intracellular/extracellular Water, where my muscle is located, where I need to gain muscle, etc. It was actually surprising to hear that my lean body mass is currently 167, and he suggested a goal weight of 210 (adding the average 24%-ish body fat most women should have). He gave me a BMR (basal metabolic rate), and told me to gain 2lb muscle in each leg but that I had plenty of muscle in the upper body; he gave me some basic information and suggestions as to an exercise regimen. It was a great consult, and I'll be following up with him post-surgery at 1mo. 3mo. and 6mo. This is something i would suggest everyone do, not just bariatric patients, and I'll be bringing my 24-yr old daughter with me next time - she's not heavy but doesn't really exercise and I'd love for her to have an outside perspective on her body composition so she doesn't land in the same boat as me. My surgery is 7/21 - good luck to everyone on here, both pre- and post-surgery. Mel