IdaliaMay

Heeey y'all. I kinda searched around and I know coffee isn't a *bad* thing, per say.. I mean, as long as you don't fill it with a bunch of sugar and creamer and all that other nonsense... You're not really adding much in the way of calories. HOWEVER... I have heard about the acidity and the caffeine can cause ulcers. I'm a month out as of yesterday, and prior to surgery I've always liked coffee, but by no means did I need it. It was just nice to have here and there. I might have had a cup of coffee every 3rd day or so. So 3 or 4 times a week. But after surgery... I am so tired. I drink coffee in the morning... In the afternoon... It's the only thing keeping me awake through the day. I brew it cold, which I've read keeps the acidity down, and not only that, it tastes so much better. But, I'm more or less writing this to see if anyone is aware of serious issues with drinking coffee. No need to ask me whether or not I'm getting enough calories or Vitamins or Protein or fluids in regards to being tired. I swear, I'm doing my best on all of those. I just wanna know if anyone has had consequences of too much coffee after sleeving. Thankies!

Yup....? Skin glue was all I had on my incisions. I healed ridiculously fast. Fully healed, at least on the outside, in a week and a half.

Oof, reading this made me shiver. I have emitaphobia (fear of vomiting).. I would take the hours of pain over vomiting. I haven't had the trouble of over eating and it's probably this exact fear that keeps me from doing so. Good luck to you? I think? My mom had a gastric bypass 7 years ago, she regularly makes herself vomit in the event she eats too much. I cringe at the thought. She tells me it's not that bad, but in my entire 29 years of existence, I've only thrown up twice (not counting too young to remember). I couldn't even begin to know how to deal with it. Nausea sends me into severe panic attacks. Bah.. sorry. I'm really good at word vomit, though.

I know we don't know each other, but I'm so excited for you! I lost 20 pounds in the first 2 weeks, and it's made a giant difference in how I feel. Don't be shocked if you hit a wall though, for a bit. I've been stuck at 280 for the last week and a half. It's normal. Just thought I'd throw in that little tid bit there. Everyone goes through that stall as your body is adjusting.

For me, personally, I'm not a fan of Jello, but it's an option! I completely forgot about that, since I didn't eat any of it. And the popcicles, but again, making your own from your favorite juices is 1. Less expensive, and 2. tastes better because... well, it's your favorite juice! And if you make your own, then you know there's no added nonsense. I'd skip pudding until closer to the end of your 2 week liquids, because it can be really thick and can irritate the tummy. As far as the cream soups go, give it a try, but I'd thin it out with milk or even the broth. I didn't tolerate it too well in the first week or so, but that could've just been me. I could eat it the second week though. You can get your favorites from campbells condenced if you'd like, and puree them. That's what I did. I'd recommend potato, mushroom, or anything that'll blend really well. I tried the cream of asparagus and because it's so fiberous it didn't quite puree as well as I'd like.

When you finally graduate to soft pureed foods... I did really well with thinned mashed potatoes... and canned tuna with low fat mayo. I'm still eating it, I've moved up to a few other things too, like cottage cheese, ripe avocado, and white fish. All those soft soft foods that you don't have to chew much of. Once you get to this stage you'll find things will be SOOO much easier. really and truly. Just get past that soup nonsense and you'll be golden. Take everything niiice and slow when eating.

i did broths for the first... at least 4 days to a week. Beef broth was a favorite. Watch the sodium though, in some of them. I'd recommend getting low sodium, and if you need a little more for taste, you can add it yourself. Also, what really got me through the first week, and I still do now (a month out) is cranberry and apple and grape juice (no sugar added or low/no sugar depending on your taste) and freezing them in ice trays. First of all, it allows you to chew without actually eating, and the sugars give you more energy. You should really do your Protein shakes during this time but really thin these out and only do about 1-2 ounces at a time sipping slowly, Also, I suggest 2% to whole milk. Why? Well for me, and this could just be a personal experience... it gives you more calories, again, for energy. And it coats your stomach better. I had really bad gas pains and cramping in my stomach the first week in the middle of the night like clock work, and a sip or two of whole milk made it so much better. Now everyone will differ. Get just a small thing of it so you don't waste a whole gallon or half gallon, unless you have someone that'll drink it with you, then that's fine. Cause you'll only get through maybe a pint in the first week. I also added it to the broths.. mm, so good. Concentrate on your protiens. When you get to thicker liquids, I liked thined out bean Soup (completely blended) or squash bisque, I might even combine the two. so completely blended thin Soups will work well for the first two weeks. **WARNING** you will get sooo bored. Lol, sorry to say, but I did. I got really really bored. But push through it the best you can. About 2 ounces at a time, and I would recommend every 2-3 hours (while you're awake of course) to try and get something in your stomach to avoid acid build up which is usually the culrpit of cramping. If you have flavorless Protein powder, add it to everything. you don't have to haul out in the first week and get those 60 grams of protein that is recommended daily... you're only gonna get like.. 300 calories a day. But get protein in every time if you can. Also.. pick up some gas-x tablets. I was taking those evey 6 hours or so. especially in the middle of the night. I recommend the mint cream flavored chewables. Firstly, they taste really good.. I dunno about the others but I really liked these. Second.. they were so smooth, I had no trouble with grittyness, they melted really well and my stomach was fine with them. I got the actual Gas-X brand. It says not to take more than 4 tablets a day, but I was sometimes doing 6 in the very beginning... I had no adverse effects, and I didn't need them for more than the first 7-10 days really. I hope this helped! Happy trails!

My surgery was on July 9th,so I'm just shy of 4 weeks. I feel like I am doing really well. I'm sticking with mostly Proteins, a smidgen of carbs and sugar, mostly from juices. I hate hate hate the taste of anything diet. I gag on it. I hate it, always have. So, I just stick with no sugar added juices. Or make my own juices. Where was I going with this? Oh.. So I healed really well and have graduated on to newer foods sooner than probably most. Now I was always very careful, trying just a tiny amount of something and if it did well (I haven't had anything that's done badly) then I would stick with it for a bit. I'm currently eating things like low fat Greek yogurt, white fish, canned tuna with low fat mayo, and cooked liver (there are some tendons in this. Should anyone give this a try assuming you like liver, chew it really well... Don't swallow those tendons if you come across them, use maybe some thinned Ranch dressing or another of your choice, just for a little added smoothness if you want. Which is what I do) now the reason I tried liver is because I was anemic before my surgery. Before my pre Op diet even. So I need Iron like nobody's business. Um... Oh, I just today gave a try to ripe avocado and cottage cheese. That went really well, and was a favorite snack of mine prior to surgery. So that's exciting. FYI, my normal amount is 2-4 ounces and it takes me around 15 to 30 minutes to eat it, and my normal calorie intake daily is 600-800. Almost always eating Protein, hardly anything else. I get around 50-70 grams daily, according to mfp. I currently don't have any pain, but I do get hunger sometimes which maaaaay be acid build up and I'm just confusing it? But I'm not sure on that. I take my Vitamins, but I'm very forgetful.. Trying to get better on that. I used to have a lot of trouble with gas and air trapping in my stomach when I was eating or drinking, and it caused a lot of cramping, which also was a sign I was full... But I'm glad that's pretty much subsided, and now just a normal full feeling has replaced that. I'm thankful for this surgery. It's a battle, but I am noticing it's getting better daily. Especially when you get to start new foods and you get more energy to do things. Hooray!

Oh my goodness.. I have back issues (who doesn't these days?) and it hurts to sleep on my back, or even my sides. Besides, ever since I was an Itty bitty child, I've slept on my tummy. So... Lol, I mean this is horrible but I started sleeping on my stomach on night 2. I honestly didn't have much pain from my incisions, or my actual stomach. But I had MASSIVE pain in my joints and muscles and spine. I'm not sure the reason, personally... But I dealt with it the best I could. And sleeping on my stomach made it better. Assuming someone could help me roll over. I was so weak. Whew. Anyway, I didn't have any sutures or even butterfly bandages on my incisions. So occassionally I'd wake up and there'd be a little blood on the bed D:, and I woke up like clock work between 3 and 4 am the first week with really bad gas pains. But I took a gas-x, walked around, one maybe drank a little sip of whole milk (the whole milk worked better than skim for some reason?) and it went away within 10-15 minutes. Now I don't think it had anything to do with sleeping on my tummy because this would happen during the day as well. But... There's my experience! It was fun. (saaaaaarcasm) but it didn't last long at all.

I would recommend being with someone for at least the first 3-4 days... In my personal experience, I was in extreme pain, and it wasn't from the lacerations or the actual stomach... I had joint and muscle pain that was so bad I couldn't make it to the bathroom on my own. I couldn't dress myself because I couldn't lift my arms. I couldn't bend over to pull up my pants. I couldn't get off the couch or the bed. Now, I'm young, and have always been strong and very tolerant of pain. I'm lucky in that aspect... But even that didn't help me in the first few days. If I sat down, there was no way in hell I'd be getting up without help. So I really think you should be with someone those first few days, just in case. I didn't think I'd need anyone, but my mom insisted on staying with me, and I am more than thankful she did.

I'm afraid I'm eating too much. I don't know how much in the way of calories a day I should have. I'm having an issue with hunger and the desire to eat, and the biggest problem? My stomach is letting me do it without much complaint. Am I destined to fail? I'm not measuring my food with a food scale, but... I'm using bowls that can only hold up to 4 oz, and I always read the label of anything I eat, and my biggest meal I find is a can of tuna with a little mayo which is approximately 5 oz... At times I get full and a spoon full or two will go to the dogs or what not. I find that's with any meal I'm eating. But I'm so afraid, considering my tummy doesn't complain much about what I put in it, that I am going to just (pardon my language) fuck this shit up so bad. I'm three weeks out of my surgery, and according to my doctor, I should have JUST gotten into soft foods. Honestly? I started a week early... And I was fine. Thinned mashed potatoes, mac an cheese and yogurt were friends of mine. I've switched to tuna because obviously (i'm well aware) that the mashed potatoes and mac n cheese are both, in reality, my enemy. So... no more of those. So now I'm into canned tuna, and beef liver and sea food. Soft stuff, nice and moist. The liver, you might be thinking... is too tough, but once it's really chewed up it's softer than the tuna. I can't assume it to be bad for me considering I have an Iron deficiency. I know... I know, I should talk to my doctor about all of this as well.. but I really want another patient's perspective. I'm using MyFitnessPal daily (with a few mishaps here and there) and at the moment I'm around.. eh, 700 or a little more calories a day. Should I be less? Should I be more? I don't know! I am afraid I'm eating too much. But then looking at my calories I think... really? 700 calories and I'm freaking out about eating too much? But I don't know where I should be right now. My mom had a Gastric bypass 7 years ago... Everything I tell her I'm doing seems wrong to her because... well she had a different surgery. She was on liquids longer, she couldn't tolerate food well.. But that's all another story. I'm just gonna end it there and see what advice any one is willing to share. Cause I could really use a few words of encouragement and wisdom. I am getting 40-60 oz of Water daily, if not more, I take a protonics, I'm taking my Vitamins but sadly I miss a lot. Please don't chastise me, I'm doing my best on that, I'm very forgetful. Sorry for any spelling errors, I'm sure they're in there. But I can't find a spell check on this thing! Hmerkuhilbhf;ghaeg;aeig..

Thanks all for your words, I just wanted to point out, as momohime said, just because my stomach allows it doesn't mean I should. But I want to further go into why I said that. It was more of those times that I wasn't paying attention and ate too much.. and in saying that was relating more to my fear of screwing it up because of that fact. I'm not trying to push my stomach further than it should, and I do pay attention, eat slow and chew a lot as my nutritionist and doctors say to do. But you know those mistakes where you're eating and you may accidentally eat too much too fast? I freak out for a sec.. thinking "oh my god, I might get really sick" but then nothing happens... So.. sorry if this isn't making much sense but THAT makes me fear that I could really screw it up without realizing it. There's always the potential to eat out of the sleeve, as I've heard others put it. I don't want to do that. Who would? You go through the whole process just to end up 300 pounds again.. It's no one's goal.. but it happens. And I just freak out over the potential of it. Especially considering my stomach is being more flexible than I honestly thought it would. I was making stupid mistakes for a few days, because I was sick and tired of the liquid diet.. and I tried mashed potatoes.. and mac and cheese, and my stomach and I both liked it. But... I said to myself... Girl, you just went through surgery.. I know you're desperate, but don't screw this up. Thankfully, I was close to the end of my recommended liquid diet, to where I was told I could start on things like canned tuna and chicken, and soft fish, so I started on that. And it's doing great. I'm getting about 60 grams of Protein now, I've given up the high cal carbs, thankful that I could make that decision on my own. I know that I can screw it up. I fear it greatly.. And it's nice to be able to come here, and express my feelings and get feedback, so I really appreciate it from all of you. Words to help me along, advice, and just to have someone to relate to who may be going through the same thing.

Well hey, fezik23... If anything, we can share words of wisdom with eachother. Or at least both benefit from another's answer. You know, once someone gets a chance to reply ^^; I'm hoping I'm doing ok. I have the hunger pangs, which disappoints me for many reasons, and there are days I feel proud, and days I feel not so proud. I was not proud of my friendship with potatoes and mac n cheese. But I'm willing to admit that I was being an idiot and indulging in my food desires. But that's all done now, still... I'm still not sure on how much I should have, even of the "good" stuff. A normal person should get between 1200(min acording to mfp) and 2000 calories, depending on their activity level. Well a woman, I'd say, with moderate activity. You can obviously exceed this with many different variables. So my goal (which I think is preferable to avoid "starvation mode") is to hit that 1200 calorie mark with moderate activity. Unfortunately I threw out my back and hip today.. So I am not going to be able to take my nightly walk. So far I've gotten in.. 795 calories today. But is that good at week 3? I dunno! Lol, it's so frustrating.

I have to say that I am really happy I chose to do this surgery. I'm just a little over 2 weeks out now and have lost 18 pounds. I've healed really well and feel like I'm ahead of the game. But I'm frustrated by one thing... my hunger. And I can assume most people are frustrated by this, but it's not head hunger, it's true hunger. And the reason I'm frustrated most by this is that the sleeve, although not guaranteed, is typical of taking away the hunger hormone. I was most excited by this. I hate feeling hungry, the tightening of the stomach and the gurgling and the empty feeling. I was looking forward to that most. And to my dismay, it's still there. I've heard that maybe it's gas pains, or excess acid... but it feels like hunger, and it goes away when I eat. And it's annoying, and I'm disappointed, and I feel like throwing a tantrum. I'm now at the stage where i'm doing thicker foods, like thinned out mashed potatoes... I've even done a little mac and cheese, which is doing great, no adverse effects or anything. My doctor told me as I start to eat food that isn't so thin... that the hunger may subside, as the food will sit there longer. Which is obviously great. But God ****ing Damnit. I wanted the hunger hormone gone. I'm really upset about that. So, after reading my long drawn out stupid story, I want to ask if anyone experienced this in the early stages. Did it go away? Does anyone still have this months after? Am I wrong in thinking it's hunger? Maybe it's something imitating it. Let's bond in frustration here. Lol

I'll definitely ask them by my next visit in a couple of weeks, expecially if it doesn't subside on it's own. Thanks for the advice. I really hope that's all it is.

Yup, i'm on omperazole 30 mg daily. should've stated that before but i forgot. I've heard of other people being on more than that, or use something different.

I'm only a week out, so I've got a lot of healing to do... But I'm really annoyed by my stomach. It cramps and gurgles the way it would if it were hungry... It FEELS like hunger, and that is the most frustrating feeling I have right now. I'm so pissed at myself for being angry. I want to feel happy and motivated, but I don't.. I've always been plagued with depression and anxiety, and I recently returned home after recovering at my mom's place. And I hate home so all I feel is anxious and depressed.. I was doing phenomenal until I got back home.. And now I just sit here thinking about food. You know why? Because that's all I ever did at this place. I live in my worst trigger point. It's awful. Nothing I drink is satisfying, most of the time if I drink anything, I just get stomach pains. If I do manage to find something tolerable, I don't get a full feeling. I'm tired, I'm weak, I'm alone all the time with my thoughts of food, and I'm going crazy.. It's keeping me up at night..

You know.. I have this fear too, but I have a really good way to keep your spirits high.. Concentrate more on how you're feeling. Set non scale goals. Like... Walking longer distances, or being able to see your toes again (lol), or your clothes are looser. So if you plateau for a little bit in weight, you can at least be proud of the things you are doing, and how you're feeling. Don't always rely on those numbers.

My surgery was on the 9th,and I haven't experienced ANY nausea until today around 5am. I even have my anti nausea medication on board.. I wouldn't be complaining if I didn't have such a strong phobia of nausea and vomiting. I've been thrown into panic attacks all day. I have only thrown up twice in my life that I can remember, and I'm almost 30 years old. I have the anti nausea patch.. I know nothing is guaranteed but.. Is there anything out there that might be more promising? It's such a stupid problem... I hate having to deal with it.

Hey, just had my surgery on the 9th, so about 4 days ago. I'm doing well, however there is one annoying problem I face around 4am every single morning. I wake up with serious stomach cramping that I can only assume is gas pains. I get up and walk around for a while, take a gas-x chewable, and maybe a glass of milk (milk seems to help a little with stubborn cramping). And it subsides usually in about 10-15min. My nightly routine before sleep is taking a nexium, a gas-x pill, and some juice or milk. I usually get to bed between 11 and midnight. But I'd like to know if anyone else encounters this late night /early morning symptom and if anyone has found a way to prevent it. I'm thinking that an answer is sitting up while I sleep which isn't an option for me due to a lower back injury. Thanks for your input!

My doctor suggested a food scale, it can keep you on track with your eating. Make healthy choices! Avoid snacking.

Hey, I'd say go for it. It's a challenge, my mom went through a bypass 7 years ago. She gained some weight back due to a bad relationship, so it's a possibility. But she got it back off pretty quick. I just had my surgery on the 9th of this month (july) and it hurts, but I know for the sake of my health, it's well worth it, but every day it's getting better. So... If you really feel and know that this step is a challenge you can take on (which if you listen to and follow all the doctor's directions) you will be fine. Get a food scale if you don't already have one for when you start on more solid foods, and keep that habit up. Weigh your foods, 2 to 4 ounces of food is what I was told. Pay attention to your tummy.. Chew for a minute, eat slow.. And when it's full, stop eating. And I know, from one big lady to another, stopping food is an ordeal that brings tears to my eyes. But I don't want food controlling me any more. I want to enjoy my life, I want to go to parks and ride roller coasters and be able to walk without back pain. I want a life I can be proud of, and I'm sure you do to. So go for it, girl.

I had my surgery on the 9th too! Surgery twins! Water and I don't get along either... It hurts. I don't have the nausea with it though, but it is pretty painful. I have much better luck with frozen juice, but I know cold isn't tolerable for some. Not only that, it gives you something to chew on if you have the desire to eat. If the nausea and vomiting continue, I'd go back to the doctor. That's what they told me to do, honestly, because they don't want that happening. Are you experiencing joint and muscle pain? Ooh, that is something I'm struggling with. Everything hurts, my back, my arms, my thighs. Makes it hard to move around. I wish you luck in your journey,, and I hope you start feeling better soon.

In 5 days, I will be having a vertical sleeve done. I have been overweight my entire life. And food was a comfort zone. Unfortunately, as a child these habits were born through my mother. I have no blame or I'll feelings towards her, she battled obesity her entire life as well as her mother. It's a lovely family trait... Any who.. Fast forward to 3 years ago. My fiance and I became a couple. Relationships and I are not friends when it comes to my health. I get lazy, I eat out with my boyfriend, I eat more food than I should, more often than I should. I was stupid, I didn't pay attention to what I'm doing. I gained 70 pounds and ended up at 320 pounds which I then sustained a knee injury. No... I wasn't playing sports. I was just too heavy to support myself. About 8 months later I sustained a serious back injury that for the last year has kept me in a stationary lifestyle. Thus, spiraling into depression and self hatred. I made this decision a long time ago, as my mom has the gastric bypass 7 years ago and has been extremely successful. But my mindset wasn't right for surgery until recently. I have worked extremely hard for this, 6 months of diet consultation with my primary doctor, tons of loop holes with my insurance, and more time and money that I ever thought I'd be able to give. But I did it. And now, with the support of my friends and family and Co workers... My surgery is a reality and I'm totally ready. I've so far lost 19 pounds total since I started the prerequisite 6 month supervised weight loss, and 9 pounds of that since the start of my liquid diet, my goal being 6 pounds. On this journey, I've been able to identify with food differently. I cook at home way more often, I make smaller portions and I don't eat as often as I used to. Sometimes, I get really pissed off thinking a out how I wasn't able to do this before. But honestly, I have done it before. But it comes back. It always comes back. The biggest reason for this surgery is because I needed something more permanent. And I realize it's always possible to regain the weight. But I think... Since I've been making these changes through out my life... And rethinking my relationship with food, and not to mention the support I have in my life, especially my mom... I have a really low chance of failure. I'm really proud of myself these days. Sometimes I feel silly boasting about it, but modesty here can step aside. It's my year! It's my turn to live life to the fullest! And if I can do it, any one can. Trust me. Take care y'all. I am glad I could share my story. To be continued.....