Andrew318

My Surgery is scheduled for May 4th. I am excited and nervous at the same time. Dr. Steven Simper is my Doc in Salt Lake City. I have been super impressed with the program at Rocky Mountain Associated Physicians. They truly care about the patient's long term success. They require that I go through 2 pre surgery education sessions and enroll in their post surgery support groups. They also have a great partnership with a Nutrition and Counseling group and put on regular seminars. Anyway, I am looking forward to the change in my life. Anyone else scheduled for May? What are you doing to prepare for the surgery?

The good and the bad...Today is two weeks after my surgery and I have been reflecting back. The bad...head hunger, eating extremely small portions...about half of what my kids eat, not being able to eat what my wife cooks, restaurants and eating out, limited food selection, weak feelings, nausea, vomiting diarrhea, watching my kids devour s'mores. The good...35lbs lost in 3 weeks, down 2 clothes sizes, compliments from coworkers, no hunger, leaving my plate not empty, new old clothes, feeling healthier, better sex, better example for my kids, looking forward to cycling and running and boating and wake boarding. I know there are lots of ups and downs and my emotions can be all over the place. I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. At least I can see it. Every day is new day and a new opportunity. I am glad to be on this journey.

I believe my throat is sore from surgery. My dad is a retired Ear, Nose & Throat doc and he looked at it and said it probably is an canker formed from the tube they put down my throat during surgery. It sure does hurt. I am very tired tonight and freely extra queasy. I am just about to go to bed and hope for a better day tomorrow. I wish you a better tomorrow.

I hope your day has gone better. I am doing okay. I have a wicked sore throat and I am also struggling to get in the liquids. I get tired and queasy in the evening. I suppose this is our bodies healing and adjusting to the new piping. Hope you have a better night.

I'm sorry to hear of your dumping syndrome I kept getting really bad hiccups yesterday. My stomach is so sore. I thought I was tougher than this. I just keep telling myself it'll all be worth it in the end. I am sorry to hear about the hiccups and I can imagine they are painful. Like you, I thought I was tougher than this and normally am not someone to complain about the pain. Anyway, it will get better with time and be worth it in the end. Keep up the positive attitude!

I'm sorry to hear of your dumping syndrome I kept getting really bad hiccups yesterday. My stomach is so sore. I thought I was tougher than this. I just keep telling myself it'll all be worth it in the end. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain and I am not one to really talk about it either. Sorry to hear about the hiccups. It will all get better in time. Keep pressing forward and it will all be worth it in the end.

I think I had my first dumping syndrome experience and it really sucked! I took 1/2 of the Opurity Multivitamin and I think that is what set it off. I was puking and diarrhea with sweats and going between the toilet and the sink for about 5 hours. I was doing great until this episode. It has cut back to only occasional diarrhea now, but I am still feeling tender. Not cool at all.

The pain is improving but I'm definitely not ready to stop the pain meds. The doc only gave me enough meds through tomorrow, so I hope pain improves enough to to go to Tylenol by then. I tried the chewable vitamin and could only get half of it down. I may have to try a liquid vitamin. On the upside I have zero appetite.

I am on Day 2 post op and it does get better. I too had lots of gas pain and man has it never felt so good to pass gas. The pain is tolerable. The doc has me on hydrocodone and acetaminophen ever 4 hours. I got home at 8 PM last night and it felt great sleeping at home. I had some sf jello for breakfast. I am doing my best to get in as much water as possible.

Today is T minus 10 days to surgery and Day 1 of the pre op diet. My Doc prescribed a low carb max 1000 calories pre op diet with the suggestion of protein shakes for breakfast and lunch and a light dinner. I had to take the scouts camping tonight so I did my best to adhere to the diet. I did the protien shake for breakfast and lunch. For dinner we cooked beef and potato burritos. I only had one, which is very challenging for me. They tasted delicious but I was also hungry. I also packed some veggies and has them as a snack. I tracked it all in myfitnesspal and came out at 747 calories. Not to shabby. Day 1 down, onto Day 2.

Morning of the Surgery - I am excited, yet a little nervous. My surgery check in time is 10:45. I haven't had anything to eat since yesterday at 2:00 and started the bowl cleanse at 4:00. To say the least, I am starving. The bowl cleanse didn't hit until 4:00 this morning. I woke and felt a gurgling in my stomach, then for the next hour I visited the restroom. All in all, it wasn't so bad. The pre op diet is over. I survived! I have lost about 15 lbs in 10 days. It was difficult though. life goes on around you and all those old food situations don't go away. I am ready for the permanent change. I know that I can never eat the same again, and that's a good thing. My Family has been very supportive. My Mom and Dad came to visit last night and my Sister and her family also. They wished me well. I looked at my mom and my sister and wonder if they would ever follow me and have the surgery done. I guess if it is successful for me, they might do it. the pre surgery exam and labs was on 3 days ago. I liked the meeting and was glad my wife came along to hear them talk about the process and after food life. The dietitian was pretty good. She spoke with authority and offered help at any time. The ultrasound of my gal bladder didn't show any disease, so I doubt they will remove it. All my labs came back normal. So it is off to the Hospital. I wish all of you considering the surgery or going through it right now the best possible outcomes!

5 days to surgery. Day 5 of the pre op diet and half way there. I missed logging a couple of days, but all is going well. I actually went to a spinning class at the gym on Monday and that felt great to get some activity in. Surprisingly, my energy level has been good even on the restricted calories, even with the exercise added in. I have been diligent keeping under the 1000 calories requirement and no carbs and this is translating to the scale. I have dropped about 12 lbs in the last 5 days. I know about half of this is Water weight, but 5-6 lbs is body weight.. I have been getting ready for the surgery the last couple of days. The hospital called to preregister and set up the presurgery lab draws. They also called wanting the payment. I am self pay, so I have to cough up the $19,000 for the surgery. I basically took a loan on my 401K to pay for it. It will take me 4 years to pay back, but the payment is reasonable considering the reduction in future medical bills and the improvement in quality of life. I meet with the Doctor on Friday. He requires a 1 hr education class on the new lifestyle and then a 1 hr exam and Dr consultation. His practice also announce the May support group schedule. I am looking forward to attending the meetings and meeting more people like me, going through the same experience. My family has been pretty supportive. No one has been negative. I think they are a little stand offiish on the subject because they just don't know how to talk about it. My siblings are all pretty heavy and all could probably use the surgery. Maybe I will set the example and they will follow. Who knows? My wife has been very supportive. She did question me a week ago if I really wanted to go through with it. She has tried to make dinners and eating work with my diet. It's a little challenging at times because she has never dealt with any weight issues. I probably come across crazy at times going from diet to diet. I don't blame her sometimes being frustrated with me and what to cook for dinner. Hopefully this will get much better after the surgery. Anyway, I am rambling, and life is moving forward.

Thank you for your enthusiasm. I can't wait to be on the other side of the surgery. I knew the pre op diet would be rough. I am undoing a lifetime of bad eating habits. I truly appreciate your cheerful thoughts!!!

T minus 8 and Day 3 on Pre Op. Sunday was not easy. We usually get together for a family dinner and I knew going into this, it will be one of the more difficult food situations for me. Both my wife and I have large families and they both get together regularly on Sundays for Dinner. Luckily, this was a Sunday that we didn't have a family dinner. However, I was home sitting around, itching to eat some comfort food. I am pretty much at a constant stomach grumble at this point. The Protein shakes don't do much for the hunger. I have been drinking chicken broth spiked with Tabasco and that seems to help calm my stomach. Anyway, survived another day. Calorie count was 948.

kim1987 and gonnabeskinny2015, you are both amazing! You are truly my idol. My RNY surgery is on May 4th, and I hope to have great news to report six months from now like you!!!

You look Fantastic! Keep up the good work!

T minus 9 and Day 2 on Pre Op. Today was challenging. Thankfully I was busy with coaching soccer and working on the yard. I started the day with an Atkins strawberry shake, which tastes pretty good. The soccer game was at 10:00 AM, and it was difficult not to stop and get lunch on the way home. My kids both were hungry, but thankfully my wife likes to eat at home and is not a big fan of eating out. So she supported me going home for lunch. Lunch consisted of a Coco Libre Coconut Milk chocolate Shake. I was being a little adventures. The shake actually tasted fine, but I was still hungry. Mowing and fertilizing the lawn took my mind off of the hunger. After working on the flower beds, we broke for dinner. I was feeling very hungry at this point. We grilled chicken and added a green salad with black bean, corn and avocado salsa on top. I practiced hard taking my time, putting my fork down between bites and chewing my food slowly. I think it helped. We ended the night watching the new Annie movie with the family. I munched on celery and carrots, while the kids ate buttery popcorn. I would have much rather had the popcorn. All in all it was a descent day. Calorie Count on MyFitnessPal is 831. I was very careful with dinner to weigh everything to get my exact calories. I am really looking forward to getting past the pre op diet and onto the surgery. Best of luck to all of you experiencing this diet...it truly is not easy.

I start my pre diet on Friday. I am a little afraid of the shakes and not eating. I know I can do a day or two, but for 10 days...it's going to be tough. Best of luck! Pass along your words of advice as you experience this.

I find your posts very suspicious. If you were a real MD, you wouldn't be giving out free advice on a message board for fear of being sued. Also why the secretive name and profile. Why are you hiding who you really are?

You are so right...one step at a time. My Family went to the grocery store the other night to buy donuts for my daughter's class and of course they bought a few extra to eat that night. I was focused and wasn't tempted either. I did walk over to the produce aisle and picked up some mini carrots to eat while they ate their donuts. That also helped. I am cash pay so I don't have to do the insurance requirements. End of June will come sooner than you think. I met with the Doc the first time in February, but couldn't take time off work until May. The time is going by quickly and it is good for me to prepare and work towards the changes that are coming.

I am doing similar changes to prepare. My surgery is scheduled for May 4th. I started in March cutting back on Carbs and working on getting more Protein in. This has gone pretty well, although I have slipped a few times and had to start back up again. I really struggle with the emotional eating, particularly at night watching TV. I am setting some goals to work on the emotional eating. My Doc requires that we meat with a Weight Management Counselor and I am looking forward to working with them on strategies to prevent or manage the emotional eating. I also gave up Soda Pop on April 1st. I was drinking 2 - 3 44oz Coke Zero or Diet Mtn Dew each day. It was very tough to give it up. I actually drank my last Coke Zero on March 31st and then taped the bottle to my garage wall where I can see it when I pull into my garage each day to remind me that it was the last. I still drink a crystal light energy packet in a bottled Water each morning. Giving up caffeine altogether will be my next step. I don't drink coffee, so that's not an issue for me. I like that you are practicing eating slowly and focusing on chewing your food. I need to start doing this also. When I am hungry, I can down a ton of food...which I know can't happen after the surgery. I am fearing that after the surgery, I will forget and take some big bites, only to cause the pouch to make me vomit. I think you smart starting to practice that now. Anyway, best of luck! I am curious to why you are waiting until the end of the summer?

I am scheduled for May 4th. My pre op diet is 2 protein shakes and a light dinner a day. I am to start the diet on 4/24. I'm a bit nervous but also looking forward to the days I can be more active.

I am about a month away from surgery (May 4th) and as I am contemplating the pre and post op diet, my biggest fear is the hunger monster. I can diet and control my food intake for a period of time, but eventually the hunger gets to me and I totally binge. I am very afraid of this and am wondering what you have done or are doing to control the hunger?

Recordsmom...I am very impressed you are already beginning to follow the pre op diet. I thought I would start on April 1st as my "Giving up Soda" Day. I drink a ton of Coke Zero and Diet Mtn Dew, so it's going to be hard to give it up. Like you, Water is going to be my go to drink. Thanks for the kind thoughts!

This looks like a cool gadget. I tried making frozen banana ice cream in my blender and it didn't come out to well. This could totally fix an ice cream craving!