jdc121975

It isn't normal but I had insane energy and still do. It also helped me heal insanely fast after my surgery a year ago. I was on roller coasters 2 weeks post op personally and having sex within 4 days of surgery (staples still in) Oh I had laproscopic not open.

I was 350 July last year PRE-OP. I'm now 196-199 give or take. I'm a 6'1" 40 year old male. My original "GW" was 250 (it was a number I wanted to see again) My next "GW" was 220 (a number I weighed when entering Freshman year of High School) My next "GW" was to drop below 200 (accomplished and holding below currently) Now I say all this because a "GW" can be a moving target if you ask me. I've hit 3 of my personal goal markers and when my surgeon and his staff ask me where I'd like to be I respond quite honestly with, "on a beach." I'm happy with where I'm at. BMI can use some work I suppose and I'll probably settle in around 170-185 in the end with summer coming around and thus the ability to get out and walk daily. Don't sweat the numbers. Sweat the protein and the water - count those numbers! Don't eat sugar don't eat bread and enriched flour products. And yup - too early to be worrying about it :-)

It depends where the gas sits but if ur in extreme pain and I mean take a 350 pound man down to the ground in tears - pain.....then odds are its on diaphragm and it will hurt to breath. Then lay in left side. All my weight pushed into bubble and forced it to move and then it disappeared.

My gas bubble ended up sitting on my diaphragm - talk about pain! Took me mind over matter to lay on my left side (side where the largest port was put in and the most staples were) but once I did and placed all my weight on the side the bubble moved and vanished in mere moments. My advice is this - take it day to day. Never give up. Never think you are in control, you are not. Follow directions from your NUT. Don't eat tortillas or breads of ANY KIND. Eat protein and a lot of it - as much as u can fit before the full feeing. Protein shakes, drinks, bars, etc when you reach solids. Muscle burns fat so long muscle works against us. Be happy! Your about to have your life changed for the better but your brain is going to go thru some serious mind fucks as you travel on this journey.

Seems like your looking to blame a lot of people for allowing you the surgery from the psychologist who you saw for an hour or so to the surgeon whom never seems to be there when u are. Fact is we are adults. This was a major surgery for all of us and we all did our research and no one could have prepared any of us mentally for this type of surgery. You WILL get thru it. A reversal? You wouldn't think undergoing a major surgery to reverse a major surgery will be an option. In fact I can imagine it being a massive risk to preform it. I hope you seek some help psychologically and spiritually because there is nothing that can alter ones mind other than oneself. Choose to be happy and you will be happy. Choose to be angry and you will be angry. Your fulfilling your own prophecy though - eventually your going to push even your fiancé away by choosing to be so angry. Smile you WILL BE OKAY.

Salivation is a sign of your pouch being over stuffed not dumping. Dumping is from my understanding a painful and disgusting diareah that is pretty much uncontrollable. 1 tablespoon would probably be a smart choice. Puréed. Then chew for 60 seconds. Then chew another 60 seconds. Then swallow half of what's in mouth. Then other half. Then repeat until you have turned 1 tablespoon into 4-6 bites. You'll be fine in time and you will learn to adjust.

None of that is what u need right now. Ur filling ur pouch with the secondary stuff and u only get so much room. Try Syntrax Nectar Protein - it's sugar free and carb free and loaded with protein and chocolate truffle 2 scoops mixed with 16 oz of water will give u 1/2 of ur needed daily protein. Try quest bars and quest protein chips - also both easy to digest. DO NOT eat pita chips and hummus until u have gotten ur protein amounts. Your sabotaging yourself by doing so. You will be "burping" up meat at this rate because ur pouch is full up on pita. Sorry if this is harsh but you chose this route like we all did and u should hear that it's protein FIRST! Throw the chip crap away. 6 months out maybe have one. Right now vegitables and fruit are not even something u need to be eating if u aren't getting protein amounts yet. Vitamin supplements are to take care of everything but protein.

I guess I should have clarified more so that it's the enriched flour carbs I avoid completely or the straight up carbs coming from all those skittles and m&ms inused to eat by the bag. Beans and such I enjoy in reasonable amounts. And give those flavored tuna packs a try too - I used to mix tuna packs with a whipped up egg and divide it in two portions (one in fridge) and the other I'd heat up some oil in a pan (just a little) and I'd get a nice crispy like patty made with egg and tuna (tastes great and was easy to digest)

Don't eat carbs! Not after 5 weeks. Number one. Number two is you will find many things that work and others that don't - so experiment. I was able to eat tilapia but not salmon, beef but not chicken, filet but not strip...... But DO NOT EAT CARBS!!!!! Protein ONLY! Talk to your NUTT and surgeon about any physical issues though but be honest with them. This has to be a joint effort for us all and when we start thinking we control the weight loss because we have the surgery - we lose. We all got excessively fat over years of poor choices, make the right ones now and if you can't digest something then try something else next time. Come back to the original issue food in a month or so as it may change. May never change. (I can eat most anything now but I still choose ZERO carbs unless from Vegitables or some fruits) ZERO soda, ZERO sugary candy

I found experimentation to be the best thing. An egg mixes well with tuna and makes a nice patty with a little olive oil. Sprinkle some salt on it and u have a crispy tuna patty - tons of protein too. Maybe some crab meat? Shrimp sautéed in a little butter and seasoned well? Salmon patties? Chicken salad? It's not the meat that won't sit well, it's the DRY meat. Add some moisture with butter, gravy, etc. make it more medium than well done. The point behind no corn or enriched flower the first couple months in the more successful programs is because our bodies NEED protein and theirs ZERO need for enriched flour and corn. Some of these programs around are nothing more than herding fat people thru a turnstile and knowing they will be back for revisions. Do some research. Don't eat enriched flour or corn. Don't drink alcohol, etc etc. Make smart decisions.

I have tried the cheese chips and cheese shells. Problem I found was that with high protein and low fat and low carbs my shits (as in frequent as they were) were even more solid and painful. Protein makes your shit hard and large. Add in cheese and u back that up further and it gets bigger and harder to get out. Want pain in the ass - have rny, eat 100+ grams of protein, and then add cheese crackers and cheese shells to the mix......you will find the bathroom wall, floor, and ceiling issues though since you'll be in there for quite sometime groaning over the excruciating pain of getting those infant sized turds out of your anus. Just my opinion.....oh and make sure to have a plunger near by

Steve, I'm not sure that the best advice to give someone that recently had the surgery is to go back to the bad habits of consuming high starchy corn or flour shells. Instead the rule of thumb is to load protein and try to avoid the crap we used to allow to rule our lives. I have a close friend who lost hundreds of pounds with the surgery and looked great until she slowly thought she could eat chips and candy and in a short time she's put on half of what she lost. So sure once in a while eat a taco if your a year or two out. But everyday on anything high starch is poor judgement.

Try Syntrax Nectar protein mix - high protein, zero carb, zero sugar! I mix chocolate truffle with decaf coffee and add sugar free creamer

I'm 6 months out and I enjoy taco salads - I take all the fixings my family uses minus the shells and put them in a bowl. Yummy!

Set a plan. Schedule your exercise, even if that is walking 3 miles a day - do it at the same time every day without excuses. Personally I got a dog so no matter how much I may want to sit on my ass, he needs to go outside for a walk and he's a pretty big motivator since its walk or clean up a mess.

I was sent home with liquid painkillers so right away

I'd call your surgeon. No way should you be able to eat a cup and a half of food at this point unless it's salad. Besides that advice if suggest easing denser foods, don't snack, eat 3 meals a day, 3oz per meal - WEIGHT IT OUT!!!!! Drink and drink and drink some more. Don't drink 30 minutes before or after a meal and don't drink during a meal. If your drinking anything with carbonation, STOP! No caffine at all. Try liquids only for a week to restrink pouch. Add a b-complex vitamin with thiamin to your regiment (helps in the burning of food as fuel).

I totally understand this feeling being just over 4 weeks out myself. And add to those feelings the feeling of baking or cooking for family and either taking a risk trying it as you cook or not even being able to eat what you make at all. Gets old gets old really fast and starts to hurt. But is it us or is it society? Society is the problem if you ask me. The way we all revolve around food for socializing. It's hard but we all have to figure it out and how to handle these changes - not going to be easy at all but nothing worth it ever is.

Thank you. And yes the nuts are a little early I agree. I have an ability I have had since I was a child to basically do what birds do. To be a little more visual I can chew, swallow, and before food is down i can smoothly regurgitate the food which at that time has the feel of almost a lubricated ball but allows for further chewing and this lubrication adds to an extreme break down into a mush. Now I realize this is very detailed and visual and may seem disgusting but there's no different taste. Imagine a post nasal drip being pushed into your mouth from your throat. This process has allowed me to eat most whole foods like brats, chicken, etc non puréed as soon as I was off liquids. And yes with this process I actually showed my surgeon the consistency by giving him a quick 30 second "show"

I waited for this surgery now for nearly 2 years and this was after dedicating a year plus to getting qualified 5 years earlier only to be denied due to the immense amount of "hoops". Now I've gotten to the finish line so to say and I've got more emotions creeping up as the day nears and the classes and appointments add in details. Well I've never seen so many different methods to one procedure in my life. Can eat this, can't eat that. This portion that portion. Protein supplements, no protein supplements. Sex after 6 weeks, sex after a week or two, sex when you can tolerate it. Straws vs. no straws. I mean you look online and there's a different approach to the "post operative" eating for as many places that conduct the surgery. How is this helpful? Protein first? Love this idea since I love meat, fish, and chicken. But 60-70 grams of protein isn't coming from 12 - 16 ounces of meats, eggs, fish, yogurt, etc in a day but I'm told by my facility that protein supplements are a no go (but their dietician says 4oz is ok as a meal replacement) - so not sure why I read other facilities encourage 8oz of protein drinks 30 minutes after meals and mine is conflicted between nurse and dietician on use of it at all. A month ago I was 350 pounds, I'm down to 323 by increasing activities, lowering portions, and eliminating most carbs during the pre operative diet. It's not been easy but I feel it's best to listen and do as I'm told by the facility that's doing the surgery. I'm just so tossed on when to "not listen". I enjoy protein shakes and during Syntrax Nectar zero carb ones that give me 56 grams of protein to 16oz of water. I'd say that's a massive PLUS as I've already got to consume 64oz of clear fluids so wouldn't this be a positive for any one of these surgeries? And when it comes to straws vs. cups for drinking due to "air" give me a break. I have tested this theory for months now and unless your gulping the air (like some kids do to force burping) then neither approach adds more or less air to the belly. Now true I'm no scientist or surgeon but it's the same feeling either way i drink. So why the straw requirement? What proof do they have that more air comes into the stomach with a straw vs. without? Yes I'm a "proof" guy. I need to see it to believe it or at the very least be shown an example or two that makes sense. Sex. Well I'm a guy, so I honestly can't see how ANYTHING besides incision pain could affect sex. I mean I'm not talking rough, throw around, animalistic, multiple partner, drunk, 50 shades of grey, sex.....I'm talking married with children, we have finally got the kids to bed, I had a long day sex. So why the blanket 6 weeks answer I was given? Why the range of when your feeling up to it all the way to 8 weeks post operative? And the drainage tube. Well I'm NO GOOD with blood. And in the teaching class I went to it was explained that some people go home with this and need to empty it. Screw that, doesn't insurance cover home care nurses to come empty that stuff and check for issues? When does buying a new car require me to physically change the oil and transmission fluid? Man when I'm nervous or anxious I ramble and when I'm scared I tend to analyze, so about now I'm going into a a combination of asking, talking, and answering all in the same sentences when I'm around people. I'm used to laughing off pain and hiding behind joking and kidding around when I am uncomfortable. I've never really been me. I never felt like "me" was what people would like to be around. I feel trapped in my own body. I always have. I have always rather stay away from people then to work so hard to hide how uncomfortable I was around them. I was always great at that though, no one has ever realized how fake I was. But the real me, the true me, the big guy who still remembers being an 8 year old in Sears with his mom being told i needed the "husky" pants well that person has been hidden pretty well. Gosh can't believe I wrote that. Can't believe I'm scared to have this surgery, but scared to fall asleep and forget to have a CpAp mask on too. Scared I'll forget I took my insulin and take too much. Scared now that I'll eat too much and give myself a heart attack,my it scared after surgery I'll eat too much and vomit or have dumping. I've weighed the risks out, I really have and I KNOW this surgery is my last hope and my best option. Being analytical intend to really look at every choice and resulting tree from those choices. I've heard some people in my lifetime state how racism is the worst thing in the world because it demoralizes and is easily passed on thru generations from a racist parent to their child. Well while I agree that racism is horrible, i believe obesity is even easier to pass down to our children. I am a fat, over eating dad who watches TV and plays video games most of the time because it's easy to do and my weight has made me so uncomfortable in social settings. Because it's easier to eat more while at home close to the food. Therefore my young kids play video games and watch TV, and eat junk too. I push them to eat healthy but they see dad. They see mom too. They do as we do. I'm going to risk it all to have these doctors tip the odds in my favor so my kids start seeing daddy going for walks, volunteering at their school, swimming when we go to a hotel, eating smaller and healthier portions, and sure I'll still watch TV and game (but less time and not while eating - drinking water surely lol). I'm hoping when I go to bed at night that I can put my arm around my wife without a hose attached to my face. I hope that the pills I take are limited to vitamins and I can eliminate the diabetic medication. I even hope that no matter how much exercise I add into my life that I can eliminate the workout I go thru to shower, all the lifting of the belly and reaching for areas that have become harder and harder to reach as my arms must have shrunk (lol) over the years. Yes humor as tears start to swell in my eyes. Humor to try and hide the pain I feel daily when I realize my stomach has reached a point where my arm length is barely long enough to wipe my own @ss. When I reach a new level of humiliation because my male parts are buried in a mound of fat and only usable when I'm aroused. Peeing has become a drop and hold then wipe so it stays clean. I feel like my bathroom routine has become more like a woman's than a mans. All this hidden inside me, feelings that fat has overtaken me. Yes I'm anxious for the next 11 days, I'm certainly nervous of what's to come during the surgery and after, and I'm scared. I'm scared something will go wrong, something will prevent the, from doing it, I'm scared I will screw it up afterwards, I'm scared I'm too weak, I'm scared I'll get thinner and I'm scared that I won't. But I want to live healthier, thinner, and pass on better eating and excessive habits to my children. They more than anyone deserve their dad to be there for them in the best way possible. 11 days and counting. My daughter of 8 years old wants to go on a Rollercoaster with daddy, she wants her daddy to be able to fit on one so bad, she wants to show her daddy how brave she is...... Her daddy looks forward to it.

Omg everyone I was out of recovery in under 30 minutes and I forced myself to walk the moment I was put in room. I was walking the entire floor 12 times or more Before the evening of my RnY procedure. By day 2 I probably walked a good mile during the day before they pulled the drainage tube, IV, and released me on no diabetic meds at all. Since then I decided to buy a Fitbit (yeah no shit I was the guy that wouldn't turn of the video games or TV and only paused them to talk to kids from the couch or jump up to grab some food and by some I mean a portion suitable for King Aurthurs Knights - all of them) Well now I'm walking 10,000 plus steps a day and trying to bike about 4 miles a day. Holy shit right? I'm just over two weeks out now and my July 1st weight was a whopping 348 pounds, as of this morning my scale had me at 289.8!!!!!! I'm busting my ass, pushing limits the surgeon has told me I shouldn't be pushing, and I've had INSANE energy since I came out of recovery. The tell me that in itself is an anomaly because most all people are weak and tired after a major surgery like this, but I haven't felt weak or tired. In fact I wake up at about 7:30am and bed at midnight on average. I'm eating by the clock, I don't really care for food anymore. Wife makes pizza it doesn't bother me at all. Tacos, couldn't care less. I make kids pancakes and they seem like a waste of time to me. I eat a single egg made into a cheese with salsa, pepper jack cheese, salt, and pepper. Or a filet of tilapia. A couple slices of Deli meats makes a meal for me now. I use the half of the tilapia filet fork shedded and mix it with an egg the next day and that makes me two meals of a mock fish patty (tastes awesome). But food is boring now. I toss more on my plate than I eat. I've been drinking 100oz plus of fluids since a couple days after surgery which I've gone against the dietician guidelines and have a 16oz protein drink (syntax nectar chocolate truffle) which gives me 46 grams of protein. It's not all great though. My wife and I are drifting apart. She sees it and I see it. I'm not the same lazy guy I was a few weeks ago. She isn't an active woman. She tries but I'm going for 4 mile bike rides with her and kids and then coming home and saying lets go for a walk I want to get in 6000 more steps......I'm becoming the guy who actually enjoys walking and basically beating my previous day's mark. It's sad really because no matter what she looks like I love her and am attracted to her. I just can't see it continuing like this and not having major issues down the line, I have to face it - she married the guy that was a home body not the get up and go for a walk guy. And especially not the guy who is going to walk miles and miles every night. My steri strips haven't even all fallen off my stitches and I'm going a mile a minute. Heading to six flags great America tomorrow with my son and his friend, their 5 so no major coasters (that's next week when we take our 8 year old and her friend) - season pass holders. I want to test myself under the worst possible conditions. At a theme park as a dining pass holder surrounded by fried and massive portions, junk foods galore, soda, and just about all the rest of the no no items possible......can I do it? Well I've got my water bottles, my lemonade crystal light, a half dozen sergentto snack packs I found that are new to market (cheese nuts and dried fruits) not all of which I am supposed to hAve yet but under a dire situation they will be handy. I've also looked over the dining pass options and I can get a deli wrap (take out meats toss the rest) and they also have a chicken Caesar salad in a taco shell bowl (grilled chicken meat is doable) also for a buck extra charge I can get a turkey leg (not the best as far as two weeks out from surgery but I'll try it well chewed and see)......snacks will not work, free refills in our sports bottle will go filled with ice for me so I can have my crystal light ice cold. I'll manage because I'm preparing myself for success. And boy oh boy will I get the steps in lol. Even a fish taco is doable if i scoop thru the fried outside and scrape out the fish part lol toss the rest of the crap. And I'm gonna try some tester seats I couldn't dream of getting into a month ago and see if I am any closer to riding those coasters - I see surgeon a week from tomorrow (or today - Friday) depending on time zone. And hopefully he clears me for coasters so if I fit I can go on some with my daughter next week :-) All in all I'm doing GREAT!!!! And anyone that's got a Fitbit - I'm new there OBVIOUSLY but my email is jdc121975@gmail.com and I'd love to have some friends on that to keep me motivated and to motivate so add me! I hope everyone who is pre op takes this advice - push yourself! No one else can and it may hurt to push yourself but the pain in only temporary and in days you will be asked stuff like "did u really just have major surgery????" And to those of us that are post op my advice is - keep on track! Don't listen to the 1 and 2 and 8 year post op people who say "yeah I can eat a jimmy john unwich" fact is they have forgotten the whole reason we all gained weight to begin with - we pushed and pushed more and more in! Stay under 4oz of food people. Stay away from breads and crap. Processed food is a waste! Remember we all got fat not all at once but with that first bite of junk food. We were all given a a pair of die that were weighted for us to win, but we have to do the work with the winnings so we keep winning!

There are some very nice people in a private fb group, we all have or are having surgery in July so we all support each other. It's a small group but always welcoming others that are having surgery in July 2015. Just message me your FB email and I will invite you. This is a private group on FB so no one your friends with will even know your in it or see posts no matter how your privacy setting are set. There are other groups for other months as well and I can refer you to the person who can add you to any group, but I can add to July.

Everyone that messaged me with email should be in private FB group now or have invites sitting there waiting for them to answer :-) Personally my wife is going through some stuff now as well though. She is my support and she takes on a lot too with no real dietician, surgeon, internist, or groups to help her cope or give ideas or even bounce thoughts off of. Sooooo..... I decided to follow the lead idea of the July WLS private FB I was invited to and am a part of and I set up a private WLS group on FB for significant others, husbands, wives, etc to have a place and people to talk to that are going thru all this with us. I think they need each other as much as we need each other. So if anyone has a support person that's on FB and interested please feel free to message me with their email/FB name and mention support person group and I'll add them to that group. I think it'll be awesome as the are awesome in our journey and it affects them as well.

Getting you added!

Chrissy I never got an email to have you added to the July group on FB and there's no link in message to connect to any FB group, it's a private group by invite only so we have a close knit group of people all of which have or will have surgery this month. If youlD like message me your email and I will certainly get you invited to the group if your surgery date was or will be this month.