Dawn306

Hi everyone, I have been poking around the forums without finding anyone else mentioning these issues, so I guess I need to ask the group. As the title says, I have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). This means that I have trouble with certain foods (i.e., fatty or greasy), but also my stomach will act up for no reason, making me feel nauseous, weak, and gassy. Constipation is a constant companion, but I manage that with Metamucil and other mucoids. I also have fibromyalgia, which makes me achey all over, and fatigue and weakness are also a problem. Besides that, I had two back surgeries, one which caused nerve damage, so I am taking a lot of strong pain meds to control that. I mentioned my fibromyalgia to the pre-op nurse, but didn't get any reaction. I am considering going to Mexico for the gastric sleeve operation, but I am worried about side effects due to my IBS and fibro or many of the meds I take. Does anyone else have either or both of these conditions? Am I crazy for considering this surgery? Especially going to Mexico for it, where, once I come home, my doctor will be far away and unable to help me with follow-up. I spend a lot of time on my couch, because of the pain and the fatigue. Exercise is not something I can do a lot of, and if I do walk too long one day, I get a major flare-up and have to rest for two or three days. Can anyone relate? Can anyone tell me if the sleeve will help me or harm me? All of your comments are welcome. Thanks, Dawn

You should be fine. As long as you can find yogurt, you will have something to eat. And make sure you take your Protein shake powders with you. I have travelled with my shake powders and snack bars, and had no problem at customs. At the airport, they wanted to open my shake powder container and they put their "sniffer" in there to make sure it was what I said it was. Other than that - no problems whatsoever.

Why are you selling them?

Hi, me again. What are everyone's favorite Protein powders? I really like unjury. Their chicken Soup flavour got me through the first couple of months. It's so expensive though. I tried whey Iso Burst from GNC, vanilla, chocolate, and unflavoured. Yuck to all of them, except maybe the chocolate. Any other favorites out there?

@@James Marusek, thank you for sharing your journey, thoughts and observations, and especially your 'recipe' for the anti-hunger essential oils that you use. I am only 5 months post-op, but I haven't lost any weight since a couple of weeks before Christmas. Baking is and was my downfall. I am finding it really hard to get back to healthy eating. I crave sugar and sweet treats. I think the essential oils are just what I need for a little boost to get back on track and start losing the rest of this weight.

Hi, no, I booked by sending an inquiry to someone on this site, then we emailed from there. I talked to a man....I forget his name. It was a deal with accommodation and surgery included. But they wanted to put me up at a house they had in the city. It was hot. Nobody else was there. I really didn't like it, so I insisted they take me to the hotel. I think there was a Trish I was talking to from a place here. Once I emailed the first time, they were really pushy. In fact, she phoned me and told me that she hoped I wasn't going with dr. Ponce de leon and basically scared the crap out of me. Like I wasn't in good hands, etc. Well, their price was more than twice what I paid by booking directly with Bariatric Pal. And what they did to scare me was nothing short of criminal. It's a cut throat business, and it seems like they will do anything to get you to be their customer. I would recommend you look on this site for the various surgeons and their prices. Dr. Ortiz is also a popular one. Lots of ladies that were at the hotel had their surgery with him. They went through a company called "A Lighter Me". They got a bus ride to and from the airport, the stay in the hotel, and they got a tour around Tijuana on about day 3 post surgery. They all seemed very happy with their service, and they had a nurse right on the floor in the hotel that checked on them daily. I would also recommend that company. And they didn't pay any more than I did. I think we all paid around $4,200 - something like that. The Trish from Regina wanted $10,000. They did offer support after surgery, where I have nothing. But, I just couldn't pay that much. Honestly, if you pick Dr. Ponce or Dr. Ortiz, the rest is just paying for different service. Both of those guys are fine surgeons. I also got a video of my whole surgery. So, besides the staple line in the stomach, I also know that he did the "oversewing" procedure. So, I know that I won't have to worry about a leak. It was pretty cool. But gross too, you know? But seeing it really gave me peace of mind.

Hi, yes, I would totally recommend dr. Ponce de leon. He is very well respected there in Tijuana. He has an assistant, Dr. Garcia, who speaks very good English, and he does all of the pre and post explanation. He is super good! Made sure I was comfortable with knowing what I could eat, and how long to take to eat, etc. He even was on call by telephone when I had some issues a day after I had left the hospital. There is a hotel there that lots of people use for recuperating from various surgical procedures. It's called the Grand Hotel. I would recommend staying there.

Wow! 52 and 44 pounds! That's so great! Glad to hear you two are doing well. People's interest sure drops off after getting over the operation and the first few weeks it seems. Are either of you exercising? I can't do much, due to scar tissue on my lower spine. So, I can't help the loss along by burning calories with exercise. Other than that, I'm not sure why my weight loss is so slow. But, I'm still happy I did it. Thanks for the responses.

Hi everyone, It's been 2 to 3 months for us August sleevers, and I am wondering how everyone is doing? I wanted to post some questions to the larger community, but I'm not sure where to put them, so I thought, what better than to ask the folks who are at the same stage as I am? I lost 35 pounds in the first 2 months (including the 10 days pre-op), but then I plateaued and didn't lose anything for 2 full weeks. Of course, even though I've heard others say not to worry, I still worried! I'm at the point where I can eat almost anything now, so I wasn't stopped by the nausea and pains that I had at first. Then we had Canadian Thanksgiving, and I ate more than I should have for 3 days in a row. I didn't listen to my body's signals and was just trying to keep eating because it tasted so good. But then, I would get pains in my stomach which alerted me to being full and I stopped eating. But within 20 minutes, I would feel so full I felt like I wanted to throw up. Each burp would bring up food into my esophagus. Yuck! Has anybody else done this? Now I am trying to eat slower and listen to my body's signals, but some times I don't think about it and just eat like I used to. And guess what? I lost 3 pounds!!??!! What the heck? Anybody else find that? I used to be a weight watchers leader, and I remember that we were instructed that if people ate too little, their body's metabolism would slow down too, so we would tell them to eat a bit more to break a plateau. It worked! I am finding weight loss coming a lot slower for me now, but I am trying to only weigh once a week so that I don't obsess over it. I'm sad that the initial fast weight loss phase is over. Is this what everyone is experiencing too? Last thing I wanted to tell you is that Bariatric Pal has a new online store for high protein weight loss foods! Maybe you already know this, but I wanted to make sure you all know about it. Prices are a bit high, but you can find stuff there that I can't find in my local stores. I have tried a few things, and my favorite so far is the Decaffeinated Cappuccino mix. It's unbelievably yummy! 60 calories, only 2 carbs, and 12 grams of protein! I also am in love with the peanut and pretzel bars. Finally, a protein bar that isn't so sickly sweet! Here is the link, and I'm looking forward to re-connecting with you all and finding out what's going well, what is a problem, whatever you want to chat about. http://store.bariatricpal.com/ p.s. use this code to take 10% off your order: BPLAUNCH10

Sounds good! I like to season mine with Old Bay seasoning, and then squirt some fresh lemon or lime juice just before eating. Yum!

Wow!! Back2Barb78, you look great!! I haven't lost all my weight yet, but my butt and thighs already look like your before picture. A plastic surgeon at home told me that they can't do anything for celulite, but your butt went from looking bumpy to looking smooth. Besides the tummy tuck, what did they do to your backside to make it smooth? And is The Ariel Centre the one that is attached to The Grand Hotel in Tijuana? Did you have Dr. Medina Sanchez? Sorry for all the questions, but I'm excited that there may be something that I can have done to make my bumpy thighs look good! Oops, I see in reading the previous posts that you already shared that information. Sorry, should have looked first

@@Awjones28, it takes a while to get past that feeling that you just don't want to put anything in there cuz its just going to cause problems. But after a full week, you should be getting better. Don't let yourself get dehydrated. You will feel worse from that too!

Just followed the package directions. One scoop of powder mixed in 1 cup warm Water (actually, I like it a little more diluted than that so I use about 1 1/4 cups water.) They send a thermometer along with it, because if your water is any hotter than 140 degrees, it will curdle the powder - it kind of looks like cooked egg whites. That happened to me once anyway, and I just used my immersible hand blender on it, and it was fine.

I still like to mix my juice half and half with water. It makes it so much easier to get the water down. Chicken broth will be your best friend for a while. I found it went down easier than cold liquids, and didn't cause any pain afterwards. Walk lots to get the gas all out of your system. Walk, sip, walk, sip....this will be your mantra.

I ordered unjury Protein powders in both chocolate Splendor and chicken Soup flavors. The Chicken Soup has been a lifesaver, since it is 'almost' clear. I was instructed to stay on Clear liquids for 10 days after surgery to give my stomach a chance to heal, and I had Chicken soup for almost every meal. Plus it gives you 21 grams of protein, that you won't get from just plain chicken broth. I ordered it online before my surgery, and it took about 2 weeks to get here (Canada).

Yep, go for it! You won't be sorry!

Good to know! And I love Bonefish Grill! That is something that I can look forward to once I can eat real food. Do you think I could have them on the mushies stage? Or do I have to wait till I get on the full diet?

Also, I currently have LOTS of veggies every day. If we are limited with volume of food, I assume blending veggies and drinking them would be OK as long as no sugary fruit added? Otherwise, how do you get the 5-7 servings of fruit and veggies needed each day for optimal health? Thanks for any input and opinions --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You don't get the 5 - 7 servings of veggies a day. That is why you take a multi-Vitamin. My doctor told me that I would probably not have salad again. The reason is that if I can only hold about 4 - 6 ounces of food, and given that Protein is the most important, if I'm deciding between a 4 ounce filet mignon or a big bowl of salad, what am I going to choose? The meat, of course, for the protein. His advice was, in order of importance, to eat the meat first, then fruits, then vegetables, then carbs only if you have room. Take Calcium every day, and take a multi vitamin that has lots of the B Complex in it since we won't be getting that from foods. And oh yes, also take a D vitamin every day. I know it's difficult, since it's a whole new way of thinking about what you should eat. No salad?!? I was shocked too. AS for the high quality fats, my doc also said that the only fats I should be eating are the good ones, and he mentioned olives and olive oil, and coconut oil, and avocado as things I should try to use. So don't worry about your good fats, you are already choosing the right ones anyway. Hope this helps.

My doctor told me that I would still need to consume one protein shake a day once I got onto real food, for the reasons you have stated - you just can't eat enough to get in all your protein.

I'm glad you brought this up, because I have been thinking the same thing! I'm only 13 days post-op, and for the first 4 days or so, I could only take small sips, and couldn't drink a whole 4 oz, but then once the pain of the operation got less, I was able to drink in normal size gulps, and I can drink way more than 4 oz. In fact I'm just polishing off an 8 oz glass of juice/water! Are you like that? Even now that I am on full fluids and on Protein shakes, I still don't get full. I make enough for my husband and myself, starting with 1 cup each of liquid, and sometimes I add frozen fruit or a banana to thicken it up, along with ice, and half of that comes out to almost 2 cups. I try to make myself drink slowly, but I drink the whole 2 cups worth within about 15 minutes. I really am hoping that I start to feel full once I start eating mushies! I've lost 22 pounds already, counting the weight I lost in the pre-surgery phase, but the last few days I have been going up and down around the same number, and think I might have hit a stall already!

Thanks for this! I love crab cakes, and I love Old Bay too! Nothing wrong with tried and true!

@@jfer, do they know what caused the swelling? Was it related to the surgery? It seems strange.......I've heard of it happening after a mastectomy when they remove the lymph glands under the arm. But this surgery shouldn't have done it. Anyway, glad you are doing better! It's enough to get used to your new stomach without having additional problems like you have. Hang in there!

I couldn't find anywhere that sold it here in Regina, so I ordered it from their website. Their Protein powders are really nice tasting. I have tried the chocolate Splendor and the chicken Soup flavors so far. I have heard others say they really like the Orange flavor, but I haven't tried it. I always use the little thermometer they sent along with the Chicken Soup flavor to make sure that my Water is not over 140 degrees. Apparently it will curdle like cooked egg whites if you put it into water that's too hot. Their site also has some recipe ideas for the protein shakes. They also sell some protein Snacks which I plan to order next. They are pretty expensive - works out to about $2 per bar. I have to keep reminding myself that my favorite chips are around $3 per bag, so it's not such a bad choice. Will let you know how they taste.

Hi, well, surgery was 12 days ago, and I'm still on liquids.......at least it's full liquids now. I think this is a great thread, since most of us have to be on liquids for a few days, or a week or two, or like me, 20 days! It was Clear Liquids for the first 10 days, and now it's full liquids for the next 10 days. Now the challenge is to get in enough Protein. My program doesn't specify how much I need, but I am going by what someone else said which was 60 grams during the liquid and mushies phase, and 90 when I transition to real food. About the calories and carbs in Peanut Butter and banana, I still use them once in a while, and I am having no problem staying under 800 calories. I found a powdered peanut butter with most of the fat removed at GNC - it's called PB2 and it comes in regular and chocolate flavor. So I use that in some of my shakes now. My husband is doing the diet along with me.....whatever I eat or drink, he does the same. He didn't have the operation, he just wants to lose weight and support me in my weight loss. So, yes, I still add a banana on occasion to our shakes, mostly for him. I make enough for two, so we each get 1/2 a banana. One thing I discovered is PC Blue Menu Fruit Bars. They have no added sugar, and are made from real fruit. I really miss my sweets, but we have one of these once a day, and it feels like a wonderful desert! So, that's a good inclusion to a liquid diet. I also made some Roasted Vegetable Soup, which is beyond yummy! I put my portion through a sieve to get out all the tomato skins and seeds, but my husband can eat it without having to sieve it. I will post the recipe on my web site tomorrow, and give you a link then, in case you are interested in making your own soup. I have the ingredients to make a different soup every day this week. We have one supper from it, and I freeze the rest for another time. I love my own home cooking, and I was so afraid that I wouldn't be able to cook anymore, or eat what I make for others, but I am finding a way to do that! But I am still having a hard time getting all of my Water in. Any suggestions are welcome! The other life saver for me is the unjury chicken Soup Flavor Protein powder. It mixes easily in warm water (or sometimes I use my immersion stick blender), it tastes good, and it has 20 grams of protein in it. I like to use about 1 1/4 cups of water, instead of just 1 cup. Otherwise I find it too salty. You can use it on it's own, or mix it with other soup for a change in taste. We had made some tomato soup, with just water and no milk. It wasn't the best, so we had some left over. We added the leftover tomato soup into the Chicken Soup, and together they made a really nice soup!

Take your own slippers to the hospital. Or even flip flops that you can slip on and off easily. Take loose fitting pants - sweats or shorts - since your tummy will still be a bit swollen when they discharge you. Toothbrush and toothpaste for sure. Chapstick for your lips. One thing I was really glad I had is Biotin Mouth Spray. One of my meds gives me dry mouth, so I had it for that. Well, I hadn't drank anything from 7am the day of the surgery, till I had my surgery at 5 pm. I wasn't allowed anything to drink all that night, or all the next day. My mouth was so dry it was almost painful! I used the Biotin mouth spray a few times that day, and it did help to sooth my dry mouth. Although, I have heard some people say that they got ice chips as soon as they woke up. For me, Ice chips came the second day after surgery. Last bit of advice is to be well hydrated before the surgery. Drink as much as you can up until they tell you to take nothing by mouth - usually about 12 hours before surgery.