Cervidae

I had very similar fears. Would I be able to eat enough, at the right times, the keep my body nourished? Would I forget and eat too fast, or eat the wrong thing? Etc. I had my surgery almost 6 days ago, and not only do I not regret it one bit, but I found that a lot of the things I feared were just a non-issue after going through everything I have gone through with surgery and my recovery so far. Your body will instruct you, reward you when you do the right things, and yell at you if you eat too fast or eat something your pouch doesn't agree with. You will learn so quickly and then realize that these habits you were afraid of were really habits you knew you used as coping skills but no longer need and can no longer continue to do. Be aware of what you need to do, how you need to drink and eat, etc. but don't obsess about it because you will find (sooner than it seems!) that you will learn along the way and everything will be just fine in the end. I would also highly recommend getting a therapist if you don't already have one. All of us here either have or had a bad relationship with food and eating at one point in our lives, and talking to a professional is the best way to work on your issues in a healthy way. It's just a way to kill your old, bad coping skills and obtain new, healthy ones that will server you well for the rest of your life. Feel free to message me anytime if you have any questions about surgery, recovery, or anything, or if you just want to talk.

The "punishment" of the RNY is greatly overstated. I chose the RNY based on my doctor's suggestion and because I too liked the idea of the forced behavior changes, though i wouldn't put it quite that sternly. I am 6 days out from my surgery, and I am already feeling a lot better. I'm still sore and tired but I can walk more and more often, sit up and sit down by myself, etc. As for the restrictive diet, it's actually not as restrictive as, say the VSG. People who have the VSG can't eat Peanut Butter or Jerky, or a whole list of other things. People with the band possibly need adjustments, and there's the possibility of slippage. The RNY diet is essentially a diet every person should be following, surgery or no surgery: good amounts of Protein, low sugar/fat/cal, plenty of Water. After a certain amount of time recovering, your pouch would be able to handle a lot of foods you used to like, only in much smaller portions (which is important for health and maintaining a healthy weight anyway). There are certain foods you should never eat again, but that's the way with any person, with or without surgery. If you eat something spectacularly bad for you, your body will say NO WAY and you'll learn pretty quickly to steer clear of it or suffer the consequences. I also wanted the RNY because it greatly reduces the hormone that is produced by your stomach, called ghrelin, that is what causes a lot of people to overeat in the first place. Less hunger hormone, less hunger. When all is said and done, your doctor and your own research, as well as what seems right and more comfortable for you is what is going to matter. There are lots of choices because people have lots of different lifestyles, medical histories, and health issues. RNY works for me because I definitely want to be held accountable for what I put into my body for the rest of my life, and in my mind, if i'm going to have my abdomen cut open and my guts rearranged, I want the most bang for my buck and I want it to be a permanent change. It's still only 6 days since my surgery but I can tell you now I have no regrets. Good luck! Hopefully the experiences and opinions of others here will help you with your decision. Regardless of which surgery you go for, or if you decide against it entirely, take care of yourself.

Congratulations! You look (and, I bet, feel) amazing! I can't wait to get there. Just had surgery on Monday.

I'm 5 days post-op and you are definitely not the only person experiencing this. While I don't necessarily WANT to eat things, when I see pictures/videos/recipes that are foods I really liked before (salty/creamy/savory, mostly) my head is like "yes, let's eat those! I want that!" It's a very strange feeling. Because while the front of my brain is still experiencing those cravings and I am angry at myself for still even having them after all my hard work and recovery, the deeper part of me is, while much much quieter, stronger than my head-hunger. I know somewhere that it's possible I will always find these foods to be objects of cravings, but I also know and feel deep down that I'm able to deny those cravings and instead of giving my body what it thinks it wants, give it what it needs. In the end, we will win and our head-hunger will not. Those are just crappy coping skills that will go away with time, therapy, practice, and probably no small amount of effort. But it will all be worth it in the end. Feel free to message me anytime if you want to talk or anything. Take care!

@@ldubois104@gmail.com I had surgery the same day! Woo! Also I have the same bloating/gassy issue, and I found that Gas-X Thin Strips are a lifesaver. They work almost instantly, dissolve on the tongue, and made it so much more comfortable and less painful for me. I would highly recommend them.

@@shasha1974 definitely keep us updated. Positive thoughts.

My med instructions say to continue my fish oil capsules (two enormous ones daily). I'm three days post-op and can barely swallow tiny pills. How do you guys take you fish oil? I tried emptying them into an ounce of unsweetened apple sauce but it was so disgusting I almost vomited for the first time while trying to down it. any suggestions? thank you!

Something to do with my PCOS. I believe it helps keep my skin-related issues from PCOS to a minimum. My specialist seemed to swear by it, and I actually have noticed a difference since I started it.

my insurance actually required the same thing, and I had the same issue you did, no insurance for a long time before I started this process. All they ended up needing was paperwork filled out with my primary care doctor and signed by her in which I tell her I have been obese for about ten years. Some things need documentation but a lot of insurances will take your doctor's word for it, and your doctor will take your word if you are open and honest with him/her. Hope this helps and is the case for you! Good luck, keep us posted.

Generally the documentation begins with your first doctor visit at the center you are having the surgery. Some insurances will take primary care physician data, but usually, in my experience, it starts with the bariatric center. Good luck to you! Keep us updated. I know 6 months seems like a looooong time but I had about a year between my decision to look into surgery and about 8 months from when I first went to the required seminar at my bariatric center. And 8 months, in retrospect, went by insanely fast. I am now 4 days post-op and I am still feeling a bit surreal that it has happened, the surgery is over, and I'm now beginning my new life. Hope this helps.

Congrats! It must be a wonderful feeling. I just had my bypass on monday, and my first follow up is this coming wednesday. I hope everything looks as good as yours does. Keep taking care of yourself!

I would highly recommend sleeping on a recliner or propped up on a couch. The very idea of laying flat makes me hurt/uncomfortable right now, and I had surgery one day before you. I've been sleeping in a recliner, mostly reclined, but having my abdomen not laying flat really, really helps. also it's much better support for your back right now, and that helps too. One more thing, about the gas - my boyfriend went out and got me Gas-X Thin Strips, they're less than $5 a box and one or two dissolved on the tongue reduces or eliminates my tummy gas almost instantly, and makes it a thousand times easier to drink liquids. It's been a huge comfort. Hope this helps!

I'm 4 days post-op. You are all going to do fantastic.

Oh wow, I will definitely look into this, thanks a lot for the info! This could be a huge help to me.

I've been searching for smaller pills but can't seem to find ones that would suit my needs. We have checked a couple different drugstores, walmart, wegmans, etc. Maybe I'm just missing it?

ah, yes, I'm in New York. Though it is still possible you could call your doctor and see about some kind of gas relief. Best of luck to you, feel better!

Thanks @@axlr8n, I will definitely look into that. Anything but the fishy applesauce, blegh! >.>

Hey, I'm four days post op too! Surgery buddies. I too have these sort of "stitch in my side" pains, and I realized yesterday that they are tummy gas. Not the gas pumped into the abdomen during surgery, but air trapped in your stomach and intestines. My boyfriend went out and bought me Gas-X Thin Strips, they melt on your tongue pretty quickly and work within 3 minutes. I felt almost immediate relief after dissolving one or two on my tongue. I would highly recommend them! I haven't really felt that fullness that is so common of new pouches, partly because I sip very, very tiny sips, wait about 30 seconds, then take another teeny sip. Spacing out the small sips but keeping them consistent has pretty much eliminated all discomfort I had the first couple days of getting used to drinking with my new pouch. I'm about to try a sugar free pudding cup for the first time, so I have no idea how that's going to feel, but my Protein shakes and Water have been working just fine with this method. Feel free to friends me and message me any time if you want to talk! Congrats on your surgery and good luck on your recovery. I'll be right here with you. ;D

I'm still in the liquid phase, as my surgery was on this past Monday the 17th. But I can tell you that I am able to easily finish an 8 oz protein shake, as long as I take tiny sips, wait a minute, take another sip, and so on. It usually takes me about 20-30 minutes to slowly sip them, but I haven't had any pain or even a full feeling yet, really. It's all about pacing yourself and listening to your body, from my limited experience. So don't sweat it.

How much was that altogether? And you you mind linking the site you got it and the nutrition info? Please and thank you. also have you tasted them, and are they good or at least not awful? My sense of taste is super sensitive since surgery 4 days ago... XD

Feels amazing, doesn't it?! Indescribably, to finally have proof that it's happening. I cried too the day I went in for the last surgeon meeting and scheduled my surgery. Just had the actual surgery this past Monday the 17th. Could not be happier and more hopeful about the future! Congratulations on your approval! Everything is about to get crazy, stressful, and completely wonderful! Keep us updated.

I'm rather gassy and bloated too. Walking helps but i also found that using gas-x strips that melt on your tongue do the trick for tummy and intestinal gas. It works almost instantly too so it's pretty great.

I was not required to do a pre-op diet (only two days of clear liquids right before surgery) but I put myself on one with my surgeon's blessing. It consisted of 3 low or sugar free protein shakes a day, as much water and tea as I wanted, and a small meal of mostly protein three times a week. I didn't think i would lose a lot of weight from only one week of this diet, but I actually lost ten pounds, much to my surprise as I stepped on the scale on monday, the day of my surgery. I have no idea what i weight now but I am very curious.

@@zackly, I just had my RNY on monday, three days ago. I got home today around 4 pm. They sent me home with oxycodone for pain, a nausea med, an antacid, a stool softener (which I truly do not need but I will follow orders and take it anyway), and a chewable Multivitamin to be taken twice a day. The first day was honestly terrible, but I spent most of it sleeping and on some heavy duty pain medication, so I barely remember it. The second day wasn't fun, but immensely better than the first. I had a bit of a problem with my drainage tube touching a nerve that was causing a fair amount of pain, but other than that, no complications. Today, the third day since surgery, I feel great. I'm sore, and walking is still a slow and mildly painful endeavor, but I can sit and stand by myself, take in fluids rather easily, take my medication with no issues, and I am generally feeling a LOT better. My advice to you would be don't push yourself too hard, it's not a race, but definitely try to walk, even if it's just a few feet from your bed to the bathroom, as often as your body allows. They say the gas pains dissipate the more you walk and I found that to be completely true. Every day has been and probably will continue to be much, much better than the last. You've got this. If you need someone to talk to, feel free to message me any time. Take care or yourself and allow the nurses and doctors to help you every step of the way. Soon, you'll be healed up and ready to start your new, awesome life. Congrats!

I just had my RNY three days ago, on Monday the 17th. Even only three days out, I don't regret it at all. In fact, I have this content, hopeful feeling that I've done the right thing, the worst is behind me, and my new life is now beginning! If you have any questions or just want to talk, feel free to add me as a friend and/or message me any time. Congratulations on your first steps towards a healthier, happier you.