ShelterDog64

@@brather You need to transition to unflavored Protein and incorporate it into the foods you're eating. You can add it to any hot or cold beverage, Soups, soft foods, yogurts, etc. There are many brands like Quest, Isopure, Syntrax, GENEPRO, as well as powders made from plant Proteins, too.

At 6 weeks, I was loving refried Beans with cheese. Make sure that fajita meat is nice and moist, that will be good, too

I use GENEPRO as well, it's the only Protein powder I can't smell or taste in food or drinks. I tried about 8 others and ended up staying with Genepro. If you're not on a PPI or an acid reducer, that could be the cause of your nausea. Bottom line for all of you who are having nausea is that you HAVE to get in some protein and fluids, some way. Unless you're actively vomiting up everything, you have to suck it up and drink a shake/eat a yogurt/whatever. Nausea, weakness and a sensitive stomach are an awful, downward spiral...you can't stop feeling weak and nauseated unless you get something into your sensitive, nauseated stomach. Don't slam 8 oz at once, but get a covered cup, stick a straw in it and sip that nasty shake or thinned out yogurt or warm broth or whatever you choose, but put something into your body. I'm in my 6th post-op month and I still have bouts of nausea and am having issues with meat, but I'm putting food/drink into my stomach and keeping my energy up so that I can get past this phase. You can do it, too, I promise!

Clearly you've not seen all the threads about popcorn, pizza, swedish fish, pork chops and tacos. Ha, but those aren't asking for support, they're asking for permission

@@theantichick **There are also a LOT of people who get their information needs met by their surgeon's team, have a good support group in person, and just don't have any complications to speak of. Those people never even sign on to a board like this. That's why I say if you want information about how common a complication or side effect is, talk to your surgeon. They report to agencies about that sort of thing, and they know the real numbers. Complications like nausea and vomiting are common, to be sure. But it's not common to have intractable nausea/vomiting (meaning not responding to meds). It happens, sure. But nowhere near the incidence rates one would think just reading this board.** I'm going to save this to just c/p from now on. Support groups/boards/online communities are TERRIBLE places to find out how safe/unsafe/effective ANYthing is. Your surgeon should be able to readily provide you with his/her complication rate for any given procedure, as well as tell you national rates of the same. You should also be provided with things like your hospital's rate of infections acquired during admission. I had a super easy post-op course, but that's meaningless to YOU other than it being reflective of the rate of easy post-op courses in general for a VSG. Do your homework with your doc/practice/hospital. You can't even find out if a TOASTER is good or not because so few people take the time to say "I love this toaster" but nearly everyone has time to complain about their toast being too brown, not brown enough or popping up too high Same for gastric bypass, VSG, DS and bands!

My surgeon and I talked about a timeline for weight loss, but he also cautioned me that many people don't lose according to any chart or timeline, but still achieve their desired weight loss goal. He has this rough formula that he says generally plays out over time for most people...whatever you lose in the first 3 months, you'll usually lose half of that in the second 3 months, then half of the number from the second 3 months every 3 months afterward until you decide to go into maintenance. I lost just over 50 in my first 3 months and I'm right on track to lose another 25 before my 6 month mark, so it's proving to be right for me. I'm hoping to bust his formula in the third 3 months, though, and get to maintenance by the first of March.

You can't really stretch your sleeve, so I think you're pretty well screwed. This isn't a quick fix, it's a long term surgical solution to obesity and clearly the wrong choice for you.

@@Christina.Rose I purchased several unflavored Protein powders and tried them pre-op. At that time I thought unjury and Syntrax were the best. Isopure's unflavored variety smelled horrible to me and I could taste it. Post-op it was a different story...I used Isopure's low-carb chocolate powder a little, but it's got a weird chemical taste that I just don't like. The unflavored Isopure remains my least favorite. I became sensitive to the smell and taste of both Unjury and Syntrax unflavored, I don't like the Unjury chicken broth, either but do like the citrus flavors of Syntrax Nectars. My hands-down favorite unflavored protein is GENEPRO. I can't smell or taste it in food or drinks and it doesn't bother my stomach. I've been using it for 5 months and am losing very well with it. I recently bought a container of Quest unflavored just to see what it's like and I had to return it to GNC. It was disgusting.

I was given Water, ice chips and Isopure within an hour of getting to my room...I was expected to drink all afternoon and evening. Every program is different, as is every patient. I used my phone and my tablet a lot while I was admitted, I wasn't 'out of it' at all despite my morphine pump.

My success was that for the first time, the day was less about the food and more about the people I was lucky enough to spend it with. I'm so grateful for this new life <3

I'm late to this one, but I just want to say how thankful I am for this new community here on Bariatric Pal. Everyone, to a person, has taught me something and I value you all greatly <3

This is not worded too strongly. I know I need to do these things. It's very difficult when I have a really bad fear for throwing up. Before surgery I was a. Why picky eater and I'm even worse now. The smell of things disgust me. The look too. I also do not like milk. I never did before surgery and I sure don't now either. I used to be able to tolerate skim chocolate milk but even mixing shakes with skim milk now is gross. I am so nauseated by all this fake sugar. I have no idea how I was ever such a crazy Diet Coke drinker. I quit months before Surgery and to think about how much I used to drink of it now is disgusting. I keep making broth and shakes and as soon as I get it in front of me to drink I'm about to hurl. It grosses me out so bad. I think it goes with the nausea though. Trying to go to my closest ER and tell them my surgeon didn't take me seriously was a joke. I went to the hospital the surgeon works for yesterday and it finally went somewhere. So I will see what happens from here and keep trying to get Fluid in." Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App i absolutely understand the fear of throwing up, its almost a phobia for me I do everything in my power to avoid vomiting, but it's also much better to have something to throw up than to dry heave, imo. Pinch your nose closed, don't look at it and sip. If you can get past the first couple of swallows, you may be able to keep it down and once you can keep things down, you'll start to feel better and so on and so forth! I'm going through a phase right now where almost everything I put in my mouth that contains protein makes me nauseated...so I nibble and sip and get up and walk around, breath through my mouth, etc. until I can keep it down. Are you on a PPI or something to keep your stomach acid down? Just another thought.

@@Mandyann You may need to use an abdominal binder to help with those weird feelings...did you get one when you were discharged? They're just big stretch panels with velcro to hold them and our jiggly bellies in place for the first bit of time.

@@donyaki I'd say more people than not hit a stall around 3 weeks. I did and have gone on to lose 70+ lbs...don't freak out!

I brought loose pajama pants and top, a bra and a tank top to put on once I was able to get up to the bathroom, as I HATE staying in a hospital gown. Toothbrush, toothpaste, lip balm and face/hand cream. Cell phone, charger, tablet for reading/playing games. I ended up staying a second night because of my labs being out of whack so it was nice to have something to do besides walk.

Is your largest incision on your right abdomen? If so, it's probably where they pulled your stomach out and that really stretches the muscles...the soreness should let up in a few days.

@@TMHopkins Are you throwing up everything you take in, including Water, or are you able to keep some things down but not others? Someone else mentioned it too, but vomiting is not the same thing as dumping, and dumping isn't common with the sleeve although some do dump from certain foods. If you're throwing up only new things as you advance your diet, go back to what you weren't throwing up and wait a few days. Your stomach is still very swollen and inflamed right now, and everyone has a different reaction to introducing new things.

Do you think you crave the pickles because of salt?

I didn't read the whole thread before commenting, my bad. Good for you for being in therapy already, I think most of us would do much better post-op if we were seeing a mental health professional with training in eating disorders. Good luck to you

Your surgeon needs to know, and being afraid to tell him is another symptom of a food addiction. He can direct you to a therapist who can help you deal with the addiction...you were willing to risk your life to eat stuffing, so it's pretty serious, as you clearly recognize. This isn't just a physical game, it's a huge mental trial and many of us need professional help to conquer to mental part. You need to watch for abdominal pain, blood in your stool, vomiting blood and/or fever over the next few days in the event that you did damage your staple line. Please take care of yourself and speak with your surgical practice on Monday!

I'm going to give you 2 pieces of very concrete advice. First, you can't lay in bed and cry, you HAVE to figure out how to get some nourishment into your body. You feel awful, of course, but you're only going to feel MORE awful if you don't get something in to keep your electrolytes up. I have problems with my potassium levels, it started while I was in the hospital post-op and I still have to be careful. Milk is a good source of potassium, and Fairlife milk has good Protein, too, plus it helps replenish the Calcium you lose when your potassium is low. broth with protein powder is a MUST for you right now, and you should use the Fairlife milk and add protein to it as well. And you need to get your Water in, whether you're nauseated or not. Second, if your medical team won't respond to you, you need to find someone new. Period. Call around and find someone who will take you. Tell your current team that you're leaving if they don't take your care seriously. You need carefully coordinated care right now and speaking only to a PA who can't be bothered to pull your chart before calling you back isn't competent care. Go to the ER again if you have to and tell them your practice won't take you seriously. It's absolutely critical that you're under the care of a team who understands the complications that follow bariatric surgery and if your original surgeon won't provide care, you HAVE to find someone else. I'm sorry you're feeling so awful and I hope this isn't worded too strongly for you, but you're sick and feeling hopeless and you MUST do something to help yourself. Get some broth and protein in your stomach, drink water and make phone calls on Monday. It WILL get better!

I haven't been able to find Protein2O in any store in the Tacoma, WA area, and I'd love to try it. I may bite the bullet and order some but the shipping is terrible. Like @@LisaMergs, I'm not much interested in food anymore. It's just a job now, instead of my very favorite hobby, but I still like to cook which actually was a hobby of mine and the eating was a secondary part of it. I exist on mostly yogurt, string cheese, refried Beans, Fairlife milk (if you haven't tried this yet, get it right away) and GENEPRO Protein powder. I eat a few bites of vegetables most nights with my family and their meal, but I don't eat with gusto like I used to. I know my hunger is going to come back at some point, so for the time being I'm enjoying this 'meh' relationship with food and am trying to shed as much weight as possible. We're having friends over for Thanksgiving dinner today and I'm making part of the meal, they're bringing part. Even cooking all this normally gorge-worthy food hasn't make me hungry, eating the actual meal should be interesting Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

@@mamalisa268 You've had other surgeries, so the pre-op stuff won't be any surprise to you...the standard IV, etc. I woke up in the PACU with horrible sub-sternal pain, which the staff very quickly dealt with and I woke up an hour later being transported to my room on the surgery inpatient floor. I was on a morphine PCA pump (you push the button for a dose of pain med) and was getting anti-emetics for nausea through my IV as well. I dozed off and on for another hour or so, then got up to the bathroom (no catheter!) and went for a walk around the ward. I did this on and off for the rest of the day, took a shower and had some Isopure and Water. Didn't sleep much overnight, but felt much better the next day. I would have been discharged that day but my potassium level wouldn't stay up so I was getting it by IV and kept blowing my IV sites, so was getting a bit dehydrated too. They kept me until around noon the next day, I was up walking every hour for at least 20 mins, was able to keep liquids in my stomach and felt pretty good. All in all, it was really easy and relatively pain-free. The walking helps a LOT with the gas pains from the surgery, do as much as you can! Good luck and be sure to check back in when you're feeling up to it!

@@janedoe92 I'm so sorry My mom (and I'm 52 years old!) was VERY unsupportive initially, but once I put my foot down and told her that I care too much about myself to NOT have this surgery, she came around. People oppose what they don't understand, you know? And when they're afraid it may hurt you more than help you, they oppose it even more. Reassure them, tell them about your surgeon and your program and tell them how important it is to your success and future health to have their support. I laid it on my mom so thick that she would have had to say "I don't want you to be healthy" to continue to argue against my WLS. Good luck, and you'll get lots of info and support here that you can share with your family to help get them on board.