biginjapan

It is so interesting how we all experience things so differently.

I’m day 3 post-op and it is legit work for me to get the daily Fluid requirements. Drinking, even relatively small sips, can often lead to it feeling like my stomach and esophagus spasming. I’ve tried fluids at different temperatures-I think warm works the best, but even that’s not perfect. I’ve tried using hyoscyamine which has been somewhat helpful. But even with that I’m having to be exceedingly mindful of how much I’m drinking. Basically I try to make sure I’m drinking at least 2 Dixie cups of fluid each hour. Usually at first I’m ok but over the course of a couple hours it becomes increasingly uncomfortable.

And in terms of hunger-I have ZERO appetite. I have absolutely no desire to eat or drink. Even seeing my family eat things I’ve historically enjoyed has not tempted me at all. It all just seems so off putting. And as others have experienced it feels like my tastes have changed. I used to genuinely enjoy Protein Shakes, even before I ever started in a weight loss program, but now I find them fairly revolting. I’m drinking them because I have to but it’s not easy.

Anyway just sharing my experience to perhaps provide another data point in the conversation.

@@biginjapan That sucks you experienced it, but I’m glad you are taking it easy. I was the same way for a couple of days after I experienced it. I tried a few crackers last night and I feel very lethargic this morning. So no more crackers. It’s trial and error at this point, huh? Hope you feel better today.

Yeah, I spoke too soon (that's karma for you). My last meal of the day was some low fat yogurt with extra Protein and OMG - now I know what dumping syndrome is! I felt horrible for about 5 hours, nauseous, gas (stomach abdominal area was very distended), etc - it wasn't until I was finally able to vomit that I felt better and could actually go to sleep. Even then I had to lie on my back since lying on either side brought back those symptoms (but less). I certainly learned my lesson! I think I'll take it easy and just do liquids today.

I find it interesting how different doctors recommend different post-up eating regimens. When I did my sleeve back in 2017 I was the same as the rest of you - Clear Liquids, then full liquids in the first 2 weeks post-op. But on this revision surgery I've been on full liquids and purees since the day I left the hospital (day 3 post-op) and I haven't had any issues since. I've been tired of drinking of my Protein so tonight I tried some tuna with a little shredded cheese and it went down no problem. Still not sure how this is working considering my stomach is about the size of my index finger. But, no pain, no dumping. I'm still going to do liquids tomorrow but I may try another small meal with soft food/mushies (maybe scrambled eggs, or mashed carrots, or tofu) - it's a few days too early, but we'll see how it goes. If I have to be honest, I'm kind of upset that nothing has bothered me so far - I really would prefer some pushback from my stomach, or dumping, or something! because I don't like being able to eat and drink what I want. I know that in the long run it will make it that much harder to stay motivated and on track.

It's so interesting how different everyone's plan is! At my 6 week appointment my nutritionist told me:
Protein first: 60-70 grams a day
No more than 50-80 grams of carb (I am generally much lower because I just don't have room
No more than 35 grams of fat (again, generally lower)
We are told to eat 3 times a day. No Snacks (Unless you need a Protein Shake to meet protein goals). I'm eating about 5 oz of food at a meal, although some days I portion 5 oz (usually ~3 oz lean protein plus veggies) and end up eating much less.

I was eating around 500-600 calories for the first 6 months. I was averaging 60-70g of Protein, half of that was from Premier shakes and the rest was mostly yogurts or high protein Fairlife milk since I could barely eat 1 egg or an ounce of meat at a meal until around 6 months out. I averaged around 20-30g of carbs until I hit my goal weight at 6 months and purposely added carbs to increase calories to slow down weight loss.
My carbs during that first 6 months came from veggies and dairy. I didn't eat any potatoes, rice, Pasta, bread etc for the first 6 months. Keep in mind I started at a BMI of 36 and i am only 5'2.
I am now 11 months out at eat around 1500 calories to maintain with a BMI of 21. I have a daily goal of 40% carbs, 30% fat and 30% protein. It works for me for now.

I am 11 days post op and feeling basically normal, aside from still struggling to meet my minimum Protein intake. I went back to work at the one week mark. My commute is an hour, and I drove in torrential downpours that first day back. That day was rough. I have felt progressively better since. My incisions still pull a bit when I turn or move a certain way, which is uncomfortable but not really painful. Today is my first day that I have not needed Tylenol. I do take gas-x a few times a day still. I have lost 14 lbs and am very happy with that progress at this point. I have my follow up tomorrow. I am on liquid for the entire first month, and am already looking forward to food of any kind. I’m not liking any of the Liquid Protein flavors but I’m forcing them in to get the job done. I would say for me, the surgery pain wasn’t all that horrible. The bigger struggle has been adjusting to what a sip is, what makes me full, how to avoid self inflicted pain from drinking too much/too fast, etc. that stuff all has settled in for the most part and I am doing great! Good luck to all of you coming up on surgery dates.

Scheduled Monday, I think it is a race to get it done before they stop elective surgeries and focus on preparing for virus stuff.
In British Columbia, Canada

Hello surgery buddies! I like that we can share our experiences with each other. I’m thinking of you all and hoping you all get better in your recoveries! I got in quite a bit of walking yesterday and that makes me happy! I’m doing well on liquids and I actually had a tiny bit of butternut squash Soup last night and it was amazing!

I was not discreet about my surgery. All my close work peeps and friends and family know. At first, I got some negative feedback like “well I’ve heard so and so had a bad experience...” blah blah blah but I was like look this is my body and I’m excited for this change! After that, they settled down and started supporting me.

I finally got my Bariatric fusion Multivitamin with 45mg of Iron yesterday from Amazon and I have felt good the past two days from taking it. I’m down 10 pounds today and 36 pounds altogether with pre-op weight loss. I started about two months before surgery eating less. I was only having one meal a day and ensure max Protein twice daily. I’d have a banana or cottage cheese when I felt hungry in between. I still had a rough go on the pre-op liquid diet tho, but thank Goodness that part is over! I hope you all have a great weekend! Hugs

I'm on liquids/purees for 3 weeks this time instead of 4 weeks (surgeon was asked before my discharge and she obviously said 3 weeks would be enough) but I guess that the Protein Shakes will be my companion for quite a time anyway in addition.
A friend of mine got SADI after lapland recently at a different hospital and was on liquids/purees only 2 weeks.
Simply said: there is no standard. Same with the diet the teams are recommending. Not every nutritionist in every team recommends "no-carbs" or "no-carbs, low-fat". I never got to hear "no Pasta, no bread, no potatoes, no grains". Caffeine is ok after 4 weeks, other teams say never again. They said no carbonation but other teams say no carbonation is rubbish when the patient can tolerate it as long as the beverages are low-cal.
There are only two things where really seems to be an agreement on: "don't drink after a meal before 30 min are over" and a focus on Protein in the early stages.
In the end it's trial and error anyway. One of the nutritionists on the team said: "I can't tell you what to eat - it depends on what you can tolerate and feel comfortable with. I can recommend chicken and dairy. If dairy makes you sick and chicken makes you vomit - this recommendation is worth nothing in the end."

I find it interesting how different doctors recommend different post-up eating regimens. When I did my sleeve back in 2017 I was the same as the rest of you - Clear Liquids, then full liquids in the first 2 weeks post-op. But on this revision surgery I've been on full liquids and purees since the day I left the hospital (day 3 post-op) and I haven't had any issues since. I've been tired of drinking of my Protein so tonight I tried some tuna with a little shredded cheese and it went down no problem. Still not sure how this is working considering my stomach is about the size of my index finger. But, no pain, no dumping. I'm still going to do liquids tomorrow but I may try another small meal with soft food/mushies (maybe scrambled eggs, or mashed carrots, or tofu) - it's a few days too early, but we'll see how it goes. If I have to be honest, I'm kind of upset that nothing has bothered me so far - I really would prefer some pushback from my stomach, or dumping, or something! because I don't like being able to eat and drink what I want. I know that in the long run it will make it that much harder to stay motivated and on track.

Hi everyone! I had surgery March 3 and everything is going well.

Pain: I found the gas pains in my back pretty awful immediately after surgery but now I feel no pain at all. I have to inject myself with blood thinners for a few more weeks that gives me bruises. Incisions are mostly fine too. Only feels like I’ve been stabbed quickly if I bend in the wrong place.

Food: I was put on mushy purée the day after surgery. I am finding sweet foods a bit too sweet. My Nutritionist didn’t want me taking Protein Shakes but honestly it’s the only thing I can get down in a good amount and since it’s common practice everywhere else I’m ok with it. My calories have ranged between 400-800 a day. I use MFP. I’m not really counting calories though. Mostly eating salmon and cottage cheese mushed up and yoghurt.

Drink: I can easily down a water bottle in an hour, especially if walking. This made me panic that I’d ruined my sleeve but turns out Water just goes straight through so I calmed down.

Stopping: I am a bit worried that I don’t get nausea or sneezing or anything. I know when I’ve eaten a spoonful too much because I feel like the food is queuing down my throat but there’s not really any pain or sickness. I’m going to start weighing my food as I really want this tool to work!

Exercise: I walked a half marathon five days after the operation. Was totally fine. Am doing 10000 steps a day first thing in the morning from 530-7. Ughhhh. But gotta start living like I believe in me!

Weightloss: down 6kg since surgery. I think that’s about 13 pounds or so.

Hope this is helpful andinteresting xx

How are you feeling? I'm going crazy waiting for next week, I want to chew. That cookie is a slider food, but you know that already. I'm not here to police anyone, just to share and provide encouragement with my peers. My advice is to get back on track, you've had a cheat/treat, remember your why, don't create any damage to your new stomach and you have support during this journey. It's hard, this is mental...I want a darn waffle, a piece of Turkey bacon and some darn cashews right now, lol! Instead I'm sipping on a vanilla Premier Protein shake mixed with plain black tea, it is very tasty. Going down easy as well. Nice rainy day in Southern California

@mooki and @biginjapan - hi y’all! I’m happy to hear y’all are recovering well. I’m day 9 post op and I’m feeling a bit weak. I was approved for full liquids but having a lot of nausea. I tried skim milk and experienced the dreaded dumping syndrome. It was terrible. Fast heart rate, nausea, my whole body was hot except my feet and hands were freezing and I wanted to throw up but I couldn’t. Ugh. It lasted 30-45 mins so I guess I’m lactose intolerant now. I got some fair life milk yesterday which is lactose free and I was able to tolerate that, thankfully. I’m waiting on my Bariatric Fusion Multi-Vitamin with Iron to arrive today and I’m hoping that will help with the weakness.
I was only constipated for the first few days after surgery. Once I was done with the pain meds around day 4-5 I’ve had no issues with bowel movements, in fact, I’m pooped from pooping lol. The color is still much darker than before surgery but I think it’s cause my main nutrition is still chocolate Protein Shakes.
I go back to work this coming Tuesday and kinda anxious about it due to the morning weakness and afternoon tiredness I’ve experienced every day. I start the purée/soft foods phase next week and hopefully adding healthier food options will help with that.

I’m doing okay with the moving around. I get tired easily but I’m going to work hard to get in a lot of steps today and the remaining days before going back to work. It’s good to hear from y’all!

Hey March 3rd group. Here's a quick update:
I'm still fatigued from doing nothing.
I don't meet my 64 oz. goal for hydration, I'm only halfway there. So I started with the popsicles this week to help me.
I take the Prilosec and the bariatric Multivitamins eveyday, without issue now. I don't like the taste, but I will manage.
3/6 incisions have shed the skin glue naturally and looks amazing. Going to start using Mederma and Vitamin e oil next week. They itch like hell though and are still a little bit tender.
Pooping is not my friend, I'm taking the meds to assist me. I've only went once over this past weekend. I will take the Miralx to aide my body if needed.
I want to chew and now... I have to fight this head hunger like everyone else. I'm hungry sometimes, but I will drink a shake or one of my allowed items from the Full liquid diet. Still want a waffle and Turkey bacon or some cashews.
I'm down exactly 10 pounds from surgery last week.
sleep is difficult, I'm uncomfortable most nights and I want to go sleep during regular sleeping hours, I can't. I need a little more rest than normal.
I finally put on a bra today and full lounge wear.

I'm doing ok with liquids and purees. I can eat more than the recommended amounts though, so will need to be more strict about portion size.
I'm back in Japan as of today so am hoping to get away from the high carb foods I've been eating (pureed fruit, yogurt, etc) and into healthier stuff like miso Soup and proper Protein Shakes (I ran out of Protein Powder while travelling). I noticed today that I'm not quite hitting my Protein goals, so that (and Water of course) will be my goal until I get to soft/mushy food next week, which will open up a lot more options I think.
I'm definitely recovering faster than I did my first surgery, which is good. It makes me feel like I could progress faster in my food goals but I'm going to stick to the plan.
Question: how's everyone doing with bowel movements? I've been pretty good (I was worried right after surgery of Constipation but that passed (!) quickly enough) but the colour of my stool is a bit off - hoping it's just the effect of surgery/meds/food going through the digestive track too rapidly.

I’ve been on purées since I left the hospital, but only eat them once or twice a day (yogurt, hummus, cottage cheese, purred fruits (like for babies/kids). It’s all been going well so far. In the beginning I ate a very specific amount as I didn’t want to hurt my stomach, but I have absentmindedly eaten an entire pot of yogurt (for example) and haven’t had any issues yet, which is kind of disappointing, since I really need to be more attentive to portion size, and am somewhat upset that the foods with sugar in them (yogurt, fruit) are not affecting me negatively, which is one thing I had hoped for by getting bypass. I know i shouldn’t be having any sugar, but here in Paris/Europe there aren’t a lot of high Protein foods that don’t have them (or high fat, like hummus). Anyway, once I’m back home I plan to be much more strict about what goes in.
I haven’t had foamies but I will say that if you are experiencing small burps or gurgles, that’s also an indication that you’ve had too much. I’ve had that a few times - it doesn’t hurt or seem serious, but it’s a good reminder to slow down and eat less. I tried my first Multivitamin yesterday but had some pain/weird feeling about an hour or two later, so I think I’ll wait another day or two before trying again.

Sorry, @GreenTealael, thoughts and prayers are not enough, I want peer-reviewed, evidence-based science.

I tend to not throw out clothes. They just get boxed up and put in the shed lol. Because of my habit of not throwing away clothes... I don't have to buy smaller clothes because I have clothes four sizes down from my current size (I've also lost two sizes as it is so I guess technically I have six different sizes of clothes lol). Right now I fit into the clothes I wore in my senior year of high school (15 years ago, if you're curious lol)! Luckily my style is still pretty much the same and I fit into my favorite shirt now that I haven't been able to wear in like 12 years! I have no idea what clothes I have stored a size down though since I have yet to go through them, but at the rate I'm going I'll probably be in the next size down in a month or less so I guess I should start pulling them out! x'D

I kept a few big clothes, ones that I liked, so I could do a before and after comparison after I lost all the weight. Joke was on me though, as I needed a more than a few of those items when I gained back about 50 pounds. This time around (I just had revision surgery), I’m going to toss or donate them, since there’s no stronger motivation to stay on track than having to buy new bigger clothes once again!

Don’t weigh yourself for at least a week after surgery - it is often higher (5-10 pounds) than your pre-surgery weight because of the reasons listed above. Even if you can drink liquids easily, don’t let that fool you. First, your stomach is extremely scarred and healing, so it probably can’t tell you that you are overdoing it. Second, just because you can drink more, don’t. There’s a reason why we are given strict limits - it’s not only for our healing stomachs, but to get used to constantly measure/weigh our food so that we stay on track. My sleeve failed for that reason (I had my revision on 3/3) so I’m being extra careful now.

I have just booked for 27th March, absolutely terrified now! I have been reading up for a couple of years but suddenly feel totally overwhelmed and unprepared. Worried about complications post sleeve, heartburn, leaks and not being healthy for my kids. I have 50lb to lose (it used to be more but I have been healthy eating the last few years), just need a more permanent tool to help me stay consistent. I am UK based but travelling to Turkey for surgery. Its all I think about and I go from wanting it doing asap to wanting to cancel!

move move move All of us are different but trust me on this move move move and it will get better every hour

I walked nearly every hour while I was in the hospital because I was on morphine, so that helped. I never got any gas pain because of it. I was in awful pain once the morphine wore off and I had to take only pain meds. But it wasn't gas pain, only incision and stomach pain though. I know everyone says walk, but it's true. As best as you can move.

I walked over 20,000 steps yesterday and felt good until the early afternoon when it was clear I should probably rest a bit. But the first week is done! I can’t wait to get home so I can eat properly and check the scale. I’m in Paris at the moment, and it’s hard to find Protein based foods that I can eat/drink that aren’t extremely high in sugar or fat. I’ve been making do with Soups and yogurt, plus my own Protein Drink and Water.