Moonbabe

Hi Amber, Everything about your new life is probably scary right now it, was for me. Have you tried new protein drinks or recipies that change the taste of your protein drinks. I went through several brands until I could find one that I liked and didnt have a smell or aftertaste. I like caramel flavor best. I had problems like yours, I was not very good at drinking fluids before surgery so after was and still is a struggle. Try going to the 1$ store near you and pickingup any sugar free flavors that sound interesting. I have mine in a shoe tote under the counter in the kitchen. Keep a iced glass with you all of the time. Sip, sip. You have a limited amount you can tolerate right now, dont stress over it too bad. just remember your skin and the muscle and your brain need that fluid to survive, the removal of fat will go faster also. I had a modified RNY done Oct 28, 2015 and my 2 year goal is comming. I started out at 300lbs I now weigh 135. Remember the slim sleek svelt beautiful you is already inside and we have to help it come out. You can email me any time or ask questions I will be glad to speak to you. Julae

Its been 1 year and 3 months since my surgery and yesterday I weighed in at 134. I started out 284 and size 22 I now wear a size 6 really comfortably, no muffin top no being squished lines. I am also 5 ft tall. I agree with the ladies that you need to find where you are comfortable and celebrate your new body. Some people are not built to be in a size 0-2, if you are like me and big boned, or want to exercize and tone up then those smaller sizes might be another year off and require you to do without any carbs, extra protein and working out 2-3 hours a day. Those decisions are individual and up to you. Congradulations on your success.

Hi justme55, I had complications from my rny also, including running temperatures of 105 just days after surgery, I had several leaks in my new stomach pouch and small intestine. I ended up with Peritonitis and a 6 week stay in the hospital then 3 months of bedrest with feeding tube, chest tube and abdominal drain. 1 year later it seems like it was a bad dream. Yesterday I just hit 134 lbs when I started at 284. I still have problems with eating certian items (making me throw up) and the list is growing, I know that greasy food like chinese or spicy like bbq are a definate nono. Plus all beef items and most pork are on nono list. Onestradon is a generic for Zofran and is my best friend. 2 tablets in the morning when I feel nausea and it keeps me from hurling. Sending all the gentle hugs your way for your journey. Just let me know if youneed to talk.

Every food is a new challenging experience. I had milk intolerance for the first time in my life after Modified RNY surgery but now (over a year later) I can tolerate small amount of fat free or 1% at the most. Cant eat beef except for small amounts of hamburger, ham, Chinese food, BBQ, Smoked meats or cured of any kind, No battered foods even if baked this includes tempura. Of course no pizza, potatoes, noodles, or rice except for 1 teaspoon full in surrounded by meat and inexpensive 0 fat gravy. But the great thing is I crush up nuts and keep them in snack baggies I take with me when going out or reading in bed and know I put back 20 g of Protein without even thinking about it. I just make a mental list of what is a no go and like eating salt, sugar or carbonated drinks I just stay away. The hardest thing for me now to stay away from is craving chicken on salad and it just doesn't work so I just have to add nuts and cheese to boost Proteins instead of using meat. Also I have been supplementing diet with refried Beans, pork and beans, northern, and butter beans to add proteins I just watch carbs. I know this is learning curve. But since the holiday I have lost another 6 lbs this month and I am focusing on loosing another 8 lbs to goal. This will be a great year.

Hi RM, I had a modified RNY one year ago. Ive lost 150 lbs and went from a size 26 womens to a size 6. Lots of little issues along the way. Feel free to email me and I would love to be your buddy.

Hi Mountain Man, It sounds like you are on the way. My little sister was on pain control through a spinal cord stimulator and she had it removed 1 year ago due to some over work or defect. She is now battling an oral medication journey for pain relief. She had several spinal fusions attempting to correct cracked and crushed discs but only gave her partial relief. Thankfully she is much tinier weight wise ( she is 5"10 and weighs 110lbs and wears a size 0) and can take a few pounds that medication tends to put on a person working with pain issues. I loved my dietitian and I kept contact with her before, during healing of surgery, and after for suggestions. She made me charts and a basic do's and dont's list that I still utilize. I am excited for you and your new journey. Please feel free to ask me about anything. I would love to keep in contact. The best advise I can give you from a pre-surgical stand point is don't give up, I know it seems like a lot of hoops but it is worth the wait.

Hi Elly, I live in Kansas and have had my surgery last October but would be glad to have you to talk too. Have you any concerns or exciting news you want to share. Do you have hobbies? Are you finding it OK to drink the 70 oz minimum every day for hydration, that is probably my hardest rule to keep.

Hi Mountain Man, It is good for you and brave of you to take on this journey. Sometimes it takes time to get set up for me it was a 3 year wait until things lined up and the correct surgeon and hospital stay was finally performed. My options were limited also due to my mobility issues. My one year anniversary comes up this month and so far I have lost 150 lbs and internally and for my mental state feel much better. Pain is still there but it takes much less medication to control it due to weighing half of what I weighed before the modified RNY last year. I was on a cpap machine nightly and tested that I no longer need that. Plus gerd is history I no longer have acid reflux that burns my nose and mouth when I wake up. And even though I still have some trouble swallowing due to scarring it is still a great improvement. Excited to talk to you on your journey.

Oh I forgot, yes wiping is a pain. I had to ask my husband to help me until I could manage. We bought a shower chair from the second hand store that I place in front of me when I toilet. It has handles and is shorter and easier to stabilize when I put my foot on it. Invest in flushable baby wipes the are a life changer. Also for support of your surgical site as your surgeon about a binder, with tearing of your core from surgery it gave me support around the scar tissues and helped with the pain soo much. Gentle hugs and best of luck.

Hi it has nearly been a full year out for me but I had similar surgical issues with a hiatal hernia that caused the removal of my stomach and and 3-4 ft of intestine also an umbilical hernia where old scar tissue was removed along with 20 ft of intestine. When I got home 6 weeks later ( due to leaks, peritonitis, and a collapsed lung that had 450 cc Fluid removed from the pleura) I was so unsure of what normal should be I called my surgeons office literally every other day. I was on Percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy feeding for 3 months and diarrhea was monitored and somewhat reduced due to pain medication and zofran (ondansetron)is still my go to for nausea along with gas-ex strips. Still after nearly a year I need to take some Fiber tab or eat tomatoes or a fiber Cereal to remain regular. Drinking the required fluids is imperative to hydration for skin and body, regular stools, and balance. So remember to sip sip, sip some more.

Hi I am not from Indiana but lived there for years, and currently live in a close neighbor state Kansas. I had my modified RNY October 2014 and would be glad to talk to you. Feel free to email me I check it usually at least once a day. I am a retired disabled woman who has grown adult children. I know this sounds weird but my grandchildren are more excited than my girls who fear change will somehow hurt me or take me from them. Part of this is very normal since we lost my mother this year due to malnutrition. I have and love my Boston Terrier service animal, and his 5 babies. I have so far lost 149lbs and just this week went from size 24 clothing to a size 6. There are lots of struggles involved with a total body and mind makeover I am still working on both. Most problematic for me other than drinking enough and eating right is self body image and mood swings. My husband is wonderful and supportive and since he is diabetic it is simple to make correct meals for the two of us. I struggle with exercise depending on my chronic pain levels, but keep promising myself every day that I will accomplish what I can without feeling guilty about what I cannot fulfill. Again feel free to contact me through this site or email. Talking about life changes always helps.

Wow guys I'm impressed you both seem to be very committed to your Vitamin regimine. I salute you. I am lazy and approaching 60 fast, take other medications for pain and thyroid disorder and take the shortest best way to get my Vitamins that I could find. I had my modified RNY in October 2015, so far have had perfect panels and have lost 145lbs, 20 left to go. I take 2 prenatal gummies daily and one sublingual b12 1000mcg every other day. Other than occasional gas X or eating a few tomatoes for extra Fiber I have been better than good. I agree to check with your doctor and see what they want you to take for nutritional value. They should be able to guide you according to your blood panel if you are deficient in any way. The best to you.

Hi Foevlo, You had gastric sleeve which is different from my modified RNY but I have to watch every carb and keep under 35g daily, my proteins at 50-60g and fluids need to be at 45-60 oz inorder to not have weight variations. Over the time I have had 5-10 lb increases when I didnt monitor for a day or 2 in a row. So now since it has been 10 months since my initial surgery I have lost 145 lbs. I am 5ft tall and now weigh 140 but have 15 more lbs to loose by my anniversary date. I am officially on a watch yourself and your food and fluid intake so I can make goal. Please feel free to email me and I would be open to a diet buddy. If you are watching everything and still feel you are not having the success you want I suggest you talk to your surgeon and they can update you on how they feel you are comming along. Every month I feel unsure that I have made progress unless I compare to the beginning and take pictures and only weigh weekly, I get defeated easily. I still have a bad self image even though others compliment me and are amazed by the difference from pre surgery. So what I am saying is we are the hardest judge of ourselves and at only 4 months out you have lost nearly 10 lbs a month. Wow that is wonderful. Before weight loss surgery I only gained weight and for a year I tried to just loose 2 lbs and it was impossible. So great job so far. Dont be disappointed you are successful and you are changing, loosing, and other people cannot be the measure for you. Continue your journey and in 6 more months you will have lost 100 lbs. Think of it that way. You are awsome.

Yeah I watched the same videos just incase the laprascopic surgical proceedure would not work. According to my surgeon she stated that less than 1% of her patients needed surgery done that way. But to be aware that once she got in there it may be possible that open would be the way it would have to be done. Luckily My upper hernia was repairable by stitching the membrane in my diaphram without use of mesh. And the embilical hernia was repaired due to being a very small hole and she removed most of the exterior bulging intestine. My third hernia which was directly below one of the surgical sites under my left rib came out after lifting more than the 5 lb limit 2 days before my weight amount would have been increased. She stated we would have had to repair it anyways and she also did a few adjustments to my muscle core and stitched together some tears which happen after long term weightgain. I suggest since you have been through the mesh before ask if you can wear a binder to support your core after surgery because it helped me immensly. I couldnt even sit up for weeks after the surgery and was placed on tube feeding directly to the lower intestine for 3 months, Nothing even Ice chips for that time. But I had leaked into my abdominal cavity and created 10 additional surgical proceedures so I was pretty sore for awhile.

I spoke to my doctor prior to surgery whcih I had an advanced RNY and she suggested a binder for both muscle pain and support for weight loss during the first year while working on reestablishing muscle control and core strength. As my weight comes off (since my surgery was Ocrtober 28, 2015) I do use it alternating days and times when needed for either moral or abdominal support. Just make sure that while you eating take it off, as gastric restriction and nausea will be more prevelant when wearing a binder. As one other person mentioned my insurance covered my binder and was ordered through the hospital where there was no copay. Now that I have lost 145 lbs the two binders that I had to use I can now use seperately. This knowledge was quite a ego booster when we are often looking of confirmation of our sucess. Hope this helps.

Great job Joe. It is wonderful to see success like yours, and before your anniversary date. I am just starting to do some toning exercises with exercise bands and a weight ball for arms. I am struggling to work with my stationary recombant bicycle but I have promised myself I will start today. I had an advanced RNY October 28,2015 and weighed 285 I am 5 foot tall so that was an extreme lot of weight for someone wheelchair bound. But today the scales say I lost 145 lbs and now weigh 140 and only 15lbs more to go by anniversary.

I had my initial surgery October 28, 2015 and as of today have lost 145lbs from 285 and have only 15-20 lbs left before my anniversary date. But I have relyed on my doctors office and their experience before any new activity or new food group. I still watch my carbs like a hawk and try really hard to keep 50g of Protein and 45 oz of Fluid daily.

Hi Amber, I was a potential canidate for open RNY due to having complications of an embilical hernia and a hiatal hernia. But my doctor was able to fix and seal off both hernias and the modified RNY which she created a pouch for my stomach since it was severly damaged an perferated while in my chest cavity. Also while in the hospital a mri and chest xray indicated a collapsed lung and 450cc of Fluid was pulled off the plura. But that was done about 1 week after the RNY.

Hi Maulmomma, It is a natural response to a life changing event like bariatric surgery. I also have degenerative back disorder and fibromyalgia and a long list of other stuff that I wont go into right now. The most important thing is that you are doing the surgery for your own benefit. My doctor was so supportive and emphasised that it is only a tool for a healthier life style. And our goal is that I have a better more healthy life when looking at the next 20 years than the last 20 years. You will struggle. It is a committment, and it takes want and need on our part. Your life will change. If like me you and your significant other spend your quality time eating at a restaurant or out with friends, you will be looking of new hobbies. This eating out was not a healthy choice for me or the only choice, but I had to find other outlets and cultivating the artistic side, gardener, animal lover was hard. Make sure that your support person(s) are understanding of your new situation and be open with them. I had an modified Roux-n-y with a gastrectomy done October 28, 12015. My body is the poster child for if it can happen or have a negative response it will happen, even with the best surgeon some repairs may be needed after initial surgery which is why a support system of friends and/or family is important. I was released from the hospital on December 1, 2015 and on tube feeding due to my own bodies response to having a double hernia and collapsed lung which were found and repaired during bariatric surgery. I have been doing better at eating real food with less nausea and dumping symdrome over the last 2 months but I had a secondary hernia (2x), fixed because of trying to overdo weight limits and not listening to my own body when I wanted to do too much. So listen, listen and listen to your surgeon. Happy news this morning I have lost a total of 145 lbs and went from 285 to 140lbs and from a size 24b into a size 8 or small clothing. I have more energy and less migranes, less fatique (still some). It took years for us to become heavy people so dont expect overnight success. Only weigh yourself once a week and look inward to the things you have always wanted to pursue. It has saved my life and given me time to relook at who and what I want to really focus on. I hope this helps you