KarenLR75

Absolutely many have/had a problem with it. I changed dr's @ the last minute so I ended up doing almost a full 30 days of an almost completely liquid diet. I thought the first 13 days with one dr was hard...but man, starting it back up again - full disclosure, the 'new pre-op' date I got with final dr still allowed me 3 weeks to do 'his full liquid plan' but I had a DAY break on 4th of July! I was honestly impressed that I did not gorge..and yeah, I'll use that word as I have done that before. Had just lunch and dinner from 4th of July. No desserts. I had been doing keto for 15 months taking maybe a day off every other month as my body would start to stall and just hang onto the weight so I'd shake it up a bit. However, all I can remember is the LONG 30 days. If I had known up front all of the insurance hassle and scheduling issues that would result from me changing dr's....I would have been freaked at the idea of that long of a pre-op diet. Now I'm post-op and am on Day 12 of yet ANOTHER 3 week post-op liquid diet so I'm roughly on Day 42 (and yeah, I still had that '1 day break') but today my body just seized up on the liquids. I think it is primarily due to working 75 hrs last week when I was only 2 days recovered from my RNY. One thing you have to remember - you are NOT going to be on liquids for life! You are NOT going to be doing pre-op or post-op (first X of weeks depending on your dr) FOREVER. Is it hard to get through? I THINK SO! Is it DOABLE? OH YES! You have hundreds upon hundreds of bariatric friends that are either walking in your same shoes now, have walked in those shoes or who will be walking in those shoes in the near future. Greentealael shared GREAT points about the benefits of the PRE-OP diet most have to follow in some form or another. To be honest by the time I got to..um..Day 19 or 20 of liquid pre-op...I was SO DONE. The ONLY thing that kept be going and refusing to cheat is my BMI is so high, I COULD literally not afford physically, mentally or emotionally to have my dr call off surgery because it would be too dangerous to operate. I also knew I didn't want to ever do any more days of pre-op then I already had to. POST-OP I'm living through...and it has not been easy except for first 2 days...but I remember that this is helping my body to heal..helping our new pouches adjust. I've read what happens when someone pushes the envelope or even more bizarrely..they seem to have not been given a 'post-op' diet..and I know I will make it one way or another to PUREED FOODS. NEVER thought I'd say I was fantasizing about pureed foods, but fantasize I do indeed! You are at the right place, you did the absolute right thing and as a person also known for her discipline when she puts her mind to something, that means YOU HAVE THIS - IT IS YOURS FOR THE TAKING!!

Somehow..I thought with the last minute switch from VSG to an RNY..that I was 'luckier' in some ways as SURELY this method would DEFINITELY give more 'true hunger' relief. I got to enjoy a whole TWO days of that. I do feel the restriction though and I'm thankful for that. I have to be honest though..I would have been happier to keep the not feeling hungry "feeling". It felt SO GOOD for those 2 days to not be hungry.

My pills are a mix, most are capsules though. One is slow release. My doctor ironically made NO changes to my meds, didn't tell me to crush them, etc. which I had wondered about as I was switched from a VSG to an RNY. I was on a sub-therapeutic dose of Lisinopril (blood pressure med) as although I didn't have high blood pressure, since my right knee is so torn up and I am learning to deal with chronic pain, I had some back to back B/P readings that were borderline 'high' along with my normal 120/80 or even 120/66 and sometimes 117/6X..so primary dr put me on a baby dose. My bariatric surgeon did tell me to discontinue that immediately after surgery because he felt based on seeing me actually having really good blood pressure' whenever I saw him, that I might bottom out after surgery if I kept taking the medicine. I'm taking some very high powered meds for sleep as I work different shifts almost daily. I help with groups in different parts of the world so I can work until 4 AM...go to sleep...or try to..and have to be back up and working again at 9 AM. It varies from day to day, week to week. I will talk to my dr as I think they should be cut back some. I notice that instead of it taking 1.5 hrs despite enough meds to fell a proverbial elephant...the meds now hit me in about 50 minutes or less. I just want help getting to sleep. not to be comatose. My hope is that...the highest powered one can be discontinued or cut in 1/2 in next few months but it also helps with anxiety. I wonder just how much, if anything is being absorbed. To add to it now that I'm thinking..my doctor said to hold all vitamins after surgery but I'm taking an arsenal of other meds!!?? My first post-op visit is this Thursday..I think he and I need to have a chat.

Oh my gosh!! She's SO SO ADORABLE!!! Is she a golden or ?

Ironic that you post this as I had just had bouts of nausea..diff periods of the day and much like ARMoma45, when I take my MANY pills at night. There are many STILL. Hoping in next year there will be little to none. Starting today, I went to drink my protein drink & everything in my body felt like it physically rebelled. I got 2 oz down and things just started to sound and feel ominous. It felt like shake was back up in my throat. I grabbed 2 oz's of water expecting that to settle things..and NOPE. For the first time I had to stop even the 15 mins 2 oz sip sip sips. I literally felt like I was going to vomit everything back up and it felt like choc protein shake and water just gurgling up my throat. So I went 8 hrs today with almost no hydration. I had not noticed a cold vs. warm tolerance issue with me although I have seen MANY ppl on here post about how sometimes their bodies handled warm liquids better. Have you tried anything like broth/bone broth? I did manage to suck down an Outshine sugar free (relatively) popsicle & stomach took that just now but feel that queasy 'rocking a boat' feeling. I then tried another 2 oz of protein shake as that has most protein of anything I can have (my dr. does a 3 WEEKS full liquids post op and since I changed dr's really close to my surgery date...on day 13 of first dr's pre-op liquid diet..I ended up pre-op full liquids for almost 30 days! With an additional 12 under my belt, I'm unsure if my body is saying "you've done 42 dang days, I'm DONE"..or what...I am SO SO SO TIRED of liquids.

I'm new to actually having had a procedure as I'm 12 days post-op from RNY. My own 2 cents here are that since we are taking in SO l little in terms of calories and in terms of water when we have issues like nausea (we take in very little calories even if NOT nauseated) is that my concern would be that based on you only being able to suck/chew on ice/ice chips, I doubt someone could get in 64 ozs of water. I would think that in another 24 hrs, someone's condition could deteriorate quickly. My dr prescribed BEFORE surgery, a bottle of Zofran (anti-nausea med) despite me telling them (and filling out forms) that I am allergic to Zofran. I even tried it out of desperation a few days ago and nope..same thing..Zofran actually makes me 10 x's more nauseated. I personally would call your dr's office before waiting a "couple more days". I think trying different things that ppl suggest to see if that settles your 'pouch' is a great thing but leave it up to your dr to see if they want you to wait 2 days or whether they might intervene with a scopolamine patch, a pill like Zofran or something like Phenergan (I can actually take that and have hoarded 2 pills from 9 months ago when I had a virus). I just don't want to see your condition deteriorate into a hospital stay...but I'm new and leery after reading on this board for almost 2 yrs (didn't start actively posting until about 9 months ago)...about how quickly things can turn if they are not nipped in the bud. Pre-surgery..we had more reserves..and literally a bigger tank..and we could hold our water.. now..it's a new journey. Wishing you the best!

As soon as I'm off liquids and even just to pureed stage, I'm going to go for sure!

Have been reading each day..and then realized...I haven't 'started' yet. Someone else just mentioned their grueling work hrs. Was so nice to hear from someone else who just went through an incredibly brutal work week/weekend. One of the reasons I haven't 'made time' to start yet is the INSANITY at my work. My boss KNOWS I had surgery on 7/25. His wife had lap band surgery yrs ago and lost a decent amount of weight so he is partially familiar with the process and knows an RNY is a big surgery. Was crushed when he asked me to work this weekend after already working 73 hr work week. Actually, I felt kind of betrayed, especially as he asked on a group conf call. I'm so tired I've been tearing up all day and I'm not even THINKING or aware that I'm thinking of anything! I feel like a hot mess right now with the work thing. This week promises to be more of the same and I just feel...dread (on the work front). OK, back to our challenge Start by: 1. Personal goal is to keep hydrated, keep protein up and to keep gently pushing boundaries on moving/doing more things even with knee issue. I need to keep moving! An emotional/mental goal is to learn how to cope with the crazy demands at work without falling apart (especially as one of the only women in a male dominated group) 2. RNY surgery on 7/25 so I'm 12 days out 3. 320 (from a high of 390 15 months ago) and my BMI is almost close to 50. Would need to look @ my profile again..lol 4. When I had kids, I wanted to get out of Corp. America so while working insane hours back then as well and having 2 kids, I trained as an Apprentice Midwife - also was working on certification as a Doula. Then I realized after almost 2 yrs, all of these things were not sustainable and in TX a midwife cannot get liability insurance. What a joy it was to observe and assist in so many births, though!! Catch up on Happiness Challenge: #1 Wake up 30 mins earlier than normal – oddly this weekend I woke up an hr before normal and felt energized which is weird @ 300 calories a day #2 Read an inspiring book DONE! IRead Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You #3 Go for a walk outside – DONE! Walked outside and around Dillard’s Outlet #4 Take a bubble batch – Not Done. Post-Op and didn’t take shower on that day #5 Disconnect from Social Media – DONE - I work so much on computer am RARELY on FB. Just this forum which is essential to my support.

You may have seen my posts about my..what I felt to be lagging weight loss. I think your surgery was within a day or 2 of mine on 7/25? After being a bit depressed about that my husband asked me to go to a Dillard's Outlet to help him find some pants at a good price. My first thought is oh my Lord..it is hot...I don't want to go anywhere NEAR a mall...(but as well all know Dillard's is usually an anchor store so I didn't literally have to go into 'said mall'). Against all my hesitancy I went. There were some dicey moments...I had been up so much and taken so many steps outside of long loops at the hospital which were finished off immediately by sitting in the chair in my hospital room or getting back into uncomfortable hospital bed. I learned some important things even though I have NOT been able to walk much at all with my torn up knee, I actually seemed to have lost enough weight (from the START of my journey 15 months ago, not in POST OP loss)...that my knees were NOT in excruciating pain. I did have moments where are standing so still looking through hundreds of pairs of pants that I had to grasp the 'end caps' as I had several dizzy spells but they passed. I had some clear Premier Protein with me that I nursed off of. I got back and I felt better for having gently pushed my boundaries. The next day, I dropped a bit more weight. We shake our body up and it starts letting us lose. Then it plays 'survival mode' and gives us a stall....it will be a cat and mouse game but sometimes I've seen people who lose a lot of weight in the first 2 or 3 weeks having to contend with some rough stalls..and I wonder if the ppl who lose weight a bit more slowly...do they seem to have less stall..stalls of smaller durations, or ?? My Dr's office emailed a reply when I asked them to look at what my intake was as I was concerned about slow weight loss..and honestly...I have never heard this before but I will post what they said (they do hundreds of these WLS's each month): You are in what we call "survival mode" right now, everything you take in your body is storing to properly heal you. We do not begin to see the rapid weight loss until you are fully healed at 6 weeks. The weight gain is from fluid retention due to the amount of iv fluids you received in the hospital this typically takes 2 weeks to go away. Just continue to focus on sipping hydrating fluids and alternating protein shakes in between. Not sure about the 'rapid loss not occuring until I'm fully healed at 6 weeks but if it picks up the pace, then great!

Oh my gosh...that looks HEAVENLY!!!!

I was told 2 week as well and I had my RNY on 7/25 so I'm a little over a week 'post-op'

I remember that now. Yep, I have to get my BMI down in order to replace the entire knee. LOL, maybe will be ortho surgery siblings too!

Wow, that's pretty cool in that you get everything for sure 'topped off'. That would be rough for me to schedule as my job skips time zones all over the world so some nights I'm working until 4 AM with one part of the world and others I'm back to trying to get up in the AM to pull a long stretch. Have to deal with a lot of shift work disorder so the less 'daytime' appts I have, the better. Interestingly I saw that my doc was going to prescribe me some sort of B12 to take but I thought it would be some type of sublingual pill. Turns out it is a once a week nasal spray. I'm glad I read the directions on the label or I would have been possibly doing it every day. Don't know what an overdose of B12 would be like but I'm sure it's not good.

Girl you are rocking it! I was hoping to keep the NO hunger feeling for at least more than 2 days..BUT, I do feel the restriction which is critical. My gosh you are losing weight fast! How awesome!!! My body just does not want to let go of the weight. I'm...9 days post-op and have lost a whopping 8 lbs. I know that probably seems like I'm ungrateful..but maybe I've just read too many post of incredible 10 - 12 lb losses per week after surgery. And these are RECENT posts..lol. You know..I guess I'm not that far off from that...and I'm very very inactive due to a messed up knee but I've been trying to push myself to walk more each day regardless. I'll just keep focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. I know I'm in major ketosis as the test strips cannot get any deeper purple than the highest range one. Sometimes I see it slip into the next highest one (1 shade down?0 so I know my overall calories are low. A couple times a week I will chart my "eating" and I range between 300 to 350 calories a day. I really would like to keep it under 200 but I do not know how much that would help my weight loss.

Same here..along with something to take care of my GINORMOUS arm flaps! But for me....will be a long way away. Guess it is good in that I should start trying to stash money now and if I change my mind down the road...I can have one HECK of a VACATION!!! Win-win!

oh my Lord...SO RIGHT!! Have loved them since I was a kid...man, now I'm craving a deviled egg..LOL

Felt same way but after a lot of time reading through hundreds of posts ALL by diff people, the enormous consensus is the MAJORITY just wish they had done it sooner. That was rather affirming to me. I'm a week post-op and got really jittery 1 wk before...then a few days before. The night before I had actually was calm about this decision that has been a LONG time in coming. Even in 'newly post op phase' where I don't have the large weight loss YET to additionally affirm what I've done..I still feel NO regrets about the surgery. I was not heading anywhere that was going to have a good outcome for me. With every 20..then 30..then 50 lbs I gained (I was not super-morbildy obese until my late 30's so it's only been a decade for me but man, what a toll those pounds took on my body! I can't imagine what my poor body would have done if I had carried the weight longer. Or...as someone said "tried yet again". To me this surgery is not about another "trying"..it is more of the Yoda equivalent of "Just Do" or I guess as he said in the movie "Do. Or do not. There is no try." I think I got that quote right? lol You got this, crashsmash12!!

Oh my gosh you answered something that has been puzzling. I've been trying to tell my dr's office that I've been having a GREAT deal of nausea (something I've never handled well). They prescribed me zofran even though I told them I was allergic to it. I was at CVS the other day - one of my first outings - I'm a week post-op...and between the heat and just not feeling "good"..I felt a surge up my throat...and then it went back down. I had been thinking..well, I couldn't have almost vomited as it didn't have that 'vile' taste....but it's hard to mistake the feeling of that moment right before you vomit. It was too close to comfort for me. I'm still at 300 or less calories a day..and all liquids...so am not sure what is causing the constant nausea. I do know that further stressing my body with things like extreme heat..seem to bring it on even more. I SO miss that patch they had me put on before surgery. I've gotta call Dr's office back and remind them I CANNOT take Zofran and I'd really like to not feel so sick every day (have developed sudden major allergies to so the drainage does a number on me too).

wow..demanded it. I know most of us are told not to..but before I even started this journey I started using straws as a barrier for my teeth which suddenly don't handle cold sensations as well. When I started on this journey I tried to make a habit out of tiny sips..and using my tongue to block the straw..almost as a dosing system. OK, I know that probably sounds all kind of weird. No one could tell I was doing it. I've been missing my big -generic Yeti water containers that I had a plastic straw (reusable) that I adored. I love having a huge cup with a lid as I have 3 cats and if they even spot an open cup from 100 yards away, you can blink and suddenly there is a furry head drinking your finest filtered water. Now I'm having to remove the lid off the cup I'm currently using & try to bring it to my mouth to take small sips..usually with a cat cuddled on my chest...and they are like "what do you have there"..then their bobbing and weaving heads get in the way of me trying to drink and I end up spilling water...ok..see, I've talked myself into it..it is for safety and the ability to keep hydrated that I should be allowed to have my big girl cup back WITH a STRAW. Sigh..I'll keep being compliant for now (sans straw)...I did manage to frustrate my cats by pouring water into those little disposable 2 oz containers with lids. I swear they have expressions and they were not amused..but I got my water...2 oz's @ a time.

From what I've read here and having had 'different surgeries' before, mood swings (hormonal or otherwise) are actually experienced by most although different ppl may process (or not) in other ways. It is very very normal I totally get what you said about everyone going and doing. I posted on another thread lately I feel..super ALONE. My family eats out "because they are uncomfortable" eating around me or as they also say "they don't want ME to be uncomfortable". I'm PEEVED because all they are doing is making it WORSE. I've said that I need to be able to be around food although I'm not inviting them to make all my fave foods and have a buffet either. What they are doing is making me feel more left out than I did before. I feel LONELY. My husband & I would go to dinner once or twice a wk and now that is done so he and my youngest daughter are now going "out". Am NOT begrudging family going out to eat & continuing with their life as I have to keep reminding myself that this..almost quarantine like part of the journey is about keeping ME safe and honestly, I am a week post op myself. I think there is some truth in their comments but there is a load of truth that they are eating foods I already was staying away from (did keto for 15 mos) and eating/drinking too much (not being rude, I was queen of overeating..I think THAT makes them uncomfortable AROUND me maybe? It is hotter than Hades here in TX and I did not do well in extreme heat before surgery and I've got to remember - I just had major surgery. Just made a major change to my body & it has to HEAL. I remind myself that before I know it I'll be able to go 'out again' but there are also temptations there that for now..I choose for myself to avoid. I have stated what I am and am not comfortable with. If someone is making or bringing something around that is tempting. I will move to another room and read a book, play some games...I just started buying jigsaw puzzles cuz it reminds me of my mother. I have found them to be very therapeutic. I come here & read the 'headwork thread', the JULY and now AUGUST challenges greentealael (is that right) posts have been enjoyable even on the days I didn't participate. There is a humor thread that is hysterical. Give yourself a break and a big dose of self love. We are JULY surgery siblings! I've given myself permission to have a good cry and I know there is a big emotion shift of finding new ways to fill up my time besides eating. Sounds like a good time to get to know ourselves better. You know you are amazing and worth it! Remember what a brave thing we just did..as 99% of everyone on here did. We did it because we MATTER!

At first I wasn't sure but as I stared at the ingredients all I could think of was "that sounds DELICIOUS!"

This! Even said a long time ago I've been very disappointed that my family cannot tell I've lost 67 lbs. I know it is probably because I started at 390...but I can SEE it. Am newly post op and am lonely as everyone keeps going 'out to eat' so they won't be 'uncomfortable' eating around me or making 'me uncomfortable'. What MAKES me uncomfortable is being left all alone all the dang time.

Congratulations! It is truly inspiring!

I have not been through anything that you went through, I just had RNY on 7/25 but I identified with this part strongly. Although the first 24 hrs after surgery I was only allowed ice chips and I still had enough meds/anesthesia on board that my stomach was 'subdued' by meds is all I can guess. Later that evening I noticed I could literally HEAR and FEEL liquids hitting my..um pouch. I'd get the sound of gurgling as it went down my esophagus and literally feeling it "land" in my pouch was honestly weird. I will say that most of the things I drink seem to end up with me cramping - almost on queue with the liquids landing. I'm still on an all liquid diet although I can eat jello. Jello seems less..."noisy". I've heard the lecture (don't mean in bad way) that all the cramping/shoulder pain/other pain is gas and I 95% believe that. What's hard to discern after you've reached dosing limits on Extra Strength Gas-Ex, you are walking more than ever walked before...are some ppl just more resistant to getting gas efficiently removed from their bodies. In my case what 2 days ago spiked into almost unbelievable pain and caused me to almost vomit as much from pain and distress and my stomach deciding it was done, happened at CVS and I was so embarrassed. I ended up leaning almost over a cart (incisions don't make this easy) and intense back pain set in and I realized I've been thru this before! Constipation will kick your tush! During my best friend's 3 year battle with brain cancer, she shared that out of everything she had been through, constipation, especially from super high doses of chemo, was something that literally would wreck her to the point of despair. Sometimes I wonder are we too cavalier about this subject...are our doctors? I know mine, who I like, seeemed pretty cavalier. I think sometimes they forget that while they have 'seen it all', we are all unique and different. I've been wondering as my stomach continues to cramp/clamp down on what little liquids i send it...is when do we ask the question if we have a bigger issue going on. I don't want to bother my doc or go to ER for no reason.

The first few days after surgery were relatively easy. It was when all the meds wore off (they gave me some sort of 3 or 4 day lasting 'pain block' using a medicine that starts with an 'E' (Experal?). I am losing weight but my body isn't caring for the even closer to starvation level calories well. I am getting intense hunger headaches. The hunger is so bad I get that..well, it used to be a normal nauseated feeling you'd get when you truly hadn't eaten and your stomach was so hungry. I had hunger relief for just a few days and man do i miss them. I'm still tracking at about 300 to 340 calories a day so that explains the weight loss but my body is refusing to gracefully accept it. I still have lower abdominal cramping/muscle spasms throughout the day. I FINALLY had my first..um..BM yesterday. It had been almost 10 days and my dr's office SEEMED to have a blase attitude about it. I finally took some dulcolax. I had already been taking stool softeners for several days but nothing was happening quickly. My constipation was SO BAD that I got extremely nauseated and my lower back was killing me. I couldn't sit in a chair for long as it hurt too much. I'm just trying to hang in there and survive this first week..well...actually first 2 weeks since as of today, it has been 1 week since surgery. Does anyone else's doctor have you not taking ANY vitamins at all in your first 2 weeks? I was surprised when mine said to suspend them. Sorry for whining..I knew this would be hard, that is no surprise. What is surprising to ME, is how hard it is to go through this and work 60+hrs at the same time. Also, I NEVER noticed food commercials nor was bothered by others eating in front of me during my LONG 30 day (cumulative pre-op diet phase)...I'm startled now by intense cravings when I wasn't even THINKING about xyz food until I saw a commercial for it! I feel like my brain is waging war with my body.