soph504

I told everyone I had surgery to correct a stomach ulcer. People didn’t question it and have been really sympathetic to my dietary issues. You are right that you shouldn’t have to explain, but unless you want to tell everyone to f$&@ off when you go out to lunch or dinner, it’s a lot easier to come up with a cover story.

I’m only 3 weeks out, but I have issues with anything sweeter than a protein shake. I used to love fruit on the bottom yogurt, but now the fruit part is too sweet, so I don’t mix it all the way in. Also, just the smell of nutella or peanut butter make me nauseous. I have issues with dense foods, too, but I think that’s bc it hasn’t even been a month yet.

I’m one week out from surgery and my bp dropped from 130/90 (controlled with medicine) to 105/60 (without meds) just in the last week, and resting pulse has gone down from 65 and 55. I’ve only lost 8 lbs. My doctor says everything is ok and was the one who told me to stop taking my meds. My question is whether anyone knows what could have caused this to happen so fast? The only thing I can think of is that it has something to do with sodium intake, maybe?? I am taking vitamins and on protein based liquid diet. I was a low BMI sleever and was 30.5 on the day of surgery. I struggled with high blood pressure since I was 20, so this is amazing, but also very confusing.

Update: Went to get labs done after no improvement after increasing water intake. Turns out my vitamin D levels were low! Not sure why bc I was taking calcium citrate with vitamin d, but I changed brands to the bariatric advantage chewable and my energy levels improved, bp and hr went up, too! Lesson learned: when in doubt, consult a medical professional.

Poppygirl— My surgery was 7/11 and by day 4 post op my gas pain was almost gone, but I also wore an abdominal binder which reduced the pain and bloating a ton. I found one on amazon for pretty cheap- maybe $30? My doctor told me to wear it for a month and it has really sped up my healing process. You can also try other compression garments like high waisted spanx type undies or bodysuits, which I’m wearing these days bc I’m back at work and they fit better under my work clothes. Hope that helps!

Your body can only absorb about 25-30g of protein at a time, so going beyond that in one meal isn’t going to help. I recommend the premier protein shakes 3x a day. They are only 11oz and go down easy.

Rileyjay, I got my sleeve 7/11 and am having the same issues. I take BariMelts for multi vitamin, biotin and iron. I have different brands for B12 and calcium chews. But they all taste awful. I find the soluble pills are least terrible if you take them with a swig of OJ and let them melt a bit in your mouth with the juice before you swallow. At this point, I haven’t bothered trying to mix them into smoothie bc I’m consuming such small volumes of liquids.

Walking at an incline on a treadmill is an option if compression gear doesn’t solve the problem. The incline means your body burns more calories and it’s easier on your knees and tummy.

I’m about 10 days post op and have definitely used my immersion blender more than my vitamix. Unless you are making large batches of soups or smoothies, the immersion blender is way more useful for emuslifying soups, etc. That said, I have used my vitamix to puree stews and fruit with stevia (so I can add some lower cal sweetness to plain nonfat greek yogurt). I freeze the puree in silicone ramekins so I can store them in a zip lock bag and take out small portions. Hope that helps!

Two days out and feeling so much better!! I cannot speak highly enough about my surgeon, Dr Perez and the Oasis hospital in TJ. Everyone has been wonderful. First night was rough, as expected, primarily due to gas pain. So glad I brought a heating pad and abdominal binder. Not sure if the simethicone drops actually did anything, but they make my mouth taste like a day spa, which was nice :) Although my stomach is grumbling, I’m not remotely hungry. It’s going to be a challenge to remember to hydrate, I can tell. Heading home tmrw. No regrets.

My surgeon also said he wants me to consume 64 oz a day. That includes protein water, broth, etc. I’m on clear liquids for another week.

I have a BMI of 30 and am getting the sleeve because my co-morbidities, namely BP, have gotten bad. I know people with less to lose, lose weight more slowly. My surgery is on Weds and I'm trying to manage my expectations. I'm 5'7, 195. GW of 125. For other low BMIers, how quickly did you lose weight?

I also take Wellbutrin and went with the sleeve for the same reasons.

My surgery is on Weds, so I’ll update afterward, but the only thing I’m bringing that hasn’t been mentioned is an abdominal binder. I got it on Amazon for $20-30. I’ve read that it helps when traveling (and I’m flying to Mexico for my sleeve).

My doctor says that carbonated non-sugary beverages, like fizzy water, are ok to drink in moderation once you’re healed. He said that the risk of stretching your pouch is unlikely unless you drink a carbonated beverages all the time. Your pouch/stomach is meant to expand and contract a little. You only get into trouble if you’re regularly overstuffing yourself.

@bubbles I’m having my procedure on Weds and also staying at Real Inn. So good to know it’s clean and modern! Can’t wait.

That’s amazing! All of you have lost a lot. I guess the important part is that the number on the scale keeps going down, not how fast it takes. Fingers crossed!!

I should mention there are other reasons to switch from extended to instant. After WLS, your baby stomach is so small that extended release drugs pass through your stomach too fast and aren’t sufficiently broken down by stomach acid to absorb properly in your intestine. I’m having the same problem right now.

I’m getting sleeved Weds and starting to get a little nervous. Start my liquid diet tmrw!

My doctor told me that I shouldn't have any trouble with small pills. With larger pills, you can get a pill crusher for pretty cheap on amazon. Just make sure that the type of medicine is ok to be crushed. Anything that's time release, like an XL or XR shouldn't be crushed.

My doctor said you can start a stationary bike as soon as you feel up to it post op. Just no bending/twisting, so hybrid spinning/yoga is probably out.

I got to OTF and really like it. Great combination of cardio/body weight/weights. But it’s definitely a hard work out, so not something for those still recovering. I’d probably weight 8 weeks post op before starting.

According to my doctor, the sleeve is more effective and safer for lower BMI patients. And they can do a single incision at your navel, so less pain and quicker recovery time.

I also have BMI of 30 and decided to get the sleeve. Surgery is scheduled for 7/11. I’m 36 and my BP (problem since I was 19 and weighed 155) has gotten so high I’m now taking two medications to treat it. I don’t like the idea of the balloon or band bc they have to be removed/refilled and my health insurance wouldn’t cover any WLS, so I have to self pay.

If you take the medicine and that doesn’t work, try prune juice.