linlew

2 hours ago, Lillymunster said:

I don’t seem to dump. I haven’t tested it out by going carb crazy or anything but I can have a piece or two of dark chocolate or some starchy veggies and nothing happens. Not that I want it to happen but it’s an added incentive to not eat junk.

Same. I had RNY soon after you (11/6) and I've tried a bunch of veggies, fresh sourdough (which is supposed to be easier to digest, but still), Carba Nada Pasta (high Protein, lower carb), etc, and no issues. Like you, I haven't gone wild and tried to eat cake or anything, so maybe sugar or super friend food might, but so far, so good.

Also, because this group tends to get a wee curious, I should add the sourdough was from a local bakery, and actually had spent grain added to it. Spent grain (leftovers from beer making) is actually awesome in bread, because most of the starches are used up by the beer brewing, and what's left is Fiber and protein. BONUS!

11 hours ago, SkinnySoon? said:

Last year I was hit by an 18 wheeler semi and I got thrown 100 ft. I broke the lower half of my back along with vertebrae’s. Both my collarbones and both scapulas. A few ribs... I’m supposed to be dead, but God has better plans.

I’m a 26 year old woman that weights 412 lbs. If I didn’t eat edibles, I would be hooked on narcotics or God knows what. With the daily pain from my accident, do you think if I only use it before a meal, would that be okay? I know it’s bad to use after surgery because it makes you hungry, but I use it to help with pain, not to make me hungry. Help...

-Hopeless

I'm sorry that happened to you, but glad you're around!

I'm about five weeks out and have indulged a bit myself. I find the traditional stereotypical hunger effects don't kick in. As Matt mentioned, it depends on the individual product, often times, and also how you plan for it. Perhaps have it at the end of a meal, or as you mentioned at the beginning so you're already filling up on appropriate foods. One thing to keep in mind is that you may tolerate some foods better than others after surgery, and sugar is a common trigger. It's harder to find edibles without sugar in them (some sugar shouldn't be a problem, but if you need 100mg dose and you're eating 10-10mg gummies which each have 5g sugar, that would be a problem). So, you might be better served with a tincture/oil if you can get your hands on it. Not sure if you're in a friendly state or if you're stuck using what's available in your area. Another option is getting some Cannaoil or the like so you can use it in your cooking.

No matter what, I wouldn't worry too much, you'll find an option that will suit you post surgery, methinks. Best of luck with everything, SkinnySoon!

I'm very happy for you that you've had success.

However, I'm a bit concerned by you saying "I frequently try to bite my tongue."

"Frequently" implies not always

"Try" implies you don't always succeed.

My advice would be to keep your thoughts to yourself, and do your best not to indicate your thoughts with your facial expressions. Not everyone who is large is unhappy about it, and if they are, they don't need you reminding them.

Perhaps I'm reading your post incorrectly; the style with all of the commas makes it a smidge difficult to follow. However, I would only offer up opinions or advice if someone explicitly asks for it.

Again, congrats on your continued success though!

It is required that you quit, yes. That seems pretty universal among all surgeons. However, per my original post, I don't know whether you have to quit before they'll take you as a patient. Mine did not work that way, but as others mentioned above, some do. No matter what, the sooner you quit, the better, of course. Again, best of luck with both! Neither are easy, but both are hella worth it!!

Hi there! Former smoker here. I had to quit for the surgery as well.

To clarify, is this the beginning of your surgical insurance period? I knew I had to go through a six month program to get approved, so I was still smoking when I first met my surgeon in March, knowing I'd quit before the end. I quit June 1st, and was blood tested for nicotine before I could be approved for insurance (at the end of the six months, in September). That meant I also had to be off nicotine supplements in time for that test, aka the gum I used to quit.

If this is your first meeting and you have a similar program, I doubt it will be a problem; they'll just explain that you need to quit. If, however, you are in a different situation and are meant to have surgery soon, they will likely test you beforehand and reject you if it is in your system.

Best of luck; it's never easy, but it is worth it!

While I don't have any answers for your woes, I can commiserate. I am only a few weeks out from RNY and have decided not to go "home" for the holidays because...I mean, torture. For the most part, I'm fine with it, and I'm a strong, forever-single (thus far) 34yo woman. But every once in a while, especially with the random surges of hormones from weight loss, I'm like EMOTIONAL. Last night I was freaking a bit. My Aunt is such a sweetheart and she called me to remind me to make sure I plan some activities with friends or just to get out of my house for this weekend to make sure I don't get to reclusive/lonely since I'm "missing out" on the holiday.

I think I'm going to ask some local friends (I moved to KCMO recently) if they'll be around, and if they want to see the holiday lights with me this weekend. Do you have something similar you can do to brighten your spirits this weekend?

3 hours ago, summerset said:

There are quite a few vegetarians and vegans on this board. Maybe you want to check out the veg threads?

I've definitely followed those, and have been obsessively researching. Just looking at overall what might be best for me and my health. No firm decisions made and the lovely thing is, I can always adjust accordingly.

To your earlier question, yes, I'm eating less than before of course. I recognize that. Again, I'm not Stuart Little-ing here. I know the sky isn't falling and this won't be a failure. Was just ranting about how it seems like some peoples' surgery was much more aggressive in stopping them from eating much at all.

2 hours ago, FluffyChix said:

First off, congrats on your surgeries!

Ok, next...both of you, stop. And breathe. Take deep breaths and step away from the ledge.

It's going to be ok...if you tread carefully. OK?

About 2 weeks ago, you had surgery. They SERIOUSLY jacked with your nerves, and your tummy is NOT fully communicating with your brain right now. So even if you "could" feel the same sensation of fullness--you really "can't". And sadly, most of us will never experience "fullness" feelings like we did pre-op. The fullness feelings manifest in different and much less satisfying ways now post-surg. The sadness that comes from missing that is a head thing we have to work on in dealing with food relationships.

...

...

And so the moral of this story is, "Just because you CAN eat more, doesn't mean you SHOULD eat more." LOL. Especially right now in your present stage. Eat ONLY what your doc prescribes for quantities. Eat ONLY the meals he tells you to eat. Do not eat anything else. There WILL be hunger--even starvin' marvin' days. When that happens, drink a glass of Water and get busy doing something else. Seriously. We will still experience hunger. But hunger doesn't constitute an emergency any more. And I've learned that most of my inappropriate hunger is caused by dehydration.

Good luck. You'll figure things out. Just always remember to breathe! ((hugs))

Thanks for your reply, Fluffy!! Understood on all counts. As I mentioned in my reply to KT above, I'm not actually freaking out; more just jealous/annoyed. You know...ranting. . I know things will work and I've always understood it'll be my job, not the pouch's, to not eat like an a**hole.

Thanks for the helpful explanation around the "fullness" feeling though. It's a hard thing to articulate, and it's good to hear it from a vet.

I've also been a vegetarian for 9 years, so moving to solids seems like it'll be less of a transition for some reason. Although, I've been debating moving back to eating meat, because while definitely possible, eating whole foods as a veggie and hitting goals seems harder than if I incorporate some meat back in. Just something I'm thinking about.

Yes KT! Also I'm watching a bunch of stuff about it and thinking that as I progress through foods, perhaps if my capacity continues/grows, I'll just fill that with veggies but not increase protein/fat sources much. I don't need more than an ounce of cheese in one sitting, for instance, so I can roast up some broccoli or something.

One thing I'm actually thankful for, and hope sticks, is how much the pre-op diet and restrictions since surgery have inspired me to cook. I rarely cooked before. Now I'm like "what yummy thing can I make so I'm not just eating plain Beans? " and I'm getting amped.

8 minutes ago, KT1981 said:

I'm in the same boat. I feel like my pouch is too large and that I can take in much more than I should be able to and I'm terrified about it, actually. No real issues with restriction or intolerances.

I'm short-ish (5'5") but all my height is in my torso, so I feel like I have extra room in there for my stomach to expand or something. This is the first time I've "said it out loud"... I'm disappointed and I'm scared it isn't going to work.

Sorry you're freaked too!

I'm not super scared, just feel like this means we have to work harder and do all the Portion Control that others don't have to. For me at least, I notice if I eat the smaller amount, I'm not hungry afterwards, but there's no cue to stop eating unless I measure it out beforehand. Same for you?

For what it's worth, I have a feeling we'll both still be very successful. I don't think this is any indication it won't work, because whatever metabolic changes needed to happen still happened.

But it still sucks.

Hi friends,

I know we're all on our own "journey" (ugh hate that word) and that everyone's body is different etcetc. I'm lucky that so far, two weeks out, I've had no issues, no rejection of food or liquid, easily getting in my Protein and liquid goals.

My complaint is that I'm jealous of everyone who gets full after like three bites. I see all these photos of people like "here's what's left after I finished!" [cut to picture of full plate of food] and I'm jealous and a bit concerned because at two weeks out, I can easily eat a 5oz greek yogurt with a side of an ounce of cheese or two large eggs with cheese and not be uncomfortable. As in, I could probably eat more. So basically I just had surgery and I feel like I don't even have any restriction.

Again, yes, I know solids may be a bit different, or that my reaction to food may adjust, or that perhaps I'm even lucky because I can tolerate everything so well. But I've tried some semi-solid foods and it's no different thus far.

But also, this is a huge surgery of which a major component is supposed to be that it physically stops you from eating regular portions. I feel like I got robbed on that front. At my checkup, my surgeon was all "yeah, well, you still have to watch portions." Yeah ok, but it seems unfair that I have to watch them in the first year, let alone in the first month.

Also yes I'm losing weight and no I'm not starving.

I'm just whiny. That's what this section is for, right?

2 hours ago, JessaK said:

Yes, I have experienced this twice. I seem to go through big changes in my life when I go through big physical changes. I previously had a lap band that took 6 years for me to start losing weight with. Once I did, my marriage fell apart. My marriage that I thought was super strong, to my high school sweetheart. Once my weight got down and I was maintaining it, I upgraded my job. I have always been in sales based interior design but now I was seeking and getting multiple job offers for a lot higher paying jobs with better benefits. I even got a promotion to manage my own design firm within 3 months of working for the company. Next was my Tummy Tuck and through that process I decided that I was tired of working for others and missing out on things in my kids lives. So I decided to open up my own business and work from home by the time I was done with my FMLA leave. My band failed & had to be removed and I gained back most of my weight. I just had the sleeve and although I don’t want to change my job bc the lifestyle it affords me is too good to pass up, I just don’t have a ton of interest in it right now. I am consumed by all things bariatric surgery.

I’m not sure that helps you but short answer, yes.

Glad to hear you've had some positive changes, Jessa! And I hear you. It's seriously hard to imagine focusing too much on anything other than recovery and success with post-op stuff right now. I don't even know how I'm filling my days now, but it's all surgery-related for the most part (researching recipes, tracking liquids, etcetc). Best of luck with your sleeve!

Hey all,

I'm starting to test out some soft Proteins now that I'm a week out of RNY and successfully getting in my liquid and Protein requirements. I'm confident that as a veggie I could get 60g of protein in with three meals, but I'm getting a wee worried about getting that done in three bebe meals like the ones I'll now be eating.

Has anyone come across sample menus like the hordes that are available for meat eaters? If not, I'll continue to just kinda wing it, but it's always nice to get some outside ideas!

Thanks!

5 minutes ago, Matt Z said:

This surgery can drastically change your life. I took 2 months off from work (for both my WLS's) coming back here has been so totally different after dropping so much weight than it did before hand. Folks I interacted with when I was heavy, are treating me differently now, they don't even realize they are doing it because some of them don't realize I'm the same person they interacted with previously. Those that do recognize me are really nice about it, and even they treat me differently than before. It's been a very interesting "experiment" in the social realities of overweight people. I legit would get ignored by some some of the resident and nursing staff, now they acknowledge me in some way, the female staff say hi and smile or smile and do the hair brush over the ear thing. Some of the male residents posture now, puffing up and whatnot, I love watching the subconscious actions we have play out.

It's sad, but overweight people get an unfair (sometimes unconsciously, sometimes not) break when it comes to employment. However, once that weight comes off, if you wanted to do so, you'd be able to get into something new with much more ease than before hand.

Thanks for the reply, Matt!

So, here's where things get a little complicated. I've always been more confident and comfortable than most obese folks, I think, and as a result I don't think my obesity has held me back in many ways. I'm in sales, so it's more of a "you get back what you put in" type gig. Again, I'm good at it but pretty unenthused by it. At my current gig, I also work remotely (which is nice for continued recovery!), so I don't have to worry about different reactions from my coworkers, spare my two cats being like "don't care...where's my food? " as I walk by.

I've definitely heard to brace myself for the unsavory reality that the entire world will start treating me as more of a human though, so I've already been in talks with my therapist about that. You bring up a good point though...even though I don't feel held back in my current career path, I wonder if a new one might reveal itself to me once I'm in my new Phoenix-y form!

Hi friends!

As I sit here on my second week off to recover (RNY was last Tuesday, exactly a week ago!), focusing on my fluids and Protein intake, I can't help but dread going back to work. And it's not because I'm physically ill still or anything. I wouldn't mind going back to some other activity, just don't want to go back to this one. I've been meh about my career for years but ya know...pays the bills, has the insurance that pays for the RNY, etcetc.

So...just curious. Do we have any dramatic tales of rejuvenating one's life after surgery, saying "screw it" and marching in a new direction?

On 11/11/2018 at 6:04 PM, Swanton_Bomb said:

I am 4 days out and I haven't gone in 5 days, which is to be expected when all you are consuming is a little bit of liquid. My belly hurts so badly from the surgery and while I'm taking Colace I'm worried about when I finally go it is going to really hurt me. Can you tear stitches like that? I'm trying not to take much painkillers because I know that makes the poop situation even worse. I'm terrified of throwing up too, I just started my chewable vitamins and I know those make a lot of people sick.

Hey, can't speak to the chewable vitamins--I'm on Bariatric Advantage Multi or whatever. I took Miralax for two days (Days 4 and 5, respectively) and ended up having 4 BM on Day 5 (ha!). Apparently things were just taking their time brewing. Now, I know that post-op BMs are different for our two surgeries (I had RNY), so I can't really tell you how similar your experience will be, but all of my movements have been of a more soft/borderline explosive nature. I think I've read more from sleevers about the very hard consistencies. Sorry I can't help more! I will say to have hope if you feel grumbles and rumbles in your gut. Things are moving! They're just trying to remember where to go.

Proud to report I pooped this morning! Haha. Just happy all is functional.

Hey guys!

First post here! So I know it's covered in other threads, but in different ways, so I figured I'd just rehash it here. Had my RNY on Tuesday morning; all went well (yay!), getting my fluids and Protein in successfully on Day 4 and 5 (today). Also walking plenty each day. Body cavity gas pain has reduced a great deal, thankfully. . I've had a decent amount of bubbly bowels and passing gas, but no BMs yet. I took Miralax yesterday and today. I have a bowel regimen to follow given to me by my surgeon (Milk of Mag + Dulcolax suppository) should it be necessary.

Curious when the collective mind here thinks the bowels need an additional push. Since I'm not super uncomfortable, I'm not sure if I'm constipated, or if there's just not enough down there yet. Does that make sense?

Appreciate any insight!

Possibly the lamest suggestion ever, but these calcium chews I have to take for the rest of time are actually pretty tasty. https://www.bariatricadvantage.com/item/calcium_citrate_chewy_bites_500mg I get the fruity flavors so they're sorta like a slightly-chalky starburst. It's like a treat at the end of a meal since I have to have them 3x/day.

Kinda late jumping in here, but a few thoughts: if online dating (or really however you're dating), putting it out there that you're committed to fitness and looking for a partner that is like-minded is appropriate. I think even saying "I've worked hard to improve my health and my body, and I want a partner who has similar values" or something to that effect is totally fair.

Also, to those of whom saying finding a woman who doesn't want kids is hard...nah. Sure there are plenty that want kids, but nowadays more and more women are owning the fact that they have no desire to have children. I find it's a wee harder to find dudes that don't, because traditionally they don't have to make as dramatic of lifestyle changes to be a father (not saying all, but old school dudes aren't really 50/50 parents). Anywhoozle, that's why I'm feeling good about being mid-thirties; I feel like with every year that passes, fewer people are looking at me like "you'll change your mind, dummy!" "life isn't worth living without kids" "you're selfish" etcetcetc. At a certain point, let them think I wanted them and now it's too late. I dgaf, just git out of my business.

I'm the day before! Election Day 11/6! I already Absentee Voted...no excuses