Recidivist

I don't have another follow-up until May, but I'll let you know if I find out then!

I had what I think was my first dumping incident (or near dumping incident) today, and it was not pleasant. I got very hot, started sweating profusely, and was so sure I was going to vomit that I ran to the bathroom (but ultimately I didn't). It lasted about 30 minutes--and naturally it happened at work. The thing is, I'm not sure why it happened. I ate nothing that I hadn't eaten before with no problems: a shake for breakfast and braised tofu for lunch. Perhaps it was just too much tofu, but it didn't feel like it at the time. In other news, I weighed in at 200.2 pounds this morning. So close to breaking the 200 barrier, which I haven't seen in more years than I can remember!

Previously I would eat whenever I got the chance and now having to be more structured is kind of a pain in the butt. Spontaneity is gone and a lot more planning is the norm. You think you understand before surgery that you’re ready to give up the food, but it’s more than the actual food, it’s the social and feeling of well-being that comes out of it. That’s the part that is more difficult to come to terms with. Totally agree with both of you, and it's so reassuring to come here and see that I'm not the only one going through this. I went to my first live support group at the hospital yesterday, and it was rather disappointing. I'll give it a few more tries, but I'm not sure it's for me. Sherbear, I also have a wonderful, supportive spouse who is going through this right along with me, props me up when I'm feeling low, and ensures that I stick to the program (which I've done 100% so far). I'm not sure how I could do this alone.

Hello, all! Today is my one-month anniversary since surgery. Here is where I am now: - I have lost 35 pounds since surgery, which I think it phenomenal--no complaints there! - I'm feeling better overall. The major issues I had in the first couple of weeks have all resolved and I'm now a "normal" bypass patient. - I am never hungry and never have cravings. I still have to force myself to eat and get enough protein. - I'm a little bored and frustrated by the lack of variety in my diet at this point. I'm hoping that will get better down the line. - I've come to terms with the fact that I've had the surgery. (You may recall that I said earlier that I regretted it.) I can't say I'm happy with it yet, but I do realize that it was the right thing to do for my health.

I am three weeks and two days out. At two weeks, I was always dizzy, passed out several times and had a seizure once. The doctor told me to drink more water, but I simply couldn't drink more than I was because I was always full and it wold hurt to eat or drink. The good news is that in the last week and a half I have improved dramatically--no more dizziness, and it's gotten so much easier to drink. Hang in there!

I'm just over three weeks and have had salmon sashimi twice (including today) with no problems--and it was yummy!

I've lost an incredibly 32 pounds since surgery 3 weeks ago, which absolutely blows my mind! However, I'm trying not to weigh myself very often, because I know it will ebb and flow and I just want to focus on eating right.

Hey, Joe. I'm another man who is an "honorary" member of the February group. I was supposed to go on February 25 but was postponed until March 4. By that time, I had already bonded with the February group. I finally went back to work today, 3 weeks after surgery. I was exhausted by the end of the day, but otherwise all went well. I am so sick of the pureed/soft diet and have been pushing the envelope a bit by nibbling on some "real" food from time to time--but it was still all protein, so I feel virtuous. Regarding the alcohol discussion: I'm definitely going to avoid it for a year, since I want to get the most out of the honeymoon. I'm hoping to give up drinking permanently, but we'll see down the line. At the moment, my stomach is mildly upset all the time and I and can't even imagine drinking alcohol.

I'm feeling better today as well. Not great, but better. I have been obsessed with getting at least 80 oz of water a day, and the dizziness seems to be subsiding a bit. I've also ventured outside to go shopping, but 30 minutes absolutely exhausted me. One step at a time.

Good for you! I'm finding it very difficult to get all the water and protein I need every day, and I feel perpetually full.

Don't stress about it. As long a you are following the plan they gave you, you will be fine. As we've seen on this forum, there are many different approaches to the pre-surgery diet, but we all end up in the same place.

They actually did advise me to go the ER when things like this happen. However, I had an appointment with my surgeon at 9:30 am anyway, so I just waited until then.

Thanks, Gotta! Unfortunately, it's not getting better. This morning I blacked out and had a seizure, which has never happened in my life. I had already scheduled a 9:30 post-op appointment with my surgeon. She said that it might just be a case of severe dehydration and that i need to drink 80 oz of water every day for the foreseeable future. I'm feeling quite discouraged that the moment, and I'm actually regretting having done this to myself. I hope I will look back on this in a year as a mere bump in the road.

Thanks to everyone for caring so much about my bowel movements. 🙂 My doctor recommended Miralax, which I started on Monday. Little success so far, and still no weight loss this week. As I've said before, my primary problem remains low blood pressure, which gives me bouts of dizziness and disorientation. This morning it was 71/55. I'm seeing the doctor this afternoon to try and figure out what's happening.

Thanks so much for that. In fact, I haven't had a BM in six days, which is starting to concern me. I should probably wait until after the next one to weigh myself again! 🙂

So, I just weighed myself, which I'm only doing once a week--and I gained two pounds in week 2. I can't tell you how discouraging that is. I have been doing everything right and haven't strayed from the plan once. I'm starting to regret having the surgery, but I'll try to stay optimistic and hope for the best next week.

Marine, I actually find that I'm mellower and more patient right now, but that could be just because I'm so weak and don't have the energy to care. Today was my first day back at work, and I almost made it. I had to leave after 7 hours because I was absolutely exhausted. I can tell when I'm fading because my voice gets very weak and scratchy. I found it a bit easier to stick to the diet at work because my day is so structured and I'm tempted by anything around the house.

Not weird at all! I am two weeks out and I have no appetite at all. I'm also basically sticking to shakes, because I really don't care for pureed foods. I honestly struggle to get enough protein and water every day and basically force myself to do it.

One month, and I will be completing two weeks this Monday. Ugh.

I probably shouldn't admit this, but I burst into tears when they came to wheel me in the OR. It surprised me, and I don't know why it happened--but it certainly unnerved the staff.

Hi, all. Day 10 after surgery, and things are going extremely well. I have no more pain, I haven't vomited or had food come back up or have it get "stuck" as some of you have mentioned. I'm on purees now and am cheating a bit in the sense that I'm having soft foods and chewing them really, really well. Once this week I ate more than I should have, but there was no dumping. It was just discomfort as if I had eaten too much before I had surgery. I always feel full and am still having trouble getting all the protein and water every day, but I'm getting closer. I have two big issues that remain. I'm still extremely dizzy and disoriented at times, especially when I stand up. I got up to go the bathroom last night and got very confused and crashed into a standing mirror that is nowhere near the bathroom. Thankfully, my wonderful partner jumped up and saved me. The other thing is that taking ground-up pills is disgusting! I have tried many different ways, and I've found that the best thing is to just throw all the powder into my mouth followed by some water, which gets it over with quickly. (I'm on quite a few meds and it amounts to about a tablespoon.) I can't wait until I can swallow pills whole again!

Thanks, Marine. I know that everyone here loves the ricotta bak, so I probably should try it. Today I seriously overate for the first time. I generally just eat my regular portion of it is, but today that was too much for some reason. I definitely should have stopped but I still don't seem to recognize what it feels like to be full and stop. Some of it came back up to my throat, and I was miserable for about an hour. Ah well, live and learn.

Thanks for the suggestion, Sheribear. I tried cottage cheese today and it was quite satisfying. I'm going to try sticking with purees for a little while and see how it goes.

I started the puree stage today and it's not nearly as much of an improvement as I had hoped. I experimented with shrimp today, and by the time it was pureed it was just a vaguely salty pile of sludge. And I'm supposed to do this for three weeks! I think my main goal in that time will be to wean myself off of protein drinks and get more of my protein through food.

Hi, everyone. Still a very smooth recovery for me after a difficult start, except for the dizziness. I get it every time I stand up and have actually passed out a few times. I talked to the doctor today and she suspected it was low blood pressure, which never occurred to me. Sure enough, my BP at that time was 75/50. She told me to prioritize water over protein and drink as much as I can (more than 64 per day). I'm monitoring my BP (highest reading today was 85/65), and they might bring me back to the hospital if it hasn't improved by the weekend. UGH!