Lindsay B

There really is no easy solution, especially at the earlier post-op stages. Its hard to be a fan of protein drinks, yet for those 1st 4 weeks, they were salvation in terms of protein intake for me. I agree, too, that eggs are a must, although again one does need to ingest more than is normal to get close to the daily protein targets. The only suggestion I would offer is not entirely great......we really do just have to bite the bullet, and find and eat what we vitally need, in order to preserve vital muscle mass and minimize any loss of same. Canned tuna, when it can be introduced, is not so awesome that I want to eat masses of it, just as with eggs - it is absolutely a case of needs, rather than wants. To be brutally honest....and there's little point in being any other way with this topic......we have to put our head down and just get on with it, or we will suffer the detriments in many ways. It isn't exactly like we have a choice, other than to remind ourselves of the many benefits of having already gone so far through our bariatric journey. Accept the challenging nature as being totally unavoidable, and move forward toward better and bigger goals......wishing us all the very best.

You are very welcome Christine......of course, important to follow your GP's advice. Also, Iron supplement tablets comes in variable strengths, and even types. Certain types of Iron are a little more readily absorbed by the body, and may work a little better. Very important, after around 3 months, to have further blood checks, to establish if the Iron has been properly absorbed, and to see what dosage of Iron you may need to carry on with, which may be a different dosage pending the test result. The interesting thing with Iron is that it can take many months before you eithe feel a difference or, see any difference in your blood test results. Generally, most anaemias have a slow onset, and consequently take quite a while for us to correct them with Iron supplements. You may already know from your Dr, but if not, try to always take your Iron along with Vitamin C.....the tablets are fine and not expensive.....but also is ok to take them with juice, which should be Vitamin C rich. The Iron requires the presence of Vitamin C in order to be absorbed maximally. If your Iron levels are quite good, it may not be the problem with your dizzy episodes - it could actually be the weight loss from the procedure that has given you a relatively lower blood pressure than used to be for you pre-op. I have this a little, too, and find I can mostly manage it by trying harder to not forget I have it....not always easy, but I do know it's a nuisance when it happens. Please take care with it, and wishing you well!

I absolutely agree.......it can be readily seen, for sure!

Hi there.......it sounds very much like you have elements of what is called 'postural hypotension - that is, at times, your blood pressure is slightly slow to respond to, for example, bending your head lower down, then raising it sooner than your brain can 'catch-up' and make the adjustment to your blood pressure. Your blood pressure is likely already low....more so than it used to be....which is why you are, after the weight loss, experiencing these symptoms. I would say that it's highly likely that this is what you are experiencing - more importantly, we need to look into what has caused it. You are not old enough for age to be a significant factor, although if you DO take blood pressure medication, this may be a factor. Can you recall what your blood pressure reading was, the last time it was measured? You have lost a massive amount of weight, and as a result, you have experienced some lowering of your blood pressure simply due to this fact. I, too, have been having episodes of dizziness when I bend down and get up again a little too quickly. This passes quickly enough, but clearly can be of concern and is something we need to be mindful of and aware of, for safety reasons at times. I have plenty of medical knowledge and experience as regards to this and other things, and advise that you mention this to your Doctor, who will likely confirm what I have written here. If you are taking medicines for blood pressure, the Dr will review the dosage and likely reduce it. In many cases, it can be largely untreatable and simply managed by our awareness of having the condition, and avoiding....when we manage to remember......bending forward and up again too quickly and so-on!! I hope this may have helped a little.....if I can help more, please let me know, and wishing you the best with your ongoing journey! I should add......just read your posting again......was going to suggest looking at if your water intake was adequate, but it seems to be reasonable, the amount you are drinking daily. It would be worthwhile for you to get a blood screen test done, to establish your Haemoglobin and iron levels baseline results. In ladies especially, this need watching, although thinking about it, it seems unlikely that your bloods have not been measured quite frequently due to your surgery and follow-up etc. I am thinking here Anaemia, possibly Iron Deficiency, but again, regardless of these possibilities, a good idea to see your Doctor to narrow things down and diagnose correctly. Checking the BP by laying down and standing is not always conclusive or absolutely diagnostic of postural hypotension, that is, it may not be a significant enough shift in the numbers to be picked-up, yet you are still experiencing symptoms. Sorry to go-on a little here, but I really hope to have helped you a little with some advice.....please let me know how you go, and if i can help with anything here.

Alcohol is absorbed entirely by the stomach, via the stomach wall and into our bloodstream directly and rather rapidly. A few things to be mindful of, not necessarily in any order, but all of them important: The size of the stomach post VSG is very compromised, being a fraction of what is used to be pre-op. This means that absorption usually is much more rapid than it was and, that a much lesser amount of alcohol will be needed to both be perceived physically and felt physiologically by the body. This is important in, for example, being stopped for DUI whilst driving and likely 'blowing over' the limit, or otherwise tested as same. Of course, perhaps the most important aspect for any of us having gone through such a radical series of events, leading up to bariatric surgery etc should be, that alcohol is very high, relatively speaking, in calories. Alcohol is converted into sugars, and these are to be minimized or, better yet, avoided altogether for optimal results. Easy enough to say, I hear many uttering about now, but really, in my own humble opinion, I feel it really is a necessary sacrifice. I certainly haven't gone through all of this only to compromise it massively by continuing as once I did.....any more than continuing with what were wrong and unacceptable eating habits, be they emotional or otherwise, they all must go. I rarely drank alcohol when driving, ever, and so the matter of being 'over the limit' back then was never an issue.....now, post VSG, the risk is very real and for me, far too great, along with the much more important aspects of ongoing weight loss being optimal and sustainable. I should also add, that I am in my early 60's and have other things compromising my health that make my decision to avoid alcohol a no-brainer, but it is unquestionably the case, surely, that being on this bariatric journey, and having taken such huge steps with same, we should all deeply consider if alcohol is worth it on any level. It does represent a challenge to cease drinking, but for mine, a much greater challenge by maintaining, even partially, a life that includes alcohol. Good luck to all with this, whatever your choices

Was required to stay 3 nights, but since I live 3hrs flight time away from the hospital doing the surgery, and having one or 2 other health issues with potential issues and risk, I was kept for 4 days, then discharged into a close-by hotel, and finally given flight clearance to travel home. I feel sure that usually, where there are no complicating factors and where the surgery has also been uncomplicated, as it usually is, that 2 - 3 days discharge is commonplace. Good luck with it all!!

Hi there! Ideally, you should cease drinking 30 minutes before starting food, and allow 30 minutes to pass by before drinking again after the last mouthful of food taken. This does 2 things, firstly, to prevent 'flush through' of food eaten, which can result in greater and inaccurate feelings of being satisfied and full, as the fluid will push some or all of the food in your pouch/stomach. Secondly, following the 30 minute rule, you will avoid overfilling and those feelings of fullness.....basically mild or more serious 'dumping syndrome' type features. It is a sensible way to adopt, and can require constant reminders to ourselves in the earlier days. Hope this helps a little !

Incredibly well done Deb!! Embrace those happy feelings and the fat that you're embarking upon an exciting new phase of your life, full of benefits and improvements. Great work....keep it up, very well done!!

Tuna is a great means of getting-in protein. I am also not the greatest fan of eggs, but have found the need to push them more than I'd like. You are very correct, the powdered whys and similar are far from pleasant, but it's really about adding small amounts only.....barely enough to be tasted amounts....whenever we get the opportunity. There's really no way of making this thing easy, I know, but to keep in the back of our minds just how vital it is to work hard on keeping the protein intake as high as possible. Stating the obvious, I know!!! Your dislike of Yogurts don't help so much, although there's hardly masses of protein in standard yogurt. There are others that are 'high' protein, containing 15 grams or more per yogurt....but, you're not going to like those too much if you already don't enjoy regular ones, as it is a little noticeable that what the manufacturers have done, is basically add protein powder to a regular yogurt!! I'm not really helping too much, other than empathizing with the difficulties you're having....I, too am having difficulties and I wouldn't necessarily call myself a 'fussy eater. It becomes easier, as I mentioned, as your dietary allowances get better - it is seriously hard to get that protein until you get to the 'soft' phase....and even I only really managed to improve things with more eggs than I'd have really liked!! Be sure to drink your full allowances daily of Low Fat Milk and just do your best.....wishing you luck and success, and hit those cans of Tuna as hard as you're able!!!! (Should add that some of the low fat, low carb shakes available that sports-people use....or indeed the pre op low carb/high protein shakes we used ie 'Optifast' can be turned to, to give us around 10 grams of protein, all of which does help us....it really IS about making small changes....adding small amounts of protein absolutely whenever we get the chance to....a major challenge, I fully concur!!)

Well, dumping syndrome can be a significant issue and a variable between individuals. It is a well known and recognized syndrome of post partial, or sub-total gastrectomy surgery. Largely, it is the overfilling of what is now a very compromised, much smaller pouch for a stomach, which post-op is now around 10% or so of what its original size used to be. The feelings of over-fullness, aside from the bloating and abdominal discomfort it brings, can physiologically set-off events than vary from mild to serious. The blood pressure can fall as the body tries to adjust to overfilling of the pouch - as the body detects that we have food to digest, the blood supply to the gut is increased, diverted away from the muscles etc. (the very reason why Mum told us to never go swimming too soon after food, as the reduced skeletal and muscle blood supply can lead to muscle cramping and potential drowning etc). This can, and often does bring great discomfort generally, feelings of faintness and often, overwhelming fatigue, the need to lie down flat.....things, even simple things, can seem overwhelming. This all usually passes with rest and while we should try to relax and allow things to pass, it is not always easy to do so, as the feelings of general 'unwellness' are so strong and all encompassing. Far better, of course, to never over-eat, to stop eating before those feeling of absolute fullness ever arrive. Of course, avoiding drinking whilst eating and allowing 20 to 30 minutes to elapse before eating, then 30 mins afterwards before drinking once again, will greatly minimize symptoms of the dreaded dumping syndrome. Hope this helps a little. It is quite easy to forget and either eat and/or drink too quickly, not adequately chew our food and so-on, especially in the earlier days after surgery. Dumping Syndrome is definitely unpleasant enough an experience to remind us, that's for sure!