WishMeSmaller

I will not miss: The medical assistant having to find the large cuff to take my blood pressure at the doctors office. Being tired all the time. Not being able to hike. Feeling judged for whatever I choose to eat. My life revolving around food, the next meal, etc. Adding more things to my co-morbidity list. Taking more pills for those co-morbid conditions. And almost everything everyone else has posted previously!

I can’t speak for everyone else, but I welcome everyone who wants to share. We just might not be able to help with any of your questions or concerns. 😊

RNY on July 6. Down 20 pounds post op and 15 pre-op. Feeling good with lots of energy. Doing cardio most days for 30 + minutes and getting about 9000 steps daily, total. Averaging around 600 kcals per day. Wish I did it years ago!

RNY and hiatal hernia repair on July 7. I had minimal pain, except when I woke up in recovery I was in agony. Took a couple of pain pills for about three days, then just Tylenol. My gas pain was minimal, but my abdomen was hugely bloated for a good week. I walked a ton as soon as I was in my hospital room the night of surgery. Every time I woke up during the night I walked a couple of laps in the unit. The surgeon actually told me I was walking too much.😂 5 incisions 1/2-3/4 inch. All were bruised and tender, but no significant pain. I took two weeks off from work because of the hernia repair causing me difficulties with eating (pain and puking) for the first 10 days or so. If it hadn’t been for that, I could have worked week two post-op. I have actually felt great and had tons of energy since surgery. Good luck!

Yellow is my favorite!

Do not feel bad about contacting your surgeon’s office as long as you are pleasant and considerate when you speak to them. Remember, in this case you are not just a patient, but also a customer that they are going to make a bunch of money for taking care of. Without you (and other patients) there is no them. Btw, I work in a medical clinic as a nurse and sometimes something will fall through the cracks. A gentle reminder you are waiting is completely acceptable. Hope you get your answers soon!

@Repeatingthoughts and @Groovymommy! So happy to hear about your progress! The little milestones (like baggy clothes) are all going to add up to big milestones. Groovy, if I don’t have a 30 g protein shake per day I struggle to get my protein in. And I hate the taste of whey protein post-op as it tastes like rotten milk to me. Talked it over with my dietian friend today though, and it really does give the best bang for the space, so I drink it. 🤢 Also, if you haven’t been checking out the food before and after thread, you should. It has really inspired me to get creative with food. I do miss big meals and eating whatever sounded good (I am a major foodie with a bread addiction), but I just ate an amazingly satisfying salad with chicken. I want more because it tastes good, but I have that tell tale pressure at the back of my throat that says no more. If I get that “rock in the chest” feeling, I will be miserable until I puke it up. Yay me 🙄 Let’s just keep on keeping on, bypass buddies!

Same for me. I have been walking since surgery. Started some cardio videos around week three, and can do resistance training in a few more weeks. My surgeon’s office encourages walking right away. I did try a bit of light yoga and my abdomen was a bit uncomfortable still. Will try again in a few more weeks.

Hi Bypassers! Pretty quiet on this thread. How is everyone doing? Anyone have anything to brag about? Or gripe about, for that matter? I am doing well. Exercising pretty much everyday. Getting around 9k steps per day. Went back to work in the clinic after 4+ months of working at home. And I puked up half of my morning meds this morning 🤢😂 I guess I took them too fast and I am still on one blood pressure med that tends to disintegrate before I can swallow it. Yuck! Hope all of you are out there kicking butt! 💕

Sounds like you are super insightful about this! Excellent call on backing off from someone like that. We all need good energy right now as we try to become the healthiest we can be. Good vibes coming your way!

I modified the salad dressing from this version: https://emilybites.com/2019/01/thai-chicken-chopped-salad-with-peanut-dressing.html I like lime, so I used juice from two limes and one packet of stevia instead of the brown sugar. The salad is best with Napa cabbage, but my store was out so I used regular coleslaw cabbage and carrot mix. I added a red bell pepper, two green onions, and about 3 oz of snow peas. All together, with dressing, my tiny serving was under 30 kcals, with 3 g net carbs. My chicken was marinated in mixture of zest from two limes, 3 Tbsp soy, 2 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp sriracha, handful of cilantro, .5 tsp salt, 2 clove garlic, 1 tbsp ginger (fresh or paste) for about 6 hours with 1.3 pound boneless chicken breast fillets. I make the marinade and dressing in my bullet mixer for ease. My portion was about 2.5-3 oz chicken, .5 cup salad, and 1 tbsp dressing.

Slightly more appealing looking. Thai chicken salad with peanut dressing. I ate the whole thing (about 200 kcals). It was delicious 😋 Plenty left for the next couple nights.

So, first time posting in this thread. I definitely need to work on plating and food photography. 😂 This is my after 😬. I ate about half. 1/2 sheet whole wheat lavash bread with an ounce of reduced fat cream cheese, one slice of uncured Black Forest ham, and a big handful of micro greens sprinkled with everything but the bagel seasoning. So good for my after workout snack. 😊

During my two week pre-op diet I literally had no energy. I worked and that was about all I did during those two weeks. I was afraid I would feel like that post-op too, but my energy levels really did shoot up after week one of post-op. It was actually shocking how much energy I suddenly had. Loving it!

My ankle swelling went away post op, too! Isn’t it great?! Happy healing!

I started on the ones with iron, but the constipation was unreal and my surgeon’s office gave me permission to try to go without. They will check labs at the end of the month. Fingers crossed to be able to stay off! Like the person said above, I have heard lots of good reports on Flintstones vitamins.

I have the Bariatric Advantage now, which is two per day. The Bariatric Fusion tastes much better though. Unfortunately I just could not find the Bariatric Fusion chewable without iron, or I would still be taking them.

I lost a whopping 5 pounds the first two weeks after surgery. 😂 Things picked up in week 3 and 4. I guess I had a very early stall. I am trying to vary my macros while still getting minimum of 60 g protein daily. Some days, more healthy fats, or more healthy carbs, or more protein while getting about 600 kcals/day. Weight loss is pretty stable now, at about 5 pounds/week. It doesn’t look like I am going to set any records for speedy weight loss, but I AM losing. Just stick with the plan and it will happen.

For all of you losing a bit more slowly, just keep on keeping on! For reference, I am almost 47 years old and 5’8” tall. Gastric Bypass on 7/6/20 HW: 265 SW: 249 CW: 233; 16 pounds in about one month post op. Feeling good. Clothes fitting better and some too loose. About 600 kcal/day. 55-75 G protein per day. Excited to keep this going! ps. I only lost about 5 pounds in the first two weeks. If you have a slow start, don’t worry. Just stick with the plan and keep going. 😊

Sometimes it can take months to get a new patient appointment with a PCP, which is why they want you to start now. Also, few PCP’s of any worth would feel comfortable doing a surgical clearance during a first appointment. They will at the very least want the opportunity to order and review labs. I suggest you call for an appointment ASAP. It may seem like you have all sorts of time now, but it goes fast. BTW, I am a nurse working in a large primary care practice. Best of luck to you!

Leg cramps could be caused by electrolyte imbalance (Potassium and/or magnesium deficiency) related to all of your recent diet changes (liquid-regular-liquid again). Just give a heads up to your surgeon. Good thoughts for a boring surgery coming your way!

My PCP had me stop my metformin prior to starting the pre-op diet. In another month I will have myA1C checked to see if I need to go back on it. Fingers crossed for being done with metformin🤞🏻😊

Sorry about the pain, but welcome to the losers bench! Holy crap on your weight loss! That is spectacular! Every day will get better. By the second week, your energy and pain will improve. I am just wrapping up week 3 and I feel great. I have a ton of energy and am seeing changes in my body shape and the way clothes are fitting. It is fun! I am back to wearing my “skinny” crop jeans with a belt to hold them up even though my weight loss has been pretty meh post-op. It is exciting! Glad you have joined us on the other side!

I had GERD and a hiatal hernia for about 15 years. When I started to think about weight loss surgery and do my research, I decided gastric bypass with hiatal hernia repair was the right choice for me. I know I am not a revision like you, but I decided getting rid of GERD forever, and not taking the chance of having to revise later, was very important to me. I am almost 3 weeks post op now. The first two weeks I had a bit of regurgitation, but that has gone away. I will continue my proton pump inhibitors for another month or so while I finish healing per the recommendation of my surgeon and then get to drop them from my meds. Yay! My recovery has not been perfect. I have had three separate incidents of vomiting, likely due to the hernia repair, but I was able to go back to work full time last Monday after two weeks off. I actually feel great and have plenty of energy. I have not tried to eat anything with processed sugars yet, just some fruit, so no dumping at this point. I am glad to have the potential for dumping as a deterrent to eating processed sugars. I do plan to try a small piece of dark chocolate soon, just to settle that craving. At some point I will try a glass of dry white or red wine too, but it is still too soon in my healing process. I hope you come to a decision that is right for you. Consider what you are willing to tolerate in the future. Possible dumping vs. possible GERD and another revision. Best thoughts coming out to you!

The vomiting does give relief and it is easier than before. When you get that feeling, trying not to “swallow it back down” has been working for me. The sucky part for me has been the nausea and stomach cramping for FIVE hours while my body works to rid itself of the offensive substance. Very good to be back at work, such as it is...I work four days per week ten hours per day from home as a COVID triage nurse for my clinic. It is generally super busy right now as cases in my community are up. It is nice to not have to worry about packing food right now 😬 Glad your stall ended @MaybeMeow! @Groovymommyyou are kicking butt! Good luck @Repeatingthoughts!