imgoincrazy

Okay, I had my sleeve done on Wednesday the 15th and I still feel like crap. I had my pre-op tests done on the 13th (full body scan, blood test, and routing checkup with the surgeon) and went into op around 8am that Wednesday. I know the time frame is weird, but considering the fact that the surgeon does 2 to 3 bariatrics surgeries a day (popular guy), I felt pretty comfortable doing it. I wanna start off by saying, I'm quite amused at the level of "attention" and pre-reqs that is required in the U.S. It is super unnecessary, a sleeve is probably one of the easiest major surgeries that can be performed. I actually felt sad for the people that had to undergo years of testing and check ups and even liver operations just to be able to do it. Don't waste your money and time on that and just find a reputable surgeon abroad who will most likely do it at 1/10th of the cost while being much more experienced with it (I was treated like a client/customer whenever I conuslted a doctor in the U.S. rather than a patient). Now that I got all the negativity towards the American healthcare system, I want to ask a few things about my current diet. For the most part, most post-op diets are similar but I don't understand how some people go hard on protein during the 1st phase when my diet doesn't involve any protein until the 5th week. First 14 days is clear liquids, and the nutritionist/surgeon literally just advised me to drink white grape or apple juice (peeled,strained, added water, no added sugars), broth water (no fat, no seasonings, bleh), and herbal drinks (no caffeine). How the heck is my body supposed to stay alive on what I suppose is basically nutrient weak foods? I'm still alive obviously, but I don't see how I won't be turned into a skeletal frame by the end of the 2nd week on this diet? I asked my doc "am I gonna be alive to even enjoy solid foods in a couple of months if I stick to this diet?", to which he replied "don't worry buddy, trust the process".(okay he didn't actually say that, but it was something among the lines of it'll be okay if you stick to it). I mean I trust the process, but I don't really trust the science behind it. Why do some people have the luxury of being allowed to eat SF Jello, ice pops, protein shakes, puddings, etc. just a few days after surgery when my diet is so harsh? How is not having any protein over 2 weeks a good thing? I had a natural weight loss journey before (300 to 185) and it involved a LOT of protein and little to no carbs/sugar + high fat for muscle building, so this just sounds so alien to me. Not sure if this helps, but I'm a 28 y/o male, current weight 258 ideal 170. I was prescribed anti-heartburn meds, pain meds, and blood thinners as well as a weekly dose of B-12. Sent from my SM-N970U using BariatricPal mobile app

Alright, I think it's time for an update. I caught a cold on the 28th and it's beating me up. I haven't been able to leave the house because everything makes me dry heave / gag. I can't drink anything but water and yoghurt now, can't really handle the fruit juice anymore. I developed oral thrush and was prescribed pills and a gel, I can't really do the gel because as soon as it touches my tongue I start dry heaving violently. I started feeling a little better on the 1st but things took a turn the next day. I felt some pain on the side of my throat and got it checked out, turns out it's tonsillitis. It makes sneezing and coughing a real pain now. On top of that, I developed bronchitis 2 days ago that just keeps getting worse. I can't sleep much anymore. I'm drinking 1.8L to 2.1L of liquids a day but I still wake up every 45mins to an hour because of how dry my mouth gets. Has anyone experienced or heard of someone that experienced a bad cold that led to more complications so soon after a sleeve? Genuinely worried now, been in bed for 5 days. I can walk around the house but I get short of breath pretty fast and start getting nauseous. Sent from my SM-N970U using BariatricPal mobile app

Dude, I almost forgot about Quest products. That's going to slap once I'm back in the states. My favorite is the barbeque. Just to check, since it is solid, I shouldn't be going anywhere near it until I'm ready? What if I chew it until it's all mushy? Sent from my SM-N970U using BariatricPal mobile app

Thank you! I will certainly miss potato chips, it was truly my kryptonite. Wish that awful stuff didn't exist lol Sent from my SM-N970U using BariatricPal mobile app

Thank you all for the thought out replies, I truly appreciate it. I understand that I shouldn't have taken the cheap route, but I didn't have 25k laying around to get the surgery done in the U.S. With that said, I talked to a few friends who used the same surgeon within the last year or so and they all said great things about him and they averaged close to 1 pounds lost per day for the first 60 days. That definitely was what lured me in since I've been trying to lose weight for almost a decade now and I always rebound. For the record, I don't have heartburn. He just prescribed it to me "in case" I get heartburn in the morning or at night. It's just a preventative. My second phase is week 3 and 4, and it involves a "Full fluid" diet; basically a clear liquid diet but I do get to have some other things like sugar substitutes, fat free yoghurt, fat free custard, and fat free creamy soups (no chunks). I also got a visit from him and the nutritionist post-op where they explained what kind of lifestyle changes I have to make now that it's done (chewing a lot, exercice more regularly, portion control, etc.) so it's not like they're completely irresponsible; it's just that they don't see it as a major op and told me that as long as I don't cheat and follow through with all phases, I would be good. It's easy for us Americans to judge their actions, but at the end of the day I did it in a country where the medical field is more advanced than what we have and I truly believe that we make it difficult because insurance companies wanna bill you the most for everything and obesity + overconsumption is seen as benefitial to the economy. Pureed food is for week 5 and 6. This is where I get to have some protein, 45-50grams a day split up between 6 small meals(1 boiled egg, 1 cup of fat free milk, 30grams of soft cheese or low fat cheese, 1 can of tuna in water drained). Weeks 7 and 8 is soft foods and then after 2 months its solid foods but maximum of 8 spoonfuls per meal. I guess I should just go ahead and say that I did it in Israel, so if you have any doubts on the quality of healthcare over there; know that it's in the top 10 whereas the US is in the bottom 48. I hope this works out well, will keep you updated! Sent from my SM-N970U using BariatricPal mobile app