Shanna NYC

I think you are smart to wait. I would get a few things to have at the ready, but don’t go crazy. Like with protein shakes, if you have the option of getting single ones or a 4 pack of different brands to see what you might tolerate after. Broth is good and mostly won’t go to waste. I mistakenly bought a case of Recovery Water and I can’t stand the taste. I would just say to just be sure to have your vitamins and calcium ready and the foods you can sort out later. I know every program is different and some people start vitamins at different times. I started the day after I came home from the hospital. I also wasn’t on a liquid diet after surgery, but went straight to puréed stage. So mostly cottage cheese, yogurt, puréed soups and the shakes. Best of luck!

I think you are smart to wait. I would get a few things to have at the ready, but don’t go crazy. Like with protein shakes, if you have the option of getting single ones or a 4 pack of different brands to see what you might tolerate after. Broth is good and mostly won’t go to waste. I mistakenly bought a case of Recovery Water and I can’t stand the taste. I would just say to just be sure to have your vitamins and calcium ready and the foods you can sort out later. I know every program is different and some people start vitamins at different times. I started the day after I came home from the hospital. I also wasn’t on a liquid diet after surgery, but went straight to puréed stage. So mostly cottage cheese, yogurt, puréed soups and the shakes. Best of luck!

I'm 4 months post op and I really don't have any food aversions. Only immediately after surgery the next few days everything tasted awful - the protein shakes, the calcium chews and the chewable vitamins were torture. I believe it's the anesthesia. After that period, things were fine. I was sick of eating certain things because of repetition in the pureed stage and then soft foods stage, but not that it tasted bad. Since I started on modified regular foods, nothing so far has not been bad. I have not tried to even eat bread. It's my absolute favorite carb in every sense of the word, but I know it's not time for it just yet. Fried foods I also haven't tried to eat. Beer is actually ok with me. Takes me a little longer to make it through one - which is a good thing overall. But I can't really do seltzer or hard seltzer. It's way too bubbly. Took me an hour to get through half a can. I try to stay away from high sugar items and have tolerated a number of sugar free things with trial and error. I did have a regular sugary cocktail off the menu the other night at my friends birthday dinner and surprisingly tolerated it just fine. It just still takes me longer to drink it, which again is ok by me. This entire lifestyle is a matter of trial and error. We learn from our medical team, from one another on these forums and our own bodies.

LMAO. Oh I understand not wanting to consume something that doesn't taste good. I try to rehome the things that don't work for me, lol. I had bought a bunch of those Crystal Light packets and squeezies and the Starburst stuff since I heard a lot of people have trouble with just plain water. I can't stand the fake sugar taste of them and just could not drink them at all. I gave the whole collection to my cousin who enjoys them. The only one that taste good to me is the True Lemon ones. Thankfully plain ole water is still my best friend. I've wasted money on funky protein water (Recovery water was no bueno to me), calcium chews in dessert flavors are not tasty to me (fruity girl all the way), too many chewable vitamins, not great ready made shakes etc etc. So I understand completely. I will continue to pray for all our wallets, lol.

Funny as I was thinking that. It's not even just food, but more so drinks on my part, lol. My bill could easily be $150 one night out and now maybe $30 with leftovers to boot. I will say Uber Eats misses me. But then I turn around and the cost of protein shakes, vitamins, protein water etc does add up. Even better foods - hearts of palm pasta over standard carbs, extra lean beef, low carb cereals cost so much more. It kinda balances out and it's always worth it.

In the case of my RNY, the ones I found hurt most were the ones they sew back to muscle (2 of my 6). Even if visually the outside incision is closed and healing, it will take far longer for the inside ones to heal. I found an ice pack for a few minutes helped, just keep it dry.

WOW. That is very unbecoming of a medical establishment and surgical team. Regardless of some exchanged words, you are recovering from a pretty major surgery and there are tons of follow-ups in the first year for a reason. I would say if your requests to change surgeons and get answers to questions continues I would speak with a patient care advocate. Obviously major concerns in the moment should prompt an ER visit, but it would take longer for a general ER doc to understand the potential issues of a bariatric patient post-op. I certainly hope it works out for you and that you have your stresses lessened.

Thank you. Funny thing is that I honestly didn't put a whole lot of thought into it until a week ago. I stopped and thought wow I haven't had as much body pain - the knee pain and lower back pain has lessened by a lot. Of course it's not completely gone because age factors in, lol, but it's too the point I didn't have to really think about it. Longer walks and climbs up the stairs doesn't take the wind out of me and I live and commute in NYC so lots of walking and stairs to tackle. I had lost 100+ lbs a few years ago (took far longer of course) and maintained it for awhile until pandemic times when i went back to where I started. So to be back to before pandemic weight feels great. I'm hoping to hit the 100lb gone and get into onderland by end of year. *fingers crossed* Best of luck to you on your surgery, it's certainly life changing and worth it.

Every body is different and tolerance for pain is different. I was definitely uncomfortable as so much movement relies on the core, but not in a huge unbearable pain way. I was given 6 Percocets of which I only took 3 - 1 pill at night just to sleep better as I couldn't sleep on my side and it was not the best sleep on my back. If i needed anything else daytime, I just took tylenol. I did not get crazy pain until week 2 and a half when the pulling in my side nearly knocked me out. However that was remedied with a binder that I wore for just a few days until the worst of it passed. Now at 4 months post-op I barely remember those days and would change nothing.

I have this one at home and haven't been able to make good use of it. It reminds too much of infant formula. Early on I tried to put in apple sauce and couldn't handle it. I then used it to make a protein coffee and it was just rough. I'll likely try to bake with it in some way and see how that goes just so I'm not being wasteful.

Congrats and welcome. Heartburn/reflux was one of the reasons I chose the bypass over the sleeve. Happy you are able to continue your journey in more comfort.

Congrats that all sounds great! I just hit my 4th month post-op visit myself this week. It's always great when you have a good surgeon and med team who are attentive and encouraging. Makes a world of difference. Keep rocking your progress.

I'm only looking for vanilla purely because I just like to get my protein in with my coffee. I'm not a fan of fruity cereals so I'm sure I wouldn't care to much for that flavor. I have a bunch of bottles of Strawberry Banana Core Power because the fruity creamy flavor is just not for me. I appreciate the suggestion though!

Thanks. I like their energy drinks. They come in interesting flavors. I might have to go into a GNC and just try a few bottles of different things.

I was mainly looking for another option to mix with my coffee as I don’t tend to drink protein shakes alone anymore. I get my morning coffee with my jumpstart of protein to start the day. I didn’t do this until 30 days post-op because I couldn’t have caffeine and decaf was awful lol. So I find vanilla is little easier to mix. (Though I have also tried the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Chike protein coffee and it wasn’t so bad). I am not opposed to other protein shake chocolate options if I wanted to blend it up even with ice for a treat, but I had gotten sick of chocolate ones for awhile since that flavor was and is the only one I can find in Costco. I was drinking 2 a day pre-op and nearly everyday for a couple weeks post-op. I do drink the Protein 2O protein waters. I don’t drink them as often now since I can make my protein goals mostly with my morning proffee and foods, but I will still throw them in on days I fall short. I agree it’s a nice way to mix it up without adding more heavy milky liquid.

I am 9 weeks out today and while I haven't quite had those issues, I can understand the frustration. Most shakes turned me off and I was over ricotta, yogurt and all things similar during pureed stage. I don't really feel physical hunger (it's mainly mental), but I know I have to meet goals so I make myself eat. The only thing I will not do is eat every 3 hours when I feel like I can't really handle it. Since the tummy can only hold so much, it's easy to get over the repetitive foods. What I have found that works on some days when food isn't sounding great - I drink protein water - Protein 2O is the brand. It has 15g of protein and comes in a variety of flavors. I also cannot stand the sugar substitute aftertaste or overly sweet and this one does not have any funkiness to me. It helps meet goals when i don't want solids and am over milky shakes. Since sweets aren't your thing, have you tried Quest products like the Protein chips or cheese crackers? It's more snackish while still being high in protein and decent in stats. A bit lighter than meats to get in protein. I'm sure this phase will pass at some point, which I hope is soon.

I am 41 and today marks 8 weeks post-op from my bypass. It was my choice to go the bypass route from jump and my surgeon agreed with my decision. Yes in the very beginning, you are not only limited on what to eat, but even the capacity to eat (or even the desire). It would be the same with the sleeve either way because of the swelling the small pouch can only hold so much. It gets easier as time passes. To date I have not had any dumping issues. I know it is not the same for anyone regardless of which surgery, but I have tolerated all foods I've tried to date. I have been cleared for basically everything in moderation, still trial and error as I haven't tried it all yet. I have eaten out several times since about 4 weeks post-op and most places easily have things that can be ordered or slightly modified to suit our needs. Soups or a protein and veg are fairly easy to find on most menus. Grilled chicken sandwich minus bread with a side salad. Breakfast is even easier. I either end up with a to go container for another meal or two, or my boyfriend eats extra, lol. I do enjoy cooking and have had no issues with finding recipes to make my own. Flavor and variation is key. You can easily keep your cookbooks and find some substitutions for higher fat/carb/sugar items. I think it's much easier now than many years ago to find healthier alternatives. And while I know many people can be successful with the sleeve, I personally know a number of people who have had more regain. Some regret not having the bypass, or have gotten revisions years later.

I like to add Protein2O water. It counts as fluid and protein. They have both 15g and 20g versions. I’m still at the 70-80 goal currently at 7 weeks post op. Fluids are still a chore to get enough in.

I am 4 and half weeks post op now. Just before my 3rd week I was having intense pains on my right side and my left closer to my belly button. It felt like a hot knife was stabbing through me. I contacted my team as well as a post I put up here and was told that it is actually normal though not everyone will experience it. 2 out of 6 incisions are to muscle and the insides take far longer to heal. I found that using a binder or spanx like underwear helped immensely and now the worst has passed and I no longer use either. Best to you and your journey and hope the pain also passes you quickly.

I am today officially 3 weeks post op RNY. My first week of healing was a bit uncomfortable, but by the end I was much better and could move around more. Week 2 I started to feel some tugging on my right side kind of away from the immediate incision area. I mentioned it to my surgeon at my 2 week visit and he said it is likely because 2 of the incisions are sewn to muscle and did not seem concerned. Well 4-5 days later, not only is that part in an awful state of pain, but the 3rd incision site (internally) also feeling similar. It’s not a constant pain, but brought on by movement. It started as some movement like bending, but now is with nearly anything. (Showering is torture). It is what I can best describe as being stabbed with a hot knife. It for sure feels like a muscle burn rather than an ulcer burn and is only relieved with holding my stomach w a lot of pressure. I picked up a back brace/ab brace for an immediate fix with hopes to get a better larger binder. With the brace I can function way better, but because I have a B belly, it sits in the crease and with the pressure after several hours it irritates my skin. Anyone else experience a similar feeling? I am awaiting a reply back from my doctor.

I appreciate everyone sharing. It felt better knowing I wasn’t the only one and it’s a normal thing. I am happy to report that the worst of it has passed. I did get a binder, but wore it less than a handful of times. I had a concert to attend and tried a shaping underwear which actually was quite comfortable with just the right amount of compression. Movement, showers, sleeping have all been much better and no support needed for the last several days. I still feel the under incision area slight soreness, but I’m just 4 weeks post op and know there’s still inside healing happening. For anyone still experiencing it, it will pass.

Oh I’m off and on struggling with protein and water goals. I am also not hungry but I know I have to get in the protein. I’m on the entry of stage 3 (can add other things in after a full month from surgery). So without actual meat things, it’s a circle of shakes, eggs, cheeses and yogurt and I’m over it. I mixed up the protein shakes because I was also sick of chocolate. I have the Core Power in Vanilla and Strawberry Banana to add variety. Also just got Protein 2 O protein water to break up the creamy stuff. It’s hard getting in 60grams at this point.

Thanks everyone. It really is good to know I’m not alone. It’s hard for the none bariatric friends and family to understand. I have more friends with the sleeve and I know it’s not quite the same either. My doctors office did reply back and said it is fairly normal as the internal stitches are healing and should be less pain as time goes on. They said it was ok to wear a binder if it helps, but not to wear it all day to take it off from time to time. I’m just happy I’m working remote right now, but dread going back to the office.

I actually love milk, but so many protein shakes taste awful to me. The one I’m tolerating is Fairlife Nutrition Plan in chocolate. But just after surgery even that tasted so gross to me. Took me a few days to finally be able to tolerate it again. Eggs aren’t part of my puréed stage and by most of my paperwork neither is cream of wheat since it’s mostly carbs. I’ve been mixing applesauce w plain Greek yogurt, having cottage cheese, and puréed lentil or black bean soup. Plain water is just fine by me at any temp which I’m so happy for because I can’t stand the Crystal light, Wylers light or any other sugar free mix in. The one thing I’m missing most is coffee because I don’t like black coffee. And skim milk doesn’t help lol. Water still isn’t at the levels it should be, but I’m just trying to get a little better with each day. I might have to wake up earlier to get those goals in because I agree the timing doesn’t allow to get it all in.

Awww. I’m sure - it’s quite an emotional journey and so much going on for the body and mind. Baby steps is all it’s going to be about now. I’m doing pretty alright. Def much better week 2 in the pain dept. Trying to get closer to protein and water goals with each passing day. I struggle with artificial sugar tastes. I’m on puréed and getting very bored with how limited it is (for my program at least), though I had excitement when I came across a recipe for baked ricotta and it was absolutely delicious. Hoping my appts coming up next week advance me to soft foods.