DianeF

8 hours ago, Lilia_90 said:

My surgeon cleared me for a little caffeine and I switched to Decaf from week 2-6. Six weeks on I restricted myself to one cup of coffee a day only, occasionally 2 (second one Decaf always) and that's huge progress from 4 cups of coffee a day.

You can incorporate caffeine in your post op diet (6 weeks on), but make sure to check with your team first.

I'm so glad this came up. There's one reference to caffeine in my prep book, but the doctor and dietician have said nothing else about it. And I wrote coffee on my diet plans, but nothing about decaf. I'm going to ask them about it, but I'm now realizing that I will have to cut out caffeine. I'll have to start a weaning process. This might be the toughest pre-op process for me.

On 7/13/2024 at 9:10 AM, SleeveToBypass2023 said:

Don't overthink it. We tend to want to over-prepare, pack too much, stock up way too much, read every single thing we see online and then obsess about any negative thing we see. You're ready. You've finished all the hurdles, you've been approved, you have the date. There's not a lot you can do 2 months before your surgery.

Maybe start looking at different food tracking apps to see which feels the most user friendly to you. Look through youtube to find some good GENTLE workouts for the first 6 weeks post op and save them to a private playlist for yourself. Make sure you have some loose clothing for after surgery. I bought one of those big, cure jugs that is 64fl oz so it would be easy to measure how much Water and fluids I was taking in (admittedly, at first I was barely getting in 3-4oz at a time, but I quickly worked my way up and was glad I had that because it was cute and convenient).

Make sure you have plenty of Miralax on hand and possibly, if things are really plugged up, a laxative/stool softener combo. And I made sure when I was drinking broth, it was Bone Broth because it has more Protein. That's really it.

This is great advice! You're absolutely right about overthinking. I'm kind of feeding my anxiety by over-researching, but it's better than feeding my face! haha! I'm taking it all in. I'm a pretty patient person and I like to hear a lot of differing opinions before I make up my mind. I'm definitely going to take your advice on measuring out my Water. Especially because you have to have so much afterwards and can get so little at a time. How soon after did you start gentle workouts?

1 hour ago, Bypass2Freedom said:

They are yummy! I also am scared of losing hair, but from what I gather there isn't much we can do about preventing it - but it'll only be temporary if it does happen I just take the gummies to make my hair in a better condition as it is now!

Definitely! I think some Vitamins like B12 & D, the absorption is actually quite poor in tablet form, so the sprays help with that!

Oh bless her I know that can happen with some people!

So I paid privately in the UK, and it is a 2 year package of aftercare that includes:

• 1 week post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse
• 4 week post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse
• 8 week post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse
• 12 week post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse
• nutritional screen blood test 10 days before 6 month appointment
• 6 month post-op appointment with a dietician
• 9 month post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse
• 12 month post-op appointment with a dietician and a follow-up with the psychotherapist
• 15 month post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse
• 18 month post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse
• 21 month post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse
• 24 month post-op appointment with a bariatric nurse

I love this and love this and love this plan! I kind of get the feeling my doctors are in at the beginning and then you're off on your own afterwards. It makes me a little bit nervous. But that feels like a good plan. I have good insurance, but I need to be more proactive in MAKING appointments instead of waiting until I NEED them.

3 minutes ago, Bypass2Freedom said:

That is a lovely idea

I use:

• Lactulose: 4-5 5ml spoonfuls per day
• Dulcoease: 1 5ml spoonful in the evening before bed

I have only stopped using these in the last 5 days as my bowel movements are more regular, and to be honest, the dulcoease is very hard hitting, so I wouldn't use that unless you are really struggling with Constipation.

Just try and eat enough fibre, and drink enough Water throughout the day

Per day I take:

• x2 A-Z Multivitamin gummies (even though the recommended is always 1, my dietician said bariatric patients should take 2)
• x1 spray of Vitamin D per day
• x4 sprays of Vitamin B12
• x2 Hairburst gummies

I haven't heard of hairburst, but I'm looking it up now! One of my fears is losing too much hair. I hadn't heard of the spray Vitamins until I started this forum. It seems like a great idea. My friend had WLS and had to have a blood transfusion due to her anemia, then they put her on injections of vitamins because she just couldn't keep them down. How often do you still talk to your dietician?

On 7/13/2024 at 3:20 PM, Bypass2Freedom said:

Constipation has been THE thing that I have struggled with most post-surgery. Pleaseeee get something to help with this before the symptoms of it start kicking in - I didn't do this and boy did I suffer 😂

Cleaning the house/flat is definitely a good place to start!

I also wrote myself a letter for like 6 months post-op to open so that I could reflect back on how I was feeling, and the hopes that 'old' me had for 'new' me.

Best of luck!

I made a video and asked myself questions in it so that I could look back and see me and hear my answers. Can I ask what you use for Constipation? I only just realized that I won't be able to take the same remedies I have available to me now. Can I also ask what Vitamins you take?

On 7/12/2024 at 11:30 PM, Arabesque said:

As @AmberFL suggested, I’d start tracking your food intake. You don’t have to do it religiously to begin but just to start the routine & also get an idea of what you’re eating (nutritional value, calories & portion sizes). Then you could make small changes over the next few months like adjust your portion sizes, swap out some cooking styles or ingredients to healthier ones, try new recipes, drop a snack, etc.

Also an opportunity to start to reflect on your relationship with food. Do you eat to comfort or sooth yourself (when you’re sad, stressed, anxious, angry, etc.)? Do you crave certain foods when you’re bored? Are you an hormonal carb or sweet? Do you have any eating habits like always snack at the movies or watching tv or have to have cake or a muffin with your coffee, etc. And so on.

And, yes, start incorporating some activity into your week. Good opportunity to try some different things to see what you enjoy.

You don’t have to embrace everything all at once. Simple small changes are always easier to adopt & adapt to than jumping in the deep end. You have time before your surgery.

Second the advice not to buy up big in Protein Shakes. A temporary change in your taste buds is very common after the surgery and many find a flavour or brand of shake they enjoyed before the surgery in the pre surgery diet is disgusting after. Things can become too sweet &/or salty, the texture can be off putting and for some it’s the smell of certain foods. It can last upwards of around 6 or so weeks.

I’m in Australia so none of the prolonged wait you have to go through. My surgery was not quite 4 weeks after I first met with the surgeon so I didn’t really have time to do anything - lol!

I wasn't happy with the wait, but 4 weeks seems like not enough time. I was ready to go after 3-4 months, but all of the legwork and doctor's appointments took forever. Thank you for the advice!

My friend failed the psych evaluation twice. She had unrealistic expectations of the surgery and for herself. She wanted an easy way and the psychologist feared she was going to hurt herself. So... she went to another and then another. The third one approved her and she had her surgery in 2015. On the other hand, my virtual psych evaluation was 20 minutes, cost $40, and I don't think the woman even looked at me.

I absolutely agree that it is not warranted or necessary for the surgery. Doctors need to make that decision regarding their patient's care. As far as my surgeon was concerned, it was another box to check off and nothing to worry about. She didn't take it seriously, but did require it only to meet the insurance company's requirements.

58 minutes ago, ShoppGirl said:

Not sure if you the same but for me when I eat carbs I crave carbs. If you are like that don’t do any food funerals immediately before your pro op. It will only make it that much harder. If you have to do food funerals then just do them a week earlier and eat lower carb the week before your pre op diet. It made it tolerable for me when I did my sleeve.

(I just figured out how to respond to something directly!)

I can't do food funerals. I would binge like a mad man! The thought is fun, but my reality would be awful. In one of my weight loss classes they gave the advice, "Go to the wedding, get the biggest piece of cake, look at it, smell it, take the smallest bite, then throw it away. And remind yourself that you're better than that." My immediate thought was, What world do they live in? Because I knew I couldn't do that.

I had not thought about Constipation. Thank you for the advice! I've only recently heard of proffee and I'm planning on trying it beforehand. I even tried Postum as a potential coffee replacement. I love coffee!

Great advice! A home-deep-clean is definitely on the horizon. And I'm definitely going to try the Protein Shakes to see which one works the best for me. Thank you!

Hello! I'm a brand-newbie and am scheduled for surgery on September 5, 2024. I've gone through 6 months with a dietician, sleep study, endoscopy, all of the usual suspects. Now I'm in the official countdown to actually having the surgery and I thought it might be interesting to hear from some folks who have been through it and what they wish they would have done in this timeframe. Should I be working out more? Is it too early to start a liquid diet? What should I get ready in my house for when I come home afterwards?

Any advice is appreciated!!!

Diane

September 5th for me!