Tiffykins

Seek medical attention. Don't worry if anyone else has experienced this, it's not normal, and could be a slew of issues/complications, or it could be a simply case of irritation, a food intolerance, a stomach bug, but if you are concerned enough to post this on an internet forum, please seek medical attention immediately.

I'll just say that immediately and in the first few months post-op, you'll have major restriction. As time progresses, the stomach adjusts, and stretches to some degree. No amount of restriction, no amount of loss of physical hunger, is going to stop us from sucking down a huge milkshake, or other carby/junk/slider foods. Lil gave the best description of what happens when we don't address the behavioral and habitual issues behind what led us to have surgery. I can't say that I was ever a binge/compulsive or even an emotional eater, but I would eat out of boredom, and I personally loved that totally "Thanksgiving day" full feeling pre-op. Because of the mental work I put in during my losing stage, undereating my sleeve, measuring portions and really learning to listen to my body, I hate that feeling, I hate to feel full, I hate the way overload of carbs make me feel. I admit that I have allowed some of my fat habits to creep back in, and I knew if I didn't address them, I'd see a significant gain. Being self-aware of the issue is a big step, seeking proper counseling to help finding other coping mechanisms, and learned behaviors will benefit you greatly. The sleeve will only do so much long term. There's lots of stories out there where people get 2-3 years out and see a gain, it's simply an issue of getting back to the behaviors of what got us fat in the first place. None of the surgical choices beat poor food choices. There's RNY and DS failures out there, or those who never got to goal with those options because none of the surgeries beat carbs and junk food. The main issue with malabsorptive procedures is that you have to be way more diligent with vitamin/mineral/nutritional supplementation or you'll gain an entirely different set of issues post-op.

I just want to maybe clarify this for you: Translation, voice inflection can both get lost over the typed word. The sheer fact that we do not know you from Adam, we don't know that you are a nurse, we don't know you at all, we don't know what credit should be given, because let's be honest, after 2 years and seeing people post "I'm 10 days out, can I eat jelly Beans, cheetos, etc etc or I"m 4 weeks out, supposed to be on purees, do you think it'll hurt if I gnaw down on some beef ribeye this weekend at a barbque??? Do you see why these type of statements get some of the replies??? So, remember when you post something, we can not decipher what you NEED to know. You simply stated: I am 15 days out. I am still on a full liquid diet. Do you think an ice cream cone or sundae from McDonald's is okay to eat? I Have well over the amount of calories left. This is how it reads to some of us and this might clear up why you got the reaction/replies: I'm 15 days out, supposed to be a on full liquid diet, I want to eat ice cream because I have the calorie allotment for the day. NOT, I'm 15 days out, feeling very sluggish, need calories, and was thinking about having some fat free frozen yogurt/ice cream or no sugar added ice cream. Would these cause an issue with my new sleeve or did anyone else try ice cream this early out? Those 2 statements are vastly different. My reply would have been different although I would have suggested the same alternatives, but you asked about an ice cream sundae after having a huge portion of a major organ amputated so you can lose weight, and you wanted someone else to tell you they were fine after eating ice cream. That is NOT what you asked. Perception is 9/10ths of the law, you asked a pretty vague question, and apparently wanted a completely different type of reply. Replies are reactive to the question. Maybe now, you'll see why people replied the way we did initially. Your question was then followed by caloric justification. You're a nurse, you get this situation I'm sure in your daily job. For example (my aunt is an ob nurse) and she gets questions all the time, and they are not verbalized properly, or the patient can not communicate properly, or via email replies she says she just sits there and wonders how in the h*ll this woman was able to procreate. I'll drop it at this point. You took the replies as chastising and insulting. We simply read and replied based on what you asked. We aren't mind readers, and I dropped my crystal ball years ago so unfortunately, we can only reply based on what you give us.

I don't want you to feel like I jumped on you. I answered you honestly, gave you better options, and it appeared like you were offended because I told you that I didn't think it was the best choice. Which, honestly, it's not no matter how much we want to justify it. I just sat and ate 3 creme filled British of sort cookie things. I have plums and pears in the fridge, but I wanted the damn Cookies. We're all human. Grant it, my stomach is healed, I don't have transit time issues like I had when I was early out with heavy dairy, or sugar laden foods so it's a little different. I have transit time issues with veggies which sucks. No one can tell you if something is too heavy for your stomach.We're just a bunch of internet strangers trying to help each other. That's why it's advised to follow the prescribed post-op dietary guideline above what anyone else says.

You know that I adore you, but it's NOT the best option. That was my point along, and somehow this entire thread got blown out of proportion. Gatorade has sugar, PLUS electrolytes. Greek yogurt has calories, carbs and Protein. I drank regular gatorade because I needed the calories as well.. The point is that you can eat it. Should you, not really, or are there better options out there that can give you sustained energy along with nutrients, YES!

I have done a modified 5 day pouch test, I just simply refuse to the liquid portion of it. I always lost on it. I'm not an emotional eater so I can not completely relate, but I am a bored eater/grazer if I allow myself to do it. I hope others chime in.

Here's how I looked at it; Do I need it??? Do I need to supplement with a snack to hit my calorie/protein goal for the day? IS that snack going to keep me in my caloric/protein guideline for the day. I can tell you that I ate 4 meals a day, no snacks, because that gave me what I NEEDED, not wanted. I had to snack once I got to maintenance to get my body stabilized until my restriction loosened up around 8-9 months post-op, and then I was able to cut back on the snacking (I had 2 per day typically beef jerky/nuts/peanut butter/avocado slice), and go back to my standard 4 meals because it gave me what my body NEEDED. You can snack. No one is going to stop you from doing it. But, if you have a calorie/protein/carb/fat guideline, stay within that guideline for success. Most of those numbers are pretty similar in regards to the most popular, most successful programs that I have watched over the last 2.5 years. If you need to eat because of a strict workout regimen, then eat a Protein based snack. For me, it was about "need" over "want", or the just because I can doesn't mean I should theory. And, I should throw out there that I've seen 3 different nutritionist and all of them believed something different, and they ALL worked with my surgeon. I followed what he told me to do because the nuts were idiots, well all of them but 1 were idiots. So, I'm not a fan of varying diet plans, but the top-rated plans, most long term surgeons have set plans based on successful patients who are further out than a few months.

There is "silent reflux" that I've read limited material on, and yes, the risk of permanent esophagus damage is possible. Several people treat it symptomatically, only when they have symptoms, or take an H2 blocker or decrease their PPI dose to every other or every 3 days. Honestly, I don't have it bad enough to take meds every day that I know of. I actually never had real reflux, ever. Not pre-band, with my band or after my revision. I started getting these funky hunger pangs, this gnawing feeling in my stomach about an hour after i ate when I was around 6 weeks out. I asked a couple of vets who were a couple of years out and they said that acid could cause false hunger. I discussed it with my surgeon, he prescribed Prilosec 20mg once daily, and my hunger was resolved. Honestly, I'm petrified of hunger, and the few cases of breakthrough reflux I've had have made me downright miserable. I would think there would be some symptom of reflux if a person was really suffering from it, but I can also see how it could go undiagnosed or even misdiagnosed/treated if it's a "new" thing for them. Luckily, I stuck myself to a couple of people who were a year or two further out from me, who were mentors in a sense, and they helped me through the first few months.

Celebrate Multi Complete with Iron - 2 daily chewables Celebrate calcium citrate 500mg with Vit D and Magnesium chewables - 2 daily (don't do carbonate, we don't absorb it properly, and it's the cheapest, least assimilated form of calcium on the market) sublingual b12 (WalMart or Walgreens) 2500mcg per day The recommendation from my surgeon: During losing stage, Multi Vitamin with iron (depending on type/brand, just need the regular serving size be it 1 or 2), Calcium citrate 1200-1500mg (in maintenance since I can consume more dairy, only need 1000mg, B12 vaires by lab results. B12 (and several others are Water soluble and we can not absorb b12 via swallowed or chewed pills) so supplementing with a sublingual or injectable is required to ensure maintenance levels of b12. You can order free or cheap samples from Bariatric Advantage and Celebrate vitamins: http://www.celebratevitamins.com/component/chronocontact/?chronoformname=sample http://www.bariatricadvantage.com/catalog/categoryHandler?cat=Bariatric%20Advantage%20%3A%20Sample%20Kits Personally, I'm just a big kid on the inside so I like chewables. I've been extremely pleased with the Celebrate and will pay extra for the formulation. Also, I've been able to stay on them through my pregnancy because the formulation/ingredients and levels of vitamins/minerals is higher and better formulated than most pre-natals. That speaks volumes to me when it comes down to Vitamins post-op.

Weight Loss Too much weight Loss Feeling cold all the time - was temporary only through the rapid weight loss phase. My body was in maintenance through the winter, minus 140lbs, I'm pretty sure it's okay to get cold easier considering I was half the woman I was pre-op Chronic GERD Take PPI never have refulx Strictures Only a 2% risk of this occurring(should be lower with an experienced surgeon) Leaks 1% or less risk Calcium deficiencies Taking the proper calcium supplement is essential, just like taking proper, high-quality adult multi-vitamins ensure this doesn't happen. Citrate is your best option Iron deficiencies not necessary, not common if anemia is not an issue pre-op. Multi with iron helps to keep levels normal Can't take slow release drugs Incorrect, there are zero medication restrictions with the sleeve No Aspirin Absolutely false, I take a baby aspirin every day and will for the rest of my life due to a rare, genetic clotting disorder, and aspirin therapy is the only treatment Issues from Surgery Could occur with any anesthesia procedure Twisting up the sleeve (There is a technical term for this but I don't recall it) Unsure of this condition would need to know medical terminology to reply intelligently Possible dumping reactive hypoglycemia is more common and is often confused with dumping, transit time has been studied some doctors believe transit time can effect dumping/hypoglycemia, others disagree Food tolerance issues Very minimal and usually resolve the further out you are from surgery Nutritional deficiencies Only if you do not take care of yourself and do not make good food choices Hair loss that grows back True gall bladder issues Ehhh can happen to anyone after weight loss, I lost mine at 8 months post-VSG Chronic fatigue until fully recovered Can be avoided with proper fluid, vitamin, protein intake. I napped a couple of times a day for the first month or so, but I had complications related to my revision from the band. B12 must be taken sublingually or by injection due to the intrinsic factor of the stomach being removed with the VSG. Lactose intolerance, or whey intolerance can occur making protein drinks limited. That's all I can think of at this point.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I love your pic, I can totally see a difference. I'm glad you are so happy with the results ! ! !

What part of my post is in question?? The spasm comment, acid reflux can cause the esophagus to spasm along with other associated with stomach surgery. Hernia repair, or hiatal hernias can also cause reflux or spasms. I didn't say that a PPI would cure the spasms, but reflux can cause them which in turn makes eating/drinking more difficult. For me, I wasn't willing to deal with those issues so I choose to remain on a PPI.

Prilosec and Prevacid are both available over the counter. I was on Prilosec until a bad case of Gastritis hit me this past January, and I was switched to Nexium. When I found out I was pregnant, I stayed on the Nexium because Prilosec is NOT approved in pregnancy. I took Prilosec (generic form) 20mg once daily, first thing in the morning. You need to wait a minimum of 60 minutes to eat anything after taking a PPI. Nexium states 30 minutes wait time, but I still wait an hour before eating. It *can* take a full 7-14 days for Prilosec/Prevacid to fully kick in so don't be alarmed if you do not get immediate relief. You can also take it at night, just make sure you have not eaten anything for 2-3 hours before taking it. Your gut needs to be empty for maximum efficacy. As for symptom treatment, an H2 blocker such as Zantac, Pepcid (Pill form) will give you relief. I take Gaviscon for immediate relief if I have breakthrough reflux which I have had on occasion through the pregnancy, and it's not related to any food specifically, it's just pregnancy. So, if you want immediate relief, and if I were you, I would take Gaviscon, then start taking either Prilosec or Prevacid, and see how you feel. I'm 27 months post-op, and simply refuse to go off my PPI. The long term risks are minimal, and mainly related to bone density issues since PPI's make calcium not easily absorbed. That is why it is recommended for us to such a high dose of calcium citrate and not carbonate. Citrate can be absorbed and assimilated without an acidic environment while carbonate needs acid to be absorbed properly. And, even then carbonate is the cheapest, and least effective calcium on the market. Just a general disclaimer: I'm not a medical professional, I don't want anyone to get their panties in a twist (not you dramagirl) that I'm giving her advice and what I've done to make sure my sleeve is well protected, and what is the standard OTC dosing recommendations that I have been given.

I froze the greek yogurt after I added sugar free pudding powder or Torani sugar free syrup. It's not ice cream, but it's close. I would mix whatever flavor I wanted, divide it out into ice cube trays, cover it in plastic wrap, and freeze overnight. Pop a couple of a cubes out (2-3 cubes is 2-3ounces), and have a dessert type treat when I wanted them. It kind of shaves off instead of being super creamy when frozen, but it sure beats the heck out of ice cream for nutrient and Protein content. There are also several recipes out there for "protein ice cream". I know the blog "The World According to Eggface" has several protein based dessert recipes. I personally never used her recipes because I developed a whey intolerance and soy Proteins suck. Hope that helps give some alternatives. I used greek yogurt mixed with all sorts of stuff to avoid eating junk food. I pretty much just threw stuff in there and experimented until I got it right. It took some trial and error to find what would work, but those alternatives worked to keep me on track.

For me, taking a PPI was well worth not being miserable with reflux symptoms, and/or hungry. The stomach is just not used to making such a small amount of acid. Plus, it helps protect the healing staple line. I'm petrified of Barrett's esophagus considering that I do not have enough stomach tissue to reconstruct my esophagus if I should ever suffer from constant GERD/Reflux. Not to mention the esophageal scarring, spasms, and difficulty eating if reflux persists. I'm not saying this to argue with your doctor, but reflux is nothing to disregard through the healing process. Even an H2 blocker would help you get relief, and you might not ever need a full blown PPI RX.

No one is bullying you. We didn't give you the advice you wanted to hear and you're the one who is insulting other members. I gave you solid advice with other, better food options and all you want to be told is that ice cream is okay at 15 days out. It's very obvious that you can not handle what people have to say who have been there, who are way further out, that have put in the work, and went through the same exact thing as you are right now. Not to mention, not only those who have reached goal weight, but those who have maintained their loss, who struggled with the same issues that you are struggling with right now. No one is being superior. We are all just more experienced, and logically do you think it's smart to eat ice cream after weight loss surgery. If you have major problems with people who won't coddle or enable poor food choices, and if you just want to hear that "it's okay" then use the block feature. It's a lovely feature of the forum. It allows you to not see what someone replies to your posts, but they can still your replies. Edit to add: I was NOT offended in any way by your question. I gave an honest, simple reply with a suggestion. It's fairly easy to see that you didn't want to read that ice cream is NOT a good option.

My rule of thumb is if it wasn't on my "approved" list, I didn't eat it. The guideline is there for a reason. Mainly, to protect your sleeve. Of course, it's next purpose is to give the necessary information to ensure success. I developed lactose intolerance and whey intolerance post-VSG so I couldn't do any of that stuff.

I'm sorry, but you asked for opinions, you specifically asked if "it's okay". Sure it's okay, is it smart or a decision that is conducive to weight loss? Nope, not at all. Your comments are rude and condescending. Support comes in many forms, and no one was rude or condescending towards you. You asked on a public weight loss surgery forum for opinions/suggestions. It's no different than a recovering alcoholic going to an AA meeting and asking "is it okay if I just have 4oz of a beer instead of 12oz?" Do you think the other members would be cheering him saying "sure, it's no biggie, you've been sober for 2 weeks, hit the bottle, just no more than 1/2 cup!" I agree with TexasTeacher 100%. You are a mere 15 days out from having your guts altered and want to eat one of the poorest food choices out there, and for anyone to tell you "it's okay" would simply be enabling a bad food choice. So, if you don't like hearing that ice cream is not a good option, think before you ask a group of fatties and former fatties who have decided to make the very best of their surgery journey and not eat craptastic food while trying to get to and/or maintain their goal weight.

I would personally choose a better option. Ice cream this early out is just not recommended, it's nutrient lacking, and empty calories. Grab some greek yogurt, flavor it with some sugar free pudding powder, and enjoy. There are tons of better options out there. Just because you can "afford" the calories doesn't mean those calories should or can be lacking in nutrients and/or a benefit to your body. This is about making better choices and in the long run, believe it or not, making the best decision gets more difficult. I agree with making the best choice/decision now rather than just eating crappy food just because you can afford it with your calorie intake.

There are zero medication restrictions with VSG after the initial healing period. The one thing with NSAIDS is that you need to take them with food. It's a rule for NSAIDS and steroid use when we have huge stomachs, same rule applies. I've taken NSAIDS (every one of them) since being 6 weeks out with zero issue. Also, I have been diagnosed with a rare, genetic clotting disorder, and MUST take aspirin every day for the rest of my life. Aspirin is an NSAID, and with RNY or the Band this treatment would not be possible because of the risk of marginal ulcers with stomas and pouches of RNY and band patients. We do not have a pouch, or stoma, so zero medication restrictions. If you'd like the documented information let me know, I'll send it to you. And, I'm 27 months post-VSG.

Considering the calcium in Tums is calcium carbonate you are likely only absorbing about 3-5% of the calcium anyways. They aren't recommended for bariatric patients due to carbonate causing rebound reflux. Most often, a PPI (most prescribed to stop the acid production)or H2 blocker (used as a secondary agent when the PPI is not fully effective to treat symptoms) is prescribed to stop/reduce acid reflux symptoms.

Did you get a post-op dietary guideline from your surgeon????

For me, the struggles early out are so worth the long-term. I had a complicated recovery due to being a revision, but others struggle as well. The one thing you can't focus on is the "bad". All the stuff you listed is temporary. Really, it doesn't last forever. Drinking and eating become easier with each passing week, hair grows back, nausea doesn't happen to everyone, and I was never malnourished. Seeing my family live life without me because I was too fat do fun stuff, and realizing I was going to end up in a pine box way too soon if I didn't do something about my weight was way scarier! ! !

I'm with 100%. I have had 5 friends have the sleeve since I was so open about it. My personal conviction is that the stigma of weight loss surgery and all the judgment are only perpetuated by people being shameful and worried about what other people think of their choice to move forward with surgery. We received tons of judgment while obese, and let's not forget the constant ridicule. I'd much rather be judged, and ridiculed for taking the easy way out, gaining my health, and being a skinny b*tch over being fat any day of the week. Once everyone stops being ashamed of WLS, the positives will outweigh the negative, and people will see the benefits of WLS and the positive changes that occur due to us taking that "last ditch" step to better ourselves ! ! !

The sleeve really does help keep portions in control. I promise I did not diet during my maintenance time, but I was conscious of my food choices. I eat anything and everything I want. Grant it, about 85-90% of the time I still eat Protein first, but I enjoy all foods. I drink soda, alcohol(not in pregnancy), enjoy a lot of social gatherings which revolve around food. So, I do feel I live a pretty normal little life with food. BUT, I put in the work early out when really didn't have room for a lot of other foods. I remember even getting into maintenance, and being perfectly content with a few chips/crackers. Now, I can sit around mindlessly eat an entire "Big Grab" (those 99cent) bags of Funyuns.or half a sleeve of crackers without restriction. Those are the habits that I was talking about in my first reply. The sleeve really does help us not gain the weight back, but the sleeve doesn't stop ice cream, Cookies, carby/fat/fried foods from sliding right through. None of the WLS options stop carbs and sliders. So, we still have to be mindful and diligent in our food choices. My weight gain was over the holiday season last year. From Halloween to New Years, we attended a bunch of parties, social events, get togethers, etc etc and they all involved alcohol in copious amounts, party foods, Snacks. Seriously, every other weekend, I had somewhere to be and had food and booze in hand. Over those 3 months, I had a solid 7lb gain. I saw the scale gradually go up, and thought "oh it's Water weight from the booze". Low and behold, the new year came and those pounds were still there. I went back to just my normal eating habits, not dieting, just protein first for my meals, and I dropped those pounds in a little over a week. I admittedly hate working out. It's no different than scrubbing toilets. I could probably have more laxity in my food intake if I worked out more. However, I don't want to work out, I don't want to go to a gym, I really just hate exercising. That is a big part of my pregnancy weight gain. I'm eating 1700-1800( about 400-500 more calories than what I ate in maintenance) calories a day with a minimum of 100-200gr of carbs, and 80-100gr of protein per day. The sweet/junk food cravings are unbelievably difficult to fight at this point. I've never dealt with this level of head hunger, or cravings in my life. So, I know that it's pregnancy, and the fact that my eating habits have changed in pregnancy. The lack of physical hunger really is my #1 contributor to my success. I know my sleeve limits, I also know how to cheat the sleeve so it is still all on me to make the best decision on what goes in my mouth for every meal, every day. I can still go several hours without eating. I still never get a stomach growl, or any physical sign that I need to eat. But, I can eat every hour on the hour if I choose. That's the part that is very hard to overcome for me. I know I can eat a meal, and then an hour later I can wander into the pantry and eat more. I wanted to just put it out there that losing was easy, and maintenance is where I (and many others) struggle. That was my issue before surgery as well. I could lose on WW, or any other "diet attempt", but life would happen and I'd gain back what I lost and then some. For me, the most successful sleeve patients out there are the ones who made major behavioral modifications, and really adhered to a solid plan post-op. I have read 100s of topics from people who experience several stalls, slow weight loss, and/or their weight loss comes to a complete halt because they think that the sleeve will do all the work. Sadly, those same patients post how they don't want to diet, how they want normalcy. Well, I hate to say it, but most of us are NOT normal. If we were, none of us would have sought surgical intervention. Pretty much if you are diligent with food choices, and allow indulgences in moderation, the sleeve works. I can still suck down a milkshake, or eat an ice cream without issue. I really do live by the mantra of "just because I can; doesn't mean I should". It's not always easy, but the sleeve helps tremendously.