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@hills&valleys hit the nail on the proverbial head about adjusting eating techniques. Eating slowly, taking small bites, watching portion sizes, avoiding food that is too dry or coarse, etc. is very important. otherwise discomfort or the foamies may occur. And yes your tummy may not tolerate certain foods, textures or flavours for a little while longer so food choices can be a little more challenging in the beginning. Difficulty with eggs, chicken breast, steak, etc, in these early weeks aren’t unusual. Six weeks is still pretty early out really. While able to eat soft foods then too, I could only manage my recommended 1/4 - 1/3 cup portion. Often that would be the protein only & it would usually take at least 20 - 30 minutes to eat. It does get easier & eating does become enjoyable again but you do have to learn the eating strategies that work best for you & your tummy. My tummy is a bit quirky & fussy but it was before surgery too. I still eat slowly taking 30 - 45+ minutes to eat what of course is a much larger portion size now, and take smaller bites. If I don’t because I’m distracted or not focussed on my eating behaviours, yep, discomfort & the foamies will occur.

So, this coming Tuesday I'll be 6wks post-op and I still feel like I'm suffering when I try to eat. I've been having my popsicles and shakes fine, but every once in a while I feel clogged up in my chest when trying my soft foods. I tried having a quesadilla earlier this week that was alright, but today I tried doing a poke bowl since it was soft foods via fresh fish, soft veggies, etc, but it felt uncomfortable going down that it took me 30min to digest it and have it be comfortable in me; does that ever get easier? I can totally be fine with the full filling, but eating is still unenjoyable for me because of this. I was told I should be able to eat normally by now (or at least by this Tuesday), and I can understand that everyone heals different and I might need longer, so I was wondering how long it took you guys to get over this hump? And any suggestions to help subside the pain in the mean time?

And another update a month later. In the last 6 months I have lost 3 or at the most 4lbs depending on the day of the week. Pretty much bottomed out now I think at 138. I have lost exactly half of my pre-surgery weight which is totally mind-blowing. I am preparing myself for some regain in the next year or so (I need to so I don't panic when it appears). Hopefully the completely new wardrobe I've bought won't be in vain. But even if it is I can totally get another one size up and still be happy. I am still walking a LOT. I need to get into some strength training but I can't find the time. Any November 2021 people please check in - I am dying to hear how we're all doing these days. 😍

I flew to Mexico Thursday, and had surgery Friday. Sunday afternoon i was on a cross country flight home. I only carried a carryon bag that i tucked under my seat, and was able to carry the little bit i needed. No real pain flying that soon, more fatigue and nausea— made the entire flight and threw up before I got in the car to drive home. (Which I also drove myself home). But keep in mind, i have a high pain tolerance. At home for the first few weeks- I really didnt pick up too much more than a case of sodas, just made my son move big things. I have flown several time in the past 5 months, and no trouble at all. My advice- if there is something big/heavier you want to take back home after recovery- mail it to yourself. Just have an essentials bag to fly with, you will be happier- and with baggage costs, it may be cheaper anyway.

I had mine 8/1/23 and last food I had was 7/31 so 3 weeks today of clears, I asked about protein shakes and they said I could get the Ensure clear protein drink but no shakes! I can’t drink it because it’s so sweet it gags me so I’ve lived on broth and a lot of water and snowcones w/ sf syrup and popsicles. Three days ago I had cooked/frozen several large batches of Lima, Red beans, cream peas and bean soup. I had some of the bean broth bc it had a bit of substance and it seemed to be all that kept me going. I ran out and went back to broth with seasoning but finally started using 1 small can cream of chicken soup to a quart of chicken broth plus 2 cups water and cooked down with a bunch of Cajun spice. I go back to surgeon tomorrow and am supposed to be put on soft puréed food, eggs, mashed potatoes and yogurts per their instructions and I am certain that if I don’t gnaw my arm off by then I will come home and eat the best eggs and potatoes of my life 🤣 I have been starving for the last 10 days and I’m pretty sure my stomach has healed bc it growls and gives hunger pains about 90-120 post broth meals.

When I was preparing for my original gastric bypass, my surgeon was worried he might not be able to do it laparoscopically because of my weight. He needed my liver to be smaller. He was actually “threatening” to not do it at all, unless I lost enough weight. I bought all kinds of Atkins shakes, and that’s all I consumed for 4 weeks. I lost 30 pounds. It was enough to keep my surgery. He also recommended clear liquids for the first week afterwards. I bought chicken stock and added red pepper flakes to it.

As others have stated, in the early weeks there really is no signals so you must measure your portions. When I first started introducing solid food my full signal was a runny nose followed by silent air burps. At almost 6 months post-op, I have gotten better at visually measuring my portions and stopping before I am full; but I still get the air burbs if I eat until I'm full.

Everyone's recovery is unique but based on averages, most people have regained the majority of their strength and beginning to settle into a new "normal" eating routine at 8 to 10 weeks. Remember to use caution when introducing new foods. Our tummies can often be disagreeable for the first 6 months.

Sleeved on 9-1-2022, one week before my 71st birthday. I have lost about 60 pounds. Great experience and so happy I finally did it.

hello everyone!! I thought since this is brand new to me, and I just joined today that I would introduce myself to everyone since I've seen other people do that. My name is Ross and I am 34 years old. I was born and raised in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas, and last June moved to Tuscaloosa Alabama. I moved to Tuscaloosa with my little brother who is a student at UA and a member of the coed cheer team. I also cheered for many years of my life, so it must run in the family. haha! I am an unapologetic Disney nerd who truly loves anything and all things Disney. Also, in my part time when I need a little decompressing I like to crystalize water bottles and phone cases for myself and friends. I would say I've been a food addict or someone who relied on food for emotional support majority of my life, unfortunately, due to outside influences that encouraged the eating. A big reason why I am having the surgery is simply I want to live. I really can't say it more straight and narrow than that. Another reason is I had Covid in 2020 like I'm sure many of y'all did but unfortunately, my case was a little different and I ended up on ECMO for four days and a ventilator for a month. I coded twice while intubated at which point the hospital staff told my family i would have about a 15% chance to live and if i did i may have severe brain issues. Thankfully when I woke up I was myself for the most part, but I had severe paralysis on my left side which required me to spend an additional three months in the hospital learning how to stand and walk again. I still have a pretty significant neuropathy on my left side. My left arm has some weakness with things and my left leg is completely numb to the touch. So I have low hopes for any kind of change, but still keeping hopeful that maybe with the surgery and weight loss some of the mobility and feeling will come back. I have been "creeping" on the forum for a few weeks and I can't tell y'all how much your stories, encouragement, and transparency has helped with my own journey without even meaning to. I am paying out-of-pocket for my surgery due to not having health insurance with the job I currently have. I've done all the required testing and I am hoping that tomorrow 8/21/23 will be the day that I get my surgery scheduled. We are aiming for the last week of the month for my date, so fingers crossed! I am going to be flying back to Texas for my surgery and staying there for a couple weeks to recover with my family. Which leads to the question I had for those who had to travel for the surgery. When you flew back post surgery with the weight lifting restrictions, how did you go about getting your bags and things like that? Did you notice any real pain post surgery when you were taking off for landing? Any other tips or experiences are always welcome to be shared as well! Thank yall again for taking the time to read this little bit about myself and my journey. I look forward to being on here more and more and sharing my own journey with yall as yall have bravely done already!

could be water retention from your period or it could also be the infamous "three-week stall" that most of us experience (it's not always the third week - it could be week 2 or 4 or 5 - but most of us have our first stall pretty early after surgery. It usually lasts 1-3 weeks. Best thing to do is stick to your program and stay off the scale for awhile...it'll break and you'll be on your way again...)

Yes its a thing for me too. I take the English brand of a PPI twice a day and the yucky thick stomach meds after every meal. I did not suffer this before surgery I suffer if I eat too late or eat the wrong foods late in the day. I have found that my favourite spicy and acid fruits are not foods I can eat after 6pm. I sleep with a big wedge under my pillow. I still wake up in the night, about once a week with acid trying to get in my lungs and making me cough. Its the only downside to my life saving surgery. If I knew beforehand that this would be a consequence, would I still have had this surgery ? Yep, I would

HAHAHA, Same here, I just got three amazon packages...

Mine was about 4 weeks after I am self pay.

Same to you. Still haven't received a date yet. Hopefully next week.

Glad to hear you are going strong at 6 days @Sandygal. Week two should get better for you. Not sure about muscle relaxers for pain. Never used them. But back and shoulder pain is usually caused from trapped gas after surgery. You might be better to walk it off. When telling my doctor about the pain from that right incision, he said it was a deeper stitch and is normal to feel it more than the other 5. I told him I was afraid of ripping it out. He assured me it was stronger than I thought and not to worry. I have a pretty good pain threshold so knowing I wasn't damaging anything while moving around was a relief. Also hold a pillow up against your stomach when transitioning from lying to sitting and sitting to standing. Takes the pressure off the tummy muscles and really helped till I got past the first couple weeks of discomfort. Good luck!!!

My diet was high protein (at least 80g), low carb (60-100g), and low fat with no more than 1000 calories/day the 2 weeks before surgery. The day before was the same, except nothing but water after midnight the night before. I think it has a lot to do with your surgeon and surgery. My surgery was successful and my meals before my surgery were anything but boring. Good luck with your surgery!

Hey Congrats to you all for your losses. @CarolineLittle thank you for thoughts. Makes me feel hopeful that some day I can post : hey I lost 20# !! This past week I was pretty good, I was able to eat a lil bit of food. Doc cut my TPN intake to half, and added 2 rounds a week of just saline. its still a crazy about of calories, fat, carbs ect in these bags.. So my weight loss is at a standstill , then 2 days ago everything went down hill, I'm not sure what happen internally ,but my stomach decided it had enough, I started to violently throwing up, I had empty stomach so it was just bright yellow bile, after 10 mins of that , i noticed small blood clots ( insert panic here) , I called doc, explained to them my currant condition.. They are going to do another Endo to get a look at what's going on.. so now it just a wait, for appointment.. I sure it will end up to be nothing, and I will just get.. " give your stomach some time" or "the hormonal changes of the stomach should regulate soon" ugg!! anyway I just take it day by day, I still try and eat and drink a little.. the max intake i can get is around 2 ounces at a time. Then I have to wait about 6 hrs before I can think about trying again.. So here to another week.. and good luck to you all on another successful week.

Hi I had my surgery on Monday I’m on liquid diet for three weeks more good luck to all of you. Take it easy you girls can do it!!

Thank you @Jeanne. I will. Today I’m better emotionally. I was just completely overwhelmed yesterday that the scale didn’t move again. It’s been a few weeks with no change. I’m trying to focus on NSV as someone told me yesterday. It’s been hard but I’m determined to stay positive and see it through.

Thank you @Jeanne. I will. Today I’m better emotionally. I was just completely overwhelmed yesterday that the scale didn’t move again. It’s been a few weeks with no change. I’m trying to focus on NSV as someone told me yesterday. It’s been hard but I’m determined to stay positive and see it through.

I had a pretty rough go. I actually ended up back in the hospital after being discharged because they gave me the wrong pain medication. The pain medication they had been giving me (hydrocodone) doesn’t do anything at all for me. I kept telling them that but they kept using it and then promised that they would send me home with oxycodone and didn’t. So at three in the morning I had to go to the ER and be readmitted. It was excruciatingly painful when I was not on pain meds that were effective. Mostly the gas in my upper shoulders was the painful part. I had a hiatal hernia repair and a bypass. My doctor was not fantastic, I did not necessarily need to be readmitted to the hospital. I really just needed the correct prescription. But he wanted me in there so he could watch me, or for some other reason? He seemed very angry with me. I will say this. I wish I had known that it could be that painful. I would’ve been able to more completely prepare myself and be more accepting of the pain if I knew it was coming. That’s why I’m mentioning it to you all, not to scare anyone but just so you can get ready in case you are one of the people that it hurts. It clearly doesn’t hurt everyone. As for me, I’ve had two spinal cord surgeries that were less painful than this one. So everyone has a different experience, but mine was not fantastic. That said, I feel ok now and am home, doing well. Good luck, all.

I had a pretty rough go. I actually ended up back in the hospital after being discharged because they gave me the wrong pain medication. The pain medication they had been giving me (hydrocodone) doesn’t do anything at all for me. I kept telling them that but they kept using it and then promised that they would send me home with oxycodone and didn’t. So at three in the morning I had to go to the ER and be readmitted. It was excruciatingly painful when I was not on pain meds that were effective. Mostly the gas in my upper shoulders was the painful part. I had a hiatal hernia repair and a bypass. My doctor was not fantastic, I did not necessarily need to be readmitted to the hospital. I really just needed the correct prescription. But he wanted me in there so he could watch me, or for some other reason? He seemed very angry with me. I will say this. I wish I had known that it could be that painful. I would’ve been able to more completely prepare myself and be more accepting of the pain if I knew it was coming. That’s why I’m mentioning it to you all, not to scare anyone but just so you can get ready in case you are one of the people that it hurts. It clearly doesn’t hurt everyone. As for me, I’ve had two spinal cord surgeries that were less painful than this one. So everyone has a different experience, but mine was not fantastic. That said, I feel ok now and am home, doing well. Good luck, all.