The first 2 weeks

[NikkiF22 7]

Hi Everyone,

I am one week post OP and have been on liquids since 3 days before surgery. I am quite honestly...SICK of liquids. When does this get easier, any tricks for suffers like me on how you introduced food back into your life? My doc says I start back at week 3 but God this liquid thing is killing me :/

[Matt Z 4,139]

4 minutes ago, NikkiF22 said:

Hi Everyone,

I am one week post OP and have been on liquids since 3 days before surgery. I am quite honestly...SICK of liquids. When does this get easier, any tricks for suffers like me on how you introduced food back into your life? My doc says I start back at week 3 but God this liquid thing is killing me :/

It gets better... MUCH better. The trick is to really take your time and be patient. Foods more than likely will treat you differently than before. You might like stuff you used to hate and you could run into situations where things you loved... you can no longer tolerate. When you do start, just take it very slow. Nothing worse than diving into something only to realize your stomach no longer can handle it and then you end up in tons of pain for hours.

Give yourself time to react to the foods while you are testing out your new stomach.

[NikkiF22 7]

2 minutes ago, Matt Z said:

It gets better... MUCH better. The trick is to really take your time and be patient. Foods more than likely will treat you differently than before. You might like stuff you used to hate and you could run into situations where things you loved... you can no longer tolerate. When you do start, just take it very slow. Nothing worse than diving into something only to realize your stomach no longer can handle it and then you end up in tons of pain for hours.

Give yourself time to react to the foods while you are testing out your new stomach.

Thank you!! That was very motivating and I just can't wait to get there when I can actually BITE something lol ;/. Gum has been my best friend.

[AJP 132]

Gum is on my Dr's no no list. I did 2 weeks liquid preop. Surgery last Thursday. So on full liquid now. 2 weeks I get to go to soft. I chew the heck out of Jello right now lol

[NikkiF22 7]

To be honest i think gum is on my no no list also but i only do a really small piece. Ugh. Almost a month on liquid this is like bad lol I’m doing it but my God .. i am sooo over it!

[Nurse T 11]

3 hours ago, AJP said:

Gum is on my Dr's no no list. I did 2 weeks liquid preop. Surgery last Thursday. So on full liquid now. 2 weeks I get to go to soft. I chew the heck out of Jello right now lol

I believe gum is on my no list as well. I am just wondering what is wrong with sugar free gum. Since you can't chew on food why not use it as a supplement. I start my liquid diet on Thursday.

[Frustr8 7,886]

You can swallow and block things up. Just imagine a dime-sized bypass stoma blocked with Double Bubble. Not a pretty thought, could block things up badly, couldn't it?

[Nurse T 11]

I  understand what you are saying, I guess there are people who swallow gum. I was taught never to and I haven’t to this day... lol

[NikkiF22 7]

It’s really not that big of a deal surgeons are just overly cautious... i am sure i will be fine chewing my quarter of a piece of spirtment. I am a grown adult and can assure you i am not swallowing my gum. Common sense will tell you that is something you do not want to do when you are healing from surgery in your stomach

[Nurse T 11]

Just now, NikkiF22 said:

It’s really not that big of a deal surgeons are just overly cautious... i am sure i will be fine chewing my quarter of a piece of spirtment. I am a grown adult and can assure you i am not swallowing my gum. Common sense will tell you that is something you do not want to do when you are healing from surgery in your stomach

I understand where you are coming from because I wouldn't swallow my gum either especially knowing that it could cause complications. I definitely don't want to cause any complications to a procedure that I have worked so hard for. @nikkiF22 How has your post op been so far besides the food thing?

[NikkiF22 7]

1 minute ago, Nurse T said:

I understand where you are coming from because I wouldn't swallow my gum either especially knowing that it could cause complications. I definitely don't want to cause any complications to a procedure that I have worked so hard for. @nikkiF22 How has your post op been so far besides the food thing?

Yesss i am like overly careful to not swallow I even pay attention to how long i am chewing to make sure I don’t accidentally swallow. Other then being over feeling like a new born drinking all day, i feel wonderful! I am back to work a week later (i work in an office) i am getting all my fluids down, 2 - 2 1/2 Protein Shakes a day. The glue from one of my incisions came off on its own today, they are a bit itchy from healing but they look great. I am on the meds for my gallbladder and something for gas reflux that i take in my morning.’y surgeon recommended I take my baroatric daily Vitamin in the morning with my meds but that did not work out in my favor. I noticed i got somewhat dizzy and nauseous that i had to lay down and realized i could not take that all at once so I’ve began taking my multiV at lunch and switching to taking my Calcium mid morning. So far everything has been great and i am shedding weight very easily!

[Frustr8 7,886]

Proud of you, you inspire all us immediate pre surgery candidates. Thanks for the story!!

[NikkiF22 7]

13 minutes ago, Frustr8 said:

Proud of you, you inspire all us immediate pre surgery candidates. Thanks for the story!!

That makes me smile and i know your feeling being almost there. Anxiety to it’s max! The first few days post op will suck i have to tell you but it does get better by about day 4/5 AS LONG AS YOU MOVE AROUND. Staying immobile will be the worse decision of your life. It will hurt, you will feel tired you may even cry depending on how pain tolerable you are but i promise when that first week is over you will feel great! I am happy to chat and answer any questions you may feel uncertain about. Wishing you all the best of luck!!!

[Nurse T 11]

11 minutes ago, NikkiF22 said:

That makes me smile and i know your feeling being almost there. Anxiety to it’s max! The first few days post op will suck i have to tell you but it does get better by about day 4/5 AS LONG AS YOU MOVE AROUND. Staying immobile will be the worse decision of your life. It will hurt, you will feel tired you may even cry depending on how pain tolerable you are but i promise when that first week is over you will feel great! I am happy to chat and answer any questions you may feel uncertain about. Wishing you all the best of luck!!!

Thank you so much because I am excited as well as scared, but I know the outcome will be wonderful.. I took off work from August 30th to September 19th. I hope that will be enough time for me to recuperate.

[NikkiF22 7]

I know the feeling all to well, i was there a week ago. The only thing bad i can say is i wish someone would have warned me for the pain level the first day ..well even waking up from surgery so i could have mentally prepared lol. I can’t even explain just everything hurts from the pressure of the air they fill you with during surgery. Once that’s gone and you start noticing the weight loss yourself you won’t even remmeber that pain anymore! I’ve noticed my feet hands and neck so far! It’s such an exciting feeling. and i think that is plenty of time off