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Gastric Bypass Surgery Horror Stories

Anxiety

AnxietyAre you thinking of having Gastric Bypass Surgery and looking to read about all the horror stories? If so not to worry because I did the same thing too.

I find it funny that many are finding my blog by searching for that exact thing: “Gastric Bypass Horror Stories”. I can see it in search terms in my admin panel. It does make me giggle a little because when I was making the decision to have my surgery up until pretty close to my surgery date I did the same thing. I think it is completely normal to do that, BUT also do so with caution.

I remember when I was pregnant watching Baby Story on TV and seeing all the labor stories played out and then hearing everyone’s story from others who have been through it. I was terrified – scared poopless!! Well I had my kids and my story was very different than any I have seen or heard about and why? Well because it was my story.

I kept this in mind when doing my research on Gastric Bypass Surgery. I told myself I can read all the horror stories out there (and I think I may have), BUT I had to remember that my story will be completely different. Everyone is different – we may have different pain tolerance, health issues, starting weights and will power. All of those things play HUGE factors to your health and success.

I am not gonna lie either – some of the stories scared the crap out of me and made me think twice, but then I also would read the success stories. When making my list of pros and cons – the pros always out weighed the cons (no pun intended – lol). I think by doing all the reading I did prior to my surgery I was more prepared going in and knew what some of the complications afterwards could be.

Bariatric Surgery has come a long way over the years and doctors do them so often now. Of course one of the risks is death and no one wants to hear that, BUT that is the same risk with any surgery pretty much and the chances of that happening with Gastric Bypass is like 1%. It does happen, but it is very rare. I told myself that living the weight I was and climbing was more of a risk factor then having the surgery.

I had written a previous post about Dr. Oz and his thoughts on Gastric Bypass Surgery and how he says it is the most Underperformed Surgery. Only about 1-2% of those who qualify to have it done will – that is crazy to me. I bet it is because of all the Horror Stories out there. You have to remember that the Horror Stories will always get more attention than the Success Stories – which is so sad because the success stories far out weigh the horror.

So basically all I am sayin’ is that there is nothing wrong with looking to read Gastric Bypass Horror Stories as long as you also read the Success Stories as well. Also keep in mind that a lot of the horror stories and complications you read about happen because the patient had other health issues and did not follow the diet and program from their surgeon. I think it is good to be as educated as you can going into a surgery like this – it is not easy and it is life changing in many ways. Knowing what you are getting into is very important and one cannot be too prepared.

One thing that reading all of the stories did for me was arm me with a mile long scroll of questions for my surgeon on my pre op appointments. He addressed all of my concerns and I felt really good about my decision. So get your own scroll and ask all the questions you need to feel confident with your choice.

So far I have not had any complications (knock on wood) and as I write this I am about 3 1/2 weeks post op. I hope no complications arise down the road, but one never knows.

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My third week after Gastric Bypass

Third Weeks

Third WeeksBoy the time is going by fast – can you believe I am 3 weeks post op now? It is just crazy to think about. Well everything is going good and I am going to share with you what I ate all week.

Nothing really eventful took place this week that I can think of. I am still on the pureed foods although I have tried some not pureed foods this week. I am getting daring with trying some things and even though I am not suppose to until after the I see my surgeon on the 21st – I see no harm. I am such a rebel – lol

Don’t be alarmed I am not eating Potato Chips, French Fries and Cheeseburgers – everything I have tried is within the guidelines. It is just not pureed is all – so no need to panic. Every doctor has different requirements and some let their Gastric Bypass patients go to regular foods after 1 week. I am not going that far just yet, but I am trying some soft foods early.

Here is what I ate so you can see each day for the third week:

(I am not gonna add the times on – just the order in which I ate)

February 6th

  • Crystal Light Iced Tea (drank over the course of the day)
  • Protein Shake
  • Egg Salad
  • 1 Laughing Cow Low Fat Swiss Cheese Wedge
  • 1/2 Cup Mashed Potatoes with Low Fat Chicken Gravy
  • 1/2 Cup Refried Beans with Low Fat Sour Cream
  • 2 SF Ice Pops
  • 1/2 Cup Refried Beans with Low Fat Sour Cream

So as you can see I eat a lot of Refried Beans – I love them and they are great protein. I was feeling pretty crappy this day and also had some back pain (this is something I had prior to surgery). I took some pain meds to help – all was good !!!

February 7th

  • Crystal Light Iced Tea (drank over the course of the day)
  • Protein Shake
  • 1/2 Cup Refried Beans wit Low Fat Sour Cream
  • Coffee with SF Hazelnut Creamer
  • 1/4 Cup Chicken Salad
  • 1 Laughing Cow Low Fat Swiss Cheese Wedge
  • 1/2 Cup Refried Beans wit Low Fat Sour Cream
  • 1 Laughing Cow Low Fat Swiss Cheese Wedge
  • 1 SF Ice Pop

Geez I felt like I ate a lot today, but when you see it written down it is not much at all. The Chicken Salad I made from the canned Chicken and mixed in some Low Fat Mayo and a dash of salt and pepper. It was the first time I had any chicken since surgery and it was yummy !!!

February 8th

  • Crystal Light Iced Tea (drank over the course of the day)
  • Protein Shake
  • 1/2 Cupish Corned Beef Hash
  • 1 Laughing Cow Low Fat Swiss Cheese Wedge
  • 1/2 + Cupish Mashed Potatoes (Bob Evans)
  • Light n Fit Strawberry Cheesecake Yogurt
  • 1 Laughing Cow Low Fat Swiss Cheese Wedge

The Corned Beef Hash I had is the kind from the can. I pushed myself a bit past the 1/2 Cup beacuse it was sooo good. Nothing happened just got full and a little gas. The Mashed Potatoes I had were Bob Evans brand and not homemade. I have been having those occasionally just for a different taste.

February 9th

  • Crystal Light Iced Tea (drank over the course of the day)
  • Protein Shake
  • 1/2 Cup Corned Beef Hash
  • Egg Salad
  • 1 Laughing Cow Low Fat Swiss Cheese Wedge
  • 1/4 SF Chocolate Pudding (yucky did not finish)
  • Lit n Fit Vanilla Yogurt
  • 1/2 + Cupish Mashed Potatoes (Bob Evans)

I had Corned Beef Hash left over – love that stuff. Yes I treated myself to more yummy mashed potatoes too – I love them. They are about 210 Calories and have 4 grams of protein in the serving size I eat – I don’t think that is too bad.

February 10th

  • Crystal Light Iced Tea (drank over the course of the day)
  • Protein Shake
  • 1/2 Cup Corned Beef Hash
  • 1 Laughing Cow Low Fat Swiss Cheese Wedge
  • 1/4 Cup Chicken Salad
  • 1/2 Cup Broccoli (pureed with I cannot believe it is not Butter & Salt)
  • Ate a few pieces of roasted chicken
  • 1/2 Cup Refried Beans wit Low Fat Sour Cream
  • 1 SF Fudge Pop

Ok I finished the Corned Beef Hash. Today I also picked and ate a few pieces of chicken off of a Roasted Chicken my family was having for dinner. These chickens are the one you buy at the store already cooked and ours are always very moist. I chewed it really good and the only issues I had after was some growling and gas in my belly, but nothing unusual. It was delish !!

February 11th

  • Crystal Light Iced Tea (drank over the course of the day)
  • Protein Shake
  • 1 Scrambled Egg
  • Bites of Chicken & Rice (daughter’s lunch)
  • 1/2 Cup Refried Beans wit Low Fat Sour Cream
  • 1/2 Cup Broccoli (pureed with I cannot believe it is not Butter & Salt)
  • Bites of Chicken & Dumplings (families dinner)
  • Frozen Protein Shake Pop

Ok so today I was very daring – first I had a Scrambled Egg. I really should be waiting until the 21st to start on these, but I did not see the harm and I made it moist. I loved it !! I made my daughter some of the chicken left over from dinner the previous night with some rice and I took a few bites of it For dinner I made my family Chicken and Dumplings and I took a few bites of that as well. I am happy to report I had no issues from a any of it – Thank Goodness. Oh and if you are wondering what a Frozen Protein Shake Pop is – look HERE.

This was also a crazy evening – my hubby went to the ER for chest pain. He had fallen on my front steps from ice we had and landed on his back earlier in the day. He was at his mothers all day and when he came home he complained of chest pain and having a hard time breathing. So off t the ER he went – to make a long story short he has a bruised rib and plourisee. Not fun at all and now I get to play nurse (I think he likes that though – lol !!

February 12th

  • Crystal Light Iced Tea (drank over the course of the day)
  • Protein Shake
  • 1/2 Cup Broccoli (pureed with I cannot believe it is not Butter & Salt)
  • Am’s Bean Soup
  • 1 Crab Cake
  • Frozen Protein Shake Pop

I did not eat much today – I slept late due to being up from the events of last night. I did have 2 new things today. My sister Am made me a delicious Tomato Bean Soup (will share recipe soon) – it was so flavorful compared to what I have been eating – I loved it. I also had a Crab Cake at dinner. I was making them for the family and I wanted a taste cause they smelled so good – well I ended up eating a whole one – they were small though – not the average Crab Cake size. ! Crab Cake had 87 Calories, 3.5 grams fat and 3 grams protein. I was nervous about the breading and was waiting for punishment, but I did not have any – lucky again.

I truly cannot believe that 3 weeks have pasted already. I posted earlier this week about having the Blahs and I still have them, but I think they may be getting a bit better. I feel good and can see and feel the weight loss, but one would think it would be a lot more by now. I only think that because I am hardly eating anything, but I also have to remember it is only 3 weeks and my body is still in shock and adjusting.

I am down 16 pounds in 3 weeks and I will take it !!! The greatest thing is that the scale just keeps going down so that is a happy thing. I also think that maybe if I lose it slower my skin will have time to adjust back and not hang – wishful thinking right?

As far as having any reactions to food – I have again had no Dumping, Nausea or much of anything else. The only thing I get if I eat too fast or anything is my belly growling and feeling gassy and that is not anything I cannot deal with. It is like it is yelling am me and I listen.

Another thing I will mention to my doctor is that after I eat sometimes I get really cold – does this happen to anyone else?

I have also felt backed up (poop – sorry – had to say it) – so I started taking my Dulcolax daily in hopes that will help.

So there you have it week 3 !!! Week 4 here I come and I think I may get daring even more this week – Rut Roh !!! Stay Tuned….

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Frozen Protein Shake Pops – an easy way to get more protein in

Frozen Protein Shake

Frozen Protein ShakeAfter Gastric Bypass Surgery it is so important to get in all your protein. Sometimes this can be very hard and most people get sick of drinking the protein shakes all the time, myself included. So it is time to get creative.

I am lucky that at this time I do not mind drinking my protein shakes. The only problem I have is that is takes me forever to finish just 8 ounces. I make sure the first thing I have every day is my protein shake before I have anything else. So my days starts off with 26 grams of protein – not too bad. My doctor requires me to get in 60 grams or more daily.

It does not sound like a lot, but it can be. I had noticed that I have been getting in under that daily and needed to increase it. At night I like to have a sweet dessert – sugar free of course, but sweet. Since I had been eating Sugar Free Ice Pops and Fudge Pops often I thought why not freeze my protein shakes into one and have that instead. So I gave it a try.

My first attempt was in my Zoku Quick Pop Maker – it was a fail. I think because of the no sugar in the protein shake – it did freeze, but it got stuck in the cavity. I was sad by that because the Zuko can freeze them within 3 minutes so no waiting. Oh well – I will save that for some healthy fruit pops this summer.

Lucky for me I also had another Ice Pop Mold in my cabinet to try out. So I mixed up 8 ounces of Chocolate Protein Shake and it turns out that each mold will hold 4 ounces. So I filled up two of them and stuck into the freezer hopeful it would work.

Later that night I took it out of the freezer and tried to pull out my Pop – URGH it was stuck. So I just ran some hot water over the bottom and it slipped right out. Wooo Hoooo !!!

Guess what? It was YUMMY. Best part is that it took me about 15 minutes to eat and one pop is 13 grams of protein.

So if you need help getting in the protein I say FREEZE it for a change of pace. You can even have fun with it and combine flavors in the pop molds – do 1/2 vanilla 1/2 chocolate – maybe make a Neapolitan using Chocolate, Vanilla & Strawberry – you get the idea.

These will definitely be great this summer when it is hot.

There are so many different Ice Pop Molds on the market – mine happen to be the kind with a straw attached called a sipper – so if mine melts I can sip it right out – love that !! If you want to make them right away and you do not have a ice pop mold in the house – do it the old fashioned way – freeze some in a plastic cup and when it is semi frozen stick in a Popsicle stick (or a plastic spoon) and then finish freezing..

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Feeling Blah and really wanting winter to be over

Feeling Blah

Feeling BlahI am less than 3 days from my 3 week post op and I am just feeling down and Blah. I have read and been told that after Gastric Bypass your emotions are all over the place and I guess they are right cause mine are.

Since the middle of week 2 post op I have been feeling the blahs set in – it is weird to me because you would think one would be energetic and happy after having this surgery. Nope – it is quite the opposite really. I had read about this happening, but did not think it would happen to me. Some often regret having the surgery – now I have no regrets about that at all – I just feel depressed.

Being I have suffered from depression all my life and have been on medication for years I know that feeling. I am still on my meds, but for the first time in a long time that feeling is back. Hard to explain it exactly, but you just feel blah. I just do not have any motivation to do anything. I have found myself watching a lot of TV and laying around on the couch and in my bed with spurts of energy.

I am lucky to work from home so I am thankful I do not have to worry about getting up and going to work. But even my work has suffered because I have not given it much attention in weeks. It also does not help that it is Winter and I would just love to be out in the yard feeling the warm sun on my face.

I am counting down the days until Spring because I know being outside on my patio and gardening in my yard will be a huge help. I also know this will past or at least I hope it will. I have to remind myself that my body is still healing and has undergone drastic changes and it is also trying to adjust. Just sucks to feel blah, it really does.

I am not having a really hard time with the not eating part so much, even though I am tired of pureed foods. I do miss certain things like salads, sandwiches and my favorite evening snack which was pretzels and cheese. I remind myself at some point in the near future I will be able to have those things again.

I tell myself that I broke up with Food because we had a bad relationship and now I am in a new relationship, but we have to take it slow – baby steps.

My other problem is that before my surgery I broke off many of my bad relationships such as Smoking, Biting my Nails and drinking Coffee all day long. Now I am left with no bad habits and no vices – I think this is what is adding to my blahs as well. I have had coffee, but in tiny amounts and it is not the same without a cigarette to enjoy with it. I really miss smoking, but it is one relationship I do not want back even if it sounds so good. That relationship is expensive !!

I keep hearing the emotions I am feeling will pass and so I will wait and try and keep distracted as best I can. I am lucky to have great support between my family and friends, but it is still hard. I will keep you informed on how I am feeling and hopefully it will be short lived.

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Pureed Food is getting BORING

Boring Person

Boring PersonThe pureed food part of my Gastric Bypass journey is getting BORING. There is only so much you want to eat pureed and then it is the same thing over and over. I think I am losing my mind a little.

So as you know I am on the Pureed Stage which will last until I have my first post op appointment on the 21st. Yup 12 days to go until I can move on to soft foods. I know you can puree pretty much anything, but let me tell you it is not that easy. Some foods are just not meant to be pureed – just sayin’.

I have hardly found any Pureed Recipes out there, but I am gonna have to dig a bit deeper to get through these 12 days. I have tried to switch things up here and there, but I tend to be a creature of habit and end up eating the same ol’ things.

Here are some of the Pureed Foods I have been eating often:

  • Refried Beans with Low Fat Sour Cream
  • Egg Salad (starting to get sick of)
  • Mashed Potatoes (made my own from the flakes then broke down and bought some Bob Evans as a treat)
  • Corned Beef Hash (had this a few times)

Those are the things I have been having a lot – especially the Refried Beans. Of course I eat other things, but these seem to be the ones I eat over and over. I just want to chew something already.

Ya know what I have been craving so badly? Salad. I miss a big bowl of salad soooo much. I cannot wait until I can have a salad again. Today I bought a bag of frozen Broccoli – tomorrow I will cook it up and, oh I hate to say it – puree it. I am craving my veggies.

I am only 2 1/2 weeks post op and I cannot wait to eat again – I mean I am eating, but I just want more of a variety back. I am not looking to pig out – just want more food choices is all I am sayin’.

If you are reading this and have been through this stage and have a Pureed Recipe that is yummy – please share it in the comments below cause I could sure use it !!

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My second week after Gastric Bypass Surgery – Pureed Diet

Second Week

Second WeekSo I made it through the first week after surgery with no problems at all. Now I was ready for week two and also the change of menu with the new items I can have on the pureed food part of my journey. I was very excited for a change, but how did I do with it? Well I am gonna tell you.

I have to explain again that every doctor has a different schedule of what foods they want you to eat and when. For me the Bariatric Pureed Foods start at Day 10 – 30. Pureed foods are smooth blended and have a consistency of Stage 2 Baby Foods.

Now if you read my post on My First Week after Surgery you will remember I cheated and jumped ahead a couple days and started eating Part Skim Ricotta Cheese. I do not recommend cheating like I did, even though I did not have any issues does not mean you will not.

Before I get into what I ate all week I have to share a couple of items that I purchased that I love and you may want to get as well. First I got myself some Nuby Baby Spoons
– I liked these because they were small in size and not rubbery on the end. OH and the bonus – they will change color when my food is too hot – lol. I decided to get baby spoons because it would make me eat smaller bites and it has worked !! Mind games !!!

The next item I got was a new water bottle. I wanted something I could take on the go and carry around the house. I ended up finding this really cool Quench Sports Bottle (could not find it online – sorry) at Walmart. It was perfect because it did not have a straw and the top flips open and when you drink it comes out very slow – perfect. It holds 24 ounces and I usually fill it with my Crystal Light and can drink one a day so far. I did find these Tupperware Quench Bottles that are similar and may work just like mine.

As you can see in the last photo I use little Dipping Cups to eat my pureed food out of. They hold less than 1/2 cup and I find them the perfect size and once again great for those mind games to feel as though you are eating a lot. You can buy them online or I found mine in Walmart for about $1.00 each.

I could not wait to get to the pureed part of this process – I was so sick of the liquids and the thought of any soups just turned my stomach. To think I was going to be able to eat different foods was so exciting even if they were pureed. I wanted food that had flavor because it almost seemed everything on the liquid part was sweet and I am a salt girl. So what was I going to try out first?

Here is what I ate so you can see each day for the second week:

(I am not gonna add the times on – just the order in which I ate)

January 31st (not really suppose to be on puree just yet- I cheated)

Crystal Light Iced Tea (drank over the course of the day)

1/2 cupish Part Skim Ricotta Cheese

Protein Shake

1/2 cupish Part Skim Ricotta Cheese with a tsp. Tomato Sauce on top

1/2 cupish of Vanilla Cheery Ice Cream spitting out the Cherry Chunks

Now that I am typing this I guess I did not eat that much this day, but to me at the time I did. Funny how quick we change.

February 1st (Ok to start pureed foods – Whoops, my bad – lol)

Crystal Light Iced Tea (drank over the course of the day)

Protein Shake

1/2 cupish Refried Beans with a sprinkle of low fat Cheddar Cheese melted topped with some Low Fat Sour Cream

1 Laughing Cow Low Fat Swiss Cheese Wedge

1/2 cupish Fresh Cauliflower (pureed) made into faux mashed potatoes

1 SF Ice Pop

OMG the refried beans were to die for – although the cheese was a bit stringy (I will leave that off the next time). I also love Cauliflower so that was just as good as well. I made a whole head of Fresh Cauliflower mashed it up really good, added some Skim Milk, I cannot believe it is not Butter and Salt & Pepper to taste. I had a whole container to eat up for the rest of the week – YUM YUM YUM.

February 2nd

Crystal Light Iced Tea (drank over the course of the day)

1/2 cupish Fresh Cauliflower (pureed) made into faux mashed potatoes

Protein Shake

Pureed Stir Fry

2 Laughing Cow Low Fat Swiss Cheese Wedges

Ok so this night my hubby had cooked up a Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry with Rice a Roni Fried Rice for him and the kids. It smelt soooo good. So I decided I had to try some for myself. I took one piece of meat and then the broccoli and Rice and placed it into my Magic Bullet Blender and pureed it up. I thought the refried beans were good – this was like heaven. Some have trouble with rice – me Nope none at all.

February 3rd

Crystal Light Iced Tea (drank over the course of the day)

Protein Shake

Egg Salad

1 Laughing Cow Low Fat Swiss Cheese Wedge

Egg Salad

1/2 cupish Fresh Cauliflower (pureed) made into faux mashed potatoes

So today I tried Eggs and once again OMG so good. I took one egg mashed it up and added about a tsp of so of Low Fat Mayo and then a squirt of Gulden’s Mustard. I pureed it up in my Magic Bullet and it was beyond delish !! As you can see I had it twice. Major Protein meals !!!

February 4th

Crystal Light Iced Tea (drank over the course of the day)

Protein Shake

Egg Salad

1/2 cupish Corned Beef Hash

1 Laughing Cow Low Fat Swiss Cheese Wedge

1 Lit and Fit Vanilla Yogurt

1 SF Ice Pop

So I was doing some reading online to find other things that I could eat. I had read some were having Corned Beef Hash – the kind that comes in a can some call dog food. It just so happens I love that stuff. So I checked with my nutritionist to make sure it was ok to have being it is high on fat and they said yes as long as it is not a daily thing. So I cooked some up pureed it a tiny bit in my Magic Bullet and chowed down – with my baby spoon of course. I had no problems with this and it was soooo good.

February 5th

Crystal Light Iced Tea (drank over the course of the day)

Protein Shake

Cup of Coffee with SF Coffemate Hazelnut Creamer – maybe 20 sips

1/2 cupsih Refried Beans with Low Fat Sour Cream

1 Laughing Cow Low Fat Swiss Cheese Wedge

1/4 Cup Fresh Cauliflower (pureed) made into faux mashed potatoes

1/2 cupish Mashed Potatoes

1 SF Ice Pop

Today I tried some Mashed Potatoes – they were made from the box with Skim Milk, I cannot believe it is not Butter and Salt & Pepper to taste. I LOVE Mashed Potatoes and even though these were not my creamy buttery potatoes I am use to they were still yummers. I had no issues with them – me so happy !!!

I think my second week post op has gone great – to be honest with ya, I almost feel like I never had surgery. I have had no issues, but gas and that is nothing a Gas X cannot fix. I keep saying I have to be careful by saying that so much cause you never know, BUT as of right now there has been no dumping syndrome, no vomiting, no diarrhea or anything else for that matter. Call me lucky – I will take it !!

Now you see my photo in the upper left of Baby Food Jars – well prior to this stage my sister bought me some and I did as well thinking I will eat it. On Wednesday the 1st I opened a jar of the Chicken with Gravy and almost vomited by the smell of it. I was already a bit grossed out by the flesh color, but the smell was horrible. It was at that moment I declared myself a vegetarian through the pureed stage of this and I had extreme guilt that I ever fed that to my babies.

Obviously I did not last as a vegetarian with the Stir fry and the Corned Beef Hash. I refuse to eat pureed Baby Food Meat. I do have some Fruit and Vegetables, but have yet to be adventurous and open any of those – I am scared – lol

My mood has been a bit up and down, as well as my energy level. I am still waiting for that big boost of energy everyone talks about. I am not exhausted – maybe it is just a bit of depression. I have a lot going on in my life right now and it has been very hard to not go back to smoking. I would love a cigarette again, but I will not give in.

Yesterday I felt pretty crappy and down. I also had back pain which I get time and again. I just bummed around the house, watched TV and worked on the computer a bit – totally uneventful. I cannot wait until it is Spring and I can go outside – that will definitely help.

I encourage you to start your own journal. There are numerous benefits.

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Things I purchased prior to my Gastric Bypass Surgery

Things I purchased

Things I purchasedI wanted to share some of the items that I purchased prior to my surgery. These are items that I knew I would need when I got home and that way I did not have to worry about it.

One of the most important things to have in your home is the protein shakes. I was drinking these prior to going in for surgery so I had found a couple that I liked the taste of. My favorite Protein Shake brand happens to be CVS Brand – the Chocolate Whey (nice chocolate flavor) and the protein grams in each scoop is 25grams – which is quite nice. I also bought one in Vanilla flavor as well. Add that to 8 ounces of skim milk and you have a total of 33 grams !! And being I should be getting in 60+ grams a day – two of those a day and I am good – then everything else is a bonus.

The only problem with the CVS brand is that is can get pricey because in my store it does not come in large containers. So I buy it when it goes on sale. I will have to check other stores to see if they sell it in a larger amount.

The other Protein Shakes I bought were by Designer Whey. On hand I had Chocolate (my favorite), Strawberry and Natural Unflavored (which I can add to my food for extra Protein). These will give you 18 grams per scoop and with the skim milk it is a total of 26 grams per serving.

When it comes to your protein shakes it is really just a matter of taste, BUT do keep in mind I have read that people’s taste will change after surgery. For me I have not found that to happen. I would not recommend buying large quantities prior to surgery – just buy enough to get you through and to make sure you are not one of those. They can get pricey.

Protein Shakes come in a large variety of flavors so even if you are grossed out by one you loved prior to surgery you have lots of options. For me – I am a creature of habit so I tend to drink just the chocolate and I am good with that. I did try the Strawberry during my first week home and I hated it, but I am not sure I would have loved it prior either. I will not get rid of it because I can add things to it like Bananas and fruits to create smoothies when I am feeling adventurous.

Another very important thing you want to buy is a Protein Shaker Cup also known as a Blender Bottle. Basically it is a cup that comes with a blenderball that is made of stainless steel. The blenderball helps mix your protein shake with the liquid so you do not have those protein powder balls floating. I honestly think these are a must have and I love my Blender Bottle.

I only bought one cup for myself to use in pink – they come in all colors and sizes as well. I did not get a large one because it was a waste – I got one that holds 20 ounces and even that is over kill. I only use 8 ounces when I make my protein shakes.

So I just wash mine every time I am done using it and it s ready to go for my next shake. I may get myself one more in the near future, because it would be good to have 2 in case I get lazy with the washing and that could very well happen – lol.

So be sure to get one of these prior to surgery – trust me you will love it. You can order yours on Amazon like I did here: Blender Bottles.

Note that every doctor will have different requirements as to what you should be eating after Gastric Bypass and the items I am sharing are things that were ok with mine.

You just want to be prepared so you can be home the first week to heal and focus on getting in your liquids vs. having to go out shopping. It will be a big change and the less you have to think about the better it will be for you.

Here is my recommended Gastric Bypass Shopping List of things you should have on hand prior to surgery. Again these are items that I purchased, but I think they will be the same across the board – just check with your doctor.

  • Protein Shakes – Flavored and Natural Unflavored
  • Skim Milk (Fat Free Milk) for shakes
  • Blender Bottle (as stated above)
  • Cream of Wheat and Cream of Rice
  • Dry Milk Powder – this is great to add extra protein to your shakes and soups
  • Splenda or other artificial sweetener – I prefer Splenda
  • Low Fat Cream Soups (must strain before eating)
  • Low Fat Broths
  • Decaf Coffee or Tea
  • Sugar Free Jell-O
  • Sugar Free Ice Pops (love)
  • Sugar Free Fudge Pops
  • Crystal Light – I use 4C brand Iced Tea
  • Gas X – Chewables. You will want to have these on hand, trust me. They will become your best friends.
  • Dulcolax – This is very helpful after the surgery, but check with your doctor
  • Liquid Tylenol

So that is my list to give you an idea to what you should stock up on prior to going in for your surgery. These items should get your through the first week or so when you are still doing the liquid portion of your diet.

I also ordered a couple recommended books – The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Well after Weight Loss Surgery and Recipes for Life after Weight Loss Surgery. They are both great reads, but most of the recipes are for later on down the road. I also purchased the Magic Bullet Blender which was also recommended and perfect for when you get to pureed foods and after.

Since I am up to the pureed foods as I am writing this I have to add that I have used it and it is AWESOME !!! I keep it out on my counter and keep the smaller cup attached – I puree what I need and then just unscrew the cup and you can eat right out of that. I highly recommend you get one of these too – I love mine.

Ok so I hope that helps and if I have missed something that worked for you please leave it in the comments below.

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Dr. Oz weighs in on Gastric Bypass Surgery

DR OZ

DR OZDr. Oz has been a very big advocate for Gastric Bypass Surgery. He has had a couple shows on Gastric Bypass, as well as written some good articles about his thoughts also.

I can remember watching one of Dr. Oz’s shows he had on back in 2011 about Gastric Bypass Surgery. At that time I was already going through the motions, but I can remember being so happy that he had only good things to say. I can also remember looking up some of the articles he had written online after the show.

I had read one that he wrote for Prevention Magazine 8/2011 and there was this part that really stuck out to me and I have never forgotten it. This is what Dr. Oz said: “Yes. Listen, if you’re one hundred pounds overweight at age fifty, you have the same mortality rate as if you have a solid cancer. Would you operate for cancer? Yeah. So if you cannot lose that weight, get one of these procedures. You have to do it with counseling and full awareness of what you’re doing, of course. But if you get people to start losing 5% of their excess body weight, you’re really taking a big whack out of the two-thirds of Americans.”

I mean come on – how much sense does that make? A lot. Something you should think about if you are considering Bariatric Surgery. If there is a treatment out there that can make you well – then why pass it up? That is what I said.

Ironically on January 23rd, 2012, the same day of my Gastric Bypass Surgery, Dr. Oz aired another show all about it. He called Gastric Bypass the Underperformed Surgery and states that only about 1-2% of those who qualify for the surgery get it done. I was so surprised at those numbers – I really thought it would have been more.

So why do you think the numbers are so low? Well because for one people are scared of the surgery. One of the reasons I had hesitations at first. Many have heard horror stories about it. You have to remember that Bariatric Surgery has come a long way and the risks are there as with any surgery, but they are rare. You also have to keep in mind that the horror stories always get way more attention then all the success stories out there.

Maybe another reason may be that you think it is a cop out. This is another thing I thought as well, but I came to realization that it was not at all. Having surgery is a very big decision and life long commitment – so it was not a cop out at all – it was me taking control over my life – I just needed help. Don’t be embarrassed by your decision – you have to own it !!

Another very exciting thing about Gastric Bypass that Dr. Oz wanted to get across is the fact that if you have Type 2 Diabetes – that 80% of those will be cured overnight after surgery. That means those patients will go home free of all meds and shots – can you imagine? That alone is amazing and the weight loss is just a bonus if you ask me.

How do you know if you qualify for Gastric Bypass Surgery? Here is a checklist that was shared on Dr. Oz’s show:

  1. Do you have a BMI over 35 and an obesity related disease? such and Diabetes, Sleep Apnea, High Blood Pressure etc..
  2. Have you been unable to maintain significant weight loss through diet and exercise?
  3. Can you commit to life long change?

If you have answered YES to those then I recommend talking with your doctor about the first steps to having the surgery.

Why live your life not living your life?

I am still in the beginning stages of my Gastric Bypass Surgery being just at my 2 week post op as I write this, but I know I made the right decision for me. I also hope I can help others take control of their lives in the same way.

Way to Go Dr. Oz for using your platform (TV) to let others know that Bariatric Surgery is no longer the last resort and more should take advantage of what is available for them.

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Vitamins I now take after Gastric Bypass Surgery

Vitamins I now take

Vitamins I now takeI thought I would do a quick post talking about the vitamins I now take on a daily basis. Vitamins are so important after Gastric Bypass and these will have to be taken everyday for the rest of my life.

If you are going to be having Gastric Bypass one thing you have heard about is the importance on taking vitamins to avoid vitamin deficiency. See Gastric bypass and other types of bariatric surgery dramatically alter your body’s ability to absorb vitamins, minerals and nutrients from the smaller amounts of food you’ll be eating. The resulting vitamin and mineral deficiencies can have serious medical implications. I am not gonna get all medical on you since I am not a doctor – they get paid the big bucks for that not me.

Also note that every doctor will have different requirements on what it is that they want you to take after surgery – I am only going to be sharing what I take to give you an idea.

It really is not that bad at all. Here is my list:

  • Multi Vitamin – I use the Flintstones Gummies and in true child fashion I look at it everyday to see who I will be eating – just adds an element of excitement to my day – I love seeing Dino – just sayin’
  • Citrical Calcium Gummies – 2 of the gummies equals – 500mg so I chew 6 per day and not all at the same time for a total of 1500mg daily. After these are gone I may change this out for a different brand of capsules, chewable or liquid in a higher dose per serving. Seems like the way I am doing it will get pricey. I will keep you informed.
  • B-12 Sublingual 500mcg – I take one of these a day and it is just a tiny cherry flavored pill you put under your tongue and it dissolves.
  • Biotin – Added in at Week 6 – Helps with possible Hair Loss and keeping my Nails Strong
  • Omeprazole – Added in Week 6 to help coat my stomach (no longer taking)
  • Vitamin D 1000 – I take this due to low Vitamin D levels something I have dealt with prior to surgery

The coolest part about my vitamins is that they are all yummy. It is not like the horse pills that leave a horrific taste in your mouth so I actually look forward to taking them each day. I was allowed to start taking my vitamins daily when I reached the pureed stage of my post op which was at around day 10.

Where did I buy my Vitamins – For me I just went to my local CVS – they always run great deals like Buy 1 Get 1 Free – so I got good prices and always search for coupons, which I did as well for the Flinstones and Citracal. You can also find great deals online – just up to you.

In addition to those I have other daily meds I take which I am allowed to swallow because they are not big at all. I also take a weekly Vitamin D pill due to a previous Vitamin D Deficiency not related to my surgery. (Vitamin D now taking is a daily Supplement vs. the prescription)

I do not have to take an iron pill since I have had a hysterectomy, but if you are female and still have your parts – this may be one they will add on as well.

At this time I have not had a blood test to check my vitamin levels – I may be given that when I see my surgeon on February 21st for my first post op appointment. I will keep you updated on that.

If you are like me and horrible at remembering to take your vitamins and meds then I HIGHLY recommend you get yourself a Pill Organizer. Hubby picked me up a nice one cause he knows me like a book. I have made it a point that every Monday will be my fill day which is perfect because Monday’s are my weigh in days too.

Do not forget to get one because it will make your life so much easier and save you from forgetting to take those vitamins.

There are 1,000′s of Pill Organizers on the market in every color, size, weekly, monthly, some with timers etc… So no excuses !!

Just a little FYI for ya all – As I stated above I chose to take the Flintstone Vitamin Gummies for my multi vitamin. I am sad to say that you only have a choice between Fred, Pebbles and Dino. I know it is shocking and sad – my thoughts exactly. Ulike the Flintstone Chewables where you can have your choice of Fred, Pebbles, Bam Bam, Barney, Wilma, Dino, Betty and the Great Gazoo – I love Gazoo !! I feel ripped off. Wonder if I can change to chewables – on my question list for my doctor. lol

UPDATE:

2-27-2012 I have added in Biotin (Week 6)

2-28-2012 I have added in Omeprazole (Week 6)

UPDATE:

Stopped taking Omeprazole

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My first week after Gastric Bypass Surgery

My first week after Gastric Bypass Surgery

My first week after Gastric Bypass SurgerySo now I am home from the hospital and on my own. You go to all the nutrition classes for months prior to the surgery, but yet all of a sudden your mind goes blank. You just want to get it right and not have any complications. I was so nervous, but ready – or was I?

I got home from the hospital on Wednesday January 25th at around 12:00pm and first on my agenda was to get a shower. It felt so good to be clean, but let me tell ya that sticky stuff from all those heart monitor leads and tape they used is a real bitch to get off. I got some of it off, but not all – I hate that.

Now every doctor has different rules and time frames when it comes to what you are to eat after your Gastric Bypass Surgery so be sure to follow the plan in place that was given to you. I am going share with you what my rules are and go from there.

Day 1 and 2 (which were in the hospital) is a Full Bariatric Liquid Diet – I had Broths, Decaf Tea and Sugar Free Jell-O those days – oh and a Sugar Free Italian Ice

Days 3 to 9 Bariatric Full Liquids – This is food that can pour off a spoon like soup. They should also supply protein and other nutrients too. You should be sent home with a list of things that your doctor says is allowed for you to have at each stage of your new diet. Protein Goal is 60 grams and they want you to try and get in 64 ounce of fluids.

I did not each much my first day home and I was still taking some pain meds which was Vicodin in liquid form (so gross). I am so not a fan of liquid medicine at all. One thing I did wrong on my first day home was to take my vitamins – yup – I had already screwed up. I totally forgot my doctor did not want me to start until I got to the pureed stage which is at day 10. Oops – no harm done hopefully.

I have documented everything I have eaten and the time I have had it in a notebook I keep in my kitchen. This is important to do for many reasons -1: So you can total your protein intake and 2: If you have a reaction to a food you can easily pinpoint what may have caused it and 3: it is a good thing to bring to your nutrition appointment to see if there is anything they would like to change. I also write down when I take my meds – I do not have a great memory so it really helps me a lot to do that too.

Here is what I ate so you can see each day for the first week:

(I am not gonna add the times on – just the order in which I ate)

January 25th (the day I came home)

1 Cup of Chicken Broth with a 1/2 scoop of unflavored protein powder mixed in

1 Sugar Free Jell-O

Got a headache – may be from the aspartame in the Jell-O – happened in the hospital too

Pain Meds

1 Cup Chicken Broth – only ate 1/2

Gas X – I had gas which is normal, but the Gas X is so helpful so have some on hand.

2 SF Fudge Pops – soooo good !!

I felt pretty good my first day home – just tired and still sore. I did a lot of pacing around the house to help move out any of the gas and it felt good to be up. If you are having this done remember to walk walk walk. I am telling ya it has helped me a lot. One thing that drove me nuts was that my new vacuum arrived this day. I had finally caved and bought a Dyson and there it was in a box and I was not allowed to touch it. See I have a vacuuming fetish – I love to vacuum and go through many each year. I have 8 pets in my home and I hate all the fur so I vacuum a lot. Yes once again I have issues – lol. I could not take it so I made hubby open it up and vacuum for me – it was nice he did so, but just not the same for me. Soon enough.

January 26th (My son’s birthday !!)

Crystal Light Iced Tea (drank over the course of the day)

Pain Meds

Chocolate Protein Shake

Dulcolax – this is a stool softener which is a good thing to start taking after surgery to help in the – you know.

Liquid Tylenol – at this point I felt I was not needing the heavy pains meds anymore so hubby went and got me liquid tylenol to take

Strawberry Protein Shake – Only drank 1/2 – that flavor was making me nauseous

1 Cup Cream of Chicken Soup

Liquid Tylenol

1 SF Fudge Pop

1 SF Ice Pop

Gas X

I felt pretty good this day and woke up early in the morning to see the kids off to school. Also being it was my son’s 14th birthday I could not miss making him a fun breakfast that morning. So I made him some heart shaped pancakes with red food coloring and a side of sausage (Yup I am a cool mom like that). I was surprised that I had no problems doing it. I would do anything for my babies – although my baby is not a baby anymore – whaaaaaah !!

Later I also baked him his birthday cake which was a carrot cake – his favorite. Now that smelled really good and I had to be so careful not to lick my fingers when frosting it. It is little habits like that which can cause problems. Again I did great.

I was a bit gassy this day, but nothing some Gas X was not able to handle – oh lots of walking around the house.

January 27th

Crystal Light (drank over the course of the day)

Liquid Tylenol

Gas X

Went back to bed feeling sluggish today – ended up getting up then at about 10:30am

Chocolate Protein Shake

Dulcolax

Liquid Tylenol

1/4 Cup Cream of Rice (I added a tiny bit of I cannot believe it is not butter and salt) – was not crazy about this

1/2 Chocolate Protein Shake

Liquid Tylenol & Gas X

One thing I can remember from this day, because I wrote it in my food diary, is that my hubby had bought some of those roasted chickens they cook at the store for their dinner. Those are my favorite. When he was stripping the chicken off the bone the smell was unreal and it was the first time I was envious. I was so sick of soups and liquids already. So later in the day I walked past the chicken in the kitchen and guess what I did? Nope I did not eat any, but I took a piece and sucked on it for a quick moment to get the flavor and then spit it out. I cannot tell you how hard it was not to chew it up, but I didn’t.

January 28th

Chocolate Protein Shake

Crystal Light (drank over the course of the day)

2 tsp Part Skim Ricotta Cheese (this was a cheat – explained below)

2 SF Ice Pops

1/4 Cup Part Skim Ricotta Cheese (explained below)

1/2 Cup SF Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream (spit out the cherry chunks)

I took it easy this day – I was feeling kinda blah. Maybe it was the withdrawal from the heavy pain meds, not sure. I took a long hot shower and got dressed in real clothes and that helped a bit. I still had no additional motivation to do much of anything else – so I took a couch and TV day. I am finding it hard to get in my fluids and the thoughts of any soups at this point now just completely gross me out.

Now lets talk about my cheating – “The Ricotta Cheese”. No that is not a liquid is it? This is an item allowed on the pureed diet which comes at day 10 and technically I had 4 days till then. Well my dreams of being the Gastric Bypass poster child went right out the window – I broke the rules. I just had to have a different flavor in my mouth and let me tell you it was beyond amazing for me. I tried out 2 tsp first to see how I would handle it and then a couple hours later I had 1/4 cup. I did wake up at midnight that night needing some Gas X -could have been from that – who knows.

NOW let me say that I do not recommend you cheat like I did – your pouch is still healing at this point and I could have caused issues for myself. Thank god I did not. It really was good though. OK shame on me.

January 29th

Crystal Light (drank over the course of the day)

1/4 Cup Part Skim Ricotta Cheese (still cheating)

Chocolate Protein Shake

Gas X (from Ricotta Cheese ???)

1 Laughing Cow Low Fat Swiss Cheese Wedge (cheat)

Lit and Fit Yogurt Vanilla (cheat)

Gas X before bed just in case

Ok so I had lots of cheats on this day. Seems like I just jumped to the pureed diet huh? Well That is because I kinda did. Guilt set in even though I was doing fine. I told myself I had to call my nutritionist tomorrow (Monday) to confess my sins. OH and guess what? I had my first Poop since surgery. I know gross why did I have to share that – well because to know your parts are working after this is a celebration I think. Hail the Poop !!! OH and this was also the day I decided to create this blog – hmmm Poop and Blog ???

January 30th (1 week since surgery – wow)

Crystal Light (drank over the course of the day)

Chocolate Protein Shake

1/4 Cup of Part Skim Ricotta Cheese (still cheating)

1 Laughing Cow Low Fat Swiss Cheese Wedge (cheating again)

Cream of Asparagus Soup Strained – did not eat – soup grossed me out

Chocolate Protein Shake

Cup of Coffee with SF Coffemate Hazelnut Creamer – maybe 20 sips

Holy cow – I week post op – I made it !!! Woooo Hooooo. So I called my nutritionist today and confessed my sins. She said that she could not tell me it was Ok to do that and I should go back on the liquids until Wednesday. Really? At this point what was one day I thought. I have always been known to break the rules – so would I do it again? I was good after the call and tried to have cream soup – which grossed me out and then I had a protein shake. You will have to read my next post to see if I was able to control myself.

So overall I had a great first week after my Gastric Bypass – so much so that I have started to question if he really performed the surgery on me at all. I keep telling my husband that maybe I had a placebo surgery to see if it is really a mind thing.

My pain has never been truly pain at all – just soreness. I have had no reactions of feeling ill from anything I have eaten. The only thing I have gotten was gas in my tummy. Yes I have farted a lot this week, which I am sorry to say is nothing new for me since I had stomach issues prior to surgery. My poor family – lol. I made sure to walk around the house a lot which I think has made a difference. On the days I felt blah – I just chilled out.

I have been just fine around food and the family eating and I did tell them they are not to hide from eating around me. If I felt uncomfortable I would walk away. The good thing is that at the time I did the surgery my hubby and kids made some huge changes themselves. They are living a much healthier lifestyle with food as well. My hubby took over the cooking – bad snacks are no longer in the home and portions have been cut down. So everyone is adjusting to a new lifestyle which is fantastic.

I have felt myself shrinking and my face already looks thinner – I always lose it there first. Yes I have stepped on the scale, BUT I will only be posting my weights in the My Weigh Ins section on a weekly basis. At the end of each month I will put up photos taken at each week to see the changes.

I am beyond excited to melt away !!! Hope you continue to follow my story and watch too.

Stay Tuned for posts on Week 2, What I purchased prior to surgery, What Protein Shakes I drink, Vitamins I use and more…