Post gastric bypass- help needed!

[HOT CHIC!(thats the plan)]

Hi My name is Emma. I have only just discovered this site and its a breath of fresh air !!!
I had my surgery 5th Feb 2008 so am still on puree although am trying the odd thing or two. I have lost 4 stone so far and am a really happy bunny!! So pleased I had the op, I am going to get my life back !!

 

[Stamperlou]

Well done Emma- welcome! I started this thread due to there being no-one in the health service to talk to. I hope we can all be of some help to you as you tackle the next few weeks and months. Terriffic weight loss by the way!! How exciting for you!
Best wishes.
Lou.

 

[nefernefruaten]

hi lou thanks for the advice i appreciate it, ive lost 4 stone so far since the diet on 13th jan op 1st feb till now. kandy i havent dumped either (felt pretty awful after cheese on toast lol) but im convincing myself i will dump on chocolate and sweets and that bread (my biggest downfall) will def get stuck so ive been avoiding them. sum veg hurts but ive found fruit goes down well. im trying to take your advice lou and use this early time to reteach myself how to eat. dont lose heart tho... remember what it was like to be 22 stone.... thats what i was and i felt awful... im 18 stone now and so much healthier and happier. remember you can plateau and it may take a while to start losing again but it will happen.... i agree with you totally about aftercare after the first few weeks i had no idea what i should be eating!!! i had to rely on the friends id made at hospital that had the same op and on the lovely ppl on this site. im going to get off my butt and start exersising after easter.... nagging me may help lol....
Donna x

 

[Stamperlou]

More excercise is my plan too... I now walk my son to school & back every day, rather than relying on the car most of the time, I also walk the dogs for 20 mins at lunchtime. I had a hernia repair 2 weeks ago (I injured myself last year and managed to bust through the stitches from my bypass) so when that has finally healed, I could do some more at home like sit ups etc. I'm really unhappy with my loose skin etc, which is never going to be perfect, but I can't bear to think what it will look like if I manage to lose any more weight. The things we do to ourselves...............!

 

[nefernefruaten]

id rather have lose skin than be carrying around all that extra weight, i was really worried about looking like a deflated baloon lol but id still rather that than be as heavy as i was.
exercicise is truly the key tho and i really am gonna make a big effort.... lets encourage each other ay??
Dxx

 

[Stamperlou]

Hi.
That sounds like a great plan! I have a few weeks more to recouperate from this last surgery, than I'll be raring to go(???!!)You and I are are at a similar stage in our weight loss- I started at 22 st and I'm now just a fraction under 17, but that is after a whole year. I hope you can continue to lose more in these early stages.
Feels better though, doesn't it?!! Keep me up to date- its great to speak to people who've been through the same experience!
Lou.
x

 

[Jakethepeg]

Dear Stamperlou,

Thank you for your reply and the help and advice you gave, I will give your advice a try and hope it also works for me. I have started to have another worrying problem in that I am experiencing extreme hair loss now, I am fortunate that I have always had thick hair but the amount I am losing is very worrying. I am sure this is because I am not getting the vitamins and nutrients I should be with my poor diet. I am now on vitamin and mineral supplement forceval prescribed by the doctor and had the first of my Vitamin B12 injection and just hope this is going to be sufficient to stop further hair loss.


Micksminnie

Hiya,

My surgeon said hair loss would be due to a possible zinc and selenium deficiency and to buy selenium supplements over the counter at the chemists as well as "Zincomed".
Hope this helps
Jackie

 

[micksminnie]

Thanks for your reply

Sorry I didn't reply sooner but unfortunately I have been unwell again!! I have not been able to ea anything for the last two weeks and pretty well nothing of note up till then. I am not sure what is happening to me but I have now lost 7 stone which would be wonderful if it was in the right way, but I fear its not and that I am losing muscle rather than just weight. I am off to see my own G.P. who has been marvelous throughout and very supportive and I know he will back me 100% when I see the consultant. My husband is coming with me this time too as he wants to speak to the consultant also. We are going to get "tough" and insist he does something about it, even if it mean reversing the procedure which I have heard can be done in rare circumstances, I believe my case could be classed as a rare case! It has been almost 5 months and I have mainly been living on a glass of milk and one bowl of soup a day, sometimes nothing at all and very ocassionally I have managed the odd minute solid but then pay for it for the next few days by being unable to eat anything even the soup. I have to get this sorted once and for all. I do thank you for your advice and did try the fromage frais and somedays I have managed one but mainly not, I have also managed the odd oxo cube size peice of cheese now and again but at least its protein.

I will let you know how it goes but it will be in a month or so before I see the consultant again. I hope everything is good with you. I have probably been unlucky but I thought I ought to share my situation with others to give a balanced view point to those thinking of having the operation, I wish I had been told of what really can happen after the operation as I probably would not have had it done. Still, I just hope I can get something sorted.

 

[micksminnie]

Thanks Jakethepeg

Hiya,

My surgeon said hair loss would be due to a possible zinc and selenium deficiency and to buy selenium supplements over the counter at the chemists as well as "Zincomed".
Hope this helps
Jackie

Thank you for your suggestion, I have bought the Zinc tablets and hope they will help, only been taking them about 2 weeks so too early to notice the difference at the moment, my G.P. also suggested Sea Kelp tablets also so will try those as well. Hope yours has improved.

 

[Nic318]

Hi

How did you get on? Any updates?

 

[Stamperlou]

Hi nic318!
Did you mean me, or micksminnie?
Lou.

 

[jammyjaney]

Hi everyone.

I am two weeks post op today! and have been told i can now start to eat puree, if anyone has any suggestions on what they ate for this stage i would be gratefull!

jane x

 

[Stamperlou]

Hello there- welcome!
I hope you are keeping well- it's not easy keeping your chin up in the early days. I used to have some baby food jars of pureed fruit- I know you're not meant to have baby food, but I don't see the difference between buying just the pure fruit in a jar, or mushing it yourself- except buying it is quicker & easier! Try low fat youghurt, as long as you strain out the pips & chunks. Ready Brek is always a good one. I was given a plain biscuit in hospital, and crackers with pate were on my diet sheet for the early days, so check if these kind of things are ok. Whatever you decide, just take it slow, eat little & often and try to stick to the low fat low sugar things- if you've read this thread, you'll understand why I'm giving you that advice!
Best of luck!
Lou

 

[nefernefruaten]

gosh i remember the purees lol only 5 weeks ago 4 me... i found things didnt taste too hot pureed so i did alot of mix match trial and error.... one of my favs was my concoction cheesy bean soup... tomato soup pureed baked beans and sum grated low fat cheese... moorish at the time lol... runny mash wiv beans.... (ok yeah ive got a thing about beans lol) helps wiv the trapped wind ha.... you gotta experiment to see wot u like.... how long have u been told to stay on purees???
Donna xx

 

[Frosty]

Hi there

Here are my thoughts. Ive done alot of reading and research for the gastric bypass. although i dont know everything i do know about foods.
Im 4 weeks post op . and as from day 1 i was able to eat . but of course i didnt . I waited 2 weeks then i started soft foods etc. But i know someone who was given mince chciken and mas and gravey 3 days after her op.
So what im saying is every body is diffrent . but in the paperwork for thr rules and diet they have to place down whats really best and a average for everyone.

The way i see it you can eat what you like as long as.

1. Its well chewed
2. It doesnt make you dump or sick
3. You dont get tummy cramps ( this can be from 30 mins after to the next day on waking up)
4. It not too high in carb's or fat
5. It makes you feel content


Try and look for recipes of food you feel you can eat and make them fresh.
I find that cheese melt biscuits and cheese of all kinds go down well and are good for proteins
Try foods you didnt like before the op as your tastes do change and you coul dindeed like them.

But in all dont worry you not alone now it seems to have a nice family here to help out. And i for one will always help if i can.
Just email me [email protected]
And i will help all i can.

But it is very important for you to have enough vit's and minrals and iron . then after that eat.
But so you can still feel good and happy try and stay on the low carb fats or count your cals.

Are you able to eat boiled veg if so this is very good for filling up brocoli is very good for iron. But potatoes are not so good for anything besides some of the good carbs.

But do try and avoid crisps if you can ( i know is easy to grab them ) But eat cheese melts instead.

This is your new life look after it and enjoy 5 stone loss is fantastic your bosy will slow down as its adjusting to your intake as it should. but potter about doing stuff when ever you can it helps.
If you need help witha diet plan please say so . and we can go through things you can eat and ill whip up some recipes for you . That you will enjoy and will enjoy making.

I hope this helps dont feel down you normal dont worry

 

[Frosty]

Hi

I did post s reply here to try and help you . but i cant see it posted if it doesnt appear ill rewrite it . it has some info that should help ease the stress and worry.

In basic your normal not to worry

 

[Nic318]

Hi nic318!
Did you mean me, or micksminnie?
Lou.

Hi Lou

Both of you, any updates are appreciated. I'm getting so confused of whose who on these threads I think I need to concentrate more lol xx

 

[Stamperlou]

Incisional hernia repair update

Hi Nic318!
I have recovered pretty well from having my hernia repaired on march 7th. However, because the hole was so large and a good amount of intestine was poking through, it had stretched itself a gap, so when it was repaired, there was a pocket left between my muscle wall and my outer flesh & skin, which should have just disappeared in time, however, this pocket filled up with blood over a couple of weeks, leaving me looking 6 months pregnant & in some discomfort. It is a heamatoma and is basically a giant blood blister, the size of a balloon sticking out below my ribcage. It is now 2 months since the op and it is showing no signs of going, so not sure what the surgeon will do. He could drain it, but any infection introduced by doing this might mean infecting the mesh that is holding the hernia in place, so I'll have to wait a few months while my body absorbs the blood. Needless o say, I'm a bit miserable about it!! I've already been questioned at the chemist about buying some medication that wouldn't be suitable for someone in pregnancy- that's how big it is!
It would be nice if something went smoothly for a change.

 

[Stamperlou]

Update, post hernia

Hi all!
I thought I'd update on this thread, as it would be nice to catch up with those who replied earlier on.
Here's the shortened version;
Gastric bypass march '07, got a hernia approx. may'07,
Had hernia repaired march '08, ended up with a heamatoma april '08 (large 'blood blister' as gap left between tummy muscles & flesh filled up with blood), had some drained via a rather large needle last week, not in pain any more & beginning to feel normal again (whatever that is!).
So, to my main reason for writing again, I feel that 5 1/2 stone weight loss after the bypass is not enough as I'm still 16.9. I'm 14 months post-op, so won't lose any more now unless I start trying, which is a daunting thought.
I'm still addicted to junk food, which seems to go down alarmingly well and I don't want to end up back at 22 stone with no hope of any more help. I still can't eat alot quantity wise, so that's a good sign (real die-hard foodies have been known to stretch the pouch to allow large quantities of food again), but can't get my head around watching what I eat. Has anyone got to this stage? I keep thinking about starting a plan of some description, but have NO idea what will work after the bypass.I keep thinking about Slim-fast, as it means I don't have to think about preparing anything, but I just don't know.
Any input will be VERY gratefully recieved!
Lou.

 

[georgina]

hi lou hope things r going ok with u i did mail u so im just waiting 4u to get back to me so we can have a proper discussion, take care lv georgina xxx