I am going to be having my surgery 09/07/11.  I was prepared for the sleeve but insurance will not cover so now RNY will be done.  Had so much knowledge on sleeve so can you answer some questions.

1.  Can you tell me after you heal what is the average meals consist of every day and how much?

2.  Someone told me yesterday that I would ALWAYS throw up after surgery for the rest of my life routinely?  This does not sound right to me.  Do you all go through that routinely?

3.  What was  your recovery like?  I have a desk job and am trying to plan for work.

4.. Tell me about all the vitamins you take, how many and how bad is it?

5.  Would you do this again? 


Hearing from those who have gone through it helps so MUCH!
Thanks!

 1. It will vary depending on how you feel that day and what your plan says you can have. I cn eat about a 1/4 cup of cottage cheese or yogurt, 3-4 oz of dense protein

2. I have thrown up one time and that is it and I am over 4 months out.


3. My recovery was pretty easy. I stay at home so I didnt have to rush back to anything outside the home.

4. multi, calcium, biotin, pepcid in the morning
    iron and vit c mid morning
    calcium early evening
    multi, calcium, biotin, pepcid bed time


5 in a heartbeat.

Cheryl, how much biotin are you taking a day. I just started taking 1000 mcg a day.

HI I was out of work for two weeks following my surgery. I am a teacher, and I should have takenthe third but felt I could handle it...it was a long first week back.

I am four months out and have lost almost 80 lbs, 22 before the surgery, I eat anything I want...except fried foods, I stay away from bread products, don;t sit well in my tummy, keep sugar out as much as I can....some things have sugar naturally fruit etc...breakfast is the hardest meal and I have learned to eat non traditional foods for breakfast....steak, chicken, ham and cheese roll ups..they just sit better than eggs every day.

I had no complication-I was so lucy....a lot of gas pains for first week, have gas x on hand and keep walking you won't want to but it does help. I was tired a lot, it took about 2 months to start to really feel good as far as not being tired went.

I take B12, Calcium, daily multi, D, biotin, for my meds

YES YES YES I WOULD DO IT AGAIN IN A HEARTBEAT....I HAVE GONE FROM A 22 TO A 10. I FEEL GREAT, PRETTY, SEXY, AND HEALTHY WITH LOTS OF ENERGY.

 1. I eat 3 meals a day and 2 snacks. The snacks are a yogurt or chunk of cheese usually. Something quick and easy. Meals are 3-4 oz of protein and veggie or carb like potatoes or something. Of course, not every day is perfect and follows this exactly, though. You find your own routine. 

2. I am 5 months out and have NEVER thrown up, not once. So saying it will become a regular thing is not right. You only throw up when something isn't right- if you dont chew well enough, eat too fast, etc.

3. I was out for 2 weeks. I had lapriscopic surgery and took off a month but begged to come back at 2 weeks because I felt good and was BORED lol I also do landscape labor- which is much more active than a desk job and I was fine. 

4. I take a multi 2x a day, calcium 3x a day, and a B12 shot 1x a month. I havent needed iron yet, but I also take a B complex 1x a day for the hell of it lol I heard good things about it.

5. I am 145 lbs down almost and even if I never lost another pound I would most def do it again! It is hard in the beginning, but once your body heals and you get to know how to read your body and develop a routine it gets SO MUCH EASIER!!!

1.  Can you tell me after you heal what is the average meals consist of every day and how much?
Depends.  I'm about 14 months out and the only difference between pre-op meals and now are the quantities I feel I can eat, and my new consciousness about healthy eating.

2.  Someone told me yesterday that I would ALWAYS throw up after surgery for the rest of my life routinely?  This does not sound right to me.  Do you all go through that routinely?
I never threw up.  Zero times.  Whoever told you that is wrong.

3.  What was  your recovery like?  I have a desk job and am trying to plan for work.
Plan to take a couple of weeks off.  Your holes will have to heal.

4.. Tell me about all the vitamins you take, how many and how bad is it?
I tried liquid vitamins immediately post-op, but they all seemed to leave a fishy taste in my mouth.  Now, and since about six weeks post-op, I take two Centrum multivitamin tablets every day (whole, after a meal) and four Citracal calcium citrate tablets, split two in the a.m. and two in the p.m.  I also take a B12 tablet twice a week.  Nothing else.  My blood labs are GREAT!

5.  Would you do this again? 
YES, in a heartbeat!  It's right up there with the two or three best things I've ever done.  I can't speak to the other WLS procedures out there, but as far as I'm concerned, the RNY rocks!

 1. Once you are on solid foods(not pureed or soft: 4-6 weeks usually) you add things to your diet gradually to determine what your pouch can handle at that point.  It is different for everyone.  You will eat primarily protein-based food with a little vegetable or fruit according to what your nutritionist recommends.  Sugary foods, simple carbs-rice, pasta, bread) are not a good idea early out because they fill you up and don't offer you the protein and nutrition you need.  Eventually, you will have the same food choices as before.

2. Vomiting is NOT a routine occurance- let alone something you will do for the rest of your life.  I never threw up and can't imagine where that came from. Some people experience vomiting for one reason or another, but that is as variable as people are.  

3. Recovery is typically 2-4 weeks.  I have heard some people go back to work within a week; although I couldn't imagine having the energy to do so that quickly.  You shouldn't have any problems with a desk job.   Like any surgery, building your stamina is the biggest challenge.

4. The vitamins are not bad.  I take a chewable bariatric multi in the morning and the evening, 2 calcium chews (calcium citrate, not carbonate) 250 mg each in the AM, afternoon and PM.  I take subligual B-12 in the AM 3x/week. This is fairly standard.  In addition, I will be adding dry vitamin D3 each day because it is still low (I was severly deficient prior to my surgery).  Some people need iron, but I don't. 

5. Absolutely

I hope that helps.

1.  On a typical day I have a protein bar for breakfast, a grilled cheese sandwich or some leftovers from last night's dinner for lunch, yogurt for an afternoon snack, something like vegetarian chili or beans for dinner, and yogurt and a protein shake for evening snacks.  I eat about a cup of food at a time, maybe a little more.

2.  No you won't always throw up for the rest of your life routinely.  At least, that is not at all typical.  Do you think doctors would even be performing a surgery on patients that made them throw up for the rest of their lives?

3.  I ended up getting pneumonia after surgery and so I was sick for quite a while.  It seems like most people take two to four weeks off work, though.

4.  I take a multivitamin twice a day, 1500 mg calcium citrate, 75 mg iron with 500 mg vitamin C daily, and B12 shots once a week.  The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery says we all need two multis, three to four doses of calcium, iron and B12.  In addition, I take vitamin A three times a week, vitamin D four times a week and zinc twice a week, based on my  labs.  Yeah, it's a lot of vitamins.

5.  Yes, I would definitely do it again.

I am 16 months out and I can eat anything i want.  Nothing makes me sick and I eat about a fist size meal for dinner which I think is about 8 ounces of food. 

You will not throw up unless you eat too much.  Eat too fast, dont chew well enough.
I think I threw up three times in the last year and that was because I ate one bite too much of food and it felt better to have it come up rather than have it sit there.

Recovery is not bad.  Mine surgery was laproscopic.  The hardest part was after I started really losing I think I had a lot of chemicals being released from the weighloss and needed to go on anti depressants.

Vitamins are 6x per day.  I take three multivitamins and three calcium (all 2 hours apart) every day.  It is easy.  Right after surgery I ate the chewables and liked them.  Now I just take the pills.

I would do it again in a heartbeat!  However, since I followed the plan and did what the doctor and Nut said I will never have to worry about being over weight again. 

I say things happen for a reason!!!  Good Luck with your RNY

Hi Mimi:

1.  Can you tell me after you heal what is the average meals consist of every day and how much?  I am a newbie - 8 weeks out and I am to eat 4oz meals, 3 times a day. I eat mostly protein (chicken, cheese, cottage cheese, refried beans)  64 oz of fluids. 

2.  Someone told me yesterday that I would ALWAYS throw up after surgery for the rest of my life routinely?  This does not sound right to me.  Do you all go through that routinely? ALWAYS THROWING UP??  Wrong!!!!  Since surgery, I have not thrown up once.  (8 weeks out) Some people throw up more often

3.  What was  your recovery like?  I have a desk job and am trying to plan for work. We have had major surgery so there is some recovery.....I was back at work after two weeks.

4.. Tell me about all the vitamins you take, how many and how bad is it? Calcium - three times a day (500 mg each), Iron (once a day), B12 shot once a month or by mouth once a day, multivitam twice a day....I am totally used to the routine.

5.  Would you do this again? FOR SURE.....I am 8 weeks out lost 45 pounds and already feel great.  I am getting my life back and am hopeful for the future. 

Hope this helps.....