please advise

Hi,  I recently found out that my mom will be getting a roux en y procedure on january 5th.

I have a few questions and hopefully some of you can ease my mind.  I recently had the gastric sleeve and it has been life changing for me.  i understand the nutritional needs of a sleeve patient.  what is a typical diet for someone with a roux n y?  will my mom eat "normal" foods again.  will she enjoy a typical lifestyle in the near future?  how long does the healing process take?  will this surgery really cure her diabetes?  what type of habits should i encourage my mom to embrace.

please put my mind at ease

You need to talk to your mom, she should be able to answer all your questions.  I am two week post op from the Roux-en-y and can now eat puree foods, she will be able to eat normal foods again, it will be trial and error as with the Sleeve.  Healing process is different for everyone, but I plan on going back to work next week.  I also HAD diabetes, and no longer do, I no longer take medications or insulin!!!!! I'm not really sure why you wouldn't encourage your mom to embrace?? Do the research on Roux-en-Y or talk to her doctor!  I am down 15 lbs in 2 wks!! and starting to feel better!!!

Her post op diet will probably be similar to yours.  Different surgeons and dieticians have different recommendations, but most RNY patients are on liquids for a week or two post op, then on pureed food for a week or two, then on soft foods for a few weeks, then on a regular diet.  Some patients only eat three meals a day but many eat four to six small meals instead of three bigger meals. 

Most RNY patients can tolerate most foods eventually.  Some get sick (called dumping syndrome) if they eat too much sugar but many can tolerate large amounts of sugar.  Of course, eating large amounts of sugar doesn't help with weight loss.  Some have trouble with dense meats at first, some have trouble with pasta or bread.  But she'll probably be able to just about everything after a few months.

for most people, it seems to take two to four weeks for all the pain to be gone.  People may feel tired for longer than that, though.  Some people have trouble getting all their liquids and protein in at first, but others have no trouble with that.  Some people have nausea at first.  Some people can tolerate all kinds of foods right away while others have sensitive pouches for a while.  It might take three months or so to feel totally normal again, but after two to four weeks she should feel pretty good.

The surgery often, but not always, resolves diabetes.  She needs to check her blood sugar and follow her doctor's instructions regarding insulin or other meds. 

One important habit for RNY patients is not drinking with meals.  If we drink with meals, it washes the food out of our pouch.  Then we get hungry sooner and it can lead to eating too much.  Taking vitamins is super important with RNY (it's important with the sleeve, too, but nutritional deficiencies are more common with RNY).  Measuring her food and eating slowly and chewing well are all important. And of course, exercise, helps.  I'm guessing most of those habits are important for you, too, right?

The biggest differences would need to know are that she needs to be very vigilant with her vitamins and get at least yearly labs to make sure she is getting enough d/t the malabsorption.

The other difference you will see is that she should not drink liquids with her meals and for a period of time after her meals.   

Her eating may eventually be similar to yours...or not...everyone is different.

My daughter had a sleeve...I had the RNY...she eats anything but small amounts.  I eat weird d/t problems with tolerance of many foods....but that is just me!

I had RNY and my Step Son's mom had the sleeve. Our diets and the stages were identical. But, docs can be different regarding what they tell their patients to eat and when. I just have to take more vitamins than my step son's mom.

Thanks everyone, My mom is in a different state and I do not have access to her doctor to speak with him, however i want to be as encouraging as possible to my mom.  knowing that her diet will not be very different from mine helps.  I am more concerned about dumping and what can lead to dumping.  She is very afraid that she will never enjoy eating again.  I've told her and demonstrated to her during the holidays that I can enjoy the family meals just in much smaller portions (much much smaller, lol)  Since we live 2 1/2 hours from each other I cannot be there everyday, but I do want to be available for support.  

Thank you all for any advise

Dumping is caused by eating too much sugar, but only about 30% of RNY folks dump.