Are you also taking something to protect the lining of your pouch and stomach?  If you are going to take NSAIDs, that is essential.  Keep in mind that if you get an ulcer in your remnant stomach, the only access to it is via surgery and that makes it very difficult to treat!

Lora

My RNY was open, so I slept in the recliner for a long time, but I have had several lap surgeries, and when I didn't have a recliner, I slept propped in bed the whole time, and gradually reduced the incline.  When I had my gallbladder out, I slept in the recliner for several days.

Lora

In addition to the bloodwork, I had to have a respiratory test, an abdominal ultrasound, a chest X-ray, and an EKG.  Every surgeon is different, though, and it often depends on what your medical history is.  You may need tests that others don't and vice versa.  Ask your surgeons's office if there are additional tests you will need.  They have to set them up, anyway.

Lora

I wouldn't start randomly taking any meds that you were not specifically told to take by your surgeon, even OTC meds, without at least contacting your surgeon by phone and asking.

Lora

Congratulations!  You should be very proud of this accomplishment.

Lora

That partly depends on how far out from surgery you are.  Generally, though, if you believe a problem is related to your pouch or upper digestive system, you should contact your surgeon first.  Then your surgeon can refer you back to your PCP if the surgeon believes it is unrelated to your RNY.

Lora

Like Kelly, I tell them that I am allergic to Penicillin and cannot have NSAIDs because of my RNY.  The hospital system even has my electronic chart noted as such.

Lora

It is extremely unlikely to be blood clot related since it involves both legs.  Blood clots also carry other symptoms such as redness and swelling. I would contact your surgeon's office and ask to speak with a nurse to see what they say.  You should definitely see a doctor, but because of the nature of the problem your surgeon may prefer to have you see your PCP.  Unless directed to do so by your surgeon's office, I wouldn't go to the ER. There is nothing to indicate that it is a life threatening issue or something that requires immediate attention, and ERs are for emergencies not for diagnostic work.  People who use it in lieu of other medical care make it more difficult for people who DO have emergencies to get care in a timely manner.

Lora

There is no reason  to to drink right  until the time you eat.  If your surgeon's rules say not to drink for a certain time before meals, ask him/her WHY they say that since liquid goes out of the pouch almost as soon as it enters it.  (I have yet to hear a surgeon give a reasonable answer... it is usually something very vague.)  What difference does it make once the water is in your intestines (where it flows down until it hits food so the water you drank a half hour so and the water you drank 2 minutes ago are in the same place)?

The best way to get used to not drinking with your meals is to not have anything to drink on the table.

I don't see anything wrong with eating 3 yogurts a day for protein other than that yogurt is a slider food and once you get your hunger back it is probably not going to keep you from being hungry very long.  Solid protein (cheese, eggs, meat, beans) will keep you full MUCH longer.

Lora

Is it a cramping pain, a throbbing pain, a sharp pain?  Is it a deep pain, a muscle pain, a localized pain in one area, an achy sensation throughout the leg?  Just saying "leg pain" doesn't give us much to go on, I'm afraid.

Also, is it just one leg or both legs?

Lora

Can you clarify your situation?  Is it only dairy products that you are having trouble with or ALL foods?  If it is just dairy products, there are some protein heavy foods that most people find very easy on their pouches.  Most people find that Wendy's chili sits quite well even when they are much earlier out than you are.  Things like FF refried beans or other bean dishes like hummus, black bean soup, or black (or red) beans with quinoa also are high in protein and generally sit well.  There are also some meat proteins that sit better than others.  Crab and cod (or other mild white fishes) are very pouch friendly as long as you pass on the butter for dipping or plating.

Also, there is no reason you cannot have traditional "dinner" foods for breakfast if more traditional breakfast items like yogurt and eggs cause problems.

What does your surgeon have to say about the nausea/vomiting?

Lora

I tend to be hard on myself as well, so I know how that can make you crazy.

As far as motivation, when I find myself straying a bit as far as my eating/snacking or feeling a bit disinterested in making good food choices, I do a couple of things:

- I go back and look at pictures of me from before surgery, and I remember how unhappy I was about how I looked and how self-conscious I could be because of my weight.  I have one picture in which I am smiling, but when I look at it closely, I can remember how very uncomfortable I was having my picture taken because of how big I had become.  Then I look at myself in the mirror now and pay special attention to how small my shoulders and arms are, how prominent my collarbones are, and how the double chin is gone (other than some lax skin).

- At one point, I wrote up a list of all the things that were difficult to do, or caused me frustration or embarrassment, that were directly attributable to my weight.  When I need to boost my motivation, I go back and read through that list and make a mental note of how those things don't apply anymore. The list has minor things, mundane things, and major things: things like not being able to tie my shoes without sitting down and pulling my foot up on the couch/bed; having to use the tips of my feet to drive my one car because I have short legs and had to sit with the seat further back in order to make room for my belly in front of the steering wheel; how winded I got going up just one flight of stairs; how humiliating it was to be at a small taverna in Rome with a group of people and sitting down on one of the lightweight wooden folding chairs they had and having it collapse underneath my weight (we immediately discovered that the seat was partially broken to begin with (and that the waiter was supposed to have taken it into the back) and that it would have collapsed under anyone, but that didn't alleviate my humiliation).

The other thing I do, and that I always encourage my clients to do to eliminate the "I'll start tomorrow" syndrome, is to NOT write off today as a lost cause and promise to start clean tomorrow, but to start IMMEDIATELY.  Every single meal or snack time is a chance to start fresh and make better choices.  All of those choices add up.  One bad meal/snack doesn't "ruin" anything.  It is allowing the next one to be a bad choice that starts the pattern and it is the pattern that causes failure.

Get the snack food out of the house and fill the refrigerator and pantry with healthy, protein- based snacks. If it isn't in the house you won't eat it because if you are too tired to work out, you will also be too tired to go out and buy junk food! ;)

Lora