[frankelure]

can anyone please help me ?

my name is Yandry, im 22 yrs old and now weighing 293lbs. i just had the gastric bypass surgery on May 7, 2012 weighing at 316lbs. my goal is to be 160lbs.

i used to be a emotional eater. i am now on stage 2 of my diet which is puree food. since my surgery i have to combine 48-64 oz of liquids, 3 meals, my protein shakes and medicines which includes Multivitamin,calcium twice a day and iron.

to be honest im so frustrated and mad. i cant eat anything except for sugar free Jell-o, greek yogurt, apple sauce, sugar free pudding and sugar free Popsicle. when i try something else i get nauseous and discomfort, it feels horrible i cant even drink water without having pain in my stomach, sometimes i get so sad and depress when i see my family eating and i cant, i get bored easily of eating the same food over and over. i feel weak and dizzy all the time, i have become so lazy dont even want to go out and when i do i have to stop and recover myself from the dizziness and short of breath.

can anyone share their story and help me out to feel better and what to eat, i was a sugar addict and its so hard to live without sweets.

[QuilterInVA]

You need to post this over on Weight Loss Surgery Thread. You'll get more replies.

My advice is call your doctor.

Did you go into this with the right frame of mind that you would actually have to stick to a strict diet? Weight Loss surgery isn't a magic weight loss bullet.

[Underwater]

Are you seeing a psychologist? If not, maybe you should consider at least a visit.

Being sad or depressed about not eating what your family is eating can turn into a monster that kills you in the end. Sure it's a struggle to not eat what other people are eating, but let me tell you - if you are committed to a healthy life, that aspect will always be there. I watch my husband and my friends eat all kinds of stuff I know I can't eat, but I don't let it upset me. They can manage their weight without rules. I need structure otherwise I'll start to gain.

You can do it! You've taken a big step. Now work closely with your WLS support group (doctors, dietitians, ect) to make their efforts work for you!

[MauiKai]

Surely you were told before the surgery that this would be the diet? If not you were not treated well!

Are you still seeing your doctor regularly? Has the doctor said that your reaction is normal? I've not heard of someone eating only puree more than a year after the surgery...though I'm only familiar with the Roux-En-Y surgery. Which sort did you have done?

[Radiojane]

You need to talk to a counselor/psychologist. Wrapping your head around this permanent change is extremely difficult.

I have not had the surgery, but my father did, and he went into it in a bad frame of mind and came out worse. His depression was debilitating and he didn't adjust to the change. He was allowed to skip over a lot of the mandatory counseling because he had a "Dr" in front of his own name. He died of a stroke a year later, and he spent his last concious days miserable because he wouldn't get help.

At least start by talking to the ladies in the WLS section. Jiffypop especially.

[jiffypop]

Hi Yandry = VOILA!!! your thread has been transported to the Weight Loss Surgery forum on 3FC. Many of us have had it - we have people who are exploring surgery, people who just had it, and some of us who have been living with it for years.

First of all, am i reading that date right? you had your surgery more than a YEAR ago? or only in this past May? If this past May, to be honest, you're in the horrible first three months. It's really hard. But it DOES get better. I promise. but it also takes work.

so, take a deep breath. and let's deal with the dizziness and shortness of breath. What does your doctor say about this? This can be anything from being inactive to something very serious and nothing to mess around with. PLEASE go see your doc. you might need a chest x ray as part of the evaluation. please do it.

second. about water upsetting your stomach. Did anyone ever suggest to you that the temperature of the water makes a difference? it can - very easily. for the longest time, i could have only slightly warm water. cold water just felt awful. And it took more than a year for me to keep down a scrambled egg - but hard boiled eggs worked fine.

most of the time, when a food doesn't work well, it has more to do with texture and/or temperature. Temperature extremes don't seem to work well for me - and i LOVE to eat hot food. oh well. life goes on.

And did your doc's office tell you you had to eat 3 'meals' a day PLUS protein shakes? I gotta tell you - mine TRIED that, and it just plain didn't work. I got in my water and got in my protein [about 40 grams in two shakes + eating other protein]. AND THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH IT. i'd try a tablespoon of veggies every day, or a little bit of fruit, or whatever, but by and large, it was 15 grams of protein every 3 hours and water.

I hope this at least gets you thinking about things differently. Let me know what you're thinking. what you're trying, what's working, what's not, and we'll all help you work your way out of this.

it IS possible to be content with the surgery, but, as you've found out, it's like you're on a completely different planet with different rules in a different language. it's ok.

and thanks for the vote of confidence, RadioJane - i didn't realize your dad had such a hard time with the surgery. he must be a great loss in your life.

[Zeitgeist]

If the date is incorrect, and you are in the first three months, you could be developing a stricture. Please schedule an appointment with your surgeon to discuss the possibility, as it does require a medical procedure called an endoscopy to fix. In essence, as you heal, your body overcompensates and makes a lot of scar tissue that prevents food (and as time goes on, even liquid) from reaching your pouch. If this is happening, you will not be able to keep food down and there is a lot of nausea.

Second, regarding the nausea, are you drinking enough? It is VERY easy to become dehydrated after surgery and one of the first symptoms is nausea. I ended up in the ER twice for dehydration (because I had a stricture). Please, if you are having trouble keeping liquids down, see your doc ASAP.

Also (and again I am assuming your date is incorrect), you could also just have a "picky pouch" that is very sensitive to dense foods. It is common, but it does go away; you just have to keep trying, but not all at once. It took me four months before I could keep any solid food down. My nutritionist advised that I try one solid food a day and if that didn't work, to continue what I could eat, which was greek yogurt, s/f pudding, applesauce, and protein drinks (in other words, exactly what you are eating). Jiffy is right: experiment with different temps and textures. Ricotta cheese, refried beans, hummus, tofu, soft scrambled eggs...these are soft foods that you might try, if you haven't already. You just don't want to try everything all at once, because then you agitate an already sensitive stomach and make things worse.

Remorse/regret is normal. While everyone's advice to see a psychiatrist has merit, you are mourning the loss of your previous life. This is completely normal; you have changed your relationship with food, and if you were an emotional eater, you depended upon food when times were tough (or great). Since you can't depend on it any longer, you are feeling frustrated and upset. It gets better; it really does. Once your stomach starts to heal and you can eat healthier, you will feel better about the decision you made.

Also, please make sure you are consuming at least 60g of protein. It is hard to do, esp. when you can't eat enough, but you want to make sure you are meeting your protein requirements so that you can heal and your body won't take the protein it needs from your muscles. If need be, buy some unflavored protein powder and mix it with the applesauce or pudding that you are currently eating.

Finally, as hard as it is, try and walk a bit. From the day I was sent home, I was given an exercise regime. The first day I was to walk 10 minutes. Each day after that, it increased 2 minutes a day, until I was walking 30 minutes at a time. From there, I could do more, as long as I was moving 30 minutes at a time.

You can do this, my dear. Post your questions and concerns here and we will help you as much as we can. There is no reason for you to feel alone; we have been where you are. It does get better.

[QuilterInVA]

FRANKELURE, did you have bypass surgery or not? Yesterday you posted on another thread about having oatmeal and peanut butter and it holds you all morning.

[dream4me]

This is the wls board