In reading all of your posts I have seen many things different than what my surgeon and NUT have told me. I am trying to figure out if maybe I misunderstood the information they gave me or maybe the info pertained to immediate post op and not the rest of my life???

I was told that I couldn't have caffeine or soda- I assumed that this meant for many months afterwards possibly never- is this true? I see many posts about coffee and tea- are these decafs- is that why it is okay?- I am so confused. I just don't want to mess this up, but boy it sure would be nice to have a half cup of coffee every now and again. My NUT said something about being more susceptable to ulcers and that is why it was wise to avoid these things.

Also, I was told I either needed to get the Optisource Bariatric Vitamins from Walgreens or order Vitamins online which are specifically made for Bariatric patients, but I am seeing a lot of posts about others. I would much rather go for a cheaper alternative if it is just as good.

I start my Pre-op diet this coming Monday- nothing but protien powder and water until the 9th of December. I don't know how I will ever make it two whole weeks on that. I am so nervous!! Please, Please help me not to screw this up!!!

Ok first...DO WHAT YOU DR TELLS YOU!!! This is the key to using this surgery to it's greatest advantage!

I still can't take the carbonation in soda so I stay away from it...sometimes I let a root beer go flat but that is a rare thing. I thought I would miss my diet Pepsi but I SOOO don't. I crave my ice water now more then anything.

Caffeine will dehydrate you and is tough on the sensitive pouch. Though I now drink some caffeinated coffee, I can also drink more then enough water without any problems 10 months out. Decaf coffee or tea are a great alternative if you can't get down enough water...water is always better, but sf flavored drinks like crystal light or the like are good too.

At first I did 2 Optisource and a calcium chew. When my blood work for vitamin levels came back more then good and when I could handle small pills, I switched to 4 children's gummy vitamins, a calcium chew, a small, uncoated iron and a B50 pill...even buying the extra iron and b50's, it's still cheaper then the Optisource.

Don't worry about the 2 weeks, it will just fly by! AND we all have endured the "fasting until you pass out" diet....the "grapefruit" diet....the "eat only green veggies Monday, yellow veggies Wednesday and white veggies Friday" diet...OH and the ever popular, "only dairy before noon, starch until 3 and protein until 7" diet...etc, etc!!! You can do it Honey!!!


Again, please do just as you Dr says...but NO WORRIES, love, keep up the questions! You're doing great!

Angela

Do what Miss Ange suggested. Go with what your doctor and NUT tells you. Every surgeon and different programs has its own agenda.

Caffeine: Heard a study just this morning that especially women, who drank diet and regular soda had lower calcium levels, which means lower bone density. Also we need good calcium levels for heart health. We are at risk for that because of limited intake. So........

My doctor wanted me to start out on this special brand of bariatric vits, but the dang things were gonna cost me around $40 a month plus the six months of RX sublingual prevacid (to prevent pouch ulcers), B 12........It was costing me quite a bit. So I went to my favorite person in the world, my pharmacist and we looked at the Walmart $4 a month prenatal and they were so close, I had the doctor write me an RX for them. Then Meijer Dept. Store started offering free prenatal and they were comparable so I switched to them. They are not chewables, but I can take a whole pill. Couldn't at first, so stuck with the chewables for a few months.

I emailed my NUT and she said that I could have diet soda, just use it with ice and stir it to get rid of carbonation. But, she also said that I should still be getting in my 64 oz. of non-caffeinated beverages on top of the soda. I can barely get in 64 oz. and think that I would start using it in place of my water. So, I don't do it.

PRE-SURGERY DIET!!!!! I wasn't required to do it, but did it on my own because I knew I had a fatty liver from PCP. It wasn't so bad. Gave me time to experiment, but the 3 week full liquid after the surgery. Now that was a different story. I almost ate one of my GKs, the table leg and my poor terrier! LOL! We all make it and you will also. If you freak out and mess up, get going again right away! It happens, but try to stick with it! Time flies! Fifteen minutes ago I was 35 y/o, now I'm 57!!!! This time next year, you will be slim, fit, and ALIVE!!!! GOOD LUCK MY DEAR!!!

Its funny... when I woke up from surgery (I stayed over night) the first thing they gave me was coffee LOL

Every doctor is different but the best thing you can do is follow his/her advice and not the advice of people like me

But I will say soda is a no no... carbonation can hurt.

.

yeah - do what your doc says. HOWEVER, here's the issue to discuss with your doc. Right after surgery, your tiny little pouch is very very sensitive and it needs to heal. caffeine can hurt this process. BUT, after you're all healed up, ask your doc what the LIMITS on caffeine are. i'll bet that he'll loosen up. interestingly [and i know this from personal experience], when docs say 'no this' or 'no that,' they're actually saying 'restrict it, but you can have it.'

as for the soda. DON'T DO IT!!!! at least not regularly - and that means maybe one a month or so. i have a weakness for Boyland's diet black cherry soda. in the summer, nothing is better than an ice cold one poured over a tall glass of ice!!!! [notice all that DE-GASSING going on here!]. i had 3 of these last summer, and that's it.

interestingly, after you've been off the stuff for awhile, most soda tastes GROSS, especially when it's as flat as we need to drink it.

Loads of great information here and I am getting confused too, but, Like you all say every doctor is different, but I was wondering, Once having the surgery, and only having a very small pouch, You know when you are really really thirsty and need a big drink,,, are we allowed? I mean, Will we not get full up after a small mouthfull? like last night i was so so thirsty and could have drank a litre of water, will this not be the case with a small pouch, and how will we quench our thirst in these situations? or am i being a looney lol.

Not looney, good question! This was the hardest part of the first few weeks after surgery for me...not being able to gulp down water. I was used to drinking at least 1 gallon a day. Start practicing sipping sipping sipping even before surgery...it helped. After surgery, I had a hard adjustment, you have to work at getting fluids down all the time, but once I get used to sipping all day, I was fine. If I did drink too much, I would throw it up or get the "foamies", and it felt like I was stretching the pouch...harsh but a good reminder to not glup!

Angela

99% of people who gain most or all of the weight back have one one thing in common: they introduced soda to their diets again. And most of them introduced caffeinated soda (diet Coke, Pepsi, Mt. Dew, etc.)

When I had the surgery back in 2004, I made a commitement at that time that I would NEVER AGAIN drink carbonated drinks or caffeinated drinks. And I have stayed true to that commitment. I went from 255 pounds down to 130 and have now gained about 25 pounds back. But I am going to lose at least 15 pounds and maintain that. And I will NEVER drink soda pop, alcohol, or caffeinated drinks. My insurance didn't cover my surgery, and I took out a second mortgage on my house to pay for it. You can bet I am not going to ruin it all by going back to the weight I was at back then!