Re: Regarding Ramadhan and Roux-en-Y (or VSG)

Hello,

Are there any Muslims here that have done Roux-en-Y (or VSG) and fasted during Ramadhan for a month after surgery.  I am waiting for appointment with surgeon at TWH but I want to know the issues people have while fasting.  I feel that the VSG would be a better option after my research but I want to understand the differences from people who have experience with fasting. 

Your responses will be much appreciated.

Thank you

Rahil

This is a very interesting question. I hope you'll forgive me for attempting to answer though I don't have personal experience with many consecutive days of  sunrise to sunset fasting ( including not drinking water from what I understand) 

As someone who hasn't tried it I don't see how it could be done safely post bariatric surgery . We have to sip on liquids all day or we get dangerously dehydrated. We can't drink at all while eating or for at least a half hour afterwards and it's hugely important to get that liquid in . 

If I drink too many swallows at one time I feel nauseous even from jus****er because my pouch is too small to hold that much . 

A lot of people with RNY get blood sugar swings also if they don't eat regularly- with symptoms such as lightheadedness headaches and even fainting in a few cases. 

Does no one get a break from the Ramadan rules due to medical necessity? Other religions discourage ritual fasting for those with  potentially negative medical consequences , the old and even pregnant moms . 

They do get a break for many reasons. This poster is a personal friend of mine and it's very important to him to be able to participate. :) 

Well he should know he's absolutely welcome here . I actually have a few hijab-wearing friends both in personal life and wonderful Grrlfriends who moved  to the Middle East  to marry men they loved whom they met online. 

I don't think anyone here is idiotic enuf to discriminate or see your friend as anything else than just another person with a problem and maybe little bit of an exotic or interesting background.

There are members who post here frequently from Saudi Arabia India Pakistan.. not to mention Australia South America Europe it's a great forum and he's totally warmly welcomed !  

Thank you daizymom!  Your an inspiration and your progress is amazing so far!!

Thanks buddy! You've got this. ? 

Thank you for your response.  I would not fast the first year after my surgery for reasons you have mentioned.  After that, I will be doing this for the rest of my life.  It is during those times, I am wondering concerned about.  Again, if for medical reasons, I can't do it, I would stop.  This is why I am asking for advise from RNY & VSG fasters.

I hope you get some feedback! I googled and while there are lots of tips, I haven't seen much by way of first person accounts.

but, there are plenty of people who post about intermittent fasting post op. While not exactly the same, You could probably glean some tips from them too.

I think my tip would be to carefully plan you meals so water is the last thing you have before fasting and the first priority at sunset, given our restriction on liquids 30 minutes after eating. Protein shakes might be useful too, in order to still hit your protein targets, in a smaller window of time. 

Good luck with your search!

Thank you kindly for your response.  This is the thing about opening a fast, you are really thirsty.  You drink lots of water just to keep hydrated.  I have done this for over 25 years, so its not a big deal for me.  I am just concerned about the size of the pouch and how would I deal with drinking lots of water and then not having room to eat.  Thank you for the advise.  I will take these points into consideration.

If it's helpful in you decision, liquids don't stay in the pouch. They pass right through, and won't fill you up or prevent you from eating.

for example, I typically drink a full 750ml sports bottle of water before each meal as a habit to make sure I hit my liquid target. At 5.5 months out, this only takes me a few minutes. (The slow sipping stage really only lasts a short time while healing)