Surgery date 8/9/19 Scared but ready

hi everyone

got my date! I had lapband in 2009 and removed I think 2014. Im really scared. But I am ready ...still have unanswered questions

1. really - what stopped you from eating? do you really feel full?

2. ummm that's it actually lol

The rules with RNY I think some people don't realize is for life. No drinking fluids (30 minutes) prior, during or 30 minutes after eating. Protein first, no simple carbs, limit fats. Eat slowly and chew your food to mush. The purpose of those eating rules is to prevent stretching of the stoma (surgically made opening that allows food to drip out into your intestine). I babied my stoma and an endoscopy done prior to my revision showed a normal stoma! Also be aware that you need to continue with vitamins/minerals after the malabsorption honeymoon ends (12-18 months) because the main area where those are absorbed has been bypassed.

What keeps me from overeating? Terrible discomfort, nausea and aggravating my GERD. My pouch was made larger, so I can eat 1.5 cups of food max. Do I always eat this much with every meal? No. Some days I have small pouch days and nausea is my first sign to stop eating. When I was 18+months out, I waited longer than 30 mins after a meal before drinking, because I would get hungry sooner.

After surgery, you will need to measure your food. You will not feel restriction due to the nerves being cut. Over time, with healing, these nerves will regenerate. Everyone heals differently. Measuring your food helps to protect your pouch and stoma so both can heal. Follow your program on working up the type of food and the volume.

Good luck with your surgery! Donna

Congratulations on your upcoming surgery!

What stopped me from eating was that I was told to. The pre op diet was very specific. Drink 4 SlimTime shakes per day, clear broth, SF popsicles or jello. Nothing else allowed. During this phase I was definitely hungry but was too scared to cheat and I didn't want to screw this up like I have done on previous diets. I decided to get this surgery and be successful. This was my last hope of getting healthy. Then post op I had to force myself to drink the teeny tiny cups of water for the first few hours. I had no appetite or hunger post op. It took me a couple of weeks to actually enjoy consuming the liquid diet. I'm 4 months post op and am pretty much eating whatever I want. I don't eat anything like I did before surgery. No room in my sleeve for carbs and any time I do eat them I don't feel too good. By the time I eat my protein and a few spoons of veg yes I'm full. I don't have any cravings or feel hunger yet. I understand that will be coming in a year or so.

Hi Tammy,

Congrats on taking the next step! Glad you go the lap band out! We have a lot of band to RNY patients here.

Are you getting revised to RNY or VSG? To answer your questions:

1. I had RNY done November 2013. What "stopped" me from eating was the size of my pouch, the fact that I followed my Centre's strict eating plan, fear of harming my newly operated on stomach/intestines and fear of gaining weight. At first I did not feel full but around the 6 month mark my nerves were healed and I felt the restriction and yes I felt full. I am almost 6 years out and if I eat dense protein like a chicken breast I feel full after my 4-5 oz portion. And I want to point out that feeling "full" after RNY is very different than feeling "full" pre surgery. Its not so much a "full" feeling for me its more of a restricted feeling. Hope that makes sense.
   • There are foods we call "slider" foods and they seem to defy logic and most of us can eat boat loads of these slider foods such as popcorn, yogurt, crackers, salad greens. I try to avoid things like popcorn and crackers and I am not much a yogurt person and I love salad but it just does not fill me up so I don't eat a lot of of it.

I appreciate your fear, I was fearful as well day of surgery but here I am almost 6 years later, at goal and living the best healthy life I can, wish I had done this 20 years ago, best gift of health I gave myself.

Best of luck

Early on, you won't feel full. The nerves in your stomach are cut, and you won't feel any sort of fullness until they're all healed up. You won't have that feeling to stop you from eating too much and possibly injuring yourself! That's why you need to weigh and measure your food and it's extra important for the first month or two.