3 days post OP and recovery is going too well.

[Renachan]

Hi guys,

I got sleeved November 16th at around 14h, in the Netherlands.

The pre-op and post-op process is quite different than what I've seen from other countries in YT and forums.

Since my BMI was above 50 I didn't need to do the 6 months dietician program, but im the clinic they put you in a 10 people group, with 6 weekly sessions with dieticians, phycologists, fitness trainer and a doctor. You get tips, and prepared.

There is not pre-op diet other than beginning with the vitamins 14 days before surgery and avoiding excess of sweet and fried food to avoid a fatty liver, the explanation is that if you begin starving your body of food days before the surgery this might have a negative effect on the weight loss.

The same goes for the post-op diet, this is based of 14 days of liquids including all kind of skinny milk and milk products and filled soups blended/mashed. And after that you should try eating solid again, the rule is 6 eating times a day, mostly protein based, it should be like 3 main and 3 snakcs.

The thing is, I was really scared, my first surgery, the first in our group got sleeved the day before and she said it was though and painful.

They refused to give me anything to calm down before the surgery, I was afraid I'd wake up in a panic, as far as I've been told, my first words were me saying out loud "Holy s##t, is that it? Did I get from the OP bed to my bed all by myself? Did it really happened already?" While the poor nurse was trying to get me calmed down... I complained about wanting to throw up and pain (although I don't remember how great that pain was) and they injected me with something to knock me out.

By midnight I was walking throughout the hospital, the next day on the morning I took a shower and did almost one hour to get 200ml of yogurt down, the feeling of the gas was (and still is annoying).

I drank 1L of water and in the afternoon of the 17th I got released.

Since Saturday the 18th things went much better with drinking and walking, I walked 1,2km and drank almost 2 liters, between water, soy milk and broth, in the morning I had some protein quark and I cooked chicken with vegetables and rice and blended it, it went well.

At night I had a protein shake.

Today, Sunday the 19th I had a quark again, but it went much better since the gas is going away, I walked again the same distanced, and when I got home I tried some scrambled eggs, are 1/2 of it.

This time I cooked chicken with vegetables again, but with more liquid and instead of blending it, I mashed it, it was still very liquid, and it was better than the blended soup yesterday, and I ate 1/3 of a mashed banana, I also blended some cashew and peanuts, because snaking just milk protein is quite boring.

Their planning is like doing a 2-in-1 so they recommend 750ml of skinny milk a day because this counts as protein and as water... To this they add soups, other thicker milk products and some water of course, but I prefer to drink my water as is and getting enough proteins from other sources, no-one can drink almost 1L of milk a day.



I eat really slowly and chew a lot, even on soups, the thing is that my miraculously recovery seams to be some kind of abnormal thing? We all got sleeved between the 15th and the 17th of November, and even those who were one day before me, are still on clear liquids because it either hurts or they don't dare to go one step further. The same with walking, most are walking in doors only, for a few minutes.

Am I pushing too hard? I don't feel anything, and I listen to my body, during my walks I stop and sit to breath if I feel tired, and I'm constantly trying to identify if I'm feeling my stomach reject something or if it's just gasses.

I ask it because when I share what I've eaten for example the reaction from the group is surprise and clearly pouting out that they have still problems with even drinking liquids, while I'm in mashed food and fruits.

I'd love to hear if somebody else also had a similar experience.

[Ann2]

Your experience is pretty textbook. Most people don't have terrible reactions to WLS surgery. Here's another thread about post-op recovery that's pretty active right now ... https://www.gastricsleeve.com/forum/...ad.php?t=66180

BTW, many post-op complaints are due to entubation patients undergo, primarily a sore throat from the hard plastic tube that goes down the throat.

My experience was similar to yours. I was drinking pretty well by Day Three, although I had to sip-sip-sip to get it all down. And by Day Five I was getting the minimum 60 grams of protein my surgeon wanted me eating in the form of protein shakes.

My surgeon had me on liquids for 10 days, after which I went to liquids and purees. You're doing that a little earlier (with your chicken/veggie/fruit mashes). But I've heard of those programs, too.

I wouldn't push it any more than that. You won't get a prize for advancing sooner than your surgeon permits you to advance.

Congrats. Sounds like you're doing well.

[Christie13]

I had a pretty smooth recovery as well. I did take cat naps quite a bit the first week but I was able to walk quite a bit. I was eating similar to you post op. The sweetness of shakes were unappealing so I made creamed soups with nonfat milk, hot tea, latte's made with nonfat milk, and sugar free popsicles. That was My first 10 days. At 10 days I went ahead on to soft/pureed foods because I could not stand that thought of another liquid meal. I never really had any issues on this journey other than constipation and hair loss.

[Stacey03]

I've had to do 2 days of clear fluids and then 2 weeks of full liquids ( I am at the gag stage with the protein shakes!) but yay in 3 days time I see my dietitian and can go onto purees!!! I never thought I would be so excited about the word puree! Gosh liquids get a bit old and I might never eat soup again in my life!!! I wish i could manage yogurt but I don't seem to do very well with that, but I've never eaten dairy much. So my diet has been super boring, though I've tried to make a few different soups. Soups go on forever, they are never ending LOL.
Sounds like you are doing good, I mean I'm a bit surprised at the mashed food at 3 days out but that might just be because i'm dying of the jealousy!!! Different surgeons have different reigiems around the world. Follow your surgeons instructions is my always rule.
Love to the Netherlands, it holds a special place in my heart and my daughter just got married there last year. I am often to be found knocking around Amsterdam once a year at least!
Welcome!

[julieaponte]

Everyone is different. It sounds like you are in tune with your body and are doing great. Best of luck!

[Renachan]

Thanks guys for sharing your experiences...
Every country is indeed an entire new world, just around the corner in Belgium they put you on shake only pre and post OP diet.

Thursday we have a talk with the dietician (we don't get to see the surgeon anymore, just the normal doctors and dieticians [to be fair I only saw the surgeon a few minutes on the OP table before I passed out lol]),

I was never a fan of sweet shakes, and now even yogurts and other sweet milk products makes me feel heavy, luckily I found a near tasteless shake without added sugar, it's like adding flour to the milk, but less gross.

Yesterday I got a much longer walk without feeling breathless, and my water intake is much better, I bought a 500ml water bottle, I drank bit by bit and I sat on a bench for a while watching some YouTube, before getting up I thought in drinking a bit more or water at least half of the bottle, to my surprise I've had drunk 2/3 already, my thirty feeling got back luckily, because hydration is the main thing... Only carbonated water (pure h2o with co2, no taste or sugar) is not recommend in the first weeks they say... Nornal water unless it's freezing cold tastes really annoying.

And yesterday already I got to wear a jacket that I bought and it was too tight, like 1 year ago... Results are coming, really impressed.

[Dutchie]

Why don't you just follow your doctors orders?
Bending and stretching the rules after just three days, does not seem like a wise strategy.

[Renachan]

Well, I'm not directly going against the rules, maybe a bit speedier.
You know how Dutch doctors are, they always push a bit further and they leave it to the patient to decide when to stop.

Besides the amount of milk and water that they recommend to get enough proteins and liquids, they recommend soups with 75g meat/fish, 100g vegetables and 50g potatoes, either blended or mashed (stamppotje) in case it's too dry, you can add some liquid to it.

But the only hard rules is the hydration, that should be around 1500ml of liquids and the fit for me vitamins.

[Dutchie]

lol
I think those vitamins are like a joined venture between the doctors and the pharmacy who manufactures the vitamins.
It's big business, in my modest opinion...

Having said that, just a word of caution, sorry...
Be careful with starting mashed food too soon, instead of blended really well.
When you mash your food, there will still be (long) fibers in it, which could get stuck in the seems of you new stomach and cause inflammation.
That's the reason for the fluid stage during the first few weeks.
You stomach needs three weeks to heal.
Those people who tell you to eat solid foods right after surgery (and I know there are those doctors, mostly in Belgium) are (in my opinion) not very educated... to say the least.
But when you check out the dietary requirements right after surgery here in the US, you'll see a complete different picture.
Ik like the US way better, and I follwed those rules.
You did survive the two weeks of protein shakes, you will survive these weeks of fluids, we all did.
Why risk complications, that are so easy to avoid?
You are doing great, but this is just a concern I wanted to voice here.

[Renachan]

Actually Fit for me pays the clinic I went for promotion, although I tried going shopping by myself, and I found that the over the counter vitamins have too little concentration, but like 4, 6 times less, specially in the important stuff, they are cheap but you need to take 4 or 5 a day to get somewhat the same dosis.

The other alternatives sold in pharmacy are expensive, like 15€ p/m. The fit for me are 47€ for 6 months, just need to know how good they are, so I'll be checking my blood analysis in the near future.

This is quite the interesting complication to be honest, I hadn't heard about it yet.

My father had a bypass in Brazil (long time ago 10 years or so), and the diet was indeed quite strict, so the first day or 2 he was on clear liquids and jelly.

I've watched countless YT videos from surgeons (mostly from the US) on pre-op advices, and I've seen anything from one to two weeks on liquid diets or protein shakes (one or two a day, fine, but the whole day for one week only shake? omg), to the extreme of having only clear liquids 3 days before the surgery... my last meal was 8h before, just a salad, but yeah, heavy.

In many hospitals they put you on modifast shakes 1 week before and 2 after, specially some in Belgium as I heard... it couldn't be more different.

And there are a boom of surgeons without the expertize doing sleeves and bypasses, thanks to the boom, there are places that you actually call today and over a week or two you are under the knife. The clinic I began my treatment, they exist since a long time, and the 4 surgeons they work with are the best in the country, and there is a entire team behind it, so I'm not too concerned about the pushiness or the speed they want things to develop, as long as I'm feeling well, although I'll ask about this specific complications and their experience with it, so thanks for raising the concern.


When talking about healty and recommendations, it's quite difficult to find a middelground, first because each human body is different and second, the specialists themselves only agree to disagree, another example is how long for my abdomen to heal, my clinic says, no lifting more than 2kg for 3 weeks, some other source I've found, no lifting more than 10lbs for 6 weeks. That's double the weight and double the time.

Even in the same process I got different information, the first anesthesist told me that I'd have to inject anti trombose for 2 weeks, after the surgery I heard it would be 4 weeks. (I hate it).

Did you have your sleeve in the US?

[Dutchie]

Just be careful, that all I'l say.

I agree with you, every body and verybody is different and we all walk our own path.
I recently opened a topic about all the conflicting instructions from hospitals, surgeans, dieticians and the like.
Just use your common sense, I think.
Be careful with your new stomach for the first 3 weeks, after that the stichtes have healed.

I take drugstore vitamins.
Some surgeons even recommend them.
You don't have to take 4 or 5 pills, I take 2 pills and they cover my needs perfectly.
My blood work was done a couple of weeks ago and turned out very good.
No deficiencies whatsoever.
I bought my vitamins in Germany.

I had my surgery done in Spain.
I like to avoid Dutch hospitals where even I can.
I'm very pleased with my Spanish surgeon, who did a great job with my sleeve.

I was going to ask you: why do you have a sleeve and not the gbp?
I thought only bypasses were performed at poeple with a higher BMI.
Just wondered.

I had the trombosis injections for 4 weeks.
I never skipped them, although I hated it.
But I think it's important.

All surgeons work with statistics...
There is why they fail giving good, man tailored, info.
You "have to" do this or "must" have this weight after 3 months.
Totally ignoring age, gender, level of activity and so on.
Just the bare statistics.

I walk my own path.
Like you I have spend ours and hours looking at you tube videos an doing research on the internet (I still do).
Then, of all the recommandations, I take what suits me, and my way of life, best.
Just common sense...

BTW: that story about the long fibers and little pieces of food getting stuck in seems and stichtes I heard from a felllow sleever in Norway.
To me it makes total sense.
I take little pearls of wisdom from all over the world and string them together...


All the best to you!



I am sure you will fing your way working the sleeve.
Give it time.
Three days post op is al little soon, to be able to tell, what your path will be.
I personnaly am not aiming for the middleground, but the highest possible goal.

[Renachan]

Ha, bad experience with Dutch hospitals?

This was my first time in a Dutch hospital, and I could say it was my first time in a hospital because the other two I was KO when I got in lol.
If I must complain, I'd loved a record of the OP, from inside.

I hear many Brazilians complaining about family docs, but mostly because they don't give antibiotics way like candy, I've a good relation with my GP, I don't annoy him with nonsense and when I come to him he takes it seriously.

The reason I had a sleeve, is because on young people they rather do a sleeve, because in cases they see a weight gain in long therm (talking about like 15 years or more). And after a sleeve you can do a SADI-S. Also on women that have pregnancy plans they go with a sleeve.

I was glad when the surgeon told me I'd have a sleeve, because somehow I was thinking about it over the bypass.

Today is day 7, didn't realized it until a while ago, not a moment of regret until now, so things are going well, I'd do it all over again, if only to experience the sensation I felt right after the surgery when I was just waking up, before the pain hit of course. lol


Just a while ago when I was prepering to take a shower, when I took my shirt off, that unmistakable smell was there, the cut between my chests is inflameted, the typical smell and a bit of clear liquid (#overresponsivelynfaticsystem)... So I took the band-aid thing they put out in the shower, washed it with antiseptic gel, dried it and put a silver based band-aid.... Well I was almost thinking that I bought it for nothing, at least I can use it.

Tomorrow we have a talk with the dietician, see if we exchange any other culinary advises.

[Dutchie]

Thanks for explaining the sleeve choice.

Sounds like you're doing great, keep up the good work!

No bad experience with Dutch hospitals, but no good either.
They're just not very efficient, in my opinion.
My mother died in a hospital, due to negligence, and two surgeries that went terribly wrong, with lifelong, life altering ramifications.

Oh well... maybe those are indeed bad experiences...

I'm curious what your dietician is going to say.
Can you keep us posted?

[Renachan]

That sounds to me like a terrible experience! Really sorry.

SO today was the gather up after surgery, the whole group in general is 50/50, some of us are doing well, no problems after a minor hiccups in the beginning, but others aren't doing as well, including some bypass patients, and they should actually be tolerating soft non-blended foods at this point.

Sleevers should stick to blending and mashing things (or really soft foods well chewed like scrambled eggs), the reason behind it is that first the stomach can't digest larger (or hard) food pieces so the intestine will have to do the job and this might result in diarrhea, and that's not good since water intake is still in the low moderates. Also, while trying to digest large bits of foods the stomach walls push, pull and press as part of food digestion, this could irritate the wound resulting in swelling and it's like going back from start with problems with eating and drinking.

The safe marge is 2 weeks, some will heal much earlier, but they like to keep it safe.

The doc said that the way the stomach is stapled, the wound is much worse in the exterior and that she isn't aware of such complication, but different ways of performing the surgery and patients with some condition, or smokers, could have a higher chance of leakage or inflamation if they don't follow the diet, mostly due the moving of the stomach.

One more week... And I'm really trying to think about something healthy and tasty... going between spanish lentils with rice or a wok of tofu and vegetables :/