Q: THIS IS A TEST
How long will it be before I can return to work?

A: If you have a fairly sedentary job, you may return in as little as two weeks. Having talked to hundreds of patients, I would suggest going back half days the third week to see how you do, then full-time the fourth week if you can handle it. Expect to feel exhausted when you get home as it really does take your body the full 6 to 8 weeks to recover and adjust to such a low calorie diet. If your job requires you to do any type of heavy lifting, expect to take the full 8 weeks off.

Q: What type of diet will I be on when I get home from the hospital?

A: We ask you to follow a pureed/soft diet the first full seven weeks after surgery to let the stomach heal properly. After 7 weeks, it is just a normal low-fat diet, artificial sweeteners as tolerated. Each person is unique in what he/she tolerates. There is a lot of trial and error in the first 6 months or so. One day something will work, one day it will not. If you're not tolerating a food, wait a month and try it again. Make sure meats are soft and moist. If they are dry, more than likely they are coming to revisit you.

Q: When can I exercise again?

A: It takes the whole 8 weeks for that incision to heal well. Do not lift more than 15 pounds the first 2 months. Walk only the first 8 weeks. After one month, the surgeon will usually give you the okay to walk in the water unless your incision is not totally healed on the outside. Usually resuming regular exercise including weight training, can begin after 8 weeks. Start light and gradually increase your exercise as you feel comfortable. Sometimes the incision area can feel like it is burning slightly probably due to build up of scar tissue. If it hurts, stop doing it and go back to gentler exercise. If in doubt, check with your surgeon.

Q: Am I allowed to drink carbonated drinks?

A: We advise not to drink carbonated drinks the first 2 weeks. After that, it must be flat (so much for carbonation). Carbon gas can expand the pouch and make it feel very uncomfortable. Often patients complain of bloating, belching, and gas. Many patients can tolerate carbonation with time but many have to let it sit out for awhile before they can drink it. Make sure you stick with calorie free carbonated drinks as calories still do count and can cause weight gain.

Q: Will I be able to drink alcohol again?

A: Alcohol contains empty calories which can stop weight loss or even cause weight gain. It contains 7 calories per gram. If you have been diagnosed with fatty liver disease before surgery, drinking alcohol immediately after can cause permanent liver damage. Because alcohol reaches the liver rapidly after this surgery, you can become drunk after with as little as one drink. We advise patients to wait at least one year to optimize their weight loss and give their liver a chance to become healthier. Remember you are only eating 500 calories at first. Make them count!

Q. How long will I have to take protein supplements?

A: Until you can get at least 50 grams (for women) or 63 grams (for men) from your diet. This can take as little as six months or as long as a year. In rare cases, it may be necessary for much longer. It helps to be a milk drinker as one cup of milk has nine grams of protein. Yogurt is another contender with eight grams of protein per cup.

Q: Do I have to take vitamins forever?

A: Yes! It takes at least 1600 calories to get the minimum amount of vitamins/minerals from your diet. Most patients will be maintaining on any where from 1,000 to 1,500 calories. Remember, you are malasorbing so your needs will tend to be higher than your non-surgical peers. You must take a multivitamin/mineral, calcium, B12, and iron for menstruation females. Check with your dietitian for more information.

Q. How much water should I be drinking?

A: Of course, eight glasses would be outstanding! Shoot for at least four 8 ounce glasses daily. Other fluids can certainly count towards your total fluid intake. When you get home from the hospital, strive for 48 ounces of fluid a day minimum. It can be difficult to get this in at first. Again, everyone is different. Over time, drinking will be faster than just those tiny sips you start out with in the hospital. If you get a burning feeling when you drink water, contact your surgeon. Medication can assist with getting rid of the burning.

Q. Can someone stay with me while I'm in the hospital?

A: Most certainly! A cot or recliner will be provided. The rooms are typically single rooms on the Medical/Surgery or Short Stay Units on the third floor of the hospital.

Q. How long is the hospital stay?

A: The hospital stay is typically three to three and one half days. Dr. Anez will let you go home on the third day if you are passing gas and feel up to it. Who ever knew gas would be so important!

Q: What should I do if I become constipated?

A: Bowel movements will slow down when you get home from the hospital due to reduced food intake. Constipation is the consistency of the stool, not frequency. Constipation can make you feel nauseous and full. Make sure you are getting in at least 48 ounces of fluid and vegetable/fruit with all meals. Other good sources of fiber are beans and hot cereals. Diluting prune juice (1/2 water, ½ juice) works well along with stewed prunes. My power pudding recipe consists of one tablespoon unsweetened applesauce, one tablespoon of bran, and one tablespoon of prune juice. Mix together and let soften. Add a touch of cinnamon or nutmeg for flavor. Usually works great! You can use Milk of Magnesia to get started. Fiber supplements such as Citracel or Metumucil smooth work well long term. Add one teaspoon to two ounces of water four or five times a day during times when your are drinking fluids between meals. You can also purchase an over the counter stool softener called Colace. If you are still having problems, contact the office.

Q: Now that I'm back on regular food is it okay for it to take longer than 30 minutes? It seems to take a longer time now that I'm actually able to chew my food.

A: Keep meals to no more than 45 minutes. You do not want to make eating an
all day affair. Just do the best you can. In time, you should be able to
fit in a 6 to 8 ounce meal within 45 minutes with no problem.

Q: My husband has stuck by me through all this weight gain but then he asked me If I would leave him after I "got skinny". I assured him that I have eyes for only him but is this a common feeling and do may people split up after this surgery - I can only view it as enhancement for me and my hubby?

A: Yes, this is a common problem. Many spouses are afraid that they will lose their mate when they become more outwardly attractive by our culture's standard. When patients gain back their confidence, they often become more assertive. This can be threatening to their spouses if not handled well. If your relationship is based on the respect and love you have for each other as people, regardless of the outside shell, you will probably do fine. In some
relationships, patients just settled because they felt they could not do any better or no one else would pay attention to them. In other cases, the relationship is abusive. Sometimes the spouses feel like they have the patients under their control because of their weight and will lose that when the patients lose the weight. There are a high number of divorces in this
group. Make sure you keep talking to each other and find fun things to do together. As you become more mobile, your spouse may become as excited as you with all the things you are now able to do because of the weight loss.
Good luck!

Q: What can be done about excess gas?

A: If you have not been eating a high fiber diet, it takes your body a few weeks to adjust to increased fiber. Be sure to drink lots of fluids! High fat foods can also cause gas as well as the usual culprits like beans, cabbage, brussel sprouts, lactose intolerance, etc. Take yourself off dairy products for a couple of days and see if that helps. Switch to soy or lactose-free products if dairy is a problem. Sometimes the protein drinks can cause patients problems, so quit for one day and see what happens. You might have to change the type of protein supplement you are using. You can use products like beano, gas-x, simethecone, activated charcoal, and phazyme.

Q: I am seriously considering getting bypass surgery done in a few months. I am concerned about the pain right after surgery. Did you have a laproscopy or incision? Tell me any thoughts you have about the cons of the procedure. I definately can see the positives! Your pictures give me hope.

A: I had gastric bypass surgery done in May. It was a regular incision, without removal of my gall bladder. I was also concerned about having pain, because I have absolutely no tolerance for pain. I can say that I was very surprised with the surgery. I prepared myself to have pain, but I had absolutely no pain. I did have some minor discomfort on occassion when I had the staples in. They seemed to pinch me when I was laying in certain positions. I did take Percocet twice a day for three or four days after I was discharged from the hospital, then Aleve twice a day for about a week following that. I can honestly say that I have menstrual cramps that hurt much worse than the surgery ever did. I certainly recommend the surgery. I think it's mostly mental. If you say to yourself that you're going to go in, get it done, then get up and go on with your life as if nothing happened, you will do it that way. I had surgery on Monday, got out of the hospital on Thursday and went shopping, and went to work on Monday for a few hours. If I had known it was going to be so easy, I would have done it a lot sooner!