Allow myself to introduce...myself

[Robes44]

Hello!

I have been lurking on this site for a while and I have some questions that I would appreciate experienced DSers respond to.

I had a revision from VSG to DS with Dr. Wilhelmy at Mexicali Bariatric Center on 9/7/17. I had a complete re-sleeve at that time. I have returned home with no complications and I had an exemplary experience at MBC.

I need some clarification on taking meds whole vs crushing. I have a couple daily medications for issues (unrelated to Obesity) that I need to take daily. I was positively advised that I needed to crush these meds or get liquid forms for at least 30 days post op. In your experience, is this necessary? If I can handle swallowing the medications whole, may I do so without causing any concern?

They sent home Nexium 24hr which I was told I needed to open and sprinkle with water. If I can handle the Nexium capsule, may I take it without opening it?

Can someone share a post op diet that experienced DSers used and was appropriate to our needs? I am not feeling as though the post op diet which was presented to me is the best way to heal. I CERTAINLY want to heal appropriately and be healthy, I just feel like there may be alternatives which are better than what was given to me.

I was instructed to not start the vitamin regimens until 30 days out. If I can swallow/chew the pills, is there a reason that I need to wait that long?

Thanks so much for your insight and I look forward to talking with you all more.

Becky

 

[k9ophile]

While I have no real medical reason to crush pills or open capsules, I have had the experience of finding a whole capsule floating in the toilet. As for my immediate post-op period I was too miserable to even think about getting on the vitamin schedule. I took my Prozac in liquid and crushed to others just to make sure they would not only stay down, but also get absorbed. I have finally switched from liquid Prozac to a capsule, but have returned to opening my capsules. I had been holding mu capsules in my mouth until they start to dissolve and find it's just easier to open them. Most of them are flavorless anyway.

It was liquids for me for many months after surgery as my recovery was not as quick as I would have liked.

You'll find many answers as we all are different. You'll find your way. But in reality, your first thirty days should be devoted to staying hydrated and adding back food slowly. Your body can survive for thirty days without the vitamins, etc.

 

[Munchkin]

If you can take your pills, take them. Slowly, one at a time. I started mine right after I got home on the 6th day postop. You won't be able to toss back a handful at a time for a while!

 

[Clematis]

I too went to MBC but with Esquerra. If you can handle whole pills, go for it. My stomach may have been more sensitive as I was virgin DS but I could not handle whole big calcium-sized pills and had to crush them for at least a month -- and I didn't start them for several weeks out from surgery. I opened the Nexium and shook the contents on the back of my tongue and swallowed water (actually I had my own prescription omeprazole) but I only did this for the first week. I introduced each new vitamin/pill a few days apart so I could tell if I was having a reaction to it.

As for food, I pretty much followed their reintroduction advice which if I recall was 2 weeks of liquids and 2 weeks of softs (I can't remember now), but not necessarily the specific foods. My stomach revolted, especially with dense protein (and still does), and I vomited all the time. (I think my bowels were fine.) If I recall they suggested melon which tasted wonderful... for a few moments then I had excruciating pain and vomited it up. I couldn't handle eggs at all. The first month I pretty much had greek yogurt, cottage cheese, refried beans with cheese sprinkled on top, and Premier Protein. I was only consuming about 300 calories a day, was sure I'd starve to death yet obviously lived to tell about it. Cheese sticks, tiny flecks of luncheon meat like ham. Tuna fish with mayo -- but once I threw it up I had no interest in it again. (Be prepared as you may get taste aversions that come and go. I did and still do two years later.) Towards the end of the first month Wendy's chili was working pretty good as the saucy beans and meat slid down easily. Because they could be pulverized with my teeth, nuts worked well towards the end of that first month. Of course all foods were no more than a tablespoon or two total, eaten in teeny tiny bites over 30 minutes.

In the first month your goal is HYDRATION above all else. Half the area of intestine from which water was absorbed is bypassed. Eventually your bowels will sort this out but not for quite a while. Drink LOTS of water.

 

[Clematis]

Oh SOUPS! Cream soups, broths. (But after all the liquids I was not that interested in soup.) Skip noodles and rice ones for now. And forget about all vegetables for now.

And keep in mind that we are all different. I can't eat pasta and breads as they seem to form a dough ball and refuse to pass my pylorus. But rice is OK. Other DSers are just the opposite. You'll have to experiment and see what works for you. (We should avoid carbs anyway.)

 

[Larra]

Congrats on your shiny new DS, and I'm glad you had such a good experience in Mexico.
Your body has stores of vitamins and protein to get you through the first few difficult weeks. Just focus on staying hydrated, and eat tiny little bits of soft, easy foods like shrimp, scallops, tuna with lots of mayo, etc.
I don't know what to say about your prescription pills. I never crushed any pills, but then, I wasn't taking the meds you are taking. Since these are prescriptions, I'm assuming you really need to make sure they are absorbed, so maybe crushing them would be best.

 

[JackieOnLine]

lots of good advice so I'll just say, congratulations, Becky, on your new surgery!

 

[southernlady]

Any prescriptions you are taking, ask the pharmacist if they can be crushed or cut in half. THEY will know.

As far swallowing pills, it WAS hard at first due to having to take a sip of liquid with each one and I was full after two or three so I focused on the ones I HAD to have, not my vitamins. I was about 6 weeks out before getting my vitamins in.

I DID discover that the two I stayed on (both thyroid meds) can be chewed so I pop those during a middle of the night potty run. I STILL chew them even at over 6.5 years out.

 

[hilary1617]

Hi and welcome @Robes44! I'm glad you had an exemplary experience and are doing well. Soup with melted cheese and scrambled eggs were among my favorite early foods. I didn't have any real meds to crush, but probably would have done so. For vitamins, gradually step up to taking them when you are comfortable doing so - start with a multivitamin, last on the list should be iron as it sometimes causes stomach upset!

 

[galaxygrrl]

Welcome and congrats the new DS. I went to Mexicali too for a virgin DS and they said to crush pills for two weeks. I did that. It was horrible. I stopped as soon as I could.

You'll do great.

 

[writegirl]

You've gotten excellent advice from all here, so I'll just say welcome!