Support Group Meeting No. 2

... which we missed.
It was not marked on my calendar because I had forgotten there was one today.
My mom-in-law had reminded Jason the night before but he obviously had not remembered either.

Is my husband really ready for this surgery ?

The EGD

The husband had his EGD done today. EGD is an upper gastrointestinal scan. They put a tiny little scope and camera down the throat and take pictures of the esophagus, and different sections of the stomach to check for abnormalities or growths, polyps, etc. They need to do this because it would be the last time a scope or camera can be put through the stomach.

I wasn't sure if the clinic had informed him earlier that he would be sedated but he was of the opinion that he would not be and could drive himself home.
I asked him again just to be sure. Because it was a Thursday and I usually have a full day of meetings at work. He said they'll just numb him. Ok.

At 9am, he sends me an email at work and tells me that they do not necessarily have to sedate him but they will if necessary and therefore, might require someone to be there before they do the procedure.

I talked to my boss and got the green light to leave at 1pm.

There was no way I could drive 25 miles home to pick Jason up and drive 20 miles up again for his 1pm appointment. But I could meet him at the clinic. I got there at 1.25pm. He was dressed in a hospital gown and fancy shower cap slippers. I regret not having my camera with me.

The procedure was over in 15 minutes but he had to be in recovery for about 30 minutes.

The doctor then talked to me and showed me the report and pictures of the scan and told me it was all good except for a slight inflammation. (It was from the stomach bug he had last week).

He woke up about 30 minutes later, they wheeled him out in a wheelchair and I drove the car up to the entrance.

He was whoozy and said he felt like he had a couple of drinks and could not remember a single thing.
But he needed food because he had not eaten breakfast nor lunch so we went to the buffet.

Got home and he fell asleep till late evening. And we drove back to the clinic to get his car.

The CPap machine

So the Sleep Study shows that the husband qualifies for a CPAP (Continuous Positive airway pressure) machine because he has sleep apnea.
The CPAP machine blows air at a prescribed pressure delivering a stream of compressed air via a hose to a nose mask when the upper airway becomes narrow and breathing becomes shallow.

He collected his machine from the CPAP company a few days ago and got it hooked up and working.

Now, I sleep with Darth Vader every night.

The dietitian

Another one of the prerequisites before the surgery.

Because what you eat, how you eat and how much you eat changes after gastric bypass surgery, the dietitian has to walk you through in creating this gastric bypass diet, which includes what type and how much food to eat with each meal and the required consistency and texture of the food.

The stomach pouch will be reduced to the size of a small egg and portions of your small intestine bypassed so a specific diet has to be followed after the surgery.

After surgery: The first three months

You won't be allowed to eat for one to two days after the surgery. Then you consume specific foods according to a diet progression. The purpose of the gastric bypass diet progression is to help in the healing process, minimize stress on surgical sites and allow time for your body to adapt to the new eating patterns.

The following are common phases in the gastric bypass diet progression:

• Liquids — foods and fluids that are liquid or semiliquid at room temperature and contain mostly water, such as broth, juice, milk, strained cream soup and cooked cereal. In most cases, you stay on a liquid diet for one to two days.
• Pureed foods — foods with a consistency of a smooth paste or a thick liquid. Pureed foods contain no distinct pieces. The pureed diet is generally followed for three to four weeks, or as recommended by your dietitian or doctor.
• Soft foods — foods that are tender and easy to chew, such as ground or finely diced meats, canned or soft, fresh fruit, and cooked vegetables. You usually eat soft foods for eight weeks before progressing to eating foods of regular consistency with firmer texture as recommended by your dietitian or doctor.

During the diet progression, you eat many small meals a day and sip liquids slowly throughout the day (not with meals). You might first start with six small meals a day, then progress to four meals and finally, when following a regular diet, decrease to three meals a day. Typically, each meal includes protein-rich foods, such as lean meat, low-fat dairy products (yogurt, cheese) or eggs. Protein is important for maintaining and repairing your body after surgery.

Lifelong changes: New eating habits

The changes in your digestive system restrict how much you can eat and drink with each meal. To avoid problems and to ensure you're getting nutrients you need, closely follow these guidelines:

• Eat small amounts. Just after surgery, your stomach holds only about 1 ounce of food. Though your stomach stretches over time to hold more food, by the end of three months, you may be able to eat 1 to 1 1/2 cups of food with each meal. Eating too much food not only adds more calories than you need but also may cause pain, nausea and vomiting. Make sure you eat only the recommended amounts and stop eating before you feel full.
• Eat and drink slowly. Eating or drinking too quickly may cause dumping syndrome — when foods and liquids enter your small intestine rapidly and in larger amounts than normal, causing nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness and sweating. To prevent dumping syndrome, choose foods and liquids low in fat and sugar, eat and drink slowly, and wait 30 minutes before or after each meal to drink liquids. Take at least 30 minutes to eat your meals and 30 to 60 minutes to drink 1 cup of liquid. Avoid foods high in fat and sugar, such as regular soda, candy and candy bars, and ice cream.
• Chew food thoroughly. The new opening that leads from your stomach into your intestine is very small, and larger pieces of food can block the opening. Blockages prevent food from leaving your stomach and could cause vomiting, nausea and abdominal pain. Take small bites of food and chew them to a pureed consistency before swallowing. If you can't chew the food thoroughly, don't swallow it.
• Drink liquids between meals. Drinking liquids with your meals can cause pain, nausea and vomiting as well as dumping syndrome. Also, drinking too much liquid at or around mealtime can leave you feeling overly full and prevent you from eating enough nutrient-rich foods. Expect to drink at least 6 to 8 cups (48 to 64 ounces) of fluids a day to prevent dehydration.
• Try new foods one at a time. After surgery, certain foods may cause nausea, pain, vomiting or may block the opening of the stomach. The ability to tolerate foods varies from person to person. Try one new food at a time and chew thoroughly before swallowing. If a food causes discomfort, don't eat it. As time passes, you may be able to eat this food. Foods and liquids that commonly cause discomfort include meat, bread, pasta, rice, raw vegetables, milk and carbonated beverages. Food textures not tolerated well include dry, sticky or stringy foods.
• Take recommended vitamin and mineral supplements. After surgery, your body has difficulty absorbing certain nutrients because most of your stomach and part of your small intestine are bypassed. To prevent a vitamin or mineral deficiency, take vitamin and mineral supplements regularly. These generally include a multivitamin-multimineral, calcium, iron, vitamin B-12 and vitamin D. Talk to your health care provider about recommended vitamin and mineral supplements following gastric bypass surgery.