Clear Liquids?

[Dragonfly4u]

Just curious as to why only clear liquids after surgery. I never really got a good answer from my surgeon. Why can't I have the vanilla Premier Protein shake? My surgeon is making me do Isopure and clear broth. The Premier Protein shake has the same amount of protein 30 grams for 11oz as the Isopure 32 grams for 16oz but in a much smaller amount, it just isn't clear. And don't get me started on the different bone broths I have tried they all taste like a combination of how dirty feet and how my son's smelly gyms clothes smell after being in the backpack for hours. UGH can't wait for the pureed food stage.

 

[dianeseattle]

I believe your digestive system is altered during the procedure, and the part of your stomach that actually creates digestive enzymes is more or less disabled until you're healed up. But I can tell you it was way different when I had my surgery in 2008. I had to do clear liquids for a few days, and then pretty quickly was able to move on to dairy. Within 2 weeks I was eating creamed cereals--in some cases, literally, pablum-and baby food. That didn't last long because it made me ill.

I sort of freelanced after that. But don't go by my experience. Ask you own dietician. You should have one and if you don't, you should get one who specializes in bariatrics. I was approached in my surgeon's office by a medical student (My hospital was a campus of the University of Washington Medical school) who wanted to study my recovery and did so for seven years. I had to go in at least once a month to let them clock me as I walked up and down the hall, did obstacle courses, had to write down all my foods, had my vitamins and minerals monitored (including about a dozen blood draws, freakin vampires....). Now the procedure is standardized to an extent, but reading this group, I see a lot of small differences from client to client.

Anyway, you can't digest solids, so only clear liquids are allowed for a time. You definitely can't have something resembling liquid food, so no shakes for at least a week or two. I was instructed to make Magic Milk (recipe can be found here using search feature) and in a short time, used that to make smoothies with whey powder from places like Trader Joe's. I also added fruit to my smoothie when it was allowed, but it was totally liquefied.

Now, liquids do turn into solids in the small intestine, creating stool and passing out as waste, but it would be so much worse if you started with solids before the food got to the intestinal track.

It doesn't last that long. I hope you're doing okay. It would be really great for you to do a lot of studying on this topic. It helps a lot.

 

[Dragonfly4u]

I believe your digestive system is altered during the procedure, and the part of your stomach that actually creates digestive enzymes is more or less disabled until you're healed up. But I can tell you it was way different when I had my surgery in 2008. I had to do clear liquids for a few days, and then pretty quickly was able to move on to dairy. Within 2 weeks I was eating creamed cereals--in some cases, literally, pablum-and baby food. That didn't last long because it made me ill.

I sort of freelanced after that. But don't go by my experience. Ask you own dietician. You should have one and if you don't, you should get one who specializes in bariatrics. I was approached in my surgeon's office by a medical student (My hospital was a campus of the University of Washington Medical school) who wanted to study my recovery and did so for seven years. I had to go in at least once a month to let them clock me as I walked up and down the hall, did obstacle courses, had to write down all my foods, had my vitamins and minerals monitored (including about a dozen blood draws, freakin vampires....). Now the procedure is standardized to an extent, but reading this group, I see a lot of small differences from client to client.

Anyway, you can't digest solids, so only clear liquids are allowed for a time. You definitely can't have something resembling liquid food, so no shakes for at least a week or two. I was instructed to make Magic Milk (recipe can be found here using search feature) and in a short time, used that to make smoothies with whey powder from places like Trader Joe's. I also added fruit to my smoothie when it was allowed, but it was totally liquefied.

Now, liquids do turn into solids in the small intestine, creating stool and passing out as waste, but it would be so much worse if you started with solids before the food got to the intestinal track.

It doesn't last that long. I hope you're doing okay. It would be really great for you to do a lot of studying on this topic. It helps a lot.

Yes I will have to do some more research and I do I understand about the solid food. However it still makes no sense. My post diet for the first week (7 days) up to 10 days says only clear liquids with 2 distinctions. 1. Applesauce to help with meds. 2. Greek yogurt with no sugar. Those are both solid foods in my mind, yet the liquid slightly palatable Premier Vanilla shake is a no go. Just kind of weird. But I am going to follow the diet closely I just thought it was strange.

 

[dianeseattle]

I think applesauce and yogurt would be considered semi-solid. Something like meat that you have to cut with a knife and chew into almost a liquid would be a solid. And liquids, of course, have a wide range of viscosity, from water to smoothies or powders mixed with milk or water.

Bariatric surgery has actually been around for about 40 or 50 years and medical staff have had a lot of time to study the effects of digestion on types of foods. They prescribed foods by type because they know, traditionally, how the digestive system will handle it and how much difficulty there will be retaining nutrition while allowing it to slide through the gut and intestines. Because the pouch is so tiny, it's impossible to get the RDAs from food that you'd normally get.

I just thank god for the medical/scientific community that has gone through all this work in order to make sure that we can thrive on maybe a tenth of the food we'd ordinarily eat to meet basic requirements.