Bariatric Surgery?

[Wheels007]

:confused: Hello all I have a quick question I have just had Bariatric Surgery and needed too know if I need to let Carnival know before we cruise. We leave on the Conquest on the 6th of Jan 08 and I just had my surgery on the 13 of Nov right now I am on soft foods and am not sure if I can eat anything solid by the time on get on the Conquest. If anyone has gone through this can you let me know thanks you very much.

[Jiminkcmo]

I really don't want to be way off base or offend you in any way but have you thought about discussing this with your doctor?

 

I would think your doctor would have more intelligent information regarding your recovery period following surgery than either:

 

A. An Internet bulletin board or,

B. A clerk at a cruise line.

 

But then what do I know.

[LHT28]

If you require a special diet/foods I would have your TA contact the cruise line ahead of time so they are aware of your needs.

 

Ask your doctor what to expect and what you should be eating.

[AWED23]

I really don't want to be way off base or offend you in any way but have you thought about discussing this with your doctor?

 

I would think your doctor would have more intelligent information regarding your recovery period following surgery than either:

 

A. An Internet bulletin board or,

B. A clerk at a cruise line.

 

But then what do I know.

:D Jim in Kansas City...Maybe "C" The guy with the sign: Will work for food.:cool:

[blindrid]

:confused: Hello all I have a quick question I have just had Bariatric Surgery and needed too know if I need to let Carnival know before we cruise. We leave on the Conquest on the 6th of Jan 08 and I just had my surgery on the 13 of Nov right now I am on soft foods and am not sure if I can eat anything solid by the time on get on the Conquest. If anyone has gone through this can you let me know thanks you very much.

 

I know I wouldn't take our advice on this one. It's your doctors call. As to letting the line know, I would not worry about it. There is enough variety on a cruise, it's up to you to order whatever appropriate. My FIL went through this and had no problems as long as he followed doc's orders.

[bearswife]

:confused: Hello all I have a quick question I have just had Bariatric Surgery and needed too know if I need to let Carnival know before we cruise. We leave on the Conquest on the 6th of Jan 08 and I just had my surgery on the 13 of Nov right now I am on soft foods and am not sure if I can eat anything solid by the time on get on the Conquest. If anyone has gone through this can you let me know thanks you very much.

 

I had the same surgery and 3months later went on a cruise. I found plenty that I was able to eat and I never notified the cruise. You can always find soup, mashed potatoes, oatmeal, etc. I kept a few oatmeal packages in my room just in case. Dont forget to drink alot of water also. Don't worry, you will be fine. There is not much they can say because its not like a low salt or diabetic meal etc. I found the buffets a little easier. You can also order egg whites from room service or in the main dining room at breakfast. Hope you have a great cruise and a successful weight loss (I lost 100 pounds):D

[OceanDreamin]

Is there a nutritionist affiliated with your surgeon who you are working with? They should have a "food schedule" for you, as to when you can add different food types. Even then, every new food you try is a try-it-and-see-how-you-feel experience. (On a side note, if there isn't a nutritionist affiliated with your surgeon, look around on your own and find one with experience working with bariatric surgery patients - it's invaluable information!)

 

There are plenty of wonderful soups on board that you can enjoy, cottage cheese, scrambled eggs - that's just off the top of my head. Although they have yogurt, I've never seen the low carb kind. All the other soft foods I can think of are carbs - mashed potatoes, oatmeal, grits.

 

Definitely talk to your doctor and/or nutritionist and see what foods you should be able to handle by then. Once on board, talk to the Maitre d' and your waiter, let them know your food requirements, and they will do things like go over the next day's menu with you so you can pre-order, or adapt things as you need.

 

If you are drinking any protein shakes right now, and have found one that you like, you might want to consider bringing some of the powder with you as a good, solid fall-back if you can't find something else that will work for you at a particular meal. You wouldn't want to just have oatmeal, for instance, and not get some protien in to you.

 

And remember to drink, drink, drink (and not the DOD's;) )

 

Have a great trip, and good luck with your weight loss journey, too.:)

[okgirl]

You'll be almost 8 weeks out and should have advanced to solid foods by then. Beware of bread it just seems to get gummed up no matter how small of a bite you take or how well you chew. I'm 5 years out from my surgery (lost 120 in 10 months) and I still have trouble with bread. And my biggest ongoing issue is getting distracted while I'm eating. That leads to taking too big of a bite and eating too fast and eventually getting stuck with all the unpleasant issues that quickly cascade from there.

 

I think Carnival has the best soups, it's one of the things that I like best, and fish is a great and plentiful option, it's easy to chew well it has the right moisture content, and it's a great lowfat high protein food choice.

 

Good luck with your weight loss

[bearswife]

You'll be almost 8 weeks out and should have advanced to solid foods by then. Beware of bread it just seems to get gummed up no matter how small of a bite you take or how well you chew. I'm 5 years out from my surgery (lost 120 in 10 months) and I still have trouble with bread. And my biggest ongoing issue is getting distracted while I'm eating. That leads to taking too big of a bite and eating too fast and eventually getting stuck with all the unpleasant issues that quickly cascade from there.

 

I think Carnival has the best soups, it's one of the things that I like best, and fish is a great and plentiful option, it's easy to chew well it has the right moisture content, and it's a great lowfat high protein food choice.

 

Good luck with your weight loss

Wow, I'm 4 years post op and I still get bread stuck. Its still hard to eat that so I avoid it or eat very little of it. I hate that stuck feeling. I try to explain that to my DH but he doesn't understand. Anyway, the powder protein drink I forgot about that lol. Good idea! Make sure you don't forget the vitamins also. I'm still low on b12 b6 and b1 and now I have to take b12 shots everyday. All in all the OP will OK on the ship as they have a lot to offer to eat. Being early post-op, egg whites and soup were my favorites as it was the easiest for me to eat. Another was applesauce and believe it or not chili:D

[OceanDreamin]

You'll be almost 8 weeks out and should have advanced to solid foods by then. Beware of bread it just seems to get gummed up no matter how small of a bite you take or how well you chew. I'm 5 years out from my surgery (lost 120 in 10 months) and I still have trouble with bread. And my biggest ongoing issue is getting distracted while I'm eating. That leads to taking too big of a bite and eating too fast and eventually getting stuck with all the unpleasant issues that quickly cascade from there.

 

Wow, I'm 4 years post op and I still get bread stuck. Its still hard to eat that so I avoid it or eat very little of it. I hate that stuck feeling. I try to explain that to my DH but he doesn't understand. Anyway, the powder protein drink I forgot about that lol. Good idea! Make sure you don't forget the vitamins also. I'm still low on b12 b6 and b1 and now I have to take b12 shots everyday. All in all the OP will OK on the ship as they have a lot to offer to eat. Being early post-op, egg whites and soup were my favorites as it was the easiest for me to eat. Another was applesauce and believe it or not chili:D

 

I still have trouble with bread too (4 years post op)! That was the first food I had a bad reaction to. Beware of bread!!!

 

Chili! Yes, I forgot - that is a WONDERFUL option. Tasty, and full of protien, and goes down nicely. Even four years out chili is still a good choice for me.

 

Bearswife: I'm sorry to hear about the b12 shots. Owie! Do you have sublingual B12 available where you live? I get it at Trader Joes and it does the trick for me beautifully. It's just a tasteless little pink pill you pop under your tongue and let it dissolve. My surgeon did tell me that the sublingual B12 doesn't work for everyone though, and that if my B12 levels dropped I'd have to take shots. I guess I got lucky.

[bearswife]

I still have trouble with bread too (4 years post op)! That was the first food I had a bad reaction to. Beware of bread!!!

 

Chili! Yes, I forgot - that is a WONDERFUL option. Tasty, and full of protien, and goes down nicely. Even four years out chili is still a good choice for me.

 

Bearswife: I'm sorry to hear about the b12 shots. Owie! Do you have sublingual B12 available where you live? I get it at Trader Joes and it does the trick for me beautifully. It's just a tasteless little pink pill you pop under your tongue and let it dissolve. My surgeon did tell me that the sublingual B12 doesn't work for everyone though, and that if my B12 levels dropped I'd have to take shots. I guess I got lucky.

My B12 dropped so low I was in the hospital for 2days totally out of it. I never knew how important B12 is. I was falling down stairs, off chairs, bumping into walls,etc...Ambulance came. I take B12 sub-lingual and now in addition I have a nasal spray with B12 AND a needle. My body does not absorb it well. But as you said CHILI is the best and easy to eat.

[jpg1747]

I'm also 5 years post-op. Just got back from a Carnival cruise. There will be plenty of options for you; just don't be shy about asking for what you want. There are sugar free desserts if you want them. I'd also suggest bringing baggies of protein powder and a shaker (like the tupperware kind) and some protein bars. I brought flavored Splenda for my coffee and Crystal Lite for my water. I also drank a lot of the free unsweetened iced tea. There are sugar-free sweeteners available. Don't forget your vitamins. I "exercised" by never using the elevator and by walking around the ship as often as I could. Have a great time.

[Cruisenouvelle]

Wheels007, I cannot offer any advice, but do want to congratulate you on this big step towards lifelong good health. I wish you all the best!! :)

[luvs2beachit]

Go on the cruise you won't have a problem finding something to eat.

 

I was one of those rare people who did not do well after the surgery. I was not able to eat anything solid for about two months. Nothing appealed to me and I just about gagged on everything. At ten weeks post-op we went on a cruise and at that point I was only eating about a cup of food for the entire day and I did great on the cruise .........better then at home because I could nibble all day and there was always something available. Eggs, cheese, smoked salmon, bacon, cream of wheat, the chop meat at the Taco bar in the afternoon. At dinner there was soup, fish and mashed potatoes. I lived on those little chunks of cheese from the buffet. I would take a few peices back to the cabin and nibble on them throughout the day. And, yes drank tons of water.

 

Now, 4yrs later, 130lbs lost I can eat just about eat anything. Bread does not bother me but pasta and ice cream can sometimes be a problem.

 

Bring some protein powders and don't forget the vitamins!

 

I too had a problem with b12 and now I take a prescription iron / b12 combination which is working for me. Would do the surgery again in a heartbeat despite the problems!!

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

[Toothfairy754]

:confused: Hello all I have a quick question I have just had Bariatric Surgery and needed too know if I need to let Carnival know before we cruise. We leave on the Conquest on the 6th of Jan 08 and I just had my surgery on the 13 of Nov right now I am on soft foods and am not sure if I can eat anything solid by the time on get on the Conquest. If anyone has gone through this can you let me know thanks you very much.

 

My son is now 8 months out from Bariatric Surgery and we are cruising in 5 weeks. He has lost 190 lbs... and only has another 60 to go, so I wish you as well on your journey with the loss.

Part of what you can eat by then will depend on which type of surgery you had, I know of at least 4 types.

He has already gotten copies of the meals on board and is not worried about getting enough protein. He will bring some type of protein shakes with him also.

Three weeks out of his surgery we took a trip to Reno and he found it hard to find foods he could eat. (Sugar free popsicles ) You might want to bring some of the box type that you can freeze with you. Also the crystal light packets.

You can likely find some of the jello's,cottage cheese etc at your port stops, so you will not have to pack *everything* at boarding.

Good luck and I wish you the very best on your progress.

[Toothfairy754]

Did any of you have gout? My son got a very bad case of it but now has it under control.

I have since learned that it can be a side effect from the weight loss and high protein diet.

[okgirl]

Did any of you have gout? My son got a very bad case of it but now has it under control.

I have since learned that it can be a side effect from the weight loss and high protein diet.

 

I've never had problems with gout, but I don't go overboard on protein either. I can't stand the protein powders, so I just make sure to have protein at each meal and I almost always eat it first.

 

I have to be careful to not fill up on salad or I won't be able to eat much of my meal, so I've kind of switched to soups as my appetizer instead of salad.

 

Being 5 years out my little tummy has streched quite a bit. I don't ever finish a restaurant size meal, but I'm able to eat a 3 to 4oz of protein, plus about a cup of veggies. Very slowly of course, but even at the holiday's I get to at least taste everything.

 

I don't have a problem with sugar and don't have to avoid it, but I am now lactose intolerant if I try to drink milk without any food in my stomach.

 

The PP was very correct that there are a lot of different types of surgery. Mine was a clasic Roux-en-Y but with a twist. In addition to having the small stomach pouch built and bypassing 3' of my intestine, my doctor also implanted a plastic ring that all my food has to pass through to get for my new little tummy into my intestines.

 

It's kind of like have a govoner, and a bit of a failsafe. It looks like a large life saver candy but the hole in the middle is about 1/2" wide, so I do have to really chew chew chew.:eek:

 

I too would do it again in a heart beat, it wasn't a walk in the park, but well worth the pain at the time and the continued dietary restrictions.

[rsbg1]

Hi there!! This cruise in Jan. will be my first since my Lap-band surgery last Jan.( 75lbs down) I got banded about one week after our last cruise,(good timing :rolleyes: ) I just got a fill last week, and its a little hard to find foods that will go down easy, but I know there are a lot of food on board ship I can eat. I love fish and there is lots to eat on board, sushi is my favorite and I know I probably won't be able to eat all the rice, but the fish will swim down real easy!!;) Good luck !!