Kimberlina

SOO... in just 3 days it will have been 1 month since my VSG sugery. Everything has been relatively pleasant (other than the gas pains for the few days after surgery) up until now. IT HAS BEEN 2 WEEKS SINCE I HAVE LOST ANYTHING. I know that it couldn't keep coming off as fast as it was but NOTHING??? I can't believe how discouraged and literally PISSED OFF I am that the scale isn't moving. Now, I am not one of those girls who gets on the scale every day (though it's still not easy to avoid it) but about once every 4 or 5 days I have gotten on it for the last 2 weeks and it has only moved 1 POUND. Now, I know there are "Stalls" and I know that it happens to everyone but....................... UGH! Sorry to complain, it just feels right now like all this time and money that I spent to prepare myself for life changing weightloss was a waste of time. I know that I was a lucky girl to loose so much before surgery, and then to loose another 20 pounds after surgery in the 2 weeks following. Right now I feel like a failure. It feels like somehow I am screwing this up. I am not eating anything that the dietitian hasn't told me to eat, and I can still barely get in 500 calories(if I'm lucky) a day. Right now I hate my body and I feel like I'm turning anorexic. "ohh... I have had an egg, a string cheese, and a Protein shake today and I feel SOOOO FAT" GRRRRRRRR. Ok, I'm done venting. I just really REALLY REALLY hope that this stall is over very soon. Kim-

Man am I happy to hear that these long stalls are normal. I knew there would be stalls but I was thinking more like a week at a time... I lost about 20 pounds pre surgery and about 20 pounds in the 2 weeks after surgery. Then I stalled. The scale just started this morning when I weighed myself. It hasn't moved in just about 2 weeks until today. I have been going CRAZY wondering what is wrong with me. I am working out (about a half hour cardio and about a half hour weights) and can barely eat a thing. I haven't cheated or done ANYTHING wrong, so I was really starting to get a bit depressed about the stall. Thank God it's over, and at least now I know what to expect the next time! Kim-

2 weeks! It has been 2 weeks since surgery! I am back in school and back to work and am doing great. The hives are clearing up and I have lost.......................... OVER 40 POUNDS SINCE BEGINNING THE PRE OP DIET!!!! It's so hard to believe that the time has gone by this fast. I had waited for so long for the surgery and now I can say I am officially on the "other side". I don't have any full body pictures ready to post yet, but I do have a couple of upper body/face shots. It's amazing the difference there is in my face already. I'm so happy. I am begininng to want to go out and about again. I don't feel ashamed to leave the house and go places. When someone looks at me on the street, my first thought isn't "Yah, I know I'm fat.... Quit looking at me!!" but now it is "Hmmm... are they flirting with me?" haha, such a change! I know I still have a long way to go but I am suddenly so excited for all that is to come. Today I get to start REAL FOOD! I was so tired of the liquid diet and I am ecstatic to move on to cottage cheese, cream Soup, oatmeal, mashed potatoes........... Oh man am I a happy girl! Lastly, I am wondering if it is normal to not even be able to fit in 1/4 cup of food (cottage cheese) within 45 minutes. I thought it would be a little easier than it was, so I am just wondering if anyone else really struggled with getting in enough food (despite feeling hungry)?

So here I sit, finishing the last 2 hours of the last day of work before surgery. Am I freaking out??? OF COURSE! I know I'm not the first (obviously) or the last to go through this but my head is going bonkers telling me that this surgery will be a waste of my time. "This can't possibly be end the 27 year struggle with weight. THere is no way that this surgery will get me to a normal body weight. I will only lose half of the weight that I want to (that is if I lose at all)." These are the things revolving around in my head. I want so badly to look at this surgery as the first day of the rest of my life. The life that I have always wanted to have. The life that says that I can go to Cedar POint and ride any ride I want to with no fear that my wide butt won't fit in the seat. The life that says that I can go the mall and find something that I have been wanting to wear that is in style instead of buying whatever will fit my super sized body. I want nothing more than to shout for joy and praise God that this day is finally almost here........................................................................................................................ So why do I want to cry???

So tonight at 6 pm was 4 full days after surgery. And I FEEL GREAT. I am completely off all medicine, and aside from not eating actual food and the fact that I am getting tired quicker, I am completely back to normal! I am completely stunned how well this whole process has gone! Aside from the gas pains I never felt real "Pain" just discomfort. Today was the first day that I got in a whole Protein shake (8 oz) on top of probably 30 oz Water (sipping ALL day long). Before today I was lucky to get in 4 medicine cups of Protein Shake and probably 10 oz water. Today was also the first time that I felt comfortable with driving and with going to the store. I ended up going out for about 5 hours today (a lot of sitting here and there though) and I realized that I am not quite ready to head back to work. ON THE NEGATIVE SIDE: I have hives. Lots of hives all over my stomach. This is the main reason why I stopped taking the pain meds. They had me on hydrocodone and I'm pretty sure I'm having a huge reaction to that. Hopefully that goes away soon cuz it itches like crazy and I've never been a real good person to avoid itching things. hehe. All in all I couldn't be happier with the surgery. I have lost just over 30 pounds in 3 weeks and I hope it all keeps falling off! I know not everyone is as blessed to have such an easy way of it right after surgery so I know I've been blessed. I DO have a big question though. The scale isn't moving. Is that normal the week after surgery? It says I haven't lost a single pound in 2 days. What's up with that????

Right now I want to (more than anything else) thank EVERYONE on this forum. Thanks to this forum I was 100% prepared for what I went through in the last 2 days. The gas pains were way worse than anything I could have imagined, but they are getting better. I am only taking 1/2 of the dose that I am allowed to take of the pain meds, and am currently getting in about 120 cc's of Protein shake (today was the first time) a day. That doesn't include the liquid medicine and the Water that I am trying to take in as well. I have been able to walk around and even went to Kmart with my mom and fiance today for a bit. Thank you so much to everyone who has shared their experiences on this site. It was so nice to know what the worst and best case scenario would be!!! As of today, I have lost about 30 pounds since I started my pre op diet. I am still unable to stay awake for long periods of time, but my Dr's at the hospital released me 24 hours after my surgery saying that I was doing incredibly well. I am finally getting passed the stage of "What the *#$& did I do??!?!?!!" and into the stage of being sooo excited about what is to come for me. Soon I will post a pre and post op picture to show my progess, but I am not quite up to doing that yet. Thanks again everyone!

These comments really give me hope because I am getting sleeved next week and am in a wedding in May... I have been really worried about what size I might be when it is time to order my dress compared to what size I will be when the wedding is here.... Thanks for all the info!

I went to my final pre op appointments, paid A LOT of money for surgeon fee's and dietician fee's.... and then got reemed out by my Dr. for not doing something that I was never told to do. Now every time that I talk to their office it seems as if they all think I am already a failure. This is the WORST thing I could be experiencing 2 weeks before surgery. Thrown into a deep depression because I feel like a failure and I haven't even had the surgery yet. I thought getting my surgery date and the weeks following would be the happiest time of my life, and now instead I feel like I am fighting against my Dr's office just to make them believe that I am trying to jump through every hoop that they put in front of me. Any suggestions on how to deal with this? I already have thoughts in my head about how I am going to be the first person I have ever heard of that the surgery won't do anything for.... etc.... I don't need them putting more doubts, insecurity, and anxiety into me before hand. What do I do to get my motivation and positivity back???

OH MY GOSH!!!! So this last week I went for my surgeon consultation and when I left there they said they had to get a final authorization number from the insurance. Then, my boyfriend and I went on a roadtrip up to the U.P. of Michigan. While at Tahquamanon Falls he PROPOSED!!!!! Just when I thought my life couldn't get ANY better, I got home from up north, opened my mail and found a letter with my final SURGERY DATE on it!!!!!! 8/18/11. Oh my gosh, only 2 weeks until my life is changed FOREVER!!!!!!! I am the happiest girl alive.

Wow, thank you so much for sharing this! i am pre-surgery (waiting for a date) and am in this exact situation. My boyfriend is not EXTREMELY fit but he is definately smaller than I am, and I sometimes worry that he won't look at me the same after I lose the weight. Your words give me encouragement and make me realize that it IS possible for someone to be so in love with you that they will stick by your side through "Thick and thin". Thank you for your words.

The Dietician approved me!!!!! That means that all I have left to do is get a final approval from insurance and then SCHEDULE MY SURGERY!!! Oh my gosh..................... I can't wait!!! Kim-

Well, I finaly finished my month long food journal. The good news, is that today I didn't have to write a thing down, or even eat healthy.... but I'm still doing it. Thank you GOD for giving me my motivation back!!! So I have been on a 1200 Calorie diet and had to keep my fat grams below 30, carb grams between 150 and 200, and had to get at least 60 to 80 grams of Protein daily. After a full two committed weeks of doing this I have lost.................................................. 11 pounds! Not only that, but I have also joined a gym and have spent an hour a night at least 4 nights a week there. And then the other days I have gone on bike rides that have been anywhere from 4 to 7 miles. LOVING LIFE AND LOVING ME AGAIN! So excited to see waht the future has to offer me! So, today I had to send in my food journal, and it my dietician is satisfied then she give me the OK. Once she gives me the OK, I get submitted for a final approval from my insurance to have the sleeve... in which case I could still have this surgery done this summer! Oh man............ so excited! Kim-

BOY OH BOY!!! I am one happy girl!!! Did you know that Chobani tastes league's different than ANY other brand of Greek yogurt??? I don't hate greek yogurt anymore!!! This is great news considering I was worried that I wouldn't be able to find high Protein food (low cal of course) that didn't make me want to gag. Also.... I am almost done with my 2 week food journal and I am all so excited. I have lost 8 pounds since starting to food journal again and I haven't even started to exercise much yet. Wow I can't wait until the surgery. I am completely ready to make this a permanant life style!!! The only problem is that I have had a head ache for TWO weeks now. It is usually a dull head ache starting in my neck or right behind my right eye. Anyone have any clues as to what could be causing this? At first I thought it was dehydration but now I have no idea. I wasn't a huge caffeine drinker before but I had a Diet coke a day (sometimes 2). COuld it be a caffeine headache??? Any ideas, please let me know!!! Kim

Boy, it's been about 3.5 months and I am STILL jumping through hoops trying to get approved for the sleeve. It took about 2 months alone just to get a pre authorization from the insurance company to go SEE the weight loss clinic. Now I am working with a behaviorist and a nutritionist to be "ok'd" so that I can submit ANOTHER pre authorization to insurance to actually meet with the surgeon. Frickin' bills are ALREADY killing me. I am worried, but mostly about not being able to have the surgery now. In my heart it feels like I can finally see the end of the tunnel. Like maybe now I can FINALLY overcome this huge wall that's been standing in front of me keeping me from achieving all that I want to achieve. And what if I can't get approved for it now? ugh. And then I'm worried because this summer is the only time that works to have the surgery done. I am currently off for the summer from school, and work has already agreed to let me take a week off at somepoint in July............ but............ It's already June. How am I going to get approved and scheduled in a MONTH? Well, guess I'll shut up and just keep praying. Nothing more that I can do but just keep on jumping through hoops. Kim By the way, the newest hoop: Eating nothing but Protein for the next two weeks. Greek yogurt: not for me. Ew. In order to be approved by the nutritionist I have to document (food journal) 2 weeks of 900 calories and TONS of protein a day. How fun. First day and I am really hungry already.... Please pray for me. hehe.

The only concern that I have with fudging my food journal is........... if I don't loose a lot of weight isn't she going to know that I cheated? In which case, isn't it better off being completely honest about what I ate? I'm not really sure what she's looking for with this food journal. My commitment or just that I'm trying to get in Protein? Wish I knew.... Kim

WOW. Thank you so much for being courageous enough to not only admit all of this to yourself but for sharing it with the rest of us who have the SAME struggles. With tears in my eyes.... THANK YOU. Kim

So I just joined this website today, but I have been reading/keeping up with it for a few months now. I have finally been approved (by insurance) for a bariatric surgery and can barely control my excitement!!! *dun dun dun* Now to the scary part. I have all these questions that I don't know how to find the answers to. I have all these worries that I don't want to express to my family (because they are already REALLY worried as it is). I have this fear that there are a million other questions that I SHOULD ask but just don't know to ask. This is where YOU come in. If you were about to go through with a Sleeve Gastrectomy again, what things do you wish that someone would have told you? Is the fear and pain of the surgery far outweighed by the fabulous new you that you found AFTER surgery? What things do you wish you would have known to ask someone before the surgery? I am so excited that I just want to have the surgery NOW. I know that there are all these hoops that I have to jump through before but I have been struggling with my weight since I was 5 and I am ready to look how I FEEL INSIDE! I run and love to be active and I am ready for my body to convey that to people when they meet me. I am tired of being fat and I am tired of feeling judged upon meeting new people, but I am not sure if there are things that I should be considering before going through with this surgery. HELP!!!! PLEASE!!!! Kimberlina

So I just joined this website today, but I have been reading/keeping up with it for a few months now. I have finally been approved (by insurance) for a bariatric surgery and can barely control my excitement!!! *dun dun dun* Now to the scary part. I have all these questions that I don't know how to find the answers to. I have all these worries that I don't want to express to my family (because they are already REALLY worried as it is). I have this fear that there are a million other questions that I SHOULD ask but just don't know to ask. This is where YOU come in. If you were about to go through with a Sleeve Gastrectomy again, what things do you wish that someone would have told you? Is the fear and pain of the surgery far outweighed by the fabulous new you that you found AFTER surgery? What things do you wish you would have known to ask someone before the surgery? I am so excited that I just want to have the surgery NOW. I know that there are all these hoops that I have to jump through before but I have been struggling with my weight since I was 5 and I am ready to look how I FEEL INSIDE! I run and love to be active and I am ready for my body to convey that to people when they meet me. I am tired of being fat and I am tired of feeling judged upon meeting new people, but I am not sure if there are things that I should be considering before going through with this surgery. HELP!!!! PLEASE!!!! Kimberlina