Back~To~Amy

Welcome to VST. You will find loads of information here as you read posts. If you are interested, I document my journey on my blog. That being said, my experiences may or may not be yours. Best of luck to you on your journey!

The dreaded 3 week stall. It's a very well known phenomenon in the world of VSG. Some have it a 2 weeks, others at 4 weeks but the majority have it at 3 weeks. Hang in there and keep following your doctor's orders and it will break. I promise.

Definitely. I never thought I'd make it through it and here I am 9 weeks post op. Hang in there and remember this time is a very small blip on the screen of life and it is temporary. Trust me, it will be with it. You will love your sleeve.

You're my new BFF Joni. :-) Most people think I'm in my early 30's. It surprises everyone when they find out I'm actually 44. The post came up in the recent posts and I had to jump in and comment how young you look even though I'm not yet 50 and not part of your group yet.

I'm 9 weeks out. Including my 2 week preop diet, I've lost a total of 49 pounds. So over am 11 week period, my average weight loss is 4.45 pounds per week.

I'm 9 weeks out and eat between 600 to 800 calories a day. Eat a little more if you feel you need it.

Most of the issues you see on this site are normal postop issues after major abdominal surgery. Yes, some do have complications but not many.

I totally respect your choice in who you spend your time with, but just because you love him isn't a good enough reason. What if he was physically abusive? Should you stay with a man who beats you? Of course not. What he is doing is emotional abuse. To me statements like "Are you really going to eat that?" "You want more?" are very rude even said in the nicest way. And, getting mad because you are recovering and don't want to have sex is rude. Where is the understanding and support from him? Finally, eating something you love right in front of you is just down right rude. Again, I respect your choice to stay with him because you love him. I just don't understand it. Please take good care of yourself.

If it is scabbed over, you can put the patch directly on it. At least I did and I was fine. If it isn't, then I'd put a layer of gauze between your skin and the heating pad. Abdominal binders are tight. They are supposed to be. Trust me, if you are having pain there, especially a pulling pain, the tight binder will feel good. I know it doesn't sound like it would, but it does. You can get them at CVS, Walgreens, Walmart and other pharmacies. I don't know what you weigh, but if you are too heavy, those might not be big enough to fit. If this is the case, check out the Spanx type things at Walmart, Target, Lane Bryant, etc.

Wow! That is quite extreme. I thought my doctor was by keeping his patients on liquids for 3 weeks, but I got to eat anything my sleeve would tolerate at week 6. As you read more and more on these boards, you will learn that the doctors all have different rules, some more extreme than others.

There are also apps for your phone for C25K that you can use your own music with and it will beep over it when it's time to change.

Wow! I'm sorry your boyfriend is treating you this way. I was in a situation where my partner was very superficial about all kinds of things so I can somewhat relate. I will tell you the best thing I did was get out of the relationship. Obviously, we all have to make our own decision but it sure doesn't sound like he is a very good guy with the way he has treated you and some of the things he's said to you. And, I agree with the psychologist. You will resent him for wanting you more when you are thin. It says to you that you are now good enough and you weren't before. No one needs someone who doesn't love them unconditionally. Life is just too short. Congrats on your surgery and best of luck to you on your journey!

The pain on your left side isn't really about when you incision heals. If your surgeon is like mine, It is where they cut through the muscle and pulled your stomach out. It will take time to heal. You just have to take it easy and listen to your body until it does. My tips would be to use an abdominal binder or a Spanx like garment that comes up as high under your breast as you can. That will offer a lot of support and help the pulling and pain. Also, get one of those heated Patches that you can put under the garment on the area that hurts so bad. Sorry you are in pain, but know it will go away. This is just another part of the process. Best of luck to you on your journey and congrats on your surgery!

I can tell you are a non-smoker. A puff or two for a former smoker would never be enough. It usually leads to starting smoking again full force and a long time before quitting again. I quit 6 1/2 years ago and although I never crave them anymore, I would even trust myself with a puff or two.

I'm sorry you are going through a rough time right now. I'm definitely not here to judge you. I don't think though that anyone can really give you that answer or at least the answer you are most likely looking for. Only you can make that decision. Just know that it can interfere with healing if you make the decision to do it. Take Care!

I'm not having any of the same issues. I did want to post for two reasons thought. First, a BIG congrats on your weight loss. You have done awesome. Second, I'm very sorry for what you are going through. I hope they get you back to normal very soon. Keep us posted.

Glad to hear you are doing well and that you are on the other side! BTW, why are you posting in the 50's? You so look to be in your lower 40's in your profile pic so you couldn't possibly be in your 50's.

You are exactly right. Your life will never be the same. It will be so much better than you probably can imagine now. I know that's what I'm experiencing. Good luck to you in your journey!

Congrats on your success! I too felt like I could never be a success, even with VSG. Now that I'm knocking (.2 away) on the door to 50 pounds gone, I feel like I can be successful. Keep up the good work!

Rootman is exactly right about this. And, pre-ex clause times vary. Most are only 1 to 2 years and not 5.

I agree with Marty on this one. I'm not typically a super low carb diet fan only because I feel it is falls more under the "diet" category and because, for me, it is very restrictive, and not sustainable long term. However, I was on a super low carb diet for my preop diet and I lost 14 pounds in two weeks. I'd suggest doing something similar to mine: a shake for Breakfast and lunch and for dinner, 5 oz. of lean Protein with some low carb veggies. If you need Snacks, use lean sources of protein. Good luck to you. You can do this!

I had an abdominal binder and it wasn't comfortable so I bought a Spax like garment from Walmart and it worked great. It was also more comfortable amd much cheaper than the binder I ended up returning. I highly recommend something for support though. It makes a world of difference.

I'm sorry you are frustrated right now. Please try and remember that this is your journey and your journey is unique to you. It is really hard not to compare your weight loss with others. I know. I'm 9 weeks out and still struggle with that. Your weight loss/gain really is all about your body and technical things probably way beyond anything we could ever understand. I weigh every day without fail. However, I only record my weight every Monday. When I weighed in on July 30th, I was up 2 pounds. What did I do "wrong" that week? Absolutely nothing. I wasn't happy, but it happens. However, when I weighed in this past Monday, I was down 5.6. What did I do different from the week I gained? Absolutely nothing. It is just how my body is processing my eating habits. If you think about it, it really is just crazy "body stuff" going on. You can wake up and lose 2 pounds over night. Could you really do that? No, not really. It takes a 3500 calorie deficit to lose a pound so a 7000 calorie deficit to lose 2 pounds. So without a TON of exercise, you can't lose 2 pounds overnight. Again, it is just the body doing what it does. Try and look at the big picture. If there is nothing medically from keeping tyou from losing weight (and it doesn't appear there is), the weight will come off at some point if you are following a healthy, low calorie diet and exercising. Hang in there! Best of luck to you as you continue your journey.

I will look for your too!