I am scheduled for Sept 5th...just had all my preop today and I start my two week liquid diet on the 22nd..good luck. Also there is a forum for September sleevers
Thanks for sharing everyone. I am confident reflux will be better post op as weight goes down w/ making good food choices. Sticking with sleeve pretty excited:)
I am 11 weeks out from surgery and look like a different person. If I had not done a tell all there would be a lot of people assuming that I had surgery. I don't think the stigma is really there anymore. Most people know someone who has had it done and had good results. You will get more comments to your face but you will at least avoid a lot from behind your back. And yes, people love my updates and have been AMAZINGLY encouraging. I've gotten emails from old high school acquatainces wanting to know how to get the process started. Telling all was the best decision ever!
I made a Facebook group and made it secret. I invited all of my relatives and a lot of select friends. Not a single bad response. Actually everyone was very supportive. One of my cousins actually came out and told me that she had recently been sleeved. This was a nice approach for me because I plan on telling more people so I can slowly add whoever I want to the group! You will make the right decision for you good luck
My story is about the same as the two above. Terrible reflux for years. I didn't even know I had a hiatal hernia until after the surgery when my Dr mentioned he corrected it so I will have some additional uncomfortable swallowing for a few days. I think since my surgery, 13 months ago today, I have taken two Tums once and I attribute that to laying down too soon after eating. So, for me, VSG was a total cure.
But, I would rather have reflux than all of the possible issues of bypass ... no thanks.
I was in the same situation and went for the sleeve. It is very possible my surgeon said that correction of the hiatal hernia that I had -will relieve the prior struggle with acid reflux. I figured I wanted this surgery to get rid of the obesity not the acid reflux and if I had acid reflux after surgery that would not have been a surgical out come but a continuing pre-existing condition I was good at living with. My acid reflux was weight induced also so I knew the weight loss would help. I had lived with acid reflux for years. For me the possible dumping and malobsobtion of bypass were more of a concern then acid reflux. I did not know going into surgery about my hiatal hernia but the doctor did correct it when he saw it. So I am hoping that I will no longer have the acid reflux now that the hernia was fixed.
I've had pretty bad reflux for many many years. I ended up with a hiatal hernia as well that got repaired during the surgery. It was a good sized hernia that caused me a lot of trouble, and I feel it greatly increased my reflux. Since surgery in February, my reflux is WAY WAY better and I attribute a lot of it to the repaired hernia and the sharp decrease in sugar, fat and refined carbs in my diet. I do continue to take a prilosec daily, as i notice an increase in acids when I don't. I still don't know if this will be forever, or if it will get even better. I'm only 6 months out, so that's my experience so far.
There will always be someone on this Earth who will have nothing better to do than to give others grief and misery. Don't become her victim, leave that space to someone else. Keep focused on the positives in your life and that will be having your surgery AS WELL AS working out and eating right -- and losing all your excess weight.
Forget her and the rock she crawled out from under.
Give her shade baby becuz when you meet your goal she will have to pick her mouth up off the floor!! Pay her no mind..it's easy to say things about someone if they don't know our struggle. I could have did it the so called "right way" but I'm love to eat and my sleeve is the "little kick in the butt i need"
DO remove the word ONLY from your vocabulary. Ex: I’ve ONLY lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks… Now let’s look at this again without the word ONLY: I’ve lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks!! See what I mean? Perception is reality folks!!
DON’T assume you’ll never eat all of your favorite foods again. This is just an excuse your brain has designed to allow you to indulge. You WILL eat all your favorites again someday, just much less but find it to me more enjoyable. Which leads directly into the next:
DON’T do the “last meal” syndrome. You will only sabotage your weight loss you might have pre-surgery or set you back further from your ultimate goal post-op. This surgery is very serious and is for the serious minded. Use this time wisely to get the feeling of how life might be like post op.
DO learn all of the rules pre-op that you will endure post-op. Such as, no drinking with meals, using smaller utensils and plates, engaging in some type of workout routine, limiting your sugar and sodium intake, joining as many WLS support groups as you can.
DO Celebrate every single pound lost! Imagine one pound of butter. Yeah… that’s gone from your body forever. It is noteworthy and worth every bit of a pat on the back as any others that may go along with it.
DON’T compare your successes and losses to others. Chances are very high that you will only come out on the short end and only find yourself disappointed. Everyone’s journeys are their own…
DO keep track of your losses in many different ways than just the scale! Examples:
DO keep one set of your largest clothes you’ve ever worn. Make it a point to try them on, especially when you’re having a down moment. You will find this will really pick up your spirits! This is a real rollercoaster of a ride, and anything that will keep you positive is what you should do!
DON'T keep any other fat clothes around. Get rid of them ASAP. You're never going to fit them again, right? So... off to donations they go.
DO take photos of yourself just before your surgery. Keep them close. Again, having a bad day? Look at them and compare them. As a matter of fact, take photos of yourself often. You will also find that the more you lose, the more you will want to take pictures. Nothing wrong with that!!! That goes with celebrating your losses.
DO take measurements of yourself often. Keeping track of all your inches lost will really keep you on the right track when your scale is being stubborn!!
DO reward yourself every time you hit a mini goal. Make some more worthy than others. I like to go shopping when I hit a goal, it is my favorite thing to do now.
DON’T let the scale define you. Great majority of us will endure many fluctuations and stalls in this journey. It is what it is… patience is the key here. Meditate and envision yourself months down the road at your goal. Smile, then move on!!
DO find out about measuring body fat! It’s more than just weight loss, FAT LOSS is the real goal here. Keep in mind that the BMI scale is greatly inaccurate and most Health Studies do prove this. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE) our body fat % ranges should be average: 25-31% for Women and 18-24% for men. Any higher is considered obese. However it does go more in depth, according to ages and more. Everyone has different genetic make ups, frame sizes and fitness levels... even a different ethnicity can post differences.
DO have many goals in sight. Having only one, especially a simple weight goal you will find can be difficult. Have many MINI goals along your journey, and more than just ones that involve the scale. Such as, clothing size goals, body fat% goals, fitness or workout goals, dietary goals, etc…
DO challenge yourself always!! Whether it’s a global challenge with others, or personal challenges... It will keep you motivated and always willing to go further than you ever thought you could!
DO have a mentor! Find someone that you can trust and confide in, and that you know has “been there”. Preferably someone you know in person. You will find many folks in your life who have been there, for obesity is worldwide now and there are so many who have been able to defeat this demon. It’s not easy! It quite literally is the toughest feat I’ve ever had to endure. I can say this too, my job will never be done. This is for life!
DON'T believe the myth that your tool has an expiration date. Yes, it's true you will lose the most weight in the first year and it's also true that the further out you are and the closer you are to goal, the harder it is to lose. However, as long as you keep up with your healthy eating and fitness routines you will continue to lose weight and / or keep it off in the many years post op. It all boils down to calories in vs. calories out.
DON'T believe the myth that having WLS will keep the weight off forever. That is our individual responsibility.
And finally…
DON’T ever beat yourself up! We all make mistakes, and dare I say not one person on this Earth is perfect. I try hard to be, no doubt! I always admit that I’m a perfectionist – but I’m far from perfect. I just try to be… The only thing you can do is pick yourself up, give yourself a pep talk, perhaps contact your mentor for reassurance and move on!!! Again, this is for life. Every day you wake up is a second chance.
DO look for solutions to your problems. Otherwise they will just become excuses.
DON’T EVER GIVE UP! I don’t think any explanation is necessary here.
DON'T expect the scale to post a loss every single day. As a matter of fact, don't expect it to move that much even weekly! Just keep doing all the right things and the scale will move in the right direction when it needs to.
DO expect to see fluctuations on the scale, both down AND up. DON'T lose your head over it either. This isn't a miracle cure and the weight isn't going to magically disappear in a few weeks. You have to keep pushing with healthy eating, some type of workout and getting plenty of Fluid.
DON'T let the scale define your journey when there are so many pieces to that puzzle!!!
Good luck to all of you. This journey is a tough one, but if you are here, then you believed in yourself enough to give yourself the life you’ve always dreamed of. YOU WILL BE successful. Always keep that in mind.
Add-ons by other experienced sleevers:
DO keep a list of NSV (Non scale victories) to reflect on when times are getting hard. Can you walk up 2 extra flights of stairs before getting winded? Cross your legs?" and
"DO NOT be afraid to change things if they aren't working. Stalls happen even gains happen. If you are on a long stall look at your eating and decided if changes need to be made. Utilize your tool!" -- Southern Sleever
DO: Keep a food diary of what you eat and drink. This is a great learning tool as to which foods have what amounts of fat, Protein and carbs that add up to your daily intake goals. There are many ways to diary your food - from old fashioned pen and notebook to many options via smartphone apps. Keeping one is the important thing - however is right for you. I use mine now to look back for meal ideas when I hit a blank as to what to prepare for a day or a week.
DO: Realize this is not a diet to be followed for a while then set aside. This is a permanent lifestyle change. Yes, the amount of food you eat will increase as time passes, but your relationship with food will be forever altered. How you Celebrate your joys, successes and holidays will be different. How you mourn your sorrows will be different. Some people need outside help to get through the sometimes overwhelming mental changes this process brings. If you need help with this part of the deal- reach out and get it. -- SKCUNNINGHAM
Desert Clover got a reaction from shrinkydinkme in Reflux/ Hiatal Hernia Issues Post-Op?