Catbert6

There has been some discussion on Australian boards of the week 3 - 4 slump - both a plateau in weight loss, fatigue and a real emotional slump. I went through this - I have an underlying auto-immune condition and this also had a flare. This passes - it is not surprising given the extent of the adjustment your body is going through - keep your chin up and you will start to pick up

I started out with a BMI of 56 (363 lb - 165 kg). I was put on a six week Meal Replacement diet prior to surgery, as I had previously had an unsuccessful attempt at bariatric surgery because of an oversized liver. I am now seven weeks post surgery. I have lost a total of 61lb - 36 in the six weeks prior to surgery and 25 since. I had two weeks off of work post surgery (my quack recommends this for all patients) and could probably have gone back after one week. I have had five days spread over the next five weeks largely because of a break out of an auto-immune disease (ankylosing spondylitis) - I had to suspend my treatment to have surgery, which would not be an issue for most people. Wounds healed pretty quick - only the larger incision (still less than an inch) gave me any grief. I experienced very little post operative pain. I was up and about on the afternoon of surgery and have been pretty unrestricted in what I can eat (except for quantity, of course) from about three weeks onward. I am pushing 50 years of age and am very inactive - I have seen some lighter people loose weight more quickly than me. However, I will probably loose more than them in the long run, because I have more to loose! In terms of operative recovery, I think it is very hard to generalise. I have a high tolerance to anaesthesia (it does not bother me at all while others feel very ill) and I have always been a fast healer. Everything went well in my surgery - there is always a risk of complication, and I had none. As far as the weight loss goes, I think factors like gender, age, activity level and strictness of diet all contribute, along with original size. I imagine a young, very big, active man who really watched what he ate would drop weight very quickly! One thing I can tell you - seven weeks post surgery and I am lighter than I have been in many years - I can already feel a huge difference. I cannot image what it will be like to loose another 60 lbs. I think the bigger you are, the more you have to gain.

I like it - why not add, just to keep them on their toes: "Unless I divide you up into really small portions, and make sure I chew you thoroughly before swallowing!"

I have been using a CPAP machine for 15 years - it has been a life saver and I do not know how I would have gotten by without it. I can only reiterate the advice of others in this thread - the key is finding a mask that works for you - like an earlier poster I use a gel mask that just covers my nose. For a short time, due to damage to my palate, I had to use one covering my nose and mouth and found that more cumbersome. But your medical support should be able to get one that fits and works for you - there is so much variety these days and the masks are so much more comfortable and do much less damage to skin (in the early days I was warned about something charmingly called "toilet seat face" where the pressure from the mask would make a permanent red indentation around your nose - remarkably similar in appearance to a toilet seat!) that they have no excuse for not looking after you well. That said, I wish I had not had sleep apnoea - many missed opportunities to go camping and sleep rough etc - and will be interested to see whether the VSG and (hopefully) subsequent weight loss will cure a long time CPAP user like me. Best wishes Bob, Canberra, Australia

Howdy all I found this board a great resource during the time I was considering WLS, so I thought I would take the opportunity to give some feedback on my experience with the VSG. Ten years ago, I was 38 yrs old and 350 pounds. I found my weight oppressive and had not been able to effectively manage it. I signed up for lap band surgery, which was attempted but abandoned mid-procedure when my liver turned out to be an impassable barrier. Last year, I was 350 pounds again. Over the last decade, I had been up and down between 350 and 275 pounds, several times. Because of an deteriorating spinal disorder (ankylosing spondylitis), I was down from 5 ft 10 in to 5 ft 7 in (BMI going up, weight staying the same - not fair!). I could loose weight, but I could not keep it off - I could also put it on extremely rapidly and was tired of loosing the same weight over and over again. I started to explore the VSG option, which seemed to be better solution in terms of long term livability than a lap band. At the last moment, I pulled out, giving myself 12 months to "do it myself" (as my daughter used to say). Twelve months later I was up to 365 pounds. I had gotten down to 320 but could not keep it off. During that time, I had been monitoring sites such as this, getting a perspective on the ups and downs of WLS - thanks all for being prepared to share. So I pressed ahead with the VSG. Given my previous liver obstruction issues, the surgeon put me on a six week Meal Replacement regime (Optifast - trade name). I lost 37 pounds and went under the knife last Wednesday. Wednesday was pretty much a blur - I was admitted to hospital at 6:30 am and in the operating theater by 8:00 am. The operation took nearly four hours because of the scaring and adhesions from the attempt in 2000. ( I had two surgeons (one my specialist, one an attending surgeon at the hospital), an anesthesiologist and nursing support. Post operative care is primarily provided by the permanent hospital nursing staff although I have seen my specialist at least three times post operation.) I was back in my room by 2:00 pm and drifting in and out for much of the evening. I had a drain in, catheter in, a morphine pump, IV fluids and various other attachments in addition to needing my CPAP machine for sleep apnoea. I am writing this on Saturday afternoon. Over Thursday and Friday I went from nil-by-mouth to clear fluids (got to be able to see through it) on to free fluids (if I can get it through a straw I can have it!). The catheter is gone, the drain is gone, I am getting through two litres of fluids a day (around 4.2 pints) which is what my surgeon wants me to be able to drink to avoid dehydration problems. I have had very few issues with pain, either gas pain or wound pain, and have not taken pain meds since day 2. I get to go home tomorrow morning. The length of my stay (Wednesday admission, Sunday discharge) is usual for this surgeon at this hospital rather than a particularly short or long stay. I am keen to get home to my family and familiar surrounds (I am sure hospital furniture is designed to be uncomfortable to reduce your desire to stay put) and will embark on the next stage of this journey. I will be interested to see what 5 days of liquid has done to my weight, and how far along I can push the little ticker below. Anyway, regards from Australia and thank you all for sharing your experiences. regards Bob, Canberra, Australia