JamieLogical

Congrats!

@@KDM74 Yikes! That's pretty pricey! I was able to do a lot of that in one surgery for about 1/3 of the price by going to Mexico.

Welcome back! It's fantastic that you've been able to reach and maintain your goal weight. Are you mostly just wanting to focus on building some muscle and becoming a bit leaner?

Oh, it's all downhill from here. The happy drugs will take care of any of your last minute jitters and soon you'll be under. Coming out of the anesthesia sucked pretty hard core for me. Make sure you ask for some ice chips to suck on, because your mouth/throat will be sore and dry, but you won't be able to drink anything yet.

The pain from VSG is pretty minimal, so that likely won't limit your return to work. Even those with severe pain, it usually doesn't last more than a couple of days. The real issue you will be struggling with is fatigue. I went back to work 15 days post-op, but it really really sucked until I was allowed soft foods at 18 days post-op and could start getting in some more calories. Working all day and only consuming about 400 calories a day was just not cutting it.

It's important not to compare yourself to others on these boards. I know it can be hard, but everyone's journey is unique. You have had more success with the sleeve than you did with the band, so hold onto that. Take a look at where you might be able to make improvements in your diet and activity. What works for one person may not work for someone else, so experiment with different protein, carb, and calorie totals. You're 44 pounds lighter than you were 10 months ago! Take pride in that and work to continue to make more progress.

Yay! Be sure to post and let us know how everything goes!

I had to take lots of naps in those early days. Just make sure you are getting up for short walks every once in a while too and staying awake long enough to get some fluids in.

Two weeks is the typical rule of thumb, but it could be more if you are also having a hernia repair or something like that at the same time.

We all just need to whine and vent sometimes! No need to apologize. The pre-op diet is teh suck and we all know it. Hang in there! This is where the true test of your patience begins and you are going to need a LOT of that in the coming weeks/months!

Raw veggies are the only things my sleeve has outright rejected. It's a little sad, but with trying to get all my Protein in, I'm not sure I'd have much room for them anyway.

@@Rena's got this It's so nice that your surgeon is being supportive and helping you get back on track instead of giving you a hard time. Some of the surgeons people mention on here sound like real hard-asses who are very unsympathetic. It seems to me that it is much more constructive to give patients positive feedback and help them set personal goals, rather than expecting everyone to fit a single mold and then berating them when they can't.

I'm late to this party and I just want to add that you need to focus on what is best for YOU and your family. Don't let the noise of others deter you from the course of action that makes the most sense for you. I've always been pro-choice, but I had always believed that I would NEVER have an abortion if it were me. That was until I got pregnant while I was working only part time, had no insurance, and the father was still a full-time college student without a job. Then the choice was SHOCKINGLY easy for me. Like there wasn't even a single second when I seriously considered KEEPING the baby. It's very easy to have convictions in the abstract, but until you are in a situation YOURSELF, you really can never know what you might do in some hypothetical scenario, much less what someone ELSE should do. So I 100% believe you and the father need to make this decision for yourselves and drown out the rest of the noise. PS: I have never once regretting my decision, though I have MANY times looked back and been extremely thankful that I chose the way I did.

Yayayayayayayay! Huge congrats!

Is there a white coating on the back of your tongue or roof/sides of your mouth? I had oral thrush as a result of my liquid antibiotics immediately post-op, so it could be that.

Welcome back! I can certainly see where you would get off track with exercise after undergoing two knee replacements. It sounds like you are determined to get back to where you need to be now that you're recovered. Best of luck!

I live in Western NY.

Are you on a PPI? This gagging thing really makes me think you might be suffering from acid reflux.

Once you are on solids, there are a bunch of non-perishable snack options. Nuts, jerky, and "beef" sticks come to mind. I put "beef" in quotations there, because there are actually a variety of meat snack stick options available, including turkey and more exotic meats like ostrich, duck, alligator, buffalo, karibu..... They can be lower in fat than beef. Edit: Plus there is the Protein bar option, obviously.

@@crazyfroglady How far out from surgery are you?

Good luck! See you on the losers' bench!

I've only had the first situation you describe where I get "drunk" very quickly, on very little alcohol, then sober up just as quickly. I haven't pressed my luck, so to speak and drank enough to get any worse than that. I'm not a young person anymore (I'm 36), so my days of drinking more than a couple of drinks in one evening are well behind me now. I don't think I'd ever have any desire to drink more than a couple of drinks, especially when I start feeling drunk so quickly now.

I think people get hung up on what is "typical" and lose sight of the fact that we are all individuals. Every step of the way through WLS, people have different experiences both mentally and physically. Some people lose very quickly, so much more slowly. Some experience extreme nausea and vomiting, some never throw up once. Some develop intolerance to certain foods, some can eat anything. Some have ongoing, severe GERD, some have none at all. Some experience dumping with high-sugar foods, some can eat sugar without issue. We all have to work within the parameters of our own bodies. What works for one, or even most, doesn't necessarily work for all. Unfortunately, some people get a "raw deal" and WLS doesn't benefit them the way it does others. Those people have to work harder and struggle more and that really really sucks. We can all hope it doesn't end up that way for us, but we need to acknowledge that it does end up that way for some people and we need to be caring and supportive of those people, instead of accusatory and judgmental. And more importantly, for those that do have a harder time with loss and maintenance, they need to not be accusatory and judgmental of themselves! They need to not label themselves as failures, which I see all too often on these forums and it breaks my heart.

Are you serious?!?!? Was this a psychologist that was specifically recommended for bariatric patients?

Sorry you had such a poor experience with your care. I've never been to Hospital CER, so I can't speak for nurses there, but I can say that the nurses I had at both facilities where I've had surgery in TJ were incredibly attentive and caring. All the more reason to do your research on facilities, I suppose.