wwboy

I've been on the pre op liquid diet since before thanksgiving. Almost 6 weeks now. In the time between May and December, I lost around 30lbs which is 10% of my body weight. I'd say half has been while on the liquid diet and the other half has been from changing my habits over the summer. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk My surgeon didn't require any specific amount of weight loss - although he said that if I gained weight, they would restart the process all over again. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good for you! Many blessings to you on your continued trek. Hope it all comes together for you. The tumor ended up being benign - but it could've caused big problems down the road (as you imagine) if it hadn't been caught. Because it isn't malignant, I got rescheduled for surgery and should get the real thing done next week - Thursday the 17th. I'm pretty happy about that news I've been through the whole range of emotions over this process. The positive thing this time is that I feel way less nervous because I've already been through the recovery once! Haha.

I'm in Spokane as well. Go in for the second time on Thursday next week - the 17th. Rawlins at Rockwood is my surgeon. Best wishes!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I feel your disappointment. My surgery was aborted as well - but for a different reason (they found and removed a tumor). Sorry you're going through this! No fun. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Same for me. My surgeon says he still sometimes has to use them for bypass patients but almost never for his sleeve patients. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've been on a liquid diet now for almost a month. And still have close to a month to go. Biggest problem in this regard has without a doubt been constipation. I was worried about the same thing but no such issue so far. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you all! Sorry if I'm being needy...your responses are helpful and reassuring. Everything seems to be aligning once again. 8 days... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've been on the pre op diet now for almost a month. My first surgery was December 1 and now I'm scheduled for next week, December 17. I use Protein from costco and it is great - under 3G of carb per serving and around 30g of protein. Good stuff. Since I've been doing it so long, my dietician is letting me eat a low carb meal in addition to shakes at this point. A savior! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sorry to resurrect a topic from an old thread...But my situation has now changed quite a bit and I've now ended up in a new and unique scenario... I'm interested in hearing some of your reflections on it once again -- When I started my previous thread, I was really questioning whether or not I should actually go through with surgery after all. In short order, I became convinced and believe it or not, went in for my VSG on December 1 in Spokane. Super right? Well, not quite. As I quickly wrote in another recent post, my surgery was stopped mid course because they ran into a 3" tumor on top of my stomach. The 1hr surgery turned into almost 3hrs and after a consult with oncologist and pathologist while I was under, the surgeon removed the tumor and closed me up. No VSG. Needless to say, I was incredibly disappointed when i woke up to this news! And my wife and loved ones were terrified. Fast forward a week now. The tumor has been determined to be completely benign and isolated to that one spot in my body. I was quite excited to get that news from the surgeon and so was my family So the question is -- what happens next? Here's my situation. The surgery didn't count as a weight loss surgery for insurance purposes since they didn't actually perform that procedure...and essentially my clinic just has to change dates on my previous insurance approval and move forward. I've got a new date for surgery, the middle of next week, and the march continues. Many of my family members and friends have said to me things like: "why don't you quit while you're ahead?", "are you still going to have surgery?", "you look so good, do you really want to lose MORE weight?" etc. I started at about 310 last May and now I'm at 278...the last 20lbs of that or so was from the 2.5 week pre-op liquid diet (and now the subsequent week long liquid diet after surgery -- the doctor wanted me to stay on the pre-op diet just in case I go to surgery again soon). My clothing is noticeably looser...although I'm still in my same sized clothing (42in pants, xxl shirts, etc) -- and my face looks thinner already. I feel great. With all of this being said, I fundamentally don't feel like I'm in a different situation than I was a week ago. I feel like I need this help just as bad as I did before... In fact, I feel as though my choice to have surgery was the RIGHT thing as verified by the fact that they found and removed a tumor nobody had any idea was there. To me it feels like I'm on the right track with surgery... So what do you think? Would any of you question going back to surgery after going through this? Would you think 'quitting while you're ahead' is reasonable? Or would you tend to push forward thinking that it makes sense?

How is everyone doing? Recovering? Happy? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the love all. We just heard back the initial report and it is showing that the mass was a rare but benign lymph node growth. Not lymphoma. It's a weird disease called Castleman's which often grows in just one solitary spot and no where else. Treatment is what they already did: removal. And this cures it. We are SO relieved. Now just have to resubmit to insurance for the vsg and I'll go in for round 2 In a couple weeks. Recovery has been hard for 5 days. They didn't keep me in the hospital at all and I had a very hard time controlling pain. After day 3, it all got LOTS better though. I'm still hurting now but not nearly as bad - totally bearable. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I went in on December 1. I wrote in another post that they didn't do the gastrectomy on me cause they found a tumor and had to stop. I got released the same day. I'm in a ton of pain though. Wish they had kept me. The hydro pills don't even touch it. The gas pressure is much worse than I imagined it would be. :/ ugh Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I didn't have either of those tests before. Not sure why exactly. Maybe my age (34) and lower bmi? Going to have a follow up ct scan soon I think. Still no report back from the pathology. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks. Not sure how long it will be before I hear something. But for now I'm in quite a bit of pain - and no sleeve :/ Not my ideal situation. Trying to stay positive and forward looking. They did put me back on the schedule for surgery again in a couple weeks - in hopes that the report will be favorable and allow for us to continue. I see the surgeon again in one week from today. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So like it says, I had my vsg surgery this morning. Everything was smooth and normal before in all the prep stuff. But when I woke up, they told me they hadn't done the sleeve because they had discovered a 3-4in mass near my stomach. They won't know what it is until pathology comes back. I was discharged and unsure what will happen next. If benign, I might get to have my vsg later in the month. If cancer, well... Back to Protein shakes for another couple weeks :/ more waiting. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm tomorrow. Dec 1 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Tomorrow... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have lost about 8 or 10 lbs on the pre op but now have stalled for the past 5 days or so. Nothing had changed with my diet (Protein shakes and broth is it). I'm not worried though. They say it's for liver shrinkage not weight loss-- and I bet the sodium makes me keep Water in which jinks with the scale. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm on day 14. And it's EXACTLY the same for me. Unnerving but also instructive of what my 'hunger' is made of....so much WANT, not so much NEED. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think there's a difference between private and secret. Generally speaking, privacy builds confidence while secret keeping does not... Privacy is having well conceived boundaries and good strategies for maintaining them. Secrecy is putting up false boundaries and lies to maintain the image of intimacy and connection where there is not. Secrets like these breed shame - because we imagine the judgments of those we hide from and apply them to ourselves. Not a fun cycle :/ To me - it sounds like many of us here are doing the heathy work of sorting out what is private and what is exposed. Little of this sounds like secret keeping to me. As for me, I have shared this with close friends I respect and value. For some (like gram-mama) I've had to have long explanations which were tense at moments. But that was better to me than trying to maintain a false sense of connection while keeping the truth from her. Most others - I couldn't care less what they think and so I don't include them on my process. They may hear gossip...or create it...which only verifies their untrustworthiness to me in this regard. I did put s note up on Facebook to about a hundred family members and friends....but that list was carefully created...and the post was only for them. I don't want to do this surgery in secret - and yet I don't want to do it alone. It's not secret if you decide who knows (even if only 1). But don't be mistaken! Intimacy is created exclusively by the mutual sharing of secrets. The more we withhold, the less intimacy we'll enjoy. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The hospital will contact your insurance company with the information necessary to get approval for the second night. I would not worry. Thanks!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My clinic says it'll be two nights - maybe as little as one. Insurance letter said they approved one night only. What happens if I NEED to stay more than one? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just around the corner. I'm on pre op day 11. A first time ever 'no-food' thanksgiving Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Me too! I'll be in Spokane for mine next week on December 1. 5am too Haha. Luckily I'm a morning person so it shouldn't be too bad for me. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Great! Dr. Rawlins is doing my surgery. He also was the one at the initial education seminar I attended. Like you, I feel very very comfortable with him; excited about how this will help me feel better and get healthy. I live in Walla Walla so I have to travel up for appointments. I'm 7 days into my pre-op right now (started a couple days early) and doing pretty well. It has been difficult in certain respects. Surprisingly easy in others. One thing I've noticed is that the difference between head hunger and stomach hunger is really coming out for me in this... I've definitely had both; but the hardest moments are when I WANT something when I know I'm not physically hungry. I wrote about it a little a couple of posts ago in my blog...

Me too! I'll be in Spokane for mine next week on December 1. 5am too Haha. Luckily I'm a morning person so it shouldn't be too bad for me. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk