Siege

Sounds like everything is going well for you. And you had your surgery 2 days before mine. I was sleeved on January 21. Thursday will be 3 weeks post op for me and I am down 20 pounds so far. Keep up the hard work. I hope your attempt at swimming went well!

That's awesome! Good to see you doing so well.

That's great about your parents! My wife and parents were not very happy about my decision to get sleeved because they were concerned about the surgical procedure. My parents told me many times over the last year they wished I would not go through with it. They also wondered why I would opt for such a "dangerous" thing considering that I have lost the weight in the past the old fashioned way (twice!). My wife said she was not thrilled about it but if I want it then she supports me. I should have taken her to more of the consultations and doctor visits, because when I went in for the actual surgery I think talking with the nurses, and other people that had been sleeved, eased her mind about the process. She is not really a computer user - she doesn't do much besides read her Kindle and use Facebook on her iPhone so she hasn't read much about wls. It is a little hard at home because even though my wife supports my wls decision, making sure I get the proper foods, she still eats fast food and junk food at home.

I had my sleeve on 1/21 and went back to work on 1/26. So I missed three days of work, thanks to the weekend. I am a computer tech, so mostly at a desk, but I am on light duty until Feb 18 (no moving around heavy office equipment until then).

I watched two episodes and I feel exactly the same! Nobody that gains the weight temporarily (just to immediately lose it) knows what it is like to out of control, lost, addicted to food, shut-in, depressed, lonely, and/or hopeless. The premise of the show seems to be "I gained 80 pounds and lost it - look how easy it is!"

I did not get a drain. How did everyone do in January? Mine went well, and I am healing as expected.

Tomorrow I move on from full liquids to purees. I am down to 290 pounds today. I had one bout of stomach cramps that sent me to the restroom yesterday morning. The only thing I can attribute that too was the small can of V-8 juice that I just tried to introduce.

I am 1 week post op today. I had a followup with my surgeon yesterday and he said everything went well. He wants me to follow a 2 week liquid, 2 week puree, 2 week soft food plan before moving on to regular foods, and try to get in 80-100 grams of Protein a day. He scheduled our next followup three months from now so it looks like I am on the honor system when it comes to how strictly I follow that plan. I had two incidents where the meds made me sick and I dry heaved late Friday and early Saturday. I was worried that I would damage my sleeve but it seems okay. I stopped taking the nausea and pain meds and have been fine since. I have to be careful drinking anything and remember to sip slowly. A couple of times I absently took a regular sized drink of Water or SF sports drink and it felt like the world's largest gas bubble. The first couple of days the Protein drinks sent me running to the restroom, but I can handle them now. I just started drinking decaf iced tea. broth was kind of strong at first, too. And I am careful with the chewable vitamins.

Feeling good, now. I haven't taken pain meds in days, and only twice overall. I am currently back at work. The barium was a treat - it tasted like orange-chalk flavored Vaseline.

I was released the next day after my delicious barium cocktail. They didn't let me go until I could keep down an 8oz bottle of Water and a Protein shake. Doing okay, but having difficulty lying in bed, some tightness there and the gas is really uncomfortable. But it feels like it is getting better all the way around.

Surgery went off on time this morning. Took about an hour and a half from lights out to waking up in recovery. Dealing with the bloating and gas is quite an ordeal, walking helps. Can't wait to be released.

My surgery went well, no extra pain meds, yet. The gas is really uncomfortable though! Lots of burping. Release planned after upper gi in the morning.

My surgery is schedule for the 21st in Marina Del Rey. It's less than two hours away by car, so I am driving down in the morning.

My surgery is set for Thursday, January 21. I have been doing all the required work by my insurance company since May 2, 2015. I was finally approved for surgery on December 1. I had the 6 months supervised diet/counseling, psych, blood work, x-rays, ultrasounds, EDG, sleep study and follow-up with being fitted for a cpap machine to use post-op. I began all this by contacting West Medical - you probably see their billboards and commercials - they advertise all over the place. But I researched VSG for months before I even went in for a consultation. I was worried that since I had lost weight before and gained it back (twice) that I would be disqualified. The doctors and staff assured me this would give me another tool to help me lose the weight and keep it off. I have had so many instances where it looked like the surgery was not going to happen that I never posted anywhere about this. Now, with two days two go before the op, I find myself not knowing where to begin without making a huge post.

I am having mine on the 21st. It is good to see some January people here so I won't be alone.

I thought I did, I did all my pre-op work and sleep study there but I was referred to Dr. Paya in West Hills last month. He will be doing my sleeve now.

I was told to go on a liquid diet 1 week before my surgery due to my high BMI (44). No specific plan was recommended by my surgeon - he left it up to my nutritionist. 2 days to go!