MNSkolGal

Just don't be hard on yourself. Give yourself time to heal and don't jump on the scale the day you get home. Allow yourself to heal and be kind to yourself. There's a bit of an emotional ride when you get home and smell the first meal you can't eat.

Hi, I just found this site too. Learning from reading the posts. My date is the 31st. Excited but nervous. I am curious how people determine their goal weight? Did your doctor help you choose your goal weight? Good luck to you on your journey.

Hi guys,
I'm Dennis, from NC. I've been lurking around this forum for awhile, just taking it all in and learning. With my surgery in just a few days (the 21st), I felt like I should stop in, introduce myself and say thanks to everyone for all the information and for sharing their experiences, both good and bad. I can't tell you how beneficial it has been. With that said, any last minute pointers before my surgery?

The "losers bench" is a good thing!! It means you're officially on the other side of surgery and are going to start losing weight with the rest of the sleeved family.
Surgery for me is 19 days away but it is all going by so quickly. My sister asked me the other day how I am so calm. I told her it's probably because it just hasn't hit me yet haha. I'm getting more nervous by the day but I'm trying to focus on other people's positive success stories. That helps a lot.

Surgery is 4 days away im really nervous dont feel 100% prepared and ive never had surgery. Is this a normal feeling?

Tomorrow I start my liquid diet, its not required by my doctor. But I thought it would be good for me.
I'm 35, starting weight was about 450 and now I'm 398. I decided to go with the sleeve my family are both happy supportive and doubtful but respectful about the choices I'm making. I'm super excited about the surgery, but nervous at the same time. I'm still waiting on paperwork and pre op appointment, other than January 6th 2016 let get ready to rumble for the new year.????????????????????????

This is the mental work of WLS. Use this as a learning experience.
1. Develop a list of 3 or 4 things to do the next time you are feeling this stressed that do not include food. Write them down.
2. Find something positive to say about yourself. Try saying something like you reacted negatively to stress instead of calling yourself a hog. You are not a hog. Love yourself enough to no longer allow anyone, yourself included to call you names.

You pretty much nailed it..I eat with my mind,not my gut. I eat larger than normal portions cause i was never given portion control as a child. I also eat when Im not even hungry simply because my mind is telling me Im supposed to be eating something right now. I eat out of boredom, stress and depression.
The vicious cycle is when you start eating like crap, it is very hard to get out of that rut. I often get frustrated and discourage and figure,what's the point of eating right since I don't see any progress,Then it goes back to eating like crap. I'm tired of being a slave to food, I just want to have a normal eating pattern.
I have been to nutritionists and told them exactly what I know I should be eating, but just cant bring myself to stick with it due to lack of motivation. I also crave sweets, thats my big downfall sweets and carbs..Hell,Im surprised I dont have diabetes yet, I dont know how I dont honestly..
Im just afraid of ruining myself where I cant eat anything and I get depressed from that.... This is one of the scariest things I ever decided to do and honestly hope Im doing the right thing.
I guess Im trying to decide if Im fat enough to do this drastic of a step in my life, cause honestly I can hold a bodyweight of 240lbs and look and feel fantastic I would just look a little out of shape. When I was down to 215 in my life, I looked a little to thin for my frame,IMHO.
On the same hand, I know I will not stick with any diet plan any nutritionist gives me right now and be happy. My general attitude is "Been there done that,whats the point"... I almost feel the surgery will be a sort of "human shock collar" to force me to maintain healthy habits with results that will make me want to maintain it.

You have what is essential if you want to tackle any problem - you have a good mind. You have realistically and dispassionately evaluated yourself, and you know your weak points and your triggers. You know the origins of your tendency toward putting on weight. You should be commended for putting so much thought into your situation.
You seem to have what many people have and that is a Portion Control problem and are an emotional eater: food equals LOVE. BUT you seem to have a spouse who will be supportive, since she is careful with what she feeds the kids. She will support whatever you need to accomplish your goal. These are all good things.
Did anyone mention that in getting a sleeve gastrectomy, the surgeon cuts away a large part of the stomach which secretes a hormone which causes cravings? Ask him about it. I have experienced a drastic reduction in cravings. I no longer crave bread and wheat paroducts. It is good because wheat contains gluten and gluten can cause inflamation and aches and pains. This part of the stomach might grow back in time (years) and you ought to be cognizant of that.
After surgery, things which you liked the taste of, you suddenly might not like the taste of. It sounds strange, but I was a sugar addict but after the surgery, a lot less so. The Protein drinks I had to drink at first tasted good, but now are too sweet for me. I hope you get a nutritionist counselor with your surgery. He/she will tell you that there are many Protein Drinks available and tell you which ones to try.
As to getting too skinny and looking weak - You will be taking Protein and Vitamin supplements to make sure you will not lose muscle. Follow your nutritionist's rules. There are a million ways to cheat the weight loss and put back the weight (unfortunately). The sleeve is only a tool. You can restretch your stomach back to its original big size over time, but do not do that!
Another thing: Most of your weight will come off in the first year. That is your "Honeymoon Period" when the weight will fall off the easiest. Take advantage of that fact. What you will enjoy the most, I think, is the freedom you will get from not being a slave to food. I can walk by the bakery and not go nuts! I do not crave sweet, greasy, gooy-goop any longer. Food does not mean what it used to! You will understand that the refrigerator is NOT your friend. It has always been your enemy! HA!
This is another benefit: Since you will not be as tempted as you have been by food, it will not be a strain NOT to buy stuff that your entire family should not be eating. You will go by the cookie aisle without suffering. This will be good for the kids and everyone. My husband lost 5 pounds in the last 2 months only because we were simply not buying the things I craved. Your weightloss will have beneficial effects all around.
There was a story in the Wall Street Journal a week or so ago about intestinal bacteria, which said that some of our rising obesity problems might be related to the "bad" bacteria living in our gut, because the "good" bacteria has been killed off by antibiotics (both what we have taken as drugs and the antibiotics fed to animals). You might want to Google that. I found it interesting. I think the surgery stops some cravings, and changes the intestinal bacteria as well.
That's all I can think of now. I commend you on your clearheaded thinking. You will be all right.

I know many pre-op patients have questions about the process. Each one of us is different but I thought I'd share my experience around the surgery and recovery in case it is beneficial to anyone preparing to undergo VSG.
Based on my BMI, my doctor put me on a one-week pre-op liquid Protein diet. This consisted of three Protein shakes a day and otherwise Clear liquids. The first couple of days were tough, but by day 3-4 my system had gotten over its carb withdrawal and I tolerated the diet fairly well. I also used this time to wean off of caffeine since my surgeon didn't allow any for 8 weeks post surgery. During the pre-op diet phase I dropped 8 pounts, from 285 to 277.
On my surgery day, I arrived at the hospital fairly early. The nursing staff prepared me (IV, gown, support stockings, etc.) and I met briefly with the surgeon and anesthesiologist. I was wheeled into the very cold operating room. Shortly thereafter I was given the IV anesthetic and was fast asleep.
I woke up in the recovery area. This was easily the most uncomfortable part of the process as I was coming out of general anesthesia, hooked up to everything and now had a wonderful (not!) urine catheter placed. As I came out of the fog, I remember trying unsuccessfully to negotiate with the nurse to remove the catheter as it was very uncomfortable. After 20-30 minutes in this area I was moved to a wheelchair (a surprisingly challenging endeavor) and was wheeled to my room.
Once in the room the PCA pump was attached. This helped greatly with my comfort level. I was also allowed to start sucking on ice chips. I did experience some gas pains but they were manageable. The nursing staff got me up to walk within a couple of hours.
My particular facility was absolutely wonderful. It is a small satellite surgery facility of a large hospital and is in the same building as the surgical practice. I think most of the patients are part of the weight loss surgery program. On my particular surgery day I think my nurse had two patients, so I was able to get as much attention as I needed.
One key item they were monitoring was my blood sugar which was running low. This was surprising as prior to surgery I was a Type-II diabetic with a normal glucose of 115-120. They gave me IV glucose a couple of times and were monitoring it closely.
I progressively felt better throughout the day and evening and walked a few more times. There wasn't much sleeping as it seemed like every 10 minutes someone was in the room to do something. The day shift nurse had been bringing me ice chips in a small medicine cup. The night shift nurse brought a large cup of them with a spoon (what an angel!)
By about 3am I was able to get myself out of bed and move to a nearby chair, managing all of the lines and connections carefully. I found that the more mobile I was the better I felt.
At 5am I was told that we needed to begin preparing for my discharge. This involved giving me a glass of ice Water which I sipped on. It also involved removal of the catheter and the surgical drain, both of which were momentarily painful. I did feel better after that though. One more walk, a visit from the surgeon and his assistant, and I was discharged a little more than 24 hours after arrival. We stopped at the downstairs pharmacy for the liquid narcotic pain medication.
At home, day 1 post-op involved mostly sleeping and relaxing. I had to sleep in a recliner for a couple of days to limit suture pain. I used the narcotic pain med a couple times that day. I began sipping and walking, encountering a little pain but nothing unbearable.
By day 2 post-op I was feeling much better. On day 2 I stopped the narcotic pain meds and switched to liquid Tylenol. I had been told I could drive as soon as I was off the narcotics, so switching to liquid Tylenol meant I wasn't tied to the house. By that evening I felt well enough to drive myself to a meeting of an organization I'm involved with. Moving slowly but without much pain, it was nice to get out a little.
I noticed I had real challenges with capacity of my new stomach for the first couple of days. It seemed like it would only hold a couple of sips or maybe a teaspoon of broth. On day 3 this got better, and by day 4 I was able to drink liquids and even broth and Soup without much restriction. I think this was the post-op swelling going down a little.
My surgery was on a Tuesday and I came home Wednesday morning. My first venture out was Thursday evening. I returned to work the following Monday without any real issues but I have a fairly sedentary office job.
I have to say that my recovery was quicker than I expected with relatively few issues and no complications. I know this isn't the rule for everyone. I think it helped that despite weight and Type-II Diabetes I was in generally good physical condition which probably made things easier.
I'm now about 10 weeks post surgery. I successfully transitioned diet from liquid to pureed to soft foods and then to regular foods. I've experienced two stalls (one early and one now). I've dropped two shirt and pant sizes and am almost ready for a third. I'm still learning how to manage my weight loss and diet while traveling extensively for business. I have yet to get locked into an aggressive exercise regimen but am trying to do so. But overall this has been a totally positive experience and a decision I am 100% happy with.

Ha, I have to get used to the lingo here. When I opened this thread I thought it was about taking acid before your surgery. I was like what?!?!

Dec 28th for me too! And I'll be on my pre op diet starting 12/14 so no Christmas Desserts for me either. I'm also excited and nervous but life is still going on and so much to do at work and home that I don't have a ton of time to think about it. But I'm super excited! Happy new year to us! Best wishes on your journey!

Hey Mamabear, I too, sometimes second guess what I am about to do (12/17 for me, too!). I think about all the foods I can't have anymore....or for at least a very long time. For example, I have been wishing that I got some chicken pad thai one more time before I went on my pre op diet. Stupid, but I know it will bug me for a long time. Not going to cheat though. Then, I re route my thoughts to what I will feel like once all this excess weight is gone. I think about the things I will be able to do that I haven't done in years and years. That solidifies my decision! (I write this as I am downing, yet, another Protein drink...).
Hugs to all of you! Have a blessed Sunday!

Surgery is tomorrow at 12:30pm. Wish me luck!

@@shellyd88 ... your "nurse practitioner" needs to get reported to her supervisor / doctor(s). That is appalling behavior.

Holy sh*t she would've gotten a piece of my mind!
And maybe a bit of my fist.
(No not really but it would definitely cross my mind!)

That's my exact reason for not telling... People are so negative

"O, I bet your husband is just tickled to death with your weight loss".....
"I bet you can't keep your husband off of you"
Ummmmmm.....
So, apparently some people think that being "wanted" by my husband only comes with weight loss. Huh?? SMDH.

Here's some of the dumb questions you get pre-op...
- now, you do know that this is not a magic procedure, it's just a tool, and it will require a lifestyle change (duh, cutting 80% of my stomach is a major freaking change ????)
- what made you choose the sleeve? Someone I know that had it gained all their weight back. You should do the bypass (as if it's impossible to gain weight back with the bypass ????)
- I would only do this if it were my last resort (being fat your whole life and wanting to experience a normal life with no health issues before it's almost over, in my opinion, is the last resort)
People are so judgmental of things that are unfamiliar to them. When I talk to people who are well informed about the surgery, they usually congratulate me for the decision and tell me I will have no regrets as long as I follow my doctors orders/diet.

Hi! So I'm a year out now - how did THAT happen? I'm not done yet, but it's been a pretty wild ride so far. I'm down 105 pounds from my starting weight, 101 from the day of surgery (I lost 4 on the pre-op liquid diet over 2 days, lol), and at LEAST 135 from my highest, which was earlier last year (that scale only hit 330 and I maxed it out).

Along the way, I've discovered a few personal realities - they may not be true for everyone else, but for me they are.

- Some days I look at stuff I've worn before and think, "There's not a chance in hell that's going over my head." Every single time, I'm shocked when it does.

- Lots of people treat me better now that I'm more "normal". But every time I start counting on it, along comes some jerk...and that's okay. I think I need the reminder that it wasn't always about me anyway!

- I need to leave my credit cards at home. Shopping is a lot more fun now.

- It's easy to fall off track with counting Protein, watching calories, and taking Vitamins. It's like I rolled over one day and just felt like a regular person. This is going to actually require diligence and consideration for the rest of my life. I knew that when I signed up for this, and I'm going to do it - I just didn't think when I came out of surgery that there would ever be a moment that it wasn't in the front of my mind.

- I need treats now and then or I won't succeed. The urge to binge and passive-aggressive desire to eat something just because I shouldn't will NEVER, EVER go away - the sleeve keeps the binges from being too bad, and if I build treats into my plan and track them, I'm a lot less likely to go off the rails. (pizza happens, y'all, and for ME that's okay - YMMV. 3/4 of a slice once a month now vs. an entire medium pizza with garlic dipping sauce, ALL the wings, and half a box of cinnamon sticks every Friday before...it's still a win in my book).

- When I'm hungry now, I'm HUNGRY RIGHT NOW! Gotta keep Snacks at hand or I will tank and hit the floor. Either because I've passed out, or because someone is going to check my hanger and KNOCK me out someday, lol. I've been trying to date and think I scared one off when he watched me shovel a salad into my face like a farm animal. He was late, I was hungry.

- Someone can watch you successfully lose weight, and still want to interject their opinion about how you should be doing it. Nod, smile, and go back to what you're doing. My "instructional guru" has gained 30 pounds back in the last couple of months and STILL wants to tell me how to eat. Life is far easier now that I've learned to take that with a sense of humor and not get angry about it.

- If you never liked exercise, you probably still won't. It'll just be easier to do. Then again...you might just find something you like! I'm a total couch potato but always used to fantasize about running for some reason. Finally launched C25K this week, and something tells me I might like it if I can keep my knees from blowing out.

- I need kleenex around ALL. THE. TIME. My nose runs when I'm full, it runs when I'm hungry, it runs when I get hiccups...sometimes I even sneeze when I've taken one bite too many.

- Speaking of sneezes, sometimes when I sneeze I vomit. I don't have to be overly full, I can eat exactly the right portion for my sleeve, but if I sneeze too close to a meal when everything seizes up it just sort of launches everything back out. That was unexpected.

- I've met guys who care that I'm still heavy. Some who think I'm not quite big enough and are afraid I'll lose more weight, some who think I'm too big, some who think I'll get bigger again. The ones who ARE into me the way that I am don't give one iota about my "shrinkles". I haven't met a good mental match, but no one I've had any physical relationship with cares. I was pretty worried about that but it's been a non-issue so far. My need to indulge in the use of "artistic lingerie placement" (ie, I always manage to keep my tummy covered somehow, lol) has never once been challenged.

- I was lucky to have a respectful, attentive PCP, but I've had issues with medical providers before. The smaller I get, the fewer issues I have.

- It should be basic knowledge for doctors, but if you need to go to the ER, watch out. I've been twice since surgery (once for a car accident, and once when my cat scratched my eyeball) and they're quick to dispense the 800mg ibuprofen even with a full medical history and a "no nsaid" note in the chart. With the eye, I took 'em anyway (along with the other, better drugs). I would've let someone hit me in the head with a bat to make that stop hurting! But it does illustrate the need to be aware and always prepared to advocate for yourself.

- It's so nice to have a lap now. I can hold my computer! My critters! My nieces and nephews! It's wonderful.

- How I see myself is not always how others see me. My boss and my friends all look at me and think I should be done now. I look at myself and still see a butterball. The charts say I'm still 55 pounds overweight, but my doctor (who won't give me a goal) says I shouldn't be aiming that low because she's shorter than me and small boned and weighs what the chart says I SHOULD weigh. At first, I wasn't worried about where to try to settle because it seemed so unbelieveable that I would ever get there. Now that I know it's possible, picking an end point is HARD (and harder still when I factor in a bit of dysmorphia, because I'm not sure I'll ever look in the mirror and see someone small enough to go to maintenance).

- Sometimes I discount the journey I've made, or I want to eat something I know will make me sick and have a momentary pang of regret. I don't feel bad about that anymore, I just try to go do something I couldn't do before to remind myself what a great decision this was. Sitting in a bathtub, going to a store and trying on something in the misses department (that actually FITS), running up the stairs (instead of having to practically crawl up them using my hands for balance), going through my closet and bagging up something that's too big, stuff like that.

- I knew that things wouldn't change in my life by magic, and that not all of the stasis I was in was caused by my weight. It's true that the poor physical condition and lack of confidence both contributed in a very big way, but it wasn't all of it. I understood that, and decided to work REALLY HARD on the areas I wanted to change the most. What I wasn't anticipating was that, in some of those areas (like finding a relationship), the work hasn't seemed to pay off either. I took that pretty hard. Ongoing therapy is an absolute must for me. You may not need it, but if you DO, then GET IT. There's no shame in it.

- Once you've been sleeved, you'll always be sleeved. That built-in off switch is ALWAYS going to be there. I've had some stretches where my eating has gotten a little out of control, but the beautiful part of this is that the sleeve keeps me from going too far. I can recover from those mistakes now, too. More Protein, more liquid, and I'm right back on track. That's why I got this - not because I ever had any delusions that I could or would be "perfect" at it, but because I knew I COULDN'T and I needed help or I was going to die. Suicide by donut - it's a morbid joke my siblings and I use about our parents, but I was on my way there too.

- I have to resist the urge to act like a salesperson and let my results speak for me. My sister and my niece both desperately need to do something and have vacillated on surgery for a while now. I never felt good and healthy as an adult and it's such a huge difference - sometimes I want to shake them and scream, "BUT DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH BETTER YOU'RE GOING TO FEEL???!!!???". The reality is, I have to shut up unless I'm asked a question and just live the best life I can as an example, because if someone had harped at me about it a couple of years ago I probably wouldn't be sleeved now. It hurts my heart to see people I love in the state they're in, but everyone has to take their own journey and live their own lives.

- Tiny goals are where it's at for me. I never set a goal more than 9 pounds away - no double digits . I tried to assign meaning to all my goals, too, though ones I had to split up to stay under 10 pounds are just "split goals". But things like "driver's license weight", 20% EWL, 50 from highest ever, graduation weight, etc. I was blowing through them pretty quickly at first, but now that things have slowed down a lot keeping my goals close together is helping me stay motivated.

I can't wait to see what the next year holds.

I try to take my time....15 mins or more.
Occasionally, I'll forget and jump on it too fast. I get a nice reminder when I do that.....and it lasts for a long and uncomfortable time. One would think I'd quit forgetting.
I love my sleeve and what it's done for me in this short time. Very easy to live with. Zero complaints from me.

Okay, first of all just breath. It's all going to be okay. I promise.
What you're feeling is completely normal. I saw the title of your post, and knew you were very early out, because ALL those posts are when people are very early out. That's how normal it is!
You just had major surgery, you're having your period, your life is now turned upside down, and you can't eat right now. Who wouldn't feel like sh*t about things??
There's lots of hormones involved. Female hormones, and the hormones dumped during surgery and subsequent fat loss. The scale isn't moving because it's just needing a break from the losses you've experienced. Happens to everyone. Really!
If you continue to work your program, drink your fluids and work on getting your Protein, you will lose more weight. I GUARANTEE you this is not it for you. If it is, I will eat my hat. And I have a tiny tummy, so I don't even think it would go down well. That's how sure I am you are going to continue to lose doing what you're supposed to do
Just hang in there. It gets better as you heal and each day goes by. Soon you will look back on this moment feeling happier, healthier, and thinner and it will all be a distant memory.

My surgeon doesn't do the "liver shrinking" diet. Recent studies show the shrinkage is so miniscule that it makes no difference in the surgery.
Not saying it's like that for everyone, just saying what I read and he told me.

I was going to put on my Child Life Specialist hat and explain it to you, but then I remembered there are surgical prep videos on you tube. I have to say one of my favorite things about being a CCLS was the difference that a properly prepared pt makes.
Here's a few tips.
1. When you get an IV, blood draw, etc...Ask for the option to look away. Have the tech count down to 3, then slowly exhale. This helps you relax and hopefully make the stick easier.
2. If you are extremely nervous you can ask for something to help you relax. Make this need known at pre-admission testing and repeat the request when you check in.
3. Practice taking slow, even breathes. Sort of like meditation. It's a good way to calm yourself. I literally close my eyes and think, "Breathe in through the nose, exhale through the mouth" in a slow, steady tone. Focus on that and only that. Tune out any noises/or sounds you hear.
Other than that, I would say start doing some core exercises. I was doing aquafit 4-5 days a week and I swear it made all the difference in the world. I woke up sore, but not actually in pain. I was able to sit up and get out of bed with no assistance. I didn't need any additional pain medication which made getting up and walking that much easier because I wasn't groggy from pain meds.
food wise my nutritionist had me practice eating and drinking slowly, taking teeny bites. Each meal had to last at least 30 minutes and food had to be chewed until it dissolved in my mouth. I quit sodas years before and only drank coffee on occasion. This will come in handy for post-op life when you may crave these things.

@@jennaggie
A "mess?" How harsh you are with yourself. You're really no mess, just a goose. A year from now you'll laugh laugh laugh about it and flap your wings over all the weight you will have lost.