tdc

I've incorporated carbs from early on, partly because I had terrible Constipation problems without enough Fiber. I still haven't eaten Pasta or rice... but I eat oatmeal (every day); small amounts of fruit (apples & prunes mainly); quinoa, Beans, lentils, & chickpeas; low-carb tortillas (1/2 at a time); and I occasionally have a little bit of starchy veggies like sweet or regular potatoes, peas, corn, etc. I've only had tiny amounts of bread, and then only out of the house on special occasions (like tonight, I had a small wedge of pita bread with hummus at dinner out for my birthday).

@@tdc thankfully everything is better and you are home.
@@BonitaF I think a private page would be good for us. I am sure we will have a lot to share like getting this drain removed next Wednesday????????????

Well, we've been wondering where you were! Okay--you're home and better --so glad--take it easy and heal. Milk products seem to be giving me more gas than Water based Soups

I was sleeved 6 months ago exactly. Started at 202. Now I weigh 144. I'm 5'2". I had multiple co-morbidities. Now I take no meds whatsoever. Best decision I ever made

I am so excited I had surgery on Tuesday and as of this morning I am down 20 lbs wow. I don't see my surgeon until another week but I hope he is happy. I know it slows down the further you get put but I am going to enjoy while the scale is moving!!

Hi all,
I was sleeved on Dec 1.
I realize that everyone's experience is going to be different, but I hope that by sharing my own observations, maybe I can lessen some of the anxiety for someone else.
I did a lot of research on the sleeve right up until the day before I got it. Even with all that, I felt unprepared and pretty nervous about what was going to be a permanent change.
My friend dropped me off at the front of the hospital for my pre-op check-in. My family all lives out of town and I didn't tell a ton of people what I was up to. So I texted a few well-wishers from the waiting room and then the party started.
There were a lot of questions, a fancy air-warmed paper gown and skidproof socks to change into, and some vitals and blood taken. So far, so good.
I didn't get really, really nervous until the anesthetist showed up during the prep and I think it was because that was the first time I'd been left alone since arriving, so I had time to consider what I was about to do. I was dialing my friend to ask him to come back and take me home, but then the team swept in, being all efficient and professional, and I just kind of let it go. You know, I'm kind of ashamed to admit that I wanted to go home so I could eat. I was THAT hungry.
I don't remember much after the IV was started. I think I was transferred from the surgical gurney to my bed on an inflatable mattress, but I could have been imagining that.
I didn't have much pain at all -- more discomfort than anything. I intended to stay one night, but ended up staying two because the air from the procedure wouldn't er... move out. They said that's common. I also wasn't getting enough fluids in -- also very common.
I packed according to lists I found on here.
The clothes I wore to the hospital (t shirt, loose jacket, fleece pants, underclothes, warm socks, boots that I could just slide on) Phone charger with a looong cord An electric throw (this was GREAT!) A comb, face soap, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, and hand lotion Aquaphor (or Chapstick) A copy of my healthcare directive I braided my hair while it was damp the day I left for the hospital because it tends to tangle a lot. The band was fabric, so they let me keep it in and it held the mess together pretty well for a full day.
I didn't touch the magazines or the washcloth I'd brought along. I was given an inspirometer the week before my procedure and I brought it with me as instructed. After surgery, they gave me another one, so I just left the first one in my bag.
I also brought a heating pad on the advice of a friend who'd previously had the surgery, but I ditched it for the cozy throw. Plus the throw was nice to use in place of a pillow for the ride home. I left a bottle of Water in the car for the ride home as well. This provided a good distraction from the bumps and turns.
I wish I'd brought along
an extra set of underwear, pants, and socks shampoo and conditioner something to keep all the paperwork in an MP3 player -- my roommate was inconsiderate my FitBit to track my steps I wore the fleece pants to cover up my bottom while I trucked around the halls, but I was strongly urged to keep the hospital gown on because of the IV.
I had a couple of friends visit later on the day of the surgery and can't recall much about the time except that they brought me a sign calling me a loser and some shakes and I was really, really tired. I remember the surgeon stopping by, and a LOT of other people checking in. (I was at a university hospital, so I expect I had a few residents inspecting the surgeon's work.) It's all kind of fuzzy and I just have an impression of people popping in to ask a few questions and look at my belly.
The staples came out the day after the procedure. It hurt a little bit, but not unbearably and it was over quickly.
I was allowed to shower after that and they only gave me a couple of trial-size bottles of Johnson's, which doubles as a body wash. So it took a bit of work and a lot of energy to get my hair combed out afterward.
I had a lot of choices for "meals": vegetarian, chicken, or beef broth (all too salty); juice; Gatorade; lemonade; oatmeal; yogurt; popsicles; teas; coffees; and sherbet. I fixated on the sherbet and popsicles because for some reason, cold felt better than hot. I noticed right away that the artificial sweetener chemical aftertaste lingered and lingered and lingered. Through several cups of Water and Gatorade. The lemonade kind of helped, but I couldn't drink enough to get rid of it completely. I sucked on ice chips whenever I had them handy.
I was encouraged to walk as much as possible, and I got in a few laps. I had to pee in a bowl that fit under the toilet seat to monitor my input/output. That was kind of weird. But when you're drugged up, you get a little less self conscious.
Since this is about the hospital, I won't detail the liquid phase or any of that stuff here. I will say that I came home, put a pillow under my knees and an extra one under my melon and I slept like a frickin' princess. (I'm a week out and just now able to start sleeping on my side again.)
I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but hopefully this will give you some idea of what to expect when you go. I don't think I was well prepared by me surgical team as far as what to expect after the surgery and I plan on sharing that feedback with them. But I was prepared enough and always felt like I was in competent hands.
Welcome to the adventure, you Losers!

Lol a protien shake would be awesome.

Lol. I wish I am sitting in my in laws and they just baked some. I just want to tear one up. So hard to be in a house smelling like food and you can't eat and everyone eating smacking their gums.

@@Miss Mac
too cute
break from health issues???
sometimes i need a break from all you guys
kidding - who loves ya baby
kathy

I am sooo excited and nervous! Surgery is at 7:30 tomorrow morning! I guarentee I won't sleep at all tonight! Lol
Any advice on what to pack in my overnight bag?

For a couple of days following my surgery I found it very diffucult to drink any liquids. I think it was due to swelling. I found that if I sucked on sugar free popsicles I could get some fluids.

My insurance has approved me and I have chosen the date of January 26th to get my surgery done. That will be 5 months from the time I got my heart stints and I still have to wait for the cardiologist to approve but I am pretty sure he will!
Now I can actually get excited and start the countdown to what should be a life changing decision. I guess I have to go make me a countdown ticker!!!!
I have decided that just before surgery I am going to have my husband take his most unflattering picture and that way I will have it to compare with a year from now.

I'm going pick up a container of Miso Soup. A large container too.....

After 6 months of nutrition visits, a Dr supervised diet, and a Health Insurance carrier that filed bankruptcy & shut down on Nov 30th, my new insurance company just approved me! I can't even believe it. I'm so happy, relieved, excited and so very grateful to my surgeons office staff who have been so kind & helpful. ????

You sound like me and we have the same date.

Well, I am here in Tijuana after a long day of flying from Kentucky. My surgery is at 2pm tomorrow local time. I am SO excited to be so close to my new life. I need all the thoughts and prayers you guys can send my way!!!

My surgery is Dec. 9th. I'm excited but nervous. I am hoping to lose 60 but my goal is 80. Good luck!

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.

I'm getting very nervous, though I know there's no real need! It's strange to be packing a hospital bag when the new baby I'll be bringing home is me!
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Beautiful Bucks County, PA

I have about 50-55 to lose and I am having my surgery on Dec 8th.

I would like to thank all of you for your replies. I was on the obesityhelp.com. Most people there opt for the gastric bypass and swear by it. I received messages from people putting down the band whenever I brought it up. I was so happy to hear about this site. This site is so much more positive. I would prefer the lap band and if it is successful, I am all for it.
Thank you all.

I went today for my 6 month check up! Labs look great! I have lost 87% of my excess fat! He said the expectation at 6 months is 50% so I think I am doing pretty good! Weight at surgery 204.7 and today at their office I was 138.4, but 136 this week. Beat my nutritionist set goal of 140 for 6 months!!! Very close to my ultimate goal of 129! Great day!

Conrad1 I am both also. But now I am also just ready for the day to come. It seems like it is just dragging along and taking forever.

I have about 50-55 to lose and I am having my surgery on Dec 8th.