Joann454

Not yet. I have my final appointment March 23 and then I think they need final approval from insurance. I'm guessing another month and a half. So nervous and excited!
How is the clot? Has it resolved? Is the pain better?

I'm sorry you're suffering.
I'm following the newly sleeved folks closely so thanks for posting because it helps us preop people know what to expect.

I'm sorry you're suffering.
I'm following the newly sleeved folks closely so thanks for posting because it helps us preop people know what to expect.

I understand what head hunger is. I had it my 2nd week. When I smell food, I miss it. We had a warm week last week and people were grilling/BBQing. I yearned for it, but did not mind not having it. I felt full or not hungry anyway.
What I'm feeling is different. My stomach wants food. I'm actually hungry. I feel low energy & the liquid Proteins isn't doing it for me anymore. I noticed I have been consuming more Water to hold down the hunger.
Height 5'0"
Weight for WLS consultation: 216 lbs.
Surgery date: 2/13/17
Goal: - 71 lbs for healthy BMI (about 145 lbs).
Current weight: 185.2 lbs
My profile picture is not me. It's my "FitSpiration" body.

I have waited far too long to be healthy...I would much rather stop smoking than live life how I am now...it's definitely tough! But it's just another thing I HAVE to do to...I mean...I don't want to go on a liquid diet either but I'm not going to let that stand in my way...I will do everything I have to do because the end result is much more important [emoji2]

Not only does it impede the healing process, it can also add to the risk of blood clots. I think I am more afraid of blood clots and leaks than I am anything else. I've been smoking a pack a day for a long time. My doctor told me to quit and I just did. It really does get easier. I figured if I can't quit smoking FINALLY then how am I going to be able to make the lifestyle changes I need to make. I'm a month with no ciggies (of course I'm eating everything in sight). When I think about smoking now I think about how much money I'm saving. $8.00 bucks a pack where I live, that is $240 per month - that's a car payment!!!!! Plus, my hair and clothes don't smell and I will hopefully have an easy recovery, no stroke, no clots, no healing issues and money to buy new clothes!!!!
Good luck all!

My doctor never mentioned that they will test for nicotine or cotinine. Is it routinely done in your pre-op blood work. My pre-op work up is Tuesday and my surgery is March 13th. I just stopped smoking Friday. I know.... bad but it has been such a stressful month. So I guess my question is what do they normally test you for in your pro-op work up?

@Bluesky1 - I have been pretty adept now at eyeballing what the size/weight would be - but still weigh food when i am at home and it is a new recipe or food or when i feel i am getting off track a bit - I will make my chicken, for example, think what i think the weight is and then measure it - if i am more than .5 ounces off then i weigh everything for a week to re-adjust myself. I log everything in myfitnesspal (the good, the bad and the ugly) and mostly just pay attention to my protein/carb/fat ratio. I hate to say i have struggled a bit getting my calorie count back up so i can fluctuate between 800-1200 Calories a day. I can eat normal amounts for a vsg person I guess - Probably can get down between 4-6 ounces at a time depending on the bulk of it. Typically I will have as a meal:
pre-breakfast: coffee, splenda, fat free half and half (or regular half and half if I am out of my house)
Breakfast on days where I am hungry: 0% Fage greek plain yogurt with lemon juice, splenda, 1/4 banana and a handful of raisin bran for crunch
Mid morning: premier Protein chocolate drink
lunch: 2.5 oz tuna pack with light mayo and dill relish
Snacks if i snack: beef jerkey, a few Peanut Butter pretzels (which i am trying to cut out as they are wasted carbs and i wish they wouldnt have at the office). If i am hungry i will maybe have the yogurt or cottage cheese if the jerkey isnt in stock at the office
Dinner: I mixed it up between home cooked grilled fish or chicken (in a variety of preparations...could be with mexican seasoning or asian or gravy, etc.) with a squash or green vegetable, zoodles with turkey meat sauce, turkey or chicken "burger" with blue cheese crumbles in a low carb tortilla with avocado or just on a plate, turkey mexican salad, eggplant Parmesan with turkey and cottage cheese to up the Protein. When i create meals, i will normally weigh them out and make recipes to store in myfitnesspal so i dont have to type it all in each time. I typically do sashimi 2x a week after my trainer or get beef carpaccio as a treat.
Other snacks: cheese stick, boars head turkey pepperoni, light babybel, cucumbers with bolthouse avocado greek Salad Dressing and lemon juice,
Sweet Craving satisfiers: grapes, dole dippers 60 calorie strawberry packs, a few tablespoons of halo top or similar ice cream, skinnygirl Milk chocolate Truffles with Sea Salt Toffee
Alcohol(Don't judge): 1.5 ounces of citrus vodka in a 44 ounce tumbler with Water, big ice cubes, a squirt powder packet (I love these) and ginger powder - I also mix msm powder for my joints into it.
I also cheat on my diet. I have a pizza slice at the office every once in a blue moon, each spinach dip or nachos when we are out, sour patch kids, etc. but I log it all and keep myself accountable and acknowledge when i put it in my mouth that I am consciously eating something that i gain no benefit from- and i am ok with that, I guess.
I decided awhile ago that I am not going to deprive myself of the joys of food - but i am NOT going to ever again 1) reward myself with food, 2) self medicate myself with food when i am feeling sad or down, 3) eat out of boredom. As long as what I am eating is not for one of these reasons, them I am ok with it in small amounts.
I have been fluctuating for many months and cannot get to below 140 - i go 140.2 - 145 - today i was 143.7 - go figure. Probably because i have been busy at work and haven't worked out since getting back from a trip on monday.

I liked your entire post, but this part right here I think helps especially, if you can have a partner that's supportive, even better, if they're going through what you are.
My wife has been going through weight gain herself. I see her diet is quite high in carbs, and she also has PCOS plus another allergy issue that stems from her pregnancy (was supposed to go away after giving birth but it didn't). She actually tried to get into weight management but they said she's not fat enough (5ft3 208 lbs, up from 115 lbs), though we both thought the PCOS would have pushed that over the top.
Her support during this time is invaluable and it would have made life much tougher had she not been supportive or if I had been doing this alone. She's certainly going to need me in a similar way to be supportive when she goes through her weight loss, and I'll be in a much better position to help, besides kicking her in the ass to quit drinking soda and eating so many carbs per day.

I'm almost 3 months post op. To be honest, every day once per day i regret having had surgery. You know when that is? When I wish I could fit in more food! The post above mine is awesome and extremely accurate! I have anxiety and depression (since a very young age) and I thought I could do this in my own. WRONG. I'm happy with my decision 90% of the time. It's a complete lifestyle change but my body is thanking me for it!
Now about immediate post-op: I brought my phone charger and my phone, capris sweats, long tshirt, hairbrush and hair cream, bipap mask and tubing (I have sleep apnea), and flip flops. Everything else they supplied.
I calmed my anxiety by seeing a therapist beginning a month before surgery and taking photos of myself so I'd get excited about losing weight. I'd suggest starting a project like organizing your closet according to size and even going out to thrift shops and buying a pair of jeans one size smaller than your current size and another pair one size smaller than those. I threw out all the summer clothes I had that could fit me before surgery because I knew by summer time I wouldn't be that size anymore. Starting a scrapbook can help. Taking pics of you with your family and friends before surgery and the day of and the months that follow can help you look back on your journey. Take LOTS of before pics!
The pain post-op is controlled well with pain meds. I had pain but only for about 2 weeks. After I could finally sleep on my tummy I was happy. The air that they pump in you during surgery is probably the toughest to handle (for me) but GasX chewables were a life saver!!!!!
Your diet will change and food will look different/taste different to you. I started craving healthier foods around month 2. I'll leave my weight lost stats at the bottom.
The only advice I can give is that everyone has a different experience so make sure this is really what you want and that you are 100% committed. It isn't going to be easy but for me it was so worth it. Get ready to end your current relationship with food and start a new one. Let's face it, my old relationship with food was literally killing me so I'm grateful.

PS. I met my best friend on this app. She had her surgery 2 weeks after me and we have been keeping each other motivated since pre-op diet. I recommend reaching out to someone who will be getting surgery around the same time and who is SERIOUS.

Hope this helps :-)

Age: 27
Height: 5'2
HW: 299
Pre-op: 268
CW: 225
GW: 140



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I really don't understand how anyone could possibly go into this thinking they can literally have their cake and eat it too.
I feel bad if you weren't informed that this is a life-long, life-changing process & commitment, but chances are, you likely were. There's absolutely no point in going through with the surgery if one isn't committed. This lack of commitment is why so many fail.
So I agree in the sense that if people want to have the surgery and go back to eating like they were, don't bother with it. It would be a waste of time and money for everyone.

Many times NO.
This is not a miracle. It's a tool. Like any tool it depends on how a person uses it. It has many benefits when used correctly, but without lifestyle changes this tool is useless, as so many who've "beat" the surgery have found out.
I think putting the surgery up on a pedestal like this greatly diminishes the overall effort required to make this tool work properly. That effort, I feel, is what's really praise worthy.

I think it'd be less common to not be anxious. We are undergoing a big surgery that will change our lives. I don't even have my date yet and I'm anxious! I'm sure I'll be a lot more nervous when it's just days away. Hang in there you are so close to the other side!


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Hope all is well with you AB2B. Been thinking of you




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I'm doing great!! Every now n then my blood sugar tries to drop early in the morning but otherwise I'm good. I take it one day at a time. I'm officially 3 months out.
How are you


MsShortyDee

I was approved by my insurance )Anthem BCBS CA) for the surgery!! But it wasn't without headache...
I called my surgeon's coordinator on 2/28 to confirm that she had sent in my paperwork to insurance. Come to find out, she said my paperwork wasn't eligible to be submitted until MARCH 28th, which is a month after the original submission date I had been told during my 6 months. The coordinator said she'd send it in a month early anyway and see what happens.
Well, she sent it in to my insurance on 2/29 and I called insurance today to verify it had been received and they told me they received it and approved it!! It only took 2 days for approval. I was so shocked.
Now I'm waiting to schedule my surgery date and begin all of the lovely pre-op procedures

Wow! You look incredibly healthy and like an athlete! Well you are so why wouldn't you look like one! Sounds like you e made all the right changes for a fit life. No chocolate is worth the way you're living now. So amazing!


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I am feeling the same right now. I am scheduled for tomorrow morning. I believe this feeling is completely normal. I can't wait to share my experience with you all.

Can't wait to get to the other side. And start losing lots of this weight. I think once I'm on the bed and they give me the "Coctail" I'll be ok. It's when I wake up from it that I'm more nervous about. But I know I can do this I'm not letting my brain and food stop me from achieving a healthier me.

I think it'd be less common to not be anxious. We are undergoing a big surgery that will change our lives. I don't even have my date yet and I'm anxious! I'm sure I'll be a lot more nervous when it's just days away. Hang in there you are so close to the other side!


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I think it'd be less common to not be anxious. We are undergoing a big surgery that will change our lives. I don't even have my date yet and I'm anxious! I'm sure I'll be a lot more nervous when it's just days away. Hang in there you are so close to the other side!


Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I think it'd be less common to not be anxious. We are undergoing a big surgery that will change our lives. I don't even have my date yet and I'm anxious! I'm sure I'll be a lot more nervous when it's just days away. Hang in there you are so close to the other side!


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Yeah real simple. Morning Premier Protein shake (11 oz - chocolate). lunch Premier Protein Shake (11 oz - vanilla). dinner Bariatric Advantage Protein Shake (powder I got from my doctor's office, blended with cold Water and crushed ice), either vanilla or chocolate. Snacks: 1 Protein pudding (sugar-free Jello pudding mixed with one serving of Protein Powder and 8 oz of milk, would make 4 servings). also 3 or 4 sugar-free ice pops. Sometimes I'd have a fourth protein shake if I felt like it. Lots of Water. I was allowed to have low-sodium broth, I tried it once and it was disgusting, too bland, inedible. I was also allowed some greek yogurt I think and milk but I never bothered. Strangely I never felt hungry at all, although most nights I got cravings for real food, mostly chicken parm. In 2 weeks I dropped exactly 25 lbs.

I'll try to be as detailed as I can to help others about to go through this.
My surgery was scheduled for this past Wednesday 12/21, I was told to go to the hospital at 7:30 AM. My wife had to take the kids to school so my mother brought me. No waiting, immediately they took me into the back to start getting ready, and my mom was able to come. They filled out some forms, put the IV in, gave me a shot of Heparin (blood-thinner) in my stomach (didn't hurt) and told me I'd get an additional shot every 8 hours until I got discharged.
They gave me a few pills and some horrifically nasty stuff to drink (everything I had to drink in the hospital was terrible). Some of the nurses came by to introduce themselves, the anesthesiologist came by to chat. I had been concerned because I had been coming down with a cold but all I had left was a slight cough so it was fine. My doctor came by to let me know I would be going in soon. He had a busy day, at least 6 surgeries! I think I was number 3.
So about 9:45 or so they wheeled me in. My mom was given a tracking number, and there was a monitor in the waiting room where you could find a patient's tracking number, and it would light up green when they were in surgery, and blue when they were in recovery. They said they'd call when I was out of surgery (they didn't).
I went into the room and laid down on a very narrow table and got strapped in. My doctor wasn't in there yet, but they needed to prep me anyway. They put a mask on face and told me to breath deeply, and bam I was out. My next recollection was waking up in recovery with an oxygen mask (they give everyone oxygen via mask for two hours post-surgery) feeling very woozy and nauseous . I told them I was feeling sick and they gave me something that helped. Soon after, they brought my mom and wife back to spend some time with me, but I was really in and out.
Shortly after, they had me stand up and walk around a bit, and then they sat me in a lazy-boy type chair for a while, then I walked around a little more. Walking felt OK, felt some tightness in my stomach around the incisions but it wasn't unbearable. Then they put me in a wheelchair and brought me to my room which I was sharing with another guy who got the same surgery from the same doctor that day (he arrived later).
They put me in the bed and asked me a bunch of questions to get me admitted. After that it was mostly just sleeping as much as I could. Every two hours I had to get up and walk for several minutes. They got all the bariatric patients up together so every two hours it was like the world's worst conga line and we shambled down the hospital hallway. I made sure to go to the bathroom after every single walk so I wouldn't have to get up unnecessarily. They let me have ice chips and thank god for that. I didn't have a sore throat from the surgery although I'd heard some do.
It was a long night, people kept coming in to check blood pressure, give me heparin shots, take blood once I think, maybe twice. The next morning some folks from the hospital came in to give me and my roommate a holiday gift of a poinsettia which was nice but I would have rather kept sleeping.
In the morning they brought me down for a GI check. I had to drink some absolutely foul liquid four times while they took x-rays of my stomach (standing) to check for leaks. No leaks! So I was cleared for Breakfast. Breakfast was some Water, some orange Jello, and some Protein things to drink, they tasted completely disgusting and I couldn't finish them. When they saw I tolerated it well, they brought lunch, which was scrambled eggs, Powerade zero, and more horrible Protein drinks including one marked Prostat that I think I was supposed to drink but it was so awful I couldn't take more than a sip.
I had noticed over the night that was having pains in my back and shoulder, I was told it was gas pains and they would go away, I just needed to keep walking. The surgeon stopped in at some point to check in, told me my surgery lasted just 26 minutes, amazing. He said I did a good job with the liver shrinking diet.
About 2:30 or so I was discharged. I was able to dress myself which was nice. I had an appendectomy and umbilical hernia repair last December, and felt much worse after that, and couldn't dress myself when I left the hospital.
The drive home was uneventful, when I got back I took a little nap, but I got up to walk every hour or so. For the first day or two I noticed some ankle and calf pain when I got up but that went away and today it's almost all gone.
For dinner my wife made me some pureed tuna with low-fat mayo. I ate two ounces and could barely finish it. I drank about 2/3 of a bottle of Protein shake (the Premier Protein, same thing I drank on my two week liver shrinking diet), took me a looong time to drink it. Then drank some water, not that much, I was being very cautious. When I swallowed it felt very weird, like I could feel it settling into my stomach. Didn't hurt, but just weird. I didn't have any real unbearable pain. When I stood up it hurt where my incisions were. If I coughed it hurt a lot but that went away.
Spent that day (thursday) just relaxing and walking and trying to get down some fluids.
Sleeping was uneventful, I took some of the percoset they prescribed and that helped. I slept on my back the entire night which is rare for me. Friday I felt a little better. Ankles still hurt, and my neck was killing me, I assumed it was the gas pain. Breakfast was two scrambled eggs which took over an hour to eat but I finished almost all of them. I finished the Protein Drink and tried some powerade zero which was delicious. Lunch was the rest of the tuna (3.4 oz, ate the whole thing), and dinner was egg salad with low fat mayo, and a little bit or paprika and mustard for taste. I ate 3 oz and it went down pretty quick. At some point during the day I took a shower which was great. No problem at all standing for several minutes.
Sleeping was again uneventful. Today I woke up late, so no breakfast. I had more egg salad for lunch and it went down fairly quickly with no adverse effect. Drank a Protein Shake (11 oz) and 16 oz of powerade zero, no problem at all going down. Before the surgery, the doctor said it should easier and less painful day after day, week after week, and that's been true so far.
I had read about "sleever's remorse" and yes I've felt it too, starting with when I first woke up in the hospital, and it comes back several times a day. I think once I reach the point where there's no pain, and I can eat solid foods again, and get back into my regular routine and see the effects of the surgery it will go away. I know that this was the right thing for me to do, and even though maybe right this second I feel like I wouldn't do it again if given another chance, I'm pretty confident that I'll be happy with my decision in the coming weeks, months, years, etc.
So that's the journey so far. I'l be happy to answer any questions anyone has, and good luck to anyone who is still pending surgery!

I have been scheduled for surgery for March 9th. This morning I received a call from the surgery coordinator asking if I was ok with moving it to March 2nd. "Yes!!!!!"
I am so excited and happy about how quickly and smoothly this entire process has been. I started this journey back in November 2016.
I start my 2 week full liquid diet tomorrow~! I am so ready.