leahhindi

Hello all, Having my VSG on May 9th and am looking for a small group of people having surgery then to buddy up with? Thanks and great success to all of you!

Congratulations!! A speedy recovery and great success to you. I look forward to hearing following your progress. My surgery is next week also, May 9! So excited! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@lisa8181 - when I went to my first surgeons appointment, my BMI was 40.1. I had the exact same concern you did. My surgeon told me that insurance companies base everything on your initial weigh-in. After three months, it was down to a BMI of 38.4. My insurance approved me in 2 days. So grateful everything went so smoothly for me. I hope you have the same experience. Best of luck on your new adventure!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@haleymarie - I made the fatal error of weighing myself yesterday. It appears that after 11 days on the pre-op diet I have only lost 2 pounds. How is that possible?? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@addouk - agreed! Cant even watch a tv program in peace without drooling over something!! I went to my moms yesterday for "lunch". She doesnt know about the surgery and served everyone her famous eggplant parm and spaghetti and I had a Protein shake. I am not joking when I say I almost cried! Hungry girl here!! Sniff, sniff! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Yes. Lets be facebook buddies. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Day 11 here too. Every time I say a curse word my eight-year-old says "mommy, bad word"! A few minutes ago I shouted back "zip the lip"! I am probably damaging the poor child :-) but this hunger feels so very real. Oh boy, Monday, COME ALREADY!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

The first thing I want to get rid of is my old lady granny panties :-) The second thing I am going to do is buy knee boots. My leg has only fit in a knee boot once in my ENTIRE LIFE! And why have I have been online looking at evening wear for a month now??? I don't even have any formal events to go to in the near future. I think I keep looking because I'm thinking back to all of the events and parties I've gone to over the years where I have felt like the largest/least attractive person in the room and had to settle on wearing a dress that "covers everything up". I don't want to be that person anymore and yet it is hard to wrap my head around the fact that I am having the VSG on Monday. Pre-op diet is slowly killing me but the clothing websites and department stores are keeping me going :-) )

My surgery date is the 9th and I am headachy, nauseous and so very cranky! My husband just keeps repeating over and over again, "you are doing great!" -- I almost strangled him yesterday :-) This time next week it will be smooth sailing for all of us! Best of luck to you both!

@@Jazzcat - So happy to hear you are having a speedy recovery. Also very soothing to hear since I am due for my own surgery this Monday so thank you! Best of luck to you in your full recovery and weight loss!

@@haleymarie - what does your diet consist of? My liquid diet includes Soups, broth, yogurt, Jello, shakes, unlimited steamed or raw vegetables (NO DRESSING OR SAUCES) and skim milk. Yesterday, I reinterpreted the diet to include thinned out sugar free pudding. :-) I added something called GENEPRO medical grade Protein. It has 30 grams of protein in one tablespoon. It is odorless and tasteless and didn't even change the consistency of the pudding. I have been having a very difficult time getting down the shakes so wasn't taking in enough protein or calories and this is helping me tremendously. Thanks to this Protein powder, I met my calorie/protein requirements yesterday and I did not feel exhausted and nauseous. Now I am sure some experienced VSGers will tell you 100 reasons why this protein powder isn't "good enough" or "preferred" but right now, I have to get thru this and if a 60 calorie cup of thinned out protein 2x a day is getting in my protein requirements, I'm just peachy with it!

@@haleymarie - when I read your post I got such a laugh! I, too, am scheduled for this Monday, May 9th and I just logged on because I'm scared shitless and was just going to post, "HELP! I'M SCARED SHITLESS!" -- great minds think alike. Do you have/How are you doing on your pre-op diet? I am on a 2 week liquid diet and I am exhausted all day long bc I am waking up in the middle of the night with headaches and hunger pangs :-( I know there is an end in sight and I have read repeatedly that these days leading up to surgery as well as the two days after are the worst and then it will get much easier. Fingers crossed! Good luck to you!

@@sleever516 and @@DavidBC I am scheduled for 5/9 and start my liquid dieting on 4/25. I am in NYC. Starting to prepare myself by trying out different shakes etc / increasing the amount of fluids i'm drinking. Starting to get both nervous and excited. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I think splenda tastes most like real sugar. I dont think stevia is sweet enough for me and also has a tart aftertaste. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@hopesndreams - I am having surgery on the same date that you are. I start my 2 week liquid diet next week and not looking forward to it. Not a huge fan of shakes. Hope you are having an easy time with your liquids!

I had a 3 month wait and I tried to put that time to good use. No, not eating everything in sight I used this time to start changing my habits. Some examples: stop drinking with straws, start taking Vitamins daily, increase Fluid intake significantly, start getting in Protein via shakes. My surgery is scheduled for May and I started this journey in January. All of the things listed above are permanent changes you will need to make post-op anyway. I started them during the wait period because I was so afraid of being non-compliant. Essentially I made a bargain with myself: If I could not incorporate these lifestyle changes pre-surgery, I would push the surgery off. Funny, the thought of pushing the surgery off was all I needed to get my a$$ in gear.

Some good news--my husband who was originally being somewhat unsupportive of the surgery due to fear has spoken with a friend who is a gastroenterologist who told him what I've been telling him all along--being 110 lbs overweight is way more dangerous than this surgery in the long run. What a relief! Had my last appointment with my surgeon today and HAVE A TENTATIVE DATE OF MAY 9TH. All caps because I feel like I've been going on and on about how the wait for a date was killing me. I am thrilled. I am ever getting excited about the 14 day liquid diet Looking forward to moving to the next part of this journey and glad to have this support system in place.

This is my surgeon's pre-op allowances. Your surgeon might be different (ex. a lot don't allow the yogurt). If your surgeon recommends FULL liquid diet (65-75 grams of Protein per day): 14 Days Pre Operative - All the above Clear liquids - Protein Liquid supplements - Approximately 1000 calories per day - Skim, 1% or Soy Milk mixed with whey or soy protein powders (limited to 20 gm protein/serving) - Fat Free Cream Soups - Fat Free, Plain Yogurts (not Greek--too thick) Good luck to you!

Not sure if you saw that on the unjury website they have a chicken Soup flavored Protein powder. The ingredients are below if you want to check to see if you can have it--I, too, get migraines and have a lot of sensitivities. Good luck! whey protein isolate, hydrolyzed soybean/corn protein, salt, hydrolyzed corn gluten, soy lecithin, yeast extract, onion powder, garlic powder, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, spice and coloring (contains tumeric), modified cornstarch, spices and herbs, natural flavors.

@alikelly -- I was told that my insurance is EXTREMELY strict and that I could gain 0 net lbs over the 3 month pre-op period. Every month I went in to the office with extreme fear. I ended up losing a big 1.5 lbs in 2 months because I was so afraid I would gain. Woo hoo...get this though--this month, ever since I started coming on this website, I have been extremely motivated! Maybe its because the surgery is coming, or maybe its the good weather we had over the last few weeks in NY area, but I have lost 7 lbs in last 2 weeks. Go figure. Last 2 weeks been eating things that are VSG friendly: Protein bars, Protein shakes, Water, various protein Snacks. Seems to be working. I think if you are strict between now and Friday you could drop that 2 lbs. Especially because you couldn't have gained 7 lbs from one night out with friends. Probably a lot of water weight. Good luck!

@@jthenry -- yes, bring a shake or have it before you arrive--its the only way :-) feeling everyone's pain in this regard. I have many functions coming up this summer and I am going to be fresh out of surgery so it seems we will all be in the same boat. Great that we have such a great support system!

As a person from an Italian family, I do not agree with any of the other people so far. I only agree with you -- liquid diet only and tell everyone you are on a full liquid diet. Your best bet is to eat NOTHING AT ALL bc those Italian food pushers are very persuasive....they will be telling you that you can have anything "soft"....cannoli filling, cheesecake, and other kinds of yummies. I was a victim of a similar situation after I had my lapband surgery and succumbed to eating something that I shouldn't have and spent 45 minutes vomiting my guts up. Then everyone speculated that I had an eating disorder :-) Yeah, 110 lbs overweight and I don't eat---THAT'S A GOOD ONE! Point is, better safe than sorry. FYI, I, too, am not telling most. Very judgmental family and friends. Have only told husband and one friend. I live in NYC in the winter and am in NJ (Long Branch) in the summer. I have my last appt with my surgeon tomorrow and then submission to my insurance so hoping to have a date in the next few weeks. Good luck!

I would have been blowing up their phone after 3 days! :-) I become so obsessive the more time I have to think about things--especially something this life changing. You have every right to call them. Give them a gentle little nudge...You will be glad you did :-)

I haven't even gotten "sometime in May" yet! I am just assuming that based on the fact that all will be submitted to my insurance on Wednesday--but who knows for sure? The first 2 of the 3 months were extremely difficult just not to gain weight. I certainly wasn't losing any real weight. I think I went down 1 lb in 2 months. But ever since I found this message board I have been much more motivated and have been trying to adapt to what the post-op diet will be so have lost 6 lbs over the last 2 weeks. Very happy with this loss. Feel like my head is on a bit straighter than it had been. WEDNESDAY, COME ALREADY!!!