VSG_Man_Vs_Food

Pre-op I ate a lot of quinoa instead of rice, theres lots of good recipes out there. Natures own has a protein wheat bread with 8g per slice, can't taste the difference. I've made the zucchini noodles several times, just be sure to squeeze out the moisture. Cauliflower mash or rice is good, I buy it pre-made in the freezer section. Steamfresh protein blends are good. Protein banana pancakes are pretty good made with protein powder or shakes. I've heard you can make pizza crust out of chicken or cauliflower, I'll have to try that out. HW: 330 SW: 294 6/27/2017 CW: 273 GW: 180 VSG, Dr. Jawad, Orlando, FL

You should be fine taking care of yourself, I was able to do most things by myself when I got home. I was even driving a stick shift around the block on day 3. Just don't be afraid to reach out for help if you run into any issues/complications. HW: 330 SW: 294 6/27/2017 CW: 287 GW: 180 VSG, Dr. Jawad, Orlando, FL

Great analogy! I have one also that I thought about when preparing for surgery. My weight issue is very similar to the smoker or alcoholic that won't quit. That person may already have or eventually will have some related health problems that will need to be addressed. Although that person may be embarrassed about how they got to that point, no one would fault them to have the necessary lung or liver surgery if they needed it to survive. The surgery alone does not solve the issue though, there's still a difficult road ahead to be able to quit the habit, change lifestyles, get the needed support, and eventually just maintain/continue to abstain from the habits that are killing you. I decided that I would be up front with my friends and family about my decision for surgery and my quest for better health, and it surprised me that just about everyone I've told has been supportive and understanding. I also feel it keeps me accountable since I know many people are watching my progress and cheering me on and there's no way I'm going through such a huge life changing process only for it to fail! I'm 7 days post op and 47 lbs down, I'm on my way to the new me! HW: 330 SW: 294 6/27/2017 CW: 282 GW: 180 VSG, Dr. Jawad, Orlando, FL

Also my throat was really sore from the breathing tube but I was allowed ice chips the first day and it really helped! And fortunately my leak test was just water with blue dye which went down easy, and they checked my drain after 30 mins then I was cleared for clear liquid diet. And the last thing was I didn't realize how hard it is to swallow crushed pills, they didn't taste good with anything. I ended up skipping a few doses of blood pressure meds and after I started full liquids, I just started swallowing them whole. HW: 330 SW: 294 6/27/2017 CW: 282 GW: 180 VSG, Dr. Jawad, Orlando, FL

Just sleeved 7 days ago, I thought I was mentally prepared but I had a hard time the first few days, especially while in the hospital since I barely could get any sleep. There was a lot more pain and nausea than I expected. I didn't feel any pain from the actual stomach sleeve, it was the 6 incisions which were like 6 stab wounds that makes any movements that use your ab muscles (almost everything) very painful. It was managed well with the pain and nausea meds (be sure to keep taking them every 4 hours or so) but simple things like shifting around the bed, coughing, sneezing (ouch), hiccups, even peeing the first couple times were painful for me. After coming home and getting a good nights sleep, I was off the pain meds and it was downhill from there. You may feel a lot of regret at first but after the weight starts flying off, it will all be worth it! I'm down 11 lbs in 7 days so I would do it all over again if I had to! HW: 330 SW: 294 6/27/2017 CW: 282 GW: 180 VSG, Dr. Jawad, Orlando, FL

Awesome, Dr Jawad is known as one of the best in the business. He doesn't talk a lot but has tons of experience and has done thousands of these procedures. I loved that he uses the davinci robot for the procedure which I don't think you find in most places. My wife and I were both sleeved by him with no complications and quick recoveries. The ORMC facilities were great also. When is your surgery? HW: 330 SW: 294 6/27/2017 CW: 285 GW: 180 VSG, Dr. Jawad, Orlando, FL

I'm 4 days post op and this was my first surgery. My biggest fear was not waking up from the anesthesia but I had decided it was a necessary risk in order to get my weight and health under control. You're definitely better off having surgery at a younger age while still healthy as opposed to having a heart attack or something else down the road. After having the procedure done, I can look back and realize I was worrying much more than I should have. All of the pre-op testing and analysis that goes on before they will even put you under goes to show that you probably won't be recommended for surgery if you are a risk. Thousands of people go under anesthesia every day and the doctors really do know what they are doing. They are in complete control of your body while you are under since you have a breathing tube and they are monitoring and controlling blood pressure, oxygen, etc. The worst part of it for me was a headache and sore throat for a day or two. The biggest thing I wasn't prepared for was the pain, nausea, and inability to eat/drink for a few days due to the sleeve. It has gotten better every day though and the lbs are coming off so I'm still glad I went through with it. Be sure your mentally prepared for the journey, its not easy at first, but It may be one of the best decisions of your life! Best of luck! HW: 330 SW: 294 6/27/2017 CW: 287 GW: 180 VSG, Dr. Jawad, Orlando, FL

I was just sleeved 4 days ago and am in a weird place about how i feel about it. For the last 6 months I have been gung ho about getting approved for the surgery and the prospect of being skinny. I was/am 130 lbs over weight with high blood pressure and sleep apnea and a long family history of heart problems so I've always known I needed to do something about it. I lost 36 lbs leading up to my surgery following the pre-op diet plans and I know I couldn't have done it otherwise without the surgery motivation. The day of my surgery I thought I was ready for this journey but 1 day later is when realized the magnitude of this life change. I felt some regret that I went from being completely healthy in my mind (but not really) to being stuck on a hospital bed not being able to move without pain and nausea and not able to even drink water at the frequency I wanted. Every day has gotten better though, fortunately my wife had the procedure a month ago and I've been able to see how great she is doing and losing weight so quickly. I guess what I'm getting at is really make sure you are willing to sacrifice some pain and challenges in the beginning of this journey, but if you have the will to stick with it for the rest of your life, it will likely be the best thing you can ever do for yourself. I still wonder if I just skipped the surgery and continued the pre-op diet if I could have made it all the way to goal without permanently modifying my stomach, but my track record over the last 20 years has proven otherwise and now I have no choice but to make this all worthwhile. The biggest asset has been the support from my wife as without her, I would never have even considered it. So I guess what I'm saying is make sure you are ready for this big lifestyle change and build up a support system so you have the best chance of success. Best of luck! HW: 330 lb SW: 294 6/27/2017 CW: 287 lb GW: 180 lb VSG, Dr. Jawad, Orlando, FL

In my opinion, sleeve appears to be most common these days and has the lowest surgery risk. Bypass seems to be good if you suffer from reflux or want the dumping reaction in order to avoid sweets. DS seems to be recommended for higher BMIs and more extreme cases. I chose sleeve because I still want to be able to eat most foods normally once I hit goal, just in smaller quantities. If you haven't already, check out the obesity coverage website for lots of good info. HW: 330 lb SW: TBD 6/27/2017 CW: 302 lb GW: 180 lb VSG, Dr. Jawad, Orlando, FL

This is a good site that explains all the basics... http://www.obesitycoverage.com HW: 330 lb SW: TBD 6/27/2017 CW: 302 lb GW: 180 lb VSG, Dr. Jawad, Orlando, FL

My first visit was very quick. I had already sat in on the seminar and it was mostly a formality. The dr asked me what surgery i was interested in and he agreed it was the best one, vsg. He felt my belly, checked my heart/lungs and he was done. The nurse practitioner was the one that worked with me the most throughout the whole process. We had 3 months of jumping through hoops for insurance so that was the main focus. Along the way, they would explain the diet plans and various pre/post op processes. My only suggestion is come with a list of questions for anything you are concerned about. HW: 330 lb SW: TBD 6/27/2017 CW: 302 lb GW: 180 lb VSG, Dr. Jawad, Orlando, FL

I think the pre-op diet is somewhat dependent on bmi and risk levels, I think that's why it varies so much. HW: 330 lb SW: TBD 6/27/2017 CW: 302 lb GW: 180 lb VSG, Dr. Jawad, Orlando, FL

Awesome thanks, I'll check it out. HW: 330 lb SW: TBD 6/27/2017 CW: 302 lb GW: 180 lb VSG, Dr. Jawad, Orlando, FL

Regarding recovery and going back to work, I think about 6 weeks until you regain full strength. I have a desk job and should be fine going back after two weeks. My wife just had hers done, she was off the pain meds after 2 days, got the staples out and was working on projects around the house after about a week, and back to work no problem after two weeks (desk job also). Doctor said no heavy weights until 6 weeks just to be safe though. HW: 330 lb SW: TBD 6/27/2017 CW: 302 lb GW: 180 lb VSG, Dr. Jawad, Orlando, FL

Welcome, I'm scheduled for 6/27 and on day 5 of my liquid diet. I've also found it difficult to explain to people that aren't knowledgeable about the process such as my coworkers. What I have found works for me is that I'm just telling them I'm going to be out 2 weeks for surgery and if they ask why, I'll give em a quick explanation that I'm having weight-loss surgery because i've decided that my health is more important to me than eating and drinking in excess and I know its risky but its much better than heart disease or diabetes which is otherwise in my future. Although most still probably don't understand, everyone has actually been very supportive and want me to be successful. I feel it also keeps me accountable and I'm going to try my hardest to stay on track until I hit my goals. So far I'm down 28 lbs since Jan and about 120 more to go! Regarding the support groups, the "secret" facebook groups are great. I'm in two different groups called June Sleevers and everyone is super supportive and sharing their experiences since we're on similar timelines. There's also a massive closed group that can be found via search called "Gastric Sleeve and Bariatric Surgery Support Group" with like 65k members. Theres tons of good info there. HW: 330 lb SW: TBD 6/27/2017 CW: 302 lb GW: 180 lb VSG, Dr. Jawad, Orlando, FL