Just a tip. Don't gain too much on your last hurrah before your pre op fast(mine is two weeks) I gained 10 and now I'm struggling to make my required goal by the 12th . I added so much unnecessary stress to my journey. So don't do that.
How bad is the gas in the upper body? That seems to be what most people are talking about so thought I would ask while you are actually going through it. Also, how much pain are you in? Would you be able to sit at a desk job if you were required to go in for a few hours?
So excited about this new journey ahead of you and can't wait to start mine!
I meant to post this last month....but during the holidays, time disappears. I’m posting this because before and just after surgery I was ravenous for information. I don’t come to this forum much anymore, as life has adjusted. But I’m hoping this will help anyone like me who wanted to know as much as possible, and from as many people as possible. Please remember....everyone’s journey is different. This is just some notes about mine.
6 month lessons
Yup, it’s a long post. Settle in. Lol. So, I just had my 6 month appt. I know all of our experiences are so unique, but I wanted to share mine as a reference of what you may expect. A bit about me. I had gastric sleeve in Las Vegas with Dr Atkinson. In august of last year I had just begun this process and wouldn’t have surgery until April. My HW: was August 2016 at 345, SW: April 2017 was 343, CW: is 240.5, that’s a 103lb loss. Yay me! (Side note, my insurance didn’t require any pre surgery weight loss....and I had almost zero loss. The only rule was I couldn’t gain). My dr was amazing. If you’re near vegas, I completely recommend him. Surgery went perfectly, recovery was difficult (this crap is hard), but I had very minimal incision pain. There was no 2 week pre-op fast, the leak test was performed during surgery so I had liquid/ice chips right away (liquid was no good, but ice chips are perfect after surgery).....I had super glue stuff on my incisions so no pain and no dressing issues.....he’s one of the highest ranked and most experienced gastric surgeons in the country. I could go on....but I think you get it. His skill and his post surgery protocols are awesome. I had zero problems.
I’ve looked many times on here for how many calories at 7 weeks....how many carbs at 3 months. I couldn’t find anything and now I know why. My surgeon and nutritionist really only care about Protein until 6 months. Unless, of course, there is a specific problem or deficiency. It’s nice to now have some specific nutrient goals, but the focus is still on protein. And even at 6 months, I still struggle to get 90g daily. It’s super important to keep trying!! Get all the protein you can.
Let’s talk hair. Yup, it’s falling out in chunks. Chunks. It’s more than a little heartbreaking. But, I knew it was coming. Doesn’t help, but it is expected. It started at 4 months. As of now, still going strong. I also know it will stop. But while you’re in the falling out phase....it’s stressful. Which just makes more fall out. So try to keep positive. And take your Vitamins. I swore I’d never fall off of that, but I have periodically. It happens. Just get back on track. Biotin supplements and the hair treatment Nioxin has helped too. (Update...at 7 months this has slowed dramatically. Still losing a bit, but nothing like before. I see the light at the end of the tunnel [emoji4])
Skin. Saggy saggy skin. Another thing I knew was coming, but it’s been difficult. I didn’t start working out as early as I wish I had. Now I feel a bit like I’m fighting a losing battle. But....this is a problem with a fix. When I reach goal I will worry about the cosmetic stuff. But trust me when I say....get working out as soon as possible. Weights. Lift some weights.
Sweets. Stay away for as long as you can. I went 4.5 months without. Then I had some chocolate and it was easy. Not like trying to eat meat. Meat you have to chew to death and if it’s dry, it’s still hard to get down. I can only eat (at most) 2 oz of meat at a time. But chocolate, that went down easy. I had an entire bar in one day. Now, before surgery I’d have 4 bars in a day. But 1 bar is still a lot. So I locked that down and now only allow myself 1 square a day. Now, you might find that that’s too much for you. Again, we’re all different. But if I deny myself entirely....I’ll go nuts and eat until I get sick. Keeping myself honest, and savoring only a small piece is something I can maintain. And maintaining is my ultimate goal.
Emotions. Hear me.....get a therapist!! You are going to go through so many changes you’re head will spin without you even understanding that is what’s happening. Addiction transference is very very real. I really struggled with this and for a time, behaved completely out of character. You absolutely must deal with your issues. It’s the same as getting protein or taking small bites. In my opinion, it’s a must.
Emotions part 2. I had a hard time with the expected things. Hair loss, fatigue, heartburn...check check and check. These are struggles I knew about. But there are others that blindsided me. Like how hard it is at 6 months to still be able to only eat 2-2.5 ounces at a time. Frustrating!!!!!!! You have a craving, you make a meal that fits the bill, you take that first wonderful bite....and 2 bites later you’re full. I struggled hard with this. I know....that’s the entire point of surgery. But the actual experience was so much more frustrating and unsatisfying than I imagined. For a brief time, I tried to force the issue. Eating more than I could hold. That hurt. And it scared me, as the very last thing I want to do is stretch my new tiny tummy (not all fears are rational). My advice...be patient with yourself. Let yourself be frustrated or even angry, but keep working on getting adjusted. I still have moments of “can’t I just eat a fricken chicken breast already?!?!?” Lol. But listen to your belly and take it slow. Weird side note, for me....I know I can’t eat another bite when I get hiccups. Happens each meal. I eat slow, plan out the portion. But if I get the hiccups....I stop even if there’s some left. This has helped cut WAY down on feeling sick after eating. Everyone has their own signal....mine is hiccups.
Finally, once again this procedure is different for everyone. Don’t set too many rules on yourself. Example: I’m hungry roughly every 3 hours. My dr is big on only 3 meals a day. That doesn’t work for me. I still can’t eat enough at any one time to fill me for 4-5 hours. So, I adjusted. I eat a small (1.5-2oz) meal every 3 hours. Mostly really small portions of meat, cheese, sunflower seeds, etc. This works for me. Keep adjusting until you find what works for you.
I’d like to end with what I think are the most helpful things I’ve learned (in no particular order). Good luck on your journey!! It’s hard, really hard, but the good WAY outweighs the bad [emoji4] See you at 1 year!! I’m hoping I’ll have good news to share.
1. Drink your fluids
2. Take your vitamins
3. Be patient
4. Expect to be emotionally unsatisfied (if food is emotional for you)
5. Workout
6. Log your food
7. Avoid sweets as long as possible, then adjust until you find the “sweet” spot of what you can handle. And if that’s zero...so be it. You be you.
8. Talk to someone about what’s happening to you.
9. Take something for heartburn. Not only is it uncomfortable, it mimics hunger and will make you miserable.
10. Stick to the no liquid 30 minutes after a meal. It’s a golden rule.
Feeling good! I'm reshaping my relationship with food and understanding what my body needs. Things have been going really well so far (knock on wood)! I just moved to soft Proteins (tuna, eggs, deli turkey, etc.) and learning what works now and what doesn't--I've been tolerating most things well--down 21lbs since the surgery!
I make up the most ridiculous diets I can think of and try to convince them that is how I am losing the weight. My latest one is a famous scandinavian diet that consists of being able to eat as many sardines and Peanut Butter as you want, as long as you eat them together. I follow that with jogging backwards for 3 miles a day. 40lbs in 4 weeks - it works!
For close friends or people that are genuinely concerned I might have some kind of health issue, I will tell them what I did. If it is someone I don't know well or care about, then they can try to figure it out on their own through one of my crazy diets.
Yes my friend has this insurance and first there was no waiting period then it was changed to 12 months which she was bummed about but out of no where they approved her 4 months in without any problem so I would submit and see what happens
how did the surgery go? where you able to go back to work as planned? I have a similar job and just wondering how much time I need to take off. In my mind I was hoping to have like a Wed, Thurs, Fri off and go back Monday.
I had to fulfill all my insurance requirements and get approval before I got a surgery date. But my pre-op appointment is 13 days before my surgery. I assume all those tests will happen then. I was told that if they review my chart and I need more, they'll call 2 weeks prior to surgery to schedule. I'll be going away for a long weekend shortly before surgery so am hoping I don't need to hassle with scheduling additional tests.
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