Miss215

I went in for my vsg and they found I had hiatal hernia. So they fixed it while they were already in there. The pain wasn’t bad. Had about 2 days of pain meds (mainly at night). What was the worse for me was when I was trying to swallow during the first part of my recovery. If I had a little to much at one time my chest would hurt from where they stitched the hernia. I still have to be careful with how much I swallow at once but it’s definitely not as bad as when I got my surgery done.

I had a repair and vsg as well. I had middle chest pain after surgery when I drank fluids the first 2 weeks. It has since gone away, and in fact, I'm not sure if that it a symptom from the vsg or the hiatal hernia repair.

Hi there. When I initially decided to lose weight I was 335. At my consult I was 318, my DOS I was 290. As of today I am 272 and I’m 2 weeks post op.

I’ve been blessed to have a lot of support, I’ve also had to let go of a few relationships. Everyday is a new day and I. Trying to do better.

As a big time reader of this site - I have read the average to be 10 days - Some like me had little issues after 2 days and some have gone 3 weeks
Keep moving Keep moving bend twist move - The tenderness is there as you heal - will lesson each day. Plan on a month
Use CBD cream to help with the tenderness in those areas

It lasted about a week, so hang in there. chewable gas-x is your friend, but do you have anyone that can help you by pounding on your back? Think burping an infant- it helps so much. I also tried to make myself burp (results may vary and include vomiting, so don't do that all the time...), but it did eventually go away. If it's pain in your shoulder, a heating pad helped with that.
Good luck; I remember how much it sucks. But you will get through it very soon. ❤️

This is a very real fear of mine also! The last time I was this big, I lost 70 lbs naturally, but had very little loose skin. I was still in my 20s then and I lifted weights and worked out 5-6 days/wk, which I think helped. I’m 32 now, so I worry about how different my skin’s elasticity may be at present. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll take a bit of loose skin if it means I can stop the threat of chronic illness and this joint pain, but I’m definitely concerned about it. I’ll be saving for plastic surgery anyhow.

I think the phrase "go away" is a little of a misnomer. Our bodies adjust to whatever circumstances it is presented with. In the case of bypass, the GI tract has been re-routed to intentionally result in malabsorption. After a while, the body adjusts a bit to it and will learn more efficient ways to absorb nutrients. That's not to say you don't have some malabsorption forever and it's not like it re-grows your intestinal tract or anything, it's just become a little more efficient at getting what it needs. The body is amazing at overcoming deficiencies like that. It's not quick at it, but it happens.
You've heard of the "honeymoon" period of WLS? That's kind of the theory.

NO NO NO - no energy drinks to strong - Google it defiantly WLS people should not use 5 hour energy or any boosting drinks - You tummy is to small so it will do damage! Not eneogh surface are for them anymore
My Doc Made it crystal clear days of Monster energy or 5 hour etc are over!
however like above you can add caffeine to your Protein Drink - Little bitty bit

Hi there! I’m 6 days post gastric bypass & having a tough time getting liquids in. Seems to be so much pressure inside & when I do drink it’s like I get instant gas! Thank you for all the encouragement so far!

Surgery was yesterday. I slept most of the day yesterday. Between the pain and the grogginess, I have struggled trying to get anything down. It takes me 5 minutes to drink a1 ounce. My throat is sore from the tube. Just needed to vent.

Ugh, those first few weeks are hard! Everyone on here said it would get better, and it did. I thought I was hungry, and I was craving Mac and cheese (ultimate comfort food, IMO); But once I was able to move to the next food phases it started to get better. Also, for me, chicken Bone Broth (I like Swanson sippables) was a life saver! I needed something not sweet!
Hang in there, it really does get much easier!

I was miserable for the first week or two. These were the milestones where I felt way better:
4 days out: gas pain finally stopped stopped
8 days out: found a Protein powder I could tolerate - went from starving to just hungry
13 days out: started on solid food - went from hungry to usually pretty satisfied
3-4 weeks out: started being able to feel the weight loss in how my body felt
7 weeks out: energy finally back

Hang in there! In a few months, you'll barely be able to remember how bad it felt.

Since I’m doing a self-pay surgery, my pre-op journey is a bit different. I scheduled my surgery in early April and pretty much used the next 5 weeks as a food funeral lol. I ate every favorite food of mine under the sun! pizza, cheesecake, cheesesteaks, fried chicken, mac & cheese etc. I ate everything that I knew I probably couldn’t touch for the next 6 or more months. My “last last” meal was chicken Parmesan w/Spaghetti and some cheesecake. My surgery is in 5 days, so I’ve been on my pre-op diet, which is liquid for 2 meals and one solid food meal-a-day diet for a week and a half now. I’ve definitely struggled with it, but I’m making it.

Since I’m doing a self-pay surgery, my pre-op journey is a bit different. I scheduled my surgery in early April and pretty much used the next 5 weeks as a food funeral lol. I ate every favorite food of mine under the sun! pizza, cheesecake, cheesesteaks, fried chicken, mac & cheese etc. I ate everything that I knew I probably couldn’t touch for the next 6 or more months. My “last last” meal was chicken Parmesan w/Spaghetti and some cheesecake. My surgery is in 5 days, so I’ve been on my pre-op diet, which is liquid for 2 meals and one solid food meal-a-day diet for a week and a half now. I’ve definitely struggled with it, but I’m making it.

honestly the best Doctor and Surgeon I've ever met. Given the opportunity, I'd go to him with any and all issues I might have. He calmed my nerves and my worries pre and post op. I am so glad he did my sleeve.

Can you switch doctors? He's wrong. Is we could lose weight with diet and exercise we would have. Only 5% of people can keep it off long term.

See I am pig headed and do not like left overs - I am also a chef so You would think I could manage food waste and portion sizes. NOPE -
So Decided to make skirt steak yesterday - Prepped it cooked it and sliced it - 19 slices? WtF - I ate 4 I just looked at it and was like are you kidding i could not have eaten that much Pre OP let alone now.
Glad I am not the only one who does this,
Aj

You veterans are scaring the hell out of me .... but thanx just about a year now so better start paying attention
Thanx for all the insight

One of the reasons I’ve hesitated to start the process of getting the surgery is that quite a few people I’ve seen get it seem to regain weight back. Like half of it.

Why do we think that is? I know I can be committed to a complete lifestyle change but of course I’m human.

Do some of the effects that help with weight loss in the beginning actually stop working? Can your metabolism slow down? Does your stomach start to stretch out again?

I’m 43 so menopause is looming....lol
Help me feel that this will be a good decision. I know that it is seen as a tool and that you still must work hard. But does that get to the point of things being as hard as they were before surgery? Because if so what is the point?

Please be kind.... I’m just scared.

You might consider going cash pay to blossom bariatric in Las Vegas. I also had a high deductible plan. My out of pocket was 9999 and they billed my insurance for out of network coverage and my insurance still paid $5k out of pocket. That 10k covered literally everything including 5 nights of hotel and daily transportation. Blossom is amazing! And so worth it to stay in the US. They do require you have someone stay with you but you can actually pay $350 and they’ll have someone stay the week with you.
The surgery is worth it. Do it! I’ve not read of one person regretting it. The only regret I’ve heard people have is that they didn’t do it ten years earlier. I feel the same way.

I had my surgery March 2019. When I got home from the hospital I could barely choke down 2 oz of Water or Protein and my doctors office would yell at me during check in calls because I wasn’t being “compliant.” I cried so many times in that first week and wondered why I purposefully did this to myself. By the next week, I was a new person. Most of the pain subsided and even though it was still an effort to get the water and protein down, I was doing it and feeling much, much better. Each day/week got better. Sometimes there were setbacks but mostly good days. Learning to eat again was a challenge then and is still a challenge now. One year post op I was down 115 lbs and beyond my goal weight. My whole life has changed. My health and numbers are really good and I would go through all that again without a doubt. You took such an amazing step having the surgery and you will get through this and you will be glad you did. Hang in there and keep us posted on your progress.

Since being home. What are somethings that you wish you had or have that you find your self using the most in recovery?

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Hi! I was sleeved at Blossom on December 23. It was a really great experience for me. I too had insurance issues - it would only cover half after the deductible, tons of hoops to jump through, etc. If you qualify for the fast track safe sleeve, yes the price they quote you is all you have to pay. But you do have to have insurance as they will use out of network benefits for some of the things they do. They will go over all of it before you sign up. I too was a little worried because there are a few reviews that mention billing issues. I had no problem. They really take care of you from the time you arrive to the time you leave. I couldn't recommend them more.

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Didn't feel hungry at all reallyy for months and if I did the shakes kept me satisfied until recently I've been trying different foods but I'm over 6 months post surgery and sure I may get a craving here and there but it doesn't last very long it's great not thinking about food all day like I used to...

I experienced food aversion for the first 3 months after surgery. Physical hunger was completely absent until the 5 1/2 to 6 month mark. At nearly 7 months out, the beginnings of a physical hunger-like sensation are occasionally present but so far it's unlike the sensation experienced prior to WLS (less tenacious, not persistent, dull or muted as opposed to pressing). I don’t really experience much emotional hunger because I spent thousands of hours working on addressing and managing that well in advance of being sleeved.
Feeling physical hungry is healthy and desirable, and it will return—and so it should. The good news is that there's no correlation between physical hunger and habit development: you can create new neural pathways and develop new habits whether or not you’re feeling hungry. There's not enough information in your post to know exactly why you’re asking this question, but if you're asking because you're an emotional eater, the best thing you could ever do for your future post-surgery self is to begin examining that and altering your behaviours as far in advance of surgery as possible. And I'm not talking about during the 7 or 14 day pre-op diet. Start embracing making completely different foods choices by cutting out processed foods and fast food, instead focusing on high quality vegetables, fruits, Beans, pulses and legumes, healthy fats such as nuts and seeds, tofu, tempeh, and sustainably caught wild seafood/clean antibiotic and hormone-free meats and eggs in moderation.
During the first 6-7 months after surgery, you are not driving the loss and will lose the same amount of weight no matter what you do. There are many who don’t appear to comprehend this and resume eating the way they used to once they're able to tolerate more food at roughly the 6 month mark. All you need to do is look around this or any other WLS forum to see that this never ends well. It's extremely common for post-ops to not reach their goal weight, or regain some or all of the weight back. Even those who work at maintenance can gain weight back, just like anyone who's never needed WLS gains weight if they don’t follow a healthful eating plan and don’t exercise.
It's not hunger that drives this, it's a failure to make the correct nutritional choices every day for the rest of their lives. So if you already know you're typically hungry for love, calmness, stability, reassurance, attention, or some sense that no matter what, everything will be alright, address it prior to surgery. Invest in a therapist if you need one and start working with them now. To be successful with WLS long-term, you will need to learn how to give these things to yourself without food.